Chapter 1533: Seeking Traces

A few wisps of black mist dispersed, revealing a cavernous rift, seven or eight *zhang* wide and hundreds of miles long, cutting through the imperial city. This was clearly left behind by a major battle.

Ye Fan descended into the rift, plunging hundreds of meters deep into the dark earth until he reached a massive underground cavern. Here, the aura grew even stronger. A sense of trepidation filled him. Had he found Little Nannan the moment he arrived? He shook his head, yet he was certain this vibrant life aura could not be mistaken.

The underground cavern contained pools of water and clusters of stalactites, some resembling snails, others giant bamboo shoots. Water droplets continually fell, their sounds echoing through the dark and spacious cave, making it feel even more tranquil.

Yan Yixi and Li Tian followed him down, walking behind Ye Fan. They felt a hint of suspicion, as they had not sensed anything out of the ordinary.

“Here!”

In a puddle, a translucent crystal shimmered brilliantly, like a drill bit, radiating a beautiful luster. Beside it lay a shattered jade jar, from which the crystal seemed to have rolled out.

Ye Fan picked up the glittering particle. It was remarkably translucent, emitting a rainbow of colors, and a wave of life essence, bearing Little Nannan’s aura, washed over him.

“It’s not that rainbow-colored pebble. Instead, its shape resembles a solidified tear.” He was greatly surprised. Could the little one's tears also transform into such crystals?

Yan Yixi and Li Tian were both astonished. Even when they got closer, they sensed nothing, truly wondering how Ye Fan could find a clue from such a distance.

Li Tian took it into his hand and said, “Touching it with my finger, I feel an incredible divine energy, as if immortal essence has poured into my body!”

Yan Yixi was equally surprised. Why couldn't they sense it from a distance, only upon physical contact? He was utterly bewildered.

“It must be because Little Nannan gave me that rainbow-colored pebble years ago, and I absorbed its colorful glow,” Ye Fan explained.

At the same time, a flicker of joy crossed his face. While others struggled to find Little Nannan, he could sense her through this connection, granting him a significant advantage. Of course, compared to the vastness of the land, this advantage was also frustrating. The immense geographical expanse was a headache, akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.

And this truly was a major problem! Over the next half-month, Ye Fan and his companions crossed straits, appearing on several different continents in their search for Little Nannan's whereabouts. Unfortunately, they couldn't find even a single trace.

Decades had passed. Many major powers in the Ziwei Star Domain had yielded no results. It was unrealistic to expect them to find her immediately upon their arrival.

“What should we do?”

“Major powers like the Human King Palace, the Longevity Temple of Underworld Ridge, and Guanghan Palace have been searching for decades. Perhaps they've made some discoveries. I'll have to visit them to find out,” Ye Fan murmured to himself. There was no other option but to consolidate the findings of others. Perhaps only then could they dispel some of the mystery surrounding Little Nannan's whereabouts.

“That’s true. After all, they’ve been searching for decades, so they must possess more valuable information than we do,” Yan Yixi nodded.

From that day forward, a mysterious figure began appearing in places like Shenzhou, Luzhou, and Hezhou. This individual secretly incapacitated powerful figures from various major sects, though without causing them any mortal harm.

This was, of course, Ye Fan. He secretly incapacitated dozens, even hundreds, of elite individuals from these major sects, sifting through their minds for any information regarding Little Nannan. The more he discovered, the grimmer his expression became. These individuals regarded Little Nannan as an immortal elixir, desiring nothing more than to cast her into a medicinal cauldron and refine her into a potent immortal pill.

The only consolation was that, according to the information he gathered, no one seemed to have succeeded yet.

“It’s time to act against the most crucial major power. After all, they are the masterminds,” Li Tian stated.

