Chapter 282: Contending for the Imperial Treasure

Sacred Lands such as Daxian Wanchu, Zifu, the Jiang Family, the Ji Family, Yaoguang, Dao Yi, and Yaochi have coexisted with the world since ancient times, their legacies enduring through countless tribulations.

At this moment, the exceptional heirs of these Sacred Lands were all wary. No one dared to make the first move, fearing they would become a target for everyone else.

"Since you're all so modest, why not just hand it over to me?" the Golden-winged Little Peng King declared as he strode in. He plunged his Great Desolate Halberd into the ground with a resounding thud, shaking the entire divine palace.

No one had known where he was hiding until this moment. He surveyed everyone present with a predatory gaze, exuding a wild, untamed aura.

While the heirs of the Sacred Lands were all exceptional individuals and none truly feared him, the atmosphere remained tense, anticipating a massive free-for-all.

With a resounding hum, the Golden-winged Little Peng King launched his attack. As he swung the Great Desolate Halberd, the Light Divine Palace seemed to dim, and the very space around him twisted and warped from the force.

The future king of the Celestial Peng Clan transformed into a streak of golden light, hurtling towards the Chaos Stone. He stretched out his large hand, aiming to seize the ancient beast-skin scroll.

"How dare he!" Everyone present attacked simultaneously, striking at him to prevent him from reaching the suspended Chaos Stone. Sacred swords, celestial music, ancient pagodas, and other formidable weapons surged towards him.

"Ten thousand eight thousand swords!" roared the Golden-winged Little Peng King, his entire body radiating golden light. Tens of thousands of great swords clanged as they flew in all directions, unleashing an indiscriminate attack.

Chaos immediately erupted within the Light Divine Palace. The delicate balance shattered, forcing many Holy Sons to retaliate, their killing intent pervading the air.

This was precisely the Golden-winged Little Peng King's objective. He had no intention of fighting so many powerful figures alone; rather, he aimed to disrupt the calm and force everyone into the fray.

Possessing the advantage of unparalleled speed, he was not afraid of a chaotic battle; in fact, the more disorder, the more it benefited him. In an instant, he retreated, breaking free from the encirclement and rushing out of the main hall.

There was no turning back now. The peace had been shattered, and everyone had a single objective: to rush towards the dark divine platform and contend for the ancient beast-skin scroll.

The Divine Body from the Jiang Family acted decisively, conjuring a fiery red divine furnace. Its shape was indistinct, wreathed by numerous divine phoenixes, as it flew towards the Chaos Stone.

The Yaoguang Holy Son was equally direct, summoning a cauldron covered in intricate dragon patterns. It radiated the essence of the Great Dao, unleashing a world-devouring force, intending to draw the black divine platform into its depths.

These two not only sought to claim the ancient scroll but also the Chaos Stone itself. Unwilling to fall behind, the others naturally summoned their own artifacts, attempting to forcefully seize the black divine platform.

The Light Divine Palace was once the Great Emperor's personal chambers; otherwise, it would have long since been reduced to dust by the peak powerhouses of the younger generation. Even with its inherent strength, it still trembled under their assault.

Despite the combined efforts of many Holy Sons, the Chaos Stone could not be moved an inch. It stood unyielding, like the very root of heaven and earth, a pillar of the cosmos.

"Retrieve!" the Yaoguang Holy Son commanded softly. The dragon-patterned cauldron bobbed, inhaling and exhaling sacred light, emitting alarming fluctuations, yet it still failed to retrieve the Chaos Stone.

"Rise!" The future Divine King of the Ji Family, with a divine moon manifesting above his head, pushed back those nearby. Moonlight cascaded onto the black divine platform, and even with his world-shaking divine body manifestation, he could not move the black stone.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the main hall. Qingyi and three other young, peak experts from the demon race appeared, entering the Light Divine Palace.

In addition to them, Wu Zhongtian, Li Heishui, Liu Kou, Jiang Huairen, and a group of other descendants of the Great Bandits also streamed in. Some of them bore minor injuries.

