Chapter 1315: A Quasi-Emperor Halts the War
As the great war was about to conclude, news like this spread through the starry sky, causing a massive upheaval and drawing the attention of all directions!
It came so suddenly that everyone was stunned. The flames of war were raging, reaching a white-hot intensity, and then this news emerged—truly out of the blue.
"The information is absolutely accurate, without a shred of falsehood. The war that has lasted twenty-one years is finally reaching its end…"
In this great turmoil, countless lives had been lost. It could be called a catastrophe. The news of a ceasefire swept across the starry sky.
"Many things have happened deep in the universe, beyond the imagination of ordinary cultivators. All parties have compromised and had no choice but to cease hostilities!"
Some secret rumors spread rapidly. Someone said a primordial beast had appeared, swallowing heaven and earth, destroying many star domains ahead, and even a Great Sage could not withstand it.
Another said that a supreme Sacred Spirit Lord who had not participated in the war had arrived, obtained the Heaven-Repairing Art, and after secret discussions with the human race, reached a certain consensus, and thus the troops would withdraw.
Some also said that the Immortal Path had already opened, and many Great Sages, disregarding everything, had rushed far away toward the Burial Emperor Star, unwilling to miss the once-in-a-millennium immortal opportunity.
There were also cultivators who said that someone was about to attain the Dao and would undergo the Great Emperor Tribulation in this star domain. If they failed, it might implicate countless powerful beings and cause their fall.
Others said that on the Ancient Human Path, there was an Emperor's tomb. When the Great Demon God, Di Tian, and a group of peerless prodigies explored it, the tomb cracked open, and an ancient coffin flew out, triggering a great upheaval.
There were many secrets, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.
"I have learned a definite piece of news: nine true dragons pulled an ancient coffin, traversing the dark universe, and several clan Great Sages pursued it." Someone spoke with certainty, using a very affirmative tone.
Immediately, a cultivator refuted, saying, "The Nine Dragons Coffin appeared on this path a hundred thousand years ago. How could its traces appear again? Could it be a cycle?"
One thing people were sure of: something unimaginable must have happened in the starry sky, or else the various clans would never cease fighting.
Half a month later, the picture became a bit clearer. One or two of the rumors might be true. This ceasefire was actually the result of multiple factors working together.
Clearly, these were all far-reaching major events, and it was difficult for people to judge which were real. They could only confirm that the various clans were negotiating peace, and the flames of war were truly about to be extinguished.
"It's bad! A demon god turned hostile, struck out on the peace-negotiating ancient star, and a bloody battle occurred. A Great Sage died because of it!"
The dawn of peace appeared and spread to all regions, but it was immediately shrouded in gloom again. Bad news came from the starry sky—the disaster might not stop.
The people of the entire star domain instantly felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, becoming tense again. The heroes showed worry—the situation had actually reversed!
A full half month was a long and anxious waiting process. The shadow lingered in people's hearts until the last moment, when the gloom gradually dissipated.
"A compromise has been reached. The protectors of this star domain have gathered and finally reached a consensus—the war is about to stop!"
The star domain boiled over, with countless people cheering. Every clan felt as if a heavy burden weighing ten thousand jun had been lifted.
The great war was about to end. The conflict that had lasted twenty-one years was finally reaching its terminus.
Everyone was exhausted. The Sacred Spirit Clan, the Light Clan, the human race—none could be called victors. All had paid a bloody price, suffered too much devastation. The curtain was finally about to fall.
Some major clans, such as the Primordial Demon Clan and the Ao Spirit Clan, had long been unable to sustain the bloody struggle. This war had brought devastation to all living beings, with heavy casualties, nearly leading to extinction.
"The end of the war was the result of many factors, but the main reason for its success was that a human cultivator named Gai Jiuyou arrived and forcefully stopped the war!"
Who was he? All clans were shocked and puzzled. One person alone had changed the entire landscape.
Recently, people had been very anxious. The war had lasted too long, and they longed for peace. They never expected such a mysterious figure to appear, with such influence.
"He is… a Quasi-Emperor, a Supreme Being who once had hope of attaining the Dao. At the final moment, his forceful intervention brought about the ceasefire!"
