Crossing many star domains, Ye Fan’s brow-point blazed with light. The Word Secret operated, repairing the wounds to his divine spirit. Blood and vital energy surged; his Five Great Secret Realms resonated and roared in unison.
At last, he recovered completely. That a Quasi-Emperor had been made to pay such a price gave one a clear picture of just how terrifying the secret technique of the Numinous Treasure Celestial Sovereign truly was.
A glimmer of light rippled within Ye Fan’s sea of consciousness. An Miaoyi’s words echoed and resonated within it — recounting a terrifying matter.
The Phoenix Nest and the Underworld had been quietly in contact all along. They had met in the deep pit of the sea of corpses to negotiate. At that time, the Underworld’s leader had accompanied that divine general in searching for the corpses — wanting to see whether the eight divine generals of the former age were truly there among them.
There, they had discussed several matters of great importance.
The Nether Emperor was not supposed to awaken. He was to lie low and continue sleeping — yet the Undying Celestial Empress had sent an invitation, hoping he would emerge to deal with a great enemy.
According to what An Miaoyi had relayed, the Nether Emperor had absolutely made contact with figures from the Undying Celestial Emperor’s lineage long ages before — their relationship predated this, otherwise such exchanges would never have taken place.
“The Celestial Empress is willing to provide a vial of immortal blood — requesting the Nether Emperor to emerge into the world.”
Those were the divine general’s original words. They were actually capable of offering a vial of that precious blood to compensate the Nether Emperor for the losses incurred by his awakening — and it was said this would fully compensate him.
Of course, the Nether Emperor stood high above all living beings, looking down upon creation. He had been sleeping all this time and could not possibly hold a conversation with that divine general — everything was being handled by a prominent figure who was currently presiding over the Underworld.
From their conversation, it was possible to glean that the so-called “immortal blood” was none other than the Undying Celestial Emperor’s own essence blood — refined over many years and sealed away — its value beyond measure.
That the Undying Celestial Empress possessed such phoenix blood was hardly surprising.
What did the Undying Celestial Empress want to accomplish? This should not have been worth such an enormous mobilization — just to destroy the Heavenly Court. There had to be another purpose entirely.
Ye Fan looked at the scene rippling to life within his sea of consciousness. An Miaoyi had faithfully preserved that day’s situation — the divine general had made a gesture: the motion of ascending to immortality, of transforming and soaring to the heavens.
“What the Underworld fears most is the Numinous Treasure Celestial Sovereign. They have always been searching for his formation chart — unfortunately unable to obtain it. Perhaps it could serve to suppress the Nether Emperor.”
This piece of information struck Ye Fan deeply. Ever since he had, from the ordinary version of the Scripture of Salvation circulating among mortals, perceived a divine technique within it, he had known — the legend of the Numinous Treasure Celestial Sovereign suppressing the corpse disaster was absolutely true.
And the Scripture of Salvation he now possessed was the complete version, housed within that human-bodied ghost-face lamp. He had been reciting it regularly of late, gaining ever deeper comprehension.
“I must have all the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals learn the Scripture of Salvation. When the time comes, dozens or hundreds of them chanting it in unison — and if we can locate that formation chart and the Four Swords, all the better. All living beings brimming with Yang energy working in concert to drive back and slay the Nether Emperor.”
Ye Fan wanted to find that formation chart. He only did not know whether the Four Swords had been destroyed during the Dark Upheaval of the ancient past. If they no longer existed, he would have to substitute other weapons in their place.
But the most pressing matter right now was to prevent the Phoenix Nest and the Underworld from completing their transaction. That vial of Undying Phoenix Blood must not be allowed to enter the Underworld. If he could intercept it, the Nether Emperor would not dare emerge from his slumber so freely.
Without the Nether Emperor’s emergence, the Heavenly Court would have time to develop. He could then await his own advancement in cultivation without the current anxiety pressing down on him.
One vial of phoenix blood — and hinged upon it, the turning point of a critical future era.
Killing intent blazed in Ye Fan’s eyes. For the first time, he was this filled with a murderous, cutting aura. He had to stop all of this — to cut a diverging path out of the darkness and steer things toward a different future.
“What is the Undying Celestial Empress’s true purpose in seeking the Nether Emperor’s intervention? Is it to seize Xiao Nannan’s Dao fruit — or has she already learned of that fleshy mass’s existence and is paving a road?”