"Damn those coffins, they're completely sealed!" It was clear that this group had just been to the rear of the palace, where three ancient coffins, each as large as a hall, lay. Unable to open them and having found nothing, they had returned.

"Attack!" With that command, all these newcomers launched their attacks, surging towards the Chaos Stone at the center of the hall.

The black divine platform emanated streams of auspicious light, appearing both mysterious and incredibly heavy. It hung motionless, completely undisturbed.

"Why is it so incredibly heavy?" It wasn't for lack of trying that no one had simply grabbed the ancient scroll. They couldn't even get close; a dozen zhang away, they already felt immense pressure.

"Let's go for it!" At this point, there was no need for hesitation. It was time to truly seize the treasure, provided one could get close enough to even make an attempt.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The successor of the Dayan Holy Land blazed a path with his sacred sword, its radiant sword-light like a dragon piercing forward. He advanced with immense difficulty, inching closer to the Chaos Stone.

On the other side, the Yaoguang Holy Son, resembling an immortal king, unleashed Yaoguang's peerless unique art. Once his Sacred Light Technique was deployed, he was said to be impervious to all attacks.

His body glowed brilliantly, bathed in sacred radiance, his hair even turning golden. He advanced step by arduous step towards the black stone platform.

At this critical juncture, no one held back. Whoever could get their hands on the ancient scroll first would almost certainly claim it.

This was because the various Holy Lords could not engage in a full-scale war over it, as that would devastate the entire Eastern Desolate. The contest had to be resolved by the younger generation themselves.

This was a trial for them, and also the first major confrontation to reveal who was stronger and who was weaker. From this, one could gradually discern who might one day reign as king over the Eastern Desolate.

Yao Xi, with crystalline wisps emanating from her brow, enveloped her body. Lithe and graceful, she advanced with delicate steps.

She was like a radiant pearl blooming in a tempestuous ocean, or a lightning spirit moving through dark clouds, swaying with an unsteady, yet captivating grace.

The future Divine King of the Jiang Family remained mysterious, his true face still concealed by thick iron armor that covered his entire body, including his head.

The strength of his divine body was beyond doubt. His steps were firm as he advanced directly, clearly determined to claim the ancient scroll. Divine radiance overflowed from him, indeed revealing the bearing of a true Divine King. A path of divine light materialized beneath his feet, leading straight to the Chaos Stone, making him seem like a Divine King surveying the heavens, his gaze sweeping across all directions.

Several peak experts from the demon race were also unwilling to be left behind and began to approach the Chaos Stone. Regardless of whether they could cultivate from the ancient scroll, the black stone itself was invaluable. If they couldn't move the entire stone, even breaking off a piece would be worthwhile.

The descendants of the Thirteen Great Bandits also sprang into action, rushing forward. Furthermore, over a hundred individuals from various major sects, many of whom were heavily injured, also joined the fray.

Within the Light Divine Palace, numerous young experts were making their moves, but for a while, none could get truly close. They could only watch, inching closer with great difficulty.

"How can the Great Emperor's former sleeping chamber be so easily approached?" the Black Emperor sneered.

Ye Fan frowned, wondering if this was truly a Great Emperor's resting place. It didn't seem like it, so he questioned the Black Emperor.

"Of course not."

Ye Fan agreed, knowing that a Great Emperor's tomb would be far more terrifying. The previous Demon Emperor's Yin-Yang Twin Tombs had led to two years of devastating warfare among the major sects of the Eastern Desolate.

The Black Emperor explained, "Only this sleeping chamber originally belonged to the Great Emperor; who transformed it into the Light Divine Palace, I don't know. However, there might indeed be a terrifying presence here. Those three large coffins at the back make me uneasy."

"Is there any way to retrieve the Chaos Stone?" Ye Fan asked.

"This treasure is indeed appealing, but it's far too heavy; you definitely can't take it. In fact, I, this emperor, wanted to claim it and sleep on it for a few years, but unfortunately, there truly is no way." The Black Emperor expressed his extreme reluctance.