Decades ago, the Ziwei Divine Dynasty was reduced to ashes. The primary instigators were the major power that descended from beyond this domain, and they had now effectively replaced the dynasty, becoming the most formidable force on this star. Over the years, their expansion had been remarkably swift, attracting many rogue cultivators to join their ranks. They subtly aimed to bring stability to the world, possessing the ambition to conquer all ancient continents. If their development continued at this pace, their unification of the entire Ziwei Star Domain would not be surprising at all!

However, their highest echelons had remained highly mysterious over the years, consistently veiled in a shroud of secrecy. Even formidable powers like the Longevity Temple of Underworld Ridge and the Human King Palace did not fully comprehend them.

The moonlight was soft and beautiful, and all was silent. On the horizon, a magnificent colossal city emerged—Kun City, a place that commanded deep reverence and caused all cultivators to halt in their tracks. Decades ago, it was this very power that had acted to annihilate the Ziwei Divine Dynasty, bringing an end to an immortal great power that had endured for millennia.

It was a behemoth; who in the world dared to provoke it now? Once its command was issued, none dared to disobey. Judging by their expansion, they indeed subtly seemed to be on the verge of controlling the entire imperial star. This instilled deep apprehension among the various major powers, who deeply regretted joining forces with them to destroy the Ziwei Divine Dynasty. It was akin to killing a tiger only to invite a fierce dragon.

The moonlight shimmered like water. The colossal city stood majestically on the land, like an ancient ferocious beast in hibernation. Though its formidable nature was contained, its intimidating aura was palpable.

Ye Fan arrived alone, walking under the moonlight, entering the magnificent colossal city, and proceeding directly to the imperial city within. There, he was blocked by a formidable grand array. He did not force his way in but observed secretly for a period. He was astonished to discover imperial might within, with a quasi-emperor killing array deployed.

At this moment, Ye Fan's eyes instantly grew cold. He categorized this divine dynasty as one of the most dangerous, realizing it was not a simple major power and had considerable origins. Sensing carefully, he was unsure if a quasi-emperor was present, but he perceived a hint of ominousness from the array formations here. Regardless, the power behind them was undoubtedly terrifying.

Ye Fan did not wish to tip off the enemy and preferred not to instigate conflict in this location. After a long wait, a powerful individual emerged from the imperial city. He had disdained to act against the guards before. This person was a Half-Saint, insignificant to him, but quite formidable in this mundane world.

Ye Fan transformed into a streak of divine light, swooping down and seizing the individual with seemingly no effort, completely undetected. In the wilderness, Ye Fan searched the individual's spiritual sea, investigating the origins of this great sect.

Moments later, his heart trembled. Its origins were truly profound. Far in the depths of the starry sky, a mysterious ruler, whose cultivation depth and background were unknown, had issued a decree, dispatching their disciples to unify the ancient Ziwei Domain. They intended to establish a Heavenly Court!

When Ye Fan finally received this information, he couldn't help but be shocked. What immense ambition this entailed! This was not merely establishing a sect on an ancient star. They were taking active steps, planning to conquer domain by domain, to construct such a vast system and rekindle the glory of the mythical era.

“This is truly extraordinary!” Li Tian and Yan Yixi emerged from the mountains. After examining the individual’s memories, they all couldn't help but marvel.

“To establish a Heavenly Court capable of ruling myriad domains, this individual must be at least a Quasi-Emperor, right? Who among the human race of this era could possibly oppose them? Perhaps only Elder Gai,” Li Tian remarked.

“Just one disciple has nearly brought the ancient Ziwei Star Domain under their sway. The leader behind them must be terrifying beyond measure; otherwise, how would they dare to attempt such a feat?” Yan Yixi sighed.

After Ye Fan erased the relevant memories from the individual's mind, he sent him back. He frowned slightly; despite trying every method, they were still empty-handed.

“Perhaps it’s time to seek help from some old acquaintances,” Yan Yixi suggested.

“Are you referring to that particular sect?” Li Tian asked.

“Precisely!” Ye Fan had naturally considered it as well. Now they needed to seek assistance from the Heavenly Secret Sect.

