The Quasi-Saints of different races returned to the Heavenly Shadow Clan Ruins. After investigating the Sealing Tower, they came to a conclusion: The Immortal Emperor’s Seal, which is 99% intact, has no possibility of being destroyed. In this way, the second invasion plan prepared by the different races for tens of millions of years since their last invasion of Eastern Heaven has finally become a fruitless endeavor.

The seal has been repaired, and is more powerful than at any time over the past billion years! For a long time to come, restricted by the Immortal Emperor’s Seal’s 99% power, not only the Immortal Emperor-level different races but even the lower-level races will find it extremely difficult to create chaos!

The chaos of the different races in the Eastern Boundary River has finally been quelled!

In this war that lasted decades, there is no doubt that Ning Fan’s achievements are the greatest! The Slaughter Immortal Emperor, slaying a Half-Saint, capturing the Thunder Infant, repairing the seal, blasting the Blood God Geng Wu... Reports like snowflakes were sent back from the Boundary River to Eastern Heaven, and countless people were awed and speechless by Ning Fan’s latest achievements!

Ning Fan has grown powerful enough to even crush Ancient Great Cultivators!

Many people began to discuss this matter in private, and more people frantically sought details of this battle. Ning Fan was unaware of all this, and even if he knew, he wouldn’t care.

Returning once more to the surface of the Sixth Waterway, Ning Fan stood on the river, bathed in the sunset scenery of the Boundary River, looking at the almost flawlessly repaired Immortal Emperor Seal on the water’s surface, and heaved a long sigh of relief.

"The chaos of the different races in the Eastern Boundary River has finally come to an end. I wonder if the chaotic situations of the other three heavens have also been resolved..." Following the sixth water flow, Ning Fan gazed in the direction of the Northern Heaven, pondering silently.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

A sudden wave of ripping pain came from his divine sense, it was the True Spirit of Niu Manshan, slowly separating from his body.

Under the intense pain, Ning Fan could hardly stand, directly falling to sit on the water, enduring the pain and gradually separating from Niu Manshan’s True Spirit.

Due to weakness, Niu Manshan luckily fell into sleep, avoiding the result of sharing half of Ning Fan’s splitting pain. In this way, almost all of the pain was borne by Ning Fan alone.

The entire True Spirit separation process lasted for a full eight hours.

The sunset fell on the river, dusk turned to deep night.

After a long time, Ning Fan finally exhaled a breath of turbid air, forcing out a drastically small True Spirit from his divine sense.

Niu Manshan’s True Spirit.

Unlike the True Spirit that attacked Ning Fan, the True Spirit of Niu Manshan, depleted of power, could no longer maintain the size of a human form. Like the Geng Wu True Spirit that fled in panic, it had shrunk to the size of an ant.

The ant-sized Niu Manshan snored loudly while sound asleep in Ning Fan’s palm; though its aura was weak, its snores were surprisingly full of energy.

Has Niu Manshan’s power truly been exhausted? Yet it still has such vitality...

Ning Fan secretly ridiculed, but didn’t intend to wake Niu Manshan. Instead, he took out several Nine Revolutions Imperial Grade Healing Pills, extracted the medicinal power, and injected it into Niu Manshan’s True Spirit.

These Nine Revolutions Emperor Pills were treasures acquired from Geng Wu’s body by Ning Fan after the battle, perfectly suited for treating Niu Manshan right now.

If not for these pills, Niu Manshan would have slumbered for at least hundreds of years to awaken; but with the use of the pills, as the medicinal power was absorbed, Niu Manshan’s ant-sized True Spirit grew larger, reaching the size of a fist in just one incense stick worth of time.

Another incense stick of time passed, and the True Spirit had already grown back to human size and finally awakened.

"Consider yourself a decent kid, knowing to help me restore my strength, there’s hope for you yet!"

Niu Manshan stretched comfortably, then took deep breaths of the air above the Boundary River.

How refreshing, how nostalgic, this is the taste of freedom! How many years has it been since he last breathed the air above the water? Close to a billion years! Finally, he’s left the damn water depths!

