Chapter 1225: Quasi-Emperor
The pitch-black universe was dotted with stars, like diamonds embedded in black cloth, casting faint specks of light in the cold void.
Even knowing the coordinates of the Eternal Main Star, one could not arrive in a single step. Star gates had limitations, inferior to Five-Colored Altars, requiring multiple penetrations through the universe before finally descending.
This journey was not lonely. The saints had pursued him, intent on a killing strike. Over the past half month, as he traversed the starry sky, he had spotted several groups of enemies.
He was not in a hurry to reach Eternal. He crossed through an unfamiliar star domain, leaving behind some clues, leading his enemies on a tour.
"Swish"
A brilliant golden light streaked by—it was a saint of the Golden Crow Clan, piercing through unfamiliar heavens and vanishing at the dark horizon.
Individual saints were no small matter; some carried bizarre secret artifacts that allowed them to cross the universe with their physical bodies alone.
"A ritual artifact refined from a Quasi-Emperor's divine feather can tear through the universe, lock onto short-range spatial coordinates, and travel—truly a divine treasure!"
Ye Fan had been observing that Golden Crow for days, deeply amazed by the weapon forged from its feathers, guessing it might be a relic from the ancient Quasi-Emperor Golden Crow who slew Hou Yi, crafted from his plume feathers.
"Roar…"
A howl, like that of an ancient azure dragon, vibrated through divine sense, echoing across this dark star domain and penetrating to this spot.
It was a black primordial giant Hou, crushing a small asteroid as it passed through the void, accompanied by a Shan Xiao, and also a cosmic spacecraft.
This was a bizarre combination—the Shan Xiao of the Nine Heavens Holy Land, the tens-of-thousands-of-zhang-tall black giant Hou of the Four Symbols Holy Land, both sealed since before the primordial era, traveling alongside a technological holy-grade spaceship—truly strange.
"Altar!"
Ye Fan's heart pounded. He spotted another group of enemies, appearing out of thin air in the dark universe, stepping out from a domain gate.
It was a black stone disc, with fresh blood still flowing, not yet dried, looking terrifying. Five meters in diameter, it carried two figures, both in black robes, appearing silently.
Then, the stone disc beneath them faded away, absorbed into one of their bodies, vanishing.
"What kind of stone disc is this? It can traverse the universe and travel with them!" Ye Fan's gaze burned with intensity. This was the first time he had seen such a treasure.
The Five-Colored Altars of the ancient Great Emperors, the Divine Platforms of the ancient Emperors, the Star Gates of the Eternal Main Star—these were the few shortcuts he knew for piercing the universe. Now, another had appeared.
But that black stone disc looked ominous, its patterns mottled and ancient, covered in dripping blood that flowed along the ancient grooves. It belonged to the saints from beyond.
"This is the sixth group. It seems there are truly many pursuing me. Some seek the Green Copper Cauldron, others simply want my life."
Ye Fan's eyes flickered with light. Over the past half month, he had carefully observed each group of enemies, treating them with caution.
He believed the true army was still behind, not yet arrived, or perhaps they would only meet at the Eternal Main Star. Because that group of ancient clan forces had another goal: to expedition Eternal and seize the evolution liquid.
After mastering the cosmic mothership, Ye Fan could control it with precision, constantly circling, traveling who knows how far through the dark universe.
These distances, if traveled by flight alone, even a saint could not cover in hundreds of lifetimes. He passed through many ancient lands, hoping to leave some people's homes forever in the desolate universe.
At the same time, he was exploring. After mastering this holy-grade mothership, he had never traveled through the universe so freely, crossing countless unfamiliar ancient lands.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura emanated from a distant star domain, as if a river of stars had shattered, or a flood had surged, crashing toward him.
The holy-grade ancient ship began to shake, nearly falling, pressing down on his heart with unease.
What was that? Ye Fan's expression grew serious. Ahead, in an unfamiliar star domain, there was a powerful energy fluctuation, penetrating even into the cosmic sea.
His mothership bore the Heaven-Deceiving Array of Emperor Wu Shi, which would not reveal itself unless exposed. He concealed its aura and crept forward.
"Strong life force—there's a living ancient star ahead!"
Ye Fan surged forward, arriving shortly after. This was an unfamiliar ancient star domain, desolate, grand, weathered… and also carrying an emotional fluctuation.
Like a surging river, like a hurricane sweeping through ten thousand mountains, sweeping everything, the sorrow contained a peerless dominance!
"Truly a living ancient land!"
Ye Fan was certain. This star domain must have a massive star, perhaps rivaling the living lands of Big Dipper. It lay ahead.
Finally, he reached the center of the fluctuation's region and witnessed an utterly shocking scene.
There stood a giant!
He stood in the universe, his height immeasurable, his head lost in the depths of the cosmos, his feet treading the endless underworld.
Around him, stars swirled, sun and moon revolved—an unimaginable celestial body, far larger than sun, moon, or stars.
"Roar…"
He opened his mouth and roared, and a river of heaven poured forth, leaving one speechless, unable to believe this truth.
This was a living being, yet larger than stars, standing in the star domain, looking down upon the mortal world, dominating all things in the universe.
What was this? Was it a deity? It was too shocking.
His divine sense fluctuations were so vast they spread across this entire unfamiliar star domain, making one want to prostrate in worship—boundless terror.
