Although Ping Xi's heart was full of unspoken complaints, she still took a step forward. Even though she was unwilling, she chose to follow. She chose to believe Chen Fan.
"Let's go," the Dragon King sighed, and could only follow. With all three of them gone, it would be inappropriate for him not to. After all, they were the allies they could most rely on.
Zhan, seeing this, also took a step inside.
Space node.
Thinking of his past self, Zhan felt a pang of bitterness. In the past, when he encountered a space node, he could only keep his distance, never daring to approach. This was the first time in his life he had entered a space node. All just to accompany a group of young ones in their recklessness.
"I hope you're right," Zhan stepped in.
Buzz.
All five disappeared. The space node remained, slowly rotating, waiting for its next destined traveler.
...
Zhan stepped out. Space nodes were truly magical, likely facilitating spatial jumps. Upon exiting, the other four were waiting for him not far away. Zhan emerged and said calmly, "Space nodes are irreversible. One can exit from here, but cannot return the same way."
After a brief assessment of the surrounding chaotic energy, Zhan nodded. "Fortunately, we should not be too far from the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands." This was how one discerned direction in the chaos. The closer they were to the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the calmer the chaotic aura became, while the further they were, the more violent it grew, reaching an uncontrollable state at its deepest core.
The others were all looking at Chen Fan, waiting for him to make the decision. It was impossible not to feel tense.
"Let's go."
Chen Fan continued to lead the way. With the Dragon Mark Compass guiding them, there was no need for them to discern direction. How fast were five ninth-tier experts? Well, it was akin to small-scale spatial jumps. The Great Winds Novel Network. The chaos was being stirred. Of course, it was already chaotic to begin with.
As a wisp of halo appeared ahead, Zhan was shocked. It wasn't just Zhan; even the usually expressionless Evil Lord looked at Chen Fan with surprise. Ahead, an immensely vast ball of light was imprinted in the chaos. As the group accelerated, the ball of light grew larger and larger. The scorching aura even penetrated the chaotic region, making them feel intensely hot.
"Upper Nine Heavens."
Zhan gasped. The aura of the Upper Nine Heavens and the Lower Ten Lands was different. The worlds of the Lower Ten Lands, when viewed from afar in the chaos, also appeared as balls of light, but the ten regions were connected, vast and immense, linked by a stone road. The Upper Nine Heavens, however, were different. They were not connected; they were individual regions, with teleportation arrays facilitating communication between them. The teleportation arrays established by the Lord of Order in ancient times were the greatest means of the Upper Nine Heavens.
Zhan looked at Chen Fan, shocked. "How did you know about this space node?" This was absolutely not a coincidence. Zhan's gaze then fell on the compass in Chen Fan's hand. He took a breath and said, "Is this compass's ability? A good treasure, I didn't expect you to have such a fine item." Zhan was somewhat envious. Yet, surprisingly, his eyes did not show any greed. A treasure that could locate in the chaos was undoubtedly a supreme artifact. Most people, upon seeing it, would feel the urge to seize it and claim it as their own. But Zhan's eyes held no such desire. Indeed, this one, like Old Demon Chu, was exceedingly proud. This was also why Chen Fan dared to reveal the Dragon Mark Compass's ability to him.
Zhan spoke, "With this treasure, we can completely launch a surprise attack on the Upper Nine Heavens. Kid, why don't we directly assault the First Heaven and kill the Heavenly Emperor? That would resolve everything."
Chen Fan: "..." He hadn't anticipated this.
"Senior is joking," Chen Fan said with a dry laugh. Even the Evil Lord looked at Zhan as if he were an idiot. Just the few of them, against someone above the Great Emperor? What a joke. They wouldn't be delivering themselves up for slaughter so readily. Intentionally feeding the enemy would lead to a report.
Seeing their strange looks, Zhan felt a bit embarrassed and coughed. "I was just saying it casually."
"Mm... you said it casually, but we dare not take it casually," Chen Fan thought to himself.
While they were chatting, they slowly approached the immensely vast ball of light. It was so enormous, its scorching aura like a furnace, melting the surrounding chaotic energy, which then merged with the barrier and slowly seeped into the region, transforming into normal Dao energy.
"It should be the Ninth Heaven." Zhan said, "Hua Yan of the Ninth Heaven cultivates the path of extreme Yang, a true Great Sun Dao expert." Chen Fan nodded. He had seen many cultivators of the Great Sun, and Yu Di, who was now under his command, was one such expert. Emperor Chi Yang, whom he had slain in the past, was also one. However, compared to the Great Sun Dao before him, the two were incredibly weak. Comparing them highlighted the vast difference. If Hua Yan's Dao Lord cultivation was of the true sun, then Yu Di and Chi Yang cultivated a mere furnace fire. This being here was truly of the highest caliber.
"Do we just go in like this?" Chen Fan asked Zhan.
"Just like this." Zhan nodded. "Don't worry, with the arrogance of the Upper Nine Heavens, no one will be guarding the borders."
As soon as he finished speaking, a figure quickly emerged from the chaos in the distance and entered the barrier of the Ninth Heaven.
"That's..."
"A strong expert from the Upper Nine Heavens on an outing." Zhan explained, "Around the Upper Nine Heavens, there are some ruins left from ancient times. These ruins contain many treasures and insights into the Great Dao, so many in the Upper Nine Heavens go searching for these remnants." Chen Fan nodded, understanding. It was like the ruins the Lord of Order had found, which led to his supreme status. Even though the Lord of Order had been gone for countless eons, the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands still lived according to the order he left behind. Cultivators took their Great Dao oaths in the name of order. This also spurred many people's determination to seek treasures.
"Let's go." This time, Zhan spoke. "I can't wait any longer." His hatred was something no one could understand. He had colluded with the Heavenly Emperor to slay Order, only to be betrayed and killed by someone he trusted. This hatred could only be washed away by killing the Heavenly Emperor.
As the group slowly approached the Ninth Heaven, Chen Fan clearly felt the Dragon King's nervousness. It was impossible not to be nervous. This was the Upper Nine Heavens. The Million Calamity had been initiated by the Upper Nine Heavens, and they were now attacking them, so how could they not be nervous? Of the group, only Zhan was familiar with the Upper Nine Heavens. The others merely knew of it, but had never been there. The mysterious Upper Nine Heavens, the closer they got, the more nervous they became.
Closer, and closer.
"Hm?"
However, as they neared the edge of the Ninth Heaven's barrier, the Dragon Mark Compass in his hand suddenly spun wildly. The Dragon Mark Compass governed fate, and vaguely, an indescribable sense of danger made Chen Fan's hair stand on end.
"Stop."
The sudden command startled Ping Xi and the others, who were already tense. The closer they got to the barrier's edge, the more tense they became. Even Zhan's expression turned serious. Chen Fan's sudden command immediately brought the atmosphere to a standstill.