“Cheng Dao, you thought about your parents — but have you thought about your aunt? About your uncle-by-marriage? About the rest of us?” The Black Emperor was utterly shameless, its meaning obvious for all to see: since Ji Hao Yue’s name had already been used as an excuse to beat the Divine Lord, naturally the names of Ji Ziyue, and the rest of them, could serve just as well for another round.

Xin Lan’s almond eyes went wide. Even her slender, supple little waist was trembling — her magnificent face written all over with fury. What kind of way was this to teach a child? Inciting a nephew to beat his uncle — this dog had absolutely no sense of decency.

“Ahem, let’s leave it at that — he is still the older brother of Cheng Dao’s mother, after all.” Pang Bo coughed and stepped in to smooth things over.

Yet looking at Ji Cheng Dao’s eager, itching-to-continue expression, the Divine Lord’s mouth twitched, Xin Lan pressed a hand to her forehead in helpless exhaustion — and one could very well imagine how little affection this child held for the Divine Clan. He clearly very much wanted to keep going.

“He is your eldest maternal uncle.” Xin Lan stressed the point.

“But he locked my mother away and left my father full of sorrow for three hundred years. This punch is on behalf of my aunt — she’s been unhappy too!”

BANG! Sure enough, the child had been itching for it and in the end could not hold himself back. He threw another punch in Ji Ziyue’s name. The Divine Lord’s right eye socket turned so dark it had gone almost black, swollen up like a black spade in a card deck.

Many people within the Emperor Gate were completely petrified. They wanted to laugh but didn’t dare. How pitiable the Divine Lord was — his lifelong reputation and prestige had been settled by his nephew’s three punches. With eyes this swollen into panda bruises, how was he supposed to put on a face of dignity ever again?

“Uncle can be as strong as he likes — three punches from his nephew still lay him flat.” The Black Emperor burst out laughing.

Even if the flood dragon, the great roc, and the other nine divine beasts that the Divine Lord had subdued were all summoned and hitched together to pull his carriage — even then they could not restore his divine authority, not now. At the very least, not at this moment.

The Divine Lord departed with a dark expression. The atmosphere within the Emperor Gate grew somewhat tense. Everyone was paying close attention — what would Ye Fan do now?

In truth, Ye Fan did nothing at all. He made one circuit of the Emperor Gate and did not linger — this time again he departed directly. His purpose in coming this time had mainly been for his disciple and for old acquaintances.

By this point, was there still any need to continue walking the Emperor Gate? Was there still any meaning in dominating it? After Ye Fan’s departure, everyone felt a collective headache coming on.

First the Black Emperor had stirred up chaos. Several basins of foot-washing tea had thrown the one true road into complete disorder. Then Ye Fan’s forceful return had swept across the young kings of every clan, instantly darkening the entire road.

Even so, Ye Tong and Yang Xi chose to remain. The two of them felt they ought to see things through to the end — walking the path all the way, for the trials set within each of the nine Emperor Gates and the ancient battlefields throughout offered superb grounds for tempering themselves.

Those who shared this purpose were not few in number either, especially the younger faces still burning with great ambition, who came pouring in wave after wave.

The gates of this road were always open to every clan. Every day, supreme talents came rushing here from afar.

Di Tian, the Great Demon God, the Immortal Maiden Qingshi, and others had all left. Nearly all those from Ye Fan’s same generation, having witnessed his combat strength, had withdrawn in desolation.

In the years that followed, Ye Fan became a legend here — the fierce figure who had single-handedly nearly overturned the entire ancient road, who became the target that other supreme beings on this road sought to surpass and defeat.

Ye Fan passed through on his way to the Feathered Immortal Battlefield to visit Bai Ye — leaving behind several sets of divine arts for that hardworking and diligent young man, along with the cultivation resources he would need.

The starlight shimmered brilliantly. Ye Fan’s group set out on the road. They had already obtained the coordinates from Xin Lan and now headed straight for the Divine Clan’s ancient star.

Along the way, Ji Cheng Dao was very excited and agitated. At last he was going to see his mother. His eyes were nearly spilling over with tears. The beloved face full of tender affection from his memories had never faded, even though he had been only a few years old when they parted.

