# Chapter 1266: The Imperial Path Darkens
What year is it now? In the starry sky, one never knows the passage of time... The path stretches forward, with only conquest ahead. The conditions vary across different ancient lands. A gust of wind blows, withered yellow leaves fall, evoking the desolation of autumn—a scene of melancholy.
Setting foot on the ancient starry path, fighting all the way, how many outstanding talents have withered like dead leaves, fallen in pools of blood, and been buried in foreign lands?
In this autumn-filled ancient city, the trial-takers silently recuperated their bodies, preparing for the battles ahead, struggling to survive.
Ye Fan's steps were firm. Cultivating the "Presence" Secret, his entire body was wreathed in golden blood energy. He quickly recovered to his peak state. The light in his pupils converged into an abyss, deep and brilliant—a contradictory sight.
At dusk, the setting sun resembled residual blood, outlining the horizon as if countless corpses lay there, evoking an inexplicable desolation in people's hearts.
Some cultivators walked in the slightly cold autumn wind. The trees on both sides of the street had long turned yellow, chaotic leaves dancing, carrying a sense of decay and melancholy.
Ye Fan went out, his gaze sharp, his will as firm as iron. Every step he took was steady and powerful. His confidence did not waver as he walked along the mottled ancient path.
He knew well that after the baptism of the bloody battlefield, some cultivators had grown extremely weary. Although they had passed through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, they had lost their competitive spirit.
Sure enough, when he entered the city's most magnificent wine pavilion and ascended the stairs, he heard some despondent words.
"I've decided. I'm withdrawing right now, turning back without hesitation to return to my homeland. I'll never again entertain the delusion of attaining the Dao."
The person who spoke these words was a bitter cultivator. In just a few short months, he had gone from spirited and vigorous to utterly weathered. His eyes were no longer sharp but somewhat dim, and his temples were streaked with a few strands of white frost.
"Really... voluntarily withdrawing?" someone nearby asked, carrying the same bitterness, clearly sharing the same sentiment.
"I'm leaving. There's no point in staying. Everyone who came from the same place as me is dead. Only I remain. I can't see any hope. Even my younger brother died..."
Many fell silent. A sourness welled up in their hearts—this was their unwillingness and sorrow. They had once been heroes of their domains, but after setting foot on this path, they no longer had their former glory.
Once upon a time, each of them had stood at the peak of their domain, achieving success in their youth. But these arrogant individuals had tasted defeat here, becoming stepping stones in the eyes of other, stronger people.
A dispirited young man, drunk to the point of stupor, suddenly burst into loud sobs. His emotions out of control, he couldn't restrain himself. Tears of unwillingness streamed down his face as he said, "The pride I once had, the glory of being undefeated in my domain—it means nothing here. It's been ruthlessly trampled. The struggle for supremacy on the Imperial Path—that's only a battlefield for a few. For us, it's too cruel. We're just pitiful passersby and dead men."
When these words were spoken, many fell silent. Recalling the glorious years of the past, they too had been arrogant, roaring across heaven and earth, swallowing up ten thousand miles. But after walking this path, many had tasted bitterness.
"The person I loved died before my eyes. She was so sorrowful and beautiful, yet I was powerless to save her. I could only tremble as I lifted her from the pool of blood, watching helplessly as her eyes dimmed, her body grew cold, and she lost her last trace of radiance." Another person whispered, filled with pain. "There's only hurt and pain here. I never want to remember it again. I'll leave tonight."
More than a dozen people suddenly stood up in the wine pavilion, staggering downstairs to find the city's commander, requesting to embark on the return journey, never to look back.
On this night, figures carrying unwillingness and pain, bearing a sense of desolation, chose different stellar coordinates and set off alone on their journeys. Their backs were pitifully bleak.
When the autumn wind rose, a woman sang softly.
"We are the sorrow in others' stories, like falling leaves drifting in the wind, unable to find direction. On the Great Emperor's path, there are our footprints, but not in paradise—only that touch of sorrowful red, telling the sorrow of blood. Horses tread the starry sky, majestic figures, stunning battles, shooting down the divine moon, breaking ancient myths, composing a glorious Imperial Path, becoming a swan song. That is others' glory. Hesitant, lost, where are we? Struggling, searching, a pile of bones on the Imperial Path annotates our desolation."
The song was like weeping, faint and sobbing, carried by the autumn wind, accompanied by falling leaves, scattering throughout the ancient city.
On this night, as one after another desolate figure departed into the distance, fewer than a hundred trial-takers remained.
A pile of bones on the Imperial Path—this was the destination for most, a cruel reality. Hesitation and unwillingness were useless.
They had only reached the second checkpoint, yet hope was already lost. Some cultivators clearly realized that among this group alone, dozens were stronger than them. What was the point of talking about future struggles on the Imperial Path?
Among the remaining ninety-plus people, some believed in their own potential, thinking they just needed to raise their cultivation level, that they could slowly grow and eventually become legends.
Others were only here for tempering, not to attain the Dao. They would become Saint Kings in the future and return to their homeland.
People's aspirations and ambitions were each different.
Some were lost, others revealed their sharpness. Different personalities, different fates. On this night, among the remaining cultivators, some played their swords and sang loudly, the clanging of swords shaking heaven and earth, their hot-blooded fighting spirit soaring for ten thousand miles.
Ye Fan was very calm. He had long grown accustomed to life and death. Since setting foot on the cultivator's path, he had fought in blood until now. What was there for him to be confused about? He only had a heart as firm as iron.
