Chapter 1639: The Fifth Emperor Meets the Minister

The city was magnificent. If one looked closely, they would discover it was built entirely from stars. Even the Black Sovereign and Dongfang Ye, accustomed to grand sights, were somewhat stunned, wondering how many stars must have been used.

Each star had been refined, varying in size from a washbasin to several feet long, and condensed to such small dimensions. This process inherently imbued them with unparalleled patterns of the Great Dao, making the city strong enough without the need for additional defensive formations.

Moreover, as the Fifth Imperial Pass, it was naturally adorned with array patterns—runes left by Great Emperors to protect the area. Even supreme experts contending here would find it difficult to destroy the city.

Palaces floated in the air, and immortal mist swirled among the towers and pavilions, creating an ethereal and vibrant atmosphere, as if one had arrived at a blessed land of immortals.

Surprisingly, there were hawkers calling out their wares in the city. This made the group, who had just been a bit awestruck, stare in disbelief. "What kind of place is this?" they wondered. "How can there be such sounds in a place of imperial contention?"

Upon closer inspection, there were actually stalls set up on both sides of the road, with quite a number of people, making it very lively and bustling.

"What's going on?" the group wondered suspiciously.

"Daluo silver essence," one hawker called, "with dozens of grains of immortal tear green gold sand embedded in the blocks! A sight rarely seen in the world, only this one!"

Another shouted, "Demon God Bone! The true remains of a demon supreme being, can be forged into a divine artifact!"

It was a four-inch-long piece of white bone, resembling the finger bone of some creature. Though dull and lacking luster, many people gathered around it, marveling.

"Star River Divine Sand," someone called out, "collected from all heavens and myriad domains, ten thousand catties in total! If properly refined, it could potentially become a Quasi-Emperor artifact!" A crowd rushed forward, surrounding the stall until it was impenetrable.

"The Thunderous Treasure Tree," another announced, "contains the primordial thunder sound of heaven and earth. Through it, one can discern the secrets of heavenly tribulation. It is the rarest divine tree species in the world."

It was a half-human-tall ancient tree with branches like chi dragons. Though not very tall, it was extremely vigorous. Thunderous light rolled around it, nurturing a primordial power of the Great Dao.

A group of people swarmed forward, all appearing determined to acquire this treasure tree. They were all eager, hoping to get their hands on it.

Ye Fan, Yan Yixi, and others entered the city discreetly. Through observation, they learned that some Imperial Passes had native residents who served as guardians of the Ultimate Ancient Path.

The nine Imperial Passes, this ancient path, and the associated ancient life-bearing lands like the Flying Immortal Battlefield all required guardians. Over long ages, these guardians had to make necessary adjustments and repairs. The required personnel were descendants of the exceptional individuals who had once embarked on this path but ultimately failed and remained behind, unable to leave this place.

The population was not excessively large; the total number of caretakers for the entire ancient path, the nine Imperial Passes, and the associated battlefields in ancient life-bearing lands amounted to about half a city's population.

Now that the contenders of the Imperial Path had reached the later passes, these residents began to emerge and engage in necessary transactions, offering only rare treasures.

Some exceptional individuals from prosperous ancient domains felt ashamed upon seeing them; the accumulated treasures of an entire ancient life-bearing land might not even compare to a single item these residents offered.

The least valuable items exchanged were Great Saint-level materials, and top-tier ones at that. Among them were many divine materials required for forging Quasi-Emperor artifacts. And if one was lucky enough, it was not impossible to find a small piece of immortal gold or other materials exclusive to ancient Emperors.

Many strong cultivators who had reached this point discovered that the divine artifacts they relied on and were proud of became mere street vendor goods when compared to what was available here, completely unpresentable.

"The Sky-Stealing Sword," someone proclaimed, "a treasure that could potentially evolve into a Quasi-Emperor artifact! The deity within has undergone nirvana and reawakened, capable of recognizing a second master! A treasure rarely found and highly sought after!"

"When my ancestor fought on the Imperial Path, he was just a hair's breadth away from achieving Dao," another voice boomed. "The Astonishing Immortal Bow, passed down from him, is a supreme Quasi-Emperor artifact that can pierce through anything, shoot gods, kill demons, and shatter a universe with a single arrow! Though currently incomplete, it is not beyond repair!"

The city was very lively, with many stalls lining both sides of the streets. While seemingly simple, just a straw mat to set up shop, they truly offered many extraordinary divine artifacts.

