Chapter 1161: The Great Era Arrives
The golden great era had arrived, with experts as numerous as clouds. A vast, desolate age filled with the aura of conquest and great wars had come, and every cultivator in the cultivation world felt this atmosphere.
Whether they were cultivators on the stars or sages walking through the universe, each one felt a sense of tension, uncertain if they would be caught up in the chaos of war.
The Undying Heavenly Queen shook the past and present. The laws she unleashed swept across the eight desolations, causing many to feel her dominance. Even Quasi-Emperors were terrified.
Ye Fan looked up at the starry sky, silent for a moment.
The faces of the Heavenly Court members were not very pleasant. She was too powerful, as if they had returned to the era of the Dark Calamity. That fluctuation was despairing, unparalleled.
This battle touched the nerves of every expert. Everyone was watching, all wanting to know the outcome.
After a day and a night of fierce fighting, even the most powerful laws weakened. This showed how intense the brutal battle between the two sides was. They had used every means, fighting until their Dao techniques and their very selves were on the verge of destruction.
People's hearts trembled. That was a fierce battle that took place behind the Nine Imperial Passes. Heaven and Earth resonated, and the chains of order spread so far. How could it not make people's hearts race?
That was originally an Imperial Path prepared for countless heroes, a hundred boats contending, all heroes vying for supremacy. The final victor would stand at the absolute peak, ascending the highest summit behind the Nine Imperial Passes.
But now, it had become a battlefield for only two people, leaving the juniors within the Nine Imperial Passes silent, without a single word.
This was a prosperous age, one that brought joy and despair, filled with contradictions.
"Boom!"
Heaven and earth split apart, ghosts wailed and gods howled. The fluctuation of that single moment caused everyone in the entire universe to tremble, affecting all the myriad realms.
Finally, this battle came to an end, with no true result being transmitted.
A massive Phoenix Nest, stained with blood, slowly flew away from behind the Nine Imperial Passes, spilling blood along the way, heading to an unknown place.
No one dared to follow, only because it was the Undying Heavenly Queen's divine nest, her dwelling place. People did not know whether she had won or lost, and no one dared to disturb her.
This battle, which had shocked the world, came to an end, causing many to shudder.
"On the Phoenix Nest, a Great Sun and a Great Moon are rotating, emitting the aura of a peerless expert. A legendary Divine General is guarding it!"
Soon after, those with well-connected information received such news, claiming to have witnessed it with their own eyes.
Everyone's heart sank. The Eight Divine Generals who had followed the Undying Heavenly Emperor—surely some were still alive. It was a being who had once been enfeoffed as a god, guarding that place. In this world, who would dare to intrude?
A shadow of gloom fell over everyone's hearts. Had the expert who blocked the Undying Heavenly Queen died?
If so, who could still stop her steps? Severely wounded today, she would return another day. When that time came, she would truly reign supreme over the world.
Many were uneasy, especially the Heavenly Court. The two sides could not end things peacefully. If the Undying Heavenly Queen had not encountered a great enemy, she would certainly have come to eliminate Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, and the others.
Who exactly was the one who could contend with the Undying Heavenly Queen?
After this battle ended, many speculated, but it also eased the atmosphere considerably.
Many said that the Undying Heavenly Queen and that person were both nearly dying. It would be difficult for them to recover in this lifetime, destined to walk the path of decline. The world need not worry.
Later, some compared the fluctuations of the initial battle with the fragments of Dao from the later stage and found that the news might be reliable. Both had definitely suffered unimaginable severe injuries.
When this result emerged, many people breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Was it the Divine Court's Imperial Lord who stopped the Undying Heavenly Queen's steps?"
Many wanted to verify this, but the Divine Court did not respond to it.
It was not until much later that someone managed to break through to the area behind the Nine Imperial Passes. Although they could not enter the center of that mysterious region, they brought back shocking news.
There were two types of blood spilled across the battlefield. The two who had fought might not live long after this battle.
"Confirmed news: The Imperial Lord is still alive."
"Is it really him? He faced the Undying Heavenly Queen. Such skill is truly rare throughout the ages. Worthy of being a Dao-Achiever-to-be!"
