Chapter 455: Great Emperor

Chapter 459: The Great Emperor

"Nannan, what did the person you saw look like?" Ye Fan squatted down and asked softly.

Little Nannan, who looked to be around three years old, had eyes like pure, dark black gems. She tilted her head thoughtfully and replied, "He disappeared as soon as Nannan rubbed her eyes. I didn't get a clear look."

This was an extremely serious matter. If a humanoid creature was indeed present, they would undoubtedly be in great danger. Once discovered, survival would be difficult.

This was one of the seven great forbidden zones, the Undying Mountain, renowned through the ages. Even a Great Accomplishment Saint Body and an ancient Great Emperor had fought with the strength of two lifetimes to enter it, yet they could not raze it, which spoke volumes.

"Be careful not to step on those patterns, or you might be teleported to who knows where," the big black dog warned.

On this black, low mountain, some rocks bore ancient, mysterious-looking carvings, resembling an invisible net that sealed the area.

"Which Great Emperor broke in back then?" Pang Bo asked.

"The Void Emperor," the big black dog replied.

Legends about the Void Emperor were rare. The group had not realized how formidable this Emperor was, having once infiltrated the Undying Mountain, achieving such a grand feat, and resolving a great tribulation for humanity.

"Every ancient Great Emperor is an unparalleled hero. In countless eons, among billions of living beings, only one such figure emerges. Even if there are few legends about a certain Emperor, they are not to be underestimated by ordinary people," the Black Sovereign said.

Everyone deeply agreed. Each Great Emperor was the sole protagonist of their era, and their lives were filled with endless legends.

"Let's go down the mountain. We must find a way to escape," the big black dog led the way, using its unparalleled mastery of Dao patterns to identify paths and clear the way.

Having personally entered the legendary forbidden zone, everyone found it hard to relax. Their hearts were heavy; this was not a game but a matter of life and death.

"Why did the ancient Great Emperors leave so many formation patterns?" Tu Fei asked.

"It's said that the battle back then was very arduous. The Void Emperor needed the aid of countless formation patterns to gain the upper hand; otherwise, the outcome might have been different."

"What kind of beings exist within the Undying Mountain?!" The group was startled.

"I don't know. The final decisive battle never happened. The two sides confronted each other for a long time, then both retreated."

"No ultimate showdown?" Everyone was surprised.

"Legend has it that when the Dark Era arrived, the Void Emperor killed a being no weaker than himself, who emerged from the Undying Mountain. But clearly, that wasn't the only supreme being. The Void Emperor entered the Undying Mountain with a determination to die and take everything with him, but for some reason, the ultimate battle never took place," the big black dog revealed this secret.

However, after that, the Void Emperor returned to the Ji family and was never seen in the world again. People didn't know what had happened, and many suspected that something ominous had befallen him.

"The Ji family has some ancient tombs of Divine Kings, but I wonder where the Void Emperor's tomb is. Was he truly buried within their family?" Li Heishui asked, wanting to confirm how the Void Emperor died and what transpired.

"The Void Emperor achieved enlightenment through the boundless void. Legend has it he buried himself in the endless void, where no one, not even the Ji family, can find him."

"How many secrets are hidden in the dusty past, in endless history?" Ye Fan sighed.

Emperor Hengyu left his homeland because of the Primordial Ancient Mine, never to return to the Eastern Wasteland. The Void Emperor vanished from the world after the battle at Undying Mountain, believed to have suffered an ill fate.

The Great Emperors must have known what was in the seven great forbidden zones. Perhaps they could fight the beings within them alone, but alas, they were ultimately isolated, with no one to fight alongside them.

It took the Black Sovereign a full half-hour to lead the group down the black, low mountain. During this time, they narrowly avoided stepping on formation patterns several times.

Everyone frowned. This wasn't a sustainable method. Some formation patterns had long since faded, yet their effects remained. Stepping on one could transport them to another realm entirely, with their lives hanging in the balance.

Ye Fan wanted to put little Nannan into the Jade Purifying Bottle, not wanting her to stay outside for fear of accidents.

But the big black dog vehemently objected, saying, "No, let the little darling stay outside. She definitely won't be in danger. Our survival depends entirely on her."

"What are you talking about? Little Nannan doesn't even know who she is. How can she be of any use?" Tu Fei asked suspiciously.

"Just listen to me. Don't ask any more questions," the big black dog refused to elaborate, seemingly apprehensive.