Some ancestral artifacts were left behind by peerless individuals who had once ventured into the nine Imperial Passes, possessing the marvel of seizing the creation of heaven and earth.

Of course, exchanging for these items required ancient scriptures, secret arts, or other things of equal value; otherwise, they could not be obtained. These residents would absolutely not trade for divine source or similar currency like ordinary cultivators.

The Black Sovereign was so dazzled by what it saw that it was practically drooling, but it forcefully suppressed the urge and refrained from robbing anyone. At this moment, it was acting like a human, standing upright with its dog head transformed into a human head, though the rest of its body remained canine.

"Good stuff, good stuff! I really want to rob them all," the Black Sovereign muttered to itself. But considering the residents' actual combat power, it figured that after incurring public wrath, it might not be clear who would be robbing whom.

The city's main street was lively, where divine materials and supreme treasures could be traded, but other areas were filled with a very tense atmosphere.

Many had died in the decade-long bloody battles, fighting their way from the Flying Immortal Battlefield to this place. However, new contenders arrived continuously, replenishing the losses.

Many years had passed, and the ancient paths of various races remained open. Young faces continuously embarked on the journey, and many of them stood out, fighting their way to this point.

The human population in the city was not small compared to other races, but among the tens of thousands of races present, they would quickly be overshadowed.

Ye Fan and his companions entered the city discreetly, intentionally concealing themselves, and did not attract special attention from the various races.

"Huh," a few individuals murmured, "that person just now looked familiar, like Ye Fan, the Sacrosanct Body. Didn't he quietly retire? He shouldn't be appearing again."

Only a few individuals showed suspicion, but they did not pursue, as such an action in the city was dangerous and could easily spark a life-and-death battle.

Over the next few days, they gathered a lot of information: Yang Xi and Ye Tong had entered the Gods and Demons Battlefield outside the Fifth Pass and were already engaged in fierce combat.

Over the years, some powerful figures had not immediately confronted each other; instead, they had chosen to conquer and advance selectively, wary of each other and not easily making a move.

Of course, there were also genuinely confident individuals who carried out "nurturing plans" for some talented juniors, hoping for a peak battle in the future.

It was said that the strongest person of this generation in the God Race, the Godly Venerable, was such an individual. He had already declared that no one could touch the individuals he designated, and if anyone dared to intercept and kill them, he would immediately slay the provocateur.

This was no longer mere confidence but bordered on obsession.

Among these rumors, a name familiar to Ye Fan and his companions emerged: Ji Chengdao. Three hundred years had passed, and this child had long since grown into an adult. His achievements were world-shaking, having received the true teachings of God-King Ji Haoyue and the Ji family. As soon as he entered the One True Path, he was targeted by the Godly Venerable and designated as a future opponent. It was predicted that he would only be ready for a minor skirmish in twenty years and a proper struggle in fifty years.

Ten years ago, Ji Chengdao entered the One True Path, passing by Ye Fan. This time, Ye Fan and his companions came here also to check on the young man, not wishing for him to encounter any problems.

"Alas, where did Brother Haoyue go?" Li Heishui sighed. "First, a defeat on the ancient path, then Ji Zi died in his place—the blow was too great for him. He disappeared after raising little Chengdao. I really don't know how he's been living all these years."

"Hmm, little Chengdao is at the Fourth Pass," someone responded. "It's said that a group of people will arrive here in a few days, so we'll probably see him then."

This was the information Ye Fan, Dongfang Ye, and others had gathered.

In fact, only two days later, a commotion erupted in the Fifth City. That group had arrived, and Ji Chengdao was among them. As soon as he entered the city, he let out a roar that shook the entire city, declaring his challenge to the Godly Venerable.

This was a group of rising stars, each one outstanding. Their mounts were all rare, exotic species, and both riders and mounts were untamed and unyielding.

"Huh, isn't that a Sky-Swallowing Beast?" someone exclaimed. "It's actually been tamed as a mount!"

"And a Devil Soul Steed!" another cried. "Such powerful fluctuations! The patterns on its body are natural Dao runes!"

The arrival of this group attracted people's attention.

Among them, Ji Chengdao resembled God-King Ji Haoyue, possessing his father's heroic bearing in his youth. With sword-like eyebrows, tiger-like eyes, a tall and upright physique, and a dragon's stride with a tiger's walk, he commanded respect without anger.

No one expected that he would challenge the Godly Venerable as soon as he entered the city. It was well known that the God Race's strongest individual was currently renowned throughout the Imperial Path, always possessing an overwhelming advantage in battles.

