Chapter 1631: Ten Years Passed

“Nannan is alive!” Many shouted together, incredibly excited.

The little girl had been sleeping for many years inside the giant palace in the Heavenly Court’s center. She had no breath, no heartbeat, and her body was cold, terrifying everyone.

Everyone was extremely worried. If they hadn't confirmed that there was still a faint life fluctuation deep within her, people would truly have believed she had died. Many were anxious and panicked back then, trying countless methods, but nothing worked.

Today, she had actually revived, walking out of that most magnificent celestial palace and arriving here. Naturally, everyone was stunned, followed by extreme joy.

“Nannan, where is this?” The little girl, holding a cloth doll in one hand and rubbing her large eyes with the other, drowsily looked around.

Then, as if remembering something, she lowered her head and softly cried, “Big Brother is gone, boohoo…” The little girl fully woke up, her face covered in tears, growing increasingly sad, and then burst into loud sobs.

“Don’t cry!” Everyone, full of pity and love, almost shouted in unison.

In the Heavenly Court, she was the true little princess, everyone’s beloved little treasure; they couldn’t bear to see her cry.

“Big Brother’s aura…” Little Nannan looked up in surprise, her eyes wide, recovering from her dazed state. She immediately sensed it.

“He’s not dead. Trouble lasts a thousand years, he’s back,” Hei Huang laughed loudly.

Ye Fan strode over. He clearly remembered that three hundred years ago, it was Little Nannan’s tears falling into his bloodied mud and shattered bones that had given him hope for life.

And those tears were very different, mixed with blood-like substances and colorful immortal light. It was a most fundamental essence, full of vigorous vital energy, which gave him the possibility of resurrection.

“Big Brother!” Little Nannan dropped her cloth doll and ran quickly towards him.

Ye Fan lovingly picked her up and placed her on his shoulder.

Everyone was overjoyed and filled with happiness. Ye Fan had returned, and Little Nannan had also revived. It was truly wonderful news that brought genuine smiles to everyone’s faces.

“And me! I, the great one, have also come out of seclusion. When Nannan was lost back then, I was the one who found her!” Shen Wa shouted, claiming credit for himself. He was still as before, sealed within a large, glistening block of immortal source, toddling over.

It was the same little chubby boy from back then. He hadn’t been unsealed, still plump and bare, just as before.

Hei Huang sighed, “Back then, we really did owe it to this fatty, otherwise Nannan would have been lost and possibly never found.”

Three hundred years ago, Ye Fan died in battle, forever buried in the boundless universe. He, along with Ji Zi, Jiang Taixu, Gai Jiuyou, and others, never reappeared.

As another special figure from that battle who directly tore through the universe to reach the scene, Little Nannan’s whereabouts were also unknown. Even after the final Great Emperor battle concluded, no one knew where she had gone.

It wasn't until one day, when Beidou was reshaped, its fractured ancient continents merged into a complete star, and the sun, moon, and stars were moved there by force. It wasn’t until life flourished there that her aura emerged.

Back then, Hei Huang had already despaired, unable to find Ye Fan’s remains or Little Nannan’s whereabouts. He had to return to Beidou, planning to live in reclusion in sorrow.

Unexpectedly, Shen Wa, whom he had brought along, detected the little girl’s aura on the Eastern Wasteland, eventually finding Little Nannan wandering amidst the mortal populace.

When Hei Huang found her, the little girl only sadly uttered, “Big Brother is gone,” before collapsing, devoid of life, until she woke up today.

“Nannan, Nannan!” A young girl ran over, waving vigorously, her face full of surprise and excitement.

“Sister Xiaocao,” Little Nannan instinctively replied.

“Oh, Nannan, you haven’t forgotten me! I thought you’d forgotten everything again,” said the very girl who had taken care of Little Nannan in the extreme northern bitter cold lands of the Ziwei starfield back then.

Three hundred years ago, she was sent into Guanghan Palace by Yan Yixi and Li Tian. Many years have passed, and she has long since become famous in Ziwei, an exceptional talent of her generation, possessing immensely powerful strength.

“Haha…” Loud laughter came from afar as two figures flew from the horizon, arriving at the Heavenly Court. It was Yan Yixi and Li Tian, who were now the supreme powerhouses of the Ziwei star, unchallenged by anyone.

