# Chapter 1223: The Entire Clan Vanishes
The ancient dragon nest had endured for ages, forged from black dragonwood that felt icy to the touch and rang with metallic clangs—a wood now nearly extinct.
Legend said that in the Mythical Era, a dragon had built its nest here, leaving behind this towering pitch-black ancient nest. During the Primordial Era, an Ancient Emperor had bred an entire imperial clan here. In later generations, the Ruthless Great Emperor chose this ancient nest to sink her coffin, further adding to its mystery.
Purple mist drifted. The Dragon Maiden's figure was graceful, her skin snow-white, moving as fast as a purple lightning bolt as she led large groups of her clansmen in retreat.
Along the way, they brought out a vast number of rare treasures from many ancient caverns, sweeping clean their treasuries and other important sites.
"Boom!"
An overwhelming pressure descended. The ancient nest became inaccessible. Before they could even arrive and take off, everyone was crushed, on the verge of suffocation.
"We can't break through!" The crowd's faces turned pale.
This place was a forbidden zone. On ordinary days, they would not come here. The ancient coffin within the Chaotic Dragon Nest emitted a tremendous pressure that made even Saints tremble with fear.
"Ten Thousand Dragon Bell, awaken! You are the continuation of my father's life, please protect my clan!" The Dragon Maiden kowtowed, leading everyone to worship the imperial weapon that had dimmed.
"Imperial Dao, revive! Protect our clan!" All of them knelt down, jointly channeling their divine power to offer sacrifices to the Ten Thousand Dragon Bell.
Divine sounds transformed into bell waves. The ancient weapon was divine, indeed containing a divine spirit within. It radiated sky-covering purple light, enveloping everyone.
In the distance, the old clan chiefs from Fire Qilin Cave, Blood Phoenix Mountain, Primordial Lake, and other places wore gloomy expressions, staring at the Human Demon and then at Ye Fan. They several times wanted to make a move but held back.
The Human Demon had shocked the Primordial Era—he was a peerless ferocious man. Unless they killed him on the spot, if he managed to escape, he would bring endless calamity in the future.
None of them were confident. Their opponent possessed the Green Cauldron. If he wanted to flee, he could directly tear open the void. Unless a true Quasi-Emperor made a move, it would be difficult to stop him.
"Are we just going to watch the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest be swept flat?"
The Human Demon advanced along the gaps in the formation diagram, penetrating deeper. As he slowly comprehended it, he would surely be able to pass through. Without accidents, destroying this clan would not be a problem.
Before the ancient nest, the Ten Thousand Dragon Clan's people had pale faces as they refined the purple divine bell. They were both disappointed and despairing. The several old clan chiefs still had not made a move.
In the final analysis, the Ancient Clans also had selfish motives. They were not a monolithic bloc, especially since there were serious competitive relationships among the imperial clans. Otherwise, before the Chaos Expansion Great Sage was destroyed, someone should have come to help holding an ancient imperial weapon. Why would only the Chaos Expansion come to mediate?
"They hope our clan's strength will be greatly reduced, but they also don't want us to be destroyed. Yet now, intimidated by the Human Demon's might, they hesitate and advance. We can't rely on them—we can only depend on ourselves!" The Dragon Maiden said, signaling her clansmen not to be afraid, to bravely jump into the black nest and use it for defense. Perhaps there would be an unexpected result.
"Activate!"
Several remaining elders roared, exhausting their strength to channel the divine weapon. The ancient weapon's dragon head rose high, its light beams even more intense, and the dragon body coiled around everyone.
A purple dragon wound around them, like a mountain of snakes, protecting them beneath its body. Each segment was a great bell tolling, and then the whole thing sank into the dragon nest.
"They went in! They've entered the black nest!"
The several old clan chiefs showed strange expressions, all very surprised.
The Human Demon sensed something and decisively retreated, bringing Ye Fan to stand in the heavens, watching that region.
Boom!
Purple light blotted out the sun, transforming into an ocean that surged into the high heavens, collapsing the sky, striking into the outer realm, causing many stars to shake.
As for this ancient star, although there were no shockwaves, the aura of an ancient Great Emperor spread out. Every supreme expert sensed it.
"Ancient Emperor!"
"Heavens, there are fluctuations of an Ancient Emperor reviving—is this real?"
