“It truly is the Primordial Life Stone!” Many members of the Fan clan cried out in amazement, deeply moved, their hearts surging with excitement.

It was silver-white throughout — not especially dazzling, yet it had become the sole focus of the entire universe, drawing every gaze. Its vitality grew steadily more vigorous, its chaos energy thick and dense, transforming the surrounding area into a primordial land.

“Magnificent!” Fanzhou exclaimed in admiration. This was a divine stone — one that could stand alongside the Fated Rock of Heaven. It could replace other primary materials and was a heaven-sent sacred object for refining the ultimate divine fluid.

It was not large, yet it could swallow and release entire river systems of stars, causing the whole cosmos to rise and fall with it. Its powerful life force pulsed like a living being, as though breathing.

According to legend, this type of stone was born in the Primordial Age — said to be a product of myth. Throughout the entire universe, from ancient times to the present, only a handful had ever been found.

The fist-sized stone was silver-white overall, and if examined closely, one could discern countless fine, intricate markings — Primordial Life Markings — which contained within them the ultimate secrets of “life.”

Certain rare minerals for refining the ultimate evolution fluid could sometimes be substituted by other materials, for some divine primary ingredients are impossible to find. A stone like this Primordial Life Stone, simply being discovered at all, was nothing short of a miracle.

One need not even refine it — simply holding it close each day in quiet contemplation would yield immense benefit. It could bring sudden enlightenment, allowing one to comprehend the mysteries of existence and use that understanding to extend one’s lifespan.

In that moment, Ye Fan felt a sudden shock — he sensed a trace of a familiar aura, and the words “Primordial Ancient Mine” surfaced in his mind.

“This strange stone resonates with the aura of the Primordial Ancient Mine!” His heart trembled at the realization.

In that instant, it was as though ten thousand ages had passed. His gaze crossed through time and space, as if piercing through the sea of stars, glimpsing the ancient mine within the Forbidden Zone of Life.

“That’s it… that place… the Primordial Life Stone!”

Ye Fan recalled the scene he had witnessed when he once ventured into the Forbidden Zone — on that night, the divine ore had swallowed the heavens and earth, the river of stars had cascaded down, and ancient corpses had drifted and sunk within it.

In that single instant, he grasped a thread of the Primordial Ancient Mine’s secrets. His heart trembled, and he fell into a momentary daze.

“Even fighters as powerful as those of the Shimo Star Sea could never break into the Primordial Ancient Mine!” Ye Fan murmured to himself.

“Ha ha ha ha…” Fanzhou laughed loudly. His crimson hair billowed like tongues of flame, his physique powerful and imposing. Strange and formidable, he was in high spirits.

Fantian, Fanxian, and a crowd of other clan members were all genuinely overjoyed. With such a powerful divine treasure, the refinement of the ultimate sacred fluid was now only a matter of time.

The people of the Shimo Star Sea looked as though they were attending their own funerals. This distant journey had brought many dangers — they had encountered a powerful living entity in an ancient lair that had nearly torn their sacred vessel apart, and after narrowly escaping with their lives, the Primordial Life Stone had been intercepted along the way home. They were dejected, filled with bitter resentment.

Hum!

Five-element divine light radiated from Fanzhou’s palm and drew the Primordial Life Stone toward him. The river of stars cascaded down with it — a vast white expanse. The fist-sized divine stone pulsed like a heartbeat, filling him in an instant with vitality as boundless as the sea.

Fanzhou stored the Primordial Life Stone away. The river of stars vanished, and everyone emerged from their stunned state. Ye Fan sighed inwardly — only a heaven-defying treasure like this could possibly refine the ultimate sacred fluid.

“Fanzhou, I hope you keep your promise.” Mozhan said.

“Rest assured — my word is my bond. I will not harm any of your lives. Our two clans have been on friendly terms since ancient times. Why would I drive you to complete annihilation?” Fanzhou was in a fine mood.

The people of the Shimo Star Sea inwardly spat with contempt. One by one they kept their expressions blank — one had to bow their head when under another’s roof. They had no choice but to remain silent.

“Return to Heaven!” Fantian gave the order. Warship after warship — each gleaming with cold metallic sheen — fell into formation, arranged in perfect order.

