Chapter 1239: The End of the Heavenly Road

**Chapter 1240: The End of the Celestial Road**

Eternity was left half-crippled, with countless dead. Saints and their very bones were crushed within their own homes. This was the tragic decade-long war, ending in sorrow.

A once prosperous main star was now a land ravaged by smoke and defeat. Of course, the ancient races also left behind many corpses, and for thousands of miles, no human trace could be seen.

The white-haired powerhouse, with a single cold flash of his sword, severed the nine heavens and wiped out the ten most powerful ancient races. Without pausing, he departed with his black sword on his back, leaving behind a legend.

While the ancient races suffered considerable losses, their gains were also immense. They had broken into many holy lands and brought back numerous precious evolutions that had been sealed since ancient times.

Although they seemed to return with a full harvest, the immense hardships they endured were unknown to outsiders. They ushered in a period of rapid advancement, where developments in bloodline inheritance and evolution created an era of brilliant progress.

In the Ancient Beidou Starfield, all races flourished, and various sages descended. Brilliant heroes emerged one after another, each forging their own legend.

Ye Fan had departed, but his disciple, Ye Tong, emerged like a comet, streaking across the sky and illuminating the land, ensuring Ye Fan's legend would endure.

Every victory of Ye Tong reminded people of the Human Sacred Body from the past, for he was Ye Fan's disciple and a brilliant continuation of his legacy.

As leaves fall and seasons turn, even the most brilliant halos will eventually fade and be forgotten in the long river of time.

Beidou entered a Warring States era, as sages and their disciples continuously arrived, ushering in a new Golden Age.

If this continued, Ye Fan would slowly be forgotten. One brilliant sacred star after another emerged, hailing from numerous ancient lands beyond this domain, such as Tongtian, Huosang, and Gouchen.

Time is indeed merciless; the rise of new saints and the birth of new myths can cause many past events to fade away.

In the cold, boundless darkness of the universe, a lonely traveler tasted solitude amidst the desolate quiet. A man and a horse journeyed through one starfield after another. Though fraught with danger, Ye Fan's will remained firm and unshakeable.

The Dragon Horse also became silent, no longer as restless as before, gaining a sense of calm and losing its previous agitation.

Ten years of conquest had taught them that stagnation meant decline, and advancement meant bathing in blood. Fighting all the way, Ye Fan himself had faced mishaps, and the Dragon Horse had almost died several times.

"When will this end?" the Dragon Horse murmured as it carried Ye Fan, arriving at yet another dead star. It cautiously surveyed their surroundings, recalling how they had suffered greatly in similar places before.

On one occasion, just after exiting a stargate, they were ambushed by an Ant Saint King due to a moment of negligence. They nearly perished, narrowly escaped, and spent a long time recovering from their injuries.

Ye Fan remained silent. He, too, did not know when the ancient road would end. Ten years of weariness, ten years of gains—his Dao Heart was unwavering, his spirit like iron, and he had adapted to it all.

"Another grave."

The Dragon Horse carried Ye Fan, galloping across the ancient star until they came before a small mound. A stone tablet stood there, bearing a few lines of powerful, vigorous text.

"Tomb of Divine King Jiang Yue." These simple words marked the demise of a hero from a past generation. The Strongest Trial Road was littered with bones, as many had fallen along the way.

This tablet and grave must have been tens of thousands of years old, now on the verge of collapse as the last vestiges of their sealing power had vanished.

"Is all this effort worth it? What exactly are we pursuing?" the Dragon Horse questioned, exhaling a burst of flame and lifting its head to the sky.

In this particular place, Ye Fan and the Dragon Horse encountered no danger. The planet contained the skeletal remains of colossal, mountain-sized exotic beasts, long extinct.

Another two months passed quickly. They battled a group of terrifying, ghost-like soul entities, enduring torment to their spirits as they braved a hellish dead star. Finally, a turning point emerged.

They searched the sea of consciousness of a Ghost Saint and discovered that there were living beings, specifically humans, in the depths of the universe ahead. It was no longer a desolate land.

There was no better news. The monotonous journey was finally coming to an end, greatly exhilarating both the man and the horse.

"I've had enough!" exclaimed the Dragon Horse, covered in wounds. "We're not traversing a celestial road; we're passing through hell! An entire star of soul entities, an entire star of bone spirits… This is not suffering meant for humans."

Such injuries were commonplace. In ten years of bloody battles, even Ye Fan had once been sliced in half, and the Dragon Horse's primordial spirit had been seized on another occasion.

"If we don't become saints, we'll die on this road at any moment," Ye Fan murmured. "I wonder how they are."

Ji Family's Little Moon and Big Moon, the Southern Demon siblings, the Central Emperor, Pang Bo, and others had all embarked on this path, but he had only seen faint traces left by them a very long time ago.

"Let's go!"

Ye Fan gazed into the depths of the universe. There was no turning back. No matter how perilous the path ahead, even if it led to the netherworld, he would brave it.

The man and horse traveled through the desolate universe. After more than ten days, using small five-altar formations to cross several times, they finally found a special path.

"We made it out! We've finally reached our destination!" The Dragon Horse stood on its hind legs, its neigh echoing like thunder. The intensity of its divine sense and spiritual fluctuations caused the surrounding meteorites to rumble in response.

The horse galloped through starfields. After ten years of carving a bloody path, they arrived in a starfield where there were no more dead stars; a stone tablet now pointed the way forward.

The Dragon Horse left a trail of fire as it leaped into the celestial expanse, carrying Ye Fan. The universe trembled with its powerful strides. They ran for two consecutive days, along the way seeing dozens of ancient tablets, each pointing into the distance.

