No one could identify what kind of source it was — not even Ye Fan or Nangong Qi could make it out.

It was not particularly blinding. It seemed as though it had been forged from a sky full of stars, or as though the divine radiance of the bright moon had gathered together — soft and hazy.

It was crystal clear and glittering, drawing one’s attention irresistibly. The moment one laid eyes on it, they knew it was different from all others — no less than divine source in quality, with a sacred power flowing through it.

Yet the mysterious source variety was not the most captivating thing. The divine maiden within was the true focal point, with every gaze in the crowd converging upon her.

First came cries of astonishment from within the stone garden, then a silence as deep as death, followed by an uproar like crashing waves — every single person was left thunderstruck.

In witnessing this miraculous moment, no one could remain calm. Carving a divine maiden out of stone was the stuff of fantasy, bringing back to life a legend from over a hundred thousand years ago.

Within the crystalline source stone — formed as though by the confluence of moonlight — rested a flawlessly fair face, serene and still, as if in peaceful slumber.

Purple hair flowed soft and luminous, veiling half of a transcendently beautiful countenance — yet even so, it could not conceal the world-toppling beauty beneath. Her skin was extraordinarily translucent and fair.

She seemed carved from mutton-fat jade rather than flesh and blood — evoking a dreamlike quality, making one believe she was a masterpiece of the heavens rather than something born of mortal form.

Everyone was left in stunned silence, confirming this was no illusion — a divine maiden had truly been carved out.

The extraordinary source variety, seemingly forged from starlight, radiated a sacred power that diluted the killing intent of the blood-soaked spear tip, leaving people with a feeling of ease and spiritual tranquility.

“Is… is this real? Why does it all feel so surreal to me?!”

“A living young woman — an ancient king!”

Undeniably an ancient king — for in that era, creatures identical to humans were nearly nonexistent, and any that were would certainly have been of royal lineage.

Everyone noticed that this transcendently beautiful face appeared quite young — even somewhat youthful — likely no older than sixteen or seventeen.

Had she wielded this peerless battle spear and slain unimaginable supreme existences?

The mere thought made people shudder. Though the young woman appeared serene and tranquil, that may not have reflected her true age or state — she could well have been a matchless sovereign of her age.

Amid the crowd, the little moon of the Ji Family and the white-robed little nun were both gripping the Shencan tightly. That little golden creature was trembling with anxiety, struggling violently, trying to rush forward.

The great master of the Ji Family remained steadfast as iron, not stirring in the slightest. His silver blade carved through the air, stone powder flying and falling. In nearly an instant, he had cut away less than half of the source stone — the divine maiden’s less-than-half body was faintly visible, clad in a golden gauze robe, her body as white and pristine as ivory.

The great master of the Ji Family had been carefully avoiding the peerless deadly weapon the entire time, not carving the stone material surrounding the blood-red spear tip, not letting it emerge too early.

Finally, most of the large source stone had been carved away. Only the left half of the young woman’s body had not yet been revealed — and the blood-red battle spear was there.

Crack!

The great master of the Ji Family struck after all. Stone chunks crumbled and fell continuously, cutting away more than half of the peerless spear tip.

Boom!

World-shaking killing intent surged like tidal waves, and those present felt as though they had been cast into purgatory. After the near-rotted battle spear was exposed by a section, many people could endure it no longer.

It was as though a supreme demon overlord capable of swallowing mountains and rivers was emerging into the world — this was a soul-deep Aura of Power, vast and surging, as if rushing in simultaneously from the highest heavens and the deepest abyss!

Thud!

Many people could not bear it. Killing intent penetrated their very bones, and they crumpled to the ground — fear at its most extreme — crying out and screaming.

A peerless deadly weapon’s form may decay, yet its killing intent is indestructible!

“Fall back!”

Countless cultivators trembled and shook with fear as they retreated. Many older figures felt their hair stand on end.

Ding!

The silver blade rang lightly. The great master of the Ji Family moved his blade like the wind, continuously shearing away stone skin, removing the stone material around the blood spear — it was about to be fully revealed.

