Chapter 1653: Heavenly Venerable Battlefield Balance Breaks

“Ah…” the Dragon Maiden screamed.

A Quasi-Emperor, such a rarity both in the past and in this Golden Age, incredibly difficult to cultivate, yet now dead. This was a tragedy for the Myriad Dragons’ Nest! The old dragon had just become a Quasi-Emperor, only to die immediately. The time was too short, representing an immense loss for their race.

She charged forward, wielding the Myriad Dragons’ Bell, intending to destroy her opponent. However, the green lotus was very special; it didn't attack actively but defended passively, dissolving even Imperial Dao laws. Everyone showed surprise; it was too peculiar that such a weapon existed.

Ye Fan, holding the Chaos Green Lotus, charged directly at the Dragon Maiden. Since things had come to this, he intended to kill thoroughly, aiming to eliminate the Myriad Dragons’ Nest’s hope for resurgence. The Human Demon also approached, ready to strike at any moment!

Being targeted by a powerful Quasi-Emperor, even possessing an Imperial Dao artifact was insufficient, as it's impossible to constantly revive the weapon; no one has boundless mana to perpetually wield such an artifact.

“Boom!” The Dragon Maiden was decisive. Seeing that the tide had turned, she shook the Myriad Dragons’ Bell and fled through the void. A dragon’s roar echoed through the nine heavens. A colossal purple dragon, tens of thousands of miles long, emerged, with the Dragon Maiden standing atop its head as it vanished into the ethereal sky, shattering the ancient firmament and disappearing.

Even formidable figures like Ye Fan and fierce ones like the Human Demon gave chase, but they ultimately returned empty-handed. They couldn’t keep up with the Imperial Dao artifact, which had vanished into the turbulence of space-time.

On the battlefield, a profound silence fell, and everyone was utterly shaken! That was a Quasi-Emperor, just like that, slain. Before this, everyone believed the Myriad Dragons’ Nest was on the cusp of resurgence, because the birth of a Quasi-Emperor was enough to strike fear into all races of the universe. Coupled with the Imperial Armaments they possessed, who would dare challenge them?

Yet, this was a massive irony: the old dragon was struck down immediately after successfully passing his tribulation, likely making him the shortest-lived Quasi-Emperor in history. Everyone stared blankly. The old dragon of the Myriad Dragons’ Nest had set two records in one day: the oldest to become a Quasi-Emperor in history, and the shortest time spent at that realm.

It was both amusing and sorrowful. They wanted to laugh, yet they also felt a profound sadness for him. This path was indeed arduous; the cultivation path is merciless, and the human path is even more so.

In the distance, the Human Demon old man dragged a colossal purple dragon body. It was truly longer than a mountain range, rumbling past the mountains as he pulled it towards their direction. Finally, Dongfang Taiyi used a spell to shrink the old dragon to a length of a few zhang, then hoisted it onto his back. Its body shimmered with resplendent purple-gold light.

The aura of a Quasi-Emperor permeated the area, making it impossible for ordinary people to approach. Apart from Ye Fan, who was unaffected, even the Black Emperor found it taxing, to say nothing of Li Heishui and the others. This was the terrifying aspect of a Quasi-Emperor: even in death, they inspired immense dread.

The Human Demon old man acted. In an instant, he dispelled the killing intent and shattered some of the Great Dao fragments within the blood, which finally brought relief to Huahua, Ji Chengdao, and the others.

“Haha… Ancestor, I finally see you again!” Dongfang Ye burst out laughing, also shirtless, and went to meet him. Their clothing styles and general demeanor were remarkably similar.

“By the heavens, Demon Lord, we are blessed to enjoy this feast thanks to you!” Huahua said with a mischievous grin.

The Black Pearl ship sailed away, carrying a Quasi-Emperor-level dragon body, truly astonishing many hidden observers. No one made a move; their expressions were all complex. Undoubtedly, today’s events were a huge shock. The conflicts on this battlefield had now escalated, requiring the Quasi-Emperor realm to truly traverse the desolate lands. Otherwise, it would simply be insufficient!

The arrival of the Human Demon and the appearance of Ye Fan shattered the peace here. Although Quasi-Emperor level combatants had appeared here long ago, and the balance had been broken much earlier, it was not as shocking as today. This was the first time someone had slain a Quasi-Emperor.

