Chapter 930: How Tragic It Is

Croc Ancestor was covered in blood, his lower body a bloody pulp, completely smashed by the bone cudgel. He was on his last breath, his former might utterly gone.

Ye Fan was almost petrified. He truly couldn't believe it; it felt like something out of a fantastical tale.

Croc Ancestor awoke from his stupor to find himself being held upside down like a dead fish. He struggled violently, but the Old Sage was brutal, swinging the cudgel down on him. This caused multiple bones in Croc Ancestor's body to crack; if the Sage hadn't intended to preserve the flesh, Croc Ancestor would likely have been utterly annihilated, body and soul.

What was happening? The ancient great crocodile could not accept this! He could not accept the reality that someone in the world could be so terrifying as to do this to him.

In the past, he had commanded the winds and clouds, able to split an ancient star with a single strike. Ancient Bodhisattvas and old Buddhas were no match for him; he was invincible! Now, he had become a prisoner, his life hanging by a thread.

Croc Ancestor roared, feeling utterly humiliated. He was an invincible Demon Saint and had never imagined he would be so undignified, dying such a pathetic death.

After a long while, Ye Fan finally came to his senses and then couldn't help but laugh uproariously towards the sky. Not long ago, this ancient great crocodile had regarded him as an ant, filled with disdain and contempt, even intending to stomp him to death. Yet now, he had suffered such a calamity. This truly was divine justice, retribution at its finest.

"Oh..."

With a single roar from Croc Ancestor, mountains and rivers shattered. Countless mountains on the ancient planet of Yinghuo collapsed and crumbled, the entire world trembling as if on the verge of breaking apart.

He was truly unwilling to accept this. He had lived for so long, looking down upon ancient starfields, revered as an extraterrestrial deity, only for it to come to such an end.

"Smack!"

In response to his roars and struggles, the Old Sage was decisive, striking his head with the cudgel, almost tearing off his skull.

Flames were already rising, burning hotter and brighter. This was the boiling of the Sage's cultivation and magic power; otherwise, ordinary flames could never roast an invincible Demon Saint.

Ye Fan silently gazed into the distance, paying respects to his deceased classmates. It was on this very ancient planet that half of his old acquaintances had lost their lives.

"Great crocodile, you too have this day!" he rebuked coldly.

Croc Ancestor was weak and listless, on the verge of being refined alive. Even a slight struggle resulted in another cudgel blow. Extremely weak, he revealed his true form, his blood-red eyes like lanterns, utterly terrifying.

At this moment, the Divine Crocodile's body manifested, like a mountain, covered in scales like black gold, possessing a metallic texture. The cudgel striking against them rang out with a clang.

Ye Fan couldn't help but sigh, lamenting Croc Ancestor's terrible luck. Meeting someone as good-natured as Shakyamuni would have merely resulted in being suppressed at most. But encountering a temperamental Old Sage like this was truly miserable; not only was Croc Ancestor to be killed, but also roasted and eaten.

The mountain-sized Croc Ancestor was held by the Old Sage with effortless ease, like he was merely clutching a small chick.

"Whoosh!"

Furious waves surged heavenward. The Primordial Sage, using great magic power, forcibly drew a massive wave from the eye of the demonic sea, from which he distilled a sheet of pure water. It cascaded down, intended to cleanse his prey.

"Aargh..."

Croc Ancestor cried out, having never imagined such a day would come. He was truly about to become someone else's meal. How could a dignified, invincible Demon Saint be described by mere words like "miserable"!

The Old Sage, annoyed by his clamor, slapped him. The massive crocodile's mouth was almost deformed by the blow, bleeding profusely on the spot, and teeth flew out.

"I have dominated my entire life," Croc Ancestor cried, "invincible save for my defeat by Shakyamuni, commanding the winds and clouds! How many ancient prodigies and heroes lie dead at my feet, yet now I face such an end. How tragic, how lamentable!" Croc Ancestor wanted to smash his head against something and die. He simply couldn't bear it; he could not accept such a fate.

