Chapter 335: Phoenix Blood Moves Hearts
Phoenix Blood Red Gold, an extreme Dao sacred object, appears but once in a thousand generations. Since the ancient times, over a hundred thousand years have passed, and only the Eternal Universe Great Emperor ever obtained it.
Its rarity is utterly unimaginable!
This is a sacred object exclusive to a Great Emperor. Ordinary people cannot obtain it, cannot even lay eyes on it. For tens of thousands of years, it has remained like a dream or illusion.
Its value cannot be measured. Throughout history, there have been several Great Emperors, yet only one was fortunate enough to obtain Phoenix Blood Red Gold!
This is something that ancient Great Emperors dreamed of, something many sages could only gaze at from afar, forever out of reach.
Holding such a rare treasure in his hand, Ye Fan was first excited, then felt as if he held a hot potato. This black stone was too precious, containing a priceless gem within, but whether he could keep it was a serious problem.
Why is it so heavy?! He complained inwardly. If he hadn't accidentally dropped it, he could have stashed it away without any of this trouble.
Beside him, five pairs of eyes were all fixed on the black stone in his hand, their heat capable of melting refined steel.
The Holy Son Yao Guang had a halo behind his head, sacred light covering his body, auspicious rays cascading down. With his heaven-gifted talent, he had aspired to become a Great Emperor since childhood. Seeing such a sacred object, how could he not be moved?
This was akin to a rough embryo of an extreme weapon, something that drove people mad, a sacred object exclusive to a Great Emperor.
He usually wore a gentle smile, but now he could not remain calm, a fiery heat surging in his eyes.
Among them, Old Knife Handle was the most direct. He took several steps forward before stopping, exuding a heart-shaking aura, vastly different from his usual appearance as a shabby old man.
At this moment, he was many times stronger than usual, like a dormant flood dragon leaping out of the water, exuding an aura of extreme danger and terror.
Yao Xi's peerless immortal face could not hide the turmoil within her. Her eyes shimmered with a hazy light, her delicate fingers forming an immortal seal. Phoenix Blood Red Gold made her unable to remain calm either.
Though she did not advance, she stood in the most advantageous position. If anyone made a move to seize it, she could make the best choice—whether to fight or retreat, all in a single thought.
The least threatening person present was Li Desheng. Though his eyes burned with desire, he wisely stepped back several paces, quickly making his decision clear.
He was born with Yinming Eyes, rare in the world, a unique and extraordinary power, but it was not manifested in combat. He was the weakest among them and had no choice but to retreat.
Relatively speaking, among the few, the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi was calmer. Though her beautiful eyes shimmered with unusual light and her emotions stirred, she showed no intention of acting.
She stood quietly, her robes fluttering, a pure immortal untouched by dust. Yao Chi, detached from worldly strife, made its disciples' hearts tranquil and indifferent, rarely engaging in conflict.
Ye Fan took all this in, his heart bitter. These people were eyeing him covetously; it would be too difficult for him to keep the Phoenix Blood Red Gold.
"Everyone, what do you mean by this?" He had to speak up. This stalemate was no solution.
"Phoenix Blood Red Gold is something even ancient Great Emperors might not obtain. We are moved and wish to take a look." The Holy Son Yao Guang stepped forward, his body shrouded in radiance, unconsciously radiating an unparalleled pressure.
Yao Xi's flawless jade-like face revealed a captivating charm. She smiled lightly and said, "Daoist, don't you have anything else to say?"
"I want to say... why is this stone so heavy!" Ye Fan still harbored resentment.
This pitch-black stone, no bigger than a fist, weighed ten thousand jin. That was precisely why it had revealed the fact that it contained a rare treasure.
Old Knife Handle also stepped forward a few paces, his presence even more imposing. "Divine materials go to those fated to obtain them. Since it has fallen into your hands, we won't snatch it, but we do wish to examine it closely."
Hearing this, Ye Fan was deeply surprised, because just moments ago, he had felt the strongest killing intent from this shabby old man. Now, saying this was like offering him protection.
"Daoist, please rest assured. Though we are tempted, we would not go so far as to kill for treasure. If the Daoist is willing to part with it, I would pay any price to exchange for it," the Holy Son Yao Guang said, his face glowing with light.