"Be careful, that lake ahead is very dangerous. Everyone saw it earlier; there were unknown creatures in the water that easily obliterated cultivators in the Dragon Transformation Realm. We need to go around it," Pang Bo warned.

The big black dog was very cautious, going far out of its way to avoid it, fearful of disaster. But the more cautious it was, the more prone to problems it became. They hadn't gone more than five hundred meters when it finally stepped on a strange formation pattern.

With a flash of light, the group vanished from their spot, disappearing into thin air.

*Whoosh!*

When space warped, they reappeared in the black mountain range, no longer in their original location. They were now amidst a stretch of black mountains, even deeper than before.

"If this continues, we'll reach the center of the Undying Mountain Range..."

Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed. Unidentified creatures were moving beneath a nearby stone cliff, making their way through a patch of woods and approaching the group.

"Damn it, we finally encountered something alive!" Their expressions all changed.

The footsteps grew closer, and through the trees, a humanoid creature could be seen moving swiftly, approaching almost like a streak of light.

"Why isn't it stepping on the formation patterns? Damn it, we're in danger!"

This was the first living being they had encountered in the Undying Mountain Range. When they saw its true form, they were all astonished and felt even more uneasy.

It was a stone being!

Indeed, it wasn't a flesh-and-blood body but a stone form, about two meters tall and very robust.

However, it wasn't perfectly intact. A significant portion of its head had been cleaved off, leaving only one eye, and its left side was riddled with many holes, as if it had been pierced by sharp weapons.

Even so, it still filled them with dread. This was a Nine-Orifice Stone Man, born of heaven and earth, a being capable of growing into a Saint Spirit!

Its single eye shot out a chilling glow, fixed intently on the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Saint Spirit Sword in Ye Fan's hand. It seemed to sense a certain aura, and a surge of furious killing intent appeared on its face.

"It's over! Retribution has come. You cut the Nine-Orifice Stone Man, and its kin sensed it!" The big black dog's face instantly twisted in dismay.

"Let's fight it! This stone man is incomplete and hasn't developed flesh and blood. Clearly, it was also prematurely brought into the world by someone, forever losing the chance to become a Saint Spirit. We might just be able to kill it!" Pang Bo declared.

The big black dog's face turned green. "It did emerge a million years too early, and it can't become a Saint Spirit, but it's still not something we can handle. It's already a Half-Step Mighty Figure!"

This was a stone embryo nurtured by heaven and earth, gestating for millions of years, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon to grow into a Saint Spirit comparable to an ancient Great Emperor. Unfortunately, it appeared in this world at least a million years too soon.

At this moment, its single eye was filled with hatred. It advanced step by step, intent on taking Ye Fan's life to avenge its kind.

"A Half-Step Mighty Figure... we truly don't stand a chance!" Ye Fan sighed deeply.

However, he refused to sit idly by and await death. His Battle Saint Technique circulated to its extreme, and with the "All" Character Secret successfully triggered, he was ready to strike.

The others also elevated their combat power to the limit, preparing for a fight to the death.

Yet, as the incomplete stone man approached, it stopped about several tens of meters away, its gaze fixed on little Nannan, whom Ye Fan was protecting behind him. Its expression became one of confusion and uncertainty.

Ye Fan had long wanted to put little Nannan into the Jade Purifying Bottle, but the big black dog adamantly refused, saying she might be their only salvation.

At this moment, something indeed extraordinary happened. The Nine-Orifice Stone Man looked very uneasy. After staring at little Nannan, it began to retreat repeatedly.

"What's going on?" Everyone was perplexed.

Little Nannan was initially scared, hiding behind Ye Fan, peeking out with half her face, her big eyes filled with anxiety.

"Quick, bring the little darling to the front!" the big black dog urged.

Ye Fan picked up little Nannan and comforted her, "It's okay, don't be afraid. It won't dare to hurt us."

The Nine-Orifice Stone Man became even more unsettled. Staring at little Nannan, its body trembled uncontrollably. Then, with a strange cry, it turned and fled with extreme speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye behind a black mountain cliff.

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, incredibly surprised, as none had anticipated such an outcome.

Only little Nannan seemed a little unhappy. Blinking her big eyes and pouting her small mouth, she asked, "Is Nannan scary? Why did it do that?"

The others all laughed, unable to resist patting her head and then dotingly pinching her delicate little nose.

"Because you're so adorable that even that stone man couldn't bear to hurt us."

"Who dares say our little Nannan isn't adorable?"

The group chuckled, but their hearts were far from calm. What exactly was little Nannan's identity that she could scare away even a Nine-Orifice Stone Man from the Undying Mountain? It was truly astonishing.

