“Think carefully about what you are doing,” the Monkey said, his tone earnest. “Setting everything else aside, the Primordial Forbidden Land alone is nearly impassable. And even if you somehow make it onto the Ancient Stellar Road and arrive safely on the other shore—what if you find nothing there?”

This was not impossible. Even if Ye Fan endured every hardship and set foot on the road home, there was no guarantee he would find his parents there. So many years had passed. Things might have changed beyond recognition.

“Maybe it truly will be nothing,” Ye Fan murmured. “Maybe I will return to the homeland and find nothing left. But if I never go back, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”

When he counted honestly, he had already been away from Earth for more than twenty years. His parents had already begun to show their age when he left. Over the span of all these years, anything might have happened.

There was no more time. Ye Fan truly could not afford to linger. Another few years’ delay and there would be almost nothing left to hope for or return to. Through all these years, a restless anxiety had never left him.

“Whatever lies ahead—even the worst—I must go back. Otherwise, I will never have peace in this life.”

No matter what awaited him on the road, Ye Fan had to find his way home. It was the human heart, human nature. He could not bear to cut himself off from everything here—yet neither could he abandon his parents.

“You… take care,” Ji Ziyue said, a film of water over her bright eyes. She pointed up at the sky, telling him that when he missed those he loved, every night he could look upward—for the shortest and the longest distance alike was the distance between hearts.

“Now you are truly leaving,” Qi Luo sighed. “If fate has run its course for us, I hope that one day you will find a way to return.” He clapped Ye Fan on the shoulder.

Everyone knew this was nearly impossible. Barring some miracle, this might be the last time any of them would see Ye Fan. Even they did not know the coordinates of the Northern Dipper stellar domain—how could he ever find his way back?

“To be honest, I would very much like to go with you,” Duan De said, stepping forward to say his farewell. “To conduct great archaeological research on the other end of the stellar void—but that place makes cultivation impossible. I do not dare.”

“Take this,” the Great Black Dog said, opening its mouth and spitting out a small purple jade gourd—no larger than a thumb. When opened, a cascade of rosy clouds poured out, fragrant and rich, filling every pore with a sensation of soaring toward immortality.

Undying divine medicine!

The entire crowd was dumbstruck. No one had imagined that the most shameless and greedy of great dogs actually carried something like this on his person—and at this critical moment, he was actually willing to part with it.

“Where did you get this?” the group demanded, barely believing what they saw.

Divine phoenixes seemed to soar, crimson clouds rained down, immortal light glimmered, and a pure fragrance struck the nose. Within the small purple jade gourd, it was as though a phoenix bird were contained—surrounded by extraordinary visions and dazzling phenomena.

“It is the Undying Divine Phoenix Medicine of the Beginningless Emperor!” the Great Black Dog declared.

Of course, this was not a whole plant. Inside were only four drops of divine phoenix medicine essence—yet each single drop was enough to bring back the dead and restore flesh and bone.

Some years ago, the dog had nearly died and had been saved by little Xiao Nannan’s tears. Afterward, determined to protect itself, it had entered the Purple Mountain and collected a few drops of divine liquid from that immortal medicine—and had carried them on its person ever since.

“That maddening bird had grown a spirit of its own—and it was an old acquaintance of mine, at that. I begged shamelessly to get four drops and it wouldn’t give me a single one more.”

No one had expected the Great Black Dog to be so generous at this final moment. In years past, it had never hesitated to steal from its own friends—wherever it went, it would claim any treasure in sight, leaving nothing behind, not even a lopsided gourd.

“You gave away your holy fruits and the drops of true dragon immortality liquid to all of us,” the dog said, baring its teeth. “This time you’d be going without anything to keep yourself alive. Take it before the Emperor changes his mind.”

Ye Fan accepted without hesitation. He truly needed something to protect his life on this crossing. The Monkey and the others tried to return the holy fruits and true dragon liquid, but he refused—four drops of immortal phoenix essence was more than enough, sufficient for several trips in and out.

The fragrance of the medicine drew every covetous gaze in the vicinity, but not one person dared make a move while the purple jade gourd sat in Ye Fan’s hand. None of them wanted to provoke this particular god of slaughter.

“Safe travels!” With no way left to keep Ye Fan here, they could only see him off and offer their most heartfelt blessings.

“You take care as well,” Ye Fan said, looking at each of them in turn, wanting to burn every face into his memory forever.

Then he turned resolutely away. Divine light flowed from his hands, and the incomplete corner of the Five-Colored Altar was collected and stored in his spatial artifact—to carry with him and make the true altar whole again.

Many from the Ancient Clan and other major human powers were unwilling, yet none dared block his path. The Heaven-Devouring Demon Jar hung in the air, and no one wished to start a great conflict over a mere corner of an altar—it alone was not enough to be of much use.

Ye Fan strode forward, entered the ancient transportation array, and passed through the golden door, leaving this world behind.

“Little Ye Fan!” Ji Ziyue wept openly. Tears fell in pairs, rolling down her porcelain cheeks to soak her collar.

A bitter pang filled Ye Fan’s chest. His lips moved silently as he waved, looking back at them all. He too was reluctant—but there was no other way.

