The Ancient Forbidden Land had lain silent for tens upon hundreds of millions of years — deathly quiet in ordinary times, without a single sound or stirring breath.

Yet today, a vast tremor pierced through it, as though a divine being were awakening, making ten thousand trees shudder and mountain ranges tremble.

Outside the Ancient Forbidden Land, at its very edge, Ye Fan and the others could clearly sense it. Those who had arrived later could not help but feel dread, their bodies pressed down and sent plummeting from high in the sky.

Deep within the forbidden land, beneath the endless abyss, something truly was about to emerge. Part of it had already shown itself before sinking back down — many had caught a fleeting glimpse.

Among those present were living fossil-level figures who had cultivated the Heavenly Eye and used supreme divine power to burn the scene they had witnessed into the void itself, making it visible to all.

Nine enormous Dragon Corpses, their bodies shimmering with dark light, their scales densely packed and coldly gleaming like nine iron-forged walls, were pulling an enormous ancient bronze coffin — hanging silently above the ancient abyss.

“Heavens, are those nine true dragons? How can such things exist?!” Those who had arrived late were left utterly slack-jawed, nearly unable to speak.

“This… this is unbelievable. Am I not dreaming?!”

“Dragons — those are the legendary dragons! They don’t look like flood dragons. How can such creatures exist in this world?!”

People could scarcely believe their own eyes. The area outside the Ancient Forbidden Land erupted in an uproar. Every person who had come here gaped in astonishment — all they could do, beyond the shock, was draw sharp, cold breaths.

Everyone was stunned senseless. It was nearly impossible to believe. From ancient times onward, immortals had only been heard of, never seen — yet here, nine immortal spirits now appeared before their eyes.

This was paradigm-shattering, beyond all reason, utterly inconceivable. Beyond the overwhelming awe, no other thoughts could form — all were shaken to the core, some near to trembling.

“I don’t believe it. How could anyone possibly see nine dragons at once?!” As people gradually calmed, they began questioning whether what they had seen was real.

“Actually, they may not be true dragons. Perhaps they are nine flood dragons that have cultivated to an extraordinarily profound realm — which is why they resemble true dragons.” A living fossil offered the most reasonable conjecture.

“That’s plausible — they may be flood dragons of extraordinary power.” After careful consideration, the crowd breathed easier.

The Red Dragon Elder Daoist stood not far away, his eyes blazing, twin streams of crimson light shooting from them as he stared ceaselessly into the depths of the forbidden land. He seemed profoundly stirred.

He was of the flood dragon clan, and upon beholding the peerless masters of his own kind, he was shaken from the depths of his heart. Had this not been a life-restricting zone, he would have charged in long ago.

Some, upon seeing the Red Dragon Daoist present, immediately sought his counsel — among them several Holy Lords, who burned with urgency to know the truth, lest they remain unsettled for the rest of their lives.

“This poor Daoist cannot say for certain. However, one thing is clear: even if they are flood dragons, at minimum they are comparable to the saints of remote antiquity. Nothing less could produce such a spectacle.”

The moment the Red Dragon Daoist finished speaking, the area outside the Ancient Forbidden Land dissolved into clamor. It was far too shocking — even those who had mentally prepared themselves still felt the impact as though struck by a wave.

Flood dragons who had reached the level of saints — nine of them at once — this was as fantastical as a fairy tale. People felt like slapping themselves just to check whether they were dreaming.

In the current age, only two saints existed: the Victorious Fighting Buddha upon Mount Sumeru, and the Mad Old Man of the Eastern Desolation. And now, nine more had appeared at once?

“They passed away countless ages ago. Their life force has long been extinguished — they must be corpses from before remote antiquity.” A living fossil remarked.

The crowd relaxed somewhat. Nine living saints would be enough to frighten anyone to death. Only in the most ancient of eras could nine saints of the same generation have possibly been born.

Yet, upon reflection, there remained something chilling: in the most glorious eras of antiquity, it was true that more than nine saints had coexisted in a single age. But they could not all have been of one clan — some were archaic saints of the demon clans, others were peerless holy figures of the human race.

Yet these nine flood dragons before them now came from the same clan. This was far beyond extraordinary — it was nearly impossible.

“Our world has never known such an age of abundance. If all tribes — the Celestial Peng, the Flood Dragon clan, the Divine Ape clan, the Ancient Phoenix clan, the human race — are counted together, then in the most ancient of times it was surely possible for more than nine saints to emerge in a single era. But they could never all have been born from a single clan!” The Holy Lord of the Wind Tribe said with certainty. He was well-versed in the matters of remote antiquity, for the ancient archives of his holy land contained detailed records.

“Then these flood dragons are not from our world?”

“Look at that bronze coffin…”

Only then did people turn their attention back to the bronze coffin. The sudden sight of nine dragons had so stunned them that they had forgotten it entirely.

“That small bronze coffin flew inside the great sarcophagus — which means these nine dragons were brought specifically for this coffin?!”

