Black mountains stood tall and majestic, every peak a king among mountains, an emperor among peaks — range upon range, each radiating a sweeping, overwhelming presence.
Their distinctively black stone bodies, the unnerving qi that emanated from them, and the silence that had endured through countless ages all combined to make this place utterly unlike anything else in the world — as though it stood beyond the cycle of reincarnation itself.
Ye Fan stared, dumbfounded. He was certain his eyes did not deceive him. This was the Undying Mountain. He had returned to the Big Dipper Star Region.
He had half-expected to plunge deeper into the cosmic heavens and descend upon the ancient star known as “Ascending to Immortality.” He had already prepared himself for the worst — readying himself for war against the divine clans. Never had he imagined that after what seemed a dead end, a new path would open before him.
“The Undying Mountain!” Ye Fan exhaled a long, deep breath.
“We’ve arrived on a living ancient star!” Long Ma let out a wild neigh, unable to contain its long, soaring cry.
They had not landed among the black mountain ranges themselves, but just outside them, where the wilderness stretched in every direction — trees like a vast forest, ancient trunks soaring toward the sky, a boundless, untamed expanse.
To their eyes, those leaves and vines and tendrils were the most beautiful sight imaginable. After wandering through the cosmic void for more than half a year, seeing nothing but desolate stars at every turn, they had grown profoundly weary.
And it was hard not to see from this just how terrifying the cosmos truly was. Though stars numbered in the billions, truly living ancient stars were vanishingly few — all the demons and monsters they had encountered on the way were descendants of ancient sages who had assaulted the Gates of Han Valley.
“Master… we’re in the Big Dipper Star Region?” Zhang Qingyang asked, his voice trembling — partly from overwhelming emotion, partly because the sight of those black mountains ahead nearly stopped his breath.
“What is this place? Why does it make one feel so… unsettled?” The Divine Knight’s eyes shone with brilliant intensity, filled with shock.
“This forsaken wasteland — not even a single beast making noise. This sovereign will just flatten it and be done with it.” Long Ma snorted white steam from its nostrils, oppressed by the qi emanating from that direction, thoroughly displeased.
Ye Fan immediately warned it: under no circumstances was it to act rashly. This was one of the Big Dipper’s Seven Great Forbidden Zones of Life — a place that had always been entered and never exited. Even the great emperors of antiquity had fought here without being able to level it.
“That terrifying?” Long Ma quieted itself.
Ye Fan’s heart surged with emotion. After fourteen years, he had returned. He wondered how the old friends of his past were faring — whether they were still well.
He led the way forward, turning his back to the Undying Mountain and heading into the primordial forest. After traveling some distance, the sounds of gibbons and tiger roars finally reached them, and they began encountering many rare beasts.
The terrifying qi of the Undying Mountain gradually receded and faded. Everyone relaxed. Zhang Qingyang and Long Yuxuan were still in something of a daze — they had truly crossed the heavenly void and succeeded. It all felt like a dream.
Having grown up on Earth, though they were cultivators, they had also received a modern education. To travel from one planet all the way to another star region — it was the stuff of fantasy, and none of it felt real.
“We passed through the Gates of Han Valley heading west, and followed some ancient road straight into the stars — and now we’re in the Big Dipper…” The two of them muttered to themselves in a stupor, then their lips twitched and they both burst into helpless, silly grins.
“Ha ha…!” Long Ma laughed even louder and more unabashedly, boasting shamelessly that it would become a Sage-Horse in this heaven and earth in the shortest possible time, trampling the world beneath its hooves.
The mood of the entire group lifted enormously. It was not only Long Ma who felt this way — even Ye Fan was seized by a powerful wave of emotion, clenching his fist tightly, his gaze reaching toward the distant horizon.
“Old companions who lived and died together — I have returned. And to all of you who are my enemies: perhaps you have forgotten me. But before long, you will remember again.”
“This sovereign missed you to death — stop right there!” Long Ma went on a rampage, giving chase to a mixed-blood roc. It galloped through the sky with thundering hoofbeats and stamped down a massive golden bird from the heavens — a creature that appeared cast from solid gold.
“Tonight we feast on roasted roc!” Long Ma declared triumphantly.
Everyone else shared the same reaction of exasperated disbelief. This creature never touched greens; not a single glance at grass unless it happened to be medicinal herbs thousands of years old. Most of the time it was purely carnivorous.
That night, a bonfire blazed and the fragrance of roasted roc meat drifted throughout the entire forest. The group ate to their hearts’ content.
Zhang Qingyang even produced several bottles of Moutai liquor — before heading to the Gates of Han Valley, he had purchased large quantities of cigarettes and spirits, worried he might not adapt to life in this realm.
