Heavenly Emperor Ye vs. Ye Fan, Little Dragon Girl vs. Emperor Shi Tian

"Is this the Hunyuan Realm?!"

After her moment of enlightenment, Willow God finally took another step forward and reached the realm she had once dreamed of.

Not Above Sacrificial Dao, but the Hunyuan Great Luo Realm. Immortals were not the Dao, and the Dao was not immortals! The essence of cultivation was actually a journey in pursuit of the Dao. The Dao encompassed all things; it did not refer solely to the immortal path.

For hundreds of thousands of years, Willow God had advanced fearlessly along the path of cultivation, pushing upstream against the current.

Yet at some point, she had instead forgotten the original intention—or the essence—of cultivation.

The earliest cultivators had not been born wielding immense power. They observed the sun, moon, and stars; the great terrain of mountains and rivers; and the bones and Rune patterns of ferocious beasts, seeking their laws and studying their mysteries. Only then did they gradually grasp transcendent power. At its core, it was a process of seeking the Dao.

In truth, the Dao was right there. It was not unattainably lofty, nor impossible to cultivate. It was merely that each person comprehended it to a different degree.

Take Above Sacrificial Dao, for example. One had to sacrifice everything about oneself, including the Dao, the past, future, and present, even one’s own life.

In reality, it was simply the pursuit of a higher path. If one truly discarded everything, one would have nothing at all. The truth was far from what the eyes could see.

Whether through infinite accumulation or subtraction until emptiness, both were methods of pursuing the Dao. Some succeeded, while others failed.

After entering this realm, Willow God had gained unprecedented power and might, yet she discovered that there was still enormous room for improvement. Advancing into the Hunyuan Great Luo Realm did not mean reaching the peak, with no road ahead.

Willow God had originally intended to raise her other cultivation paths to the Hunyuan Realm as well, but she discovered that many guests had arrived outside her Dao Field. She therefore concealed her aura and came outside.

Outside the Dao Field stood Heavenly Emperor Ye, Chu Loli, Bone Ash Emperor, and the Big Black Dog.

On the other side, Nuwa, Houtu, the Three Pure Ones, the Two Sages of the West, and Sun Wukong had arrived as well.

"Congratulations, Fellow Cultivator, on reaching the Hunyuan Realm. A cause for celebration indeed," the Two Sages of the West said first. They sighed inwardly, their eyes full of admiration.

If they had not borrowed Heavenly Dao merit back then, they might not have become Heavenly Dao Saints. They knew exactly how difficult it was to reach this realm without relying on external aid.

"Congratulations, Sister Willow God," Nuwa and Houtu said together.

She was their teacher’s friend, after all. Her talent was truly formidable. How long had it even been? Yet she had already advanced to the Saint Realm.

"Just luck, just luck," Willow God said modestly.

She had only just reached the Heavenly Dao Realm, while Nuwa and the Three Pure Ones had already reached the Great Dao Realm.

Still, she was confident that she could catch up to that gap.

"Willow God, you truly are incredible. Without a word, you’ve already advanced successfully," Heavenly Emperor Ye said.

He could tell that Willow God’s cultivation method and current Dao Fruit were not Above Sacrificial Dao. She had clearly walked her own path.

Above Sacrificial Dao was merely a name. Its Dao was not fixed.

The Great Dao had three thousand paths, all leading to the same destination. Only the essence remained unchanged.

"Tsk, tsk. At this rate, Willow God will surpass us before long," Chu Loli teased. "The waves behind drive the waves ahead," Bone Ash Emperor sighed.

"Hehe, Willow God, you broke through just like that. Old Sun needs to work harder too," Sun Wukong said with a grin.

He had been at the great perfection of the Quasi-Sage Realm for many years. Like Willow God, he was only one step from the threshold, but that final bit of insight required the right opportunity. To truly enter that realm, he still needed to accumulate enough effort.

