Chapter 373: Sun Wukong

Chapter 377: Sun Wukong

No one could recognize what kind of source material this was; not even Ye Fan or Nangong Qi understood it. It wasn't dazzling; it seemed forged from countless stars, or like the gathered divine light of the moon, soft and ethereal. It shimmered with a captivating brilliance, immediately striking one as extraordinary, no less potent than divine source material, with a holy power flowing through it.

However, the mysterious source material itself wasn't the main attraction; the divine maiden within was the focal point, drawing all eyes.

Inside the stone garden, gasps turned into a deathly silence, followed by a cacophony like a tsunami. Everyone was stunned. Witnessing this miracle, no one could remain calm. Cutting a divine maiden from a stone seemed like a myth, yet it brought back legends from over a hundred thousand years ago.

Within the crystal-clear source stone, which resembled solidified moonlight, lay a delicate, flawless face, perfectly serene as if in deep sleep, utterly still. Her smooth, lustrous purple hair partially obscured her ethereal face, but it couldn't hide her breathtaking beauty. Her skin was exceptionally translucent and fair. It seemed carved from suet white jade, not like flesh and blood, giving a dreamlike impression, as if it were a divine masterpiece rather than a mortal creation. Everyone was aghast, certain this was no illusion—a divine maiden had truly been cut from the stone!

The strange source material, seemingly forged from stars, emitted a sacred power that diluted the murderous aura of the blood-red spearhead, creating a soothing atmosphere.

"Is this... real? Why does it feel so illusory?!""A living maiden, an ancient king!"

She was definitely an ancient king, because in that era, beings identical to humans were extremely rare, and those who did exist were invariably royalty. People noticed that this peerlessly beautiful face didn't appear old; she even looked somewhat youthful, probably no older than sixteen or seventeen. Had she, then, wielded that peerless spear and slain unimaginable supreme beings? The thought sent shivers down everyone's spines. The maiden appeared serene and peaceful, but her true age and state might be deceptive; she could be an unparalleled ancient monarch.

In the crowd, Little Moon from the Ji family and the young nun in white grasped the divine silkworm tightly. The little golden spirit was nervous, struggling violently, eager to rush forward. The Ji family's Grand Master, his will firm as iron, showed no emotion. His silver knife carved through the air, sending stone dust flying and falling. In mere moments, he had cut away a significant portion of the source stone. The divine maiden's upper body became partially visible; she wore a golden gauze robe, and her skin was as white as ivory. The Ji family Grand Master had been deliberately avoiding the peerless weapon, not carving the stone around the blood-red spearhead, preventing its premature emergence. Finally, most of the large source stone had been cut away, leaving only the maiden's left side unrevealed, where the blood-red spear lay.

The Ji family Grand Master finally made his move. Stone fragments crumbled and fell, revealing most of the peerless spearhead.

*Boom!*

A terrifying surge of murderous intent, like an undulating tide, engulfed those present, plunging them into a living hell. After a section of the almost decayed spear was revealed, many could no longer bear it. It was as if an unparalleled demon overlord, capable of devouring mountains and rivers, had been unleashed. This soul-deep dread was vast and overwhelming, seemingly surging simultaneously from the highest heavens and the deepest underworld!

*Thud!*

Many couldn't endure it. The murderous intent permeated their bones, causing them to collapse onto the ground, screaming in utter terror. The peerless weapon's form might decay, but its killing intent was eternal!

"Quick, retreat!" Many cultivators trembled with fear, backing away. Even many elders felt their hair stand on end.

*Clink!*

The silver knife hummed softly as the Ji family Grand Master deftly cut away the stone skin around the blood spear, which was about to be fully revealed. At this point, people keenly noticed something was wrong: the rust-stained spear did not appear to be held by the maiden.

"No, this is completely wrong. This doesn't seem to be the divine maiden's weapon.""The ancient king appears to have been pierced by the peerless weapon!"

People were astonished to discover this fact. It looked as if the maiden was holding the spear, but that wasn't the case; the ancient spear seemed to have pierced through her chest, pinning her down!

*Crack!*

With a final soft crack, hundreds of pounds of stone fell away, revealing the extraordinary treasure contained within the blood altar.

It was a remarkable source material, nearly two meters tall, suspended in mid-air without falling, possessing properties similar to divine source and flowing with holy power. Inside, sealed within, was a purple-haired maiden with a peerless ethereal face, motionless and seemingly asleep. Yet, everyone let out a sigh. A peerless spear had pierced through the remarkable source material, its tip protruding, pinning the maiden and penetrating her heart.

No one had anticipated such an outcome. An ancient king had been slain in this manner, a truly shocking revelation! How powerful ancient kings truly were, people couldn't know. Some speculated they were comparable to Great Emperors, invincible throughout heaven and earth. The passage of time was too vast; even the Sacred Lands couldn't have warred with ancient races, as an entire era, a vacuum period, separated them. No one could explain their true strength or the horrifying extent they had reached. No one could return to the ancient era to verify.

