Chapter 1487: Gathering Heroes

**Chapter 1491: Assembly of Heroes**

This lively and boisterous gathering dispelled the previous chill, fostering a warm sense of camaraderie.

"Although Black Sovereign is unreliable, his mastery of array patterns is truly exceptional," Li Heishui sighed. "He completed two more corners of Emperor Wu Shi's killing array, giving it 30% of its full power. If he were here, he could cause great havoc."

Ye Fan also sighed softly. He wasn't worried about Black Sovereign's safety, but he truly wanted to find it, because the coordinates of the Ziwei Ancient Starfield had fallen into its hands during the battle at the Central Continent Ancestral Temple.

"Attacking the Western Desert requires careful deliberation; we cannot act rashly."

In fact, after reuniting with his old friends, Ye Fan didn't head west at all. Instead, they traveled north.

Heaven's Village was still missing two important figures: Black Sovereign's disciples, the Twin Silver Blood Sovereigns. For years, these two had been put through agonizing daily training, but the results were clear: they had undergone an atavistic phenomenon.

Wang Shu and Lei Bo were supreme descendants of the Silver Blood lineage, not ordinary clansmen. Otherwise, the Source Heavenly Master would not have brought those two infants back ten thousand years ago, and there would be no Wang family or Lei family.

Currently, the Twin Silver Blood Sovereigns were trapped in the Northern Region. Ye Fan had to make a trip there to investigate and summon them back.

"After our great defeat attacking the Western Desert, Lei Bo and Wang Shu went to the Northern Region," Yan Yixi said. "In recent years, due to bloodline issues, they often dealt with some ancient tribesmen. Unexpectedly, this time, when they sought reinforcements, they were detained."

As Ye Fan and his group arrived in the Central Domain, a vast, boundless purple mist rolled in from the west, and a host of great demons roared across the sky, like a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers and generals descending.

In the center, a person clad in heavenly divine armor, wearing a purple-gold crown, with monstrous demonic energy soaring to the heavens and sharp eyes, was surrounded by a group of ancient demons like stars around the moon. Rolling clouds surged, rapidly closing in.

"Brother Ye... is that really you back?!" The newcomer was none other than Yao Yuekong, now the master of the Heavenly Demon Palace.

"It's me," Ye Fan smiled. "Brother Yuekong, it's been a hundred years since we parted. How have you been?"

"It's been dull," Yao Yuekong said. "I once thought of venturing into the starry sky to find you all and fight to my heart's content with you." Although now the master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, possessing his own imposing aura, he showed no pretense upon seeing his old friends, just like before.

"Monster, why did you bring so many people?" Dongfang Ye asked, hefting his large club.

In front, the faces of the great demons all darkened. But there was nothing they could do. The Palace Master's friends were uninhibited, and only they would address him that way.

"Aren't you going to attack the Western Desert? This time, bring more troops," Yao Yuekong said. He had contributed last time, but it resulted in heavy losses and had no effect.

"Attacking the Western Desert requires an Imperial Weapon; nothing else will work," Li Heishui said. "Go find Yan Ruyu and see if you can borrow the Green Emperor's weapon; otherwise, we probably still won't be able to ascend Mount Sumeru this time."

"Her Highness's whereabouts are uncertain," Yao Yuekong said helplessly. "Some even say she went to the outer regions. I've been sending people to search for her, but we've never found a trace."

"What about the ten demonesses you owe me? When will you return them?" Li Tian interjected.

"Palace Master, when can we deploy our troops? Call us then." The group of great demons couldn't bear it any longer. They temporarily withdrew, awaiting Yao Yuekong's future orders.

Only Yao Yuekong himself continued the journey with the people of Heaven's Village.

As they passed by Mount Immortality, Ye Fan took a deep look, where black peaks stood one after another, towering into the sky, majestic and terrifying.

Strangely enough, for so many years, although powerful fluctuations occasionally emanated from this forbidden zone of life, no supreme being had ever stepped out.

All seven forbidden zones were like this, a calm before a storm, silently awaiting the opening of the Immortal Road. At that time, there would inevitably be an earth-shattering battle for supremacy!

The Sacred Cliff was also as it had been, with a touch of desolation and solitude, but no one dared to set foot there.

"This era will undoubtedly be the most terrifying in history," Ye Fan muttered, "with past supreme beings dormant in all seven forbidden zones, each possessing world-shattering power!"

Ye Fan muttered to himself that whether the Big Dipper Starfield would even exist in the future was a question. Once these individuals made their move, the starfield would surely collapse, and all things would perish.

