The Golden Age had come. The powerful were numerous as clouds. A vast and desolate era filled with the aura of conquest and great war arrived, and everyone in the cultivation world could feel this atmosphere.
Whether cultivators on distant stars or sages walking through the cosmos, one and all felt tension within their hearts, not knowing whether they would be caught up in the war’s devastation.
The Immortal Heaven Empress was remarkable — the laws she unleashed swept across the eight wastelands, making even near-Emperors shudder at her dominance.
Ye Fan gazed up at the starry sky and fell silent.
The Heavenly Court members’ expressions were not particularly good. She was far too powerful — it felt like a return to the age of dark chaos. Those fluctuations inspired despair, beyond all comparison.
This battle riveted the nerves of every powerful figure. Everyone was watching. All wanted to know the outcome.
After a day and a night of fierce battle, those supreme laws grew weaker. This showed just how brutal and intense both sides’ battle had been — every technique brought to bear, pushed to the brink where both Dao and self were nearly destroyed.
Everyone’s hearts trembled. This battle had taken place beyond the Nine Emperor Passes, yet the chains of order and divine laws had resounded this far — how could people not be shaken?
That was a path prepared for countless outstanding heroes — a river of ships competing in full sail, with heroes contending for supremacy, and the ultimate victor would stand at the absolute summit, ascending to the highest peak beyond the Nine Emperor Passes.
Yet now that place had become a battlefield for only two people. Those later generations within the Nine Emperor Passes fell silent, not a word spoken.
This was a flourishing age — one that inspired joy, and one that inspired despair. It was full of contradictions.
Boom!
The heavens crashed and the earth split, ghosts wailed and gods howled. The fluctuation of a single moment caused all people in the cosmos to shudder, affecting all ten thousand domains.
At last, this battle came to a close, and no true outcome was transmitted.
An enormous Phoenix Nest, stained with blood, slowly flew out from beyond the Nine Emperor Passes, scattering blood along the way as it sailed toward an unknown destination.
No one dared to follow. It was the Immortal Heaven Empress’s divine nest — her dwelling place. No one knew whether she had won or lost. No one dared to disturb her.
This world-shocking great battle drew its curtain. Many people were shaken.
“On the Phoenix Nest, a great sun and a great moon are turning, exuding the aura of an absolutely supreme powerhouse of legend. A divine general from legend is said to be guarding there!”
Soon after, those with swift access to news received such a report, claiming the witness had seen it with their own eyes.
Everyone’s heart sank. Of the eight divine generals who had once followed the Immortal Heaven Emperor, there were indeed still living members — divine-ascended beings of legend, guarding there. Who in the world would dare to intrude?
Darkness filled many hearts. Had the powerhouse who had blocked the Immortal Heaven Empress died?
If that were the case, who could still halt her advance? Gravely wounded today, she would return tomorrow — and when that day came, she truly would rule all under heaven.
Many people were uneasy, especially the Heavenly Court. The two sides could not peacefully coexist. Had it not been for the Immortal Heaven Empress encountering a great enemy, she would certainly have come to sweep Ye Fan and the Holy Emperor’s Son away.
Who was it that could contend with the Immortal Heaven Empress?
After this battle ended, much speculation flew about. Yet it also eased the atmosphere considerably.
Many said that both the Immortal Heaven Empress and that other person were nearly dead — that in this lifetime both would find it difficult to recover, destined to walk the path of decline. The world’s people need not be concerned.
Later, some compared the fluctuations from the initial stage of the great battle against the law fragments from its later stage, finding the news perhaps reliable. Both had unquestionably suffered unimaginable severe injuries.
When this outcome emerged, not a few people breathed a long sigh of relief.
“Was it truly the Lord of the Divine Court who blocked the Immortal Heaven Empress’s advance?”
Many wanted to verify this, but the Divine Court gave no response.
Not until much later, when someone painstakingly broke through to beyond the Nine Emperor Passes — though unable to enter the center of that mysterious region — did they bring back world-shaking news.
Two kinds of blood had once drenched that battlefield. The two who had fought there might not have survived much longer after this battle.
“Definitive news has arrived: the Court Sovereign is still alive.”
“Is it truly him? He withstood the Immortal Heaven Empress’s assault — that level of power is truly rare in all of history. Worthy of one on the verge of achieving the Dao!”
