Chapter 1723: Repairing the Road Along the Way

The lingering sounds of the bell echoed, cleansing one's mind and spirit, causing the pores of one's body to open, and bringing a profound sense of enlightenment.

This was the Great Thunderclap Temple. Ye Fan finally arrived and entered. He was greeted by old monks and guided by Arhats, who treated him with great courtesy.

Sakyamuni had departed and was no longer on Feixian Star, but powerful cultivators still resided here. No one dared to trespass, and even strong clans like Qiongqi, Taotie, and Zhulong were unwilling to provoke them.

Upon entering the Great Hall of Heroes, a white-robed monk approached and greeted him. He was very young, refined and unworldly, with an extraordinary demeanor; it was Jin Chanzi.

It had to be said that this person was very powerful; his cultivation had advanced rapidly over the years, and he had long since ascended to the Quasi-Emperor realm.

Beside him was a woman with an outstanding demeanor, an old acquaintance who had once fought alongside him in the Big Dipper – it was the Western Bodhisattva, Jue Youqing.

After so many years, seeing the two again, Ye Fan maintained a smile. Although surprised, he felt no emotional turmoil.

"My master is seeking the method of becoming an immortal, looking for the immortal path, hoping to break through the shackles on the path of immortality and achieve eternal life," Jin Chanzi said.

Ye Fan nodded. As his strength increased, he felt an increasing sense of helplessness. Powerful cultivators, upon reaching their limits, all had to face the ultimate barrier of life and death.

Everyone wanted to pass through, but who had truly become an immortal?

They conversed, mentioning many anecdotes and historical events.

Jin Chanzi said, "I saw Brother Saint Sovereign battling another divine ape."

Ye Fan's heart stirred instantly, and his eyes shot forth with brilliant light. Had those two finally met? This caused him some worry, as he was concerned for the monkey.

"I once went forward to mediate, but it resulted in a chaotic battle, and I almost suffered a calamity for no reason," Jin Chanzi said with a bitter smile.

The Saint Sovereign Prince and the Six-Eared Macaque had encountered each other. The two were sparring, engaging in a duel, allowing no one else to participate as they sought to determine a winner and establish who was superior.

From a bloodline perspective, the Saint Sovereign Prince held an advantage. However, upon reaching the Quasi-Emperor realm, this was no longer the ultimate deciding factor, for at this level, who could still be considered ordinary?

Moreover, the Six-Eared Macaque had grown up immersed in the Divine Liquid of the Heavenly Venerate's Fountain of Life. His bone structure was exceptionally good, and he had almost been refined into an undying body. For many years, he had wandered the cosmos, and with his six ears, he could hear in all directions, acquiring numerous secret techniques and scriptures, making him very powerful.

"I don't think those two were fighting to the death," Jin Chanzi said. "Otherwise, there would have been a result by now, and blood would have long since splattered across the starry sky."

Ye Fan gave him a strange look. Two monkeys, one monk. Fortunately, it hadn't developed into a tragic end; everything was still under control.

Half a day later, Ye Fan departed. Wandering upon this star, he was not looking for a fight, but rather for pursuit and exploration. Having learned much, he arrived at the forbidden zone.

Blood-colored soil, desiccated corpses, and vast lands made this place empty and desolate, appearing very strange.

This time, his glabella was glowing. The "Pre-character" secret art circulated, and his immortal eyes opened to see through all illusions. A great battle might erupt here in the future, and he wanted to observe the battlefield clearly.

There was still a strange power affecting him, but it could no longer confuse his mind.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt an artifact on his person tremble and grow hot. He took it out and discovered that the half-fragment of the Void Mirror was reacting.

The sealed forbidden zone from the Mythological Era made the ancient mirror hot, which surprised Ye Fan somewhat. He held it in his hand, stepped forward, carefully sensing and searching.

After traveling over a hundred miles, he stopped. The Void Mirror glowed, and the faint bloodstains on it turned vivid red, as if about to drip.

This power gave Ye Fan a strong sense of oppression; he found it astonishing that the vitality of an ancient supreme being's blood was so incredibly potent.

Here, it was still a desolate place, without a blade of grass. It was a stone forest, with its deepest part very dry. There was a small stone cave, leading deep underground, giving a feeling of unfathomable depth.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt a great danger and involuntarily recoiled. A strange sound echoed, and a small tree, more than half a meter tall, appeared.

