Chapter 1802: Two Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Kings

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The world was vast and desolate, and he could no longer find a single familiar face. Not only close friends and old acquaintances, but even his enemies were gone; everyone from his generation had reached their end and passed away.

Silence pervaded the world!

Late at night, Ye Fan gazed up at the starry sky, unmoving for an entire night. The heroes of this world had finally withered away; he could no longer find anyone from his own generation.

With a soft sigh, he rose with the morning glow, leaving the Heavenly Court. He did not return for many years.

The Heavenly Court was powerful, its influence spanning across the universe. Even as the grand era ended and its heroes withered, it remained the greatest sect in the universe, unmatched by any other.

Ye Fan transformed into a mortal and walked alone through the mundane world, traveling from one place to another for many years. Yet, even amidst the throngs of people, a sense of loneliness persisted.

With no friends or family, and even his enemies gone, there was a terrible silence.

He was the Heavenly Emperor, with an ocean of vitality and power beyond measure. Time could not leave a mark on him, yet he felt such desolation, traveling alone, never wishing to stop.

Witnessing the myriad forms of the mortal world and the diverse aspects of human life, he journeyed on, traversing the entire land. His heart remained unchanged, always silent.

At twelve thousand years old, Ye Fan grew his first white hair. Looking back, even amidst the vast sea of humanity, he felt the world had grown even quieter.

Though he stood among the crowds, he could not sense the mundane vitality of this era. Instead, it was as if he heard a call from another world, a voice from a bygone age. He was out of place in this generation.

What good was being invincible, above and below the heavens?

In this mortal realm, he knew no one. So many people, yet all so distant. Even if he journeyed to the end of the world, eternal solitude would be his companion.

On the Fire Mulberry Star, unease spread. All members of the tribe panicked because the Great Emperor Golden Crow's vital energy was failing, and the news had spread throughout the human realm.

Ye Fan looked up, then took a step, arriving at the great star. Fierce flames flickered, and Fire Mulberry trees covered the landscape. Above, a magnificent Heavenly Palace floated, radiating fiery light.

The Heavenly Emperor had come to visit the Great Emperor Golden Crow, surprising both the Golden Crow tribe and strong cultivators from other races. Subsequently, a sense of fear arose, stemming from his majesty and invincible aura.

Ye Fan had never been particularly close to the Great Emperor Golden Crow, but now he desperately wished for him to live longer.

In this declining era, where all faded away, even enemies seemed close. It was truly difficult to find anyone from the same generation.

"Heavenly Emperor, I am truly old, while you are still so young. It is truly awe-inspiring," the old Golden Crow lamented.

Ye Fan said nothing, simply watching him.

"Alas, with little life left, I've come to realize how truly good it is to be alive. Heavenly Emperor, you must cherish it," the old Golden Crow said, his golden hair mostly white, as he sat on a fire-crystal throne. "I finally understand why the Primordial Emperors chose to transform into Forbidden Zones. Even I feel that impulse now."

"If you do that, I will flatten you immediately," Ye Fan stated.

The Great Emperor Golden Crow gave a bitter smile. "Living in the same era as you, how could I do that? However, I think you should prepare yourself. Even if you don't become a Forbidden Zone, you should seal yourself while your vital energy is abundant, or find a way to slow down the consumption of your life force."

"You're hoping I'll seal myself, aren't you?" Ye Fan's gaze was sharp as lightning, seemingly able to penetrate the true heart of a Great Emperor.

The Great Emperor Golden Crow immediately grew awkward and said nothing more.

Ye Fan stared at him for a long time, then, for the first time in two thousand years, a smile appeared on his face. "I think you can live for another two thousand years."

"Heavenly Emperor, you flatter me too much. I believe I will pass away within five hundred years," the Great Emperor Golden Crow sighed.

"Is that so? In five hundred years, I'll come to see you. If you're still alive, I'll help you find release," Ye Fan sneered.

"Forget it. Life and death are fated. If I can endure a bit longer and live in the same era as the Heavenly Emperor, it would be an honor," the old Golden Crow said.

After visiting the old Golden Crow and exchanging a few words, Ye Fan's desolation lessened somewhat. He let out a long breath, concluding his lonely journey and cultivation in the mortal world.

"Ah, time."

Ye Fan looked at his first white hair, which had fallen loose. He circulated his profound art, and his vital energy surged, causing the heavens and earth to tremble. Thunderous sounds echoed throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands!

