Chapter 1486: Mystery

Chapter 1490: The Enigma

Ye Fan walked forward, accompanied by Zhang Wenchang, and they ascended the small mountain.

A murmuring stream flowed, and green vines climbed the cliffs. The scent of grass mingled with the damp earth, making the place natural and pure. Ahead, the terrain was flat, featuring a clear, bright pond. Wildflowers dotted its banks, their sweet fragrance filling the air.

A child sat quietly, his young face reflecting deep thought. He was delicate and beautiful, even more so than a girl, with sparkling, star-like eyes. He looked like a small, ethereal immortal child, detached from worldly concerns.

*Ding!*

As if his thoughts were complete, his slender fingers began to pluck the zither strings. The sounds, like the gentle dripping of clear spring water or the scattering of moonlight, were sweet, clear, and subtle, bringing a sense of tranquility.

Soon, the music changed, becoming even more transcendent, as if a banished immortal were striking a celestial stone. The sounds were clear and melodious, resonating throughout the entire area.

The entire mountain area became instantly clearer, and the space in front of the pond seemed particularly serene, transcendent, and devoid of any worldly impurities. Many flowers burst open with soft popping sounds.

Birds, one after another, were drawn to him, hovering above his head, landing around the ancient zither, and chirping softly, mesmerized by his divine music.

"What's his name?" Ye Fan asked softly.

The child resembled Hua Yunfei in both appearance and spirit; in fact, there was no discernible difference. Even his zither playing was as masterful, and his temperament equally remarkable.

"Hua Yunfei," Zhang Wenchang replied.

The same person, the same name—Ye Fan's heart stirred. Was this a mere resemblance, or was there a deeper mystery?

"The name is the same, but the person is not the same," Zhang Wenchang explained. "This is Hua Yunfei's younger brother, born in recent years, and given the same name by the Master of Star Peak."

Ahead, Star Peak stood majestically, towering over the other mountains. Both day and night, large swaths of silvery-white light, the power of the stars, descended upon it from beyond the sky.

*Zheng!*

Just then, the child stopped playing the zither. His large, black, jewel-like eyes looked at them with confusion, staring at Ye Fan, seemingly unaware of when they had arrived.

From Star Peak, a middle-aged man, his robes fluttering, glided through the air and descended onto the low mountain.

"Greetings, Senior Hua," Zhang Wenchang said, bowing respectfully.

The Master of Star Peak was truly ethereal, dressed in blue robes with his hair flowing freely. The former Hua Yunfei had resembled him by about forty to fifty percent. He nodded with a calm expression, then looked at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan faced him calmly. This person was extraordinary, but with his current cultivation, Ye Fan could naturally handle him with ease, feeling no pressure at all.

"Yunfei was a good child. He was seized by an invisible hand and couldn't break free. I failed to protect him," the middle-aged man said with infinite sorrow.

Ye Fan was at a loss for words, as he had personally killed Hua Yunfei.

"I don't blame you. Yunfei tried to kill you first, so there's nothing to say about this outcome. I only regret my own incompetence—not protecting his childhood, not seeing his hopes as a child, and failing to witness his pain and sorrow," the middle-aged man whispered.

The fact that this young child was named Hua Yunfei spoke volumes, expressing the profound sorrow in his heart.

The child stood up and quietly walked over. Looking at Ye Fan, he asked, "Have we met before? Why do you look so familiar?"

Ye Fan's heart trembled, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

"That's right, you're the 'Sacred Body' people often talk about," the child said, blinking his large eyes curiously. "You're quite similar to what I imagined."

Ye Fan's heart was deeply unsettled. Was this a mere coincidence? Even if they shared the same parents, the resemblance was too striking, especially their identical gaze.

"This child only loves the zither. I honor all his choices and want him to be a happy musician," the Master of Star Peak said sadly, tears streaming down his face.

He gently stroked the child's head, filled with tender affection, yet it was unclear if his words were for his young son or for Hua Yunfei, who now rested beneath the Nine Springs.