"Although it cannot be confirmed as him, the Divine Court has not denied it. Perhaps it truly was the Divine Court's Lord who faced the Queen. Truly a great achievement."
News flew everywhere. The world praised the Divine Court's Imperial Lord for being truly remarkable, allowing people to see the demeanor and divine might of a peerless expert. This was world-shaking skill.
"Was it really the Imperial Lord who acted?" The people of the Heavenly Court also discussed this, all frowning deeply.
"If he had that kind of spirit, he would not have hidden away during the Dark Calamity back then. I don't think he did this!"
"But the Divine Court hasn't denied it."
"They haven't confirmed it either. They are waiting for the best opportunity. If both combatants die, wouldn't tacit acceptance be better?"
The Heavenly Court members believed it was not the Divine Court's Imperial Lord who acted. Even if he was a Dao-Achiever-to-be, the dominant performance of that person in this battle was not his style.
Outside, the clamor was intense, with many people discussing it hotly.
Unconsciously, the Imperial Lord's prestige had risen considerably. Although many did not believe it was him, there were also many junior cultivators who did not understand the inside story and firmly believed that only he currently had this ability.
The impact of this battle was enormous. It sounded an alarm for Imperial Prince-level figures, giving them all a sense of urgency. If they encountered such a person, perhaps the only option was to flee. They definitely could not win.
The Dragon Maiden and the Golden Heavenly Maiden had both arrived. Shen Ming had also appeared, just in time to witness this battle. Their bodies and minds were greatly affected. They did not act immediately and became cautious.
In this golden prosperous age, experts were as numerous as clouds, and the strong emerged in succession, awakening everyone. No one dared to claim to be the best under heaven. Everyone became careful.
Ye Fan also began to cultivate bitterly. With pressure came motivation. He hoped to make another breakthrough. In this great era, strength was the most fundamental guarantee. Everything else was illusory.
Half a year later, the Holy Prince emerged from seclusion, shaking that ancient battlefield. It triggered fierce combat and great battles. Without a doubt, he had advanced to the Quasi-Emperor realm, his strength even greater.
Two years later, Yin Tiande stepped onto the Imperial Prince battlefield, tempering himself. He fought with the Ancient Imperial Prince, swallowing mountains and rivers with his aura, vying for supremacy in the world.
In these two years, the battle between Huo Qizi and Dao Yi attracted the most attention, shocking the world. They fought from the ancient battlefield to the outside world, fighting across countless star domains, leaving behind many remnants and legends.
In the most brutal battle, Huo Qizi was killed until only a head remained, his blood spilling across the universe. But he barely survived, using his Primordial Spirit Sword to cleave Dao Yi in two. Both were severely wounded, nearly falling.
Such brutal combat caused their names on the stele between the Nine Imperial Passes to become increasingly brilliant, growing brighter day by day. Some speculated that their strength was skyrocketing.
Not long after, in an unknown star domain, the Central Emperor let out a long roar towards the sky, his thick hair flying wildly. Someone heard the words "Gai Jiuyou" in his speech.
Two people from the same era had walked two different paths. One had shaken the world for nine thousand years. His name was spread throughout the mortal world, respected by all, destined to be inscribed into the history of cultivation.
The other was still young, with vigorous blood and qi, just beginning his journey on the path of Imperial Dao contention.
On this day, the Quasi-Emperor tribulation descended. The Central Emperor broke through forcefully. All the stars in the sky trembled together. Various heavenly phenomena erupted. These were the auspicious scenes that only Ancient Great Emperors had when crossing tribulations at this realm in their youth, shaking the hearts of the people.
What were these? Nine Phoenixes coming to pay homage, True Dragons pulling carriages to welcome him, Chaos laws bathing his battle body, and countless Great Dao flowers blooming in the starlight—all shook the mortal world.
Half a month later, the Central Emperor swept through all the heroes, his name shaking the starry sky. He stepped onto the Imperial Prince battlefield formed from the Heavenly Venerable's body, invincible wherever he went. He killed a Quasi-Emperor, shaking the starry sky and terrifying the mortal world.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, twenty years had gone by. Wars continued without end, experts clashed, and Quasi-Emperor blood splattered, often spreading throughout the world. A series of passionate battles inspired many younger generation experts, who hoped to join in.
