Chapter 1784: Visiting the Empress in Person

The nine sacred mountains of the Ancient Forbidden Land had long since collapsed, but even now, the area remains lush with trees. At its center is a massive abyss, leading deep underground.

Over the past two millennia, the world has undergone continuous dramatic changes. Several major forbidden zones were either razed or vanished, leaving only this final one.

For many years, no one dared to set foot here, filled with awe and reverence for the place.

Many people already know that during the final, critical moments of the ancient Dark Turmoil, the Empress in the Ancient Forbidden Land awakened, powerfully suppressed the chaos, and completely quelled it. This was an act of immense merit.

Ye Fan's steps were firm. After entering, his expression gradually became somewhat dazed. This was not his first visit; his current achievements were inextricably linked to this place.

Without the divine medicine from this place, how could he have resolved his sea of suffering or healed the scars on his Grand Dao?

When he first came here, he carried a resolve to die, facing extreme peril, as the place stripped away one's lifespan, making it difficult for living beings to enter.

Now, returning here, Ye Fan's vital essence flowed naturally throughout his body, not a single wisp dissipating. Individuals of his cultivation level were finally unaffected by this place.

"Ye Fan seeks an audience with the Great Empress!"

The voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed into the abyss and resonated throughout the Eastern Wastelands.

Everyone was in an uproar. Ye Fan had arrived, entering the most mysterious Ancient Forbidden Land. Many were astonished beyond measure.

Were the two great titans finally going to meet? People naturally didn't believe he was here to flatten the forbidden zone, as the Empress was the sole guardian of humanity and the only forbidden zone master who had suppressed the Dark Turmoil.

Although this was a perilous land, if one did not provoke it, there would naturally be no danger. People feared her, yet deep in their hearts, they held boundless respect.

"This... is truly exciting!"

The meeting between the Saint Body Ye Fan and the Empress stirred great excitement throughout the world. Everyone wished they could be present to witness it, but alas, it was merely a thought, impossible to act upon.

Many years had passed. The vegetation here remained abundant, yet the center of the forbidden zone had become even more desolate. The abyss itself had exploded long ago, covered in cracks and left unrepaired.

Ye Fan stopped advancing upon arriving and once again transmitted a request for an audience.

Silently, a Desolate Slave appeared, clad in ancient robes. He was the ancient Saint Xia Feng, who had once many times sought audience with the Azure Emperor before ultimately falling into this place. He woodenly gestured to Ye Fan, inviting him into the abyss.

"Big Brother!"

Outside the Ancient Forbidden Land, Xiao Niannian watched with concern. She had an unusual feeling about this place, her heart pounding with fear that something might happen to Ye Fan.

"Don't worry," Xiao Song comforted her, serene as he held Xiao Niannian's hand, quietly waiting outside the forbidden zone.

Ye Fan took a step, descending into the abyss, and immediately felt a terrifying aura. His vital energy almost flowed out of his body.

He couldn't help but sigh. The central area was truly bizarre, surprisingly affecting even Great Emperor-level experts. Its mystery and terror were astounding.

Finally stepping into this place, his emotions were complex; it was something he dared not even imagine in the past. Ye Fan was very curious about this place, eager to know how the Empress had spent all these years underground.

Beneath the abyss, there were originally vast ruins, but now they lay completely in desolation. From what era were these remnants left? It was impossible to say.

A colossal stone gate appeared ahead, quiet and profound, as if connecting to a vast immortal realm. An Empress seemed to be waiting alone on the path to immortality.

This was a strange sensation that arose in Ye Fan. The place was uncomfortably tranquil, and its aura was even more astonishing, almost capable of stripping away the vital essence of a Great Emperor.

He gave Xia Feng a curious glance. The ancient sage's state was peculiar; he resembled a puppet yet seemed to retain some consciousness. It was precisely this unique aura that allowed him to endure.

With a rumbling sound, the stone gate opened, and immortal mist immediately surged out, revealing a strange world. Ye Fan's eyelids twitched; for a moment, he thought he had arrived before the Heavenly Gate at the end of the Path to Immortality!

