Chapter 1411: The Sea of Bitterness
The starry sky was constantly turbulent, with great battles erupting daily and renowned experts frequently falling. Just today, a Great Sage was killed in a duel, shaking the entire ancient domain.
The Mythical Ancient Path grew increasingly brutal. Recently, a large number of people had arrived, with endless streams of experts from various clans entering this place from many ancient domains, all hoping to enter the Other Shore and behold the gods.
As for the ambitious ones, they were set on the Ancient Tree of Life.
The Mythical Ancient Domain became more and more unsettled. The withering of life and the blooming of blood flowers played out every day, numbing people to the sight of too many corpses.
"There's a clue about the Sea of Bitterness!"
That day, a piece of news swept through the star domain like a hurricane, invigorating countless cultivators. Endless ancient beast armies surged forward, causing the entire dark universe to tremble.
The Heavenly Fate Divine Master, after repeated deductions, calculated where the Sea of Bitterness lay. He marked out the approximate coordinate range, filling the heroes with surging excitement upon learning of it.
This was absolutely groundbreaking. Since ancient times, the mighty lords among the ancient beasts had spent incalculable costs without finding the Sea of Bitterness. Only a few in history had entered the "Other Shore" through special opportunities.
"It's been calculated—on the other side of the starry sky."
The crowd went wild. Everyone mobilized, rushing to another ancient land. Of course, it was still within the Mythical Ancient Domain, not separated from it.
The exact location was not revealed, but people knew the general area and followed those who understood the details all the way.
Along the way, blood flowed like rivers and shields drifted. Countless battles occurred. The four Beast Venerables—Gray Flood Dragon, Golden Toad, Heavenly Dog, and Great Roc—joined forces to collect life energy, preparing to cross the Sea of Bitterness.
Apart from them, there were overlords from other ancient domains, each acting independently without forming alliances, also stirring up bloody storms.
Meanwhile, transcendent beings who had entered from the Human Ancient Path—such as the Bull Demon King, the Sacred Spirit, and the Human Clan Dao Protector—were also preparing for battle, frequently clashing with Beast Venerables along the way.
These were all Great Sage-level figures. Their battles often involved stars falling and moons sinking, cataclysmic in scale. They inspired awe and terror, forcing others to keep far away.
This was a desolate star domain with no clues whatsoever. Not even a single habitable planet existed. The vast starry sky was bleak and barren.
When the heroes arrived here, they didn't see even a drop of water, let alone an endless Sea of Bitterness. There was nothing.
"I've been to this ancient domain. There's never been any ocean. How could it be here? Did we miscalculate?" questioned an ancient beast overlord.
This place was too barren, with very few stars. It was the coldest and most desolate dead zone, far removed from the Sea of Bitterness people had in mind.
"The Other Shore and the Sea of Bitterness are hidden in a dark heavenly domain beyond our reach. They need to be opened before they can be sensed. Otherwise, if they could be seen at a glance, they wouldn't have remained hidden for ten thousand ages."
An old man in green robes stepped forward, protected by the Great Sages. Even those from opposing camps did not attack him; instead, they all guarded him.
"It should be in this ancient domain. The general location is correct." He was a Heavenly Fate Divine Master, decrepit beyond measure, with white hair and beard, skin and bones, his face covered in wrinkles without a trace of luster.
"Since it's here, please, Divine Master, deduce further and calculate the exact position of the heavenly domain. We can join forces to open it," said a Beast Venerable.
Gray Flood Dragon, Golden Toad, Bull Demon King, Stone Man, and others nodded in agreement, waiting for the old man to make his final calculation before they forcibly opened the Sea of Bitterness domain.
The old man was gaunt, his face sallow, clearly with little life left—no more than a few years. He sighed softly and began to calculate silently.
A Heavenly Fate Divine Master was a transcendent existence, capable of divining fortune and misfortune and predicting parts of the future. However, doing so severely damaged their own life essence. Under normal circumstances, they would never act against heaven's will.
The matter of the Other Shore was too significant. The Great Sages invited the old Divine Master out of seclusion, promising great blessings for his descendants, which persuaded him—with his limited lifespan—to perform the deduction.
All of this was based on the clues manifested when Azure Phoenix Daoist "questioned heaven" during his dao dissolution. Otherwise, not even a true god, let alone a Divine Master, could have succeeded.
For nine consecutive days, the old Divine Master sat cross-legged in the dark universe, motionless as if he himself were dissolving into the dao. From time to time, essence energy and dao fragments flew out from within him—he was consuming himself!
This was a terrifying phenomenon. Dao fragments directly split from his Immortal Platform. His entire body grew drier, his blood energy withered, and he shrank by a full circle.
