Chapter 1692: One Sit for Ten Thousand Years
A massive Phoenix Nest floated in the cosmos, shrouded in mist and exuding a suffocating pressure. A crisp yet authoritative voice echoed from within.
"Have you found the First Divine General?"
"Reporting to the Heavenly Empress, we have not yet located him. We visited his homeland, but there was not a single trace of him there. However, his tomb is empty," someone knelt below and reported.
"Could the Underworld have dug up his corpse, or has he already dissolved into the Dao?" The woman's voice carried a hint of weariness. After the battle with the Old Woodcutter, she had spent years recuperating, yet her Dao wounds remained unhealed.
The person below reported earnestly, "The Underworld has vanished from that area, as if they are very wary. Moreover, his descendants are all alive and well. Our investigation revealed that an invisible hand once protected that clan, even killing a Quasi-Emperor."
"In that case, he might really still be alive, sleeping until now." The Immortal Empress pondered.
Within the Phoenix Nest, two other thrones held the Sun Moon Divine General and the Kun Tian Divine General. They had recovered considerably, surpassing their state from twenty years ago, and the glory of the Primeval Era was re-emerging.
"The First Divine General had the bearing of an Ancient Emperor. If not for the Celestial Emperor attaining the Dao, dominating the rise and fall of the mortal world, suppressing all paths under heaven, and commanding the myriad realms, he might have taken that step," the Sun Moon Divine General said.
In his view, even if all of them had died, the First Divine General should not have passed away in obscurity. He knew that man too well—how could he be willing to accept that? That person would surely gamble, take that step, and whether he failed or succeeded, it would shake heaven and earth.
"Indeed, the First Divine General was too powerful. There are also legends that after he retired, he might have been undergoing a rebirth, a transformation beyond comprehension, seeking to battle the Celestial Emperor!" the Kun Tian Divine General added.
All of them suspected that the First Divine General might still be alive. Such a man, whose brilliance even the Immortal Emperor could not fully overshadow in his time, could not have died an ordinary death.
Because he was too strong, his radiance too dazzling, his bearing unparalleled. Compared to him, even the sun and moon were like fireflies. In that era, he was the foremost god under the Immortal Emperor!
When he retired, he still had half his lifespan remaining, not yet in his twilight years. He had the time, the energy, and the ability to gamble everything on a grand wager.
The Immortal Empress let out a faint sigh but said nothing.
The Kun Tian Divine General seemed to sense something and immediately fell silent.
The Sun Moon Divine General, unruly and proud, with silver hair and a youthful appearance, also chose to remain silent at this moment.
Because they were people of that era and had heard certain legends—that the Empress might have had a past with the First Divine General. But in the end, one became the Empress, and the other became the First Divine General.
"I hope he is still alive," the Immortal Empress said.
Then, her tone turned stern. Though still crisp and pleasant, it carried a killing intent that shook the entire imperial dynasty, tearing great fissures in the cosmic void. "The Celestial Emperor's son was killed by the Sacred Body Ye Fan and the Battle Saint lineage. Though he was not my own child, he still called me 'Mother.' This debt must be settled. If any of you have the time, go kill a few people."
"The Underworld is confronting them, and fierce conflicts have erupted. We will act at the opportune moment. But we must avoid that little girl. We suspect she is..."
"Handle it as you see fit. Even if she is who we think, who knows who will ultimately intimidate the heroes of the ages? She may not necessarily reign supreme. The future will reveal all!" the Immortal Empress said coldly.
In the Heavenly Court, on a floating divine island, Ye Tong and Little Pine were discussing the Dao, with Yang Xi and Hua Hua listening intently. Dao flowers bloomed everywhere, and myriad auspicious rays filled the sky.
People marveled—these two prodigies were truly heaven-defying. Though they walked different paths, the grand Dao was simple, and all paths ultimately converged. The highest realms would inevitably resonate and merge into one.
