Ye Fan had survived calamity after calamity, yet had not returned to his homeland. Twelve full years he had wandered in exile. And in the end, he had come back to this land. He longed to see the old companions he once knew.

In the light of the setting sun, the entire earth was stained the color of blood. Before them, the land spread open and vast as far as the eye could see — a high plateau of sorts, desolate and barren, dotted everywhere with reddish rock, sparse of vegetation.

Crumbling Daoist shrines leaned against the distance — several of them, all low and small, spaced far apart. In the lingering glow of the setting sun, they were gilded with a faint golden light that gave them a strangely sacred air.

Desolation, ruin, faint golden radiance, and sanctity all mingled together into a strange and arresting impression — a scene worth lingering over, as though it were the accumulated weight of ages past.

Ye Fan stood there as though he wished to see through the entire earth before him. His gaze seemed to traverse twelve years, searching for the faces of the companions he once knew.

“The Holy Son Li Tian has descended! Ladies of the primordial age — tremble!” Li Tian exhaled deeply, then let out a long howl to the sky, startling countless birds into flight.

The birds beat their wings against the setting sun, cutting through the golden sky, disturbing the quiet and the peace — yet also bringing a few flickers of life to the evening scene.

“These old, crumbling Daoist shrines are no ordinary structures. Otherwise, we could not have descended here from beyond the domain.” Yan Yixi said.

In the distance, several dilapidated Daoist shrines on the verge of collapse stood amid natural simplicity and serenity, tinted with the golden hue of the late sun, anchoring all the energy of the land around them.

At first glance they seemed unremarkable, but the longer one looked, the more mysterious and extraordinary they appeared — nearly entrancing, as though they resonated with some deep aura of the Dao.

“Indeed — we came back from beyond the domain, which means the ancient starry path that led up from here was once walked by a Saint. That ancient formation in the outer domain was left behind by them.” Ye Fan said.

“Then what are we waiting for — let’s search the place. A single foot-trimming blade left behind by an ancient Saint could be a sacred artifact.” Li Tian was exuberant.

Unfortunately, all several Daoist shrines held nothing but birds, which had made these halls their home. In the evening light, the scene was peaceful and serene.

In the end, they left that desolate plateau. Before them stretched endless mountain ridges — forests thick and deep, ancient woodland shadowed and vast, savage beasts roaming in strength, strange birds wheeling overhead.

“This place is really primitive — how have we been flying for so many days without seeing a single person?” Half a month later, Li Tian would not stop grumbling.

Two more days passed before they finally encountered a herbalist, gathering medicinal plants among the high mountains and deep ravines. A quick inquiry revealed that this was the Southern Ridge.

The Central Province, Eastern Wilderness, Northern Plains, Western Desert, Southern Ridge — these were the five great domains of the Northern Dipper Star Territory. Ye Fan was setting foot upon the soil of this domain for the first time.

Fortunately, they had not stumbled into the most primitive depths of the Southern Ridge — otherwise, flying for months on end might not have been enough to find a way out.

“Twelve years have passed since I left. I wonder what has happened — when will I be able to see Pang Bo, Ziyue, Nannan, Li Heishui, and the others again.” Ye Fan murmured.

They flew out from among the mountains and came upon an ancient city, which Li Tian could not resist. He said, “In this corner of the world, could I alone sweep through all the young generation and establish myself as a formidably impressive Holy Son without any trouble?”

He wore an air of disdain for all under heaven — sole sovereign, none comparable — like the greatest champion in the world looking down upon all of creation.

Ye Fan smiled and said nothing, for he did not yet know the cultivation levels of his old companions, and everything would have to be experienced firsthand.

“Junior Sect-Brother, you had better be on your guard — do not get yourself killed here. Ancient stars where even the great emperors of antiquity descended must hold many secrets and strange dangers.”

Having been absent so long, Ye Fan was desperately eager to know the state of this world. The three of them quickly entered the ancient city before them, arriving in a place of bustle and vitality.

Shortly after entering the city, Ye Fan began asking after things. Before he could say much at all, he merely mentioned the Eastern Wilderness — and people shook their heads, every one of them saying it was terrifying.

