# Chapter 1025: Big Dipper Stirs Again
Black mountains towered imposingly, each one a king among mountains, an emperor among peaks, their momentum vast and majestic.
The unique black mountain bodies, the heart-stopping aura, and the eternal silence spanning countless ages made this place seem so transcendent, as if standing outside the cycle of reincarnation.
Ye Fan was stunned. He was certain he wasn't mistaken—this was the Immortal Mountain. He had returned to the Big Dipper Star Domain!
He had originally thought they would enter the depths of the heavens and descend upon that ancient star called Feixian. He had already prepared for the worst, ready to do battle with various divine clans. He never expected that when the mountains were heavy and the waters seemed to lead nowhere, another village would appear amidst the willows and flowers.
"Immortal Mountain!" Ye Fan exhaled heavily.
"We've arrived at a living ancient star!" The Dragon Horse roared, unable to hold back a long cry.
They hadn't fallen into the black mountain range but were merely outside these great peaks. All around were wild forests with ancient trees reaching to the sky—a vast wilderness.
In their eyes, those branches, leaves, and vines were the most beautiful sights. After traveling through the cosmic starry sky for over half a year, seeing nothing but dead stars, it was truly exhausting.
From this, it wasn't hard to see how terrifying the universe was. Though there were billions of stars, only a few were true living ancient stars. The demons and monsters they had encountered along the way were all descendants of ancient sages who had attacked Hangu Pass.
"Master... have we reached the Big Dipper Star Domain?" Zhang Qingyang asked tremblingly. Partly from excitement, partly because the black mountains before him nearly made him suffocate.
"What place is this? Why... does it unsettle the spirit?" The Divine Knight's eyes sparkled brilliantly, filled with shock.
"This godforsaken place—not even a single beast that can roar is here. I might as well level it flat," the Dragon Horse said, white smoke billowing from its nostrils, dissatisfied with the oppressive aura.
Ye Fan immediately warned it not to act recklessly. This was one of the seven Forbidden Zones of Life in the Big Dipper, where entry always meant no return. Even ancient great emperors had fought here without being able to eliminate it.
"That terrifying?" The Dragon Horse became docile.
Ye Fan's heart surged with excitement. After fourteen years, he had returned. He wondered how his old friends were—were they still safe?
He led the way, his back to the Immortal Mountain, advancing through the primeval forest. After traveling some distance, they finally heard the cries of apes and roars of tigers, and saw many strange beasts.
The terrifying aura of the Immortal Mountain faded away, gradually disappearing. They all relaxed. Zhang Qingyang and Long Yuxuan were dazed—they had truly crossed the heavenly realm, like a dream.
They were from Earth. Though they were cultivators, they had also received a modern education. Coming from one planet to another star domain felt fantastical, making them feel unreal.
"We left through Hangu Pass in the west and followed an ancient path into the starry sky, arriving at the Big Dipper..." These two muttered to themselves, then their mouths twitched as they laughed foolishly.
"Haha..." The Dragon Horse laughed wildly, brazenly declaring it would become a holy horse in this realm in the shortest time, trampling the world beneath its hooves.
Everyone was in high spirits. Not just the Dragon Horse—even Ye Fan's emotions surged violently. He clenched his fists tightly, his gaze looking into the distance.
"Old friends who shared life and death—I have returned! And you, my great enemies—perhaps you have forgotten me, but in the near future, you will remember again."
"I miss you so much—stop right there!" The Dragon Horse rampaged, chasing a hybrid Peng Crow. It trampled through the sky with a thunderous roar, forcing down from the heavens a giant bird whose body seemed cast from pure gold.
"Tonight we eat roasted Peng meat!" The Dragon Horse said triumphantly.
Everyone rolled their eyes. This master never ate vegetables—it wouldn't even look at grass unless it was millennium-old medicinal herbs. Most of the time, it ate meat.
That night, campfire flames danced. The aroma of Peng meat spread through the entire forest. The group ate heartily.
Zhang Qingyang even took out several bottles of Maotai. Before leaving for Hangu Pass, he had bought large quantities of cigarettes and alcohol, afraid he wouldn't adapt to life here.
