The Eastern Wastelands — the word “wasteland” was embedded in its very name because it was vast and boundless, with endless uninhabited wilderness stretching in every direction. Some of its primordial territories had never been trodden by human foot since the dawn of time.

“We’re six million li off course — you mangy mutt, you did this on purpose!” Tu Fei shouted.

They had crossed through the void, heading for the Undying Mountain in the central region of the Eastern Wastelands, yet they ended up a full six million li off course, appearing in a stretch of wilderness completely devoid of human presence.

Had they not discovered half a stone stele on a great mountain, they wouldn’t even have known where they were. It was a relic left behind after the collapse of a once-flourishing great sect from ages past.

“It was absolutely intentional. How could you possibly drift six million li off course? Even carving spatial runes with your eyes shut wouldn’t produce such an absurd deviation,” Li Heishui cursed without restraint.

“Ahem — even the steadiest hand slips, and the surest horse stumbles. It was purely a coincidence,” the Great Black Dog dry-coughed, concealing its guilty conscience.

“Doggy is so cute, even more scatterbrained than Nannan!” Little Xiao Nannan, as exquisitely carved as pink jade, was full of sympathy — she was the only one who still believed the Great Black Dog.

That expression on the Great Black Dog’s face was one of utter embarrassment. It wanted to slam its head into the stone stele. Even with its notoriously thick skin, it simply could not endure being called “cute.” Had it been anyone else, it would have been baring its teeth and snapping by now.

“You adorable Black Emperor, perhaps you ought to think of a solution — surely you don’t expect us to fly six million li?” Ye Fan said with a smile.

“Woof!”

“Doggy, no biting people,” Xiao Nannan, who barely reached the Black Emperor’s legs, gave it a light pat and tilted her little face up to look at him.

“It’s not as though we truly need to go to the Undying Mountain. We’re merely putting on a show for the world, letting them believe you’re seeking divine medicine there to extend your life,” the Black Emperor grumbled.

“Even so, we still need to make a round trip — keep up appearances,” Ye Fan said. On this journey, his true primary objective was to reach the Sacred Cliff and seek the third of the Nine Secrets.

“Let me tell you — it’s best not to approach the Undying Mountain carelessly. That place is terrifying. During the great upheaval of the Dark Age, the Undying Mountain was one of its most important sources. Even the late Holy Master in his final years refused to enter it,” the Black Emperor warned.

In his prime, the Sacred Physique of Great Completion had, through supreme divine power, severed a cliff face from the Undying Mountain and taken it away — and nothing had seemed amiss during his peak years. Yet in his twilight, for reasons unknown, blood had stained that very cliff. Some speculated this bore a deep connection to the Undying Mountain.

“Let’s first have a thorough look around the central region. This is the birthplace of many ancient lineages — said to be the very origin of the Eastern Wastelands’ human clans, full of secrets.”

The Central Region was the heart of the Eastern Wastelands — an indestructible and eternally pure land. Countless great sects had established themselves here across the ages, flourishing far beyond the Southern and Northern Domains.

Sacred lands such as the Purple Palace, the Wind Clan, the Dao Yi, and the Wan Chu were all situated here, concealing coiled dragons and dormant divine phoenixes, gathering the Eastern Wastelands’ boundless spiritual beauty — undying through ten thousand ages, thriving to this very day.

Beyond these, the demon clans had over ten thousand ancient lineages spread across the Central Region, all founded by the demon clan titans who had survived the great wars of the Dark Age more than a hundred thousand years ago.

These lineages had been passed down since ancient times to the present. Though called demon clans, their members were born in human form — one could say they were all born with extraordinary power, forming various ancient demon clan noble houses.

The moment Ye Fan and his companions appeared in the Central Region, they were spotted. Many people’s eyes lit up with unusual gleams as they murmured softly among themselves.

The news that the Sacred Physique had slain the Holy Maiden of a supreme great sect in the Central Province had spread throughout the Eastern Wastelands. Everyone knew he had little time left — and in these final days, one must not, under any circumstances, provoke him.

Although the Yin-Yang Sect had been furious, they were truly in the wrong this time — they had abducted gifted young children — and faced the hostility of the Eastern Wastelands’ various factions and the pressure of several great sacred lands. In the end, they had left the Eastern Wastelands.

Of course, before departing they had still attempted to cross through the void and enter the Primordial Forbidden Zone to gather divine medicine — but all who entered disappeared like stones sinking into the sea, with not the slightest sound thereafter.

