“Brother…” A childlike, trembling voice sounded. Amidst the expanse of star sea, Xiao Nannan’s heart lurched, and tears fell involuntarily.
She looked toward the celestial vault, her face written with terror and unease — then let out a sharp cry, stumbled, fell, and scrambled back up, sobbing and screaming: “No — big brother mustn’t die!”
In this moment, the Black Emperor fell silent. This outcome it had already foreseen. With no true great Emperor revived in this age, all had been destined — there was no power to reverse the heavens.
In this lifetime, so many had been lost — Ji Zi, Jiang Taixu, Gai Jiuyou… one after another. What a pity these outstanding heroes were gone. One could only wonder whether any divine miracle might still manifest.
The Old Madman stood with his spine ramrod straight. In the end he had not been able to deliver the immortal cocoon in time. Covered in blood, having perceived the outcome, even one as unyielding as he trembled for a moment — before straightening himself again.
Too much grief. Too many dead.
“This is a cycle — hahaha!” The silent Black Emperor suddenly burst into loud laughter, as though it had gone mad. Tears rolled down its face as it said: “At the end of the cycle, all things shall come to a close, and the Underworld shall be the final destination of all living beings. How much I hope these words will come true!”
From the distance, an immortal cocoon pressed down and collapsed the star sea. Great cracks spread across that region, drawing upon the power of the cosmos, with no one able to approach. Upon hearing these words, the cocoon seemed to stir slightly.
At this time, from the depths of the cosmos, the Pressure Aura of a great Emperor shook the world. Nothing could stand in its way — those were the waves of one who was supreme within the cosmos, unrivaled under heaven.
What did it mean to be a Supreme Being? Only in this moment was it truly shown. After an age of long years following the voluntary self-severing cut, the Ultimate Sublimation had been reached — ascending once more to the position of the imperial Dao, mastering the rise and fall of the mortal world.
“Wuuu…” Xiao Nannan wept greatly, pressing her small hands to her chest. Her heart ached, and from the center of her brow emerged a crystalline little stone that blazed with radiance capable of splitting the cosmos. Through tear-blurred eyes she gazed forward.
At last, she saw it — she saw the final moment of Ye Fan’s resolute and decisive self-destruction: blood burning, the life-essence blood flower blooming from his brow, his entire being shattering to pieces.
“No — I won’t accept this. Nannan doesn’t want big brother to die!” Xiao Nannan wept greatly. This time the childlike voice she cried out in shook the star sea, reverberating throughout the cosmos.
Her heart felt as though it were being torn apart, and then her entire being transformed into a rain of light and shot upward — as if ascending in transcendence — disappearing into the depths of the cosmos.
“Come back!” The Black Emperor shouted, running madly after her in pursuit, wanting to catch up — yet it simply lacked that extreme speed. It surpassed the common logic of all things in the world.
Back in those years, Xiao Nannan had vanished from the Northern Dipper in just this way — as if in transcendence, shooting up through the sky, gone for many long years.
The Old Madman also reached out, wanting to bring Xiao Nannan back. He possessed the “moving” word-secret technique, yet even he failed — for that immortal light had split eternity, defying all logic.
The frigid cosmos had long since been stained red with blood — the blood of living beings, the blood of Supreme Beings, and more still the blood of great Emperors. Star domain after star domain lay broken.
Xiao Nannan sobbed and wept, like an orphan who had lost all family, crying without ceasing, her small face streaked with tears — and yet she appeared on the battlefield.
There was blood there. There was light there. There was the power of Dao-dissolution there. And there, above all, were the shattered remnants of Ye Fan’s trail.
“Big brother, please don’t die — you promised Nannan you wouldn’t fall in battle, that you’d come back to see me… wuuu…”
The little girl was so utterly helpless. Crystalline tears rolled ceaselessly down her face. She stumbled and swayed, and fell upon the blood and bones, crying aloud — as though the entire world had come thundering down and collapsed, as though she had lost all support.
The laws of the Supreme Beings erased all vitality. The word-secret known as “those,” said to be capable of restoring life and flesh from a single drop of blood, was useless here — the vital energy had been completely severed.