At this point, people’s keen senses told them something was wrong. The rust-mottled battle spear did not appear to be held in the young woman’s hand.

“Something’s off — completely off. It doesn’t seem like the divine maiden’s weapon.”

“The ancient king appears to have been pierced through by the peerless deadly weapon!”

…

People discovered this fact with horror — it had looked as though the young woman was gripping the spear, but that was not the case at all. The ancient spear appeared to have passed through her chest, pinning her in place!

Snap!

With one last soft sound, several hundred jin of stone all fell away at once. The rare treasure contained within the blood sacrifice altar was fully revealed.

It was a piece of extraordinary source nearly two meters tall. It hovered in midair without sinking — possessing the same properties as divine source — with a sacred power flowing through it.

Sealed within was a purple-haired young woman of world-toppling, transcendent beauty, motionless, as though in deep slumber. Yet every person present let out a sigh.

A peerless divine spear had pierced through the extraordinary source, with a section of the spear tip protruding — pinning the young woman in place, passing through the region of her heart.

Not a single person had anticipated this outcome. An ancient king had been slain in such a manner — it was deeply shocking!

Just how powerful an ancient king truly was, no one could know. Some speculated they could be likened to Great Emperors — invincible throughout heaven and earth.

The time was too distant. Even the holy lands could not possibly have been at war with the ancient races, for an entire era separated them — a complete void. What their true strength had been, what staggering levels they had reached — no one could say with certainty. There was no way to return to that ancient age and verify it.

“How could an ancient king capable of shaking heaven and earth have been pierced through?!”

“An existence invincible throughout all of heaven and earth — how could it have been nailed down by a peerless deadly weapon?!”

Even figures such as the Scarlet Dragon Daoist and the Imperial Uncle of the Great Xia stared blankly, deeply shaken.

Everyone’s hearts were filled with shock. They could only observe from a great distance — any closer and they could not bear that killing intent. The bone-chilling menace of the spear tip was oppressive, pressing upon every single person until they nearly fell prostrate on the ground.

Whimper… whimper…

Suddenly, a heartbroken cry rang out — extremely young-sounding, yet incomparably sorrowful. The Shencan broke free of Ji Ziyue and the little nun in an instant and rushed toward the extraordinary source hovering in midair.

“Elder Ancestor, please don’t harm it!” The little moon of the Ji Family transmitted her voice.

The great master of the Ji Family did not stop the Shencan. He simply stood to one side and watched in silence.

The Shencan was not frightened away by the killing intent of the spear tip. It threw itself directly against the extraordinary source and wept openly, tears falling in pairs down its face.

Even the white-robed little nun, young as she was, was hearing the Shencan make a sound for the very first time. Normally it never made noise — it only acted — and she had assumed it was a little mute.

But at this moment it cried bitterly, its bright large eyes brimming with tears, sobbing as it extended one tiny paw to gently stroke the young woman’s face over and over again.

Yet how could she ever come back to life? She had long since been nailed there and left to perish — none knew for how many ages.

“Don’t cry, little one.” The white-robed little nun offered soft words of comfort, yet had no way to approach — she could not endure the killing intent of the deadly weapon.

“Don’t cry, you poor little thing — you’re breaking my heart too.” The little moon of the Ji Family also spoke up.

What was going on? Everyone was taken aback. Did the little golden creature actually know that young woman?

Seeing it grieve so deeply, crying as though heartbroken to the verge of fainting, a shiver ran through the hearts of the crowd. Could there be some ancient tale between them from the Primordial age? It was truly stunning to contemplate.

The little golden creature cried with uncontrollable sorrow, nearly losing consciousness from grief, trembling as it extended its little golden paw and stroked the young woman’s cheek again and again, its young cry enough to break the hearts of all who heard it.

It seemed to be repeating a syllable — a sound belonging to the Primordial age — that no one could understand. But people guessed it was perhaps the name of that young woman.

The little golden creature wept without ceasing, murmuring that name over and over, tears flowing without end.

Everyone was moved. No one had expected this small creature to be so deeply sentimental — to grieve so profoundly. People could not help but let their imaginations conjure scenes of what must have been.

