Chapter 1562: Unoriginated

Black Emperor raced wildly towards the Northern Region, almost insane with excitement. Large tears streamed from its eyes—a sincere display of emotion rarely seen from it.

Ye Fan, the Holy Prince, Ji Zi, and others exchanged glances but did not immediately follow. They gave Black Emperor time to compose itself, for they themselves were too stunned to speak, gazing at the Holy Cliff.

The towering mountains were grand and imposing, entirely black. Each peak was tall and majestic, truly kings among mountains, inspiring awe in those who beheld them.

This was a section of black peaks, forcefully severed from the Undying Mountain by the Great Accomplished Holy Body when he quelled the dark turmoil and asserted his dominance over the world, forming a unique terrain.

On the Holy Cliff, some of the Great Accomplished Holy Body's bloodstains had not yet dried; they glowed like a magnificent, reddish-scarlet waterfall, a truly shocking sight.

Why was the Investiture of the Gods loosening? Was someone still controlling it, or was the Immortal Emperor's divine consciousness imprint still alive? This perplexed everyone.

Muffled roars emanated from within the Holy Cliff, sounding like a ferocious beast about to break free, instilling fear. It was the desperate roar of the Undying Daoist.

Why was this happening? Did the loosening of the Immortal Emperor's Investiture of the Gods truly mean he was still alive? Ye Fan and the others observed for a long time but could discern no mystery.

"No, if this list truly loosened, the Undying Daoist should be happy. Why is he reacting like this?" They were utterly bewildered.

Black Emperor had once said that the Immortal Emperor suppressed the Undying Daoist without immediately killing him because he needed him. Could it be that the time to use him had arrived?

"Let's go," Ye Fan said. "It's better not to enter. The Undying Daoist is not an easy opponent; we shouldn't be taken advantage of by him."

The Great Accomplished Holy Body, in his fading years, was killed by the Undying Daoist. This individual was undoubtedly terrifying, a supreme being from ancient times.

There were even legends that the Undying Daoist might be related to the Immortal Sovereign!

The Northern Region had become even more desolate. With the Path to Immortality about to open, a massive rift had appeared in the southern part of the Eastern Wasteland, prompting all races to mobilize. That location was destined to be the site of the final battle. Consequently, the already barren Northern Region grew even more silent, a desolate wasteland stretching for hundreds of thousands or even millions of miles, devoid of human presence.

"Wuwu..."

Cries echoed across the desolate land. On the horizon, a towering Purple Mountain pierced the clouds, grand and distinctive. Black Emperor wept uncontrollably here. It sensed no trace of the Immortal Emperor, and the Immortal Bell remained utterly silent, without the slightest ripple of activity.

Ye Fan and the others arrived. Re-entering Purple Mountain now wouldn't be a near-death experience, but moving anything inside would likely remain incredibly difficult. The Immortal Bell hung there, ownerless, yet no one could take it.

Many years had passed, yet the great bell remained, and the even more mysterious scripture was also undisturbed. No one had been able to open the Emperor's Tomb here.

All ancient factions, from the Ancient Imperial Families to the major Royal Families, were neighbors to this place, yet none could disturb even a blade of grass; they were powerless.

"The Great Emperor has not appeared, he hasn't returned..." The big black dog was distraught. No matter how much of a scoundrel it was, at this moment, it was genuinely sorrowful, showing its true devotion to the Immortal Emperor.

"Let's go inside and take that Undying Phoenix Medicine," suggested the Holy Prince. "Otherwise, if a Supreme Being emerges from the Forbidden Zone, I fear this place will be razed."

The big black dog said gravely, "It won't leave. It voluntarily guards this place and will never depart, choosing to remain forever with the Immortal Emperor's last remaining dao platform."

Black Emperor also believed that even if the most terrifying dark turmoil erupted, the Immortal Bell would protect everything here; no one could breach it by force.

Eighty thousand years ago, whether the Immortal Emperor truly passed away or ascended to immortality remains unclear to this day.

Only Black Emperor firmly believed that the Immortal Emperor was unrivaled throughout history. Nothing in this world, not even the Immortal Realm, could obstruct his path. He would surely force his way in powerfully, rather than quietly pass away.

Indeed, the Immortal Emperor possessed unparalleled might and was supreme. When speaking of other Great Emperors, one might find they endured bloody battles, faced powerful adversaries, and their lives were often threatened.

Only with the Immortal Emperor did no one ever worry for him, no matter who his enemy was. His past and experiences were truly a relentless sweep, dominating everything with overwhelming power all the way through!

No matter whom he encountered, the Immortal Emperor would always sweep them aside in a single battle, utterly without suspense, suppressing them completely.

Ultimately, the Immortal Emperor's name became synonymous with invincibility, supreme above and below the heavens. He swept through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands; during his lifetime, no one dared to challenge him. Even the Supreme Beings in the forbidden zones remained silent and dutifully guarded their retreats.

This was the Immortal Emperor, a supreme human Great Emperor who dominated all ages, reaching the pinnacle, overwhelming the Eight Desolations, and gazing down upon eternity with singular supremacy!

"The Great Emperor must have fought his way into the Immortal Realm alive! I believe his essence will eventually reappear in this world, returning from the Immortal Realm to take a look, because this world needs him!" Black Emperor roared, tears streaming down its face.

However, Ye Fan remained silent. He had once entered Purple Mountain with Duan De and the Old Blind Man, climbed the magnificent dao platform, and collected spirit medicines, truly understanding that place.

At the very center of that dao platform, a peerless man had once stood with his back to them. Yet, upon approaching, they found only a pile of ashes.

