Chapter 1403: The Seat of a Supreme Being
“The yuanchu bird sets out from the Southern Sea and flies toward the Northern Sea; it will only alight upon the parasol tree.”
The yuanchu is a type of phoenix recorded in ancient texts. Born in the Southern Sea, it flies toward the Northern Sea, and only the parasol tree in all the world is its true resting place.
The True Phoenix Tower was a colossal parasol tree, having grown for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, its branches as thick as mountains.
It had no crown, long since destroyed by lightning strikes. Now only half of its trunk remained, rooted within the city, carved into a phoenix tower—the tallest structure in the Golden Ancient City.
It was hard to imagine that such a massive ancient tree had not become a spirit.
Of course, some said that in ancient times, this tree had transformed into a Quasi-Emperor. During its tribulation, the heavens destroyed its cultivation, stripping the essence from its trunk and reducing it to common wood.
Even now, scorch marks could still be seen at the broken sections, scars left by lightning strikes, bearing the wounds of a bygone era. Time had mottled them, and they could never be smoothed away.
Today, the True Phoenix Tower was bustling. Cultivators came and went, powerful figures appeared, ancient beasts took human form, radiating fierce, bloody auras as they hurried over and ascended the tower.
Here, one could see experts from all races, a diverse array: ten-zhang-tall golden giants, black dragons from the Nether Sea, legendary hanba from folklore…
From the descendants of ancient demon gods to true divine clans, to the strongest ancient bloodline experts, cultivators with immense backgrounds were countless!
Ye Fan and his group also arrived. They ascended the stairs step by step, and the parasol wood emitted a crisp metallic ringing, not like wood at all, but rather like azure gold forged into shape.
The entire tower, except for the topmost floor, was open to all cultivators. The higher one went, the stronger the cultivators became. The top floor was the highest sacred altar of the True Phoenix Tower, a place of supreme glory, where only the most powerful young experts were qualified to sit.
“Halt!”
As Ye Fan and his group reached the top floor, a voice rang out. A stone man stood before them, his entire body formed from divine minerals, his eyes flickering with the luster of Immortal Tear Green Gold. He blocked the way.
“What is it?” Ye Fan asked calmly.
“I heard that you possess the blood of the Primordial Saint Body. I need ten types of supreme ancient bloodlines. Hand over your blood essence, and I will spare your life,” the stone man said coldly, his voice like metal grinding.
“Are you out of your mind?” Before Ye Fan could speak, the Dragon Horse couldn’t hold back and blurted out, “You’re just a pile of scrap metal. How dare you act so arrogantly in front of my master?!”
This remark left many people stunned, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
“Do you want to die?!” The stone man’s Immortal Tear Green Gold eyes shot out a divine beam, tearing through the void. It even emitted the sound of the Great Dao, blazing fiercely as it shot toward the Dragon Horse.
“Boom!”
Ye Fan made his move, unleashing the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist. His aura swallowed mountains and rivers, and his golden blood energy pressed down like an entire star domain, colliding with that divine beam.
Many people were sent flying, groaning in pain from the shockwaves of the two powerhouses, suffering collateral damage and sustaining severe injuries.
“Both of you, we are here to exchange ten types of supreme ancient blood. Why let a small matter ruin a greater goal? Each of you should take a step back.” At that moment, a grand voice rang out. With his footsteps, the entire True Phoenix Tower trembled.
This was a giant, ten zhang tall, and he possessed the strongest bloodline of his race—the Golden Giant. His divine strength was unmatched, and he was a young supreme being!
Just then, the divine clan’s heavenly maiden, Xin Lan, also arrived. Her eyes sparkled, radiating divine light. The arrival of these two young supreme beings finally averted a fierce battle.
“See you on the Mythical Ancient Path!” The stone man turned and left without further entanglement.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Ye Fan’s mouth. “You’re not good enough. Enjoy your final moments.”
The crowd dispersed. Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Dragon Horse, and the others continued forward, ascending to the highest floor of the True Phoenix Tower. Along the way, they saw some corpses, their deaths gruesome.
It was said that Di Tian, the Great Demon God, and others who had just passed through had all faced challenges. They had struck with overwhelming force, causing slaughter.
But the most bloodthirsty were the Four Lords of the Golden Serpent lineage. They actively attacked, killing dozens of experts during their ascent, brutal and savage.
Many experts had come to the Human Clan’s Golden Ancient Path, all of them the strongest of the younger generation from various races. But only a dozen or so were truly qualified to be called young supreme beings.
Only through comparison could one distinguish the strong from the weak. Even if one was revered as a king within their own clan or on a single ancient path, it was useless. Only when all races gathered together could true strength be revealed.
Although many were unwilling, after the earlier skirmishes, they had to bow their heads in resignation. For now, only a dozen or so were qualified to be called young supreme beings.
Ye Fan and his group walked slowly, observing the experts below, carefully studying the various races to keep them in mind. Perhaps there would be a bloody battle in the future. After nearly an hour, they ascended another floor.