“Ancient beings, powerful cultivators, all manner of conflict — sooner or later there will be a great dark upheaval.”

A heaviness settled in Ye Fan’s heart. He had come back at quite a time — the ancient beings were awakening one after another, and a great chaos was all but certain in the future.

“Within the Yuan Tian Ancient Vein there is a Grand Assembly of Medicinal Herbs. You can go there to learn what is happening — there are cultivators from every great domain in attendance.”

The people of the Southern Ridge were not very familiar with other regions — the ancient star was simply too vast. Crossing between domains routinely meant distances of tens of millions of li or more.

“Let’s go take a look at the Medicinal Herbs Assembly.” Ye Fan made this decision immediately.

True to its name, the Southern Ridge was a land of lofty mountains and steep ridges everywhere. Ancient veins were abundant, which naturally meant an abundance of rare herbs — and even legends of the undying divine elixir.

The Yuan Tian Ancient Vein had once seen an undying medicine break through the void and ascend, making this place one of the most celebrated sites in the Southern Ridge.

The Southern Ridge’s annual Grand Assembly of Medicinal Herbs was held here every year, a dazzling display of all manner of rare plants vying for attention.

Naturally, such an assembly could also be called a great auction — the point of displaying rare herbs was to sell them for an exorbitant price. Otherwise, who would ever bring precious medicines out in public? Far better to keep them hidden away.

The spiritual energy of the ancient vein was dense and rich, spanning a vast area of endless mountain ranges. These days the place was extraordinarily lively, with cultivators from all directions gathered here.

When Ye Fan and the others arrived, they attracted little attention, for they carried no rare medicines. Everyone here had a clear purpose — all eyes were for ancient elixirs and nothing else.

In the distance, a commotion broke out — the fragrance of medicine drifted over, nearly intoxicating an entire crowd. Cultivators nearby surged toward the source, filling the air with clamor.

“A thirty-five-thousand-year-old ancient medicine — truly rare beyond measure. A precious medicine like this is an extraordinary find!”

“The Southern Ridge truly is a sacred land. Gathering the spiritual energy of all under heaven — only such a place could grow a rare medicine of this caliber.”

The crowd seethed with excitement, their eyes burning with desire as they looked upon the ancient medicine — every one of them longing to seize it for themselves.

“I wonder if that dog has shown up — gatherings like this usually can’t do without it. It loses all self-control when it sees something good.” Ye Fan murmured.

“A fifty-thousand-year-old ancient medicine has appeared — someone has gathered a legendary King among medicines!” A great commotion erupted from the distance. The area was instantly surrounded so thoroughly that not even water could flow through.

It was a medicinal field that had instantly become packed with people — the area bordering on boiling over. Everywhere there were people, and many cultivators looked ready to come to blows.

One ancient medicine bore seven leaves — one leaf each of a different color, altogether seven-hued — crystalline and translucent, its fragrance enough to intoxicate all who breathed it. Everyone who looked upon it was entranced.

Li Tian was stunned on the spot. He said, “A fifty-thousand-year-old ancient medicine, called the Minor King among medicines — it can be used to refine various supreme quality elixirs. Within my sect’s records there is a wondrous formula that requires exactly this kind of herb as its primary ingredient.”

Even the undying divine elixir was something Ye Fan had encountered before. Naturally, he was nowhere near as moved as the others — his expression remained calm throughout. He moved through the crowd searching, hoping to spot the face of an old companion, whether friend or foe. But he was disappointed.

“Let’s go — over there seems to be a place where masters discuss the Dao.” He strode forward.

“Don’t be in such a hurry to leave — there’s a legendary Minor King among medicines here, and you’re not even amazed?” Li Tian was reluctant to move.

Nearby was a stretch of stone platforms open to all comers. A great many cultivators had gathered there — mostly young people — discussing cultivation methods, debating the Dao, and talking over the powerful figures of the five domains.

Ye Fan walked over, sat cross-legged on one of the platforms, and listened attentively. Li Tian and Yan Yixi settled down beside him.

“Who is the number one young expert in the world today?” Someone raised this question.

“That is difficult to say. The Central Emperor, the Southern Demon, and others like them were already capable of doing battle with absolute peak Sage Lords ten and more years ago. Who can see through what they are now?”

