Chapter 903: Immortality

Chapter 905: Immortality

Duande's words were horrifying. How could such a vast divine dynasty abandon its rule and watch its immense territory vanish into thin air? It defied logic.

"Don't disbelieve me," the unscrupulous Taoist priest insisted, determined to shock. "What does anything in the mortal world count for? If their plan succeeds, their entire sect might ascend to immortality!"

According to him, although the stone carvings in that great tomb were obscure, the final outcome could still be understood: they indicated ultimate ascension and immortality.

"I think you're even less reliable than the Black Dog," Ye Fan shook his head. "It's hard to believe you'd draw such conclusions based solely on an ancient tomb."

"How am I unreliable?" the large black dog grumbled indignantly from the side.

"I didn't say it was definitely true; I'm just offering a thought," Duande replied. After quickly preparing his materials, he stated that if the figures weren't real people, they must be Yin soldiers.

They knew the real test had arrived. This ancestral temple had thirty-six layers. The earlier ones were manageable, without certain death traps. However, the last six layers were unpredictable; it was highly probable that calamities would arise, otherwise, the Four Great Divine Dynasties and Yaoguang wouldn't have stopped here.

"Let's take a closer look," the old blind man said calmly.

Behind that stone door lay an incomprehensible world. In the pitch-black rainy night, crimson lightning occasionally streaked across the sky, and squad after squad of soldiers in ancient armor walked across the muddy ground. The black halberds and battle swords in their hands exuded a demonic aura.

"Indeed, those are the ancient armors of the Feathered Divine Dynasty," the old blind man nodded.

As lightning flashed, illuminating the armors and weapons, the distinctive patterns on the cold battle suits were even faintly visible. Not many could wear such armor; it was a symbol of honor, status, and power, bestowed only upon those who had achieved great merits.

"Heavenly Soldier Armor"—a grand name that also demonstrated the Feathered Divine Dynasty's ambition at the time: to unify all under heaven and earth and establish an immortal divine court.

Even ruling the Central Plains or unifying the Five Regions was merely mortal glory; their highest hope was to ascend to immortality, a goal they tirelessly strived for.

"I'm starting to believe what the tomb raider said might be true," Qi Luo muttered, staring intently at the Heavenly Soldiers in the rain.

At the same time, Ye Fan and the others used their own methods and sensed that these were beings of flesh and blood, not phantoms, which sent a shiver down their spines.

What was the Feathered Divine Dynasty trying to do? Everyone said they had been destroyed, but what they were seeing was unsettling: their Heavenly Soldiers were still in this world, guarding this supreme holy temple.

"Let's go, look around elsewhere."

They left that spot and entered other temple sub-worlds. Each layer here had many halls, almost all connected to the next layer. After visiting several places, what they saw was consistent: the thirty-first layer indeed had living "Heavenly Soldiers."

Meanwhile, cultivators had stopped before each stone door, many gathered, not daring to enter rashly.

No one wanted to stop here, fearing others would get ahead. The records in the very heart of the ancestral temple were of immense importance, possibly containing the Feathered Immortal Scripture, secrets for crossing star domains, or even an Emperor's exclusive sacred artifact like Immortal Tear Green Gold.

Finally, a team of ancient race members was the first to act. They possessed an inherent sense of superiority over humans, formed during the Primordial Era. They feared no strangeness within the Feathered Divine Dynasty's ancestral temple and were eager to obtain the green cauldron that had existed since ancient times.

"Boom!"

The rain poured heavily, and a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky. People saw that the ancient race team had been discovered and engaged in battle with a squad of Heavenly Soldiers, with continuous shouts.

To everyone's surprise, not a single Heavenly Soldier spoke, yet their methods were skilled, and their momentum was like a rainbow. In contrast, the ancient race showed signs of being outmatched, yelling continuously.

Where the Heavenly Soldiers' black battle swords pointed, the ancient beings' various magical artifacts could not withstand, being cut into fragments. Black sword light crisscrossed, truly like heavenly soldiers descending. Soon, some of the ancient race members were cleaved in half.

