Chapter 1424: Extravagance
When Ye Fan moved, he was like a roc spreading its wings, soaring straight up ninety thousand li. When still, he was like an abyssal sea, possessing an invincible momentum, looking down upon the world. He threw the two severed sections of the golden snake body onto the ground, completely unafraid of him escaping, and coldly looked down at his opponent.
The Golden Snake Second Lord’s ten-foot-long snake body was severed in two, golden blood splashing high. Despair filled his heart. He had unleashed several of his most powerful ancient techniques but suffered a complete defeat, unable to contend with his formidable enemy.
“I refuse to accept this!” He was unwilling to become just another pile of bones on the path of an emperor. Since emerging into the world, he had advanced triumphantly, undefeated, arrogantly believing himself to be among the strongest of the younger generation. Yet today, he suffered such a miserable defeat.
Swish!
The two halves of his body recombined, forming a single golden snake body. His golden spine clanged loudly, and the Teng Snake Evil Sword appeared once again, dazzling and brilliant.
It was stained with his lifeblood, its power incomparably great, as he prepared for a final desperate struggle. Ye Fan’s Divine Form appeared, a dragon-shaped curve at its center, a golden circle enveloping his body. With a booming sound, his blood energy surged into the sky, reaching a state of peak strength.
“Clang!”
He used his fist to strike the sword, delivering dozens of blows in succession, causing the Teng Snake Evil Sword to tremble. After the Six Paths Reincarnation Fist appeared, his golden fist struck a hundred times. Finally, with a booming sound, the sword body exploded, the evil sword shattering into countless fragments.
At the same time, a vast sea of blood and endless bones emerged, as if they had arrived in a terrifying foreign realm, so abrupt it made people tremble.
This was the blood and bones from when the Teng Snake Evil Sect had absorbed a million living beings to nurture an evil fetus and forge their supreme holy weapon. Though not physical, they were incredibly lifelike.
The Teng Snake Evil Sect had used the blood of a Great Sage, a foundation of a million living beings, and the divine blood of an entire clan of divine apes as its spirit. It had nearly become a Great Sage weapon, yet it was still destroyed, broken under Ye Fan’s fist.
This strike shattered all of the Golden Snake Second Lord’s confidence, making him feel as if he had stepped off a ten-thousand-zhang peak, falling into a dark abyss, his entire body ice-cold.
“Ye Fan, why hasn’t he killed him yet? To avoid unforeseen complications, one must not be soft on enemies. He should be decisive and ruthless,” the Scorpion Saint said.
Pang Bo said, “Because there are still three snakes. Ye Fan wants to understand the depths of this clan. He might even encounter the most terrifying old snake in the future.”
In the final moment, the Golden Snake Second Lord’s face suddenly twisted with ferocity. He cast aside all his dejection, and divine light burst from his brow. A corner of a formation diagram flew out, flowing with the aura of the Great Dao. It seemed capable of suppressing the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, its divine energy surging wildly.
This was a mysterious ancient artifact of the Teng Snake clan. In the past, the four brothers had used it to resist a Great Sage, forcing the Gray Flood Dragon Beast Venerable into a dangerous situation, nearly falling into its trap.
“Even if I cannot defeat you, I can still slay you!” the Golden Snake Second Lord roared, his gaze fierce. This peerless enemy filled him with despair. Since he could not contend, he would completely destroy him. This was his mad thought—to make Ye Fan’s body and spirit vanish.
Although the corner of the divine diagram was sealed, some of its power could still be unleashed. Ripples of light spread out like waves, capable of killing gods and Buddhas alike.
The void shattered inch by inch!
“Clang!”
Suddenly, a brilliant green light blazed before Ye Fan. He took out the incomplete green cauldron and placed it in front of him, blocking all the light waves as they spread over.
The Dragon Horse and the others were shocked. The Teng Snake clan was indeed terrifying, forcing Ye Fan to use this great killing weapon—something that had not happened in many years!
The Green Copper Cauldron was mysterious and unfathomable, the only divine artifact left from the ancient Heavenly Court. It did not actively attack, primarily serving as a defensive tool.
“What is this? The ancient Heavenly Court…” the Golden Snake Second Lord cried out, a look of shock on his face.
