Chapter 1032: Fourteen Years

**Chapter 1033: Fourteen Years**

"That's easy to arrange; let's drink first," Ye Fan said.

"Right, let's raise a toast," everyone responded, lifting their cups filled with fine wine. Qi Luo generously had his people bring out thousand-year-old divine brew.

"I've brought some delicacies for everyone," Ye Fan said with a smile, taking out piece after piece of glistening dried meat, which emanated a faint aura of the Great Dao.

"This is..." Even Killer Saint Qi Luo was stunned on the spot. "The flesh and blood of a Demon Saint!" he exclaimed.

"That's right, this is an ancient alligator I encountered in the starry sky, and now it's a meal," Ye Fan explained, cautioning them not to eat too much, as they might not be able to handle the potent essence.

Everyone was astonished. An ancient alligator had become roasted meat, laid out on the dining table—a truly extraordinary sight, fragrant and shimmering with light.

"This is amazing! It's legendary, super-nourishing!" A group of people eagerly picked up their knives and forks, beginning to enjoy the divine alligator feast.

The group inquired about the details, all feeling incredibly shocked. Killing a Saint was a monumental event that would shake the entire Nine Heavens.

Ye Fan recounted the events from back then. Upon learning that an ancient Great Saint had acted, appearing as a god by day and a devil by night, before finally exiling himself into the deepest reaches of the starry sky, everyone felt a wave of emotion.

"Better late than never, haha! This humble Taoist truly has good fortune, to be able to eat the dried meat of an ancient Alligator Saint!" Duan De arrived, looking like a charlatan, dressed in a purple-gold Taoist robe, his face glowing with health.

He made himself right at home, clinked a cup with Ye Fan, then immediately carved off a large piece of meat and wolfed down several catties.

The Black Emperor enthusiastically poured him wine and brought over several more plates of meat, making it easy for him to eat more.

After consuming six catties of alligator meat, the unscrupulous Taoist noticed that everyone had put down their chopsticks and were staring at him with strange expressions. With a thick skin, he said, "Alligator Saint meat is indeed fragrant. Everyone, eat up, don't be shy with me."

The Black Emperor nodded. "Old Duan, you're late. We've all finished eating. You hurry up and eat; soon, you, I, and that silly horse will pull off a big score."

It kindly brought over a few more plates of meat and poured wine for Duan De, urging him to eat quickly, saying there was a big deal waiting to be done.

Duan De's face immediately flushed with excitement, and he ate with even more gusto. However, after a while, he seemed to sense something. Not long after putting down his chopsticks, he began to sweat profusely, and a colorful aura sprayed from his pores. He suddenly stood up, pushing away the overly enthusiastic Black Emperor.

Duan De started jumping on the spot, his body steaming with heat, as if he were being roasted. Fire trickled from his mouth and nose, and then he dashed out without looking back, frantically sprinting around the Village of Heaven.

"Don't rush, Old Duan! Have two more plates," the Black Emperor called out enthusiastically from behind.

"You son of a bitch, Black Emperor! I knew you were too kind! Just you wait, I'm not done with you!" Duan De cursed loudly. At this point, his energy was overflowing from eating too much alligator meat; his entire body felt like it was burning, and he continued to run wildly around the mountain.

Moreover, as he ran, he began to shed his Taoist robe, simply to better expel the essence from his body, because his entire being felt like it was about to explode, his body seemingly ignited, turning him into a human torch.

"Ah... Immortal Venerable, I'm burning up!" the unscrupulous Taoist howled, causing the residents of the Village of Heaven to look on curiously.

"Hahahaha..." The group burst into laughter, drinking and watching him run naked, especially the big black dog whose mouth was practically stretched to its ears.

"Come on, come on, let's all toast! With Taoist Duan providing such entertainment, how can we not appreciate his good intentions?" The group frequently raised their cups.

Duan De was so enraged his nose was almost crooked. His legs were pumping so fast he couldn't stop, desperately trying to burn off the surging energy.

"Where is Pang Bo? And how are the Ji family siblings now?" Ye Fan, seeing that most of his old friends had arrived but these three were still missing, asked about them.

"They've set foot on the Ancient Starry Road," Killer Saint Qi Luo replied.

"What?" Ye Fan was taken aback.

"Fourteen years have passed since you left, and many things have happened. Let's talk while we drink," Yao Yuekong said.

They spoke freely, discussing the events of those years.

Ye Fan frowned. The rumors he had heard on his journey were not unfounded; over a decade ago, the Central Emperor truly almost died!

When the Central Emperor was severing his Dao, auspicious colors descended from the sky, and sweet springs welled from the earth, accompanied by various strange phenomena that people called "Emperor's Omens." Ten years ago, an Ancient Ancestor King made a move that nearly obliterated his form and spirit.

"At the critical moment, Gai Jiuyou intervened, killing that Ancient King with a flick of his finger. Afterward, he nearly confronted the ancient race's ultimate magnate."

Recalling these past events, the atmosphere grew somewhat subdued. Most people were unaware of this incident back then; only a few cultivators knew the truth.

"Later, Gai Jiuyou, Divine King Jiang, and others became ruthless. They directly intercepted individuals like the Heavenly Sovereign's Son, Huang Xudao, and Huo Qilin, intending to wipe them out completely."

It was precisely because of this that the ancient races were alarmed, and the various Ancestor Kings reined themselves in, no longer pursuing acts of annihilation. Otherwise, it could have escalated into a tragic scenario of mutual slaughter of each other's prodigies.

