Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

But Fang Yuan refused them all.

"Though my path is solitary and ruthless, I disdain to live in the shadows, feeding on the spirits of the world to prolong my life."

This was his answer, and also his pride.

He walks a path of plunder and devouring, but this is completely different from the despicable act of the Supreme Being of the Forbidden Zone reaping the lives of ordinary people.

Even if the end result is death, he chooses to stand up and face it.

Knowing that the road ahead was blocked and his inner demons were hard to overcome, he made a decision.

"I am Fang Yuan, I have my own pride, and I will never live a life of ignominy!"

On this day, he came to the Ziwei Star Region again and stood outside the South Heavenly Gate.

Countless gazes from all realms instantly refocused, and even many forbidden zones of life turned their attention to the matter.

"The Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven? Why is he in the Heavenly Court again?"

"His injuries haven't healed, and his energy is waning. What is he planning to do?"

"Could it be that they're still unwilling to accept defeat and want to fight again? Do they have a death wish?"

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, filled with astonishment and uncertainty.

Most of the cultivators in the heavens had mixed feelings. They hated him because of his past misdeeds, but were also secretly amazed by his madness in daring to confront the Heavenly Emperor.

In stark contrast to his previous arrogance, Fang Yuan now exuded a calm and composed aura, his wounds still visible. He performed a solemn junior's salute before the celestial-light-shrouded South Heavenly Gate and the endless palaces.

The sound traveled out calmly yet clearly:

"The later emperor Fang Yuan earnestly requests the Heavenly Emperor to grant me guidance, to prove my path to enlightenment, and to dispel my doubts."

When Fang Yuan's solemn voice resounded throughout the starry sky, the heavens fell silent for a moment, and then erupted with an even more intense roar.

"Ah? As expected, their attitude has changed. I knew it. After being severely injured by the Heavenly Emperor last time, there's no way they wouldn't be convinced."

"He actually came here seeking war? Not for revenge, not for provocation? Well, that makes sense, we're not on the same level, you can't argue with that."

"With a severely wounded body, he seeks one last battle... just to prove his path? The Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven still has ambition."

"It has to be the Heavenly Emperor. Even such an arrogant emperor as the Refining Heaven Demon Emperor was subdued. It's simply a miracle."

Countless monks found it hard to believe.

This was unlike any of the scenarios they had anticipated.

Some scoffed, believing it to be the final madness of a demon at his wit's end.

Some people were moved, and they could hear in their voices the unwavering dedication of an emperor to the path of cultivation.

Some people had more complex thoughts, and their perception of Fang Yuan changed subtly.

Regardless of his past, his attitude of directly confronting the highest authority to seek verification at this moment certainly possesses a spirit that cannot be ignored.

Deep within the forbidden zone, a subtle ripple of thought stirred.

"To prove one's path through war? Ha, that's an interesting choice."

"That's courageous!"

A profound silence reigned deep within the Heavenly Court, and all the heavens held their breath.

After a long silence, that calm and indifferent voice rang out again, containing only one word:

"allow."

This time, the phantom did not appear; instead, a sword slashed out from the depths of the Heavenly Court.

This cut was different from the last one.

A dazzling celestial light swirled around the blade's edge, like the first ray of light that pierced the primordial chaos.

Fang Yuan let out a long roar, unleashing all his strength without reservation.

The Emperor's body radiated boundless brilliance, and the phantoms of the Myriad Transformations Heavenly Canopy and the Nine Origins Chaos Stele overlapped and appeared. He condensed all the Dao and Dharma he had comprehended and possessed in this life into a single strike, meeting that blade of light head-on!

The knife fell.

All imperial techniques, all burning and brilliance, melted away like ice and snow before the blade light entwined with immortal energy.

Fang Yuan's imperial body shattered instantly, turning into a shower of light.

However, the Heavenly Heart Mark merged with it, and the Great Emperor's Dao Fruit was not completely annihilated. The light rain gathered again in an instant and condensed into his figure once more, only much dimmer and more illusory, and his aura weakened to the bottom.

He stood in the void, looked down at his illusory hands, then gazed at the still hazy phantom, and suddenly smiled.

The laughter was initially low, then turned into a sense of relief.

