Chapter 307: Dao Fourth Transformation Divine Source

The vast golden desert shattered like glass; the sea of sand directly in front of them disappeared, and faint mountain silhouettes emerged on the distant horizon.

“This is...” They were all surprised.

The big black dog said, "I understand now. It was indeed the dao patterns on the shattered weapon fragments that were affecting the desert. Once we picked them up, this section returned to normal. I imagine the entire desert is the same."

This was truly a pleasant surprise. While the Black Sovereign and Tu Fei collected rare materials, they also broke through the predicament and exited the desert.

After walking for more than ten li, they completely left the vast desert and arrived at the edge of an oasis.

It was now late autumn, and most trees had shed their leaves. Only a few species like green pines and verdant maples remained lush.

"What a big, fat dog! We're in luck; we'll braise some black dog meat tonight!"

Ahead, several figures stood beneath a bare mountain at the edge of the oasis, clad in glowing iron armor, laughing sinisterly.

"You two brats, leave all your source stones here and get lost!"

The big black dog almost leaped up then, but it restrained itself, grinding its teeth in secret.

"Who are you people?" Tu Fei's face also darkened. As the descendant of a great bandit, this was the first time he had ever been robbed.

"You've come to the wrong place. Leave your source stones and clear out. You have no right to ask questions here."

These individuals were extremely arrogant, completely disregarding the two men and one dog.

"Of course, this dog has to stay. We'll have a good meal today." The group burst into unrestrained laughter.

"Woof!" The big black dog could no longer hold back. It lunged forward, opening its jaws wide to bite.

"This black dog is quite fierce, but that's what makes it tastier. They say fierce dogs have delicious meat," one person, clad in silver iron armor, stepped forward and raised a hand to slap the big black dog's head.

"Clang!"

The slap landed firmly because the big black dog didn't even dodge. Its body was like copper tendons and iron bones, no weaker than Ye Fan's physique. It swung its large paw, and with a *thwack*, it struck the person, knocking him down instantly and leaving a terrifying bloody gash on his body.

"This dog—"

The others behind him all changed color. This large dog was clearly much stronger than ordinary dog spirits. With one paw, it made a Dao Palace First Heaven cultivator vomit blood.

The big black dog had been enraged. Now, it transformed into a blur, rushing back and forth at the foot of the bare mountain, its large paws swinging. The iron armors were like paper, unable to withstand the blows, cracking as the dog pinned all of them to the ground.

"How dare you try to eat this Emperor... There's no one like that in this world!" Two streams of white mist shot from the big black dog's nostrils, born of its fury.

The individuals on the ground, initially arrogant, now became subdued. They knew they had provoked the wrong entity, and under the big black dog's sharp teeth, they all cried out in pain.

"Who are you people, daring to disrespect this Emperor?" Before Ye Fan and Tu Fei could ask anything, the big black dog was already roaring, needing to vent its anger.

It stomped on them, and each time its large paws pressed down, they howled.

Under the big black dog's roars, these individuals confessed everything. They were local bandits, and their influence was not small.

Ye Fan immediately chuckled, saying to Tu Fei, "These are your colleagues."

"Don't compare those lowlifes to me. True great bandits only plunder holy lands; they don't bully the weak." Tu Fei walked forward and gave them a kick.

In truth, these people were not weak at all. They were all in the Dao Palace First Heaven, definitely a significant group of bandits.

"Is it just the few of you?" Tu Fei pressed.

"We have a stronghold with dozens of people, just on the mountain ahead," they confessed under the big black dog's large paws. They had come to the back mountain to bury source stones and happened to encounter Tu Fei and his companions.

Ye Fan immediately smiled. Tu Fei had helped him borrow 25,000 jin of source stones, and then he had plundered 57,000 jin from Duan De, totaling over 80,000 jin. He was still short by more than 10,000 jin.

Although he had a divine source bead, it was hard to estimate how much ordinary pure source it was equivalent to.

"Dig out all your source stones!"

"You..." The several not-so-weak bandits felt rage in their hearts but dared not disobey. At the desert's edge, they dug out over a dozen crates of source stones.

