Chapter 1696: Buried an Era

“It’s suppressing the flesh ball, trying to pull it into another world. Is this the legendary Immortal Bell, the ultimate treasure?” The eyes of the thirteen great demon lords widened. Why had they come back then? Today, they had seen it.

As they sighed, waves of terror also washed over them. That flesh ball was too terrifying; it devoured imperial-level powerhouses. What kind of thing was it?

The Forbidden Death Zone, filled with immense yin energy, nurtured a life force that was bizarre but extremely potent. This flesh ball, having undergone extreme transformation, must have an extraordinary origin.

“It’s just the Bell of Without Beginning,” Ye Fan said, shaking his head. He naturally recognized it; he had seen it with his own eyes before. But he never expected it to reappear here. How could the supreme treasure, which had suppressed the Immortal Path back then, show itself in this place?

“What? Emperor Without Beginning’s weapon?” Regardless of the era, when this peerless powerhouse, who surpassed even gods, was mentioned, demons, humans, ghosts, and deities alike would feel awe.

No matter how powerful one was, it was difficult to be arrogant in front of this man; everyone had to look up to him. The years he dominated the world were an unrepeatable, glorious legend.

“How could this be? This flesh ball is devouring ancient emperors’ flesh and blood. Is it undergoing a transformation? Is that why it drew Emperor Without Beginning’s weapon to suppress it?” The voices of the thirteen great demon lords were unnatural; they knew they had encountered an unparalleled menace.

If not for Emperor Without Beginning’s Chaos Bell being here, they might have been in danger. This was the anxious speculation in the hearts of Silver Snake, Dragon Sparrow, and all the others.

Ye Fan might be able to escape, but these non-quasi-emperor powerhouses truly had no hope, no ability to fight. As a lesson from what came before, three quasi-emperors had already fallen.

“So terrifying!” For even a Great Saint to say this, feeling a chill in their body, showed how horrifying the scene before their eyes was.

The flesh ball possessed a demonic power that influenced people’s thoughts, making them want to sacrifice themselves to it, offering their essence and blood. This was because some individuals among the thirteen great demon lords had already begun to make such gestures.

If Ye Fan and Mountain Phoenix hadn’t been standing nearby, that person would certainly have been in danger.

To be honest, even Ye Fan felt immense apprehension upon seeing this flesh ball. After observing for a long time, he led the others back, circling the majestic palace several times.

On the vast land, there were endless corpses, stretching as far as the eye could see. Had all the powerhouses of an entire era truly been buried here?

Otherwise, how could it be like this!

Even the land was formed from blood-soaked mud and shattered bones. No wonder this place was called a demonic forbidden zone; the blood and tears of the past, the miseries gone by, had all converged here.

The thirteen great demon lords whispered, speculating on the origin of the flesh ball. They believed the most terrifying event had occurred here, turning it into another underworld.

The difference was that the ocean-like expanse of corpses here had not all gained sentience, nor transformed into endless yin soldiers and generals; rather, they had given rise to only one living being!

The great demon lords speculated that only one god among the corpses had undergone a solitary transformation. It had absorbed a wisp of divine power from other corpses and devoured the remaining foundational principles of others, transforming into a supreme being.

“In this world, there is a type of being called an Yin God. They are original powerhouses who, after death, gain sentience after being buried underground. Their physical bodies form reincarnation seals, allowing them to be born anew into a lifetime.”

And the Yin God in this place surpassed all previous ones; it might even be considered the strongest in history!

“An Yin God achieving enlightenment… just thinking about it is terrifying!”

This grim speculation, this ominous premonition, made even the defiant thirteen great demon lords shiver. That should be an invincible existence, uncontainable by anyone in the current era.

They just didn’t know why Emperor Without Beginning’s Chaos Bell had flown here on its own to suppress it.

“Perhaps it’s not that simple,” Mountain Phoenix murmured.

Back then, that war was said to have buried an entire era. The boundaries of the universe were shattered, countless star systems destroyed. It was as if all the powerhouses within a given period had been annihilated.

Known as the War of Heavenly Gods, too many masters were mobilized. Ancient emperors emerged to participate, and not only were their weapons destroyed, they themselves also perished.

Ye Fan also thought of many things: the black gourd given to the old madman, the Human Emperor Seal obtained by the Kunlun Remnants, and so on. These were all ancient artifacts destroyed during the divine war.

Throughout history, more than one Heavenly God-level war had occurred. In the end, they were all caused by discord among the forbidden life zones.

Otherwise, even the most powerful ordinary beings could not cause such terrifying destruction.

The root cause was the calamity of longevity. To survive, to achieve immortality, the most powerful few would engage in fierce battles, and confrontation would inevitably escalate to an outburst at a certain point.

“Do you think it’s possible that someone guided it, deliberately instigated it, and took pleasure in seeing all beings participate, thus burying an era?” Mountain Phoenix asked.

This old rooster had experienced too many things. He had found ancient immortal caves and cultivated peerless divine abilities. Naturally, he had also heard many secrets. When he strung together many fragmented old stories, he naturally arrived at some different conclusions.

As for the Heavenly God-level wars, there were only some legends in the world. Many people didn’t believe them, but after today’s underground exploration, they all fell silent.

It was too terrifying. The remains of the imperial-level powerhouses in the palace must have perished in that war, and they had been devoured.

“Perhaps that flesh ball is not the Yin God you speak of at all, but rather a supreme being who has existed throughout history,” Ye Fan said.

This speculation sent shivers down their spines. If it were true, then the divine war of that time would be very bizarre and worthy of contemplation. Everyone instantly felt a chill run down their spines; it was terrifying.

