Chapter 1672: Harvest

The Heavenly Court, emboldened by its great victory, pursued relentlessly, pushing into the Divine Court’s controlled territories. They attacked cities and seized land, capturing hundreds of resource stars in a single day and bringing them all under their control.

On this day, the world was rocked, and the universe was stunned.

The war between the Heavenly Court and the Divine Court concluded!

The Divine Court had arrived with overwhelming might, but its million-strong divine army suffered a crushing defeat. Casualties were countless, and hundreds of thousands were taken prisoner; those who refused to kneel and surrender were slain.

Who could believe such a battle outcome? Yet, it truly happened, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

All races in the universe were deeply shaken. Initially, people refused to believe it, thinking, "That was the supreme Emperor Lord, leading a million-strong divine army to attack the unstable Heavenly Court. There could be no unexpected outcome; they were surely going to wipe them out completely."

Who could have imagined that at the very first engagement, the supreme Emperor Lord, who had looked down upon the world like a celestial being descended, trembled, was startled, and fled in disarray, abandoning his subordinates and disappearing without a trace?

"How could this be?" everyone couldn't help but ask. "Was the mighty Divine Court just a paper tiger?" Finally, some insiders revealed that an ancient supreme being had scared the Emperor Lord away.

Upon the release of this news, the entire world was shocked. "Does the Heavenly Court possess such profound foundations?" people wondered. It was truly heart-stirring.

Some rejoiced, others despaired; the world reacted in various ways.

While the Divine Court suffered in grim despair, the Heavenly Court celebrated its triumphant victory with cheers. They pursued the divine army across several star systems, shattering them, clearing away all previous oppression, and finally seeing the blue sky after the clouds, letting out a collective sigh of relief.

This time, they nearly advanced all the way to the Divine Court’s headquarters. Had they not considered that the Emperor Lord might still be alive and that the headquarters was protected by endless killing formations, forcefully attacking it would have been more costly than beneficial, and the Emperor’s Palace would likely have ceased to exist.

This was a great victory. Resources from the Divine Court’s regional treasuries, like mountains and seas, were transported back. This was one of the most significant spoils of war.

Most crucially, they had fought with newfound courage and confidence. Even the Divine Court’s million-strong army had been defeated, greatly inspiring the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.

Before this, they had retreated repeatedly, enduring years of hardship. Even though their internal stability appeared intact, there was a risk of morale crumbling, and such a great victory was urgently needed to dispel the gloom.

This battle, which crushed the divine army with overwhelming force, came at precisely the right time. It caused the confidence of every Heavenly Soldier and General to surge, eliminating any lingering doubts and removing the need to ponder their future path.

“We’ve caught some big fish!”

Dongfang Ye chuckled, his bronze-colored arm holding a spiked club in one hand and a string of people in the other, which he tossed into the great hall.

Among them were several individuals with snow-white hair. Though ancient in appearance, they possessed remarkable vitality and terrifying cultivation, some not far from the Quasi-Emperor realm.

These were elders of the Divine Court, all important ministers. If the Human Demon hadn’t stunned them with his supreme treasure when he burst through, they truly couldn’t have been caught and would surely have escaped.

“Old geezers,” Huahua said impolitely, delivering a few kicks to the elders. “Before the war started, you were the loudest, saying my master should tie himself up and beg for forgiveness, and demanding the Mother Qi Cauldron of All Things. You talked big. What do you have to say now?”

Some of them immediately flared their eyes. They were of noble status, each with a fierce dharma-body, revered everywhere. Who dared to kick them?

“What, you’re not convinced?” Huahua’s bald head gleamed as he chuckled, kicking their behinds a few more times, which directly infuriated them.

Alas, their cultivation was sealed, making it impossible for them to cause any trouble. They could only grind their teeth and glare.

“Old geezers, weren’t you arrogant? Why don’t you jump up again?” Dongfang Ye remarked. “Let me see what races you are. Hmm, this one is a Vitality Bird, this one is a Skyhorse Demon, and this one is a Transformed Serpent. Good stuff, all rare races, and all highly nourishing!”

At that moment, the Saint Prince and Ye Fan returned. Upon hearing this, the Human Demon’s eyes gleamed with divine light. He took a step forward, looking at them as if they were old hens, and asked, “Are they really that delicious?”

