Chapter 1785: Whether There Is an Immortal

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The path walked by generation after generation in pursuit of immortality is the Path to Immortality...

Ye Fan felt a chill run from head to toe. This statement made him ponder deeply and was profoundly moved. Was this the Peerless Empress's definition and understanding of what it means to achieve immortality?

If this were true, where had Ji Ziyue and Little Zi gone, and what kind of place had they entered? Ye Fan clenched his fists, his entire body turning ice-cold.

He remained speechless for a long time, sitting motionless.

His anxiety clouded his judgment. Only after a long time did he calm down, thinking he might have overthought it. The Empress had only spoken a single sentence, and it didn't necessarily carry that specific meaning.

Ye Fan tried to ask again, but the Empress paid him no heed. Like a beautiful, radiant statue carved from suet jade, she remained silent, valuing her words as if they were gold.

Inside the Bronze Immortal Hall, silence descended, so profound that a pin drop could be heard. Outside, however, there was a great uproar. The Eastern Wasteland was shaken, and the entire universe buzzed with excitement. The meeting of these two paramount figures stirred the nerves of everyone.

"It's truly unimaginable that the Saint Body has come this far. He can now descend into the Archaic Abyss and converse with that individual—that's... the Ruthless Great Emperor!"

Those who had lived in the same era as Ye Fan looked back now and felt it was utterly surreal.

What does a Great Emperor signify? Ancient legends abound! Who could possibly compare? In the minds of mortals, they are unreachable. And who is the Ruthless One? Unparalleled throughout eternity, stronger even than figures from the mythical era, she suppressed all gods.

Some sighed.

Ye Fan had once been on the same starting line as them, but now he had surged far ahead, soaring above the nine heavens, able to sit face-to-face with the Ruthless Great Emperor and converse.

At this moment, everyone felt a swirl of complex emotions, especially those who had once competed with Ye Fan, whose eyes were filled with bewilderment.

To coexist with such a person in the same era was their fortune, for they had witnessed a legend. Yet, it was also their misfortune. While many stars shone brightly, who could contend against him? In his brilliance, all other talents faded into obscurity.

"Are there truly immortals?" In the depths of the Archaic Abyss, Ye Fan's eyes gleamed as he finally posed this fundamental question directly.

"Yes!"

Regarding this question, the Empress's eyes finally gleamed with light once more. She lightly parted her red lips and uttered a single, concise word.

Ye Fan's heart trembled violently, as if a fire had ignited in his sea of consciousness. It was like an immortal lamp, illuminating the path ahead, dispelling the fog, and making his gaze resolute.

He rose and bowed deeply. For him, that single word was more significant than a hundred ancient scriptures!

The Ruthless Great Emperor had pierced through illusion, effectively showing him a path. The knowledge that immortals truly existed was like a profound and significant lighthouse, its brilliant light shining through eternity, solidifying his resolve and his dao.

If he were to ask others, their answers would only be speculation; even a verbal assertion of immortals would lack conviction.

Only coming from the Ruthless Great Emperor could such a statement carry such immense influence!

Ye Fan sat quietly for a long time, no longer speaking, pondering carefully. He knew the Empress was unwilling to say more; some truths could only be comprehended through one's own understanding.

While the Bronze Immortal Hall remained silent, the outside world erupted in a huge uproar. Experts from across the universe were startled; Zhang Bainin, Dao Yi, and many others arrived, gathering outside the Archaic Restricted Zone.

No one knew why, but people almost spontaneously converged on the location, all sensing that Ye Fan's meeting with the rumored master of the restricted zone—the suspected Ruthless Great Emperor—would surely have a profound and far-reaching impact.

Ultimately, almost all the top experts, including the Emperor, Yin Tiande, and the Divine Silkworm Daoist, had arrived. They sensed a major upheaval was imminent, and everyone wanted to understand its nature.

Once again, the Big Dipper region was swept by momentous events!

"Why doesn't the Great Emperor enter the Immortal Domain?" This was another question from Ye Fan, tinged with a hint of probing and the only apprehension he had felt since becoming a peerless master.

The Empress's expression remained serene, her peerless immortal face utterly unruffled. Her eyes, clear as water, fixed on Ye Fan. It was the first time she had observed him so meticulously, as if seeking to see through him completely.

Suddenly, Ye Fan felt at ease, letting go of all reservations, and met her gaze. A profound stillness filled the bronze hall.

After an unknown duration, Ye Fan perceived certain images within her clear, water-like eyes. His heart trembled, as if a colossal stone had been cast into the lake of his soul.

He saw a little girl, her small clothes patched and tattered, her face dirty, yet possessing a pair of large eyes like black gemstones that evoked pity.

She had no parents, surviving only with a young boy. Despite their poverty, they were happy, with smiles gracing their faces every day.

A ghost-face mask was their only toy; they had no luxurious jewelry. To amuse the little girl, the boy fashioned a ring for her from a bronze shard. Though crude, the little girl cherished it as a treasure.

Later, the boy was discovered to be a prodigious talent, forcibly abducted, and ultimately taken to the five-colored altar.

The little girl cried bitterly, her tattered shoes falling off as she ran and pleaded desperately. Finally, someone in the group agreed to let her bid farewell.

Before the five-colored altar... a final farewell!

Before his departure, the boy took the ghost-face mask and left the ring. The little girl was left alone, crying sorrowfully, falling to the ground with her small hands covered in blood.

Later, a Great Emperor rose with formidable power, shaking the ages!