“Don’t forget—there is a group of old friends on this side waiting for you to come home.”

Even as they said the words, they all knew this might be the last time they would ever see Ye Fan. The desolate universe was too vast. In this lifetime, a reunion was almost beyond imagining.

“Farewell!” Ye Fan turned resolutely and stepped through the golden door.

Looking back one last time, the purple-robed young woman was still there. She waved with everything she had, calling out something in a loud voice, smiling her hardest—yet her pale face was streaked with crystalline tears.

Ye Fan tore off a jade pendant and sent it back through the air as a streak of light, landing in Ji Ziyue’s hand.

On the other side of the stellar void, it was a flawless piece of mutton-fat jade—luminous and beautiful, nearly without flaw. He had worn it close to his body for many years.

About to set out on a distant journey, he did not want to say too much or leave behind more sorrow. There was only this object to leave as a keepsake. Ye Fan stepped forward and set foot upon his path.

The Monkey, Duan De, the Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, and the others all watched him go, sending him off on his journey.

“Ye Fan…” Ji Ziyue sobbed.

Dongfang Ye and the others felt the sting behind their own eyes. They had fought side by side together; they had walked into death and back out again together; they had roamed the world without restraint together—and now they had no choice but to part, each going their separate way, unlikely ever to meet again in this life.

“Farewell, my friends!” These were Ye Fan’s last words, spoken before he vanished from the ancient transportation array.

The assembled powers of the world watched in silence, all of them deeply shaken. They could see it plainly: Ye Fan was truly leaving—departing this world.

“The Human Race’s Holy Body is departing!”

“He returned after twelve years away, and now it seems he is leaving for good—never to come back. This realm will lose one of those who contended for the emperor’s path!”

This was clearly a momentous event, and it sent a wave of astonishment rippling through the crowd. The ancestral temple erupted in clamor as people talked all at once.

Without question, the world would lack one supreme powerhouse in the years to come—this much everyone could foresee. The Human Race’s Holy Body would vanish from this world, and without his participation, things would be different.

“One fewer Great Perfection Holy Body competing for the emperor’s path does feel like something missing.”

“With several ancient sovereign-princes emerging as well, that is already more than enough. If the Holy Body had reached full completion, who knows how many heroes would have fallen—and perhaps how much carnage and rivers of blood might have been avoided.”

Many of the older figures among the human race sighed in regret. Ye Fan’s departure was, in some sense, a profound loss for humanity.

Among the Ancient Clan, more than a few quietly celebrated. With the Human Race’s Holy Body gone, the future looked considerably brighter. The one who had slain a descendant of the Primal Emperor’s eighth generation—a figure so dominant that he left their young generation gasping for air—would no longer be present.

“This jade pendant…” Duan De stared at the mutton-fat jade in Ji Ziyue’s hand—naturally formed without a blade mark, threaded with red silk above, flawless and beautiful. He murmured quietly to himself: “It resembles the jade pendant left on the Beginningless Dao Platform very much. Could this be a cycle of fate?”

He kept his voice low, casting a glance at Ji Ziyue, and thought of that female Saint. A chill ran through him. He had spent his life robbing graves and had never believed in cycles of fate or destiny—otherwise he would never have dug up tombs. And yet, this jade pendant truly did resemble the one left beside the skull of the female Saint on the Beginningless Dao Platform.

“The Human Race’s Holy Body has not aged—he is repairing the Five-Colored Altar!” A cry went up from among many of the Ancient Clan, drawing every gaze with it.

Through the golden door, the great altar above the abyss could be seen. Ye Fan was making it whole again. The missing corner descended into place—fitting perfectly, seamlessly, merging with the main body as one.

Then a five-colored stone pillar was fitted into the center of the Five-Colored Altar, making it fully complete at last, no longer broken or lacking—a perfect, seamless whole.

Ye Fan swallowed one drop of immortal phoenix essence blood, then drank deeply from the jade vessel filled with divine spring water. His countenance did not age, his body remained imperishable, his blood and vitality were surging—he was full of life and vigor, leaving the onlookers stupefied.

At this moment, many Ancient Clan lineages born with wings dispatched large numbers of powerful cultivators, who dropped onto the altar and attempted to fly across to the sacred mountain cliffs to harvest the nine wondrous divine medicines.

Then, unexpectedly, something changed. A Dao-severing king of the Fallen Feather Clan seized one of the crucial foundation stones, let out a cold laugh, spread his wings, and flew toward the cliff on the opposite side.

“Human Race’s Holy Body—you are going nowhere. Waste away on the Five-Colored Altar!” he said with a vicious smile.

The cruelty of this scheme was not lost on anyone. If the Five-Colored Altar could not be activated, it became an absolute death trap. With too great a distance to the cliff walls, and without cultivation or power to fly, Ye Fan would be trapped there—a slow death with no escape.

“Ingenious,” some among the Ancient Clan breathed. “Who knew killing the Human Race’s Holy Body could be this simple—just take one stone, and he has nowhere to go.”

