The Sacred Physique had reached great completion. Ye Fan’s name spread throughout all of heaven and earth. Great tremors ran through every corner of the cosmos — without question, a truly matchless and peerless powerhouse had emerged into the world.

Heaven and earth convulsed violently. The great royal clans, every manner of lifeform across the cosmos — all were stunned. A Sacred Physique at great completion, capable of challenging a Great Emperor, was no mere empty boast; it truly commanded that level of combat power.

Many years had passed. The Green Emperor had passed into nirvana; the Sovereign of the Nine Abysses had lamented in sorrow. At last, such a figure had appeared once more — a supreme combat power at the Great Emperor level would emerge in this present age.

This was a storm without equal, surpassing all that had come before. Word even spread to the mortal world, where even children had heard the two words “Ye Fan.”

All under heaven boiled over. The ten wastelands trembled!

“A fully-completed Sacred Physique — born in our era! The moment he crossed his tribulation, he slew the supreme existence of the Cangtian Hegemon Blood lineage. Who can contend with him? Will the next ten thousand years belong to his reign?!”

“A figure who can truly challenge a Great Emperor has appeared. Will he go to settle accounts with the ancient sovereigns?”

All under heaven was restless, filled everywhere with debate.

Many speculated that Ye Fan would inevitably march to war against the Forbidden Zones of Life to demand reckoning. The recent attempted slaying had spread throughout the world, and many had witnessed with their own eyes the scenes of his great flight — the sovereigns in pursuit.

People anticipated that a tremendous storm was surely coming!

“That is not quite right — harmony is the most precious of all things. I think Fellow Daoist Ye will consider matters from many angles and will not necessarily go to war immediately.” An old man spoke — it was the long-absent Great Sage Huntuo, looking in fine spirits, face glowing with health, his bald head shinier than ever.

“This is bad — the Calamity Spirit has made a prediction. He’s a jinx — every one of his prophecies comes out backwards. I’d wager the Forbidden Zones of Life are about to have a terrible day. If I were a sovereign, I’d eliminate this unlucky wretch first!”

“You’re all still so calm after seeing the Calamity Spirit? Run for it — whoever he encounters, disaster follows.” Some elderly cultivators fled in a panic.

“Really? He’s that formidable? Even Great Sage Divine Wind has taken to his heels? That cursed aura is really that strong?”

“You young ones — all born in the last few hundred years, I’d wager. Back when Huntuo roamed the world, even your founding ancestors had to run.”

……

Ye Fan’s attainment of great completion had far-reaching consequences. It was a tremendous upheaval, and figures who had not been seen for many years all re-emerged.

An era belonging to the Sacred Physique had arrived. Perhaps it would open a period of unrivaled, glorious years, during which countless great waves and great events would unfold.

People were filled with anticipation!

Campaigns against the Forbidden Zones of Life might no longer be idle talk — perhaps they were about to become reality.

“Our Celestial Court can finally return to the world of men!”

None were more moved than the old soldiers. Every war division of the Celestial Court began to return, bearing great banners and crossing countless rivers of stars, surging forward in a mighty tide of iron and steel toward the former site of the Celestial Court.

“Assemble the generals, beat the war drums, raise the great banners, and summon the armies of our Celestial Court home!” The Black Emperor personally issued the order.

At the old grounds of the Celestial Court, great banners rolled and billowed, giving forth sounds like wind and thunder. True dragons coiled around the poles; phoenixes cried out in long, resonant calls that shook the cosmos.

“Hehe……”

In the Celestial Court, only two little girls could be so lively and carefree amid this grand spectacle. Xiao Zi and Xiao Nannan chased each other and played with boundless joy. Ji Ziyue looked on with adoring eyes, standing guard to the side, making sure they did not go too far — specifically, that they did not run off into the starry sky. She had no choice: Xiao Nannan was one thing, but now even Xiao Zi could fly.

As for Li Heishui, Dongfang Ye, Li Tian, and the others — they had long since been electrified with excitement, carrying wine jars as they made the rounds, urging disciples to clean up the long-sealed former grounds of the Celestial Court.