"As promised, junior has already brought senior out of the Sealing Tower. I hope senior will keep the promise as well, and not recklessly harm any Purple Dou Immortal Cultivator in this life." Looking at the blissful expression of Niu Manshan, Ning Fan was deeply moved. Air is something taken for granted by those who possess it. Truly, some things must be lost once to realize their value.

"Rest assured, I have even sworn an oath of causality; how could I break my promise? Well, our transaction is now complete, quickly hand over your Severing Ties Broken Sword to me. I’m planning to head west to the Western Heaven immediately."

"Immediately to the Western Heaven, in such a hurry?" Ning Fan was surprised but still kept his promise, handing over the Severing Ties Broken Sword imbued with Lotus Sword Intent to Niu Manshan.

"Hehe, I’m not in a hurry to meet old friends... ahem, to challenge the major Buddhist Sects in the Western Heaven, am I? I’ve guarded the Sealing Tower for nearly a billion years, in the long years, unable to even find a worthy opponent. Ah, the Western Heaven is still better, those Buddhist Sects are all unfathomable; I could probably find many evenly matched opponents in the Western Heaven," Niu Manshan said pretending to be serious.

Ning Fan couldn’t help but twitch his mouth, silently grumbling in his heart: Uncle Niu, you’ve already let the cat out of the bag, haven’t you? There’s no point in hiding it; the truth is, you’re really eager to meet old friends in Western Heaven, right?

"I wonder if she is still in the world... After all, it’s already been a billion years, since ancient times, how many cultivators can live past a billion years... It’s difficult, very difficult." Niu Manshan suddenly thought of something, starting to sigh.

Ning Fan didn’t know who the old friend Niu Manshan referred to was, naturally, he didn’t speak out to comfort him randomly, only watched stoically, allowing Niu Manshan to sigh for a while. Finally, Niu Manshan glanced at Ning Fan unhappily, "The senior is sighing here, can’t you offer a little comfort? Boring, really boring. Well, well, let’s part here, you go find your companions in Eastern Heaven, I’m heading to Western Heaven. The waterway to Western Heaven should be the Third Waterway..."

Whoosh!

Before Niu Manshan finished his words, his whole person contracted into a line of light between heaven and earth and vanished without a trace.

"Senior, wait, weren’t you looking for Squid Dumplings and Foster..." Niu Manshan acted swiftly, leaving too quickly! Ning Fan couldn’t even finish his sentence and had to swallow back his words in resignation.

Niu Manshan clearly asked him to help find his foster son, wanted to use Geng Wu’s meat to make Squid Dumplings, these matters are yet to be done, yet he’s gone just like this...

Indeed, compared to old friends, what are foster sons and Squid Dumplings? They are not important at all, right!

Ning Fan shook his head helplessly, after a short rest, he stood up from the water surface, planning to leave.

Unfortunately, before he could leave, a glimmer of light flickered from the distant waters — who else could it be but Niu Manshan returning the same way?

Niu Manshan’s face was ashen as he returned in front of Ning Fan, his displeasure palpable as if he had encountered some misfortune.

"Senior, why have you returned? Weren’t you in a hurry to go to the Western Heaven?" Ning Fan asked, puzzled.

"I couldn’t go! The pathway to the Western Heaven is actually sealed off by the seal of another Immortal Emperor!" Niu Manshan replied with frustration.

"The seal of another Immortal Emperor? What do you mean!" Ning Fan’s expression darkened.

"Hmph! See for yourself and you’ll understand! Quickly, help me think if there’s any way to break through the pathway!"

Swoosh!

Niu Manshan waved his large hand, a streak of light swept over and whisked Ning Fan away from the spot.

This was a unique Escape Technique of the Heavenly Ox Clan, its speed was beyond imagination. For Ning Fan, even at his maximum speed, it would take a day or two to fly from the Sixth Waterway to the Third Waterway; Niu Manshan only needed a few hundred breaths to make the same journey.

