Chapter 910: Feathered Emperor Ascends

## Chapter 912: Emperor Yuhua

The Central Plains' First Ancestral Vein was still intact, not completely destroyed. From the cave's opening, auspicious glows and vibrant mists erupted, accompanied by dazzling immortal light. A stone embryo floated up and down within.

Emperor Yuhua!

Everyone felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Witnessing such a heaven-defying sight—an ancient Great Emperor still alive—was incomprehensible to the world, especially since nearly three hundred thousand years had passed since that era.

Among the mountains, ancestral temples stood one after another, grand and majestic, ancient and natural. Some radiated five-colored mists, while others were intricately inscribed with ancient scriptures. Sounds of sacrifice and monastic chanting rose in unison, creating a magnificent spectacle.

These auspicious sights made the ancient cave appear even more extraordinary. The stone embryo was indistinct, roughly humanoid and seemingly seated cross-legged. Though crude, it undeniably became the center of the world at that moment.

It was a stone shell, presumably incubating something within, causing hearts to pound. Was this indeed the Great Emperor protected by two ancient Saints?

There had always been debate in the world about the existence of Emperor Yuhua. Was it now confirmed? An extremely ancient Great Emperor, leaving behind indelible traces!

"This is impossible! Even Great Emperor Wu Shi is gone, how could *he* still be alive?" The big black dog, daring not to voice its doubts aloud, roared telepathically in the minds of Ye Fan and Qi Luo.

It had once followed a true ancient Great Emperor, understanding him intimately. It always firmly believed that Wu Shi had not died but had gone to the Immortal Realm, and thus found it hard to believe anyone in this world could live for such an immense duration.

"Could this be the fiercest living ancestor in history?" Duan De's mouth twitched. Ever since encountering the Yin Gods, he had instinctively abandoned the Nine Nether Embryo and other items, realizing that nothing could be done against such beings.

He voiced his thoughts, naturally, also through telepathic transmission. More than two hundred thousand years ago, the Yuhua Divine Dynasty likely undertook a heaven-defying act, which resulted in all of this.

"They must have been insane back then, likely wanting to destroy the entire Central Plains, sacrificing everything to nourish this stone embryo, which is the legendary Emperor Yuhua?" Duan De couldn't be certain.

Yet, he remained uneasy. The big black dog was right; no one could live for so long, not even an ancient Great Emperor. It was too unbelievable.

Not only did he harbor doubts, but others also felt an ominous sensation, especially the Grand Saint Lord of the Feng clan, who stared intently at the stone embryo.

"How does it resemble a Holy Spirit?" someone whispered, voicing a suspicion many others also held. After all, it was a stone fetus; only heaven knew what truly lay within its shell.

This wasn't impossible. An immortal land like the First Ancestral Vein had gathered the essence of a vast region since ancient times; it would be strange if it didn't give birth to something.

"What are you waiting for? Why don't you prostrate yourselves before Emperor Yuhua and apologize to him?" The two Yin Gods asked coldly. Though small in stature, their voices were coarse and ancient.

The crowd grew even more uneasy. No one could tell whether the stone fetus was a Holy Spirit or Emperor Yuhua, and their hearts were tightly strung with tension.

"It's not impossible for Emperor Yuhua to return," said a Dragon-Seeking Geomancer from the Central Plains. "The First Generation Heavenly Source Grandmaster once said that while human power has its limits, heaven and earth are eternal, and immeasurable tribulations persist. Those who truly understand heaven and earth can, in theory, achieve immortality."

Ye Fan's heart stirred. Had the Ancestor of Source Heaven truly said such words? Being self-taught in the path, he had relied entirely on his own exploration and arduous comprehension, completely unaware of this particular teaching.

"Hmph, I don't believe Emperor Yuhua is still alive. If he were, how could later Great Emperors have emerged, and why would he have merely stood by and watched the Yuhua Divine Dynasty collapse?"

Many had died on the path to breaking through the barriers, a significant number having been devoured by the Yin Gods' descendants. Those whose children or parents had been lost, filled with hatred, spoke out recklessly in front of the Yin Gods.

Clearly, the Yin Gods had no intention of reprimanding them. Upon hearing, they chuckled repeatedly and said, "If not for the Great Emperor, how could we have returned to this world? The methods of ancient Great Emperors are beyond your imagination."

This was a mystery, but not an insoluble one; they could learn about their past lives through other methods. Nevertheless, the Yin Gods' tone still sent a chill through everyone.

"The very existence of Emperor Yuhua is questionable. Why was he not renowned throughout the world in ancient times? Why is he not recorded in historical annals? It's full of holes!" To dare question two ancient Saints was akin to inviting death. This speaker was none other than the son of the sect leader who had been crushed by a single finger of the Daoist child just recently. He had completely thrown caution to the wind.

"Emperor Yuhua was discreet," the female Daoist child stated. "Though he traveled the world for many years, he rarely manifested himself. Who could compare to that?"

"Wrong!" the man exclaimed, highly agitated. Having painfully lost his father, his eyes were bloodshot, and he spoke whatever came to his mind. "There has always been a rumor that even if Emperor Yuhua did exist, he wasn't human. It's very likely that a Holy Spirit achieved Dao!"

