Chapter 1700: A Flower Withers, A Flower Blooms

An extraordinary life, truly magnificent.

“Father, why are you crying? Who hurt you? Little Zi has always been good, never disobedient,” Xiao Zi said in a childish voice, climbing onto him.

Many noticed Ye Fan's expression and were surprised. This had never happened before; even during the most arduous times, Ye Fan had only bled and sweated, never shed a tear. What could be wrong?

Ye Fan didn't want to reveal the terrible future to everyone; it was too cruel. He believed simply preventing it was enough, without causing them undue worry.

“I feel as though I've been separated from you for ten thousand years,” Ye Fan said, tears in his eyes as he smiled. His heart was far from calm, knowing that the trials ahead would be more arduous and painful than anything he had previously endured.

“Master!” A young boy flew towards him, his robes fluttering as if he were an immortal. He was still very young, his face alight with excitement, eyes sparkling and tearful, just like Ye Fan.

“Xiao Song!” Ye Fan exclaimed, recognizing him immediately. Though much had changed, the familiar aura remained. He had already heard tales of Xiao Song's return from the Underworld and descriptions from outsiders.

Xiao Song's eyes were red as he performed a deep bow of respect, but Ye Fan quickly pulled him to his feet. Master and disciple had been separated for centuries, and countless events had transpired in their absence.

Time, like a song and a blade, had altered much, yet the genuine affection between them remained constant.

Much later, they finally settled down. Ye Fan was deeply surprised by Xiao Song's enduring innocence. Only after realizing it was connected to his cultivation path did Ye Fan feel at ease and marvel at his extraordinary talent.

Back then, the innocent little purple squirrel had somberly hidden its mother's bones in the cavern, then cautiously, almost fawningly, approached Ye Fan, only to later laugh with carefree abandon. It was a sight that evoked both pity and heartache.

As time marched on, Xiao Song had, by this day, become a Quasi-Emperor!

“Recently, I've been in secluded meditation, gaining significant insights into the Dao, and I wish to discuss them with you all,” Ye Fan announced. He summoned Xiao Song, Ye Tong, and Yang Xi, then turned to invite Pang Bo, Li Tian, and others.

His recent enlightenment had indeed been exceptionally fruitful. He intended to do everything possible to enhance the strength of others, sharing his experiences and insights for their benefit.

Shan Huang and the others were naturally eager. The insights of a Sixth Heaven Quasi-Emperor were undoubtedly astonishing. Listening to such an unreserved discourse on the Dao would be equivalent to years of arduous cultivation.

“You all are welcome too!” Ye Fan invited, noting their fervent gazes.

However, the siblings Huo Qilin and Huo Liner were not included for the time being. They were, after all, currently just guests of the Heavenly Court, not yet considered true insiders.

On a divine island, Ye Fan spoke without reservation, expounding upon the Great Dao, detailing every insight with thoroughness.

While each person's path was unique, there were always common threads. In this place, scriptures rumbled, Dao principles resonated, auspicious light shone in myriad directions, and immortal qi permeated the air. It had truly become a sacred land.

Everyone listened attentively, silently absorbing the teachings. Only Little Zi, though bright and lively, scampered about like a little monkey, touching this and that, utterly mischievous.

Eventually, many dispersed, seeking out their own caves for contemplation. Ye Fan then imparted the Pre-Character Secret Art to Ye Tong, Xiao Song, Pang Bo, Li Tian, Yang Xi, and Dongfang Ye, among others.

If such an art were to spread beyond the Heavenly Court, it would undoubtedly cause a massive upheaval, potentially leading to a dramatic increase in enemy strength. Therefore, he exercised great caution, bestowing it only upon a select group.

“Woof!”

After the big black dog, having previously practiced the Word-Walking Secret Art and running upright like a human, began to mutter incoherently like a ghost from that day on, its enormous head glowing.

It was practicing the Pre-Character Secret Art. It constantly felt it had become psychic, hearing voices and seeing visions of the future, yet they remained blurry and elusive, leaving it in a daze all day.

“I heard the call of the Great Emperor!”

“He's fighting with immortals, battling for many tens of thousands of years!”

Even the Silver Blood Twin Emperors detoured around the seemingly possessed black dog, not daring to approach for fear of being cornered.

