Chapter 684: Eeriness
In the current era, there were truly very few people who could engage Ye Fan in physical combat. The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family had fallen into the cauldron and was being trampled underfoot by him. The outcome was self-evident.
Although the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family was a Great Power, falling into Ye Fan's hands at such close range meant that no matter how great his divine abilities, he could not display them and could only be suppressed.
The moment he tried to activate his dharma power, a large foot came down, making intimate contact with his face for the third time.
"Brat, you..." The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family was so furious his chest felt like it would explode, his stomach nearly bleeding from rage. For the first time in his life, someone was using the sole of a foot to measure the width of his face.
"Old thing, you're still arrogant now? I'll beat you into a pig's head, so even your grandmother won't recognize you!" Ye Fan said.
The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family was so angry his brain ached, blue veins bulging on his forehead. At his advanced age, not to mention his grandmother, even his uncles and aunts were almost all dead. Being ridiculed and trampled underfoot by a junior like this was truly unbearable.
"Ye Fan, you little thief, causing trouble in my Ji Family! You'll regret ever being born into this world!"
"Damn it, I do regret it—I regret that those last few kicks were too light. Now I'll help you measure just how thick your face is!"
Ye Fan's foot began its fourth, fifth... nth intimate contact with that old face, like stamping a seal, leaving rows upon rows of sole prints.
Moreover, the force was immense. Each time it landed, the sound of bones cracking could be heard. That face no longer resembled a face but a flat pancake, completely losing its human form.
"I'll kill you!" The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family coughed blood, nearly fainting. For someone like him, any torture might not be effective, but having his dignity trampled like this was worse than death.
"Kill your grandfather." Ye Fan lifted his foot and delivered a throat-sealing strike, nearly breaking his neck.
"I'll kill you, you little fiend!" The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family went mad, spitting out a breath of his innate primordial essence, trying to form an external incarnation to escape.
"Where do you think you're going? Get back here!" Ye Fan shouted lightly.
"Bang"
Ye Fan's foot stomped him back into his body. With his unmatched physical form, at such close range, he could clearly hear the sounds of blood and dharma power flowing within him. Everything was under control.
"Old thing, from start to finish, you've been in cahoots with the Wang Family, trying to kill me several times. Now you've been unlucky enough to fall into my cauldron. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Ye Fan, you little fiend! If you harm a single hair on my head, the Ji Family will chop off one of your legs..." The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family spoke fiercely.
"You old thing, still talking tough. Someone like you should be suppressed in a latrine for ten thousand years. Killing you would be too merciful."
Ye Fan applied pressure with his foot, and the sound of bones breaking came frequently. The Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family was being stomped until he was barely human, like a lump of clay that could be shaped however one wished.
Beating up the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family played out within the cauldron world. His screams no longer sounded human.
Meanwhile, the outside world was in chaos. The Void Ancient Mirror was gradually awakening, the deity within it stirring slightly, as if about to wake up.
Two Elders were shouting, trying to control the ancient mirror to leave the bronze coffin, because now they were having second thoughts. They had just seen Emperor Void, which had frightened them greatly.
However, the Imperial Weapon was now gradually awakening, and the two could no longer control it. The terrifying fluctuations here grew stronger and stronger. From within the ancient mirror, an ancient star field flew out, swallowing starlight.
This scene was horrifying. A real world was manifesting. Just how powerful was this ancient mirror? Was it born from itself, or had Emperor Void captured the essence of the great universe and refined it within? Everyone was astonished. Either way, it was destined to possess supreme divine power.
And all of this was not yet the true revival state of the Imperial Weapon. The awakening was still ongoing, not yet fully complete.
The endless star river and surging chaos could not destroy the bronze coffin. The misty precious light within it swallowed everything. No matter how vast the divine energy that rushed in, it was absorbed.
"An Emperor's corpse!"
"Could it really be the corpse of an ancient Great Emperor?"
The people in the distance were terrified. So far, no one had ever obtained a complete, intact corpse of a human Great Emperor. That was a supreme treasure.
Not to mention anything else, even the flesh alone could be used to forge an Extreme Imperial Weapon. Its value was immeasurable!