A suspicion had taken hold in Ye Fan’s heart — that fleshy mass was likely the Undying Celestial Emperor himself. Aside from him, who else could have rendered the Wushi Emperor so powerless to spare attention elsewhere?
Many things linked together in his mind. Flash after flash of lightning streaked through his thoughts. During the Dark Upheaval, the figures within every one of the great Forbidden Zones had all made mention of the Undying Celestial Emperor.
It stood to reason — if this Celestial Emperor was still alive, he would not have been alone. In ages past, he had almost certainly been in contact with other emperor-level figures, with companions of his own.
Ye Fan returned to the Heavenly Court and secretly convened everyone. He dispatched people to seek out Li Heishui and Duan De, wanting to borrow the Heaven-Swallowing Jar. He had no time to spare — he had to act with swift, decisive force like a thunderclap.
All this was built upon the foundation of his having advanced to the sixth level of the Quasi-Emperor realm, with the ability to trigger the Forbidden God Domain at will — enabling him to do battle against the most peerless powerhouses of this age.
The Heavenly Court’s various divisions all began mobilizing in secret. They searched for Duan De, hoping the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar could be reassembled as quickly as possible, so that they could wage war against the Phoenix Nest’s Celestial Empress.
Heavenly Soldiers and Generals were dispersing in all directions. The outcome of this battle was hard to predict, and to guard against any unforeseen circumstances, Ye Fan had to make every preparation possible.
It was during this period that Yang Xi returned with blood covering his body. The moment they met, he said: “Master, someone bullied me.”
Ye Fan was startled. But upon seeing clearly that none of the blood was his own, he finally relaxed and asked what had happened.
“In recent years, the Phoenix Nest and the Underworld have both been targeting us relentlessly. I was furious and couldn’t stand it, so I stepped in to meddle in some of their affairs — and ended up in a clash with them.”
“And then?”
“I accidentally killed them.”
Ye Fan let out a sigh. “That’s what you call being bullied?”
“Yes! They want to deploy their divine generals — I can’t train out there in the open anymore. Those divine generals have been gradually recovering their divine power over the years. Once I spot them, I naturally have to make a run for it. Doesn’t that count as being bullied?” Yang Xi complained and sulked.
“Behave yourself for now,” Ye Fan said, not saying much more — though he placed no restrictions on his disciple’s conflicts with the Phoenix Nest. As long as he kept himself safe, that was enough.
Because he himself was about to make a move — an offensive as fierce and explosive as splitting the heavens.
“All of you, be careful in the days ahead — pass this word to everyone.” Ye Fan issued another reminder, hinting at some of his own intentions, which sent Yang Xi — a die-hard battle enthusiast — into a fit of excited hand-rubbing.
Ye Fan left the Heavenly Court. He traveled to the far end of the Star-Sea Ancient Road, seeking out the firewood-chopping elder in the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Court, intending to join forces with him in the coming assault.
Above the golden sea of thunder, a white jade pathway stretched downward. Several important figures from the Dao Palace descended to receive him, and among them was one Ye Fan recognized all too well — Lin Jia, disciple of the firewood-chopping elder.
Over the years, though they had crossed paths, they had never truly had a proper conversation — both had been occupied with seclusion.
As for the other familiar face, Zhou Yi — in recent years he had been continuously training across various domains, and had built up considerable renown. It seemed as though an emperor star was rising on the horizon, faint but unmistakable. He was not present at this time.
“Have you been well, all these years?” Ye Fan asked. As he spoke, he was filled with boundless emotion. Who could have imagined that their group of people would walk a road like this?
“Not as well as the other shore of the star-sea,” Lin Jia said with a smile. On her fair, pale face was a look of reminiscence, of lingering attachment — something complex and hard to name. Setting foot on the cultivation path had never been her own intention.
“One day, I might put everything down and go back to the city — live as an ordinary mortal,” she added, and she meant it completely.
“Put it down?” Ye Fan was profoundly moved. But having come this far along the road — could he still put it down? He had walked a path that could only move forward, never turning back.
“Hey now, young man — were you raised on emperor-flesh or something? How is it that in just twenty short years, you’ve broken through to the sixth level? Are you trying to frighten this old man to death?” The unsavory old man with yellow teeth shuffled over, clicking his tongue in wonder.
“Where is that shy granddaughter of yours?” Ye Fan asked.
