Chapter 1808: Third Life

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"Master!"

Tears streamed from Xiaosong's eyes. He was inherently a gentle and timid "innocent one," and seeing Ye Fan covered in blood and trembling violently, he couldn't help but burst into tears. Years ago, when he was just an ignorant little squirrel, it was Ye Fan who led him down this different path. Now, seeing his Master with a head full of white hair, his vitality dwindling, and seemingly on the verge of death, Xiaosong was overcome with grief. He held Ye Fan, tears ceaselessly falling.

"Master, let's return to the Heavenly Court and take the Undying Medicine," Xiaosong urged, preparing to carry Ye Fan away.

Ye Fan shook his head, motioning for Xiaosong to put him down. He remained motionless, sitting cross-legged in the starry sky. His injuries were severe, but that wasn't the main issue; the most terrifying thing was that his body was on the verge of depletion.

From all corners of the universe, countless streams of vital energy surged, causing many starfields to dim as their starlight was drawn in, funneling into the Celestial Emperor's body. Ye Fan meditated, his entire body radiating a glistening precious light. He drew back all the scattered Celestial Emperor's blood, reintegrating it into his body. He then refined the vitality of several Supremes into strands of essence, transforming them into divine energy to heal himself.

His injuries healed, and his vitality converged. The Celestial Emperor's body seemed to have recovered, but this was superficial. The most terrifying aspect was the irreversible decay of his physical form. Ye Fan's Celestial Emperor body could no longer store excessive vital energy. After the starlight from the Eight Desolations entered his body to a certain extent, it began to overflow automatically, refusing to accumulate further. His body was decaying, his vitality drying up, like a rusted iron pot that could not hold too much water, allowing it to seep out. This was a clear sign of his twilight years, indicating the imminent end of his life. Even divine medicine would be ineffective. This was a clear sign of Ye Fan's impending demise; no one could save him, and no precious elixirs could restore his youth.

In this state, he couldn't even attempt the ultimate leap to live a third life and save himself. He had exhausted his last reserves, completely obliterating the divine fetus within him during that world-shattering battle. Battling seven Supremes had already pushed him to his limits. Forcing a surge of vital blood to recover to peak condition had caused him great loss, and then battling the formidable Undying Sovereign further depleted his accumulated immortal essence of longevity.

"Master!" Xiaosong cried, watching his Master, who once dominated the world and knew no defeat, now so aged, white-haired, and covered in blood, on the verge of dying from the passage of time. His heart was torn. This situation truly made one feel powerless. If a person's soul fire was about to extinguish, how could they continue to live? Ye Fan was forcing himself to hold onto a thread of vitality, otherwise his primordial spirit would completely dim.

He smiled faintly. Life truly was unpredictable; he had reached this point, having been unrivaled for fifty thousand years, only to ultimately be ambushed by the Undying Sovereign. Evidently, his opponent had also experienced such twilight years and understood this state very well. Thus, the attack was highly targeted, aimed at obliterating the immortal essence within him and leaving him no chance. Individuals like them wouldn't die even if their bodies were broken or their primordial spirits shattered. In their old age, the most precious thing was the accumulated essence of longevity, which was fundamental for transitioning into the next life.

Ye Fan had observed Guan Cheng, recalled the White-Clothed Divine King, seen the Golden Crow Emperor, and studied the little divine silkworm. Having close contact with those who lived a second life, he had already uncovered the secret of living another life in one's dying years. One method could allow one to live an extra life, but it was difficult to repeat. He had accumulated reserves for many years, precisely for this day. Although he appeared emaciated, with his lifespan nearing its end and his origin depleted, that was merely a facade. Secretly, a trace of longevity essence was gestating within him, like a divine fetus.

Alas, Ye Fan's long preparations were thus ruined. The Sovereign's attack was extraordinary and overly aggressive; without full resistance, it was impossible to withstand. In fact, Ye Fan could guess that the Sovereign's attack was primarily driven by a desire for his Celestial Emperor's Mark, as well as the unknown longevity substances he had accumulated.

"Don't cry," Ye Fan said to Xiaosong, coughing up a mouthful of blood and smiling faintly. He had lived for over fifty thousand years, witnessing countless cycles of life and death in the human world; facing his own end was nothing new.

