Chapter 749: The Road to Return

In a vast wilderness within the Beidou Starfield, Pang Bo was dishevelled and covered in blood. His many wounds, glowing with a terrifying dark light, were stubbornly refusing to heal. Stars dotted the sky, the moonlight was stark and cold, and the cries of wild beasts echoed across the wilderness. He gazed at the starry sky, looking towards a distant end. He said, "Ye Zi, have you returned to our homeland? Have you been able to look after my parents for me? It's not that I don't want to go back, but I'm afraid of losing all hope. One of us has to survive. As long as one of us makes it back alive, it's the same; our parents will be looked after. I had planned that in the future, when we cross the void, going separately would give us a better chance. But it seems now... I might not make it."

He began to cough blood, but it was not bright red; it was black, and shrouded in a dark light. It was unclear what kind of injury he had sustained, or how he had been corroded by a mysterious force.

In the desolate, barren mountains of the Northern Region, the Monkey, wielding his dark iron staff, swept through his enemies with unparalleled might. Yet, wounds still appeared on his body, and drops of his fighting saint blood flew out; even the powerful physique of the Saint Ape clan could not withstand it.

Around him, seven or eight primeval beings flew back and forth. Each possessing boundless power, they attacked him, their divine traces appearing and transforming the area into another realm.

"Was it the Emperor's Son, that ungrateful wretch, who sent you to deal with me?" the Monkey sneered.

"Holy Imperial Son, you have only yourself to blame for all of this," one of the beings replied. "It is said that the Victorious Buddha of the Western Desert has perished, but it's uncertain whether he was truly the old Holy Emperor's younger brother. Yet, you choose this moment to antagonize the offspring of a deity, which is tantamount to defying the will of a god. You will not come to a good end."

"God, my ass!" the Monkey retorted fiercely. "Isn't he just an ungrateful brat? You can't kill me. One day, I will personally take his head and smash him to death with a single strike of my staff!" He was defiant, his fiery golden eyes blazing, and two beams of light shot straight into the sky.

"Holy Imperial Son, you are too confident. The Emperor's Son is a descendant of a deity," another being countered. "His talent is unparalleled, not just in this era, but throughout all of history, past, present, and future. He is destined to become the second Undying Emperor. No one can oppose him!"

"Invincible, my foot!" the Monkey scoffed. "Let him dare show his face before me, and I'll crush that ungrateful brat with one hand! If he dares to appear!"

In the Southern Region, Ji Haoyue, covered in blood, stood calmly before an ancient cave, blocking the path of an elder from the Ji family.

"Haoyue, the world is chaotic and terrifying right now," the Ji family elder sighed. "It's better to avoid trouble. All the ancient lands are trying to protect themselves and don't want to get involved in any disputes; they're all striving for self-preservation. The family hopes you will exercise restraint." He chose his words carefully to avoid alienating the Ji family's future heir.

"Second Grand-Uncle, please rest assured. I know what I'm doing. Nothing will happen; no one will know," Ji Haoyue said.

"The world is very chaotic now, and it will become even more terrifying in the future. Perhaps one day, our focus won't be on prosperity, but on sheer survival," the elder's voice was low, his sparse white hair and eyes filled with worry. He continued, "You possess the Divine King Physique. You are destined for great achievement; it's only a matter of time. However, who can predict the future? After all, the Primeval Myriad Races have their Ancient Kings. Only when you become a Saint one day will our clan truly be at ease. By then, with the Void Mirror in hand, we will fear no one, even if all Ancient Kings and Saints emerge. You will be able to slay them."

"Second Grand-Uncle, please be at ease. In the future, I will ensure our family stands eternally unyielding, and even if Ancient Kings emerge, they will not dare to threaten us."

"Truthfully, as long as you and Ziyue can cultivate successfully and grow strong, we won't be overly worried. In the future, travel less, so we can all be at peace." The Ji family elder, his body stooped, turned and left.

Silence fell. The ancient cave was Ji Haoyue's place of secluded cultivation, and from within came Li Heishui's weak voice. "Brother Haoyue, I've caused you too much trouble. Just let me die on my own."