The starry sky buzzed with excitement. This was a huge uproar, sweeping across the star domain, spreading to all clans, causing the heroes' hearts to tremble. There were always legends of emperors, but who had ever seen one? Now, had a Quasi-Emperor truly appeared?
Twenty-one years had passed. This war was far more brutal than imagined. Without external force, treasures like the Heaven-Repairing Art and the Stone Token might have prolonged the war for a hundred years.
A man named Gai Jiuyou arrived and changed everything.
Information about him spread quickly. Every cultivator paid attention.
"He is a living Quasi-Emperor, truly unmatched under this starry sky. All clans are afraid, fearing annihilation."
"Wrong. He has fallen from his peak for many years. His blood energy is withered, his body aged and weak. His glory is hard to sustain."
Gai Jiuyou descended, wielding the weapons of ancient Great Emperors—two of them—causing a great sensation! He intimidated all the powerful clans, whether Sacred Spirits or demon gods, all fell silent.
One person alone under the starry sky—who could contend? One Emperor Weapon for offense, one for defense—supreme in the world. With a single command, none under heaven dared disobey!
Three years had passed since Ye Fan advanced to the eighth layer of the Saint realm. During these years, he was like a war god of the domain, galloping and fighting across all directions.
Battles of blood, life-and-death trials, and tempering had stabilized his realm, solidified his Dao foundation, and made his heart of attaining the Dao as firm as a rock, unshakable!
The dark blood divine ring formed by bathing in saint blood, and the golden curse emitted by the Sacred Spirit Clan, merged behind him into a dazzling halo representing majesty and power.
Like a piece of immortal fire dancing, gold and blood light fused together, very brilliant. This was the aura of one who had killed the mightiest among the mighty, walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and dominated a domain. Wherever he passed, the strong submitted, and foreign races trembled!
In the past three years, some followers had gathered around Ye Fan. Including the Dragon Horse and the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, there were twelve in total, all having reached the Saint rank. This was a formidable combat force that could not be ignored.
Half were ancient beasts, subdued by the Dragon Horse and the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, from initial defiance to now vowing to follow unto death. A few belonged to foreign races, with weak racial consciousness, revering the strong. Under the awe-inspiring power of Ye Fan's peerless martial might, they ultimately joined their journey.
Now, on this segment of the ancient path, few dared to contend with them. The Human Sacred Body, commanding twelve Saint-rank warriors, was invincible wherever they went!
They had earned a fearsome reputation. Even Saint Kings were unwilling to provoke them, because this was a group of extraordinary saints, each immensely powerful, far surpassing ordinary ancient saints.
"The Sacred Body from the Burial Emperor Star has rarely acted in the past two years. Just the twelve saints under his command are enough to sweep a domain. They are a team of top-tier experts, of world-shaking rank. Who dares to oppose them?"
The starry sky ceased hostilities, the war subsided. Ye Fan frowned and restrained the twelve saints, making them keep a low profile.
Because the Cang Yan Great Sage had freed up his hands, no longer pursuing the Heaven-Repairing Art. Now that the war was extinguished, he began searching for their traces, wanting to capture them to vent his anger.
"What a formidable man. He even plundered the Sun Star cave dwelling of the Cang Yan Great Sage, who was only a step away from entering the Quasi-Emperor realm. Truly audacious beyond measure."
People could only marvel like this. Ye Fan had roamed this star domain for twenty-one years—what hadn't he dared to do? Countless famous elders and geniuses had fallen by his hand.
This was a fearsome reputation earned through battle!
Although the Cang Yan Great Sage was furious, he could not find their traces. Over the years, Ye Fan and his twelve saints had remained safe and sound, living well.
"We should also set out and enter the deepest part of the universe." The ancient starry path, interrupted for twenty-one years, was reconnected. Ye Fan decided to move and begin a new journey. He had lingered too long in the star domain of the Tenth Human City.
After so many years of bloody battle, Ye Fan was qualified to receive a Divine Light Platform as a reward. Unfortunately, the star domain was shattered, many human ancient cities were ruined, and such rare treasures were not available in the short term. He would have to wait for future gifts.
Twenty-one years of bloody war, and the Heaven-Repairing Art had fallen into unknown hands. No one could say where it was.
