Chapter 917: Extreme Path Little Touch

The final layer of this minor world contained eighty-one ancient temples, each imbued with sage formations. This is why they had remained preserved to this day, undisturbed even by the intense battles fought within.

However, the moment an Emperor Armament appeared, it instantly reduced the hall containing the ancient starry road to dust. Wisps of the Great Emperor's immortal might permeated the air, causing all the powerful figures present to feel a profound chill and their hearts to pound with dread.

"Damn it!" cursed Dongfang Ye. The two stars he and the Monkey had attempted to collect shattered, scattering in all directions like streams of light. They only managed to retrieve a small fraction.

Many rushed forward, scrambling for these fragments. They contained star-field coordinates, which would undoubtedly become incredibly rare and coveted in the future, valuable enough to make even saints yield.

Fortunately, the purple star clutched in the Black Sovereign's paw was saved. It quickly tucked it away, preventing anyone from snatching it.

Whoosh!

A holy light vanished as the mysterious figure entered another ancient hall. The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron moved with it, hovering within!

"Son of Yaoguang, do you dare to fight?" Ye Fan strode forward, his black hair flying back, eyebrows furrowed, and murderous aura reaching the sky.

No one responded. A profound silence filled the great hall, broken only by ripples radiating outwards. These were mysterious dragon patterns, coiling like black dragons, their powerful and flourishing fluctuations resembling a boundless ocean.

It was unknown how many years the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron had remained within Yaoguang. Its current manifestation here astonished everyone, as it was truly exceptional.

For generations, sages poured their hearts and souls into it, and all disciples dedicated their entire lives, consistently and reverently worshipping it as if it were a deity. Fifty thousand years of prostrations, prayers, and worship finally transformed it into an ultimate Dao artifact.

It had become the greatest miracle in the world, an eternal legend. No one knew what truly transpired on that stormy, lightning-filled night; the torrential rain had concealed everything.

Whoosh!

A wisp of dark light descended from the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot, forming a black divine sword that slashed towards the hall. The coiling black dragons immediately surged out. The two forces clashed, transforming into an ocean of ink!

It was a cosmic black hole, a bottomless abyss that devoured all things. Pitch black and devoid of life, any living being that entered it would turn to dust, consigned to eternal stillness.

A dragon's roar resonated as a massive black dragon coiled within the ancient temple, wrapping around its beams and pillars. Every scale glinted with cold light, and its body vibrated with explosive power.

The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron floated, and from its mouth, thousands of such black dragons emerged, their tails still inside, resembling a divine realm of ascending dragons.

Ye Fan remained fearless, the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot hovering above his head. His steps were unwavering, his rhythm consistent and in sync with the very life pulse of this minor world, completely unfazed.

"At this point, what more do you fear?" Ye Fan challenged. "If you want to kill me, come. Let's fight openly!"

"A clash between ultimate Emperor Armaments would surely bring ruin to all living beings," a calm voice stated from within the ancient hall.

"What a compassionate facade," Ye Fan retorted, his steps unwavering as he reached the ancient hall. "If so, why act this way?"

"I am very interested in the other end of the starry sky," a voice from within the hall suggested. "How about we set off together?"

Boom!

Without any warning, both Emperor Armaments simultaneously unleashed a wisp of imperial might. Though it was merely a tiny dark glimmer and not a full-scale clash, the hall, imbued with the power of ancient sages, was nonetheless reduced to dust and ceased to exist.

A flash of holy light, and the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron and the figure vanished once more, entering another divine temple. They remained in a standoff, not immediately striking.

Whoosh!

Ye Fan shook the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot, unleashing streaks of black light that seemed to ascend to immortality. All the light surged into the ancient temple, aiming to slay the formidable enemy lurking within.

A clear dragon's roar echoed as the black gold cauldron trembled, exhaling and inhaling various lights to block the assault. This time, the imperial waves did not destroy the buildings. A balance was struck between the two armaments, allowing them to clash without their destructive power spreading.

