The devastation after the war

In the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Lin Fan returned from the Immortal Domain, borrowing a path, and sighed softly as he looked at the devastated world.

They had both won and lost this battle; the enemy was repelled, but the casualties were heavy, and even the Universe was torn apart.

Not long ago, this vast land was teeming with life, but now it was desolate and quiet, divine mountains turned to scorched earth, stained with un-dried blood.

One could see broken continents floating, scattered throughout the Eight Directions of the Universe, no longer a single entity.

Even the forbidden zones in the Nine Heavens had fled to remote Stars for self-preservation, not to mention the nearly extinct Myriad Races.

"The cruelty of the Immortal Ancient Era is replaying once more; it's another cycle of an epoch…" Lin Fan couldn't help but sigh deeply.

His former homeland, so many acquaintances, so much turmoil, seemed to vanish overnight, buried in the green mountains, never to be seen again.

"The Foreign Realm truly deserves to die!"

Lin Fan was furious; he had tried his best to kill the enemy, but the power of the two realms was unequal, making it difficult to change the outcome.

After the war, what was left in this world? Only mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, and the wails of unjustly deceased souls.

Once the Immortal King-level battle began, the entire world collapsed; even the World Tree was insufficient to stabilize the cosmos.

"Where are Little Hao, Cicada Ancestor, the two old masters, and the others?" Lin Fan wondered.

Then, as his gaze swept across, the six directions and eight荒 (wilds) all came into view, and even the hidden forbidden zones could not conceal themselves.

Finally, he looked towards the Border, where only the Emperor Pass remained relatively intact, not shattered or leveled by the great war.

"They are there!" Lin Fan moved, each step a phantom, towards the Emperor Pass; he had already sensed several powerful auras within the city.

Soon, in the Emperor City, he saw familiar faces: Shi Hao, Cicada Ancestor, the two old masters, Meng Tianzheng, and others were all there.

One could say this was the last place they held firm.

"Holy Emperor…"

Many people cried out, first excited to see Lin Fan return safely, then all broke into mournful sobs, revealing their sorrow.

Because this battle was too tragic; ninety percent of living beings died, the land turned to scorched earth, making cultivation difficult even in the future.

Fortunately, when the great enemy arrived, Cicada Ancestor acted swiftly, using great divine power to transfer a group of living beings away from their homes.

Some were sent into the Emperor Pass, while others were placed into the Nine Dragons Pulling Coffin, which contained a vast and boundless world for their protection.

Due to the rushed time, the number of transferred clans was not large, but at least a spark was left for the future!

"Cicada Ancestor has rendered meritorious service; we misunderstood him…" Some people felt very guilty.

Even with Lin Fan's testimony, some people still harbored suspicions and were very unfriendly towards the Divine Cicada lineage, secretly cursing them.

But after this battle, Cicada Ancestor proved himself to the world, and from then on, no one would call him a traitor again.

Furthermore, Second Under Heaven, Yellow Dao Immortal Metal, and others also rendered great service, fighting desperately against the Foreign Realm Immortal Kings and holding back a large number of enemies.

Especially Shi Hao, who fought the Giant Wu Shang; otherwise, the others truly couldn't have dealt with that Devil King.

Immune to all techniques and Divine Abilities, he was a real headache for most Immortal Kings, as there was no effective way to restrain him.

"Brother Xiao Fan, several old masters are severely injured and need treatment," Shi Hao said.

"I'll go take a look!"

Lin Fan nodded; he possessed ancient Medicinal Pills from the Era of Emperor Fall, capable of saving an Immortal King as long as a single breath remained.

Fortunately, the old masters were not fundamentally injured; their Primordial Spirits were fine, and they would recover after taking the Medicinal Pills and resting for a period.

Alas, some people had completely died, beyond the salvation of even nine-colored Medicinal Pills; Supreme Ning Yu was one of them.

As one of Lin Fan's earliest and most loyal followers, he died in this battle; how could Lin Fan not be moved?

Especially his grandson, Ning Fei, who had long since grown up and surpassed his grandfather, but was still very sad at this time.

Not only Supreme Ning Yu, but half of the Holy Emperor Palace forces were lost in this battle, with the oldest generation suffering the heaviest casualties; the former Eight Battle Generals had all withered away.

Now, those who survived were their descendants, replacing their fathers and forming new battle generals.

"Wuwu… Father, Big Black Dog Senior Martial Uncle also died, falling amidst the Foreign Realm army; he couldn't hold on," Lin Cherish said sadly.

This was Lin Fan's daughter, the princess of the Holy Emperor Palace, now a graceful young woman, inheriting her parents' looks and possessing breathtaking beauty.

Moreover, since Lin Fan became a King, he had not sealed her again, and she had long since grown up, carrying herself with grace and poise.

However, seeing her uncles and Senior Martial Uncles die, she couldn't help but feel sorrow; those people used to dote on her so much… especially the Big Black Dog, who had played with her since childhood, fostering deep affection. Now that he was gone forever, how could she not be sad?

"Alas!"

Lin Fan sighed softly; even an Immortal King could not be heartless. Although that dog was a bit of a scoundrel, he also held great righteousness in his heart.

When foreign enemies attacked, he truly fulfilled his oath: to die in this realm, never to be a coward.

Besides, Cao Yusheng also perished and was buried with the dog's remains.

"Send them both to the Burial Ground; perhaps one day they will revive and reappear in the world," Lin Fan said, as if he had thought of something.

Several days later, he personally entered the Burial Ground to pay a visit.

Because, in this battle, the Burial Land had lent a helping hand, sheltering the living beings in the Emperor Pass; otherwise, this place would also have been shattered.

Deep within the Burial Land, Lin Fan arrived. It was different from what he imagined; although there were dense ancient tombs, it was very peaceful.

In the air, Immortal Substances drifted, and apart from a trace of Death Qi, the environment was better than the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths before the Age of Dharma Decline.

Spiritual plants grew in patches, glowing with vibrant colors, all rare medicinal herbs; one had to admit, the Burial Land was very suitable for cultivating great medicines.

Furthermore, in front of a large tomb, there was also a Phoenix, having lost many feathers, guarding the entrance, which was astonishing.

"Tsk tsk tsk, a Phoenix being raised like a chicken, what a grand gesture," Lin Fan was moved.

If possible, he would want to raise a flock in front of his gate; just thinking about it was magnificent and incredibly prestigious.

Unfortunately, the True Phoenix lineage of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had gone extinct at the end of an epoch; now, they could only be found in the Immortal Domain.

"Who dares trespass upon my Burial Ground?" a mysterious and powerful voice rang out.

Lin Fan's appearance naturally stirred the experts of the Burial Zone to revive and quickly take notice.

Moreover, he did not conceal his aura; his terrifying strength, even slightly revealed, was more effective than any title.

"Please, Immortal King, enter!" A Burial King, recognizing him, immediately spoke.

Lin Fan was familiar with the voice; this was one of the Burial Kings he had saved when he killed Qu Chong, and he understood somewhat.

"Chirp!"

The next moment, the great tomb split open, and the Phoenix led the way, guiding him into a grotto-heaven that was incredibly splendid and unique.

Lin Fan was speechless; the living habits of this Burial Zone were truly unique. Even figures like Burial Kings lived underground, like the dead.

In the past, only the desolate Underworld of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was like this, though that force had been annihilated tens of thousands of years ago.

The similarity, it was rumored, was due to an intricate connection with the Burial Ground, being a fragment of this realm that had drifted outside.

This was how the Underworld came into being, with corpses gaining sentience!