Was it Emperor Void, the Demon Emperor, or the old Battle Saint Emperor? People couldn't help but wonder. Different people saw different scenes, making it impossible to determine.
"Did you hear what they said? What we saw might have been an illusion, not the corpse of our clan's Great Emperor." An Elder of the Ji Family came to his senses.
"Then let's go all out!" Another Ji Family Elder urged the Void Ancient Mirror to accelerate its awakening, then slowly pressed it down, sinking it toward the ancient coffin.
"Stop!" A furious shout came from afar. Seven or eight figures rushed over quickly, led by none other than the Saint Lord of the Ji Family.
The ancient mirror was awakening, swallowing heaven and earth, its fluctuations extremely intense. However, the Ji Family's important grounds were sealed with the Great Emperor's divine patterns, so they hadn't detected it in time. Only after being summoned by Ji Ziyue did they rush over.
"Where is the Eighth? Look at what you've done!" The Ji Family Saint Lord was furious. Even he had been deceived and sent away, which crossed his bottom line.
"The Eighth is in danger. He fell into the Sacred Body's cauldron. Please save him first," said one of the two Elders.
"What is going on here?" The Ji Family Saint Lord and a group of Elders stared at the Void Ancient Mirror and the bronze coffin, almost unable to believe their eyes.
Ji Ziyue's big eyes were red, her small mouth forming an "O" shape. She had exhausted every means to break into the Ji Family's important grounds and finally found the Saint Lord and the others. She thought she was too late, but it wasn't as bad as she had feared.
"Resisting an Extreme Dao?!"
"The Sacred Body has the capital to resist an Extreme Dao?!"
A group of Ji Family Elders nearly popped their eyes out, staring at the bronze coffin again and again. Then some of them acted, controlling the ancient mirror to make it slumber, not allowing it to awaken further.
Otherwise, if these two weapons collided, the consequences would be unpredictable. It might even flatten the Ji Family.
In the air, the ancient mirror was hazy. Boundless star fields flew into it, like a universe condensing into a single point, then disappearing. But the terrifying fluctuations it had emitted were too powerful. Many divine islands of the Ji Family nearly fell, developing cracks.
"Sixth, Ninth, look at what you've done!" The Ji Family Saint Lord shouted loudly.
"Buzz"
He reached out with a large hand, grabbing both of them instantly, trapping them in the void. They couldn't move at all, completely suppressed.
"Hmm?" The Ji Family members keenly sensed something was wrong. The bronze coffin was still emitting terrifying power, surging toward the Void Mirror.
"Is this... going to be a confrontation?!"
They were greatly shocked. Things had exceeded their imagination. It would be very difficult to stop, and a full-scale Extreme Dao battle might actually occur.
"In the past, Extreme Dao battles happened outside the domain. Now, there are no people who can fly out of this star domain. What do we do?!"
Many people's hair stood on end. If a true Extreme Dao duel happened, even the Ji Family would be affected. The Great Emperor's array patterns might not be able to block it.
These people had keen insight. They could tell at a glance that the thing inside the ancient coffin could rival an Imperial Weapon, absolutely possessing earth-shattering power, or even greater!
"Little Leaf, stop the bronze coffin quickly," Ji Ziyue called out.
Inside the Primordial Qi Cauldron, Ye Fan stopped tormenting the Eighth Ancestor. He activated the Weapon Art, doing his utmost to push the coffin lid back, sweating profusely.
"Boom"
Finally, with a loud noise, the ancient coffin closed tightly, seamless. All the misty precious light disappeared, and the Dao divine sounds ceased, falling silent.
At that point, the pressure that had weighed on everyone's hearts vanished. Whether it was the Ji Family members or the many honored guests, they all felt a lingering fear. This coffin was too mysterious.
Ye Fan walked out of the cauldron, but he had suppressed the Eighth Ancestor, who was like a dead dog, inside and did not release him.
"Family Head, this ancient coffin must be kept," an Elder transmitted.
"Indeed, this bronze coffin is too terrifying. It must hold a great secret. The thing buried inside can counter an Imperial Weapon. It's worth studying!" Another person agreed.
"Don't say any more. From now on, don't target the Sacred Body. Let Ziyue and Haoyue interact with him!" The Ji Family Saint Lord said solemnly.
