Shrouded Sky

Chapter 230 - Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold

Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold was something that appeared only once in countless generations. From the archaic ages to the present, over hundreds of thousands of years, only Grand Emperor Eternal Universe had ever obtained it.

Its rarity was beyond imagination.

This was a sacred object exclusive to Grand Emperors. For ordinary people, even seeing it was a dream, let alone owning it. For tens of thousands of years, it remained as elusive as a myth.

Its value was immeasurable. Throughout history, only a handful of Grand Emperors had ever existed, and among them, only one had the fortune of obtaining Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold.

This was the stuff of dreams for ancient Grand Emperors and revered sages, coveted, yet always out of reach.

Now holding such a priceless treasure, Ye Fan was initially thrilled… but soon, it felt more like a hot potato. The black stone in his hands concealed an invaluable divine item, but the bigger problem was whether he could keep it.

"Why is it so heavy?!" he cursed inwardly. If he hadn’t accidentally dropped it, no one would have noticed what it really was.

At his side, five pairs of eyes locked onto the black stone, eyes burning with heat that could melt steel.

The Radiant Light Saint radiated sacred light, a halo behind his head, divine glow streaming down. Born with supreme talent and ambitions of becoming a Grand Emperor, how could he not covet such a relic?

This was practically the raw form of a Paragon Artifact, something that could drive anyone mad, a sacred item meant only for emperors.

Usually smiling and mild, the Saint now showed signs of intense desire. His eyes burned with fire.

Old Blade was the most direct. He took several steps forward, exuding a pressure that made everyone uneasy, so different from his usual cranky old-man demeanor.

At this moment, he seemed countless times stronger than before, like a dormant flood dragon breaking the surface, dangerous and terrifying.

Yao Xi, with her ethereal beauty, couldn’t hide the turmoil in her heart. Her eyes sparkled with misty light as she formed a seal with her slender fingers. The Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold had unsettled her as well.

Though she didn’t move forward, she stood in the most advantageous position. If a fight broke out, she could act or retreat at a moment’s notice.

The only one posing no threat was Li Desheng. Though his eyes burned with desire, he wisely stepped back a few paces, clearly showing he wouldn't get involved.

Though born with rare Lunar Sight, an extremely rare gift, Li Desheng lacked battle power. Among everyone present, he was the weakest and had no choice but to withdraw.

Comparatively, the Jade Pool Saintess remained the calmest. Her beautiful eyes shimmered slightly, her emotions stirred, but she showed no intention of acting.

She stood there silently, her flowing robes like a fairy’s. Jade Pool disciples lived detached from the world, raised with tranquil hearts and rarely involved in struggle.

Ye Fan saw it all, and inwardly groaned. These people were eyeing the Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold like predators. Holding on to it would not be easy.

“Everyone… what is the meaning of this?” He had to speak up, this deadlock couldn’t continue.

“Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold is something even ancient Grand Emperors might never obtain. Of course we’re moved. We’d like a closer look,” the Radiant Light Saint stepped forward, divine glow encasing his body and exerting an overwhelming pressure.

Yao Xi smiled charmingly, her flawless beauty glowing. “Daoist, don’t you have anything to say?”

“I do… Why is this damn rock so heavy!” Ye Fan still grumbled.

That fist-sized black stone weighed over ten thousand pounds. That’s what exposed the treasure hidden within.

Old Blade took another step forward, his aura intensifying. “God materials go to the fated. Since it’s already in your hands, we won’t take it by force. But we would indeed like to see it more closely.”

Ye Fan was surprised. Just moments ago, this old man had radiated the strongest killing intent. Now he was saying he wouldn’t fight and even seemed to be shielding him?

“Rest assured, Daoist. We may be tempted, but we’re not going to rob or kill for it. If you’re willing to part with it, I’m willing to offer anything in return,” the Radiant Light Saint said with a warm glow on his face.

No way was Ye Fan going to trade it. He planned to use it to forge a divine cauldron. This was a treasure that ancient Grand Emperors had dreamt of. Nothing could replace it.

Yao Xi’s eyes shimmered with allure. Her smile was charming, her lips glistening. “Daoist, don’t worry. Show us this rare treasure. Let us admire it.”

Li Desheng, seeing no one making a move, also came over.

The Jade Pool Saintess walked gracefully forward as well. “Daoist, you can be at ease. No one will act.”

Ye Fan reasoned that for now, no one would make a move. After all, they were still in the Primordial Mine. He was proficient in source arts, and if they fought here, everyone might die. Besides, they still needed him to lead the way.

But once they left this zone… that was a different story.

“Then please, take a look.” Ye Fan held the stone up with effort, removing the seal.

A coin-sized piece of the black outer layer had already fallen off, revealing the divine material inside, radiant lights burst out, dazzling like a rainbow, overwhelming the senses.

It was breathtaking, dazzlingly beautiful. Glowing divine patterns flowed through the crystal-clear material. One could faintly see phoenix markings etched inside, mystical and stunning.

“This is Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold!”

Everyone exclaimed, their eyes burning hotter than ever.

“The outer shell is thin. The exposed portion looks about the size of a fist. Over ten thousand pounds, more than enough to forge a weapon,” Old Blade said.

A material of this size could certainly be used for forging. But no one knew exactly how much divine material was needed for a Paragon Artifact, only an emperor would know.

Ye Fan didn’t remove the rest of the shell. In fact, he sealed the exposed portion again. Without the stone’s seal, the essence might leak. If it wasn’t used immediately for forging, it was best to keep it sealed.

