Chapter 843: The End of an Era
In the early morning, the brilliant morning glow scattered down, breaking through the mist, making people's hearts feel bright as well.
Ye Fan sat cross-legged on a low mountain, continuously breathing in and out. White innate essence qi entered and exited his mouth and nose like a dragon, rumbling like thunder.
Not far away, a few children were also imitating the posture, practicing seriously, throwing punches and kicking their legs with utmost focus.
Tong Tong was only five years old, but he was Ye Fan's first disciple. After escaping from the clutches of the "demon" Li Tian, he was exceptionally diligent, punching the air against the morning glow with proper form. His entire body glowed, as if resonating with the rising sun.
The siblings Gu Fei and Gu Lin, eleven years old, were also highly gifted and practiced just as seriously. They had already adapted to life in Heavenly Village.
As for the last little one, she was purely there for show. Little Que'er was only a little over a year old, sucking on a pacifier, wobbling as she walked, waving her little hands while shouting "Hmph, ha, hey!" in a milky voice, utterly adorable.
They were the future hope of the Heavenly Court. Even if everyone else fell, these four little ones alone might be enough to support a flourishing divine dynasty and rule the world.
"Woof, woof, woof..."
On the other side, Black Emperor stuck out his bright red tongue, opened his bloody maw, and charged like a ten-thousand-year-old ancient demon unleashed, chasing Wang Shu and Er Leng Zi.
He called it hellish special training, meant to force out the true potential of the Silver Blood Royal Clan. Fall behind and get beaten—his icy-cold dog teeth could definitely bite through their bodies.
"Too weak! You call this a crownless king? You two, carry that mountain on your backs and run!" the big black dog bellowed.
His training was truly ruthless, squeezing their potential to the limit, forcing the two to carry a stone mountain on their backs while walking, eating, and sleeping.
"Ao..." In the end, the miserable screams of Wang Shu and Er Leng Zi no longer sounded human. Hearing them sent chills down one's spine, making it clear how much suffering they endured.
Black Emperor claimed this was a return to wildness, the revival of their royal blood, the awakening of their ancestors' power. Everyone rolled their eyes at that.
"Hmph, ha, hey..." Little Que'er, pacifier in mouth, tumbled to the ground and refused to get up, blinking her big eyes as she watched the big black dog chase the two poor souls down the mountain with great interest.
The other three children trained hard, essence qi flowing in and out of every pore, sparkling and crystalline. It was a heartwarming scene, full of vitality.
"It's good to be young," Qi Luo sighed, squinting his single eye with envy.
He lay on an ancient pine tree that slanted out over the cliff, facing the morning glow, clutching a purple-gold gourd as he poured wine into his mouth, utterly content and satisfied.
Ye Fan had passed the Stride Art to him. This old man was becoming more and more unfathomable. For the Heavenly Court to rise, he needed to become a sage; otherwise, how could they contend with the killing sages of the Mortal World and the Underworld?
On the other side, Yan Yixi was playing chess with an old man from Heavenly Village. They had been at it for three days and three nights without moving a single step.
As for Li Tian, he was in a state of pain and pleasure, playing assassination games with the girls of Heavenly Village. He cherished the fairer sex, but the beauties of the Heavenly Court were each fiercer and more ruthless than the last. Heavenly Swords had nearly left bloody holes in his body several times.
"Brother Monkey, want to spar?" Ye Fan finished his breathing exercises and stood up.
The monkey was on the opposite mountain, his golden fur dazzling in the morning light. He responded with a loud "Good!" and shot over like a bolt of golden lightning.
"Boom!"
Once these two, with their rare physiques unseen for millennia, started fighting, it was like a comet colliding with the Ziwei Star. The children all fell flat on their bottoms.
"God... son... God... son..." Little Que'er called out, biting her pacifier, waving her chubby little hands.
"You two destructive maniacs, don't fight here!" Qi Luo forcibly drove them away, teleporting them far off.
The Heavenly Court was newly established and thriving. This atmosphere was heartening, with endless hope ahead. Once it rose, even the sky itself couldn't cover it!
