Chapter 306: From the Primordial Ancient Mine

"Who were the two Great Emperors born in the same era, and who fought a life-and-death battle with Emperor Hengyu?"

Tu Fei found it hard to believe. From ancient times, there had never been a record in historical texts of two Great Emperors emerging in the same generation.

The big black dog said, "Some things are always forgotten by history and never come to light. Even if they were earth-shattering, they wouldn't leave a trace."

"What are you talking about? Were there really two Great Emperors in the same era? Who was stronger, and what was the outcome?" Tu Fei urgently wanted to know.

"Naturally, Emperor Hengyu survived. That battle had a profound impact; otherwise, it's hard to say what might have happened."

The scorching sun beat down, turning the vast desert into what looked like molten gold. It was intensely hot, without a trace of wind or a single cloud. The fiery golden sand was dazzling.

"What exactly happened back then? Hurry up and tell us," Ye Fan urged. It was hard to imagine the destructive power that could create this boundless desert, stretching for unknown thousands of miles, simply by a single strike from Emperor Hengyu's Sun God Furnace.

"What was the name of the other Great Emperor?" Tu Fei also pressed.

"No one knows, because it wasn't human, but its power was absolutely comparable to a Great Emperor!" the big black dog stated.

"What? Not human? What was it then? Could it have been an ancient emperor of the demon race?"

"It's hard to say what exactly it was, but it was definitely one of the most powerful beings in this world."

The big black dog said in a deep voice.

Ye Fan and Tu Fei both felt like kicking it. The big black dog spoke unhurriedly, making them anxious, while it remained perfectly composed.

"Just spit it out all at once!"

"You'd better mind your manners! If I don't show my power, you'll really think I'm a sick cat. Even mighty figures wouldn't dare disrespect me!"

"You're just bragging. When you saw Daoist Red Dragon, who ran dozens of miles in one breath? And who fled at the mere mention of a Holy Lord coming?"

"That was then, and this is now," the big black dog replied sheepishly.

"A being comparable to a Great Emperor, where did it come from? Don't tell me it traveled across starfields?" Ye Fan frowned.

"Not to be critical, but the Qi Refiners of the Pre-Qin era you speak of truly cannot compare to a Great Emperor. The being that fought a life-and-death battle with the Great Emperor was born right here in the Northern Domain."

Ye Fan and Tu Fei exchanged glances, simultaneously thinking of a certain place, their hearts pounding.

"Are you saying..."

"You're not so dumb after all; you finally figured it out. That supreme expert, comparable to a Great Emperor, came from the Primeval Restricted Zone!"

The big black dog's words were utterly shocking, sending waves through their hearts. This was truly astonishing.

"Are you... sure?" Tu Fei stammered.

"This place is thousands of miles from the Primeval Restricted Zone. Why did the battle take place here?" Ye Fan was also puzzled.

The big black dog said, "Many years ago, Emperor Hengyu astonished the world. To forge an ultimate weapon, he ventured into the Primeval Restricted Zone and went on a killing spree there..."

Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. He had personally seen that place, where piles of bones lay scattered. Even after hundreds of thousands of years, hundreds of those skeletons still glowed, undoubtedly belonging to terrifying creatures.

"When Emperor Hengyu's ultimate weapon was successfully forged, heaven and earth trembled. Everyone in the Northern Domain could sense it; it startled everything and every being."

On that very day, as Emperor Hengyu left the Primeval Restricted Zone, a being comparable to him pursued him out.

"Don't tell us that being pursued him from the ancient mine."

The big black dog said solemnly, "You guessed correctly. According to a verification by a later sage, it indeed came from the ancient mine."

Ye Fan was incredibly surprised. The Primeval Restricted Zone and the ancient mine were two different concepts. He had observed the Primeval Ancient Mine from afar, and it was extremely terrifying. He even suspected there were deities inside, and there were also rumors of sacred spirits within.

On that late night, Li Desheng, with his Netherworld Eyes, had seen many extraordinary things, which still seemed incredible to recall.

Within the silvery waterfalls of starlight cascading from the sky, corpses clothed in ancient garments floated and sank, bathed in sacred starlight, accompanied by numerous points of light.

What was pursued was merely the tip of the iceberg, the outermost veil of the ancient mine. No one could clearly say what truly lay within the mine.

"Someone capable of contending with a Great Emperor, originating from the Primeval Ancient Mine..." Tu Fei muttered, somewhat lost. "You're wrong, it wasn't human," the big black dog corrected.

"Then do you know what it was? Isn't there a legend that there are immortals in the ancient mine? Was it them?" Ye Fan asked.

The big black dog shook its head, saying, "Some say it was an Archaic creature, others say it was an immortal, or a sacred spirit, and some even say an ancient human. There are too many rumors; it's impossible to say for sure."

"How long did Emperor Hengyu battle it?" Ye Fan asked, particularly interested in this question.

"It was a long time. It's said that on that day, only three sages in the entire Northern Domain sensed the boundless imperial might. According to them, the sky over the Northern Domain was shattered, yet everyone else remained completely unaware."

"Is this the divine might of a Supreme Great Emperor? To fight to such an extent and still conceal it from everyone..." Tu Fei was aghast.

The big black dog said, "According to the notes left by a sage, Emperor Hengyu indeed met his match. Otherwise, he wouldn't have created such a boundless desert."

