Chapter 920: Ascending the Five-Color Altar for the Final Battle

"You need to think this through carefully," the monkey said seriously. "Putting everything else aside, just getting past the desolate ancient forbidden land will be incredibly difficult. And even if you manage to step onto the ancient starry road and reach the other shore, what if it's all for nothing?"

This was a real possibility. Even if Ye Fan endured countless hardships to return, there was no guarantee he would see his parents. So many years had passed; things might no longer be as they were.

"Perhaps it really will be for nothing," Ye Fan murmured to himself. "Even if I return home, I might find nothing. But if I don't go back, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

By his reckoning, he had been away from Earth for over twenty years. His parents had already shown signs of aging back then, and anything could have happened in the intervening years.

There was no more time to lose; Ye Fan truly couldn't delay any longer. If he returned even a few years later, there would be almost no suspense or hope left. For years, his heart had known no peace, always burdened by a sense of anxiety.

"No matter the outcome, even if the worst happens, I must go back. Otherwise, I will never find peace in this life."

Regardless of the path ahead, Ye Fan was determined to make his way back. Such was human nature and affection; he found it hard to abandon everything here, yet he could not possibly leave his parents uncared for.

"You... take care. I will pray for you every day." Ji Ziyue's eyes were misty as she pointed to the sky, telling him that if he missed his loved ones, he could look up every night. The shortest and longest distances in the world were both matters of the heart.

"So you're truly leaving," Qi Luo sighed, patting Ye Fan's shoulder. "If our paths diverge, I hope that one day you can find your way back."

Everyone knew this was almost impossible. Barring any miracles, this would likely be their last time seeing Ye Fan. If even they didn't know the coordinates of the Big Dipper Star Domain, how could he possibly return?

"This humble Daoist actually wanted to go with you to the other end of the starry sky for some great archaeological research," Duan De said as he stepped forward to say goodbye, "but unfortunately, it's hard to cultivate there, so I dare not go."

"Here, use this when you enter the forbidden zone later." The big black dog opened its mouth and spat out a small purple jade gourd, no bigger than a thumb. When opened, it emitted a vibrant glow and rich fragrance, giving a sensation of ascending to immortality, causing every pore in one's body to open up.

An immortal medicine!

Everyone was stunned. No one had ever imagined that the most greedy and shameless dog would possess such an item, let alone be willing to part with it at a crucial moment.

"Where did you get this?" The others couldn't believe it.

Divine phoenixes seemed to dance within, crimson light scattering, immortal radiance shimmering, and a fresh fragrance filling the air. It was as if a phoenix was trapped inside the small purple jade gourd, surrounded by world-shaking phenomena.

"This is the Immortal Phoenix Medicine of Emperor Wu Shi!" the big black dog declared.

Of course, it wasn't an entire divine medicine. It contained only four drops of the divine phoenix medicine's essence blood, each drop capable of bringing the dead back to life and regenerating flesh and bone.

Several years ago, it had almost died but was saved by Little Nannan's tears. Afterward, for self-preservation, it entered Purple Mountain and took a few drops of divine liquid from that immortal medicine, carrying them with it ever since.

"That damn bird became a spirit, or maybe it was an old acquaintance," it grumbled. "I begged and pleaded endlessly just to get these four drops; it wouldn't give any more."

No one had expected the big black dog to be so generous at the last moment. In the past, it was known for exploiting those close to it, snatching any treasure it saw, leaving nothing behind, not even a crooked gourd.

"You gave us the Saint Fruit and the True Dragon Immortal Medicine drops, and now you're lacking something like this for yourself," the big black dog snarled, baring its teeth. "Take it quickly before this emperor changes his mind."

Ye Fan didn't refuse. As he was about to cross over, he truly needed such an item for self-preservation. The monkey and the others tried to return the Saint Fruit and the True Dragon medicine liquid to him, but he declined. Four drops of the Immortal Phoenix liquid were enough, sufficient for several perilous passages.

The fragrant scent of the medicine startled everyone nearby, drawing many greedy glances. However, upon seeing the purple jade gourd in Ye Fan's hand, no one dared to make a move. They all feared provoking this god of slaughter.

"Bon voyage!" Knowing that there was no way to keep Ye Fan, they could only see him off, offering their heartfelt blessings.

"You all take care too!" Ye Fan looked at them, wishing to engrave each and every one of them in his heart forever.

Then, he resolutely turned around, divine radiance flowing from his hands. This incomplete corner of the Five-Colored Altar was collected and placed into his spatial artifact, to be used to complete the true altar.

Many from the ancient races and other major human factions were unwilling to let him go, but they dared not obstruct him. The Demon Suppressing Pot was fluctuating, and no one wanted to engage in a major conflict over just a corner of an altar, which was not of much use by itself.

Ye Fan strode away, entering the ancient teleportation array and walking towards the golden gate, through which he would soon depart.