Ji Ziyue, the Monkey, and the others watched with eyes wide with fury. This was vile beyond measure. Take one stone, and the entire altar became an island of death—forcing Ye Fan into a position where he could neither advance nor retreat. He would be slowly killed just standing there.

“Too wicked!” the Great Black Dog raged—but it was helpless. Rushing through would be useless.

“Ye Fan!” Ji Ziyue’s slender brows were drawn together fiercely, her bright eyes fixed on those Ancient Clan figures.

“Damn them,” Qi Luo said. His killing intent was unmistakable—yet he too was powerless to help.

Some among the Ancient Clan laughed aloud. This outcome exceeded their expectations. The Human Race’s Holy Body might be about to depart—but that was never fully safe. Perhaps only a dead man posed no threat at all.

“Your killer—Lu Donglai!” The Dao-severing king of the Fallen Feather Clan who had moved first was smiling coldly, full of contempt.

His younger brother, Lu Dongfa, had died at Ye Fan’s hands. Now the time had come for revenge—striking without warning, devising this scheme to bring about Ye Fan’s absolute death.

At that same moment, more of the winged Ancient Clan lineages moved. Belonging to different tribes, they all wanted to destroy the Five-Colored Altar—to give the Human Race’s Holy Body not a single chance.

Dozens and then hundreds of figures descended on the altar—heedless of their own rapidly dwindling time—intent on tipping it over. Some grinned wickedly, some sneered coldly, others were flushed with savage delight. Some of them were utterly without mercy.

“What kind of person do you take me for?” Ye Fan said, his voice cold. His black hair whipped around him, and his eyes were like bolts of cold lightning. “Even in this forbidden life zone, you are not the ones who get to humiliate me. Half-Saints who come to bully me will still die!”

He let out a single great roar. All nine sacred mountains rang with it. More than ten people were shaken off the altar and sent tumbling into the Primordial Forbidden Abyss, and every Ancient Clan being present went pale with shock. In this place, Ye Fan had no cultivation and no divine power—yet his innate divine strength of the physical body was still there. He shook his wrist and sent dozens, then hundreds of source stones flying like comets across the sky.

Splat. Splat.

Screams rang out almost simultaneously. Everyone who had lunged at the Five-Colored Altar was struck. The force of a Holy Body’s physique was immense—they were pierced clean through by source stones, blood streaming, and fell into the abyss. Each one a kill with a single hit.

In that same instant, Ye Fan leaped high—and in a single bound, crossed the abyss and landed on the sacred mountain.

Everyone was struck dumb. What kind of physical body was this? Without any cultivation or divine power, he had cleared that gap with pure physical strength alone. It was simply beyond the limits of human comprehension. Was this the absolute ceiling of what the body could do? Every last person there was awestruck.

Thud!

Using only the power of his physical body, Ye Fan crossed the abyss in a single leap, arrived on the other side, and drove his foot down from the air to land on top of Lu Donglai, using the man as a landing pad as he descended onto the sacred mountain.

Splat!

The force of that single stomp was staggering. It shattered bones and snapped sinews on the spot, caved in the chest, tore off all four limbs—blood splashed across the ground.

“There is no need to tell me your name,” Ye Fan said, standing on top of him, his voice cold, looking down. “Because I do not need to know it.”

“Are you… even human?” Lu Donglai had already severed the Dao and was considered the most breathtaking talent of the Fallen Feather Clan—the hope of his people for a future contest with the sovereign clans. Yet he was dying here like this.

His words were full of shock and unwillingness. A human without wings, unable to use any cultivation at all, had somehow sprung upward and crossed the abyss as though flying—exceeding the limits of the human body almost beyond belief.

“Genuine and without question—I am of the Human Race!”

“You…” With bitterness and shock, Lu Donglai died before his time.

On the Central State side, the crowd was shaken to their bones. The Human Race’s Holy Body was far too powerful. A physique like that was truly without equal—able to clear even the Primordial Forbidden Abyss in a single leap. This was undeniably a match for any of the ancient sovereign-princes.

“Thank heavens he is leaving,” an elder of the Ancient Clan murmured. “Otherwise, one day perhaps a sovereign-prince would fall.”

Ye Fan did not rush to set out immediately. He went straight to the divine spring, drank his fill with relish, then produced several jade vessels and swiftly collected the water. Even though spatial artifacts functioned barely at all in this place, he managed to store several dozen to a hundred jin’s worth.

Then he snapped off several branches and leaves of the nine wondrous divine medicines and took a piece of root stock. He tucked the foundation stone under his arm, leaped high once more, and sailed back like a great golden-winged roc—landing on the altar.

On the Central State side, many eyes turned crimson with envy. That was divine spring water and branches of immortal undying medicine—priceless beyond measure. At the same time, their unease deepened: he could leap back across carrying the foundation stone as well. Ye Fan’s physical constitution was simply beyond all reason.

As Ye Fan landed on the Five-Colored Altar, his pupils suddenly contracted—for through the golden door, several people had stepped through and were descending from above.

There was more than one figure, but his eyes fixed on just one of them. The others might as well not have existed. It was a white-robed young woman, standing before him, killing intent flowing freely—and it was Li Xiaoman.