It felt as though a mountain were collapsing inside everyone’s hearts. This was too terrifying. Nothing like it had ever been heard of — the sheer scale of such a procession was beyond all imagination.

“The small coffin originated from within the great sarcophagus — no wonder it could stand against the Void Ancient Mirror!”

“Indeed. If there is a body within the sarcophagus, it must belong to a great emperor of remote antiquity — only such a figure would merit nine dragons to pull the coffin!”

Before the sight of Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, people were struck speechless with awe, unable to dispel the fog of bewilderment in their hearts.

Throughout all of this, members of the holy lands such as the Ji Family, Yao Guang, and the Jiang Clan were noticeably quiet — for they had already known something of this, though they could not fully comprehend it.

Long ago, not long after the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin had fallen into the Southern Wastelands, they had come to know part of what had occurred. As ancient holy lands, their foundations and hidden depths were immeasurable.

“Everything you have said is speculation. No one can truly know what lies within. Even the rank of those nine dragons cannot be determined.” A living fossil remarked.

Nine enormous Dragon Corpses, cast as though from dark gold, powerful and imposing, lay stretched across the void. Behind them, the ancient bronze sarcophagus, mottled with rust, stood utterly still.

Once, they had lain in a cold and dark universe, had plummeted into the site of Mount Tai’s Feng Shan rites — and now they moved again!

Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged a glance. Neither could quiet the storm within their hearts. They felt a kind of anticipation — and a trace of fear.

Below the vast abyss, flashes of light rose from time to time, divided into five colors, illuminating the nine Dragon Corpses and the great sarcophagus in a transparent brilliance — deeply mysterious and magnificent.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a far greater tremor pierced outward, sending many hearts plummeting with dread. Those of lesser cultivation were knocked off cliffs; quite a few more tumbled from high in the sky.

“What is that?!” someone cried out.

A dazzling cascade of brilliant light rose from the ancient abyss below — radiant and breathtaking, clouds of rosy mist spreading wide. It was as though an immortal realm was about to materialize, pulling every mind into reverie.

“There have long been legends that beneath the Ancient Forbidden Land lies a supreme treasure — the secret to ascending to immortality. Long ago, the Tianxuan Holy Land borrowed the star-force of the heavens and committed the full strength of their entire sect in an assault, and every last one perished in the conflagration.”

“It is said that something exists here which could stir the hearts of even great emperors of remote antiquity — it must be on the verge of emerging into the world.”

Amidst the crowd’s cries of astonishment, five colors blazed toward the sky, and an ancient altar slowly rose — its presence even more imposing than an entire celestial palace.

Ye Fan was greatly startled, his heart pounding fiercely. The crumbling ancient platform deep within the Ancient Abyss was floating upward — and this was of immense significance, for it was the key to traversing the star domains!

Now it was no longer dim and lightless. Instead, it blazed with magnificent radiance — ten thousand streams of auspicious light, five colors blotting out the sky, flooding the space above the abyss with a breathtaking splendor.

It was the divine power trickling down from within the bronze coffin!

People observed that a wash of primordial light was cascading down, falling upon the five-colored altar — it was this that made the altar blaze ever more brilliantly as it slowly ascended.

The emergence of an ancient altar that had been sealed away for untold ages caused many to nearly turn to stone. All felt that what lay before them was utterly inconceivable. That such a thing could exist beneath the Ancient Abyss — aside from a handful of ancient lineages, everyone was learning of it for the first time.

“It’s the one — just like what we saw at Mount Tai!” Pang Bo’s voice surged with excitement.

The ancient altar, though slow, was rising without cease. Above it, Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin hung suspended, and the two gradually drew closer together.

“What is happening?”

“How is this possible? What will happen to the nine dragons and the ancient coffin?”

The people did not understand the function of the five-colored altar. All watched in tense astonishment.

The ancient altar at last rose to a certain height and stilled. Then, Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin descended from above and settled upon it — eerie and mysterious.

Five-colored divine light blazed toward the heavens. It was an incomparably grand spectacle. Every single person felt their heart tremble. To use nine dragons as one’s mount even in death — what kind of extraordinary bearing was this?

“Damn, that’s a five-colored altar — the techniques of a great emperor at minimum, very much like what we saw before the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest!” the Great Black Dog muttered.

BOOM!

On the five-colored altar, boundless runes blazed into being — like heavenly scars, ceaselessly flickering, burning a splendid image into being.

In the end, all patterns interwove into one, forming a blurred and incomplete Eight Trigram diagram — hazy, yet on the verge of piercing through the void.

“What — it’s truly setting sail!” Ye Fan’s heart lurched, and immediately he was overwhelmed with urgency. He wanted to leave this world, but all of this had come far too suddenly.

“Black Sovereign, tell me everything you know about formation patterns!” he said rapidly.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. At minimum it would take several centuries of study before you could scratch the surface.” The Black Sovereign rolled his eyes.

“Can you tell me how to set the spatial coordinates?” Ye Fan asked urgently.

