Chapter 1678: Heavenly Empress Appears

Not only Ye Fan, but even the Dragon Horse and others, were as if they had seen a ghost, never expecting the person from the painting to actually reappear in the world.

On the damaged altar, the old Daoist was very calm, his skin lustrous and not showing signs of extreme old age. "Is this the person who once fought the Undying Heavenly Empress?" many cultivators wondered as they watched him.

"What era is he from? How did he appear here and become the master of the Celestial Palace?" the Dragon Horse and others exclaimed, each more surprised than the last.

The Yin-Yang fish rotated, and the damaged altar remained ancient and simple. The old Daoist stood motionless. Behind him, Zhou Yi and Lin Jia clearly saw Ye Fan and Pang Bo, their eyes gleaming as they subtly nodded in greeting.

So many years had passed, but they hadn't changed much. The years of cultivation passed quickly; a few centuries were not that long for powerful individuals.

Clearly, each of them possessed extraordinary strength. Both had cultivated their Dao bones, emitting a radiant halo from their bodies. They stood out particularly amidst the chaotic energy, like a perfect pair.

Ye Fan nodded to them, then fixated on the old Daoist, scrutinizing him thoroughly. He confirmed there was no mistake; it really was the person from the painting. He never imagined he would walk into reality.

Back then, after his bloody battle with the Hegemon, Ye Fan, along with Pang Bo, the Dragon Horse, and the other twelve saints, went to train on the Golden Ancient Road. On a relatively small star, they once saw an old man chopping wood.

At first, they mistakenly thought he was a real person, only to later discover he was a figure from a stone carving. He chopped wood tirelessly, possessing a mysterious Dao charm that captivated everyone at the time.

Later, they saw nine more stone carvings, all left by this old man. The carvings not only depicted an ancient divine coffin but also involved the Undying Heavenly Saber, among other things. He was suspected of having insight into the secrets of the Heavenly Emperor.

Although he was now dressed as a Daoist, he was undoubtedly that person. He had actually walked out of the stone carving and was living in reality.

They had speculated that those stone carvings were from a very long time ago and that the old man likely did not belong to the current era. His present appearance naturally surprised them.

The wood-chopping old man had come from ancient times and appeared in this era; only his clothes had changed, and he now wore a Daoist robe. Perhaps this was his true identity, and in the past, he was merely cultivating the Dao, tempering himself in the mundane world.

Facing the crowd, the old Daoist sighed, "Too much conflict and killing have occurred in this era, and many have died. I wish to quell the chaos and end this turmoil."

"You say you can quell chaos, and you'll quell it? Do you truly intend to rule the world?" someone in the shadows said coldly.

A dazzling blade light shot up into the sky, erupting from behind the old Daoist. He carried a wood-chopping knife on his back, its radiance illuminating heaven and earth, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

"If quelling blood and chaos requires action, I will not hesitate," the old Daoist sighed. "If it can bring an era of peace, I am willing to be a conqueror who only targets a small number of individuals."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a powerful deterrent force, conveying his determination and sincerity. He seemed not to be fighting for himself, but only to reduce the bloodshed.

The fierce blade light pierced through the heavens and surged throughout the Celestial Palace. People were shocked to discover that the palace had not been shattered; the vast white blade light penetrated the palace walls and shone onto the firmament, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

With a clang, the earlier phantom, the artifact spirit, flew into the blade light, and then everything vanished. The waterfall-like light and the artifact spirit merged into the wood-chopping knife.

This was an invisible deterrent; who dared to claim victory? Probably no one in this era!

Not far away, a Quasi-Emperor coughed up blood and retreated. The knife hadn't struck him, nor had it even been unsheathed; only its aura had soared into the sky. This alone forced a supreme expert from afar, who wasn't even in the path of the blade light, into such a state, which was truly astonishing.

Clearly, the old Daoist had not intended to kill; he merely made him cough up blood and reveal himself, leaving him alive.

Such a method, such divine power, made everyone's heart tremble. Who could contend against this?

It was a strange sight: an old Daoist sat cross-legged on the damaged Yin-Yang altar, carrying a wood-chopping knife on his back. It looked peculiar, yet it suppressed everyone, leaving them breathless.

The ancient princes were also like this; they knew they were far from comparable. That realm was truly too profound. A Quasi-Emperor at their peak, having reached the pinnacle, had already touched the laws of the Imperial Dao.

In this realm, all things could be weapons. A single strand of hair could sever a galaxy, and creating worlds or tearing apart the universe with a raise of the hand was no problem.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged glances. The unexpected appearance of this old man, coupled with the emergence of the Celestial Palace ruins today, truly meant that events had undergone a complete transformation.

"May I ask for your name, senior?" someone inquired.

"I've forgotten," the old Daoist said, raising his eyes, looking at the distant sky, and shaking his head. Then he added, "You can call me the Wood-Chopping Old Man."

Everyone was suspicious; such a powerful person must have an earth-shattering past. It was clear he didn't want to talk about it.

Just then, the Big Beard walked over, looking bold and unrestrained, yet he secretly winked at Li Tian and Yan Yixi, making their hairs stand on end and giving them goosebumps.

"My master is not from this era; he comes from ancient times," the Big Beard revealed. "For some reason, he was sealed within stone and has lived until now."

Afterwards, he told everyone they could call the old Daoist the Wood-Chopping Old Man.

A Quasi-Emperor's master? The Big Beard was clearly a Quasi-Emperor, so how terrifying must his master be? Everyone's hair stood on end; could he be a Great Emperor?

