“Immortal!”

A single word spoken — and the heavens collapsed, the Great Dao fell dormant, the stars trembled, and the cosmos thundered.

A mysterious force surged skyward, sweeping across the battlefield beyond the domain, startling two ancient sages who had been hovering outside the heavens into turning and fleeing in panic.

In the distance, a small metal vessel barely three meters long immediately tore open the void and vanished into the dark cosmos, hiding from this divine sound as though struck by an immense force.

“Is there still a human race Great Emperor alive on this ancient star?”

It was a display of suppressive power — one that made every ancient sage who had come from other star domains shudder. This was truly world-shattering, shaking the entirety of the starry sky.

“In this present age, there should be no Great Emperors left. The last one passed into death ten thousand years ago — how can there still be a presence of that magnitude?”

The sages beyond the domain whispered among themselves. Three or four of them had appeared in this star domain, though none had descended to the ground. For days, they had been observing from outside.

“They say there are no more Great Emperors left in this world, in this cosmos — so why has someone like this suddenly appeared? If someone had proven the Dao in this age, one should have been able to see from far away that this ancient star was extraordinary.”

It was clear that none of these individuals were weak — for how else could they travel between stars? These were supreme sages capable of roaming the heavens themselves.

“The entire starry sky has been without an emperor for many years, and that will continue to be the case. This prediction was made by one of the greatest sages of all — it carries great credibility. Why, then, is this ancient star behaving like this?”

“Now, with the struggle for entry rights into the Immortal Domain, great existences among the assembled sages are converging. Why would a Great Emperor’s aura appear here?”

“If the path to immortality comes to nothing, then for a very long time, the ancient sages scattered across the cosmos will vie for the opportunity to be the first to prove the Emperor Dao — and a spectacular, earth-shaking clash is inevitable.”

……

A single word spoken from within the ancient forbidden land had shaken the star domains beyond, leaving every sage present hesitant and unwilling to descend.

Ye Fan’s face was filled with astonishment. The Desolate had appeared — but why had she spoken only that single word? And now, after all this time, it had finally been confirmed: she was a woman. Her voice was like a heavenly melody that stirred the soul, yet it carried a dignity that brooked no transgression.

Through the hazy mist, anyone who had cultivated the Celestial Eye could make out a slender figure suspended above the abyss, her gaze cold and indifferent, yet tinged with a serenity that set her apart from the mortal world.

A great many human cultivators had arrived, and one by one they knelt, calling out “Great Emperor” as they begged her to emerge from the forbidden land and protect the human race.

As for the ancient tribes — not a single one appeared. They had all fled at the first moment, and even their ancient sages dared not show themselves, for the battle at the Bronze Immortal Palace had left far too deep a mark. In that battle, the Desolate had annihilated an entire group of ancient sages. Even with three great sages standing guard, even wielding supreme-grade ancient imperial weapons, it had been useless — they had fled in disarray.

In the eyes of the many ancient tribes, the Desolate seemed to harbor deliberate hostility toward them, not a shred of goodwill. Coming forward on their own would simply be seeking death, and so not a single ancient sage dared to appear.

“A supreme Great Emperor…” Hua Hua’s small face went snow-white. He communicated through spiritual power, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. After all, he was still so young — confronted with an existence like this, how could he not be terrified?

It was a pity that no matter what anyone said, the Desolate did not speak again. She only watched Ye Fan silently, her gaze seemingly piercing straight through him, as though she were contemplating something beyond his understanding.

Ye Fan’s body went cold. Cold sweat seeped from every pore. The Desolate had locked eyes on him.

The Desolate’s gaze swept through him — from the Green Copper Cauldron within his body, to the myriad strands of primal essence, to the Immortal Treasure Map — scanning each in turn. That gaze had weight and substance, like two sword blades cutting through him, making his very bones ache.

Ye Fan had intended to use a grand banner to frighten the ancient tribes, never expecting that he would actually draw the Desolate out — only to have her fix her attention entirely on him. He felt a creeping sense of dread, very much like someone who had set fire to himself.

“The path to immortality…” Only after a long while did the Desolate finally look away, letting two more words fall — melodious and beautiful, like celestial music drifting down from the ninth heaven. Every person present pricked up their ears, eager for what would come next.