“Though it cannot be confirmed whether it was truly him, the Divine Court has not denied it. Perhaps it truly was the Lord of the Divine Court who stood against the Empress — truly a great achievement.”
News spread in all directions. People marveled that the Lord of the Divine Court was indeed formidable, showing everyone a glimpse of an absolutely supreme master’s bearing and divine might — a peerless power beyond compare.
“Was it truly the Court Sovereign who acted?” The Heavenly Court’s people also debated, all of them knitting their brows.
“If he had that kind of resolve, he wouldn’t have stayed hidden during the dark chaos years. I don’t think he’s the one who did it!”
“But the Divine Court hasn’t denied it.”
“Nor have they admitted it. They’re waiting for the best opportunity. If both fighters from that exchange are dead, would it not be better to simply accept the credit by default?”
The Heavenly Court members believed it was not the Lord of the Divine Court who had acted. Even if he was on the verge of achieving the Dao, the performance of the person in that battle did not seem consistent with his style.
Outside, the discussion was lively. Many people were hotly debating.
Invisibly, the Court Sovereign’s reputation had risen considerably. Though many did not believe it was him, there were also many smaller cultivators with no knowledge of the inner workings who firmly believed that at present, only he had this kind of capability.
The influence of this battle was enormous. It served as a warning bell for all Imperial Prince-caliber figures, giving them all a sense of urgency — encountering such a person would leave only the option of running for their lives. Surely they could not prevail.
The Dragon Lady, the Golden Heavenly Lady, and the Spirit of the Divine Tomb had all come, and they witnessed this battle. Their hearts and minds were both greatly moved by it, and they did not act immediately, becoming more cautious.
In the Golden Flourishing Age, the powerful were numerous as clouds. Powerful figures emerged in abundance. Every single person became vigilant, and no one dared to call themselves foremost under heaven. All became more careful.
And Ye Fan began to cultivate arduously. Pressure generates motivation. He hoped to make another breakthrough. In this great age, strength was the most fundamental guarantee — everything else was empty.
Half a year later, the Holy Emperor’s Son emerged from seclusion, shocking that ancient battlefield and drawing fierce attacks and great battles. Without doubt, he had advanced to near-Emperor, his strength grown greater.
Two years later, Yin Tiande stepped onto the Imperial Son’s battlefield, tempering himself, fighting in great battles with the Ancient Emperor’s Sons, breath swallowing mountains and rivers, contending for supremacy across all under heaven.
In these two years, the great battle between Huo Qizi and Dao Yi was the most attention-commanding spectacle in the world, stunning all. They fought from the ancient battlefield out into the wider world, transferred their battle through countless star domains, leaving behind numerous remnants and legends.
In the most brutal battle, Huo Qizi was slain down to a single head, his blood scattered across the cosmos. But he survived with great difficulty — his Primordial Spirit sword vertically cleaved Dao Yi into two halves. Both were gravely injured, nearly fallen.
Such brutal fighting caused their names on the great stele between the Nine Emperor Passes to grow ever more brilliantly lit, increasingly bright by the day. Some speculated their strength was skyrocketing.
Before long, in an unnamed star domain, the Middle Emperor looked up to the sky and let out a long howl, his thick dense hair flying. Those nearby heard the three characters “covering the Nine Dark” within his words.
Two people of the same era had walked two different paths. One had shaken the world for nine thousand years, with mortals transmitting his name and the whole world holding him in awe — destined to be inscribed into the history of cultivation.
The other was still young in the present day, with vigorous blood and energy, just setting foot upon the path of Imperial Path contention, having only just set sail.
On this day, the near-Emperor tribulation descended. The Middle Emperor forcefully broke through. Stars throughout the heavens trembled together. All manner of heaven and earth prodigies erupted — prodigies that had appeared only when ancient great emperors weathered this tribulation in their youth, profoundly stirring to behold.
Nine phoenix coming to pay obeisance, true dragons pulling a carriage to welcome, chaos laws bathing a combat physique, boundless Dao flowers blooming amid the starlight — the mortal world was shaken.
Half a month later, the Middle Emperor swept through all heroes, his name resounding through the starry sky. He stepped onto the Imperial Son’s battlefield formed from the Heavenly Venerate’s remains, unstoppable wherever he went, cutting down a near-Emperor, shaking the starry sky and shaking the mortal world.
