Chapter 1540: Reunion
In the icy, snowy landscape… a small figure chased after, panting heavily, shouting from behind: “Little Nannan, don’t go ahead. Uncle Li said a giant pit appeared there, and there are people who can fly around catching monsters. Don’t go.”
Little Grass ran over, warned her, then stuffed a package of food into her hand before turning and running off into the distance.
“Nannan doesn’t know where to go…” The little girl gazed at Little Grass’s retreating back, murmured softly to herself, wiped the tears from her face, and walked off in another direction.
The ice plains were vast, with few places teeming with life. Thus, villages and settlements were scattered sparsely across the vast frozen world, hard to come by.
The cold wind howled, and heavy snow fell. On a frozen river, many figures gathered because a giant pit had appeared there. Some claimed a meteorite from beyond the heavens had crashed down, creating this scene.
Yet upon approaching, no meteorite was seen, nor any signs of burning.
Others said this was an immortal burial ground. Long ago, either the Yin Emperor or the Sun Saint Emperor had passed through these ice plains, leaving behind insights gained after attaining the Dao—a peerless treasure.
Additionally, some great sects in the northern lands had recently declared that an immortal tomb had emerged, demanding that external forces leave. The appearance of a mysterious giant pit naturally attracted many explorers.
When a king-rank cultivator ventured deep inside and never emerged, the news exploded like a pot of boiling water.
Neither the restless Divine Province, disturbed by the Golden Crow Clan, nor the peaceful, blooming lands in the south could remain calm. Forces from several provinces mobilized simultaneously.
Some even believed that Ye Fan, Li Tian, and Yan Yixi had headed northwest precisely for this reason, that they must have obtained some secret.
Many had already arrived, having lost track of them on the road, and directly headed to the northwestern polar region, then backtracked, trying to find Ye Fan and his group by any means.
Now, this group happened to be the first on the scene, facing the giant pit with both excitement and anticipation.
“Perhaps it really is the sealed site of the Sun Saint Emperor’s insights. Remember, Ye Tong is with them. Even if his family has fallen, they might have left behind some clues!”
“That’s right, it must be so. A Great Emperor’s enlightenment insights—truly thrilling and awe-inspiring!”
The situation deviated from everyone’s expectations. Even Ye Fan was astonished when he arrived at the ice plains, then sensed something was wrong. With so many people here, if they ran into Little Nannan, it would be deeply troubling.
He could not tolerate anyone capturing the little girl for alchemy, nor did he want to see her suffer any grievance. He had to find her as quickly as possible!
On this frozen tundra, not everyone was clueless. An old Daoist walked along, looking around as if searching for something.
“That worthless disciple of mine had incredible luck, stumbling upon a human-shaped Immortal Pill. But he was too incompetent—failed to refine it and got blown to pieces instead,” the old Daoist muttered to himself.
“Such a world-defying human-shaped immortal medicine—how could the ancient Ziwei Divine Dynasty have been careless? They must have left a forbidden artifact on her. That useless disciple of mine didn’t even think to check first!” The old Daoist, using a special divine ability, learned what had happened and traced the path here.
In fact, he was not the only one. Another middle-aged scholar, waving a folding fan in the icy snow, shot cold lightning from his eyes as he searched for Little Nannan.
“Everyone says the Divine Infant has vanished and cannot be found. That’s just misleading the world. Over the past few decades, she has appeared at least five or six times, falling into people’s hands. Unfortunately, those lucky ones were too greedy, trying to refine her into medicine and suffering the backlash. Possessing the aura of immortality, how could she be ordinary? They were all too careless.”
The world lacked no sharp-minded individuals. Through subtle signs, movements, and numerous informants, they could glean the most valuable information from the slightest clues.
More than one or two people suspected that the Divine Infant was in the northern lands.
Ye Fan appeared on the ice plains, approaching the area near the giant pit. Seeing so many cultivators, his expression turned cold as he surveyed the vast snowy ground.
“What place is this? Could there really be the Sun Saint Emperor’s enlightenment insights, or perhaps an inscription left by the Human Emperor?” Li Tian exclaimed in surprise. As someone from the Ziwei Star Domain, he had naturally heard the legends of the northern lands.
By now, saints had already appeared, even a Saint King, standing at the edge of the giant pit, frowning, not daring to descend.
Rumors said that a saint had already gone down and never returned. Moreover, when they probed with their divine sense, it was quickly devoured, making it impossible to see anything.
Ye Fan and his two companions vanished from their spot in a flash, diving underground. With an imperial weapon in hand, they felt emboldened and wanted to investigate thoroughly.