"Little Ye Zi!" Ji Ziyue cried aloud, tears streaming down her face in pairs, sliding over her pale, beautiful cheeks and dampening her clothes.

Ye Fan felt a pang of sadness. He mumbled to himself, waved his arm, and looked at them. He was reluctant to leave, but he had no choice.

"Don't forget, there are old friends here waiting for your return."

Although they said this, they knew it was likely the last time they would see Ye Fan. The desolate universe was too vast, and they might never meet again in this lifetime.

"Goodbye!" Ye Fan resolutely turned and stepped into the golden gate.

Looking back once more, the woman in purple was still there, waving vigorously, shouting something loudly, and trying hard to smile, but crystal tears streaked her pale face.

Ye Fan pulled off a jade pendant, which transformed into a beam of light and flew to Ji Ziyue's hand.

It was an flawless piece of mutton-fat jade, translucent and beautiful, with virtually no imperfections. It was something Ye Fan had carried close to him for many years.

About to embark on a long journey, he didn't want to say too much or leave more sorrow. Only this item could serve as a memento. Ye Fan took a step, and thus began his journey.

The Monkey, Duan De, Black Emperor, Dongfang Ye, and others also watched him go.

"Ye Fan..." Ji Ziyue cried bitterly.

Dongfang Ye and the others also felt a sting in their eyes. They had once fought side by side, faced life and death together, and roamed the world as one. Now, they were forced to separate, scattered across the vast expanse, unlikely to ever meet again in this lifetime.

"Farewell, my friends!" These were Ye Fan's last words before he vanished from the ancient teleportation array.

All the heroes of the world watched in silence, completely astonished. They realized that Ye Fan was about to depart, leaving this world!

"The Human Saint Body is leaving!"

"He returned after a twelve-year absence, but now it seems he's truly leaving forever, never to come back. This world will be missing a contender on the path to emperorship!"

This was clearly a major event, causing a huge uproar. The ancestral temple buzzed with chatter as many people began to discuss it.

Undoubtedly, the world of the future would lack a peerless powerhouse. This was a significant event everyone could foresee. The Human Saint Body would disappear from this world, and his participation would be missed.

"Without the Great Accomplishment Saint Body's participation, the path to emperorship feels truly incomplete."

"Several ancient imperial princes emerging are enough. Otherwise, if the Saint Body were to reach Great Accomplishment one day, there's no telling how many heroes might fall, and perhaps countless bones and blood would be spared."

Many elder figures among the human race secretly lamented the pity. Ye Fan's departure was, in a sense, a great loss for humanity.

However, many among the ancient races rejoiced. Without the Human Saint Body, the future seemed much brighter. That human hero, who could slay the eighth generation descendant of the Yuan Emperor, had been suffocating their younger generation.

"This jade pendant..." Duan De stared at the mutton-fat jade in Ji Ziyue's hand. It was naturally formed, without knife marks, and had a red string tied at the top. He couldn't help but murmur to himself, "It looks very similar to the jade pendant thrown onto the Wu Shi Dao Platform. Could it be a reincarnation?"

He muttered softly, glancing at Ji Ziyue, and thinking of that female saint. A shiver ran down his spine. As a grave robber for many years, he fundamentally disbelieved in reincarnation and destiny; otherwise, he wouldn't be digging up graves.

However, this jade pendant truly seemed very similar to the one tossed beside the female saint's skull on the Wu Shi Dao Platform.

"The Human Saint Body isn't aging; he's repairing the Five-Colored Altar!" many of the ancient race members exclaimed, drawing everyone's gaze.

Through the golden gate, one could see the magnificent altar above the abyss being completed by Ye Fan. The missing corner dropped into place, fitting perfectly and merging with the main body to become a single unit.

Furthermore, a five-colored stone pillar was inserted into the center of the Five-Colored Altar, making it instantly complete, no longer missing anything, and transforming it into a perfect whole.

Ye Fan swallowed a drop of immortal phoenix essence blood, then drank deeply from the divine spring in the jade vase. His face remained youthful, his body immortal, and his vitality surged. He was full of vigor and vitality, astonishing everyone who witnessed it.

At this moment, many winged races among the ancient clans dispatched large numbers of masters, who descended upon the altar, intending to cross to the opposite cliff to gather the Nine Marvelous Divine Medicine.

Just then, an unexpected turn of events occurred. A Feathered Race King, who had achieved the Dao-Slaying Realm, picked up a crucial cornerstone, sneering repeatedly as he flapped his wings and flew towards the opposite cliff.

"Human Saint Body, you won't get away! Rot on that Five-Colored Altar!" he sneered sinisterly.

This was truly malicious. If the Five-Colored Altar couldn't be activated, it would become a dead end. It was too far from the cliff face, and without cultivation or magic power, one couldn't possibly leap onto the sacred mountain. Ye Fan would be trapped there to die.