Ye Fan advanced with the green cauldron. The light waves could not approach him, crashing instead into the Golden Snake Second Lord and the divine diagram. With a booming sound, this corner of the ancient formation diagram blazed brilliantly, tearing through the void and shooting into the clouds, actually escaping.
“My Teng Snake lineage’s ancestral artifact has flown away…” the Golden Snake Second Lord exclaimed in horror.
Hundreds of thousands of li away, in a vast wilderness with towering ancient trees, ape cries and tiger roars filled the air. The other three Lords of the Golden Snake clan each had a corner of a formation diagram floating above their heads, operating the Golden Snake Heavenly Art, trying to locate the Second Lord through the resonance of the diagrams.
Suddenly, a brilliant light blazed at the horizon. A dazzling divine rainbow descended from the sky, and a corner of an ancient diagram fell, merging with their ancestral artifacts to form a complete ancient diagram.
On it were various patterns, from deities above to birds and beasts below. At the center, ten thousand beings gathered around a Teng Snake that had become a god. The scene was world-shaking, for it could open its mouth and swallow the great stars of the heavens.
“The Second Brother’s fate is grim,” the Golden Snake First Lord said with a soft sigh. Two brilliant divine lights shot from his eyes as he gazed into the distance, his expression fierce.
“The Second Brother’s life is nearing its end; he may no longer be in this world. Is it the Human Clan’s Sacred Body? I will kill him!” the Golden Snake Third Lord roared. Among the four, he had the hottest temper, often killing without hesitation, leaving rivers of blood and countless corpses. Behind him, a sea of blood appeared, surging into the high heavens.
“Human Clan’s Sacred Body, I will torture you to death with the cruelest methods. It’s a pity the Second Brother hadn’t yet mastered the invincible ‘Teng Snake Transformation into God’ technique; otherwise, who could contend with him?”
“You two master the Teng Snake Transformation into God. We will find a way to eliminate the Human Clan’s Sacred Body,” the Golden Snake First Lord said, his expression growing darker.
“Of course we will eliminate him. I will devour his golden flesh one bite at a time!”
…
The broken mountains and ruined ridges were a scene of devastation. The battle was over. Ye Fan pointed a finger at the Golden Snake Second Lord’s forehead, blood splattering, and a massive snake corpse lay on the ground.
It was no longer ten feet long. Its true body stretched a thousand zhang, lying across the mountain range. It was entirely golden, dazzling and brilliant, its scales one to two meters long, gleaming with metallic luster.
Under the clear moonlight, flames flickered in the mountains. Ye Fan, Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, the Golden Lion, and others sat together around a campfire, on which hung piece after piece of golden, oily meat.
Beside the fire were jars of fine wine, their fragrance wafting far into the night. They ate large pieces of meat and drank large bowls of wine.
“In my whole life, this is the first time I’ve eaten Teng Snake. The taste isn’t great—tough and hard to chew,” the Dragon Horse said.
“You shouldn’t be eating meat,” the Scorpion Saint said.
“I’m not a vegetarian. I love all kinds of things—lion heads, bear paws, dragon liver, phoenix marrow,” the Dragon Horse said, gulping down a jar of wine casually.
Several killing intents immediately surged toward him. The Golden Lion, the Black Bear Saint, the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, the Azure Luan, and others all glared at him.
Alas, the Golden Snake Second Lord, once a heavenly prodigy of his generation, was now killed, roasted over a campfire, and turned into someone else’s meal. No one would believe it if word got out.
“Snake shouldn’t be roasted; it should be made into soup and stewed. Come on, Leaf, bring the cauldron over. Put in the Life Spring Divine Liquid of an ancient Heavenly Venerable from the Mythological Era and stew the Teng Snake,” Pang Bo said.
The Black Bear Saint raised his bear paws in agreement. “Great idea—it will definitely be flavorful! I’ll go find a few medicinal herbs to use as seasoning. Look at these mountains and valleys, full of ancient peaks; there might be tens of thousands of years old herbs. They’d be perfect for the meat.”
This could be described as extremely extravagant. Strands of Primordial Mother Qi hung down, with Kunpeng, Vermilion Bird, Chaos Deities, and others lifelike, now serving as mere decorations.
Wisps of chaotic energy swirled around the cauldron’s mouth. How many such divine objects could be found in the world? Now, it was being used for a trivial purpose, becoming a vessel for a few gluttons.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others channeled their divine power, flames flickering from their fingertips to heat the cauldron, cooking with divine fire.
