Chapter 1705: Past and Present
Starlight shimmered. To Ye Fan, this was not an unfamiliar massive star. It was brimming with life, with steel skyscrapers standing tall and various spaceships streaking across the sky like beams of light.
He had returned to the Eternal Star Domain, once again arriving at this unique place. He did not know where the Divine Organization was located, so he had to start here, because this was where he had first encountered them back then.
Eternal was home to legends of Immortal Armor, the secret formula for Nine-Turn Immortal Pills, and a highly advanced technological civilization. They had walked a path unlike any other.
Back then, Ye Fan had obtained the formula for Evolution Liquid here, and it was precisely because of this that the overall strength of the Heavenly Court members had advanced by leaps and bounds, climbing several steps together.
Skyscrapers rose into the clouds. Technological martial arts were everywhere. As long as an external enemy invaded, tens of thousands of runic patterns would activate simultaneously, slaughtering them all down.
Within the steel city, buildings stood like a forest. Of course, there was no lack of real vegetation—all exotic species, lush and thriving, adding vitality to the place.
Azure trees soared ten thousand zhang high, like giant umbrellas spreading across the sky. Many divine grasses took root in the void, emitting spiritual energy to purify this world. Divine vines shot into the sky, coiling like dragons in a dreamlike dance.
"What... that person is back again?"
When Ye Fan summoned the ten strongest clans, this star instantly erupted, triggering a massive uproar. The one who had come before had returned—how could they not be alarmed?
After all, back then, Ye Fan had fought his way in, then fought his way out. He had not been a guest here; there had never been any pleasant times.
It was precisely because of Ye Fan and the Southern Demon that Eternal’s campaign against the Big Dipper had suffered heavy losses, with the expeditionary force nearly completely wiped out.
On this star, every major force was extremely wary of the name Ye Fan. They had long heard of his achievements over the years and had been worrying. Now, he had truly returned!
"Once, there was a Lone Heart Pride who could rival the Green Emperor, and we of Eternal offended him. Now, another Sacred Body has emerged. This... is truly a disaster!"
The Eternal starry sky trembled. The ten royal clans were all terrified. Was Ye Fan here for revenge? If it came to a confrontation, there was no suspense at all. He was a Quasi-Emperor—who could oppose him?
The Floating Life Hall, a palace floating in the sky, was famous in Eternal. It was said to be an artifact left behind by an ancient emperor.
As time passed, its dao patterns had been damaged, but it had still not turned to ashes. It remained a floating divine land in the Eternal starry sky, where famous figures from various sects often gathered to drink and chat.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the majestic hall was somewhat oppressive. A man had arrived, standing with his hands behind his back inside the hall, silencing all voices.
"Everyone, please continue. I am only here to discuss some matters with the ten royal clans."
Even if a Quasi-Emperor was easygoing and his smile was brilliant, it still made everyone feel terrified. An invisible pressure seemed to suffocate them.
Ye Fan was hosting a banquet for the ten royal clans here. These people could neither advance nor retreat. They had not expected to run into such a situation. They wanted to leave but feared offending the Sacred Body.
Before long, the people of the ten royal clans arrived, each one extremely nervous. Among them were two Great Sages who had come out of seclusion, awakened from their slumber, to pay respects to a generation of Quasi-Emperors.
Eternal had not experienced such a tense atmosphere for many years. Every major force was trembling. If this was a settling of accounts, who could resist? Even fleeing was impossible.
"We pay our respects to Senior Ye."
Some performed grand bows of reverence. Though their hair and beards were already white, far older than Ye Fan in years, they could only offer their respects with deference, unable to treat him as an equal.
Ye Fan swept his gaze over the crowd and unexpectedly saw Fan Xian. She was still as captivating as ever, peerlessly enchanting, but at this moment, her beautiful face was very unnatural.
Beside her was an old man, the ancestor of the Fan Clan, a powerful ancient sage. His face was pale, and his heart was filled with despair.
They were not among the current ten strongest royal clans, but they had been forced here by other powerful clans. This was clearly meant to use them as scapegoats. That was a generation-defying Quasi-Emperor!
Fan Xian’s heart was bitter, and her face was full of disappointment.
As for the Fan Clan’s ancestor, he was even more regretful to the point of wanting to roar. If he had not been so obsessed with profit back then, only wanting to use the Sacred Body, how could things have turned out like this?
If they had shown enough sincerity back then, perhaps the Sacred Body would have become the Fan Clan’s son-in-law. Looking back now, he was already a generation-defying Quasi-Emperor, unmatched across the starry sky.
The Fan Clan was undoubtedly the most disappointed and the most anxious. They had offended Ye Fan the most back then, and now the entire Eternal Star Domain was prostrate at his feet.
Some were disappointed, while others were delighted. Another group of people arrived outside the hall. At the front was a pure and ethereal fairy maiden, agile and peerless, like the Luo River Goddess reborn, stepping on colorful clouds.
It was Qi Meng. Her clan was also not among the current ten strongest royal clans, but they had been invited by the other clans, hoping they could improve their relationship with Ye Fan.
Back then, the Qi Family had a special relationship with Ye Fan. Everyone hoped they would mediate.
"We meet again, Brother Ye." The Qi family members were all smiles, coming forward to greet him. Ye Fan naturally responded warmly. Back then, the old sage of the Qi Family had blocked an attack from the Fan Clan for him.
