Chapter 847: The Unfortunate Holy Body

Chapter 849: The Sacred Body's Omen

Dongfang Ye awoke, his entire being instantly akin to a celestial sword unsheathed, radiating a fierce aura. Two divine lights, dozens of feet long, shot from his eyes. In these arduous circumstances, the more he was tempered, the sharper he became.

They were all very excited. What had seemed like a final parting, a separation of life and death, had unexpectedly turned into a reunion. Having faced mortality together in the past, the warmth of this encounter filled their hearts.

"Open!" Ye Fan and the others vibrated in unison. The Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Pot shot forth a wisp of dark light. Though slender, its power was vast as an ocean, shattering the divine laws of thousands of ancient heroic spirits and freeing Dongfang Ye.

The savage leaped to his feet and immediately let out a long howl, shaking the entire ancient battlefield. The region instantly trembled, as his aura, continuous and profound, descended like a celestial river.

"This is wonderful, Brother Dongfang, I'm just glad you're safe; otherwise, I would never have found peace," Li Heishui exclaimed as he rushed over. Back then, to save them, the savage had intervened, blocking formidable enemies from Zitiandu and the Divine Spirit Valley lineage, leaving a trail of bloodied corpses that seemed to touch the sky.

Everyone rushed over. Dongfang Ye was also very excited, particularly astonished upon seeing Ye Fan. He had personally witnessed Ye Fan's departure from this world and never expected to meet him again.

Old friends reunited, with endless stories to share. Only after experiencing death does one truly understand that merely being alive is enough, with no other extravagant desires. Many things are only cherished more deeply after having been lived through.

"I only survived thanks to the sacred bone Brother Ye gave me back then," Dongfang Ye said. "Here, I integrated it into my wolf-fang club, completely repairing the ancient sacred weapon."

Back then, when they ventured into the Immortal Mansion world together, they discovered the Immortal Tear Green Gold Book, inscribed with fragments of the Sun Sutra, within the Golden Crow's nest, along with the unique true bone left behind by a Saint who had dissolved into the Dao. Ye Fan and Dongfang Ye divided these treasures.

This place contained myriad divine laws, continuously generated by ancient heroic spirits and existing for millions of years—essentially, ancestral king-level Dao light. Through countless tempering with these laws, the ancient barbarian weapon fused with the Dao bone, restoring it to its original state.

"This ancient weapon is astonishing," someone remarked. "It originated from the God of War of Southern Ridge, and now the barbarian tribe possesses another inherited sacred weapon!"

At that moment, only one person was displeased: Duan De. He stared at Dongfang Ye, looking him up and down, and realized that the ragged barbarian was wearing all of his belongings, from head to toe.

The wooden hairpin stuck in his hair was undeniably his; it had been excavated from a royal tomb and fashioned from polished Black Phoenix Wood.

And as for the Divine Thread Jade Robe on Dongfang Ye, it was, needless to say, once Duan De's armor, stolen from an ancient imperial tomb, and possessed astonishing defensive capabilities.

What infuriated the unscrupulous Daoist the most was that Dongfang Ye's socks, woven from Celestial Silkworm Silk, were also his, as were his almost disintegrated shoes—all of them secret treasures.

Back then, Ye Fan and Dongfang Ye had stripped Duan De bare, leaving him with only a pair of shorts. The barbarian had taken everything, regardless of its worth, including all his miscellaneous treasures.

"Daoist Priest, it's been many years since we parted; I've missed you dearly," the barbarian said honestly. "Thank you for your Divine Thread Jade Robe; if not for it, I would have been shattered."

Duan De snorted, rolling his eyes. "This debt will be settled later!" he declared.

"Although I've escaped, I'm truly a bit reluctant to leave this place," Dongfang Ye admitted. "It's a sacred land for cultivation, a place where you could say joy and pain coexist."

"Boom!" Various lights danced. It was an ocean woven with divine laws, continuously thundering. Without an inherited sacred weapon for protection, even perfected kings entering this place would be reduced to dust.

It was a terrifying sight, as if hundreds of ancient Saints were locked in fierce combat, displaying the most refined divine laws of their entire lives.

"This is an excellent place to refine weapons!" the Black Emperor declared.