"Why was an ancient king, capable of making heaven and earth tremble, pierced through?!""Why was an invincible being, throughout heaven and earth, pinned down by a peerless weapon?!"

Even figures like Daoist Red Dragon and the Great Xia Imperial Uncle were dumbfounded and deeply surprised. The crowd watched from a distance, terrified, unable to endure the murderous intent. The spear's tip was chillingly oppressive, making everyone feel as if they would collapse to the ground.

*Waaah...*

Suddenly, heartbroken wailing erupted. It was a very young sound, yet incredibly mournful. The divine silkworm instantly broke free from Ji Ziyue and the young nun, rushing to the remarkable source material suspended in mid-air.

"Grand Ancestor, don't hurt it!" Little Moon from the Ji family transmitted a message.

The Ji family Grand Master did not stop it, quietly standing by and observing. The divine silkworm was not intimidated by the spear's murderous aura. It directly pounced onto the remarkable source material, crying loudly, tears streaming down its face. Even the young nun in white, a loli, heard the divine silkworm speak for the first time. Normally, it made no sound, only acting, leading her to believe it was mute. But now, it was utterly distraught, its bright eyes brimming with tears, wailing mournfully, and repeatedly stroking the maiden's face with a tiny paw. But how could she possibly come back to life? She had been pinned there, dead for an unknown number of ages.

"Don't cry, little one." The young nun in white gently cooed, but she couldn't approach, unable to bear the killing intent of the fierce weapon."Poor little thing, don't cry anymore, it makes me sad too." Little Moon from the Ji family also spoke.

What was happening? Everyone was startled. Did the little golden spirit know that maiden? Seeing it so heartbroken, crying as if its life depended on it, everyone's hearts trembled. Could there be an ancient history between them? This was truly shocking. The little golden spirit cried with such profound sorrow it almost fainted, trembling as it repeatedly stroked the maiden's cheek with its tiny golden paw. Its young cries pierced the hearts of those who heard them. It seemed to be repeating a syllable, an ancient language no one could understand, but people guessed it might be the maiden's name. The little golden spirit cried incessantly, murmuring that name over and over, tears flowing endlessly.

Everyone was moved, not expecting such deep emotion and sorrow from this small creature. People couldn't help but imagine various scenes. In that ancient era, the land was vibrant, a hundred races flourished, and kings rose. A carefree maiden, a king herself yet innocent of worldly affairs, lived side by side with the little golden spirit, chasing and playing under the moonlight. Alas, one day she encountered other kings, died in battle in that era, leaving only this little golden spirit to survive into the present. The tender cries, the wails, were utterly heartbreaking. The little golden creature pressed against the crystal, weeping sadly, but when it called out the name, its voice was soft, gently stroking the maiden's cheek with its golden paw, as if afraid to wake her. How many past events had faded, never to return? And especially those of the ancient past. What story lay between them, no one knew.

Tears continued to stream from the divine silkworm's large eyes. After a long time, its cries diminished and finally ceased, as it sadly cried itself unconscious. The Ji family Grand Master picked up the small creature and brought it to Ji Ziyue and the young nun.

"Poor little one." Both maidens felt a pang of sadness.

A divine silkworm could undergo nine transformations, looking down upon heaven and earth, surveying the mortal world with pride. But with each transformation, it was destined to forget its past. Perhaps one day, it would forget everything, never remembering the maiden from the ancient past, or a period that should not be forgotten.

"This is too incredible. How could the divine silkworm possibly know this ancient king? How could it be such a coincidence?""Nothing is impossible. Its resurrection in this era is a miracle in itself. Ancient kings were as rare as phoenix feathers, and the little golden creature is also royalty. Their acquaintance is not surprising."

Daoist Red Dragon spoke, "Perhaps they truly knew each other in the past. It's also possible this maiden was a divine silkworm who had undergone nine transformations, and the little golden creature sensed a familiar aura."

A maiden who was a nine-transformation divine silkworm? That was possible. People looked in surprise at the remarkable source material. The maiden within still looked somewhat young. Was she truly a holy spirit, invincible throughout heaven and earth after nine transformations? Only then did people realize that the blood spear had pierced through her heart from behind, not from the front. This offered endless speculation: perhaps the maiden, innocent of worldly affairs, was ambushed and killed, or perhaps the divine silkworm's nine transformations led it to forget its past and be taken advantage of. The truth of the ancient past had long faded like smoke; no one could truly know.

After a long time, people finally calmed down. The value of this remarkable source material was immeasurable, and the maiden within, as an ancient king, was equally a treasure.

"Huh, what's going on?" Someone exclaimed in surprise, pointing at the crystal resembling solidified moonlight. "Why are there tears at the corner of the maiden's eye? I remember they weren't there before.""It must have been left by the little golden creature, dropping onto the source and creating an illusion."

