Ye Fan sat there cross-legged for an entire day and night without moving once. At the end of it, he opened his eyes, profoundly exhausted.

Yes — he was drained to his very core. He had considered every possibility, and he truly had no viable solution. Those beings were Supreme Beings. Even if he employed every calculation and stratagem available to him, he could not stop them.

He possessed the Heaven-Swallowing Vessel. He possessed the Immortal Bell’s laws. But could those resist one Supreme Being? Could they hold against two, against three? No matter how extensively he prepared, no matter how many traps he laid and schemes he devised, it would be useless.

Before absolute power, all of these things — in the eyes of those Supreme Beings — might be as laughable as a mantis trying to stop a chariot. They could not halt those beings’ advance for a single step.

He currently had secret arts capable of concealing his aura — but that could only keep him safe for a time. The moment he endured a tribulation, he would inevitably be exposed. Three great tribulations that would shake all of existence — three opportunities to kill him. Some Supreme Beings would not miss those chances.

In a single sentence: this ant had grown strong enough — it had finally caught the eye of Supreme Beings.

Ye Fan had broken through to the Seventh Heaven of the Quasi-Emperor realm. He was already formidably powerful — and yet he felt a weariness unlike anything he had known before. The road ahead grew ever more difficult, ever harder to advance along.

“My own death matters little — but they cannot be buried alongside me.”

Ye Fan’s strength had surged dramatically and his vital energy was vigorous, his lifespan extended — and yet woven through his otherwise ink-black hair were now a few new strands of white. He felt his mind and spirit utterly worn.

Along the way, walking and thinking, he returned to the Celestial Court — and looking upon this thriving homeland that had grown into what seemed to be the most powerful inheritance in all the cosmos, his emotions were turbulent, impossible to settle.

All of this was the result of everyone’s combined effort — it should have been a time of extraordinary brilliance. Yet in the days to come, it might invite catastrophic disaster. Should a Supreme Being emerge, they would surely sweep it all away.

“Is there truly no way?”

He had glimpsed a corner of the future. The Underworld alone had been terrifying enough — and now the Perfect Tyrant Body and the other forbidden zone Supreme Beings had been added to that. How could any of this be withstood?

Ye Fan suddenly felt cold throughout his body. The path ahead was too hard. No wonder Great Emperors were so rarely fortunate — not one of them had ever truly smiled in the midst of their brilliance. Every one of them had been so grave and serious.

They had lived through joy and sorrow, parting and reunion — they had lost too much. The price they had paid was beyond imagining.

“Big Uncle is back!”

A round-faced young boy came running over with exuberant energy, shouting his greeting — and moments later a whole crowd of children came charging in from the distance.

This was Li Heishui’s child, already in his teens, sturdy and solidly built. Having consumed the divine liquid of the Nine-Aperture Stone Man since childhood, his bones and constitution were exceptional — far surpassing his father’s.

“Big Uncle, did you bring us presents?”

The one speaking was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen — the wild man’s youngest daughter. She wore a necklace of beast-bones, her hair braided into countless small plaits, each one strung with small bells cast from Grand Luo silver essence that swayed and chimed with every movement, scattering divine radiance.

These were the descendants of the Celestial Court — each one possessed of extraordinary talent, enough to make any major power turn green with envy. Because Ye Fan, Li Tian, the Dark Emperor, and others had been willing to invest heavily in them, the children had been bathed in the Life Spring Divine Liquid of celestial sovereigns from birth, fed the Nine-Aperture Divine Embryo Treasure Liquid, and further tempered with a portion of the essence of the Undying Qilin medicine and the Bodhi tree, all of it refined into sacred pellets used to lay their foundations.

It could be said that these dozens of children were the Celestial Court’s most precious treasure — they represented its future and its hope.

“I’ve been rushing back and forth and hadn’t prepared anything. Today I’ll pass on several great divine abilities to you all and explain the Solar Immortal Scripture.”

Ye Fan smiled as he said this.

“Wonderful — Big Uncle is going to lecture on the Dao! Everyone come quickly!”

The children cheered, instantly drawing even more people. Many of the Celestial Court’s rank and file also came hurrying over to listen to his explanations.

Ye Fan settled onto a flat green stone, the people sitting densely below him — mostly children, each one wide-eyed, listening attentively.

Of course, there were also some rebellious little ones who stayed far off, giggling and running, leaping about with tremendous energy. Among them, two particularly bold little figures stood out most of all. They had each climbed up onto the green stone first. Xiao Nannan propped her chin in her hands and sat quietly — she was quite well-behaved, at least. As for Xiao Zi, she was like a little monkey, scrambling right up onto Ye Fan and pressing her lips against his face with a loud smack, leaving a patch of drool behind.

