Chapter 1656: The Prelude to the Decisive Battle

"She knows I cannot yet leave this tomb. For now, this is all I can do." A cold, emotionless voice echoed from the great tomb.

The sky twinkled with stars, and countless massive stars cascaded down vast silver waterfalls, nourishing the ancient tombstone and everything within its vicinity.

This chilling sight sent shivers down one's spine. The revival of a peerless divine general demanded such colossal power that the entire star field was rapidly darkening, leaving many stars eternally cold and extinguished.

The envoy, despite his high status, dared not even take a full breath. His soul trembled before this unparalleled warrior, who had once served the Undying Heavenly Emperor.

This was a divine general who had casually taken lives, who had ushered in the Heavenly Emperor's prosperous age, and whose hands were stained with the blood of quasi-emperors. The envoy sensed that the Divinely Conferred beings, specifically the eight great divine generals of old, did not truly hold the Undying Heavenly Empress in sincere respect.

"The Heavenly Empress is aware of your condition and commanded me to bring you a rare immortal treasure," the Phoenix Nest envoy explained without delay. "This was an unexpected find and will undoubtedly be of great use to you!"

"Is that so? Something useful to me?" the divine general asked indifferently. He appeared remarkably young, sitting cross-legged in the tomb with an almost chilling lack of emotion.

"Yes, it's an immortal pill!" the envoy hastily replied, then respectfully held up a stone box with both hands, which emanated a hazy, ethereal glow.

With a "whoosh," the stone box vanished, plunging into the underground tomb and reappearing between the Sun-Moon Divine General's fingers. He opened it at once, and a fragrant aroma instantly permeated the air, causing all the surrounding vegetation to burst into vibrant life.

Its life essence was overwhelmingly potent, possessing heaven-defying properties!

For the first time, the divine general's normally indifferent eyes blazed with two terrifying beams of light, revealing deep astonishment. "It's... the Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill!?" he exclaimed.

This legendary immortal pill, a rarity in the mortal world, was said to require an undying divine medicine as its primary ingredient, undergoing countless sacrifices and refining processes to finally form against all odds, with unpredictable effects.

This substance was heralded as the supreme pill of ancient times, capable of defying fate and even preventing death, reputedly allowing Great Emperors to live for another lifetime.

"It's merely a remnant of the immortal pill, perhaps a tenth of a dose, but I believe it will suffice to heal your injuries, my lord," the envoy said respectfully.

"That's enough. Even if it can't fully heal me, it will be close," the Sun-Moon Divine General declared, his eyes flashing with terrifying brilliance that made the already shining stars in the sky appear even more ominous.

Having stabilized his Dao injury through the nourishment of immortal light, which had pulled him back from the verge of death, he now anticipated the effects of this precious medicine.

The immortal pill was certainly capable of reviving the dead and regenerating flesh, thus healing his injuries was not a concern. The only pity was that it was an ancient elixir from the primordial era, and much of its essence had been lost, diminishing its full potency.

"Who has the Heavenly Empress encountered that she requires my aid?" the Sun-Moon Divine General asked, his expression noticeably softer after receiving the Nine Revolutions Immortal Pill, as he inquired from within the tomb.

"It is currently unknown. The Heavenly Empress pursued the Undying Heavenly Blade without success, but instead encountered a formidable enemy."

"Where?"

"Beyond the Nine Imperial Passes!" the messenger solemnly revealed.

The Undying Heavenly Empress, in her quest to reign supreme and rule the world, had to ascend to that very land. Unexpectedly, it had become a battlefield, drawing out formidable, world-shaking adversaries.

"To think such powerful individuals still exist in this world; it's rather intriguing. You may return now." The divine general's demeanor returned to its usual coldness.

The envoy felt as if he had been granted a great reprieve. He had no desire to linger, turning to leave immediately, his entire body convulsing and yearning to prostrate itself before the Divinely Conferred being.

Only after the envoy had departed did the young man, still sitting cross-legged in the tomb, suddenly cough up a mouthful of blood, his body swaying. Yet, his eyes, sharp as knife blades, betrayed no hint of concern.