Ye Fan and his group of thirteen set out. The Cang Yan Great Sage wanted to pursue them but ultimately failed to act.
Gai Jiuyou stood in the starry sky, issuing a stern warning to all clans: anyone who dared to trespass on the Ancient Human Path or invade the indisputable territory of the human race would be killed without mercy!
This was not a pale "serious protest" but substantive action. With iron-blooded means, he annihilated a foreign clan that was neither large nor small, and no one dared to invade human territory again.
Although Gai Jiuyou was withered and blood-depleted, just revealing a trace of Quasi-Emperor pressure, wielding two Emperor Weapons, still intimidated the clans into inaction.
Some powerful clans were unwilling and did not want to stop, determined to obtain the Heaven-Repairing Art. Moreover, the Light Clan, at the last moment, once followed with the Refining Soul Pot, an extreme ancient weapon, and held out for half a month, but ultimately retreated.
They feared annihilation, because a Quasi-Emperor could not be trifled with. If he truly disregarded everything, even if he had fallen from his former divine peak, he could still fight to the death and destroy several major clans.
Ye Fan and his group passed through more than a dozen ancient sites, seeing nothing but fragments. The human sacred cities on this segment of the ancient path had all collapsed—broken walls, ruins, and rubble floating in the universe. They had not been rebuilt in haste, only the Five-Colored Altars had been reset.
They traveled unimpeded along the way. Many ancient trial grounds had been forced to close. They only stopped at the Thirtieth Human Pass.
This place was even more desolate. An entire life-bearing ancient star had been shattered, earth and stone scattered in all directions, a scene of bleakness.
The Guide Envoy appeared and received them solemnly. The reputation of the Sacred Body from the Burial Emperor Star had long spread here, making him a "seed" that many old-timers were looking forward to.
"There was originally a life-bearing ancient star here, very important, but it buried the ancient ancestor of the Sacred Spirits from the Mythical Era. This time, the demon well burst open, and it was destroyed along with it."
There were seven ancient wells, distributed across seven domains, causing each major clan to lose an average of one Great Sage. Although the human race did not lose a powerhouse of that rank, two life-bearing stars were destroyed, equally a heavy loss.
This place was very important. For trial takers, it was an ancient site that must be earnestly used for meditation and enlightenment, different from ordinary trial grounds.
"This star no longer exists. Do you choose to continue forward or cross over to another ancient star?" the Guide Envoy asked.
After discussions among the Guide Envoys, Enforcers, and Protectors on this path, they made amends by opening a branch path leading to a life-bearing land even more prosperous than this star, for trial takers to choose freely.
"Go to the branch path ancient star, gain enlightenment, and then return." Ye Fan made this decision.
They boarded the Five-Colored Altar and entered the space-time passage. Divine light flickered, and they eventually disappeared from the altar. Ahead lay a flourishing life-bearing ancient land.
Time was chaotic, the void flickering between light and dark. Sometimes chaotic qi overflowed in the passage, sometimes it turned into transparent crystal walls. Ye Fan and his group saw all kinds of bizarre cosmic wonders.
"The nine-layered coffin from the Mythical Era, buried above the nine heavens!" the Dragon Horse suddenly shouted.
Ye Fan turned his head and caught a glimpse of a huge coffin, similar to the one he had seen before, belonging to… Emperor Void! Unfortunately, the crystal wall dimmed, and everything quickly vanished.
"These are all remnants of the past—perhaps afterimages from a hundred thousand years ago, perhaps fleeting reflections of its passage decades ago. No one can grasp the true trajectory," said one of the twelve saints.
After an unknown amount of time, ten thousand rays of light rushed into the passage, and the front gradually brightened. That was sunlight. They had arrived at an ancient land.
Rumble!
The sea surged, vast and boundless, very magnificent. They landed on the shore, the waves deafening.
"Eh, what a grand style!"
Nine azure phoenixes pulled a divine chariot, flying from the depths of the sea, crossing the sky. A long voice came from within the chariot: "Thank you, South Sea Dragon King, for your generous hospitality. I take my leave here."
Ye Fan's expression froze, a look of utter disbelief on his face. He saw the person in the divine chariot—an old friend!
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