Ye Fan left Tai Xuan with a soft sigh. All beings struggle to navigate this mortal world, subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death, to joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure. How could anyone escape? He, too, was merely a guide.

"You must be careful and take care of yourself," Zhang Wenchang cautioned. "Today, the world is in turmoil, Saints are descending, and the path to immortality is about to open. Heaven knows what kind of terrible war will break out."

Ye Fan nodded, muttering to himself, "This child's appearance has presented me with an enigma."

"Why?" Zhang Wenchang asked.

"I only believe in this life," Ye Fan murmured to himself. "But he is another 'flower' identical to the past one, just like my disciple Huahua. Is this meant to shake my convictions?"

"If there truly is a next life," Zhang Wenchang said, "for him to be a zither child, to be reincarnated this way—that would be the best possible outcome."

Ye Fan then departed and reunited with Ye Tong, Little Sparrow, and their companions.

"The next life—if you believe, it exists; if you don't, it doesn't. Through the cycles of time, two identical 'flowers' will eventually appear in the world. Whether they are truly the same, let future generations decide," Ye Fan murmured, recalling the words of the old monk from the Western Desert.

He knew that one day, this might become a difficult problem on his path to becoming an emperor, one he would need to unravel.

Ye Fan held a special affection for the Southern Domain. It was there, when the Nine Dragons pulled the Coffin and it landed in the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, that he embarked on his path of cultivation.

He secretly brought his disciples to the Lingxu Holy Land, intending to pay respects to Old Man Wu Qingfeng, who was Pang Bo's master and the first person to introduce Ye Fan to the path of cultivation.

In the past, he had visited many times, but this time he had been away for over a hundred years. He wondered how the old man was faring now.

However, upon arriving, he only found a grave. The old man had passed away many years ago, his lifespan having run its course.

Birth, aging, sickness, and death—this cycle remained unbroken. Even the divine spring water from the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, which Ye Fan had once given the old man, could not defy the laws of nature.

"Senior..."

Ye Fan stood before the grave, feeling a profound sense of loss and emptiness in his heart, a mix of bitterness and sorrow. With a mournful expression, he knelt and solemnly performed a deep kowtow.

If one doesn't become an immortal, humans will eventually return to the earth. And this was likely just the beginning. In the years to come, he might see many more graves, burying friends and old acquaintances—an irresistible law of nature!

This time, Ye Fan lingered for a long time. He sent the Dragon Horse, Ancient Golden Peng, and the others ahead to wait for him in the distance, while he lingered alone outside the Lingxu Holy Land, a sense of sorrow weighing on his heart.

With his current cultivation level, naturally no one could detect him. He walked past the places where he once cultivated, finally arriving before the Great Emperor Qing's tomb, which stood beside the Lingxu Holy Land.

The Yang Tomb had been breached. The treasure that Great Emperor Qing had left for future generations no longer existed.

However, the Yin Tomb remained, a black, deep pool connected to the Nine Netherworlds. It was rumored that the Desolate Tower had once suppressed it from below. The corpse of the Great Emperor Qing had already delved into even more distant regions.

"Who?!"

Suddenly, Ye Fan sharply turned his head. In front of the Yin Tomb, he seemed to glimpse an aged figure's back. He instantly transformed into a streak of light and darted towards it.

However, when he arrived, he found only the pool, black as ink and unfathomably deep. The surroundings were empty and silent, devoid of any figures.

Ye Fan was filled with doubt and uncertainty. With his current cultivation, could anyone possibly be that much faster than him? It was utterly incredible! Was it a real figure, or an illusion caused by his unsettled mind and sorrow, making him recall the elder who had guided him onto the path of cultivation?

He stood there for a long time before finally departing.

Ye Fan, accompanied by Little Sparrow, Jiang Ting, Dragon Horse, and others, traveled north. His return and subsequent annihilation of the Golden Crow clan had caused a massive uproar, attracting worldwide attention.