"I see... I understand now." He stopped laughing, straightened his clothes, and bowed deeply towards the direction of the Heavenly Court: "Fang Yuan, thank you, Heavenly Emperor, for your guidance. This strike has severed my delusions and dispelled my confusion."

There was no reply from the depths of Heaven, but Fang Yuan knew what it meant. He bowed again, then turned around, his steps faltering yet serene, and disappeared into the depths of the starry sky.

The heavens were in uproar; this anticipated crushing defeat had ended in such a way.

The Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven was not dead, as if some kind of shackle had been removed.

That bow, that thank you, evoked complex emotions in countless onlookers.

Deep within the forbidden zone, thoughts intertwined.

"Jiang Hao... didn't kill him?"

"That strike showed mercy; it was enveloped in celestial light, severing the body but not destroying it—it was more like...an enlightenment?"

"To enlighten a demon emperor? Ridiculous!"

"Perhaps, in his eyes, the path of the emperor has no absolute good or evil, only whether one is persistent in pursuing the path. Fang Yuan, although he engages in plundering, has a bottom line of not entering forbidden zones and the courage to face life and death. Has this character caught the eye of that person?"

"I can't understand... This Heavenly Emperor's thoughts and realm are becoming increasingly unpredictable."

"Fang Yuan, what will happen next?"

A thousand years later, terrifying imperial wars erupted in several forbidden zones of life, their shockwaves shaking the heavens.

The Demon Emperor Fang Yuan suddenly broke in, disregarding the cost, and successively killed three long-sealed supreme beings, causing the heavens to tremble!

However, he himself was also seriously injured and on the verge of death, so he returned to his own imperial palace.

A hundred years later, amidst the mournful cries of all, the Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven died. The news spread from the Big Dipper, and the entire heavens were in an uproar.

The news was confirmed, and the heavens trembled.

The ordinary emperors and ancient kings were in their prime during this period.

At this moment, the Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven departed through the Dao.

Nothing in this world is more unpredictable than this.

Some people applauded, saying that the Demon Emperor was finally dead, and that he had dragged away three supreme beings from forbidden zones before his death, thus ridding the heavens of a scourge.

Some people sighed and lamented that a great hero, who rose from humble beginnings and dominated the world, ultimately ended his life in such a tragic yet magnificent way. His life was complex and difficult to judge.

Many cultivators, especially those who had a blood feud with Fang Yuan, were filled with conflicting emotions.

While one hates his cruel killings, one cannot help but secretly admire his final choice: not to live in the forbidden zone, nor to go on a rampage.

Instead, he chose his own way, an end with dignity and pride, and even did something beneficial to all the heavens in the end.

The Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven was born and attained enlightenment in a legendary way, and ended his life in a unique manner.

Throughout history, the Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven has always been considered special.

He set a record for the shortest-lived preacher.

He only lived for a little over six thousand years after attaining enlightenment. Considering that those who attain enlightenment can live for at least ten thousand years in their lifetime, this age seems particularly short.

Before the Demon Emperor of Refining Heaven, the shortest-lived Dao Prodigies lived for about ten thousand years.

This was already considered a short lifespan, yet it was broken by the Heavenly Demon Emperor.

The forbidden zone of life is terrifying.

Fang Yuan's final choice and combat prowess, especially his method of risking his life to kill three supreme beings, made them realize once again that...

Even this defeated emperor, who was severely injured by the Heavenly Emperor and plagued by inner demons, still possessed terrifying strength.

They wondered, if Fang Yuan hadn't become arrogant and hadn't provoked the Heavenly Emperor, how powerful would he have been if he had successfully lived a second life?

The Heavenly Emperor, who never truly appeared but seemed to control everything, was someone they feared even more.

He did not appear, but it seemed that everything in the heavens was under his control. He was above the nine heavens, watching all the changes with a smile.

They could even easily manipulate the fate of these supreme beings in the forbidden zones.

Fang Yuan's story has come to an end.

He was not a righteous man, acted ruthlessly, and made countless enemies. However, his stubbornness on the path, his lofty spirit, and his unexpected end left a complex and profound mark under the vast starry sky.

The complexity of humanity and the diversity of Tao are all contained within it.

Within the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Blade moved slightly, and a flash of light appeared.