Ye Fan sat upon a cliff, amidst rising mist. He was contemplating the Dao principles inscribed on the walls of the Immortal Bell, an astonishing Dao and method that offered endless inspiration.

In the preceding days, he had discussed these matters with Ye Tong, Xiao Song, Shan Huang, and others. All of them were studying these Dao patterns, each deriving unique insights and understandings.

The Heavenly Court now had an abundance of scriptures. Between the scrolls Ye Fan had previously collected, those acquired from several princes of the Divine Court, and what Xiao Song had brought from Earth, they could establish a vast scripture repository.

Each volume contained profound wonders, capable of seizing the very essence of creation, and was worth a lifetime of study for any ordinary person. To have so many gathered in one place was, naturally, astounding.

Half a year passed swiftly. Ye Fan grew increasingly serene, gazing into the depths of the starry sky daily, his eyes becoming ever more profound and unfathomable.

Yang Xi emerged from seclusion and set off into the cosmos for tempering, aiming to break through to the Quasi-Emperor realm. Xiao Song secretly accompanied him as a protector, also using the opportunity to test the insights gained over the past six months.

Ye Tong also departed, making his way to the Celestial Venerable Battlefield, a place where ancient princes were known to roam. He intended to search for the Saint Prince, as there had been no news of him for a considerable time.

As for Pang Bo, he teamed up with the Black Emperor and also ventured into the cosmos to travel. It was clear they, too, were on the verge of a breakthrough, ready to overcome the final hurdle and ascend to the Quasi-Emperor realm, no longer suppressing their cultivation.

The Dragon Horse roamed across various star regions, and now Shan Huang also made occasional patrols. As a result, the Heavenly Court's foundation grew increasingly stable, presenting an aura of prosperity and vitality.

Everyone knew that with Ye Fan's disciples and sworn brothers achieving breakthroughs, few forces in the world could now impede them. A behemoth, destined to command worldwide attention, was rapidly rising.

“We're leaving too, to find a place for our breakthroughs,” Li Tian and Yan Yixi declared, embarking on their own journeys to the Ziwei Starfield and other regions, seeking their respective paths.

“I'm returning to Beidou,” Li Heishui stated. “Though I may not be destined to become a Quasi-Emperor in this life, I should still seek clarity on my own path and review my journey.”

“I'll go seek some advice from the Old Ancestor,” Dongfang Ye said, revealing a flash of white teeth as he too set off.

The Silver Blood Twin Emperors and many other top figures of the Heavenly Court departed one after another. Since the day Ye Fan returned, they had sensed something profound, driving them all to cultivate with fervent intensity.

Ye Fan requested Shan Huang to take action, providing support wherever issues arose. With a Quasi-Emperor level figure overseeing them, he believed these individuals should not encounter danger.

The Heavenly Court grew quiet. Even Huo Liner and Huo Qilin became bored and took their leave. Ye Fan also requested their assistance, asking for support if needed, thus forming an unofficial alliance between the two parties.

Ye Fan remained in meditation, gazing at the starry sky. He pondered where to safeguard everyone and what measures to employ to avert the crisis should the Supreme Battle erupt prematurely.

It wasn't until one day when Xiao Song returned to inform him that Yang Xi had successfully broken through to the Quasi-Emperor realm that Ye Fan finally rose and departed once more.

With Xiao Song and Gu Xinao overseeing things, Ye Fan felt greatly reassured. Furthermore, with Xiao Nannan present, they could hold their ground even against an invasion by ancient, invincible figures.

“In the future, the Underworld and the Phoenix Nest will be the ones to destroy the Heavenly Court. I will go and investigate their true nature,” he thought.

Ye Fan set off, traversing endless star regions until he reached the territory of the Underworld. Here, no ancient life stars existed; instead, it was enveloped in gloomy mist, radiating a pervasive aura of death.

Upon nearing a stretch of the netherworld, the atmosphere became even more eerie and gruesome, with inexplicable cosmic gales blowing that could even crack stars, making prolonged presence impossible.

This was an incredible, anomalous ghostly realm, defying all common understanding. Ye Fan, guided by the fragment of the future he had glimpsed, found this place and was profoundly shocked.

He saw a colossal expanse of netherworld, far vaster than any star, enveloped in mist. It had previously been concealed within a Heaven-Connecting Immortal Treasure and had only recently emerged.

