Chapter 1240: End of the Heavenly Path
Eternal was half-ruined, with countless dead. Some saints had their bones crushed right at their own doorstep. This was the ten years of brutal war, a bleak conclusion.
The originally prosperous main star had become a land of smoke and ruin. Of course, the Ancient Clan had also left behind many corpses. For thousands of miles, not a soul was seen.
A white-haired expert, with a single sword stroke that severed the nine heavens with cold light, swept away ten great ancient clans. Without stopping, he carried his black sword and departed, leaving behind a legend.
The Ancient Clan’s losses were not small, but their gains were also enormous. They had breached many Holy Lands and brought back precious evolution liquids sealed since ancient times.
Though they appeared to return with a full load, the hardships involved were unknown to outsiders. They had ushered in an era of rapid progress. Bloodline inheritance, evolution liquids, and the like created a period of brilliance.
In the Big Dipper Ancient Star Domain, ten thousand clans sang in unison, and many sages descended. One brilliant hero after another rose, creating legend after legend.
Ye Fan had gone far away, but his disciple Ye Tong emerged abruptly, streaking across the sky like a comet, illuminating the earth and ensuring that his legend would not perish.
Because every victory Ye Tong won reminded people of the former Human Clan Sacred Body—this was his disciple, the continuation of his glory.
Leaves fell, plants withered in autumn, stars shifted. Even the most dazzling halo would one day fade and be forgotten in the river of time.
The Big Dipper had entered an era of warring states. Sages continuously poured in, along with their disciples, ushering in a brand-new golden age.
In this way, Ye Fan would eventually be gradually forgotten. One brilliant sacred star after another emerged, from ancient lands beyond the domain like Tongtian, Huosang, and Gouchens.
Time was so merciless. The rise of sages and the birth of myths could cause many past events to fade.
The cold universe, dark and boundless. A lonely traveler savored solitude in the stillness. One man and one horse crossed star domain after star domain. Though fraught with danger, Ye Fan’s will was firm and unshakable.
The Dragon Horse had also grown silent, no longer as rash as before. It had gained a kind of steadiness and lost some of its impatience.
Ten years of conquest—if you didn’t advance, you fell back. Advancing meant wading through blood. Fighting all the way, even Ye Fan had encountered accidents, and the Dragon Horse had nearly died several times.
“When will it end?” the Dragon Horse murmured, carrying Ye Fan as it walked. They arrived at another dead star, warily surveying the surroundings, for they had suffered great losses before.
Once, just after stepping out of a Star Gate, they were caught off guard and ambushed by an Ant Saint King. They had nearly fallen, barely escaping with their lives and spending a long time recovering.
Ye Fan was silent. He didn’t know when the ancient path would end. Ten years of exhaustion, ten years of gain. His Dao heart remained unmoved, his will as firm as iron. He had adapted to all of this.
“Another grave.”
The Dragon Horse carried Ye Fan, galloping across the ancient star, arriving before a small mound. A stone stele stood there, engraved with a few lines of vigorous script.
“Tomb of Divine King Jiang Yue.” Only these words recorded the end of a generation’s outstanding talent. The strongest trial path was littered with bones; many had fallen along the way.
This stele and grave should be tens of thousands of years old, about to collapse, for the last traces of sealing power had vanished.
“Is such sacrifice worth it? What are we really seeking?” The Dragon Horse spat out a burst of flames, raising its head to the sky.
In this place, Ye Fan and his companion encountered no danger. The planet held the bones of strange beasts, massive as mountains, long extinct.
Another two months passed. They killed a group of ghost-like, terrifying soul entities, their primordial spirits enduring great torment. After breaking through a dead star that was like a hell, they finally found a turning point.
From the consciousness of a ghostly saint, they searched and learned that deep in the universe ahead, there were living beings—humans, no longer a death zone.
There was no better news than this. The monotonous journey was finally about to end, lifting the spirits of the man and the horse.
“I’ve had enough. Are we traversing the Heavenly Path or passing through hell? An entire star full of soul bodies, an entire star full of bone spirits… This isn’t suffering fit for humans.” The Dragon Horse was covered in wounds.
This had long become routine. In ten years of bloody battle, even Ye Fan had been cleaved in half, and the Dragon Horse’s primordial spirit had been seized by others.
“If one doesn’t become a saint, walking this path means death at any moment. I wonder how they are doing,” Ye Fan murmured.
Ji Family’s Big and Little Moons, the Southern Demon siblings, the Central Emperor, Pang Bo, and others had all set foot on this path. But it had been a long time since he had seen even a trace of their presence.
“Let’s go!”
Ye Fan gazed into the depths of the universe. There was no turning back. No matter how many dangers lay ahead, even if it were the Netherworld, he would still charge through.
The man and the horse traveled through the desolate universe. After more than ten days, using small Five-Colored Altars several times to cross distances, they finally found a special path.
“We made it! We’ve finally reached our destination!” The Dragon Horse reared up, its neigh like thunder. Its divine sense was so firm, its mental fluctuations so intense, that even the surrounding meteorites rumbled in resonance.
Galloping across the star domain, after ten years of carving a bloody path, they arrived at a stretch of starry sky. Here, there were no longer dead stars. A stone stele pointed the way ahead.
The Dragon Horse left a trail of flames, carrying Ye Fan as it leaped through the heavens, making the universe tremble with its steps. After two days of running, they saw dozens of ancient steles along the way, all pointing forward.