In that Primordial age, the great earth teemed with life. A hundred clans stood side by side, and sovereign lords rose in multitude. A carefree young woman — though a king herself — remained untouched by the ways of the world, living in dependence with a little golden creature, chasing and playing together beneath the moonlit night.

And yet, inevitably, one day she encountered other kings — and fell in battle in that era, leaving this little golden creature alone to survive into the present age.

A young, lisping cry. A sobbing, broken wail. Incomparably sorrowful.

The little golden creature pressed itself against the crystalline stone, crying in grief. Yet when it called that name, its voice was very gentle — its little golden paw carefully caressing the young woman’s cheek, as if afraid to wake her.

How many past moments had slipped away, never to return — let alone moments from the Primordial age? What kind of story had passed between them, no one would ever know.

The Shencan’s large eyes continued to shed tears. Only after a very long time did the sound of weeping diminish, and finally fall silent — it had cried itself into unconsciousness from grief.

The great master of the Ji Family lifted the little creature and carried it to Ji Ziyue and the little nun.

“Poor little one.” Both young women felt a pang of sorrow.

The Shencan could undergo nine transformations — gazing down upon heaven and earth, looking with contempt upon the world of mortals.

Yet with each transformation came the forgetting of all that had come before. Perhaps one day it would forget everything — with no memory at all that in a time before the Primordial age, there had been a young woman, and a span of days that should never be forgotten.

“This is simply too unbelievable — the Shencan actually knows this ancient king. How could the coincidence be so great?”

“Nothing is impossible. Its revival in the present age is itself a miracle. Ancient kings are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, yet the little golden creature is also of royal lineage — it is not surprising they were acquainted.”

The Scarlet Dragon Daoist spoke: “Perhaps they truly knew each other in ages past. Or perhaps this young woman herself is a Shencan of nine transformations — it is possible the little golden creature sensed a familiar aura.”

Could the young woman be a Shencan of nine transformations? There was that possibility.

People gazed in astonishment at the extraordinary source. Could the somewhat youthful young woman within truly be a sacred being — invincible throughout heaven and earth after the ninth transformation?

Only now did people realize — the blood spear had pierced through her back and through her heart. She had not been struck from the front.

This gave rise to endless speculation. Perhaps the young woman had been innocent and naive, slain by a surprise attack from behind. Perhaps the Shencan, forgetting its past with each transformation, had been exploited by others.

Ancient Primordial affairs — whatever they had truly been — had long since faded like smoke. No one could ever truly know.

After a long while, people finally settled down. The value of this extraordinary source was beyond measure, and the young woman sealed within, being an ancient king, was likewise an incomparable treasure.

“Strange — what’s happening?” Someone cried out in surprise, pointing at the crystalline stone formed as though from moonlight. “There are tears at the corner of the young woman’s eyes — I’m certain they weren’t there before.”

“Must be what the little golden creature left behind — drops that fell onto the source, creating an illusion.”

The great master of the Ji Family lightly brushed away the tears on the surface of the crystalline stone — all of them vanished. But the tears at the corner of the young woman’s eyes within the source remained.

“Heavens — could she still be alive?”

“How is that possible?!”

Many people cried out in shock, their expressions one of disbelief.

Others laughed and said: “You’re all too tense — those tears were clearly there from the beginning.”

“Right, they were there from the start — I think I saw them too. Otherwise, being sealed inside, even if she were alive, she couldn’t possibly shed tears that leaked outward.”

“Impossible — they were absolutely not there at the beginning.”

Arguments broke out across the stone garden, with everyone offering a different account.

“Enough.” The great master of the Ji Family frowned. “She has no life fluctuations.”

Only after a holy lord-level figure spoke did the crowd slowly settle down.

“It’s your turn to cut, young friend.” Nangong Qi smiled, looking at Ye Fan, gesturing for him to proceed.

Though the divine maiden had no life remaining, so enormous a piece of extraordinary source — hovering in midair — was without question comparable to divine source.

