Ye Fan shook his head. “Stop making up names for no reason. There’s no such person as Tongtian. Calling it the Numinous Treasure Formation Diagram and the Four Slaying Swords is close enough.”

“What if I changed my name to Tongtian instead?” Pang Bo’s eyes blazed with light, his blood boiling, filled with longing for the four immortal swords and the divine diagram.

The formation diagram and the slaying swords were too formidable. If he could claim them, who would he ever need to fear again? He and Ye Fan could roam freely across heaven and earth, and any Great Sage they met could be cut down with a single stroke!

Ye Fan’s expression froze. “Better not talk nonsense while we’re still inside the Ancient Celestial Venerable’s Wheel Sea.”

Sword-light surged like rolling waves, the star river hung low, the universe split in four directions, giant stars shattered and fell without pause, smashing into this black Sea of Bitterness until the waves roared to the heavens and surged back into the depths of the star region.

Under this sword formation nothing could remain unbroken; nothing could stand in its way. It was as if hell itself had been torn open, killing intent boundless and without end.

“Lingbao Tianzun was too terrifying. The imperial weapon and formation diagram he left behind — no one can take them.” The Bull Demon King sighed. He had lost a horn fighting the ancient corpse of the divine race, though the injury wasn’t too severe.

People finally understood why the four immortal swords had remained here for so long, untouched — it was clearly because they were simply too difficult; no one could move them at all.

The tidal wave of sword-light, lacking a target to strike, gradually calmed and finally came to rest within the eye of the Life Spring.

“Huh, that formation diagram was only an illusory projection, not the real thing?” People were astonished; some Great Sages had witnessed the scene firsthand.

Ye Fan also opened his Heavenly Eye, risking damage to both his pupils, blood-colored cracks spreading across them as two brilliant beams shot straight toward the center of the sea.

Great Dao runes were engraved upon the diagram, ancient and mysterious, like a profound universe unto itself, as though the Dao had formed it naturally, containing within it the great calamity of heaven and earth, making it appear boundlessly terrifying.

At that moment the diagram blurred, as if it were nothing more than a phantom image, imprinted within the eye of the Life Spring, and finally it vanished entirely.

“It wasn’t real!”

“Wrong — there truly is a formation diagram, only it isn’t here. It merely left behind a phantom imprint, one that can manifest its divine might and awaken the four swords at a critical moment.”

Everyone gasped, and at the same time their hearts stirred with renewed hope — where had the real diagram been left? That was the key. If it could be obtained, perhaps one could inherit Lingbao Tianzun’s Dao legacy through it.

At that point, the formation diagram, the four slaying swords, and the ancient scripture would be united as one, becoming the mightiest divine treasury of all.

“The diagram is the key. Only by obtaining it can one master everything. I wonder where it’s buried?” People’s eyes burned with fervor, stirred once more.

The diagram vanished, and the four slaying swords settled back into stillness. The sea grew calm, yet anyone who sensed it carefully, or drew too near, would still feel killing intent piercing to the bone.

“Ye Zi, what do you think about me changing my name to Tongtian?” Pang Bo asked.

Ye Fan considered this. “That… isn’t a good idea. There’s no such person, so don’t go inventing one.”

“Why not?” Pang Bo didn’t understand.

Ye Fan said, “The Ancient Celestial Venerables and the Great Emperors of old went to any length in their pursuit of eternal life. I’m afraid something might go wrong in the end.”

Pang Bo was stunned. “You think the true body of Sect Master Tongtian might still appear?!”

“I didn’t say that.” Ye Fan shook his head, but he always felt that such things were something of a taboo, best left untouched.

In the days that followed, people tried everything they could think of, exhausting every method, all desperate to obtain the four immortal swords — but every attempt failed.

During this time, another Great Sage perished. He had cleverly sent a clone in to try, only to draw down the killing calamity anyway, causing his true body to perish as well — a deeply unsettling development.

That sword-energy was comparable to a strike from an ancient Great Emperor. In an age without emperors, who could withstand its edge? Even the Spirit-Refining Pot was struck and sent flying; no one dared approach again.

Afterward, the protectors of the human race, the Bull Demon King, the ancient race’s evil gods, and others all searched through ancient texts and consulted sacred scriptures, hoping to find clues or weaknesses recorded in the annals of history.

But the age of myth was too remote. Not only was there no way to find a method to counter it, even the weapons of the Ancient Celestial Venerables — or even their very names — were recorded only as ill-omened in the texts of later ages, and could not be listed in full.