The Desolate had spoken of the immortal path — and that alone was staggering. A supreme existence of Great Emperor rank who ruled over a forbidden land: her every word was capable of sending tremors through entire star domains.

Yet many waited and never heard the rest. Before she said another word, the clouds and mist condensed into dark ribbons of vapor that coiled and drifted over the nine sacred mountains, framing that slender figure and making her appear all the more impossibly tall and unreachable.

She descended slowly, slipping into eternal darkness, sinking below the abyss — and manifested no more.

Hua Hua’s small bald head gleamed in the light. Seeing the Desolate sink away, he immediately reverted to his usual character — looking soft and cherubic on the outside, but in truth a little mischief-maker through and through, already spinning nonsense.

“Supreme Great Emperor, farewell — I hold you in boundless reverence…”

Suddenly, his small face crumpled, going pale as a sheet. His two big eyes went perfectly round, and he spun to Ye Fan with a startled cry: “Master, she spoke to me! Did you hear it?”

“No. What did your spiritual sense receive?” Ye Fan’s expression shifted in surprise. He glanced at the others around him — all equally unchanged, clearly having heard nothing.

“She let out a quiet, melancholy sigh, full of loss, and said only three words: ‘All of it — wrong.’ What does that mean?” Hua Hua murmured under his breath, his voice cut off within the bounds of Ye Fan’s Golden Sacred Domain so that no one else could hear.

“‘All of it — wrong…'” Ye Fan repeated to himself, and waves of shock crashed through his mind. What could it mean?

“Let’s go!” Ye Fan grabbed Hua Hua and boarded the gleaming vessel without hesitation, passing through the domain gate at the earliest opportunity and vanishing from that place.

That very day, upheaval spread in all directions. Forces stirred across the land. Ye Fan and his disciple had summoned the Desolate — an act that seemed to indirectly confirm that he truly did have a connection with her. The ancient tribes grew uneasy.

“He really can summon the Desolate — which means those two occasions when he passed through that place were not without reason. This…”

Many stood dumbfounded. All sides were stunned.

The ancient tribes in particular felt their confidence hollow out. Once again it had been indirectly suggested that the Desolate might be a human Great Emperor — alive into this very age. If she bore any displeasure toward them, it would be a catastrophe of unimaginable scale.

Ye Fan returned to Heavenly Village and relayed everything he had learned, leaving the assembled group in a daze. What had she meant when she said “all of it — wrong”?

“She really could be a terrifying figure. Just thinking that a Great Emperor is still alive — my heart won’t stop thumping. I am never setting foot in the Southern Domain again!” Duan De said, his confidence thoroughly shaken.

“You’ve done too many wicked things. You had the nerve to dig up her sacred grounds — and now here you are. Keep that Demon Jar of Swallowing Heaven safe, why don’t you. Who knows when she’ll come to collect what she’s owed.” The Black Emperor gloated without a shred of sympathy.

“Martial Uncle Duan, as your martial nephew, I’m happy to share your burden — why not give that jar to me? I won’t mind at all!” Hua Hua’s big eyes sparkled as he crowded in, shiny bald head and all, looking the picture of enthusiasm.

“Get lost and go play in the mud!” Duan De waved him off.

“Martial Uncle Duan, I wouldn’t take it for nothing — the old rules still apply. Let’s make a trade. Enlightenment Tea, or the divine-transformation blade that belonged to the sage-slaying old man — which one catches your eye?” Hua Hua was relentless.

The group turned to look at Duan De, every face wearing an unfriendly expression.

“Damn it all, don’t listen to his nonsense. This little creature has a devious mind twice his age — I have never once traded with him. Last time, while I was drinking, he made off with two perfectly good treasures of mine.” Duan De protested.

In Heavenly Village, the assembled group deliberated for a long time and collectively concluded that some great upheaval was likely coming. They all agreed that one had to be mentally prepared.

Duan De, his confidence thoroughly shaken, made a firm decision starting that very day: he would no longer enter the Southern Domain. He was genuinely afraid.

The ancient tribes went quiet. No further action came from them — they were genuinely unsettled. Some went to great lengths to send agents into the Primordial Ancient Mine, their hearts full of anxiety.

Days passed, one by one. For a very long stretch of time that followed, all was calm. No great battle erupted — only a few more ancient sages arrived from beyond the heavens, drawn by the prospect of the immortal path opening.