He had traversed starfields for seven or eight thousand years, visited many ancient star regions, and could be called a dazzlingly talented supreme among demons. How else could he travel the universe? Yet in the end, everything had come to naught!

What did it matter if he had devoured ancient Buddhas? Before this Old Sage who cared not for dietary restrictions, even the most powerful divine abilities were useless. He, too, had become food.

"Thump!"

Finally, with a soft sound, Croc Ancestor was released. The Human Devil ended his life with a single blow, smashing his skull and refining his primordial spirit cleanly away.

"Whoosh!"

The Old Sage pointed a finger, transforming the useful information he had obtained from Croc Ancestor into a beam of light and imprinting it into his glabella. His expression shifted dramatically, for he now knew how many years had passed!

The world had changed drastically; millions of years had flowed by. It was no longer the ancient era; the entire world had been transformed.

"Splatter!"

The scene that followed was a bit bloody. The Old Sage, as if dealing with a wild beast from the mountains, personally began to skin the mighty Divine Crocodile.

The flesh glowed, radiating vitality and an intense aura. Even though the lower half had been pulverized into a bloody pulp, the upper half was still enormous, like a small mountain.

The Old Sage tore off a thousand-jin (approx. 500 kg) piece of prime meat, which shimmered with dazzling divine radiance. This was the divine flesh of a Demon Saint, possessing power that transcended the mortal world.

The Old Sage washed the meat clean with the pure water distilled from the eye of the sea. He then roasted it over Dao fire. The meat was enveloped in shimmering mist, radiating a five-colored divine glow, and a refreshing, mouth-watering aroma wafted out.

After a long time, when the aroma of the roasted meat had spread for tens of miles, the Old Sage beckoned to Ye Fan again, calling him over. The divine crocodile meat was ready to eat.

Ye Fan vigorously shook his head and waved his hands. To be honest, he was a little creeped out. The Old Sage was simply too fierce, roasting a dignified Demon Saint. If word got out, it would surely shake the heavens!

The Primordial Sage insisted he come over and share the delicacy. The meat was golden and glistening, occasionally emanating five-colored divine light. It was clearly a powerful tonic, likely comparable to the legendary dragon meat.

"Senior, I really don't dare to eat this," Ye Fan said with a distressed expression. "A single drop of a Saint's blood can kill a mighty cultivator; this piece of meat is enough to kill me a thousand times over!"

To be honest, he really wanted to try it. After all, it was the spiritual flesh of a Demon Saint, which for many would be nearly equivalent to the flesh of a deity.

However, he knew clearly how terrifying Saintly might was. Even in death, it was not something mortals could profane, especially that of a recently fallen Demon Ancestor.

The Old Sage scratched his head, appearing incredibly straightforward and simple. He gestured to Ye Fan, indicating that he had refined the Demon Saint's meat, making it safe to eat, with no issues whatsoever.

"Really?" Ye Fan leaned closer. The aroma possessed a peculiar magic, imbued with a spiritual essence. Even the scent was divine radiance, indescribably mysterious and dazzling.

The Primordial Sage nodded, telling him that this was the most delicious taste in the world and he could eat it without worry. As he spoke, he tore off a dozen jin (approx. 6 kg) and began chewing heartily.

Divine radiance overflowed, flowing out from the fragrant, tender golden flesh. Hues of light, one after another, were colorful, brilliant, and dazzling.

Ye Fan tore off two liang (approx. 100g) of meat, which was quite dainty compared to the Old Sage's portion. He wouldn't dare to take a big bite right away, genuinely worried about breaking his teeth.

Evidently, his worries were unfounded. The Old Sage had indeed refined Croc Ancestor's essence, qi, and spirit with Dao fire. The meat was fragrant, tender, and smooth, melting in his mouth and transforming into streams of light that merged into his body.

At that moment, every pore on his body opened, expelling essence and qi. Light shimmered all around him, and divine power surged.

