Chapter 1630: Gathering Together

People of all ages were present, some crying, some laughing. Heavenly soldiers and generals were numerous, and war drums boomed as they rushed forward. Hua Hua's bald head was almost smashed by some magical artifacts.

"Damn it, you're really fighting! Amitabha, dammit, my head!" Hua Hua's eyes widened in anger.

"Buzz!" Another pile of magical artifacts fell, like trash being dumped. There were many, and they seemed worthless. One of them struck his head with a 'clang', sounding like blacksmithing with a metallic tremor. Hua Hua immediately stumbled, his head spinning, utterly furious. He didn't know if it was the Black Sovereign or the Silver-Blood Twin Sovereigns who were behind it, but he knew they couldn't escape blame.

"Ye Fan… it’s really you, my good brother, you’re still alive!" Li Heishui shouted, rushing over first because his cultivation peak was right next to this area.

The fastest to arrive was the Holy Prince, who somersaulted down from the sky. With a long cry, he grabbed Ye Fan's shoulder. Overwhelmed with both sorrow and joy, he looked at Ye Fan, then remembered Ji Zi. Of the three emperor-level heroes who once fought side-by-side, one was finally missing, and tears welled in his eyes.

"I knew it, I knew you'd survive and come back to meet us!" Dongfang Ye, his muscular upper body exposed, roared. He strode forward like a giant, making the ground tremble, and forcefully thumped Ye Fan.

After such dramatic ups and downs and three centuries apart, though they were laughing now, tears welled in their eyes. It truly wasn't easy for them to reunite alive.

"It's good you're back alive… it's good you're back alive!" the old assassin Qi Luo said, his voice trembling as he repeated the words.

Warm tears streamed from Ye Fan's eyes. So many people worried, grieved, and rejoiced for him, their very words trembling as if fearing it might all be a dream. How could he not be moved?

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. He turned to see the Black Sovereign baring its white teeth at him, greeting him in a unique way by biting him. However, it looked more like an opportunistic attempt to rob him or steal his Sacred Blood.

"Why are your muscles so tense? Not a single drop of blood?" Indeed, this ill-tempered dog revealed its true intention. Then, with burning eyes, it eagerly leaned in and said, "After being missing for so many years, did you fall into an immortal's cave? As the Battle Saint Sovereign wisely said, 'With treasures in hand, the world is mine! When brothers meet, it's half and half, no discounts!'"

Upon hearing this, the Monkey's forehead immediately darkened with frustration. When did his old father ever say such a thing?!

The Black Sovereign's shamelessness reached a certain level. Unflustered, it squeezed forward, and with a swipe of its large black paw, it nearly pinned the bothersome bald Hua Hua underfoot.

"Oh my..." Hua Hua moved the large black paw off his bald head, cursing and swearing inwardly without end. But outwardly, he could only recite Buddhist chants, because this "Dog-Uncle" was truly not to be trifled with.

"Divine Son, I knew it. I knew you would survive. Heaven has eyes," Little Sparrow said softly, with both smiles and tears.

At Heaven's Village, everyone had gathered; they were all old friends.

However, the many heavenly soldiers and generals recruited over the past three hundred years were dumbfounded. Who was this person? Wasn't this a dream? Wasn't Ye Fan, the Lord of the Heavenly Court, known to have died in battle? Everyone knew!

"Is it really him, the one who died in battle for our Heavenly Court back then?"

Everyone was in an uproar, and the heavenly soldiers and generals found it unbelievable. There was nothing more astonishing than this, yet the person before them was exactly like the statue.

"Ye Fan..." Ji Ziyue's face was streaked with tears. Barefoot, with her pure white, glistening feet, she stumbled and rushed over.

Tears blurred her eyes, but she still remembered that day: Ye Fan forced a smile, bade her farewell, and then resolutely charged into the starry sky.

He left so resolutely, going despite knowing he would surely die. His back was straight, and he didn't look back, yet she saw much reluctance in him.

She thought he must have known then that if he looked back, he might not be able to resist staying. That's why he was so decisive, so seemingly 'heartless', leaving with no path of return.

