Chapter 529: Immortal Treasure

The dragon wood, dark and immensely thick, formed an ancient nest. Countless years had passed, and it had lost almost all its luster. This black nest was as massive as a mountain.

At the bottom, chaos surged like the vast expanse of creation. An ancient coffin floated there, its lid slowly moving and gradually opening, enveloped by an ethereal primal energy.

"Clang!" The coffin lid shifted to the side, its sound making their souls tremble, like the very first note after the creation of heaven and earth.

The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron above Ye Fan's head trembled violently, on the verge of flying off and plunging into the massive chaotic black nest, seemingly beyond control.

"Don't let it get away! The Corpse of the Devouring Emperor is trying to settle karma with you—don't give up!" the big black dog muttered, shivering.

Ye Fan remained calm. He had no desire to get entangled with an ancient Great Emperor, and even if the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron flew away, he wouldn't feel much loss.

He stood quietly on the cliff, doing nothing intentionally. If there truly was some so-called karma, he knew it would be futile to resist the power of an ancient Great Emperor.

"A corpse..." The monkey was incredibly nervous, clutching the nearly rotting fierce weapon in his hand as he stared fixedly at the ancient coffin.

The young Archaic King, on the other hand, was utterly terrified, his large eyes filled with dread. He hid behind the others, his body trembling slightly.

"The most heaven-defying Great Emperor since ancient times, who lived for an incredibly long time..." The big black dog's fur stood on end, and he retreated a few steps.

Inside the ancient coffin, amidst the hazy chaotic mist, a blood-soaked, incomplete corpse lay quietly, its features indistinguishable.

This was the Ruthless Great Emperor's fourth reincarnation!

"Even chaos cannot harm his body in the slightest; it's hard to imagine the extent of his physical fortitude..."

"A single strand of his hair could pierce through chaos. His physical body had long since become the world's most precious sacred artifact, capable of being forged into an ultimate holy weapon!"

They were all immensely shocked. The realm of this ancient Great Emperor was beyond measure, comparable to a deity—truly a god among mortals.

Four lives, and then the end!

It was now clear that the corpse in the sarcophagus was the Ruthless Great Emperor's final physical form. Its damaged state indicated that he had been unable to regenerate further.

Even though he had created the Immortal Heavenly Art, it only allowed him to extend his life for one more generation, unable to forge a new path. The Ruthless Great Emperor had ultimately reached his end.

"Thump!" The young Archaic King knelt down, trembling. A wisp of coercion emanating from the ancient coffin made him feel as if he were facing a deity, filling him with immense reverence.

Though still trembling, the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron above Ye Fan's head did not actually fly away. Instead, it let fall countless strands of energy, eventually settling down.

Yet, a subtle and profound connection remained unbroken.

At that moment, they all experienced a hallucination, sensing an emotional fluctuation as if someone were whispering softly.

The Ruthless Great Emperor defied the heavens, standing at the absolute pinnacle achievable by humanity. He looked down on ancient emperors, scorned later ones, and amazed all ages.

His inability to achieve eternal life was not due to a lack of brilliance on his part, but because this world could not facilitate true ascension to immortality. He had reached the absolute limits, with no further path to tread.

Despite this, he still pushed forward against the current, like a divine being, creating a path unseen through the ages. He lived against the odds through four reincarnations; no one, past or present, could compare to him.

All of this felt incredibly real, as if someone were speaking to themselves, their words echoing in the minds of the onlookers, leaving them inexplicably astonished, caught between reality and illusion.

"You amazed all ages, peerless and incomparable. Even in death, you remain a supreme hero, looking down upon all of antiquity and modernity, an emperor among mortals."

"Dead, ultimately dead. A life of absolute brilliance, ending after four generations. None can compare. An invincible life, yet lonely."

"A truly astonishing talent, an ancient Heavenly Emperor, yet unable to endure forever. The fault lies not with you, but with the heavens and earth that did not permit it."

They all sighed, realizing that even such a mighty expert had ultimately been erased by the passage of time, shattering their last shred of illusion.

Nevertheless, the Ruthless Great Emperor's life was truly unparalleled throughout history. Rising from a mere mortal body, he became one of the most powerful figures of all time, a fact that deeply shook them.

"Were those the emotions of the ancient Great Emperor that we sensed? He seemed very peaceful before his death, as if life and death were merely trivial matters."

This was their collective feeling: while there was a trace of lament in that emotion, it was predominantly one of tranquility, a profound indifference to the cycles of joy and sorrow, life and death.

Perhaps the Ruthless Great Emperor had simply lived too long and grown weary.

Ten thousand dragons leaped in unison; the ancient coffin was surrounded and worshipped by thousands of great dragons formed from dragon qi. Only when fierce winds surged could its outline be seen.

With another fleeting glance, beneath the chaotic mist in the ancient coffin, the Great Emperor's head became visible. His hair was black, but tragically, his face bore a mask.

It was a demonic mask, neither crying nor smiling, conveying both sorrow and joy—perhaps reflecting the entirety of his or her life.

Weeping amidst laughter, smiling through sorrow—the Ruthless Great Emperor, understood by no one, remained utterly mysterious. The world knew nothing of his or her true heart.

Perhaps only this mask offered a glimpse into his or her inner world, a world incomprehensible to others.

For a short while, they all fell silent, feeling a profound loneliness and the desolation of being at an unreachably high peak.

After an unknown period, they gradually came back to their senses.