This outcome, though tragic, was the most authentic and closest to the truth: transforming into dust, perhaps this was the ultimate end.

"Aren't you going to take out that scripture?" Ye Fan asked.

"It can't be moved, and it can't be opened," Black Emperor shook its head, revealing the truth. "Besides gathering all the Emperor Jade, it also requires someone with the Immortal Emperor's bloodline to pour their blood upon it." There was a gloom in its large, bell-like eyes. While it insisted the Immortal Emperor was alive, a different kind of fear lurked in its heart, subtly suggesting the truth might be otherwise, most likely a tragedy.

The Investiture of the Gods continued to loosen, emitting immeasurable light. It seemed to resonate with Purple Mountain, and suddenly, with a resounding "clang," the Immortal Bell tolled, shaking the entire Northern Region!

This was too sudden. All the ancient races trembled in shock, and the hearts of the Supreme Beings in the major forbidden zones pounded. Everyone found it unbelievable!

Black Emperor, who had just been crying in despair, immediately widened its eyes, leaped forward, and roared, "Into the mountain!"

At this moment, not only Black Emperor but the entire Eastern Wasteland was in an uproar. The patriarchs of major sects, the strongest individuals in the region, and the supreme beings in the forbidden zones all felt a profound unease.

It was too bizarre. The Immortal Emperor had vanished eighty thousand years ago, and his passing had been acknowledged by some of the forbidden zones as genuine, not an illusion. Yet now, bell waves emanated, sweeping across the land, making the Eastern Wasteland tremble. This was clearly an Emperor-level fluctuation.

"How is this possible? He's still alive?!"

"Eighty thousand years have passed; has he become an immortal? How can he reappear in the world? Someone must be ringing the bell, deliberately creating this illusion!"

The world was in shock, with all parties displaying looks of disbelief. It was almost beyond comprehension, exceeding everyone's expectations.

Ye Fan grabbed Black Emperor and said, "Going in like this will surely lead to death. Let's wait for a while!"

The Immortal Bell was ringing, and while its waves were gentle and devoid of killing intent, this was only on the periphery. It was presumed that even the gentlest part of Purple Mountain's interior would be unbearable for ordinary people.

"Alright, let's wait a bit!" The big black dog curbed its impulse.

Each resonant peal of the bell echoed with the Investiture of the Gods on the Holy Cliff, glowing together. On this day, the majestic peak that had once witnessed the Great Accomplished Holy Body's glory and sorrow shone with immense immortal light!

And the Undying Daoist's desperate cries shook the Central Region, astonishing all factions.

After an unknown period, the bell waves ceased, and silence fell upon the surroundings. Black Emperor was the first to dart out, finding a secret path to enter Purple Mountain, reopening an ancient, sealed passage.

Now, it possessed this ability because it was familiar with everything here, and its mastery of array formations had reached a profound level, allowing it to penetrate inside.

In the deepest part of Purple Mountain, a colossal dao platform glowed. One great dao symbol after another shimmered, imprinted into the void, like a succession of suns.

On that dao platform lay a snow-white skull, surrounded by these dao patterns. A pendant hung from it, resonating with these laws.

This was the skull Ye Fan had brought back from the starry sky and placed here. Now, a faint spiritual imprint emanated from it, making everyone's hearts tremble. What kind of emotion was this? It truly touched their souls.

A sincere quest, the Holy Maiden's solitary path, solely to find the Immortal Emperor's footsteps, constantly searching, entering the paths he had walked, dedicating her entire life to the search.

She was undoubtedly a divine maiden, a peerless talent of her generation, once enveloped in a divine aura, once the focus of myriad eyes, once standing proudly over the world. Yet, she chose to abandon everything, embarking alone, facing the cold and dark universe, pursuing and looking up.

Solely to find the person she once knew, continuously searching in the wake of his imperial path.

Through long ages, it was the Holy Maiden's lonely journey. Ultimately, her youthful beauty turned to a skull, and she passed away in a forgotten corner of the desolate universe. She lived and died in solitude, and no one knew her final thoughts.

It was a truly poignant fate!

Black Emperor couldn't help but howl.

The only small comfort was that her skull was eventually brought here by Ye Fan and laid to rest on the Immortal Dao Platform.

"Dilis!" Suddenly, a clear male voice echoed, shaking the entire Purple Mountain, almost causing the dao platform to collapse, and making the great dao symbols shine even more brilliantly.

"Great Emperor!" Black Emperor cried out, tears of excitement welling in its eyes. It was certain this was the Immortal Emperor's voice.

"Dilis..." The voice came again, much softer, imbued with a magnetic quality. This man's voice involuntarily conjured the image of a peerless hero in their minds.

"Great Emperor... Great Emperor, where are you?" Black Emperor cried out frantically.

On the dao platform, a towering figure appeared, shrouded in chaos, possessing unparalleled might, with black hair like a waterfall. Unfortunately, the figure could not be clearly seen.

He walked to the snow-white skull, gently lifted it, and softly called, "Dilis."

This was, astonishingly, the Holy Maiden's name. The Immortal Emperor's figure had appeared, calling out with sadness in his voice, his hand caressing the crystalline skull's "face."

He had battled his entire life, pressing forward relentlessly, sweeping through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, shattering ancient myths, standing at the pinnacle of the human dao, revered by all! Yet, even such a mighty Emperor possessed this tender side; this sorrow was entirely unlike his usual dominance.

This scene was both shocking and deeply moving.

At the end of the Immortal Path, who stands supreme? Once the Immortal Emperor appears, all other paths become void!

The divine list suppressing the Holy Cliff loosened, and the Immortal Bell tolled, leading to the appearance of this Great Emperor, a sight that left everyone stunned and bewildered.