No one could have imagined that this battle would drag on for half a year!
Cang Yan and several ancient evil gods, wielding Emperor weapons, attacked time and again — yet always returned empty-handed, leaving behind only corpse after corpse, unable to take down the demonic well.
After the seventh month, the great battle erupted once more.
The Divine Refining Cauldron had been forged from feathered azure gold, flickering with streak after streak of precious radiance, like the vast sea under a bright moon, shimmering with light. The auspicious energy it exhaled was boundless and immeasurable, as though it could contain the entire cosmos within it.
This was an extreme-Dao Emperor weapon, without equal in the world. In the hands of the sacred being Cang Yan, immortal light bloomed from it, with a vast and boundless interior able to contain an entire heaven and earth.
Cang Yan gripped the divine cauldron and engaged the massive blood-flesh hand and the stone decree in a world-shaking duel. Star rivers trembled, the cosmos swayed, and undying power was unleashed in their supreme clash.
In this battle, the ancient life star could no longer be preserved. Even with the imprints left behind by ancient great Emperors, after suffering multiple assaults from Emperor weapons, it was torn apart and shattered.
The enormous star broke apart and scattered into the dark cosmos. Magnificent mountains and rivers became lands of calamity. After such a prolonged battle, not a blade of grass remained, and the lakes had all dried up.
The Great Moon Slope where the ancient well stood lay on a continent, now drifting through the cosmos in tatters — yet under the protection of the stone decree and the blood demons, it had been preserved.
“Ah Mo Duo Gu…” Fire spirit Cang Yan chanted sutras, directing his efforts at the stone decree within the snow-white lotus, hoping to summon it out — for it was their ancestral artifact.
The continent drifting through the cosmos rose with waves of auspicious light. The stone decree shone dazzlingly, with densely packed small characters emerging across its surface, resembling tadpoles, profoundly mysterious.
“It is the Heaven-Mending Art of our sacred being clan!” Cang Yan cried out, charging forward with all his might.
Yet those tadpole-script characters flashed only for an instant before disappearing again. His sutra chanting could momentarily stir the stone decree, but he could not control it — he could not obtain it.
He went mad, charging forward desperately, driving the Divine Refining Cauldron, hoping to subdue the stone decree — for it recorded the secret technique that could allow sacred beings to reach the Great Perfection realm.
This battle dragged on for a very long time. Several ancient evil gods joined together to assist Cang Yan, causing the Divine Refining Cauldron to nearly transform into a divine entity — even projecting the shadow of an Emperor!
Yet on the opposing side, the massive hand within the pristine white lotus also trembled. Under the direction of several blood demons, the radiance emitted by the stone decree was beyond comparison.
Fierce clashes, brutal slaughter, the roars of Great Sages — star rivers trembled and planets exploded. This star domain was reduced to a ruined wasteland.
Ye Fan observed from afar, speaking not a word. Long Ma and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon had long since emerged from their seclusion and also waited for their opportunity, their hearts filled with shock — now they truly understood how terrifying Great Sages were, and how impossibly lofty ancient great Emperors stood.
Boom!
The continent where the tomb of divine specters stood cracked apart. The ancient well was in ruins, and two blood demons were slain. Even the pristine white lotus was battered — this demonic lotus had grown by absorbing the blood of a supreme sacred being and possessed undying properties, yet even it was now in tatters, letting out a shrill cry.
A plant, howling like a malevolent ghost — it chilled the heart and soul.
Likewise, the ancient artifact was not a true supreme Emperor weapon after all. Its reliance was only on that massive hand — only by combining the two did it possess such might. Under repeated bombardment, it had grown somewhat dim.
Fire spirit Cang Yan and several evil gods, attacking recklessly without regard for consequences, achieved highly effective results. They were on the verge of breaking through into the tomb of divine specters to subdue the stone decree.
Clang… Clang…
The stone decree trembled, sending out trembling tones one after another, like primordial sword energy surging upward. The ancient stone flickered, and drops of blood trickled down from it.