"This is..."

He was greatly astonished; it was a cluster of flames, leaping and terrifyingly potent. It seemed capable of burning down all heavens and myriad worlds, with scorching temperatures and interweaving laws.

This was not fire in the ordinary sense; it was not a particularly large mass, but it was composed of runes, interwoven by divine chains, with symbol after symbol pulsing within it.

This was the Immortal Fire from the Fire Domain of the Big Dipper. He had not expected it to appear here.

Ye Fan was not seeing it for the first time; he had discovered it before and had the opportunity to observe it closely, and now he saw it again.

Had Gai Jiuyou brought it into the starry sky? Or did it believe this would become a place for immortals and chose to come here itself? Ye Fan did not know.

The Void Mirror had drunk the blood of more than one supreme being and was still on the verge of becoming an immortal artifact, possibly evolving into an immortal mirror. But it was ultimately shattered, which was truly a pity.

With the appearance of the Immortal Fire, the dormant mirror, silent for many years, stirred again. It broke free from Ye Fan's hand, then began to glow brilliantly, flashing continuously as it flew towards the flames.

Ye Fan was stunned, and then retreated.

The scorching heat was not the key; the runes were the fundamental element, the reason for the Immortal Fire's terror. As the fragmented Void Mirror descended, the rune flames pulsed, engulfing it.

The fragmented mirror trembled, clanging, and then its shattered parts began to melt, astonishingly reassembling!

Ye Fan was astonished. The Void Mirror was using the Immortal Fire to re-forge itself, undergoing repair and bathing in this mysterious flame to reshape its body.

Later, many cracks on the mirror disappeared, becoming smooth again. But it was still only half a mirror, lacking the other half; heaven knew where those fragments were.

Suddenly, a shadow flashed across the mirror. Ye Fan was stunned, as if made of clay or wood. In that instant, he saw Ji Zi, or rather, the Void Emperor, whose countenance flashed and then vanished.

He sighed softly and sat down cross-legged, waiting for the Void Mirror to complete its repair, choosing not to disturb it.

This process lasted for a full day. During this time, a rain of light actually flew in from beyond the domain. These were fragments of the Void Mirror, falling into the firelight and merging with the fragmented mirror, mending a small portion of it.

But it was still missing half, remaining a fragmented mirror. However, it was much stronger than before, and the cracks had disappeared.

"Could this place truly become an immortal land? Did the Immortal Fire wait here in advance?"

Much later, the fragmented Void Mirror flew back. The Immortal Fire retreated, disappearing into the stone cave leading underground. Ye Fan did not pursue it, nor did he wish to go down.

He vaguely felt that this might lead directly into the sealed land. Exploring it too early now would yield no benefits and might bring great disaster.

"After all, I am still not a supreme being," he sighed. "Otherwise, where could I not go!"

Ye Fan left this star and headed into the depths of the starfield to search for the Saint Sovereign Prince and the Six-Eared Macaque; he certainly did not wish for any accidents to occur.

Eventually, he met the Saint Sovereign Prince and conversed with him for a while. During their conversation, the monkey expressed considerable admiration for the Six-Eared Macaque, and they had even developed some camaraderie.

Although not yet friends, the two should no longer be fighting to the death.

"He ate a complete Nine-Revolution Immortal Elixir," the monkey revealed, "His bones and muscles transformed to an extraordinary degree. It's truly a heaven-defying fortune, incredibly powerful!"

Ye Fan was speechless. He had often heard of this type of immortal elixir recently; others had only consumed remnants, yet the Six-Eared Macaque had eaten a complete one. It was truly heaven-defying.

One must know, that was a Dao elixir refined by an ancient Great Emperor for himself to live another life!

Ye Fan departed, comprehending the Dao, searching, and moving as his heart desired. He knew deeply that the future path would be difficult to discern, and his current enemies should now be those within the life forbidden zones.

Now he was very strong, capable of sweeping aside the world's masters, but against the slumbering ancient supreme beings, it was still far from enough.

"Dong..."

The lingering sound of bells continued ceaselessly. Temples were everywhere. This was Amitabha Ancient Star, and Ye Fan, moving as his heart desired, traveled and gained insights throughout the cosmos, descending upon this place.