The various phenomena and dao marks of the Sea of Bitterness that had appeared after Azure Phoenix Daoist's passing now blurred into view, swirling around him. The old Divine Master's deduction had reached a critical moment.
"I see it—a vast Sea of Bitterness, right there!" He suddenly opened his eyes, shooting out two of the most brilliant beams of light, fixing his gaze on a distant stretch of stars.
At the same time, those brilliant eyes exploded on the spot, turning into bloody pulp and fluid that splattered everywhere. This horrifying sight made everyone's scalp tingle.
This was divine punishment! Such a person, living in the world, could witness miracles and heavenly secrets but could never speak of them.
The old Divine Master grunted, his eye sockets sunken and empty. He used his hand to carve words in the void, writing out the heavenly domain coordinates.
"Pfft"
His fingers snapped and shattered, turning into bloody, mangled flesh. Both arms followed suit, crumbling away, leaving a gruesome sight.
"You should know that my life is at its end," the old Divine Master said with a trembling voice.
He had calculated the Sea of Bitterness and revealed its coordinates, but in doing so, he had exhausted all his lifespan and could no longer exist in this world.
"You can rest assured and depart. Your descendants will henceforth enjoy great blessings. As long as we live, they will become the pride of this ancient domain."
Several Great Sages spoke in turn, making their promises.
"Crack"
The old Divine Master's Immortal Platform disintegrated, sending out some dao fragments. Then his entire body exploded, beginning to dissolve into the dao. A massive tribulation lightning descended from the sky, all striking him.
This was heavenly punishment—he had suffered divine retribution.
People's hearts shuddered. This was truly eerie. Cultivators defied heaven's will, not believing in any supreme ruler in the unseen, all seeking the path to immortality. Yet what they witnessed sent chills down their spines.
"This might be a kind of rule—ancient curses, dao principles, and order that can resonate. If touched, it could trigger some kind of celestial disturbance, appearing as divine punishment," Ye Fan muttered to himself, interpreting the inner essence of this eerie phenomenon through his own understanding and insight.
But there was no direct evidence; this could only be considered speculation.
Boom!
The dark universe split apart, starlight exploded, and the Great Sages acted together, tearing a rift in the starry sky at the location the old Divine Master had finally determined.
Rumble!
Almost instantly, people heard the sound of waves, sweeping through the void, as if facing an endless ocean.
It came from that rift, with vast, surging fluctuations.
Crack!
A celestial ruler flew up. The Stone Man activated the Measuring Heaven Ruler, emitting a brilliant light. It was forged from Immortal Tear Green Gold, capable of striking the nine heavens above and shaking the nine netherworlds below—terrifying beyond measure.
The rift expanded, and part of the ocean was already visible, shaking people's spirits. This was a heavenly domain hidden within the void, a real space, part of the universe, now manifesting.
Other Great Sages also struck again. Especially when the Bull Demon King's gleaming Vajra Ring flew out, it shattered the area, revealing a vast entrance to the heavenly domain.
"It's appeared! It really is a Sea of Bitterness, and through it, we can enter the Other Shore!"
"A vast divine sea! The legends are true. Is the dwelling place of the gods on its other shore?"
The place erupted. Crowds surged with excitement, everyone rushing forward to get a close look at the sea.
The Great Sages naturally took the lead, entering first. They saw a magnificent, boundless ocean, as if arriving at the edge of the universe.
This was the most primordial sea of heaven and earth. Individuals were too insignificant compared to it, not even a speck of dust.
The heroes entered one after another, horrified to find that it was truly enormous. Was this still an ocean? It rivaled star domains in size, with stars sinking and floating within the sea!
Such a sight was unheard of and unseen. In the sky, many great stars revolved, some falling into the sea, stirring up waves hundreds of thousands of li high—terrifying beyond measure.
"This is... a myth! How can such a scene exist? This sea can swallow stars; it's no smaller than the Mythical Ancient Domain."
This was an extension of the universe, a vast, undiscovered space. It could also be called a star domain sea—too grand and boundless.
Upon arriving, people scattered. There was no longer any need to worry about competing with the Great Sages for the path. Since it was so vast, what did it matter where one crossed the sea?
No one rashly crossed the sea, including the Great Sages. Everyone observed carefully. People always held reverence for the unfamiliar and mysterious.
The seawater was black, containing a mysterious power that made even the saints' hearts tremble. Within it was a portion of the essence of Great Yin, contained in the Sea of Bitterness.
This was no small matter. The depths of the ocean might even contain a true domain of Great Yin essence. What an immense power that would be!
There were no living creatures in the water—at least, not a single water plant, shrimp soldier, or crab general was visible. Not even a sea fish could be seen.
