Chapter 1629: Return to Heaven Court

Ye Fan miraculously returned, but before he could unleash an even more dazzling imperial radiance, he departed again. In the eyes of many, the glory of the Sacred Body had reached its end.

He was renowned three hundred years ago for bravely confronting the Supremes in the Forbidden Zone of Life, fighting until his last drop of blood. Yet, his brilliance pierced through three centuries of time, illuminating an entire era. Though he had returned to life, it marked a low point in his tumultuous existence. He suffered from hidden ailments, causing him to fade into obscurity three centuries later.

This signified the end of an era belonging to the Sacred Body!

Many shared this view: simply being alive was a miracle, so what more could he do? Could he reclaim that perfect battle-body, once destined to become an Emperor's physique, from the heavens themselves?

"What a pity!" was the collective sigh in the end.

Many feared him, wishing for his immediate demise, while many others respected him, hoping he would ascend to the peak. Such an outcome left most people with a sense of regret.

Nevertheless, Ye Fan, the Sacred Body, had lived a powerful life. He had never been defeated when facing masters of his generation, boasting a truly invincible past. His formidable reputation resonated throughout the universe, leaving an indelible mark on this era. There was a period when glory belonged solely to him!

After his departure, great winds arose. Blood splattered on the Imperial Road, and the battles at the Nine Heavens Imperial Pass officially entered a horrifying and increasingly brutal phase. The struggle for the path to ultimate power would continue.

From that day forward, Ye Fan would fade from public view. The future path would belong to the most formidable and powerful prodigies, among whom a new Great Emperor might emerge!

On the Ancient Human Path, Ye Fan returned once more. The starfield leading to the Heavenly Court had to pass through this very place. This time, he didn't start from the first pass but traveled backward from the final one. Many years had passed, and he wanted to revisit the path he had once walked.

This path had not yet closed; human talents still came here for trials, seeking to break free from their cocoons like butterflies and undergo a crucial transformation in their lives.

Gazing at the young, hopeful faces still brimming with ideals, Ye Fan felt a rush of emotions. He, too, was once one of them, striving relentlessly towards his goals.

Now, however, he felt a certain weariness. Watching them was like facing his past self. For a moment, he smiled, sighed, and felt a touch of youthful abandon, before his hearty laughter abruptly ceased.

Yesterday remained, yet centuries had passed in retrospect!

Some people glanced sideways, observing the group of three, all of them showing surprise.

"Hey, look at that bald man! He looks like the most infamous 'Flower Buddha' of the past three hundred years!"

"Who's that person? He looks familiar... wait. He resembles the statue of the Sacred Body, Ye Fan. No, he's exactly like it! Good heavens!"

"What's going on? That man... he's identical to the statue of the Human Race's Sacred Body! This is unbelievable. And he's accompanied by the Flower Devil Buddha? Could it be... oh my God!"

Ye Fan had perished and was buried three hundred years ago, a fact known to all races across the cosmos. Statues of him had been erected in various places. At present, only those at the Imperial Pass of the True Path knew he had returned alive. Although the news was destined to spread, the people here were still unaware.

In other regions of the universe, people had not yet received the news, as communication from the Imperial Pass was difficult and would take a long time to disseminate.

Ye Fan did not linger. He paused only briefly along the way, not giving anyone enough time to confirm or verify his identity, thus causing only a small stir.

He stayed a little longer in the Fiftieth City of the Human Race, but in this old battleground of the Sacred Body and the Hegemonic Body, he did not find the bearded Emissary Zhao Gongyi. The place had changed owners, and Zhao Gongyi had left many years ago.

Traveling backward along this path, besides the youthful, hopeful faces of those fighting for their dreams, Ye Fan also encountered many familiar ones.

These were individuals from his own era who had once traversed the ancient path with him, fighting bloody battles through pass after pass. Now, they served as guards in various holy cities along the Ancient Human Path, having set aside their own dreams.

Just like the old soldiers Ye Fan had seen when he first traversed the ancient human passes, some from his generation had now chosen this path, standing silently at the city gates, watching those who came after them.

Ye Fan did not disturb anyone. Accompanied by Huahua and Blood Crow, he passed by quietly, a wave of emotion rising in his heart. Ah, those former paragons! Some had grown old in spirit. Occasionally, they would gaze into the distance, towards the farthest pass, wondering if their dreams still lingered.

Most of the time, they remained silent, patrolling and guarding the city gates—their duty. Perhaps there was still a hint of unwillingness, for why else would they not have left? To endure the torment of solitude here... what kind of feeling was that?

In the Second City of the Human Race, Ye Fan stepped out of the city gates without a word. He merely turned back and gazed deeply. There stood an old soldier, his body stooped, his eyes cloudy, watching his receding figure.

Ye Fan nodded, but said nothing more. Then, he continued his journey, leaving the Ancient Human Path.

That man was Guan Cheng. He had not died and had remained there all this time, occasionally sighing in the cool night breeze as he gazed at the path that could never be completed.

During the Dark Turmoil, he had lost most of his life's essence, barely surviving. Now, all that remained for him were memories. His real life had not been colorful, but he could live in his dreams, where he could hope for beauty, aspiration, and a future.

"You're still alive, but why is there no law fluctuation? Can even you not take that step, in this life, this lifetime...?"