“I knew it! I knew you’d appear alive!” Yan Yixi immediately punched Ye Fan, his eyes filled with joy and tears.

Afterwards, the two fellow disciples picked up Little Nannan, looked her over repeatedly, and sighed continuously, saying, “Longevity, it’s nothing compared to this. Who in this world can compare?”

“Me!” Shen Wa, unwilling to be outdone, shouted defiantly from within the immortal source.

“You little rascal, dare you come out and resist the erosion of time?” Li Tian picked him up and spanked him through the immortal source, making the chubby boy yell and fume with anger.

“Speaking of which, this kid is really mysterious. What exactly is his origin, Old Man Dongfang, can you tell?” Li Heishui asked.

Ren Mo Dongfang Taiyi looked him over repeatedly, then shook his head, “Haven’t eaten him, don’t know.” As he spoke, he leaned closer, his nose twitching, about to grab the chubby boy.

Many years had passed, and Old Man Ren Mo seemed to have regained his youth. His bronze muscles bulged, and his hair was blacker and thicker, making him appear very formidable.

The chubby boy’s hair stood on end, and he recoiled repeatedly. “Who is this guy? Does he recognize people by eating them?” he thought. He watched Old Man Ren Mo warily, screaming, “Don’t come any closer!”

Everyone laughed, sitting around a bonfire in the open air, beginning an evening feast filled with laughter and joy.

“Duan De… Daoist Priest Duan, where are you going?!”

In the distance, a furtive figure had just arrived but, upon seeing the Saintess of Yaochi, immediately took off, preparing to make a quick escape.

Unfortunately, he was spotted and called out.

“Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable! This humble Daoist, after a quick divination, sees auspicious signs emanating from the east. This is a highly propitious omen, indicating the imminent emergence of a peerless ancient tomb. I intend to go and fight there!” Duan De declared solemnly.

Everyone was stunned. How could the emergence of an ancient tomb be linked to good fortune? “Go and fight there” – to put it bluntly, wasn’t that just grave robbing? Yet he spoke with such solemnity and righteousness.

“Duan De, did you steal someone else’s Dragon Loach? If you dare to harm my sisters in Yaochi, I won’t stand for it,” Li Tian said.

“Nonsense! Each to his own expertise. Am I, Duan De, that kind of person? Would this humble Daoist do such a thing? Do you believe me or Hei Huang? My character is guaranteed!” The unprincipled Daoist glanced at the big black dog.

“Woof! What do you mean? Don’t mislead the vast multitude of the Heavenly Court’s people! The people’s eyes are sharp!” Hei Huang said, both guilty and furious.

“You two are birds of a feather!” This was everyone’s unanimous assessment.

Duan De ignored Hei Huang, sneaking conspiratorially closer to Ye Fan. He whispered, “That battle from back then isn’t over yet. How about we pick a time and go to the Immortal Mountain, Reincarnation Sea, and Immortal Mausoleum to retaliate? We must have our revenge, to wage the most glorious battle!”

Ye Fan was surprised. When had this fat fellow become so bold? He asked, “Do you dare?”

“What’s there to not dare about!” Duan De waved his chubby hand, passionately exclaiming, “This life is destined for a glorious battle in the restricted zones of life! Who dares to accompany me? Who is willing to fight alongside me?!”

Everyone was astonished, looking over in unison, infected by his words. A bloody battle in the restricted zones of life, flattening those ancient forbidden lands – what a magnificent feat! Just thinking about it made their blood boil.

“Good job, Senior Martial Uncle Duan! We’ll definitely follow you then!”

“Exactly, let’s smash them! We must flatten them. I hope someone achieves Dao enlightenment, then we’ll fight alongside them and charge into the major restricted zones of life!”

Many loudly echoed their support.

Duan De was very satisfied and gave a concluding statement, saying, “Excellent, your understanding and support greatly please me. There will definitely be a glorious battle in the future. Let’s all—dig up their ancestral graves!”

Everyone fell silent. Their words ceased.