"Something went wrong with my enlightenment; this terrible outcome is truly an unbearable burden." Within the tomb, chaotic immortal light surged, engulfing him, and then silence fell.

On the ancient battlefield, Ye Fan and the Human Devil successfully slew the Sun-Moon Twin-Thought Divine Generals, stunning the onlookers. The death of two quasi-emperors was an earth-shattering event.

This incident only intensified the tension on the battlefield. Competition here was fierce, with everything hinging on one's cultivation and power; without sufficient attainment, all else was meaningless.

From that day forward, the battlefield was shrouded in dark clouds, and war drums threatened to explode like thunder at any moment. The suffocating calm before the storm settled over them.

"Boom!"

Another individual had ascended to quasi-emperor status. This time, the ascension was highly discreet, occurring in the deepest reaches of the starry sky, far from the battlefield. This person was clearly very cautious.

By the time people rushed to the scene, it was all over, but clues allowed them to deduce the identity of the new quasi-emperor. Two days later, news confirmed it: it was the Son of the Forbidden Zone.

A formidable young man, believed to hail from the Sea of Reincarnation, had officially entered the quasi-emperor realm!

For Ye Fan and his companions, this was unwelcome news. Another enemy had emerged, one who had engaged in bloody battles with their fathers' generation three centuries ago and would now contend against them.

"Bang!"

The heavens shook and the earth trembled, the stars quivering chaotically. A great battle had erupted, signaling the long-awaited decisive confrontation, a struggle of life and death.

On this day, news arrived: Huo Qilinzi, who had vanished for centuries and journeyed to the remote cosmic wilderness, had reappeared. He clashed fiercely with Emperor's Son Dao Yi on the ancient battlefield, their battle so intense that it obscured the sun and moon, dimmed the stars, and caused widespread destruction.

The news caused a sensation, and many rushed to witness the battle, only to find the area empty. The two combatants had torn open space, leaping away to continue their fierce confrontation elsewhere.

When people pursued them, they found only blood and remnants, but no sign of the combatants. This was a one-on-one deathmatch, which could potentially last for a long time or conclude in an instant.

Concrete news did not arrive until five days later.

In their initial clash, neither gained an advantage; both shed blood across the cosmos before retreating.

Ye Fan and his companions had been there for many days but still hadn't found any trace of the Saint Prince. They were uncertain of his fate or safety, though they inwardly felt the monkey was likely alright.

"All right, the altar is built. We can return to the Heavenly Court whenever we wish. We'll construct another one there for future communication."

Before a small five-colored altar, the Black Emperor incessantly boasted about his superb craftsmanship, sounding very much like someone selling their own wares. The entire group scorned him.

"Come, little melon, you go first. Head back to the Heavenly Court and check on things; we don't want anyone raiding our home base." The Black Emperor instructed Huahua to step forward.

Huahua shook his bald head vigorously, adamantly refusing to be a guinea pig. It was a joke; the entire universe knew how unreliable the big black dog was. In fact, he had been responsible for numerous disappearances. The most absurd part was that he had even managed to lose himself once!

"What do you mean, you little brat? Do you not trust this Emperor?" the Black Emperor demanded, his large black face darkening.

"No, I believe you, profoundly so! This is out of respect for you," Huahua stated righteously and earnestly. "Please, Uncle Black, ascend the stage first. There is an order between elders and juniors, and etiquette must be preserved!"

The Black Emperor stared at him with his bell-like eyes, then nodded and said, "Alright!"

As he approached the small altar, the Black Emperor suddenly swatted the bald Huahua onto it with a paw, eliciting a shriek: "Uncle, that's not fair!"

Huahua was no pushover. In an instant, he activated the "Soldier" character secret, attempting to restrain the large black dog and swap places, pulling it onto the altar.

However, the Black Emperor was one step ahead; experience triumphed. He had already stood up, activated the "Movement" character secret, and instantly evaded tens of thousands of feet away, causing Huahua's "Soldier" character secret to miss its mark.

"Little punk, still trying to scheme against me? Have you forgotten who raised you?" The Black Emperor had already activated the array patterns, and amid dazzling multicolored light, a Taiji Bagua gate opened.