Inside the cauldron, chaos was hazy. The Life Spring Divine Liquid of the ancient Heavenly Venerable bubbled and surged. The golden Teng Snake meat floated up and down. The Dragon Horse, the Golden Lion, and the others threw in a few ancient herbs, while the Scorpion Saint added some ancient vine roots. The aroma was mouthwatering.
There was the fragrance of meat, the freshness of the Life Spring, and the scent of herbs. Such a pot of meat soup, if not unprecedented, was certainly rare. Teng Snake meat, cooked in the Primordial Qi Cauldron with Heavenly Venerable Divine Liquid—how often could one see such a thing in the mortal world?
“To enjoy a meal like this is enough,” the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon sighed. This was simply too extravagant. He felt that eating like this might invite divine retribution, as if it were unreal.
Everyone ate to their heart’s content, even drinking the broth dry. After all, it was divine liquid; every drop could bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to white bones. The group was filled with surging energy, their bodies nearly bursting.
“Although it looks like a whole pot of divine liquid, the ancient Heavenly Venerable’s body was mysteriously enlarged. If reduced to normal human size, this pot of Life Spring Divine Liquid wouldn’t even amount to a single drop,” the Dragon Horse said.
This was true, and it was far less than a single drop of a Heavenly Venerable’s Life Spring liquid. Otherwise, it would be the most heaven-defying thing in the world. Who could obtain the Life Spring Divine Liquid of an ancient Great Emperor?
At dawn, mist drifted, carrying a damp scent. Morning dew sparkled with five-colored and ten-colored light in the early sunlight.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and the others left the mountains, heading toward the vast land, advancing toward cities inhabited by living beings. In fact, they had already encountered some strange creatures in the mountains, but most had no profound cultivation and had limited knowledge of the entire world.
“Boom,” “Boom”…
Suddenly, a great noise came.
They were startled, for on the horizon, a towering figure gradually appeared, a hundred zhang tall, like a mountain peak, majestic and imposing.
This was a giant ape, with a wide mouth and fangs, covered in yellow fur that shimmered with faint golden light. It carried a stone staff, on which hung a strange creature several tens of zhang long, clearly its prey.
“Are the creatures in this world really this big?”
“Hmm, although it’s large, its strength isn’t that terrifying. It’s only at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. But with such a size, its physical body is probably unmatched by few.”
“I’ll go ask him about this star’s situation.” The Dragon Horse rose and approached the giant ape, using divine thought to inquire.
The giant ape clearly sensed the strength of the newcomer and did not underestimate him because of his small size. It answered every question, surprisingly cooperative, which caught the group off guard.
This was an ancient life source land, named “Other Shore.” It was home to a group of extremely powerful beings, with the giant ape being only the lowest-level creature.
It pointed with its stone staff into the distance, saying there were cities and prosperous towns there, where various races appeared.
“Hmm, it really is the Other Shore.” The group exchanged glances.
According to the giant ape, this world truly had gods, but it could not approach them because its rank was insufficient to pay homage.
This shocking news immediately moved them, suggesting that this ancient star might harbor terrifying existences.
“Have you ever heard of the ancient coffin from the Mythological Era?” the Dragon Horse continued to ask.
“Of course I have. A stone coffin, nine layers deep, descended onto the land decades ago. Everyone knows about it,” the giant ape replied, leaving them stunned. They had thought it would be extremely secretive and require great effort to find, but it turned out everyone here knew about it!
“Where is it?”
“Naturally, in the Immortal Domain,” the giant ape said.
“What? The Immortal Domain? Does such a place really exist?!” Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Wait, speak slowly. Where is the Immortal Domain? What kind of place is it?” Ye Fan asked seriously.
“The Immortal Domain is the dwelling place of the gods, the land of eternal life. It’s in that direction,” the giant ape said, pointing with its great staff toward a distant direction.
Everyone was speechless. The giant ape had answered again, leaving no suspense. It knew everything.
“Do you know about the Ancient Tree of Life?” the Dragon Horse asked. He had never met the Ji siblings, so naturally, he had no feelings for them. He was not particularly interested in the nine-layered coffin of the Mythological Era, only wanting to know about the Ancient Tree of Life.
“Of course I do,” the giant ape nodded honestly.
“How do you know everything?!”