“This is a confrontation between forbidden life zones, a clash of supreme beings, something beyond our reach,” one of the thirteen great demon lords said. “If we can’t find the ultimate treasure, the Immortal Bell, let’s retreat quickly.”

Every one of the thirteen great demon lords was a peak master, having experienced too much. Through mere glimpses, they could discern the horror of this place; some things were beyond their grasp.

They felt that this trip had been in vain. They would gain little even by entering the sealed burial ground of Mars (Yinghuo). Simply surviving was already a great feat. The three quasi-emperors who died earlier sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

In any case, this trip had fulfilled a long-held desire to explore this place.

Ye Fan was truly a little unwilling. He had walked here for a long time, understood how terrifying the divine battleground was, but still hadn’t seen the Immortal Bell, which made him frown.

He came to the palace again, staring intently at the flesh ball. The others felt a sudden chill. Mountain Phoenix advised, “Although we are quasi-emperors, that thing is not something we can touch. Let’s retreat; it concerns the secrets of ancient supreme beings.”

The others agreed; the thing within the flesh ball was dormant. If provoked and awakened, it could lead to great disaster.

Ye Fan stood silently, leading them away, still a little unwilling. He recited an ancient scripture, immersing his mind in it, his entire body radiating a treasured glow.

Those nearby were horrified and instinctively retreated. A powerhouse at the sixth layer of the quasi-emperor realm was releasing his aura so unreservedly; they couldn’t withstand it and trembled all over.

Mountain Phoenix protected everyone and moved to a safe distance.

Suddenly, a long, deep chime of a bell echoed. The ground in the depths of the burial ground cracked open, and lava surged. Deep within the earth’s core, there was a cluster of runes, interwoven to form an Immortal Bell, shimmering with various Daoist symbols and divine light.

“An immortal cave, with a bell formed from order hanging within it!”

Everyone was stunned; they hadn’t expected this. They had found nothing upon entering the burial ground, yet such a phenomenon occurred just as they were about to leave.

Ye Fan was speechless. He had expended so much effort and gained nothing, yet now he saw it so easily. If he had known this, he could have just stood there and recited scriptures.

“This is someone’s cultivation retreat, do you feel it?” the Hundred Races Celestial Worm said. “The immortal cave is filled with the same aura as that flesh ball; it once cultivated here!”

They delved deeper. This was a cave within the Earth’s core lava. Inside, there were actually a few incomplete pieces of shedding skin, exuding a suffocating aura.

“These were left by an emperor-level figure,” Mountain Phoenix said, trembling uncontrollably. “However, the laws have been worn away, and the divine nature has completely dissipated. Or perhaps that person underwent Nirvana himself, leaving only these remnants.” Today, they had stumbled upon a world-shaking secret, possibly involving the strongest individuals from ancient times to the present.

Fierce flames burned, billowing within the ancient cave, making it unbearably hot. Those few pieces of shedding skin, having lost their divine nature, no longer posed a threat to people of the current era.

“What a pity, this isn’t the true Immortal Bell; it’s merely condensed from runes,” Mountain Phoenix said. “It once appeared here, leaving behind indelible Dao marks!”

Nevertheless, only Ye Fan and Mountain Phoenix could approach and observe this Immortal Bell forged from order.

Ye Fan gazed intently and said, “Someone was here, studying the Divine Bell, trying to understand its essence. These are the Dao marks of the Immortal Bell he outlined; it’s incredible!”

At these words, everyone was shocked.

Someone obtained the Immortal Bell and observed it? To understand its complete truth, that’s a bit terrifying.

“What a chaotic ancient era! It’s making me confused now. What all happened?” Silver Snake sighed.

“In the past Heavenly God-level war, ancient emperors emerged, and emperor-tier artifacts were destroyed,” Great Xia Dragon Sparrow said. “It’s said that this Immortal Bell was involved, and in the end, no one was the victor, leading to this place being completely sealed.”

“That’s right. Later, a supreme being arrived and confronted the Immortal Bell here, observing its divine patterns of order,” Ye Fan speculated. “However, in the end, the Immortal Bell still flew away. Look, there are traces here, a large hole, piercing through the void and leaving the universe.”

Deep within the ancient cave, there was a bell-shaped large hole. It was a breach created by an impact, forming a chaotic passage that had not yet closed and was still manifest.

“That imperial-level powerhouse who once studied the Immortal Bell is still alive, transforming within the flesh ball,” one of the thirteen great demon lords whispered.

Everyone’s scalp tingled, and their hair stood on end. Just how powerful was that person?

One must know that back then, the Heavenly Venerate had ascended Immortal Mountain for the Immortal Bell, conquering the Kunlun Remnants, but he never obtained this bell; it broke through the void and left.

Who was this person?

“There’s also a chaotic hole here, with Arctic Immortal Light!” the Immortal Crane among the demons exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s a node on the Immortal Ascension Path!” Ye Fan was astonished. Long ages ago, this place was part of an Immortal Ascension Path.

“It’s too terrifying! Can this person enter and exit the Immortal Ascension Path alive? I wonder if he has the power to force his way into the Immortal Realm!”

The scene before them was shocking, leaving them dumbfounded.

Mountain Phoenix approached, wanting to see clearly. Although this place was almost closed now, and there couldn’t possibly be a passage to the Immortal Realm ahead, it still attracted him.

Suddenly, he grunted and was sent flying out from within.

In the shattered chaotic hole, two people sat cross-legged, facing each other in confrontation. It was their presence that had kept this path, which should have long since closed, still open.