Chapter 1511: Another Emperor

The Great Sovereign's demise, dying in battle on the Path to Immortality, was so utterly tragic and profoundly shocking.

To the world, the title "Great Emperor" carried the weight of Mount Tai, signifying individuals who could accomplish anything and defeat any foe, the very embodiment of invincibility.

Yet, such an invincible being had died, his body completely shattered, a truly shocking sight.

Ye Fan took one last look at the faintly glowing imperial blood, bone fragments, and shredded flesh before leaving the area and heading towards the outer battlefield to investigate what had truly transpired.

In front of the dark red flames, the eight or nine Great Sages had not yet dispersed, still lingering and watching intently.

Ye Fan and Huntuo emerged one after another, prompting surprised looks from the Great Sages. They wanted to inquire about the outcome but hesitated due to their lack of familiarity and immense apprehension, as both Ye Fan and Huntuo wielded imperial artifacts.

Only an elder patriarch of the ancient clan stepped forward to question Huntuo. After briefly learning some details, his expression changed drastically.

Finally, they reached the ancient battlefield, where numerous blurred figures, imprints of ancient heroic spirits, surged forward like charging legions, an incomparably terrifying sight.

Although the area was traversable, they had to consciously avoid the most powerful imprints, or they would likely encounter significant trouble.

Moreover, seeking out that most terrifying roar was even more daunting. This indelible imprint, etched into the very fabric of the place, was undoubtedly left by a Great Emperor-level figure, a truly world-shaking presence.

Patches of scorched earth, shattered mountains and rivers, and dimly glowing, damaged array patterns confirmed that this was a place of utter destruction, blown apart into a fragmented world.

After a careful search, Ye Fan, Huntuo, and the other Great Sages were horrified to discover numerous star stones, so heavy that even ordinary Sages couldn't move them.

"These are actual stars, casually captured and refined, then shattered as magical artifacts!" Huntuo sighed softly.

Many fist-sized star stones lay on the ground, floating amidst array patterns and emitting a dim, yet astonishing, glow.

If the magical seals were lifted, these would instantly expand into colossal stars, truly as if a portion of the cosmos had been shattered and all its fragments had plummeted to this very spot.

"Immortal Heavenly Sovereign..."

The enraged roar finally emerged. With imperial artifacts hovering above them, protecting them, Ye Fan and Huntuo pressed forward against immense pressure, determined to uncover the truth.

It was a majestic figure, though indistinct, yet so oppressive it felt suffocating. Though merely an incomplete imprint, it felt as if the weight of nine heavens bore down, causing both the azure gourd and the green bronze cauldron to tremble.

"What, this person is..."

Ye Fan was startled. Although he only saw its back, the figure was clearly not human, exuding an overwhelming dominance, an unparalleled aura that pierced through the nine heavens.

"Fighting Saint Sovereign!"

Great Sage Huntuo exclaimed, "Fighting Saint Sovereign!" As someone from the late Archaic era who had personally met the peerless Saint Sovereign and had even been suppressed and guided by him, how could he possibly not recognize him?

The majestic figure, capable of plucking stars from the sky, vanished in a flash, for it was merely a fragment of consciousness, not a physical body or a clone.

The situation had grown even more complex: the Fighting Saint Sovereign had been here too!

The earlier roar had not been from the Great Sovereign, but from the Fighting Saint Sovereign, who, having discovered something here, was enraged and rebuked the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign.

What exactly transpired in the Immortal Palace world in the past? It was shrouded in mystery, but a closer look suggested it could only be related to the Path to Immortality, a path for which this location was once deemed valid.

Ye Fan frowned. It wasn't the Great Sovereign's roar, but that of the Monkey's father. This made speculation difficult, as it was completely different from what he had imagined.

"The Great Sovereign's death should be unrelated to the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign," Great Sage Huntuo said, letting out a long breath. He had been suspicious himself just moments ago but had not wanted his supreme deity to bear such a blemish.

It now seemed the Great Sovereign had died, most likely falling before the Path to Immortality himself, bleeding profusely on the spot, unable to enter the Immortal Realm, and dying with his body shattered.

But Ye Fan frowned, sensing that things were not so simple.