Army after army appeared, marching without pause toward this place. Many old soldiers wept, trembling with emotion. In the recent past, hunted by the Forbidden Zones, many old brothers had fallen — some war divisions had been wiped out entirely. And now they returned in force, with none who could stop them. The vast battle map Ye Fan had once sketched might truly come to pass!

“Those are the armies of the Celestial Court — truly elite troops, veteran soldiers forged through a hundred battles!”

“Let us join the Celestial Court as well. Only such a battle-hardened host is worthy of us. In the future, there will surely be hot-blooded battles — campaigns along the immortal road, sweeping out the Forbidden Zones. A true man should live with grand and magnificent deeds!”

Along the way, many cultivators debated among themselves. It was plain that the celestial soldiers and generals had become the envy of all — many people longed to be counted among their number.

Times had changed entirely. Everyone knew the Celestial Court would truly rise above all factions, with none who could restrain it any longer — not even the Forbidden Zones of Life, who would not dare act rashly.

“To think he has reached this point!”

In the Northern Dipper, many people sighed with emotion. In years past, they had competed and vied with Ye Fan. Now, only a few hundred years later, they found that the gap between them had grown to a magnitude that could not be bridged. What did a fully-completed Sacred Physique even mean? It meant being able to battle the Green Emperor of more than ten thousand years past — a being before whom all generations of their founding ancestors would have to look up in reverence and submission!

That night, many were sleepless — especially those who had once stood in opposition to Ye Fan, or even faced off against him directly. They gazed at the starry sky in silence.

The Sect Master of the Grand Yan Holy Land, black hair spreading loose over his shoulders, let out a long sigh. From one of the candidate holy sons of the past, to the head of a great school now, then to a sage — he had grown remarkably strong. Yet when he looked toward that supreme figure burning brilliantly like a divine being, illuminating half the cosmos, he could only fall silent.

A man with white hair like snow was likewise thus — the former holy son of the Wanchu Holy Land, now its Sect Master, standing alone in the night wind, an air of solitude about him. In years past, they had been of the same generation. Yet now it felt as though ten thousand ages stood between them, as he gazed in silence toward that resplendent figure, towering there like a being from an age of myth.

“We are no longer young — we have reached the end of our brilliance. While he is only just beginning. A Sacred Physique at great completion this young, a figure capable of challenging a Great Emperor — how many have there ever been throughout all of history?”

The old acquaintances of former days could only shake their heads and sigh.

At the Jade Pool Holy Land, the Jade Pool Saintess — whose brows and eyes were painted as though by a master hand, beautiful beyond what seemed real — sat in meditation facing the Nine-Aperture Spirit Embryo, whispering softly: “Setting aside all past lives, speaking only of this one — perhaps only you could stand as his equal in battle.”

The immortal stone gleamed translucently. The divine woman remained sealed within, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. Her powerful life and immortal essence nourished the entire Jade Pool sacred ground, and by now she had even begun to give back to the holy land — not only for herself.

In the Wind Clan, some fell silent. But Feng Huang laughed softly and said: “A fully-completed Sacred Physique has emerged into the world — is that not good? From this point on, heaven and earth will be at peace for a long while. There will be no dark upheaval, because those people dare not stir — they will be afraid of him.”

“Indeed.” Her grandfather, black hair still thick, tall and martial, gave a nod but said nothing more.

Everyone in the Wind Clan knew that many among their people carried a regret — not quite as their words expressed, because there had once been a possibility of bringing a fully-completed Sacred Physique into their clan.

They understood that perhaps they would soon see Ye Fan — for he would inevitably make a visit to the Forbidden Zones of Life in the Northern Dipper, arriving in force to demand reckoning.

At the thought of this possibility, every heart was stirred. Some of the younger disciples had blood boiling with excitement. Who had ever dared to tread into a Forbidden Zone of Life and demand reckoning from ancient sovereigns? Only Great Emperors had ever done so!

It was only on this day that they truly understood how terrifying a fully-completed Sacred Physique was. Ask all the world — who would be a match? It could awe all the brilliant talents since time immemorial.

And yet, things did not unfold as people imagined.

After recovering his combat power, Ye Fan did not return to the Celestial Court, nor did he go to the Hegemon Body Ancestral Star, nor did he come to the Forbidden Zones of Life in the Northern Dipper.

