"First, back to Spiritual Civilization, then a trip to Earth," Ye Chen stated plainly.

"Earth?" Zhuge Fan's eyes suddenly lit up. He turned toward Yue Ling beside him, joy coloring his expression. "Your Majesty, the place recorded on that Divine Fire Token—that is Earth. It's rare that my big brother also intends to return to Earth; why don't we travel together? That way, we’ll have an extra helper!"

Yue Ling was startled that he would reveal such a crucial secret so openly in front of someone. She quickly glanced at Ye Chen and, seeing only a slight furrow in his brow but no immediate questioning, felt a measure of relief.

She paused in thought, recalling the terrifying power Ye Chen had previously displayed. She nodded slowly. "Indeed, that is an excellent idea. I only wonder..."

Zhuge Fan immediately turned back, looking eagerly at Ye Chen. "Brother Ye, when we return to Earth, will you accompany us to a place? It's quite dangerous there, but there are treasures!"

Ye Chen touched the bridge of his nose, catching a glimpse of the wry smile on Yue Ling's face from the corner of his eye. He clapped Zhuge Fan on the shoulder and smiled. "No problem."

Yue Ling gave Zhuge Fan a look of helplessness, realizing for the first time how unreliable he could be. Yet, remembering his past cautious nature, she understood this indicated a deep friendship between the two men. She nodded gently. "Since that is settled, you two should rest here for a while. I will transfer everyone in the Imperial Capital into my independent universe."

After she left, Ye Chen and Zhuge Fan settled into the palace. Many serving maids, following the butler's instructions, approached to pour tea, but Zhuge Fan waved them away. "All of you, stand down." He then smiled at Ye Chen, twitched his fingers, and the tea and fruit juices in the palace automatically floated over. Wine pots and fruit platters drifted out from the control cabinets, seemingly borne by a pair of invisible hands.

"Brother Ye, there were rumors that you had died. How did you come back to life?" Zhuge Fan asked curiously.

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "Many things appear coincidental, but they are actually inevitable; often, what seems like certain death is merely an opportunity for rebirth. My survival was purely down to luck."

Zhuge Fan nodded thoughtfully. Although Ye Chen hadn't explained clearly, he could imagine that numerous twists and turns were involved, things that could never be summarized in a few words.

Ye Chen smiled, looking at Zhuge Fan with a hint of melancholy. "In just a hundred years, you have grown from a mere Demigod Realm cultivator to a powerhouse nearing the Epoch Realm. The difference is as vast as heaven and earth. You must have encountered many rare fortunes over these years?"

"That is because I had one awakening. Though it wasn't complete, the sliver of power unleashed caused a quantum leap in my physical constitution," Zhuge Fan chuckled. "If Brother Ye had also awakened, I imagine you would be far beyond this level by now."

Ye Chen did not demur, merely nodding. He suddenly asked, "Are Bailong and the others in other locations? Have you been in contact?"

"No," Zhuge Fan shook his head. "Since arriving in the Divine Rock Empire, we haven't had any contact. However, when we parted, we made an agreement: after two hundred years, we would gather at the original White Lotus Divine Province and then seek out the Bai family to avenge you!"

Ye Chen smiled wryly. "You are quite bold to agree to meet in two hundred years to avenge me. Did you know that in just two centuries, you could advance from the minor Demigod Realm to your current status?"

In the journey of cultivation, two hundred years was merely the blink of an eye, time flowing by unnoticed. In this short span, advancing from the Demigod Realm to the Pseudo-God Realm would already be considered extremely fast progress.

"Because someone gave us guidance," Zhuge Fan chuckled conspiratorially. "After we separated, we prepared to return to cultivation, resolving to become the most powerful Divine Emperor experts, whether it took ten thousand years or a million. Later, on our way back, we encountered a truly magical person—an old man walking in the rain, wearing a conical hat. It happened to be pouring heavily that day."

"Oh?" Ye Chen was surprised.

Zhuge Fan continued, "That light rain meant nothing to us; we could have scattered the clouds and cleared the sky with a mere breath. But we were exhausted from traveling that day, so everyone rested in the wilderness, staying inside my master's divine artifact, the Dragon King Palace. While chatting by the window in the attic, we saw the old man approaching from the distant forest. The rain had soaked him through; his shoes were sinking into the mud, and his trouser legs were covered in grime."

"Brother Bailong saw this and used a bit of his power to offer assistance. But then something strange happened." Zhuge Fan’s expression grew distant, as if reliving the scene. "Brother Bailong’s power vanished completely as it neared the old man. The old man looked up at us once, and then, with a flash of movement, he appeared on the balcony where we were standing."

"'Who are you?' I asked, greatly shocked. He didn't answer, but instead examined Brother Bailong, then glanced at Brother Yue Heng, and finally saw me. After looking us over, he suddenly nodded with satisfaction and said, 'Quite good.'"

