Chapter 586: Nest Sacred Bone
Within this small world, vegetation was lush, spiritual medicines were everywhere, tides surged mightily, and vast amounts of innate essence energy existed—it was a primeval heaven and earth.
"I finally understand why the ancient races were so powerful. The environment they lived in back then was like this, spiritual energy as fluid as water. They must have advanced at an incredible pace!"
"These ancient trees, towering into the clouds, have grown for tens of thousands of years without dying. If they were in the outside world, they would have withered long ago."
Dongfang Ye and the others couldn't help but be astonished. This was a spiritual realm identical to the ancient times, filled with mysterious and profound energy.
Within this realm-within-a-realm, all kinds of rare treasures and exotic objects could be seen. However, one peculiar thing was that ancient trees could not transform into human forms, and strange beasts could not undergo tribulations.
Here, a mysterious array pattern suppressed everything. There were incredibly powerful beast kings, but no humanoid ancient demons.
"This small world..." Ye Fan was lost in thought. He felt completely at ease, his pores and bones relaxing, easily entering a state of enlightenment.
The laws of the outside world had changed, unsuitable for the Sacred Body's cultivation, forcing him to go against the heavens. But this place was different—it preserved all the order and rules of the ancient times, harmonizing with his physical body.
"The path of immortality is always auspicious. The path of ghosts is always ominous. Lofty and pure beauty. Mournful songs echo through the vast sky. I only wish to achieve the immortal path, not to be trapped in mortal poverty."
Ye Fan recited casually. After speaking, he himself was startled—this was a flash of sudden enlightenment. This small world made his mind clear and empty, the Dao realm following in tandem.
"This is truly a wonderful place. Cultivating here for a year is worth decades outside!" Duan De rubbed his hands together, his eyes burning with desire, actually wanting to collect this small world.
"Unless an ancient sage comes, no one can collect a small world," Old Blind Man shook his head regretfully.
"This is a puddle formed by spiritual energy!" the Barbarian exclaimed in amazement.
Ahead, there was a puddle about one meter square, surrounded by multicolored clouds, essence energy surging forth, radiant and auspicious, beautiful and peaceful.
It was formed by the liquefaction of heaven and earth's essence energy. Beside the puddle were some source blocks, crystallized into translucent crystals, and many spiritual medicines growing nearby.
"This is a variant source—we're witnessing its evolution process!" The few of them were all shocked and amazed.
Then, with excited hearts, they began searching. If they could find a puddle of divine source liquid, it would be a priceless immortal burial, for divine source liquid could seal a person, allowing them to live forever.
For everyone below the Great Emperor level, it was an indirect way to achieve longevity. The ancient royal clans had all survived this way.
"Divine source liquid!" Fatty Duan shouted, pouncing forward. Beneath a towering ancient tree, there was a small puddle no bigger than a fist. Divine light surged up, illuminating the entire ancient tree with a brilliant emerald glow.
Everyone gathered around, marveling. In the passing of the ancient era, such divine source liquid had long become a legend, impossible to find.
"It can keep one of your fists or both eyes immortal forever," Ye Fan laughed.
Fatty Duan chuckled incessantly, taking out a small cauldron and carefully sealing the divine source liquid inside. He applied eighty-one layers of seals with profound secret techniques, afraid it would solidify immediately.
"Let's keep searching. Maybe we'll find a lake of divine source," Duan De said, unsatisfied, wanting a greater harvest.
Unfortunately, they knew this was impossible. Even in the ancient era, divine source liquid was extremely rare, something to be encountered by chance, not sought.
"Awrooo..."
In the distance, a roar sounded. The magnificent mountains and rivers shook, countless spiritual trees shed leaves in chaos, the leaves shimmering with green light, spiritual medicines emitting fragrant rays, swaying along.
"Damn, that's... a dragon!" Old Blind Man was so shocked his whites showed, his black pupils rolling around, sharper than anyone's eyes.
Several dozen li away, among those towering, beautiful mountains, a dragon leaped into the sky, over two hundred zhang long. Its azure scales glittered, its dragon head held high, its divine horns forked like a forest.
The Barbarian's eyes burned with intensity. "I once ate a wild dragon, but they said it was actually a flood dragon. Could I really be fortunate enough to see a true dragon today?!"
An old monk and two peak-level great powers were subduing the dragon. The three of them fought it together and could only manage a draw, the battle incredibly fierce.
"That's a flood dragon, already proven itself as a barbaric ancient beast king, even on the verge of breaking through. It's suppressing three peak human experts—truly powerful," Old Blind Man finally confirmed.
In another part of the sky, flames raged. There stood a Fusang tree, reaching into the heavens, with a nest on top, flames blazing fiercely.
A three-legged Golden Crow streaked across the sky, engaging in battle with two imperial lords. Its golden bird body was like cast gold, its divine flames nearly burning a hole in half the sky.
"This place is full of treasures..."
At this moment, Old Blind Man's eyes were sharper than anyone's, shooting out two green beams like a wolf's, piercing through the nest on the Fusang tree.
"Inside are three eggs. Though they aren't true Golden Crows, if properly nurtured, they'll become incomparably powerful divine birds."
He borrowed the Star River, the only treasure left by the Star River King, from Duan De, wanting to steal a Golden Crow egg and raise it into a bird king to use as a mount.
Needless to say, once such a Golden Crow grew up, it would be even more formidable than a Sacred Lord, priceless and irresistible to anyone.
But stealing the eggs now was like pulling chestnuts from the fire—one wrong move could cost them their lives.