Stars glittered, brilliant light receding on either side of him. He made no effort to conceal his aura, stirring up every great faction across the starry sky, as he advanced toward a desolate and ominous land.

A Sacred Physique at great completion — his blood aura pierced the heavens. His thick black hair swirled freely. His gaze blazed with cold electricity. His first destination was the Underworld, as he stepped into a land shrouded in sinister, dark mist.

The former greatest divine general of the Ancient Celestial Court, Chuanying, had fallen — buried in the Underworld after blocking the Netherworld Emperor. Ye Fan had come to understand what had happened and to demand a clear account.

For a hundred years, Chuanying had suppressed the Underworld, buying Ye Fan the most precious time. By any measure, he owed it to him to come here and see things through.

“Ye Fan has gone to the Underworld!”

This news spread, shaking all realms. A fully-completed Sacred Physique intended to confront the most mysterious entity in all of ancient history — this news was absolutely explosive!

This would be Ye Fan’s first battle after achieving Sacred Physique great completion and reaching the full consummation of his tribulation. It seized the attention of who knew how many people. To say all under heaven was stirred was no exaggeration.

The Underworld was truly mysterious — born from death, absorbing the extremity of creation.

Alive, a supreme master of the imperial path. In death, the body transformed and attained the Dao once more. The one who achieved this was the Netherworld Emperor — the very first.

His origins were mysterious, and his power surpassed what the imagination could reach!

Death energy pervaded the air. The nether earth stretched in desolation — this place had been ravaged. Stars had fallen one after another, pounding this land into endless craters.

The nether earth was boundlessly vast, like another cosmos entirely. Death was its eternal theme. Black earth stretched without limit.

Ye Fan frowned. He saw many appalling scenes — the vast nether earth had no end, and beneath the great craters the fallen stars had created lay countless remains, from ages too ancient to name.

He walked on, treading through boundless black cursed earth. All he saw was destruction. Beneath the ground, rivers of blood were commonplace — as were corpses and a great many coffins.

This place had been wrecked, ruined beyond recognition. The Underworld seemed to have reached the end of its decline. One could only imagine how fierce that battle had been.

Ye Fan was astonished. Was Chuanying alone truly this terrifying? Had he really half-destroyed the Underworld on his own? Word was that more than one sovereign slept here.

If the battle had reached such a degree that even the nether earth was half-destroyed, there was no reason the other sovereigns would not have emerged!

He pressed forward, and at last he saw the spectral soldiers. Yet upon seeing him, every one of them retreated — none dared to attack. No matter how powerful, under his aura all trembled. Who would dare fight?

This was the might of a sovereign. So long as his blood aura surged, all living things trembled. With even a slight release of his presence, those powerful spectral generals would shatter.

All fell back. Before him they were like ants looking up at a heavenly dragon, feeling keenly their own insignificance.

Those great monumental steles, one after another — all were magnificent records of former glory, inscribed with the epochs of the Underworld and the battle achievements of each successive master. Now they had cracked into pieces, stained with blood.

Chuanying had fought his way in, his clash with the Netherworld Emperor having been extraordinarily brutal, destroying many things within the Underworld.

The territory here was boundlessly vast. The countless craters made by the fallen stars alone gave testimony to that.

The spectral generals were frightened. Many could not bear the weight of Ye Fan’s arrival and fell to their knees — not from the heart, but purely from the crushing pressure of a sovereign’s might.

At times, powerful battle-slaves appeared — not a few of them supreme quasi-emperors — but in the end they too trembled, unable to approach, cowering with fear.

Ye Fan stormed through the Underworld as though passing through an empty realm.

At last he came to the heart of the Underworld. A grand and imposing Prison-Suppressing Hall stood across his path. On the steps before it, a figure sat — blood staining his body in patches.

He was clad in black nether-iron battle armor, dark light flowing over it. Some parts had been shattered, and black blood was seeping through. His right hand held a battle halberd, planted on the ground. To his left, a black-gold shield rested on the steps.

Ye Fan’s heart lurched. It appeared the Underworld had undergone changes beyond all imagination — nothing like what he had envisioned.