Those who could make such judgments were all giants who had once ruled a region during the Primordial Era. They had been fortunate enough to witness the Battle Saint Emperor.
Although this fluctuation did not spread in all directions, only striking into the outer realm, it made every Ancestral King tremble, unable to resist the urge to prostrate themselves!
This was even more terrifying than the earlier Quasi-Emperor formation diagram, many times more powerful!
As for others, they directly thought this was the power of Soaring Immortal Force, surpassing the limits allowed by the world, because they saw stars in the outer realm exploding, severed by the purple light.
"This is an Ancient Emperor formation diagram!" The Human Demon's expression was extremely grave as he stared at the pitch-black dragon nest. Inside, chaos surged, and the purple dragon sank in.
"Unexpectedly, the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest has their ancestral emperor's supreme formation diagram left behind. Who can break it? Who dares to break it?" The several old clan chiefs all shuddered.
The soaring purple qi, the light pillars striking into the outer realm, the strands of Dao marks representing the supreme venerable—they continuously interwove, shaking past and present.
Even though millions of years had passed, it remained immortal, making heavenly prodigies bow their heads, unable to contend, unable to resist! This was the Ancient Emperor diagram. Once revived, even gods entering would meet their end, unable to break free, slaughtered.
"An Ancient Emperor's formation diagram is as precious as an Extreme Imperial Weapon. But if one breaks in, the threat faced would be even greater—it can kill anyone!"
"Is this... a complete Ancient Emperor diagram?" Ye Fan asked, his heart unsettled. He felt a kind of vastness, truly too powerful and terrifying.
The Human Demon was silent for a long time, quietly observing, then said: "It's not a complete diagram. Only thirty to forty percent remains."
Ye Fan was even more shocked. Thirty to forty percent of the formation diagram already had such might. If it were a complete imperial diagram, wouldn't it defy the heavens!?
"True Dragon Immortality Pill!"
The several old clan chiefs from Fire Qilin Cave, Blood Phoenix Mountain, and Primordial Lake had divine light exploding in their eyes. Their longing and desire were undisguised.
Their lifespans were nearly exhausted, with only a few years left to live. Such heaven-defying immortal medicines had only a few in all of history. If they could obtain one, they could live another lifetime!
"It once followed the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest's ancestral emperor..." An old clan chief's voice trembled.
The others also had dry mouths, swallowing hard with difficulty. This was a peerless great opportunity, but unfortunately they dared not break in. Even having an imperial weapon in hand was not enough.
The golden divine medicine was half a meter tall, with nine brilliant leaves. At the top of the plant, there was even a palm-sized small dragon, entirely golden and dazzling. It had life, trembling, peering this way.
Fragrance cascaded like a waterfall, seeping into one's bones. Every wisp of fragrance was like a wisp of qi leaking from the Immortal Domain, making one's pores open wide, the whole body comfortable.
Unfortunately, no one could harvest this medicine.
It was some distance from the ancient imperial weapon, rooted in chaos, accompanying a mysterious ancient coffin, gently swaying, golden immortal light shimmering.
The ancient medicine gave off fragrance. The remaining elders within the Ten Thousand Dragon Bell also wanted to catch it. Someone reached out, extending beyond the divine bell, but then screamed, crushed by a tremendous aura.
Within the Chaotic Dragon Nest, there was peerless killing intent. That ancient coffin could resist the Ancient Emperor formation diagram, suppressing this place. No one could approach.
"This coffin is truly astonishing!"
The several old clan chiefs had all changed color. After reviving in this era, they had all been invited by the Chaos Expansion. In fact, all Ancient Clan giants had come here to discuss and study the giant coffin.
In the end, no one dared to make a move. Even with imperial weapons, they did not act rashly, because they sensed an undying great killing intent!
They seriously suspected that within the coffin, besides the corpse of an ancient Great Emperor, there was also a supreme slaughter formation diagram that would sweep away everyone.
"Now it seems, besides the imperial corpse, there really might be an ancient emperor's formation diagram in the coffin. Otherwise, how could it suppress the black nest!"
The several old clan chiefs' expressions were very ugly. The True Dragon Immortality Pill was right before their eyes, yet they could not obtain it. They were very unwilling.