The speed of an Ancient Great Cultivator had reached such a level!

Ning Fan questioned himself, his speed was only competitive against some of the weaker Quasi-Saints. But compared to Niu Manshan, his speed was utterly insignificant.

Indeed, there was still a vast gap between him and a top-notch Second Step expert. In front of an Ancient Great Cultivator, the little speed he had was probably insufficient even for escaping...

Niu Manshan carried Ning Fan to the White Tiger Pass on the Third Waterway, the final checkpoint on the Third Waterway, beyond which lay the long pathway to the Western Heaven.

Ning Fan hadn’t even participated in the earlier recovery of White Tiger Pass, let alone ventured further back to explore the Western Heaven Pathway.

If Niu Manshan hadn’t brought Ning Fan all the way to the end of the Third Waterway, he wouldn’t have known that the entrance to the Western Heaven Pathway had already been sealed by a tremendous sealing force!

Before them, between the water and sky, a sealing force exuding a desolate, decaying aura had sealed off the entrance to the Western Heaven Pathway, and Niu Manshan’s cultivation was insufficient to break through it and reach the Western Heaven.

Ning Fan’s eyes were covered with azure light as he scrutinized the desolate seal, growing more alarmed the longer he looked.

This was no ordinary seal!

This was a seal of Immortal Emperor level! Crafted by another Fourth Step Immortal Emperor, besides the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign!

"Which Immortal Emperor has sealed off the Western Heaven Pathway!" Ning Fan gasped.

He did not expect that when he used the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign’s seal against the Foreign Clans of the Boundary River, someone would secretly place another Immortal Emperor’s seal to block the pathway...

"This is the Primeval Immortal Emperor’s seal, although not personally enacted by the Primeval Immortal Emperor, the Dreamland Realm set by the Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign is such that even a Fourth Step Immortal Emperor cannot interfere externally. Perhaps within the Dreamland Realm, someone acquired a seal granted by the Primeval Immortal Emperor through unknown means and used its power to seal off the Western Heaven Pathway." Niu Manshan explained.

"The Primeval Immortal Emperor..." This Immortal Emperor’s name, Ning Fan had heard before, furrowing his brows.

He was eager to know why the Primeval Immortal Emperor’s seal appeared here, blocking the Western Heaven Pathway.

It was certain that behind the chaos of the Boundary River, there was definitely the handiwork of the Dark Clan and the Demon-Sealing Peak, and possibly behind them, the involvement of Primeval Immortal Realm cultivators?

"Young friend, your talents are extraordinary, do you have any way to destroy this seal!" Niu Manshan addressed Ning Fan with such politeness for the first time, oddly because he was eager to meet a beloved acquaintance...

"Senior jests, the Primeval Immortal Emperor’s seal here is fully intact, I have no means to damage it." Ning Fan replied with a wry smile.

A ninety-nine percent Purple Dou seal could trap more than ten Quasi-Saints of different races at the Eastern Boundary River; a seal with a hundred percent integrity of Primeval origin was not something Ning Fan could break.

"You possess the eyesight of the Second Realm of Tianren, and even you cannot discern any weakness in this seal?" Niu Manshan asked, astonished.

Ning Fan was not surprised that Niu Manshan could see through his Second Realm of Tianren, and he shook his head, "This seal has no weakness. To destroy it, one can only wait for its power to wane over the ages before making a move..."

Not good!

Ning Fan suddenly thought of something, his expression darkened, and he said to Niu Manshan, "Setting aside the seal on the Western Heaven Pathway, Senior, please take me to probe the Sixth Route! The Sixth Waterway connects to the Northern Heaven, I wonder if there is such a Primeval seal on the Northern Heaven Pathway..."

Niu Manshan nodded, activating his divine skill, and in just a few hundred breaths, he brought Ning Fan back to the Sixth Waterway, rushing to the end of it, the entrance of the Northern Heaven Pathway.

