Chapter 907: Immortal Material and Blood Sacrifice
As soon as they entered the thirty-third layer temple small world, they saw a stone stele engraved with several ancient characters: Thirty-Three Layers of Heaven.
From this, one could fully perceive the former ambition and purpose of the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty. Their final temple hinterland was meant to tower above the thirty-three layers of heaven, everything indicating their aspirations.
This place was not dark. The distant ancient buildings emitted a soft radiance. Many people had already rushed forward. Having come this far, no one wanted to fall behind; all wished to enter the final sacred hall.
However, this small world was too quiet. People gradually slowed their steps, until they could hear their own heartbeats. It was extremely eerie, as if ahead lay a man-eating demon with its maw wide open, waiting there.
In the end, everyone sensed a crisis—a reverence originating from the depths of their souls. No one dared to recklessly force their way through. All tacitly advanced slowly, keeping no great distance between one another.
The people spread out, shadows flickering, gradually approaching the central radiant hall. From afar, they sensed a sacred aura, yet their tension and fear did not diminish.
It was a very strange feeling. Though a peaceful aura washed over them, they could never relax, their minds involuntarily tense.
Closer now, everyone finally saw clearly: before the magnificent hall stood an altar, covered in engraved blood grooves. Its style was ancient, its age unknown.
This was a mysterious sacrificial ground. People could even imagine the scene from ages past, when blood was poured over the altar, flowing along the grooves, forming lines of crimson.
What had the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty been sacrificing to? The years were too distant; no one knew.
At the very top of the altar, there were also some things radiating the most brilliant light. It was from these that the hall derived its splendor—peaceful and sacred.
"A rare immortal material!" someone exclaimed, triggering a commotion. Many wanted to step forward, unable to restrain themselves.
There was a piece of vivid green material, dreamlike and illusory, with a life force flowing within it. It was crystalline and translucent, many times more beautiful than the world's most perfect jade marrow.
Even if unrecognized, people knew it was an immortal material. It exuded an extraordinary aura, as if it did not belong to this mortal world. At a glance, it was a divine object, full of vitality, with teardrops hanging on its surface.
This was a fist-sized piece of Immortal Tear Green Gold! Flawless and immaculate, fresh green and pure, it seemed to breathe, inhaling and exhaling the essence of heaven and earth. Its entire body was covered in tear-like marks, like the tears of a fairy maiden.
It was sealed within a piece of Divine Source, not exposed to the air, as if to isolate it from the mundane world. Over two hundred thousand years had passed, yet it remained unchanged, untouched by the ravages of time.
The offering on the altar was such a piece of immortal material. This was a sacred object exclusive to a Great Emperor. Though not large, it was enough for forging a weapon, making it priceless.
The scene erupted into chaos, filled with noise. To see such a thing in the thirty-third layer hall drove people mad. Some could not resist, and despite the altar's ominous feel, they charged forward.
The altar held more than just this immortal material. There were also four round stone balls, each only fist-sized, sitting motionless. No one could tell what they were.
Only Ye Fan's Source Heaven Divine Eye could see through them. His expression changed instantly as he shouted, "No one make a rash move!"
At this moment, who would listen to him? Those who had come this far were all regional overlords, overlooking the world with an air of self-importance. The ancient clans, in particular, were unruly and arrogant, all reaching out to grab.
"There are divine insects there!" Ye Fan directly called out.
Yet still, no one stopped. Everyone scrambled, sending various lights and treasures flying, attacking those who might get there first.
"Even if you told them there was a ghost saint there, they'd still fight for the immortal material and not stop," Pang Bo said. Such was human nature.
"We need to retreat quickly. Inside the stone skin is also Divine Source, sealed with four very special Life-Slaying Divine Insects!" Ye Fan said gravely, leading a few people as they rapidly withdrew.
Divine power surged, shaking the altar. The four round stone balls on top emitted cracking sounds as they split open. This was a layer of stone skin deliberately applied by the ancients. Inside was Divine Source, sealing four divine insects coiled like dragons, filling the interior space.
One could imagine how powerful the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty had been. They possessed Divine Source liquid, preserving these special divine insects immortal, leaving them here as guardians.
"Crack"
All four pieces of Divine Source split open. The divine insects, coiled like snake mountains, came to life in an instant. Unfurling their bodies, they stretched to a full foot in length!
They were many times longer than the Life-Slaying Divine Insects seen before, like four small hornless dragons. Their bodies radiated golden light everywhere, and in an instant, they emitted a fierce, slaughterous aura that filled the sky.
With just four divine insects, their movement felt like a charge of thousands of troops. The thirty-third layer temple small world immediately erupted into great turmoil, as if on the verge of collapse.
"Ah..."
Screams of agony rang out one after another. Nothing could stop them. The four divine insects, like small ancestral dragons, were unstoppable, each strike a fatal blow.
All kinds of treasures thrown at them were useless, all shattered by the golden light. The four divine insects moved like lightning, each time piercing through people's skulls. No weapon could block them.
The crowd retreated rapidly. This was nearly impossible to overcome. The rank of these four divine insects was hard to determine. They slaughtered without mercy, destroying a host of experts, leaving the ground drenched in blood.
"Boom"
The people retreated like a tidal wave. Someone brought out a legendary saint weapon, or else they would surely die, raising a curtain of light to protect their own.
People saw it was the Wind Clan. Phoenix was within the light curtain, holding up a five-colored divine tree, sweeping out wave after wave of divine radiance to block a divine insect charging at them.
"These divine insects have very pure blood. They might be half-divine insects," Qi Luo said solemnly.
"Boom"
On the other side, the Guhua Imperial Dynasty also brought out a saint weapon for protection, retreating rapidly. The situation was extremely critical. Many of their people had entered, and two divine insects charged at them, nearly causing them great loss.
At this moment, no one held back. All four great imperial dynasties did the same, violating their earlier agreement. They no longer cared about being condemned by the world.
Previously used in secret, now anyone with a saint weapon revealed it. In an instant, seven or eight saint weapons radiated boundless light, confronting the few divine insects!
"Damn it, they're all from imperial dynasties and holy lands. They really had backup plans, bringing saint weapons in. I'd bet most of them also brought imperial weapons!" Duan De said angrily, forgetting that he himself carried an imperial weapon.
"Let's reveal a saint weapon too!" Ye Fan signaled.
Dongfang Ye offered up his Wolf Fang Great Club, suspending it above his head. "Did you see that? Those two divine insects are sleeping neck to neck, together guarding a mysterious stone box," Duan De said as he fled.
"You damn fatty, your greed is incurable. Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about treasures," Qi Luo cursed.
The big black dog was of the same ilk as Duan De, saying, "I saw it too. That stone box is simple and ancient in style, carved with dragons and phoenixes. I feel there's something earth-shattering inside. Otherwise, why would the Feather Transformation Divine Dynasty waste Divine Source liquid to keep several ancient saint-rank divine insects alive, always guarding it?"
Several of them had seen the stone box and knew there was something heaven-defying inside. But who dared to snatch it now? How could they get their hands on it?