"I need to find a chance to undergo my tribulation, or I'll be unworthy of my position as Junior Uncle," Pang Bo said.
Upon hearing this, Black Emperor, thick-skinned and unconcerned, said, "Why rush? Haven't you seen Sect Leader Zhang Wenchang? How steady he is. He won't consider severing the Dao to become a king until five hundred years from now. His foundation is unassailable."
"Tonight, I'll treat everyone to a dog meat hotpot," Zhang Wenchang, not one to be bullied after being mocked, smiled and invited the Heavenly Court members.
"Great! We'll definitely be there!" a group of people replied.
"Woof!"
On the divine island, Little Pine suddenly sensed something and frowned, turning to look at Gu Xin'ao.
This peerless overlord, who had once fought against the Green Emperor, had his white hair scattered. His eyes, like torches, gazed into the distance as if he had sensed something.
"Senior Gu's instincts are still sharp. Truly worthy of being a supreme expert who could battle the Green Emperor. He has sensed a supreme being gazing at the Heavenly Court," Little Pine said.
Ye Fan nodded. "Indeed, a fearsome figure has arrived."
"Someone still dares to covet the Heavenly Court? Let's charge out and kill them!" Yang Xi said. He was a battle maniac, his Sacred Body bloodline awakened, his proud bones unyielding, never fearing a challenge.
Black Emperor and the others flew over, waving a hand for them to bring Gu Xin'ao. Then, the void silently split open, and using a chessboard array pattern, they instantly entered a distant battlefield.
"Boom!"
That day, a fierce battle erupted on the outskirts of the Heavenly Court. An unknown expert from the Underworld was terrifyingly powerful but was ultimately killed until his physical body exploded, chased down by Ye Fan's several great disciples until he had no escape.
At the same time, Gu Xin'ao acted, but not against the Underworld figure. Instead, he pressed a palm into the void, shattering a stretch of the starry river.
"What? Kun Tian was injured? That white-haired battle slave of the Heavenly Court is this strong?" In the Phoenix Nest, the Sun Moon Divine General was shocked.
"I was careless. If he had a divine sense, he would be no weaker than us at our peak. Very fearsome!" Kun Tian coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. It was not easy for him to return alive.
Naturally, walls had ears. The Underworld's revenge and the Phoenix Nest's assassination attempt on the Heavenly Court had both met with fierce counterattacks, stirring up the starry sky once again.
The cosmos grew increasingly tense. The Underworld, the Divine Organization, the Dao Palace, and the Imperial Dynasty stood as four pillars. Now, with the potentially rising Heavenly Court, five major forces loomed over the universe, filled with too many variables.
This was a special era, oppressively suffocating, as if a storm was about to break. This was merely the calm before the storm.
Once it erupted, it would surely be a downpour of blood and thunder shattering the cosmos. People could already foresee a terrifying great war, one that might shatter the universe itself.
Everyone was waiting for the darkness before dawn, waiting for a raging storm. Some major forces began to migrate, fleeing to distant lands, retreating into the desolate borderlands.
In this chaotic age, survival was the foremost priority.
Talk of imperial ambitions and eternal life was meaningless. If one was killed in the chaos, everything would be a joke.
The oppressive atmosphere was suffocating to the point of fainting. The great war was about to begin. The most watched figures were naturally the supreme experts. The Underworld, it was said, had sleeping Ancient Supremes. The Divine Organization was the "remnant" of the ancient Heavenly Court and surely had supreme beings guarding it, or how else could it stand against the Underworld?
As for the Immortal Empress, the Old Woodcutter, and others, they were unparalleled in their generation, with few rivals. If a bloody battle erupted, who could contend with them?
Calculating everything, the Heavenly Court was currently the weakest, lacking an invincible figure. Ye Fan's Great Accomplishment was on the horizon, and once he reached that step, sweeping the world would be no problem. But did he have the time?
