Chapter 1387: Undying Emperor

Ye Fan was utterly shocked. He transformed into a beam of light and pursued, but ultimately saw nothing. The Ruthless Emperor faded into nothingness, and the pitiful, lonely little girl vanished. He hadn't seen her face clearly and couldn't be sure, but her clear eyes were unforgettable, etched into his heart.

"Why did she disappear so quickly?" Ye Fan murmured, a tumultuous wave rising in his heart. He thought of many things; those pure eyes made his heart tremble. They seemed familiar, somewhat pitiable, and deeply touching. His mind was in turmoil. Unfortunately, when the Ruthless Emperor transformed into a three- or four-year-old girl, the ghost-face mask slowly receded. Her tender young face flashed by, but he couldn't see it clearly, as it was shrouded in a layer of chaotic mist.

Ye Fan's emotions surged, and he remained unsettled for a long time. He thought of many things: Could it be that the Ruthless Emperor had never truly died? What an astonishing possibility! That shouldn't be possible. All signs indicated that no one in this world could achieve true immortality. Undying was too illusory; no one had ever managed it, perplexing all the most powerful Emperors throughout history. Even if immortality existed, it required entering the Immortal Realm; it was impossible in this world!

Ye Fan fell silent, as if petrified, staring blankly at the spot for a long time, gazing at the sky without a word. He only believed in the present world; the past and future lives were illusory to him. He had never believed in them, and they had never held a place in his heart. Yet now, he felt a sense of bewilderment. Why did those tear-filled eyes, that pitiful little girl, cause doubt in his heart? Ye Fan felt somewhat lost. Had someone truly achieved it? Could one truly reincarnate endlessly in this world? This clashed with his understanding, plunging him into a dilemma.

For a long time, Ye Fan remained motionless, his body shimmering with light motes. His physique seemed to be disintegrating; he was on the verge of merging with the Great Dao! Suddenly awakening, he realized he was on the brink of danger, almost transforming into a rule of the Dao, merging into the Heavenly Punishment, and becoming a part of the world's rules and order. This was more terrifying than enduring ten life-and-death battles. With just one more step, he would have dissolved into the Dao, ceasing to exist!

"It almost swayed my resolve and made me lose my way. This... perhaps this is the most terrifying part, and the true meaning of this Heavenly Tribulation? Forget everything else. Just believe in my own path and keep going." Ye Fan muttered to himself, slowly regaining clarity. His eyes shot out sharp rays of light, temporarily casting aside everything from moments ago.

"The most astonishing Emperor. Truly formidable!" Ye Fan murmured to himself. The Ruthless Emperor, dazzling throughout eternity, actually had a real voice, unlike all the other Great Emperors he had encountered. It seemed to retain a living will, imprinted within the heavens and earth, rather than being merely controlled by the Heavenly Tribulation.

Ye Fan's body was shattered. The "All" character secret art circulated, golden blood flowed backward, and his bones crackled. It was a long time before he was restored to his peak condition. When he opened his eyes again, two golden beams of light shot out, piercing through the Heavenly Tribulation. The Great Sages beyond the sea of thunder were startled, sensing something, and revealing looks of surprise.

Inside the palace, Ye Fan's expression froze. The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron had developed a seventh hole. When had it been struck? He hadn't seen the Ruthless Emperor pierce this cauldron. It was a humanoid imprint with graceful curves, clearly that of a woman, etched onto the cauldron's wall. It possessed a mysterious and supreme Dao charm, appearing remarkably lifelike.

Ye Fan observed for a long time, then pushed open the palace door and, with steady steps, proceeded forward to search for the next heavenly palace. He wanted to go all the way and see whom he would encounter.

The eighth heavenly palace was incredibly magnificent, with a peculiar energy flowing subtly within it. It didn't resemble an ancient palace belonging to a single individual, but rather one that contained all living beings and myriad things. Indeed, this feeling was very real; the palace was not desolate at all. It seemed as if conscious spirits were praying and chanting here, one after another. This made it appear very mysterious. The colossal, magnificent palace, grand and majestic, taller than mountains, stood here, suppressing the universe through eternity.

"Who is here?" Ye Fan wondered. This palace was truly extraordinary, grand and immense, making one feel an irresistible urge to submit.

"Boom!" Ye Fan pushed open the palace door, and instantly, he felt a supreme majesty, as if a Celestial Emperor was seated regally above, looking down upon him. Moreover, at that moment, a clamor rushed forward, pouring into his ears! Coming in from the outside, he was completely unaccustomed to it. This was a tremendous contrast; the place seemed like another world, boundless. There were living beings everywhere—roars, chants, and prayers—all intertwined, deafening. Such a sudden onslaught was shocking. It was all too sudden, incomprehensible.

Within the magnificent heavenly palace, all living beings from across the myriad realms knelt on the ground, seemingly in worship, displaying extreme piety, and emitting ancient sacrificial sounds. "What... what is happening?" Ye Fan's gaze was sharp as he scanned every figure. Myriad beings coexisted, all filled with reverence. All creatures were worshipping a deity, creating a grand and bewildering scene. It was as if three thousand ancient Buddhas were chanting in meditation, and tens of thousands of demon lords were roaring, all blending together, shaking one's soul and compelling one to kneel and prostrate in worship.

This was an extremely spectacular sight: all beings prostrated, and myriad races revered a single deity. Various divine sounds, booming and deafening, resonated forth. It was as if they had transcended the ancient past, coming from a prehistoric era.

