At the time of a new marriage, the immortal path had cracked open. After the morning came, Ye Fan naturally arrived as well. Such a momentous event had occurred—no one could sit still, and no great power could maintain composure.

Looking out now, the several great Life Forbidden Zones had columns of light reaching the sky, piercing through the nine heavens—a sight that shook hearts to their foundations.

It seemed as though the light shooting forth from the crown of one ancient supreme sovereign after another represented the clarity of their immortal platforms—proof of their enduring imperishable state—and just looking upon them made one tremble.

“The road ahead is difficult,” Ye Fan recalled the white-robed Divine King’s parting words, and in this moment felt them with great depth. To be born into such a great era was said to be a golden and glorious time—yet it carried its own forms of sorrow as well.

One ancient supreme sovereign after another was awakening. Their presence alone was enough to make the people of the current era nearly suffocate. Should true conflict erupt—to slaughter their way across three thousand worlds, to crack apart the nine heavens—that would be no problem whatsoever.

From this day forward, with immortal radiance soaring to the heavens, merely glancing in the direction of the Life Forbidden Zones would be enough to fill the people of the world with awe and dread—and then with sighs.

Ye Fan stood before what was now an even larger crack, his heart surging with turbulent emotion—far from calm. The immortal path was ultimately going to open, yet the timing was not what one might hope for.

For the immortal path to open at this stage—even if he, the Sacred Emperor’s Son, Ji Zi, and the others were as extraordinary as could be, what of it? They could never contend against true quasi-emperors, let alone the ancient supreme sovereigns!

Given this reality, if one truly wished to become immortal, the only option was to charge headlong into it—to smash one’s head bloody, to be destroyed in body and soul, with not even a sliver of hope remaining.

“Unless the entire world becomes immortal together—the gates of the immortal domain thrown wide open—with no restrictions, everyone able to step inside—otherwise, it’s just too difficult!” The Black Emperor sighed as well.

“Battle the immortals… battle the immortals!” The Sacred Emperor’s Son murmured to himself. His eyes burned with fierce, blazing intensity as he fixed his gaze on that enormous crack—wishing to follow in his father’s footsteps, to bide his time for the future, and in defiance of all odds, forge himself into a battle-hardened immortal, fighting his way in through sheer strength.

“Wait for the future. To participate now is to die in vain.” Ji Zi also nodded—rationally, he recognized this reality clearly.

“Is that how it is for you too, Father?” Ji Chengdao raised his head and asked.

Ji Haoyue had brought a six-year-old child here simply to broaden his horizons, and held great hope for his future. He explained things carefully to him.

Crack!

It could be heard clearly: the enormous crack was expanding—growing ever larger. One couldn’t help but wonder whether it might one day tear apart the Northern Dipper itself, or even split the cosmos in two.

The sound of rushing water reached them. From the towering mountain peak came startled cries—the sacred beings all drew back in a rush, as if fleeing a plague, causing a wave of chaos.

Yet another object had fallen from within the immortal path’s great crack—witnessed by onlookers with their own eyes. Shock erupted at once. It turned out to be vivid crimson blood—and flowing from it was a terrifying imperial Aura of Power.

Having lost an intact physical body, with most of the life essence already dissipated from the broken form, this blood was still not something an ordinary person could endure. Even a Great Sage could be wounded by it.

Ye Fan, the Sacred Emperor’s Son, and Ji Zi stepped forward, walking side by side. All others regarded them with reverence and made way for them. The events at the Ji Family estate had naturally spread already—forcing back the Emperor’s Child from the Life Forbidden Zone, pressing the Great Sage sent by the Celestial Court’s Emperor Lord to his knees. How could that not shake the world?

The great crack was like a dark cosmic void—profoundly deep, fathomless. The occasional flashes of immortal light within were like the starry rivers of the cosmos—brilliant and beautiful—and what lay behind it appeared shrouded in mystery. The unknown always inspired both longing and fear.

Blood dripped downward, falling drop by drop, enveloped in chaos, landing upon the mountain peak—a heartrending sight.

“A familiar aura!” Ye Fan’s expression shifted with astonishment. He could not help but murmur to himself.

“Whose is it? Where have you encountered it before?” The Black Emperor pressed impatiently.

Ji Zi and the Sacred Emperor’s Son were also struck with shock. This was an ancient supreme sovereign who had fallen upon the immortal path—when had Ye Fan ever encountered such an entity? Could it have been through a surviving imperial weapon?

“The Human Emperor!” Ye Fan said with a solemn expression.

