Chapter 1794: Conquest

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Ye Fan's divine sense was incredibly powerful. Even a palace built by an ancient emperor, fortified with endless runes, could not block him; in an instant, he perceived who was inside.

"It's been many years since we last met. How have you both been?"

"Brother Ye, is that really you?" The door of the ancient hall opened, and a man emerged. He was tall and imposing, with a body as strong and agile as a dragon and bronze-colored skin. His long, thick hair flowed loosely, though it contained a few strands of white.

"Demon God?" The Dragon Horse was surprised; he had seen him on the ancient star road years ago.

"Southern Demon," the Black Emperor sighed. He was one of the celestial prodigies of Beidou back then. After so many years apart, meeting again now made one lament the passage of time.

At that time, Southern Demon was in the prime of his life, full of vigor. Now, though his vitality remains strong and he has become a peerless master, he is over six thousand years old.

Ye Fan also felt a surge of emotion. Their last farewell on the ancient star road until this reunion had spanned thousands of years; had they been ordinary people, they would have long since turned to dust.

Southern Demon was exceedingly powerful, considered a top combatant in this world. He had also achieved an alternative form of enlightenment.

Behind him stood another person. She was slender and beautiful, but her raven hair had turned white. Though she maintained her youthful appearance with magic, it was clear she had been impacted by the passage of time.

It was none other than Qi Huoshui from years ago, Princess Qi Qi of the Southern Ridge.

Meeting again, they were silent for a long time.

Youth fades easily, and beauty quickly ages.

When peerless beauties cannot resist the passage of time and age amidst life's trials, it is the cruelest thing for them. Who could understand the feeling of watching youth depart and white hair take root?

"Ye Fan," Qi Huoshui sighed softly. She wanted to say something, but found herself unable to speak.

She was not as powerful as Southern Demon. After over six thousand years, the traces of time were relatively more apparent on her, and her vitality was not as robust.

Southern Demon and his sister came forward to greet them.

Ye Fan conjured a meteor, carving it into a table and stone stools. He then took out fine wine and reminisced with his two old friends.

"You became a Great Emperor?" Southern Demon asked, surprised, then looked relieved.

They had been trapped there for many years, during which too much had happened. They were unaware that Ye Fan had become the Heavenly Emperor, as the ancient hall could isolate them from the outside world. However, Southern Demon was no ordinary person and maintained his composure.

"After so many years apart, it feels good to see you both," Ye Fan said.

As familiar faces became fewer and fewer, eventually succumbing to the passage of time, he treasured every old friend and wished no harm upon them.

"This is the Divine Soul Pool left behind by the Undying Emperor."

"I already know," Ye Fan nodded.

Southern Demon recounted the events. Years ago, they discovered the ancient hall in the cosmic void. Upon entering, they were astonished to find it was where the Undying Emperor once meditated and cultivated.

The brother and sister cultivated there, but unexpectedly, as their cultivation deepened, the ancient hall's Divine Soul Pool was activated, shattering the void. At the same time, a devilish mist appeared, surrounding the area and trapping them.

Fortunately, the ancient hall was special and could prevent the corrupting aura from approaching.

As Southern Demon's cultivation grew deeper, in recent years he felt confident he could leave. However, he had sensed the wonders of the Divine Soul Pool and was unwilling to depart easily.

Ye Fan sighed softly. The corrupting aura here was extremely potent, capable of harming Supreme Beings. It was truly astonishing that Southern Demon had cultivated to this extent, having already achieved an alternative form of enlightenment.

Just as the Black Emperor had speculated, the Divine Soul Pool was the residual soul essence of the Undying Emperor, left behind after his metamorphosis.

Ye Fan stood before the pool for a long time, then circled the ancient hall. He deeply felt the terrifying power of the Undying Emperor, an unimaginably formidable foe.

They gathered there for a long time. Qi Huoshui remained very silent. The fading youth of the once peerless heavenly maiden saddened her, making it difficult to speak upon seeing an old friend. It was only upon their departure that she sighed softly, saying, "You haven't changed much."

Ye Fan watched them leave. As they were about to disappear into the galaxy, Southern Demon looked back and said, "Brother Ye, this might be our last meeting. Take care!"

Ye Fan remained silent, letting out a sigh. Unless something unexpected happened, Southern Demon had chosen to seal himself away, only to reappear after countless generations.

"Goodbye!"

On the way back, Ye Fan was very silent. Much later, the Black Emperor said, "Let's keep traveling. There's nothing else to do anyway."

