Chapter 1689: One Sitting Lasts Ten Thousand Years

A colossal Phoenix Nest drifted through the cosmos, shrouded in mist and radiating an oppressive aura. Inside, a clear yet majestic voice echoed.

"Has the First Divine General been found?"

Someone knelt below and reported, "Reporting to the Heavenly Queen, he has not yet been found. We have been to his homeland; there's no trace of him there, but his tomb is empty."

"Could the Underworld have dug up his body, or perhaps he has already dissolved into the Dao?" The woman's voice carried a hint of weariness. After her battle with the Woodcutter Elder, she had recuperated for many years, but her Dao injuries remained unhealed.

The person below reported earnestly, "The Underworld is completely absent from that area; they seem to be very apprehensive. Furthermore, his descendants are all living well. Our investigation revealed that an invisible hand once protected that clan, even eliminating a Quasi-Emperor."

"So, it's truly possible he's still alive, sleeping until now," mused the Undying Heavenly Queen.

In the Phoenix Nest, the Sun-Moon Divine General and the Kun-Heaven Divine General sat on the other two thrones. They had recovered considerably, surpassing their state twenty years prior, and their ancient grandeur was re-emerging.

"The First Divine General possessed the demeanor of an Ancient Emperor. If not for the Heavenly Emperor achieving Dao and dominating the world, suppressing all paths, and ruling over all heavens, he might have taken that final step," said the Sun-Moon Divine General.

In his opinion, even if all of them had perished, the First Divine General should not have quietly passed away. He knew that person deeply; how could he have been content with such an end? This individual would surely have fought fiercely to take that step; whether in failure or success, it would have been earth-shattering.

"Indeed, the First Divine General was too powerful. There's also a legend that after his reclusion, he might have undergone a complete metamorphosis, an incomprehensible transformation, desiring to challenge the Heavenly Emperor!" said the Kun-Heaven Divine General.

All of them suspected that the First Divine General might still be alive. Such a person, whose brilliance even the Undying Heavenly Emperor could not entirely eclipse in those days, could never have died an ordinary death.

Because he was powerful, his radiance dazzling, his demeanor unparalleled. Compared to him, even the sun and moon seemed like mere fireflies. In that era, he was the Undying Heavenly Emperor's foremost divine general!

When he went into reclusion, half of his lifespan remained unused; he was far from old age. He had the time, vitality, and ability to undertake a grand gamble with his life.

The Undying Heavenly Queen sighed faintly, saying nothing.

The Kun-Heaven Divine General seemed to sense something and immediately fell silent.

The rebellious Sun-Moon Divine General, with his full head of silver hair, looked very young but also remained largely silent at this moment. He chose silence.

Because they were people of that era and had heard legends that the Heavenly Queen seemed to have a past with the First Divine General. Later, one became the Heavenly Queen, and the other became the First Divine General.

"I hope he's still alive," said the Undying Heavenly Queen.

Then, her tone turned serious. Though still clear and melodious, it now carried a murderous intent that made the entire imperial domain tremble, tearing great fissures in the cosmic void. She said, "The Heavenly Emperor's descendant was jointly killed by the Sacred Body Ye Fan and those from the Sacred Emperor's lineage. Although he was not my biological son, he should have called me mother. This debt cannot be ignored. If any of you have leisure, go kill a few people."

"The Underworld is confronting them, and a fierce conflict has broken out. We will act at the opportune moment. But avoid that little girl; we suspect she is..."

"You handle it yourselves. Even if it's her, what then? In the end, who knows who will truly awe heroes throughout the ages? She may not necessarily become a Venerable. The future will reveal all!" the Undying Heavenly Queen said coldly.

In the Heavenly Court, on a suspended divine island, Ye Tong and Xiao Song were discussing the Dao. Yang Xi and Hua Hua listened beside them, completely absorbed. Dao flowers bloomed everywhere, filling the air with auspicious multi-colored light.

People marveled that these two prodigies were truly defying the heavens. Although they walked different paths, the Great Dao was ultimately simple, and all paths led to the same destination. The highest realms would eventually resonate and converge at a single point.