"Did Emperor Hengyu kill the being that pursued him from the Primeval Ancient Mine?" Ye Fan asked.

"Yes, after a life-and-death battle, it was struck down here by Emperor Hengyu and refined into ashes." The big black dog looked out at the boundless desert. "A being comparable to a Great Emperor was refined to utter annihilation..." This was world-shattering news, and Tu Fei stared blankly, lost in thought.

Now, Great Emperors were long gone and beyond reach. In the past, there were imperial battles, but now not even a trace of an Emperor could be found, which was lamentable.

"That being from the Primeval Ancient Mine, comparable to a Great Emperor, had its demonic blood dye the desert red. Its weapon shattered here, scattering everywhere to form incomplete Dao patterns, which is how this 'Divine Abyss,' this sinister place, was created."

"So that's how it was formed..." Tu Fei was deeply moved. The big black dog knew too much; even the various Holy Lands might not know these things.

"How do you know the secrets of the Great Emperors?" Ye Fan asked.

"This Emperor is knowledgeable in all things, from the ancient wilderness to the distant future, there's nothing I don't comprehend!" The big black dog cocked its head and looked away.

"This is truly... dreamlike!" Tu Fei sighed, finding it unbelievable. "That was a being from the Primeval Ancient Mine! You know, that restricted zone has existed since ancient times. Throughout history, countless astonishingly talented individuals have appeared, but none could do anything to it. Yet, a supreme expert who emerged from it was annihilated by Emperor Hengyu. Imperial might is indeed unfathomable!"

This was indeed a shocking matter, not recorded in historical texts, making it hard to believe.

"Did the Primeval Ancient Mine have no reaction? When a supreme being was annihilated, shouldn't there have been a response?" Ye Fan asked.

"These are things that later generations cannot know. Even the sages of that era could not fathom them," the big black dog shook its head.

"Surely there must be some theories? Did nothing else particularly notable happen afterward?" Ye Fan felt there should be some clues.

"After that, Emperor Hengyu never set foot within 500,000 li of the Primeval Restricted Zone for the rest of his life."

"So..." Tu Fei was horrified. Even a Great Emperor had reservations.

The big black dog thought for a moment and said, "There's also a legend that after that battle, Emperor Hengyu established his lineage, went directly to Central State, and never returned."

"What exactly is in the Primeval Ancient Mine that even a Great Emperor was so wary of?" Ye Fan was alarmed.

"The third theory is that after the battle, Emperor Hengyu went alone to the edge of the Primeval Restricted Zone, transmitted a message into the ancient mine, and reached an agreement with someone. Afterward, in less than ten years, he founded the Desolate Ancient Good Family and then completely disappeared."

"What was the truth then?" Tu Fei and Ye Fan were both puzzled and couldn't understand.

These events were too ancient; even legends were hard to find, let alone verifying and restoring the truth.

The big black dog sighed, "Reflecting on the Great Emperors of the past, all of them accomplished deeds that shook heaven and earth. How could their supreme demeanor be fathomed by mortals? What later generations recorded in books were merely superficial details; no one truly understood them."

"Hey, have we gotten out? There are huge rocks in the distance!" Tu Fei exclaimed.

On the distant horizon of the vast expanse, two massive rocks began to emerge, faintly visible.

"Finally, some different scenery! This Emperor was really afraid of being trapped for another hundred years." The big black dog still felt lingering fear from its past experiences.

The two men and the dog ran quickly forward, not wanting to stay in the scorching desert for another moment, leaving a long trail of footprints in the sand.

"These are black metal blocks!"

When they got closer, they were all astonished.

Both metal blocks were five or six meters long, entirely black with a dull sheen. A chilling aura emanated from them, making one feel a cool sensation even under the fierce midday sun.

The black metal blocks were pitted and uneven, with many areas appearing to have been struck and dented by palms or fingers.

"How can there be metal blocks like these?" Tu Fei asked, surprised.

At the same time, Ye Fan noticed that this patch of sand was different from elsewhere; it was reddish-black, like dried blood, and emanated waves of chilling air.

The big black dog said, "This red desert was likely dyed by the blood of that being comparable to a Great Emperor. Even after hundreds of thousands of years, its color remains unchanged."

"In that case, aren't these metal blocks..." Tu Fei was startled.

"Exactly. It's highly probable that these are two pieces of that being's weapon, which fell here after being shattered by Emperor Hengyu," The big black dog's eyes gleamed with fervor as it quickly rushed over.

"Clang!" It struck the black metal block forcefully, but it remained motionless, emitting a resonating hum like a great bell. "These are definitely fragments of that being's weapon!" the big black dog exclaimed. Tu Fei also approached and struck it hard, his hands tingling from the impact, yet he couldn't leave even the slightest mark on it.

"They can't compare to a Great Emperor's sacred artifacts, but they are absolutely top-grade materials for forging weapons," the big black dog said.

The black metal blocks were of an unknown substance; even the knowledgeable Black Emperor found it hard to identify them. However, one thing was certain: this material was extremely precious and astonishingly durable.

"Even a Great Holy Lord probably wouldn't ignore something like this." Tu Fei and the big black dog stepped forward. Together, they each collected a block. "Boom!" Heaven and earth shook. The moment the black metal blocks were retrieved, the void trembled, and the landscape around them transformed dramatically.