"This place of yours is really desolate," Ji Ziyue said half a month later, arriving with a large stack of documents, all about the Underworld and the Mortal World.
These were top-secret files, stolen from the Ji Family's scripture library, involving many unknown secrets of exceptional value.
"The family head is about to retire. They're pushing my brother to become the Ji Family's master, so he can't come out easily anymore." Ji Ziyue's words left Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and the others stunned.
"You're too out of touch..." Ji Ziyue, while playing with Little Que'er, revealed some earth-shattering news.
The Saint Lord of Yaoguang had semi-retired and begun delegating power. The Holy Son Yao Guang was taking over and would officially rule Yaoguang in a few years.
"Time flows like water eastward. The older generation is fading. A great era of kings rising together has finally arrived," Ye Fan sighed.
Once, he had to look up to the various saint lords. Now, the younger generation had risen through battle and reached such heights.
"The Holy Son Yao Guang suppressed the combined attacks of Yaoguang's holy sons from various eras over two thousand years with just one hand, easily taking power. His first act was to resonate with the Dragon-Pattern Blackgold Cauldron, standing before the most unbelievable extreme imperial weapon in the world for nine days and nine nights."
Yaoguang had no emperor. The birth of the Dragon-Pattern Blackgold Cauldron was shrouded in countless legends—it was the most miraculous miracle in the world!
Fifty thousand years of prayer, fifty thousand years of prostration. The sages of the past poured their hearts and blood into it, yet it could not attain the Dao. On that night of lightning, thunder, and rain, no one knew what happened.
In a single night, it became an extreme imperial weapon!
An eternal mystery, forever unsolved. The most inconceivable weapon, inferior to no ancient imperial weapon or great emperor's artifact, even possessing unique advantages.
"Time flies. The Holy Son Yao Guang is almost a great ruler now, about to control the Dragon-Pattern Blackgold Cauldron and dominate the world," Li Heishui sighed.
Soon after, news came from the Central Province: the Great Xia Prince ascended the throne, officially becoming the Xia Lord, triumphing over his brothers.
Then, the news that Yao Yuekong had become the master of the Heavenly Demon Palace spread across the world.
Almost simultaneously, news from the Southern Ridge reported that the Southern Demon had entered the Demon Emperor Hall, becoming one of its controllers, standing at the pinnacle of power.
A few days later, a message from the Central Province spread: the Central Emperor had severed the Dao. On the day of success, a purple sun hung in the sky, nine layers of auspicious clouds descended from heaven, and divine milk surged from the earth.
This news shook the world. These were the signs of a great emperor severing the Dao in his youth, terrifying everyone, a true "explosion."
There were also rumors that a young Buddhist son from the Western Desert had cultivated half of the Six True Words, walking among famous mountains and ancient temples, beginning to show the aura of a Buddha.
"We're getting old. The rise of the younger generation makes us feel more and more like the setting sun. The scenery remains, but people are about to wither away," an old man from Heavenly Village sighed.
These days, Yan Yixi had been playing chess with him, learning many spiritual-level Dao principles, benefiting greatly.
"Hmph, ha, hey! Que'er wants to grow up fast!" Little Que'er, pacifier in mouth, clenched her little fists, finally speaking a bit more clearly.
After that, Ji Ziyue came often, teleporting across the void with great delight. Sometimes she smiled slyly, sometimes carefreely, and sometimes she would laugh until she cried.
Ji Haoyue, who was about to become the saint lord, personally came once, completely furious, wanting to chop Ye Fan. Finally, he was persuaded to stop, had a deep talk with Ye Fan all night, and then dragged Ji Ziyue away.
"Brother, what are you doing..." Ji Ziyue complained.
"The Divine Calculator predicted that in the near future, he will leave this world and return to the other end of the stars. This time is different from before," Ji Haoyue said.
Ye Fan might not be able to stay long in this world. One day, he might disappear completely, unwilling to leave behind sadness for others.
"Do you want to leave with him? If you have that resolve, I won't object," Ji Haoyue said.