There was absolutely no way he would exchange it. Ye Fan wanted to use it to forge his cauldron. This was a sacred object sought by ancient Great Emperors; nothing could replace it.
Yao Xi's eyes flickered, her smile enchanting, her lips gleaming with luster. "Daoist, no need to worry. Just display the treasure and let us have a look."
At this point, Li Desheng, seeing that no fight had broken out, also came closer.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi moved lightly and stepped forward, saying, "Daoist, you can be at ease. No one will make a move."
Ye Fan pondered inwardly. For now, there likely wouldn't be a fight, especially since they were still within the Primordial Forbidden Zone. He was skilled in Source Arts; if things turned sour, both sides would suffer. These people still needed him to guide the way.
But once they left the Primordial Forbidden Zone, everything would be hard to predict.
"Everyone, please take a look." Ye Fan held the black stone in his palm, no longer sealing it.
The stone skin had fallen off, revealing a piece the size of a copper coin. Inside, the divine object shone with countless auspicious rays and thousands of divine rainbows, dazzling light shooting in all directions.
It was enchantingly brilliant, breathtakingly beautiful. Crystalline and radiant, it was impossible to look directly at it. Vaguely, one could see phoenix patterns imprinted on it, mysterious and magnificent.
"This is Phoenix Blood Red Gold!"
Everyone exclaimed, their eyes burning even hotter.
"There's only a thin layer of stone skin. It seems this piece of Phoenix Blood Red Gold is not much smaller than a fist, weighing over ten thousand jin—enough to forge a weapon," Old Knife Handle said.
A fist-sized piece of material could indeed be used to forge a weapon, but no one knew exactly how much divine material was needed for an extreme weapon. Only a Great Emperor could say for sure.
Ye Fan did not peel off the stone skin. Instead, he sealed the fallen piece back in place. This was to prevent the sacred object's essence from leaking. Without the stone skin seal, if not forged into an extreme weapon, it could easily lose its essence.
The dazzling light faded, and the hall returned to dimness. Ye Fan put away the Phoenix Blood Red Gold. Unless someone offered an ancient scripture in exchange, nothing else could move him.
"If you want to forge an extreme weapon, this is far from enough. This is likely leftover material from the Eternal Universe Great Emperor," the Holy Son Yao Guang speculated.
"Phoenix Blood Red Gold is a sacred object comparable to a divine phoenix. There are few things in the world that can match it," Old Knife Handle sighed. "The sacred objects of the Eastern Wasteland have been nearly exhausted by several Great Emperors."
"If another Great Emperor who rules the world appears one day, it will truly be difficult to find divine materials," Yao Xi also said.
The group searched the hall and found a few lines left by the Eternal Universe Great Emperor, roughly meaning he left them for the fated.
The Eternal Universe Great Emperor, with heaven-gifted talent and cultivation that shook the ages, was also a man of great fortune. But he never took everything, always leaving a thread of opportunity for later generations.
The six searched carefully. There was nothing else in the hall—no secret techniques, only the ashes left from forging an extreme weapon, recording the Great Emperor's past glory.
Leaving the ancient structure, everyone turned back to look at the plaque. The two characters "Eternal Universe" were vigorous and forceful, with an aura that seemed to pierce the heavens.
Each person stood still, quietly contemplating, hoping to gain some insight. This was not a specific transmission of techniques but the artistic conception of the Dao, which could sometimes trigger sudden enlightenment.
Ye Fan felt something, his heart becoming ethereal. Touched by those two characters, he wanted to unleash the Battle Saint Art, but he could only suppress it, forming seals in his mind to battle.
It must be said that the Holy Son Yao Guang was indeed an extraordinary figure. Immersed in an ethereal state, his sacred light was like the heavens, actually drawing out a trace of the Great Emperor's divine might from the ancient structure. Under the artistic conception of the Dao like the heavens, he spread his arms, his dharma body like an abyss, tracing inexplicable trajectories, gaining insights.