The Ji family's Grand Master gently waved his hand, and all the tear drops on the crystal vanished. However, the tears at the corner of the maiden's eye within the source material remained.

"Heavens, could she still be alive?""How is that possible?!"

Many people were astonished, showing incredulous expressions. Some also laughed, "You're too tense. There were clearly tears from the beginning.""Yes, they were there initially. I think I saw them too. Otherwise, even if she were alive, sealed inside, she couldn't shed tears.""Impossible, they definitely weren't there at first."

Arguments erupted in the stone garden, with conflicting opinions.

"Stop arguing." The Ji family Grand Master frowned and said, "She has no life fluctuations."

Only when a Saint Lord level figure spoke did people slowly calm down.

"Young friend, it's your turn to cut the stone." Nangong Qi smiled, gesturing to Ye Fan.

Although the divine maiden was lifeless, such a large piece of remarkable source material, capable of levitating, was absolutely comparable to divine source. The young cultivators from the ancient source-master clans sneered. They believed Ye Fan had no chance of recovering.

"Forget this remarkable source material; even the maiden inside is a peerless material for artifact refining. What can you compare that to?""We already said it: the more valuable the items he cuts out, the richer our harvest will be, because it will all belong to us.""Do you dare to contend with us?"

Their faces were filled with cold smiles as they stared at Ye Fan and Li Heishui. The opponents were arrogant and pressing. Li Heishui gritted his teeth and sneered, "What you've cut out isn't necessarily more valuable than a divine medicine seed."

"What are you talking about, dark-skinned boy? Such a large piece of divine source is hard to find anywhere in the world. Don't be so stubborn," mocked a disciple from the source-master clan.

Li Heishui coldly retorted, "In the eyes of the Sacred Lands, divine medicine can extend the life of prodigies with the potential of Great Emperors, making it far more valuable than divine source. Moreover, who knows what your source material actually is? It might be far inferior to divine source."

"Ridiculous! Your stubbornness is useless. We'll find someone to appraise it later. Just wait to pay until you're bankrupt!"

Ye Fan said nothing more, directly brandishing his silver knife and beginning to cut the Immortal Tomb.

This time, Nangong Qi did not secretly intervene. He and the other three elders stood quietly to the side, watching with smiles. They were confident, not believing Ye Fan could defy fate. Ye Fan cut aggressively, cleaving off dozens of pounds of stone with a single stroke, with no intention of slowly dissecting it.

"Young friend, you should be careful. Don't damage our extraordinary treasure." Nangong Qi reminded him with a smile, appearing completely in control."Are you sure what I cut out will belong to you, and not that everything you own will be won by me?" Ye Fan retracted his knife, looking calmly at him."You shouldn't have any hope left," Nangong Qi said, stroking his beard with a smile."You won't cry until you see the coffin. We'll wait and see what rare treasures you can cut out!" The young cultivators from the ancient source-master clans all scoffed."Very well, today I will defy the heavens for you to see!" Ye Fan calmly replied.

Hearing him say this, everyone present showed expressions of shock, including several Saint Lord level figures. All the Saint Sons and Saintesses looked over, and some old geezers also showed surprise and uncertainty. All eyes converged on him. Ye Fan's second cut fell, severing another dozen pounds of stone skin. He showed no mercy, cutting as if peeling a radish.

An old man cautioned, "Young friend, you are cutting an Immortal Tomb, not chopping vegetables. You should be more careful.""Indeed," someone else said, "this old man feels pained just watching. If you accidentally damage an immortal treasure, it will be too late for regrets." Everyone nearby was alarmed.

Ye Fan smiled. With a flick of his blade, stone chips flew. His movements became agile, cutting stroke by stroke, no longer hacking broadly. Suddenly, an incomparable sacred aura burst forth. The Immortal Tomb shimmered with dazzling light, radiating brilliance, intensely mysterious.

"There really are immortal treasures in the Immortal Tomb!" Everyone was shocked.

With Ye Fan's next cut, many large pieces of stone skin cracked and fell away. And at that very moment, two golden lights shot out, burning like two roaring torches—they were two eyes! Ye Fan decisively retreated. Even he hadn't expected to cut out a living creature.

"Heavens, there's a creature in the Immortal Tomb! Its eyes are like torches!""A naturally formed ancient tomb contains a living being!""An immortal spirit contained within a divinely sealed Immortal Tomb?!"

A wave of gasps swept through, and everyone froze, rooted to the spot in shock. One voice, most distinct, shouted, "Sun Wukong with Fiery Golden Eyes?!"

Others didn't know who Sun Wukong was, but Ye Fan understood. He knew it must be Pang Bo shouting, who had surely also arrived at the scene. The ancient Immortal Tomb shimmered with light, incredibly sacred and peaceful. No one had expected there to be a living being inside!