She possessed no talent and could not cultivate, yet she defied heaven and earth, becoming a Heavenly Emperor whose glory outshone all of history, thereby becoming a legend.

Ye Fan sighed, gazing at the Empress before him.

In his mind, another figure emerged, overlapping with the Empress. A little girl in tattered clothes, her small shoes with holes for her toes, lowering her head when scolded, timidly retreating, large eyes brimming with tears, leaving alone and aggrieved, her small silhouette appearing so pathetic and solitary...

"Little Nannan!"

Ye Fan called out, unable to restrain himself.

At this moment, the Empress's gaze was no longer clear but profound, flowing with nine-colored immortal light that pierced through Ye Fan's body, including his sea of consciousness.

Ye Fan did not resist; he always felt he had taken too much from the Empress—the Nine Wonders Divine Medicine Fruit, the Mother Qi of All Things, the Immortal Treasure Map... If she wished to act, he would let her.

Despite his cries, the Empress remained as calm as water, offering no response.

The nine-colored immortal light flowed and eventually receded, leaving no trace. Ye Fan stared blankly at her, unsure of what she was doing. At that moment, the Empress's eyes were as profound as the starry sky, impossible to fathom.

At this moment, Ye Fan was certain that Little Nannan was indeed the Empress. Was she the Dao Fruit spoken of by ancient supreme beings? Yet, he leaned more towards the idea that she represented the Empress's happy and content childhood, a time when, despite poverty, she was carefree.

She had always been navigating the mortal realm.

Many talented individuals, even peerless prodigies, failed to become Great Emperors due to their attachments, let alone immortals.

Yet, the Ruthless Great Emperor, driven by her obsession, defied the world, achieving the supreme body of a Heavenly Emperor, her glory illuminating the ages, unmatched by any.

Inside the Bronze Immortal Hall, not a sound could be heard. The Empress was once again like a suet jade statue, motionless and serene, her eyes like a deep sea or an abyss.

Whatever else Ye Fan asked, she did not part her lips.

Finally, Ye Fan rose and bowed to her. In this world, perhaps only the Empress, apart from his closest kin, could command such a gesture from him. Upon leaving this hall, he would gaze down upon all heavens.

As he reached the entrance of the bronze hall, Ye Fan paused again and asked, "The Great Emperor's life is truly remarkable. What is the ultimate purpose of living through one era after another like this?"

"Waiting for you to return."

To his surprise, just before he finally departed, the Empress spoke again, uttering these words.

Ye Fan's body trembled violently, and he froze in place. He recalled that in the blurred images he had just witnessed, the young boy was identical to him, their appearances strikingly similar.

After standing still for a long time, Ye Fan's heart calmed. He knew that the Ruthless Great Emperor was not waiting for him; that 'you' referred to only one person: the young boy.

As a Great Emperor-level figure, he pondered for a moment and discerned the truth. While it was true that the Ruthless One was waiting for him, she was waiting to see if, at the zenith of his brilliance, he could manifest a certain flower soul.

What an incredibly powerful obsession this was!

After deep reflection, Ye Fan's heart stirred again. The Empress's gaze was too profound; what she was truly waiting for and observing also touched upon the ultimate secret of longevity.

Not for immortality, but only to wait for your return in this mortal world.

Ye Fan turned and strode away, ascending from the Archaic Abyss and then stepping out of the restricted zone, where many people awaited him.

Everyone anticipated a major upheaval, but when Ye Fan emerged, though they sensed a subtle difference in him, nothing particularly extraordinary occurred.

Everyone was stunned.

After this encounter, Ye Fan's demeanor had subtly shifted; his gaze was more resolute than ever, as if he could pierce through the fabric of ancient and modern time.

"Brother Ye, what did you gain?" asked Huo Liner, who had also arrived. After many years, her presence was even more captivating than before, her figure slender, beautiful, and enchanting.

"Immortal!" Ye Fan replied with a single word, without any reservation.

However, the others listened with suspicion, exchanging bewildered glances. They had gathered there, anticipating something profound, but never imagined such a simple, one-word answer.

Many were puzzled, but Ye Fan offered no further explanation.

Outside the Archaic Restricted Zone, Little Pine led Little Nannan. The little girl's pure, flawless eyes brimmed with joy as she saw him return safely, waving and smiling gently.

Ye Fan walked over, picked her up, placed her on his shoulder, and strode away with Little Pine.

The true powerhouses watched in silence, saying nothing further.

In the distance, some junior cultivators showed unusual expressions. Could anyone in this world sit on a Great Emperor's shoulder? Surely, only his closest kin could dare such a thing.

Once outside the domain, Little Pine asked, "Master, did you gain anything?"

Ye Fan sighed, his eyes dimming. He had indeed gained immensely; a divine lamp now illuminated his path, filling him with unprecedented resolve and confidence. But this path was too arduous, requiring time. Could those who were growing old afford to wait?

"Old Man Ren Mo probably doesn't have much time left," Little Pine whispered. "I think he will pass away within a few hundred years."

"If I intervene forcefully, will they be angered?" Ye Fan whispered.

After this day, Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the Undying Mountain, his mind clear of distractions, contemplating only longevity and immortality. The Emperor's Path was the end; all supreme beings throughout history had reached this very point.

The path had reached its end; there was no further road ahead.

"If there's no path, then we will forge one ourselves and continue it."

Ye Fan knew this would be incredibly difficult. So many exceptional figures throughout history—Heavenly Venerables from the mythical era, Emperors from the primordial era, and Great Emperors from the ancient desolation—all seemed to have failed. He was powerful, but could he truly surpass them all?