When he had battled the Hegemon upon the human race’s ancient path, he had once encountered the divine will of the Human Emperor—it was this very aura. He could not possibly mistake it. Lamentable—a generation’s Human Emperor had also fallen one step short.

“That is correct. There are records in this world that the Human Emperor had nearly succeeded—that an accident befell him upon the immortal path, and so he fell short at the very last moment,” Ji Zi said.

This was consistent with what Ye Fan had heard on the human race’s ancient path. It was truly too great a pity. What manner of accident had occurred there—one could only sorrow for the Human Emperor.

He had dominated the nine heavens and ten earths, the mightiest figure of a lifetime, who had glimpsed the dawn—only to perish in that final moment, leaving behind an eternal regret spanning the ages.

Bang!

A violent tremor. The great crack spread further. A massive section had just exploded open—not growing longer, but growing enormously wider, like a black hole.

From within that hollow, chaotic energy swirled. Light blazed. Something else had fallen out!

“The Human Emperor!”

Ye Fan’s heart lurched. The feeling was unmistakable—it was half a body. Though it was impossible to see clearly, what could be felt was an imposing and magnificent bearing—tall and upright.

Like a Great Emperor looking down from above, gazing upon all living creatures below. Even in death, even after over a million years had passed, that aura of consuming mountains and rivers with a single breath still remained.

Silently, without the eruption of divine thunder, the body dissolved into the Dao. A great blaze of immortal fire suddenly erupted, submerging everything, burning endlessly.

In the final light of those flames, a handsome face was revealed—shaking the heart. This was the Human Emperor of a generation, appearing as young as any young man. Only his hair had turned white.

A single glimpse was enough to make one feel that this was a peerless great hero of the world. Thinking again of the scene on the human race’s ancient path when the Human Emperor’s divine will had revived, it only deepened the sense that he had been so magnificent—so towering and indomitable.

“What a pity. Heaven is jealous of those with great talent,” Ye Fan sighed. He mourned the Human Emperor.

The final immortal fire flickered and died, leaving behind some ash. The dissolution into the Dao had still not swept through the Great Desolation or the assembled heroes. Ye Fan stepped forward and gathered the ash in a jar, intending to find a place of clear mountains and pure waters in which to lay it to rest.

“What exactly happened?” Ji Zi murmured to himself. In the past, after the Human Emperor’s accident, a portion of his body had fallen into the mortal realm and been given a proper burial. The other portion had been unable to emerge.

The immortal path was too mysterious—especially for those rare individuals who had nearly crossed all the way through. It was all the more unfathomable!

“Brother, brother—that older sister is looking at me again,” Xiao Nannan also arrived, riding atop the big black dog’s back. She pulled at Ye Fan’s sleeve from the side and gazed into the depths of the Ancient Forbidden Land, her large eyes filled with a strange, shimmering light.

The Forbidden Land—again the Forbidden Land!

Ye Fan’s heart shuddered. The Sacred Emperor’s Son, Ji Haoyue, and the others also revealed grave expressions, all peering in that direction. But powerful as the Sacred Emperor’s Son’s piercing golden eyes were, they could not see through.

“Let us go—leave this place first!” The Black Emperor was in something of a panic—entirely unlike its usual self, stripped of all its imposing grandeur and roguish character.

This place truly could not be lingered in. Ye Fan and the others could all sense that above the abyss of the Ancient Forbidden Land, a slender figure stood. Through the mist, a pair of clear, lucid eyes gazed in their direction.

They had many conjectures—perhaps approaching the truth of it. But they dared not linger, fearing that prolonging their stay would shatter the quiet and bring about some change.

“Let us go—leave the Northern Dipper first!” The Black Emperor suggested, its expression grave.

The immortal path was indeed going to open—everyone could sense it. But what of it? One needed to be alive to contend for anything! In the Northern Dipper Starfield as it stood now, only a quasi-emperor or above had any right to vie for it.

A decision was made: Ye Fan, the Sacred Emperor’s Son, the Black Emperor, Qi Luo, Hua Hua, Kai De, and the others would all return to the outer regions—back to Tian Zhi Cun—and would relocate to somewhere even further away.

On this day, not only did they reach this decision. Once the wider situation became clear, many of the great Northern Dipper powers also made up their minds to temporarily withdraw!

And among the Ji Family, many had already begun their retreat years earlier. Now this had coalesced into a common understanding—the powerful factions were truly alarmed by that terrifying crack and the columns of immortal light soaring from the seven great Life Forbidden Zones!