In earlier years, the Monkey's father, like the ancient clansmen, had greatly admired the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign, yet he eventually overthrew the Heavenly Sovereign's sacred grounds and completely severed ties.

The precise reason remained unknown to outsiders.

It was not until today, seeing this incomplete imprint here, that Ye Fan had a sudden realization: perhaps it was related to the Path to Immortality!

The Immortal Heavenly Sovereign had likely orchestrated something in this place, causing the Fighting Saint Sovereign to discover it, which then led him to overthrow the Heavenly Sovereign's sacred grounds and smash his divine statues upon his return.

Moreover, it must have been an extraordinary matter, otherwise, given the Fighting Saint Sovereign's status, he would not have resorted to such drastic measures.

A million years later, the Great Sovereign also arrived here, still seeking immortality. But how could one location repeatedly become the "correct" spot for the Path to Immortality? Either someone intentionally set a trap to draw the Great Sovereign here, or this place was truly exceptionally unique.

"If it's truly related to the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign," the porcelain doll said nervously, blinking her large eyes, "then he's the most terrifying person—having lived for millions of years without dying, and able to scheme against two Great Emperors, it's truly terrifying."

Huntuo frowned. The elder patriarch of the ancient clan behind him, displeased by the remark, glared at the doll, but upon meeting Ye Fan's cold gaze, he immediately looked away.

The Immortal Palace world remained shrouded in mystery; the truth was no longer ascertainable. After all, the events were too ancient, and countless generations of Great Emperors had already passed.

Ye Fan returned to the site where the Emperor's body had shattered, observing the blood and flesh from the periphery. Seeing the only undamaged hand, he couldn't help but frown.

The palm was as translucent as jade, but upon closer inspection, the back of the hand showed slight wrinkles, indicating it had not fully retained its youthful state.

Clearly, the Great Sovereign was already very old at that time, in his twilight years. If one were to say he failed due to old age and physical decline, collapsing on the Path to Immortality for reasons related to his own physical state, it would be a plausible explanation.

Finally, Ye Fan relaxed his brow. There was no need to worry.

In fact, it was enough to deduce a few useful pieces of information from this. First, the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign had not died in Mount Zi and had visited this place. Second, the Monkey's father had also been here, seen through something, and rebelled against the Immortal Heavenly Sovereign. Third, the Great Sovereign had attempted to pass through here, collapsing in a pool of blood and falling on the Path to Immortality.

Regardless, this place was useless in this era; chaos had severed the path ahead, and the Path to Immortality was shattered.

There was nothing more to explore in this Immortal Palace world. For Ye Fan, the curtain could now fall; he had, after all, once again thoroughly explored this world as a secret realm.

"Alas," Ye Fan sighed deeply, "a Great Emperor of the human race met such an end, dying without an intact body for the sake of achieving immortality."

Whether immortals truly existed in this world was now seriously in doubt. Throughout history, there had never been a single truly successful case; the most powerful Heavenly Venerates, Ancient Sovereigns, and Great Emperors had almost all failed, leaving no proven examples whatsoever.

Immortality was too ephemeral, too distant, leaving even Great Emperors with only regret and sorrow.

"Will Fellow Daoist attend the upcoming grand assembly?" Great Sage Huntuo asked as they left the forbidden zone.

"What assembly?" Ye Fan asked, surprised. He had only recently returned and hadn't been paying attention, so he hadn't heard of any major gathering.

"The Myriad Races Grand Assembly!" Great Sage Huntuo replied.

Ye Fan was startled, recalling the turbulent Myriad Races Grand Assembly at Jade Lake in the past, where the human race and ancient clans had engaged in thrilling contests.

Great Sage Huntuo explained, "In this era, the true Path to Immortality is about to emerge, and Beidou has grown increasingly chaotic, with constant warfare and Sages fiercely battling. They are about to establish a set of rules."

Rumors circulated that this era would be different. Both ancient emperors and human Great Emperors had speculated that an immortal gate might spontaneously open between heaven and earth, leading to the Immortal Realm. However, with limited time, this would inevitably lead to extreme bloodshed, with corpses piling up like mountains and rivers of blood.