It was a gentle and beautiful region of space — star after star twinkling in the distance, soft silver veils drifting and curling through the air, peaceful and tranquil, quiet yet teeming with life.

They arrived at the homeland of the Divine Clan. There was a star there — not especially large, nor especially small — where an abundance of living energy soared directly up into the starry sky. It was a rare and pristine land.

Silver moons circled around it, pouring down a rain of light. One after another, beautiful luan birds danced beneath the moon, their graceful and lovely silhouettes making this paradise land appear even more mysterious.

Ye Fan’s group arrived and descended toward the ancient star.

The land below was full of vitality. The trees were extraordinary — they had a uniquely beautiful quality. The forest visible before them was suffused throughout with blue light, as though carved from blue crystal.

Pressing further in, they came upon a forest like purple diamonds — all the vegetation glittering and crystalline, beautiful as works of art.

“What manner of people dare to intrude upon our Divine Clan’s ancestral star?”

A powerful divine sense reached out toward them, and then an elderly figure appeared — dressed in a feathered robe, with an immortal air about him and a face full of dignified calm. He was a sage of the elder generation, emanating an aura of otherworldly detachment.

Ye Fan and the others were surprised. This ancient home of the Divine Clan was truly extraordinary — even a random person encountered here was an expert, and in the span of a single moment, more than a dozen powerful fluctuations appeared throughout the surrounding area.

“We have come for Xin Yue. This is her child — today we ask that mother and son be reunited.” Pang Bo was straightforward. He was certain that after Xin Lan had returned, she would have said everything that needed saying.

In an instant, more than a dozen silhouettes appeared to block their path. All were powerfully strong — the men martial and imposing, the women strikingly beautiful. Beauty and strength were the defining hallmarks of the Divine Clan.

“So it is you. We cannot stop you — pass through.” The old man was composed and frank. He called back those younger members.

It was a very small village — only a dozen or so households — yet nearly every one could produce a warrior of supremely overwhelming strength. This astonished both Ye Fan and the Black Emperor greatly.

Worthy indeed of the name Divine Clan — every single person defied heaven, their strength staggering, surpassing all reason, leaving other clans unable to comprehend it.

“Just think about it — if every single person possesses a divine physique, then yes, that truly defies heaven!”

This statement was perhaps a slight exaggeration, yet it was not far from the truth. Even if not every member of the Divine Clan was extraordinarily powerful, their average level far exceeded that of all other clans.

The one thing that constrained them was their population — vanishingly small. The entire Divine Clan numbered fewer than thirty thousand people. That was a number that left people dumbstruck.

And of those thirty thousand, not a few had impure bloodlines. True, flawless divine blood — the true powerhouses — numbered only around two thousand. Scarce enough to make one’s jaw drop.

Their group pressed forward at full speed. They arrived at a stretch of ancient land — several great mountains rising to pierce the sky, each one wreathed in auspicious vapors, with divine trees and wondrous grasses growing throughout.

Most striking of all was a broken ancient mountain, its peak severed — hollow at the top like the mouth of a volcano, from which clouds of rosy mist surged outward, flowing with brilliant light in cascading colors.

“Sacred Physique Ye Fan — you’ve actually come!” Someone shouted loudly. This was the innermost sanctum of the Divine Clan. The moment they drew near, dozens of people came flying out to bar their way.

Violet orchids had taken root in the void, filling the air with their fragrance — a faint and delicate perfume drifting all around.

Flame phoenix trees had taken root in the magma deep beneath the earth, stubbornly pushing trunks and branches up through the ground above, their coiling flames resembling phoenix birds in flight.

Cloud-dragon vines had taken root within the clouds, hanging down from the sky above like so many green dragons plunging earthward, magnificent and imposing.

…

The vegetation throughout this place was extraordinary in every manner — dreamlike, beautiful, and awe-inspiring. It was a world of wonders.

“Since you know who we are and why we’ve come, let’s not waste words — release the person!” The Black Emperor bared its teeth.

“You may — defeat us, break through our Divine Clan’s ancient gate, and you may take whoever you wish!” A middle-aged man spoke.

“How tiresome. What era do you think this is? You’re still running this routine? Don’t say we didn’t warn you — if we accidentally blow up this entire star, don’t come crying to us.” The Black Emperor sneered and mocked.