"I need to find an opportunity to undergo my tribulation, or else I'll truly be unworthy of this 'Uncle' position," Pang Bo said.

Hearing this, the Black Emperor, thick-skinned and nonchalant, said, "Why the rush? Haven't you seen Abbot Wenchang? How steady he is; he won't even consider severing the Dao to become a King for another five hundred years. His foundation is exceptionally solid."

Zhang Wenchang, though teased, was not one to be easily bullied. He smiled and invited the Heavenly Court members, "Tonight, I'll treat everyone to dog hotpot."

"Great! We'll definitely be there!" a group of people responded.

"Woof!"

On the divine island, Xiao Song's divine sense suddenly stirred. He furrowed his brows and turned to look at Gu Xin'ao.

This peerless overlord, who once contended with Emperor Qing, had his white hair flowing freely. At this moment, his eyes, like torches, gazed into the distance, as if he sensed something.

"Senior Gu's instincts are still sharp. As expected of an unparalleled master who could fight Emperor Qing, he sensed a supreme expert observing the Heavenly Court," Xiao Song said.

Ye Tong nodded, saying, "Indeed, a formidable figure has arrived."

"Does anyone still dare to covet the Heavenly Court? Let's go out and kill them!" said Yang Xi. He was a battle maniac; with his Sacred Body bloodline awakened, he was filled with defiant spirit and never feared a challenge.

The Black Emperor and others flew over. With a wave of his paw, he instructed them to bring Gu Xin'ao. Then, the void silently split open, activated by chess-board array patterns, and they instantly entered the distant battlefield.

"Boom!"

On this day, a great battle erupted on the outskirts of the Heavenly Court. The unknown expert from the Underworld was terrifyingly powerful but was ultimately blasted apart, left with no escape by Ye Fan's several disciples.

At the same time, Gu Xin'ao made a move, not against the Underworld's people, but by pressing a palm into the void, collapsing a section of the galaxy.

"What? Kun-Tian is injured? That white-haired battle slave of the Heavenly Court is actually that strong?" the Sun-Moon Divine General in the Phoenix Nest exclaimed in surprise.

"I was careless. If he had his divine consciousness, he wouldn't be weaker than us at our peak back then; he's formidable!" Kun-Tian coughed up several mouthfuls of blood. It was difficult for him to have returned alive.

Of course, there's no such thing as an impenetrable wall. The Underworld's revenge and the Phoenix Nest's assault on the Heavenly Court both met with terrible counterattacks, once again stirring up the starry sky.

The cosmos grew increasingly tense. The Underworld, the Divine Organization, the Dao Palace, and the Imperial Dynasty stood as four powers, and now, with the Heavenly Court possibly rising, five major forces overshadowed the cosmic starry sky, filled with too many variables.

This was a special period, stiflingly oppressive, as if a storm was imminent. This was merely the brief calm before the tempest.

Once it erupted, it would surely be a downpour of blood and thunder shattering the cosmos. People already foresaw a terrifying great chaos, perhaps even leaving the universe shattered.

Everyone was waiting for the darkness before dawn, for a furious storm. Some major powers began to migrate, fleeing to distant lands and entering desolate, harsh regions.

In this chaotic era, survival was the foremost task.

What good were imperial ambitions or discussions of immortality if one were killed in the turmoil? Everything would be a joke.

The oppressive atmosphere was so tense it made people dizzy; a great war was about to begin. Naturally, the most attention was on the peerless experts. The Underworld, it went without saying, was rumored to have ancient Supremes in slumber. The Divine Organization was the "remnant" of the ancient Heavenly Court and must also have supreme experts presiding over it; otherwise, how could it oppose the Underworld?

And the Undying Heavenly Queen, the Woodcutter Elder, and others were unparalleled foes in their generation. If a bloody fight truly broke out, who could contend with them?

All things considered, the Heavenly Court was currently the weakest, lacking a figure invincible throughout the world. Ye Fan's great accomplishment was foreseeable, and once he reached that step, sweeping across the world would be no issue. But did he still have time?