"Brother Bailong is the most meticulous, though outwardly carefree and jovial, he is incredibly observant. He immediately realized this old man was a mysterious powerhouse whom we could not possibly handle. So, he quickly offered a conciliatory smile and said, 'Venerable sir, I only intended to wipe away the mud so you could walk more easily. I hope I have not offended you.' The old man smiled and replied, 'This mire is formed by Heaven and Earth; why avoid it? If rain and thunder descend, why must the ground remain dry? Is the mud not there precisely for us to tread upon?'"

"I found what he said strange, yet somehow reasonable, so I remained silent. Later, Brother Bailong conversed with the old man for a while and, sensing no ill intent, we relaxed. When the old man eventually left, he told us to gather at the White Lotus Divine Province in two hundred years. Brother Bailong asked, 'How did you know we would separate, and how did you know we would gather?' The old man simply replied, 'If you wish to seek revenge, you only need to gather at the White Lotus Divine Province in two hundred years. Furthermore, do not worry about the brief span of two hundred years, for many things will happen in that time.' With that, he departed."

Zhuge Fan finished in one breath and finally sighed. "Later, as my strength grew, every time I thought of that old man, I realized I could never truly see through him; it was as if he possessed complete knowledge of everything, able to perceive the very heavens."

Ye Chen remained silent.

"Could it be..." His gaze drifted outward, past the palace doors toward the distant azure sky. "Was this old man an emissary serving under one of the Nine Ancient Heavenly Gods? Or perhaps a supreme being from some great world?"

Soft light streamed in through the doorway, and snow-white petals drifted down from the snow trees, fluttering across the entire Imperial City.

The time set since their parting seemed fast approaching two hundred years.

One day later, Empress Yue Ling had successfully relocated the strong individuals, noble families, generations of elders, and many major corporations of the Imperial Capital into her independent universe.

The entire bustling Imperial Capital was stripped bare; its majestic walls reduced to ruins, the broad avenues empty and silent.

Ye Chen and Zhuge Fan, hand-in-hand with Yue Ling, rushed toward the Luo Tian Divine Province.

Through Yue Ling's intelligence network, Ye Chen had learned that the headquarters of Spiritual Civilization was situated there. The Luo Tian Divine Province had originally been one of the three thousand floating divine islands outside the Ancient Continent. However, powerful cultivators of Spiritual Civilization had used immense force to move it directly above a territory belonging to the Yan God Empire on the Ancient Continent, transforming it into a city in the sky.

The trio boarded Yue Ling's Celestial Rock Sword. Like a streak of aurora breaking through the void, they vanished in an instant, traveling at a speed that light itself could scarcely match. After several hours, they had traveled from the Divine Rock Empire to the neighboring Yan God Empire to the north.

Most of the territories they traversed were scarred and ravaged. Mountains, rivers, seas, forests, cities, and dynasties—all had been devastated by immense power, leaving behind massive craters, as if scoured clean by a plague of locusts.

City walls had crumbled into rubble; within the broken walls, only ink-black blood stained the ground and scattered limbs marked the chaotic remains of corpses.

Not a single body was intact.

The faces of the group grew somber. The entire Ancient World was currently being invaded by a formidable force. Countless legions of undead, resurrected from beneath the earth, threatened to overthrow the Ten Great Temples and the Ten Great Empires above them before long!

This was truly a cataclysmic disaster akin to the end of days!

Yet, no single person seemed capable of stopping it alone.

Soon, Ye Chen and the others entered the territory of the Yan God Empire. Stepping onto this land once again, Ye Chen felt a different emotion stirring within him. The last time, he had been forced to flee this place by the artifact spirit of the Void Heaven Artifact, the national treasure of the Yan God Empire. Now, returning, no one here could impede his path.

The territory of the Yan God Empire was not severely damaged. The thousands of vassal states surrounding it had formed a mutual support network, and the central Imperial Capital remained vibrant and flowery, showing no signs of ruin.

The undead that crawled out from around the capital were swiftly annihilated by large contingents of troops before they could even establish a foothold.

Led by Yue Ling, Ye Chen and Zhuge Fan charged toward the Imperial Palace at the heart of the capital. The Luo Tian Divine where Spiritual Civilization resided hung suspended above the capital.

Looking from a distance...

The capital city appeared like a magnificent jewel set upon a desolate, wild land. An artificial atmosphere, like a transparent shield, enveloped the entire city, radiating a brilliant, clear light that starkly contrasted with the dark ground surrounding it.

Above this grand and imposing capital, a colossal black mass hovered motionlessly, resembling a small island.

"That is it," Yue Ling raised her hand and pointed.

Ye Chen's gaze sharpened. "Let's go."

The figures of the group flashed, speeding directly toward the floating Luo Tian Divine. In an instant, they penetrated the artificial atmosphere of the Luo Tian Divine Province.