# Chapter 1294: Dark Clouds
This was a heart-shaped seed, dull and lusterless, its entire body a yellowish-brown color. Although it had no divine splendor, it exuded a powerful surge of vitality.
"What is this?" Dragon Horse stared eagerly.
Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon felt like crying. This seed was definitely extraordinary; it suspected it was a divine medicine that had undergone nirvana. Originally within arm's reach, now it seemed as far away as the ends of the earth.
"Doesn't it look like the seed of an Immortal Medicine to me?" Dragon Horse's big eyes rolled around continuously, then suddenly it stretched out its head and bit down with a crunch.
"Crack"
Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon felt a chill run through its teeth, sympathizing with the pain. It looked at Dragon Horse with pity—fingerprint-sized indentations had appeared on Dragon Horse's large teeth, nearly breaking them off.
"It hurts this lord to death!" Dragon Horse bared its teeth in agony.
Without a sound, it had tried to swallow what it suspected was an Immortal Medicine seed, but biting down on Ye Fan's finger hadn't allowed it to snatch it away, and it had nearly shattered its own teeth.
"That's actually mine," Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon said, unable to help swallowing its saliva.
Ye Fan turned the seed over and over, examining it. He felt a vigorous life force, truly carrying the aura of an Immortal Medicine, which struck him as somewhat dreamlike.
He found it hard to believe. How could the Demon Emperor have left behind a divine medicine?
"It looks like a peach pit—no, more precisely, the kernel inside the pit," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Then he carefully sensed it, earnestly confirming, and a strange light shone in his eyes. He knew what this was—it was truly related to an Immortal Medicine.
He channeled his divine power, and multicolored rays of light burst from his palm, pouring into the seed. Instantly, the yellowish-brown seed shot out strands of immortal radiance, dazzling and brilliant.
Ye Fan sensed a familiar aura, similar to the ancient Flat Peach Tree he had seen at the Jade Pool, and said, "The Demon Emperor once consumed the Flat Peach Immortal Medicine."
The true Flat Peach Immortal Medicine resided within the Forbidden Zone of Life—the Divine Ruins. The ancient tree at the Jade Pool was grown from a seed produced by that tree.
No matter how much care the Jade Pool lavished, using endless earthly milk and divine liquids to nurture it, it could never match the true Flat Peach Immortal Medicine, possessing only a fraction of its medicinal effects.
This was because every Immortal Medicine was unique, irreplicable, never coexisting.
"This is the seed of the true Flat Peach Divine Medicine. Even if the flesh and essence were consumed by the Demon Emperor, this remaining kernel is still extraordinary," Dragon Horse said, unable to sit still.
Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon was also restless, its heart clawing with regret. Having occupied the cave dwelling for so many years, it had missed out on a supreme treasure.
Ordinary almond and peach kernels required processing before consumption. For such a heaven-defying seed, no one knew how to wash away the harmful substances within.
"How about you give it a try?" Ye Fan glanced at Dragon Horse, explaining the dangers involved.
Dragon Horse shook its head vigorously. What a joke—using it to test the medicine? If things went wrong, it could turn to dust. The seed indeed contained immortal essence, but one had to survive consuming it first.
"Such a dry, shriveled seed—this lord doesn't fancy it. How about letting Crocodile Dragon have a taste?" Dragon Horse urged, trying to get Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon to test the medicine.
"You nearly shattered your teeth wanting to swallow it, and now you don't want to compete with me?" Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon put on a simple, honest expression, magnanimously offering to let Dragon Horse have it.
Dragon Horse squinted sideways, restraining the urge to kick it.
The immortal divine essence was contained in the flesh and juice. Compared to that, the value of this seed, though astonishingly great, was not truly heaven-defying.
"Alas, the Demon Emperor consumed the divine medicine, leaving only an empty pit—no sincerity at all," Dragon Horse grumbled.
The ancient jade fragments had imprinted themselves into the minds of Dragon Horse and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, granting them tremendous gains. Among these, the blood-replacement secret technique was the most heaven-defying, allowing transformation toward a dragon.
The nine ancient jade pieces were the greatest harvest for the two sacred beasts, influencing their future cultivation paths.
"Boom!"
In the distance, the sound of wind and thunder rang out, like divine drums being pounded, mixed with a yellow gale—extremely eerie and heaven-defying.
"Mm, what's happening?"
Dragon Horse and Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon rushed out of the cave together. Ye Fan followed, looking into the distance, where many figures were flying toward that location.
"A world-shaking divine artifact has appeared. Let's go take a look."
The powerful fluctuations were very intense, originating from several thousand li away. A group of cultivators was fighting, and the battle was spreading even farther.
"What's going on?"
"A stone ship fell from the outer domain, accompanied by great wind and thunder. Many people are pursuing it."
Listening to the discussions, Ye Fan felt something was wrong. He couldn't help looking up at the sky—had a great battle occurred in the starry sky?
"Could it be that the Sacred Spirit has led an army to attack?" Others also showed worried expressions.
Soon, news arrived. This was a stone ship from the depths of the starry sky. When it approached and spied on the Tenth Human City, the Guide Envoy cut it down with a single sword strike, causing it to fall onto this ancient star.
When these hidden details spread, many trial-takers grew tense. A great war might truly be approaching; the secret rumors they had heard before might become reality.
"Is there really a Sacred Spirit? This is truly frightening. If it wants to sever the Ancient Human Path, its strength must have reached a terrifying level."
This was an unsettling atmosphere!