“Personally, I would name the Holy Son Yao Guang. His cultivation has finally fully matured, and he has begun truly walking the world — unstoppable, with no one to match him.”

“My vote would be Hua Yunfei. He was hunted down by cultivators from across the world for over ten years, and yet — who still dares to move against him today? The Heaven-Devouring Demonic Art has been fully cultivated. He is unrivaled among his generation. Now it is only he who cuts others down.”

“Xia Jiuyou — she cultivated the Crossing Tribulation Immortal Melody to completion. By now she must be lonely at the peak, with no equal.”

“You’re all wrong — you’ve all overlooked one person: the Holy Maiden of the Purple Mansion. She has the Innate Dao Womb. It is said that once she reaches the Sage Lord realm, she will merge with the Dao — and no peer in the world will be able to match her. More than ten years have passed — given a constitution like hers, I cannot believe she has not yet reached this realm.”

“Sigh — you’ve all only named a small fraction. You’ve forgotten a far more fearsome group. The figures from the Purple Celestial Citadel, the Huang Xu Dao, Shenjun the Divine Silkworm, and many other terrifying existences — the young and mid-generation among the ancient races make one’s blood run cold.”

With these words, everyone fell silent. Huo Qizi, the Heavenly Prince, Huang Xu Dao, Yuangu, the Divine Silkworm Daoist — one after another, figures of astonishing genius across all ages, pressing down upon the human race until it could barely breathe. Utterly terrifying.

“This truly is a great era in every sense of the word. Sovereigns arise in abundance, rare constitutions appear on every side, and even the most powerful heirs of the ten thousand ancient races have all emerged. Who can claim to stand first under heaven? There is simply no way to say.”

People knew that one thing was certain: in this great era, if anyone could defeat all the Sovereigns and suppress every heir of the ten thousand ancient clans of primordial times, they would have the right to prove their Dao.

In this great era, the enemies one would face were more numerous and more fearsome than ever before. To truly survive to the very end and defeat all comers — the trials one would endure were beyond imagination.

If one were to prove one’s Dao through such a path, they would become one of the mightiest Great Emperors since time immemorial. For this blood-soaked Emperor’s path would surpass all others that came before — the most terrifying of all.

“Tell me — if the Ancient Holy Body from twelve years ago had not resolutely departed, and had grown until now, how fearsome would he be? Could he suppress the figures like Huang Xu Dao, Yuangu, the Heavenly Prince, and the Divine Silkworm Daoist among the ancient clans?”

“Probably no hope of that. Which of those figures is not a living miracle? Even the Holy Prince’s life and death is currently unknown — and that is said to be because of a falling out with the Heavenly Prince.”

“The Holy Body, once fully mature, can do battle with the Great Emperors of antiquity. I believe that if the Ye-surnamed prodigy were still here, he would certainly stand on equal footing with those figures — even though those clans all had ancient emperors among their ancestors.”

“The odds of winning aren’t great, though — it’s only a single Holy Body. Against one of those ancient heirs, perhaps they’d be evenly matched. But with so many of those legendary figures standing together, some of them must be able to suppress him.”

“Without a true battle, no one can say for certain. There are no hypotheticals in this world. He has already departed — which at least leaves us with an open question, something to wonder about. One might say the human race has someone who could at least hold their own.”

Li Tian glanced at Ye Fan with a sly grin — but even he felt a pressure mounting. He had picked up on it: this world seemed to be absolutely overflowing with extraordinary figures. No wonder the Great Emperors of antiquity had descended upon this place, one after another.

“That Holy Body is useless — Huang Xu Dao, Yuangu, the Divine Silkworm Daoist, any one of them could step forward and destroy him with a single hand.” At this moment, someone spoke up.

“Ah — one of those human cultivators close to the ancient races.” Someone said quietly.

“Indeed — if the Holy Body had stayed, he couldn’t even have gotten past the human experts who would have killed him. He’d certainly have been cut down by someone. And how many of his friends have any of them survived? Every last one has been defeated and fallen!”

When Ye Fan heard these words, his mind rang like a struck bell. His eyes blazed with divine lightning as he looked forward, fixing his gaze upon those figures. He wanted to know exactly what had happened.