During this process, they began to encounter other people and feel a sense of vitality; the previous deathly silence was gone.

"Ooooh..."

Ferocious beasts roared, their cries transmitted through divine sense and accompanied by boiling vital blood, as if a herd of prehistoric monsters were galloping forth, making the very starfield tremble.

Ye Fan was surprised. He saw humans arriving from different directions, eventually converging onto this path. Many of them were riding exotic beasts as massive as small mountains.

Some resembled Qilongs, others were Jiao-eating beasts. Their horns rose high, their scales were formidable, and a palpable murderous aura emanated from them, clearly indicating they had endured trials of life and death.

Ye Fan and the Dragon Horse slowed down, observing carefully. They continued for another half-day, constantly seeing such people. There were also beautiful, ethereal women riding phoenix-like luan birds, moving gracefully and elegantly.

"Are these all people who have embarked on the Strongest Starry Sky Trial Ancient Road? Where do they come from?" Ye Fan pondered, surprised by the sheer number; he had already seen no fewer than a hundred people along this path.

Why were they all arriving at this very moment? Was there some special change or event?

Even the Dragon Horse was surprised. Were there many ancient life-bearing stars in the starry sky? That seemed unlikely, as they had traversed numerous starfields without encountering a single one!

"Get out of the way!"

From behind, iron cavalry shook the starry sky, and violent shouts rang out. Thirteen riders rode side by side, each clad in holy armor that shimmered with various cold metallic gleams, advancing like a surging flood of steel.

These mounts were all primeval exotic breeds, each rare in the world: ancient Pixiu beasts, majestic and divine, surveying the heavens; divine pythons with nine heads, vividly colored, descendants of an ancient snake empress; and even azure dragons, stirring up winds and waves.

They were practically a group of heavenly generals, roaring through heaven and earth, chasing stars and moons, seemingly omnipotent. Their vital blood suppressed the heavens, emanating an overwhelming terror.

Especially extraordinary was the man in the very center, sitting on a silver-white ancient wolf. Bare-chested, his gaze was sharp like an eagle and wary like a wolf. He exuded an air of supreme arrogance, and his eyes were more dazzling than divine lamps.

And although his mount was an old wolf, not an exotic beast, it had achieved sainthood, making it a true sacred beast.

"Get out of the way!"

These thirteen riders charged forth, swift as lightning, fierce as a tsunami. Their vital blood surged across, causing the area to tremble. Each was arrogant and untamed, their tone provoking anger.

The Dragon Horse stopped and moved to the side, ready for a great battle. Ye Fan, however, watched indifferently, sitting unmoving on its back.

The starry sky was cracked by their steps. The thirteen iron riders charged past without stopping, vanishing like a hurricane and leaving a furious surge in their wake.

The Dragon Horse was furious, feeling as though it had punched cotton. It had been ready to fight, but the thirteen riders simply charged straight past without stopping.

Ye Fan was also surprised. He was fearless, knowing that as the strongest trial ancient road in history, it would inevitably feature clashes between powerful individuals. He had already prepared himself mentally, yet no fight occurred.

Just then, a refined scholar, looking very elegant and wearing a feather fan and a silk scarf, hurried from behind. Dao patterns appeared under his feet, each step covering thousands of feet. He shook his head as he passed, with a hint of disdain, saying, "The ancient imperial road is littered with bones. With me, there is no equal. On this path, no one will retreat for others."

Afterwards, a golden-winged roc flew past, carrying a middle-aged woman. She cast a cold glance, saying, "If fear is in your heart, giving way to others, why come here? Better to turn back."

"Woof!" The Dragon Horse was so enraged it lost its head and barked like a dog, a clear sign of how deeply it had been influenced by the Black Sovereign. It was now seething with rage.

It knew it had made a mistake. It had initially prepared for battle, but by moving aside, it had inadvertently presented itself as a coward on this path. It hadn't realized the unspoken rules were so intricate.

"Fellow Daoist," a thin young man kindly informed them as he slowly departed, "the strong on this path should be fearless. The competition is fierce, and everyone is an opponent. Many try to intimidate others with their aura before fighting, so don't take it to heart."

"I've even braved hell; do you think I'd be afraid of them? We'll meet on the road!" The Dragon Horse was seething with suppressed anger. Being told to get out of the way had already infuriated it, and then being mocked by those behind nearly made it roar.

Ye Fan said nothing, his gaze clear. No longer wasting time, the Dragon Horse neighed, transformed into a streak of bloody lightning, and charged into the depths of the starry sky.

The stone tablets were gone, and the road signs had vanished. The crowd ahead grew larger. Everyone possessed their own formidable aura and imposing presence; it was clear at a glance that they were all extraordinary heroes, not simple individuals.

"That is..." The Dragon Horse's huge eyes gleamed, its anger vanishing as it stared ahead, somewhat stunned.

Ye Fan was equally surprised, having never expected to see such an unusual sight.

In this universe, a magnificent giant city was situated ahead, radiating countless phenomena. The cries of dragons and phoenixes could be heard, and it stretched across beneath the stars and moon, eternally enduring.

Everyone stopped there, no longer moving forward, gazing at the ancient city in the distance. It possessed a vast, ancient grandeur, flowing with immortal power.

"An ancient city under the starry sky..." Many expressed their astonishment.

It was majestic and mysterious. Rather than resting on a planet, it was directly suspended in the cosmic starry sky, bathed in starlight—a truly striking sight.

It covered an immense area, its city walls resembling endless mountain ranges. The city towers were tall and magnificent, and a pair of heavy city gates remained closed, appearing capable of blocking armies of thousands and even all the saints of old!