The sect leader looked at Ye Fan for a long time, then sighed.
"Very well, since you insist on going, our sect will not force you to stay."
He took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Ye Fan, "This is a brief map of the journey to White Emperor City, as well as some places to be aware of along the way."
This is all the help our sect can offer you.
Ye Fan accepted the jade slip and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Sect Leader."
"Furthermore..." The sect leader paused, lowering his voice, " Ye Fan, do you truly have no deeper relationship with that Heavenly Emperor or the Ji Family princess?"
After all, they had witnessed Ji Ziyue and Lin Hao's appearance firsthand, and now Ye Fan was suddenly going to the Heavenly Court...
It's hard not to make him suspicious.
Ye Fan shook his head and smiled wryly, "I only had a chance encounter with His Majesty Lin Hao and Miss Ji Ziyue; we have no deep relationship."
The sect leader nodded, but the worry in his eyes did not disappear. "Even so... after you leave this time, take care of yourself."
This was said in a very tactful way, but the meaning was very clear.
Lingxu Cave Heaven no longer wanted to have anything to do with Ye Fan, lest it attract unnecessary trouble.
Ye Fan understood and bowed again, saying, "This disciple understands. Thank you, Sect Leader and all the elders, for taking me in these past few days."
It was already dark when we left the council hall.
Holding the warm, smooth jade slip, Ye Fan felt a mix of emotions.
Lingxu Cave Heaven's attitude was within his expectations, but when he actually faced it, he still felt somewhat disappointed.
" Ye Fan!"
A rough voice suddenly came from behind.
Ye Fan turned around and saw a tall young man walking quickly towards him; it was his friend Pang Bo.
" Pang Bo?" Ye Fan somewhat surprised. "What brings you here?"
"I heard you were back, so I came to see you right away."
Pang Bo walked up to Ye Fan and looked him up and down. "Are you alright? I heard the elders wanted to talk to you..."
"I'm fine." Ye Fan shook his head. "It wasn't the elders who wanted to talk to me; this matter is hard to explain in a short time... Anyway... I might have to leave Lingxu Cave Heaven."
Pang Bo was taken aback. "Leave? Where to?"
Ye Fan briefly explained the situation regarding Xiao Nannan and Qiu'er.
Of course, some details are omitted; it is only mentioned that I was asked to go to White Emperor City.
Pang Bo's eyes widened upon hearing this. " The Heavenly Court? White Emperor City? Ye Fan, you've gone a bit too far!"
Ye Fan smiled wryly, "I know. That's why I didn't tell you. I was planning to..."
"I'll go with you," Pang Bo interrupted him.
"What?" Ye Fan was taken aback. " Pang Bo, don't be impulsive. This journey is fraught with danger; I myself might not even be able to protect myself, let alone..."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Pang Bo patted Ye Fan on the shoulder, "We've been through thick and thin together, from Earth all the way to Big Dipper."
You're about to do something so outrageous, how can I just stand by and do nothing?
Besides...
He lowered his voice. "I also felt stifled staying in Lingxu Cave Heaven."
These so-called cultivation sects may appear ethereal and otherworldly, but in reality, they are all incredibly opportunistic.
Because your cultivation of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body is difficult, they treat you as a burden.
Although I have decent aptitude, I'm just an ordinary disciple in the sect.
Instead of wasting time here, I'd rather go out and explore with you.
Looking into Pang Bo's determined eyes, Ye Fan felt a warmth in his heart.
"But..."
"No buts," Pang Bo grinned. "It's settled then. When do we leave?"
Knowing he couldn't persuade Pang Bo, Ye Fan could only nod. "First thing tomorrow morning."
"Okay, I'll go back and pack my things."
The following morning, outside the Lingxu Cave Heaven.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, Xiao Nannan, and Qiu'er nestled in Xiao Nannan's arms, the three of them and the beast stood in the morning mist, ready to set off.
Let's go.