His body glowed, becoming crystal clear. The single white hair turned black again. His power and abundant lifespan were truly unprecedented.

"It's time to go back."

With a single step, Ye Fan traversed time and space, instantly appearing before the Heavenly Court. Outside, the three divine temples still emanated auspicious energy, with surging faith power, thriving endlessly.

The only difference from the past was that the three grand temples were now built from divine sources, absorbing the power of faith while preserving their essence, a change Ye Fan had implemented years ago.

Within the three ancient temples, a figure sat cross-legged in each. They were the three gods consecrated by the Heavenly Emperor. Two of them already had vital energy swirling around them, accompanied by thunder.

However, Ye Fan sighed. It had been truly difficult for them to reform their true spirits while sealed in divine sources, yielding only some results after all these years.

In the future, the effects would be even weaker. A new grand era had dawned, and the deeds of the three heroes would gradually fade, no longer prominent in the human realm. At that point, faith would also cease to flourish.

To address this, only by re-establishing three great doctrines could the temples perhaps be ensured to remain immortal.

Ye Fan silently returned to a courtyard in the Heavenly Court called Immortal Mountain. He had not returned for many years, but everyone in this generation of the Heavenly Court knew he must be alive, simply because he was the Heavenly Emperor.

Decades later, a bout of crying awakened Ye Fan from his deep seclusion. He swiftly vanished from the Immortal Mountain cliff and appeared in the Peach Garden.

Under the ancient tree, a little girl was rubbing her large eyes, softly sobbing, having just awoken from slumber.

She was as cute as a porcelain doll, with glistening tears on her face; it was little Nannan. For some unknown reason, she had been extremely sleepy for several millennia, sometimes sleeping for one or two thousand years at a time. Ye Fan had investigated and found that the Ruthless Great Emperor beneath the Primordial Abyss seemed to be undergoing some strange transformation, which was affecting the little girl.

"Big Brother, Nannan had a dream. I dreamt that all the other brothers and sisters were gone, and it was just the two of us left. Nannan felt so lonely and sad then."

Ye Fan sighed inwardly; the dream was so real. The entire world was silent, and truly, only the two of them remained. He affectionately stroked little Nannan's head and said, "Don't think too much about it." The little girl, her large eyes still glistening with tears, timidly clutched Ye Fan's clothes, saying, "Big Brother, I'm scared. I'm afraid that one day you'll leave me too."

Ye Fan paused, then said, "I won't."

"Okay, Big Brother, remember not to leave Nannan," the little girl said obediently, wiping away her tears and looking at him pitifully.

Ye Fan nodded, promising her.

The little girl only stayed awake for a few months. Like a shadow, she stuck to Ye Fan's side, afraid he would disappear, full of dependence.

During this time, Ye Fan took her wandering around, making the little girl very happy and joyful. He felt a mixture of melancholy, sorrow, and deep emotion, realizing that finally, there was someone in this world who could live in the same era as him, living on together.

A few months later, little Nannan fell into slumber again. Ye Fan watched her, feeling that this time she would sleep even longer.

Ye Fan sat cross-legged on the Immortal Mountain cliff, forging various weapons and formation flags, which he then scattered across the Heavenly Court. This immediately astonished the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, who then erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Heavenly Emperor!"

Now, the Heavenly Soldier Command Tablets and Heavenly General Command Tablets of the Heavenly Venerable had been found, becoming secret treasures of the Heavenly Court. In addition, Ye Fan himself had refined several artifacts, each capable of shaking the world!

Even though many of its original founders were gone, the Heavenly Court could still splendidly endure for many years.

In fact, as long as the Heavenly Emperor lived, even if only a few remnants of the Heavenly Court's forces remained, it would still be considered supremely glorious and prosperous, unrivaled in the world.

Ye Fan embarked on another distant journey. He was using immense power to divine and search for someone. Although he did not believe in reincarnation, the vow he made years ago still echoed in his ears: he had promised to find her.

"Future lives—believe, and they exist; do not believe, and they do not. Time flows long. Eventually, two identical flowers will appear in the world. After a thousand years of looking back, one flower withers, and another blooms."

Yet, for many years, he could not find her at all. More than ten thousand years had passed, and she remained elusive.

"I have a premonition that I will see such a person. Has the time simply not arrived yet?" Ye Fan, now the Heavenly Emperor, possessed the most terrifying instinctive intuition.

