Chapter 1638: Late Road

The Vermillion Bird, divine demons, Teng Snake, Kunpeng, and other entities vanished. The terrifying lightning tribulation abruptly ceased, ending with such suddenness.

Some stars had turned into dust, leaving behind remnants. There was blood, fragments of battle armor, and a shattered body. Such a colossal heavenly tribulation had almost annihilated Ye Fan's body and spirit.

Everyone recovered from the shock of the terrifying lightning tribulation, their expressions hardening. Each had different thoughts and reactions. Li Heishui, Li Tian, and others were naturally extremely worried, as the body showed no signs of life.

The people from the Divine Court, on the other hand, were ecstatic; many yearned to howl up at the sky. There could be no better news. They were all nervous, staring at the scene: Had Ye Fan truly died?

Such a heavenly tribulation was unheard of and unseen, its power unparalleled. If Ye Fan had been struck dead by it, the Divine Court members would have felt a huge burden lifted from their hearts.

"What happened?" Many in Divine Punishment City whispered, all watching closely, eager to know the outcome.

Among the stellar fragments, pieces of a cauldron floated, one after another rushing together to reassemble. They contained astonishing lightning and divine power, having absorbed much of the tribulation's energy.

The Myriad Mother Qi Cauldron reassembled, clanging as it emitted rays of light. Though faint, they were like immortal sword beams, capable of splitting the universe.

Finally, its light receded, and the cauldron became simple and unadorned. Only streams of Mother Qi cascaded down, thousands upon thousands, like waterfalls, possessing a unique Dao rhythm.

Inside the cauldron's mouth, chaos and spiritual energy surged like an ocean, vast beyond measure. What appeared small was, in fact, like a self-contained, real world.

"Ye Fan!" Li Heishui and others called out. Their greatest concern was Ye Fan; as for the weapon, it would naturally be repaired as long as Ye Fan was alive.

"I'm fine," the tattered body slowly stood up. Despite being gruesome, bloody, and with exposed bones, he was alive. He had survived the lightning tribulation.

Clearly audible, sighs of regret mixed with apprehension emanated from the Divine Court. Ye Fan surviving the heavenly punishment could be the beginning of their nightmare.

"Achieving quasi-emperor status with his physical body – is this truly a quasi-emperor?"

"Did the heavenly tribulation stop suddenly because his own chains of order didn't manifest, only his physical body advanced?"

These were the questions in many people's minds, but no one dared to seek confirmation. Though Ye Fan's aura was now restrained, he exuded a power that made people tremble.

Regardless, having 'Emperor' attached to his name meant he could now go anywhere in the universe.

Ye Fan was covered in blood. His golden blood had decreased, replaced by more bright red, translucent blood, clear as a blood diamond—the purest Sacred Body blood.

His wounds healed rapidly, and bones broken by the chaotic heavenly lightning reconnected. Reaching this realm, his regenerative power had significantly increased, with all aspects of his physical recovery greatly improved.

The Divine Court army erupted in chaos, fleeing in panic. They couldn't stand against Ye Fan before, much less now. If the Sacred Body truly wanted to settle accounts, few would survive.

Their commanders had already fled at the first opportunity. The reason they hadn't given orders was their hope that the massive army could slow Ye Fan down.

The starry sky was in utter disarray, filled with figures and cultivators. Human shouts and beast roars echoed through what was a complete rout.

The Heavenly Court personnel didn't even pursue; the enemy had already fallen into disarray. They fled for their lives, each regretting not having two more legs, terrified for their very existence.

As for those with special abilities, they had already activated formation altars and opened domain gates, embarking on a mass escape.

The Grand Commanders of the Divine Court were all feeling utterly aggrieved. They had ambitions to conquer the world, to establish great deeds in this era, and to follow the soon-to-be Daoist to create an immortal epoch, leaving behind a glorious legacy in history. They never imagined that their glory would be met with such a defeat just as it began, feeling like stray dogs, repelled in such a way.