Ye Fan observed from a distance, his form seamlessly merged with the void. He was certain that ancient Supremes indeed slumbered within, akin to the Seven Great Restricted Zones of Beidou. An inexplicable sensation confirmed his intuition.

“The Underworld Emperor will awaken in just a few years, won't he?” Ye Fan frowned. He knew he had to prevent this awakening, as the Heavenly Court needed time to develop, but he questioned what method he could possibly employ.

A wisp of clear qi ascended from Ye Fan's head, and his Dao Self manifested, forming a replica of himself. This replica then walked towards the Underworld.

At his current cultivation level, the only things he truly feared were Imperial Dao formations and slumbering ancient Supremes; those were domains he could not afford to tamper with.

The Dao body did not venture deep, merely circling the Underworld, silently observing. Was An Miaoyi inside? He yearned to enter but managed to restrain his impulse.

Finally, the allotted time expired, and the clear qi dissipated. Ye Fan's true body sighed. He remained seated there, chanting scriptures in his heart as the Scripture of Transference resonated within him.

Ye Fan's emotions surged, yet his body grew increasingly still and ethereal, seeming to fade from existence. He was transmuting his own spirit, guiding it into the void.

This was an ultimate profound mystery he had comprehended from the Scripture of Transference, through which he perceived the immense power and terror of the Lingbao Heavenly Venerate. This secret art was subtly hidden within the commonplace; ordinary individuals, even upon acquiring the scripture, could not discover or grasp it. Only those with deep spiritual insight, whose state of mind aligned with that of the Lingbao Heavenly Venerate, could perceive its true essence.

He had once wondered if the Lingbao Heavenly Venerate had also experienced such helplessness and a similar journey.

Specks of luminous rain separated from Ye Fan's primordial spirit, then merged into nothingness and vanished. His body grew cold and completely still.

He was transmuting his own spirit, imprinting it into the netherworld. Devoid of combat power or intrinsic laws, it possessed only a faint sensory ability, tasked with seeking An Miaoyi.

According to his comprehension, the slumbering Supremes would not detect this, nor would any formation patterns be triggered. It allowed silent penetration, but the cost was immense, consuming his very soul and spiritual power.

The netherworld was vast, and Ye Fan's spirit drifted like an unseen phantom. Merged with the empty sky, he rapidly consumed his divine soul.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but he felt utterly exhausted, his spirit nearly depleted, and his very being in peril, when he suddenly sensed something.

A faint wisp of wish power was intricately woven ahead. It was a vast, unmanaged sea of corpses, awaiting transformation into Yin soldiers, with a thick, overwhelming aura of death pervading the area.

Ye Fan permeated the area, searching for that once familiar figure.

“Ye Fan... is that truly you?” Specks of luminous rain drifted towards him, coalescing.

Ye Fan had not anticipated such a smooth encounter; he had actually found An Miaoyi! They met, reunited in the Underworld.

“It's me, how are you?”

“We will meet again in the next life,” the coalesced light rain flew around him.

This was a wisp of thought, sustained by an enduring attachment. After speaking those words, it seemed instantly liberated, dimming considerably.

“The next life?” Ye Fan felt a moment of daze. How could this life be so filled with helplessness? Couldn't it be altered?

“You need not believe in a next life; simply honor your own Dao. Ten thousand years from now, someone identical to me will meet you again...” The light rain grew increasingly ethereal.

“Rebirth—believe, and it exists; disbelieve, and it does not. Eons pass, and in the world, two identical flowers will ultimately bloom. A thousand years of retrospection, one flower withers, another blossoms,” Ye Fan murmured, his heart heavy with bitterness. He vividly recalled his discussion with the old monk about the Dao and reincarnation, never imagining he would truly confront such a reality.

“Now that I've seen you, my attachments have dissolved. Thousands of years from now, we will meet again in the mortal world. I hope you will still remember me, awaken me, and not depart,” An Miaoyi's voice completely faded, and the luminous rain dispersed, vanishing from sight.

Ye Fan's true body trembled, and then he opened his eyes. He gazed towards the Underworld, his vision seeming to pierce through millennia, observing another vast mortal realm.

Ten thousand years from now, he would surely have passed on. Could they truly meet again?

Ye Fan gently wiped the tears from his face, stood up, and walked away.

Just as An Miaoyi vanished, she imparted to him an exceptionally crucial secret regarding the Underworld, one that would profoundly influence the future course of events.