Chapter 1017: This Heart Has Decided to Enter the Starry Sky

**Chapter 1018: My Heart Is Set, I Enter the Starry Sky**

A cry of agony...

The fist-sized black figure, impaled on the spear tip, screamed piercingly. This was a pure soul, and any injury to it would have unimaginable consequences. Once a person's "spirit" was extinguished, they would vanish completely from this world.

Penglai Heavenly Venerate did not want his spirit to perish and struggled fiercely. This was his essence; if it disappeared from the mortal realm, it would mean eternal annihilation. A blazing black light emanated from him as he transformed into a black sun, firing thousands of black arrows. Simultaneously, a precious wheel appeared, rotating behind his head.

At the same time, a sacred river surged from Penglai Island, resembling a rainbow piercing the sun, rapidly assailing Ye Fan and his companions. The Heavenly Venerate hoped to break free using this. This was a torrent of pure belief power. Penglai Heavenly Venerate had cultivated the Ancient Heavenly Tome, stealing the thoughts and prayers of the world, and now it served a crucial purpose, roaring as it resonated with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth.

"It's useless. Today, you cannot escape," Ye Fan declared. The cauldron above his head gently vibrated, emitting even more potent sacred energy. The cauldron flew out, instantly transforming into myriad auspicious rays that illuminated the sky. The surging river hissed, emitting wisps of white smoke as it was completely evaporated. The pure thought power within the cauldron was like an ocean, making the sacred river seem utterly insignificant in comparison. The black spear in Ye Fan's hand vibrated, and Penglai Heavenly Venerate immediately screamed. The black figure's radiance instantly dimmed, almost shattering into pieces, unable to resist.

"He is now the fish on the chopping block" was the truest description of his situation. With his Dao body destroyed and divine power turned to ash, relying solely on his soul was futile, no matter how profound his cultivation. Brother Ye did not immediately deliver the killing blow, as there were many secrets to extract from his soul. This Heavenly Venerate still held significant value.

"Annihilate the core members of Penglai without mercy!" Ye Fan issued this command, giving the Dragon Horse free rein to kill and establish their authority. The Dragon Horse galloped away, transforming into a fiery streak, rushing towards the Penglai sect leader and others. Who could withstand the thunderous might of such a Dao-slaying king?

Ye Fan sat down, meticulously extracting all valuable information from the black soul, remaining motionless for a long time.

"Spare me, Brother Ye! I was wrong; I shouldn't have done this. Please, let me live," Penglai Heavenly Venerate pleaded. At this point, his soul was utterly terrified. How could he resist with only his spirit remaining? Impaled on this mysterious black spear, he could be annihilated at any moment.

"I wanted to let you go, but you chose your own path to death," Ye Fan said expressionlessly, extracting one imprint after another from the Heavenly Venerate's sea of consciousness. He was surprised to find that this Heavenly Venerate had indeed stumbled upon a great opportunity, having received guidance from a Saint King in ancient times. The Divine Light Escape he cultivated was infinitely profound, making him unrivaled even without the "Xing" (Movement) character secret.

"Brother Ye, please show mercy. I will give you everything I've obtained, including the Ancient Heavenly Tome," Penglai Heavenly Venerate trembled as he pleaded, completely devoid of any grand accomplishment king's prestige.

"Even you yourself are my prisoner, let alone your possessions. What bargaining chip do you have left?" Ye Fan sneered dismissively. A person with such a character must not be allowed to live; otherwise, they would certainly become a great future threat. Ye Fan would not act unless necessary, but once he did, he would show no mercy, resolving all troubles without leaving any lingering issues.

With a soft "chi" sound, he extracted a special imprint from the black soul—the scriptures of the Ancient Heavenly Tome. This immediately stunned him, and he began to quietly deduce and comprehend them. This was a demonic scripture, recording profound methods with unique insights into the use of thought power. No wonder Penglai sought to spread its teachings; it was an abstruse and profound Dao tradition.

Ye Fan uncovered a startling secret: the demonic embryo suppressed in the ancient underwater palace came from beyond the realm. It was a true Saint, and the Heavenly Tome's legacy originated from him. Furthermore, his background was incredibly powerful; even the Saint King who acted in ancient times felt apprehension and dared not completely destroy him, merely suppressing him within his demonic palace.

"Indeed, many sages frequented Penglai in that era," Ye Fan murmured to himself. Finally, after thoroughly searching the imprints, he forcefully shook the spear. Amidst a scream of malevolence and unwillingness, the fist-sized black figure turned into ashes, erased from existence forever.

