Chapter 916: The Other Shore Key

**Covering the Sky, Chapter 918: The Key to the Other Shore**

Hua Yunfei, a name imbued with poetic charm, ultimately dissolved into a shower of light that scattered with the wind. A final crystalline tear slid from his dissipating face, falling into the soil and kicking up a few specks of dust, as his life came to an end.

Pure white flowers drifted through the air, each petal stained with crimson, yet still crystalline and translucent, emitting bursts of fragrance. A man of otherworldly charm, with an extraordinary demeanor, like a banished immortal, thus departed from the mortal realm.

Only an ancient zither remained at the mouth of the cave, its ethereal melody seemingly lingering. The mournful music’s echoes wound on, like a sorrowful song or a silent lament, poignant and heartrending.

With a 'zheng', the zither strings snapped, several breaking inch by inch. Then, the ancient zither itself shattered, turning into a pile of ashes. This instrument had accompanied Hua Yunfei since his childhood, and now it perished with him.

The ancient zither, imbued with spirit, transformed into a shower of light and dust, vanishing from existence alongside its master.

Ye Fan stood in silence. A tragic life, a future without choice – such was Hua Yunfei's destiny. He remained still for a long time, unmoving.

In life, every person carries their own pain, regardless of whether they are good or evil. When unable to choose, one can only charge forward, a single step separating heaven from hell.

In the distance, the great battle resumed. Everyone fought fiercely, striving to seize control of the ancient temple. Each hall might conceal a divine treasury, and every stone carving was priceless.

The insights of ancient sages and profound, mysterious scriptures could potentially forge a top-tier sect. No one was indifferent to these, especially the major inheritances.

Hua Yunfei’s death caused many to sigh; a prodigy had fallen, and a fearsome inheritor was vanquished. However, there was no room for distraction. The battle intensified, becoming even more brutal, with blood splattering and corpses piling up everywhere.

People forgot about the Yin God, scrambling heedlessly, all intent on acquiring the Feathered God Dynasty's most essential immortal treasures and resurrecting the glory of the foremost power from over two hundred thousand years ago.

"Hua Yunfei!"

In the distance, Li Xiaoman’s eyes momentarily dimmed, and her attacks faltered slightly. But soon, two streaks of golden light flickered in her pupils, as though two deities were seated deep within her gaze.

She was locked in battle with Ji Ziyue. The two women unleashed a continuous stream of ingenious techniques, making even some ancient cultivators tremble at their formidable skills and astonishing power. They were truly exceptional talents.

When Li Xiaoman saw Ye Fan suddenly look up and approach, she immediately turned to leave. A golden vortex enveloped her entire body, resembling multiple pairs of divine wings that churned into dozens, then hundreds, of golden whirlwinds. She swiftly retreated, vanishing into the depths of the hall.

"Ouch!" yelped the large black dog, tumbling backward. It had just charged into the magnificent central palace and become collateral damage in a life-or-death duel between two Half-Sages. It was caught in the crossfire and nearly broke its bones and tore its tendons.

The most magnificent central hall was teeming with experts. The most powerful factions had converged here, confronting each other with Emperor Weapons. The strong cultivators among the ancient races absolutely refused to yield an inch, convinced that the Green Cauldron was inside.

With shouts of killing shaking the heavens, this place had become a chaotic battleground. All factions fought with such ferocity that their eyes turned red; many were on the verge of madness, disheveled and disoriented, completely consumed by the slaughter.

The Black Emperor, annoyed, was about to unleash a killing formation to join the slaughter, but Ye Fan stopped him. "That area is too dangerous right now," Ye Fan warned. "Emperor Weapons and Ancient Sovereign Weapons are in a standoff and could clash at any moment. If we activate even a fragment of a Great Emperor killing formation, it might just trigger the world's destruction."

"Boom." A blood-soaked arm fell at their feet. Qi Luo appeared, drenched in crimson, wet with someone else's blood.

