Chapter 1819: The Great Shattering Finale

Chapters Four and Five are being released together, marking the grand finale. The Heavenly Court had amassed an astonishing number of powerful figures in this era, with so many Great Emperors gathered in one place—a sight never before seen and unlikely to be repeated.

Ye Fan did not immediately lead his followers on the path to immortality. Instead, he instructed them to continue their cultivation and consolidate their lifetime's achievements. After more than seven hundred thousand years, he had finally gathered all the rare ingredients required to refine the Nine Revolutions Immortal Elixir. He meticulously crafted batch after batch, and even those who had previously consumed immortal medicines, such as Ji Zi and the White-Clothed Divine King, found this elixir profoundly effective.

Thousands of years later, with their lifetime's accomplishments consolidated, every individual had become incredibly powerful, reaching the pinnacle of the Grand Dao. Ye Fan then had them consume the Nine Revolutions Immortal Elixir, which restored them all to the vibrant prime of their youth, brimming with vitality.

With a deafening roar, a mighty sound emanated from the Heavenly Court's forbidden grounds. Ye Fan arrived, stepping into a vast cemetery. Softly, he spoke: "My comrades, who once fought by my side, I have come to fulfill my promise. I swore not only to lead you in leveling the forbidden zones, suppressing the ancient turmoil, and forging unparalleled glory, but also to guide you onto the path of immortality. That will be an even vaster and more magnificent battlefield. I am here!"

Boom! Ye Fan stomped his foot, and with a thunderous crack, all the grand tombs split open. Massive divine sources surged skyward, each encasing a Heavenly Soldier or Heavenly General. Though they had long aged into their twilight years, they remained alive, their vital energies preserved by the divine sources.

"You may be too old to fight now, but I will never forget my comrades and brothers from those days. Even if I perish in battle, I will lead you onto the Immortal Road, into the Immortal Realm!" Ye Fan roared. Before each grand tomb, the divine sources glowed with brilliant light, and every individual within opened their eyes. Their aged gazes, though clouded, brimmed with tears, and they trembled with excitement. At that moment, no more words were necessary; the Heavenly Emperor had arrived to fulfill his vow.

A stirring battle song had already begun, signaling the start of the campaign for the Immortal Road! The immense army surged forward. Several old acquaintances, brimming with vigor and might—all of whom Ye Fan had personally sealed in the past—rushed to join them. These included Pang Bo, Zhang Wenchang, Zhang Ziling, Tu Fei, Li Heishui, Dongfang Ye, Li Tian, Yan Yixi, as well as Dragon Horse, Wang Shu, Lei Bo, Ji Chengdao, Little Sparrow, and Xia Jiuyou.

These commanders led various divisions of the Heavenly Court. Among them, figures like Ji Haoyue and Li Ruoyu had also achieved emperorship during the last Heavenly Tribulation and were now ready to embark on the Immortal Road together. All those from the past who were thought lost reappeared, and other old acquaintances, such as Yao Guang Saint Lord Weiwei, Huo Liner, and Huo Qilin, also arrived.

All Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals of this era were assembled. The boundless army, vast and overwhelming, enveloped the starfield as Ye Fan prepared to lead everyone on the Immortal Road.

"Master, everyone is accounted for, except for Uncle Duan De. Is he still in reincarnation?" asked Little Heavenly Master Zhang Qingyang.

"There's no need to wait. We'll set off now," Ye Fan replied.

The entire universe trembled. People had never imagined they would witness such a magnificent spectacle! The Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals of this era, boundless in number, followed the Heavenly Emperor and a host of Great Emperors, preparing to ascend the path to heaven. They overshadowed the vast cosmos.

Battle songs reverberated throughout the universe as they ascended the path to heaven, their vast army eclipsing the sky! At the very heart of the formation was an ancient bronze coffin, surrounded by boundless divine sources that sealed the old soldiers and generals of yesteryear. Everyone guarded them carefully in the center.