It was said that among the Nine Mysteries, the “Formation” mystery had been founded by Lingbao Tianzun himself, touching upon divine script, Dao marks, and talismans — one could call it the progenitor of formation arts, the founding ancestor of the mightiest killing formations since ancient times.

Now, the various Great Sages, searching through ancient texts, had pieced together this account from scattered clues, which only made their heads ache all the more.

This meant that without the formation diagram, there was no solution — this killing formation could almost never be broken. It was estimated that even if a Great Emperor were revived, he too would find it a headache.

“Even if no one commands this killing formation, any Great Sage in the entire universe who came here would still be cut down!” This was the conclusion people reached.

They searched the entire Sea of Bitterness, starting from the other Life Spring eyes, but sadly found nothing — no trace of the formation diagram anywhere. People grew nearly hopeless.

“The four slaying swords have lain sunken here for endless ages, and no one has ever taken them — there really is a reason for that.” People could only sigh at this.

The various heroes lingered here for half a year without any breakthrough progress, and could only sigh up at the sky before choosing to leave.

Many had already set off — figures like Sang Gu, the Four Golden Snake Lords, Di Tian, and the Gold-Eating Beast, all quite decisive. Knowing there was nothing more to be done, they immediately struck out for the deepest part of the Sea of Bitterness, hoping to be the first to reach the other shore.

The result surprised everyone, even the Great Sages were stunned. Setting out from the Life Spring, relying on ancient vessels, they crossed the void passage many times over — the range they traversed rivaled that of an entire vast star region — and finally reached the other shore, only to find nothing but an endless expanse of starry sky. It wasn’t the dwelling place of the gods at all.

All told it took a full year, yet this was the result — people simply couldn’t believe it. Where was the so-called ancient land of life? Everyone was furious — was this a hoax, a trick played by the ancients on those who came after?

“We can’t measure this by ordinary reasoning. Since the Sea of Bitterness is part of the Ancient Celestial Venerable’s body, could the dwelling place of the gods be…”

The Sea of Bitterness, the Life Spring, the Divine Bridge, the Other Shore — these correspond to the four minor realms of the human body’s Wheel Sea sacred ground. To cross the sea, one must cross the Divine Bridge.

It wasn’t that no one had thought of this — in fact, people had reasoned along these lines ever since the Life Spring eyes were first discovered, and had searched for the Divine Bridge before, but always in vain.

In the end, unable to see the other shore, having wasted a full year crossing the black ocean fruitlessly, people finally turned back to reconsider.

“The Sea of Bitterness is boundless, but turn your head and the shore is there — damn it all!” Pang Bo cursed.

Everyone turned back, forced to admit that the Sea of Bitterness truly required one to turn back; it could not be crossed to the end.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye. Countless people had died in the black ocean; dozens, even a hundred clans had sent their finest experts in, and all that was left behind was blood and bone.

Without an ancient vessel, one simply could not remain for long — whether it was the black seawater or the void itself, both would weaken a person’s cultivation and mystic power. Only by standing upon a vessel could one remain unharmed.

Over these five years Ye Fan cultivated diligently, comprehending the Dao day after day, his cultivation steadily advancing. There had been bloody battles too, even being hunted by Great Sages, but he had survived those trials by blood.

“Damned Grey Flood Dragon, damned toad, and that running dog too — once I become a Great Sage I’ll skin you all alive!” Pang Bo cursed furiously, covered in blood.

Over these years, the Grey Flood Dragon, the Golden Toad, the Heavenly Dog, and a few other ancient beast venerables had relentlessly hunted them, and they had just narrowly escaped another close call.

During this time, Ye Fan and the others had also clashed with many young supremes and dozens of clans, fighting numerous bloody battles, undergoing a true baptism of blood.

Everyone had deduced the trajectory of the Divine Bridge, but could not make it manifest — it needed the Life Spring to surge forth in order to form, connecting straight through to the other shore, consistent with the human body’s sacred ground.

After such a long age had passed, how could the Life Spring still surge forth? It was nearly dried up now. The vast quantities of divine liquid they had seen were only vast by comparison; against the boundless Sea of Bitterness, it was minuscule indeed.

“I’m going into the Life Spring eye to take a look.” Ye Fan frowned. In the end, he made a decision — to risk his life and enter the central Life Spring eye.

“Good, I’ll go in with you. First we secure the Immortal-Slaying Formation Diagram, then cross the Divine Bridge, and reach the other shore.” Pang Bo said.

Ye Fan shook his head firmly. “No good, it’s too dangerous. Although I have the Human-Body Ghost-Face Lamp and know the Scripture of Human Salvation, which can quell the killing intent of the four swords, we’ve only ever tested it from outside. We’ve never truly gone in, and there are too many variables.”

