Chapter 999: Furnace Cultivates the Hundred Scriptures

Nine-star alignment! On Earth, people at astronomical observatories were stunned. Such an extraordinary spectacle was unfolding in outer space, leaving many agape, their jaws dropping in astonishment.

This phenomenon was not impossible; a seven-star alignment had occurred in 2000. Theoretically, nine major planets could also align in a straight line, an event that might happen once every six thousand years.

Yet, what was currently visible was far too shocking and defied understanding. Suddenly, nine massive stars appeared in outer space, their light intensely powerful, shining brilliantly like nine suns.

How could these nine massive stars suddenly appear in the solar system? It was monstrously abnormal, utterly unrealistic, and simply incomprehensible!

Even more astounding were the photos transmitted back by outer space probes. Major research institutes were shaken to their core as, in the distant cosmic void, bolts of lightning thousands of feet long flashed.

Most shockingly, a person was battling within the sea of lightning, seemingly engaged in a divine battle against humanoid lightning figures, a sight beyond belief.

Such mysterious images were, naturally, top-secret files. They could not appear in the mortal realm and were sealed by major power institutions, accessible only to a few relevant personnel.

"Go to a church and ask a priest what exactly happened," someone said. "It would be best to consult the Pope in the Vatican about what this phenomenon portends."

"The Pope... he was killed by people from the Heavenly Court three years ago."

"Then go to the Heavenly Court and consult their Celestial Masters!"

The Heavenly Court buildings in various locations were majestic and sacred, even surpassing the churches in the Vatican. On this day, many important figures visited, earnestly seeking guidance from the celestial officials, which greatly amplified the Heavenly Court's pure spiritual power.

Ye Fan was undergoing tribulation to transcend his Dao, an event that presented an opportunity for the Heavenly Court. As time passed, the Heavenly Court buildings in various places resonated with each other, actually emitting wisps of divine radiance and creating a magnificent aura. Those in close proximity even found their chronic illnesses cured.

This was a sign of great prosperity, but also possibly a premonition of self-destruction. Everything depended on whether the Lord of the Heavenly Court could endure it!

In outer space, pristine bone fragments, golden blood, and shattered flesh were scattered everywhere. They shimmered with immortal brilliance, appearing crystalline and translucent, transforming into various manifestations of the Dao.

They disintegrated, then regenerated, continuously changing. Suns, moons, star rivers, majestic ancient stars, and brilliant star fields emerged; every single drop of blood was a wonder.

Ye Fan's true self disintegrated. His blood and bones transformed into dazzling star rivers and mysterious stars, exuding an aura of ancient vicissitude, and corresponding with all the stars in the cosmos.

At this moment, dense clusters of light points were everywhere, formed from the disintegration of his hair, bone fragments, and internal organs, an extremely bizarre sight.

Faintly, scriptures seemed to emanate from ancient times, as if someone was silently reciting and praying, blessing this life and the next.

Ye Fan's primal self was destroyed; he was almost killed in the void. Even his primordial spirit became tiny specks of light, transforming into ancient stars that rotated within this star sea.

Nine young Great Emperors attacked simultaneously. No one could stop them; it had always been so since ancient times. They were the protagonists of heaven and earth from their respective eras. Even if there was a so-called "first person" now who could achieve Dao and become an Emperor, they would merely become one of them.

His true self, along with his primordial spirit, shattered in the void. His skeletal essence transformed into stars as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, glimmering with a brilliance that illuminated past, present, and future. The nine Great Emperors, however, did not attack.

They were attracted by another target and launched an attack.

The 'Past Self' was a very blurry figure, seated in the past. Star rivers flowed, and his Dao manifestation seemed to emerge, submerged in the silver light of time, as if separated by a long river of time, forever unapproachable.

The nine young Great Emperors attacked together, striking forward, but it seemed as if they were striking across eons, unable to reach him instantly.

"Crack!"