His back was no longer straight, his former heroic bearing gone. His hair was streaked with gray, and his voice was old and weak. Yet, his cloudy, dim eyes could discern the dire state of Ye Fan's current physical condition.

In the Village of Heaven, a divine pure land, fallen petals adorned the ground. Every day, pristine, crystalline white petals drifted down, as many Snow Orchid trees were planted here, speaking of the sorrow of life and death.

On this day, a massive tomb suddenly exploded. Rocks shot into the sky, dust billowed, and chaotic energy permeated the air. A grand cauldron flew out, trailing myriad streams of profound yellow light.

"What's going on? What happened?!"

Within the Heavenly Court, in palace after palace, many powerful beings simultaneously opened their eyes, their gazes piercing as they looked in the same direction.

"Something's wrong at the mausoleum!"

"It's it, it actually is... The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron burst open the great tomb!"

Buried underground for three hundred years, it had remained motionless, as if it had died alongside Ye Fan. Yet now, the vibrations it emitted were incredibly intense; the divine spirit within had powerfully reawakened, causing the entire Heavenly Court headquarters to tremble. Boulders rolled down many mountain peaks, and numerous suspended floating islands, towers, and halls simultaneously glowed. Formation patterns lit up, and talismans shimmered, resonating with the cauldron's revival—it was the very trajectory of the Grand Dao.

Beneath a magnificent giant mountain, an ancient, sky-reaching tree swayed, radiating myriad emerald lights and showering down various auspicious rays.

Beneath the tree, orchids exhaled mist, phoenix grass diffused fragrance, and colors shimmered. On a massive bluestone platform, a large black dog lay listlessly, looking lethargic.

At that moment, it suddenly perked up its ears, its large, bell-like eyes wide with shock. It could hardly believe its own senses.

"Woof!"

A dog's bark shook the Heavenly Court, echoing across the vast land. Then, it immediately sprang up, its silky black fur bristling all over its body.

"Kids, an unprecedented great enemy has arrived! Prepare for battle!"

"What? An unprecedented enemy invasion? No, I clearly sensed a familiar aura." The Twin Silver-Blooded Emperors rushed to the sky-reaching ancient tree, reacting the most quickly.

"Prepare to meet the enemy!" cried the Black Emperor.

"Charge!" The Heavenly Court erupted in chaos. From countless mountain peaks and numerous floating islands and colossal palaces in the sky, countless heavenly soldiers and generals surged forth, war drums thundering as they charged outwards.

On a divine island, Little Sparrow's jade cup fell to the ground. She trembled with excitement, tears silently streaming down her face, before she rushed out of the jade palace and flew towards the outside of the Heavenly Court.

"Godchild... the Godchild has returned!"

In another direction, old assassin Qi Luo's face was filled with disbelief. He opened his mouth, one eye blazing with divine light, while the other was utterly vacant, with suns, moons, and stars appearing and vanishing within it.

"He's back... he's back!" His voice trembled as he stood, his fingers shaking.

"It's him... it's him! My good brother has returned!" On another peak, Li Heishui leaped from his cultivation platform, letting out a long roar to the sky, overcome with a mix of profound sorrow and immense joy, his whole body trembling.

Before a waterfall, a wild man sat shirtless beneath it, his bronze skin gleaming with a metallic luster, his powerful muscles coiled like wild dragons.

Dongfang Ye let out a great roar that shattered the sky, cried twice, then burst into laughter. He strode out of the waterfall's pool, each step shaking the heavens and the earth, making the mountains tremble.

"Ah..."

With a mournful cry and a sorrowful wail, the Holy Emperor Prince shattered a section of stone mountain. He too was in the Heavenly Court, soaring through the clouds, his body erupting with golden light, saying, "My good brother, Ji Zi is gone, but you... you've finally returned alive to meet me!"

The Monkey King somersaulted forward, reaching extreme speed.

In another grand hall, a girl in purple, originally very powerful in cultivation, now stumbled out, her pristine white jade feet bare.

Her face was streaked with tears, crystalline droplets incessantly falling. She ran barefoot, muttering, unable to believe any of it. There was hope, surprise, and even trepidation, fearing it was all a dream.

"Ye Fan... is it really you?!" Ji Ziyue could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

So many people, so much commotion. The Heavenly Court trembled, and countless troops moved in unison.

Ye Fan stood before the Heavenly Court. The first thing he felt was not anything else, but the Black Emperor's unconventional welcome, as it led an endless army charging towards him.

"Your Imperial Majesty, Black Emperor, do you want us to kill that great enemy ahead? But... the Flower Buddha seems to be with him?" A Heavenly General asked, confused.

"That's right, confront that great enemy opposite us, and beat that bald man too!" the Black Emperor commanded.

However, among the heavenly soldiers and generals, voices of doubt quickly arose. Startled, one exclaimed, "Your Majesty, that man... he looks exactly like the statue we've seen. Is he...?!"

"Damn it, you bastards are rebelling, daring to hit even me?!" Just as Huahua spoke, a barrage of magical artifacts rained down.

Ye Fan smiled, not angered, but his eyes grew moist. It was still the Black Emperor of old, still that group of people from back then; they had all come.

"Ye Fan!"

Men, women, young and old—a large crowd surged forward. Some wept, some laughed, overcome with mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, as they rushed towards him.