“You can’t be serious — you’re not actually thinking of boarding this Nine Dragons Bronze Coffin carriage and leaving with it? What a joke. Do you even know where it’s going?” The Black Sovereign’s eyes went wide.

“Exactly. Do you have any way?” Ye Fan asked hurriedly.

“As for how this five-colored altar was constructed, and how the supreme divine patterns were carved into it, I have no idea. But if it’s a matter of setting spatial coordinates, there may be a way — it would all be in those symbols. That, I do have some confidence in.” The Black Sovereign replied, pointing to the eight trigram symbols.

“Quickly — tell me how to set the coordinates, and how to reverse the direction!” Ye Fan said rapidly.

“You’re truly going to—” The Black Sovereign nearly bit his own tongue. He had not imagined Ye Fan was in earnest — that he truly intended to act.

“Don’t say another word. Quickly tell me. This is of the utmost importance — I have no time to explain!” Ye Fan was truly desperate. This chance might only come once.

The Great Black Dog cursed, one hundred and twenty times reluctant and unwilling — but seeing how urgent Ye Fan was, how utterly serious, it had no choice. It pressed a spiritual imprint deep into his mind, imparting the details he wished to know.

THUD!

Deep within the Ancient Forbidden Land, Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin blazed simultaneously. The runes of the five-colored altar had assembled into a hazy Eight Trigram — indistinct, yet on the verge of piercing the void.

“Ye Fan…” Pang Bo’s voice trembled with unease.

“Let’s go — we have to take the chance.” Ye Fan called out boldly.

“Little Ye, where are you going?” Ji Ziyue looked on with anxious eyes, unable to stop herself from stepping forward. Her large eyes gazed at him quietly.

“I…” Ye Fan could not find the words.

“Ye Fan, I’ve found that I’ve grown used to this life. To leave so suddenly — I’m reluctant to go.” Pang Bo hesitated.

“There’s no time. Make your decision quickly — if you wait any longer, it’ll be too late!” Ye Fan said anxiously.

“I… I’m not going!” Pang Bo suddenly made up his mind. “But I will return one day — I’m certain of it. Since this world already possesses such a path, I believe that once I cultivate to the very end, I will be able to traverse the star domains. When that time comes, I will go home.”

“You…” Ye Fan had not expected him to make this choice, but he did not press him.

“Ye Fan, go back and train hard. I will strive forward on my end as well. Let us work together — and one day seek to connect the two worlds. I believe that if one’s cultivation is powerful enough, crossing the star domains is achievable.” Pang Bo paused, then said: “When that day comes, Ziyue and Xiao Nannan will be able to visit you.”

“All right!” Ye Fan accepted his decision.

Besides, he had no guarantee of success himself. He did not want Pang Bo to risk his life crossing the void alongside him. For none could know what lay ahead — even this attempt might not return him home. He simply wanted to try.

Ye Fan turned around and looked at the many familiar faces. His heart, too, was filled with reluctance. After all, he had lived in this world for ten years. To leave so suddenly brought an immense sense of loss.

Ji Ziyue’s large eyes grew misty, filled with a film of moisture. As perceptive as she was, she had already understood everything — she knew Ye Fan was departing on a journey, and the distance between them would be measured in entire star domains.

“Little Ye…” she called softly. Tears rolled from her eyes, each one crystalline as a diamond — heartbreaking to behold.

“Time has moved too swiftly. I never imagined this day would come so suddenly — there is so much left unsaid. And yet, I want to return to my homeland. I have already been away for ten years.” Ye Fan looked at her, reaching out a hand to gently wipe away the tears on her face.

“Your homeland lies on the other side of the star-sea, so very far away. I… will never see you again.” Ji Ziyue held tears in her eyes and said softly, gazing at Ye Fan without blinking.

Ye Fan wanted to say something, but in the end, the words would not come. What use were promises he could not keep? Vows left unfulfilled only leave behind regret.

“I am on this end of the star-sea, and you will be on the other — so very, very far away…” Ji Ziyue said softly, mist filling her eyes. “A radiant eternity, an endless distance — not even a saint could undertake such a journey. We will never see each other again.”

As for the future, Ye Fan did not know. As for what lay ahead, he could not see clearly. Would he be able to return after hundreds, thousands of years? It was far too uncertain.

Ji Ziyue’s gaze dimmed. She asked quietly: “After many years have passed, will you still remember this end of the star-sea? Will you still remember my name?”

“I will remember. On this end of the star-sea, there is a beautiful girl named Ziyue. No matter how many years pass, I will not forget.” Ye Fan swept aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her eyes and wiped away the crystalline teardrops.

“I will remember you too.” Ji Ziyue smiled through her tears. “In the night, I will look up at the stars, toward the other side, and send you my blessings. I will know you are there.”

Ye Fan fell into silence — but there was no more time.

Ji Ziyue’s smile was radiant, yet her tears fell without ceasing. She said softly: “If you ever think of me, you can also look up at the stars above your head. We will be on opposite ends of the star-sea… gazing across the distance.”