“I think it should be fine — since it’s Sect Master Tongtian’s magic treasure and scripture, it should resonate with the four Immortal-Slaying Swords he left behind, and they won’t attack us.” Pang Bo said.

The one thing Ye Fan relied on was that this place was Lingbao Tianzun’s Wheel Sea, and he possessed the ancient artifact and a scripture from him — he felt he had some measure of confidence to enter.

Black mist swirled over the Sea of Bitterness, laden with killing intent. Only at the very center did a mist rise and swirl, radiant beams shooting skyward — there, an immortal aura billowed, dazzling and brilliant.

The Life Spring gurgled, gushing forth like an immortal spring. That crystalline liquid gave one the sensation of being about to ascend and become immortal, moistening every pore of the body, making one feel light and agile, full of vigor and spirit, the Immortal Platform spontaneously emitting the sound of the Dao.

Ye Fan chanted the Scripture of Human Salvation, a bronze lamp suspended beside him, and as he approached that central Life Spring, he felt a sensation as if his bones were about to shatter and his body split apart, as though he would be destroyed at any moment.

Within the Human-Body Ghost-Face Lamp’s flickering light, a withered little old man appeared in the wick, deeply eerie, sitting cross-legged there, chanting the Scripture of Human Salvation as the flame from the age of myth blazed high.

At that moment the killing intent receded, and the sensation of his body being about to shatter vanished from Ye Fan. Wrapped in the hazy firelight, he drew close to the Life Spring.

Above his head hovered the Cauldron of the Mother Qi of All Things, in his hand he held a fragment of green bronze, and across his back he wore the Immortal Treasure Chart obtained from the Myriad Dragon Nest — thus equipped, he entered the Life Spring alongside the ancient lamp.

The instant he entered, his pores suddenly opened wide, divine power surging through his body, dozens of times more vast than before, the divine liquid nearly submerging the lamplight — he felt as though he were about to ascend and become immortal.

In the distance, Pang Bo, Long Ma, and the others had their hearts in their throats. Seeing him enter safely, not cut down by the four Immortal-Slaying Swords, they finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

Ye Fan himself let out a long breath as well, signaling to them not to worry — this Human-Body Ghost-Face Lamp had performed a defiance-of-heaven feat. The killing intent was still present, but it was not directed at him.

Ye Fan did not dare drink the ancient Great Emperor’s Life Spring water — it was a wondrous thing, but it might contain killing intent within it. The light from the ghost lamp blocked the crystalline liquid, keeping it at bay.

The Life Spring’s immortal energy swirled, the liquid crystalline, exuding a faint fragrance. Ye Fan, holding the Human-Body Ghost-Face Lamp, plunged suddenly deeper, entering the depths to see what lay there.

He saw it — finally, faintly, he saw it. At the very bottom lay four dark-red slaying swords. Though ancient and simple in appearance, they radiated peerless killing intent!

“Could it be… that I can truly take the four swords?” Ye Fan’s heart pounded wildly.

At that distance, though killing intent still rippled through the ghost lamp’s light barrier, it did not harm him, and this gave rise to a thread of hope in his heart.

“Huh, that’s odd — there’s a cave dwelling beneath the water too!” Ye Fan was startled.

To be precise, there was a stone mirror platform, polished to an extraordinary smoothness. Through it, he could see a cave dwelling suspended within the eye of the Life Spring, at what should have been a great distance — this was a formation effect, otherwise he never would have been able to see it at all.

“It’s not very far from the four slaying swords — what connection could there be between them?!”

Through the stone mirror platform, Ye Fan looked carefully. That cave dwelling was magnificent and grand, like an ancient celestial palace, awe-inspiring in its might, yet utterly silent.

For such a thing to appear within the ancient Great Emperor’s Life Spring struck Ye Fan as deeply eerie. His heart trembled — who was this, that they had dared to dwell in such a place?!

“A monkey!” His heart gave a jolt. Shifting his angle, he saw through the stone mirror platform a monkey, its whole body glimmering with golden fur, as if cast from pure gold, dazzling and brilliant.

Ye Fan was stunned; he could hardly believe his own eyes. Wasn’t that the Fighting Saint Ape? It looked so much like the Sacred Prince and the Victorious Fighting Buddha!

The only strange thing was — it had six ears!

“Could this be the legendary… Six-Eared Macaque?!” Ye Fan was shocked — dwelling within the ancient Great Emperor’s own Life Spring eye, of all places!