Chapter 1727: Fifty Years

A truly spectacular development.

The Heavenly Court had disbanded. Its generals and soldiers disarmed and returned to their lands, letting their horses roam free. A vast legacy thus became a thing of the past. When the news broke, no one believed it; it felt too unreal.

Yet, in this world, nothing is impossible. Time reveals all, and the truth cannot be concealed. The Heavenly Court had indeed crumbled, dissolving completely overnight.

The powerful figures, the heavenly generals, departed one by one, riding across the starry sky and scattering in all directions. Some vanished into mountain forests, others journeyed to the desolate fringes of the universe, and some entered ancient battlefields.

That such a massive Heavenly Court could collapse so suddenly was incredible; everyone found it incomprehensible. Why? What unforeseen events had led to this?

Ye Fan's power was legendary; he was known as an unparalleled master, capable of traversing the void and slaying the patriarchs of major sects with a single thought. Yet, he made such a decision, which seemed utterly preposterous.

"Has he gone mad? To disband the Heavenly Court? Did he suffer a qi deviation during cultivation, or has his mind become troubled?"

The entire universe was abuzz with discussion. This was a massive upheaval with immense repercussions, as the Heavenly Court had effectively crippled itself—no major power had ever done such a thing.

Secrets cannot be kept forever. When the truth finally emerged, some rejoiced while others grieved, each reacting differently. Undoubtedly, the Heavenly Court became the biggest topic of discussion throughout the universe.

Meanwhile, some major powers swiftly moved to recruit the Heavenly Court's personnel. Everyone knew these forces were the strongest elites, invincible and consistently victorious in battle for years.

The myriad domains of heaven and earth were plunged into chaos, with clamor echoing everywhere.

"You must take care!" Ji Ziyue said, her eyes welling with tears as she saw him off. She knew that Ye Fan's journey was not merely a matter of slim odds; by all accounts, it was a path of certain death.

"I won't die," Ye Fan gently wiped away her tears, a heart-wrenching sight. People knew he was risking his life in a desperate struggle; the path ahead was bleak, and hope was faint.

Not far away, others had also come to see him off.

"Ye Zi, take care, and don't push yourself too hard!" Pang Bo and the others had tears in their eyes. They feared losing a good brother, knowing this might be their last farewell.

"When the Heavenly Court's banner is raised once more, I will meet you all on that day. Sooner or later, we will all step into the Immortal Realm together!" Ye Fan clenched his fists and waved them forcefully, his words ringing out with conviction.

"Honestly, we just hope to survive," Li Heishui said, his eyes red and his voice low. Everyone else shared his sentiment, deeply disheartened.

"Master!" Ye Tong, Xiao Song, Huahua, Yang Xi, and the others all stepped forward, clinging to him reluctantly, their hearts aching with the sorrow of a potential final farewell.

"You all must take care as well. Once I undergo my tribulation, you will be in danger. Protect yourselves!" Ye Fan instructed.

The Black Emperor stepped forward, looking somewhat somber, and said, "Don't worry. With me here, none of them will have any problems. The Heaven-Deceiving Array has reached grand perfection; after so many years of searching, all the true divine materials have been gathered. It will evade the Supremacy Calamity!"

Ye Fan resolutely turned and set off on his path.

"Ye Fan, you must come back!" Ji Ziyue called out.

"Certainly, it's a promise. I will return alive to see you!"

Ye Fan still had other tasks to complete. The children needed to be sent away; they were the hope of the Heavenly Court, representing its future. He didn't want their survival to rely solely on the Black Emperor's array formations.

Even if something unexpected occurred, he wanted all these children to survive.

The starry sky sparkled, beautiful and brilliant. Ye Fan walked through the heavens, traversing endless ancient domains. No one knew his path, for these details could not be revealed.

"Father, Xiao Zi misses you, and Mama too." These were her last words before she fell into a deep sleep, tears on her small face, looking very pitiful as she curled up in Ye Fan's arms.

This scene brought a pang to Ye Fan's heart, and tears nearly fell. He placed Xiao Zi deep within an uninhabited star, inside a vast source vein that harnessed the essence of heaven and earth, capable of keeping her safe for a hundred years.

Source runes crisscrossed, sealing the location.

"Child, don't blame your father. If I die in a hundred years, the array will collapse, and they will find you and take you home!" Ye Fan turned and departed.

He hurried to the next location, using his powerful source techniques that harnessed the essence of heaven and earth, searching for such heaven-defying places to seal away the Heavenly Court's children.

By now, his source techniques were unparalleled throughout history, with no one able to match him. He had surpassed all previous Source Heaven Ancestral Masters, reaching the pinnacle and re-establishing the arts of this domain.

Currently, the Heavenly Court possessed a Source Heaven Scripture, authored by him and left for future generations to study and cultivate.

As Ye Fan continued his journey, the number of children in his cauldron steadily decreased, all of them sealed away by him. The places he found were all heaven-defying, and he even located a small portion of a Creation Source Eye.

In the past, the Undying Emperor had left a Creation Source Eye for the Emperor's Son, which had astonished the world.

Many years had passed, and Ye Fan had only managed to find this half-piece. It was referred to as such because it wasn't a true Creation Source Eye, merely possessing its unique characteristics.

"Uncle, when will you come to pick us up?"

"Wuwu... I miss my mother."

"Uncle, I don't want to sleep; I want to go home."

The older children were resilient, but the little girls, only a few years old, were crying, which made Ye Fan fall silent for a moment, feeling a pang of reluctance and sadness. Nevertheless, he could only harden his heart and seal them away.