After all, Gu Xin'ao had long since passed away; a mere physical body certainly couldn't contend with those on the verge of achieving Dao.

The other four behemoths all possessed peerless masters. If they were to act, who would grant him time? They would surely strike with thunderous force, attacking and strangling him.

A great war was about to begin, and the most anticipated event would undoubtedly be the decisive battle among several peerless masters!

Where was Ye Fan? Would he still have time to achieve great accomplishment? Major forces across the cosmos speculated. All were paying close attention; this was a mythical era, and it was bound to shatter the firmament with conflict.

In the depths of the cosmos, Ye Fan let out a long cry, cultivating all the way. He traveled through various star domains, observed the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, comprehended the laws of nature, and experienced the secrets of primal creation. He read ancient scriptures of various Emperors, accompanied by phantom Emperors and sentient thoughts of Royals. Figures seemed to emerge from the scriptures, engaging him in decisive battles.

Along this path, though he gained much and his strength rapidly advanced, how easy was it to ascend to the heavens in one step, to touch the edge of the Emperor Dao? It was harder than creating a blue sky!

This was a divine sea, its origin unknown, located in the cosmos. It was entirely golden, vast and boundless, with suns, moons, and stars constantly falling into it.

Such a wondrous sight was truly rare. Ye Fan was moved; this divine sea emitted powerful energy fluctuations. He stopped here, deeming it an ideal place for secluded cultivation.

"I want to become strong, I want to become even stronger!"

Although he was traveling and comprehending his own Dao, he was also aware of what was happening outside. He understood that the Heavenly Court needed a peerless expert to emerge!

Even if not to save An Miaoyi, but merely to protect the Heavenly Court, he had to break through. In this cosmic upheaval, no one knew what terrible things might happen.

"My Dao, my Dharma, my Path!"

Ye Fan sat cross-legged before the golden divine sea, almost in a frenzy. Time would not wait for him; he needed to become strong immediately. An Miaoyi had fallen into the Underworld; heaven knew what would happen there.

He sought nothing else, only to rescue her.

The Heavenly Court had so many relatives and friends; it needed his strength even more. Otherwise, those four behemoths could crush them at any time. If a Supreme truly emerged, even Little Nannan wouldn't be safe.

Yet, the more anxious he became, the harder Ye Fan found it to break through. He sat cross-legged in this place for three days, and his hair turned white, his hoary locks flowing loose, as if he had aged ten thousand years in an instant.

"Why can't I break through? Why can't I take another great step?!"

Ye Fan opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood. He was too eager for success, his mind in disarray, leading to inner demons and self-inflicted injury.

"I must calm down, not lose my original intention, and let my Dao-self be vigilant."

Ye Fan settled his mind. Numerous ancient scriptures resonated within him, and his great secret realms glowed, making his heart clear and empty, severing all obsessions. With a single thought, Dao arose.

After that, he became motionless, his entire body withered, falling into a prolonged contemplation. He merged with the void, becoming a part of nothingness.

Time flowed, and countless years passed. On this day, his mind trembled, and he opened his eyes, sensing an inexplicable aura.

Why was this world so desolate?

The golden divine sea had dried up, the stars had extinguished one by one, and the universe was in ruins, already shattered. What had happened? What was wrong?

Ye Fan was horrified!

"How long have I been sitting? Why do I feel as if I've lost many years?"

Ye Fan trembled. He felt his immense power after extreme sublimation; the blood within him surged like rampaging Tyrannosaurs, daring to fight an ancient Supreme!

But why had the cosmic environment changed so drastically?

He extended his hand and saw wrinkles upon it; his flesh was no longer smooth and lacked luster.

Ye Fan stood up tall. He drew a line in the void, and a precious mirror appeared, reflecting his true appearance: white hair cascaded over his shoulders, and the years had etched lines upon his face. He was no longer young; he had grown old.

Within him was an ocean of power, capable of holding the eternal firmament, ready to fight a Supreme, to wield the Dao. But how many years had truly passed? How could this be!