The Ji Family arranged an even more magnificent palace for the many guests to enter. Ye Fan carried the bronze coffin on his back, and everyone involuntarily made way for him.
"Saint Lord..." Several radical Elders of the Ji Family were very unwilling.
"If anyone acts rashly, don't blame me for being impolite. I will invoke the clan rules." The Ji Family Saint Lord's voice turned cold. Then he tossed the two Elders he had sealed into a void prison, saying, "You two, go reflect on your mistakes in isolation!"
Soon after, the Divine King Physique, Ji Haoyue, was released and no longer imprisoned.
At this banquet, Ye Fan undoubtedly became the center of attention. That coffin was too conspicuous and terrifying. Everyone was wary of it.
Possessing an Imperial Weapon was enough to establish an immortal divine dynasty!
Moreover, the holder was a Sacred Body with boundless potential, making the significance even more extraordinary. Once he cultivated to Great Accomplishment, it would be unimaginable!
In the end, Ye Fan handed over the Eighth Ancestor of the Ji Family. Killing this man here would certainly not end well, especially since they were in the Ji Family, and the Holy Land valued face above all.
Immediately, the Ji Family Saint Lord personally acted, suppressing the Eighth Ancestor and throwing him into the void prison to reflect on his mistakes.
The Ji Family had expressed their apologies and made such a disposition. At the very least, others felt it was fair and just. Ye Fan naturally had nothing more to say.
The people of the Northern Plains Wang Family all left the scene. Not a single one stayed. Using the Ji Family's ancient array, they crossed the void back to the Northern Plains. They didn't want to stay a moment longer.
"My son, not yet two years old, was carried away by an immortal crane and received the inheritance of the Chaotic Ancient Great Emperor. Now he has fallen to this state. I wonder if that immortal crane knows..." Wang Teng's father said bitterly.
At the banquet, Ye Fan was the focus of attention, but he remained vigilant. He knew that people feared the bronze coffin. This treasure must not be lost.
Zitian Du's sister was peerlessly beautiful, smiling charmingly. With a slender figure, she walked gracefully, toasting him several times, chatting with him, and even inviting him to visit the Divine Spirit Valley.
Ye Fan knew that the Primeval Royal Clan was not easy to deal with. If he wasn't careful, they might devour him alive. It was best not to get too close.
"Clang..."
Suddenly, a bell sound rang out, deafening and enlightening. Almost everyone felt as if they had been awakened, gaining a sudden insight.
"Clang..."
The second bell sound came, like crashing waves, vastly different from the first. It made everyone's hearts feel like they were splitting, as if raging waves were striking their souls.
"Clang..."
The third bell sound came, like the roar of the universe, the collision of star fields, countless stars falling, and the boundless starry sky collapsing. Everyone was terrified, almost collapsing to the ground.
Among the cultivators present, many were not unfamiliar with this bell sound. They had been frightened out of their wits by it in the past, and countless people had died because of it.
"The Primordial Bell!"
The Ji Family Saint Lord was the first to stand up, almost unable to believe his ears. Even someone as calm and powerful as he was nearly jumping up.
"Heavens, it really is the sound of Emperor Wu Shi's ancient bell!"
The various Saint Lords of the Eastern Wasteland had all experienced the calamity of the past. Back then, they had jointly held several Imperial Weapons to attack Purple Mountain, but all had returned without success, and many strong warriors had died.
"At the end of the immortal path, who stands as the peak? Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao becomes empty. How did his bell reach the Southern Domain?"
"Gods, what is happening?!"
Everyone was terrified, almost unable to believe this.
"How is this possible? How can the Primordial Bell be ringing in the Southern Domain?"
"Could it be that the Primordial Bell was taken out and brought to the Southern Domain to attack the Ji Family?!"
Many people's hearts pounded violently. If it really was the Primordial Bell, this would be a terrifying event shocking the Five Great Domains. The Primordial Bell had actually appeared!
"Could it be that this was brought about by that bronze coffin? Among all the events today, this is the most eerie," a living fossil muttered.
"What? Are you saying that the bronze coffin might contain the corpse of Emperor Wu Shi?" Another old antique exclaimed in shock.