"What a pity..." Ye Fan said, feeling regretful.

"There was once a sacred object within the Chaos Stone, which the Great Emperor extracted to forge weapons. However, the dark stone itself is priceless; cultivating atop it can increase one's speed by several times. It's a true treasure; aside from ultimate weapons, ordinary artifacts can barely scratch it. It's a natural Chaos Seal. If it falls into the hands of a powerful figure, it would be invincible, capable of smashing anything." The large black dog was practically drooling.

"Which Great Emperor are you referring to?" Ye Fan mused, finding the dog too mysterious, knowing such detailed information about this particular Great Emperor.

The large black dog seemed to realize it had said too much and instantly clammed up, refusing to speak further. When pressed, it finally snapped its jaws as if to bite Ye Fan.

"Alright, if you won't tell me, then at least tell me if I can get that ancient scroll."

"Thud!" The Golden-winged Little Peng King returned, his gaze sweeping disdainfully across the hall. "This time," he declared, "no one is specifically targeting me. Let us each rely on our own abilities to seize this treasure."

"Get out of my way, don't block my path!" he coldly rebuked Ye Fan, his face devoid of emotion, regarding him as utterly insignificant.

The Golden-winged Little Peng King strode forward. Those who hadn't yet joined the struggle for the treasure quickly made way for him, scattering as if avoiding a venomous creature.

Suddenly, he spun around, his spiritual senses remarkably acute. Facing Ye Fan, he stated, "You actually dare to harbor killing intent towards me? I could crush fifty-six individuals from your Dao Palace Realm with a single hand."

"Whoosh!" Suddenly, the void subtly trembled. The future Divine King of the Ji Family unleashed the Great Void Art, traversing space as he pressed towards the Chaos Stone.

The Golden-winged Little Peng King was startled, fearing he would fall behind. He transformed into a golden streak, charging forward with the Celestial Peng's unparalleled speed, hoping to break through the restrictive force.

"Boom!" The Light Divine Palace trembled as the Chaos Stone erupted with a brilliant light that extended ten thousand zhang. Streaks of auspicious radiance cascaded downwards, distorting space and forming a unique force field.

In that instant, everyone who had managed to get close was frozen in place, barely able to move. Many Holy Sons found themselves completely immobilized.

Ji Haoyue was forced out of the void and fixed five zhang away from the Chaos Stone. The Golden-winged Little Peng King's extreme speed proved useless as well; he was as if trapped in a quagmire.

"The Great Emperor's bed, imbued with his aura, cannot be moved by just anyone," the Black Emperor muttered to himself.

Ye Fan's heart seized. The power of ancient Great Emperors was unfathomable; it was truly astonishing that the Chaos Stone, merely imbued with their aura, could be so terrifying.

"Is there truly no other way?" he asked using his divine sense.

"Damn it, you brat deserve to be struck by lightning!" the large black dog fumed, annoyed.

Ye Fan immediately knew there was a chance. The dog's indignation suggested it likely knew a way to bypass the restriction.

"They're all immobilized. You truly have an opportunity now. Don't you possess the Source Root of Myriad Things Mother Qi? The Chaos Stone cannot immobilize that sacred object."

"Alright, today I'll reveal my true form, right in front of all these Holy Sons and Holy Daughters."

If he summoned his cauldron, he would certainly be recognized. Rather than that, he decided it would be better to reveal his true self directly. Ye Fan exited the main hall and went to a secluded spot where he manifested his true form, then changed into a different set of clothes.

"I, this emperor, wish to enter your cauldron. Later, I'll try to see if I can retrieve the Chaos Stone," the large black dog said, baring its teeth.

"That damned unscrupulous Daoist hasn't appeared yet. We should be careful later," Ye Fan murmured to himself.

"He's just a mere Daoist, isn't he? How dare he snatch food from this emperor's mouth? I'll bite him to death!"

"I might as well just eliminate the Golden-winged Little Peng King and all these Holy Sons," Ye Fan mused, his voice remarkably calm as he strode back. If anyone else had heard him, it would have caused an immense uproar.