Fierce Battle

God wars-wars between supreme beings-had broken out in the Mythological Era, the Primordial Era, and the Desolate Ancient Era.

Supreme beings unleashed dark turmoil to absorb the life essence of all living things beneath heaven, delaying their own aging.

Many also harbored grudges against one another, eventually waging war on each other and sparking god wars.

During the Primordial Era, the Undying Heavenly Emperor, reputed to be the greatest mastermind behind the dark turmoil, had orchestrated and steered a war that swept across the entire universe, burying every mighty expert of an era.

In the end, that shattered universe was sealed beneath Mars and called the One World Mausoleum-the tomb of an entire world.

The ultimate victor of that god war was, of course, its mastermind, the Undying Heavenly Emperor. He bathed in imperial blood to follow the path of immortality through phoenix nirvana, living out a new lifetime.

Besides burying the mighty experts of an era, that god war had shattered several extreme dao weapons that should have endured as long as the world itself.

Among those known were the Taiyin Human Emperor's Human Emperor Seal and the Black Gourd, which legend claimed had slain an immortal.

A corner of the Human Emperor Seal had broken off during that god war, and it was eventually found by members of the Kunlun Remnant Clan who had wandered away from Earth.

The Black Gourd, said to have slain an immortal, had likewise not escaped the god war unscathed. Its exterior remained intact, but the deity dwelling within it was suspected to have died.

After that god war, the Black Gourd vanished from the world, becoming a legendary treasure even among the Primordial Myriad Races.

Only in a later age did the Purple Mansion Holy Son obtain it from some unknown place. After his death, it fell into Ye Fan's hands and shone brilliantly in his battle against the Northern Emperor, Wang Teng. Finally, Spirit Valley, a Primordial Royal Clan, recognized it as the supreme treasure that had disappeared countless years before.

Now, deep in a wilderness in the Southern Region, the Black Gourd that legend claimed had slain an immortal in the Primordial Era sat on a stone table inside the ancient cave abode Lu Chen and the Purple Mansion Holy Son had opened together.

At that moment, killing intent filled the ancient cave abode, long sealed beneath dust. A battle to the death was ready to erupt at the slightest touch.

All three things they had seen upon entering the cave abode were rare treasures.

Heavenly yin absolute water could dissolve magical treasures and divine weapons, and corrode the flesh of Holy Lord-level experts. It was truly a sinister liquid for killing people and destroying their corpses.

The Heavenly Demon Lamp atop the Ancient Jade Giant Coffin was the weapon of a demon king. Though the long years had left it covered in rust, a faint flame still burned without going out. At the very least, it was equivalent to the weapon of a mighty expert in the immortal two realm. With careful nurturing over time, it might even recover its power as a king's divine weapon.

As for the large black gourd, its insect-gnawed stopper suggested that it, too, was most likely a magical treasure on the verge of rotting away, not necessarily a match for the Heavenly Demon Lamp. That was the Purple Mansion Holy Son's judgment.

Lu Chen, however, had the advantage of being a "prophet" and knew clearly that the Black Gourd was the supreme treasure. Had he not thrust himself into the affair today-

All the treasures here would have belonged to the Purple Mansion Holy Son. That was precisely what had happened in the original course of events: the Purple Mansion Holy Son would fill the Black Gourd with heavenly yin absolute water, then go to kill Ye Fan. Unfortunately, he would fail.

Clang...

Boom...

The Purple Mansion Holy Son unleashed a fierce streak of Purple Sword Aura, while Lu Chen struck with a Golden Flame Divine Fist. Their collision shook the entire cave abode, sending shattered stone flying in every direction.

Whoosh!

Rather than immediately fighting to the death, the two rushed toward the treasures.

A layer of golden divine flame seemed to burn around Lu Chen's body. He spread his hand and reached for the black gourd on the stone table. Nothing unexpected happened, and the supreme treasure said to have slain an immortal fell into his grasp.

On the other side, the Purple Mansion Holy Son also obtained the Heavenly Demon Lamp atop the Ancient Jade Giant Coffin, just as he had wished. In his eyes, this lamp was the most powerful treasure in the cave abode.

The heavenly demon physique was one of the Demon Race's strongest physiques, worthy of standing alongside the divine bodies of the Eastern Wasteland's humans. Upon reaching full mastery, its bearer would become an invincible demon king, and naturally, their weapon would be a king's divine weapon.

