Chapter 1370: Nebula
"The movement of heaven and earth also has its ends; the sun, moon, and five planets also have their waning and waxing; even the most supreme sages and divine beings also have their times of rest and decline..."
In the void, a bronze lamp flickered, scattering faint, ghostly light. The scripture of the Heavenly Venerable stirred the four directions, penetrating the starry sky, transforming demonic evils, and suppressing the calamity of longevity.
Ye Fan listened to the Salvation Scripture, his mind focused in contemplation. He thought of many things. This seemingly most useless Salvation Scripture would also shine brilliantly in the future, suppressing the corpse calamity.
From the Mythical Era, to the end of the Heavenly Court, then to the years of the Ancient Emperors, and into the epoch of the Great Emperors, one supreme being after another rose, creating unparalleled and glorious eras, only to grow old one by one. So many things had happened.
Such outstanding figures, overlooking the myriad heavens throughout the ages, how could they be willing to perish in body and vanish in Dao? Sweeping across the three thousand realms, overturning the nine layers of heaven, supreme under the heavens and on earth, they would naturally not submit to fate.
At that level of attainment, longevity was their sole pursuit, and thus various methods were born from it. To this day, some have already surfaced.
The Reincarnation Seal, burying oneself in places that seize the ultimate fortune of heaven and earth, and so on, are all related to the corpse calamity, as if foreshadowing something.
"Vast and distant kalpas, within chaos, above there is no longer color, below there is no longer abyss, wind and caverns penetrate the void, the vajra rides the heavens, above the heavens and below the heavens, no darkness, no form, no shadow, no limit, no end, the vast and boundless Great Brahma..."
The Salvation Scripture resounded without cease. Ye Fan seemed to have entered a state of stillness, listening to its meaning, silently pondering. At this moment, the world only had the chanting of the scripture; even the Yellow Spring seemed about to dry up, suppressed by it.
The ancient lamp flickered, radiating divine light, making Ye Fan appear like a bright, glass-like immortal body, spotless, transcendent and detached from the mundane under the starry sky.
The human-faced ghost flowers in the void trembled violently, nearly withering, then retreated backward, emitting a low roar like gods and demons, and vanished into the void.
Ye Fan recalled a sentence from the Salvation Scripture and murmured softly: "The dead souls undergo refinement, the living bodies receive salvation, kalpa after kalpa they endure forever, revolving with the kalpas."
The Divine Light Platform materialized, radiant light shooting in all directions, opening a Star Gate. He flashed through it and disappeared from that place, instantly returning outside Ruins City.
The tomb of an ancient Great Emperor—no one dared to rashly force their way in, or they would never return. Even if he were an Origin Heavenly Master, he could not move the Emperor's corpse. Only the combined strength of all heroes could break it.
The Nebula Pavilion was a precious building refined from star fragments. Its entire body was crystalline, emitting a soft, silver-white radiance, containing a pure and holy power.
Located in the center of Ruins City, it was renowned. Powerful cultivators all liked to come here to sit. Legend had it that this was a tavern left behind by a Quasi-Emperor.
Back then, no one knew that old man was a Quasi-Emperor, not even the Guide Envoy of this city. It wasn't until one day he passed away, turning into a handful of ashes, and at the final moment emitted a wisp of Imperial might that caused the stars to tremble, that people were shocked.
Of course, that was a matter of one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty thousand years ago. In any era, the appearance of a Quasi-Emperor was a momentous event, shaking heaven and earth, stunning the mortal world.
In any star domain, it would attract worship, because attaining the Dao was too difficult. Those who could reach this step since ancient times would be recorded in history, and could be counted on one's fingers.
Unknown in life, only understood after death. Back then, peerless experts, some Dao Protectors, and various Holy Lands all came to pay their respects.
People learned some secrets from his neighbors. This low-key Quasi-Emperor had once sighed alone in his lifetime, lamenting why there was a Wu Shi, how could he be so powerful.
