Ye Fan, Black Emperor, and Duan De were completely stunned. Their mouths were agape, their eyes wide like saucers, and they couldn't utter a sound for a long time, their minds blank.
"I, I, I fuck!"
After a long while, Duan De gasped for breath, his fat face contorted with extreme excitement, fear, and disbelief, his voice shrill and distorted.
"That, that, that's the power of Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon that has fully awakened on its own?"
One, one strike, just like that, so casually, and... just like that, a Saint King was annihilated?
That was the Primordial Ancestral King!
Black Emperor's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape, drool dripping down his face, completely oblivious as he muttered to himself:
"How could the Hengyu Furnace have awakened on its own?"
That's not right. Even if that old guy burned all his essence and life force, he simply didn't have the ability or the qualifications to make it go this far.
Yes!
It is Emperor Weapon deity!
It is the wisp of the undying will left in the furnace by Emperor Hengyu that has awakened!
Emperor Weapon possess spirits and must not be desecrated!
Especially when touched by the Ancient Races Ancestor King!
Ye Fan's heart was filled with unprecedented turmoil, and his soul trembled.
For the first time, he experienced the true terror of the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon so directly and up close!
That is no longer a matter of mere power, but the crushing force of rules, the manifestation of the very origin of the Great Dao!
It is the majesty of an "emperor" who reigns supreme over all living beings!
An Primordial Ancestral King, powerful enough to look down upon the Eastern Wasteland and command the attention of Great Saint, was utterly defeated before him, wiped away like dust!
" Your Great Emperor, is this the weapon left behind by Your Great Emperor? Even a wisp of self-reviving will possesses such divine power."
He subconsciously stroked the Cauldron of All-Things Mother Qi, which was floating and sinking in the Bitter Sea and had an equally astonishing origin. His desire for power and his belief in climbing to the pinnacle of cultivation reached an unprecedented peak.
The deathly silence below was shattered, and the surviving Primordial Royal Clan, like stray dogs, let out terrified screams.
No longer caring about besieging the human race, they used secret techniques, burning their life essence, and fled in panic towards the outer edge of the passage, wishing they had two more legs.
Meanwhile, an eerie calm descended upon the various human factions, with many wearing expressions of relief at surviving a catastrophe.
But more than anything, when they looked at the Jiang Family's group, and at the Hengyu Furnace that was still suspended, its chaotic light restrained yet exuding imperial might, their eyes were filled with endless fear, complexity, and a trace of indescribable awe.
The Hengyu Furnace remained suspended above the heads of the Jiang Family family members, no longer actively exerting its power, and its body returned to its ancient and simple appearance.
But the invisible, pervasive imperial might was even more profound and vast than before, like a sleeping dragon, enough to deter all those with ill intentions.
Jiang Yun and the others were also stunned and frightened, clearly not expecting the Hengyu Furnace to recover to such an extent on its own.
"Stop watching, the excitement's over, time to get down to business."
Black Emperor was the first to recover from its extreme shock. It shook its head violently, as if trying to banish the horrifying image from its mind. The cunning and impatient look returned to its face.
" The Hengyu Furnace's performance was a pleasant surprise; it drew all the firepower and cleared away the strongest obstacle for us."
"Those guys down there are terrified now, this is the perfect opportunity for us to take advantage of the chaos and infiltrate the core area!"
It beckoned Ye Fan and Duan De, then silently withdrew from the observation point and returned to the hidden passage.
"Hehe, let's fight, let's rob, it'd be best if they all died, so they wouldn't get in the way."
As the Black Emperor led the way quickly, he continued to transmit his gloating voice.
"How could the legacy of the Great Emperor Wushi be forcibly seized by brute force Emperor Weapon?"
Especially the Wushi Scripture, which was personally sealed by the Great Emperor. Without a specific key, even someone with Chaos Body, or someone who dismantles Purple Mountain and destroys the Emperor Weapon, cannot open it!
As for the Beginningless Bell,
It paused, a deep, unfathomable light flashing in its eyes, glanced at Ye Fan beside it, and said meaningfully:
" The Master Bell has its own will; it has been sleeping for eternity, waiting for a specific destined person."
Some people are destined to be connected with this place from birth.
"No matter how many Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon others possess, how strong their cultivation, or how deep their schemes, it's all in vain; they'll only make a fool of themselves."
Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat, guessing that the Black Emperor referred to Teacher Li.
He nodded, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his mind.
Duan De was still savoring the earth-shattering scene of the Hengyu Furnace unleashing its power, as well as the "relics" on the bodies of those powerful figures who had perished under the pressure of the Ancestor King and the aftershocks of the Emperor Weapon.
He kept muttering, "What a pity," "What a huge loss," "So many treasures turned to ashes along with the Ancestor King."
The three of them did not linger and, led by the Black Emperor, continued deeper into the complex, labyrinthine secret passages.
The surrounding temperature seemed to be gradually decreasing, not in a physical sense, but in a chilling cold that penetrated to the bone and originated from an ancient, deathly stillness.
The carvings on the stone wall are increasingly ancient, and occasionally one can see some dilapidated murals of different styles.