It was indeed so; he had embarked on a solitary path to certain death, destined to bloom like a firework. Ultimately, he released himself in the universe, shattering his body and splattering blood across the Supreme Battlefield.

A separation of three hundred years, a separation that felt eternal. His life on the line made her grieve through the nights, shedding tears while gazing at the crescent moon. Every starry night, as she gazed into the distance, she believed Ye Fan was on the other side of the cosmos, silently watching, struggling to return from the darkness, and would eventually meet her again.

Three hundred years, like a dream, and now they had truly met. She feared it was just an illusion, like those countless nights when she awoke from a dream, only to find tear stains on her pillow and still feel the cold loneliness.

"It's not a dream, it's not a dream, it's real, this time it must be real," she murmured, trembling. Her pale face and bloodless fingers lightly touched Ye Fan's face.

"It's me... I'm back!" Ye Fan said, grasping her very cold, slender hand.

Ji Ziyue gently stroked Ye Fan's face. After confirming it wasn't a dream, she finally burst into loud sobs, which made everyone's heart ache.

Everyone welcomed Ye Fan into the Heavenly Court. This celestial domain was now vast, with ancient, everlasting continents floating in the universe and great stars shining one after another.

Heaven's Village no longer resembled a village. It was now a series of floating islands, filled with the scent of flowers and the singing of birds, with flying waterfalls and flowing springs. Streaks of silver light descended from the divine islands, landing on the ground below.

The scenery here was beautiful, yet it did not lack solemnity. The heavenly palaces and vast gateways were magnificent and majestic.

A great cauldron descended. The primordial essence of all things, the nascent chaos, and the profound yellow energy draped down, enveloping Ye Fan's head and giving him an inexplicable aura.

The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron appeared. It was wailing and trembling, floating above Ye Fan's head, expressing the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness of three hundred years of separation.

Ye Fan was surprised, and everyone else showed astonishment. Inside the cauldron's mouth, crystalline liquid flowed, each stream as heavy as a galaxy.

"This is endless power of faith!"

Many were shocked, as they had never even noticed it before.

Only a few, like the Black Sovereign and Qi Luo, had seen it before. Late at night, the grand tomb would become transparent like a diamond, drawing in threads of light from the starry sky.

In an instant, everyone understood what was happening. After the bloody battle years ago, many in the starry sky had thought well of the fallen heroes, which naturally generated boundless and immense power of thought.

In the past, whenever Ye Fan handled the power of faith, he directly poured it into the cauldron, always collecting it there when he sensed it.

For three hundred years, it had flowed continuously and endlessly. All the power of thought generated by those who spoke his name traversed the starry sky and gathered within the cauldron.

This was a cauldron full of thought power, surging like an ocean, crystalline like diamonds and water. And it hadn't stopped; invisible thought power still poured in daily, accumulating more and more.

"This… is a small step ahead!" the Black Sovereign exclaimed.

After every Supreme attained the Dao, their name would resound throughout the universe, revered and celebrated by all races. They would inevitably collect endless thought power because of this. Imbuing it into artifacts would make them god-like and incredibly powerful. Thought power could also be absorbed into oneself, offering endless miraculous uses.

As for how the Great Emperors handled the power of faith, it varied for each and was difficult to explain clearly.

Ye Fan had not yet attained the Dao, but he possessed a considerable amount of the power of faith. This could be said to be a small step ahead. Although he was unwilling to borrow this power, it was still better than nothing.

Ye Fan was back alive. The news spread like wildfire, flying to distant places, shaking the starry sky and astonishing all quarters!

Before the only true path, news also finally emerged from Emperor Pass, which happened to confirm this rumor, leaving powerhouses from all regions stunned and speechless.

"Alive... he appeared!"

Ye Fan's name was being spread everywhere. His reappearance alive in the world seemed unbelievable to people; it was a miracle!

In the battle against the Supreme, he exploded and died, his glistening white bone fragments, stained with blood, scattering everywhere. After the battle, people had even intercepted such fragments of his true imprint from the cosmos.

This was absolutely not false, so how did he come back to life? There was an uproar everywhere, with widespread discussions. They could only conclude that Ye Fan had truly defied heaven!