At this point, people understood that this might be a supreme being who had competed with Wu Shi for the position of Supreme Being. Even if he were the most stunning talent of his generation, he could not defeat that Great Emperor who made even deities tremble.
Born in the wrong era, he could only end his life in obscurity.
Otherwise, he might have become a Human Emperor. Unfortunately, he encountered the heaven-defying Wu Shi, rare in ten thousand ages, and could only retreat, growing old and lonely here.
Ye Fan naturally came here drawn by the reputation. After learning some details, he was filled with curiosity about this place and wanted to see it.
A pair of stone lions at the door bore the mottled marks of time, even moss had grown on them, but they could not be taken lightly, after all, this was a place where a Quasi-Emperor had once lived.
The Nebula Pavilion, however, did not appear old. Its luster remained, its starlight never dimmed. Ascending the stone steps, one could feel a gentle and peaceful power; even hidden injuries in the body could be instantly healed.
Naturally, some experts had studied it, saying it was not an offensive magical artifact, nor could it even be called a weapon, but it was an excellent building for nurturing life.
Most people who came to Ruins City would visit this place.
Ye Fan ascended the steps, climbing to the jade pavilion. Starlight scattered within the building, making him feel his entire body brimming with energy, his body light and agile. There were spatial arrays here, making the interior of the building seem very spacious, capable of accommodating many people.
The Nebula Pavilion naturally had many cultivators, three to a table, five in a group, each discussing. Most people came here to join the excitement, to listen to fellow Daoists talk about the latest news, discuss secrets, and so on.
Ye Fan found an inconspicuous seat, drinking alone, quietly listening to everyone's discussions. He learned that many major figures were preparing to explore the Yellow Spring Land.
"The true burial site of an ancient Great Emperor has appeared. The various powerful figures can finally no longer sit still. Who knows who will gain greatly this time?"
"I think it's a great calamity. From ancient times to the present, as long as it's a Human Emperor who doesn't want their tomb to be cracked, who can easily steal their grave?"
Everyone discussed, unanimously guessing that it would most likely lead to a bloody storm. This was an eventful autumn; many people might rush here, only to be buried here.
At this time, the most talked about topics were naturally the great tomb and the Emperor's corpse. There were many speculations, many learned from the Human Clan Dao Protectors.
"According to legend, this should be a Great Emperor with an extremely long history. The length of the years might far exceed people's expectations."
Some believed that this Great Emperor's body might have had problems. Most likely, it did not dissolve into the Dao. The Emperor's corpse slipped, cracking the great tomb, exposing it to the mortal world.
"Speaking of a tomb, it might be a vast secret realm, perhaps very expansive. Otherwise, how could a great yellow river cascade down?"
People discussed endlessly.
Some also mentioned Ye Fan. His battle against the Overlord had a huge impact and was also a focal point of conversation. Many felt he might have arrived, just not revealed himself.
Just then, footsteps came from the stairway. More people came up. People came and went, a very ordinary thing.
However, the moment this group appeared, it immediately attracted the attention of many. The leader was a peerless beauty, like a Lingbo Fairy ascending to the Heavenly Gate, ethereal and otherworldly.
"Oh, isn't this Fairy Qing Shi? She has come to Star Ruins again, for the Emperor's tomb?"
"It really is the Banished Immortal. One of the most powerful figures deep within the Ancient Human Path, allied with Di Tian, they have broken through over a dozen golden secret realms, obtaining heaven-defying great fortunes."
Fairy Qing Shi was famous on the ancient path. In recent years, she had come to Ruins City more than once for the Emperor's tomb. Appearing here again, she was naturally recognized by many. Coupled with her peerless beauty, it was impossible not to attract attention.
She was known as the Banished Immortal. Wherever she went, she was a focal point. Whether it was her own Dao cultivation or her appearance, she was rare on the ancient path.
It wasn't until she came upstairs that people noticed the people behind her. Each had a different aura—some were imposing and awe-inspiring, others peaceful and serene. One could tell at a glance they were not ordinary.
