# Chapter 1642: Meeting at the Fifth Emperor Pass
The city was extremely majestic. Upon careful observation, one could see that it was actually built from stars. Even Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, and the others, who were accustomed to grand spectacles, were somewhat stunned—how many stars must have been used?
Each star had been refined, ranging in size from a washbasin to several zhang in length, compressed to such a small scale. This alone condensed incomparable Dao pattern rules. Building a city this way required no additional formation arrays; it was already sturdy enough on its own.
Moreover, as the Fifth Emperor Pass, how could it possibly lack array patterns? The runes left by Great Emperors protected this place. Even if peerless experts fought here, it would be difficult to destroy the city.
Palaces hung in the air, misty immortal vapors swirled between the pavilions, ethereal and lively, as if one had arrived at a blessed land of immortals.
Within the city, there were actually sounds of hawking and selling. This left the few who had just been somewhat startled utterly bewildered. What kind of place was this? On the path of imperial contention, how could there be such sounds?
Looking closely, there were actually stalls set up on both sides of the road, and quite a few people at that—it was bustling and lively.
"What's going on?" the few asked suspiciously.
"Great Luo Silver Essence, with dozens of grains of Immortal Tear Green Gold Sand mixed into the block—rarely seen in the world, the only one of its kind."
"Demon God bone, a true relic bone of a Demon Clan Supreme Being, can be forged into a divine artifact!"
That was a four-inch-long white bone, resembling the finger bone of some creature, dull and lusterless, but surrounded by many people, all marveling.
"Starry River Divine Sand, collected from the myriad heavens and domains, totaling ten thousand jin. If refined properly, it might achieve a Quasi-Emperor artifact!" someone hawked, and a crowd surged forward, surrounding it completely.
"Thunderclap Treasure Tree, containing the primordial thunderclap of heaven and earth. Through it, one can fathom the secrets of heavenly tribulation—the rarest divine tree variant in the world."
That was a half-man-tall ancient tree, its branches like chi dragons. Though not very tall, it was extremely rugged, with rolling thunder nurturing a most primordial power of Dao law.
A swarm of people rushed over, all determined to obtain this treasure tree, rubbing their hands together, hoping to get their hands on it.
Ye Fan, Yan Yixi, and the others entered the city very discreetly. Through observation, they learned that some Emperor Passes had indigenous inhabitants—the guardians of the Ultimate Ancient Path.
The nine Emperor Passes, this ancient path, and the life ancient lands involved, such as the Soaring Immortal Battlefield, all required caretakers. Over the long years, necessary adjustments and repairs were needed. The personnel were all descendants of those who had once walked this path but ultimately failed and remained behind. They could not leave this place.
The population wasn't excessively large. The entire ancient path, the nine Emperor Passes, and the life ancient lands and battlefields involved—the total number of these administrators amounted to about half a city's population.
Now, as contenders on the imperial path killed their way to the later passes, these people began to appear, engaging in necessary transactions, bringing out rare and extraordinary items.
Some outstanding talents from prosperous ancient domains felt ashamed upon seeing this—the treasures of an entire life ancient land might not compare to a single treasure brought out by these people.
The lowest quality of these trade items was at the Great Sage level, and even then, they were rare. There were even materials for forging Quasi-Emperor artifacts, as well as some incomplete Imperial artifacts.
"Brother Ye, look, that's the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree!" Li Heishui exclaimed in surprise.
Not far away, a withered old tree stood, only about a zhang tall, with branches like dragon claws, its bark cracked like dragon scales. It was the legendary Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree.
"Someone actually brought out the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree for trade?" Even Ye Fan was shocked. This was a divine tree that could help people comprehend the Dao. It was said that there was only one such tree in the entire universe, and it had long since disappeared without a trace.
"It's just a branch, grafted and cultivated," Black Emperor said, sniffing disdainfully. "It's not the real thing, just a descendant. But even so, it's extremely rare."
"Even a descendant is extraordinary. If we could get a few leaves, it would be of great benefit for cultivation," Dongfang Ye said, his eyes burning.
"Don't even think about it. Look at the price—they want a complete Quasi-Emperor artifact in exchange," Black Emperor said, shaking his head.
Ye Fan's group continued deeper into the city, observing the various transactions. They saw many rare and exotic items, some of which even they found tempting.
Suddenly, a commotion arose ahead. A group of people surrounded a young man, arguing fiercely.
"Junior, you injured my junior brother, do you think you can just leave?" A middle-aged man blocked the way, his aura powerful, clearly a formidable expert.
The young man was Ji Chengdao. He stood there calmly, his expression indifferent.
"What happened?" Ye Fan asked, frowning.
"Ji Chengdao had a conflict with someone earlier. That person insulted the Ji Family and said some unpleasant things about Senior Ji Haoyue, so Ji Chengdao taught him a lesson," Yan Yixi explained.
"Insulted my big brother?" Ji Chengdao's eyes turned cold. "He said my big brother was a coward, that he didn't even dare to show his face on the imperial path. I just made him shut up."
