"What is it, lower realm?"
"The City Lord need only look to know."
"Very well."
Divine sense surged out, vast and boundless. In an instant, it swept across the entire lower realm.
"This..." The changes perceived by Chen Fan left him somewhat stunned. "How long has it been?"
"Thirty years," Elder Demon Chu said gravely. "I don't know the reason, but after you fell into slumber, the flow of time between the upper and lower realms became different. One year in the upper realm was ten years in the lower realm. Only when you awoke did the time flow return to normal."
Alright. Chen Fan pondered but could not figure out the exact reason. Life and death were profound and mysterious. This was not his first time treading the path of life and death, but it was the first time after creating the world. The flow of time. Thirty years, and the lower realm had changed drastically. So much so that he almost didn't recognize it.
"This is good," Chen Fan nodded and said. "This way, the lower realm has been depleted of energy for thirty years, with all its potential suppressed. Once the Great Dao universe fully awakens, I believe many talented individuals will emerge."
"Oh." Elder Demon Chu was not concerned with such matters. "Let's go and see the Immortal Emperor senior."
The Immortal Emperor had also fallen into a deathly stillness, his body automatically recovering within Sword City. Chen Fan found him, his innate Great Dao, life and death, having been reconnected.
*Chii.* He did not utilize the energy from the Great Dao universe, which had just begun to show signs of revival. His hand elongated infinitely, reaching beyond the world's barrier. He suddenly grabbed within the chaos...
*Boom.* Innumerable energies were seized in his hand.
"Enter." The nascently awakened Great Dao universe had regained its purification ability. Though still very weak and not perfectly purified, it didn't matter. As long as the Immortal Emperor could awaken and traverse the Dao Net a few more times, all troubles would be resolved.
He infused all the grabbed energy into the Immortal Emperor's body.
*Mmm.* The Immortal Emperor's physical body was like a bottomless pit. The chaotic energy, comparable to the total energy of a first-tier Emperor Venerate, was directly absorbed by his body. Yet, the Immortal Emperor did not awaken.
"Remarkable," Chen Fan's eyebrows twitched. The Immortal Emperor's physical body was truly extraordinary. Or rather, the injury was extraordinary. The Immortal Emperor only had his physical body, unable to cultivate the power of the Great Dao, so he shifted to cultivating his body. The cells within his body, like famished ferocious beasts, instantly devoured all the energy.
Chen Fan said nothing more, continuously grabbing power from the chaos. Once. Twice. Thrice...
...The thirty-second time.
*Boom.* The energy of thirty-two first-tier Emperor Venerates finally caused a slight change in the Immortal Emperor's physical body. His body vibrated, and all the cells became active. Then, the Immortal Emperor opened his eyes.
"He's awake," Elder Demon Chu's face showed joy. Chen Fan was also quite pleased. With the Immortal Emperor awakened, he could finally attend to his own affairs with peace of mind. He still didn't feel entirely at ease with just Elder Demon Chu.
The Immortal Emperor spoke no words, calmly rising and appraising Chen Fan's fresh physical body. "Life and Death Heavenly Emperor, your reputation is well-deserved." He could tell this was a new physical body. He likely guessed what Chen Fan had done.
"How long will it take to recover?" Chen Fan asked.
"One day."
"Do you need my help with anything?"
"No." The Immortal Emperor was a man of few words. He hadn't even said thank you upon waking. There was no need. The reason he had fallen into a deathly stillness was for the person before him. Although both sides had their own needs, his sacrifice was life and death, while Chen Fan... only offered a future promise of becoming an Emperor.
The Immortal Emperor wasted no more words. His injuries were not yet fully healed. He walked out of the chaos and stood within it, madly absorbing chaotic energy.
*Boom.* Endless chaotic energy formed a funnel shape. The Immortal Emperor began to ravenously devour chaotic energy. Let it be impure for now; he would traverse the Dao Net later. He needed to recover first.
Chen Fan and Elder Demon Chu also walked out of the chaos, standing outside the realm, watching the Immortal Emperor furiously devour chaotic energy.
...One day passed. The Immortal Emperor had absorbed an immense amount of energy, even emptying the surrounding chaotic force. However, soon, the surrounding chaotic energy surged back, filling the void.
"That's enough." The Immortal Emperor turned. He knew the City Lord had other matters to attend to, otherwise, he wouldn't have woken him in such a hurry.
"I've troubled you," Chen Fan said. "Next, I will revive those who died in battle. During the revival process, I absolutely cannot be interrupted. Therefore... for the time being, no matter what happens, you two must hold firm."
"Understood."
"City Lord, you can rest assured." The Immortal Emperor's response was a single word. Fortunately, Elder Demon Chu's personality was not so cold and he added a few more words.
Activating the Great Dao universe, Chen Fan walked into it alone. The Immortal Emperor and Elder Demon Chu did not enter.
"Do you wish to see?" Chen Fan invited.
"There's no need." Before Elder Demon Chu could speak, the Immortal Emperor refused first. Everyone had their secrets. Even the closest of people had their secrets. The Dao of Life and Death was Chen Fan's foundation for enlightenment. The City Lord could be generous, but they must not observe the process firsthand. This matter concerned life and death.
The Immortal Emperor glared at Elder Demon Chu, who was clearly interested, and then said, "You revive with peace of mind; we two will guard your path." Unable to object further, Elder Demon Chu cupped his hands. Since the Immortal Emperor had spoken, he couldn't press the matter of observation.
"Alright." Chen Fan smiled slightly and walked into the depths of the Great Dao universe. Dim, great stars dotted the Dao Net, but all were extinguished. Some great stars contained people, while others were empty. Those that had once shone but were now empty and extinguished were the fallen warriors. Chen Fan was intimately familiar with his Great Dao universe and remembered the exact location of every star.
The first stop: Overlord. Within this great star of the physical body, Overlord slept. To be precise, Overlord was already dead. However, his physical body was preserved because his Great Dao had not shattered. He had dispersed his Great Dao himself, thus preserving his physical body.
"Hoo." Chen Fan took a deep breath. Three years. The task was arduous. The longer one had been dead, and the stronger their cultivation, the harder it was to revive them. Three years was a long time.
"Rise." There was no point in delaying further. He acted directly.
*Hum.* The River of Life and Death appeared. With a splash, it surged into the great star of the physical body. The River of Life and Death expanded wildly, eventually enveloping all the great stars. Under the scouring of the Great Dao, the extinguished half-Emperor great stars were instantly lit up. Within the stars, figures that had been in stillness opened their eyes. Initially confused, they soon understood what had happened. In the river, the City Lord shone upon them all like the sun.
"City Lord." At this moment, everyone knelt. The City Lord would revive the fallen generals.