"Everyone, please sit. I have returned today not to settle old scores, but to inquire about something from you," Ye Fan said.
Those who were not involved had already tactfully withdrawn. The ten royal clans were at the forefront. Now that they had stepped back, it was not considered offending the Sacred Body. Staying here even a second longer was a torment.
Ye Fan asked about the Divine Organization. Although he had heard roughly which star domain they were in, it was impossible to find their central location in a short time.
The ten royal clans exchanged glances. They had not expected him to come for the "Divine." They breathed a long sigh of relief. Many of them had their backs soaked with sweat.
The Divine Organization did have important figures active in this area. Their traces could occasionally be seen. The various clans did not want to provoke them. It was said that these people were searching for a secret formula left by the Emperor Venerable. That formula was priceless and might have been lost in the Eternal Star Domain.
Ye Fan was quite interested upon hearing this and pressed for more details about the formula.
"Back then, the Emperor Venerable extended the peak imperial life of the Longevity Heavenly Venerable by two thousand years. Besides his heaven-defying methods, it was also because he possessed an ancient longevity formula."
Ye Fan was speechless. So there was such hidden history. It seemed that everything left by the Emperor Venerable was of interest to the Divine Organization.
When they left, many members of the ten royal clans were almost collapsing. The pressure of facing a lofty Quasi-Emperor was too great.
At the moment of parting, a dozen drops of crystal-clear blood beads fell from Ye Fan’s fingertip into a jade jar. He gave it to the Qi Clan, filling them with surprise and endless gratitude.
"Will Brother Ye return?" Qi Meng blinked her sparkling eyes and asked.
"If fate allows, we will meet again." Ye Fan waved his hand, speaking freely. With one step, the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers shifted together, and he vanished from the place.
At the moment of the Fan Clan’s tension dissipating, they were also filled with regret, and even more unable to let go. Through such a twist of fate, they had failed to become allies with the Sacred Body.
Fan Xian stared blankly at the sky, a mix of emotions, an indescribable taste in her heart. She knew that this might be the last time they would see Ye Fan. He would not return. He was already from a different world than theirs, not even bothering to settle past grievances.
"Don’t worry. In the future, his name will echo throughout the universe. Many will speak of him. Perhaps one day, he will come back to take a look." The old sage of the Qi Clan unkindly taunted the sage of the Fan Clan.
For a moment, there was no sound.
"I need to speak with your main god—a Quasi-Emperor who can hold a conversation!" Ye Fan was very direct. After tracking down the traces of the Divine Organization members, he got straight to the point.
"You are... the Sacred Body, Ye Fan?!" That person recognized him, because back in the Eternal Star Domain, they had once tried to recruit Ye Fan to become one of them.
"It’s me!" Ye Fan said bluntly.
"Please wait a moment!" The other party did not waste time. They immediately used a divine platform, crossing the starry sky to summon an important figure.
Now, any Ye Fan had to be taken extremely seriously. Even behemoths like the Divine Organization, the Dao Palace, and the Phoenix Nest had to consider how terrifying a fully grown Sacred Body was.
The white-haired Quasi-Emperor arrived. The former god, whose sword light once shone across the universe, whose cauldron shattered the path to immortality, and who wounded the Longevity Heavenly Venerable.
This was a fearsome Quasi-Emperor. He had stepped into this realm many years ago and was one of the top figures of the era! The Divine Organization took Ye Fan very seriously.
The void split open. The white-haired Sword God and Ye Fan crossed the universe together, arriving at a very small star. The mountains and rivers were magnificent, the scenery pleasant.
Among them, an immortal mountain hung in midair, shrouded in white mist. Here, there were halls, pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water, giving a sense of serene seclusion.
Ye Fan had the confidence to come. He was at the sixth heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm, could trigger the Divine Seal, and carried the Devouring Demon Jar. Except for the Forbidden Zones of Life, there was nowhere in the world he could not go.
This place was not the Divine Organization’s headquarters, but merely a secret meeting spot. Where the Divine Organization’s main base was located was still unknown to anyone.
"Young man, even if you had not come to find us, we were planning to visit the Heavenly Court." On the mountain peak, an old man sat cross-legged under an ancient pine tree, inviting him to sit on a meditation cushion.
This old man had a childlike face with white hair, extremely advanced in age. His eyes were wise, as if he could see through everything in the world. He was unfathomably deep, causing Ye Fan to sigh. This organization was indeed extraordinary. This man could almost be called a god descending to the mortal world.
He must have achieved supreme cultivation. This was a figure who could contend with the Woodcutter Old Man and the Undying Heavenly Queen. He was about to attain the Dao, with hope of taking that final half-step.
"The Divine lives up to its reputation. I wonder, Senior, why do you wish to visit my Heavenly Court?"
"To find a person," the old man said.
"Oh, who exactly is it that even the Divine wishes to meet?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.
"Over the years, we have traveled across the universe, traversing endless starry skies. We have even been to the Emperor Venerable’s homeland—your birthplace, Earth—searching for a person. Finally, we have found a clue. It turns out that he is in the Heavenly Court established in this era. Could this be fate? He still lives within the Heavenly Court. Even though two Heavenly Courts are separated by ten thousand ages, this is enough to foreshadow some things," the old man sighed.
Ye Fan was startled upon hearing this!