"Don't speak like that again," Ji Haoyue said in a deep voice as he entered the cave.

"Just rest and recover; you'll be fine," Ji Ziyue said. She sat cross-legged in the void, streams of radiant light emanating from her body to help him heal his injuries.

"Don't waste your efforts; my life is almost over." Li Heishui's injuries were terrifying and simply would not heal; a mysterious power was destroying his vitality, and it was unstoppable.

"I'll go to Falling Eagle Cliff and check. Perhaps the Barbarian didn't die and is still alive," Ji Haoyue said.

"Brother Haoyue, don't take that risk. Not knowing if he's alive or dead might be the best news. Please, don't go. I don't want to see more bloodshed." Li Heishui continued, "Many years ago, I witnessed that dog's death. I saw Wu Zhongtian, Liu Kou, and Jiang Huai'en leave me, and it made me wish for death. My closest friends' bloodied faces still blur my vision, and every time, it wakes me from a nightmare. This truly is the greatest pain in the human world..."

"The people you mentioned might not all be dead, and that dog could still be alive. Don't despair; perhaps they will reappear in the world again soon."

Li Heishui let out a bitter laugh, tears streaming from his eyes, as wounds on his body burst open, splattering blood. He said, "I'm long past the age of fantasies. The real world is truly cruel..."

"Brother Heishui, please recover well. Believe that everything will get better. Perhaps... one day Ye Zi will also return, and all of us will have a day of reunion," Ji Ziyue gently comforted him.

In the Ziwei Ancient Starfield, in outer space.

The Eight Views Palace orbited the celestial body, catching up with a small heavenly palace ahead. It appeared to be docking and connecting with the palace.

Boom!

Finally, amidst purple mist and shimmering radiance, the Eight Views Palace collided with the palace ahead. Although it trembled violently, nothing was damaged. A mysterious power seemed to be at work between the two.

"This is..."

The group showed expressions of surprise. Standing inside the Eight Views Palace, they made no rash moves. Everything seemed very mysterious, as if the Eight Views Palace had specifically transported them here.

What was considered weightlessness in outer space was no problem at all for cultivators. After a moment of hesitation, Ye Fan stepped forward first. Naturally, he had summoned two ancient sacred artifacts as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances.

The exit of the Eight Views Palace precisely aligned with the main hall of the heavenly palace, allowing them to step inside smoothly. This was a palace whose age was unknown, having existed for countless years.

As they walked inside, it felt as though they had traveled through history, back to ancient times, arriving at a place where deities slumbered.

"That old man riding the ox, and that young fellow—they couldn't have died here, could they?" Li Tian mumbled.

"Say something auspicious for once. What if that person who calls himself the Ox God King appears? You'd be in serious trouble," Yan Yixi warned in a low voice.

Li Tian immediately shrank his neck, feeling a chill run down his spine. He recalled the unparalleled strength of that green ox. The thought of being crushed like a little chick made his hair stand on end.

Passing through this hall, Ye Fan saw a long scroll painting. It depicted an ancient city standing tall, an old man riding an ox journeying westward, and a middle-aged man respectfully greeting him.

Purple qi came from the east, spanning thirty thousand *li* and spreading across mountains and plains. The old man then entered the city, left behind a scripture, and continued his journey westward.

Then, Ye Fan was stunned. He finally understood the true meaning of "exiting Hangu Pass to the west." Stepping out of Hangu Pass's western gate actually led directly into a brilliant starry sky.

"This... how can this be? Where was that ancient city built? Why does opening its gate lead directly to the starry sky?"

Ye Fan was truly astonished. He knew that the middle-aged man in the painting, who welcomed and bowed to Laozi, must be Yin Xi, the historical guardian of Hangu Pass.

It now seemed that there were too many secrets involved. Ancient China possessed many baffling regions that defied comprehension.

Yin Xi, a figure in ancient history, did indeed kneel to welcome Laozi. But now, it seemed that the Hangu Pass he guarded held a special significance, connecting to the starry sky. It was a very mysterious city in ancient China!