As Ning Fan suspected, the entrance to the Northern Heaven Pathway was indeed also sealed by a Primeval seal, and the sealing power here was actually several times stronger than at the entrance to the Western Heaven Pathway!

"To the Ninth Path!" Ning Fan said again.

Niu Manshan complied and took Ning Fan to investigate the entrance to the Southern Heaven Pathway on the Ninth Path.

This place was similarly sealed by a Primeval seal, the sealing power here was not as great as the Northern Heaven entrance, only comparable to the Western Heaven entrance, but even so, it was enough to prevent Ancient Great Cultivators from passing through.

"This is troublesome..." Ning Fan’s face was ashen; after a long moment, he sighed deeply.

There were people Ning Fan cared about in the Eastern Heaven, just as there were in the Northern Heaven. Rumor had it that the chaos in the Northern Heaven was the most severe among the Four Heavens, and Ning Fan was deeply worried about the safety of Bei Xiao Man and the others...

Calming the disturbances in the Eastern Heaven’s Boundary River was supposed to be a joyful event. Ning Fan had been planning to swiftly proceed to support the Northern Heaven after stabilizing the Eastern Heaven’s chaos.

He initially thought that as long as the foreign clans of the Eastern Boundary River were eradicated, he would be able to clear the path to the Northern Heaven. Unexpectedly, the mastermind behind the Boundary River disturbances had implemented a second layer of security at the entrances to the heavenly pathways - the seal of the Primeval Immortal Emperor.

As a result, even if the cultivators from the West, South, and East could quell their respective chaos, they could not pass through the seals to support the other heavens...

The Four Heavens had been completely isolated!

The Zidou Seal separates the foreign clans from the cultivators of the Four Heavens, while the Primeval Seal further disconnects the Four Heavens...

[I saw the future, a terrifying future... The Four Heavens will be isolated, there will be a great war in the North Heaven... Afterwards, the Spirit King will die, killed by the Western Demon Ancestor... The Spirit devoured by the Spirit King will also die...]

Everything is proceeding just as Nalan Zi’s prophecy foretold, not a single deviation! Isolation, isolation! That word ’isolation’ wasn’t just referring to foreign clans obstructing, but to the Primeval Seal severing the Four Heavens!

"Ahhh! Who placed such a nasty seal at the entrance of the heavenly pathways! In that case, how can I go to the Western Heaven! Master, oh Master, it’s not that I don’t want to find you, it’s really that the seal of the Primeval Immortal Emperor is too formidable." Niu Manshan sighed and lamented.

Ning Fan’s expression was uncertain, deep in thought.

The seal of the Primeval Immortal Emperor is not something a mere little Immortal King like him can break.

But he must go to the Northern Heaven! The appearance of the Primeval Seal highlights the unusual nature of this chaos in the Four Heavens Boundary River. The waters run too deep behind the scenes! The Northern Heaven, at the heart of the chaos, must be extremely perilous!

"Must I find an alternative solution..." Ning Fan thought to himself.

The only way Ning Fan could think of to bypass the Primeval Seal and traverse freely among the Four Heavens was Ancient Demon Cavity!

The powerful Primeval Seal might trouble ancient cultivators like Niu Manshan, yet long ago, the Semi-Saint cultivation level Profound Tail Daoist managed to withstand the seal and directly opened the demon cavity, flying from the Northern Heaven to the Eastern Heaven...

If Ning Fan could cultivate an Ancient Demon Cavity, going to the Northern Heaven would be no problem at all. Even a half-baked demon cavity like Profound Tail Daoist’s would suffice.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t possess even half-baked methods for cultivating the cavity; he only has the infeasible official method...

It’s truly vexing!

"Forget it, forget it, I’ll temporarily stay away from the Western Heaven! I refuse to believe that after the chaos in the Four Heavens Boundary River ends, the mastermind will keep the pathway forever sealed. After achieving their goal, they will surely open it up. I’ll just wait in the meantime," Niu Manshan said helplessly.

Niu Manshan can wait, but Ning Fan cannot!