Their group did not conceal their true forms as they journeyed north. On that very day, Killer Saint Qi Luo appeared—perhaps he should now be called Killer Saint King. One of the old killer's eye sockets was empty, as if a universe was opening within it, while his other eye gleamed with tears.

"You're back... It's good that you're back!" The old killer, rarely one to show such genuine emotion, was visibly moved. He had been mentally and physically exhausted over the years, but now seeing Ye Fan become a half-step Great Saint, he was genuinely overjoyed, tears welling in his eyes.

Who could say killers were heartless? Time had frosted his hair, yet he had risked his life to seek justice for Ye Tong and others, but he truly couldn't withstand a Great Saint and nearly died.

Later, he went to the Western Desert again, hoping to save Huahua, and nearly perished beneath Mount Sumeru, his aging body on the verge of withering and collapsing.

Old Blade Handle supported his grandfather. Both of them carried internal injuries, but this was no problem for Ye Fan. He sprinkled the divine liquid from the Ancient Heavenly Venerate's Spring of Life, and with glowing points of light, all Buddhist spiritual energy and other ailments were dispelled.

"Senior, rest well and recuperate peacefully. I will handle everything!" Ye Fan said assertively, gazing westward.

On the same day, Yan Yixi, Li Heishui, and others appeared, having sought him out. The news of Ye Fan's furious annihilation of the Golden Crow clan had already spread, and since he was now traveling openly, he was naturally easy to find.

"You brat, you're really back! I thought some bastard was trying to trick us," Dongfang Ye exclaimed. He was as he always was, wearing beast-skin battle attire with his upper body exposed, his strong, bronze-colored physique and wolf-tooth club making him look entirely like a wildman.

He was incredibly fierce, having already entered the Saint King realm. His physical body alone possessed the strength to capture dragons and subdue rocs, and his potent masculine energy surged skyward like smoke signals.

Dongfang Ye was very powerful; within the Saint King realm, he could certainly walk unchallenged. Yet even he suffered a great defeat in the Western Desert and nearly died.

Fortunately, his unique physique allowed him to recuperate for a few years, and his body had now fully recovered.

Ye Fan laughed heartily, stepping forward to playfully punch him.

"Ye Zi, you owe me a goddess-like girl! When are you going to pay up?" Li Tian asked, leaning closer, still as mischievous as ever.

"There are so many ancient race goddesses; how many have you conquered?" Ye Fan replied with a loud laugh.

"I'm not interested in them anymore," Li Tian said, grimacing. "Instead, I took a liking to a few abbesses in the Western Desert—they were truly radiant. But unfortunately, that group of monks was too unreasonable; they all envied me and chased me for thirty thousand li, making me flee for my life."

"Serves you right."

Li Tian still had unhealed injuries, which, it went without saying, he had sustained while trying to save Huahua.

Yan Yixi had an extraordinary temperament and a very refined appearance. Like Li Tian, he had injuries, but his face remained calm and composed.

"Ye Zi, you're finally back," Li Heishui said, his emotions sincere. "Brother Monkey has left, and Ji Zi has traveled far. If it weren't for Ye Tong and Huahua, we would have wished to enter the starry sky to find you."

"No hurry, take your time," Ye Fan said with a smile. "Later, everyone can embark on a journey along the Human Race Ancient Road." Their reunion, though still missing some individuals, was already very lively, and he felt waves of warmth.

Naturally, there were endless topics of conversation among them. They discussed many things, and one consistent point was their cursing of the Black Emperor, scolding that dog for being utterly unreliable.

"The Western Desert is fraught with danger and truly difficult to assault. Our Village of Heaven is mighty and certainly not weak in this era, yet we suffered heavy losses in the Western Desert and nearly had our entire army annihilated. If you wish to travel west, you must proceed with caution and not rush into battle impulsively."

This was the common view among their old friends: Mount Sumeru was terrifying beyond compare, a veritable dragon's den, incredibly difficult to attack, and requiring utmost caution.