Legends speak of many tales from Laozi's western journey, but no trace of those people or places could be found in ancient China because they were too mystical. It turned out everything happened in a starfield. With this truth, all the events of Laozi's fabled journey westward could now be connected.

"Yin Xi guarded an ancient city connected to the starry sky—a place so close to the divine. How could he possibly have been a mere mortal..."

Countless thoughts arose in Ye Fan's mind: did many places in ancient China, or rather, specific cities, hold extraordinary meaning and value?

"A Five-Colored Altar!" Yi Qingwu exclaimed softly.

Just ahead was an empty, utterly quiet hall, bearing no trace of time, where a large Five-Colored Altar had been built.

It was considerable in size, capable of crossing starfields—Ye Fan immediately made this judgment, his heart filled with excitement.

"Hahaha," Li Tian burst out laughing. He declared, "Beidou Starfield, here I come! Tremble, primeval maidens, for Li Tian, the Divine Son, is about to descend!"

"Junior Brother, you must temper your arrogance and impetuosity. As Brother Ye said, the Beidou Starfield will be filled with myriad powerful races. The goddesses of the primeval races could probably easily swat you dead," Yan Yixi said.

"As if my Goddess Furnace is vegetarian! I'll suppress all of them—goddesses, fairies, mystic maidens, saintesses—not a single one will be spared!"

Ye Fan stepped onto the Five-Colored Altar, his heart pounding with excitement. This was hope; a path for return had appeared.

However, despite all his attempts and countless efforts, the Five-Colored Altar showed no reaction, emitting no five-colored divine light.

"How can this be?" Ye Fan felt a pang of unease, fearing he wouldn't be able to activate it.

However, reality was cruel. All their efforts were futile; they could not activate the ancient formation platform or open the ancient star road.

"These five-colored crystals have exhausted their divine energy; they need effective replenishment to function," Yi Qingwu said.

Ye Fan understood this. He took out everything he had, but only found a few five-colored stones, which he had obtained from the ancient star where the Sun Saint Emperor's body lay.

Upon placing these crystals on the altar, it merely flickered with a faint divine light before dimming again, as the number of crystals he had was negligible.

"What do we do?" Finally, Ye Fan took out nearly all the treasures he possessed, trying each one to activate the Five-Colored Altar and open the ancient star road.

"What kind of creature is this?" Yi Qingwu asked in surprise, staring at the primeval king sealed within the divine source, who had a dragon's head and a human body.

"This guy's head is like a dragon's. I wonder if those things growing on his body would have the same effect?" Li Tian shrieked strangely.

Hum!

Suddenly, the void trembled, and a pitch-black hole appeared out of nowhere, instantly sucking in the primeval king sealed within the divine source.

"Trying to escape? Leave your dragon whip first! That's essential for spreading my Human Desire Dao!" Li Tian shouted.

However, a huge gravitational pull from the black hole dragged him inside as well.

"Junior Brother!" Yan Yixi exclaimed, reaching out to firmly pull Li Tian, but as a result, he too was drawn in.

Ye Fan quickly reached out, but he too was drawn in, as if summoned.

"This is the aura of the Northern Region of the Eastern Wasteland!" At that moment, he was greatly shocked and astonished, for he was all too familiar with this aura!

Did this passage connect to the Beidou Starfield? His heart was filled with bewilderment and immense disquiet.

"You should remain on this ancient star and cultivate to the Dao. The path ahead is uncertain and unpredictable, so don't follow us. I hope to see you when we cross the starfield in the future," Ye Fan told Yi Qingwu.

Yi Qingwu stood motionless. Naturally, she didn't want to leave. If Ye Fan were to leave this ancient star, she would regain her freedom, unless he reappeared and returned.

On the land of the Ziwei Ancient Starfield, a young man riding an ox on a westward journey sensed something the moment the Eight Views Palace ascended. He looked up at the sky and let out an angry roar.

Holding a half-page of an ancient divine scripture, he murmured to himself, "I will fully comprehend it. I will go to that ancient star and slay all of you!"