Crimson lightning danced, and the rain grew heavier, pouring down in torrents, blurring figures. Yet, people could still see that this ancient race team was finished; although they had killed a few Heavenly Soldiers, ultimately, they were annihilated.

Outside the stone door, everyone gasped. That ancient race team was not weak, yet they were eliminated so quickly.

"How are there still living people? Can the Feathered Divine Dynasty's soldiers be immortal, sealed in this temple and surviving all this time?" Many were filled with doubt and unease; this ancient temple surpassed their imagination.

Every Heavenly Soldier had performed great deeds, possessing extraordinary skill and masterful techniques. Otherwise, how would they have earned that title? They were absolutely born for battle.

"This is troublesome; it's hard to get through," some trembled, hesitating to press on.

"These Heavenly Soldiers are all powerful beings. Just how strong was the Feathered Divine Dynasty back then?" someone wondered, full of apprehension.

"I think there shouldn't be too many Heavenly Soldiers, perhaps only a dozen or so squads. So many of us can break through," most people naturally wouldn't give up.

At this moment, someone else moved, lightly pushing open the stone door and slipping inside. They then immediately used an Earth Escape technique, sinking into the ground.

"Ah..."

However, a scream soon followed. A soldier in armor, wielding a black war spear, thrust it into the ground and impaled a person, who was none other than the cultivator who had just entered.

"Pfft!"

With a forceful shake, the person instantly exploded into pieces, meeting a violent end.

"Eh?"

Qi Luo's gaze was sharp as he looked towards a nearby stone door that opened seemingly by itself. Evidently, a powerful individual had entered, moving too quickly for anyone to see.

"It's an old assassin king from the Hell Divine Dynasty!" Qi Luo squinted, and a killing weapon briefly flashed between his eyebrows before disappearing.

"So, it's possible to enter, as long as one's skill is sufficient, even the Heavenly Soldiers won't be able to detect them..."

"Something's not right. This is only the thirty-first layer. I believe that even if truly powerful individuals are discovered, they are allowed to pass. There should be more formidable guardians ahead."

The few of them whispered amongst themselves and began to prepare for action, as others had also started moving, each choosing a stone door and identifying their breakthrough direction.

"Ziyue, you've come far enough. Go back," Ye Fan turned to Ji Ziyue. Going further would genuinely lead to dangerous territory, and he didn't want her to risk it.

"No, I want to see you ascend the Five-Colored Altar with my own eyes," Ji Ziyue said stubbornly, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don't worry, with me here, no one can harm her," Qi Luo said.

"Exactly. We'll see you off at the Five-Colored Altar. I can guarantee her safety."

The Monkey also spoke up.

Duande and the Black Dog were even more boisterous, claiming they would kill any number, even a thousand or eight hundred. The barbarian also chimed in. Seeing this, Ye Fan said no more.

The old blind man spoke, "It's getting more dangerous ahead. Everyone should light a soul lamp with me. That way, if we get separated, we'll know if something happens."

More and more people rushed into the thirty-first layer's sub-world. Screams occasionally rang out, clearly indicating many had fallen. The Heavenly Soldiers worked together seamlessly, having mastered an ancient battle formation of immense power.

"Let's go!"

Finally, Ye Fan and his companions pushed open the huge stone door and entered this mysterious sub-world. The rain was still heavy, the ground was muddy, and ancient trees stood ahead, but no buildings were visible. A squad of Heavenly Soldiers immediately spotted them and charged.

Ye Fan and the Monkey led the way. Both were incredibly valiant, their bodies radiating boundless golden vital energy, staining the pitch-black rainy night a brilliant golden yellow.

"Bang!"

The battle began instantly. Ye Fan's fists carried massive golden lightning bolts, seemingly connected to the thunder in the sky. His punching power was immense, immediately sending a Heavenly Soldier flying, spilling blood.

"Pfft!"

