Chapter 1729: 乱起

With a blast, the Old God suddenly exploded on a Dao platform within the Divine Organization. His body shattered into dozens, even hundreds of pieces, and his primordial spirit was pulverized, turning into vast showers of light. He died tragically that day.

This sudden event caused immense grief; all members wept profusely. The Old God had died at such a critical moment, unable to endure. Someone observed that on the day the Old God exploded, three individuals from the Big Dipper had passed through the area. This sparked ominous suspicions and stirred up a major commotion.

These powerful figures came from three different forbidden zones. Some claimed they were relatives of ancient Supremes, while others suggested they were transformed mounts. Opinions varied, though the former belief predominated. These three were dubbed the "Three Outsider Gods" because they arrived together, acting in concert.

"This is horrifying," people exclaimed. "The Old God of the Divine Organization just exploded. How could this happen? Did those three really act in secret?" Chaos erupted within the Divine Organization. Many firmly believed it was likely a murder, with someone having harmed him in secret.

However, others disagreed. Outsiders didn't know the full details of the battle back then, but the powerful figures within their organization knew that the Old God had been on his last legs for a long time. He had only returned to make final arrangements, and living for seventy more years was already an extraordinary feat. Amidst the turmoil, the Divine Organization fell into disarray, nearly erupting into conflict. Ultimately, the White-Haired Sword God intervened decisively, splitting the sky with a single sword stroke and stabilizing the situation. Waves of unrest continued. Everyone knew that the cosmos was bound for chaos; the peace would be shattered, and the balance of power among major forces would shift!

At the Old God's funeral, the appearance of a young man drew considerable attention. It was Ye Tong, the great disciple of the Sacred Body, Ye Fan. In recent years, he hadn't retreated into seclusion. Instead, he had been fighting and striving, endeavoring to forge his own path, truly wishing to share Ye Fan's burdens and fight alongside him. And in those years, he had been exceptionally brilliant. Thirty years prior, he had personally slain an ancient prince, causing quite a sensation. In terms of age, Ye Tong was only twenty to thirty years younger than Ye Fan. Though nominally master and disciple, given the long lifespan of cultivators, it was not unreasonable to consider them of the same generation. With his immense talent, achieving such combat feats was unsurprising. Now, during this sensitive period, his appearance naturally attracted attention, as the entire cosmos was watching his master's movements.

Ye Tong had come as a representative of the Heavenly Court. He performed a solemn bow, offered flowers, and nodded to the White-Haired Sword God before departing shortly after. However, just as he left and hadn't gone far, a powerful figure came after him.

"Brother Ye, please wait. My master requests your presence."

"Who is your master?"

"Fairy Yunxia," the person replied.

Ye Tong looked afar to see a graceful figure standing on the stellar river, nodding and smiling at him. Her smile was captivating, and she was exceptionally beautiful and ethereal, holding a lustrous jade flute in her hand. He ascended into the sky, arriving amidst that stellar river.

"Could she be from a Forbidden Zone? Why is there such an inexplicable aura?" Ye Tong's brows instantly furrowed. With his cultivation level, his divine senses were extremely sharp, naturally allowing him to perceive many things. He felt that she might be a descendant or relative of a Supreme, possessing that special divine charm and aura, which made the hairs on his body stand on end. This person was very powerful; if it came to a fight, she would undoubtedly be a formidable adversary! Ye Tong's cultivation was currently extremely strong, but he still felt this woman was very dangerous.

"I mean no harm; I merely wish to meet your master and inquire about his stance on the Forbidden Zones," the woman stated candidly, directly revealing her purpose.

"My master has gone into cultivation, and no one knows his whereabouts," Ye Tong said.

"Is that so?" The woman looked at him, her eyes shimmering with colorful light, then nodded and said, "I understand."

This woman was very strong, possessing a power that could pierce one's soul. Even Ye Tong, who had personally slain an ancient prince, couldn't help but look solemn and prepare for battle. However, the other party showed no murderous intent, simply smiled lightly, and drifted away.