Thinking back, he and Willow God had charged into the Plateau. Back then, with the enhancement of Chaos Demon Ape blood essence, his combat power had once surpassed Willow God’s. Yet now, Willow God had come from behind and broken through ahead of him.

"You monkey, you are too playful and impatient. You still have a long way to go before you can truly take that step," Nuwa said.

"Mother, saying that really makes Old Sun lose face," Sun Wukong said weakly.

"Hehe." Nuwa rolled her eyes at Sun Wukong.

"Hahaha, our side has gained another Saint-level combatant. It seems we have a few more chances of winning when we compete with Haotian for the right to speak in the Heavenly Court," Heavenly Emperor Ye said.

Even now, he still had his eyes on the position of ruler of the Heavenly Court.

The two worlds had fused, so why should Haotian be the Jade Emperor? He could do it too!

Haotian, who had been secretly peeking in silence, darkened at those words.

This Heavenly Emperor Ye was always coveting his position! But he was not afraid. He had so many Saints on his side.

The Saints would certainly support him as ruler of heaven and earth!

To celebrate Willow God’s advancement into Hunyuan, Nuwa held a banquet at Empress Wa Palace.

The Two Sages of the West and the Three Pure Ones had intended to crash the feast, but Nuwa refused them.

This was a celebration for Willow God. What were a few old geezers like them joining in for?

The Three Pure Ones and the Two Sages of the West looked embarrassed, then left while pretending to be carefree.

There was no helping it. Nuwa was the eldest senior sister, higher in seniority than them, and her cultivation also surpassed theirs.

Ye Fan and Chu Loli also wanted to crash the feast, but Nuwa ruthlessly sent them away too.

Chat Group.

Sun Wukong: "Hehe, it just happened. In the blink of an eye, Willow God’s cultivation broke through, and she became a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal."

Qian Renxue: "! Amazing! As expected of Sister Willow God. She became a Saint just like that!"

Fairy Yunxiao: "What? A Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal?!"

Xu Yi: "Congratulations, Willow God."

Immortal Ancient Willow God: "It was still thanks to some of the words the Group Owner said just now. I suddenly attained enlightenment and was fortunate enough to step into the Hunyuan Realm."

Xu Yi: "Haha, I only said it casually. Willow God, your breakthrough was because you had accumulated enough."

Sun Wukong: "Why didn’t Old Sun attain enlightenment too?"

Ye Hei: "Congratulations, Willow God. Haha, our Chat Group has gained another big shot."

Bad Commander: "Congratulations, Willow God!"

Sword God Li Chungang: "Congratulations, Willow God!"

Snow Moon Sword Immortal: "Congratulations, Sister Willow God!"

Qingyun Lu Xueqi: "Congratulations, Sister Willow God!"

Feng Baobao: "Congratulations, Boss Willow God! Let me soak up Boss Willow God’s good luck!"

Iron Man: "Isn’t this equivalent to the realm of God in our world? 666!"

Supreme Treasure: "Boss Willow God, please accept my knees."

Demon Venerable Chonglou: "Congratulations, fellow daoist Willow God."

Little Dragon Girl: "Congratulations, Sister Willow God!"

Bai Yuekui: "Same here!"

Ye Wen: "Congratulations, Willow God!"

The group members had basically all offered their congratulations. After all, this was a Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal.

Other than the Group Owner, she was the strongest existence.

Willow God: "It is the same for everyone. The Chat Group is a rare opportunity. As long as you persist in cultivation, the Great Dao is within reach."

Willow God sincerely hoped that everyone could enter higher realms. Rather than standing alone atop a mountain, it was better to have a group of like-minded companions.

She had never imagined that one day she could reach this realm. When she first joined the Chat Group, she had merely been an Immortal King! Even becoming an Immortal Emperor had been difficult, let alone reaching the current Hunyuan Great Luo Realm. It was practically a world-shaking transformation.

Xu Yi: "Willow God has said it herself: persist in cultivation, and the Great Dao is within reach. Since that is the case, this Group Owner has no choice but to call out certain people. They’ve been in the group for so long, yet their realms have barely changed."