During this process, they gradually encountered some people, sensing a vitality that was no longer so deathly still.
“Ao hou…”
A savage beast roared, transmitted through divine sense, accompanied by boiling blood energy. It was as if a group of prehistoric ferocious beasts were stampeding, making the starry sky tremble.
Ye Fan was surprised. He saw some humans coming from different directions, all converging on this path. Many rode enormous strange beasts as big as small mountains.
Some were like Qilin Dragons, others were Jiaojiao Beasts, with towering horns, dense scales, and rolling killing intent. They had clearly undergone the baptism of life and death.
Ye Fan and the Dragon Horse slowed down, carefully observing. After traveling for another half day, they occasionally saw such people, as well as beautiful, ethereal women riding Luan birds, graceful and agile.
“Are these all people walking the strongest trial path of the starry sky? Where do they come from?” Ye Fan pondered. There were so many—he had already seen no fewer than a hundred along the way.
Why were they all arriving at this moment? Was there some special change?
Even the Dragon Horse was startled. Were there many living ancient stars in the starry sky? Unlikely. They had crossed many star domains and hadn’t seen a single one!
“Get out of the way!”
Behind them, iron hooves shook the starry sky, and a violent voice rang out. Thirteen riders galloped side by side, each clad in sacred armor, gleaming with different metallic cold lights, rolling in like a steel torrent.
Their mounts were all primeval exotic beasts, each rare in the world. There were Pixiu ancient beasts, majestic and divine, overlooking the heavens. There were nine-headed divine pythons, colorful and vibrant, descendants of the ancient Serpent Queen. There were also Azure Dragons, summoning wind and rain.
They were like a group of heavenly generals, roaring across the sky, chasing stars and the moon, seemingly all-powerful. Their blood energy pressed down on the heavens, terrifying and overwhelming.
Especially the central figure, a man sitting atop a silver-white ancient wolf. He was bare-chested, with a fierce, predatory gaze, as if he alone were supreme. His eyes were more dazzling than divine lamps.
And though his mount was an old wolf, not a strange beast, it had become a saint—a veritable sacred beast.
“Get out of the way!”
These thirteen riders charged forward, fast as lightning, fierce as a tsunami. Their blood energy beat against the other shore, shaking everything around them. They were unruly and arrogant, their words infuriating.
The Dragon Horse stopped, moved aside, and prepared for battle. Ye Fan watched coldly, sitting motionless.
The starry sky was torn apart as the thirteen iron riders thundered past. They didn’t stop, vanishing like a hurricane, leaving behind a surge of raging waves.
The Dragon Horse was furious, feeling like it had punched cotton. It had been ready to fight, but the thirteen riders didn’t pause, simply charging straight ahead.
Ye Fan was also surprised. He was fearless. Since this was the strongest trial path in history, there would surely be fierce clashes between experts. He had long been mentally prepared, but the battle didn’t happen.
Just then, a refined-looking scholar with a feather fan and a silk headdress hurried from behind. Dao patterns appeared under his feet, each step covering a thousand zhang. He shook his head as he passed, a hint of disdain in his voice: “Since ancient times, the Imperial Path has been paved with bones. There is only me, no others. On this path, no one makes way for others.”
Then, a Golden Wing Heavenly Roc flew by, carrying a middle-aged woman. She cast a cold glance and said, “If you have fear in your heart and make way for others, why come here? You might as well turn back.”
“Woof!” The Dragon Horse was so enraged it let out a dog’s bark, clearly influenced by Black Emperor. Now it was furious.
It knew it had made a mistake. It had moved aside to prepare for battle, but on this path, it was seen as cowardice. It hadn’t known there were so many rules.
“Dao brother, on this path, the strong should be fearless. Competition is brutal. Everyone is an opponent. Many try to intimidate with their aura before fighting. Don’t take it to heart.” A thin, young man kindly informed them before hurrying off.
“I’ve even broken through hell itself. Am I afraid of them? We’ll meet on the road!” The Dragon Horse was full of pent-up anger. Being yelled at to get out of the way had already infuriated it, and then being mocked by those behind nearly made it roar.
Ye Fan said nothing. His gaze was clear. He wasted no more time. The Dragon Horse let out a neigh, turning into a bolt of blood-red lightning as it charged into the depths of the starry sky.
The steles disappeared. The road signs vanished. Ahead, the crowd grew larger. Everyone had their own aura and pressure. It was clear they were all heroes, none of them simple.
“That is…” The Dragon Horse’s huge eyes gleamed with sharp light. Its anger faded as it stared ahead, somewhat stunned.
Ye Fan was also shocked. He hadn’t expected to see such a vision.
In the universe, a magnificent ancient city sat ahead, majestic and grand. The cries of dragons and phoenixes could be heard. It stretched across the starry moonlight, eternal and indestructible.
Everyone stopped here, no longer moving forward, gazing into the distance at this ancient city. It had a vast, ancient atmosphere, flowing with an immortal power.
“An ancient city beneath the starry sky…” Many showed expressions of astonishment.
It was both majestic and mysterious. It was not located on a planet but hung directly in the starry sky of the universe, bathed in starlight, a powerful visual impact.
It covered an extremely wide area. Its city walls were like mountain ranges, stretching endlessly. The city towers were tall and grand. A pair of heavy city gates were closed, as if they could block thousands of troops and horses, as well as all the sages of the ages!