"Open!" The Heavenly Emperor made his move, and in this era, people finally bore witness to his unparalleled might! With just a single punch, he tore open the cosmic barrier, piercing through it to create a massive passage and entering a peculiar world.

"This… is this the Immortal Realm?" Everyone trembled. Light rained down and myriad rays of colorful light shone forth. It was neither the correct time nor the correct location, yet the Heavenly Emperor had simply blasted it open.

"This is the Immortal Road, but we haven't reached the Immortal Realm yet, because I must meet someone along the way!" Some Great Emperors, including the Saint Prince, Dao Yi, and Zhang Bairen, observed a rupture at the end of the Immortal Road, leading to another world.

Ye Fan invited the Empress to enter and guard that point of rupture. He then personally held the path open, inviting everyone to begin their journey. The vast, endless army marched along the Immortal Road, stepping into a peculiar world.

"Not at the correct time, not in the correct location. Only by entering this world first can we breach the Immortal Realm," the Empress murmured. Then, her eyes suddenly sharpened. With a thunderous boom, she struck out with a palm, clashing once with an adversary.

A battle erupted immediately upon their entry into this world! Yet, no one worried for the Ruthless Empress; throughout the vast universe, none dared claim they could defeat her. The immense army fully entered this peculiar world, and Ye Fan, no longer needing to hold the passage open, strode in.

The individual who had exchanged a palm strike with the Empress bled from their mouth but remained unyielding, striking again. Everyone was aghast. What kind of world was this, to encounter someone capable of contending with the truly flawless Empress immediately upon arrival? That was a genuine Imperial Dao master! With a thunderous impact, the person was sent flying, coughing blood, their body tearing apart before exploding. They reformed their body in the distance, a look of profound shock on their face, unable to comprehend what had just happened, and swiftly fled. The Empress paid them no heed and did not pursue.

As an Immortal of the Mortal Realm, this was clearly not a full demonstration of her true combat prowess.

This was a vast world. Ye Fan and the Empress stood side by side, jointly analyzing it, and quickly gained an understanding. "This place is extraordinary," they concluded, "possessing a small amount of immortal substance, vast and boundless, and teeming with experts."

Most importantly, they uncovered an astonishing truth: this was a grand world that had been artificially evolved, an attempt to transform it into the Immortal Realm and mend a damaged world.

After more than two hundred thousand years, Ye Fan and the Ruthless Empress meticulously re-deduced, and with insights gained from the immortal medicine, they largely understood that the Immortal Realm was now devoid of Immortals; all had perished in the immortal war of that ancient era.

In truth, although the Immortal Realm of that era was densely populated, genuine Immortals were few, numbering less than a hundred; the others had not reached that peak. This, of course, refers to their cultivation realm and combat power. Longevity, however, was a different matter, as that world contained immortal and longevity-granting substances that allowed even those who hadn't achieved that realm through their own cultivation to live forever.

The Immortal Realm was damaged, with no one remaining an Immortal, and it was cut off from the Mortal Realm. Only occasionally would cracks appear, but virtually no one could seize such an opportunity to enter. Because of its damage, the Immortal Realm's laws would block anyone attempting to enter, as a form of self-protection. Otherwise, it was rumored that during the Ancient Immortal Era, powerful beings at the Immortal Second Realm could ascend to the Immortal World, and Saints were said to be indestructible and eternal through countless eons in that realm.

All rules had changed, which is why even powerful Great Emperors could not breach it now. To enter the Immortal Realm, one had to achieve immortality within the Mortal Realm to pierce the passage between worlds and truly gain entry. Moreover, only Immortals possessed the capability to repair and further develop that world in the years to come.

Consequently, Ye Fan had achieved immortality within the Mortal Realm, a state the Ruthless Empress had also maintained for many years.

"Be careful," Ye Fan transmitted, "this world holds not only the Undying Heavenly Emperor but also another powerful individual. Otherwise, the Wu Shi Great Emperor would not have been preoccupied."

He directly seized the Heavenly Heart Imprint of this world, instantly perceiving many secrets.