The Big Dipper was a special place, known as the Emperor Burial Star, where ancient emperors' formations, contingencies, and weapons suppressed it. Under normal circumstances, it simply could not be broken.

However, once the Immortal Road opened, many impossible things might no longer hold true.

"This is the accumulation of countless ages, the millennia-long buildup. Everything will converge and erupt in a certain period of this era!"

Everyone sighed softly; no one could see the future clearly anymore.

Presumably, even the wisest great emperors who could foresee this era might not have perfectly predicted every detail. There might be omissions, and unexpected changes could occur.

The southern region was blessed with spring breezes and perpetual spring, but upon reaching the Northern Region, strong northern winds swept across the land, and yellow leaves drifted among the oases, creating a desolate autumn scene.

When they were not far from the Northern Region's Divine City, heavenly drums pounded, and banners fluttered as a contingent of troops approached from the Central Continent, with powerful dragon qi surging and their might shaking the heavens.

The leader, robustly built with a dragon's stride and tiger's gait, possessed a soaring heroic bearing and an aura that could swallow mountains and rivers. It was precisely Prince Xia Yiming of Great Xia.

He wore an ancestral dragon crown and a nine-dragon robe, exuding authority without anger, his entire body shrouded in imperial dragon qi—a mist formed from a technique with unparalleled offensive power.

"Brother Ye, it's been many years since we parted. I've missed you greatly." Emperor Xia Yiming of Great Xia had also arrived.

"Brother Xia, your bearing is even grander than before, and your cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. This is truly commendable," Ye Fan said, stepping forward to meet him.

Emperor Xia Yiming of Great Xia directly stated his purpose: he was willing to assist them and contribute his strength.

However, he also made it clear that the Grand Emperor's Sword could not be deployed, as it was of immense importance—the supreme treasure of their Great Xia clan—and he alone could not decide on its use.

The implications of using an ultimate Imperial Armament were too great, requiring discussion among the clan's important figures. He could not act impulsively on his own. In fact, his presence here meant he had only brought a few personal attendants, not the entire Great Xia Divine Dynasty.

In the distance, there was another woman clad in white like snow. It was Xia Yilin, with large, sparkling eyes. The former young nun had long since grown up and returned to secular life.

Both siblings had come. They were deeply surprised by Ye Fan's return from the ancient road and came to meet him, offering their assistance.

"Sister Yilin, long time no see! I've missed you greatly," Li Tian greeted her enthusiastically, but received a big eye-roll in return.

"Good, our strength is growing even stronger," Old Killer Qi Luo nodded.

Both Yao Yuekong and Emperor Xia had extraordinary statuses. They didn't need to personally take action, but simply their presence in the Western Desert would create immense pressure.

The Divine City was majestic. This time, Ye Fan was not just passing through, but truly entering it, which immediately caused a huge stir. His stone-gambling battle here back then was still a circulating legend.

"Master!" Soon after entering the city, someone shouted breathlessly, rushing over, extremely excited. It was a young Daoist who prostrated himself and cried out, "Master!" with tears in his eyes.

It was Little Heavenly Master Zhang Yangqing, Ye Fan's nominal disciple brought from Earth. After many years, they reunited in the Divine City.

Ye Fan helped him up, feeling a pang of guilt, as this disciple had been essentially left on his own. After bringing him to the Big Dipper and imparting cultivation techniques, Ye Fan had left, never having truly guided him meticulously.

Not far away, another figure stood tall and upright. His golden hair shone like gold, his face was handsome, and his eyes were full of the vicissitudes of life. He carried a dragon spear on his back, exuding a majestic, godlike aura, like a deity from the heavens.

Everyone was startled because this person was incredibly powerful. Qi Luo, Dongfang Ye, Dragon Horse, and others could all sense that this person was on the verge of entering the Great Saint realm. He was a Heavenly King!

This was the Divine Knight, also from Earth, and one of the few who had journeyed with Ye Fan back then.

Ye Fan wasn't surprised at all by his cultivation reaching this level, because the Divine Knight absolutely possessed such profound potential. He had been suppressed on Earth for a long period.

Had it been any other place, his cultivation back then would never have been as low as the Dao Severing Realm; he had been too severely suppressed!

On Earth, where it was impossible to approach the Dao and vital energy was depleted, making cultivation almost impossible, yet the Divine Knight had reached such a height—one could imagine the depth of his talent and accumulation.