Oh my!

These individuals were nearly paralyzed with fear. Facing this living ancestor, a god among foodies, a primitive among Quasi-Emperors, they were so terrified they almost knelt.

The next moment, they all caved in, answering every question, even responding with ten answers for every one asked, trying their best to impress. All their integrity and moral principles were cast aside.

This made Dongfang Ye impatient. “Don’t talk so much, damn it,” he said. “I haven’t even asked that question yet. Are you chatterboxes? Just answer one sentence for one question.”

“We’ve really caught quite a few people, and some significant ones among them,” Ye Fan chuckled. “The spoils are truly substantial.”

“Haha, we caught a few treasures, the biggest fish of all!” Li Heishui laughed heartily.

He walked in with Li Tian and Yan Yixi. Wielding Quasi-Emperor artifacts, they were naturally invincible, cutting down all in their path. Divine army powerhouses fled upon seeing them.

These were several powerful individuals, wearing crowns and python-dragon robes, ranging from old to young. Their expressions were grim, and veins bulged on their foreheads.

“My darlings, don’t be angry. Come on, introduce yourselves properly to everyone,” Li Tian chuckled suggestively.

Upon hearing themselves called “darlings,” these individuals were enraged, their faces turning ashen, their teeth nearly gnashing apart as they surged forward. However, their divine power was sealed, and their dao techniques were lost, rendering them unable to fight.

“Don’t be so stubborn. Is it shyness that keeps you from speaking?” Li Heishui smirked, walking forward and pointing to an older individual. “Alright then, I’ll do it. This is Darling Four.”

Hearing this, the gray-haired individual glared at him furiously, radiating cold intent. If he could have moved, he would likely have pounced.

“This is Darling Six, this is Darling Eight, and this is Darling Nine,” Li Heishui said, pointing to each person in turn.

By now, everyone had guessed their identities, especially Ye Fan, Huahua, and others, who had encountered Darling Nine at the Fifth Imperial Pass.

“These are several of the Divine Court Emperor Lord’s sons, hahahaha… they truly are darlings!” The Black Emperor roared with laughter, drooling as he eyed the scriptures in their minds.

The four men’s faces were ashen, veins almost bursting from their foreheads. They were filled with resentment, but what could they do? They were now prisoners.

The Divine Court had a total of nine sons. Ye Fan had killed one, and now, unexpectedly, four more had been captured at once.

“To be honest, these guys are really strong,” Li Tian smirked. “Too bad they met us; they could only become fodder.”

Pang Bo returned, carrying the Emperor Lord’s True Dragon Chariot. This was a terrifying Quasi-Emperor war chariot. According to the elders, the Divine Court Lord had excavated it from a ruin, and it was one of their sect-guarding artifacts.

Currently, the Divine Court had lost most of its Quasi-Emperor artifacts. Perhaps only the Emperor Lord’s Red Dragon Armor remained.

“So powerful! After refining it, our Heavenly Court will have another divine artifact!” The Black Emperor exclaimed, particularly fond of such items, wishing it could pounce on it immediately.

Ye Fan, the Saint Prince, and the Human Demon acted together, directly awakening the dormant divine spirit within. With the three supreme powerhouses sacrificing together, it naturally submitted and was officially acquired by the Heavenly Court.

Their gains this time were immense. The warehouses in the conquered regions were endless, yielding mountainous piles of materials. This perfectly compensated for the previous consumption when the Black Emperor furiously refined artifacts and sacrificed to the killing arrays.

One battle shook the world!

All corners of the universe were astonished. People had to reconsider the Heavenly Court’s strength; even the Divine Court had suffered a major setback. More than half of its elite forces were annihilated, and the entire colossal entity was on the verge of collapse. Now, with the Emperor Lord’s fate unknown, it sent shivers down people’s spines. Moreover, the legend of the Heavenly Court having a supreme-level backer spread, deterring all those with ill intentions.

“Is it truly so? Is that Female Emperor still alive…”

“Do not act rashly. Wait for some time before deciding.”

