# Chapter 1765: Critical Moment
A stone stele, not formed by laws, stood as an ancient object on the path to immortality. Such a physical entity had never been seen before. Moreover, it was erected by the Desolate Heavenly Emperor—its influence was immense!
That was an era of chaotic antiquity, impossible to verify, impossible to comprehend, yet people knew that the experts of that period were terrifying beyond measure. Otherwise, how could an immortal artifact like the Desolate Tower have been left behind?
"Did the Desolate Heavenly Emperor become an immortal?"
This was a question that left people uncertain. That person had once walked this far, yet the Desolate Tower remained in the mortal world. Had he truly succeeded?
"Chi!"
A burst of blood light flashed. Ye Fan's left side was torn open, a bone snapped—it was a massive white tiger claw. The White Tiger Daoist had struck him, vicious and precise.
In this place, their attacks never ceased, growing even more intense. Crossing this stele might mean achieving immortality, with only two or three slots (ming'e) available. How could they not fight to the death?
In truth, not only was Ye Fan wounded, but everyone was already drenched in blood. Such fierce combat left them all scarred, bathed in imperial blood as they fought madly.
In the previous ambush, the White Tiger Daoist had revealed his true form, his massive tail severed. Ye Fan had grabbed it and was now using it as a whip.
"Boom!"
A violent collision—the Phoenix Wing Flowing Gold Halberd clashed with the Beast God, sending immortal light in all directions as blood rain scattered.
The Supreme from the Immortal Mound was battling the Ten Thousand Dragon Emperor, their terrifying aura flooding the heavens and earth. Everyone was drenched in blood, their weapons damaged.
Suddenly, in an instant, almost all five Ancient Emperors moved simultaneously, charging at Ye Fan with coordinated strikes, determined to kill him!
"It's time. Eliminate him first, then we'll compete for the slots (ming'e)!"
They were deeply wary of Ye Fan. As a contemporary Supreme, his blood energy was like an ocean, surpassing theirs, allowing him to fight for extended periods. They could not—their time was limited, and they feared that in the end, they would only benefit the Sacred Body Ye Fan.
"Boom!"
Ye Fan raised both hands. A blazing immortal light erupted, blocking his front. The aura shook past and present, causing even the five Supremes to pale in shock.
It was the Immortal Ascension Cauldron!
It flew back, under Ye Fan's control, shielding him. Green light surged to the heavens, immortal dao laws danced, nearly shattering all worlds.
"You've gained a great advantage!"
Several ancient Supremes deduced what had happened. The artifact spirit within the cauldron, in its ignorant years, had taken the form of a divine child. Though it had now returned to its place, it still remembered him.
In the past, no one knew that the artifact spirit of the Immortal Ascension Cauldron was in Ye Fan's hands. Only now, after reforging the cauldron, was this revealed.
"Do you think having a cauldron allows you to fight the five of us? What a joke! Even if the Emperor Venerable were reborn, it wouldn't be possible!"
Wenglong—five types of supreme dao laws surged forward, engulfing Ye Fan. The Immortal Ascension Cauldron trembled, scattering ten thousand rays of light, while Ye Fan struck without reservation.
"Pfft"
Blood rain scattered. He suffered severe injuries. Though he had the Immortal Ascension Cauldron in hand, with five imperial-level experts attacking together, he simply could not withstand it. He was gravely wounded.
Ask anyone in this era—who could fight five emperors alone? That was unreal. Unless one became an immortal, death was certain.
The only saving grace was that the Immortal Ascension Cauldron floated above his head, reducing the attack power and providing defense. Otherwise, Ye Fan would have been doomed, unlikely to survive.
Ye Fan's eyes flickered. The situation was dire. He had entered before the Immortal Gate, Chaos Cave, and Reincarnation Gate closed, already aware of this outcome. Achieving immortality meant nine deaths and one chance at life—he had to fight with his life.
However, the alliance of those few was certainly unstable. Given the opportunity, they would eliminate competitors.
He did not hesitate. Merging his body with the Immortal Ascension Cauldron, green light surged as he charged forward along the immortal path. Where there was no road, he forcibly opened a golden avenue, shattering the terrifying barrier.
"Boom!"
He crossed the stone stele. Ahead, dazzling light burst forth. A vast world lay before his eyes. Had he achieved immortality? Had he entered the Immortal Domain?
The others naturally would not let him ascend first. They advanced in parallel, also breaking through, surveying this great realm.
Here, ancient trees reached the heavens, great rivers surged—truly a vast world. Divine birds flew, immortal beasts roared, shaking the earth with their steps.
"Have we become immortals?" the White Tiger Daoist shouted, revealing his massive true form. Unable to contain himself, he roared to the heavens, collapsing a mountain with his step. His terrifying body crushed heaven and earth, an astonishing sight.
Everyone stopped fighting. Had they become immortals just like that? Too sudden. They had broken into a strange world.
"No, our physical condition hasn't improved. Though the aura here is many times denser, this is not the Immortal Realm," the Beast God said.
The others closed their eyes, sensing carefully. Moments later, they were disappointed, revealing expressions of profound sorrow.
"This is still not the Immortal Domain. It is formed by laws, but too real—it almost fooled even us."
This was a cruel truth. They had fought their way in, but had not seen the hoped-for result. This was not the Immortal Realm. It was despair.
For a time, people stopped fighting, forgetting the bloodshed, all silently deducing.
"I've calculated it. This is... before the Immortal Realm. We've arrived!"
Almost simultaneously, everyone opened their eyes, divine light blazing. Ye Fan was no exception. Ahead stood a Heavenly Gate. Step through it, and one would become an immortal!
They all charged deeper into this world, finally seeing a Heavenly Gate.
