Chapter 692: Arrival at the Ancient Ziwei Star Domain

Ye Fan sat cross-legged in the void, gazing from the eternal darkness towards the Big Dipper Starfield. Faint lights shone there, and familiar faces came to mind. He wondered how they were doing now.

Seven years had passed; much must have happened. What had become of his old enemies and friends? Were things still as they once were?

Zhou Yi, Wang Ziwen, Lin Jia, and others had not met since they parted ways. Were they still alive? What was Pang Bo, his old friend with whom he had shared life and death, doing?

Had Li Heishui, Jiang Huairen, and Wu Zhongtian reunited with Tu Fei, who had been thrown into the Northern Plains?

Was that scoundrel Black Emperor still wreaking havoc and causing trouble throughout the land? Yet, a faint unease settled over him; he worried for the dog. Had something bad happened?

After seven years, had Little Nannan grown up? What changes had she undergone?

Was Ji Ziyue, that beautiful girl radiating charm both inside and out, gazing up at the starry sky now? Was she still gnawing on her little fangs, silently chanting his name?

Ji Haoyue, with his innate invincible physique, could he now be considered the foremost among the younger generation in the Eastern Wasteland?

Thinking of him, the figure of the Shaking Light Saint Son inevitably appeared—a truly extraordinary genius whose depths could not be plumbed. Had he truly soared to prominence? When he made his move, it might shake the heavens and astonish the world!

What achievements had the Holy Maiden of Jade Lake, Yao Xi, Yan Ruyu, the Golden-winged Little Peng King, Xia Jiuyou, the Central Emperor, the Southern Demon, the Western Bodhisattva, and so many others, attained by now?

Had the strongest divine sons of the Human World and Hell divine dynasties, who specialized in slaying kings, emerged? What kind of pressure had they exerted on the kings of the Five Regions?

Had any major events occurred in the Holy Lands of the Eastern Wasteland, the Central State Divine Dynasty, and the many ancient temples of the Western Desert over the years?

Was the sickly old man the 9,000-year-old Gai Jiuyou? What was his physical condition now? Was the Victorious Fighting Buddha on Mount Sumeru truly the monkey's uncle, and what was his current cultivation level? Had the ancient royal families emerged, and what pressure would they put on humanity?

In the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, the nine dragons had pulled the coffin away. Had any changes occurred beneath that boundless abyss?

In Undying Mountain, which contained Netherworld Grass, Black Tortoise Divine Medicine, the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree, and the Sacred Spirit formed from Immortal Tears Green Gold—was the supreme being guarded by the headless knight in its deepest reaches about to emerge?

The Primeval Ancient Mine, the most mysterious place, which even the ten thousand races dared not approach before ancient times. He had once seen it swallowing moonlight and starlight, a vast expanse of white with ancient corpses floating. Now that ancient beings were reviving, could it finally reveal the secrets of eternity?

In the Divine Ruins, with its Southern Heavenly Gate and ancient Heavenly Court palaces, had the monkey gone to seek the undying peach tree of the Battle Saint Ape clan?

The Immortal Mausoleum, rumored to be a vast graveyard of immortals—were true immortals buried there? He had never visited it.

So many things. Ye Fan, lost in thought for a moment, suddenly recalled many past events from the Big Dipper Starfield, most of them centered in the Eastern Wasteland.

"I intended to risk my life to return home," he mused, "but I unexpectedly drifted into the cosmos. Now, I probably have no way back."

Facing the vast cosmos, he truly felt his own insignificance. Not only was his small body trivial, but even a large star or an entire starfield was nothing, as minuscule as a speck of dust.

In this boundless starry expanse, humanity was truly too small, and human power seemed utterly negligible. To travel from one starfield to another might require flying for hundreds of lifetimes.

Not to mention crossing from one end of the dark universe to another ancient domain—that was truly too difficult, almost impossible to achieve.

"Most likely, I will drift forever, as cosmic dust, until the end of my life, never to see anyone again," Ye Fan sighed softly.

There was nothing to be done; he was powerless to change it. Unless he continuously broke through realms and became an ancient saint-like being, he might never return.

"It's been seven years, why do I always feel this dreadful apprehension? Has something happened? If any of my old friends have fallen in battle, I won't even be able to bid them farewell."

Ye Fan was suddenly startled. Could it be that someone had truly died? Why, when he occasionally felt uneasy, was he even roused from meditation? Could it be that a major upheaval had truly occurred in the Eastern Wasteland and other places?

"Some of my enemies are truly unfathomable," he thought. "If they vent their anger on Pang Bo and the others, that would be terrible..."

The two divine sons of the Assassin Dynasty had never appeared. The people of the Myriad Dragon Nest would sooner or later find out he had led others to cause trouble there...

In the dark cosmos, Ye Fan sighed softly, feeling helpless. He was now a Saint Lord-level figure, but even with immense divine powers, he couldn't help.

"A Great Power-level Sacred Body," he lamented, "but I can't deter them!"

For seven long years, he had drifted alone in the lifeless cosmos, enduring boundless solitude, finally achieving his current accomplishments.

Compared to before, his cultivation speed over these seven years wasn't exceptionally fast, but it was incredibly solid, every step firmly grounded. This was necessary if he wanted to attain Dao.

However, compared to others, this cultivation speed was still considered very fast.

Suddenly, Ye Fan's heart jolted. The old man in green beside him seemed to revive, his dim, lifeless eyes suddenly glowing in the dark night sky, like two exploding stars.