“Master… I miss my mom.” Just then, the little child Hua Hua burst into tears, lips trembling. Through all the bizarre and extraordinary things he had experienced on this journey, he had not made a sound — but now that they had finally reached their destination, his longing for home had come pouring out.
Ye Fan felt a headache coming on. This small child had been carried to the far end of the cosmos, and truly there was no simple way to arrange for him. How was one to care for him properly?
Sending Hua Hua to the group of holy monks at Sumeru Mountain in the Western Desert — no. He had absolutely no intention of that. With such rare and exceptional aptitude, a sea of consciousness filled with Buddhist scriptures, there was no reason to send him away.
He was the guardian of the Buddhist faith on the other side of the stellar path — but here, that was no longer so. Having fulfilled his promise to the ancient Buddha, and intending to treat this child well from this point forward, he had already taken him as a disciple.
“If you miss your parents, you can work hard at cultivation. When you have grown, you will be able to cross the star regions and return.” That was all Ye Fan could say.
The morning glow radiated in every direction. Dewdrops burst into shimmering colors of light.
Mist and haze coiled around the mountain forest; the fresh, clean scent of grass and trees rushed to meet them, leaving the newly awakened group slightly dazed and unreal.
More than half a year had been spent wandering from one desolate star to the next, battling various divine clan forces, enduring trial upon trial — and now, at last, they had arrived at their destination.
“Let’s go — move out!”
Ye Fan changed his appearance. He did not know what had transpired in these fourteen years or what the outside world had become, and he needed to learn anew.
He solemnly warned Long Ma and the others: this world was dangerous. Even Dao-severing sovereigns were insufficient here — above them loomed the imposing might of primordial ancestral kings. They had to tread carefully.
Long Ma, too, would need to contain its dragon aura and transform into the appearance of a mixed-blood dragon-horse. If it showed itself otherwise, it would absolutely invite catastrophic trouble the moment it appeared. This was a mount that only a great emperor of antiquity could possess — and bloodlines of this caliber had not been seen in over a hundred thousand years.
The central region of the Eastern Wasteland had once shone with brilliant glory, leading the winds and clouds of the world. The collision of countless heritages had struck sparks of dazzling brilliance there, and ancient ruins were scattered in abundance.
Tianhen City was a place of ancient history, having stood in the world for untold tens of thousands of years — one of the ten great ancient cities of the central region. Its walls were grand and imposing, built of green stone, coiling like a resting azure dragon.
Ye Fan’s group entered the city, and no one took particular notice. In a city of this scale, all manner of extraordinary figures passed through daily — they were far from conspicuous.
“You said you’d treat us to Enlightenment Tea, making it sound like something remarkable. Let’s see if it actually lives up to the name — don’t go finding some broken-down teahouse to fob us off.” Long Ma griped.
Changsheng Teahouse rose five stories tall, its architecture steeped in antiquity. All who passed through its doors were powerful figures from the world of cultivation — no ordinary person set foot here. Its fame stemmed from the Enlightenment Tea it offered for sale: once or twice a year at most, always at astronomical prices.
The Undying Mountain yielded only a few dozen tea leaves annually, yet this teahouse managed to obtain a portion every year — proof enough of its extraordinary connections.
Ye Fan wasn’t sure whether they would find any for sale. His primary purpose in coming here was to gather intelligence. After emerging from the primordial forest, they had come directly to this ancient city.
The scent of tea drifted through the air, soothing to the senses. The Divine Knight took a small sip and sighed in admiration at its quality.
In the end, they did not manage to purchase any Enlightenment Tea. Now that the ancient clans had emerged into the world, this rare divine tea had become even more precious — the total annual yield was mere dozens of leaves, and fierce competition came from all sides.
Long Ma had transformed into human form. It initially put on an elaborate show of drinking tea with proper decorum, but before long had conjured an enormous jade bowl and demanded a servant fill it to the brim, proceeding to gulp it down in great, sweeping swallows like a whale drinking in the ocean. The people at every other table in the establishment broke into helpless laughter.
“Sigh, we’re getting old. Truly, every generation gives rise to its own talents, each commanding the winds for a few centuries. The capable young figures of today are genuinely frightening.”
“Couldn’t agree more. Even a disciple of the Huang Xu Dao can now shake the world. Isn’t he not even twenty yet?”
“Wanchu Holy Land has also cultivated an extraordinary genius — that speaks to lessons painfully learned. Their former Holy Son and Holy Daughter were both killed in their time, and now they’ve poured everything into raising a single remarkable talent. One can imagine they’ve been nursing that grudge for years.”
Ye Fan sipped his tea and listened quietly, staying Long Ma’s urge to ask questions and bidding the group to remain silent and listen.