Everyone shivered. Questioning ancient Saints like this took immense courage, and few possessed it, knowing that such a confrontation could easily lead to a deadly disaster.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" the two Daoist children said chillingly, clearly enraged, deeming it a blasphemy against Emperor Yuhua's prestige.

"Hmph," the man retorted, seemingly having cast all caution aside. "Though not many know this rumor, I believe our lineage isn't the only one to have heard it. It's precisely for this reason that the Ruthless Great Emperor, upon attaining Dao, first destroyed the Yuhua Divine Dynasty with a single palm strike, and then severed the Heaven-Severing Mountain Range with a single sword!"

This revelation was earth-shattering. No one had expected him to dare say such a thing, and many had never heard of such a secret, leaving everyone utterly astonished.

"The idea of Emperor Yuhua being a Holy Spirit is unreliable," Duan De whispered, shaking his head. The information he had gleaned from ancient tombs unequivocally indicated a human origin, which he believed to be true.

However, he also knew that the Heaven-Severing Mountain Range was indeed the supreme immortal land of Holy Spirits, and rumor had it that the Ruthless Great Emperor alone had flattened it, transforming it into the barren land it was today.

At this moment, the two Daoist children's expressions became as grim as water. With a wave of the female child's hand, the man who had just spoken instantly flew into the highest temple's small world.

"All of you, enter and atone!"

These two seemingly young ancient Saints had made their move. With a sweep of their wide sleeves, even those wielding Saint Weapons were helpless, as they were facing beings of such a formidable level.

Only immortal inheritances like the Great Xia, Jiang Family, and Nine Li remained relatively calm, simultaneously activating their Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons and guarding cautiously.

"Everyone, please enter," the two Daoist children said expressionlessly. "This is the former First Ancestral Vein of the Central Plains. If you unleash your Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons and accidentally trigger the dragon qi and essence beneath the earth, it might cause millions of miles around to collapse!"

Everyone's hearts froze. Was this a threat or a warning? With ancient Saints standing in this special place, triggering the First Ancestral Vein, a deliberate destruction would indeed be a great catastrophe!

However, with Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons in hand—and not just one—they felt a chill, yet they weren't as apprehensive as others. For a Great Emperor's single strike, even a Saint wouldn't dare confront it head-on, only fleeing and seeking an opportune moment to counterattack.

"No matter," a Saint Lord declared. "We advance and retreat together. Several Emperor Weapons have now manifested simultaneously. Unless a Great Emperor revives to suppress us, even a Saint would struggle against our combined might." He spoke the truth; deep down, he didn't believe Emperor Yuhua was still alive. Even if they entered, wielding Emperor Weapons, they could completely shatter the thirty-six ancestral temples and cut through the void to escape.

Everyone stood in the thirty-sixth level temple's small world, yet no one ventured into the ancient temple where dazzling mists and thousands of auspicious strands shimmered. Instead, all gathered before the dragon cave, watching the stone embryo float up and down.

"Great Emperor, your sacrifices have arrived! There are several Emperor Weapons—this will be a grand feast! We call upon you to return, revive!" The two Daoist children stood blocking the stone gate, muttering words as if chanting an ancient curse, causing everyone's scalp to tingle.

Beneath their feet, Dao patterns flashed, emitting brilliant divine light and pulsating with a demonic aura. Suddenly, someone shouted, "The stone embryo wants to drain the essence of this world and turn us into dust! We cannot sit here and await death!"

"Those damned Yin Gods truly have ill intentions! They want to kill us!" the Black Emperor roared, inciting everyone to attack together. "What Emperor Yuhua? He's long dead!" With the Sky-Swallowing Demonic Pot at their disposal, they felt no fear.

However, something astonishing occurred: a golden Saint Sword instantly slashed upwards, cutting the stone embryo in half on the spot.

Everyone was dumbfounded. The majestic stone embryo, suspected to be incubating Emperor Yuhua, was actually cut open with a single strike, and surprisingly, it wasn't even an Emperor Weapon that did it. It was simply unbelievable.

"What? How could this be... Great Emperor!" the two Daoist children cried out, rushing into the ancient cave where immortal light and dragon qi erupted, to examine the two halves of the stone embryo.

Feather-like lights flew out, one after another. The two halves of the stone embryo were empty, containing no figure. Only these lights were dissipating, and a wisp of imperial might lingered and spread.

"He has ascended!"

"Even if Emperor Yuhua was inside, he has already ascended!"

Many people exclaimed. This was the light rain of ascension; even if a supreme existence had once lived within the stone embryo, it had now long since merged with the Dao, disappearing into the laws of heaven and earth.

"Impossible! Six thousand years ago, Emperor Yuhua revived from the ancestral vein, awakened us, granted us memories of our past lives, and instructed us to guard the highest holy temple... Where is he now? How could a Saint Weapon cut open his stone embryo? It's utterly impossible!"