He traversed the starry sky. When he arrived at the Ancient Starry Road again, for the first time in several millennia, he showed a look of surprise, for he had seen someone from his own generation.

"Guan Cheng!"

By the city gate stood an old man, extremely aged, his body hunched and incredibly frail.

"Greetings, Heavenly Emperor."

Ye Fan showed a peculiar expression. Twelve thousand years had passed, and all the prodigies and heroes of his era had died, yet this person had actually survived.

"I had a hidden ailment and should have died at over six thousand years old. For some unknown reason, I lived a second life," Guan Cheng coughed, now in his late years again.

His cultivation realm had never advanced, but he had lived far longer than others. With not much time left, he had returned here, revisiting old grounds, wishing to walk the ancient road once more.

Ye Fan grasped his hand, examining him carefully. With a soft sigh, he confirmed that it was indeed as Guan Cheng said: he had lived a second life, and this time, he was truly at its end.

In the Heavenly Court, another person had lived a second life: the little silkworm who once followed Princess Divine Silkworm had undergone nine transformations, beginning another life. Far more powerful than Guan Cheng, it had been sealed by Ye Fan along with the Little Holy Ape and the Divine Child.

The Divine King in White, the Great Emperor Golden Crow, the little silkworm, Guan Cheng—more than one person had lived a second life. This greatly impacted Ye Fan.

Several centuries later, Guan Cheng passed away, dying of old age in the starry sky.

When Ye Fan was over fourteen thousand years old, he arrived at the Fire Mulberry Star. This time, the Golden Crow tribe did not need to spread the news; everyone knew that the Demon Emperor was about to pass away because he could no longer control the Great Dao, which spread overwhelmingly, shaking the human realm.

"You've come," the Great Emperor Golden Crow said calmly.

"To see you off on your final journey," Ye Fan replied.

"Alas!" The old Golden Crow let out a long sigh. Living in the same era as Ye Fan was the greatest sorrow of his life as a Daoist cultivator.

"Do you have anything you wish to say?" Ye Fan asked for his last words.

"Do you really want to hear?" The Great Emperor Golden Crow, who had been majestic his entire life and suppressed his emotions for just as long, now spoke with a hint of self-mockery.

"I do," Ye Fan said.

"Alright then." The Great Emperor Golden Crow nodded, and then his eyes suddenly blazed fiercely, somewhat oppressive, as if he had become a different person. He exclaimed, "To hell with you, Heavenly Emperor! Finally, I'll never see you again!"

Ye Fan was stunned. Were those truly his last words?

The Great Emperor Golden Crow died swiftly. As his words faded, he came to his end, concluding his life and leaving Ye Fan utterly bewildered. It was a long time before Ye Fan stroked his chin.

The universe greatly trembled. A Great Emperor had died, and the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands all quaked!

Time flowed on. Ye Fan was eighteen thousand years old, finally entering his twilight years. To live so long in one lifetime was rare in ancient times.

His hair had turned white, but his vital energy was not severely depleted; it was still astonishing. However, a strange event occurred that day: a layer of golden fur grew on his body.

"An ill omen?" Ye Fan burst into laughter, yet his gaze was intensely cold as he looked towards the starry sky.

With a flash of light, all the golden fur on his body burned away and vanished.

Another thousand years passed. Ye Fan was now nineteen thousand years old, and no further changes had occurred. Without performing self-severance or using any longevity-extending methods, he was finally aging.

However, his resolve had never wavered; he was determined to comprehend true immortality.

Driven by restlessness after prolonged stillness, he began traveling again that year. This journey lasted over a thousand years, during which he traversed the entire starry sky. He was now over twenty thousand years old.

Suddenly looking up, he realized he had arrived at Beidou that day, standing outside the Lingxu Cave Heaven, amidst a field of ruins.

After standing still for a long time, Ye Fan suddenly turned around. As the Heavenly Emperor, especially after the world fell silent, this was the first time in nearly ten thousand years that he had experienced such a strange feeling.

The moment he turned, he saw a retreating back. The figure's emaciated body seemed to waver in the dark night, a little eerie.

For him, as the Heavenly Emperor, to experience such a sensation, it was clear how terrifying it must be!

"Stop!" Ye Fan shouted. He had caught a fleeting glimpse of this back tens of thousands of years ago.

"Cough..." From the distant retreating figure came an ancient and violent coughing sound, as if the person was about to cough up their heart.