Ye Fan and Zhuang Zhou talked for a long time before Ye Fan finally departed.

After leaving the Spirit Suppressing Domain, he returned to the Secular World. While the world itself remained unchanged, his state of mind had transformed completely, leaving him feeling detached from it all.

On this day, he issued the Heavenly King Token. Immediately, the major hidden sects subordinate to Ye Fan—Biyan Pavilion, Heavenly King Hall, and Flame Valley—all rushed to assemble.

Ye Fan scanned the upper echelons of these factions and nodded in satisfaction. Nangong had also returned from the other world, bringing the total number of high-ranking members in his alliance to over one hundred. Among them, Nangong was the strongest, having already reached the Saint Realm. Black Fog was also formidable at the Supreme Realm. Of course, they weren’t the only ones to have reached such heights. The Pavilion Master of Biyan Pavilion, for instance, was a genuine Saint Realm powerhouse. Others, like Gongsun Chou, had all broken through to the Supreme Realm. As for Emperor-Level cultivators, they were simply countless.

Ye Fan addressed the assembly. "I’ve gathered you all today for one reason and one reason only: I may be leaving this world soon!"

"Does this mean our leader is going to the Divine Domain?" Nangong asked, his voice filled with excitement.

Thanks to Ye Fan, knowledge from the Spirit Suppressing Domain had been widely disseminated, so they all now understood the true nature of their world.

"That’s right," Ye Fan confirmed. "I am preparing to leave for the Divine Domain. I must arrive there within a year at the latest."

A wave of melancholy washed over the crowd.

Ye Fan continued, "I have called you here today to discuss this very matter, though from a different perspective. My Heavenly King Hall is not meant to simply reign over this world!

"I want us to have a place in the Spirit Suppressing Domain, and eventually, in the Divine Domain as well. From that foothold, our name will resound throughout the heavens and the earth!"

The crowd erupted in excitement. At a moment like this, they had every reason to be thrilled. Ye Fan raised his hand, and they immediately fell silent.

"Of course," he said, his tone turning serious, "all of this must be built on a solid foundation, one step at a time. Therefore, from the moment I issue this order, new rules are in effect! All Martial Cultivators at the Supreme Level and above are to relocate to the Spirit Suppressing Domain. Regardless of which power you belong to, you must properly hand over all your responsibilities in the Secular World before you leave.

"Once you are in the Spirit Suppressing Domain, you cannot return arbitrarily. This is a rule—a rule of the Heavenly King Hall. You may only return after receiving approval from the high command in the Spirit Suppressing Domain!"

His words sparked a flurry of discussion. While a small minority found it hard to accept, the vast majority did. Even those who were hesitant had no choice but to go with the flow. For most of them, they were daredevils who were naturally eager to pursue a higher realm; they couldn’t wait to go to such a place.

Ye Fan nodded. "The True Qi in the Spirit Suppressing Domain is several times denser than in the Secular World. By going there, you will undoubtedly be able to break through much faster!"

"Yes!" the crowd affirmed in unison.

"Furthermore," Ye Fan added, "once an Emperor Level cultivator breaks through to the Supreme Level, they must also go. If anyone refuses and is discovered by the Judgement Pharaohs, they will be expelled without hesitation. The Judgement Pharaohs are not my subordinates, so do not think you can get away with it. They will not only be removing members of the Heavenly King Hall but all Martial Artists at the Supreme Level or higher from the entire world!"

"Yes!" they all replied, committing his words to memory.

The so-called Judgement Pharaohs were, of course, the several Egyptian Pharaohs whom Ye Fan had already instructed. This world could not be allowed to descend into chaos. While this new policy would surely displease many Martial Cultivators, the alternative was far worse; the three worlds would become even more turbulent. This isn’t the world I want to see. This time, he was being deadly serious.

"When you arrive in the Spirit Suppressing Domain," Ye Fan declared, "the rules still apply. We are the Heavenly King Hall. As long as you are one of my people, you must follow my rules. Can you do that?"

"Yes!" the Martial Artists roared back. They were already accustomed to the laws of the Heavenly King Hall.

Ye Fan felt a sense of gratification. Although these people were not yet powerful, he firmly believed that one day, he could forge them into an army that would make the Divine Domain itself tremble in fear. He just didn’t know how long that would take. Let alone them, even his own path was still incredibly long. For now, he just had to focus on doing what needed to be done. The Martial Artists were all stirred with emotion. They knew that when their leader got serious, he meant business.

The meeting lasted for half a day. When the decision was announced to the underground world the next day, it sent shockwaves through the community. No one had expected the Heavenly King Hall to make such a drastic change; the plan was completely unforeseen. However, the Heavenly King Hall served as a weathervane for the world of Martial Artists, and their decisions often applied to underground forces across the globe. Everyone knew the times were changing.

Meanwhile, Ye Fan traveled to Shangjing and arrived at the Ye Family estate, which he hadn’t seen in a long time. The place was the same as ever, but he felt it was not as lively as it used to be. Perhaps this is the influence of having a higher cultivation level.

After he arrived, the family gathered together. Ye Qingshan had been dedicating himself to Martial Arts, becoming busier the further he progressed. Of course, after his breakthrough, he felt he was growing younger and younger, as Ye Qingshan was now a Saint Realm expert. Under Ye Fan’s special care, his strength had been forcefully pulled up to the Saint Realm level—a height Ye Qingshan would have never had the potential to reach in the past. But now, his potential was immense.

With Ye Qingshan’s breakthrough to the Saint Realm, it was Ye Tiannan’s turn to worry. He discovered that his own father now looked younger than him, a side effect of returning to one’s natural state. Of course, his own strength was not weak—he was at the Emperor Level—but in the grand scheme of things, that was no longer considered particularly strong. Even Mrs. Jiang’s strength was higher than his. The Jiang Family had always been a family of Martial Cultivators, and Mrs. Jiang’s talent for cultivation was high.

Thanks to the resources Ye Fan had lavished upon her, Mrs. Jiang had already reached the Supreme Realm. This meant Ye Tiannan now ranked third in his own family. The disparity was simply too great.

Seeing his father’s gloomy expression, Ye Fan quickly tried to comfort him. "Dad! Don’t look so glum. After all, your strength is just too low and your talent is poor. I can only build you up slowly!"

"Does that sound like you’re comforting me?" Ye Tiannan grumbled, utterly exasperated. Was his son criticizing him or consoling him? He might not be a genius, but he wasn’t that stupid.

"Ahem, Dad, my mistake!" Ye Fan quickly conceded.

Ye Tiannan took a deep drag from his cigarette and sighed. "Actually, you’re not wrong. My position in the family is precarious!"

"Don’t worry," Ye Fan immediately replied. "Even without cultivation, your position would still be precarious!"

Ye Tiannan: ...