"Roar…" Suddenly, a mighty roar echoed. An Immortal Phoenix, wings spread, soared skyward, leading an endless army. This world was vast and teeming with countless experts.

"Undying Heavenly Emperor, prepare to forfeit your life!" the Black Emperor roared, now truly an Imperial Dao master. With a resounding hum, the Black Emperor let out a long howl, tearing open the void with a flick of his hand and unleashing a green jade turtle that plunged into the enemy army.

With a tremendous explosion, endless corpse qi erupted, causing countless casualties and almost affecting even the Imperial Dao masters. The Undying Heavenly Emperor's expression shifted; it was the corpse qi he had left behind in the past. He swept his wings, instantly eradicating all the corpse qi, neutralizing it completely.

The Immortal Phoenix transformed into a humanoid figure and descended, saying, "Everyone, there are no irreconcilable grievances in this world. Entering the Immortal Realm is not so simple; it requires at least three Mortal Realm Immortals to attack in concert, and the correct coordinates must be chosen. Otherwise, we either won't break through, or we risk further damaging the Immortal Realm. What if we joined forces?"

No one had expected the Undying Heavenly Emperor to utter such words. His figure was heroic and imposing; standing there, he bore no trace of age, appearing to be in his early twenties, his splendor unmatched.

"Excuse me, but we have enough people; we don't need you. As for the correct location, I possess it right here." Ye Fan then raised the Immortal Treasure Map, the ancient diagram he had acquired from the Myriad Dragon Nest, which had originally belonged to the Ruthless Empress.

Later, he studied it alongside the Empress and finally understood its true nature: it recorded the imprints of the Mortal Realm's universe and, moreover, concealed the spatial map of the Immortal Realm.

"Undying Heavenly Emperor, forfeit your life! You ambushed my grandfather back then, then attacked Brother Xiao Song, causing the deaths of Great Emperor after Great Emperor. Die!" The Little Saint Ape roared, charging forward with his immortal iron rod.

"Kill!" A roar also came from behind the Undying Heavenly Emperor. They were not lacking in Imperial Dao masters; several stood abreast, charging forward.

"Boom!" In the distance, overwhelming fluctuations surged, sweeping through all directions and making even the Imperial Dao masters tremble. "Great Emperor!" the Black Emperor cried out, tears streaming down his face, no longer able to control himself.

That was a majestic figure, whose heroic bearing was awe-inspiring. With thick black hair and a wise gaze that could pierce through everything, the myriad Daos of heaven and earth trembled and wailed at his every gesture. His presence was unparalleled in the world. "Who is the peak at the end of the Immortal Road? Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao becomes void!" This saying had been passed down for countless ages, and now, the people of this era finally witnessed its truth. It was no exaggeration; he was already a Mortal Realm Immortal, his achievements surpassing all of history. However, his enemy, a native of this peculiar world, had also reached this same realm, also a Mortal Realm Immortal.

For many years, the Wu Shi Great Emperor had faced the combined assault of the Undying Heavenly Emperor and this other individual, a struggle whose difficulty was immense. Though the Wu Shi Great Emperor had followers, none had yet achieved the Mortal Realm Immortal status; otherwise, these years would not have been so arduous.

Now, however, everything changed. With the arrival of Ye Fan and the Empress, the balance of Mortal Realm Immortals had shifted. He was no longer afraid and completely unleashed his full power.

A world-shaking battle erupted. The Wu Shi Great Emperor confronted the Mortal Realm Immortal, unleashing a palm strike that reversed heaven and earth, even causing time to flow backward—a truly astonishing sight. He was incomparably mighty, facing such an expert with disdain, striking with overwhelming force that shook the past, present, and future.

"Upon seeing Wu Shi, the Dao becomes void—the ancients truly did not deceive me!" Many exclaimed in awe. "Destroy them all!" the Undying Heavenly Emperor commanded, brandishing his immortal blade and pointing it at Ye Fan and the boundless army behind him.