"Master, where are you, and how are you doing?" Ye Tong mused to himself. "The major Forbidden Zones are truly concerned about your recent situation, considering you and the Chaos Body as individuals destined to achieve the Dao." They had been very worried in recent years, as Ye Fan's two appearances hadn't brought any encouraging news. Although they hadn't seen it themselves, the world was discussing his aging. The people of the Heavenly Court didn't go looking for him, as Ye Fan had explicitly instructed that no one should follow his path.

Shortly after Ye Tong departed, the Three Outsider Gods arrived. From three different Forbidden Zones, they walked together and appeared in the very starry sky where Ye Tong had stood. "We wish to see the Sacred Body or someone connected to him. Can any of you provide that?" The three asked calmly, speaking to everyone outside the Divine Organization. Everyone's hearts tightened. The visitors clearly meant no good. Powerful cultivators from the Forbidden Zones were appearing, truly coming for Ye Fan of the Heavenly Court, which might ignite chaos.

After this day, many throughout the cosmos learned that supreme experts had emerged from the Undying Mountain, Immortal Tomb, and Reincarnation Sea, focusing their attention on Ye Fan even more than on the Chaos Body. The Heavenly Court's followers were scattered across the cosmos. No one stepped forward, nor did they wish to provoke conflict at this critical juncture. Only thirty years remained until a resolution; there was no need for confrontation now. Even Ye Tong didn't provoke them. He deeply understood the terror of the Forbidden Zones. It was not yet time for a great war, and he presumed that what the Forbidden Zones wanted to understand was Ye Fan's attitude.

However, some things are unavoidable; someone will always come knocking. In a section of the starry sky, a golden light was flying at extreme speed, utilizing the "Lineage Movement Secret" to its utmost, scattering specks of golden blood as it fled. Yang Xi was severely wounded, red and golden blood sprinkling as he fled through the stellar river. If he hadn't cultivated the Lineage Movement Secret and the "Previous Character Secret" to their utmost, maintaining extreme speed and protecting his primordial spirit from shattering, he would have been truly imperiled.

Behind him, a massive ferocious beast exuded a monstrous aura, its entire body shimmering with dark light, its scales menacingly sharp. It was as savage as a jackal, none other than the Heaven-Slaying Beast from the Desolate Holy Body's ancestral star. From its back, a long, spear-like thorn shot forth, transforming into a dark beam that pierced through the cosmos, hurtling towards Yang Xi's back. Not long ago, Yang Xi had been wounded in this very manner. He was several cultivation realms below this fierce beast; surviving was truly a miracle. Yang Xi quickly dodged, continuously tearing open the sky to evade the black thorn. But it had to be said that this fierce beast was too powerful, suppressing him with its sheer cultivation and following him like a shadow. It was using a secret treasure that had locked onto Yang Xi, allowing it to track him down every time he managed to escape briefly.

"Just tell me Ye Fan's whereabouts, and I'll spare your life," the ferocious beast said coldly from behind.

"You're just a mount! Don't try to lord it over me. If you have the ability, then capture me; otherwise, stop spouting big words!" Yang Xi retorted. Like Ye Tong, he had also been training outside, never fully retreating into seclusion, because individuals of their talent needed powerful opponents to hone their skills.

Two days later, Yang Xi, covered in blood and nearly crippled, finally escaped the pursuit and returned to a secret Heavenly Court stronghold. There were no Heavenly Soldiers here, only a few close friends.

"Son of a bitch, what happened? Who did this?" The Black Emperor immediately stomped his feet in fury.

"It was the Heaven-Slaying Beast from the Desolate Holy Body's ancestral star, the mount of a Great Accomplishment Desolate Holy Body!" Yang Xi explained.

"Go and summon them! Bring back Ye Tong, the Holy Prince, the Human Demon, and the Mountain Phoenix! We'll go kill it together!" The Black Emperor was furious then. Before Ye Fan left, he had entrusted it with protecting everyone, believing that as an ancient spirit who had followed Emperor Wushi, it had countless ways to deal with things. And today, Yang Xi had almost died outside. How could it not be enraged?

Shortly after, news arrived that the Holy Prince had also been ambushed, but he was unharmed and had returned safely to the Heavenly Court. "It might have been the Three Outsider Gods. They didn't show themselves; I only exchanged one blow with my Immortal Iron Rod and then returned."

