Grass and trees withered and flourished again. Snowstorms and green shoots came and went. The mortal world turned over and over; how many generations had risen and fallen in the ordinary world, becoming dust on the wind.

The river of time flows forward without end, never turning back. In the blink of an eye, five hundred years had passed — and this world had undergone enormous change.

Immortality was the talk of every age. For five hundred years the world had been in an uproar. Every cultivator discussed it without end. Becoming immortal had become the most burning topic of all.

Someone had become immortal — shattering a myth ten-thousand ages old, shaking the entire mortal world. At first people refused to believe it, but the truth spread out from the restricted zones, carried from the Celestial Court, and it shook the entire cultivation world to its core.

The Immortal Realm, once impossibly beyond reach, had been successfully entered. A threshold that once could not be crossed — now it seemed nothing could stand in the way. How could that not make every heart tremble?

At the same time, all cultivators were filled with excitement. Like travelers who had long stumbled through the dark, they had finally seen a lighthouse of hope, their confidence powerfully renewed.

But was it truly so?

Ye Fan did not know. All these years, he had been silent and withdrawn. Most of his time was spent sitting cross-legged on a towering black cliff, contemplating and reflecting in stillness.

Sometimes he sat for decades at a time, motionless as ever, as though he had entered nirvana — as though he had become part of the mountain itself. He felt neither joy nor sorrow. His eyes opened and closed at rare intervals, as though ten-thousand ages of time were flowing through them.

This place was the Undying Mountain — great peaks, towering and majestic, their sheer cliff faces rising ten-thousand ren, every peak black as ink, piercing into the clouds. The sun, moon, and stars revolved around them. This had once been a life restricted zone, and was now one of the most important territories of the Celestial Court.

What an act of defiance against heaven that was. When the Undying Mountain first came to stand within the Celestial Court, the entire world shook in awe. Ye Fan had leveled this life restricted zone and made it a courtyard of the Celestial Court — a display of unrivaled heavenly might.

Without question, the Celestial Court had by now become an immense colossus. Throughout the mortal world, few could compare to it.

Of course, the life restricted zones remained the eternal great enemies of the mortal world. No matter how powerful a faction, no matter how glorious its lineage, all faced difficulty and wariness when confronted with the ancient supreme beings.

Beyond that, in these five hundred years, another force had risen — one of great power. They sought to establish an Immortal Court of the demon race, for the Golden Crow Great Emperor had appeared.

Five hundred years of recovery — the Golden Crow Great Emperor had endured tribulation after tribulation, mending the flaws of former years. His aura now filled the entire great universe, as though he had merged heaven and earth itself into one.

This was the most terrifying of omens. A great emperor was called invincible not merely as a saying — for he would suppress the ten-thousand Daos and stand supreme above all, deserving to reign without rival for an entire age.

Fire Mulberry Star had in these years become a place of pilgrimage. The great clan leaders of the demon races, without exception, led their most talented and exceptional disciples there to pay homage, prostrating themselves before the demon emperor of the age, who dominated all six directions and eight wastelands.

Had it not been for the unprecedented achievement of someone defying the heavens to attain immortality in this age, the Golden Crow’s ascent to emperor-hood would undoubtedly have been the most talked-about event across ten-thousand years. For an active great emperor to be alive — how many would ever have such a sight? Yet in this age, people had been fortunate enough to witness his tribulations, to see him become a supreme existence. The universe’s eight wastelands and every race trembled. Regardless of whether they had any dealings with the Golden Crow clan, all came to pay their respects.

Because no one wished to offend a true great emperor.

In all these years, the Golden Crow clan had lorded over the world, dominant and unyielding, looking down on every race — an incomparable and supreme imperial clan.

The only thing they felt as a deficiency was that in this world there still existed a Ye Fan — an undefeatable Holy Body who had slain supreme beings within the restricted zones — and this had taken some of the grandeur away from the Golden Crow Great Emperor’s reputation.

In truth, however, over all these years, those coming to the Celestial Court to pay homage had been even more numerous. Ye Fan’s real record of battle was truly invincible and glorious, dominating the world — and by most reckonings, more terrifying still.

At this moment, his eyes opened and closed, and he could reach the eight wastelands in an instant. He saw a great battle unfolding deep in the cosmos. Flames raged to the heavens, and a golden crow crossed the sky, locked in combat with disciples of the Celestial Court.