Behind him stood countless experts, not to mention numerous Imperial Dao figures. If they were to charge, the Great Emperors would remain unscathed, but the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals would undoubtedly face complete annihilation.

"Form the array!" Ye Fan commanded. With a resounding hum, an array map soared into the sky. Ye Xian, Shen Wa, Little Silkworm, Huang Ya's granddaughter (the Grand Immortal Body), Little Saint Ape, and Ye Yishui, each wielding a killing sword, entered the formation's core. They instantly enveloped this world, blocking all adversaries.

"Undying Heavenly Emperor, today we fight to the death!" Ye Fan strode forward. It was a clash of Mortal Realm Immortals, two supreme powerhouses of all ages—one hailed as the Heavenly Emperor, the other as the Heavenly Sovereign. One was destined to fall.

At this moment, words were superfluous; only a death match remained. With a thunderous crash, Ye Fan struck with a punch, while the Undying Heavenly Emperor diagonally slashed with his left palm, which transformed into a clanging, five-colored phoenix wing. Their fierce impact was akin to the creation of heaven and earth.

The Empress took action, stabilizing the area to prevent residual shockwaves from impacting the array's operation.

"Kill!" On Ye Fan's side, the Saint Prince, Dao Yi, Zhang Bairen, Ye Tong, and Xiao Song all launched their attacks. With the grand array formed by the six young ones leading the charge, they complemented each other, sweeping away all in their path with overwhelming force.

The opposing Imperial Dao masters also came forth, deploying their own killing formations, leading to fierce clashes.

Only the Empress stood alone on the battlefield, unparalleled in grace. The presence of an additional Mortal Realm Immortal was the greatest deterrent, inflicting a devastating blow to the morale of the Undying Heavenly Emperor's faction.

"Clang!" The five-colored immortal blade descended, met by Ye Fan's soaring immortal cauldron. Their collision produced the most dazzling sparks. The precious cauldron remained unharmed, but a chip appeared on the immortal blade.

The Undying Heavenly Emperor was startled, realizing the opponent's cauldron was truly extraordinary.

With a thunderous boom, they engaged in a confrontation at the peak of the Grand Dao, a life-and-death struggle between Mortal Realm Immortals. Ye Fan combined the Nine Secrets, unleashing an annihilating, peerless divine art. Unexpectedly, the Undying Heavenly Emperor employed the same technique, having also collected all Nine Secrets long ago.

"Boom!" Heaven and earth shattered, and this immortal continent was nearly destroyed, only to be instantly stabilized again by a stomp from the Ruthless Empress.

"Undying Immortal Phoenix Seal!" the Heavenly Emperor roared, setting aside his five-colored immortal blade to engage the immortal cauldron. He transformed into an Immortal Phoenix, diving down, and formed a colossal divine seal before him, enveloping Ye Fan beneath it.

"Heavenly Emperor Fist!" Ye Fan roared, his disheveled hair flying. He charged upward, meeting force with force, shaking the heavens as he confronted the Undying Immortal Phoenix Seal.

The river of time shattered, and ancient and modern eras were thrown into disarray. The temporal forces between them were obliterated, leading to a massive collapse.

"Kill!" And so, they battled fiercely, immortal blood splattering from both sides.

"Father, I'm here to help you!" In the distance, an Immortal Phoenix cried out, its immense magical power boundless and unparalleled. It was incredibly powerful, having nearly reached the Mortal Realm Immortal stage.

"Brother Hua Hua, take my place! I'll go confront that phoenix!" Ye Yishui shouted. Hua Hua, who had long achieved Buddhahood, entered the array with a solemn and majestic demeanor. Taking the killing sword, he struck with a benevolent expression but showed no mercy. His killing sword swept through, unleashing boundless blood light, each strike obliterating thousands of troops.

Ye Yishui charged forth, engaging her old adversary. Father and son fought side by side on the battlefield.

"Boom!" A tremendous sound echoed from afar. The battle between the Wu Shi Great Emperor and the Mortal Realm Immortal reached its conclusion. With a single palm strike, he suppressed his adversary, causing them to cough up great mouthfuls of blood and shattering bones throughout their body.