Not long after this incident, the Ancient Road of the Qishi Mansion in Central Province opened. The Central Emperor, Southern Demon, and Ji Haoyue were among the first to embark on this journey, beginning a mysterious trial and leaving this world.

From ancient times until now, the Qishi Mansion has opened a path every ten thousand years. No one knows where those who take it go; it has always been known as the strongest trial.

"This time, the Qishi Mansion made an exception; the Ancient Road opened several times in succession."

Western Bodhisattva, Pang Bo, and others also embarked on the journey, entering the vast starry expanse. And several years ago, Ji Ziyue also chose to take this path.

Ye Fan fell into a trance upon hearing this. Where did this Ancient Road lead? Was it the same path that Laozi took? Could it be heading to the Immortal Ascension Ancient Star? It was hard to be certain.

Among the life-bearing stars known to Ye Fan—Huosang, Tongtian, Gouchen, and Feixian—there were four ancient stars he could potentially visit, but he had little opportunity to go.

"What happened with Pang Bo back then?" He clearly remembered the scene: when he was about to embark on his return journey, this friend acted very unusually, leaving without a word.

"The Demon God bloodline within him suddenly awakened, and his clan's inheritance nearly caused him an accident..."

Such an awakening was very dangerous; it forcibly altered one's physique, and could even overturn one's mental faculties, leading to various terrifying and inexplicable occurrences.

"An ancient Great Emperor once said that life is the greatest miracle in the world!"

According to the ancient sages, immortality might exist, and the reproduction of races is a manifestation of it, involving many mysteries.

"Are our ancestors truly dead? An ancient Quasi-Emperor once said that, in fact, they are not; they live on in our blood."

"In a sense, this is not mistaken. We are the continuation of our ancestors' lives; as long as we continue to reproduce, they will not perish. This is another form of beautiful immortality."

"The ancient sages were correct: our ancestors' blood flows within us, and even fragments of their memories live on in our flesh and blood."

Ye Fan was momentarily startled upon hearing this, then felt relieved. Upon closer thought, it was indeed so. Isn't this how life reproduces and evolves? All codes for immortality are imprinted in the genes.

Ye Fan had seen specific, albeit subtle, examples; for instance, during a confrontation with Yuan Gu, his opponent had summoned a phantom image of Emperor Yuan from his bloodline.

"Back then, Pang Bo's inheritance was very dangerous; he almost became another person. He gained many memory fragments from his blood, and had no choice but to depart via a secret formation."

They raised their cups and drank, chatting about the past years. All were slightly tipsy, and the feast continued even after the moon had risen.

Only the unlucky Duan De howled alone under the night moon, enacting a "Legend of the Hungry Wolf," expending his overwhelming energy, unable to join them.

As time passed, the big black dog's tongue grew thick from drinking, and he huddled together with the Dragon Horse. This pair of scoundrels, instead of fighting, seemed to develop a mutual appreciation after some conversation, declaring they would team up for a big score.

"From the Ancient Road of the Qishi Mansion, a corner of a blood-stained battle robe was once sent back. It belonged to Ji Haoyue, but there wasn't a single word on it..."

It was precisely because of this that Ji Ziyue embarked on her journey; she went to save her brother, participating in what was known as the strongest trial in history.

"Before she left, she would gaze at the starry sky every night, and eventually, with a heavy heart, she went to the Qishi Mansion," Li Tian said, patting Ye Fan's shoulder with a sigh.

"Can that Ancient Road still be opened?" Ye Fan asked after a moment of silence.

"It hasn't opened again these past years," Yan Yixi said, shaking his head.

Gu Fei and Gu Lin, the two spirit children, ran over to offer Ye Fan wine. This young brother and sister pair had grown up; the brother was now tall and dashing, and the sister was graceful and elegant.

"Uncle Ye, why is it that even when you stand before us, we can't discern anything about you?" Gu Lin asked, blinking her large eyes.

"I reversed the Great Dao, disrupting the heavenly secrets," Ye Fan said with a smile. This wasn't entirely true; he knew it was likely due to the broken immortal cauldron within his body.

"In recent years, the Saint Son of Yaoguang has been very low-key. He shouldn't have left this ancient star, but there are also rumors that he was the last to embark on the starry path," the Black Emperor said.

The Black Emperor had been conniving. For years, it had been eyeing the Yaoguang Holy Land, believing it was built over a colossal Emperor's tomb, and wanted to dig it up.

"The strongest trial in the depths of the starry sky—where does that path truly lead?" Ye Fan drank a cup of wine and gazed at the starry sky.

Late at night, Duan De looked as if he had been pulled out of water, drenched in sweat, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. His skin still exuded a colorful glow, but he had finally endured.

After he came in, he first clinked cups with Ye Fan and sighed with emotion for a moment, then he put down his cup and went straight for the Black Emperor, initiating a man-dog battle.

Immediately, everyone's drinking spirits were rekindled, and they drank while watching the fight.

"Brother Monkey, your injuries aren't serious, are they?" A jade bottle appeared in Ye Fan's palm, and he handed it over. It contained divine liquid from the Immortal Ascension Ground.

"It's nothing; I'll recover after some rest. In a while, you can come with me and help me hold off one person, while I go kill the Heavenly Sovereign's Son myself." The Monkey's eyes gleamed with intimidating divine light; he clearly had a grudge.

"Good, no problem!" Ye Fan had precisely this intention.

Since he had returned, he certainly wouldn't be content with stagnation and dormancy. Once his strength accumulated to a certain level, he would need to unleash it, severing all past grievances.