Opening these wooden crates revealed a colorful, crystal-clear sight: more than a thousand jin of source stones.

"You're quite capable, indeed, comparable to a small sect. How many people have you plundered?"

Ye Fan sneered and unceremoniously swept away the thousands of jin of source stones with a wave of his sleeve.

"Please leave half for us, otherwise we'll be punished," the several individuals pleaded, their faces mournful, full of regret.

"You have to pay tribute?" Ye Fan was surprised.

This time, he personally interrogated them, using his powerful divine sense to pressure them, and learned everything he wanted to know.

This state was called Anzhou, but it was far from peaceful. It was vast, spanning about eight thousand li, with many bandits, five of the most prominent ones.

These individuals were affiliated with one of these bandit groups and had to submit a certain amount of source stones periodically.

After Ye Fan finished examining their memories with his divine sense, he directly pointed a few fingers, ending their lives.

"These people deserved to die. Their hands were stained with blood; they were utterly depraved, even robbing and killing mortals."

For the bandits of Anzhou, this late autumn felt a bit cold. Across eight thousand li, many bandit groups were counter-plundered, and numerous bandit leaders were killed.

In this season when the last yellow leaves fell, Anzhou's bandits underwent a major purge, with three of the five most renowned groups annihilated.

For a full half-month, Ye Fan carried the God-Beating Whip, sweeping through Anzhou, plundering all bandit groups. To avoid exposure, the Black Sovereign did not show itself, while Tu Fei occasionally provided assistance.

Late at night, bonfires flickered. This mountain range was filled with the scent of blood. This large stronghold was the fourth strongest among Anzhou's five major bandit groups.

Within the large stronghold, six powerful cultivators in the Dao Palace Fourth Heaven were stationed. This was the most formidable bandit group, and after a fierce battle, Ye Fan ultimately slew them all.

Yellow leaves on the ground rustled as they were swept by the autumn wind. Unattended bonfires crackled, and numerous corpses lay sprawled, their blood staining the earth red.

Ye Fan hadn't anticipated that the harvest this time would be so immense. After purging the bandit groups across eight thousand li, he had acquired over 20,000 jin of source stones.

Late at night, the bonfire flickered. Yellow mutton legs on a wooden spit roasted to a golden, glistening perfection. Nearby, several jars of aged wine exuded an enticing aroma.

Having dealt with the last bandit group, Ye Fan and Tu Fei sat on the mountain, drinking under the moonlight. The Black Sovereign devoured its food nearby; of four yellow sheep, three and a half had gone into its stomach.

"This time, I killed your colleagues," Ye Fan chuckled.

"Don't compare me to them," Tu Fei retorted. "I never plunder mortals, nor have I ever committed evil deeds."

These fierce bandits had plundered in all directions, spanning several distant oases, accumulating a wealth beyond Ye Fan's expectations. Now, 100,000 jin of source stones were fully collected; even without counting the divine source bead, it was enough.

After clearing out the bandits in this oasis, even Tu Fei was surprised by how many source stones they had obtained.

Ye Fan bit into a tender, golden-roasted mutton leg, took a sip of wine, and said, "If we continue like this, by plundering the bandits in each oasis one by one, I could even gather a million jin of source stones."

Tu Fei shook his head and said, "You're too optimistic. This oasis is very unusual. I've sensed that someone is supporting these bandits; otherwise, there wouldn't be so many of them or so many source stones."

"There's still one last bandit group remaining, but I don't plan to deal with them now. I need to go into seclusion first. With 100,000 jin of source stones gathered, I can't delay any longer."

Ye Fan finished his last sip of wine, tossed the cup into the bonfire, and said, "I'll be gone for more than half a month."

Tu Fei nodded and said, "Go into seclusion. I'll guard you, but we should leave here and find another spot. These bandits are definitely being supported by someone, so we should avoid any unexpected incidents."

"Kid, I get a share of those 100,000 jin of source stones too!" the big black dog lifted its massive head.

"You greedy dog, you already forfeited your share when we fought for the God-Beating Whip. But since you want it, there's still one last renowned bandit group in this state. When I emerge from seclusion, I'll take you to get your source stones."