"Master, I don't want you to die!" Xiaosong wiped away his tears and sat cross-legged opposite him, intending to refine his own essence to extend Ye Fan's life.

Ye Fan shook his head, stopping him. "That won't work," he said.

"Then what will work? Master, you must know, right? Please tell me. I will surely find a way for you to live," Xiaosong asked hopefully.

"Don't be sad. It's not that easy for the heavens to take me away, because I don't want to die yet," Ye Fan said, forcing a surge of vital energy, his divine fire unextinguished. Just as he said, he would fight. Even if only one breath remained, he would never surrender. He would strive to live another life, because he still had things to do. The vows and promises from years past still echoed in his ears; he needed to unfold a grand war-map of longevity.

*Crack.*

But Ye Fan was truly too old. Having depleted his immortal essence, his immortal platform was riddled with cracks and could shatter at any moment, while his physical body might even burn directly into ash. He was on the edge of an extremely perilous state. If he couldn't live another life, he would directly undergo Dao transformation, heading towards the end of his existence. One might ask, who in this world could withstand a single blow from the Undying Sovereign? How many throughout history could match his strength? Yet, Ye Fan had achieved it, fighting for such a prolonged period with his decaying body—it was a miracle.

For several days in a row, Ye Fan remained motionless, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed in the starry sky, not returning to the Heavenly Court. Meanwhile, the outside world was already abuzz. The Celestial Emperor had consecutively slain seven ancient emperors in a single day—a feat seemingly out of myth and legend, unmatched by anyone. Most shockingly, the Undying Sovereign, who had vanished for eons, reappeared and battled the Celestial Emperor. This was a resurgence of an immortal war, sending shivers down spines before igniting a surge of battle-lust.

When the battle concluded, the world was restless. The various races felt complex emotions, especially the powerful clans who revered the Undying Sovereign, experiencing an unspoken, indefinable sentiment. Many more, however, invoked the Celestial Emperor's name. To have fought to this extent with an aged body, severing the Immortal Waterfall and repelling the Sovereign, was already the most glorious achievement, unmatched by anyone.

The Heavenly Court had already mobilized. Countless celestial soldiers and generals, like a dark cloud, surrounded this starfield, protecting the Celestial Emperor and awaiting his rebirth. Although rumors circulated outside that the Celestial Emperor was in his twilight years, with little life left, and could not survive, the celestial soldiers and generals stubbornly refused to accept this, believing that the Celestial Emperor would not depart. Yet, every single person carried a look of worry. Although it was hard to accept the current situation, the reality was undeniable: the Celestial Emperor, who had once deterred the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands and known no defeat, was truly about to pass away.

Xiaosong moved the Primeval Ancient Mine, which had been exposed to the world during this battle. It was filled entirely with Primeval Life Stones, brimming with vibrant energy. Ye Fan entered it, using this heaven-defying place to recover. For a full half-month, Ye Fan's condition remained unchanged, staying in that dying state.

"Master was supposed to die, but his will is so firm that he forcibly generated a trace of immortal essence, preserving his current life. And this Primeval Ancient Mine does have some effect. I must find a way to help Master reverse his fate."

Xiaosong's spirits fell. After a moment's thought, he picked up Ye Fan, instantly tearing open the void. From that day forward, they vanished from the world, their whereabouts unknown to anyone.

Their figures reappeared on Earth, within the Kunlun Immortal Mountains. Xiaosong carried Ye Fan to the Immortal Ascension Land, the very place where the Green Bronze Cauldron had been nurtured. For a full ten years, they remained isolated from the world. Outside, rumors spread that the Celestial Emperor had died, ending his incredibly glorious and legendary life.

"What a pity that the Celestial Emperor passed away like this. It's regrettable that we couldn't witness him in his youthful prime engaging in a peak battle against the Sovereign."

"The Undying Sovereign is truly terrifying! How did he manage to remain in his prime? Is there truly a longevity substance on the other side of the Immortal Waterfall?"

"The Sovereign's power is truly heaven-defying! What a loss for the Celestial Emperor!"