Everyone muttered inwardly, “This is the most glorious battle? Digging graves counts as well…”

“I’m definitely digging up their graves! No one can stop me! This humble Daoist will press forward, playing the strongest battle song, to wage the ultimate battle in the great forbidden zone tombs, surpassing myself!” Before Duan De could finish, eggplants, rotten cucumbers, smelly eggs, and other things flew up simultaneously, striking his chubby face.

In fact, although Duan De and Hei Huang were unreliable, they were truly incredibly resourceful, having insight into many secrets that ordinary people could not obtain.

“The Void Mirror might have fallen into a certain restricted zone of life, and the shattered Hengyu Cauldron as well. This means that the remains of Ji Zi and Divine King Jiang might be buried in these places.”

This was a secret revealed by Duan De.

Hei Huang’s expression was solemn as he nodded, “It might be true. Someone saw shattered Imperial artifacts fall into Beidou, but they couldn’t be found anywhere on the land. They probably only fell into those restricted zones.”

Ye Fan’s blood thundered within him, boiling furiously. He clenched his fists, and a startling light shone in his dim eyes, saying, “I will recover. One day, I will charge into the restricted zones of life!”

“And me!” Saint Prince said, golden eyes shooting divine lightning.

Time flew by, and ten years passed in a flash. Astonishing news came from the One True Path: one genius overlord after another fell, and one after another rose. It was a blood-stained imperial path.

“Middle Emperor shook the world, displaying the most brilliant radiance in this era! In one night, he killed powerful experts from twenty clans, showing a momentum of coming from behind!”

In the past, he was only known in Beidou, and for many years, he wasn’t very famous in the depths of the starry sky. He only recently entered the One True Path, yet he fought to the point where all clans trembled.

The Middle Emperor unleashed his power. Gai Jiuyou, who was from the same era as him, had shone with the most dazzling light in this era, etched into ancient history; that kind of heroic death finally ignited the dormant power within the Middle Emperor’s very bones and blood.

On the One True Path, the first few Imperial Passes were bleeding, and the battle reached a fever pitch. Only geniuses who survived were called geniuses; too many heaven-defying talents were slain, sending shivers down people’s spines.

This was a golden age, yet also a brutal era. Many heroes, truly possessing heaven-defying talent, ultimately paled before stronger opponents, bleeding on the battlefield.

“Empress Undying is still alive! Someone saw the legendary Phoenix Nest stained with immortal blood!”

On this day, another astonishing piece of news arrived: a Great Saint, traveling in the universe, saw a colossal ancient Phoenix Nest, built from phoenix divine wood, resembling a bird’s nest. Yet, it exuded terrifying pressure, with powerful life fluctuations subtly emanating from within.

Legend has it that this was a divine nest built by the Undying Heavenly Emperor for his wife, steeped in immortal blood, recorded only in historical texts, and never seen by anyone before.

Unexpectedly, it appeared in this era. A Great Saint ventured in to explore, only managing to emit a cry of terror before falling silent forever.

His two disciples were terrified, fleeing in panic and spreading the news.

“Fight on without yielding!”

The Heavenly Court’s forces were engaged in external warfare. Over the past decade, they had fought over a hundred battles, big and small, with the Divine Court. As long as it didn’t involve that person who was about to achieve Dao enlightenment, the Heavenly Court had no fear.

And the Lord of the Divine Court, who was about to achieve Dao enlightenment three hundred years ago, was still in the same state three hundred years later, unable to take that final step.

Three hundred years ago, when the ancient supremes ravaged the universe, Gai Jiuyou, Jiang Taixu, Ji Zi, Ye Fan, and a group of other heroes from various clans stepped forward, but he was nowhere to be found.

Three hundred years passed, and whether it was because that battle shook his Dao heart or for other reasons, his cultivation realm never progressed.

It was also due to the pressure of public opinion from various clans that the Lord of the Divine Court did not emerge and did not personally deal with the Heavenly Court. Especially with Ye Fan’s return alive, it made it even more difficult for him to act.

If he truly dared to fight and kill Ye Fan, he might bear an eternal stigma.

It was precisely for this reason that, despite the Divine Court’s overt and covert suppression of the Heavenly Court, they could never truly suppress it or halt its expansion speed.

Over the past decade, the Dragon Horse and King Dapeng, who were conferred titles, each commanded a regional force, ceaselessly battling the Divine Court, their prestige shaking the starfield!