Back then, as they departed, the Ancestral Master of the Heavenly Secret Sect was about to pass away, having foreseen a glimpse of the future and delivering two prophecies, which proved quite accurate. Li Tian and Yan Yixi possessed Heavenly Secret talismans. According to their ancestors' agreement, the Heavenly Secret Valley was obligated to perform divination for them four times, and they still had two remaining. The Heavenly Secret Old Ancestor had once stated that they could return after twenty years.

After Ye Fan and his companions left, separated by vast distances and without knowing the coordinates for their return, they had never imagined they would come back, nor did they have any intention of rejoining this lineage. Who knew that more than a hundred years later, they would once again have a request? Events often unfold in unexpected ways.

Taiyuan, located in the western part of Zhongzhou, was a massive, perpetually dark deep valley, never seeing the light of day. The reclusive ancient Heavenly Secret Sect had closed its doors here, its members rarely seen in the world. This was all because their ability to deduce heavenly secrets had brought a curse from the heavens, forcing them to withdraw from the world. The sect was envied by the heavens. Though it possessed astonishing divine arts, it struggled to flourish, with only a few disciples in each generation, truly a reclusive ancient lineage.

When Ye Fan and his companions delved deep underground, they were stunned. The Heavenly Secret Sect had been razed, reduced to rubble, completely annihilated. This was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads, sending shivers down their spines. Coming here was supposed to be the most effective shortcut, potentially offering clues about Little Nannan, but they never expected the path to be severed so abruptly.

“Who destroyed it?” Li Tian gritted his teeth.

“It was the divine dynasty that descended from beyond this domain,” Yan Yixi replied. They had discovered terrifying large holes left by war spears here, similar to those found in the Ziwei Imperial City. Clearly, this unparalleled major power, intent on establishing an ancient Heavenly Court, had also sought to leverage the Heavenly Secret Sect's prophecies, but ultimately ended up destroying the place.

Ye Fan felt despondent as he left the place, realizing that finding Little Nannan would indeed take a very long time.

However, events often unfold unexpectedly. As they continued their search in the eastern Shenzhou, half a month later, they encountered a young Daoist acolyte who proactively greeted them.

“Young Daoist, who are you?”

“This humble Daoist is from the Heavenly Secret Sect, here to deliver two talismans to the three of you,” the young acolyte replied.

“The Heavenly Secret Sect avoided that calamity?” Li Tian exclaimed in surprise, also astonished that this lineage was truly miraculous to have found them.

“We escaped the great calamity that befell our sect in the past and are now living in seclusion in the low mountains ahead. Another Ancestral Master is on the verge of passing away; he has only one day left. It just so happens that we saw you here, and he wishes to conclude his final worldly affairs,” the young acolyte said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

In the distance, a middle-aged Daoist walked over, his black beard flowing, exuding an air of immortality. Upon closer inspection, he seemed somewhat familiar; he was the same young acolyte from over a hundred years ago, now the successor of the sect.

“Another Ancestral Master is about to pass away, fulfilling his final wish. Our sect will completely withdraw from the world until this greatest upheaval in all ages has passed!” the middle-aged Daoist said, his face etched with sorrow. Back then, he had witnessed an Ancestral Master perish due to heavenly envy, and now another was facing the same fate. This was a grim destiny they could not escape.

“Please accept our condolences.” Ye Fan and the others, unsure how to offer comfort, silently bowed and presented some divine liquid from an ancient Celestial Venerable.

“What you seek, the Ancestral Master dares not calculate. Even a mere touch, let alone him, would reduce the Heavenly Secret Sect’s millennia-old legacy to ashes. He only faintly sensed that if you travel northwest, you will find something, right here in the mundane world,” the middle-aged Daoist sadly conveyed.

Finally, both parties bowed to each other and parted ways. From that day forward, the Heavenly Secret Sect would vanish from the world for tens of thousands of years!

In the bitter cold lands of the northwest, a tiny figure walked on alone, their small clothes already tattered beyond recognition…