"Refining weapons…" Everyone looked towards the divine laws. These were Saint-level; if they could be copied and imprinted into weapons, the benefits would undoubtedly be boundless.

"Even a Sky Master would find it difficult to pass through this area," Duan De remarked. "Perhaps we can stay briefly and refine our weapons."

They were able to enter quickly because they possessed a portion of an Imperial Weapon and a corner of the Wu Shi Killing Array; otherwise, every step would have been a perilous trap, making rapid advancement impossible.

"You're right, we can stay," Ye Fan agreed. "When we leave later, we'll have the Black Emperor engrave a corner of an Imperial pattern to cross the void."

Finally, everyone sat down cross-legged and offered up their respective weapons into the divine laws. The Monkey was the most straightforward, placing his battered black iron staff directly into the center of the Dao laws, where it was immediately bombarded, with lightning flashing across the sky.

"Bang!" Li Heishui was utterly speechless. He had attempted to offer up a Saint Lord-level weapon, which instantly crumbled into dust and scattered with the wind.

However, the most astonishing sight was Ye Fan's cauldron, which contained nine wisps of chaotic energy. At that moment, these wisps fully revived, transforming into dragons, phoenixes, flowers, birds, fish, insects, and all manner of earthly creations, gathering divine laws from all directions.

The Myriad Mother Qi Cauldron roared, rising and falling amidst various Dao lights. It underwent a baptism, being struck and shaken, yet it remained indestructible, continuously absorbing the laws of heaven and earth.

"This cauldron… it's truly astonishing!" The few people present were amazed, all looking forward in unison.

Inside the cauldron, nine chaotic energies emerged from its walls. They absorbed various divine laws, as if forming a divine embryo, appearing incredibly strange and gradually growing stronger.

Nine Dao patterns unfurled, evolving into plants and trees, transforming into flowers, birds, fish, and insects, and even manifesting as Qilins and Immortal Phoenixes. They took on myriad forms, encompassing all things in heaven and earth.

Ye Fan also trembled, suddenly recalling that these were the nine wisps of chaos imprinted within the cauldron when he first faced the heavenly tribulation, breaking the Sacred Body curse back then.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen chaotic light before, but that particular instance was truly extraordinary. Nine wisps of mysterious chaotic thunder energy first struck him, then hammered the cauldron, eventually becoming permanently imprinted within its walls.

"This is the gestation of a divine embryo," the Black Emperor explained. "To become an Ultimate Imperial Weapon, this is the essential first step: to nurture a divine spirit within the cauldron, with chaos as its nascent form. This divine embryo is truly astonishing!"

To obtain inherited sacred weapons, one must gestate their own "spirit" within the artifact. Heavenly tribulation baptism and the evolution of the Grand Dao are indispensable steps in this process.

"Those nine wisps of chaotic patterns are extraordinary, containing fragments of the Grand Dao," Duan De said, his expression also solemn. "The divine embryo they are gestating is no small matter!"

"Can I forge a King's Cauldron here?" Ye Fan asked.

"That's not the best choice," the Black Emperor advised. "Your primary weapon should be perfectly aligned with you, accompanying you every step, as if an extension of your arm, indistinguishable from yourself."

"Exactly," Duan De nodded. "From now on, with every step you take, let the cauldron advance with you, aligning with the Dao. Only then can it possibly transform into a supreme weapon."

Ye Fan understood. The concept of "one weapon breaking all laws" and the weapon-refining technique from the "Bing Zi Jue" (Soldier Character Secret) now surfaced in his mind. He began to meticulously refine the cauldron.

The nine chaotic patterns transformed into various shapes—Divine Phoenixes, Xuanwu, Vermilion Birds, plants, fish, and insects appeared in profusion—evolving into mysterious Dao opportunities, appearing incredibly enigmatic.

In ancient times, countless divine laws remained here. The cauldron frantically absorbed them, copying an unknown number of imprints, all of which merged into the nine chaotic Dao patterns.

"Within a ten-zhang radius, it became a vacuum! All Dao laws were dissolved by the patterns inside the cauldron!"

"This central battlefield spans five hundred li, filled everywhere with ancestral king laws and Dao light. If the cauldron were to float here for a few years, it might even swallow everything clean!"

Everyone else was astonished; it was a truly mind-boggling outcome.