It depicts a grand scene of ancient ancestors worshipping mysterious totems, True Dragon circling in chaos, and Divine Phoenix spreading its wings to pierce through the starry sea, filled with an atmosphere of desolation and mystery, as if telling a forgotten epic.
They avoided several areas where energy fluctuations were unusually intense, clearly indicating fierce battles were taking place. They took a roundabout route, heading straight for the deepest part of Purple Mountain, the source of the bell-shaped Daoist sound.
The passageway widened and the terrain gradually rose, as if leading into the heart of a mountain.
Ahead, a vast and powerful wave, seemingly originating from the beginning of Heaven-Opening, faintly emanated, accompanied by a faint yet deeply penetrating sound that could purify the soul.
It involuntarily calms the mind and inspires a sense of awe, as if one were as insignificant as a speck of dust.
"Can you feel it? It's getting clearer and clearer!"
Black Emperor's breathing became rapid, his eyes burned with fervor, and his paws trembled slightly.
"It's just ahead! The Beginningless Bell!"
The Great Emperor's Emperor Weapon! This Emperor, this Emperor, is about to sense Master Bell's presence again!
Ye Fan and Duan De also subconsciously held their breath, clearly feeling the boundless, yet extremely restrained, power.
Yet, it possessed a more profound and vast aura than any other Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon in the world, as if its power resonated with the entire universe.
Duan De also temporarily forgot his "ragpicking" business, and his face showed solemnity and expectation.
However, just as they rounded a corner and a wider, softly lit cave entrance appeared in the distance, Black Emperor's nose suddenly twitched a few times, and his head instantly turned to the side toward an inconspicuous, narrow side passage half-hidden by rubble.
"Etc!
It smells like a treasure!
It's very strong! Right over there!
The Black Emperor's dog eyes instantly blazed with an excitement even greater than when he saw the Beginningless Bell.
"Moreover, there are no living creatures guarding it!"
Come on, follow me! It won't take much time!
Ye Fan and Duan De were both taken aback.
Ye Fan frowned slightly, feeling that the most urgent task was to go to the core area first.
But Duan De was already energized, his chubby face glowing red.
"My treasure? Where is it? Lead the way, you damned dog! I sense it, my destiny is calling me!"
Without another word, Black Emperor turned and disappeared into the narrow side passage.
The side road was covered in dust, clearly indicating that it had been deserted for a long time.
After walking about a hundred feet, a small stone chamber appeared before them. In one corner of the chamber, some miscellaneous items were piled up, mostly fragments of rotten weapons and ores.
In the center of the stone chamber, beside a corpse dressed in ancient clothing, whose bones had long since turned to jade, several items lay scattered.
It was a palm-sized, jet-black tortoise shell covered with tiny cracks, emitting a faint spatial fluctuation.
One was a broken blade, its body a dark gold color, the break smooth as a mirror, still retaining a trace of its unparalleled sharpness.
There was also a small jade bottle, tightly sealed, seemingly containing liquid, from which a faint life essence emanated.
The most eye-catching item was a strange metal the size of a fist, its entire body as red as blood, with what appeared to be flowing magma inside, radiating a scorching aura and a rich essence of fire.
"Whoosh!"
Duan De's speed reached its peak at this moment. His plump body transformed into a blur as he pounced directly towards the crimson metal and the jade bottle, shouting:
"My Fire-Patterned Gold Essence!"
And this jade bottle likely contains the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Milk Spirit Liquid!
Almost simultaneously, the Black Emperor transformed into a streak of black light, its target aimed directly at the cracked black tortoise shell:
"Damn it! Void Tortoise Shell!"
Although it's damaged, it may still contain fragments of Void Escape Technique!
It belongs to me!
Ye Fan was a little slower, but he still managed to grab the dark golden Broken Sword that was radiating a sharp sword intent in an instant. The Broken Sword felt heavy in his hand, and the remaining sword intent made his fingertips feel slightly numb.
"This Broken Sword is made of extraordinary materials; it's at least a fragment of a top-tier Mighty Figure Lord-level weapon."
The three moved swiftly, like a whirlwind, and in an instant, they divided up all the valuables in the stone chamber.
The whole process took only two or three breaths.
"Hehe, good luck!"
"It seems some unlucky soul who wandered into this place a long time ago couldn't get out and left behind things that benefited us."
Black Emperor happily stuffed the Void Tortoise Shell into the storage bell around his neck.
" Boundless Heaven!"
It was definitely worth the trip!
This piece of Fire-Patterned Gold Essence is enough for me to forge three top-grade Fire-Element Flying Knives!
Duan De held the crimson metal, unable to put it down.
Ye Fan also put away the Broken Sword. Although it wasn't as good as the other two, it was still a decent gain.
"Alright, we've got the stuff. Let's get out of here and head to the main target."
"Let's go, let's go!"
Black Emperor and Duan De were satisfied and no longer lingered. They quickly left the stone chamber with Ye Fan, returned to the main secret passage along the original path, and continued to move quickly toward the cave entrance that emitted light and the sound of bells and gongs.
The three figures disappeared into the depths of the secret passage, leaving only the neglected skeleton, a testament to the eternal loneliness and ruthlessness of Purple Mountain.