That day, Ye Fan began his seclusion. He chose a spot deep within a mountain range, poured all 100,000 jin of source stones into a large cauldron, and then entered it himself.

He believed that the Sacred Body required a massive burst of vital energy for a single breakthrough. If it was too dispersed, it might not succeed, so he concentrated it all within one cauldron.

Additionally, the Black Sovereign specially carved a set of dao patterns for him, surrounded by shimmering jade stones, altering the environment to gather spiritual energy from all directions.

Deep within the mountain range, withered leaves covered the ground. The autumn wind was like a knife, snapping countless plants, stripping away their lushness, and withering their vitality.

For a full half-month, mysterious Daoist chants resonated throughout this mountain range, as if someone was reciting supreme Daoist scriptures.

Vital energy from all directions converged like water, making the spiritual energy here abundant. Many withered flowers and plants re-emerged from the soil, and endless vitality reappeared.

This was a miraculous sight: the spiritual energy was so rich that it made vegetation experience a second spring, re-sprouting branches, budding, and blooming flowers.

The ancient cauldron, misty and indistinct, was filled with an endless flow of source energy that overflowed from it.

What did it mean for 100,000 jin of source stones to be refined simultaneously? Inside the cauldron, a vibrant, multicolored radiance filled the air, and Ye Fan was completely engulfed by it.

The "Western Emperor Scripture" truly lived up to its name as a supreme scripture, effectively guiding this dense source energy, which flowed into his body like a rainbow and a tide.

Within the Dao Palace, the five great divine treasures vibrated in unison. The "Past Self" and "Dao Self" seemed to truly exist, connecting with heaven and earth, comprehending the grand Dao of nature.

Chanting scriptures for the present self, existing in harmony with heaven and earth; making wishes for the contemporary self, permeating the life master, becoming immortal in this era.

Whether it was his past self or his self aligned with the Dao, at this moment, all were connecting with the world of the Great Dao, causing his own transformation.

The profound sounds of the Great Dao echoed throughout the mountain range, as if someone were reciting supreme scriptures, explaining the profound principles of the Dao.

However, it was difficult to truly discern its sound or understand its meaning. It was like ancient great emperors chanting Zen, or ancient ancestors worshipping a supreme Sage King.

Around the great cauldron, withered trees sprouted, old vines turned green, and tender grasses broke through the soil, a vibrant surge of life reappearing.

The scent of earth, mixed with the fragrance of flowers and plants, filled the air. Vegetation blossomed as if it were spring, growing again in the bleak autumn, and countless flowers regained their vibrant colors.

This was a newly born world, with life just beginning to flourish: tender green mixed with yellow, swaying flower buds, everything filled with hope.

In the distance, Tu Fei exclaimed in surprise, "The Dao Palace chanting scriptures, seemingly of the supreme Great Dao, can actually propagate outward and merge with the spiritual energy, giving new life to flowers and plants. It's truly astonishing!"

The big black dog also watched, saying, "Even in ancient times, there weren't many who could achieve this at this realm. The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body is indeed extraordinary."

On the eighteenth day, Ye Fan took out the divine source bead. Because the 100,000 jin of source stones were almost completely refined and he still hadn't advanced to Dao Palace Fourth Heaven, he didn't want any mishaps to ruin his efforts.

The divine source, formed from the primordial essence of heaven and earth, was the most fundamental vital essence. Although it was just one bead and small in quantity, the moment it was refined, a dazzling golden divine light shot skyward, so brilliant it made it impossible to open one's eyes.

Brilliance!

Immediately after, the golden divine light flashed and vanished, returning into the great cauldron.

The most primordial essence of heaven and earth surged into his Dao Palace, instantly making Ye Fan's entire body glow with crystalline brilliance. He resembled an eternal deity.

Within the Dao Palace, the profound sounds of the Great Dao grew even grander, enveloping the entire mountain range. As numerous plants experienced a second spring and endless vitality manifested, it was as if ancient great emperors were truly debating the Dao, reciting supreme ancient scriptures, or as if a Sage King had descended, with countless ancient ancestors praying with utmost devotion.