Though Ning Fan didn’t say much about the matter, his troubled expression made Niu Manshan casually complain.

"Hey, brat! It’s me who can’t see the Master, it’s me who should look miserable, why are you pulling a face like you’ve lost your parents and eaten dung? It’s not like you can’t see the Master! Or are you empathetic to my suffering?" Niu Manshan said, feeling touched, patting Ning Fan’s shoulder.

Ning Fan pulled a wry smile, slapped away Niu Manshan’s dirty hand, not responding to him: Niu Manshan’s terrible conversation skills were enough to repel Ning Fan.

"Ah, right, I seem to have asked you to help find an heir to me..." You finally remembered your son’s matter, huh...

"Oh, and squid dumplings, once we return, I’ll cook you a delicacy from the Fusang Immortal Country..."

Unfortunately, Ning Fan, amidst his heavy thoughts, did not want to respond to Niu Manshan’s words.

"I’ll stay in the Eastern Heaven for now, come, come, let me enter your body again..."

"No!" Ning Fan finally spoke up, rejecting Niu Manshan’s proposal.

What a joke! His Divine Spirit Body has so many secrets, and initially, he only allowed Niu Manshan to possess him to discreetly leave the Sealing Tower. Now there’s no such necessity, why let Niu Manshan enter his body?

What if he discovers his divine secrets?

What if he spies on Ning Fan’s intimacies with his wives?

"Hmph, so stingy! I won’t live there then! Do you think I like living your body so much? You just want to hide your Taicang Calamity Spirit bloodline!" Niu Manshan said, self-righteously.

Ning Fan raised his eyebrows, acknowledging that Niu Manshan has sharp eyes, even though he tried to hide it, Niu Manshan discerned his Taicang Calamity Spirit identity.

Fortunately, Niu Manshan seemed unable to see through his Ancient Deity identity, given that the Ancient Deity is from a previous cultivation era, it’s not surprising Niu Manshan doesn’t know.

This is precisely why Ning Fan cannot let Niu Manshan continue to reside within him, otherwise, while Niu Manshan might not know about the Ancient Deity, he would eventually detect something...

The Ancient Deity is the greatest taboo in all the heavens, compared to this, exposing his Taicang Calamity Spirit identity isn’t important at all.

"Rest assured! I can tell that you and the Dust Realm’s Calamity Clan aren’t of the same tribe, Calamity Blood is merely an accretion to many bloodlines. Considering you are an inheritor of Ancient Chaos, possessing four bloodlines isn’t surprising. Ancient God, Ancient Demon, Ancient Chaos, Calamity Blood, your Four Series Cultivation surpasses even your master, no wonder you command terrifying power of thirteen thousand five hundred tribulations at merely the Immortal King Realm. Should your Four Series Cultivation fully reach the Ancient Great Cultivator level, who could rival you in the Decline Era? Saints might not be safe from you even..." Niu Manshan praised.

Yet he suddenly changed his tone, "But your Mana Purity is rather low."

"Mana Purity?" It was the first time Ning Fan heard of such a concept.

"Hehe, just by looking at you, I can tell you don’t have a proper ancient tribal inheritance. You don’t even know this cultivation concept. Do you think, why are cultivators of the Era of Decline weaker than ancient cultivators of the same level? The decline of divine skills in the Era of Decline is one reason, but more importantly, it’s the mana purity of the Era of Decline cultivators, which is far inferior to that of ancient cultivators. Your thirteen thousand five hundred tribulation power is more than enough to intimidate cultivators of the Era of Decline, and to fool some ancient cultivators it’s enough. But if you face a truly strong ancient cultivator, even if their mana isn’t as much as yours, they can crush you with their purity advantage... Ah, no matter how much I talk about this, you won’t understand it. Enough of that, let’s hurry back; I’m hungry."

So you want to rush back to eat squid dumplings, don’t you?

With a flash of light in the sky, the two instantly vanished from their original spot. A few hundred breaths later, they reached the pass where Burying Moon and others were located — Sixth Path Xuanwu Pass.