Kunlun was enveloped in swirling immortal mist, shimmering with brilliant lights and vibrant colors, resembling a true wonderland. Xiaosong used great divine power to activate this place, causing tens of thousands of Dragon Head Peaks to once again spew out dragon saliva, which converged towards the Immortal Ascension Pool. Immortal light overflowed, and mist permeated the area. For these ten years, Ye Fan remained motionless, sitting cross-legged in the Immortal Ascension Pool. The converging dragon saliva nourished his body, preventing his condition from worsening and temporarily preserving his state. To truly live, he still had to rely on himself; everything external was useless. This time, he was forging a path to live another life, and relying on divine medicine for prolonged life was no longer effective.

Over these ten years, Xiaosong had tried every conceivable method. He even extracted the small section of the Immortal Waterfall from within Ye Fan's cauldron and meticulously studied this substance left on the path to longevity. Although he didn't find a life-saving method, his own cultivation inadvertently grew.

Three more years passed, and Xiaosong brought Nannan to Kunlun. The little girl had slept for three thousand years this time and had just awakened. Seeing Ye Fan in such a state, she immediately cried heartbrokenly.

"Big Brother... wake up."

Ye Fan, with effort, opened his eyes. "Don't cry, Nannan. Big Brother will be fine."

The little girl continued to shed tears. Xiaosong channeled all her tears into the Immortal Ascension Pool, but it had no effect. As Ye Fan was already the Celestial Emperor, there was almost nothing in this world that could defy heaven and alter his fate.

"Big Brother... eat Nannan, you'll definitely live," the little girl astonishingly said, tears continuously falling. The sight of the seemingly two or three-year-old Nannan pleading with the white-haired Celestial Emperor, who was nearing the end of his life, to eat her seemed incredibly strange, yet it caused deep sorrow in the hearts of those present. Even Ye Fan felt a pang in his nose and a ripple in his heart. He wiped away her tears and said, "Be good, Nannan. Don't think too much. Big Brother doesn't want to die, and even the heavens can't take me."

"Nannan doesn't want Big Brother to die..." the little girl said pitifully, her eyes misty with tears.

"Don't worry, I will definitely live," Ye Fan replied.

The Ruthless Great Emperor in the Barren Ancient Abyss had undergone a mysterious transformation, severely affecting the little girl. After not staying there for long, she fell unconscious again, entering a deep slumber.

"Xiaosong, take her away. No one is to come near. I need ten years of quiet meditation!" Ye Fan's gaze suddenly hardened as he gave this command.

"Master..." Xiaosong's heart trembled.

"Don't worry. I've nearly comprehended it. Although there's only a trace of immortal essence left in my body, it's enough. I can undergo nirvana and take that step," Ye Fan said. He sensed a trace of immortal essence, and these past dozen years of hovering at the edge of death had allowed him to gain further insights. To be reborn and achieve nirvanic sublimation was to build upon such "ruins."

Xiaosong departed, taking Nannan with him. After this day, Ye Fan drifted between life and death. He recalled the desperate situation of the White-Clothed Divine King back then, remembered the symptoms of the little silkworm always forgetting its past, and pondered what he had gained from personally exploring the situations of Guan Cheng and the Golden Crow Emperor. As years passed, the Immortal Ascension Pool, resembling a placenta, maintained Ye Fan's peculiar state of neither living nor dying, granting him the most precious time.

Not even ten years, but just seven years later, a boundless surge of vitality soared from this place, piercing the heavens and startling all living beings across the myriad domains of the universe. At this time, rumors outside suggested that the Celestial Emperor had passed away, and he was no longer in the world. But today, everyone was shaken. The vast myriad Daos wailed in sorrow, all submitting, and mighty beings across the universe, no matter how far apart, trembled, unable to resist kowtowing. Everyone gazed towards one direction. No matter how far away, even across countless galaxies, they saw fragments of time rushing forth, witnessing a miraculous spectacle that astonished the ages.

A boundless surge of vitality billowed forth. The Celestial Emperor reappeared, slowly rising, undergoing nirvanic rebirth amidst a sea of flourishing vitality and powerful life force, rising again! It was a young Celestial Emperor, appearing to be around twenty years old. His black hair cascaded like a waterfall, naturally spread over his translucent skin. He stood majestically in the vast sky, looking down upon all creation. He had lived a third life, becoming so powerful it made hearts tremble.

After this, I will discuss the ending and talk about the new book with everyone on Weibo. At that time, all brothers and sisters are welcome to participate. My Sina Weibo name is Chen Dong, and it is verified. My Tencent Weibo name is the same.