Nevertheless, everyone trembled with fear. Though the clash of Emperor Armaments involved only tiny wisps of dark light probing each other, if their full power were unleashed, not just this area but the entire Central Plains would sink into an boundless abyss.

The other Emperor Armaments were also reviving, protecting their respective factions. No one dared to make a rash move, fearing being plunged into inescapable doom.

Suddenly, the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron spontaneously surged out, hovering in mid-air. Wisps of black-gold aura descended from it, and within its mouth, an immortal-like figure began to take shape.

Clang!

The Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot emitted a soft hum as its body and lid separated, releasing thousands of wisps of dark light. In a haze, a woman's sigh echoed, as if a goddess were about to be reborn!

This eerie Emperor Armament, with its coexisting demonic and divine natures, transformed into a cocoon, as if a Great Emperor was about to emerge. Its world-shaking might intimidated everyone.

Clank!

The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron trembled slightly, the immortal figure at its mouth vanished back inside, and then it transformed into a streak of dark light, shooting through the sky!

Pop!

A hole was pierced through this minor world as the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron vanished. Several figures, controlling it, instantly departed, as if sensing some incredible power.

"The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron wasn't defeated," Qi Luo mused, frowning. "It was just that the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot became somewhat strange, which startled them into retreating."

"The Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot was forged from the body of the Ruthless Great Emperor," the Black Sovereign said. "Besides its unfathomable power, it possesses unparalleled characteristics that no one can fully explain."

"The Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron also behaved strangely," the old blind man added. "They seemed to have some difficulty controlling it and had to temporarily retreat. I think it will reappear in a while, so be careful!"

The dark light of the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot receded, and it quickly settled, appearing natural and ancient, with no peculiar features. This reassured those at a distance, allowing them to resume their scramble for their own divine treasures.

Ye Fan took out the azure star and focused his senses on it. Inside, sets of symbols flashed, imprinting themselves in his mind. These were the eight trigrams of the Bagua, but arranged in numerous combinations to describe star-field coordinates.

The Monkey, Black Sovereign, and others stepped forward. Ye Fan handed it to them, saying nothing, simply ensuring they all memorized the coordinates, as they might be of great use in the future.

Tears welled in Ji Ziyue's eyes as she gazed at the azure star in her palm. She knew Ye Fan was bound to leave; he had obtained what he desired and could now embark on his journey.

"This thing should be used like this..." the Black Sovereign murmured, explaining how to activate the Five-Colored Altar. Having obtained the key to the other shore, it could fully deduce its usage.

"Why weren't the star-field coordinates for the Big Dipper left behind?" Duan De wondered.

Ye Fan also sighed. He had only found four special stars, none of which were related to the Big Dipper, and he had no idea of this ancient star's coordinates in the celestial expanse.

"Let's also get a piece of the pie," Dongfang Ye remarked, glancing towards the central great hall. Their purpose in assisting Ye Fan had been achieved—they had found everything needed to traverse star fields—and now they wished to plunder secret treasures.

"The most central divine hall has several Emperor Armaments concentrated there," Qi Luo said, ever cautious. "We'd likely gain nothing and might even face great disaster. So, let's go to other halls and take everything we can."

The group put away the Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot. Ye Fan led the way, Half-Saint Qi Luo lurked in the shadows, and the big black dog, exhaling and inhaling array platforms, brought up the rear, making everyone's hair stand on end.

It was almost an invincible combination for the current era. At the very least, few major powers below the Saint realm dared to provoke them, especially after Ye Fan had just slain Hua Yunfei, the Ruthless One's successor, chilling many to the bone.

The strength of the "Exiled Immortal" was evident to all; for over a decade, he had swept across the land, unbeatable. Yet now he lay dead here—how could that not inspire fear?

At this moment, Ye Fan strode forward, leading the way. Wherever he passed, no one dared to confront him; all were extremely wary, automatically yielding from a distance.