"Arrogant junior, do you know who I am? I am a disciple of the Divine Organization!" The middle-aged man shouted, his face dark.
"So what?" Ji Chengdao said disdainfully. "If you have the ability, fight me. If not, get out of the way."
"You're asking for death!" The middle-aged man was enraged, and a terrifying aura erupted from him.
"Stop!" A voice rang out, and a figure descended from the sky. It was a middle-aged man with a majestic bearing, his eyes like lightning.
"Lord Shen Zun!" The middle-aged man from the Divine Organization immediately bowed respectfully.
Shen Zun glanced at Ji Chengdao, then at Ye Fan and the others not far away, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
"Three hundred years have passed, and the grudges of the past should be settled," Shen Zun said calmly. "Since you're here, let's resolve things properly."
"Big brother..." Ji Chengdao looked at Ye Fan.
Ye Fan nodded slightly, signaling him not to act rashly.
"Pfft, who do you think you are? You want to settle things?" Li Heishui stepped forward, sneering. "If you want to fight, we'll accompany you anytime."
"Li Heishui, don't be reckless," Black Emperor stopped him. "Let's see what he wants first."
Shen Zun looked at Ye Fan, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Ye Fan, three hundred years ago, you were lucky to survive. Today, I want to see if you still have that luck."
"Then you can try," Ye Fan said calmly.
"Good, very good." Shen Zun laughed loudly, then turned and left. "I'll be waiting for you at Chongxiao Tower. If you have the guts, come."
After Shen Zun left, the surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion.
"That's Shen Zun, a top expert on the imperial path. I heard he's already at the Quasi-Emperor level."
"And that's Ye Fan, the legendary Sacred Body. I heard he once fought against the Green Emperor's incarnation in a heavenly tribulation."
"The Sacred Body is back. This time, the imperial path is going to be lively."
Ye Fan ignored the discussions and led his group forward.
"Brother Ye, that Shen Zun is clearly provoking you. Do you want to go?" Li Heishui asked.
"Of course I'm going. Since he's invited me, how can I refuse?" Ye Fan said lightly.
"Big brother, I'll go with you," Ji Chengdao said.
"No, you stay here. This is my matter," Ye Fan said, shaking his head.
"But..." Ji Chengdao wanted to argue.
"Listen to your big brother," Yan Yixi interrupted. "You're still young. There will be plenty of opportunities for you in the future."
Ji Chengdao nodded reluctantly.
Ye Fan, Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, and the others headed toward Chongxiao Tower.
Along the way, they saw many familiar faces. Some were old acquaintances, some were enemies.
"Look, that's Di Tian. I heard he once fought against the Green Emperor's incarnation and only lost by a narrow margin."
"And that's Qing Shi Fairy Maiden, known as the number one beauty on the imperial path."
"The Celestial Prince is here too. I heard he's the son of the Immortal Emperor, with extraordinary talent."
Ye Fan's group arrived at Chongxiao Tower. This was the tallest building in the Fifth Emperor Pass, suspended in midair, surrounded by purple mist, filled with an aura of peace.
"Ye Fan has arrived!"
As Ye Fan stepped into the tower, countless eyes turned toward him.
"Ye Fan, you're finally here." Shen Zun sat at the top, holding a wine glass, a faint smile on his face.
"I'm here. What do you want?" Ye Fan asked directly.
"Nothing much, just to have a chat with an old friend." Shen Zun stood up, his gaze sharp. "Three hundred years ago, you ruined my plans. Today, I want to see if you still have that ability."
"If you want to fight, I'll accompany you," Ye Fan said calmly.
"Good, very good." Shen Zun laughed loudly. "But not here. This is a place for drinking tea and discussing the Dao, not for fighting. If you have the guts, come to the Soaring Immortal Battlefield in three days. We'll settle things there."
"Fine, I'll be there," Ye Fan agreed without hesitation.
"Big brother..." Ji Chengdao wanted to say something but was stopped by Ye Fan.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Ye Fan said, patting his shoulder.
After leaving Chongxiao Tower, Black Emperor couldn't help but ask, "Are you really going?"
"Of course. Since he's invited me, how can I refuse?" Ye Fan said.
"But that Shen Zun is no ordinary person. I heard he's already at the Quasi-Emperor level," Dongfang Ye said worriedly.
"So am I," Ye Fan said calmly.
"Alright, since you've decided, we'll go with you," Black Emperor said.
"No, this is my matter. You all stay here and take care of Chengdao," Ye Fan said.
"But..."
"No buts. I'll be fine," Ye Fan interrupted.
Three days later, Ye Fan arrived at the Soaring Immortal Battlefield alone.
This was an ancient battlefield, said to be the place where immortals once fought. The ground was covered with broken weapons and bones, exuding a desolate and fierce aura.
"Ye Fan, you're here." Shen Zun stood in the distance, his aura vast and boundless.
"I'm here. Let's begin," Ye Fan said simply.
"Good, very good." Shen Zun laughed loudly, and a terrifying aura erupted from him. "Today, I'll let you see the true power of a Quasi-Emperor!"
The battle was about to begin.