“Father — I missed you.”

She blinked those big eyes at him, affecting her most angelic expression. Ye Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry — he couldn’t bring himself to scold her. He simply pressed her down to sit to one side, and continued his lecture.

The Celestial Court truly was warm and full of life — every kind of familial bond and friendship intertwining and permeating everything, the sort of place one would give one’s life to protect, and would not allow anyone to trample upon or destroy.

When the children had dispersed, the Bodhi tree’s leaves and branches swayed in a fresh and verdant green, rippling with emerald light, shedding fragments of laws in every direction — making it easy for anyone nearby to fall into a state of Dao comprehension.

Ye Fan let out a soft sigh and rose to his feet.

“Ye Fan is back! Come on, let’s go drink! Ha — quite a few people have returned lately, perfect timing for a proper celebration!”

Li Heishui and Dongfang Ye came running over to pull him along.

“Ha ha — worth celebrating! Pang Bo has consolidated his Quasi-Emperor realm and just came out of seclusion!”

Li Tian was already laughing loudly from somewhere in the distance.

“Alright — let’s drink!”

Ye Fan nodded in agreement.

When they gathered together like this, they naturally conjured up all manner of fine dishes — flying serpent stew, golden crow wings — every delicacy imaginable, all of it cut from ancient exotic creatures they had slain in battles long past.

The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, mingling with the fragrance of wine.

Ye Fan, Yan Yixi, Pang Bo, Dongfang Ye, Li Heishui, and a great crowd of others sat in a circle, cups raised and exchanged in endless rounds, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

It wasn’t long before a swarm of little ones, every single one of them drooling, came charging in regardless of whether they were boys or girls, swarming like a little pack of bandits to snatch everything in reach.

Everyone roared with laughter.

“You little rascals — you’re this small and already trying to steal wine to drink! And you — Li Hu, why aren’t you watching your sister? Letting a little girl drink wine too?”

“Hey — Xiao Zi! You’re only two or three years old — you can barely walk straight! You dare do the same as them and steal a drink?”

The adults were simultaneously exasperated and amused.

“Don’t be so stingy — Xiao Zi only wanted a little taste.”

The little girl protested her innocence, then in one crafty motion tossed the whole cup back in a single gulp before anyone could take it away — only to immediately stick out her little tongue, wailing that it was spicy and gross.

“Xiao Nannan is still the best-behaved one.”

Someone remarked.

Only she sat quietly and obediently at Ye Fan’s side, still as can be.

From somewhere in the distance came the sound of barking — the Dark Emperor came sprinting over, hollering that everyone had been inconsiderate for not calling him.

“You were too busy — buried in the phoenix nest. We called twice and you didn’t hear.”

Mountain Phoenix and the other great demons, along with Long Ma, the Great Golden-Winged Peng King, and others heard the news and came rushing over as well. The drinking party swelled dramatically in size — and eventually a great number of the celestial generals joined in as well.

“If I’m doing well, it’s all sunshine and clear skies. But I am not doing well at all — that phoenix nest is like a hornet’s nest. Senior Dark Emperor Uncle, please have mercy on me!”

Hua Hua let out a wail of misery. These past days had been truly terrible — his backside had nearly been split into eight pieces by the Dark Emperor’s blows.

When the laughter had faded and the wine had worn off, Ye Fan sat alone again beneath the Bodhi tree — still as a great stone, dry as dead wood, unmoving.

“Something is weighing on Ye Fan — whatever difficulty he encountered, it seems like he’s been racking his mind for a solution.

“I’m sure it’s something very serious. At his current level of cultivation, ordinary matters wouldn’t give him this kind of headache. Most likely it involves ancient Supreme Beings.”

Pang Bo, Li Tian, and Li Heishui knew him well — they could see at a glance that something was wrong. They put their heads together in discussion.

In the end, they took a jug of wine each and walked over, asking him directly.

“Ye Fan — whatever it is, tell us. We’ll all think on it together. Don’t suffer through it alone. Our cultivation may not match yours, but we should be able to offer some ideas.”

“Right — speak up. We’ll share the burden. Don’t carry everything yourself. Between friends, there’s no need to stand on ceremony.”

They all looked at him — every one of them the kind of sworn friend forged in blood and battle, who had walked with him through it all to arrive at this day.

Ye Fan was deeply moved. He had barely let his thoughts settle and his expression shift before they had noticed. He let out a long sigh and told them of what had happened not long before.

“What?! That old bastard of a Tyrant Body made a move too? Shameless! Outrageous! He’s got some nerve!”