Ye Fan and his group entered an ancient city called “Wangkong” — “Gazing into the Void” — one of the ten great ancient cities of the Central Region. The Black Emperor moved through it like a seasoned horse who knew every road, heading straight for a great platform at the city’s center.

“I knew this dead dog deliberately deviated from the Undying Mountain’s path. Otherwise, how could it have drifted six million li off course? It clearly wanted to enter Wangkong City,” Li Heishui said.

The ancient city was vast and grand. At its center stood not a plaza but an enormous elevated platform. At that moment, the evening glow spread across the sky, and the entire platform shimmered with points of red twilight.

“Things remain as they were, but people are no more…”

The Great Black Dog gazed at the platform with what seemed like boundless emotion. “In years past, a certain Great Emperor would often stand there and gaze up at the boundless starry sky, sitting for an entire night at a stretch. Yet even the most towering and supreme hero cannot hold back the erosion of time.”

Wushi — the Beginningless Emperor!

Ye Fan didn’t even need to think to know that was who it was speaking of. His heart stirred involuntarily. Was there something remarkable about this Gazing Void Platform? A Great Emperor had lingered here for a prolonged time — perhaps there was something particularly special about the place.

“Don’t read too much into it. That Great Emperor was merely cultivating here for a period — he left nothing behind,” the Great Black Dog shook its head.

“These stones are quite the treasure — tens of thousands of years have passed, yet they remain crystalline and radiant. Why has no one carried off such an immaculate platform?” Tu Fei was a big mouth who said whatever crossed his mind.

Quite a few passersby rolled their eyes at him, clearly displeased by such words.

“These stones are exceptional — at night, they draw down starlight to nourish the entire ancient city, transforming this place into a land of spiritual beauty. No one dares to damage them,” an old man spoke up.

Their group drew considerable attention. Xiao Nannan, seated astride the Great Black Dog, looked like an adorable little sprite — wherever she went, eyes followed.

Ye Fan made no effort to conceal his appearance. Accompanied by a great black dog, people immediately guessed his identity. They ascended to a restaurant, positioned adjacent to the Gazing Void Platform.

“Isn’t that the Sacred Physique? Why has he suddenly come to the Central Region?”

“I heard about it long ago — his time is nearly up. Word is he’s come to the Central Region’s Undying Mountain seeking a chance to extend his life.”

“He dares enter that place? During the Dark Age, which was marked by unimaginable chaos, everyone witnessed its horror. Even the old Holy Master refused to enter the Undying Mountain in his final years.”

The restaurant in the city’s central district was naturally booming — people coming and going in great numbers, many of whom looked their way.

Ye Fan’s group chose a private room. They pushed open the window to see the Gazing Void Platform directly before them. By now the sky had darkened, and stars were dotting the heavens. One could watch the starlight flow and scatter down into the city below.

The Great Black Dog craned its neck outward, its attention fixed on the Gazing Void Platform — as if waiting for something.

Meanwhile, Pang Bo and the others noticed that the people gathered around the platform had multiplied considerably. The teahouses and restaurants were packed full.

“What’s going on?” Li Heishui asked in surprise.

“Honored guests, this is the once-a-year Void-Gazing Night — the starlight flows like water and produces a most beautiful sight. The city’s own residents are long accustomed to it; those who come here to watch are all visitors from elsewhere who’ve heard of it by reputation. Surely you didn’t come specifically for this occasion?”

The group became more certain than ever that it had all been the Great Black Dog’s doing — it had come here to indulge in nostalgia.

“Hmmm!”

When the sky turned completely dark and the vast canopy of stars emerged, one could see great swaths of starlight drifting down like snow-white clouds — light and graceful, breathtakingly beautiful — transforming the entire ancient city into a scene of pure sanctity.

The Gazing Void Platform especially gleamed with crystal brilliance, radiating an intoxicating luminescence that drew in the stars and the moon, suffusing the city within with a haze of spiritual beauty.

“Seen it every year — I’m thoroughly tired of it. In truth, it’s nothing special. It’s not some wondrous spectacle of ascending immortals — merely starlight being drawn in,” someone said.

“Those old fossils insist on claiming this is where an ancient Great Emperor gazed upon the star domains of old, speaking of it with an air of deep mystery — yet they can never actually explain it themselves, and still they make us come every year to try our luck.”