One of the humanoid lightning figures possessed extraordinary secret techniques. As his hands moved, he seemed to invert space and time, sending his power into the past, striking the 'Past Self'.

The 'Past Self' retaliated, reciting ancient scriptures, chanting for this present life. It was as if he was seated in ancient times, battling the young Great Emperor across the long river of time.

The two continuously attacked each other. This was a bizarre battle, almost illusory and unclear, not a true physical encounter but a suppression of Dao principles.

The 'Past Self' blocked one Great Emperor for Ye Fan, buying time. The shattered bones and golden flesh transformed into suns, moons, and stars, and vast star rivers rapidly evolved. All the scriptures transformed into intricate patterns, covering every ancient star.

"Boom!"

The other young Great Emperors also unleashed their techniques and attacked. They manifested the pinnacle of the Dao, their mighty power shattering all illusions, attacking the 'Past Self' and causing him to rapidly fade away.

"Past Self..."

Amidst the shattered skeletal essence, Ye Fan sighed. He transformed into stars, corresponding with all the stars in the heavens, drawing in starlight to forge his true Dao body.

Far ahead, "Dao Self Ye Fan" achieved enlightenment. Standing in the future, he comprehended the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, and perceived his own Grand Dao. His profound communion with heaven and earth made it impossible for him not to attract attention.

The nine young Great Emperors attacked forward, aiming to kill the future Dao Self. Their methods were peerless; after their first strike missed, one of them quickly performed a strange technique that could inflict harm even on a target standing in the future.

As long as they could reach their target, any opponent would be annihilated. No one could withstand nine young Great Emperors; not a single person throughout history could have.

While comprehending the Dao in the future, Dao Self Ye Fan was also struck down, becoming nothingness. Only ancient stars, star rivers, and star fields remained in the sky.

Ye Fan's true body was evolving. Several ancient scriptures merged into one, as he transformed, giving birth to his own Dao. He cultivated hundreds of scriptures within himself, encompassing ten thousand Daos into one. His body became a dragon bone, piercing through the mysteries of various scriptures, breaking free. His spirit, belief, and Dao were reborn, breaking free from shackles, giving birth to a Dao unique to himself.

He used heaven and earth as a furnace, and various scriptures as fire, burning himself and heating the furnace red-hot, refining his own body and tempering his true self.

His flesh transformed into ancient stars, his Dao bones into star rivers. This was a strange transformation, which even Ye Fan himself could not control, seeming both real and illusory.

Look closely, and it was still flesh and bone. But a fleeting glance revealed ancient stars, one after another, brimming with life, evolving the primordial essence of all things.

"As for the Dao, it is vague and indistinct. Yet within it there is form. Vague and indistinct, yet within it there is essence..."

Faint chanting resonated once more. The 'Past Self' reappeared, indistinct, as if seated in ancient times, chanting for this present life.

The 'Past Self' was born in the past; there was no talk of its destruction or non-destruction. As long as Ye Fan's primal self lived and a thought arose, there would be endless successions of pasts, un-severable, un-killable.

The nine young Great Emperors were, after all, merely heavenly tribulation. They were humanoid Dao marks, not real people. They were only responsible for destruction and could not think like humans. Thus, they attacked again to slay.

They ignored the true self, or primal self, because it was currently shattered, transformed into stars as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and thus not a living entity.

Dao Self Ye Fan was also like this: as long as Ye Fan's true consciousness remained, there would be a future with infinite possibilities, and he could also re-emerge in an instant, manifesting the Dao Self!

Time flowed, and a wisp of his true consciousness lingered between the 'Past Self' and the 'Dao Self', prompting the nine young Great Emperors to continuously attack, consuming their precious time.

This was a miracle. From ancient times until now, only he had managed to withstand the nine young Great Emperors for such an extended period using this method.

Some of the nine massive stars suspended in the void had already dimmed. The process had been too prolonged; even though a few young Great Emperors were replaced, the overall duration of the heavenly tribulation was still long enough, and the anomaly would soon disappear.