Ning Fan’s intention was to have Niu Manshan appear publicly and introduce the biggest hero who defeated Blood God Geng Wu, Niu Manshan, to all the cultivators of Eastern Heaven.

However, Niu Manshan didn’t want to be exposed.

In this, he shared a stubbornness similar to Aflo. He could promise not to randomly kill Zidou Descendants, but he didn’t want to interact or meet these Zidou Descendants.

He still harbors some resentment towards Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign...

"Go in by yourself, don’t let anyone know of my existence. I’ll stay outside Xuanwu Pass..."

Niu Manshan’s silhouette grew fainter, hiding his figure in the realm between water and sky, blending into the vast night. Before that figure disappeared, there was an indescribable loneliness.

If he doesn’t want to, even Eastern Celestial Quasi-Saints wouldn’t know he’s here.

He could hide his body, but he couldn’t hide the loneliness in his heart.

The annihilation of the Heavenly Ox Clan, the entire clan perished for the Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators, leaving only him, the last of the Heavenly Ox Clan, surviving in the vast mortal world, friendless and oh so lonely.

Ning Fan sighed. He could understand the emotions Niu Manshan bore, but he could never fully comprehend that heaviness firsthand. If one day, he lost everything, equally friendless, equally alone, and equally bewildered by the relentless secular world, perhaps he would have the same lonely silhouette as Niu Manshan...

The world only knows the magnificent and unparalleled Purple Astral Immortal Cultivators, their grand heroism, but who understands the bitterness and sacrifice behind it.

Just like this Boundary River chaos, although due to Ning Fan’s intervention, the casualties of the Eastern Heaven cultivators weren’t as dire as expected, still, many cultivators died in the Boundary River...

When people die like a lamp extinguished, reincarnation rekindles anew. When immortals die like thoughts scattered, they never return in this life...

Silent, Ning Fan activated the Fu Li Spirit Wheels in his palm. The heroic souls he could collect were ultimately few; most died beyond his capability...

"Daddy came back!" Suddenly, a joyful figure flew out from Xuanwu Pass, diving straight into Ning Fan’s arms.

Then, one after another, several concerned figures flew out from the vast night.

Burying Moon, little demoness, Ouyang Nuan, Yao Qingyun...

Wu Laoba, Yang Zhu, Ya Tiangou, Earth Controlling Devil Star, Iron Crow...

Emperor Cang, Luo Hou, Lv Wen, Cloud Thunder Seal...

"Haha! Didn’t I say Brother Ning would be absolutely fine!"

"He’s back! It’s so good to be back!"

"Our great hero is back! Huh, where’s the beauty you promised, didn’t bring her along, are you hiding her in a golden house?"

"Let’s start the feast! Tonight is a joyous occasion, we won’t stop till we’re drunk!"

A great hero?

Ning Fan chuckled; how on earth did he, a proper evil sect leader, end up becoming a hero...

If he could choose, he would rather be a notorious villain, a ruthless hero, or simply a major antagonist. He was used to being feared but not to being revered or idolized...

Even if most of this reverence and worship were genuinely heartfelt... he still felt somewhat out of place.

When he first became the Rain World’s Heavenly King, the cultivators of the Rain Immortal World obeyed him only out of fear of his power.

Now it’s different, very different.

He was no longer the revenge-driven young man who had just entered the cultivation path.

He increasingly resembled a Purple Dou Immortal Cultivator...

"As Elder Ling said, ten days from now, the entire Eastern Heaven will mourn for the cultivators who died at the Boundary River for three months, during which no alcohol can be drunk for three months. But Elder Ling also said, tonight is not within the prohibition period, and we should welcome the hero’s return with a grand feast for ten days! Please, Elder Ning, get as drunk with us as you can!"

"Please, Elder Ning, get as drunk with us as you can!"

More and more Eastern Heaven cultivators began to shout out loud, and Ning Fan could only smile wryly as he was pulled into the feast at Xuanwu Pass by everyone.

Generous hospitality was hard to resist...