Number One Golden Core of Kyushu: "Ahem, ahem. What this Sword Immortal cultivates is not a realm, but a Golden Core, so the Group Owner definitely wasn’t talking about me."

Iron Man: "I cultivate technology, so the Group Owner definitely wasn’t talking about me."

Luo Feng: "I’m already Planetary Level, so the Group Owner definitely wasn’t talking about me."

Han Li: "Han is almost at Nascent Soul. My progress has been great, so the Group Owner probably wasn’t talking about me."

Bad Commander: "Ahem, ahem."

Sword God Li Chungang: "Ahem, ahem, ahem!"

Snow Moon Sword Immortal: "Awkward!"

Zhang Sanfeng: "I only joined the group recently, so I shouldn’t count, right?"

Ye Hei: "Master Zhang, you’re not a New Member."

Wanda: "So much pressure."

Ye Hei: "Yeah, but the Group Owner definitely wasn’t talking about me. I’m at least an Immortal Three Dao Severing King. In my original trajectory, I might still have been running for my life."

Xu Yi: "I was talking about you."

Ye Hei: "Th-this… Group Owner, I’ve been working very hard, okay?"

Iron Man: "Brother Ye, the Group Owner seems completely right. You went from Earth to the Ancient Forbidden Land and reached Immortal Three in three months. How long has it been since then? Several batches of New Members have joined."

Snow Moon Sword Immortal: "That’s right. Ye Hei is an old member."

Qian Renxue: "Ye Hei, the slacker."

Zhang Sanfeng: "Ahem, ahem!"

Number One Golden Core of Kyushu: "Hahaha, so it was you, kid, Ye Fan."

Ye Hei: "? No, I want to break through too! But it’s the End of Dharma Era now. The Great Dao suppresses us, and it’s impossible to break into a higher realm. I have to wait for the golden age."

Sun Wukong: "Ye Hei, you already have cheats, so why wait for some golden age? If it doesn’t come, create it yourself."

Ye Hei: "That makes so much sense. How did I not think of that?"

Xu Yi: "Hehe."

Ye Hei: "Sigh! Everyone has to believe me. I cultivate very diligently."

Qian Renxue: "We believe you, of course. But the Group Owner called you out, didn’t he?"

Iron Man: "That’s a fact, hehe."

Fairy Yunxiao: "Since the Group Owner said so, you must have been slacking."

Ye Hei: "…I’m going offline. I’m going to cultivate. No more chatting."

Ye Hei was deeply discouraged and quietly went offline.

Bitter Sea. Ye Fan summoned his Future Body. Seeing his expression, Future Ye Fan said, "What’s wrong? Why are you so glum, my past self?"

"Future me, how about you help me speedrun it and raise me directly to Great Emperor?" Ye Fan said.

"??" Future Ye Fan.

"I’m joking. I know that would be forcing growth. Is there any way to bring forward the golden age?" Ye Fan asked.

Future Ye Fan replied, "The so-called golden age is essentially a process of revival for a world, even the entire Universe. Both spiritual energy and laws reach their peak state.

"The essence of the End of Dharma Era, meanwhile, is that there are too many cultivators, excessively consuming the power of heaven and earth. The Universe itself bears too heavy a burden. This is a process of self-regulation."

"So?" Ye Fan asked.

"Kill a few Supremes as offerings to heaven. A Supreme contains Imperial Dao laws, Sovereign Dao laws, all the blood essence in their body, and even the spiritual energy they devoured over hundreds of thousands or millions of years. If you return it to heaven and earth, it will naturally nourish them in return and bring forward the golden age," Future Ye Fan said.

"Just as I thought. Then let’s slaughter some Supremes," Ye Fan said.

"Do as you please," Future Heavenly Emperor Ye said, unconcerned with his past self’s decision.

"Come to think of it, if I kill the Dark Supremes now, will it affect the future?" Ye Fan asked.