That was the sacred being’s blood. Densely packed tadpole-script characters emerged once more. Cang Yan was enraptured, crying out and weeping, memorizing this Heaven-Mending Art with all his heart, hoping that one day he might attain the perfect realm.
Ye Fan’s expression changed. Cang Yan was transcendent and supremely terrifying — a match for Old Madman in combat, a sacred being of extraordinary genius. If he were to advance a realm, who in the world could stand against him?
“No — how can this be?!” Suddenly Cang Yan cried out, his expression filled with anguish, his gaze fixed intently on the stone decree.
The Heaven-Mending Art was of unfathomable depth and complexity. This was only the opening incantation — far from complete. It was merely a prelude, with the true formula sealed within several other demonic wells.
There existed a stone book recording that ancient art, though no one knew in which ancient well it was truly buried.
In the age of myth, the invincible sacred being had been subdued and slain, sealed within seven ancient wells. Both the stone decree and the stone book were supremely sacred and divine objects. The Dao Venerable had intended to dissolve them as well, for among the human race, none save the Dao Venerable himself could wield such ancient weapons.
Yet, as had been the case with the failed attempt to refine the sacred being’s flesh and blood, the divine beings within the ancient weapons had not all been successfully melted down to become part of the immortal liquid either.
If all seven demonic wells were to be opened, a vast stretch of the ancient star path through space would collapse. Who could know what other terrifying existences might emerge?
After all, a single demonic well had already proven so terrifying — requiring so many deaths before it was successfully opened.
Most critically of all, Ao Mang and one evil god had been destroyed!
If opening each demonic well was going to prove this difficult and this dangerous, then without the human race even needing to act, those adversaries would likely perish entirely on their own.
Rumble!
The pristine white lotus was completely blasted apart by the Divine Refining Cauldron, shattered into dust, dissolving into a swath of pristine white radiance that vanished into the cosmos.
And that massive hand of flesh and blood, hundreds of zhang in length, also suddenly burst apart in this moment — divine blood splashing in all directions.
Cang Yan cried out — to him, this was divine medicine. He scrambled frantically to claim it, but all the divine blood was igniting. The moment it left the hand, it went out of control, dissolving into radiance.
In the age of myth, how supremely powerful was the Dao Venerable, possessing boundless might. Though his judgment had erred — unable in the end to transform the invincible sacred being of that era into immortal liquid — so many years of sealing had at last caused its flesh and blood to collapse and fall apart.
Now, triggered by the Divine Refining Cauldron, the sacred being’s flesh and blood sealed away for ten thousand ages by the Dao Venerable disintegrated, ceasing to exist in this world!
“No…” Cang Yan cried out, filled with bitter unwillingness.
Several evil gods quietly breathed a secret sigh of relief. Had Cang Yan succeeded in obtaining the supreme divine blood, perhaps in the future he would stand supremely above them, crushing them so utterly they could not even breathe.
“According to our agreement, this stone decree shall belong to us!” The several evil gods declared, looking toward Cang Yan.
“On the condition that you help me obtain the complete Heaven-Mending Art — by opening the other demonic wells!” Cang Yan said coldly.
Now was not the moment for them to discuss such matters, for the stone decree had not yet been truly subdued — it was still trembling, struggling violently.
“There are finger marks on the stone decree — it is nearly snapped in two!” One evil god’s expression changed, for this might become their battle spoil — yet it was already damaged.
“Those are finger marks left by the Dao Venerable!” Everyone’s expression changed without exception, their hearts filled with shock.
On the outside, the stone decree appeared to be made of stone, yet within it also had flesh and blood — this was a special type of sacred being that had been born alongside its master and naturally became a weapon.
“Damn the Dao Venerable — not only did he slay our ancestor and refine its flesh and blood, he also attempted to refine even the ancestral artifact into immortal liquid! Utterly infuriating!” Cang Yan cried out.
Yet he was powerless to change anything. He could only gradually calm his heart, drive the Divine Refining Furnace, subdue the stone decree, and simultaneously chant ancient scriptures to perform a summoning.