Ye Fan's expression grew solemn. A crack appeared in his forehead, from which strands of crystalline immortal light shot out. With sizzling sounds, one after another, the illusory figures shattered, turning into electrical flashes. He resisted the vast pressure, sweeping away the illusory figures of the myriad races worshipping there, one by one, gradually restoring calm and order to the rules of this place. To be precise, those were not true sacrificial sounds but merely chains of divine order. Although they appeared very real, they were different from the true voice emitted by the Ruthless Emperor. Yet, this was astonishing enough: What kind of person was this, who required myriad beings to worship, sincerely believe, and kneel in reverence?

Within Ye Fan's forehead, the emanating immortal light grew even more brilliant. He advanced step by step, and large numbers of beings turned into nothingness, all because the chains of divine order were breaking. Later, he was somewhat alarmed, as some of the illusory figures were extraordinary, strongly resembling true deities. What kind of scene was this? Even gods were kneeling on the ground, prostrating themselves towards the most majestic figure at the center of the heavenly palace! Not just one, but tens of figures, closely resembling true gods, were devoutly kowtowing and worshipping the most majestic figure above.

Ye Fan swung his golden fist, his eyes radiating divine light, sweeping them away. Those light figures ultimately vanished. These beings possessed no combat power, formed as they were from electrical light and Dao rules. Otherwise, Ye Fan would have faced the supreme experts of myriad races, even deities themselves—a truly unimaginable scenario!

At the center of this heavenly palace, a majestic supreme being sat, as if high above the nine heavens, looking down upon myriad worlds and the vast universe, the sole revered one. This exuded a grand aura, releasing an immense pressure that naturally spread out, causing all the myriad realms to tremble. Everything originated from the person seated on that throne. His entire body emanated wisps of light. The scenes of all beings worshipping and myriad races revering him were reflections projected by these thousands of wisps of shimmering light. It was clear that this had truly happened; now, it was merely a re-enactment of history. He possessed supreme majesty, compelling all mighty ones across the myriad realms to worship him.

Who was this? To possess such a magnificent aura! He could truly be described as swallowing up vast distances, dominating the boundless universe, and being the sole revered one through eternity. Ye Fan felt an immense pressure, as if celestial blades were cleaving his flesh. He met the gaze of this person, wanting to see everything about him clearly. The figure remained motionless, like a bedrock, sitting there quietly, simply looking at him with indifference. The figure was blurry and indistinct.

"Undying Heavenly Sovereign!" Ye Fan stared at him, and after a long silence, uttered these four words. All signs indicated that it must be him!

Throughout history, who possessed such immense power? Emperor Zun should have, as he commanded the vast universe and was revered by all gods. But this person didn't seem like him; it shouldn't be Emperor Zun. Ye Fan sensed a familiarity about this individual, a feeling of déjà vu. The Heavenly Sovereign Prince, whom Ye Fan had killed in the past, bore some resemblance to this person.

The Undying Heavenly Sovereign was an insurmountable myth among the Primordial Myriad Races. During that era, above and below the heavens, he alone was revered, and all races worshipped him. In the hearts of all races, he was an existence beyond gods!

"Finally, I've seen him..." Ye Fan murmured to himself. For so many years, since embarking on his cultivation path and encountering the Primordial Myriad Races, he had grown accustomed to hearing about the Undying Heavenly Sovereign. The reverence of the various races for him had reached an extreme, enduring through time and still being widely extolled today.

The Heavenly Sovereign Prince's physique was once hailed as the foremost in the world, surpassing all others, incomparable. He possessed five-colored divine blood, and a single year of his cultivation was worth a hundred years for an ordinary person. His supreme bloodline and invincible physique had been personally experienced by both Ye Fan and the Saint Prince. Even when suppressed, he was extremely difficult to kill. Had his Dao heart not been insufficiently firm and lacked tempering, he would undoubtedly have been one of the most terrifying individuals of his time.

And now, Ye Fan had seen the Heavenly Sovereign Prince's father, the true source of that invincible bloodline, the Undying Heavenly Sovereign, worshipped by myriad races! Although the figure was blurry, one could vaguely discern a strong resemblance to the Heavenly Sovereign Prince, yet without the immaturity or restlessness. This person was as profound as an abyss and as majestic as a mountain, sitting quietly, capable of making one's spirit collapse.

Boom! As Ye Fan faced him, his entire body's golden vital energy surged up like leaping flames. His expression was resolute, his eyes dazzling, showing not a trace of fear before this supreme powerhouse whose legend had echoed through eternity.

"Boom!" The Undying Heavenly Sovereign stood up, and the heavens and earth trembled. Five-colored shimmering light flowed within his eyes, appearing incredibly real, as if they contained flesh and blood! He stared silently at the damaged cauldron above Ye Fan's head, then slowly advanced, step by step. This was an immense calamity; he merely walked forward, and yet the myriad realms seemed to shake, and the Great Dao of heaven and earth rumbled. He inhaled and exhaled the sun, moon, stars, and rivers, possessing an unparalleled, enormous aura. He truly did not seem like a mere person; indeed, he resembled an existence beyond gods!

Ye Fan made his move, launching a punch forward. His golden fist shattered the eternal void. No matter who stood in his way, even if it were the Undying Heavenly Sovereign himself, he would be struck down from his pedestal! Once embarked upon, there was no turning back from this path. On either side lay precipices thousands of feet deep. One could only advance, fighting bloody battles all the way, filling the abysses on the Emperor's Path with corpses, to finally ascend to the peak.

With a thunderous crash, the eternal blue sky shook violently as the two fists collided!