"Dead, dead, all dead..." The big black dog let out a long sigh, then began to whimper. "The Peerless Great Emperor is dead too. They're all dead! Not a single one survived. What's the point of cultivating to the very end then?!"

This was a rare display of emotion from the Black Emperor, who was incredibly sad, muttering sorrowful words. Gazing in the direction of Purple Mountain, he said, "Oh Great Emperor, may you journey well!"

Their last shred of hope was shattered. Ye Fan stared blankly, astonished that truly no Great Emperor had survived. His expectations for the Peerless Great Emperor also vanished into thin air because of the Black Emperor's words.

"Whoosh!" A soft sound emerged from the ancient coffin, and a hazy radiance flew out, like a dragon leaping through chaos—utterly mysterious and ethereal.

"What is that?" They all awoke with a start, gazing at the chaotic mist, their hearts filled with shock. Could there be something alive inside the ancient coffin?

"Aixuleiqiong..." the young Archaic King exclaimed, his face alight with excitement.

The monkey explained, surprised, that this was an immortal treasure from the ancient nest, something ordinary people could never hope to see. It was rare for it to even appear once every tens of thousands of years.

Even the Archaic Kings slumbering here had only been fortunate enough to sense it once or twice, yet they dared not attempt to seize it, only observing from a distance.

"Grab it, grab it!" The big black dog wiped his face, his sadness completely vanished, and he reverted to his greedy nature, clamoring incessantly.

"Xuqionggunaliya..." the young Archaic King cried out, warning them.

The monkey's expression turned grim. "He says we absolutely must not try to grab it, or even an Archaic King intervening wouldn't save our lives."

The big black dog scratched his ears and cheeks, unable to sit still. He was anxious but helpless, shouting, "If we go into this black nest and don't get an immortal treasure, it'll be a betrayal of our ancestors for eight generations!"

"Clang!" He held the Ancient Emperor's Command in his paw, incessantly tapping it and shaking it toward the chaotic dragon nest. "The Archaic Saint Emperor's divine command is here! Heed my summons..."

The light was not intensely dazzling; it seemed to be condensed starlight, soft and pure, utterly captivating.

It flew around the ancient coffin, darting out and submerging back in nine times. Then, with a final surge, it flew out of the ancient black nest.

"Clang..." The big black dog struck the Ancient Emperor's Command with even greater force, proclaiming, "This Emperor really summoned it!"

The light indeed flew towards them, descending like a beam of moonlight. The big black dog yelped, extending his large paw to catch it.

However, with a flash, the light bypassed the big black dog and, with a whoosh, vanished into the Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron above Ye Fan's head, its divine radiance receding.

"Kid, you're robbing me! You're committing a crime!" The big black dog was furious. He pounced forward, mouth agape, trying to bite and snatch the cauldron.

"It has nothing to do with me; it flew in on its own," Ye Fan said, pressing down on the dog's large head to prevent being bitten.

"Nonsense! This Emperor painstakingly summoned it, and you intercepted it halfway!" the big black dog retorted angrily.

When everything calmed down, the big black dog was helpless, as the light, even if removed, would automatically fly back into the cauldron if left undisturbed.

They all gathered around, examining the immortal treasure closely. All were astonished, especially the young Archaic King, who looked utterly shocked.

Ye Fan held it in his hand: an ancient scroll, shimmering and translucent as if forged from the essence of the sun and moon, yet remarkably soft.

It was square, about one and a half meters in size. When unrolled, faint stars occasionally flickered across its surface. It felt light and serene, but its true nature remained indiscernible.

"What kind of divine object is this?" They were all puzzled, studying it for a long time without understanding its purpose.

"Could it be an ancient scripture?" the big black dog wondered, his expression uncertain.

They attempted to probe it with their divine senses, but still gained nothing. The ancient scroll, seemingly refined from the essence of the sun and moon, felt boundless inside, its depths unfathomable.

The monkey recalled carefully, as if something had just clicked, and suddenly looked shocked. "My father also seemed to have a scroll like this," he said. "I have a vague impression of him often studying it late at night."

His father was an Archaic Emperor, a Battle Saint of his generation, invincible throughout the land. It was truly astonishing that even he often studied such an ancient scroll deep into the night.

"Could this be the immortal treasure held by the Battle Saint Emperor in the Archaic Era?" Ye Fan wondered, uncertain.

"It's similar, very similar. I think it *is* that ancient scroll!" The more the monkey looked, the more familiar it seemed, and he nodded gravely.

"Damn it, this is definitely an immortal treasure! Even the Battle Saint Emperor frequently studied it intently, and it later fell into the hands of the Devouring Emperor. Its value is immeasurable!" The Black Emperor was practically sprawled over it, staring intently.

"Clang!" Inside the mountain-like black nest, the ancient coffin's lid closed, then slowly sank, disappearing into the boundless chaos.

"It has sunk down, no longer remaining in the world, returning to the chaos." Ye Fan paused, perhaps this was the ultimate destination for an ancient Great Emperor. He let out a long sigh and said, "Let's go. We can't stay here much longer."

There were certainly other divine objects in the ancient nest, but they couldn't get close to them. Staying any longer would be pointless.

They bowed to the black nest, expressing their respect for the Ruthless Great Emperor, and then quickly made their way into the distance.

"Xuqiongdariya?" the young Archaic King called out, feeling it was highly improper to take the immortal treasure.

The monkey explained it repeatedly until he finally said no more.

"Boom!" As they reached a distant point, the area behind them violently shook. The entire ancient nest became obscured in mist, completely swallowed by chaos!