The two Daoist children cried out madly, unable to accept this reality. They called out loudly for the Great Emperor, their eyes wide with madness, as if they were on the verge of succumbing to demonic possession.

"He must be in the deepest part of the ancestral vein!"

The two seemingly young ancient Saints transformed into two streaks of light and vanished into the ancient cave, rushing towards the depths of the Central Plains' ancestral vein, determined to find an answer.

Everyone was stunned. No one had anticipated such an outcome, leaving them dumbfounded and speechless.

"The two Daoist children must have been deceived," the Black Emperor concluded. "But they deserved it for trying to sacrifice us alive. From this, it's not hard to see that six thousand years ago, there truly was a terrifying and cruel existence, most likely a horrific Holy Spirit. Otherwise, how could it have fooled two such powerful Daoist children?"

"What are we waiting for? Time is short! Go seize the shattered green cauldron!"

"There's likely a powerful Holy Spirit deep within this fragmented ancestral vein. Quickly transcribe the Yuhua Immortal Scripture!"

People scattered, realizing that there might indeed be a supreme being present. They had to act now, or there wouldn't be enough time to acquire everything within this place.

"Buzz!"

A dazzling light swept forth, simultaneously striking at Ye Fan and the Monkey, its piercing coldness chilling them to the bone.

"Heavenly Sovereign Prince, you won't escape today!" the Monkey roared, swinging its great staff, slashing forward and striking down the Heavenly Sovereign Prince's protectors.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp sword light flew in, striking towards Ye Fan's head. Divine light sparkled in his eyes, and his golden fist shattered all killing intent. Then, with a clang, he activated the Soldier Secret Art, slaying the ancient race member. Seizing the sword, he strode forward, holding it inverted.

There were over a dozen ancient race powerhouses, many of them Dao Slayers. They formed a killing array and advanced, jointly attempting to strangle Ye Fan.

"Forming an array against me here?" Ye Fan said with utter indifference. He stomped his foot, and the dragon qi beneath the ground boiled, transforming into a Source Heaven Divine Array that rapidly spread.

"Puff!"

On the spot, an ancient race being dissolved into a cloud of blood mist, its body and spirit utterly destroyed. Ye Fan, utilizing the Traverse Secret Art, charged into the crowd as if entering an uninhabited land.

"In this place, I am invincible to you!" Ye Fan declared, wielding the dripping divine sword. He slashed horizontally and vertically, sword qi soaring to the sky. In an instant, four heads flew off, their primordial spirits extinguished, bodies separated.

His black hair draped over his shoulders, his gaze was cold, and his steps were firm. He advanced step by step, forcing the group of ancient race powerhouses to retreat. This was the main battlefield of a Heavenly Source Master, a fact they couldn't comprehend or even know.

Ahead, the ancient dwelling shimmered with various immortal lights, vibrant auspicious mists, and emanating divine radiance, filled with sanctity and peace, like the temple of primordial gods.

The ancient race went berserk. They had come for the green cauldron and charged forward, eager to find it.

Human cultivators also roared. The insights of ancient Sages had transformed into tangible script, densely covering the space above the palace, mysterious and brilliant. Ancient characters flickered, and imprints of ancient Sages' divine senses vibrated, resonating with the Great Dao.

It was a place that drove people wild; no one was untempted. Obtaining even a single item there would bring endless benefits for a lifetime.

Even the palaces that didn't glow or resonate with the Great Dao tempted people. Countless figures surged forward, knowing that those places might hold even greater value, containing sealed powers.

In those days, the Yuhua Divine Dynasty ruled half of the Central Plains, invincible wherever they went. Even this ancient star couldn't halt their advance as they marched into the starry cosmos.

Ye Fan, like a demon king, killed ten with a single swing of his sword. The ancient race members from earlier had all fled; no one dared to block his path. Any who secretly attacked were also cleaved into dozens of pieces by his sword, blood and shattered bones splattering everywhere.

Ji Ziyue followed closely behind him, while the Black Emperor, Qi Luo, and others also caught up. The Old Blind Man, Duan De, and Dongfang Ye had gone to assist the Monkey.

Pang Bo said, "Be wary of Hua Yunfei and Li Xiaoman. I have a premonition that this place will become a blood-soaked Asura field. If blood doesn't flow like a river today, it won't stop. If we truly manage to ascend the five-colored altar, we must slay all our great enemies. We absolutely cannot let the battle extend to Earth, or it will be a great catastrophe!"

As everyone engaged in chaotic battle and charged towards the highest ancestral temple, an old man silently appeared at the stone gate of the outermost small world layer. If any ancient race members had been present, they would have been greatly shocked, for it was none other than Great Saint Huntuo!

"Emperor Yuhua, is he truly still alive? I indeed sense a wisp of an ancient Great Emperor's aura here..." He held a divine metal in his hand, staring intently at the stone figure within.

"In today's world, Saints do not manifest themselves. Why have you come?" Another figure, sickly and vaguely visible not far away, asked. It was Gai Jiuyou.

Great Saint Huntuo turned around and said, "I only came for that entity within the First Ancestral Vein, fearing it might unleash a bloodbath upon the human world."