Ye Fan nearly shot into the sky. The Demon Saint's meat was truly extraordinary, possessing an unfathomable power. He felt incredibly energetic, as if he had endless strength.

In the eyes of mortals, this was absolutely divine meat!

Indeed it was. Throughout history, who could have eaten the meat of a Demon Saint? Especially at his current cultivation level, it was unimaginable!

Especially in this era, it was rare to even see a living Demon Saint.

Furthermore, even in ancient times, how many could hunt a Demon Saint in such a manner, purely for food? Likely only this Old Sage could do it!

This could truly be called divine meat. For cultivators, it was an immense tonic. Long-term consumption could not only strengthen muscles and bones but also cleanse marrow and essence, ultimately transforming one's body and spirit.

After confirming that the Old Sage had thoroughly roasted the meat with Dao fire, Ye Fan also relaxed. He took out more than a dozen jars of aged wine and, with this "savage old man," ate heartily and drank from large bowls.

Although there was only one type of food, it was the most delicious and precious thing Ye Fan had ever eaten, and he enjoyed it immensely. As he ate, he felt the surging Saintly power, and streams of divine radiance overflowed from his pores. He felt as if he was about to ascend and become an immortal.

Ye Fan was submerged in auspicious energy, radiating five-colored divine light from head to toe. He had never imagined a meal could be so nourishing. He truly felt as if he was about to ascend into an immortal, completely comfortable and floating with blissful lightness.

Divine power surged like rivers and seas. Unknowingly, his cultivation had advanced. He was at the great perfection of Immortal II, unable to be more perfect, just a thin veil away from another realm; once pierced, it would be a completely different level.

His physical body had undergone a baptism. Every inch of his flesh and blood was filled with explosive power. Ye Fan felt as if he could smash a star with a single punch, feeling boundless strength.

Upon realizing this, he knew something was wrong and he couldn't eat any more. A dozen jin of shimmering Saintly meat was already his limit; any more and his body might explode.

It was then that he realized how terrifying the Old Sage was. Like a whirlwind, a thousand jin of crocodile meat was completely devoured. Then, the Sage immediately cut off several thousand more jin of meat and began roasting it over Dao fire.

Ye Fan felt dizzy. This wasn't donkey meat or chicken; this was the flesh of a Demon Saint! To eat so much and act as if it were nothing, truly treating it like ordinary food, was astonishing.

Just then, a surge of heat erupted from him. Ye Fan found his nose bleeding. A dozen jin of Demon Saint meat was almost more than he could handle; it was excessively nourishing. He estimated that if other sect-master-level figures ate this much, they would most likely have been pulverized, their bodies exploding.

He leaped up with a start and began running around the eye of the demonic sea, covering several thousand *li* in one go. After this, he finally felt a little better.

Ye Fan didn't stop, continuing to run until he returned an hour later, only for the sight to leave him dumbfounded!

The Divine Crocodile's body, which was like a small mountain, had a huge chunk of meat missing from it, estimated to weigh tens of thousands of jin (approx. 5-10 thousand kg), all of which had entered the Old Sage's stomach.

Moreover, he was still not satisfied. He cut off several thousand more jin of meat, continued roasting it, with divine radiance steaming and mist swirling around. In a short while, he had eaten it all cleanly before wiping his mouth and stopping.

Although Primordial Sages could hold Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed, this way of eating was too terrifying. The immense vital essence from the Demon Saint's meat was enough to tear apart mountains and earth!

What kind of terrifying appetite must one have to digest such vast amounts of vital essence? Even a true dragon would probably be stuffed to death!

Croc Ancestor's entire body was a treasure. Surely the Old Sage wasn't going to eat it all, was he? At least he should refine some Saintly artifacts! And this spiritual meat, if consumed sparingly, would be a supreme life-saving tonic! Ye Fan felt frantic, and at the same time had many questions he wanted to ask this "savage old man."