Chapter 498: Worth Going

After returning to the Ye Clan, Ye Wuque went straight to the hall where Clan Leader Ye Jinghong usually handles clan affairs and conducts secluded cultivation.

The hall was ancient, simple and grand, lacking lavish ornamentation, yet it exuded a composed aura of timeless authority.

Ye Jinghong, dressed in a plain long robe, stood before an ancient star chart that seemed to contain the movement of the heavens, his brows slightly furrowed as if contemplating something.

Sensing Ye Wuque's presence, he turned and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Wuque, you're back. In the Bian Huang battle you performed excellently, raising the Ye Clan's prestige and further stabilizing the Nine Heavens' footing."

Ye Jinghong's voice was steady and powerful, carrying approval.

As the current Clan Leader of the Ye Clan, his cultivation was unfathomable, he commanded the vast family, and his information network was naturally swift; he knew Ye Wuque's achievements in the Bian Huang like the back of his hand.

Ye Wuque bowed respectfully: "Clan Leader, you overpraise me; I only did what I could."

He straightened, his expression not triumphant but heavy: "Clan Leader, although the Bian Huang conflict has temporarily ceased, this return brings an even more important and urgent matter to report to you."

Seeing Ye Wuque's solemn look, Ye Jinghong's smile faded, and he gestured for him to sit and discuss: "Sit down and speak; what is so urgent?"

Ye Wuque did not sit; instead he inhaled deeply and, as clearly and concisely as possible, recounted the information he heard from Ye Shizu: "Clan Leader, in the Bian Huang war, the Other Shore's retreat was not due to lack of strength but because its fundamental goal has been achieved. The No Return Path… something terrible has happened."

He stared directly at Ye Jinghong, word by word: "The Inauspicious Clan has been brewing a cataclysmic plot, successfully triggering an ultimate upheaval. The Ancestor sensed disturbances in the Space-Time River and a Great Terror emanating from deep within the No Return Path, declared that Darkness Has Arrived, and before I returned, he immediately set out to personally aid the No Return Path!"

"What?!"

Even with Ye Jinghong's scheming mind and composure, hearing the keywords No Return Path upheaval and Ye Shizu's personal departure caused his complexion to change instantly!

He suddenly turned from the star chart, a flash of brilliance exploding in his eyes; the previously tranquil aura around him rippled uncontrollably for a moment, causing the floating star‑shadows in the hall to sway slightly.

"The Ancestor… went to the No Return Path himself?!" Ye Jinghong's voice trembled with disbelief and a hint of deep worry.

He knew better than Ye Wuque that Ye Shizu, as one of the Three Great Ancestors of the Ye Clan, had contributed to creation and was already beyond worldly concerns; ordinary calamities would never stir him.

For him to declare that Darkness Has Arrived and to go personally implies that the situation on the No Return Path has deteriorated to an unimaginable degree!

"I had thought that, although the Other Shore was stirring and the Inauspicious Clan's undercurrents were raging, the balance among the various forces would at least allow a relatively peaceful period for the Nine Heavens Ten Earths to recuperate, and for this generation of Heavenly Pride to mature…"

Ye Jinghong murmured, his face showing a complex expression—shock, gravity, and a hint of helpless urgency as his plans were disrupted: "I never expected… darkness to arrive so swiftly! Much faster than any of us anticipated."

He paced slowly in the hall, as if digesting the explosive news, each step heavy: "The Ancestor's personal departure shows the situation has become so severe… even he cannot stand by and must intervene himself. This is not merely an emergency at the Border Pass; it likely marks an early arrival of a node concerning the Epoch's survival!"

Ye Jinghong halted, looked at Ye Wuque, his worry deepening: "By the way, what of the North Star Ancestor? He didn't return with you, or perhaps he…" He thought of another crucial figure… Ye Beichen.

Ye Wuque shook his head: "The North Star Ancestor's whereabouts have always been vague and inscrutable. Since we last met on the Bian Huang battlefield, I have not seen him. Yet, with an Ancestor's power, he is surely unharmed. Perhaps he is now exploring some ancient Forbidden Land or attaining Dao."

Ye Jinghong listened, nodded slowly, his expression easing slightly: "Indeed. The North Star Ancestor is no ordinary person; he employed defiant means to rebirth himself from a distant past, and his perspective, methods, and ambitions are beyond our comprehension. His safety need not be a concern." He held absolute confidence in Ye Beichen, whose very experience was legendary.

The hall's atmosphere remained heavy. After a moment, Ye Wuque recalled another important matter, temporarily setting aside the No Return Path's gloom, and asked: "Clan Leader, there is another issue I wish to consult you about."

"Speak freely."

"It concerns… the Origin Ancient Road," Ye Wuque said, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Ye Jinghong's gaze flickered: "Origin Ancient Road? Why bring it up now?"

Ye Wuque explained: "A few years ago, I campaigned to the end of the Star Sky Ancient Road and inscribed my name on the Tianjun God‑Sealing Stele. At that moment, all who left their names, myself included, received a strange message emanating from the Fengshen Stele."

He recalled the scene: "The message said that the Star Sky Ancient Road was not the end of the Ultimate Main Road. Beyond the towering Tianjun God‑Sealing Stele lay an even more mysterious, older Ancient Path called the Origin Ancient Road, leading to an unspeakable place. It also stated that when the Origin Ancient Road is opened in the future, all who have inscribed their names on the Stele will feel a resonance and can follow it."

He paused, then continued: "In recent days, I have indeed begun to sense an extremely faint yet genuine strange resonance, as if something far away is calling, vaguely matching the message we received back then. So I come to ask you, Clan Leader, do you know what exactly the Origin Ancient Road is?"

After hearing Ye Wuque's account, Ye Jinghong was silent for a moment, a flash of sudden realization and emotion crossing his face; he sighed lightly: "Indeed… in this extraordinary era, this place that exists only in ancient legends and scattered records… is about to be opened again?"

He looked at Ye Wuque, his gaze solemn, and said gravely: "Wuque, since you have received the resonance and came to ask me, I will tell you. The Origin Ancient Road is absolutely worth going to! But you must be prepared to face dangers and trials far beyond any before."

Ye Wuque's spirit was uplifted, and he listened attentively.