The cauldron showed no external change; it was as if a divine embryo was contained within, everything merging into the chaotic patterns. Not a single wisp of excess aura leaked out, and it appeared no different from usual.

"It is indeed worthy of being an exclusive sacred artifact of ancient Great Emperors. Setting aside all else, simply by its current aura, this cauldron will undoubtedly become an inherited sacred weapon in the future."

To evolve into an Imperial Weapon is exceedingly difficult; only those who have attained the Dao and become Great Emperors can possibly forge one. After all, the world has only seen the spontaneously formed Dragon Pattern Black Gold Cauldron of Yaoguang; such miracles cannot be replicated.

"Kid, I have an idea for you," the Black Emperor suddenly said. "Given the aura of this cauldron, it might even be forged into a supreme Imperial Weapon in the future!"

"What idea?"

"If you ever reach the day of sainthood, come to this ancient battlefield to undergo your tribulation…" The Black Emperor was cut off mid-sentence, met with collective disdain.

"Don't listen to its nonsense! Isn't that just setting someone up? Who would dare to undergo tribulation in such a place? That's purely seeking death!"

"In ancient times, countless battles were fought, and one particularly terrifying war occurred right here, where at least hundreds of Saint-level powerhouses perished. Their divine laws have not dissipated to this day. To undergo tribulation here would be equivalent to drawing upon the Dao light of these heroic spirits to face the tribulation together. Who could possibly withstand such power?"

This was the truth: unless an ancient Great Emperor were resurrected, the combined resonance of all ancestral kings' laws would be equivalent to hundreds of Saints undergoing tribulation together. Even a perfected Sacred Body couldn't withstand it; this would be akin to world destruction!

"This might be the only feasible way to forge an Ultimate Imperial Weapon without achieving Dao enlightenment," the Black Emperor sighed.

According to him, by using heaven and earth as a furnace, the essence of hundreds of Saints' divine laws as fire, and drawing forth the Sacred Body's most terrifying heavenly tribulation, the cauldron could be tempered countless times, thus gaining the possibility of becoming an Ultimate Imperial Weapon.

This was undoubtedly a crazy idea, but who could possibly withstand such a terrifying heavenly punishment? Even for a Sacred Body, it would almost be a dead end; that would be equivalent to enduring the most terrifying attacks from hundreds of Saints, combined with the ruthless obliteration from heaven.

"A good idea," Ye Fan said in a deep voice, "but we don't have time to linger here. I sense their arrival." Through the endless ancestral king divine laws, he seemed to perceive a pair of terrifying eyes, sharp as knives, watching them from the darkness hundreds of li away.

The Sky Master had arrived; a terrifying aura permeated the air. The entire ancient battlefield trembled, and the mountains and earth veins shook as if alive, on the verge of boiling!

"Black Emperor, everything is up to you now," Ye Fan whispered. "You must engrave a portion of a Great Emperor-level teleportation array pattern."

"Little Ye Zi, you…" Li Heishui exclaimed in shock.

"Ah, Brother Ye, what's happening to you…?" Yan Yixi's expression also changed.

Simultaneously, Duan De reacted most swiftly, almost instinctively pulling out a ghost-binding rope, ready to tie up Ye Fan with remarkably swift movements.

Ye Fan retreated, stretching out his hands and bringing them before his eyes. "What is this…?" he stammered, trembling.

He could hardly believe his eyes; red fur was slowly growing on his hands, a sight so shocking and profoundly unsettling that his hands trembled uncontrollably.

"How could this happen? What's going on, Ye Zi?" The others were shocked, powerless to act.

"An ill-omened old age… but I shouldn't have reached this point," Ye Fan cried out in horror, feeling pain in every inch of his flesh, especially on his face, where something continuously emerged.

The others were terrified. Ye Fan had become incredibly horrifying, with red fur even growing on his face, making him indistinguishable from the red-furred monster they had encountered earlier.

"The 'ill omen' has befallen me?!" Ye Fan cried out. Immediately, his entire body's golden blood energy boiled as he began to struggle fiercely, unwilling to abandon his physical form.

"Boom!" Golden flames burned fiercely, engulfing him. Strands of red fur fell off, but each time they cleared, new red fur would grow back, a terrifying sight.