Ye Fan nodded. The path to eternal life could not be fully comprehended merely through secluded cultivation. So many exceptional figures throughout history had been stumped by it, and he naturally did not believe that simply immersing himself in enlightenment would break through to heaven.

They traveled for over half a year, passing through many galaxies. Their journey caused a great sensation; the Heavenly Emperor's tour inspired awe among all races. Many prominent clans came out to welcome him and invite him in, but he politely declined.

Along the way, they witnessed much and felt a sense of lament. This glorious great era was truly coming to an end, reaching its twilight.

Zhang Bainin, Taichu, and others had long since disappeared. It was rumored that they had sealed themselves away, preserving their hopes and ambitions for the future, yearning for a heaven-defying return.

Subsequently, they saw that some astonishing bloodlines were nearing the twilight of their lives, and many more people were beginning to age, showing signs of weariness.

"Our youth, is it finally going to end in this prosperous era?"

"Haha, the most brilliant generation, the most glorious era, what did I see? Nothing more than this; nothing was left behind. We merely passed through, mere travelers, nothing more!"

Someone laughed heartily, tears streaming down their face.

Autumn winds rose, and yellow leaves withered. A prosperous era was indeed coming to an end.

The stars once shone so brightly that they dazzled one's eyes. So many individuals with imperial potential competed, yet in the end, only one Heavenly Emperor stood on the nine heavens, looking down upon countless generals and stars.

The stars dimmed, and the heroes faded.

Since the mythical era, there had been prophecies that the true Immortal Road would open in this generation. A glorious path would lead to the other shore, directly to a world of eternal life.

However, this too came to naught, leaving people with too many regrets. The Immortal Realm remained impossibly distant.

Supreme Beings wept blood, and exceptional figures grieved. All of this ended in the mythical era of their time. Countless powerhouses perished, their blood splattering the starry sky in the great era's struggle.

Too many celestial prodigies were buried in the galaxy. Six thousand years of war, six thousand years of glory—perhaps it would continue to reach ten thousand years, but the curtain would eventually fall, and no one could stop it.

"I wrote a resounding war song with my blood; I shone brightly with my life. Now, I listen to a mournful melody of this great era. Is this truly the end?"

Many people looked up, questioning the heavens.

The exceptional figures of yesteryear, once full of youthful vigor, now had white hair taking root, and many had died. The remaining ones were also deeply marked by the trials of time.

"Is it just...ending like this? I am unwilling! How can the Golden Age conclude this way!"

Long songs became laments, and heroes wept tears.

How could they forget, how could they accept, that a great era was simply ending like this? The glorious figures in the prime of their lives were gradually aging; their curtain was about to fall!

Having experienced a great era and witnessed a lifetime of prosperity, like fireworks blooming, it was now destined to fade away.

As Ye Fan traveled, he spoke less and less; the more he saw, the more silent he became. Was he, in the end, seeing off this entire generation?

"Look, the Heavenly Emperor is seeing us off, haha..." Someone laughed, tears already streaming down their face.

"Yes, the Heavenly Emperor is performing a send-off for us; he once competed alongside us in the same generation, heh haha... Farewell to this era!" Sorrowful laughter echoed through the vast sky as they stumbled onward.

Ye Fan and his companions continued their journey, arriving at an ancient land where they had once fought. It was a star domain shattered during the era of dark turmoil, now lying in ruins.

At that time, Ye Fan had not yet become an emperor; he fought purely with burning passion. With a determination to die, he plunged into battle like a moth to a flame.

Looking back, their path was stained with blood.

Here, ruins lay scattered, countless star remnants. The blood of various beings stained the ancient land red, still not dry.

Dreams shattered on this stardust land; those of the past could never return.

"Ji Zi, how I wish you were alive, so you, I, and the Saint Prince could share a drink," Ye Fan murmured.

He thought of many things: the White-Clothed Divine King, who was like a father and a teacher, and the peerless ailing elder Gai Jiuyou. They had sacrificed too much.

"How can we forget that during the turmoil, even when only a human skin remained of the Sun Saint Emperor, he defied the heavens to return and fight until his blood ran dry?" The Dragon Horse also sighed softly.

Back then, in the Ziwei Star Domain, the Human Emperor's skin reappeared. Even in death, it protected the living beings of an ancient star, until its last tear of blood flowed from its eyes before it finally fell.