In fact, another formidable force had been poised to emerge: experts from the Phoenix Nest had already been dispatched, ready to claim the heads of Ye Fan, the Saint Prince, and others.

They deeply understood the terrifying talent of these two. They didn’t want to give them any opportunities. If the divine army had conquered the Heavenly Court headquarters but failed to kill those two, the divine generals from the Phoenix Nest would have immediately acted to eliminate the two powerhouses.

However, the bizarre outcome of this battle made one of the eight great divine generals who had followed the Undying Heavenly Emperor extremely wary. Because on this day, he truly sensed the terrifying aura from Beidou, and he cautiously retreated.

In this campaign, Ye Fan and his companions gained far more than imagined. After interrogating the “darlings,” they extracted some ancient techniques from their sea of consciousness. When integrated and pieced together, they remarkably formed the complete "Dao Scripture" and "Light Scripture," astounding the Heavenly Court.

These were two supreme profound texts. The Dao Scripture, of course, was what Ye Fan had used to rise. The Light Scripture came from the Light Race and was an ancient Emperor Scripture, recording numerous profound and terrifying divine abilities and secret arts, especially its forbidden chapters, which captivated Ye Fan, the Saint Prince, and the Human Demon, causing them to enter seclusion for many days.

They certainly wouldn't follow the same path, but they could use these texts as reference, comprehend those realms, and compare them to their own paths, which provided tremendous impetus.

Ye Fan couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. In the past, he had only obtained incomplete scriptures, and even his disciple Ye Tong possessed a complete Sun Immortal Scripture. Although he had also perused it, it wasn’t something he had personally found. Now, in a single battle, he had unexpectedly acquired two complete scriptures.

This was good news for the Heavenly Court. Important figures could peruse them, and the general populace could also be taught, which would collectively boost their overall combat strength and cultivation.

“Originally, the Emperor Lord cultivated the Dao Scripture. Four thousand years ago, he accidentally saved a young man and, as a result, was taught the Light Scripture…”

This news startled Ye Fan and the others. The Light Race had an ancient Imperial Prince, astonishingly talented, who had appeared over four thousand years ago but later mysteriously vanished.

The Emperor Lord must have saved him, but where was he now? Searching the sea of consciousness of the “darlings” yielded no significant discoveries; their father hadn’t told them.

Furthermore, they learned the Emperor Lord’s race: his body flowed with the blood of the Vermilion Bird, an ancient and powerful race, yet one rarely seen in the present era.

With the conclusion of this battle, its impact was profound. All forces near the Heavenly Court trembled in fear. Those clans that had previously annexed their important strongholds and resource stars came one after another, trembling, to plead for forgiveness.

Regarding the treatment of these clans, radicals within the Heavenly Court argued that they should all be thoroughly exploited from head to toe, the instigators executed, and the rest exiled.

However, after discussion, Ye Fan, Pang Bo, the Black Emperor, and others decided against this. The Heavenly Court had just risen, and such drastic measures might provoke all parties to unite in hostility against them.

Of course, those who had previously kicked them while they were down, and the instigators who had causelessly invaded and attacked the Heavenly Court, were all suppressed, but this was carefully controlled within a small scope to serve as a deterrent.

Worshipers came from all directions. This region prospered, and the might of the Heavenly Court began to spread far and wide.

Four years later, the One True Path trembled, and the profound ringing of a bell echoed across the world. The sound of the bell was heard throughout the universe, astonishing all corners and directions.

“Those individuals have passed the Ninth Pass and reached the ultimate destination!”

What lay beyond the nine Imperial Passes? This had been a question for many throughout history, as it was rumored to involve the secret of becoming an Emperor.

The Undying Heavenly Empress once fought a mysterious individual beyond the nine Imperial Passes, resulting in a mutually destructive outcome, but even they never truly entered that most secret place.

There were unconfirmed rumors that only by passing through all nine Imperial Passes could that place truly open and reveal auspicious light.

Indeed, on this day, the starfield beyond the nine Imperial Passes erupted with billions of strands of immortal light, exploding with a thunderous roar that shook the vast universe.

There, thunder rumbled, divine lightning intertwined, ancient mountains shifted, and endless chaos surged forth. Amidst the scorching lightning and mist, a mysterious world was revealed.