"Excellent! So it's that simple to eliminate the Human Saint Body? Just move a stone, and he'll have nowhere to be buried," some ancient creatures realized with sudden clarity.

Ji Ziyue, the Monkey, and others watched with eyes burning with fury. This was truly vicious. Taking away a stone turned the entire altar into an isolated island, trapping Ye Fan with no way forward or back, condemning him to a slow death!

"How malicious!" The big black dog raged, but it couldn't help; rushing in would be useless.

"Ye Fan!" Ji Ziyue's delicate eyebrows furrowed in anger, and her bright, expressive eyes glared at the ancient races.

"Damn it!" Even Qi Luo radiated murderous intent, yet he was helpless.

Some of the ancient races laughed. This outcome exceeded their expectations. Although the Human Saint Body was leaving, he was still a potential threat; perhaps only a dead person posed no danger.

"Your killer is — Lu Donglai!" The Feathered Race Dao-Slaying King, who had been the first to move a cornerstone, sneered repeatedly, his face filled with sarcasm.

His younger brother, Lu Dongfa, had died by Ye Fan's hand, so naturally, this was an act of vengeance, a surprise strategy to utterly eliminate Ye Fan.

At this moment, another group of winged beings, belonging to various races, began to act, intent on destroying the Five-Colored Altar and leaving the Human Saint Body no chance whatsoever.

Dozens, even hundreds, of figures swooped down, completely disregarding their limited time. They wanted to overturn the altar, some with sinister smiles, others with cold sneers, all filled with satisfaction, some exceptionally malicious.

"Who do you take me for?" Ye Fan said coldly, his black hair flying, his gaze like cold lightning. "Even within this forbidden zone, you cannot insult me. Even a Half-Saint who dares to bully me will die!"

With a roar, all nine sacred mountains rumbled. He sent over a dozen people plummeting into the desolate ancient abyss, shocking all the ancient races and making their faces pale. In this place, though Ye Fan had no cultivation or magic power, his naturally divine physical body remained. With a flick of his hand, he unleashed dozens, even hundreds, of source stones, which shot out like comets across the sky.

"Thud," "Thud"...

Screams erupted almost simultaneously. Everyone who lunged toward the Five-Colored Altar was struck. The power of the Saint Body was immense; they were directly pierced by the source stones, bleeding profusely as they plummeted into the abyss, each killed with a single blow.

At the same time, Ye Fan leaped high, astonishingly crossing the abyss in a single bound and landing on the sacred mountain.

Everyone was dumbfounded. How powerful was this physical body? Without magic power or cultivation, to leap such a distance purely with physical strength utterly defied understanding. Was this the limit of the physical body? Everyone was stunned!

"Thud!"

Relying solely on his physical strength, Ye Fan leaped across the abyss and landed on this side. He delivered an aerial kick, stomping on Lu Donglai, and used him to descend onto the sacred mountain.

"Splurt!"

The force of that kick was immense; it instantly shattered Lu Donglai's bones and tendons, caved in his chest, broke his limbs, and splattered blood everywhere.

"There's no need to tell me your name, because I don't need to know it," Ye Fan said coldly, standing on him and looking down.

"Are you... still human?" Lu Donglai, who had achieved the Dao-Slaying Realm and was the most astonishing talent of the Fallen Feathered Race, the hope for their future contention with the imperial clans, now met his bitter end here.

His words were clear, filled with shock and resentment. A human without wings, unable to use his cultivation, had actually leaped as if flying to cross the abyss. This truly surpassed the limits of the human body.

"Genuine, without a doubt, I am human!"

"You..." Lu Donglai died a violent death, filled with resentment and shock.

On the Central Plains side, people were horrified. The Human Saint Body was too powerful; such a physique was truly invincible. He could leap across the desolate ancient abyss in a single bound. He was absolutely an unparalleled formidable foe for the ancient emperor's direct descendants!

"It's fortunate he's leaving," an elder powerhouse of the ancient race sighed. "Otherwise, ancient imperial princes might fall in the future."

Ye Fan didn't rush off. He went straight to the divine spring, first drinking deeply, then taking out several jade purification bottles to quickly collect the water. Although spatial artifacts had minimal effect here, he could still carry away dozens or even hundreds of jin of water.

Next, he broke off some branches and leaves of the Nine Marvelous Divine Medicine and took a bit of its root. Only then did he pick up the cornerstone and leap high, soaring across like a golden-winged roc, landing on the altar.

On the Central Plains side, many people's eyes turned red. That was divine spring water and the branches and leaves of an immortal medicine, priceless divine objects! At the same time, people were even more astonished that Ye Fan could leap while carrying the cornerstone. His physique was truly astounding.

As he landed on the Five-Colored Altar, Ye Fan's pupils contracted. Several figures had stepped through the golden gate and were descending from the sky.

There was more than one figure, but he focused on only one, ignoring the others. It was a woman in white, standing at the forefront, radiating murderous intent. It was Li Xiaoman!