The young disciples of the ancient source arts clans sneered one after another. They were confident Ye Fan had absolutely no chance of turning the situation around.

“Not to mention that extraordinary source — even the young woman inside would be a supreme material for refining weapons. What do you have that can compare?”

“We said from the beginning — the more precious whatever he cuts out, the richer our gains, because it will all belong to us.”

“Who do you think you are, daring to compete with us?”

Their faces bore expressions of cold indifference as they fixed their gazes on Ye Fan and Li Heishui.

Faced with their arrogance and relentless provocation, Li Heishui clenched his jaw and sneered: “Whatever you cut out may not necessarily be more precious than seeds of divine medicine.”

“What are you saying, dark kid — a source this large has no equal in the world. Don’t try to bluff your way through,” a disciple of the source arts clans mocked.

Li Heishui said coldly: “In the eyes of the great holy lands, divine medicine can extend the lives of those with the makings of a Great Emperor — far more precious than divine source. And who knows what kind of source you cut out anyway — it may be far inferior to divine source.”

“Ridiculous — no matter how stubbornly you bluff, it’s useless. In a moment we’ll have someone appraise everything, and you can wait to pay until you’re ruined!”

Ye Fan said nothing more. He directly swung his silver blade and began cutting the immortal tomb.

This time, Nangong Qi made no underhanded move. He and the other three elders stood quietly to one side, smiling as they watched — convinced in their hearts that Ye Fan could not defy heaven.

Crack!

Ye Fan struck hard — a single blow hewed away several dozen jin of stone material. He clearly had no intention of cutting slowly and carefully.

“Young friend, do be careful not to damage our rare treasure,” Nangong Qi said with a smiling reminder, as if everything were already in his grasp.

“Are you certain that what I cut out will belong to you — and not that everything you have will be won by me?” Ye Fan lowered his blade and looked at him calmly.

“You really don’t have much hope left.” Nangong Qi smiled and stroked his beard.

“Stop being so patient — let’s see what rare treasure you can cut out!” Every young person from the ancient source arts clans sneered.

“Very well. Today, I’ll defy heaven right before your eyes!” Ye Fan replied calmly.

Hearing him say this, everyone present showed expressions of shock — including the several holy lord-level figures.

All the holy sons and holy daughters turned to look. Even some of the old fellows were shaken with uncertainty, and every gaze converged upon him.

Crack!

Ye Fan’s second strike fell, shearing away more than ten jin of stone skin — utterly without hesitation, as if he were peeling a radish.

An elder nearby offered a warning: “Young friend, you’re cutting an immortal tomb — not chopping vegetables. Perhaps be a little more careful.”

“Indeed, this old man’s heart aches just watching. If you damage a rare immortal treasure, you’ll regret it endlessly.” Others nearby were deeply anxious.

Ye Fan smiled. His blade shifted and stone shavings flew — his movements lightened, striking in nimble arcs, no longer using broad, sweeping cuts.

Suddenly, an incomparable sacred aura burst forth. The immortal tomb blazed with flowing light and brilliant radiance, radiating an air of great mystery.

“There truly is a rare immortal treasure within the immortal tomb!” Everyone was stunned.

Crack!

Ye Fan’s blade came down, and many large pieces of stone skin cracked and fell away.

And at precisely that moment, two beams of golden light shot out — blazing like two torches — those were two gazes!

Ye Fan decisively retreated. Even he had not expected to cut out a living creature.

“Heavens — there’s a living creature in the immortal tomb — eyes blazing like torches!”

“A naturally formed ancient tomb contains a living creature!”

“The heaven-sealed immortal tomb harbors an immortal spirit?!”

A chorus of cries erupted, and everyone was frozen where they stood, struck speechless by the shock of it.

One voice stood out above the rest: “Sun Wukong with his fiery golden eyes?!”

Others did not know who Sun Wukong was — but Ye Fan did. He knew at once that it had to be Pang Bo who had cried out, and that he must have been among the crowd all along.

The ancient immortal tomb blazed with flowing light, incomparably sacred and serene. No one could have imagined that a living creature was inside.