In the blink of an eye, the six-month mark drew near. Ye Fan had been in cultivation the entire time, but now the moment to bid farewell to the Northern Dipper region had arrived. To that end, he made a special visit to the Ji Family, to inquire about Ji Ziyue and Ji Haoyue.

The father of the “big and little moons” was a man of grand vision and imposing presence — a striking middle-aged man with black hair loose about his shoulders and eyes sharp as lightning. He received Ye Fan personally in the Ji Family’s ancestral hall.

It was a vast and magnificent ancient hall, said to have been built by the Void Great Emperor himself, connected to an expanse of boundless void where star domain radiance shimmered and flickered.

It was said that the Void Great Emperor had departed from this very place, ascending into the cosmos never to return — leaving behind no coffin, no tomb.

The father of the two moon sisters held Ye Fan in high regard. That he was brought to this place at all was itself a form of acknowledgment. During the visit, Ji Zi also came, and spoke briefly.

“This is the path the Great Emperor walked — somewhere in the cosmic starry sky, the tomb of the Void Great Emperor exists…”

At last, Ye Fan took his leave of the Ji Family and went directly to the Manor of Extraordinary Scholars. The six-month period had arrived — the time had come to leave this world.

“Damn it all, that purple-eyed girl has run off, and that black-haired scoundrel has bolted too — this emperor is furious beyond words!” The Black Emperor brought this news when it came to see Ye Fan off.

Ye Fan had entrusted the Black Emperor with the spacecraft, originally hoping it would study the vessel thoroughly. But then the unexpected had happened — during one of their sessions teaching the Black Emperor how to pilot the craft, those two had abandoned their physical bodies and fled using only their nascent souls.

“The body is the root of the soul. They are now rootless drifters — even if they possess new bodies, they’ll face a considerable period of rejection. I refuse to believe they can escape from this world.” The Black Emperor was indignant.

But the moment it finished speaking, it froze. The two soul lamps it held suddenly blazed up brilliantly — and then exploded.

“They’ve found suitable bodies — and they’re no longer in this world!” the Black Emperor bellowed, its face a mask of shock.

At that moment, the sacred vessel known as the “Six-Zhang Golden Body” blazed with light from end to end, sliced through the sky, and vanished directly from the Eastern Wastelands, disappearing into the dark cosmos.

Inside the cabin, a woman with purple eyes wore a cold expression. She had adjusted to the body reconstructed from the blood she had left behind, and spoke: “This ancient star is far too strange. The strength of its natives surpasses all imagination. We must find a way back to our home star and bring word of this back.”

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to locate those few naturally-occurring spatial jump points. Our ship has suffered serious damage now — the difficulty is immense.” A middle-aged man with golden hair replied.

The “Six-Zhang Golden Body” became a streak of flowing light and vanished into the cosmos, gone without a trace.

Central Province. The Manor of Extraordinary Scholars.

The Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, the Sacred Crown Prince, Li Heishui, Yan Yixi, Li Tian, and others had all come to see him off.

“Today we part — and who knows in what year or month we shall meet again. Since ancient times, so many have walked this road, yet in more than a hundred thousand years, only three or five have ever returned. Take good care of yourself.”

“Master, you’re leaving again…” Ye Tong said, sorrow in her eyes.

“Master, Master — I am the most pure and innocent of all! Take me with you too. I’m afraid that the Black Emperor and Duan De and the others will corrupt me.” Hua Hua, that little monk, tugged at Ye Fan’s trouser leg, tilting his shiny bald head back and blinking up at him with wide, pleading eyes.

“Damn it all, this little thief is wicked to the bone — he was never corrupted by anyone else.” Duan De said.

“Daoist Duan, why don’t you come along with me? I imagine there will be no shortage of great ancient tombs on the road ahead for you to plunder.” Ye Fan said with a smile.

“This poor Daoist is going nowhere. The path to immortality and the founding of the Dao lie in the ancient era — last time, I missed the moment the immortal path opened. In this age, I intend to be the very first one to charge through. I cannot afford another mistake!” He proclaimed this with the gravity of a fortune-teller.

“The greatest trial in history — a road that has been stained with the blood of countless heroes. Even the most powerful Sacred Bodies among them have fallen — three have died on this path already. It is incomparably brutal. Are you certain? Once you enter, there is no turning back.” The old master of the Manor of Extraordinary Scholars said to Ye Fan.