“I won’t accept it — I won’t — big brother, wake up. You promised Nannan you wouldn’t fall in battle, that you’d come back alive…” She shook with sobs, her crystalline tears scattering.
The little girl, so heartbroken, collapsed into the blood and filth, frantically gathering shattered bones and blood-mud, piecing them together — heartbreaking and pitiful to behold.
“Clang…”
She opened the shattered Dao-Ripple Immortal Robe and searched desperately, her hands stained with blood, crying and calling with all the anguish of her heart, searching for any trace of Ye Fan.
“He’s gone — big brother is gone…” The little girl was lost and dazed, then lay there and broke into great weeping.
A childlike little face, an expression of grief and desolation — it made one’s heart ache with pity. She wept in agony, murmuring quietly, stretching out her small hands and straining forward as if trying with all her might to grasp onto something.
On the other side, the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme’s expression was indifferent. The truly great Emperor-level waves spread across the heavens and earth. He stood alone, confronting all the imperial weapons, looking down upon all living beings and lording over all creation.
At this moment, he suddenly reached up and touched his own cheek — it was moist there, glistening. He said with self-mockery: “I actually have tears rolling down my face. Can it be that having returned to the position of the imperial Dao, some thoughts from ten thousand ages past have returned?”
In that instant, many memories of the past surfaced in his eyes — the bloody battles along the road to Emperor-hood, a triumphant song at which all the world watched, revered by all under heaven, and finally, the proving of Dao.
Then, across an exceedingly long stretch of ages, he had protected all living beings and been worshipped by the creatures of the world. His radiance illuminated the pages of history, branded into the hearts of every race. He had fulfilled every responsibility of a supreme being who had walked the imperial Dao, and had been revered by all living beings — until later, watching friends depart one by one, watching the woman he loved fall in the passage of years. He had been so grief-stricken, longing desperately for eternal life.
In the end, he slowly changed. Striking upward against the nine heavens, probing downward into the nine depths — all simply for the sake of living longer, and more so hoping to resurrect one after another of those who had left him.
In the end, he changed entirely, stepping onto another path.
His heart grew ever colder, ever more merciless. He turned his back on all living beings, using their blood to extend his own life — walking a path diametrically opposed to what it once had been.
“Haha… hahaha!” The Heaven-Forsaking Supreme laughed loudly, wiping the tears from his face. He turned cold, turned merciless, and said: “What a ridiculous sentiment. After ten thousand ages, having restored my absolute pinnacle and once again ascended to the position of the imperial Dao, I would feel this way again — just as in those years when I first proved my Dao. Yet I protected all living beings, but could not hold onto my loved ones and friends one by one. What good is this vast benevolence and righteousness to me?”
“In this lifetime, I live only for myself. There are no shackles. I shall defy the heavens and walk the path of eternal life!” The Heaven-Forsaking Supreme roared, passing judgment on himself, severing the final ripple of emotion within him.
“The Ultimate Sublimation does not necessarily mean certain death. There have been those who survived. Though the hope is slim, I am resolved to remain in this world forever!” he said coldly, fixing his eyes upon the imperial weapons that had yet to shatter.
“Fellow Daoist speaks truly.” The Stone Emperor nodded in agreement.
“Hmph!” The Heaven-Forsaking Supreme only gave a cold snort. He turned abruptly to look upon Xiao Nannan, and murmured to himself: “I had already lost most of my hope and chances of survival — yet her appearance has shown me hope for continuing to exist!”
The Stone Emperor’s eyes flickered uncertainly. He made no comment. Seeing the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme stride forward, his body gave a tremor — he seemed also to wish to move!
But in the end he held himself back and did not act at once — for this was a Supreme Being who had undergone the Ultimate Sublimation. Unless he too did the same, there was only death.
Originally this place had been raining with light — the power of Dao-dissolution. Yet it had not harmed Xiao Nannan. And with the arrival of the little girl, all of that light had been extinguished.
Moreover, the great Emperor aura of this place had similarly not caused her to tremble. Seeing the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme advancing coldly toward her, she showed no fear — instead she cried out in grief: “Give me back my big brother’s life!”