"Master... I miss my mom," the child Huahua suddenly cried, his mouth trembling. He hadn't said a word through all the bizarre things they'd experienced on the journey, but now that they'd truly arrived at their destination, he was homesick.
Ye Fan's head ached. Bringing such a young child to this end of the starry sky was truly hard to arrange. How would he take care of him?
Sending Huahua to the holy monks of Mount Sumeru in the Western Desert? No—he had no such intention. Such excellent talent, with his sea of consciousness filled with Buddhist scriptures, there was no need to send him away.
He was the guardian of the Buddhist gate at the other end of the starry sky, but not here. He had fulfilled his promise to the ancient Buddha and would treat this child well, having already accepted him as a disciple.
"If you miss your parents, you can cultivate diligently. When you grow up, you'll be able to cross star domains and return," Ye Fan could only say this.
Morning rays shot in all directions, morning dew sparkling with colorful light.
Mountain mist swirled, and the fresh scent of grass and trees greeted them, making the awakened few feel dazed, as if it weren't real.
Over half a year drifting from one dead star to another, battling many divine clans, enduring countless hardships—they had finally reached their destination.
"Let's go. Set out!"
Ye Fan changed his appearance. He didn't know what had happened in these fourteen years, what the outside world was like now. He needed to find out.
He earnestly warned the Dragon Horse and the others that this world was very dangerous. Even Dao Cutters weren't enough here—with the threat of ancient ancestral kings above, they had to be cautious.
The Dragon Horse naturally had to conceal its dragon aura, transforming into a hybrid Dragon Horse. Otherwise, its emergence would definitely cause enormous trouble. This was a mount that only ancient great emperors could possess—such bloodline hadn't been seen for over a hundred thousand years!
Central Eastern Wasteland, once brilliant and resplendent, leading the world's trends. Various traditions had clashed, producing dazzling sparks of light, with many ancient sites.
Heaven Scar City had a long history, existing in the world for who knows how many tens of thousands of years. It was one of the ten great ancient cities of the Central Domain. Its city walls were majestic, built from blue stone, like a blue dragon lying horizontally.
When Ye Fan and his group entered the city, no one paid them any attention. In this giant city, all kinds of extraordinary people and strange experts appeared daily—they were hardly conspicuous.
"You said you'd treat us to Enlightenment Tea, making it sound so extraordinary. I wonder how it really is. Don't find some shabby tea house to fool us," the Dragon Horse grumbled.
The Longevity Tea House was five stories tall, antique in style. No ordinary people entered or left—only powerful figures from the cultivation world. It was famous for selling Enlightenment Tea, once or twice a year, always at astronomical prices.
The Immortal Mountain only yielded a few dozen tea leaves a year, and their annual harvest was enough to show their extraordinary nature.
Ye Fan didn't know if he could buy any. His main purpose was to gather information. After leaving the primeval forest, they had come straight to this ancient city.
Tea fragrance filled the air, refreshing the heart and mind. The Divine Knight took a small sip and marveled at the excellent tea.
In the end, they didn't buy any Enlightenment Tea. Now that the ancient clans had emerged, this rare divine tea had become even more precious. With only a few dozen leaves total each year, competition was fierce.
The Dragon Horse had transformed into human form. At first, it pretended to sip tea properly, but then it directly produced a huge jade bowl, making the dizzy waiter fill it to the brim. It began drinking like a whale inhaling and an ox drinking. People at other tables all laughed.
"Alas, we're old. Truly, each generation produces its own talents, each ruling the scene for a few hundred years. The power of the younger generation now is truly frightening."
"Isn't that so? Even Huang Xudao's disciple can shake the world, and he's not yet twenty years old."
"The Wanchu Holy Land has also cultivated a peerless genius. This is learning from bitter experience. Their holy son and holy maiden were both killed back then. Now they're pouring all their efforts into nurturing a prodigy. They've been holding their breath all these years."
Ye Fan drank tea, listening quietly. He stopped the Dragon Horse from asking questions, letting them listen in silence.