The moonlight was like water, and the starlight was brilliant. Ye Fan and Ji Ziyue strolled through the Heavenly Court. On the clouds and mist, magnificent palaces and towers stood, appearing exceptionally ethereal and lively.

"The banquet is starting!"

From a distance came Hua Hua's raspy voice, startling countless birds. He used the Dragon Roar Tiger Howl skill, making the entire Heavenly Court rumble.

The Great Xia Imperial Prince and Princess arrived, as did Jiang Yifei, Wu Zhongtian, Jiang Hairen, and a few surviving members of the Thirteen Great Bandits. Little Tingting flew over anxiously, the Old Man Dongfang Taiyi, the Human Devil, appeared, and the Holy Maiden of Jade Lake rushed over...

Countless people arrived. Within a few days, the news had spread everywhere, and many old friends had traveled across the starry sky to come!

The surviving members of the Twelve Saints who once followed Ye Fan now reigned as patriarchs in their respective regions. They almost all resided alone in parts of the starry sky, expanding their territories, and were among the most powerful figures in the Heavenly Court.

The Dragon Horse let out a roar, immediately calling for everyone to reunite, and they came together, traversing the starry sky. Each of these individuals was already renowned.

For instance, the Dragon Horse had been directly crowned king in a certain region. It had once conspired with the Black Sovereign to defeat countless powerful enemies, and had even collaborated with Duan De to excavate countless great tombs.

Its reputation, to some extent, inspired resentment.

Another formidable figure was the Great Peng King, who was also crowned a Divine King of the Heavenly Court in a region, with world-shaking combat prowess. Years ago, when Ye Fan was enlightened under the Bodhi tree, this Great Peng perched on Ye Fan's shoulder, and thus gained insight to create its own Great Peng King Fist. Now, it often sighed about having no rival in the starry sky.

"Come, come, try this wild dragon I hunted! It's delicious and juicy, truly the ultimate delicacy on earth!" Dongfang Ye, bare-chested, roasted a three-hundred-zhang long flood dragon with Dao fire. It was thoroughly sprinkled with the Life Spring Divine Liquid of the Celestial Venerable Lingbao, and was now roasted to a golden, oily sheen, with an enticing aroma that made mouths water.

"Too bad, it's too little, not even enough to fill a tooth gap," the Old Man, the Human Devil, grumbled.

Everyone was petrified.

Many gathered here, but there were fewer than three hundred years ago. Too many people had died tragically in that turmoil. The Thirteen Great Bandits were almost wiped out, with only two or three surviving.

And there were far too few heroes from that era; many would never reappear, and even some Sacred Lands were permanently removed from existence.

"Come, try my Dragon Loach fresh soup, it's definitely a great tonic for the world!" the Dragon Horse shouted.

Dragon Loaches, shaped like true dragons, were only about a foot long. They contained the essence of heaven and earth and were a great tonic. When refined with some divine herbs, they could extend life by several centuries, making them absolutely the rarest treasures in the world.

The Holy Maiden of Jade Lake's expression froze. Not long ago, a thief had tried to steal peaches from the new Jade Lake site but failed, instead making off with a Dragon Loach. Now, the culprit had finally surfaced.

"Oh, hey, I didn't steal this. I got it from Duan De. I'm innocent," the Dragon Horse explained. "I exchanged it for the Dragon Horse clan's cultivation methods and half of the Demon Emperor's ancient scripture."

The Black Sovereign, who had once conspired with Duan De and committed many major crimes, felt a bit guilty. It changed the subject and stared at the Blood Crow who had returned with Ye Fan from Emperor Pass. "I say," it began, "this duck is good. Its feathers are so red, like charcoal. It must be a sacred item for nourishing blood and beauty."

The Blood Crow was furious. It was a 'crow', not a 'duck', and as a Great Saint, how could it be referred to as food? It almost caused a huge commotion on the spot.

"Nannan is hungry, where is Big Brother..."

Just then, a little girl about three years old, holding a cloth doll, walked over, rubbing her big eyes sleepily. She was as delicate as a porcelain doll.

It was Little Nannan. Everyone was petrified, especially the Black Sovereign, who let out a loud cry and quickly rushed over.