“Wishing to be together with him is simple — fall into darkness together and sleep here for eternity.” The Heaven-Forsaking Supreme struck out. These were the methods of a great Emperor — pulverizing the vast sky. And he struck with full force, killing straight toward Xiao Nannan.
He regarded her as the hope for extending his life — he could not afford to miss this. He would seize her, swallow her, and refine her within his immortal platform.
“Give back big brother!” In that moment the little girl showed no fear — only grief and a cry like bleeding from the throat. That childlike voice actually shook the ten thousand domains of the heavens.
“Nannan!” The Black Emperor changed expression. Even from another star domain it had heard her. Roaring, it charged toward that battlefield with no regard for its own life.
Yet in that very moment something even more terrifying occurred. Behind it, the immortal cocoon that had been collapsing the star sea directly exploded. A tall and graceful, supremely beautiful silhouette stepped out in a single stride — heaven fell and earth collapsed. She crossed the long river of time and charged toward the battlefield.
“Boom!”
The next instant, the cosmic battlefield erupted into the most dazzling radiance. On that day it illuminated the boundless star sea, shaking the ages of ten thousand eons, shattering all the pages of history.
An Emperor battle! A true great Emperor battle!
A battle to the death waged between Flawless great Emperors who stood at the perfect pinnacle of the imperial Dao!
No one had expected that in the end it would come to such a result. All living beings had long since abandoned hope. The entire sky was overcast, pressing down so heavily that no one could breathe.
In the very moment when the dark upheaval was about to proclaim its sweep, when an unprecedented great blood-washing of the cosmos was about to begin, a Flawless great Emperor appeared in the mortal world and launched the most terrifying campaign of war.
This kind of light had never been seen by anyone before. Not even the Supreme Beings themselves had ever glimpsed it. And now it erupted — forged by two great Emperors fighting, astounding the mortal world.
It was the light of transcendence. It was the power of ascension. The fierce battle split the heavens, causing even the sky above to tremble. Nothing could stand in their way.
The world was shaken. All living beings were horrified. Even the surviving elder Great Saints were petrified — this thing had actually happened. A Flawless great Emperor in contest against a Supreme Being who had undergone the Ultimate Sublimation to reclaim the imperial Dao position — it was like a myth!
It was said that in the age of myths, multiple Emperors might have coexisted in the world, yet no one had ever confirmed it.
And now, people felt it for themselves — beings of this caliber were engaged in battle. Their divine might covered the world.
“Boom!”
On the cosmic battlefield, the white-clothed woman gave a light cry of rebuke, and the sun, moon, and stars were all destroyed together. The power she unleashed was the force of transcendence — surpassing all laws in the world.
The battlefield shifted!
The living beings of the world were shocked to discover something: the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme was retreating. It was not out of fear of death — in their consciousness, supreme beings of the imperial Dao had no such words as cowardice or weakness. They all held the conviction of invincibility, firmly believing themselves the strongest in the mortal world. Yet at this moment, he was being sent flying sideways by that white-clothed woman, driven back through one star system after another under her relentless pressure.
People did not know the true result of this battle. They only knew that the great Emperor battle was too terrifying — and that the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme was in retreat.
“The blood of a Supreme Being of the imperial Dao…”
At some unknown moment, people discovered that at the edge of the cosmos a blinding crimson aurora surged up to the heavens — that was the aura of the Heaven-Forsaking Supreme. That was his blood flying outward, scattering across the cosmos.
The result of the Emperor battle remained unknown, for no one could observe it.
Yet all manner of signs suggested that on this day, something like a great Emperor slaughtering a supreme-level expert was about to occur. Both were perfect cultivators at the absolute pinnacle of the Emperor Dao — each having at one time in some age commanded the primordial cosmos with the foremost combat power.
“Boom!”
A tremendous explosion, accompanied by the wails of ten thousand Dao lines in heaven and earth — a great Emperor-level powerhouse of the Flawless rank shattered to pieces, blood splashing across the outer reaches of the cosmos!