In the end, a flash of fire — and a disciple of the Celestial Court, wielding a begging bowl in hand, captured a powerful Golden Crow and sealed it within for suppression.

In all these years, only the Celestial Court’s people dared to do such things. Who else in any other faction would dare?

With the demon emperor enthroned, the Golden Crow clan, bearing imperial blood, was revered on all eight sides. They devoured mountains and rivers wherever they went, and every race stepped aside before them.

Only the Celestial Court dared to make a move. They picked no fights unprovoked — but whenever a Golden Crow came looking for trouble, they answered with overwhelming force, seizing them as mounts or cutting them down.

Hence these two great powers had not enjoyed a harmonious relationship. Tensions between them had become somewhat strained.

Ye Fan turned his gaze. A cultivator who had reached his level of power had no need to leave his seat to wander the eight wastelands in spirit — all the star systems were laid out before his eyes.

In another direction, nine flood dragons pulled a royal carriage across the sky — dignified and commanding, emanating an imperial aura as the great Dao resounded. Numerous sages accompanied the carriage in attendance, gathered by its side.

It was an entire entourage — every person extraordinary. The procession was vast and imposing, nine great flood dragons spanning the cosmos, sages serving as soldiers, like a divine king descending to make a tour of inspection, filling all who saw it with reverence.

But at that moment, someone charged forward. A loud shout rang out: “I was wondering who it could be — it is none other than the one and only crown prince of the Golden Crow clan! You have crossed into our territory. Are you trying to enter the Celestial Court’s patrol zone?”

The one blocking the way was Yang Xi. Five hundred years had passed, and his blood energy surged like a flood tide, his power vast as a sea. He had long since achieved an invincible momentum beneath the heavens. What had not changed was his temperament — still the same as ever, still a battle-crazed maniac.

Long ago, Hou Yi had shot down nine suns in succession. Only one Golden Crow survived — the one now in the carriage — who had fled back to Fire Mulberry Star. He was the one and only descendant of the current Golden Crow Great Emperor.

Now that the demon emperor had risen, his status was naturally beyond all measure of value.

But he was also someone the Celestial Court most wished to eliminate. Pang Bo, Zhang Wenchang, Hua Hua, and others from Earth were chief among those eager to find the opportunity to kill him.

For Hou Yi held a place of supreme heroism in their hearts — he was a legend.

These few were not satisfied, and naturally that feeling had spread through much of the Celestial Court. Yang Xi and Hua Hua were close friends, so naturally he wanted to help achieve that wish.

“Hmph!”

A cold snort came from within the carriage, expressing great displeasure with Yang Xi. “I am merely patrolling my demon clan’s sacred domain — what business is that of yours?”

“You have already crossed into our territory. If you want to fight, come — I have been looking forward to it for some time!” Yang Xi laughed heartily.

“BOOM!”

He thrust a great hand outward and struck — acting immediately, without hesitation. The Celestial Court feared no great force now. Since the other side had crossed the boundary, he saw no reason to be courteous.

“CRACK!”

The carriage shattered. From within, a beam of golden light surged upward. The eyes of the Golden Crow Crown Prince flowed with cold light. He opened his mouth and spat out a great seal in the shape of a mountain, blazing with firelight — carrying the might to suppress all of the ancient azure heavens, incomparably terrifying.

“Is that a treasure your father refined for you? Quite impressive — fashioned from a fire-essence divine mountain, no less. Too bad it still won’t do!”

Yang Xi laughed broadly, and slapped his palm down, driving his bare hand onto that enormous fiery mountain seal. Lava surged and the divine mountain exploded, the marks upon the seal ground into nothing.

The assembled sages were terrified. This man was practically a second Ye Fan. The weapon had been forged by the demon emperor himself for his son — and he had smashed it. What kind of monstrous physical body did he possess?

“Are you pushing me?” The Golden Crow Crown Prince let out a cold snort. Rising from the shattered four-way carriage, a great golden bell appeared above his head, its divine resonance drifting through all the ages.

It was one of the demon emperor’s weapons — the Imperial Bell, and it rested upon his person.

“What a fine treasure that is. That golden bell would suit my senior martial brother Ye Tong perfectly — I’ll give it to him as a weapon.” Yang Xi said.

“Young friend speaks in jest,” came the voice of the great emperor-level divine spirit, drifting out from within the great bell.