Ye Fan's tribulation was a devastating blow to them, especially to Yu Mo, Yu Lan, and others, whose faces turned pale. For years, they had proudly looked down upon others, confident in their exceptional talents, only to realize, when truly compared to the Sacred Body, that they were nothing but common dirt. The psychological disparity was immense.

Everyone was stunned. Ye Fan had successfully passed his tribulation, reaching the quasi-emperor realm with his physical body. The difference between before and after was immense; the Divine Court army had collapsed even before he made a move.

"Ordinary soldiers may leave, but some must pay the price," Ye Fan stated.

He had recovered, and vast amounts of stellar energy converged, pouring into his body, which seemed like a bottomless pit, dimming the stars across the sky.

He was looking for You Ruo. She possessed a quasi-emperor artifact and had given the order to launch this attack. If everyone were let go without any punishment or deterrence, the Divine Court members might grow complacent and escalate their actions next time.

"Although she was the first to leave, I had already locked onto her. I left a formation pattern marking on her," said the Black Sovereign.

Formation patterns appeared in the Black Sovereign's palm, pointing towards a direction. The exact spatial coordinates manifested directly. Surprisingly, You Ruo had not gone far, evidently intending to continue observing from this starfield.

"She's got some nerve. I'll go capture her!" the Barbarian said, licking his lips and baring his white teeth as he hefted his wolf-tooth club. He had long discerned that although You Ruo was a humanoid creature, her true form was definitely not human, and he was ready to catch her for cooking.

"She has the Scarlet Blood Iron Emperor Hammer. If she strikes you, you definitely won't be able to withstand it. Let me go instead," Li Tian said, a wicked smile on his face.

"Pervert!" the Barbarian muttered softly.

"I'll go," Ye Fan said. With a tear of his hands, the universe ripped open, and he stepped into it, vanishing instantly.

A hush fell over Divine Punishment City. Everyone was astonished; a quasi-emperor physical body was indeed terrifying. From now on, even without laws of order, he could travel anywhere in the universe at will, surpassing any domain gate opened by formation altars.

"Do you think little Ye Zi can fly now?" Li Heishui asked.

The others pondered this question, their expressions peculiar. Ye Fan had no laws or Dao principles, so he shouldn't be able to fly. But did he even need to now? With an unmatched physical body, he could shatter the void and go wherever he pleased.

The other people were also petrified for a long time. At this stage, perhaps laws and Dao principles were no longer absolutely necessary for him. He now possessed sufficient power to traverse the world with unparalleled might.

"Bang!"

In just an instant, a soft sound echoed above Divine Punishment City. The void tore open, and Ye Fan returned, carrying the Great Saint-level You Ruo, whom he tossed at everyone's feet.

The Scarlet Blood Iron Hammer lay broken in two, its light extinguished.

"Heavens, a quasi-emperor artifact was destroyed just like that! This is truly defying the heavens!"

People were shocked. Ye Fan had only been gone for an instant, yet such a result had already occurred. How could it not send shivers down their spines? It was too terrifying. What kind of overbearing power was this?

In that instant, everyone was horrified, suddenly realizing that the Sacred Body's greatest strength lay in its physique. Reaching the ultimate realm allowed one to directly challenge a Great Emperor!

Now, with his physical body a quasi-emperor, Ye Fan had embarked on this path. Once all the blood in his body turned red, he would be an uncrowned emperor in this era.

This was just the beginning, and he had already destroyed a quasi-emperor artifact with his bare hands, leaving everyone astonished!

Most of the Divine Court's million-strong army, having heard Ye Fan's pardon, had remained and not departed. Now, seeing the Divine Court Lord's daughter thrown onto the ground like that, they were all dumbfounded.

Crack!

With a flick of Ye Fan's finger, You Ruo trembled violently. Her entire cultivation was instantly stripped away, reducing her directly to a mortal. She let out a heart-wrenching scream, a black horn growing on her head and a pair of gray wings manifesting on her back, revealing her true form.

This was a Great Saint, the adopted daughter of the Divine Court Lord, yet she was crippled with a mere flick of a finger. Everyone held their breath, and all discussions in the universe ceased. People watched in tense silence.