Beidou was destined to become the center of the entire universe's storm. While conflicts were inevitable, the region couldn't remain in perpetual chaos, so the various races would negotiate and establish some governing rules.

"I'll go when the time comes," Ye Fan nodded, then parted ways with Huntuo.

Upon returning to the Qi Shi Manor, the porcelain doll and several young people were extremely excited, bowing deeply to Ye Fan and expressing their profound gratitude. Everything they had experienced that day was too mysterious for them: walking alongside a Great Sage and witnessing the bones of an ancient Great Emperor was something they could never have imagined in the past, yet now they had explored it.

In the northern part of the Central Domain lay Dark City, a place that made even the strongest individuals throughout history frown and feel apprehensive.

The Western Empress had appeared and disappeared there, the Great Accomplishment Saint Body had visited, the Void Great Emperor had resided there, and the Beginningless Great Emperor had descended upon it—each name representing a supreme figure who had reached the pinnacle of power.

This city was exceptionally unique; it had inevitably become the center of the storm during several dark upheavals.

This was because it lay not far from Immortal Mountain and Sacred Cliff, an ancient city that had to confront life forbidden zones during times of turmoil.

One Great Accomplishment Saint Body had fiercely battled Immortal Mountain, waging war throughout his life, and ultimately shed blood on Sacred Cliff in his later years. In his prime, he had guarded Dark City, and it was unknown how many upheavals he had quelled.

The Void Great Emperor, moreover, had fought bloody battles across various forbidden zones, with the final battle at Immortal Mountain being the most brutal.

The Beginningless Great Emperor had also acted powerfully here, slaying supreme beings of the dark era and even sealing a giant rarely seen in a thousand ages. To this day, the Investiture of the Gods, which he refined, still suppresses Sacred Cliff.

Dark City was, without a doubt, the premier city in the Central Domain, possessing immortal legends, renowned throughout the six directions and eight wildernesses, and of profound origin.

Recently, Dark City had been far from peaceful, as a grand assembly was to be held there. At that time, the human race of Beidou, the major ancient clans, and Sages from beyond the domain would all make an appearance.

This was a truly Myriad Races Grand Assembly, no longer exclusively for Beidou, but for powerful races from all corners of the cosmos. All dominant species present on this ancient star would have representatives attending.

In the past few days, powerful individuals had been arriving continuously, making the city a focal point of activity and attention across the world, with almost all strong cultivators expected to attend.

"Hmm, that's the elder patriarch of Fire麟 Cave," someone remarked. "I heard their ancient prince disappeared and hasn't returned to this day."

Many highly esteemed elders of the ancient clans had arrived, indicating the great importance they placed on this assembly.

"Oh, that's Jiang Yifei, the Saint Lord of the Jiang family. He's here too," another voice said. "There are rumors that he might be the true son of the Constant Universe Great Emperor, and his previous identity was false."

"Impossible, that's just a rumor!"

On the street, a young man in snow-white robes, with a refined and elegant demeanor like jade, rode upon a golden Qilin-like beast. Spotlessly clean, he exuded a transcendental and ethereal aura.

Many riders followed around him.

"Fenghuang, the Family Head of the Feng Clan from the Central Domain, has arrived," someone else observed. "This woman has been truly astonishing in recent years, even deciphering the mysteries of the lost scriptures on their family's ancient stele."

"Oh, it really is her," another said. "I heard she had some past grievances with the Human Saint Body."

A woman wearing a five-colored mask and wreathed in shimmering light streaked across the sky, swiftly departing. No one dared to approach her, and a group of powerful cultivators followed closely behind.

"What do I see?" someone exclaimed. "A colossal black turtle being carried by a sedan! It's also here for the assembly. What is its origin?!"

"Hush," someone whispered, "that's the guardian god of the Southern Barbarian Clan. Those carrying the sedan are ancient beasts who admire him. This turtle became a Saint before the world changed and is now unfathomably powerful."

In recent days, more and more powerful individuals had arrived in Dark City, with people coming from ancient star regions such as Huosang Ancient Star, Gouchen Ancient Star, and Tongtian Ancient Star.

For over a century, many powerful races from various star domains had descended upon Beidou.