Starlight dimmed, and a red mist enveloped the sky. However, on a mountain peak, the atmosphere was lively as the grand task of roasting dragon meat was underway. This time, Ye Fan presided. The dragon meat was golden and glistening with oil, and fat dripped into the Dao fire, sizzling.

This was the Human Demon old man’s Dao fire, but his mind wasn’t on the golden dragon meat; for once, he wasn’t particularly tempted today. This was because he was refining his bone staff, causing it to evolve. Today, for the elder Dongfang Taiyi, the gains were immense. The bone staff had shattered the Quasi-Imperial artifact, the Divine Bell, and then absorbed all its essence.

At this moment, the Human Demon had even extracted the entire dragon skeleton, which glowed with luminous treasure-light and stretched for tens of thousands of zhang. Of course, this was the result of his refinement; otherwise, it would have been far grander and longer. He used the Dao fire for refining, while Ye Fan used it for roasting meat. The Human Demon himself was forging, slowly integrating the entire massive dragon skeleton into his less than one-meter-long bone staff.

The moment the integration was complete, fierce winds raged, sand and stones flew, and surging waves crashed, making the place feel as if it would explode. Fortunately, Ye Fan had already planted the Chaos Green Lotus nearby. It swayed, emitting a white mist that stabilized the cosmos; otherwise, the Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, Li Tian, and others would have been blown away.

The Human Demon’s weapon had advanced, becoming incredibly terrifying, yet its appearance was even more crystalline. It bore patterns of various birds and beasts, which were crucial for this Quasi-Emperor artifact to grow to its current state.

“Haha, what a joy! A Quasi-Emperor was slain just like that. This truly marks the dawn of a new era, a brand new age!” Dongfang Ye laughed.

“One could also say it’s the cruelest and most brutal era approaching. In the future, those with slightly weaker cultivation won’t have an easy time,” the Black Emperor said, taking a large gulp from a wine jar.

These were all facts. Quasi-Emperors had already appeared on this battlefield, and the Sons of Emperors were also on the verge of entering this realm, some even having already done so. Future wars would be terrifying.

“Too bad that girl got away,” Li Tian said, full of regret.

“When she reappears, that woman will undoubtedly be a Quasi-Emperor. If she returns then, wielding the Myriad Dragons’ Bell, it will certainly be a grave calamity,” Pang Bo stated.

Everyone nodded. Their relationship with the Myriad Dragons’ Nest was now absolutely one of unending hostility. The next encounter would undoubtedly be a fierce struggle, with blood staining the firmament.

“If she appears, we’ll just figure out how to hunt her down!” the Human Demon old man said, tearing off a large piece of golden, glistening dragon meat, stuffing it into his mouth, and starting to eat heartily, utterly unconcerned. People sighed, the old man truly didn’t care at all.

However, he certainly had the qualifications. Even if they were descendants of Ancient Emperors, though their bloodline power was indeed astonishing, who among those capable of reaching the Quasi-Emperor realm was an ordinary individual? They were all formidable talents among the heaven-defying geniuses, kings among the evildoers. As one’s cultivation realm advanced, the effect of bloodline power inheritance would gradually weaken. This was because individuals at that level were equally formidable; trying to suppress others purely by being an Emperor’s Son was simply ineffective. In a sense, for those not of a Great Emperor’s bloodline, perhaps their future path would be longer. They fought arduously step by step, enduring countless trials to achieve their "golden bodies." Of course, in the initial stages of their journey, the deterrent power of Emperor’s Sons would still be terrifying!

“Oh my heavens, I’m burning up!” In the middle of the night, Huahua screamed miserably, muttering 'ghost Buddha,' darting around and jumping, howling incessantly on the Black Pearl. He had eaten too much Quasi-Emperor meat. His entire body was glowing and intensely hot. The killing intent and harmful elements within the meat had already been refined away by the Human Demon, yet he was still in this state. One could only imagine how astonishingly potent and nourishing the dragon meat was.

On the other side, Dongfang Ye and Pang Bo were both groaning. There were two large barrels with boiling blood inside. They were submerged in them, undergoing body tempering, a truly brutal form of cultivation. Ye Fan and the Human Demon stood guard, watching intently, fearing any mishap, as that was Quasi-Emperor blood, vital essence extracted from the old dragon’s body. How could ordinary people endure it?