"Those are several great experts under Di Tian. Two of them are... the Qilin Holy Envoy and the Vermilion Bird Holy Envoy. They have returned with Fairy Qing Shi. This means Di Tian might also reappear."
These people had also been famous on the ancient path, but in the end, they were all subdued by Di Tian, with the Qilin Holy Envoy and the Vermilion Bird Holy Envoy being the most prominent.
Fairy Qing Shi moved gracefully, her precious clothes like solidified moonlight, ethereal and holy. Her black hair danced, her eyes bright and teeth white. She went straight to a quiet place and sat down.
The others followed. Only Fairy Qing Shi's maid, Ling'er, was lively; the others were very steady and spoke little.
Their table was not far from Ye Fan's, and they could see each other. However, Ye Fan was keeping a low profile after entering the city. He didn't want to become the focus of attention and hadn't revealed his true form. Even if he sat together with them, no one would know it was him.
Soon, people shifted their gaze and stopped paying excessive attention to Fairy Qing Shi's group, because even Dao Protectors and Sacred Spirits had come to Ruins City, possibly even in this very building.
"I wonder if the Sacred Body of the Burial Emperor Star has come. I can't believe he defeated the Overlord of the same rank. It's too unexpected!" the Vermilion Bird Holy Envoy spoke. He was a spirited young man with phoenix-like eyes, sitting quietly with an aura of authority without being angry.
"Naturally, he is extraordinary. Besides our master, he also possesses the Source of the Dao. However, he is ultimately one level lower innately, not recognized by the Source of the Dao," another person spoke.
The Qilin Holy Envoy was tall and sturdy, his gaze cold and sharp. "The master once sent people to recruit him, but he refused. He killed those people. He is arrogant and unruly, destined to be an enemy."
"Those people were quite embarrassing," the lively maid Ling'er teased. She had personally experienced it back then.
The several great experts under Di Tian had indifferent expressions, but they couldn't refute in front of Fairy Qing Shi.
"Refusing the master back then already sealed the fate of a battle!" the Qilin Holy Envoy said in a deep voice.
"But we have to admit, he is heaven-defying, stunningly talented! Such an opponent, if allowed to grow, is truly a terrifying thing," the Vermilion Bird Holy Envoy said.
Fairy Qing Shi said nothing, transcendent and aloof. These people were all very respectful to her and dared not disturb her. At this moment, her gaze shifted, casually sweeping over Ye Fan.
Ye Fan's heart stirred. Had this woman recognized him? If she could truly see his true form, her spiritual perception was terrifyingly sharp.
"If he is so heaven-defying, if we can find a way to subdue him and make him serve our master, it will surely shake the entire Ancient Human Path!" the Qilin Holy Envoy said coldly and darkly.
Suddenly, the stairway shook, and the entire Nebula Pavilion trembled. A figure appeared there. He wasn't particularly tall, even somewhat thin, but he was awe-inspiring, causing all the heroes to feel a wave of fear.
His entire body exuded a bloody aura. No one knew how many people he had killed. It was as if he had slaughtered all living beings, killed gods, and walked out from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Even a Sage would feel chilled upon seeing him. This person was like a demon god, swallowing heaven and earth. His gaze was terrifying, but in the next moment, his eyes were as empty as an abyss.
He was clad in armor, his body blurry. One could feel his supreme aura, as if he were a demon god who had killed millions of beings and broken free from the shackles of hell.
"The Great Demon God Guhuang! He has returned too!" someone exclaimed.
When he walked, many people stood up in shock, vacating many seats. Because everyone knew he was bloodthirsty. His illustrious reputation and supreme divine might were stained with blood, with countless corpses beneath his feet.
He went straight to a seat and sat down, not saying a word. The tables around him were completely empty; no one dared to sit nearby.
"He has returned too..." The Vermilion Bird Holy Envoy and the others had ugly expressions. This was the most terrifying Great Demon God. He had killed until the ancient path shattered, truly hair-raising.