“I’m warning you — that is my grandson, not my granddaughter. Don’t go getting any ideas!” The yellow-toothed old man watched him like one watches a thief.
“I think her gifts are quite remarkable. She and one of my disciples seem fated for each other — why not let her marry into my Heavenly Court?” Ye Fan said with a smile.
“You little schemer — you want to use my grandson to hold this old man hostage into working for you? Not a chance!” The old man bared his teeth and glared, not a shred of a grandmaster’s dignity about him.
“Where did Big Beard go? I plan to give him two disciples — one called Li Tian, one called Yan Yixi — both were people he took a liking to back in the day,” Ye Fan said, looking around.
Lin Jia burst into laughter. “All right, all right — isn’t this approach of poaching people from our Dao Palace just a little too obvious?”
“Sigh, I’m short on people — severely short on manpower,” Ye Fan lamented, saying no more. In the company of the group, he entered the central Heavenly Palace within.
Twenty years had passed. The Dao Palace now boasted a vast array of powerful cultivators, with those seeking refuge numbering beyond count — for the attraction this place held was far too great. Within the Heavenly Palace were countless runes and inscriptions for people to comprehend, all of them legacies of the ancient Heavenly Court.
The firewood-chopping elder sat cross-legged upon a broken and incomplete Dao platform. His complexion was rosy, and he appeared to be in good health — yet Ye Fan knew the Dao wound the man had suffered had still not fully healed to this day.
Ye Fan presented a jade box. Within it rested a Medicinal King that emanated a pure fragrance — the kind of treasure that could directly extend a person’s life by several hundred years and was beyond price, enough to stir the desire of any powerful cultivator.
This was something Xiao Song had dug up in the immortal ascension grounds of Kunlun long ago, back before he had taken human form, carrying his little medicine basket. He had brought several of them to the Heavenly Court.
Ye Fan gifted the firewood-chopping elder one stalk, hoping he would heal his injuries as soon as possible. He was direct by nature — once the others had withdrawn, he stated his purpose plainly. He wanted to join forces with the Dao Palace and launch a joint strike against the Phoenix Nest, crushing it in a single decisive battle.
Whether it was the firewood-chopping elder, the unsavory old man, or Lin Jia and the rest — all of them were shaken. This was unquestionably a monumental undertaking. Having stood in opposition to that enemy for so many years, they knew all too well how terrifying a foe they faced.
“Right now, those two divine generals have recovered a great deal of their divine power — far more terrifying than before!” the yellow-toothed old man said, his expression grave.
“I do not go to battle without preparation. This time, the three of us — you, me, and the Divine Organization — will move together. My Heavenly Court can deploy two intact Emperor-Grade weapons. This time, I intend to break through the Phoenix Nest!” Ye Fan said, his voice thick with killing intent.
“Allow me to investigate one matter first,” the firewood-chopping elder said. He spoke plainly: the two divine generals within the Phoenix Nest were not only likely continuing to recover their vast divine power — there were also indications that they might have located another incomparably exceptional, peerless divine figure who had returned to take their rightful place. This needed to be verified.
“Very well — I’ll await your news!” Ye Fan said.
Several days later, Ye Fan received good news. Duan De had arrived — the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar, whole and without flaw, had been fully reassembled.
Duan De was extremely displeased. “Young man, I feel like this jar has become the property of the Heavenly Court. Whenever a battle breaks out, this poor Daoist has to flee and lend you the jar to use.”
“Once the Phoenix Nest is taken down, your benefits will be plentiful — you’ll never need to rob graves again,” Ye Fan said with a laugh.
“Nonsense! My losses this time were huge. Being dragged here by your constant summons — do you know what I missed? A heavenly blade, a stone egg — I almost had them cornered, and then that little brat Hua Hua scared them off!” Duan De fumed with indignation.
Everyone who heard this was startled.
The Heaven-Swallowing Demon Jar merged into one. Immediately, a singular aura spread through the air as it hovered above Ye Fan’s head. He triggered the Forbidden God Domain in that instant — in that moment, he felt as though he could do battle against even a Supreme Being.
At this level of strength, he was now capable of wielding that fearsome demon jar to its full extent — swallowing the heavens and absorbing the earth.
Ye Fan wasted no time. He crossed the star domains and made for the Divine Organization. He did not know enough about this inherited group, and he needed to take precautions. If an alliance was successfully formed, the Phoenix Nest would find annihilation impossible to escape.