"Wu Shi Great Array patterns, attack!" the Black Emperor shouted, using the array patterns to confine Ye Fan and help him suppress the strange power.

"Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Lid, suppress!" Duan De also growled, bringing forth the demonic lid. Streaks of dark light descended, enveloping Ye Fan.

Ye Fan's golden blood burned, finally refining away all the red fur, which completely shed. He gasped for breath, yet he still felt the ill omen lingering over him.

Indeed, the moment the Wu Shi Killing Array vanished and the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Pot flew up, his face again felt as if it were being pricked by needles, and blood-red fur continuously sprouted.

"Ye Zi, you…"

"The Sky Master's ill omen has fallen upon Ye Zi!"

The Monkey, Li Heishui, and the others were at a loss, utterly unable to help, unless they were to permanently suppress him with an Imperial Weapon or trap him with Wu Shi array patterns.

"Don't come any closer! I'll overcome this on my own!"

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the void, as the Dao Sutra, Western Emperor Sutra, and several other scriptures simultaneously resonated within him, like the chanting of the Grand Dao echoing throughout heaven and earth. He appeared solemn and dignified, his entire body radiating light.

Red fur appeared and vanished on his body's surface in continuous cycles. His expression also shifted constantly, a mix of serenity and anxiety, as he fought fiercely.

A cold, eerie laugh resonated, like metal plates grating together, causing discomfort and making one's hair stand on end. In that eternal darkness, a pair of ruthless and chilling eyes coldly observed the scene.

"Become… the Sky Master… in your old age… I will come to guide you…" A sinister and chilling voice echoed, terrifying as a demon escaped from hell, uttering a world-shaking sound.

"Boom!" Ye Fan's body gave one final tremor, and golden blood energy surged into the sky, engulfing the heavens. Finally, all ill omens were dispelled, the red fur completely shed, and it did not reappear.

"Perhaps… not in old age… but in the near future… I will bring you back…" The sinister voice, like a wailing specter, was intermittent and spoke with extreme difficulty.

Everyone felt a chill from head to toe, and shivers ran down their spines. Was this a fated destiny? It felt like a judgment day.

Did every Sky Master pass away like this?

"Go!" The Black Emperor frantically engraved a complex array of patterns. Everyone stepped onto it, and with a flash of light, they vanished from their original spot.

When the light reappeared, they found themselves in a world filled with the fragrance of flowers and the songs of birds. Steep ridges and vast mountains stretched everywhere, brimming with vitality.

Southern Ridge!

From the Northern Region, they had traversed countless li, crossing vast domains and journeying far to another world.

"That was truly terrifying. Let's not rush back yet; we'll discuss it in a few days!" The Black Emperor said, still shaken. The Sky Master's ill omen had cast a shadow over all their hearts.

Days later, Ye Fan painstakingly retrieved a piece of green copper from the Sea of Suffering and placed it within his Immortal Terrace. Better safe than sorry, he needed to take strict precautions.

This time, he had strongly resisted, and the ill omen hadn't fully manifested. However, next time, it would be hard to say; by the time one realized something strange was happening to oneself, it might already be too late.

"Sacred Body, do you dare to fight? I, Yuangu, will slay you in the Northern Region!" Half a month later, a piece of news spread throughout the five regions: an ancient Emperor's son had issued a challenge to the Human Sacred Body, causing a huge uproar.

The entire Eastern Wasteland was in an uproar, the news rapidly spreading everywhere.

"Fight!" was Ye Fan's single-word response.

"This is bad," Dongfang Ye reported upon returning to Southern Ridge, where he was welcomed like a dragon returning to the sea, delighting the barbarian tribes. He had learned the news through his kinsmen. "Yuangu has achieved Dao Severance and entered the Immortal Three realm; he means to use you to test his blade!"

"Achieved Dao Severance…" Ye Fan gazed from a mountaintop in Southern Ridge, pondering silently. An ancient Emperor's bloodline achieving Dao Severance was a truly terrifying matter; their combat power would be unparalleled, making them invincible among those of the same cultivation level!

"Let me go; I'll kill him first!" the Monkey offered, his golden fur sparkling with exceptional brilliance.

"No," Ye Fan stated decisively, "I will fight this battle myself and take his life!"