He arrived at the central ancient temple of Buddhism. The divine temple seemed to be cast from gold; its radiance spilled forth, making it exceedingly sacred.

Ye Fan paid a visit, arriving at their doorstep. Even though it was the ancestral land of Buddhism, with masters as numerous as trees in a forest, they still had to take it seriously, and important figures came out to greet him.

An acquaintance came out to greet him; he was tall and robust. He was an ascetic monk with whom Ye Fan had traveled centuries ago, a former competitor.

"You are... Ku Tuo?"

"I didn't expect you to still remember me," the middle-aged ascetic monk on the opposite side sighed softly. He was now a Great Saint, but still far from Ye Fan's Quasi-Emperor realm.

In the past, on the ancient human path, Ku Tuo, Yu Xian, Ou Ye Mo, Mu Guanghan, and several others were very powerful. They traveled with Ye Fan, all being seeded competitors.

Becoming a Great Saint was enough to rule a domain. After all, the cosmos was vast, and talents emerged in abundance; it was impossible for all geniuses to have hope of reaching the Quasi-Emperor realm.

"What about them?" Ye Fan asked, referring to the other geniuses he had met on the ancient path.

"Like me, they can dominate in one domain, but certainly not across the entire cosmos," Ku Tuo said. "This was the destiny for people like them; their life paths were set, concluding on the Emperor's Road in this manner."

"Oh!"

As he walked deeper into the temple with Ku Tuo, Ye Fan's heart stirred, sensing another familiar aura coming from the back mountain.

There were several small temples there, not particularly grand, embodying a return to simplicity.

"An old acquaintance of yours is cultivating there," Ku Tuo said.

Ye Fan came to the back mountain and saw an old monk in the ancient temple. More accurately, it was an old monkey with fiery golden eyes and golden fur, as steady as a rock, sitting on a meditation cushion.

It was actually the Victorious Fighting Buddha. After many years, he was meeting him again, and surprisingly, it was here.

"Greetings, Senior!" Ye Fan performed a deep bow. He had received his protection back then and had always remained grateful.

"Child, dispense with the formalities!" The monkey's uncle, who had long become a Quasi-Emperor, pulled Ye Fan up.

Beside him was another meditation cushion. On it sat another old man, who appeared to be of equally revered status as the Victorious Fighting Buddha, sitting as his equal.

This person was very old and ancient, but full of vitality and spirit, with eyes like torches. He was also a powerful Quasi-Emperor.

"This is Daoist Brother Gu Tianshu," the Victorious Fighting Buddha introduced.

Ye Fan froze for a moment upon hearing this. This name was by no means unfamiliar to him; this was the supreme expert from Purple Mountain, who had once willingly guarded the tomb of the Wushi Great Emperor.

The old monkey had once fought Gu Tianshu in Purple Mountain. The two, through their battle, came to know each other and eventually became friends. Later, they came together to the Amitabha Ancient Starfield to cultivate, living in semi-seclusion.

Upon seeing these two, Ye Fan had too many questions he wanted to ask, especially Gu Tianshu, who had once been in close contact with the Wushi Great Emperor, and whose knowledge would not be less than that of the Black Sovereign.

"Whether the Wushi Great Emperor is alive or dead, even I do not know," Gu Tianshu said immediately, blocking many of Ye Fan's questions.

However, his subsequent words greatly touched Ye Fan. He spoke much about the deeds of the Wushi Great Emperor, all secret histories, even discussing how Wushi created his methods; it was a glorious life.

Ye Fan stayed here for several days, finally departing with immense gains. He once again ascended the Heavenly Road and entered the starry sky; this was a journey of cultivation and enlightenment.

This time, he did not travel far. He had just crossed a galaxy when he stopped, because he knew it was time for another tribulation!

Millions of lightning bolts descended, the tribulation of the Quasi-Emperor Seventh Heaven striking down, submerging the starfield and shaking the ten directions.

"Another tribulation?" On an ancient star, a powerful aura permeated. A giant hand reached out and slammed down with a thundering crash, causing the entire starfield to collapse!

That star was the Tyrant Body Ancestral Star, making the attacker's identity obvious!