The black, massive waves surged and roiled, thunderous crashes echoing, dark mist rising in billows — the scene appeared utterly terrifying.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo sought the Heavenly Venerate’s ancient weapon, believing this place likely truly did nurture such an immortal artifact. Not just their group, but Sang Gu, the Heaven-Swallowing Beast, the four young lords of the Golden Serpent Clan, and others were all in motion too, unwilling to miss out on such a world-defying fortune.
At the center of the sea region, the Life Spring’s immortal light soared skyward, dazzling and brilliant, wisps of immortal qi drifting about.
Unfortunately, that place could not be approached. They once again encountered that corpse, its purple eyes opening and closing, shooting out astonishing beams of light.
This was no ordinary ancient corpse — not long ago it had torn apart the golden-winged ancient roc with its bare hands, the golden blood rain filling this stretch of heaven and earth with an aura of death, witnessed by all.
No one dared use their full strength. They couldn’t enter that immortal spring, which was truly a deep regret. The water there was crystalline and dazzling, every drop a treasured elixir capable of restoring flesh to withered bone, unmatched in all the world.
“What a shame!” Pang Bo sighed. These immortal liquids could be said to be worth their weight in gold beyond price, rare treasures beyond compare — so much of it, enough to make anyone’s heart tremble.
“There must be some way to obtain some of this divine liquid.” Long Ma was the most unwilling to give up — this was the life spring of an ancient Great Emperor, a supreme immortal treasure.
The group refused to leave, hoping to find a way to seize some of this immortal liquid elixir — watching it helplessly like this left them deeply unsatisfied.
The strongest bloodlines among them — Gold-Devouring Beast, Heaven-Swallowing Beast, and others — none of them left either. As ancient beasts, they craved this kind of treasure more than anything; if they could consume it, they might break through instantly.
The Bitter Sea was more vast than an entire ancient star region, like a magnificent universe unto itself, stars twinkling as they fell into the black ocean, waves reaching hundreds of thousands of li high.
People remained cautious and alert as stars continued to fall one after another, like flying sand and stone, sending the Bitter Sea’s waves surging skyward — a sight that inspired both suspicion and dread.
“These are actual stars, yet compared to the Bitter Sea, they’re nothing but dust!”
The Bitter Sea was boundlessly vast — even filling it with every star in the heavens wouldn’t fill it up, and yet this was merely a single Heavenly Venerate’s Reincarnation Sea, as though something out of myth, more fantastical than any tall tale.
Ye Fan opened his Heavenly Eye, but found it extremely difficult to see through the bubbling life spring — there was an overwhelming pressure, and though countless ages had passed, this remained a mysterious forbidden ground.
The others were also exploring, each with their own different Heavenly Eyes — Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, Blood Wheel Demonic Eye, Divine Heavenly Eye — each producing different effects.
Half an hour later, Ye Fan was drenched in sweat, having exerted himself to the fullest, finally managing to pierce through some of the mist and glimpse the bottom of the sea.
Deep within that crystalline divine liquid, there was no weapon at all — only chaotic mist and bursts of dancing lightning, as though heaven and earth were being formed anew.
“No Heavenly Venerate ancient weapon…” Ye Fan murmured softly, deeply disappointed.
Pang Bo said, “Let’s move on. The immortal liquid is wonderful, but with a Heaven-Piercing Overlord Body guarding it, one misstep could mean death. Without an Emperor-tier weapon, it’s not worth the risk.”
Ye Fan and his companions weren’t the first to leave — the four young lords of the Golden Serpent Clan had already decisively departed earlier; where nothing could be gained, they wouldn’t linger.
Several ancient ships set off one after another. People assumed they had no further connection to this life spring, but after traveling several hundred thousand li, they were shocked to find billowing smoke and dust rising straight into the nine heavens ahead.
It was endless life essence surging forth, causing some stars to fall from the sky!
This was baffling — yet another life spring, like a magnified version of a gushing spring, surging and bubbling, its vitality boundless, utterly astonishing, rampaging across heaven and earth.
“That’s strange — how could another spring appear here?!” People were confused.
Clearly, a great battle had taken place here — residual traces of Great Sage-level power remained, and judging by the aura, it seemed the two had fled — an aura remarkably similar to the Human Clan’s two Dao Guardians.
“Surely not — what kind of monstrously powerful figure could defeat two Great Sages at once?” Pang Bo said, alarmed.