A star gate was constructed. Massive asteroid fragments were scattered around its perimeter as one enormous warship after another flew through in orderly succession, beginning the journey home.

Heaven — this was a small asteroid. Originally lacking vitality, without any water source, it was a true dead star in every sense of the word.

However, an ancient Saint had transformed it into a pure land, carving out a small world within it, planting endless trees and grass, opening up a space brimming with life and energy.

This was the home of the raiders — a constant headache for every major power, each of whom wished nothing more than to raze it to the ground, yet it had stood undefeated all this time.

The massive fleet returned, entering the airspace above the small asteroid. Looking down from above, a magnificent landscape of mountains and rivers was covered by a protective screen of light, while the surrounding territories remained barren and desolate without a single blade of grass.

“This is the small world left behind by a great Saint upon his passing, situated upon this small asteroid. Given enough time, it will eventually evolve this star into a true life-bearing world.” Fanxian said.

Ye Fan was astonished. If a small world opened by a single great Saint could evolve an entire thriving continent, then it would pose absolutely no problem for an ancient Emperor of past ages to create a truly massive life-bearing star.

Below, various defensive fortifications covered every strategic point, with sacred-level divine marking arrays inscribed throughout. Sacred instrument-grade divine tools were positioned between all the fortifications, turning this small asteroid into something as impenetrable as a wall of bronze and iron.

The massive fleet returned and landed on the surface. Before enormous structures, many people cheered. Upon learning of the captured Primordial Life Stone, the entire base erupted in excitement.

“The Fated Rock of Heaven is a marvel destined by fate itself, and now it has come into my possession — this shows that the heavens stand on our side!”

“The Primordial Life Stone is the auspicious stone of creation, inscribed with the mysteries of eternal life — it too has fallen to us. This speaks for itself!”

“We will refine the sacred fluid, cultivate the most powerful physique in the universe, let our glory spread throughout the Eternal Realm, and forge an immortal legend!”

Fanzhou and several middle-aged men spoke with passionate conviction, stirring the hearts of every person present. Each one was filled with hope and anticipation, resolving to protect all of this with their lives.

“The time needed — only a few months. The ultimate sacred fluid will soon emerge from the furnace, for we possess the ancient method — the ancient divine beings’ wondrous formula for refining immortal elixirs. This alone can dramatically shorten the time required.”

“This time we will reward merit accordingly. Those who have distinguished themselves and can serve the clan’s interests will receive generous rewards — they will be given the divine fluid!”

A wave of excitement swept through the Heaven Pure Land. Every person yearned for the ultimate evolution fluid. They all knew how extraordinarily rare it was — only a select few could ever obtain it.

As for the general population, what they might receive was perhaps only a diluted dosage. Even so, it would still be immeasurably precious — people would be fighting tooth and nail to secure a spot.

From this day onward, the major figures among the raiders all came forward in succession to secure a place for their own descendants and kin, for this concerned one’s entire future.

The Dao City was a major city on this continent — rich in spiritual energy. Sacred-level law markings covered the city walls, and it had withstood the flames of many conflicts without falling.

The city was filled with towering buildings that rose from the ground in dense rows, standing close together. At night, lights flickered everywhere, making it appear like a city of dreams.

In this region where Dao markings manifested and sacred instruments drifted, such a massive city carrying the air of a modern metropolis left Ye Fan momentarily dazed — he almost thought himself lost in a dream.

He even spotted some architecture with a style similar to Earth’s, which unexpectedly stirred a flood of memories. He couldn’t help but stop and linger.

“Hey, who’s that fellow over there walking alongside Lady Fanxian, acting like he’s someone important?” A half-drunk cultivator wandered over.

Ye Fan, Fanxian, and the bald man entered what resembled a bar — a place for raiders to unwind, a haven of intoxication after every brush with death.

Here one could find premium divine wine and beautiful women of remarkable bearing. All manner of characters appeared here — it was a place where dragons and fish mingled together.

Fanxian rarely came to such places. The moment a group of drunken men saw her arrive, they erupted in wild howls and crowded around her.

Among them were several young powerful fighters of no ordinary background — all descendants of major figures within Heaven. Though they had contributed little to the retrieval of the Primordial Life Stone, every one of them coveted the ultimate evolution fluid.