"I..." Ji Ziyue cried. Her parents, brother, and dearest ones were all in this world. How could she leave?
After that, Ji Ziyue still came often, smiling brightly, but sometimes she would laugh until tears fell, breaking hearts.
Ye Fan often accompanied her on walks, whether facing the morning glow or treading under the stars and moon. The Divine Calculator's prophecy felt so abrupt to him, and he too felt too much reluctance.
The stars were too far away. Once he set foot on the return journey, what was there to say? Ye Fan wanted to leave lightly, leaving more joy for others.
He told many stories of the past. Ji Ziyue's smiles increased after hearing them, but she couldn't hide her loss. She said that once she became a sage and her worldly ties here were fulfilled, she would surely follow his footsteps to the other end of the stars. Laughing through tears, she said she wanted to see what kind of magnificent and incredible world that was.
Half a month later, Little Tingting, whom he hadn't seen for years, appeared. She had emerged from seclusion in the Jiang Family and found her way here. Now, she was a graceful young woman.
"Yin-Yang Body!" Qi Luo's eyes went wide on the spot. He rubbed his hands and approached with an enthusiasm that was hard to describe, almost on the verge of claiming her as his granddaughter.
"Sis... sis..." Little Que'er wobbled over, hugging one of her calves and refusing to let go.
Not far away, Tong Tong was also shocked. His blood had reverted to its ancestral form, identical to the physique of the Sun Saint Emperor. Now, facing the Yin-Yang Body, he felt an inexplicable resonance.
Ye Fan sighed. The little girl from the past had grown up. In the old days, she and Old Man Jiang depended on each other, bullied by others. Little Tingting, just a few years old, was pitiful, wearing patched old clothes, crying constantly as she protected the old man from the bullies.
"Big brother, you're finally back!" Tingting burst into tears, rushing forward. She truly regarded Ye Fan as her closest family.
Ye Fan smiled and comforted her, ruffling her hair, and asked if Old Man Jiang was doing well.
Tingting replied that he was fine, but he often talked about him, wanting to see him again and share a few cups of old wine, treating him like a grandson who had been away from home for years and never returned.
Ye Fan was lost in thought for a moment. Back then, it was Old Man Jiang and Little Tingting who made him feel at home in this world for the first time. It was a warm memory, forever worth cherishing.
"I'll go visit him," he said with a smile.
"Yin-Yang Body, little girl! I only have one useless grandson. I really wish I had a granddaughter..." Qi Luo bustled about, finally showing his true colors, clearly trying to recruit Tingting into the sect.
Now, Little Tingting had grown into a stunningly beautiful woman with extremely high cultivation. The Yin-Yang Body allowed her to cultivate swiftly, and she had already become a great power.
Ye Fan remembered something and passed the incomplete Yin-Yang Ancient Scripture to her, along with the crystalline skull of a sage. This was taken from the Yin-Yang Divine Son, and it might hold the secrets of the complete ancient scripture, as the sage's lingering resentment had never faded.
"Brother Yifei defeated the family's Divine King Physique. He'll soon become the saint lord."
Tingting's news surprised many. The Jiang Family's Divine King Physique had lost, and Jiang Yifei was taking over, completely unexpected.
Ye Fan wasn't too surprised. Among the people he knew, three left a particularly deep impression: Hua Yunfei, the Holy Son Yao Guang, and Jiang Yifei. They were all refined and otherworldly, unfathomable, impossible to see through.
"Brother Yifei asked me to warn you to be careful of Hua Yunfei. He's more terrifying than you imagine..." Tingting brought this message.
During his travels, Jiang Yifei had once seen Hua Yunfei in a desolate mountain. He had broken into an ancient sage's tomb and dissolved part of the residual origin.
"To become stronger, to stay low-key, even without bloodshed, he entered ancient tombs and stole the remnants of sage origins. How terrifying is he now?" Li Heishui was shocked.
"What's not his will never be his. I look forward to meeting him!" Ye Fan said.
He reminded Qi Luo to operate and develop the Heavenly Court as if he had already left, because that day might come very suddenly.