After each seized a treasure, they swiftly flew deeper into the cave abode and discovered several stalks of spirit medicine over ten thousand years old. At that point, battle erupted, and the two fought to kill.

Shing...

A divine sword appeared in the Purple Mansion Holy Son's hand. Condensed beams of sword light wreathed in purple radiance swept out, carving enormous furrows into the walls, almost destroying the ancient cave abode.

Lu Chen circulated the Solar True Scripture and unleashed the Fire Clan saint spirit's secret technique, Divine Phoenix Slash. Two enormous Divine Phoenix wings blazing with fire took shape behind his back, making him seem like the incarnation of an immortal spirit.

Wherever his arm swept, the immortal phoenix wings slashed with it. Space churned, and nothing could withstand them. The fierce streaks of Purple Radiant Sword Light were annihilated in an instant.

A golden figure and a purple figure battled fiercely within the ancient cave abode, long sealed beneath dust.

In mere moments, the two had nearly destroyed the ancient cave. Shattered rocks almost filled the space.

Hum!

Space trembled, stirring ripples. For the first time, Lu Chen deployed the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda. Though the crystalline pagoda, a foot tall, had yet to develop any wondrous secret power, it was forged from immortal gold and could smash through anything. It hurtled toward the Purple Mansion Holy Son in an instant.

Pfft...

The immensely powerful, indestructible immortal gold pagoda smashed apart the purple radiance around the Purple Mansion Holy Son, cracked his breastbone, and made him spew a mouthful of blood.

"You..."

He could not believe it. Shock and fury mingled in his heart. Today, he had encountered an unknown independent cultivator of a lower realm who had first made his two junior brothers vanish without a word, then severely wounded him, a Holy Son. When had such a peer appeared in the Eastern Wasteland?

"As the Purple Mansion Holy Land's Holy Son, you're far too unqualified. Today, I'll help the Purple Mansion Holy Land replace you." A faint smile appeared on Lu Chen's face. He did not regard this Holy Son as a threat at all.

Among the Holy Sons of the Eastern Wasteland's Holy Lands, the Purple Mansion Holy Son was practically the most useless.

In nearly every other Holy Land, the Holy Son was stronger than the Saintess, but the Purple Mansion Holy Son was utterly overshadowed by the Purple Mansion Saintess.

Lu Chen activated Nine Secrets: Jie for the first time. Only after several hundred attempts did it trigger, multiplying his strength severalfold in every respect. The Divine Phoenix wings manifested again and slashed down at once.

Hum!

Like an immortal phoenix spreading its wings, they tore through space and burned everything, cleaving down with crushing force!

Clang!

The Purple Mansion Holy Son met the attack with his divine sword, purple radiance flashing. When the two collided, a deafening sound rang out.

Bang!

The Purple Mansion Holy Son was sent flying backward again, slamming into the cave wall and vomiting blood.

Yet the divine sword in his hand remained undamaged. It was presumably a precious treasure of the Purple Mansion Holy Land.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, the Purple Mansion Holy Son deployed a scroll painting. It radiated terrifying fluctuations far beyond the dao palace realm, and an enormous palm wreathed in purple qi struck out from within.

"A forbidden artifact!"

Lu Chen's heart jolted. Holy Sons truly did possess secret treasures to preserve their lives. In an instant, he deployed the Black Gourd he had just obtained, placing it before him as a shield.

Although the deity within this supreme treasure might have dissipated, making its power difficult to unleash, nothing short of an extreme dao emperor weapon could shatter it.

Boom!

Though the enormous palm striking out of the painting failed to damage the Black Gourd, it sent both the gourd and Lu Chen flying.

"I'll remember you." The Purple Mansion Holy Son's icy voice echoed through the ancient cave, but he had already turned into a streak of purple light and rushed out, leaving the place.

Forbidden artifacts were refined from precious divine materials and could seal powerful divine arts within them. However, they would break after only a few uses, making them consumable treasures.

"Though my strength isn't lacking anymore, I still lack reserves to keep myself alive." Lu Chen did not pursue the fleeing Purple Mansion Holy Son. A forbidden artifact had limited uses, but he might not survive them.

Next, he would have to carefully study the Black Gourd that legend claimed had slain an immortal.