A hazy immortal realm lay ahead, seemingly within reach, yet upon actually stepping in, it felt incredibly distant. This realm had been conjured by immense divine power.

This place was isolated from the mundane world, with immortal principles flowing and pure white immortal energy swirling. The immortal realm shimmered in and out of view. An immortal medicine, "Nine Wonders," grew casually by the roadside.

Now it had merged into one, standing over a meter tall. It resembled both a tree and grass, its entire body crystalline and flowing, bearing nine different types of leaves. Although it no longer bore fruit, it had bloomed with flowers.

Ye Fan paused, filled with emotion, gazing at the immortal medicine by the roadside, lost in thought. His current achievements were inseparable from this very plant.

The petals exuded a fragrant scent, shimmering with brilliant colors. The entire plant was mystical. The merged mother plant was infinitely more resplendent than before, enveloped in a profound Daoic mystery.

Ye Fan suddenly realized that this immortal medicine, which had split into nine roots and then recombined, was not a random occurrence. The Empress was deducing a certain Grand Dao!

As he walked forward, his heart trembled, for he saw a colossal Dragon Lair, steaming with chaotic energy, with several coffins floating within.

The Chaos Dragon Lair!

Years had passed, and Ye Fan had thought they had vanished from the Big Dipper. He never imagined they had been moved here by the Empress, further confirming that she was indeed a ruthless figure.

For over two hundred thousand years, she had always been here, never truly dying.

By now, Ye Fan genuinely felt the Empress's supreme transcendence. Was she trying to rival the heavens and earth? She was not inferior in the slightest.

She continuously underwent rebirth, burying her past selves, interring old coffins within the Chaos Dragon Lair. How defiant of the heavens was this!

The Chaos Dragon Lair, considered by the myriad ancient races to be a supreme divine land on par with Mount Zi, also known as the Ancient Emperor Mountain, could only serve as her burial ground.

A golden true dragon darted away. Upon seeing Ye Fan, it fled in a flash, as if startled, into the Dragon Lair.

Ye Fan was dumbfounded; it was precisely the True Dragon Undying Medicine that he had almost captured back then.

The path was utterly silent. Xia Feng, like a phantom, remained silent throughout.

A moment later, they reached the deepest part, where an ancient bronze palace appeared, standing within an immortal realm. Clear springs flowed nearby, and exotic herbs and divine flowers adorned the surroundings. The ancient palace looked magnificent.

Seeing the Bronze Immortal Palace again, Ye Fan's heart surged with emotion. He recalled how, back then, not long after meeting Ji Ziyue, they had ventured into this very palace together. Thinking of it now, it felt like yesterday, bringing a pang of pain to his heart.

At that time, he was still a minor cultivator, unaware of the immense dangers. His survival was truly a miracle, yet the person who had ventured with him into this place could no longer be found.

With a mix of bitterness and pain in his heart, he stood for a moment before composing himself and following the ancient Saint Xia Feng into the bronze palace.

Passing through several halls, they arrived at a boundless and magnificent chamber. Unlike before, there were no dangers at every step; an aura of peace permeated the air, making the journey smooth.

Upon arriving, Ye Fan was greatly shaken. He saw more than a dozen Desolate Slaves and recognized one of them, nearly freezing on the spot!

"Zi Ling!"

Ye Fan cried out in surprise, seeing someone he had never expected to find here.

Back then, they had set sail from the other side of the starry sky, with the Nine Dragons pulling the coffin, bringing them to the other shore. A total of over a dozen people had traversed the stars. Two thousand years had passed, and almost all the survivors had been found, except for one who remained missing.

At that time, they were forced into the Ancient Forbidden Land to gather medicine. When Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, Lin Jia, Liu Yiyi, and Zhang Ziling escaped, they all stumbled into the immortal palace remnants of the ancient Heavenly Court, activating different formations that led them to various star fields.