Ye Fan had already seen that it was inevitable for the Divine Knight to become a Great Saint. He could take that step almost at any time now; this was a conscious choice to control himself, not having undergone tribulation yet.

"Congratulations, Daoist Brother," Ye Fan said. "After two millennia of cultivation, you have escaped your cage and finally achieved an extraordinary Dao Fruit."

The Divine Knight was not very eloquent. He directly told Ye Fan that he would accompany him to the Western Desert for a battle.

"Good, more and more people are joining us," Li Heishui suggested. "Ye Zi, why don't you simply issue a call to action here, gather all the heroes, and jointly attack Mount Sumeru!"

Ye Fan nodded and said, "I was just thinking that. The Buddhist Sect is too powerful; it requires the combined efforts of the world."

He wanted to create a grand momentum, inviting heroes from all corners of the world to raise their banners and advance together to attack the Great Thunderclap Temple. Of course, he knew few would truly take action, but it would certainly stir up widespread commotion. Many wouldn't participate, but they would definitely fan the flames.

That would be enough. Once a global trend began, the Western Desert would surely be wary. If they could surrender without a fight, that would be ideal. If Mount Sumeru remained resolute, it wouldn't be too late to fight.

"Ancient Buddhist sages would feed their bodies to tigers, cut their flesh to feed eagles, and possess great compassion, pitying heaven and man. But now, Mount Sumeru, relying on its spiritual power, no longer distinguishes right from wrong, bullies the weak, tramples Buddhist principles, enslaves people, deceives the world for fame, and acts like demons..."

As soon as the proclamation of war was issued, the Divine City erupted, and the world was in an uproar, causing a shocking sensation.

"We support Heaven's Village in attacking the Buddhist lands of the Western Desert."

"Mount Sumeru is no longer pure; there should be a battle."

The world was in turmoil. Many seemed to fear nothing more than a lack of chaos. Just as Ye Fan had expected, they wouldn't personally act, but they fanned the flames, and anti-Buddhist sentiments arose everywhere, as if the whole world was rising to condemn them.

Those with ulterior motives were in the majority, stirring up public opinion. Even the saints from beyond the domain expressed their support for jointly raising the banner to conquer the Western Desert.

Moreover, the ancient tribes were also like this. They were most wary of Mount Sumeru and strongly supported the cause verbally, all wanting to use Ye Fan's hand to gauge the unfathomable Buddhist Sect.

This was a raging tide. Discussions erupted across the land, as if the whole world genuinely intended to condemn them, causing a great sensation.

"Master, I'm here!" Long Yuxuan arrived, the other of the two nominal disciples Ye Fan had brought, followed by Old Roc King.

The former Golden-Winged Little Roc King had died, and Old Roc King, naturally heartbroken, had placed all his hopes on him. Later, he saw the traits of the Little Roc King in Long Yuxuan, who was of the Dragon Sparrow clan, and diligently guided him. Moreover, after the great changes in the world, he himself had advanced by leaps and bounds, reaching an astonishing level.

Divine light streaked across the sky as Peacock King and Red Dragon Daoist arrived together. These two were now unfathomably powerful, leading many strong demon cultivators, responding to Ye Fan's call for aid.

Boom!

A terrifying aura erupted, and a woman appeared, her beautiful hair fluttering. She was exquisitely beautiful and gracefully slender, yet exuded the aura of a Great Saint, shaking the Northern Region.

Princess Divine Silkworm had arrived, appearing in response to Ye Fan's call. Over the years, she had utilized the great changes in the world to successfully enter the Great Saint realm.

On her shoulder was a mischievous little creature. It was the Divine Silkworm that Ye Fan had once unearthed, now transformed into a small monkey, which looked somewhat like the Battle Saint Ape. It was unknown which transformation this was. Its large eyes darted around, but it still hadn't chosen a human form.

Besides Princess Divine Silkworm, she also brought a drunken young Daoist. This was the ancient emperor's direct descendant, Daoist Divine Silkworm!

The commotion grew louder and louder, with even such Daoists joining. The news spread like wildfire across the world, shocking everyone.

"Mount Sumeru will not remain complacent anymore," people said. "They must be wary now. This is a turbulent current, and even more, a global trend!"

Clearly, the commotion intensified, with various individuals stepping forward, advocating for a united global opposition to jointly condemn the Western Desert and assault Mount Sumeru.

"We've arrived in the Northern Region," someone asked. "Are the Twin Silver Blood Sovereigns still being held? They haven't been released."