Ye Fan took one last look at the sacred mountain where he had spent the last few months, then turned and set off on his journey.
According to the map in the jade slip, to get from Lingxu Cave Heaven to White Emperor City, one must first travel east through the Yan Kingdom, enter the Wei Kingdom, and then head north, crossing tens of thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, before finally reaching White Emperor City in the Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness.
This journey has taken us far more than just across mountains and rivers.
For the first few days, the journey was relatively peaceful.
Ye Fan and Pang Bo are both cultivators. Although Ye Fan's Bitter Sea has not yet been opened, his physical body has been tempered by the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, making him far stronger than ordinary cultivators.
Pang Bo, on the other hand, had already opened up the Bitter Sea and could be considered a true cultivator, so his pace was not slow.
Although the Xiao Nannan is young, she walks without much effort, and sometimes even more easily than Ye Fan and Pang Bo.
This made the two even more convinced that this little girl was definitely not simple.
Qiu'er spends most of her time sleeping in Xiao Nannan's arms, and occasionally wakes up to point out directions.
Although she claimed that she "did not know where the Heavenly Court was," she seemed to have a special sensitivity to certain mysterious forces.
On the seventh day, on the post road on the border of the Wei Kingdom.
The air was filled with a spiritual energy even richer than that of the Yan Kingdom, and occasionally streaks of light flashed among the distant mountains—those were cultivators flying on magical artifacts.
Ye Fan and his group of four walked along the official road. Pang Bo was burly and strong, Ye Fan had a calm demeanor, Xiao Nannan followed quietly in a white dress, and Qiu'er nestled in Xiao Nannan's arms, her little hand pointing curiously at the sword light that flashed across the sky.
" Yezi, can you feel it?"
Pang Bo lowered his voice, his thick eyebrows furrowed, "Several groups of people have passed by nearby, and their auras are all quite strong. They're all heading east."
Ye Fan nodded slightly, "At least seven or eight groups have gone, ranging from the Sea of Bitterness Realm to the Dao Palace Realm..."
Just then, another gray figure darted out from the side forest. It was a man dressed in a brown short-sleeved shirt, with a bronze mace under his feet, about to speed up.
"Fellow Daoist, please wait!"
Ye Fan moved swiftly and politely blocked the way, cupping his hands in greeting, "I apologize for disturbing you."
"Seeing that you are all heading east, could it be that something significant has happened in the east?"
The man abruptly stopped. Seeing that Ye Fan and his companions were young and their cultivation seemed mediocre, he was initially impatient. However, when his gaze swept over Ye Fan, he sensed that the young man possessed a composed and unfathomable aura, so he patiently said:
"Haven't you little kids heard? The Qing Emperor's Tomb has been discovered!"
" The Qing Emperor's Tomb?!"
Ye Fan and Pang Bo spoke in unison, and when they looked at each other, they both saw the shock in each other's eyes.
Douluo Continent, Under the Heavenly Screen.
Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong frowned slightly.
" The Qing Emperor's Tomb... Is this yet another entity bearing the title of 'Emperor'?"
She lightly tapped the armrest of the throne with her fingertips, her tone thoughtful.
Chrysanthemum Douluo bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Heavenly Screen previously mentioned Heavenly Emperor Lin Hao who established the ' Heavenly Court,' who later became the Void Emperor, the Ruthless Empress, and the Queen Mother of the West..."
"Now the ' Azure Emperor ' has reappeared."
Ghost Douluo's hoarse voice rang out. "' Great Emperor ' is almost the ultimate existence above all others, a supreme powerhouse who truly rules over the universe."
The discovery of his tomb has attracted countless cultivators to pay homage, which is quite understandable.
Bibi Dong's gaze was profound. "The tomb... is both an end and perhaps the beginning of inheritance and opportunity."
Ye Fan had just embarked on his journey to find the ' Heavenly Court ' when he encountered the emergence of the ' Qing Emperor's Tomb '. Was it a coincidence, or... a twist of fate?