"Let's go, quickly!" the big black dog led the way again, but it hadn't gone far before it nearly stepped on another formation pattern.

This wasn't its fault; no one could avoid it. The traces of the Dao patterns had faded, but they were Emperor patterns after all, and their effects remained. It was impossible to fully detect them all.

Even when Ye Fan opened his divine eye, he couldn't see through them. The patterns inscribed by ancient Great Emperors were mysterious and unfathomable to anyone.

"Are we really going to die here?" Li Heishui sighed.

"Oh no!" The big black dog yelped as it stepped out, thinking it had misstepped again, but this time it was just a false alarm.

"Doggy, you're so silly! Nannan has already learned. These patterns are very clear; I know exactly how to go," little Nannan suddenly said innocently.

If it were anyone else, the big black dog would have long since scoffed or even bitten them, but hearing little Nannan say this, it just looked sheepish and unusually docile, not reacting.

"What? Nannan, you can see them?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.

"Yes," little Nannan nodded earnestly like a pecking chick, "I saw many patterns. There are black lines, enveloped in black mist, and also golden lines, flowing with radiance."

"Those are the paths of death and life, respectively!" The big black dog leaped up in shock. "You can see even that?"

"At first, I couldn't see anything. But then I kept watching Doggy walk around the patterns, and gradually, I saw them all," little Nannan said in her tender, innocent voice.

"Where do the golden lines lead?" the big black dog asked impatiently.

"They're winding, like many small snakes crawling, leading deep into the mountains," little Nannan replied.

"What?" Everyone was startled.

"This... Nannan, you didn't misinterpret them, did you?" Tu Fei asked.

"No, the golden lines really point deep into the mountain range. Oh, they're little dragons, not little snakes. Their heads all point in that direction," little Nannan corrected herself.

"Could this be a 'death to gain life' strategy?!" Pang Bo pondered.

The big black dog nodded. "Exactly! The Void Emperor might have thought so too. Back then, compelled by circumstances, he was ready to perish with everything else, delving deep into the center of the Undying Mountain for a final showdown with the supreme beings. Perhaps he had the idea of finding life through death!"

"Are we to continue deeper?" Li Heishui asked, uncertain. "We are not the Void Emperor. He could enter a place of death and find life, but we don't have such heaven-defying combat power. How many in history can compare to him?"

"There's no other way right now. Based on what the little darling sees, this area is covered by terrifying Great Emperor formation patterns, and we can't retreat through them," the big black dog mused. "It seems the Void Emperor sealed off this entire area, dividing it into many regions to make it difficult for mysterious creatures to leave."

The big black dog carried little Nannan, letting her guide them deeper into the Undying Mountain Range. Along the way, they sensed creatures constantly peeking at them, making their hair stand on end.

"This path seems to lead towards the direction of the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree," the group exclaimed in surprise.

Following little Nannan's guidance, it indeed seemed they were headed towards that area, and it wasn't very far.

After walking a bit further, the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree became faintly visible. Despite many ancient trees obstructing the view, its unique aura could still be clearly sensed.

There, it felt as if endless Dao flowed, filled with mysterious power that instantly brought a sense of spiritual clarity, as if one was on the verge of enlightenment without even cultivating.

"As expected of the Undying Divine Tree, renowned through the ages! It can aid cultivators in enlightenment and is an unparalleled holy relic!" The big black dog exclaimed with delight. "If we're lucky enough to survive, we might gain a great fortune!" Its eyes glowed green.

When they advanced a few more miles, the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree was fully visible, and its appearance was truly astonishing.

It wasn't very tall, only about three meters high, but it was robust and gnarled like a coiled dragon, with cracked, ancient bark, as if it had taken hundreds of millions of years to grow to its current state.

It was incredibly unique. None of its myriad leaves were identical. Each leaf was distinctive, all crystal clear, as if carved from jade.

Some leaves resembled small cauldrons, shrouded in mist. Others looked like divine phoenixes, shimmering with colorful light. Still others were like immortal beings sitting cross-legged, remarkably vivid.

They came in various dazzling colors, some like brilliant gold, others like vibrant red jade.

"I see him again! Nannan sees him again!" Little Nannan suddenly cried out.

At that moment, Ye Fan and the others also saw a person through the swaying tree shadows, and their hearts all pounded fiercely.

"It's... the Great Emperor!" The big black dog nearly jumped, almost sending little Nannan flying, incredibly excited.