“Although news of the Ancient Tree of Life has spread, only experts from a few dozen nearby ancient paths have come. Compared to the vast star paths, it’s only a small portion.”
Many experts had come to the Golden Ancient Path, but compared to the myriad heavens and domains, it was far too few. The universe was vast; not all powerful races could know of it or come.
“This is truly authority carved out through slaughter,” Pang Bo sighed.
Not only had Ye Fan faced challenges, but Di Tian, the Human King, the divine clan’s heavenly maiden Xin Lan, the Golden Giant, and others who had already ascended also bore traces of blood.
Relatively speaking, Ye Fan and his group, who had come up last, had experienced fewer battles. The blood on those others showed just how fierce their fights had been.
On the topmost floor stood a high platform, like an arena or a supreme sacred altar. Currently, only a dozen or so people were qualified to sit upon it.
The Golden Serpent Clan’s Fourth Lord, the divine clan’s Xin Lan, the Golden Giant, the Metal-Eating Beast, the demon god descendant Sang Gu, the Copper Ant Saint King, the Roc Sparrow, the Heaven-Devouring Ancient Beast, the Earth Corpse, the Blood Beast, the Stone Man Sacred Spirit, the Great Demon God, Di Tian…
These figures sat high above, each one dominating the world, their auras swallowing the starry river. Each possessed a unique and awe-inspiring majesty.
Below, over a thousand people stood, their expressions complex. They were all the strongest of the younger generation from various races, but compared to those dozen or so, they were clearly a cut below.
Earlier, many had challenged and paid with their blood. Over a hundred had lost their lives. Now, no one dared to provoke them anymore; all had settled down.
In a sense, they had all lost on the imperial path.
On the divine altar, the dozen or so figures sat high above, making the heroes below feel unattainable, unable to shake their positions. The crowd yearned for it but could not ascend.
Ye Fan arrived, and many gazes turned toward him, watching to see if he would ascend the sacred altar radiating blazing light.
“I think it’s more comfortable sitting up there,” Pang Bo said.
Ye Fan nodded. As they ascended side by side, it immediately sparked dissatisfaction among many experts. The first to make a move was someone on the platform—the Golden Serpent Second Lord let out a cold snort, like a heavenly sword falling, its chilling aura oppressive.
“Boom!”
Ye Fan stepped forward, his entire body blazing with golden light, like a golden ocean surging, dissolving the cold, murderous aura. Then, his eyes shot out two divine beams, locking onto the Golden Serpent Second Lord as he and Pang Bo calmly ascended the platform.
The Golden Serpent Second Lord swept his cold, sharp eyes over them but made no further move. Like his three brothers, he sat cross-legged, motionless.
However, the cruel smirk at the corner of his mouth made it clear that he simply didn’t want to fight now, not that he was afraid!
Back then, it was he who had single-handedly slaughtered his way into another star domain, annihilating the entire most powerful divine ape race, bathing the stars in blood and shaking countless ancient domains.
He was a living legend, his reputation fearsome. All races feared him. Since his debut, no enemy had ever escaped from his hands alive.
Without a doubt, on this divine altar, if one were to speak of the strongest, it would be the four brothers. Each one was a young supreme being. With the four strongest of the Golden Serpent clan united, who would dare provoke them?!
“I have heard that the Human Clan’s Sacred Body is a kind of extraordinary physique, and the blood within his body can be considered a type of supreme ancient blood that meets the requirements,” the Blood Beast suddenly said, seated atop the divine altar, his voice icy.
“Indeed. We need ten types of supreme ancient blood. The Sacred Body offering his blood can count as one,” the Earth Corpse nodded.
These two powerhouses sat high on the supreme altar, looking down at the heroes below. Their successive mentions of sacred blood made their stance clear—they were targeting Ye Fan.
Not only did Ye Fan’s face darken, but Pang Bo was also furious. They had come to exchange ancient blood, possessing the blood of the Ten-Thousand-Legged Demon Spider, something worth offering. They hadn’t expected to be treated as prey.
“Are you sure you want my blood and see me as prey?!” Ye Fan stared back, his eyes blazing like torches.
“What if we do? We’ve long heard that the Human Clan’s Sacred Body’s blood is extraordinary. Offer it up today, and we will remember your kindness,” the Blood Beast said. It was a primordial ferocious beast, bloodthirsty and cruel. Its true body was thousands of zhang long, but now it had taken the form of a red-haired Daoist, sitting on the altar, surrounded by a bloody mist, its gaze icy.
“This is our stance. We see you as prey. So what?” the Earth Corpse said even more directly. He was an ancient corpse that had attained the Dao, said to possess an indestructible body.
“I think you two have lived long enough!” Ye Fan struck immediately, his golden fist shattering the void! From now on, no matter where he went, he had no need to retreat. On the imperial path, one must charge forward courageously.
[Two days left. I ask for your final double monthly ticket support. I call upon all great emperors to awaken from their slumber. Thank you, thank you.]