Time passed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, twenty years had gone by. Battle was ceaseless. Powerful figures clashed. Near-Emperor blood flew and splattered without stop, spreading through the world at intervals. One passionate blood battle after another inspired many younger powerful figures, all hoping to join in.
The contest for the Emperor Path was the most captivating spectacle in all the world. Everyone was watching. It might presage who in the future would be the cosmos’s foremost figure.
Over these twenty years, Ye Fan had rarely made a move, always in seclusion or walking through mountains and rivers, comprehending his own Dao.
The Dao fragments within his body were active — part of their power had manifested, but he had always been unable to break through the shackles. This was a terrifying factor restraining him from giving his all and unleashing his peak potential.
This shortcoming had long tormented Ye Fan. He could not effectively resolve it, making even his advancement a problem.
Over these twenty years, Ancient Emperor’s Sons had made additional breakthroughs, their cultivation advancing in great strides. But Ye Fan had always been knitting his brows in painful contemplation, perfecting his Dao and his techniques, playing them out in his mind.
At times, one particular secret art or Dao fruit after another seemed right there in his heart, yet could not be manifested, could not be put to proof. It caused him enormous trouble.
Comprehending the Dao without being able to test it — was this path right, or was it wrong? It was the path most prone to great problems.
“This must be resolved. If there is no way, sooner or later I will fall behind — or even wither away on the Emperor Path.”
A silver waterfall cascaded down. Ye Fan sat cross-legged on a facing small peak, beginning an arduous struggle to break through his impasse and comprehend his Dao.
Twenty years had passed and the outside world had seen many changes. The Old Man Demon struck out, overawing a group of people. Most significantly, he had once wandered around the ancestral star of the Ten Thousand Dragon Nest. From then on, the Dragon Lady never dared come again with her Imperial Dao vessel to press the killing.
And over these years, on the great stele between the Nine Emperor Passes, Ye Fan’s name had grown somewhat dimmer. By now it could be confirmed — the amount of combat and the significance of its results weighed heavily on this stele.
Over twenty years, Ye Fan had not engaged much in confrontation. He had always been working to break through his own impasse, urgently needing to carve out a path forward.
Not only was the outside world speculating, but even the Heavenly Court members’ hearts had become shadowed with dark clouds, a bad premonition rising within them. Could it truly be that Ye Fan could only become a near-Emperor through physical means alone — that his Dao had dried up forever, and that the negative influence of the ancient supremes could never be removed?
Especially in recent years: the Heavenly Court had abandoned many territories, rapidly contracting its ranks, gathering its various forces together, going into hiding.
This was a signal — it made the outside world even more certain that Ye Fan’s near-Emperor path was far from smooth, fraught with hardship and difficulty. Many felt sympathy. Back in the day, to fight the supremes in a blood battle, he had truly paid too heavy a price.
The Heavenly Court might be done!
Another five years passed. This was what many people uniformly speculated, seeing them rapidly contracting their territories, retreating again and again. Their headquarters and other important sites no longer showed any trace.
People believed the Heavenly Court had foreseen something themselves, and were making the worst-case plans. In this era — with all the Imperial Princes emerging together, the contest for the Emperor Path burning fiercely — if Ye Fan, one of the Heavenly Court’s leaders, had encountered a problem, it would absolutely be fatal.
The present was no longer like the past. Now there had to be a near-Emperor presiding over things. Otherwise, they could only endure and hide in a single domain — it was impossible to become a transcendent supreme force of great consequence in the cosmos.
The Heavenly Court’s current showing indicated they might be dropping out of this tier.
The silver waterfall was like a dragon. On the facing small peak, Ye Fan had already sat for many years. The few small mountain beasts seen at first had long since grown strong, yet he still did not move.
“Break through the obstruction — carve out my own path!”
A quiet utterance, yet it was like a dragon’s roar reverberating through the nine heavens, causing the entire sky to rumble and surge. His body began to glow. The yin and yang dual qi of the Wheel Sea swirled and intertwined, transforming into a Taiji diagram. His four limbs reached to the sky like the four poles of the cosmos — world-shaking, erupting with a breath capable of devastating the world. The five elemental essence energies of the Dao Palace roiled and surged, generating five divine spirits, which in the end merged into one, then separated, transforming into the most primordial qi to replenish his body.
At last, his spine lit up. This corresponded to the secret realm of the near-Emperor. It was a great dragon, raising its head in a dragon’s roar, shaking the nine heavens!