In the distance, the battle was nearing its end. The Dragon Horse galloped, flames soaring to the sky. Wherever it passed, the earth crumbled, the sea poured back into the heavens, and everything was swept away like withered branches. Ye Fan's expression was indifferent as he gazed into the distance. With a single point of his finger, the Penglai sect leader let out a cry and instantly turned to dust.

He walked forward himself. Several sect leader-level figures were no match. Some Penglai strongmen resisted stubbornly, risking their lives to attack him, but they couldn't withstand even a single sword wave from Ye Fan. "Pffft!" He held his fingers like a sword, and with just a slight tremor, a golden sword wave rippled outwards in all directions, destroying everything in its path with indiscriminate attack. A group of powerful individuals instantly turned into bloody mist, with plumes of blood fog rising.

"Ah…!" The Little Heavenly Venerate screamed, partly from hatred and fury, and partly from sheer exasperation. In front of him, a small purple squirrel was hopping and bouncing, blinking its big, mischievous eyes. He couldn't hit it no matter what, which drove him mad.

Phoenix Heavenly Maiden chuckled, saying, "Little Senior Brother is truly adorable; even in a duel, he's so cute." She, along with Zhang Qingyang and others, surrounded the Little Heavenly Venerate, instantly inflicting severe injuries on him. At this moment, the Little Heavenly Venerate's face was completely pale, utterly drained of color. He wanted to beg for mercy, but though he opened his mouth, no words came out. Not long ago, he had uttered fierce threats, vowing to destroy the Heavenly Court, and now he could only be filled with terror.

"Do not kill the innocent. Only eliminate the core members; let the others go," Ye Fan transmitted to the Dragon Horse. This horse hardly seemed like a kind creature. It rampaged across the sea, hunting down Penglai's leaders everywhere. With its divine abilities, it naturally held overwhelming power; no number of people could stand against it. "Pffft!" Ye Fan walked over and personally acted, turning the Little Heavenly Venerate into dust with a single finger. He then mercilessly pulverized several captured powerful experts whom the Dragon Horse had taken prisoner.

A quarter of an hour later, the sea region became quiet. All core members, including the Penglai sect leader, were slain; none survived. The ordinary disciples were mostly unharmed, as Ye Fan did not wish to violate heavenly harmony. Half an hour later, they herded all the captives into the Penglai Pure Land. The Dragon Horse began to romp again, stomping its hooves, kicking away anyone who dared to stand in its path.

"Go easy on it!" Ye Fan roared, annoyed. The Dragon Horse was too ferocious. Galloping along, it practically trampled down a dozen mountains with each hoof, yet this was a pure land, destined to be the future base of the Heavenly Court.

Eventually, this treasured land quieted down. Over a hundred of the sect's leaders had been executed, while the remaining disciples trembled with fear, living in constant dread. An immortal sect, passed down since ancient times, had been conquered so completely, it was like a myth!

From that day onward, Brother Ye ordered the mountains to be sealed. He sat cross-legged on Penglai's main peak and began to chant scriptures, gathering all the immortal sect's disciples and followers within the mountain gate. "Gaozheng Zuoshi. Poni Shaling. Beizhao Junjiang. Jinan Zhuokui. Jingyi Sunguang. Hunyuan Jueyuan…"

Ye Fan's entire body glowed with iridescent light, his form like a divine body. As he recited the "Sutra of Delivering Sentient Beings," lotus flowers blossomed from his mouth, transforming into scriptures that imprinted themselves upon the void, possessing a mysterious power that purified everyone's souls. He did not wish to bloodbath Penglai; he couldn't bring himself to do it. However, he also didn't want to leave a great hidden danger for his disciples. Sooner or later, he would venture into the starry sky, and with so many Penglai disciples left behind, who could keep them in check besides him? The safest method was to completely convert them, making them members of the Heavenly Court. This would not only eliminate potential hidden dangers but also add a super powerful force!

Penglai's main peak was filled with immortal qi, and a myriad of auspicious lights shone. Ye Fan sat there, his body clear and bright like multi-colored divine glass. Various dharma aspects appeared: before him was the Golden Palace Grand Dao, beside him were visions of Immortal Kings descending upon the Nine Heavens and picturesque landscapes. Behind him, chaos surged, nurturing a green lotus. One by one, runes flew from his mouth, emitting brilliant light, enveloping all the disciples. For safety, he lectured on the scriptures for a full forty-nine days. During this period, auspicious rays descended from the sky in myriad streaks. On the ground, sweet springs gushed forth, strange flowers bloomed, orchids covered the land, and hundreds of birds came to pay homage, creating various serene and auspicious scenes.