Ye Fan threw her into the midst of the million-strong army and said, "I'll spare your life. Behave yourself. The Heavenly Court doesn't seek trouble, but it doesn't fear it either."

After a long silence, a murmur arose from the hundreds of thousands of Divine Court soldiers. Their Sect Master's authority was undeniably challenged; Ye Fan was fearless and undaunted.

"What's all this noise? Does the Divine Court think it can command the world? You were the ones who attacked the Heavenly Court first," Dongfang Ye retorted. "Don't think that having someone about to achieve Dao means you can rule the world and control the universe. If they're so capable, tell them to eradicate the restricted life zones!"

"Don't assume that someone about to achieve Dao can intimidate others. They have weaknesses too. Unless he can kill everyone in the Heavenly Court in a single day, but can he do that?" the Black Sovereign sneered.

Some things needed no further explanation. The Divine Court Lord had nine sons, not adopted but his own flesh and blood. If he dared to make a big move, Ye Fan would naturally go and eliminate his nine sons.

Now that Ye Fan had reached this realm, killing someone was too easy. As for the Divine Court Lord, stopping a Sacred Body determined to leave would be incredibly difficult. If Ye Fan refused to fight and simply found a place to hide, he would be almost impossible to find, as the universe was vast.

"The Divine Court Lord is nothing. Where was he when the Supremes in the restricted life zones rampaged across the world? He hid like a coward. Now he's acting all mighty, but if he tries to harm little Ye Zi, he'll be an enemy to all living beings!" Li Tian scoffed.

"There's no need to fear him. With little Nannnan here, if he dares to enter the Heavenly Court and make a move, she'll scare him to death," Li Heishui added.

The Divine Court suffered a crushing defeat: the quasi-emperor artifact, the Scarlet Blood Hammer, was broken in two; You Ruo was crippled; and the million-strong army suffered a complete rout. This truly shook the world, causing a huge uproar.

All of this was the work of one person: Ye Fan, the Sacred Body, who was thought to have faded into seclusion, had returned. He had risen again and would forge his own mythical path, shaking the starry sky.

This sparked an unimaginable wave of reactions!

However, these events were temporarily unrelated to Ye Fan and his companions. As soon as the matter in Divine Punishment City concluded, they set off. The Monkey had left ten years ago to participate in a duel among ancient princes. Ye Tong and Yang Xi had also been fighting on the Ultimate Emperor's Road for ten years, with no news whatsoever. Furthermore, Pang Bo had passed by Ye Fan and entered the Emperor Pass ten years ago. They wanted to go and see.

"Ah, it seems it's easy to come out, but difficult to go back in."

As soon as Ye Fan approached, the crystal stele and Emperor Pass would vanish. His withdrawal from here meant he had given up, making it hard to re-enter, as he was no longer recognized.

It was rumored that this was a rule set by the Great Emperors of old.

Finally, Ye Fan and his companions arrived at the last checkpoint of the Human Race Ancient Road. Everyone there was astonished; in the past, Ye Fan, wielding an immortal sword, had pursued the protectors of this place to the ends of the earth, leaving them terrified for their lives and generating countless legends.

The news of Ye Fan single-handedly routing the Divine Court's million-strong army and becoming a quasi-emperor with his physical body had not yet reached this place, as their speed was too fast, putting them ahead of the news. Nevertheless, people dared not be disrespectful towards him.

Moreover, with the legendary greedy Black Sovereign, who could strip a person to the bone, present, the Barbarian King appearing, and the renowned Li Tian and Yan Yixi accompanying them, it naturally inspired awe.

Here, they obtained an ancient token without much effort, granted by a protector, which allowed them to enter the Emperor Pass.

This was a secret treasure. Throughout history, only a select few could use such a special passage, and evidently, Ye Fan was among those qualified.

With a whoosh, they vanished from their spot, reappearing directly within a magnificent colossal city. Here, grand auras permeated the air, dragon qi swirled, and ancient palaces towered majestically.

This was not the First Emperor Pass; it was surprisingly the Fifth City. The various powerhouses had already fought their way here, enduring ten years of bloody battles, and now only the supreme experts remained!