Deep within the Bitter Sea, another corpse drifted past, its ancient clothing worn, its dense blood-colored hair covering its face, as though it had existed since eternity.
Everyone drew sharp breaths — another ancient corpse. What was going on here? Why did the Bitter Sea keep containing such powerful corpses? Were they guarding this life spring, following someone’s orders?
The ancient corpse drifted past, seemingly harmless as long as the life spring itself remained untouched — its terrifying body, ancient garments, resembling something from tens or hundreds of thousands of years in the past, like a Primordial Divine Demon.
“I have an ominous feeling — could this ancient Heavenly Venerate still be alive somehow? The life spring keeps gushing — this is simply unbelievable! Are these ancient corpses guarding the Heavenly Venerate?”
“Impossible!”
The Mythic Era was far too distant from the present, its inhabitants long dead for countless eons — no one could possibly have lived this long.
Over the following days, Ye Fan and his companions discovered four separate life springs in total, each brimming with vigorous life essence, causing the surrounding sea regions to become sacred and serene.
All the Great Sages were scheming — to them, an ancient Emperor’s life spring was absolutely worth risking everything for, since this divine liquid could extend their lifespans.
“Why are there so many life springs? Could several Heavenly Venerates be buried here together — could this be some kind of super grave-tomb?” the Nine-Tailed Crocodile-Dragon muttered.
In the Mythic Era there had been nine Heavenly Venerates and Dao Venerates, each shrouded in mystery, their final whereabouts unknown.
Ye Fan frowned and shook his head. “This Bitter Sea is so vast, boundless, comparable to an entire ancient star region — yet even these life springs, large as they are, are relatively tiny by comparison.”
Ye Fan speculated that the true, boundless great life spring was nearly dried up, and these life springs were merely overflow — “a few strands of immortal essence.” If it were still at full strength and all connected, it would be countless times more vast than what they were seeing.
“Boom!”
Two days later, Ye Fan and his group discovered the seventh life spring. A fierce battle was underway here, with the four young lords of the Golden Serpent Clan, Sang Gu, the Heaven-Swallowing Beast, and others secretly observing.
“It’s the old Chieftain of the Bull Demon Clan — he’s about to lose!”
His opponent was a powerful figure clad in battle armor adorned with divine totems, his entire body radiating light, exuding an aura of supreme, unrivaled dominance.
He was a corpse, yet his eyes had opened, his gaze blazing with an intensity that made people tremble, as he pressed down upon and battered the old Chieftain of the Bull Demon Clan, his divine might overwhelming the world.
As the battle continued, his body kept reviving further, his bloodline astonishing, the resonance of the Dao unceasing — the entire figure resembled a true ancient god, even his hair beginning to glow, as though he were a golden sun.
Divine Clan!
He was a true corpse of the Divine Clan!
Shen Lan grew excited, her voice trembling. “This is a true Divine King. The Divine Clan’s endless bloodline only produces one such figure every several dozen generations.”
Everyone was stunned — a Divine King, born only once every several dozen generations even among the Divine Clan’s endless bloodline — this was no small matter, and unlike the false Divine Kings of other clans.
A true Divine King — practically invincible under heaven!
The old Chieftain of the Bull Demon Clan was among the very pinnacle of Great Sages, currently one of the mightiest figures alive, yet he could not withstand this opponent, coughing up mouthfuls of blood, even wielding his Diamond Bracelet to no avail.
In the end, he lost — his massive, mountain-like body smashed through the void, one of his huge horns severed cleanly by the Divine King’s bare hand, a great spray of blood accompanying it as it fell with a splash into the Bitter Sea.
“Moo…”
The old bull let out a great roar, shaking heaven and earth, punching open a black hole with his Diamond Bracelet and leaping through it, fleeing for his life.
Even as a corpse, this true Divine King could beat the strongest Great Sage of the Bull Demon Clan into a desperate flight — his combat power in life could well be imagined.
The blood of the gods, the mightiest race in the universe — its reputation was well earned.
Heaven-Piercing Overlord Blood, Divine King — which of these wasn’t a supreme bloodline? Yet their corpses had become guardians of several life springs, leaving everyone deeply unsettled — what cause and effect lay behind this?
A day later, someone discovered the eighth life spring, its divine liquid brilliant, immortal qi steaming, brimming with powerful vitality.