He bore only one wound, extending from his brow down to his chest, a strike that had nearly cleaved him in two. The wound wasn’t deep, merely scraping the bone, a truly perilous escape!

A shiver ran through them all. To push an elder assassin, one on the verge of becoming a Killing Saint, to such a desperate state, how powerful must his assailant have been?

"It's nothing, I'm not badly hurt," Qi Luo stated. "Although I only took one of his arms, he's virtually crippled. He won't be able to appear in the world for at least ten years; it's his sheer luck if he survives."

His opponent was a Half-Saint, formidable in power and possessing terrifying secret techniques. He was Hua Yunfei's ultimate protector, like an unseen dark hand. Only a Half-Saint like Qi Luo, who sought to prove his Dao through slaughter, could have wounded him.

"We're all assembled," Duan De urged. "Let's go and try now. We must seize either the Green Cauldron or the Immortal Feathering Scripture. Black Emperor, I appoint you vanguard for this mission. Go!"

Ye Fan had no interest in that particular area. He and Pang Bo entered the ancient hall adorned with star charts, intending to find new clues there. This place was undoubtedly connected to cosmic traversal.

Qi Luo, the Old Blind Man, the Monkey, and Dongfang Ye followed them inside. Although the central hall held the most valuable items, it was truly not the right time to contend for them; one could easily be reduced to ashes.

Extreme Dao Emperor Weapons are like Pandora’s Boxes; they cannot be opened lightly, as doing so would unleash catastrophic consequences. If a full-scale battle erupted, everyone present might perish.

"Here… there's a mechanism!" The Black Emperor exclaimed, suddenly looking excited.

These carved diagrams were all peculiar, either small teleportation arrays or bizarre spatial constructs. After repeated probing, the large black dog uncovered some hidden mysteries and began to decipher them using its extensive knowledge.

"Every stone carving leads somewhere else," the large black dog muttered, scratching its ears and head. "This is a misdirection; there must be another secret." It paced back and forth, its large tail standing erect like a flagpole, letting out continuous low growls.

Duan De was also deep in thought, staring intently at the stone carvings and connecting them in his mind. The two of them cried out almost simultaneously, then swiftly took action.

Hundreds of continuous carvings adorned the four walls, depicting shimmering suns, moons, and stars. The Black Emperor and Duan De simultaneously pointed a finger at the brightest star in each star-field diagram. Instantly, the entire hall erupted in brilliant light, becoming even more dazzling.

"Click-clack." Suddenly, a grinding sound emanated from a corner. A stone door appeared out of thin air, sliding aside to reveal a secret chamber from which a decaying odor wafted out.

"Found it! Could it be a scripture repository?" The Black Emperor exclaimed excitedly, rushing in first.

However, it immediately leaped back out, its black fur standing on end like a large hedgehog, clearly startled.

"Damn it, a pile of fleshy mud! This Emperor has had the worst luck in eight lifetimes, stepping right into that!"

Ye Fan and Pang Bo advanced. This was crucial for their future path; they had to proceed, even if it meant traversing a mountain of blades and a sea of fire. A putrid stench assailed them, accompanied by an overwhelming killing intent.

"These are the bones of a Saint," Qi Luo exclaimed, startled. "But how could his flesh have decayed?"

Even in death, the bodies of ancient Saints rarely decayed; their flesh and blood could remain lifelike. However, few such remains endured in the world, as most Saints would assimilate into the Dao upon death, leaving nothing behind.

Inside the secret chamber was a pile of putrid mud with black bones protruding from it. The decayed flesh emitted a foul stench, and the large black dog had nearly stumbled into it moments ago.

"Only someone vastly superior in power could destroy a Saint's body, allowing it to gradually revert to a mortal form and eventually decay over time," Qi Luo explained.

A collective gasp escaped them. It meant that someone had once dissolved a Saint, not by instantly reducing them to dust, but by gradually eroding their being, which explained the current state of the remains.