And it was at this time that Ye Fan's transformation reached a certain stage. The nine Great Emperors did not attack his disintegrating skeletal essence because he truly no longer existed in that form.

In a certain sense, his true body had died. What remained was only an unextinguished powerful will, lingering between the 'Past Self' and the 'Dao Self'.

"Boom!"

Ye Fan cultivated hundreds of scriptures in one furnace, encompassing ten thousand Daos within himself. His flesh and bone fragments finally recombined, transforming into a dragon bone that connected all scriptures. He broke free and evolved his own Dao.

Although it was still in its nascent form and not yet perfect, it had already resolved the hidden problem of the various scriptures in the five great secret realms being difficult to connect. Now his entire body was unified.

His true body transformed into a divine form, manifesting a Dao image!

The sound of chanting, deafening Dao resonance, and other sounds came forth. The 'Past Self' from the past and the 'Dao Self' from the future walked forth together, like Yin and Yang, or two currents of Dao merging.

The I Ching also states: "One Yin and one Yang constitute the Dao."

Yin and Yang are the parents of all things in the world, the starting point of all changes in the universe. The 'Past Self' and 'Dao Self' converged, forming a golden Taiji symbol.

Their convergence formed the Dao. At this moment, the true self was reborn within the golden circle. Ancient stars, star rivers, and star fields assembled, brilliantly glowing, manifesting Ye Fan's true body.

The 'Past Self' and 'Dao Self' merged, creating wondrous changes. From within the golden Taiji circle, the primal self was reborn, and Ye Fan reappeared in the world.

Yin and Yang merged, transforming into the Dao. Scriptures were densely inscribed, filling the circle. Ye Fan was the natural Dao trace curve in the center, truly manifested.

"Break free, my Dao!"

Ye Fan roared, surging upward from among the nine young Great Emperors, defying the heavens. He very much wanted to duel one of the young Great Emperors, to contend with the strongest of the past.

However, at this moment, the nine massive stars dimmed, and all humanoid lightning figures receded. Too much time had passed; everything was about to disappear.

The Dao, upholding heaven and carrying earth, encompassing myriad things, containing the essence of the universe.

Ye Fan's body glowed, as if composed of ancient stars and star fields. Having been killed dozens of times, he was reborn. His five realms were interconnected, linked by star rivers, and he finally forged his own path.

The 'Past Self' and 'Dao Self' merged, converging to give birth to the Dao. From it, the true self was conceived, perhaps still imperfect, but now in its nascent form.

With scattered starlight, Ye Fan's body appeared to be composed of countless stars. He had tentatively embarked on his own path, fully integrated throughout his being, with every drop of his blood like an ancient star of life.

"An ancient star, a Grand Dao. Melting myriad things, cultivating hundreds of scriptures in a furnace, embodying ten thousand Daos, returning to a single furnace body. This is my Dao foundation and my starting point."

Ye Fan unleashed a punch, striking out. Unfortunately, the nine massive stars faded and all disappeared. His punch passed through the illusory bodies of the nine Great Emperors, and they vanished.

The heavenly tribulation had not yet vanished, and the sea of lightning still remained. However, the most terrifying and dangerous moment had passed. Ye Fan drew tens of thousands of lightning bolts into his body, refining all of them.

A cauldron hovered above his head, moving in sync with him. He ascended step by step, letting out a soft cry: "Dao rise!"

Using lightning as a guide, he inscribed the Dao onto the cauldron. In front of Ye Fan's glabella, the cauldron clanged, merging with him, and the two became one.

He held high hopes for this cauldron. If his flesh and skeletal essence were ancient stars and star rivers, then this cauldron was his transcendent form.

Ye Fan ascended, reaching the deepest part of the heavenly tribulation, where he entered a majestic ancient building, also formed by lightning.

"Is this the primeval Heavenly Court?" he wondered, standing before the South Heaven Gate.