The Holy Maiden of Yao Chi and Yao Xi were also extraordinary figures, similarly gaining something, silently comprehending. As for Old Knife Handle, he was very still, motionless like dead wood. Li Desheng, however, could not calm his mind. His Yinming Eyes flickered as he said, "I sense it again. Something in the shadows is watching us."
Soon, everyone recovered from their ethereal state, probing their divine senses outward but finding nothing.
Falling Sun Ridge was eerily quiet. Aside from the blurry black sun on the ground, there was nothing else.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. He took out the Li Fire Divine Furnace. The pitted furnace body had mostly recovered. He opened the lid and sacrificed the inch-tall crystalline divine furnace.
"Swish"
With a flash of light, the Li Fire Divine Furnace sank into the black sun on the ground, and black flames began to leap and dance.
"Daoist, what are you doing?!" Li Desheng exclaimed.
"The ancient Great Emperor chose this place to forge his weapon, proving that the yang energy of Falling Sun Ridge is the most abundant in the world. I'll take some too, to forge an extreme weapon in the future."
Li Desheng was speechless, his mouth agape. Aside from ancient Great Emperors, who could forge an extreme weapon? This was clearly nonsense.
Everyone knew that Falling Sun Ridge contained the ultimate yang fire of the world, the most rigid and yang. The divine fire buried underground was also a treasure. If one could obtain it, it would be of great use.
The Li Fire Divine Furnace sank into the black sun, entering the ground to collect the black flames.
"Don't mess around!" Old Knife Handle frowned in warning, worried about provoking something underground.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Ye Fan nodded. He cultivated Source Arts and knew the limits.
"Daoist, your broken furnace is about to melt." Li Desheng's Yinming Eyes flickered, seeing through the void. He wanted to burst out laughing.
Ye Fan frowned. The furnace was indeed becoming deformed from the heat. He quickly retrieved it. The deeper underground, the higher the temperature, the more extraordinary the flames.
He could only collect the flames on the surface, filling the furnace with black flames. This time, he sealed the lid and stored it within his body.
The Holy Son Yao Guang, Old Knife Handle, Yao Xi, and the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi all moved, sacrificing mysterious weapons to collect the black flames. But they only took a little before stopping, feeling the temperature was too intense.
"Since these flames are so extraordinary, I'll take some too." Li Desheng sacrificed his silver gourd.
"Zzzt"
Something shocking happened. The silver gourd instantly melted, destroyed within the blurry black sun.
"This... a Dao Palace secret realm weapon, destroyed just like that! My precious!" He cried out in pain.
Ye Fan silently assessed. The flames contained in this black sun on the surface were extremely terrifying. Even the surface black fire was almost comparable to the purple fire of the sixth layer of the Fire Domain.
As for the underground part, the fire energy was terrifying, unimaginable. The Eternal Universe Great Emperor chose this place to forge his weapon because it was the ultimate yang location.
He felt that the flames he collected from underground were not much weaker than the fire he had used to burn to death the Ji Family Supreme Elder.
This was good stuff!
Ye Fan remained expressionless. Once they left the Primordial Forbidden Zone, if a fight broke out, he thought he would first release a great fire.
Next, the group moved forward cautiously. Under Ye Fan's guidance, they passed through dangers and slowly distanced themselves from this deadly land.
After leaving this place, the distant area was vast and open. They had almost walked out of the Primordial Forbidden Zone.
"We're really out!"
"There are two things behind us!" Li Desheng suddenly changed color.
"Go!"
At this point, no one was worried anymore. They all shot into the sky, flying into the distance.
Once outside the Primordial Forbidden Zone, there were no more concerns. They had finally escaped the demonic land.
It was now the latter half of the night. The world was silent, the moonlight like water, very cold and clear.
"Daoist, please wait." The Holy Son Yao Guang smiled gently, blocking Ye Fan's path.
Yao Xi also smiled faintly, looking charming, standing on the other side.
Old Knife Handle and the Holy Maiden of Yao Chi were also not far away. A mist of killing intent filled the scene, but it was impossible to tell who was emitting it.
Ye Fan understood. Phoenix Blood Red Gold moved hearts. A sacred object exclusive to a Great Emperor could not possibly pass without incident.