Chapter 1659: Situation

Another five years had passed. Bright Green Pass, once a vital stronghold in the universe under the Heaven Court's dominion, had now become ownerless territory, causing widespread panic.

Some said the Divine Court was about to attack. Others claimed the Dragon Clan's Celestial Maiden was coming, wielding an Imperial Dao artifact to unleash destruction, and that the Heaven Court, unable to contend, had no choice but to retreat preemptively.

The entire ancient star had only one city, primarily because of a five-colored treasure tree that bore crystals, which were divine materials for constructing five-colored altars. This made the place a critical strategic location.

"The Heaven Court is truly failing. One of their leaders likely perished after failing to comprehend the Dao. The Human Demon has also disappeared. The Heaven Court will surely decline drastically. We should leave quickly."

In these tumultuous times, people were terrified. Many lost hope, leaving through spatial gates to flee to distant lands.

"This place borders the Light Clan. Although their Azure Gold Spirit Refining Pot was shattered, the divine spirit survived. It's also rumored that an unparalleled master is overseeing them, and they are expanding. They're not planning to annex this place, are they?"

People's hearts were unsettled, and cultivators were very uneasy. Indeed, on that very day, powerful individuals from the Light Clan arrived, announcing their takeover of the area. Bright Green Pass was henceforth under their control.

Now, various major forces in the universe were taking advantage of this opportunity to annex territories. They occupied resource-rich stars and engaged in predatory development. This was because everyone had a premonition of imminent chaos and was rapidly building up reserves.

"This is Heaven Court territory. Although our forces have temporarily retreated, you cannot simply swallow it up like this," someone protested.

"The Heaven Court? It's failing, on the verge of collapse. From now on, this place belongs to the Light Clan. Those who disobey or provoke will be killed without mercy!" the commander who had arrived stated coldly, his words devoid of mercy.

This was merely a microcosm. Across the universe, the Heaven Court's former territories were rapidly being lost, with vast areas being encroached upon and swallowed up.

For over three hundred years, the Heaven Court had developed smoothly, producing many Great Saints. With over a hundred thousand celestial soldiers and generals, they had awed the eight directions and dominated major star regions. But now, everything had changed with the emergence of ancient princes. With the rise of Quasi-Emperor level figures, their former glory was insufficient to dominate the world without such leaders to hold the line.

"Another vital stronghold lost. These people's appetites are growing," Li Tian scoffed at the Heaven Court's headquarters.

"What can we do? We are currently gathering our forces. If we don't strike, these people will become increasingly aggressive."

Within the Heaven Court, people were uneasy, yet they made no move to attack. For years, the Heaven Court had been a colossal entity, governing many stars. But now, with Quasi-Emperors emerging, their past glory seemed to dim. Ye Fan had encountered an issue, and the old Human Demon had gone hunting. He hadn't been seen for several years and was even rumored to have perished. Lying dormant now was perhaps the best choice.

In the past, some major forces that had been relatively peaceful, cooperative, and held promising prospects were now stirring restlessly. Some had even begun to encroach upon their vital strongholds, causing everyone to look grim.

The situation was overwhelming. In the current circumstances, even before the Divine Court had launched a full-scale attack, other forces were already restless.

"The Dragon Maiden has returned, appearing with an Imperial Dao artifact, searching for the Heaven Court headquarters. It's said she's made a new breakthrough, and it seems this time she intends to utterly annihilate us."

Within the Heaven Court, many people frowned.

The Celestial Maiden of Myriad Dragon Nest wore a cold expression. A massive purple dragon hovered above her head as she flew through one starfield after another, countless stars receding behind her. She had settled her clan members, setting off with peace of mind.

She no longer feared the Human Demon reappearing or threatening her clan's safety. This time, she had come to wreak havoc and wipe out all her adversaries.

"This star was once one of the Heaven Court's vital stars, rumored to be rich in refined purple copper. Most of their celestial soldiers' armor was forged from metal collected here," a follower explained.

The Dragon Maiden said nothing, but simply extended a finger, and her imperial blood boiled. The finger rapidly expanded, striking directly downwards, pressing onto the star.

"Crack!"

The blue star instantly shattered. Under this powerful Quasi-Emperor's strike, it was utterly annihilated. Although most of the Heaven Court's forces had retreated, a small number were still mining copper essence, and tragically, all of them perished.

As soon as the news spread, the region was thrown into chaos. The Dragon Maiden had returned, and she was so powerful. This gave everyone a premonition that a storm was brewing, and the final battle was imminent.

Had the Human Demon truly died in battle? His long absence sparked much suspicion. Now, such rumors only grew stronger.

Almost on the same day, other vital strongholds in the region were swiftly divided among various clans. They engaged in predatory mining, seizing divine iron, origin minerals, and other resources.

"I never imagined the Heaven Court would decline so rapidly. It seems that without a Quasi-Emperor in this era, everything is fleeting. It just won't do without a figure of that level holding the fort!"

Now, there were several large organizations like the Heaven Court, the Underworld, and the Divine Court, all ranked in the first tier. They absolutely needed a Quasi-Emperor, or they wouldn't be able to defend against their opponents' attacks.

Another region was also in disarray. The Golden Celestial Maiden had arrived. She had no interest in destroying stars, but she publicly declared her intent to eliminate all Heaven Court forces, to utterly wipe them out.

She issued a warning, advising the celestial generals to leave the Heaven Court as soon as possible. Otherwise, once she launched her attack, she would surely sweep through them in a bloody rampage, annihilating their entire clans.

Some clans that had previously been on good terms with the Heaven Court and had even operated under the Heaven Court's banner now all fell silent in fear, withdrawing one after another, with some even turning against them to kill other Heaven Court forces.

Of course, these were only peripheral members; the true Heaven Court forces had long since retreated.