Had this inconspicuous old man already attained the Dao? It was a world-shattering revelation.

"Alas, to be honest, I'm just a nominal disciple and not from the same era as my master," the Big Beard muttered.

Everyone felt relieved; two Emperors would be too terrifying. It turned out the Big Beard wasn't the old Daoist's true disciple, merely a nominal one.

Behind the altar formed by the Yin-Yang fish, Zhou Yi and Lin Jia's eyes shone brightly, continually sweeping over Ye Fan and Pang Bo. Some people noticed them but didn't understand.

"Grandpa, this immortal tree trembled. Is it coming back to life?"

Outside the Celestial Palace, the robust, naive child spoke. An old man with yellow teeth was diligently watering a tree with a wooden bucket; this was already the eight-hundredth bucket, and all the golden thunder elemental liquid had been absorbed.

Everyone was aghast!

Could this tree truly come to life? It seemed the Wood-Chopping Old Man and his companions had only recently moved into the Celestial Palace; otherwise, why would they only just be starting to water it?

Everyone was greatly shaken. Apart from the Imperial Venerate's scriptures, this kind of immortal medicine tree definitely ranked among the most precious items in the Celestial Palace, making everyone's heart pound with desire.

With a rumble, the sky trembled. A terrible cloud appeared in the distance, like a huge ball of fire burning, covering the sky.

"A Phoenix Nest!"

Many people turned pale with fright; someone recognized what it was.

Was it a dwelling built from a Phoenix Blood Tree, or was it a true Imperial Dao artifact? Why did it possess such astonishing pressure, unsettling people's minds?

Everyone knew the Undying Heavenly Empress had arrived. There was an uproar among the crowd; they had long heard of her, but seeing the Phoenix Nest for the first time today naturally drew countless gazes.

"Fellow Daoist, your body is still very robust," a clear voice rang out, like a maiden's whisper, possessing a strange magical power.

Everyone was petrified. Was this the Undying Heavenly Empress? Theoretically, it should be her; who else could have such a demeanor? But her voice was too young. According to people's predictions, she should be a frail old woman, but unexpectedly, it was so youthful.

Of course, people didn't see her true face and couldn't know if she was truly that young. They could only see the huge Phoenix Nest pressing forward, intending to take over the Celestial Palace.

"Since the Heavenly Empress is still alive in the world, how could I dare to die?" the old Daoist said calmly, his tone quite firm, not at all polite.

"Are you hoping for my death? I can still live for several thousand more years, so I'm afraid I'll disappoint you," a clear and pleasant voice like an oriole's song came from the Phoenix Nest. "Furthermore, I'm reclaiming this Celestial Palace; please leave."

"Why do you say 'reclaim'?" the old Daoist asked. "When did it become the Heavenly Empress's territory?"

"In the past, the Heavenly Emperor and I frequently resided here, so naturally, it is my home," the Undying Heavenly Empress's voice grew somewhat cold. "Now that I've returned, it's only right. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"If a descendant of the Imperial Venerate were here, perhaps they could say that," the Wood-Chopping Old Man stated. "Heavenly Empress, you are being unreasonable. This place now belongs to everyone in the world, not to me, nor to you."

"Hehehe..." Her laughter, like a string of silver bells clashing, was clear and pleasant to the ear. The Undying Heavenly Empress's laughter had a demonic quality, making the people present want to submit and prostrate themselves.

With a "clang," the wood-chopping knife on the old Daoist's back automatically unsheathed. A single blade sound shattered the laughter, instantly bringing peace to the universe.

"Do we still need to fight a battle?" the old man asked, his tone calm but resolute, ready to face her with his blade.

A hum.

A burst of fiery light flew out from the Phoenix Nest, coiling like crimson blood and emitting dazzling rays. It was as if an immortal phoenix was about to emerge in nirvana.

"Is the Heavenly Empress following the path of the Heavenly Emperor," the Wood-Chopping Old Man asked, "seeking the blood of various Emperors, bathing herself in it, and achieving phoenix nirvana?" His words caused the world to tremble.

At the same time, the Phoenix Nest trembled, clearly having been impacted, and the crimson immortal radiance receded.

"What? What did the Undying Heavenly Emperor do? Why say that?" many people exclaimed in shock.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged glances, both startled. They recalled the nine stone carvings left by the Wood-Chopping Old Man, which involved the ancient divine coffin and the lineage of the Heavenly Emperor. Some even depicted heaven-defying events, which he had carved and then erased.

Clearly, the Wood-Chopping Old Man had discerned many astonishing secrets concerning the myriad heavens throughout eternity. He had merely revealed one of them at this moment.

The Undying Heavenly Empress was greatly shaken; even she hadn't expected her opponent to know so much.

At that instant, Ye Fan shivered. The Undying Heavenly Emperor achieving nirvana by bathing in Imperial blood—what an astonishing feat!

"No wonder..." Ye Fan thought, "During the Dark Turmoil, some said he was the greatest conspirator. Clearly, this Emperor has other terrifying methods!"

Ye Fan thought of many things. The Great Emperors and Ancient Emperors of later generations all knew of the Undying Heavenly Emperor's terrifying nature and were deeply wary of him. So there was such a hidden secret.

To be born by bathing in Imperial blood—this was a terrifying legend!

It was similar in principle to a phoenix's nirvana and rebirth from fire, but it seemed infinitely more terrifying. How could Imperial Dao blood be spilled so easily? What kind of struggles would accompany it?