The Stone Man fought here, wielding his Heaven-Measuring Ruler, its immortal-tear green-gold light blazing, its radiance scattering across the Bitter Sea, but even this supreme Sacred Spirit ultimately lost, nearly dying at the hands of the mysterious ancient corpse.
He wasn’t far from the Quasi-Emperor realm, yet half his body was shattered by a bare-handed strike, and he only narrowly escaped with his life, divine blood scattering as he fled into the void.
This was undoubtedly a kind of storm — nearly every peak Great Sage crossing the Bitter Sea had been defeated; no one seemed able to overcome these corpses.
“Could this be a corpse calamity?!”
Ye Fan wore a grave expression — why did every spring have an ancient corpse guarding it, and every one of them an ancient, supreme being — Heaven-Piercing Overlord Blood, Divine King, and others — none of them ordinary?!
Even he began to doubt himself — could the Reincarnation Sea somehow still hold vitality, could the ancient Heavenly Venerate somehow still be alive? Otherwise, why would these various clans’ divine lords be guarding it?
Finally, the ninth life spring was discovered — the last one.
It was located at the very center, surrounded by the other eight springs, its region the most vast and boundless of all, its divine light so brilliant it dimmed the sun and moon.
The other eight were mere springs, but this one could be called a Life Sea — vast and radiant, wisps of immortal qi rising continuously.
Everyone who had crossed the Bitter Sea and not yet fallen gathered here, because within this supremely divine and sacred Life Sea lay an Emperor-tier weapon, sensed by all the Great Sages, shaking their hearts as they gathered here to attempt to “fish” it out.
Even the Great Demon God, Emperor Tian, and Earth Corpse, unseen for many days, arrived, appearing within this stretch of the Bitter Sea.
Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the ancient ship, gazing at the Bitter Sea from afar, his forehead glowing, his whole body drenched in sweat — an ancient Emperor’s life spring was not something an ordinary person could see through.
Even at the Sage King realm, with golden blood flowing in his veins, Ye Fan found it exceedingly difficult, his eyes aching sharply, tears of blood streaming down, nearly bursting at the end.
He circulated a mantra to heal his injured body, or else even his Heavenly Eye might have shattered — within the Life Sea, chaotic qi and lightning intertwined, utterly terrifying.
“I saw four immortal swords — their killing intent unmatched, impossible to approach, that peerless might capable of destroying everything!” Ye Fan said, blood dripping from his eyes.
Terrifying cracks appeared around his eyes, caused by the killing intent from the sea floor. His body shuddered, and he quickly closed his eyes, unable to continue.
“Indeed, four killing swords — over the past two days three Great Sages have already fallen, and five more gravely wounded, all due to these killing swords,” Pang Bo said gravely.
“Boom!”
Suddenly, an overwhelming supreme Dao might erupted, the Bitter Sea surging violently, even the stars above trembling, the tremendous pressure nearly suffocating even the Great Sages.
An azure-gold pot exuding an ancient, simple aura was reviving, swallowing heaven and earth, seeking to draw in the four killing swords below. Stars fell from the sky, stirring up waves hundreds of thousands of li high.
“This is…” Everyone’s hair stood on end, and they all rapidly retreated.
This was a supreme Emperor-tier weapon — the Refining Divinity Pot, belonging to the Radiance Clan.
At this moment, even the Great Sages trembled — the Refining Divinity Pot was reviving, its pressure enough to fill anyone with despair and terror, impossible to withstand.
People felt deeply unwilling, yet there was nothing they could do but watch helplessly as another clan sought to seize the ancient Heavenly Venerate’s weapon and claim everything here for themselves.
“Hsss!”
Suddenly, sword qi pierced through the Bitter Sea, tearing apart the universe, striking down many of the great stars above! Within the Life Sea, the four killing swords came alive, unleashing sword light that would strike terror into all living beings, its killing intent boundless, shaking eternity itself!
“Clang!”
The Refining Divinity Pot was struck, its ringing tone sounding out, its luster instantly dimming as it was sent flying, tearing through the sky for hundreds of thousands of li.
“What — an ancient Sovereign-tier weapon, sent flying?!” People were shocked.
Four killing swords, all ancient Emperor-tier weapons? This was simply too shocking — there were four Great Emperor weapons here!
“Four killing swords — could it be true that there really was a person called the Master of Heavenly Communion in this world?” Pang Bo said, his voice trembling, hair standing on end.