…

This was a group of noble house scions who had taken a restaurant, chosen seats by the window in the establishment adjacent to Ye Fan’s, and could see everything happening on this side.

“I just heard someone say the Sacred Physique has entered Wangkong City — it really is him,” someone said quietly.

“Feng Lin, that’s practically your brother-in-law. Aren’t you going to go say hello?” someone teased with a laugh.

“Keep talking like that and I’ll really lose my temper with you. I’ve said it before — he and my cousin have no relationship whatsoever; there was never any betrothal,” Feng Lin said in a low, firm voice.

“I’m not saying anything against your cousin — she’s simply too proud. That’s the Sacred Physique who broke the ancient curse we’re talking about. To not even spare him a glance… Well, in a way it’s fortunate — that leaves an opening for my older brother,” a young man said lightly.

Feng Lin said, “Don’t say such things. It’s fortunate my cousin made no choice — he doesn’t have many days left. He’ll die soon. What use is breaking the curse if your lifespan runs out?”

They had all kept their voices extremely low, barely above a whisper — but how could a group as powerful as Ye Fan’s have possibly failed to hear?

“Coming to the Northern Domain, we’ll almost certainly get entangled with the Wind Clan to some degree,” Pang Bo said with a smile.

“There’s no entanglement. When the time comes, I’ll visit in person to repay the three million jin of source stones — that will settle it,” Ye Fan said with a slight shake of his head.

“Whether you want to be entangled or not, you don’t have that choice — you’ve barely arrived and already you’re hearing such talk. By the way, the half-year deadline is almost here. When they see you still walking around very much alive, I wonder what expression they’ll make. I imagine it will be quite spectacular — heh heh,” Li Heishui said with a laugh.

Suddenly, someone cried out in alarm. People from many of the teahouses and restaurants came pouring out, all gazing up at the high sky.

“A precious treasure!”

“A precious treasure flying in from beyond the domain!”

“That’s right — it plunged down from the starry sky!”

Many people shouted in shock. They were all cultivators, and their eyesight was naturally extraordinary — they had seen with their own eyes a luminous object falling from beyond the heavens.

Wangkong Ancient City erupted. Every single person shot upward into the sky, rushing toward the horizon, each hoping to seize whatever treasure had fallen from beyond the domain.

In the distant past, such legends were not without precedent — from the vast and boundless starry sky, powerful divine objects would occasionally fall.

On the annual Void-Gazing Night, an event like this had actually occurred. There was not a single person who could remain calm. Almost everyone surged into the high sky and reached out simultaneously, fighting to claim the luminous object.

The Great Black Dog’s eyes practically bulged from their sockets. It muttered, “Damn it — could this truly have something to do with the beyond-the-domain? It seems I didn’t mishear back then!”

It was a massive luminous object, moving at tremendous speed — it dove down like a streak of silver light. It was shaped like a colossal disc, shimmering with a cold and piercing metallic sheen.

It appeared to be cast from greenish-gold metal, enveloped within a layer of pure white energy radiance, giving it an aura of deep mystery.

“Boom!”

A cultivator who had just rushed over was blasted into ash by rays of brilliant light that shot outward. The force was devastatingly terrifying — capable of annihilating space itself — and left all who witnessed it in cold dread.

“It truly is a precious treasure — the light it emits is already this frightening. We must seize it!”

The many cultivators grew even more frenzied. All of them surged upward. Those with weaker cultivation dared not approach; those with great strength extended enormous hands or unleashed their treasured artifacts, reaching out to claim the divine object.

“Boom!”

Yet the disc was incomparably terrifying. The beams it shot forth annihilated the void, causing many powerful cultivators to have their bones shattered and flesh scattered — they could not withstand such bombardment.

“Hmmm!”

A silver radiance flashed, and it descended upon the Gazing Void Platform, flickering with an eerie, bewitching light.

The others did not understand, and continued to surge forward, fighting desperately to seize it.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo looked at each other in astonishment, mouths agape — they had realized this divine object from beyond the domain was a flying saucer!

“To think we’d actually see something like this — let’s grab it! Maybe we can use it to go home!”

“The boundless universe, the infinite starry sky — it conceals so many secrets. In a world where cultivators can fly through the heavens and burrow through the earth, we’ve encountered yet another civilization!”

Ye Fan and Pang Bo’s hearts surged with excitement beyond all measure. They both stood up, filled with overwhelming curiosity about whoever commanded this craft from beyond the domain, and resolved that they absolutely must make contact.