Nevertheless, it gave the impression that the Heaven Court was on the verge of collapse. The speed of its disintegration was accelerating, seeming unstoppable.

Outside, there was widespread unrest and panic.

The Divine Nether also arrived, like a phantom, with formidable methods. He severed an ancient road built by the Heaven Court and unleashed a bloody massacre, striking terror into hearts.

Amidst internal turmoil and external threats, news also came from the Divine Court. The Emperor Lord's second son appeared, stating that they would soon begin operations, launching a war against the Heaven Court to reclaim what was originally their territory.

In fact, this was naturally just an excuse. The Heaven Court had never attacked them and had always been in a passive position. They were merely seeking a pretext to destroy the Heaven Court.

This was naturally a major event, and many speculated whether the Divine Court Emperor Lord had truly repelled the Undying Heavenly Empress. Now that his second son had appeared, it would trigger a great war and another massive upheaval.

The Divine Court Emperor Lord had nine sons, all very powerful. Now that the second son had appeared, people would not believe it was without the Emperor Lord's approval.

The situation was deteriorating. The Human Demon Dongfang Taiyi had mistakenly pursued a target to the Cosmic Frontier. He was trapped within a vast array and encountered a dangerous exiled race. A protracted, intense battle to break the array ensued.

Qiluo tossed the Divine Court's challenge letter onto the table, his expression grim. The situation was worsening, developing in an increasingly dire direction. With powerful enemies at hand and Quasi-Emperors attacking, if the headquarters were exposed, everyone would surely be in peril.

"Don't be afraid. With Nannan here, even if they find this place, they'll be scared away," Huahua said.

With a *smack*, the Black Emperor slapped Huahua's bald head and said, "When have we ever been so humiliated? Having a little girl protect us—aren't you ashamed?"

"Aren't I just making the worst-case plan?" Huahua protested.

Everyone's expressions were grim, as several powerful enemies were attacking. Aggressive and relentless, with the Divine Court launching its offensive, this was an unprecedented crisis.

"This is pushing this Emperor to madness!" the large black dog said with an ill-tempered expression. "Prepare all the materials. I will engrave them all into Great Emperor Killing Arrays. If one or two incomplete arrays can't harm a Quasi-Emperor, then we'll make thousands, tens of thousands of them! What's burning divine materials? At worst, we'll be left with nothing, back to how we started!"

The Black Emperor was resolute, preparing to squander years of accumulation. He would engrave everything into incomplete Great Emperor Killing Array platforms. Then, every celestial soldier and general would have one, burying their powerful enemies alive.

"That's over three hundred years of accumulation! The resources from countless mined stars, all destroyed in one battle?" Someone felt a pang of distress.

"That's what we'll do! Aren't they arrogant? Let them see what a true nouveau riche looks like! Burn divine materials, pile them up and bury them alive!" the Black Emperor snarled fiercely.

"I've sent people to star regions like Thousand Curtain Island, Ancient Tombs, and Mythical Ridge, where ancient tombs are rumored to exist. I believe we'll soon find Duan De and borrow the Heaven Swallowing Lid," Li Heishui said.

In a battle years ago, almost all Imperial artifacts were destroyed. However, the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Pot was unique; it was supremely strong and durable, undamaged, and thus survived.

The pot body was in Tu Tian's hands, and as a petty bandit, Li Heishui could naturally borrow it from the great bandit. All that was left was Duan De's half of the artifact.

"Senior Martial Uncle Saint Prince should be returning soon. When he does, we'll give them a good show!" Ji Chengdao said.

As the Heaven Court forces diligently prepared for battle, on a distant star, before a silver waterfall, Ye Fan remained in meditation. Ji Ziyue quietly guarded him nearby, having set up a simple hut there.

Ye Fan was undergoing a transformation that had lasted a full five years. Scriptures resonated continuously within him, and every inch of his skin was imprinted with runes. These included remnants of ancient supreme beings and his own laws, intertwined, then transforming into divine chains of order.

These were physical curses, like iron chains, binding him in a cage. For five years of transformation, he had continuously struggled, seeking to break free from his restraints.

"Ziyue, go back. I feel the time is right!" Ye Fan's voice resonated on that day.

"Alright!" Ji Ziyue nodded. She said nothing more, wasted no time, and with full understanding, stepped into a spatial gate and vanished from the spot.

"What? Master is about to break through?" When the Heaven Court members received this news, Huahua was astonished, and then the Heaven Court forces immediately erupted in excitement.

"I'm not too late, am I? Let's beat them black and blue!" The Dragon Horse, Golden-Winged Great Peng, and others had returned. They had spent these years exploring an ancient domain from the mythical era, and now they were finally back.

"No, you're not late. We need to prepare some contingencies so that Ye Fan isn't disturbed during his breakthrough," the Black Emperor said.

In fact, there was no time left for any preparations. On that very day, a muffled rumble erupted deep within a distant star region. Initially, outsiders were unaware, but this heavenly tribulation was too terrifying; it lasted for several days, an alarmingly long time!

Moreover, the intense fluctuations spread outwards, shocking passing ancient sages.

Although the Black Emperor and the others had arrived, they had no time to set up contingency plans. They simply could not prevent the spread of the fluctuations from this place.

"Leave quickly! Don't worry about me!" Ye Fan, whose entire body was bound by divine chains of order, roared, issuing a death order for them not to approach, urging them to vanish immediately.

The Heaven Court forces hesitated briefly, then their vast army poured into the star gate, retreating from the scene.

"It's him! He's undergoing tribulation again. Has he escaped his predicament? Too bad, there's no chance!" Someone rushed over, intending to disrupt Ye Fan's grand tribulation.

"Not so easy. Do you wish to break free from the shadows of the past and forge your own path? No, it's time for it to end!"