The Monkey was even more decisive; his large iron rod whirled, smashing a Heavenly Soldier's right arm into pulp, utterly unstoppable.

"They're really alive!" The Black Dog bit onto a person's arm, gnawing fiercely, pulling off their armor, and examining it carefully, barking wildly, "Speak! What's going on? Where do you come from?"

It was too careless. Every Heavenly Soldier was a powerful being. An iron spear thrust nearly pierced its chin. Fortunately, its hide was tough, though it did get a black eye from a punch.

This squad of Heavenly Soldiers was decisive. They abandoned a few bodies, retreated quickly, and vanished into the rain, not lingering to pursue them.

"Let's go quickly!" Qi Luo shouted.

They couldn't stay here long; it would be troublesome if more Heavenly Soldier squads appeared. They didn't believe there were only a few squads; there were likely even more powerful figures.

Soon after they left, a powerful aura erupted in that area. A figure moved, riding crimson lightning, holding a black broadsword. Its divine might was astonishing.

"It's a Heavenly General!" Ji Ziyue exclaimed softly, identifying him by his armor. It was rumored that those bestowed with the title of Heavenly General must have "severed the Dao" and achieved remarkable feats.

"This king is extraordinary; he's almost a Great Accomplishment King. Don't provoke him," Qi Luo murmured.

They didn't stop, quickly vanishing into the rain, transforming into a flash of light and rushing deeper. It was clearly a vast region, covered in hills and forests, with no ancient buildings visible.

Along the way, they saw more Heavenly Soldiers, evading a few squads and forcefully killing seven or eight individuals. They pushed forward, and in the rain, they spotted a glowing palace.

However, at that very moment, they were all alarmed. A pungent smell of blood filled the air ahead, and corpses lay everywhere. More than half of those who had entered earlier had died, amounting to hundreds of lives lost.

The ground trembled. Ahead, a dense, dark mass moved, like a torrent of steel, sweeping across all directions. The earth was shaking!

All the long fur on the Black Dog's body stood on end; it felt a chill down its spine. "Damn it, this is a phalanx! Five hundred Heavenly Soldiers! Am I crazy, or is this world crazy? A single sect produced five hundred Great Power cultivators!"

They were all stunned. There were indeed five hundred of them, all possessing the strength of Great Power cultivators, wearing ancient armor, holding black battle swords and iron halberds, emitting an aura that made heaven and earth tremble.

"Over there... there's more!" Duande's hair stood on end.

On the other side, there was also a five-hundred-man phalanx, advancing step by step, erupting with momentum like a mountain collapse and a tsunami, completely slaughtering the cultivators who had just broken in!

"This must be a damn illusion; it can't be real. Even at its peak, the Feathered Divine Dynasty couldn't have had a thousand Great Power cultivators!" the old blind man exclaimed.

This defied common sense and was utterly incomprehensible. Twenty to thirty thousand years had passed. Even if the Feathered Divine Dynasty truly existed in a mysterious way, merely hidden in a corner of the world, how could it have produced so many masters?

"There's a terrifying aura in the mountains over there. Let's not force our way through; let's circle around and take a look," Qi Luo, most sensitive to killing intent, pointed towards a dark and eerie forest in the distance.

As Ye Fan and his group stealthily moved forward, they immediately felt an oppressive discomfort. Before them, in the mountains, a force like the collapsing of heaven and earth surged, making it hard for them to breathe. It felt as if this world was about to collapse, filled with an incomparably powerful aura!

Finally, standing on a hill, they looked down, all struck with horror and chills running through their bodies.

Ahead lay a graveyard, most of the gravestones toppled. In the pouring rain, many ancient tombs had split open, and skeletons were crawling out, quickly growing flesh and blood.

"Heavens, what am I seeing? This must be the graveyard of past Heavenly Soldiers! How... how have they revived? Could it be that the Feathered Divine Dynasty truly abandoned its rule to undertake a world-defying feat, and now they've discovered the secret to immortality, to eternal life, to... bringing the dead back to life and growing flesh on bones?!"