Chapter 1426: Divine Flesh Burial Mound
Thousands of mountains and valleys, miasma thick in the air, ancient vines and giant trees covering the land, a scene of primordial desolation. Yet it was utterly silent, not a single sound to be heard, deathly still.
A giant coffin lay horizontally, ancient and weathered, its entire body made of stone without a single crack. It was a thousand zhang tall, dwarfing many of the surrounding peaks.
If one didn't look closely, who would think it was a coffin? It clearly resembled a stone ridge, barren of all life, naturally exuding an aura of the Great Dao that inspired genuine awe.
"Emperor Void, who suppressed the Dark Calamity and fought against almost all seven Forbidden Zones of Life, is buried inside this?" Pang Bo said in a low voice.
"The coffin of an ancient Great Emperor is indeed extraordinary. Just standing here, one can feel something unusual." The twelve saints also sighed in succession.
There was no oppressive or terrifying aura. The stone coffin, so massive, emitted no dreadful fluctuations. It only possessed an air of extraordinariness.
They hadn't recklessly charged in upon arriving. Not only was this ancient coffin mysterious, but more importantly, this place was a death ground—one could enter but never leave.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others had cultivated their Heavenly Eyes. Standing far away, they could see for a thousand li, yet they still couldn't fully penetrate the deepest parts of the mist. It was as if a veil always hung before them.
Even the Source Heaven Eye, unique as it was, was blocked, unable to see everything clearly. There were ancient, unknown killing mechanisms there that remained unbroken to this day.
"If Brother and Sister Ji are really inside, that's not good. This place is so eerie—hope nothing dangerous happens," Pang Bo said.
Ye Fan replied, "As long as they don't leave the ancient coffin, no matter how terrifying the death ground, it won't be a problem. It can't harm them."
This was a fact. Even in death, an ancient Great Emperor could not be desecrated by later generations. Their remains possessed unfathomable, mighty power.
As for the so-called death ground, even saints would fall if they entered. It was an eternal burial land of mountains and rivers. Although there were ancient trees and even Medicine Kings here, not a single spiritual beast roamed.
"Something's not right. Look, these peaks emit purple qi during the day, clearly a sign of auspicious light surging forth, a great omen. Why is it called a death ground?" Dragon Horse asked, puzzled.
"Let me take a look." Ye Fan told everyone to step back. His body flowed with precious radiance as he unfolded his Source Art. Large patterns appeared beneath his feet as he surveyed the mountains and rivers.
"Eh? No, retreat quickly!" Ye Fan was startled. The moment they fled, a mysterious force spread toward them, sacred and pure, almost like divine power, flowing with light and color.
It wasn't killing intent, but rather like an immortal gate opening wide to welcome honored guests into the mountains. It was very strange.
"It's different from what the locals said. This clearly looks like a pure land—why is it called a death ground?" The twelve saints looked at each other in confusion, not sensing any killing intent at all.
Ye Fan frowned, staring at the mountains again and again. He still had everyone wait outside while he alone stepped forward.
The next moment, vast power reappeared. Thousands of mountains and valleys resonated, emitting auspicious light. Every peak seemed like a supreme treasure, rumbling as auspicious energy shot into the sky.
Primordial divine essence surged like water. All the mountains shook, sacred beyond compare. Multicolored clouds danced in the sky—completely different from the legends.
"Why is this? Are the locals lying to us? Impossible. If one person did, would everyone we met be deceiving us?" Outside, Pang Bo and the twelve saints couldn't believe it.
Ye Fan stopped, doubts in his heart, but he became even more vigilant. Standing at the edge of the death ground, he transmitted his voice toward the stone coffin, calling out: "Zi Yue, Brother Hao Yue, are you in there?"
His voice was like heavenly thunder, shaking the void as it traveled thousands of li. The entire mountain range resonated, echoing his words.
The auspicious light grew even stronger, as if an immortal cave dwelling had opened, waiting for the fated to enter and claim their fortune.
Ye Fan decisively retreated. Though the auspicious light washed over him, he felt something was wrong—an indescribable feeling.
"Crack"
All the great peaks split open. Ten thousand mountains rumbled and cracked, each mountain body covered in fissures. Inside was a bright red liquid.
"Blood, it's crimson blood!"
Ye Fan and the others were shocked. How much blood was inside so many mountains? How had it formed? It was baffling.
"These mountains are alive—they're moving!" the Black Bear Saint said in a low voice.
The mountain bodies slithered like dragons and snakes, writhing as they moved. Though cracked and bleeding, they continued, making it all feel very eerie.
"Could these really be living creatures? Look, inside the mountains are huge white bones, like the skeletons of the mountains, stained with blood." Everyone drew in a cold breath.
What kind of thing was this? How could it be so peculiar?
Mountains that crawled, slithering like dragons and snakes, their surfaces cracked, their interiors filled with blood and enormous bones. These bones supported the mountain bodies.
Each bone was long and large, the largest hundreds or even thousands of zhang, while the smallest were no bigger than a palm. They possessed a strange, life-like luster.
The mountains were alive. What kind of creature was this? Was this why the place was called a death ground—because they devoured any living being that entered?
Suddenly, a strange fragrance wafted over, making one's body feel light and healthy, as if about to float. A refreshing, heart-penetrating fragrance possessed a special magical power, intoxicating.