Then a colossal beam of golden light shot forth, cutting across the cosmos and splitting that region in two — marking a boundary line. The great bell then struck once more. Rosy clouds filled the sky, wrapping around the entire entourage and slowly withdrawing, retreating back to the demon domain.

Yang Xi smiled and made no move to pursue.

All these years, he had suppressed himself with great discipline, intending to wait until the day he broke through — and then challenge the Imperial Bell head-on, meeting an absolute Dao weapon with his bare hands.

Within the Celestial Court’s divine garden, at the Undying Mountain, Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the black cliff. Having witnessed everything in the cosmos, his expression remained utterly calm.

In another region of the Undying Mountain, lush and verdant, full of life, stood an ancient tree — its radiance shimmering, its great trunk gnarled and powerful as a coiled dragon. Beneath it sat a group of children with young faces, full of youthful vitality, each sitting in meditation, earnestly seeking enlightenment in the Dao.

They were yet another generation. Among them were grandchildren of Li Heishui, fourth-generation descendants of Dongfang Ye, great-great-grandchildren of Li Tian, and children of celestial soldiers. All of them possessed limitless potential.

The ancient tea tree of Dao enlightenment shimmered with flowing light, able to grow only within the Undying Mountain, and had now become yet another undying immortal tree of the Celestial Court.

In all these years, the Celestial Court had grown and flourished, shaking the universe and commanding the ten wastelands. Generation after generation of their descendants had grown more and more extraordinary — wave after wave of people rising up.

“Hmm!”

Ye Fan was surprised. He looked back toward a certain region, his expression shifting with curiosity. His gaze pierced through endless star rivers and saw the scene unfolding there.

A vast and mighty heavenly tribulation appeared. With a single strike, it obliterated ten-thousand stars, leaving that area a shattered ruin — terrifying and boundless.

Ye Tong was undergoing tribulation. The nine-tiered heavenly tribulation descended, blotting out the sun and sky, immeasurable and vast, shaking the entire great universe.

The entire world was shaken. Everyone understood: the Celestial Court was growing ever more unstoppably powerful. Even Ye Tong was about to enter this realm. In days to come, he would be able to fight shoulder to shoulder with Ye Fan — who in all the world could stand in their way?

“Last time, he had already broken into the nine-tiered heavenly realm but had deliberately suppressed himself. Could it be that this time he intends to use this to push through to the emperor’s realm?” This was not the thought of just one person.

“BOOM!”

The tribulation was boundless and immeasurable. All the stars in every heaven flickered simultaneously, as though set ablaze. Ye Tong stepped into the pinnacle of the nine-tiered heavenly realm, charging freely, shattering upward through the thirty-three layers of heaven and pressing downward into the nine nether depths.

He struggled in the boundless universe, striving to shatter the undying, to carve a brilliant and radiant future!

“What a terrifying heavenly tribulation. What a fearsome young talent — could this truly be yet another person capable of subduing the restricted zones?” Many looked on with wariness and unease.

“Ah…”

Ye Tong let out a roar. The great tribulation lasted no one knew how long. Gods and demons howled across heaven and earth, the stars trembled in every direction, all manner of portents appeared together — and in the end, even the awe-inspiring immortal-ascending phenomenon appeared.

“This is a portent of achieving emperor-hood. In the past, all who have ever displayed that phenomenon have gone on to become supreme beings.”

“Senior martial brother is undergoing his tribulation — he has taken that step. The only question is whether he can take the opportunity to charge at the emperor’s gate!” In that moment, many within the Celestial Court were filled with excitement.

Yang Xi, Hua Hua, and all the others were itching with eagerness, each wishing they could take his place — all of them boundlessly exhilarated.

In the end, Ye Tong soared into the heavens, smashing apart the sea of lightning, piercing through the heavenly tribulation, defying the will of heaven — as though he meant to shatter all thirty-three layers of heaven in a single breath!

“Hmm?!”

In that moment, even those within the restricted zones could not remain seated. Some opened their eyes. Was this the rhythm of achieving the Dao?

“BOOM!”

Ye Fan remained seated on the cliff, but he moved. He struck out with a single palm, piercing through the heavens, and directly obliterated a shadow of light that had been racing toward Ye Tong!

“Five hundred years I have not emerged into the world — have you all forgotten me? Whoever dares lay a hand on my disciple, I will raze your entire restricted zone to the ground!”