There was nothing more to be said. It immediately brought out the blood-red axe, while Pang Bo launched the rebuilt violet-gold gourd — though it was a damaged Quasi-Emperor artifact, its power was still astounding.

How could these people stop them? One by one they went pale and decisively fell back. Even as members of the Divine Clan, even with outstanding talent, facing a Quasi-Emperor level of power made their legs go weak and their knees buckle.

Ye Fan’s group advanced like a hot knife through butter. The Black Emperor led the vanguard. Along the way they encountered no small number of divine formations — all broken apart by the Black Emperor, nothing able to halt their advance.

“Mother — I’ve grown up. I’ve come to save you!” Ji Cheng Dao’s tears streamed from his eyes.

At last they came before the several great mountains, and the broken central mountain was now not far ahead. Yet upon arriving here, they bore a tremendous pressure — it was difficult to move.

A great formation blocked their path. Above and below and in all directions, inscriptions appeared everywhere — the moment they arrived, they surfaced densely, layer upon layer. Chaotic energy emerged. A torrent of divine power descended from the sky like a heavenly waterfall — a river of divine force, flowing.

“What an enormously powerful formation!”

This was a world-shaking divine formation left behind by the Divine Clan’s ancient Divine Lord, guarding the clan’s sacred ancestral land. It was impervious to attack from the outside, its power beyond measure.

The Divine Clan activated the formation to block Ye Fan’s group’s path. Several of the Divine Clan’s ancient elders stood upon the great peaks and looked over in their direction.

Even the Black Emperor furrowed its brow. This was not a perfect supreme Quasi-Emperor formation, but rather ancient Imperial formation markings with gaps — yet it was still giving the Black Emperor a considerable headache. It would take time and thought to break, and there was no easy way through.

“I’ll go in alone.” Ye Fan made this decision. He did not want to endanger the others, for with a Quasi-Emperor physique, even if danger arose, he could take the hit directly.

“This is not some half-baked formation from the Divine Court — this was laid down by the Divine Lord, and it’s terrifying. This Emperor will go with you.” The Black Emperor said.

“No need. My Source Heaven Formation Markings were not studied in vain — I also understand the way to break this.” Ye Fan entered the formation alone. The stars shifted and the earth turned. Heaven and earth changed their face utterly. One burning giant star after another came flying toward him — as though the cosmos itself were unraveling, slamming toward him all at once.

Everyone was alarmed. That place had become a world unto itself — the opening of heaven and earth, chaos spreading, stars destroyed, unstoppable.

Ye Fan swung the Heavenly Emperor Fist, resisting with brute force, advancing step by step, never retreating.

BOOM!

The Divine Lord’s strike — separated by the vast expanse of ages — severed heaven and earth, cutting off his path. A great ocean of divine power appeared, causing even Ye Fan’s body to shudder violently, making him dare not move carelessly.

This stalemate lasted three full days. In the end, he found a path through and crossed over.

“HUM!”

A hundred thousand divine swords cut loose in every direction, severing this world apart.

If before there had still been a way through, there was now only a dead end. Any who dared force their way through would need to block the brilliance of the Divine Lord’s sword light, otherwise passing was simply impossible.

The Black Emperor’s expression changed. In general, formations would leave one path through even in desperate circumstances — but formations with no exit at all were rare, and the most treacherous of all. Even the Black Emperor’s heart was pounding wildly.

“The Divine Lord’s weapon inside is acting as the guiding force. A supreme artifact of this kind, if it strikes, even a Quasi-Emperor physique cannot take the blow.” The Black Emperor was uneasy.

Facing the hundred thousand divine swords slashing down, Ye Fan did not retreat. He still pressed bravely forward. In his hand, he drew a single streak of azure light — no tremendous power erupted, no wild and violent surge of energy, yet it blocked the boundless sword brilliance across all of heaven!

In his hand, chaotic energy spread. An azure lotus trembled against the sword light. It was small — only three leaves — enshrining the true meaning of “the Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives birth to ten thousand things!”

“The Azure Emperor — it’s the Azure Emperor!”

Within the Divine Clan’s broken mountain, deep inside an ancient cave, an elder who had not known how long he had lived suddenly opened eyes that had not parted in thousands of years. Two astounding beams of light shot forth, piercing through the void.