“A war chariot…”
It was a bronze war chariot, but it was badly damaged, nearly melted, having collided with a peculiar stone. The bronze and stone had fused together.
“What is this thing? How does the stone have blood vessels?” the Divine Infant muttered, chirping softly.
Inside the chariot was a powerful cultivator, likely from beyond the heavens. Unfortunately, he was now little more than ash, with only a single piece of Dao bone remaining.
The stone’s material was extraordinary and terrifying. The collision had caused the death of a Saint King-rank figure.
Li Tian and Yan Yixi’s eyes went wide as they stared intently. Then they cried out in alarm, their faces turning pale as if they had encountered the most terrifying thing.
They quickly retreated, drenched in cold sweat. Part of the divine sense they had extended was devoured.
Ye Fan held the immortal sword in front, blocking the way, and also felt a terrifying fluctuation that tried to devour his divine sense. However, it was ultimately blocked.
“Could this be the legendary Heaven-Desire Stone?!” Yan Yixi said, his voice trembling, as if in great shock.
“Is this the opportunity for the revival of our Path of Human Desire?” Li Tian also shivered.
“What is the Heaven-Desire Stone?” Ye Fan asked, puzzled.
Yan Yixi explained, “Legend says it is a stone formed from the desires of the heavens above, containing endless lusts that cause people to lose themselves, devouring their divine sense. It is the most terrifying thing.”
Exploring such a stone, if one was not careful, could result in the death of one’s primordial spirit. It was like the desires of an entire world; if an individual probed into it, their sea of consciousness would instantly explode.
“Some speculate that the so-called Heaven-Desire Stone is the product of an ancient Quasi-Emperor failing to attain the Dao, their flesh, blood, and residual consciousness fusing with a star,” Li Tian said.
Ye Fan’s expression changed immediately. To become a Great Emperor, only to disintegrate at the final, crucial step, fusing into such an object—if true, it would be immeasurably precious.
“Another theory is that an entire ancient star was destroyed, and the essence blood and resentful souls of countless heroic spirits fused together to form this strange object,” Yan Yixi added.
For the Path of Human Desire, this was a treasure, complementing their cultivation method. Using this Heaven-Desire to temper human desires, one day of cultivation could equal several days of past effort.
“Can you collect it?” Ye Fan asked.
“No problem.” The two brothers nodded and summoned the Divine Maiden Furnace. This artifact was special, easily swallowing such a world-defying object without leaking any aura.
Ye Fan’s eyes flickered with surprise. He felt the Divine Maiden Furnace was far more powerful than he had imagined, capable of sealing the Heaven-Desire Stone, a rarity unseen for eons, without a trace of energy escaping.
Swish! The three of them instantly appeared on the surface, leaving the place.
The crowd exchanged glances, then the bold ones descended into the giant pit, shouting, “The items are gone!”
A group followed, trailing far behind Ye Fan’s trio. Some recognized them and dared not speak; others did not know them but also dared not act rashly, wanting to see how things developed.
Ye Fan paid them no mind and moved forward. Suddenly, he stopped before a mountain village, sensing a powerful life fluctuation—still only perceptible to him.
He vanished instantly and returned with a little girl, asking urgently, “Where did you get this crystal?”
Little Grass was frightened and said, “It was… Little Nannan gave it to me.”
“Little Nannan…” Hearing that name again, Ye Fan’s emotions surged like a stormy sea. He was incredibly excited, looking at Little Grass eagerly. “Where is she?”
“You… don’t bully Little Nannan. She’s actually very pitiful. Don’t put her into a demon-refining tower,” Little Grass said.
“Who dares to put Nannan into a demon-refining tower?!” Ye Fan’s expression darkened instantly. He probed Little Grass’s sea of consciousness in an instant, then his face filled with shock and anger.
He handed Little Grass to Yan Yixi, telling him to take care of her, then vanished from the spot, rushing toward the edge of the ice plains.
“Eh, this child has good bone structure. What’s rare is that she gets along well with Little Nannan and has taken care of her. I think Ye Fan will reward her. Why not take her into our Path of Human Desire?” Li Tian said.
Yan Yixi paused at this, then shook his head. “Our lineage is not suitable for her. If she is willing to cultivate the Dao, we can send her to Guanghan Palace.”
“You… aren’t bad people?” Little Grass was far calmer than other children her age. Though scared, she was not panicked to the point of not knowing what to do.
At the horizon, heavy snow fell. Several figures were locked in a standoff, and in the middle was a little girl, shivering. Her tattered, thin clothes offered little warmth. She was so small that she was almost buried by the wind and snow.