As for the Dragon Horse, although wounded, his mood was not bad. In the recent battle, while not yet a Saint, he had nearly bitten several Saint Beasts to death.
When Ye Fan returned, this fellow was showing off in a self-hypnotizing way, babbling about how he was the strongest under heaven and would fight to the mad in the future.
"How come you're also washing your feet with the Dao Source?" Ye Fan asked in surprise, staring at this scene in a daze.
The Dragon Horse said arrogantly, "Nonsense. Since you've done it, even if this stream of Dao Source hasn't been used by you, if I merge it, wouldn't it seem like I'm inferior to you? How will I attain the Dao in the future, and how will I ride you back?"
Ye Fan immediately wanted to beat him up. He didn't understand why this fellow's mentality was always so good.
At dawn, rays of sunlight scattered down, golden and full of vitality, illuminating the horizon with brilliance, brimming with vigorous life force.
On this brilliant morning, everyone felt a powerful force and became incomparably confident.
The gloom had passed. The remaining strong ones were truly strong. It was at this moment that Ye Fan learned the news that they would soon march into an ancient Dao field, where there was infinite power.
Natural Dao, Dao Source, Infinite Power Dao... By now, people couldn't help but ponder. This was indeed a path with refinement.
"Being in this city, with sunlight scattering down, I can already feel the vigorous power. What kind of place will that ancient Dao field be?"
As the sun rose in the east, many people, filled with questions, noticed a commotion on the street, followed by the buzz of voices.
"What happened?"
Everyone was surprised and went to the street to ask passersby. They found that mostly young people were rushing in a certain direction.
"What's going on? What caused this uproar?"
"Don't you know? Someone has activated a Divine Light Ancient Platform and returned from the forward ancient path. We might be able to hear some secrets from the battlefield."
"People who set foot on the starry path can't reverse course and return to the rear sacred city, can they? Unless they give up the trial path and directly return to their homeland."
"Didn't I say? She used a Divine Light Ancient Platform, which doesn't fall under that restriction. It doesn't violate the city's rules."
Many people were discussing this as they headed toward the city's square.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. He asked the natives for clarification. What exactly was going on? What was a Divine Light Ancient Platform?
"This is a divine object comparable to a Five-Colored Altar. It can be carried on one's person and allows unrestricted travel between certain specific star domains."
"How can one obtain it?" Ye Fan's heart pounded. He felt this item had tremendous practical value.
"Naturally, one must have outstanding performance on the ancient path and achieve great merits, such as discovering the tomb of an ancient Great Emperor or making contributions beneficial to the human race."
Ye Fan was stunned. He knew that the person returning must have an extraordinary background, absolutely an otherworldly stunning and terrifyingly powerful expert.
His speculation was quickly confirmed. A woman named Qing Shi had returned, known as the Banished Immortal Maiden. She was extremely powerful and terrifying. In her year, among her batch of trial-takers, she was the undisputed number one. Even after catching up to the stronger ones ahead, she was never inferior to anyone.
A few years ago, while fighting across the heavens, she had actually broken through a trial ground and entered a mysterious Chaos Immortal Soil. For this, she had achieved great merit and was granted a Divine Light Ancient Platform.
Any Chaos Immortal Soil possessed dreamlike value, containing countless rare treasures from within heaven and earth. According to legend, she had obtained the most valuable supreme treasure inside.
No one expected that she would return today, coming back to the sacred city at the starting point of the human race. She was definitely a woman who could oppress countless talents to suffocation.
"It really is Fairy Qing Shi. She's arrived at our city. She passed through here more than twenty years ago."
"That's right. I was fortunate enough to see the Banished Immortal Maiden back then. It's really her. She's even more ethereal and hazy now, unfathomably deep!"
Many natives were discussing, especially some young cultivators who were particularly excited. They had a deep impression of this woman. Many years had passed, yet she was still unforgettable.
Many people were surging in that direction, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the legendary Banished Immortal Maiden.
"Who would have thought? After more than twenty years, even Fairy Qing Shi's attendant, Miss Ling'er, has become a Saint. Truly unattainable."
"Thinking about it carefully, it should be so. Back then, Miss Ling'er was only one step away from becoming a Saint. With over twenty years of accumulation, she naturally passed that threshold."
Many people believed that the Banished Immortal Maiden's return would bring unimaginable pressure to the current batch of trial-takers. That batch of people back then was very special—an extremely terrifying and powerful combination. Yet Qing Shi could be revered as the number one, naturally possessing the divine might to seize the creation of heaven and earth.
Even the Guide Envoy of the Second Sacred City was alarmed and personally went to welcome her, receiving the Banished Immortal Maiden into the secret realm where he went into seclusion. This showed how highly he regarded her.
Everyone was astonished, feeling even more awe toward the Banished Immortal Maiden. According to legend, this woman had peerless grace and was a stunning beauty. With such cultivation that shook the starry ancient path, it was impossible not to attract attention.
"Her returning like this poses too great a threat to the later batch of trial-takers. It will probably cause some people's Dao hearts to waver. Facing the brilliance of the bright moon, how many can remain calm?"
"There are rules on the ancient path. Even if she returns, she cannot make a move, nor can she enter the trial grounds."
"Even so, just feeling her divine might and supreme immortal bones will cause many to lose confidence."
Some elderly people in the city whispered softly, discussing that the Banished Immortal Maiden's return was somewhat inappropriate and would affect the Dao-achieving hearts of the later batch of trial-takers. (To be continued)