"Are you lending it or not?" Old Blind Man rolled his eyes.
"The one borrowing the treasure acts like the boss. Old coot, I'm telling you, it's fine if you die, but you must return my 'Star River' and not lose it," Duan De reluctantly lent it to him.
"Whoosh"
The Star River spanned the sky, like a heavenly river, spreading out and carrying everyone toward the Fusang tree, flying along with it.
"Old swindler, you've brought us up too!"
"Everyone, lend a hand. I can't get close to that ancient tree alone," Old Blind Man apologized.
Everyone: "@##$%..."
They all wanted to kick him, but they had already flown high into the sky, vanishing into the tree's branches and leaves in the blink of an eye. Retreating was no longer possible.
This Fusang ancient tree stood half again as tall as the surrounding mountains, reaching into the heavens. Its trunk was a pale gold, with endless flames burning.
"This ancient tree itself is a rare treasure. It can be refined into a fire-type divine treasure!" Duan De drooled.
"It's not the true Fusang divine tree. This is a similar Fire Tree King. Legend has it that the real Fusang wood is in the Immortal Realm, inhabited by an immortal ancient Golden Crow that even immortals cannot overcome," Old Blind Man said.
The Fire Tree King's pale gold leaves rustled, flames blazing, scorching and unbearable. They all had to use their divine abilities to withstand it.
Inside the nest were three golden eggs, not particularly large, each only the size of a human head, but they flowed with powerful divine energy fluctuations.
Each egg was like a golden fireball, its temperature terrifyingly hot, making one feel scorched even from a distance.
"I'll only take one divine egg. I won't cut off this rare divine bird's bloodline," Old Blind Man chanted a Dao title, putting on a compassionate expression.
"Clearly a thief of eggs, yet putting on such airs!" the Barbarian sneered. He had originally wanted to take an egg too, but now felt embarrassed.
"No, there's a supreme treasure in this nest!" As soon as they got close, Duan De shouted. The others also sensed an unusual aura.
Sacred, peaceful, vast—a pure source power flowed, making the entire nest feel empty and bright, very peculiar.
"Squeak squeak squeak..." The spirit rat in Duan De's sleeve chirped incessantly. It was a descendant of a treasure-seeking rat, its bloodline thin and not fully divine, but at such close range, it could still sense something.
They landed on the nest, nearly stumbling to the ground. A vast, mighty force surged, making them tremble uncontrollably.
"A divine object!"
They finally discovered the anomaly. At the center of the nest, beneath the three golden eggs, lay a bone. It was very ancient, flowing with a pale golden light.
"A sage's bone!"
"An indestructible sacred bone!"
"This is... a sacred bone left behind after self-dissolution into the Dao!"
They all exclaimed.
Even after death, an ancient sage's flesh and blood would remain indestructible. But some sages, unwilling to leave behind their physical forms, would dissolve themselves.
Occasionally, however, one or two of the hardest bones would remain—the strongest part of their body during life, which even the dissolution process could not wear away, preserved forever.
"This is an arm bone left behind after a sage dissolved into the Dao. It's a priceless divine object! If refined into a weapon, the results would be unimaginable!"
They were all tempted. They struck out together, reaching for it. Even Jue Youqing, so detached and aloof, couldn't help but extend his Bodhi branch, its green leaves shimmering.
But no one could be faster than Ye Fan. He mastered the Stride Art and grabbed it in an instant. At that moment, his entire body shook violently. The sacred bone contained supreme power, making his mind and spirit tremble.
"Brother Ye, give me this sacred bone. Consider it a life I owe you!" the Barbarian spoke solemnly.
Duan De and Old Blind Man also shouted, willing to exchange all their treasures—the Star River, tortoise shell, Divine King weapon, and hundreds of thousands of catties of source—without issue.
"This sacred bone is too important to me..." Dongfang Ye earnestly requested, explaining some circumstances.
He came from a wild ancient forest in the Central Province. The Wolf Fang Great Club he wielded was originally a supreme divine object, but after a shocking battle in the ancient era, it was severely damaged. To repair it, he needed a sacred bone like this to refine into it.
"Don't tell me this Wolf Fang Great Club was originally a sage's weapon..." Duan De and the others were all shocked.
The Barbarian didn't respond, instead looking at Ye Fan. "Later, I'll help you seize the ancient scripture. I have my own ancient heavenly art; I don't need other methods."
Ye Fan thought it over. He had the Primordial Qi Cauldron. Though the only sacred bone left by the ancient sage after dissolving into the Dao was formidable and priceless, it still couldn't compare to his cauldron. It wasn't of much use to him.
So, he directly handed the sacred bone to the Barbarian, knowing he had gained a powerful ally.
The Barbarian was extremely excited. "From now on, once I inscribe the sage's laws onto it, this Wolf Fang Great Club will be fully restored!"
Old Blind Man and Duan De's eyes burned with desire, but they were still principled enough not to fight over it.
"Don't be disappointed. I'll give you a Golden Crow egg," Ye Fan laughed, handing a scorching hot golden divine egg to Old Blind Man.
"That was what I was going to take..." Old Blind Man rolled his eyes.
"Hey, there's a piece of green copper here." The Barbarian crouched down, pulling a piece of rotten copper from the crevice of the nest beneath his feet. It had existed for who knows how many years, covered in mottled green rust.
On the green copper piece, the rust couldn't hide the densely packed engravings, filled with tiny characters like a heavenly scripture, flowing with Dao resonance.
"Brother Ye, take a look," the Barbarian said, handing it to Ye Fan.