"Damn it, let's muster the forces! We'll all go out and take down that Heaven-Slaying Beast first. Since we're adversaries, a conflict is inevitable sooner or later; let's just slaughter it!" No one would have expected the Heavenly Court's reaction to be so fierce. In the era after Ye Fan's disappearance, they had dispersed and maintained the lowest possible profile, yet now they suddenly erupted in fury.

"If we're going to kill, let's kill thoroughly. Everyone assemble. Oh, and report to the First Divine General, ask him to keep an eye on the Desolate Holy Body's ancestral star. We are never afraid of trouble."

Within just half a month, all Quasi-Emperor level powerhouses, including the Human Demon, Ye Tong, Xiao Song, the Black Emperor, Pang Bo, the Mountain Phoenix, and the Holy Prince, were mobilized. Furthermore, given the Black Emperor's protective nature, it even wanted to invite the Victorious Fighting Buddha and Gu Tianshu, as it had learned from Ye Fan that both were on the ancient star Amitabha. This was the largest mobilization of Quasi-Emperors in seventy years. They cast a net across the entire cosmos, secretly searching for the high-profile Heaven-Slaying Beast, and finally acted decisively.

The battle was extremely bloody. No one had anticipated how terrifying the Heavenly Court members, silent for seventy years, would be once they launched an attack. They were not ordinary powerhouses; they were a rampaging group of Quasi-Emperors!

"Old geezer, do you think you can do whatever you want just because your cultivation is high? You're just a mount, yet you dare to rampage around. Today, we'll slay you!"

With a loud crack, the Heaven-Slaying Beast's front leg was directly blown apart by everyone, transforming into a large cloud of blood mist that dispersed. This was an ancient beast that had once accompanied a Supreme in conquering the cosmos, having witnessed all manner of grand spectacles. Yet, even it felt intimidated today. A group of raging Quasi-Emperors charged at it, causing it to suffer a massive loss right at the start of the engagement. While its cultivation was indeed high, it couldn't withstand the powerful weapons in the opponents' hands. They immediately smashed it with fragmented Emperor artifacts, leaving it no room to retaliate.

"Who dares to fight me alone?" the Heaven-Slaying Beast roared.

"Fight you alone? Like hell! If you lower your cultivation to our level, we can take turns tormenting you until you go mad. But right now, we're ganging up on you!" The Black Emperor said, enraged.

"Old geezer, you dared to bully my great-nephew again? Today, this old phoenix will beat you to death!" The Mountain Phoenix revealed its true form, its feathers bristling, each standing on end, before all of them shot out. At that moment, he practically transformed into a wretched and terrifying plucked giant fowl, and almost all hundred thousand phoenix feathers were embedded in the Heaven-Slaying Beast's body.

"Nephew, take it easy! Don't ruin my new clothes!" the Old Mountain Fowl hastily shouted as he saw Yang Xi, wielding the Immortal Iron Rod given to him by the Holy Prince, fiercely smashing the Heaven-Slaying Beast. Yang Xi fought with exhilaration and trembling, thoroughly beating the Great Accomplishment Desolate Holy Body's mount into submission.

The outcome of this battle was never in doubt. The Heaven-Slaying Beast was slain. Finally, the Human Demon and the Holy Prince, who hadn't participated in the direct combat, stepped forward, dismembered it, and made it into a delicious stew.

After this incident spread, it shook the entire cosmos. The Heavenly Court's power was too terrifying; even disbanded, it was not to be provoked. Upon hearing this, the Three Outsider Gods all quieted down, no longer high-profilely searching for Ye Fan or anyone connected to him. Of course, after this battle, all members of the Heavenly Court also disappeared, never to be seen again.

The Desolate Holy Body's ancestral star erupted in a furious roar. But on that day, a white-haired young man appeared, sitting cross-legged above the star, a terrifying, stiff bow resting across his lap. "I have thirty years of life left," he sneered. "If you're not convinced, then break out of your Immortal Source and come fight me. Let's see who's more ruthless!"

"As long as the Sacred Body undergoes tribulation, both of you will be annihilated!" someone said coldly.

"Is that so? I'll be waiting. I can afford to wait another thirty years!" Chuan Ying said, facing the Desolate Holy Body's ancestral star, then turned to glance in the direction of the Underworld.

Ten years, twenty years... Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, the first century arrived!