Just as in the past, he suppressed the divine self-body forged from the Undying Heavenly Emperor's belief power with just one hand, forcing his opponent to remain bowed.

The Wu Shi Bell, long since an immortal artifact, rang once, shaking the individual so severely that they coughed up blood, their body shattered inch by inch, even their primordial spirit extinguished, and then exploded.

The Wu Shi Great Emperor had slain a Mortal Realm Immortal! The Undying Heavenly Emperor's eyes turned crimson. For all these years, he had never managed to truly defeat this adversary, and he had not expected him to persevere until this day and receive reinforcements.

"Boom!" Ye Fan's disheveled hair flew, his eyes flashing with cold lightning. He unleashed his own Dao and Dharma, contending with the Undying Heavenly Emperor in a desperate, final battle. No one dared to approach; all watched the intense confrontation.

"Clang!" Suddenly, the Undying Heavenly Blade abandoned the Immortal Cauldron, turned, and slashed down, aiming for the back of Ye Fan's head.

Ye Fan didn't turn his head, instead thrusting his fist directly. His entire body glowed, almost burning, and with a "clang," he shattered the five-colored Heavenly Blade.

The Wu Shi Great Emperor approached, his body stained with the blood of a Mortal Realm Immortal. The Empress, pristine in her white robes, also cut off any escape route. The outcome was now sealed.

However, Ye Fan did not invite them to intervene. With a prolonged roar, he fully unleashed the Heavenly Emperor's methods, his entire being transforming into divine light that swept forward.

"Pfft!" In the climactic battle, one of the Undying Heavenly Emperor's phoenix immortal wings was ripped off, and immortal rain scattered.

"Father!" his son cried out.

"Boom!" Ye Fan mercilessly struck, his eyes flashing with cold lightning. He cleaved the Heavenly Emperor in two, utterly defeating his formidable foe.

"Hahaha…" The Heavenly Emperor, his primordial spirit torn, let out a tragic laugh. "As a child, I accidentally stumbled into a void rift, a rarity of ages, and fell from the Immortal Realm into the mortal world. I always yearned to return and finally achieved the status of a Mortal Realm Immortal. Not even that world possesses such masters now. Yet, I never imagined I would fall on this path."

Everyone was astonished upon hearing this! "You brought this upon yourself," Ye Fan declared, stepping forward. Heaven and earth shattered as he pulverized the Undying Heavenly Emperor. Then, the immortal cauldron descended, gathering all of his shattered body and primordial spirit fragments. With a gentle tremor, only dust fell, and an Imperial Imprint appeared on the cauldron's wall.

Simultaneously, Ye Yishui slew the young Immortal Phoenix.

With no remaining suspense, Ye Fan's forces swept away all adversaries with overwhelming might.

Heaven and earth fell silent, blood stained the ground, and finally, the resounding clash of battle swords ceased. People cheered loudly.

Ye Fan, the Empress, and Wu Shi—three Mortal Realm Immortals—united, poised to open the gate to the Immortal Realm.

Suddenly, an inexplicable aura emerged, devouring all things. The heavens and earth slowly transformed into a massive cauldron, intending to refine everyone within.

"It's him; he truly isn't dead!" the Wu Shi Great Emperor whispered, his gaze wise and unwavering.

"Di Zun, you're still alive!" Ye Fan roared. As his voice rang out, it shook heaven and earth, and everyone was in an uproar.

In the past, Ye Fan had brought fragments of the Di Zun Cauldron to the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, where he and the Ruthless Empress studied them. They reached an astonishing conclusion: Di Zun's Dao had never truly dissipated.

"It is I. From time immemorial, I have overseen the refining of a single furnace. This entire world shall become my cauldron, and I shall lead you all to immortality," a majestic voice resonated. He intended to refine and absorb everyone's Dao fruits.