The hall dimmed again as the divine light vanished. Ye Fan put away the Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold. Unless someone traded an Ancient Scripture, he wouldn’t consider parting with it.

“To forge a Paragon Artifact, this likely isn’t enough. This is probably just the leftovers from what Grand Emperor Eternal Universe used,” the Radiant Light Saint guessed.

“Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold is comparable to a True Phoenix. There’s almost nothing in this world that matches it,” Old Blade sighed. “The sacred materials of the Eastern Wilderness were basically exhausted by the ancient emperors.”

“If another Grand Emperor ever rises in this world, they may not find materials strong enough to forge a weapon,” Yao Xi added.

The group continued searching the hall and found a few lines of writing left by Grand Emperor Eternal Universe. The message was: “Left for those with fate.”

Grand Emperor Eternal Universe, a peerless genius, shook the world with his cultivation. Yet despite his fortune and power, he never took everything for himself. He always left some fate behind for others.

Aside from this writing and some ashes from weapon refining, there were no other secrets in the hall.

As they exited the ancient building, everyone looked back at the plaque above the entrance. The two characters "Eternal Universe" were bold and powerful, like they could shatter the heavens.

Each of them stood quietly, gazing at the characters. Hoping for insight. This wasn’t a direct transmission of cultivation, it was a Dao intent, and sometimes, this could trigger enlightenment.

Ye Fan felt something stir. His heart emptied. The two characters struck him deeply, making him want to unleash the War Paragon Art, but he held it in, mentally performing the hand seals instead.

The Radiant Light Saint, undeniably extraordinary, entered an enlightened state. Sacred light enveloped him, evoking a trace of imperial majesty. He spread his arms and his dharma body emerged, tracing mysterious paths. He had realized something.

The Jade Pool Saintess and Yao Xi also quietly contemplated and gained insight. Old Blade stood motionless like a withered tree, lost in thought. Only Li Desheng couldn’t calm down, his Lunar Sight flashed. “I feel it again. Something’s watching us from the dark.”

Soon, everyone snapped out of their meditative state and scanned the area. But they found nothing.

Sunfall Ridge was quiet. Aside from the faint black sun on the ground, there was nothing.

Ye Fan suddenly had a thought. He brought out the Departing Fire God Furnace. Though still dented and scarred, it had recovered well. He opened the lid and summoned the inch-tall crystalline furnace.

SHOOM

With a flash, the furnace dove into the black sun on the ground, and black flames leapt up.

“Daoist! What are you doing?!” Li Desheng shouted.

“If an ancient emperor chose this place to refine weapons, it must mean this land contains the most potent Yang energy. I’m taking some for myself, maybe I’ll forge a weapon one day,” Ye Fan said.

Li Desheng was speechless. Aside from ancient emperors, who could even forge such a weapon? This was clearly wishful thinking.

But everyone knew the Yang flames within Sunfall Ridge were treasure-tier. The divine fire buried below was a precious resource. If one could collect it, it would be extremely useful.

The furnace sank into the ground, absorbing the black flames.

“Don’t get carried away!” Old Blade warned, afraid something dangerous would be disturbed.

“Relax. I know what I’m doing,” Ye Fan nodded. He was trained in source arts and understood the risks.

“Daoist… your broken furnace is melting,” Li Desheng said, his Lunar Sight flashing, barely holding back laughter.

Ye Fan frowned. The furnace was starting to warp from the heat. He quickly withdrew it. The deeper the fire, the hotter it got, far from ordinary.

He could only take some from the surface, still, he filled the entire furnace with black flame and sealed it inside.

The Radiant Light Saint, Old Blade, Yao Xi, and the Jade Pool Saintess also acted. Each summoned mysterious weapons and collected a small portion, immediately stopping as the temperature became too overwhelming.

“If this fire is so amazing, I’ll take some too!” Li Desheng summoned a silver gourd.

SIZZLE,

To everyone’s shock, the gourd instantly melted, destroyed by the vague black sun.

“My weapon! It was a Dao Palace-level treasure!” Li Desheng wailed in grief.

Ye Fan estimated the flames in the black sun were terrifying. Even the surface-level fire rivaled purple flame, the sixth tier of fire domain strength.

As for the deeper fire? That was unimaginable. It made sense why Grand Emperor Eternal Universe chose this place, this was the pinnacle of Yang energy.

The portion Ye Fan collected wasn’t much weaker than the divine fire that had incinerated the Ji Clan’s Supreme Elder.

What a treasure!

Ye Fan didn’t show it outwardly, but he already had a plan. Once they exited the Forbidden Burial Ground, if a fight broke out, he’d start with a massive fire.

They proceeded cautiously. With Ye Fan leading the way, they avoided danger and slowly left the cursed land behind.

Before long, they reached open terrain, on the verge of exiting the Primordial Mine.

“We’re really out!”

“Wait, two presences behind us!” Li Desheng suddenly shouted.

“GO!”

No one hesitated anymore. They all shot into the sky, flying away from the Forbidden Burial Ground.

They had finally escaped its deadly grip.

It was deep into the night. The world was still. Moonlight poured like water. Cold and quiet.

“Daoist, please wait.” The Radiant Light Saint smiled warmly, and blocked Ye Fan’s path.

Yao Xi stood to the side, smiling sweetly, looking enchanting.

Old Blade and the Jade Pool Saintess were not far off. A faint killing intent filled the air, but it was impossible to tell who it came from.

Ye Fan understood.

Phoenix-Blood Red-Gold moved the heart.

An item reserved for Grand Emperors, there was no way this could end peacefully.