The Imperial Path contention was the most eye-catching spectacle. The whole world was watching. It might foreshadow who would become the number one person in the universe in the future.
In twenty years, Ye Fan had acted very rarely. He had been in seclusion most of the time, or walking through the mountains and rivers of nature, comprehending his own Dao.
The fragments of the Great Dao within his body were active, and some of their power was revealed. But he could never break through the shackles. This was a terrifying factor restricting him from going all out and unleashing his peak potential.
This shortcoming had been troubling Ye Fan all along, never being effectively resolved. It had even become a problem for his advancement.
In twenty years, some Ancient Imperial Princes had made further breakthroughs, advancing rapidly in their cultivation. But Ye Fan had been frowning and pondering, perfecting his own Dao and techniques, evolving them in his mind.
Sometimes, various secret techniques and Dao fruits were clearly in his heart, but he could not display them or verify them, causing him great trouble.
Comprehending the Dao without being able to verify it—was this path right or wrong? It was most prone to major problems.
"It must be resolved. If there is still no way, I will eventually fall behind, or even wither away on the Imperial Path."
A silver waterfall cascaded down. Ye Fan sat cross-legged on a mountain peak opposite it, beginning a difficult battle to break the deadlock and comprehend the Dao.
In twenty years, many things had happened outside. The Human Demon had struck out, intimidating a group of people. Most notably, he had once gone to the ancestral star of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest for a stroll. From then on, the Dragon Maiden no longer dared to come with an Imperial Dao artifact to suppress him.
Over these years, on the giant stele between the Nine Imperial Passes, Ye Fan's name had dimmed somewhat. By now, it could be confirmed that the number of battles fought and the importance of the results greatly influenced this stele.
In twenty years, Ye Fan had not engaged in much combat. He had been focused on breaking his own deadlock, urgently needing to forge a path forward.
Not only were outsiders suspicious, but even the members of the Heavenly Court had a shadow of gloom in their hearts, giving rise to bad premonitions. Could it be that Ye Fan could only become a Quasi-Emperor in his physical body, while his Dao cultivation was forever dried up? Could the negative influence of the Ancient Supremes never be removed?
Especially in recent years, the Heavenly Court had abandoned many territories, rapidly contracting its front. Many of its members gathered together and went into hiding.
This was a signal, further convincing the outside world that Ye Fan's Quasi-Emperor path was not smooth, filled with difficulty and hardship. Many sympathized with him. Back then, to fight the Supremes to the death, he had truly paid too great a price.
The Heavenly Court might be finished!
Another five years passed. This was the consensus of many. They had rapidly contracted their positions, retreating again and again. There was no longer any trace of their headquarters or other important locations.
People believed that the Heavenly Court itself sensed something and was preparing for the worst. At this time, when all the Imperial Princes had emerged and the Imperial Path contention was in full swing, Ye Fan, one of the leaders of the Heavenly Court, having problems was absolutely fatal.
Things were different now. A Quasi-Emperor must be present to hold the fort. Otherwise, one could only endure in one domain, unable to become a major, influential superpower in the universe.
The current performance of the Heavenly Court indicated that they might fall out of this sequence.
The silver waterfall was like a dragon. Ye Fan had been sitting on the small peak opposite for many years. The few small mountain beasts he had first seen had long since grown strong, but he remained motionless.
"Break through the obstruction, forge my own path!"
A light shout echoed like a dragon's roar in the nine heavens, causing the vast sky to rumble. His body began to glow. The yin and yang qi of the Wheel Sea intertwined, forming a Taiji Diagram. His four limbs connected to the heavens, like the four poles of the universe, shaking heaven and earth, emitting an aura that could destroy the world. The five elements essence of the Dao Palace boiled, giving birth to five deities, which eventually merged, decomposed, and transformed into the most fundamental qi, replenishing his body.
Finally, his spine lit up. This corresponded to the Quasi-Emperor realm secret realm. It was a great dragon, raising its head and roaring, shaking the nine heavens!
Lantern Festival, wishing all brothers and sisters a happy holiday, family reunion. Have you eaten your tangyuan? Be happy and joyful.