"And the Void Emperor, who spent his entire life quelling turmoil until he died in battle. In this very era, he still had to shed his last drop of blood, accompanied only by a broken half-mirror in the end."

Speaking of the past, they sighed with emotion.

Even Ye Fan felt immense sorrow, unable to restrain himself.

Suddenly, the Black Emperor stopped, and the Dragon Horse also turned its head. Only Ye Fan did not halt, continuing to walk forward along the blood-stained battlefield, where a figure stood.

"It's you," Ye Fan recognized her as Xia Jiuyou, the sole disciple of the elder Gai Jiuyou.

In the past, she was a genius girl. At thirteen or fourteen, she was already strong enough to contend with the Golden-Winged Little Peng King, Yaoguang, Ye Fan, and others, astonishing the Eastern Wasteland.

In the past, she had been willful and headstrong, resulting in her defeat by Ye Fan and a harsh lesson.

Years passed, and this genius girl had changed greatly. She had long since grown up, dressed in white like snow, her face filled with profound sorrow.

Xia Jiuyou was beautiful and moving. She had reached the Quasi-Emperor realm thousands of years ago, her strength astonishing, yet a strand or two of white hair still adorned her beautiful locks.

"You... what are you doing here?" Seeing her, Ye Fan inevitably thought of Gai Wudi, feeling immense grief. He still remembered the poignant scene of the ailing elder, back straightened, radiating boundless glory, shouting, "Who dares to fight me?"

"I've been looking for Master..." Xia Jiuyou said, tears glistening on her face, her expression forlorn.

For all these years, she had been searching the universe, refusing to believe her Master had died. He was her only family, and she wanted to find him.

Ye Fan felt bitter in his heart, his nose stinging. Even as the Heavenly Emperor, he found it hard to conceal such emotions. In the past, three hundred years after the dark turmoil ended, he had awoken and searched frantically, but ultimately found nothing.

He hadn't imagined that someone could be even more persistent than him, searching for over five thousand years, and still looking!

"The elder wouldn't want to see you like this..." Ye Fan advised, his heart aching.

"Master is with me; he will return. I found a part of him," Xia Jiuyou said mournfully.

"You..."

"Unfortunately, I only found a single drop of Master's blood." Xia Jiuyou's eyes were filled with tears as she carefully held up a divine crystal, within which a vibrant blood drop was sealed.

"Is this truly left by Senior Gai?!" Ye Fan was deeply grieved.

He looked at it for a long time, then walked towards the depths of the shattered battlefield. Unable to stop himself, he let out a long howl to the sky, his heart filled with too much helplessness and unwillingness.

Not only Gai Jiuyou, but so many other people, one by one, rose in Ye Fan's mind. Too many people and events had simply passed away like that.

Past events, scenes from bygone days, unfolded as if right before his eyes.

Ye Fan unleashed his Emperor Fist in this desolate battlefield, striking towards the nine heavens. It produced rumbling thunder and a mournful song that stirred the galaxy.

After the Desolate Ancient era, heaven and earth convulsed.The smoke of war thickened in Beidou.Ages shattered, ancient races plunged the mortal world into chaos.Sword qi pierced the heavens, blood stained the rivers and mountains.Lutes and drums resounded, iron spears clanged, cold light glinted across the starry sky.With unyielding resolve, they asked, "Who is a hero in this world?"Immortal clouds rose, Supreme Beings emerged, battles of eons on the path to eternal life.Fight! Fight! Fight!The starry sky collapsed, living beings trembled in sorrow.White hair stained with blood, tens of thousands of corpses, a maiden's lament in a pool of blood, the chaos and war of the mortal world.Blood splattered the firmament, swords pierced the heavens, ancient turmoil, sighs of the apocalypse.Who can save these blood-stained lands and rivers?All beings cried out, the Human Emperor fought against fate; blood and tears dried, forever dimmed.The Void is elusive, epiphyllums wither and bloom; a mournful song cannot bury heroes of eons past, accompanied by a broken half-mirror.Time, like a blade, slays prodigies; on the path to immortality, one sighs at the captivating. An opening of blood and bone, a painting of an era's sorrow.How many heroes lie buried in foreign lands, how many glories can never reappear?Nine dragons pulling a coffin, stirring up an era of chaos; white hair howling a wild song, no end found on the path to heaven.Imperial blood scorched the starry sky, the immortal path spoke of eternity.A beauty's sigh, a hero's twilight years; ten thousand years for mortals, yet no immortal path seen.War!