"Come, Investiture of the Gods!" the Wu Shi Great Emperor commanded. A divine diagram reappeared and reassembled in the heavens and earth. Over long ages, it had etched the imprints of this world, and now sought to interfere with the formation of Di Zun's World Cauldron.

The Investiture of the Gods had not truly been destroyed on the path to immortality, and now it reappeared.

"It's useless. I have already melted the entire Mortal Realm into it. That universe is destined for extinction, to become my cauldron, drawing all of you into its vast furnace," the majestic voice declared with chilling indifference.

"You are utterly ruthless! Not only do you intend to transform this place into your cauldron, but you also mean to destroy the Mortal Realm itself," everyone thought, their hearts pounding.

"You're celebrating too early," Ye Fan sneered.

"Boom!" A deafening sound erupted, and another world trembled violently.

"My dear disciple, have you forgotten your master?" Another voice resounded as the barrier between the Mortal Realm and this world was pierced, revealing Duan De's presence. The nine reincarnation seals had united, fusing into one. He had truly achieved immortality within the Mortal Realm and had now arrived.

There, a Desolate Pagoda and an Immortal Bell held the Mortal Realm universe steady. Even with Di Zun's immense power, he could not refine it in a short time. The Immortal Bell and Desolate Pagoda had, of course, been left behind by Ye Fan and the Ruthless Empress and entrusted to Duan De.

Di Zun had secretly inscribed countless runes within the Mortal Realm and meticulously laid myriad contingencies in this world, hoping one day to refine both realms into a cauldron, thus forging the supreme immortal artifact.

Unfortunately, he failed at the final step. The Wu Shi Great Emperor had already sensed his intentions, recording all the ripple trajectories of this world with the Investiture of the Gods, capable of disrupting the formation of the World Cauldron. As for the Mortal Realm, Ye Fan and the Ruthless Empress had already cleared most of it. Now, with Duan De's reappearance, Di Zun's heart grew cold.

In the past, when he was attacked by many, he had not truly died; instead, he had faked his demise to orchestrate a monumental plan.

His so-called "sect-wide ascension" and "emperors transcending together" from back then were, in fact, merely schemes for his own self-perfection. However, he left behind clues, and when others realized he intended to kill them all, they retaliated.

"There's nothing more to say. Kill!" Ye Fan, the Empress, and Wu Shi simultaneously launched their most ferocious attack, blasting towards the sky.

This battle was fierce, yet its outcome held no surprises. They ultimately shattered the World Cauldron, found Di Zun, who was also a Mortal Realm Immortal, and promptly slew him, his blood splattering across the starry sky.

"Alas, was he truly my disciple?" Duan De shook his head, reflecting on their complex relationship as both teacher and friend, unable to utter another word.

The four Mortal Realm Immortals united to open the Immortal Realm, and the vast army marched forward.

Immortal light danced, and a radiant shower filled the sky. The massive portal astonished many, and its immense fluctuations naturally alerted everyone in the Immortal Realm.

In the crowd, Kou Xiaoxiao held the Immortal Linglong, her face streaked with tears. The supreme treasure emitted a soft wail as she whispered, "Mortal ties are broken; we shall meet on the path to immortality."

Ye Yishui, meanwhile, carried her mother, sealed within the divine source, and strode forward.

Little Niangniang reappeared, perched on Ye Fan's shoulder, smiling joyfully, while the Empress stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ye Fan.

In the distance, the alerted inhabitants of the Immortal Realm appeared. Among them, a woman in purple robes had long been shedding clear tears, but now radiated a joyful smile as she rapidly rushed forward.

"I knew it was you! It had to be you!" she cried and laughed, her face a mix of tears and joy.

"Father!" From behind her, another young girl rushed forward.

"We have many tasks ahead," the Wu Shi Great Emperor murmured. "The Immortal Realm needs to be repaired."

The Nine Dragons pulling the Coffin approached slowly.

"There can only be a few true Immortals left; many more cannot emerge," Duan De sighed softly, having discerned the secret of the Immortal Realm's origin.