“Look at the cowardice of it — calls himself a Perfect Tyrant Body, and he attacks Ye Fan while he’s in the middle of his tribulation? Does he want to feed his face to the dogs?”

“Woof — Your Imperial Majesty warns you, be careful with what you say. You can eat recklessly, but words, you should not speak recklessly.”

Ye Fan laughed. These people were always like this — faced with catastrophe of this magnitude, they could still find a way to laugh and lighten the mood.

In the past, Ye Fan had never been afraid. So long as he was strong enough, he could shatter whatever enemy lay before him. But now things were different — unequal in a way that could not be overcome. His opponents were ancient Supreme Beings, each one the most powerful figure of their respective era, undefeated throughout their entire lives.

“I have thought on this again and again, and I truly have no solution. The Celestial Court is too large — in the days to come, it will inevitably draw a devastating strike because of me. I wish to have the Celestial Court’s generals disperse, and wait until the future to gather again.”

When these words landed, everyone fell silent. The Celestial Court was formidably powerful right now — with a single command, all ten directions would obey. It was in the most brilliant phase of its rise. And yet he was proposing to dismantle this — to dissolve it from within, undoing their own power.

But they understood. Even though it was agonizing to hear, what Ye Fan said made sense. The best choice right now was to have the Celestial Court’s various factions go into hiding and wait for a future reunion.

“As for our children — I wish to seal them away. Let them emerge again after one hundred years. I will need one hundred years to fight with everything I have. If I succeed — no one will ever dare provoke my Celestial Court again. If I fail — my soul will return to the earth, and at that point even the Supreme Beings will no longer concern themselves with this.”

Ye Fan said this quietly.

The gathering sank into an even deeper silence. No one spoke.

At last, everyone nodded. Without a word spoken, they all agreed. The decision was made: seal the Celestial Court for one hundred years. The celestial soldiers and generals would lay down their arms and return to ordinary life, each going into hiding on their own.

“I have wronged you all — brought so much hardship on everyone who followed me.”

Ye Fan said softly.

“What kind of thing is that to say? From now on, you’ll be fighting alone, staking your very life. If you succeed — the Celestial Court stands glorious for ten thousand ages. If you fall — you face oblivion alone. And your brothers can do nothing to help — all we feel is helplessness and pain. Ye Fan, you must fight with everything you have!”

“Don’t speak of such things. In these one hundred years, you will face two mortal trials. As for the third — if you cannot survive it, so be it. Two tribulations brought to completion is enough. Ye Fan — remember this: you need only live. We ask for nothing more.”

These sworn brothers, who had shared life and death, poured out their genuine feelings one by one — no matter what, they only asked that he survive.

To dismantle their own power, to dissolve the Celestial Court — this was an agonizing decision. The implications were enormous, world-shaking enough to stun the heavens — and many people might not understand it.

“It doesn’t matter. We can always start over. When the day comes, when the Celestial Court’s banner rises again, I believe many of the soldiers and generals — the brothers — will come back. They won’t hold it against you.”

They offered what comfort they could.

“Father — what are you all doing? Why does everyone’s eyes look red?”

Xiao Zi came running over from the distance.

These grown men naturally would not shed tears in front of the little girl — but when Ye Fan thought of personally sealing Xiao Zi away, of parting from her while she sank into slumber, a wave of heartbreak moved through him. She was still so small. If he failed, this would be the last time he ever saw his daughter.

And there were other things as well. How was he going to face the people of the Celestial Court?

“I am the one who has failed.”

Ye Fan looked to the sky and sighed.

“No — you are already strong enough. Of the Great Emperors from ancient times, few possessed a cultivation like yours at this age.”

The Dark Emperor replied.

Though the words were true, when Ye Fan stepped out and walked up onto the Commander’s Platform one step at a time — looking at the vast and densely packed army below — the words would not come. His heart was in pain.

“To be forced to this point — that this day has come — it fills me with such helplessness…”

He whispered inwardly, gazing at the faces before him. How was he to announce this?

Down below, one group of people stood with grave solemnity and quiet dignity — inspiring respect in all who saw them. These were the veteran generals who had walked with the Celestial Court from its very founding to this very day. Beyond them stretched an endless sea of soldiers, battle-spirit blazing, eyes bright and sharp, weapons in hand gleaming against the nine heavens, every one of them armored and magnificent, martial beyond compare. And in another section, slightly younger and fresher faces — new recruits, brimming with vigor, full of hope for the future — the newest members to join the Celestial Court’s ranks.

The sight of it all made the words lodge in Ye Fan’s throat. What he was left with was only bitterness.