In fact, over so many years, the ancient Saints of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest were even more frustrated. They had always been unable to obtain their ancestral emperor's divine medicine. Back when they were sleeping, they had been awakened and saw that woman who came alone, like an immortal descending to the world, and they dared not resist.
In the end, she sank her coffin in the dragon nest, ignoring them, which made the entire clan breathe a sigh of relief.
"The formation diagram left by the ancestral emperor is too heaven-defying. Part of it was worn away by the heavens, dissolved in the years. Another part was suppressed by this ancient coffin, which is why only thirty to forty percent of the Dao patterns are now displayed." An old clan chief said.
This was a heaven-defying treasure ground, seizing the ultimate mysteries of creation. It was considered identical to Purple Mountain, with equal status. Both places had been occupied by Ancient Emperors, and the result was the same—they were later used by human emperors to bury coffins, inevitably making people's imaginations run wild.
"Ao roar!"
A dragon's cry resounded through the nine heavens. Not only cultivators but even ordinary people heard it. Its sound was clear, spreading across the five domains, reaching into the outer realm.
Within the pitch-black dragon nest, one-third of the region lit up, revealing a divine altar that shone with immortal radiance.
"The Ancient Emperor Altar! It's actually an altar built by an Ancient Emperor. Legend says it can pierce through the universe, reaching the other shore of the vast star river, to the end of the universe!" An old clan chief cried out excitedly.
Light radiated in all directions, scattering the chaotic qi, making everything there clearly visible. The Ten Thousand Dragon Bell transformed into a true dragon, rolling up those people and rushing into a star gate, then disappearing.
"Heavens, the entire clan travels far. Are they... using this to return to their ancestral star, to the end of the universe?"
People from Fire Qilin Cave, Blood Phoenix Mountain, and Primordial Lake all cried out in shock. This was a tremendous change. A major Primordial imperial clan had just vanished from the Big Dipper.
"The Ancient Emperor left a retreat path, a heavenly gate back to the ancestral star. Did our ancestral emperor also lay down a heavenly path?" They all asked themselves, seriously contemplating.
Ancient Emperors looked down on past and present. Human Great Emperors also had world-shaking ambition. They had long-term vision, recognizing coexistence among all clans. Otherwise, if one person attained the Dao, other clans in the world would have no way to live.
Within the black nest, chaos surged. The Ancient Emperor diagram extinguished, leaving behind an ancient coffin that would also be submerged by chaotic mist. The True Dragon Immortality Pill swayed, its fragrance spilling out, faithfully accompanying the coffin.
"Is that the Ruthless Great Emperor's sleeping coffin? And who is the Desolate?" Ye Fan muttered to himself.
The Bronze Immortal Hall, the Ancient Forbidden Land, the great tomb beneath Yaoguang, the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest... one site after another, all had some connection to her.
"When will I see a living Great Emperor? When will the Immortal Path open? At that time, will an Emperor appear?" Ye Fan muttered to himself.
He was incomparably expectant, really wanting to witness a venerable standing above the nine heavens. After cultivating for so many years, he had not even seen the might of a Quasi-Emperor.
Gai Jiuyou had once been a Quasi-Emperor, but his blood had dried up, his realm had fallen, and he no longer had his former might.
Ye Fan stared at the gradually disappearing ancient coffin in the Chaotic Dragon Nest, involuntarily thinking of Black Emperor's lament.
"Gazing at the heavenly path, a bleak dream, white hair scattered, blue sea and green sky withered. Thirty emperors through a hundred thousand years, how many sages turned to dust..."
The Immortal Path was about to open. What kind of change would it bring? Would it turn into a calamity?
The Ten Thousand Dragon Nest's entire clan had vanished. What kind of place was the end of the universe? What clans lived there? How many ancient stars had produced Ancient Emperors?
"Ancient Emperors had world-shaking ambition. Human Great Emperors also had great vision. They recognized coexistence among all clans. Fellow Daoist, why must we turn our blades against each other, come to this point?" An old clan chief said.
"I only know that the sky will rain, people must eat, time moves forward. If someone comes to kill me, I will devour them. Great Emperors have their laws, I have my reasoning. I am still a person." The Human Demon said.
Was it the unchanging law, or the principle of the weak being prey to the strong? The several old clan chiefs of the ancient imperial clans were all stunned. These were nothing more than the simplest and most basic truths. (To be continued)