"Isn’t that nonsense? Of course it will affect it. The original you was probably hiding somewhere at this point," Future Ye Fan complained.

"Then why did you tell me to kill Supremes? You sneaky bastard," Ye Fan cursed.

"Nonsense. Future me is Above Sacrificial Dao. Change the past however you like; it will have little effect on me. Do you know what it means to be the eternally sole existence across past, future, and present? Country bumpkin." Future Ye Fan did not indulge him and immediately fired back.

"Damn you, if you curse me, aren’t you cursing yourself too?" Ye Fan said.

"I’m cursing Ye Fan. What does that have to do with Heavenly Emperor Ye?" Future Ye Fan said.

"…" Ye Fan.

After thinking it over again and again, Ye Fan ultimately chose not to touch his own timeline. He was afraid of stumbling into some trap.

What if he created an even more terrifying existence, some super being that did not belong to his own plane? Then he would truly be finished.

After joining the Chat Group, the trajectory of his world was no longer singular by nature. There were too many variables, and who knew what things would become in the end.

I was careless. If I’d known, I would have gathered the corpses of those Supremes in the Void Great Emperor dungeon last time instead of only cutting away some blood essence Origin, Ye Fan thought.

Outside.

Ye Fan suddenly received a long-distance voice transmission from that unscrupulous Taoist, Duan De. He immediately brought the Black Dog and Fang Yuan to the agreed-upon inn.

Inside an antique private room, the moment he entered, he saw Duan De and a little girl of around six or seven.

With just one glance, Ye Fan felt a sense of closeness toward her. It was an emotion beyond bloodline, an unerasable bond that time itself could not wear away.

The little girl wore rough linen clothes, yet they could not hide her adorable innocence. Her clothes were patched again and again, while her shoes had holes worn through them, exposing her pale little feet.

"What is your name?" Ye Fan could not help asking.

Xiao NanNan looked at the big brother before her and felt the same closeness. It was as though the purpose of all her wandering had, at this moment, found its destination and meaning. She said softly, "My name is Nannan, Big Brother."

"A good name. It sounds wonderful." Ye Fan’s eyes stung slightly, and a faint gleam of tears appeared in them.

But then he turned to Duan De irritably. "Fat Duan, are you really this poor? You can’t even get Nannan a new set of clothes?"

After hearing this, Duan De explained, "You think I didn’t want to? This child refused to change no matter what. And she treated me like a bad person. It took a lot of effort to trick her into coming here."

"…" Nannan.

"Besides, why do you think I’m so poor? Kid, you don’t know that all my belongings were robbed by you," Duan De continued.

The Black Dog moved close to Nannan and sniffed her carefully. The light in its eyes grew brighter and brighter. It seemed to see an unimaginable existence within Nannan and sighed, "If this Emperor hadn’t spent so many years beside No Beginning Great Emperor, I never would have imagined that such a strange child existed in this world. She is completely like a Great Emperor in her youth. Heavens, this is truly unbelievable."

"Dog, you stayed beside No Beginning Great Emperor? There are rumors that No Beginning Great Emperor raised a dog in his later years. Could that have been you? Heavens, how many tens of thousands of years has it been? You still haven’t died! By the way, dog, do you know where No Beginning Great Emperor’s coffin is buried?" Duan De asked.

"Damn you!"

The Black Dog spoke human words, its dog eyes blazing. It pounced directly on Duan De and began madly biting his butt.

"No, dog! Why are you biting people? My butt! Ye Fan, hurry and control your dead dog!" Duan De shouted.

"Fat Duan, this isn’t my dog," Ye Fan said.

"Ow, ahhh! My butt, it’s bleeding! Stop biting!" Duan De screamed repeatedly.

"Good doggy, don’t bite people," Nannan said softly, feeling that Duan De looked rather pitiful.

Hearing Nannan’s words, the Black Dog finally released its jaws.

"Ow!"

Duan De got to his feet, clutching his butt as he applied wound medicine. He looked utterly ridiculous.

