Chapter 581: Stepping onto the No Return Path

Ye Wuque sheathes the Great Dragon Halberd, disperses his Emperor Form, and breathes lightly.

This battle lasted a full hour.

He lowers his head to look at himself.

Grayish bloodstains cling to his black robe; they are the Curse Ancestor's blood, slowly evaporating under his Blood Qi.

The internal energy consumption is massive, yet still within acceptable limits.

More importantly, through this battle he finally discerned his current limit combat power—

Dao Ancestor Realm Peak!

Cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Tongtian Eighteenth Realm, and combat power at the Dao Ancestor Realm Peak.

This means he can now directly contend with those ancient entities who have cultivated for endless ages and stand at the pinnacle of the Dao Ancestor Realm, without being at a disadvantage!

Ye Wuque nods slightly, quite satisfied with this result.

He recalls Kong's admonition to him.

The Tongtian Road is long; never be impatient.

For a hundred years, he has kept it etched in his heart.

In the Tongtian Eighteenth Realm, he walks each step with utmost solidity.

For every minor realm, he strives to reach the extreme, attaining a state of limit‑perfectness, never reckless in pursuit of speed.

Now it seems this accumulation has not been in vain.

"Dao Ancestor Realm Peak… not bad,"

Ye Wuque mutters to himself, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He knows that if he wishes to break through, he could do so at any moment; should he choose, he can now strike at the Immortal Realm.

But he does not choose to do so.

He intends to settle for a while longer.

In the Heaven-Connecting Realm, this crucial stage, he has already reached the extreme.

When in the Human King Realm, he attained the ultimate Saint King of a hundred divine springs, achieving the supreme extreme of the Extreme Path Space.

During the Heaven-Connecting Realm, he refined each minor realm to limit‑perfectness.

This accumulation, this foundation, once he breaks through the Immortal, his combat power will surge terrifyingly!

When that time comes, even he himself looks forward to the degree he might reach.

"No Return Path…"

Ye Wuque lifts his head, gazing toward the vast, endless Chaotic Void ahead.

Beyond it lies the legendary Ultimate Land—the No Return Path.

There, the most terrifying war of the Zhutian Wanjie rages, the source of Epoch Darkness, and countless sages fight in blood.

There, also lie the answers he seeks, the people he wishes to protect, and the destiny he must face.

Ye Wuque draws a deep breath, then casts one last glance at the Origin Ancient Road behind him… the Chaos Star River formed by countless Star Domains and ancient realms, the legendary path he has waged war upon for a hundred years.

Countless silhouettes flash through his mind—

Feng Caichen, Dou Tianxiong, Chen Shimei, Ao Huanggu, Jian Guchen, Xu Tianfeng, Qiubai, Ziyang Shen, Ye Beichen…

And Kong.

"Wait for me."

Ye Wuque says softly.

Then, he turns, never looking back, steps forward, and rushes at breakneck speed toward the Chaotic Void.

…

Chaotic Void, boundless and infinite.

Here there are no stars, no light, no Time, no Space.

Only endless currents of Chaos Qi flow slowly within the eternal void.

Each step forward bears immense pressure—the Chaos law's repulsion against intruders, a test of will and strength.

Ye Wuque walks as if strolling in a courtyard, traversing the Chaos.

At this stage, few peers of Heavenly Pride can match his strength.

Even this entire region is scarcely trodden, with few living beings.

Those Heavenly Pride who once entered the Origin Ancient Road with him remain largely in the later, middle, or early zones of exploration.

Their strength mostly remains at the Marquis Immortal or King Immortal level.

Such power has no right to step onto the No Return Path.

Ye Wuque, while crossing the Chaos, murmurs softly:

"I wonder… how many old friends I might meet on the No Return Path…"

He believes that, though not everyone will, like him, gain the right to enter the No Return Path so early, with time more beings will earn the qualification to tread that ultimate road.

As for now, the beings who can follow him onto the No Return Path soon are only a tiny handful of Top-tier Monsters—few enough to count on one hand.

Feng Caichen counts as one, Qiubai as one, Xu Tianfeng as one, Changli Weiyang perhaps as one, plus Ao Huanggu and Jian Guchen, those Emperor Fiend youths, likely soon as well, and the reborn Ziyang Shen and the reincarnated Ye Beichen, presumably not far behind.

The others…

Ye Wuque shakes his head, thinking no more.

…

Before long, Ye Wuque arrives at the central zone of this Chaotic Void.

According to legend, this is the most dangerous area.

Throughout ages, countless beings attempting the No Return Path have inexplicably fallen here.

Ahead, it was clearly a Forbidden Land.

An ancient stone tablet stood silently amid the Chaos.

The tablet was entirely jet‑black, as if forged from the deepest night, about a Hundred Zhang tall, its surface scarred by the passage of time.

On its face were two massive ancient characters, their strokes robust, seemingly containing some supreme Tiandao—

No Return!

Just two words, yet they radiated Great Terror and great despair!

Ye Wuque glanced at them once and felt his very spirit seized by the two characters, as if being pulled into an extremely terrifying realm!

There lay endless Darkness, eternal despair, the wails of countless fallen beings, and an inescapable sinking!