These heaven-defying locations held immense benefits for the children; it was worth doing this even if safety wasn't the primary consideration.

"After so many years of accumulation, the Heavenly Court's divine source liquid is also running low," Ye Fan murmured.

Even with his profound source techniques and searching everywhere, it was difficult to obtain more divine source liquid in this era. There was only a small amount, barely enough, found in small worlds or ancient sealed caves.

It had finally come to this. Ye Fan embarked on a solitary path.

From that day forward, many important figures of the Heavenly Court successively disappeared, vanishing into the vast universe. Of course, some active figures still remained, continuing their struggles.

"Who would have thought the Sacred Body would face such a day? I truly don't have high hopes for him. The Great Accomplishment Hegemony Body is still alive; as soon as he undergoes his tribulation, he will certainly be discovered."

"The First Divine General of the ancient Heavenly Court might protect him for a while, but not forever."

There were all kinds of people: those who supported the Heavenly Court and those who were hostile to it. The remaining forces, especially those defeated by Ye Fan in the past, were utterly ecstatic.

"What do you know? This generation's Sacred Body is destined to defy the heavens, break the curse of not being able to become an Emperor, and forge the most glorious era in eternity!"

"Alright, we'll wait. We'll see clearly how he faces the challenge from the Supremes."

The universe was in an uproar. In the following period, everyone discussed Ye Fan, paying close attention to his movements and awaiting the outcome.

However, he seemed to have vanished. After that day, he never reappeared, completely falling silent.

A topic cannot always maintain its intensity. A few years passed, and people began to focus on other matters, though deep down, they still cared.

Time flew by; thirty years passed in a flash. Throughout this long period, Ye Fan never appeared, vanishing like a clay ox into the sea; no one had ever seen him.

People even suspected he had met with disaster, killed prematurely by the Great Accomplishment Hegemony Body or a Supreme from the Netherworld.

Others believed he was on the verge of a breakthrough, as there was only a hundred-year deadline.

Not to mention the final Emperor tribulation, even the first two were terrifying, demanding blood and bones to pave the way. It was an extremely difficult feat. Thirty years had passed; by now, he should have overcome the first tribulation. Otherwise, how could he possibly have the time or hope to pass the other two within a hundred years?

"I don't think he'll succeed. History has seen so many astonishing prodigies, weren't they all considered peerless? Yet, in the end, they all fell short at the final hurdle, causing people to sigh in regret. I fear another tragedy has just unfolded."

Another ten years passed, and still, no terrifying great tribulation appeared in the universe.

By this time, many realized that something significant had likely gone wrong. Logically speaking, Ye Fan should have undergone his tribulation by now, or he would truly have no chance left.

A terrifying silence prevailed; no tribulation or punishment appeared in the world.

It was well known that the Sacred Body Ye Fan's Heavenly Tribulation was in its final stages; once it appeared, its immense aura would be impossible to conceal. It was bound to shake the current era, being far too vast and terrifying.

More and more people believed he had likely met with an accident.

In the blink of an eye, forty-five years passed. It was a considerable stretch of time, during which the universe underwent changes: old masters passed away, and new prodigies were born.

On this day, a great disturbance suddenly emerged over the North Sea of the Ziwei Starfield, causing a sensation. Someone had reportedly seen Ye Fan there. This news struck like a thunderclap, resounding across the universe. Many sought confirmation, and some traveled there personally to ascertain the truth.

For all these years, even if people no longer spoke of it openly, they had been quietly awaiting the outcome, eager to see how far this heaven-defying individual had progressed.

Unfortunately, people arrived late. Only a few individuals in the Ziwei Starfield had seen Ye Fan, who quickly vanished from the area.

"Is it true? Could someone be impersonating him?"

"Absolutely true, no mistake. He went to the burial ground of the Sun Sacred Emperor!"

"How is he doing now?"

"He seemed... not very good. His white hair was disheveled, showing clear signs of age."

The news caused a global uproar. Sacred Body Ye Fan's vitality was known to be as vigorous as the sea; few in this era could compare to him. With his cultivation realm, he should have lived for at least ten thousand years. How could he have aged?

"Forty-five years, and not even one tribulation passed, yet he's already old and frail. There must have been a problem with his cultivation."

"Exactly, haste makes waste. What a pity for a hero of his generation. If he continues like this, he will destroy himself!"

Many sighed deeply.

After verification, people confirmed that the person who appeared in the North Sea of the Ziwei Starfield was indeed Ye Fan, not an impostor. This outcome left everyone with a sense of poignant reflection.

Cultivating the Dao is a gradual process that cannot be rushed or forced. It must be approached step by step, adhering to the laws of nature. One cannot attack aggressively, or a calamity of death will surely follow.

Several years passed, and the setting sun seemed stained with blood.

At a border pass of the universe, a person walked forward alone.

It was now the fiftieth year, half a century had passed, and Ye Fan still had not undergone his tribulation. He was discovered once again.

"Sacred Body Ye Fan has appeared again, on the ancient path once walked by the Grand Yin Human Emperor. His body is truly failing; he looks increasingly old."

"Once the Sacred Body's vitality withers, can it still be called a Sacred Body? This physique, once it enters old age, will lose its invincible glory."

"What happened? Why has he lost so much lifespan?"

People's hearts were filled with questions.

Yet, just like last time, when more cultivators rushed to the scene, Ye Fan had vanished, setting off again alone on his solitary journey.

Many were disappointed. At this rate, would the ancient Supremes even need to make a move? Ye Fan had embarked on a terrible path of demise, walking along a road that was already half-ruined.