What kind of terrifying existence was this? What realm had he reached?
The strands of patterns spreading out made him the center of the ancient star domain, truly opening heaven and earth, with chaotic energy half-covering his body.
This should be a man, robust and powerful. As the cosmic mothership rose, one could see his upper body, black hair loose, falling like a river of stars.
Indeed, even stars were caught in his hair, not as long or as large as him!
This left Ye Fan speechless. Never had he been so shaken as today. What kind of person was this?
He had traversed endless desolate star domains, unable to find a single living star, yet here he saw a divine being who could crush star domains with his feet.
Ye Fan felt a supreme Dao, suffocating even him, who was about to become a saint. Without the Green Cauldron emitting rosy light, this mothership might have cracked.
Too terrifying. No wonder he had sensed the life force of this unfamiliar star domain from far away—just one person was so intense.
Ye Fan piloted the cosmic ship, circling far around him, moving from the giant's side to his front, not daring to disturb.
He knew such a powerful being might have already noticed him. If so, it was better to be open and observe with respect from a distance.
However, when he reached the front, across an endless distance, and saw his face, he froze, unable to accept this fact.
His body was strong and powerful, black hair like a waterfall, as long as a river of stars, full of impact. Yet his face was covered in blood, his forehead completely shattered, bones gleaming white, blood dripping.
His eyes were closed, filled with endless sorrow, his whole body motionless, standing here.
"Dead… he actually died." Ye Fan stood dumbfounded.
The Immortal Platform was shattered, bones crystalline, blood staining his face. His primordial spirit was completely withered; no life could remain.
"But what about that roar just now? It reached every corner of this star domain—how powerful was that!?" Ye Fan was puzzled.
Could it be that what he saw was no longer the true body, but all Dao marks? Was what he heard and saw just remnants of past Dao principles and Dharma forms?
How powerful was this existence? Why did he fall here? How did this happen, with his Dao principles permeating this unfamiliar star domain?
Ye Fan observed carefully and was even more shocked. Above the head of this massive corpse was an ancient star, evolving endless profound meanings, as if billions of beings had been born there, with many seeming to mourn.
"Why is this?"
He scanned with the mothership, carefully analyzing, and reached a startling conclusion: that had once been a massive living ancient star, but it was now dead.
How many tens of thousands of years ago did this happen? Now it had become such a bitter land.
Swish!
A golden light flashed. A Golden Crow appeared, following the traces Ye Fan had left along the way, arriving here. Its body trembled, uncontrollable. If not for the golden divine feather it held, its body would have cracked immediately.
"Heavens… what am I seeing?" the old Golden Crow exclaimed. It was not far from Ye Fan, and its terrified divine sense fluctuations could be sensed.
"Quasi-Emperor!" it said, trembling.
In ancient times, the Golden Crow Clan had produced a supreme being, who emerged from the divine nest, overlooking all living things, revered by that universe.
Back then, it was still young, witnessing the unparalleled style of the Golden Crow Quasi-Emperor. The divine feather in its hand was later bestowed by that lord.
"Yes, he was a Quasi-Emperor, trying to defy the heavens, but failed in attaining the Dao and fell here." The old Golden Crow shivered, but its gaze burned bright. This was a Dao ground, a supreme treasure land!
In the distance, Ye Fan was shocked. This was a Quasi-Emperor, not an ancient god, nor the Great Emperor he had imagined, yet he had such profound achievements—too shocking.
"These are Dao principles and Dharma forms. Though his body has fallen, the Dao has not been erased, preserving the scene of that day. He failed in attaining the Dao, dragging down the ancient star that birthed him, both reaching the end of life."
This Golden Crow trembled, full of fear, but also hope in its eyes. This place was of immense significance to cultivators!
"In ancient times, I was fortunate to witness my clan's lord attempt to attain the Dao once. He also stood with his head in the universe, feet treading the underworld, sun and moon and stars revolving, opening heaven and earth. I will never forget it in my life." The old Golden Crow muttered, recalling many things.
Ye Fan was shaken. A Quasi-Emperor was this powerful, this formidable. Failing to attain the Dao, he dragged down an ancient star comparable to Big Dipper or Ziwei, turning it into a dead land.
"Too strong. No wonder, since ancient times, Great Emperors have been few and far between. Even a Quasi-Emperor is like this—truly shocking!" Ye Fan's heart trembled.
He suddenly thought of Gai Jiuyou. This old man had once reached such heights, only to fall back after his blood energy withered.
When a Quasi-Emperor goes all out, raising his power to the ultimate realm, such Dao principles and Dharma forms appear, making all living things revere and tremble.
Ye Fan shivered. What kind of Dao was this person trying to attain? He had even dragged down an ancient star, causing the land that birthed him to die.
"No wonder there is such a wave of sorrow. Was he regretting? An entire ancient star, billions of living beings, all buried with him. The motherland that nurtured him perished—this is truly an unbearable weight." Ye Fan sighed.
At the same time, like the Golden Crow, his eyes blazed with light, fixed on that decaying ancient star. He wanted to descend there—there might be heaven-defying gains!
A pitiful failed Dao-seeker. Well, in this book, the path of cultivators gradually unfolds later, and others will surely experience it too. The cost is immeasurable. It's the third day of the month. Thirty emperors across ten thousand ages. I beg all you struggling Great Emperors to cast a guaranteed monthly vote.