Yet now Ye Wuque's mind was steadfast.

His eyes hardened, the power of his spirit subtly circulated, and he broke free from the soul‑capturing force, regaining clarity.

"What a No Return… just two words enough to unsettle the Immortal King's mind."

Ye Wuque let out an approving hum and pressed onward.

Beyond the tablet lay the true Forbidden Land region.

Here, far more terrifying than the outside—

The horrifying Jiemie aura periodically emanated from the depths of the Void, each emission enough to rend the Void itself!

Just being tainted by this aura could grievously wound the Immortal King in an instant!

Time‑Space Turbulence, like a raging Angry Dragon, ravaged the Forbidden Land indiscriminately!

These turbulences followed no pattern; a moment ago they might be miles away, the next instant they could appear beside you, dragging you into endless Time‑Space fissures!

The murderous force of Time lay hidden in every corner!

The seemingly calm Chaos may harbor Time's power capable of stripping away a millennium's lifespan!

If one strays inside, in an instant one could turn white‑haired and frail, with blood Qi waning!

Ancient curses are the Grievances left by the supreme beings who fell here before death!

They are formless, yet scarier than the Curse Ancestor's curse, capable of silently corroding the Dao Foundation!

Wan Gu Traps are the lethal and binding formations set by the sages who once fought the Inauspicious Clan!

Though designed to counter the Inauspicious, they affect any intruder equally!

Defying Heaven Killing Move is the final strike unleashed by some of the fallen strong ones before death!

The remnants of those killing moves still drift in the Void; once triggered, one endures a terrifying assault capable of slaying the Dao Ancestor!

In short, extremely dangerous!

This entire Forbidden Land is like a final trial for any being seeking the No Return Path!

Only beings truly possessing strength, destiny, and a great will can survive the passage!

However—

Ye Wuque walked through it as if strolling in a courtyard.

The Jiemie aura capable of slaying the Immortal King brushed him, merely causing his pale Golden Blood Qi to ripple faintly before dissipating on its own.

When the Time‑Space Turbulence struck, the Time‑Space Great Dao Domain within him subtly activated, and the turbulence slipped past without even grazing his robe's hem.

The murderous Time attempted to corrode his lifespan, but his vitality was as an inexhaustible spring; the force of Time could not move it a hair.

The ancient curse sought to erode his Dao Foundation, yet his Sun‑bright, steel‑strong Blood Qi instantly incinerated it, leaving no chance to approach.

The Wan Gu Traps and Defying Heaven Killing Moves were as transparent before his keen perception.

He could always evade them before they triggered, or dispel them with a casual gesture.

Thus, step by step, he traversed this Forbidden Land that would drive countless strong ones to despair.

……

Soon, Ye Wuque reached the far end of the Forbidden Land.

He halted and looked ahead.

At that glance, a look of shock finally appeared on his face.

Ahead—

Mistily vague, blurred, yet towering and vast, ancient and endless.

That feeling defied description.

It seemed as if that place were the origin of Time, the terminus of Space, the source of all Causality, and the destination of all Fate.

The deeper one went, the darker the hue, and the greater the terror.

And above the boundless, lofty, infinitely towering sky of that endless region—

Faintly, a road could be discerned.

It was a road that seemed to span the Zhutian Wanjie, as if suppressing the Wan Gu Lun Hui, pressing down the ages of the Zhutian, infinite in vastness, antiquity, and grandeur!

It hovered there silently, exuding an ancient, terrifying aura, surging with domineering, towering pressure, circulating myriad profound laws and Dao Rhythm.

Its full form could not be seen, for parts of it seemed hidden deep within endless Time and Space.

Its ultimate extension remained unknown.

It seemed endless.

Rather than a road, it was an Absolute Forbidden Land whose destination was unknown!

Ye Wuque stared at the road, silent for a long while.

After a long moment, he finally spoke softly, his voice tinged with an uncontrollable shock:

"This is…"

"No Return Path… huh…"

He finally arrived here—signifying the Great Terror and great despair of the Zhutian Wanjie, and also the birthplace of the Epoch Dark Calamity's No Return Path!

According to rumors, in today's Zhutian Wanjie, countless supreme beings have stepped here, stationed themselves, and confronted those ominous higher‑ups!

Those names he was familiar with—

Ye Shizu, Lord of the Red Dust, Divine Demon Immortal, Jiang Tianyan, Tai Chu…

And many more ancient entities whose names he does not know, countless Epoch sages, Supreme, Emperor Fiend, all on this road, shielding the living of Zhutian Wanjie from endless warfire and danger!

Here is the front line of the most terrifying battles!

Here is also the ultimate arena where countless ancient entities seek the final breakthrough!

Ye Wuque took a deep breath.

Then, he stepped forward, slowly walking toward the endless towering road ahead.

"No Return Path…"

His voice echoed gently in the Void:

"Ye, I've arrived."

Behind him is the Origin Ancient Road, scarred by a hundred years of war, countless gazes of reverence or fear, and the hundred years that have already passed.

Ahead lies the unknown ultimate road, endless danger and terror, and also the answer and destiny he seeks.

Ye Wuque's silhouette gradually vanished into the endless darkness leading to the No Return Path.