Even though the trial-takers on the Stellar Ancient Path were fearless and confident, thinking about facing a Sacred Spirit whose realm could make one despair, they all changed color.
Twenty thousand li away, a Sacred Beast King made a move, seizing the stone ship—a divine artifact from the starry sky—leaving behind a mutilated corpse that did not belong to this ancient star's creatures.
Several days later, a riot broke out in a mountain range a hundred thousand li away. Ancient beasts fought fiercely, sacred might permeating the area, and blood flowed like rivers in that region.
When the human trial-takers arrived, they found that several ancient beasts that had been friendly toward humans had fallen, while others that were ambitious and hostile to humans had risen.
This felt wrong. Although ancient beasts had conflicts among themselves, such fierce battles were rare. A large number of powerful beings had died, staining the land red with blood.
"Could forces from the outer starry sky be involved?" Sensitive individuals grew uneasy.
If this was just a hint of doubt, then what happened next could be called a shadow, shrouding many hearts.
In the western direction, a Sacred Beast King that had ruled a domain for thousands of years fell. The battle was earth-shattering, with ghosts wailing and gods crying.
A Sacred Beast King, absolutely at the top of the pyramid on this ancient star, had been killed. It had some friendship with the Guide Envoy of the Tenth City.
"I can already feel an ominous sign..."
"The Sacred Spirit from the depths of the starry sky is about to arrive. These are just the early shadows."
A panicked atmosphere was spreading!
What kind of powerful existence had gathered in the starry sky, actually wanting to break the Ancient Human Path? If this action wasn't initiated, fine—but once it was, it would absolutely be earth-shattering.
In just these few days, various secret rumors spread. It was said that a great Sacred Spirit had been born in the depths of the universe, its blood energy splitting the cosmos, its gaze shattering the sky—powerful beyond measure.
The Tenth City was just one battlefield. It wanted to sweep through the entire star domain.
The trial-takers were improving their strength, and the Guide Envoy was also taking action, seeking reinforcements from the depths of the ancient path while consulting with the Sacred Beast Kings of this life-bearing star.
But what happened next made people feel an even more severe crisis. Ancient beasts mobilized, beginning to massacre human trial-takers on a large scale.
People believed that forces from the outer domain had infiltrated, allying with some ancient beasts. The dark clouds of a shocking war were drawing ever closer.
Many grew uneasy. Numerous cultivators had already understood by this point that attaining the Dao was hopeless; their only hope was becoming a Saint King or similar. Now, with such events occurring, some wished they could immediately return to their homeland.
Dark clouds shrouded, and bad news came frequently.
Several days later, a trial-taker of no small background, with astonishing cultivation, who had once held his ground against the Great Demon God for dozens of moves, was killed. Blood rain stained that mountain range red.
Although this person had made no progress since that battle years ago and had stopped here, no longer continuing the path, people believed that if he could overcome the obstacle in his heart, his strength would surely surge forward.
Such a powerful seed had died—a sage who could have contended with the Great Demon God from over twenty years ago—naturally triggering an uproar.
Many felt endangered, because in these few days, powerful trial-takers had successively met with accidents, dying unnatural deaths. This was too abnormal.
Many cultivators returned to the Tenth City, waiting for the storm to arrive.
Four days later, an even more shocking piece of news came: an ancient human pass deep on the Stellar Ancient Path was attacked and blown apart. Everyone in the entire holy city fell, even the Guide Envoy died in battle.
This was terrifying, shocking everyone.
That section of the Stellar Ancient Path was severed, unable to connect to the road ahead or the road behind.
This swept through like a hurricane. People's hearts were uneasy. The dark clouds of approaching war pressed down, suffocating people—more terrifying than imagined.
"The Stellar Ancient Path has been broken. Can we still walk it? There's probably no road ahead."
"What kind of Sacred Spirit is this, actually making a move against the entire human ancient path?!"
Many cultivators retreated to the Tenth City, all showing worried expressions, not knowing what they would face next. Many also did not return, fearing the Tenth City would suffer the same fate, bearing the brunt and being shattered.
Two days later, another piece of news—true or false unknown—spread. It was said that another section of the Stellar Ancient Path had been broken, and that stretch of starry sky was stained red with blood.
Shadows appeared in everyone's hearts. Could this path still be walked? This was something rarely seen since ancient times.
Could it be that this batch of trial-takers would have no road ahead? Or perhaps the Stellar Ancient Path had reached its final era, about to be severed forever.
In this suffocating atmosphere, Ye Fan's heart was also heavy. But worry was useless. At this moment, improving his strength was most important. In this crisis, who knew how many would fall.
"This Flat Peach seed cannot be consumed. The immortal divine essence and Dao fragments within naturally cannot be touched, but I can refine the powerful life force from it," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Whether it was him, Dragon Horse, or Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, all felt great regret. The immortal divinity and Dao fragments were the most precious parts of the immortal medicine.
The life force of the Flat Peach seed was powerful enough, rare in the world!
Ye Fan needed opposing forces to break through. Now that he had life force, he naturally needed the power of death.
Dragon Horse seriously doubted him, not really believing in the heavenly art he had created. It reminded him several times not to act recklessly.
In the end, Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon thought of a place, believing it contained abundant death energy that might help his cultivation, and led the way.
"You don't need to worry. With two opposing forces, I should be able to break through and grow stronger," Ye Fan said, confident in the Dao he had created.
Now the entire ancient path was shrouded in ominousness. He needed to elevate his strength as much as possible.