Huahua shrieked as he fell through, a tragic expression on his face just before disappearing, shouting, "Master, if I get lost, you *must* come find me! I don't want to be alone for a century in some corner of the vast universe."

"Am I truly that unreliable, that you dare to doubt my mastery of array patterns?"

"Your unreliability is known to everyone on Earth," Pang Bo, a past victim, interjected to corroborate. He recounted how he had once been flung directly from the Eastern Wasteland into the Central Plains, nearly missing and ending up on the moon.

"Alas, Huahua is destined to vanish. He's probably waving goodbye to us from billions of light-years away, a tearful farewell," Dongfang Ye remarked.

"Truly pitiful," Ji Chengdao agreed empathetically, nodding solemnly.

"This Emperor is enraged! Am I truly as pathetic as you claim!?" the Black Emperor fumed.

"Bang!"

It was ambushed. A group of people jointly tossed it onto the altar and immediately activated the array patterns, causing it to shriek, "Damn it, if I get lost, remember to find me!"

Everyone was dumbfounded. So unreliable, indeed!

If it spoke and thought this way about its *own* array altar, how could anyone else possibly feel at ease?

The group looked on with contempt. The dog's unreliability had truly reached an unprecedented level; it was wailing about its own creation. How terrible must the altar truly be? Who would dare to use it now?

"Poor Huahua," Ji Chengdao lamented once more.

The firmament collapsed as a colossal black hand descended, enveloping an entire star field. Its immense size was truly breathtaking.

A phoenix's cry pierced the sky. A blood-red divine phoenix ascended, beating its wings against the heavens, rising to meet the colossal black hand and initiating an earth-shattering confrontation.

"Who is clashing with Huang Xudao?"

A quasi-emperor level battle erupted abruptly.

Within the battlefield formed from the Heavenly Venerate's remains, war clouds gathered. The struggle for the Emperor's Path had begun, transforming the area into a fervent battleground.

The colossal black hand eclipsed the sun, while chilling winds howled and ghostly figures swarmed, as if the Nine Nether Underworld itself had manifested, intent on transforming the entire world into a ghostly prison.

"It's someone from the Underworld, battling Huang Xudao."

"Clang!"

A dark great halberd tore through the sky and cleaved the earth, slashing towards Ye Fan above the Black Pearl with astonishing quasi-emperor might.

Shen Ming reappeared, even more formidable this time, directly targeting Ye Fan. It had been made clear that this was a fight to the death, where only one would emerge alive from the battlefield.

"Kill this bastard!" Li Tian exclaimed. "He arrogantly caused trouble when Ye Zi got married, and now he dares to show his face again!"

"Boom!"

An even more terrifying celestial phenomenon emerged: golden divine pagodas, colossal golden bells, brilliant divine swords... countless weapons soared, forming a radiant golden world.

An ultimate secret art, the Golden Divine Treasure, was being unleashed!

The Golden Heavenly Maiden had arrived, launching a furious assault, intent on annihilating Ye Fan and his companions.

"Whoosh!"

The Myriad Dragon Bell vibrated, transforming into a colossal purple dragon that swooped down, also heading towards the Black Pearl. The situation was dire.

Wielding the Primal Chaos Green Lotus, Ye Fan ascended against overwhelming odds to confront the formidable enemy.

What began as a lone assault quickly startled all present, drawing two more attackers who launched their offensive without hesitation.

The battle erupted with such suddenness; from nothing, three formidable opponents appeared at once, bolstered by Imperial Path weapons, unsettling everyone.

Undeniably, if this continued, it would escalate into a brutal, bloody conflict!

"If we slay them all in this battle, the entire battlefield will be cleared, and no one will dare to approach again!" Pang Bo declared.

Everyone resonated with this sentiment. True formidable prestige was forged in battle. If they could eliminate the three ancient imperial sons in a single day, they believed no one would dare to challenge their might ever again.

However, this battlefield was ever-changing, fraught with too many unpredictable elements. Could such a decisive battle truly unfold?