"That year, the one who caused Brother Haoyue's crushing defeat might have been the Godly Venerable," Yan Yixi said. "And Chengdao's mother is likely a God Race member, so he's looking for answers."

Three hundred years had passed. Although Ji Haoyue never spoke of the events from back then, they had gathered partial truths through various inquiries.

"The Godly Venerable might go to the Sky-Reaching Tower," someone whispered. "Di Tian, Immortal Qing Shi, the God Race Heavenly Maiden Shen Lan, the Great Mighty Saint Spirit, Daoist Nine Tribulations, and many other strong cultivators are also going there to gather."

Someone transmitted a message, not out of kindness to Ji Chengdao, but hoping to immediately witness a fierce battle and a clash of dragons and tigers.

Li Heishui was about to step forward and pull little Chengdao aside, but he was stopped by the Black Sovereign, who said, "Let's see. He's still young; he can handle some bumps and bruises."

Although it said so, they all followed behind.

"Hey, kid, buy this Astonishing Immortal Bow from me," someone called out to Ji Chengdao along the way. "My ancestor used it to directly slay the God Race's Twin Supremes! If you can repair it, no one in the God Race will be able to stop you."

"I have nothing to trade," Ji Chengdao said, shaking his head.

"No worries, you can pay on credit. You'll have something I'm interested in eventually," said a bearded man with a fake smile.

"Not interested," Ji Chengdao said, turning and walking away, no longer paying attention.

On the other side, Li Tian was stamping his foot, and Yan Yixi's eyes widened in surprise. They recognized this bearded man. More than three hundred years ago, when Ye Fan and his two companions rushed to the Ziwei Star Domain to find Xiao Nannan, they had encountered him.

At that time, the three had disguised themselves as ordinary people. Yet a bearded man in the Dao Palace Realm shamelessly approached them, insisting on taking Li Tian and Yan Yixi, who were at the Saint King Realm, as his disciples. They had indignantly refused him.

Now, they had encountered him again. This bearded man was definitely unusual, not an ordinary person.

"Back then, I was rejected when I tried to take those two rascals as disciples," the bearded man muttered, shaking his head. "Today, I'm rejected again when offering a bow. Is it easy for an old man like me? It's hard to be a good person." He then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"Who are you calling rascals? Don't leave, stop!" Li Tian wanted to chase, but he was pulled back by Ye Fan, who shook his head and said, "You can't catch him; he's already entered the starry sky."

"That fast? In just a blink of an eye!" Li Tian was startled; the bearded man vanished into thin air in an instant.

"Quasi-Emperor!" Ye Fan uttered only these two words, his expression solemn as he stared at a distant stretch of starry sky for a long time before withdrawing his gaze.

Everyone was startled. Li Tian and Yan Yixi were both momentarily stunned, speechless for a long time after having just brushed past a Quasi-Emperor.

The Sky-Reaching Tower, the tallest building in the Fifth City, hung suspended in mid-air. Purple mist permeated it, filled with an auspicious aura.

"Immortal Qing Shi has arrived," a voice announced.

Myriad rays of light and thousands of auspicious colors heralded the descent of a graceful figure. With her hair intricately coiled and her skin fair and luminous, she possessed peerless beauty, like an immortal maiden stepping out of a painting.

Her exquisite and unmatched beauty drew the sideways glances of many cultivators.

Someone welcomed her in the tower. Clearly, this was an enlightenment tower run by the native residents of the Imperial Pass, exclusively for peerless strong cultivators to drink tea, spar, and gather.

"Lord Di Tian has arrived," a voice announced.

Immediately, murmurs arose from afar.

"Legend has it that he was once an opponent of Ye Fan, the Sacrosanct Body," someone whispered. "Although he suffered a great loss back then, it was not shameful, as he was defeated by the Azure Emperor's avatar during Ye Fan's heavenly tribulation."

"Yes, I heard," another added. "This person is truly remarkable, to be able to contend with the Azure Emperor and battle for so long. He lost with honor!"

"Alas, what a pity for the Sacrosanct Body," someone else sighed.

Di Tian's appearance drew people's attention and discussion.

"The Shaking Light King has arrived!" a voice announced.

Another wave of commotion erupted in front of the Sky-Reaching Tower. Over the years, the Shaking Light Heavenly Art had reached completion, shaking the starry sky and becoming invincible wherever it went, making him one of the most dazzling Imperial Stars on this path.