From this day forward, the Great Xia Imperial Dynasty, the Nine Li Divine Dynasty, the Wind Clan, the Jiang Family, and all the rest began their strategic mass migration. They would leave this starfield and search for a path forward.

Lineages of this kind all had deep roots and inexhaustible foundations. At this point, they finally ceased concealing themselves—ancient sages and worthies emerged, leading their people out toward the outer regions. Some even had their own ancestral stars, still clearly remembered, and knew precisely where to find them.

At last, even the Yao Pond relocated—taking the divine fetus stone with them as they departed into the distance.

This was a great retreat. Every person with clarity of mind had recognized the crisis. This so-called golden age of glory, this so-called greatest transformation across the ages—it was not their banquet. To remain would leave not even blood and bone.

But would retreating be enough? Not necessarily.

Many sacred beings had come from the outer regions, and in this period of time, the people of the Northern Dipper Starfield were shaken to learn that even some illustrious ancient stars had experienced dark turmoil—originating from what was called “beyond the heavens.”

The more one learned, the heavier the heart grew.

The opening of the immortal path, the awakening of the ancient supreme sovereigns—this would not only be the most violent immortal war in history; it might also become the most terrifying dark upheaval ever recorded.

Regardless of all this, the most important thing was to leave first. They left without a shred of reluctance—every great lineage resolute and decisive, letting go of what must be let go, setting out for the outer regions.

Of course, many people also chose to remain—and their numbers were not few. Ordinary lineages had no alternative. In addition, sacred beings whose lifespans were nearly exhausted no longer feared death. Even without hope, they would take their chances.

In truth, the “hidden foundations” who had escorted the great lineages away would ultimately almost all return. Many of them already exuded a rotting, withered aura—their days numbered.

On the verge of sitting in meditation and passing from this world, with little time remaining—could there be anything worse? What difference did it make to stay in the Northern Dipper? No matter how terrible things became, death was the worst it could bring.

Beyond these, even more were coming: sacred beings from the outer regions, arriving in great numbers!

“I entrust my younger sister to you,” Ji Haoyue said to Ye Fan solemnly before parting.

“So long as I live, I will never let her suffer,” Ye Fan said with a nod.

Ji Ziyue was displeased. She glanced at the two people closest to her with a look that said why must you speak this way? It was not as though they were bidding each other a final farewell.

“Ziyue, return to Tian Zhi Cun first. I must confirm that certain old friends have safely made their departure,” Ye Fan said to Ji Ziyue, asking her, Xiao Nannan, Hua Hua, and the others to go ahead while he brought up the rear.

“I want to stay with you—leave together,” Ji Ziyue insisted.

“No—you must leave first. The Sacred Emperor’s Son, Ji Zi, the Black Emperor, and I only need to take one last look around, visit a few places, and we’ll follow right after.” Ye Fan would not concede. This world was truly no longer safe—especially with the people of the Undying Mountain about to emerge. For those of the Ji bloodline, that threat was the greatest—potentially a catastrophic, annihilating disaster.

The immortal path could open at any moment. This world might be plunged into chaos in the blink of an eye. He could not bear for Ji Ziyue, Xiao Nannan, and the others to be delayed here even a moment longer—they had to leave immediately.

Ji Ziyue protested and resisted with every ounce of her being, but in the end she was persuaded to go.

Ye Fan went to many places. The Southern Ridge’s native tribe—Dongfang Ye and his line—had finally retreated as well. The surviving members of the Northern Region’s Thirteen Great Bandits had also set off.

In the Far North, Tu Fei and the old woman were nowhere to be found. In the Southern Region’s Tai Xuan Zhuo Peak, Li Ruoyu had finally returned and had taken Zhang Wenchang away with him. The great sect had nearly been relocated in its entirety.

“Wushi—what a ruthless heart you have. Do you truly intend to never let me go?!” On this day, as Ye Fan and the others passed through the Central Region and traveled past the Sacred Cliff, they saw brilliant light blazing within.

The Divine Sealing Tablet left behind by the Wushi Great Emperor was shifting—yet it emitted the most resplendent light, tearing apart the heavens above, terrifying beyond measure.

The seal on the Sacred Cliff had clearly loosened—yet from within the mountain, the Undying Daoist let out a howl of despair, as though he had sensed the end of the world coming.

Ye Fan, the Sacred Emperor’s Son, Ji Zi, and the others exchanged glances—deeply shaken.

And the Black Emperor was stirred to an indescribable pitch of excitement. With a trembling voice it cried, “Great Emperor—are you still alive?” And then, as though it had gone mad, it charged off in a frenzy toward the Purple Mountain of the Northern Region.