The Longevity Tea House had good business. People from all directions came and went. They liked to discuss various matters of the cultivation world here—it was a good place for small gatherings.
"Times have changed. Invincible venerables like Huang Xudao and the Celestial Prince haven't made a move in five or six years. Even the disciples they've trained can dominate the world."
"When Yao Guang doesn't appear, who can contend? Tell me, did the Saint Lord of Yaoguang truly set foot on the ancient starry path? If he's still in this world, why hasn't he appeared in these past few years?"
"Hmm, in this age when sages don't appear, Yao Guang's battle eight years ago almost made him undefeated under heaven. That glorious record is still unforgettable!"
Ye Fan showed a strange expression. The former Holy Son Yao Guang had now become the master of that holy land, having grown so powerful. From what these people said, he had set foot on the starry path. What was going on?
"After all these years, when counting the heroes of the world, one must still first mention Huang Xudao, the Celestial Prince, the Holy Son Yao Guang, the Holy Prince, and others. Each had a period sweeping the world."
"Hmm, you've missed one person. Back then, the Sacred Body dominated the scene, beating his peers until they couldn't lift their heads. He killed holy sons, slew divine sons—he too had a glorious period."
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Counting carefully, he should have left fourteen or fifteen years ago. He was indeed a figure. I just wonder if his cultivation has made significant progress now."
"Master, who are you talking about?" A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl asked a group of elders.
An old man lovingly touched the girl's head, his expression distant. "A person named Ye Fan. When he left back then, you hadn't been born yet. Those were truly unforgettable years."
"Was he very powerful?" The girl tilted her head, her big eyes very bright.
Many people on the tea house looked over. Clearly, quite a few were attracted by their conversation, recalling the events of those years.
Another elder touched the girl's head. "The Sacred Body in that era was absolutely a well-known powerhouse. The Celestial Prince, the Holy Son Yao Guang, and others were all his great enemies."
"When Yao Guang appears, who can rival him? When the Celestial Prince manifests, all heroes under heaven tremble. He alone could be enemies with these venerables and still survive?" The girl's eyes sparkled.
"Child, that's where you're wrong. When he dominated the scene back then, he never lost to his peers. As strong as Yao Guang, as mighty as the Celestial Prince, as brave as Huo Qizi—none could take his life, none dared to truly fight to the death with him."
"Yes, the holy sons—how brilliant they were—were all suppressed by him alone. Think of Yuangu, an ancient emperor's bloodline—he killed him. And the banished immortal-like Hua Yunfei, stunning the world—he too ultimately faded away in darkness."
"Where did he go?" The girl pressed.
"He left this ancient star, whereabouts unknown. No one knows if he's still alive. The starry path is dangerous."
Just then, a heavy cold snort sounded. A group of people rose from their seats, their expressions ugly as they went downstairs.
"Oh, those are people from the Wanchu Holy Land. Talking about the Sacred Body's past like that—they're certainly displeased. Ye Fan killed their holy son and ruined their holy maiden back then."
"Hmm, now they've finally cultivated a blazing prodigy, cherishing him dearly. Today, he will have a battle with someone named Ye Tong."
"Right, today there will be a battle between heaven-defying prodigies, chosen for this city. So many experts have gathered here to watch this world-famous duel."
"Do you know? I've heard this person named Ye Tong is connected to the human clan's Sacred Body from back then. Either his disciple or his child, raised by that damned, wretched big black dog."
"I've heard about it long ago. Otherwise, why would Wanchu's prodigy want to fight him? It's to vent the holy land's anger and continue the confrontation with the Sacred Body."
Ye Fan was startled. Who was Ye Tong? Could it be his eldest disciple Tongtong? He was stunned. After so many years, the little one should indeed have grown up.
"This time, the winds are rising and clouds surging. I've heard many ancient clan experts have come, also wanting to watch this battle. They all suffered greatly at the Sacred Body's hands back then and now want to see how his disciple fares."
Clearly, Heaven Scar City was stirring with wind and clouds, all because of the impending duel between two heaven-defying prodigies of the younger generation!