“My Lady, word is that Uncle Fanzhou may be giving this person a significant reward this time. Who is he, and what entitles him to consume the ultimate evolution fluid?” someone said, reeking of alcohol.

Fanxian replied: “He rescued me from captivity. Because of him, I was able to send word of the Primordial Life Stone back to Heaven. Moreover, he participated in this campaign and performed with distinction — that is why he has earned the right to receive the evolution fluid.”

“After so many years, the ultimate evolution fluid has never successfully been refined. Divine minerals are so rarely found — now that this precious fluid is finally about to reappear in the world, why should an outsider be allowed to share in it?”

Even with heaven-sent divine objects as precious as the Fated Rock of Heaven and the Primordial Life Stone, the amount of sacred fluid that could be refined would still be extremely limited, and the number of eligible recipients was small.

Reportedly, no more than eight among the younger generation would be eligible to receive it — a number worth fighting bitterly over. Many people were displeased that a young outsider with no status and no background had simply walked in and taken a spot.

“Without him, there is a good chance we would never have obtained the Primordial Life Stone at all. While he was fighting, all of you were here drinking and making merry — what right do you have to criticize?” Fanxian said disdainfully.

She was tall and slender. Beneath her short purple skirt, her snow-white and beautifully proportioned legs shimmered with a lustrous glow in the dim hall, drawing the eye with irresistible allure. Her long crimson hair was vivid and lustrous, her beautiful face delicate and captivating, her large eyes lively and expressive — she was like a queen of the night who had descended into this place.

At this moment, a faint smile of contempt played at the corner of her lips. Her fair and graceful arms moved fluidly, her slender waist shifted lightly, a small patch of snow-white skin visible at her midriff. She seated herself with effortless elegance upon a high barstool, her two long legs intertwined — exuding a charm all her own.

Not far away, a group of cultivators approached, pushing aside a crowd of drunkards to clear a path.

“I heard my clan sister nearly encountered danger — fortunately she has returned safely.”

The one in the lead was a young man dressed in silver-white metal battle armor, with a light flowing around him like starlight, surrounded by a retinue of followers on all sides.

“It was nothing — just a minor skirmish.” Fanxian replied. Her gaze drifted like water, like a fire immortal rose blooming on a moonlit night — shedding rosy light and auspicious mist, her beauty without equal.

“This is Cao Qing. He is originally a young lord from a major power within the Eternal Realm who willingly came here as a First-Class Guest Advisor in pursuit of my Lady. He can mobilize considerable manpower and financial resources, and for this campaign he provided one supplementary material for the refinement of the sacred fluid.” The bald man spoke quietly, making introductions to Ye Fan in a low voice — the two of them had become something of acquaintances after their earlier clash.

Cao Qing appeared young, of distinguished bearing and profound cultivation. He had a head of silver-white hair and was handsome yet cold. For an ordinary woman, he would possess a powerful kind of allure.

“That is good. This time I have brought yet another supplementary material from within my clan. While this mineral is not among the rarest of divine materials, the Fan clan may well have use for it.” Cao Qing paid no attention to the others — his eyes held only Fanxian. He ignored Ye Fan, the bald man, and everyone else entirely, and his face, cold as carved stone, was written all over with confidence.

“Oh?” Fanxian raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“I will take you to see it.” Cao Qing said.

“Very well.” Fanxian smiled — a smile that could topple cities. She unfolded her two long intertwined legs and departed with him. She told the bald man to keep Ye Fan company and help him familiarize himself with this major city.

In the dim light, the crowd looked on with unfriendly expressions, eyes fixed on Ye Fan — yet after what Fanxian had just said, no one dared pick a fight or start trouble.

Bang!

Suddenly, the massive front door of the building was smashed apart. It stood ten zhang high, forged from mixed divine metal, yet someone had kicked it in with a single blow. Every fragment was the height of a person and half a meter thick — all of them flew directly toward Ye Fan.

“A low-bred outsider wants to compete for a spot? Crawl back to wherever you came from!”

A tall, imposing figure came flying in from above. His black hair was loose, his pupils silver-gray — cold and merciless. He looked down from above and drove one foot straight toward the top of Ye Fan’s skull.