Ye Fan dressed Nannan up. Since he had decided to take care of her, he naturally could not let her continue living the hard life she once had.

Nannan sincerely liked Ye Fan’s kindness. She felt that she had finally found family.

After changing into new clothes, Nannan looked like a delicately carved little princess. Yet because she had gone hungry for so long, she appeared malnourished and somewhat frail.

Ye Fan took Nannan to have a grand meal. They arrived at the largest restaurant in Yandu and ordered an entire table full of dishes.

The waiter wore a broad smile and provided impeccable service. The smile on his face never faded.

However, although there were many dishes, Ye Fan still felt it was not nourishing enough. After all, they were all ordinary foods and contained little spiritual energy.

"Fatty Duan, you’ve seen a lot. What should I eat to nourish myself?" Ye Fan asked.

"Call me daoist master, Ye Fan. Besides, daoist master isn’t fat. I’m slim, with perfectly balanced flesh and bone, all right?" Duan De said.

"Besides, this table of food may look and smell delicious, but in the eyes of us cultivators, it’s worthless. Not even dogs would eat it."

Duan De said this rather proudly, full of self-satisfaction.

Black Empress Clan held a chicken leg in his paw. Hearing this, he bared his teeth at Duan De and snapped, "What do you mean, not even dogs would eat it? You dead fatso! Say that again!"

"A gentleman uses his mouth, not his fists," Duan De said.

"Let’s talk business," Ye Fan said solemnly.

Duan De patted his belly, then glanced at Black Empress Clan beside him and began talking eloquently. "If we’re talking about the most nourishing food, then of course it’s dog meat. Among mortals, it’s an exceptionally wonderful delicacy. It strengthens the body, especially for children. It’s a great tonic."

"…Fuck! Eat shit!"

Black Empress Clan was about to start a fight, but Ye Fan pulled him back. After thinking it over, he said, "Fatty Duan actually has a point."

Hearing that, Black Empress Clan looked at Ye Fan as though he had become a complete stranger, muttering, "Ye Fan? Dogs are so adorable, and you actually want to eat dog meat! How could you?"

"Black Empress Clan, are you a dog?" Ye Fan asked seriously, staring straight at him.

"Aren’t I?" Black Empress Clan reflexively asked back.

Ye Fan let out a long breath and said, "Black Empress Clan, you’re destined to become a Demon Emperor, a supreme mighty expert. How could you be a dog? A dog is merely your form, while the fleshly body is only shackles—the dregs that bind the core of our higher souls. Black Empress Clan, you’re too hung up on appearances."

"?? This kid is ridiculous!" The way Duan De looked at Ye Fan changed. Wasn’t this just spouting nonsense with his eyes open?

The crucial part was that Black Empress Clan’s gaze gradually became wise and clear, as though he had gained some insight.

The fleshly body was shackles, the dregs that bound the core of our souls!

That was right. This Emperor was the future Demon Emperor. How could a Demon Emperor possibly be a dog?

Right, this Emperor wasn’t a dog. This Emperor was a Demon Emperor! No, this Emperor was a dog, not a Demon Emperor!

No, this Emperor was the Demon Emperor. This Emperor was definitely not a dog!

For a moment, Black Empress Clan fell into a vortex of self-doubt and dialectical confusion.

While Black Empress Clan was doubting himself, Ye Fan had the waiter bring up dog meat hotpot.

Although Xiao NanNan did not understand what was happening, she found it very amusing.

Fang Yuan did not say a word throughout, remaining silent.

"I’m a dog. I’m not a dog!"

"I’m too hung up on appearances. I’m a Demon Emperor, not a dog…"

Black Empress Clan kept muttering under his breath, his eyes clear one moment and confused the next.

Ye Fan noticed that Black Empress Clan seemed to be losing his mind. Had I gone too far with my words?…

Meanwhile, in the Wind and Cloud World, at the Under Heaven Society.