They did not disturb the Saint’s remains. Even if preserved, they would be of little use, as the body had been almost entirely reduced to mortal bones. The decaying flesh instantly turned to ash upon contact with the air.

The stone chamber was merely a square of about one zhang. To their surprise, it was entirely empty; there wasn't a single valuable item within.

"There's likely something beneath this ancient Saint's corpse," said Duan De, a lifelong tomb raider proficient in mechanisms. With a sweep of his palm, he immediately located a groove. He pressed a finger down, and with a grinding sound, the stone wall ahead slid away. A brilliant light burst forth, revealing a spacious stone hall.

"It's magnificent!" Ji Ziyue gasped. Inside, stars were everywhere, dotting the void one by one, making it feel as though they were standing before a vast cosmic expanse.

Among them, four stars stood out. They were many times brighter than the other points of light, and uniquely solidified, each roughly the size of a fist, suspended amidst the starlight.

"This is a genuine ancient star map, incredibly detailed and miniaturized to such a degree — truly miraculous!" Even Qi Luo marveled.

What lay before them was truly like an boundless starry expanse, a universe laid out, from which emanated an aura of grandeur and vastness.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo's eyes fixated on the four unique stars, immediately drawn to one in particular: a watery blue planet. Their gaze became transfixed.

Did those blue lights represent oceans, covering approximately seventy percent of its surface? They were then utterly stunned. The landmasses were almost identical to the Other Shore. This was a miniature Earth!

They were convinced this was the secret they sought: the Feathered God Dynasty must have visited the other end of the starry sky—their homeland!

Of the other three distinct stars, one was very large and shimmered with purple light. Ye Fan instantly recognized it as the Ziwei Ancient Life Star, and upon closer inspection, its topography indeed appeared similar; he had been there before.

The remaining two stars were unfamiliar; it was unknown which star field they belonged to or if they too harbored life. They remained shrouded in mystery, glittering amidst the diverse starlight.

"These are the keys to activate the Five-Colored Altar, containing spatial coordinates!" the large black dog exclaimed.

Upon hearing this, Ye Fan swiftly rushed forward, seizing the watery blue star. His hand trembled at that moment, for it represented his hope of returning home.

Simultaneously, the large black dog lunged towards the great purple star, snatching it into its large paw and salivating. Such an item was a priceless treasure to it.

Meanwhile, the Monkey and Dongfang Ye also moved, reaching for the other two unique stars. These were clearly also star-field keys, and for some, priceless divine treasures.

"Boom." Suddenly, several black dragons surged in, unleashing a torrent of Extreme Dao Emperor's might that shattered the void and obliterated everything it touched!

"Clang." The Heaven Swallowing Demonic Cauldron vibrated autonomously, suspended in the void, unfurling strands of Dao power that blocked the black dragons. Instantly, a black hole formed between them, devouring all vitality.

"Shaking Light Saint Son, you've finally arrived!"

Ye Fan carefully put away the watery blue star. He strode forward, the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Cauldron rising and falling. Seeing his intention to attack, it mysteriously synchronized with his very pulse.

The Emperor Weapon, forged from the Ruthless Emperor's body, was vastly different today than ever before. It seemed stimulated by a unique aura, autonomously reviving and taking command of the assault!

"Boom." A boundless immortal might surged forth, threatening to pulverize everyone. That power was so immense it could shatter the heavens and split the earth; even Qi Luo was terrified. In this world, the might of an ancient Great Emperor was utterly irresistible!

It was a black-gold light, awe-inspiring across past, present, and future, as though a Great Emperor was awakening and standing alive before their very eyes.

The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron!

The most mysterious Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon finally appeared today!

Ye Fan inexplicably merged with the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Cauldron, unleashing a striking dark light that collided with the Great Emperor’s killing intent. It was as if ancient time and space had been torn asunder, summoning a living Great Emperor!