Changsheng Teahouse did excellent business. Cultivators from every direction, north and south, passed through, and people enjoyed gathering here to discuss all manner of affairs in the world of cultivation — it was an ideal spot for conversation.
“The times have changed. Sovereigns as unrivaled as the Huang Xu Dao and the Heavenly Emperor’s Son haven’t made a move in five or six years, and yet even the disciples they’ve trained can now roam the world unchallenged.”
“With Yao Guang undefeated in the field, who dares vie for supremacy? Tell me — has Yao Guang’s Holy Master truly set foot on the ancient stellar path? If she is still in this world, why has she not appeared in these past years?”
“Hmm — in an era without Saints, eight years ago at that one battle, Yao Guang was nearly unmatched beneath the heavens. That brilliant record of hers is still unforgettable to this day!”
Ye Fan showed a flash of surprise. The former Holy Son of Yao Guang had by now become the master of that holy land — and had grown powerful to this degree. These people were saying she had set foot on the stellar path. What was going on?
“After all these years, counting up the heroes of the world — still the Huang Xu Dao, the Heavenly Emperor’s Son, the Holy Son of Yao Guang, the Sacred Emperor’s Son, and others stand at the forefront. Every one of them had a period of sweeping all before them.”
“Hmm, you’ve left someone out. The Holy Body once dominated the age — he beat down every peer who crossed him, slew Holy Sons, killed Divine Sons, and had his own period of glory.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have nearly forgotten. By my reckoning, he should have been gone fourteen or fifteen years now. He was quite a figure. Only — I wonder whether his cultivation has made great strides in all this time.”
“Master, who are you all talking about?” A girl of thirteen or fourteen asked a group of elders.
An old man patted the girl’s head with indulgent fondness, his thoughts drifting to distant times. “Someone called Ye Fan. When he left, you hadn’t even been born yet. Those were truly unforgettable times.”
“Was he very powerful?” The girl tilted her head to one side, her large eyes bright and curious.
Many people in the teahouse looked over. Clearly, quite a few had been drawn in by the conversation, their minds drifting back to those days of old.
Another elder patted the girl’s head and said: “The Holy Body was, without question, a powerhouse without equal in that era. The Heavenly Emperor’s Son of today, the Holy Son of Yao Guang — all of them were once his great adversaries.”
“With Yao Guang emerging from seclusion, who could contend? With the Heavenly Emperor’s Son manifesting, the heroes of the world trembled. And yet he stood alone against all these sovereigns — and survived?” The girl’s eyes shimmered with light.
“Child, you have it wrong. During those years when he commanded the age, he was undefeated among his peers. Even the mighty Yao Guang, even the formidable Heavenly Emperor’s Son, even Huo Qizi — unrivaled in courage — none of them managed to take his life. None dared truly fight him to the death.”
“Indeed — those Holy Sons, magnificent as each of them was, were all crushed beneath the weight of his power alone. Think back to Yuangu, who carried ancient emperor bloodlines, and still fell to his blade. And then that one like a fallen immortal — the stunning Hua Yunfei — who dazzled the world and ultimately faded into obscurity.”
“Then where did he go?” the girl pressed.
“He left this ancient star. His whereabouts are unknown. Whether he still lives — no one knows. The stellar paths are perilous.”
At that moment, a loud, heavy snort rang out, and a group of people rose from their seats with unpleasant expressions and descended the stairs.
“Ah — those were people from Wanchu Holy Land. Speaking of the Holy Body’s past like that, of course they would be displeased. Ye Fan killed their Holy Son in his time, then killed their Holy Daughter as well.”
“Hmm. And now they have at last cultivated a heaven-defying genius, treasured beyond measure. Today there is to be a battle with someone called Ye Tong.”
“That’s right — today brings a clash between heaven-defying geniuses, right here in this city. So many powerful figures have come here just to witness this battle, heralded as the most attention-commanding duel of the younger generation.”
“Did you know — I’ve heard that this person called Ye Tong has a connection to the Holy Body of old? Either his disciple or his child — raised by that insufferable, ten-thousand-times-damned great black dog.”
“Word reached me long ago. Otherwise, why would Wanchu Holy Land’s genius specifically seek battle with him? They want to vent their grievance on behalf of their holy land — a continuation of their old feud with the Holy Body.”
Ye Fan started. Ye Tong — could that be his eldest disciple, Tong Tong? He sat in a daze. After all these years, the little one had indeed grown up.
“This time, the winds are truly stirring — I’m told many ancient clan powerhouses have come as well, wanting to witness this battle. In their day they all suffered at the Holy Body’s hands, and now they want to see how his disciple measures up.”
It was clear: Tianhen City was alive with rising winds and gathering clouds, and at the center of it all was an impending clash between two heaven-defying geniuses of the younger generation!