Luo Bingling, having rejected Ye Chen's attempt to go further, had been certain the next phase would be her home field. She was full of anticipation for their future interactions. Yet she had only taken two months to break through to mid-Third Heaven, and Ye Chen was still in seclusion. One year passed—still in seclusion. Now two full years, and he still hadn't emerged.

Luo Bingling was starting to worry—was something wrong with Ye Chen? Had he deviated during breakthrough? Or had he advanced too quickly and destabilized his foundation? It was only the Third Heaven—why was it taking so long?

When she had broken through to Third Heaven, it had only taken her a year. Could Ye Chen really be that big? His cave-heaven that vast? Her own cave-heaven already spanned ten thousand li in length and width—an extremely rare scale. Among geniuses, it was absolutely top-tier. No matter how big Ye Chen's was, how much bigger could it be? What on earth was Ye Chen doing that it required so long?

Without Ye Chen, there wasn't even anyone to eat cherries. She had clearly hooked him, yet every night she dreamed of reeling him in completely—making him kneel obediently and offer the Dao Cauldron and Enlightenment Tea Tree, trapping Yi Qingwu in front of her while he earnestly ate cherries, only to dodge at the last second and splash her instead. She had planned everything perfectly, but the man himself wasn't here! It drove Luo Bingling mad with frustration. She wished Ye Chen would come out right now and make her dreams a reality.

…

Meanwhile, in the Northern Domain—the land of exile where the myriad races had once been driven by the Heavenly Emperor—at the very heart of that frozen wasteland, a towering snow peak pierced the clouds.

At its summit lay a massive, flawless divine source block, silently absorbing the essence of heaven, earth, sun, and moon. The divine source was perfectly transparent, yet no matter how one looked, nothing inside could be seen clearly. Only endless flames burned within, like divine fire that would never extinguish.

"Celestial Prince, the Heavenly Demon Clan has pledged allegiance. Their ancestor offers this generation's prodigy, Yao Yuezhi, hoping that when you emerge, she may serve as your personal attendant. The ancestor has already agreed.

"However, Yao Yuezhi appears unwilling. She has thrown herself at this generation's Heir of the Heavenly Emperor, embracing and kissing him publicly. She is no longer worthy to serve you. The Heavenly Demon Clan must be punished! And for Yao Yuezhi's actions—insulting you, Celestial Prince—she must be eradicated, body and soul!"

Before the divine source, a black-robed man knelt respectfully. Divine flames burned in his eyes; his aura was terrifying. He radiated at least Semi-Saint might. Yet before the divine source, he was utterly reverent.

After finishing his report, the man prepared to rise. But in the next instant, the divine source trembled. Faint cracks spiderwebbed across its surface. The being within seemed on the verge of awakening. Yet the cracks vanished as quickly as they appeared. The divine source returned to flawless perfection. A faint, illusory face materialized before it.

When the illusory face vanished, the man lowered his head even further, shouting with fanatical excitement: "Celestial Prince, you have finally awakened!"

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The face that had appeared was encircled by five-colored divine rings, noble beyond measure, like a divine son descended to the mortal world. His hair was crystalline, giving an otherworldly, pure sensation. But the most astonishing were those eyes. Deep and ancient, yet brimming with vitality. Gaze deeper, and one could see mountains and rivers evolving, the passage of ages, ascension to immortality. Those eyes seemed to have come from the primordial beginning.

A Mahayana cultivator of slightly lower realm who met them would likely have their soul swallowed whole. And this was the Celestial Prince. The direct son of the Undying Celestial Emperor. Sealed in divine source for a million years, now finally awakening.

"Celestial Prince, now that you are awake, I will immediately inform the clan elders and the entire cultivation world!"

The man was beside himself with joy. Yet the Celestial Prince's phantom calmly shook its head.

"The Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages Art truly is terrifying. Worthy of a technique my father obtained beyond even the immortal scriptures. But the time was insufficient; there are still flaws. Nothing about me is perfect yet. I need another ten years before I can truly step out. So there is no rush. Also, do not let anyone disturb me for now."

The man's eyes widened further. Others sealed in divine source lost all sense of time, their consciousness sinking into chaos, waking as if a lifetime had passed. Yet their Celestial Prince had done it to cultivate a technique beyond immortal scriptures. For a full million years. Terrifying.

The rewards at the end would surely be equally terrifying. Immortality would not even be the end. After all, clan legend said the Undying Celestial Emperor had ten sons, each a dragon among men. But the tenth possessed the highest talent. The Undying Celestial Emperor had even declared that the tenth son's future achievements might surpass his own.

Thus, the position of Celestial Prince had been given to the tenth. If mere immortality were the goal, no matter which immortal path reopened, the Prince could suppress all rivals and ascend effortlessly. Thus, the man was certain: the Prince's future would transcend true immortality, reaching even greater heights.

"I obey the Celestial Prince's command!"

The man bowed and prepared to withdraw. But the next moment, the Prince spoke again, voice faint and ethereal, as though all worldly matters were mere passing clouds.

"Since this generation's Heavenly Demon prodigy is unwilling to be my attendant, so be it. As for this generation's Heir of the Heavenly Emperor… take him with her. Send them both on their way together."

The Prince didn't care in the slightest. He gave the order casually. Those who follow me prosper; those who defy me perish. Since he was awakening in this era, this era would be his. Anyone standing against him could simply die. The Heir of the Heavenly Emperor? He couldn't even be bothered to look. Just send someone to crush him.

In his eyes, only the Heavenly Emperor himself was a worthy opponent. Back then, he had met the Heavenly Emperor. At first, the Heavenly Emperor had been far weaker, constantly hunted by him, only knowing how to flee. Only later had he been defeated by the Heavenly Emperor. That defeat had nearly killed him.

The Heavenly Emperor's methods were too numerous. Even when his father personally acted, he could not be fully healed; his life force had continued to drain. That was why he had sealed himself in the divine source and cultivated the Great Dream of Ten Thousand Ages Art his father had brought back from the Immortal Realm.

It was not active cultivation. It was a dream. While sealed, he had lived entirely within that dream, experiencing everything. The benefits were beyond imagination. Yet that illusory face, gazing at this unfamiliar era, carried a trace of melancholy.

One sleep—millions of years gone. Everyone he had once known had either ascended or turned to dust. No matter how stunning one's splendor, without immortality, all became a handful of earth.

After a brief moment of sentiment, the Prince's face hardened once more. In his eyes, only the Heavenly Emperor was a rival. As for the Heir? He couldn't be bothered to glance. Just send someone to kill him.

"Heavenly Emperor, though I slept a million years, I will soon catch up. I only hope you do not disappoint me, dying too early, denying me the chance to repay the humiliation of that day…"