The stone decree quieted. They took it into their hands. A few drops of liquid that had splattered onto a distant location were overlooked and left behind by them. The several Great Sages all examined the stone decree together, exclaiming in admiration.
Suddenly, the void split open as a figure burst forth and swept away those few drops of liquid.
“Those are not foul blood from the blood demons — they may be immortal liquid generated from our sacred being clan’s ancient ancestor and the stone decree!”
Cang Yan cried out. Together with the several evil gods, he drove the Divine Refining Cauldron and attacked simultaneously — but it was already too late. The vast void stretched endlessly, and that Great Sage had vanished without trace.
From deep within the cosmos, Ye Fan watched all of this unfold with perfect clarity through the crystal sacrificial platform. It was a human race path guardian — one who had never appeared before.
“The stone decree also has a share for us.”
Suddenly, a majestic voice rang out through the sky — an extraordinary figure had arrived, hailing from another ancient and distant star domain, seeking to contest the stone decree.
Before long, a great battle erupted, reducing this location to complete ruin as these beings charged into the depths of the cosmos.
“Move!”
Ye Fan transformed into a streak of light and charged toward that ruined ground — the shattered ancient star, where rocks, rubble, and broken earth drifted everywhere.
Among it all was a layer of soil that appeared completely unremarkable, drawing no one’s attention. Yet it was this layer that Ye Fan had locked his gaze onto.
He had remained concealed in the depths of the star domain, observing through the crystal platform — he had long since detected the anomaly. With his heaven-piercing Source Technique, he knew that within it lay a heaven-defying precious liquid.
This was mud from the bottom of the ancient well, blasted far away and left forgotten in a corner. No one paid it any mind, assuming it was mere blood-soaked sludge and refuse.
Whoosh!
He activated the “Weapon” Word Technique. In a flash of immortal light, Ye Fan collected this layer of mud, then with Long Ma and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, flickered and vanished, disappearing into the star field.
Deep in the cosmos, a fierce battle erupted. The question of the stone decree’s ownership sparked discord among several great clans, who launched a world-shaking duel against one another.
This was a conflict at the level of Great Sages, employing extreme-Dao ancient weapons such as the Divine Refining Cauldron!
Meanwhile, in another region, Ye Fan was brimming with excitement. He peeled back that layer of mud, discarded vast amounts of blood-soaked earth, removed the stone layer, and finally at the very center discovered a crystalline glow.
Within the shell of blood mud were more than ten drops of five-colored immortal liquid. Each drop was the size of a fingertip, not merging with any other drops, each self-contained and crystalline, dazzlingly brilliant.
Like a great medicine refined by an ancient god, their fragrance assailed the nostrils. Even a single whiff was enough to strengthen sinew and bone — joints cracking as the body teetered on the verge of transformation.
“The Dao Venerable’s methods bore fruit after all. Though it was not fully successful, some immortal liquid was produced in the end!” Long Ma trembled, speaking with boundless excitement.
Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon was even more overwhelmed with awe, its entire body nearly convulsing. Immortal liquid refined by the Dao Venerable — and they had obtained it. This was truly a great blessing of fortune — they had seized a supreme gift from heaven and earth.
The ancient star where the Human Race’s Tenth City had stood was torn apart and shattered, meaning this stretch of the ancient path had been severed — for the path leading to the next sacrificial platform and its surroundings had been destroyed. How many years it would take to restore, no one could say.
And even more terrifying events were unfolding. The sacred being clan, the Radiance Clan, and dominant clans from other star domains had all arrived and mobilized together, charging toward the other ancient wells.
In the years that followed, the ancient star paths through space began to collapse on a massive scale. The demonic wells in each of the other locations were forcibly opened by being drenched in blood — a catastrophe of enormous scale.
These stretches of the ancient path were wracked with constant battle, the heavens crashing and the earth shattering, utterly and completely destroyed. The powerhouses of those star domains all mobilized, fighting to seize the Heaven-Mending Art, searching for immortal liquid, and contesting the gifts and opportunities left behind by the Dao Venerable.
Blood dyed the star field red…