Chanting the scripture once enlightened the hearts of devout believers. Chanting it twice dispelled worries and sharpened senses. Chanting it thrice cleared the minds of all who bowed. Chanting it four times removed hidden ailments and lightened the bones. Chanting it five times even caused fallen teeth to regrow. Ye Fan had already severed his Dao, so his words became law, and various divine abilities and powers were emitted through the scriptures, with endless wondrous uses. After forty-nine days, all hidden dangers vanished.

The Heavenly Court was thus set on the right path, acquiring a wondrous land in the human realm. It was impossible for it not to develop and grow, as the spiritual energy here was exceptionally dense. Ye Fan did not leave immediately but remained stationed there for over a year. Firstly, to explore the sealed location of the demonic saint beneath the sea, and secondly, to hunt down a few important Penglai figures who had escaped. On that day, not all disciples of the sect were on the island; several key figures were out, thus escaping the disaster.

Since Ye Fan had acted, he naturally intended to completely eradicate the original immortal sect, showing ruthless determination. During this period, he and the Dragon Horse split up, searching everywhere from the heavens to the underworld, killing several favored grandchildren of the Penglai Heavenly Venerate. This event shocked the entire cultivation world. Penglai changed hands, its original Dao lineage destroyed and renamed Heavenly Court. Ye Fan's swift and decisive, iron-fisted actions made many uneasy. Especially the abbots of the Three Immortal Islands overseas, Fangzhang and Luyi, were unsettled. They dispatched experts to meet Ye Fan, trying to discern his intentions, wondering if he was planning to unify the entire ancient star.

Ultimately, Ye Fan released a very peaceful message, clearly telling all observers that "if others do not offend me, I will not offend them," and that his actions this time were solely for self-preservation. Ye Fan was stationed at Penglai for three years, meticulously observing the underwater demonic palace. He confirmed that the demonic embryo was at the end of its life, unable to last much longer, and he ultimately added several layers of seals. During these three years, he traveled all over the overseas regions, visiting Fangzhang and Guolv Hong, but still couldn't find a way to leave, nor any starry sky coordinates. Perhaps he could obtain some information from the underwater Demonic Saint, but bargaining with a demon was too dangerous. He didn't want to play with fire and burn himself, and under no circumstances could he release it.

"Perhaps there's only one path left to leave," Ye Fan murmured to himself. He had been back on this side of the starry sky for thirteen years; it was time to depart. On this day, he summoned all his disciples, bestowed secret treasures upon them, and imparted various secret arts such as the Divine Light Escape, Human King Seal, and Heaven-Overturning Seal. He told them that their time together was ending, and he was about to embark into the starry sky.

"Master, take us with you!" All the disciples were greatly alarmed, not expecting this day to come so suddenly.

"I originally intended to take all of you with me," Ye Fan explained, "but now that you have Penglai Immortal Mountain, you don't need to enter the starry sky. This place is not much different from the ancient heavens and earth, very suitable for cultivation. The other star field, however, is too dangerous, filled with great battles. Even I, your master, can only stumble through blood and bone; a slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation. That place is a grand era where kings rise, and myriad races coexist. The path to becoming a Great Emperor is strewn with bones, and with the immortal gate about to open, it is full of variables and crises."

The disciples all knew that Ye Fan was forging his own path to emperorship, which might involve facing a terrifying environment where the whole world would be his enemy, and there would be endless bloody battles in the future.

"Master, I want to go with you!" Long Xiaoque, usually quiet, was incredibly resolute at this moment, refusing to give up. Additionally, Zhang Qingyang also insisted on entering the starry sky, willing to spread the Dao on the other side of the stars, no matter how dangerous the path.

Finally, after much consideration, Ye Fan agreed to take Long Xiaoque and Zhang Qingyang with him. The little squirrel cried loudly, clutching a corner of Ye Fan's clothes and refusing to let go, weeping and pleading to go with him.

"There will be a day when we meet again," Ye Fan said with a smile, pointing to the Big Dipper in the sky. "As long as you can become a Saint, you can cross star fields and find me among those seven ancient stars."