"This water is problematic!"
When an ancient beast fell into the water, it struggled violently and began to sink rapidly. Even its profound dao cultivation was useless, and it was swallowed whole by the Sea of Bitterness.
"This water is too terrifying! It can turn powerful cultivators into mortals. Once inside, all one's dao and magical power disappear!"
Even the Great Sages changed color, filled with caution toward this Sea of Bitterness.
Two days later, some began to cross the sea, venturing deep into the ocean. Their goal was not to reach the Other Shore but merely to scout ahead. After flying a hundred thousand li, they all turned back.
"Above the Sea of Bitterness, dao principles suppress everything. A person's divine power will quickly dry up."
This was a very bad piece of news, causing deep concern. People stared blankly at the Sea of Bitterness.
Some began to carefully carve array patterns, preparing to open a domain gate for long-distance teleportation, trying to find the coordinates of the Other Shore and reach it directly.
However, they ultimately failed. Even powerful formation masters frowned. This place could not be traversed through the void. The dao patterns dimmed and all became ineffective.
One could only cross the sea, not pierce through the void.
"Eh, what's that? There's an ancient ship!" Someone discovered an ancient ship in a certain sea area. It was grand and towering, like a small mountain.
"I understand. Only such ancient ships can transport people to the Other Shore." People recalled some legends. The ancients who entered the dwelling place of the gods had all crossed the sea by ship.
According to legend, these ships were left by the gods and were the only means of crossing the sea.
In an instant, several Great Sages landed on the ancient ship, channeling their power. The ship, like a true dragon, rode the wind and waves, turning into a streak of light that charged into the pitch-black ocean.
Soon after, a few more ancient ships were discovered. Naturally, they fell into the hands of the Great Sages, who rushed into the Sea of Bitterness. The ships were so fast that they ultimately pierced through space and vanished from the sea.
Several days later, the crowd on the shore of the Sea of Bitterness grew anxious. All the Great Sages had traveled far, leaving none behind. Even one or two young supremes had crossed the sea. But the remaining people found it difficult to find ancient ships.
"Search! With such a vast Sea of Bitterness, I refuse to believe there are only a few ships. The gods must have left them in every region."
Sure enough, more ancient ships were discovered one after another, naturally sparking bloody battles as people fought to board them.
Half a month later, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the Dragon Horse stood on a blood-soaked deck, slaughtering a group of raiders who had charged at them, before setting sail into the Sea of Bitterness.
When the ship reached its maximum speed, a void passage appeared, and the ancient ship plunged into it. It emerged again hundreds of thousands of li away. After a brief pause, it accelerated again and entered another void passage.
After traveling who knows how many tens of thousands of li, the ancient ship began to sail on the sea, no longer passing through void passages.
"Eh, there's a broken ship ahead. Only the deck is floating. Where are the people?" Pang Bo asked, uncertain.
Ye Fan looked closely and drew in a cold breath. They had seen this ancient ship before. Two Great Sages had boarded it half a month ago and set out. It had been destroyed here.
There was a lot of blood on the broken ship, with powerful fluctuations spreading—the blood of Great Sages. Those two had likely met with misfortune.
"Who attacked? Did the Great Sages have a falling out?" the Dragon Horse mused, staring at the broken ship.
"It doesn't look like a bloody conflict between Great Sages. The threat might come from the sea. Everyone, be on guard," Ye Fan said.
"What's that?" Suddenly, Pang Bo pointed ahead. In the black seawater, a purple light flickered deep beneath the surface, gradually rising.
A corpse!
It was a corpse that had been dead for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. The purple light came from the blood within its body, extremely terrifying. It floated horizontally across the sea surface.
Ye Fan's heart shook violently. He felt an inexplicable resonance. This corpse was extraordinary—it should be an Overlord Body. That blood triggered a reaction in him.
Of course, this was certainly not a contemporary Overlord Body. It had been dead for at least tens of thousands of years, and in life, it was definitely an ancient ship, though it was very peculiar.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others struck out, shattering the arrows with their fists. Then Ye Fan's eyes turned cold. A giant bow appeared in his hand—one he had forged after reaching the Saint King realm. The arrows were made of sacred bone. They flew out in an instant, splitting heaven and earth, launching a counterattack!
"Woo..."
An eerie howl came from another ancient ship approaching. It was the Four Young Masters of the Golden Serpent Clan, flying over to arrive.
Meanwhile, from behind on the Sea of Bitterness, the Heavenly Maiden Xin Lan of the God Clan, Sang Gu—descendant of the Primordial Gods and Demons—and the Bronze Ant King also arrived, standing on the same large ship.