"Insights of ancient sages!" Qi Luo exclaimed, overjoyed. This was something he desperately wanted: four sections, left by four ancient saints, inscribed on the four walls of the hall.

In this place, every ancient character was imprinted in the void, flickering in and out of existence. Each character possessed immense power, suffocating those who approached.

Many people fought while silently memorizing the texts, as they could not simply be removed. These were the works of ancient sages, inextricably merged with the entire stone chamber, immortal and indestructible.

The moment the group appeared, others, however reluctant, retreated. With Ye Fan and the Monkey leading, they were like war gods; even those who had achieved the Dao-Slaying realm dared not provoke them!

Clang!

Qi Luo carefully activated the Hell Suppressing Soul Pagoda, forcibly digging down the four walls. Piece by piece, the ancient characters and stone carvings, as if alive, were carefully put away.

They passed through over a dozen halls in succession, gaining rich rewards. Besides several scriptures, they found a piece of divine jade the size of a human head, belonging to the Nine Heavens Divine Jade series and on the same level as Grand Luo Silver Essence, which overjoyed them.

"Great powers possessing Emperor Armaments don't lack sage insights," someone remarked. "Only that dilapidated green cauldron and the Feathered Immortal Scripture are their absolute must-haves. It's fortunate this is the case; otherwise, we wouldn't have obtained these gains."

"Let's observe for now," came the reply. "Don't contend for it yet, to avoid being reduced to ashes."

The green cauldron, which held the secret to immortality, had existed since primordial times. Reportedly an artifact from the mythical era, it was highly likely to attract "unruly" saints!

"You two should set off now," the old blind man advised. "While all the sects are preoccupied with the central ancient palace. If you wait longer, the Five-Colored Altar might become a sea of battle, and that artifact is also very important."

"That's right, the Five-Colored Altar is of great importance," the Monkey added. "It's something that must be contended for, so leave quickly now."

"It's a pity I couldn't fight the Son of Yaoguang," Ye Fan said regretfully. "I wanted to deal with him before leaving."

"Don't worry, with me here," the Monkey said, exuding confident charisma, his golden fur gleaming. "Never mind that he merely obtained the inheritance of an ancient Great Emperor—even if he were truly an Emperor's son, what of it?"

Ye Fan nodded. In this era, the Monkey was no weaker than any of his peers, and his future potential was unimaginable. Most importantly, the Victorious Fighting Buddha was still alive, residing on Mount Sumeru; who would dare touch a single hair on the Monkey's head?

"The Son of Yaoguang is very intelligent," Half-Saint Qi Luo commented. "He won't dare cause trouble within a few decades, or he'll understand the consequences." Qi Luo was destined to become a Killer Saint, far more threatening than ordinary saints; if he truly turned ruthless, he could assassinate targets across the world.

"No need to worry," Ji Ziyue also chimed in. "My family has the Void Mirror, which is enough to counter the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron." In a sense, families that had produced Great Emperors were indeed far superior to other holy lands.

Duan De spoke with nonchalance, "Do you think my Sky-Devouring Demonic Pot is just for show? Later, in Heaven's Village, set up a mountain for me and call it 'Emperor's Tomb'—that's a grand enough name. When you settle there, we can attack Yaoguang Holy Land whenever we're bored. I bet we'll dig up some rare treasures, because every time I pass through the Southern Region, Yaoguang feels like a huge burial mound, like a sect established on a tomb."

His words amused everyone. This fellow was truly extraordinary and impossible to provoke. Constantly fixated on others' ancestral graves, he left everyone helpless and fearful.

"With this Sovereign here, who would dare to be so blind?" the Black Sovereign boasted shamelessly. "After we return, I'll carve a hundred eighty killing formations and just wipe out Yaoguang completely!"

"Let's go, we're setting off," Ye Fan said, pulling the very silent Pang Bo.

The group passed through the ancestral temple and walked towards the deepest part ahead. There were no ancient buildings, no trees, no signs of life; the area was enveloped by a dense, strange, and mysterious fog.