She stood there, unable to go forward or backward, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Several people surrounded her, all determined to claim her.
“I discovered the Divine Infant first, so naturally, she belongs to me!”
“That’s not right. I clearly arrived first!”
“Arguing like this will get us nowhere. I suggest we refine her into medicine and split it evenly.”
Hearing this, Little Nannan stepped back, tears welling in her big eyes. She spoke timidly, “Uncles, Nannan is very well-behaved. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Though the Immortal Pill has defied heaven and taken human form, it has not cultivated great divine abilities. Your fate is sealed—you were born to be medicine!” The middle-aged scholar smiled, but the underlying coldness in his bones was chilling.
“A heaven-sent opportunity, and we have encountered it. I agree to refine her into medicine first, then divide it equally,” an old Daoist said.
“Roar…”
A roar came from afar. A figure stood atop a mountain peak, eyes like lightning, witnessing everything. It was Ye Fan.
From a great distance, he had sensed Little Nannan’s aura. Now, seeing her with his own eyes, his heart surged like an ocean overturning the sky. In an instant, he transformed into a beam of divine light and charged over, swift as thunder, shaking the vast snowy domain and triggering a massive avalanche!
“Who dares to harm Nannan?!”
With a great shout, heaven and earth split apart. The shockwaves surged toward the several figures, but at the center, where Little Nannan stood, all was calm—not a single snowflake stirred.
“Who goes there?”
“How dare a reckless fool try to snatch food from a tiger’s mouth and contend with us for the Divine Infant? Are you tired of living?!”
“Roar…”
Ye Fan’s fury and battle intent pierced the nine heavens. For the first time in years, he was this enraged. His golden blood surged like a vast ocean, rising to the heavens as he appeared on the scene.
“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!”
In the field, shouts of anger and screams rang out, but none were as shocking as the blooming blossoms of blood. These were saints, yet one after another, they exploded!
Each and every one of them was directly shattered by Ye Fan’s roar. White bone fragments, stained with blood, flew in all directions!
Throughout this process, Ye Fan had already arrived first, scooping up Little Nannan and covering her eyes, shielding her from the horrific sight.
“Is it… Big Brother? Nannan is dreaming again…” The little girl murmured grievously, tears streaming down her face. They touched Ye Fan’s fingertips and fell.
Hearing this, Ye Fan’s heart felt as if it would shatter, filled with bitterness. “It’s Big Brother’s fault for taking so many years to find you. This is not a dream. Nannan will never suffer again!”
The little girl’s body trembled. She reached out her cold little hands to touch his face, saying timidly, “Really… is it Big Brother?”
Ye Fan carried her away from the place, leaving the blood and bones behind. He stood atop a snowy peak, then gently set her down.
The little girl was too pitiful. Every word she spoke made his heart tremble.
“Big Brother, Nannan finally sees you again…” The little girl looked up at him, her face full of surprise, tears constantly swirling. She tightly gripped a corner of his clothes, afraid that if she let go, he would disappear. “Nannan is sick. I’ve forgotten so much. No one plays with me. They ignore me and chase Nannan into the snow plains. I missed Big Brother…”
These words pierced Ye Fan’s heart like needles, filling him with self-blame and pain. It had taken so many years to find her, and Little Nannan had endured so much suffering.
The little girl’s clothes were tattered and thin, her small shoes had holes, nearly exposing her toes. She was dirty all over, with only her tear-filled, clear big eyes shining.
She still wore her hair in two little horns, unchanged. A child of about three years old, dressed like this in such icy weather, looked utterly pitiful.
“Big Brother is here. Nannan will never suffer again!” Ye Fan picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. Golden rays of light overflowed, enveloping the little girl.
In the distance, one roar after another rang out. Naturally, people noticed the commotion. The Divine Infant’s appearance shocked everyone.
The entire polar region boiled over. Even the bitter cold could not dampen the fiery excitement in people’s hearts. All major forces that received the news brought their people charging over.
“Nannan is scared…” The little girl, sitting on Ye Fan’s shoulder, saw so many people rushing toward them. Her clear big eyes were filled with unease. This was not the first time she had experienced such a thing. It had left a shadow in her heart, making her fearful. Even though her memories were blurry, her instincts remained.
“Nannan, don’t be afraid. No one can hurt you anymore. They are nothing. Even if the whole world comes after you, what does it matter? If the entire world is my enemy, I will sweep them all away and cut them down!” Ye Fan declared forcefully, his voice shaking the ice plains.