Little Dragon Girl was resting in Limitless Pavilion. She had been staying at the Under Heaven Society during this period, and after combining the script with all the information she had received, she had already gained a thorough understanding of this world.

However, she had a bad habit: whenever she stayed somewhere for too long, she wanted to keep lounging there and did not want to leave.

It was evening now, time for dinner. Before long, a servant entered carrying delicious food and said softly, "Guild Master, please have your dinner."

Looking at the five dishes and one soup before her, as well as the gray-clothed servant, Little Dragon Girl’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.

This servant’s concealment technique was extremely skillful. He appeared to have no cultivation at all, but in truth, his body contained an extraordinarily powerful stream of true qi. This true qi was vast and majestic, far beyond what the former Guild Master, Xiong Ba, could compare with.

How could someone with such strength possibly be an obscure servant?

Thinking of the story of Wind and Cloud, Little Dragon Girl had already guessed the servant’s identity.

In the original work, one reason Fengyun managed to defeat Xiong Ba at the height of his power was that the strength of the Fengyun Combination was indeed heaven-defying. Another reason was that Xiong Ba’s meals had been continuously drugged with medicine that weakened his cultivation! This poison was colorless and tasteless, making it difficult to detect. It only took effect when one used a large amount of true qi, preventing one from fully exerting one’s strength.

"The master of the Heavenly Gate, Emperor Shi Tian."

A name surfaced in Little Dragon Girl’s mind. Earlier, in the Chat Group’s second-tier matching function, Bad Commander had faced Emperor Shi Tian. She had not expected to encounter him as well after coming to the Wind and Cloud World.

This poison had originally been intended for Xiong Ba. Clearly, it was now meant for her.

Although this poison was strange, it had no effect whatsoever on Little Dragon Girl.

After all, she had the system’s assistance. How could she possibly be affected by such a trivial poison? "Guild Master, does the food not suit your taste? Shall I replace it with another dish?" the servant asked.

"No need. It’s quite good," Little Dragon Girl said.

"Is that so? Then this subordinate shall take his leave," the servant said.

"Don’t be in such a hurry to leave. I haven’t been at the Under Heaven Society long, and I don’t have anyone to talk to… Oh, right, do you like listening to stories? Shall I tell you one?" Little Dragon Girl said.

"Guild Master, this subordinate is flattered. But since Guild Master is in such a mood, this subordinate would be honored to hear it," the servant said.

Little Dragon Girl ladled herself a bowl of soup and took a gentle sip, moistening her throat before saying, "Several hundred years ago, the head of the martial arts family, the Wu Family, used mystic numerology to alter his fate, successfully breaking the blood curse left behind by the Great Evil King.

"Thus, a martial arts prodigy named Wu Wudi was born. Relying on his peerless talent for martial arts, Wu Wudi created the Mystic Tortoise True Skill and Ten Directions Invincible, dominating his era."

"Such a person actually existed? This humble one has never heard of him," the servant replied softly, though an astonishing light flickered in his eyes.

"Several thousand years ago, Xu Fu, an alchemist under the First Emperor, set sail to seek the Undying Medicine. Xu Fu used the First Emperor’s army to hunt the divine beast Phoenix. Phoenix’s blood could grant immortality. It was originally an Undying Medicine meant to be presented to the First Emperor, but Xu Fu secretly consumed it himself."

"…" The servant fell silent.

"Later, Xu Fu cultivated martial arts, but his talent was mediocre, making it difficult for him to reach profound realms. So, over hundreds and thousands of years, he infiltrated various sects to learn their martial arts. In the end, he achieved great mastery in the martial path and found few worthy opponents!"

"Possessing an immortal body and extraordinary martial arts, Xu Fu proclaimed himself a god. But a hundred years ago, this god encountered Wu Wudi. Can you guess what happened?" Little Dragon Girl asked calmly.

The servant’s hunched body suddenly straightened. He stared at Little Dragon Girl in shock and said in a gloomy, hoarse voice, "Who exactly are you!"