Several tried to force it open, all failing. No one could shake it. Like an eternal monument standing at the world's end, it simply would not open.
"Use the Immortal Ascension Cauldron!" Several Supremes pressed in, ordering Ye Fan to act.
Ye Fan responded coldly, but he did act. He too wanted to see if it could be opened. The Heavenly Gate shook with a rumbling sound, but in the end, it did not shatter. Failure.
"Words are appearing!"
"It requires... a sacrifice of imperial-level experts. Only then will this gate open. This is the only path to the Immortal Domain."
Those were imperial characters, profound and unfathomable, but not beyond their understanding. This made them exchange glances, cold light flashing in their eyes. Even without this, half of them would need to be eliminated for enough slots (ming'e). Now, it seemed a bloody battle was inevitable.
Ye Fan saw them fix their gazes on him again, intending to sacrifice him. He sneered, "Gentlemen, I have not truly attained the Dao. Are you not afraid it will be useless? Moreover, do you truly believe what is inscribed on the Heavenly Gate? How do you know this is not the greatest deception in history?!"
"Even if it is a deception, we accept it. We have come this far. Is there any retreat?" the Beast God said, cold light shooting from his eyes.
They had no way back. They had already undergone ultimate sublimation. After this battle, they would most likely never have the strength to tread the immortal path again. This was their final chance in this life.
Perhaps there were traps ahead, even falsehoods, but they had no choice. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, they had to press forward.
"Kill!"
War erupted. Ye Fan was the target several wanted to eliminate. But they all had selfish motives, understanding that he had only achieved an alternative form of enlightenment. They feared sacrificing him would be useless, secretly seeking other targets.
In such a battle, mutual suspicion and guardedness made the fighting extremely painful. Finally, someone indeed ambushed an ally, triggering a melee. The Supreme from the Immortal Mound also became a target. Additionally, the White Tiger Daoist barely escaped being drenched in blood.
Chaos erupted. Heaven and earth shattered. This world of laws nearly collapsed. Had it not been for the proximity to the Immortal Realm, with supreme runes flickering, both the battlefield and the immortal path would have vanished.
Outside, heavenly punishment rumbled. The great universe trembled. Beams of light flew everywhere. By now, all races knew who was about to attain the Dao. Everyone saw a massive Golden Crow, gradually merging a wisp of its imprint into the great dao of heaven and earth.
No one could stop it. Its dao fruit had already formed, forever inscribed in heaven and earth. After this tribulation, it would undoubtedly become a supreme Great Emperor.
The great tribulation continued. In the endless sea of lightning, a Golden Crow, its body as if forged from gold, traversed the universe—striking the nine heavens above and probing the nine underworlds below.
It was creating a myth of attaining the Dao!
"Hahaha..." On the Fire Mulberry Star, all the important figures of the Golden Crow Clan burst into laughter. Some even had tears streaming down their faces. This result shocked them, moved them to tears.
This was a miracle!
They had thought the old Golden Crow long dead. Who would have imagined he was about to become an emperor?
The clan members had believed the old Golden Crow was in seclusion. Only they knew the ancestor had disappeared for many years, with no news, likely dead. Yet now, he had returned with overwhelming force.
"He's become an emperor! Let's see how that human Sacred Body can still be arrogant!"
"Yes, our clan's ancestor has become a Great Emperor, master of the mortal world's rise and fall. No one can stop him. His blood energy is vigorous, not comparable to those aged Supremes!"
Many among the Golden Crow Clan were excited while gnashing their teeth, filled with great hatred for Ye Fan. He had killed too many of their clan's experts in the past, and they had been powerless to resist.
"The glory of my Golden Crow Clan will illuminate eternity from now on. No one can oppose it!"
All the powers across the universe fell silent. A Golden Crow Great Emperor was about to be born. The entire cosmic landscape (geju) would undergo drastic changes.
"I was wondering why a Great Emperor suddenly appeared, silently reaching this realm. So it was him. In his first life, he ruled the world, fought to the quasi-emperor ninth heaven, crossed mountains of corpses and seas of blood. His accumulated experience (jilei) was long sufficient. This life naturally belongs to him. Sigh!"
There were naturally those who regretted it.
Among them, Yin Tiande, Huo Qizi, Divine Venerable, Divine Silkworm Daoist, and others were the most regretful. They too had hopes, and not too far in the future. Unfortunately, everything was too late. The Golden Crow Clan's Great Emperor had risen, cutting off their path forward.
"Dang..." The bell tolled slowly. The Golden Crow Great Emperor forged his weapon amidst the thunder tribulation. It was a golden great bell, the same color as his body, forged from Dao Tribulation Gold—perfectly suited for him.
"So strong! He's forging his weapon while becoming an emperor, and he's prepared such supreme immortal material!"
People marveled, knowing the Golden Crow Clan's Great Emperor had great boldness, or perhaps one could say great ambition.
In the endless lightning, a great bell took shape. Golden light blazed, illuminating the thirty-three heavens. The bell's waves stirred eternity, resonating across the universe.
The great bell formed, undergoing tribulation with him. As long as they endured, they would be invincible under heaven.
However, the old Golden Crow also felt a kind of anxiety. He had become an emperor, about to reach perfection, yet he also sensed changes in the immortal path. He knew that if the Immortal Gate, Chaos Cave, and Reincarnation Gate completely closed, for the people of the outside world, there would never be another chance.
"Becoming an emperor is not my final destination (zhongdian). I too will become an immortal, to be the first in eternity!"
The Golden Crow Clan's Great Emperor grew fierce. With a high-pitched cry, the entire universe trembled. Spreading his wings, he carried the golden great bell, bringing endless heavenly tribulation, charging toward the Immortal Gate that was about to close.