All the mountain bodies trembled. From the cracked gaps, brilliant light blazed. From the blood and bones, drops of mysterious liquid dripped out, crystalline and translucent.
They slid down the mountain bodies, falling to the foot of the mountains, forming small, sparkling puddles. Many of them connected together.
Without anyone saying it, everyone knew this was an extraordinary divine liquid. But the way it was produced was so unbelievable, so strange and puzzling.
"Collect!" Dragon Horse growled, offering a magical artifact that flew into the myriad mountains, trying to gather these mysterious droplets.
However, his artifact vanished like a clay ox entering the sea, never to return. It fell directly onto the mountain body, then was dissolved and swallowed by the auspicious light, absorbed into the mountain.
"It used my artifact as nourishment! What in the world is this? Could there really be such a thing as an Earth Dragon in this world?!"
In the mountains, all kinds of flowing light danced. The crystalline liquid was scarce, very rare. It didn't seep into the soil or slip into rock crevices. It all gathered at the mountain roots, forming only small puddles.
As for the giant stone coffin, it still lay horizontally, unchanged.
"Someone's coming," the Azure Luan Saint said.
In the distance, dozens of figures flew over, each surrounded by divine halos. There were men and women, some valiant and imposing, some sacred and serene, some beautiful as flowers, ethereal and graceful.
Most were humanoid creatures, though some had three heads and six arms, and others had a third vertical eye. Each had an extraordinary bearing, inspiring caution.
"It seems the Divine Demon Liquid is about to form. It only surges once every ten thousand years. This opportunity is rare—we must not fail."
These people were all very powerful, but they didn't dare enter the death ground deeply. They all watched from outside, not noticing Ye Fan and the others who had already concealed themselves.
"Look, the Divine Demon Liquid is just beginning to form. In a while, some precious liquid will settle. Harvested once every ten thousand years, this is of great importance. Everyone must patrol diligently these days—no mistakes allowed," a man said in a deep voice.
Ye Fan and the others listened quietly, nodding to themselves. This was indeed a strange place, giving birth to Divine Demon Liquid. Only those with immense magical power and great ability could obtain it.
"You and I are here on orders. If anything goes wrong, no one can bear the responsibility. The God will blame us. We must be careful."
The more Pang Bo and the others listened, the more astonished they became. Divine Demon Liquid appeared every ten thousand years, and these people belonged to some great power, specifically tasked with collecting the precious liquid here.
"Sir, why does the Divine Demon Liquid form? How is it created? Isn't this a death ground? Can we go inside?"
Clearly, there were new members among them, full of curiosity about this place, earnestly seeking answers.
"This is the battlefield of the gods, where their blood and bones were buried. Now, no one except our God can enter. The slightest mistake and one's form and spirit will be utterly destroyed," a handsome man warned. He was incredibly powerful, a Saint King with three heads and six arms, thick black hair, and a fierce aura.
This was the blood and bones of the gods, buried here, forming a life-death ground. These flesh and blood contained immortal essence, tempting later generations beyond measure.
For some unknown reason, it seemed to have formed an immortal cellar, or perhaps transformed into a special life form. The gods' flesh and burial bones automatically produced Divine Demon Liquid, surging forth once every ten thousand years.
"These people are from the Divine Domain!" Through their conversation, Ye Fan and his group learned some information.
"Sir, decades ago, a giant coffin fell from the sky, landing in this death ground. Is there any explanation? No one has been able to investigate it yet," someone asked.
"Yes, what happened? The ancient coffin fell from the sky. Some people saw several living beings on the coffin at the time. It's simply unbelievable. I wonder if they're still in this death ground."
"Some matters are too vast and too deep for you to inquire about. It's best not to," the sir said coldly.
Finally, he muttered a sentence: "That is a nine-layered ancient coffin from the Mythical Era. It might be an elder of the God, so don't discuss it."
In the shadows, Pang Bo and the others drew in a cold breath. A nine-layered coffin from the Mythical Era, buried in the nine heavens, containing a deity within. Was this its origin?
Ye Fan guessed that Emperor Void had only obtained the nine-layered coffin from the cosmos. Who the true master inside was, no one knew.
Now, it seemed they were about to find the true owner!
"It looks like Zi Yue and Brother Hao Yue might still be deep in the death ground, never having come out. I wonder how they've been all these years," Ye Fan muttered to himself.
Just then, a rumbling sound came from the distant sky. A bronze war chariot streaked across the heavens, crushing the long sky as it arrived, blooming with immortal light.
"The Divine Domain's decree has arrived!" the people who had come earlier exclaimed.
"The divine decree has arrived. Recently, the God has felt through meditation that beings from beyond the domain will come, disturbing the peace of all directions. Therefore, the decree is issued to the world: all clans shall jointly kill the evil spirits from beyond the domain and protect the Other Shore."
On the bronze war chariot stood a figure, hazy and indistinct, delivering the divine decree, calling upon all the heroes of the world to resist the demon heads from beyond the domain and slaughter the invaders cleanly.
In the shadows, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Dragon Horse, and all the others were shaken.
"Big trouble. There's going to be a bloodbath in this world. All the Great Saints, young supremes, and others who have descended to this Other Shore are in for trouble. That existence in the Divine Domain is about to start a great slaughter," Dragon Horse exclaimed in alarm.