Gu Xin'ao had long since passed away. A mere physical body could certainly not contend with someone about to attain the Dao.
The other four behemoths all had supreme experts. If they truly acted, who would give him time? They would surely strike like thunder, attacking him to nip him in the bud.
The great war was about to begin, and the most anticipated event would surely be the decisive battle among several supreme experts!
Where was Ye Fan? Would he have time to achieve Great Accomplishment? All major forces in the cosmos were speculating, all paying close attention. This was a mythological era, and a battle that would shatter the heavens was inevitable.
Deep in the cosmos, Ye Fan roared. He traveled, cultivating all the way, traversing the myriad star domains, observing the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, comprehending the Dao of heaven and earth, and experiencing the secrets of the primordial myriad things. He read the ancient scriptures of the emperors, accompanied by the thoughts of emperors and kings. One figure after another seemed to step out from the scriptures to do battle with him.
Along this path, though he had gained much and his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, wanting to ascend to heaven in a single step and touch the edge of the Imperial Dao was no easy feat! It was harder than creating the blue sky!
This was a divine sea, its origins unknown, located in the cosmos. It was entirely golden, vast and boundless, with sun, moon, and stars occasionally falling into it.
Such a wondrous sight was truly rare. Ye Fan was moved. This divine sea emanated a powerful energy fluctuation. He stopped here, taking it as an ideal place for seclusion.
"I want to become stronger! I want to be even stronger!"
Though he was traveling and comprehending his own Dao, he also knew what was happening outside. He understood that the Heavenly Court needed a supreme expert to emerge!
Not just to save An Miaoyi, but to protect the Heavenly Court, he had to break through. In this changing world, no one knew what terrible things might happen.
"My Dao, my Dharma, my Path!"
Ye Fan sat cross-legged before the golden divine sea, nearly driven mad. Time did not wait for him. He needed to become strong immediately. An Miaoyi had fallen into the Underworld, and who knew what would happen there?
He sought nothing else but to rescue her.
The Heavenly Court had so many family and friends who needed him to be strong. Otherwise, those four behemoths could crush them at any moment. If a Supreme Being truly emerged, even Little Nannan might not be able to protect them.
But the more anxious he became, the harder he found it to break through. He sat here for three days, and his hair turned white. His pale hair scattered like snow, as if he had aged ten thousand years in an instant.
"Why can't I break through? Why can't I take another great step forward?!"
Ye Fan opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood. He was too eager for success, disturbing his mind, giving rise to inner demons, and injuring himself.
"Calm down. Don't lose your original heart. Let the Dao within me awaken."
Ye Fan steadied his mind. The many ancient scriptures within him resonated, and his several secret realms glowed, clearing his mind, cutting away all obsessions. In an instant, the Dao was born.
Then, he remained motionless, his entire body withered, sinking into a long contemplation, merging with the void, becoming a part of nothingness.
Time flowed. He did not know how many years had passed. One day, his mind trembled, and he opened his eyes, sensing an indescribable aura.
Why was this world so desolate?
The golden divine sea had dried up. The stars had all gone dark. The cosmos was in ruins, already shattered. What had happened? What had occurred?
Ye Fan was terrified!
"How long have I sat here? Why do I feel like I have lost so many years?"
Ye Fan trembled. He felt the power after his ultimate sublimation. The blood in his veins surged like rampaging dragons, daring to do battle with an Ancient Supreme!
But why had the cosmic environment changed so drastically?
He stretched out his hand and saw wrinkles on it. His skin was no lustrous, lacking its former glow.
Ye Fan stood up. He traced a line in the void, and a precious mirror appeared, reflecting his true face. White hair hung to his shoulders. Time had carved lines into his face. He was no longer young; he had grown old.
Within him surged an ocean of power, capable of containing the blue sky of ten thousand ages, able to do battle with Supremes. His Dharma and Dao could cover the heavens. But how many years had passed? How could this be?
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