From his gaze, two incomplete five-colored altars flew out, then collided, forming a perfectly intact ancient array platform.

"This is..." Ye Fan was greatly astonished.

This was all too unexpected. The divine thought, which he had believed to be destroyed and almost non-existent, had repeatedly surprised him, and now it had produced an altar.

"Send me back to the Ziwei Ancient Star, and I'll grant you good fortune. Abandon me, and face curses for a hundred generations..."

The old man in green looked terrifying as he uttered these low words, then his body rapidly vanished, flowing into the five-colored altar.

Finally, only a phantom remained, clutching the stone coffin, repeating the mantra-like words from before, staring fixedly at Ye Fan.

"If you can open the path to the Ziwei Ancient Starfield, then it's certainly no problem," Ye Fan replied. He felt truly lonely in this desolate cosmos, devoid of any signs of life. If an opportunity arose, he naturally wished to leave and enter a life-bearing region.

*Whoosh!*

Light intensified, and the old man in green grew even more ethereal. His essence flowed into the five-colored altar, which was only two meters in diameter. Then, a small pagoda fell from his brow, and both he and the stone coffin submerged into it.

*Clink!*

The pagoda was minuscule, no bigger than the tip of a finger, and it landed on the five-colored altar with a clear, crisp sound.

Ye Fan was amazed. Could a being formed from the malevolent thought of a deity truly ask for his help? Could they truly set sail once more?

He waited for a long time, but the small five-colored altar showed no change. Finally, Ye Fan picked up the tiny pagoda, then circulated his essence, injecting it into the five-colored altar just as the old man in green had done.

At last, the five-colored altar was activated. Energy from the dark cosmos surged like water—energy he could sense but not absorb.

*Boom!*

In this dark expanse, an exceptionally brilliant divine light surged forth, the first of its kind in hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of years.

The five-colored altar glowed splendidly, its five divine lights forming a two-meter-high small bagua, which created a spatial wormhole and drew Ye Fan inside.

"The Ziwei Ancient Emperor Star!"

Through the profound spatial wormhole, Ye Fan saw a massive purple star radiating divine splendor, fixed at the eternal end of the void.

Was that the Ziwei Main Star from ancient Chinese myths and legends? Ye Fan was thrilled. The ancients had imbued it with so much mystery, and now, he might actually be going to that starfield.

The Stargate opened a deep, secluded passage leading straight ahead. Ye Fan traveled swiftly, with starlight occasionally flickering past him.

His heart was filled with apprehension, unsure if he would reach his destination this time. After all, his previous attempts to cross had all failed, leaving him stranded midway, even forcing him to abandon the nine dragons pulling the coffin.

Starlight flickered, and the ancient path seemed to recede. Ye Fan felt time and light distort, and the spatial passage shift; everything became unreal.

Finally, with a mighty roar, he appeared within the starfield centered around that purple star, immediately sensing an unusual aura.

"The aura of an ancient Great Emperor!"

"The deterrence of a Heavenly Emperor?!"

Ye Fan's heart violently shook. At first, he thought it was someone who had achieved Dao in front of him, but careful sensing revealed it originated from this starfield. Only then did he truly understand how extraordinary this ancient starfield was.

Before he could think further, the spatial passage twisted and wound, rapidly transporting him out and propelling him towards an ancient life-bearing region.

Wind whistled in Ye Fan's ears, roaring, making him feel as though he was burning. He had emerged from the wormhole and was now falling towards an ancient star.

"This time, I succeeded! I've arrived at a life-bearing region within the Ziwei Ancient Starfield!" He could hardly believe it. After seven years of drifting in the cosmos with no hope left, he had, in the blink of an eye, arrived at an ancient life-bearing star.

An ancient world from myths and legends! The more Ye Fan thought about it, the more incredible it seemed. He had never imagined he would one day truly descend and personally arrive here.

This was a massive, boundless star, giving an immensely grand sensation. Ye Fan had broken through and was now plummeting towards the ground.

Falling at extreme speed, the scorching temperature made him feel as if he was burning. He conjured his cauldron, entered it, and rapidly approached this ancient life-bearing region.

The Myriad Things Mother Qi Cauldron, like a meteor, streaked across the sky, swiftly falling towards this land. Seen from high above, it was profoundly breathtaking.

The land was boundless and vast, with towering mountains piercing the clouds, mighty rivers stretching for tens of thousands of miles, and numerous immortal lands where spiritual energy soared to the heavens.

This was a magnificent world, grand yet beautiful, majestic yet ethereal, stirring the soul.

The cauldron, heavy and powerful, descended from outside the domain and plunged into an immortal land.

With a colossal crash, as if the heavens and earth were shaking, it smashed down a cliff, sending up clouds of dust and rocks flying everywhere.

Nearby, a silver waterfall cascaded, splashing countless sprays. All the spirit trees around were snapped, and all the precious herbs were flattened and scattered.

A flock of spirit birds cried out in distress, startled, they soared into the sky and fled into the distance.

"Who dares trespass into my Eight Scenic Palace of Xuandu Cave?!" Just then, a rosy-lipped, white-toothed boy flew over, demanding loudly.

Inside the cauldron, Ye Fan paused, finding the place the boy mentioned somewhat familiar.

Suddenly, he was jolted awake. Wasn't it rumored that Laozi's dwelling was the Eight Scenic Palace of Xuandu Cave in the Grand Heaven? This was... could it be that he had arrived at *that* place?!