Even these two couldn’t fully endure it; their bodies had shattered multiple times. Moreover, this was only after the Human Demon and Ye Fan had refined away ninety percent of the killing intent and Great Dao fragments contained within the blood. Quasi-Emperor blood was astonishingly terrifying; even with only ten percent of its killing nature remaining, Great Saints could not endure it. It required the Human Demon and Ye Fan to personally guard and care for them.

Though it was agonizing, their gains were immense. Their bodies shattered several times, undergoing dragon blood baptism, and their flesh and blood gradually became crystalline and tough, difficult for swords and blades to harm. They were the first batch, and the others watched eagerly, as these two were the "guinea pigs," treated as test subjects. The Black Emperor, Li Tian, Yan Yixi, Ji Chengdao, Li Heishui, and others also wanted to undergo this trial. After seeing the effects, the entire group was greatly excited. The path of cultivation was endless, requiring them to find every possible way to enhance their strength.

Three days later, the group finally achieved breakthroughs. Their physical bodies had been tempered to a terrifying degree; ordinary Dao artifacts could barely harm them. Even Li Heishui, who had the weakest aptitude, was treated as a magical artifact by the Human Demon old man and refined, howling and wailing for two full days before being released.

“Boom!” Five days later, Ye Fan and his companions were attacked. A Quasi-Emperor’s might erupted, as a powerful Quasi-Emperor moved to suppress and kill them. The Black Pearl glowed brilliantly, blocking the assault. Had it not been for the admixture of Immortal Tear Green Gold and Phoenix Blood Vermillion Gold, the ship would have been blown apart! One could imagine the assailant’s power: he intended to detonate the warship and a blood hammer, burning two Quasi-Emperor artifacts to sacrifice the entire group alive!

“Ye Fan, in this Heavenly Venerate battlefield, only one of us can survive. Let the death game begin!” A cold voice echoed in the sky, but the speaker had already departed.

“Shen Ming… it’s Shen Ming from the forbidden zone of life — Immortal Mausoleum!” Li Heishui exclaimed in surprise. Back then, during Ye Fan’s grand wedding with Ji Ziyue, Shen Ming had come to stir up trouble, wielding boundless power. At that time, Ye Fan, the Saint Prince, and Ji Zi had all come forth, almost clashing and contending with Shen Ming and An Pu. So many years had passed, and finally they met again. Their next encounter would initiate a battle.

By now, people could confirm that the Supremes within the Immortal Mausoleum had not all emerged, and there was more than just the Longevity Heavenly Venerate, as he had no descendants. And Shen Ming, from the Immortal Mausoleum, was the direct descendant of an Imperial Dao expert.

The Human Demon gazed up at the ethereal sky and muttered to himself, “I’ve never eaten the flesh and blood of Emperors. I wonder if their children truly resemble them.” The initially tense atmosphere was instantly diffused by his single remark. Even Huahua and the Black Emperor clicked their tongues in disbelief. This old man was truly eccentric, his thoughts unique and seemingly direct, cutting straight to the essence, embodying a profound simplicity of the Great Dao.

Shen Ming had already left; he had come to issue a challenge. They would meet on the battlefield in the future, where life and death would be decided.

“And me!” A bolt of lightning flew, striking towards the Black Pearl, but Ye Fan shattered it with a single flick of his finger. This was a divine sense message sent by the Thunder God, indicating that the day he became a Quasi-Emperor would mark the beginning of a bloody battle of life and death.

On the same day, news arrived that someone in the distant depths of the earth had undergone tribulation: Huang Xudao had broken through his tribulation, transforming into a Quasi-Emperor, shaking the ancient battlefield.

“The days of war and bloody battles are upon us!” Dongfang Ye’s eyes gleamed. As this place grew increasingly tense and the number of Quasi-Emperors increased, the heavens were bound to be shattered.

“Kid, want to know how the Great Emperor Wushi faced it back then?” the Black Emperor asked.

“How did he do it? How should my master face it?” Huahua asked.

“What else could he do? Just two words: ‘Sweep across!’ The Great Emperor Wushi simply swept everything aside back then, truly living up to his reputation on the battlefield as — ‘An enemy to the entire world!’” the Black Emperor egged them on, but he himself was already getting excited.