The others had all been seen, but Zhang Ziling remained elusive.

Ye Fan never imagined that their reunion here would be under such circumstances.

Zhang Ziling heard the genuinely affectionate call, turned his body, and a glimmer of light flickered in his eyes. After a long hesitation, he nodded woodenly.

"How can this be?" Ye Fan could never have imagined that he had fallen into the Ancient Forbidden Land and become a Desolate Slave. After so many years, he was still young; time had left no trace on him.

Ye Fan sighed inwardly. Zi Ling's state was very peculiar; though seemingly dead, he retained a shred of intelligence. Ye Fan believed he could reverse this with his methods, but feared that upon his return to life, Zi Ling would immediately be reduced to dust by time.

He turned to face the center, finally seeing the Empress. She sat cross-legged before him, so beautiful it felt unreal, ethereal and serene. Though clearly present, she seemed to be in an immortal realm.

This was the Ruthless Great Empress!

She possessed true peerless grace and beauty, with an unparalleled bearing. Yet, once she became formidable, the heavens and earth would be destroyed, for no one throughout history could stand against her.

Two thousand years ago, it would have been unimaginable that Ye Fan would one day meet this legendary Empress at such close proximity.

A woman whose existence was uncertain, full of legend, and whose talent was unmatched throughout history, sat there, alive.

"Greetings, Great Empress!"

Ye Fan spoke, and at the same time, his heart pounded violently again. The Empress was shrouded in a hazy mist, and behind her stood two women, appearing like Daoist acolytes.

One was the Saintess of Tianxuan, whom he had met before. The other caused his emotions to become complex and turbulent: it was Li Xiaoman! She was actually still in the world, having become a Desolate Slave.

Ye Fan's mouth opened slightly, a bitter pang of emotion welling up. He had personally cast Li Xiaoman into the abyss back then.

The Empress opened her eyes, somewhat dazed, then they cleared a moment later. Without speaking, she raised a hand, and a meditation cushion, entirely formed from Dao energy, appeared.

Ye Fan sat down, very close to her, collecting his thoughts. To sit opposite the Ruthless Great Empress like this would undoubtedly shake the ages if word got out.

"I have come to seek guidance from the Great Empress."

"How does one achieve immortality?"

"My friends are growing old; I don't want to watch them wither and pass away."

"I know, Great Empress, your talent is unparalleled throughout history. I have specifically come to ask you to teach me."

Ye Fan spoke at length, but the Empress did not respond a single word. Her expression remained calm and serene, like a goddess carved from warm, white jade.

After a long time, silence fell within the Bronze Immortal Palace. At such close proximity, Ye Fan truly felt her immense power and unfathomable depth.

"Yes, that bloody 'Immortal' character deep within the bronze hall was left behind after the Ruthless Great Empress encountered problems during her transformation. Although her body exploded, her primordial spirit did not perish."

At this moment, Ye Fan realized many things. Back then, when the Ruthless Great Empress's transformation went awry, her physical body disintegrated, piercing through the bronze hall. That hole must have been created by herself.

Suddenly, the Empress pointed to the Desolate Slaves.

Ye Fan was stunned, then suddenly understood. Was this how to grant his friends immortality? They would rather die than agree.

"Is there truly no immortal path, no method for eternal life?" Ye Fan felt disheartened.

If it were possible, why would the Ruthless Great Empress have turned these people into Desolate Slaves? Only this peculiar state allowed them to endure through the ages.

Ye Fan sighed. In this world, no one could truly achieve immortality. Even the Ruthless Great Empress herself had nearly failed and perished during her own transformation.

"How can one be immortal? How can one live forever? Has the Path to Immortality throughout the ages been a deception?" Ye Fan asked. He wasn't asking for himself; he genuinely did not want to see his friends pass away one after another.

"The path walked by generations to achieve immortality is the Path to Immortality itself," the Empress finally spoke, her voice like a celestial melody.

Yet, to Ye Fan's ears, it was like a thunderclap. His body trembled, and then he felt a chill spread through him.