A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)

"That would be the last resort. But before that, I still want to give it a try. If it really comes to that, I'll have no choice but to follow your advice and bring my friends and family into this secret realm." As he spoke these words, Ye Fan became extremely somber.

After all, Earth was where he grew up.

Knowing that it would cease to exist in the near future felt like he was about to lose his home.

Such despair and sadness were undoubtedly beyond words.

"Ye Fan, I don't mean to discourage you but the chances of altering the fate of Earth's destruction are almost negligible. Can mere mortals possibly contend with the might of the Universe Tree?"

Duanmu Wan'er still believed that humans didn't stand a chance.

"Wan'er, can you think of any other solutions? Is there really no hope left?"

Ye Fan was unwilling to give up as he had yet to witness all the magnificent sights of the land, like the innumerable mountains covered in snow.

If he simply gave up like this, wouldn't his life be filled with regrets?

Duanmu Wan'er sighed. "Since you are so persistent, I can only say, there is still a way that might work and that is, you can reach the god realm. In the god realm, your body and soul will begin to greatly differ from that of mere mortals. When the time comes, there might still be a chance to turn the tables, even in the direst of situations. However, it's merely a possibility. All of this is just my speculation. In practical terms, I can't guarantee what the outcome will be."

Duanmu Wan'er spoke softly.

God realm again?

Ye Fan's expression turned serious.

Indeed, all crises stem from one's own lack of strength.

If he could reach the god realm, he should be able to save Eigetsu!

If he could reach the god realm, perhaps the Universe Tree could be uprooted entirely!

"All right, I understand, Wan'er. However, I still want to know, how much longer does the Earth have?" Ye Fan asked.

The Universe Tree was still in its growth phase.

Normally, it only devoured the power flowing down from the Sky Gate without doing anything else.

Hence, all Ye Fan wanted to know was how much longer would the World Tree wait before it launched an attack on Earth.

"I'm not entirely sure either. But at least, we should have ten years," Duanmu Wan'er said slowly.

Ye Fan frowned. "Ten years?"

In other words, he still had ten years to prepare.

Within ten years, if he could break through to the god realm, then there was still a glimmer of hope for Earth.

If not, he could only live in this secret realm in the future.

"All right then. Wan'er, within these ten years, I will devote myself entirely to seclusion to achieve a breakthrough. However, before that, I need to step out for a bit."

Ye Fan suddenly felt the urgency of time.

However, some things still needed to be done.

"Sure, Ye Fan, you can go. During this time, I will renovate the secret realm and try to make this place as similar to Earth's environment as possible. It'll be easier for your friends and family to stay here as well if I do so."

Duanmu Wan'er always held the utmost respect for Ye Fan's decisions.

She was like Ye Fan's better half, helping him strategize and silently supporting him from behind the scenes.

Ye Fan was undoubtedly moved. "Wan'er, thank you."

Duanmu Wan'er smiled. "If I can be of help to you, then I'd gladly do anything."

After a brief conversation, Ye Fan departed from the secret realm of India once again.

When he ventured out this time, Ye Fan's primary goal was to find Qiu Mucheng.

The unexpected appearance of the Universe Tree signaled the imminent end of the Earth, and this was an unprecedented crisis. Duanmu Wan'er just said that even if Ye Fan broke through to the god realm, it would only give Earth a glimmer of hope.

Although Ye Fan didn't ask about it, he could still sense from these words just how powerful this Universe Tree truly was. Even the chances of god realm masters taking it down were not guaranteed.

In this situation, leaving Earth had become an inevitable choice for Ye Fan even though there were still ten years to go! However, it was best to take precautions beforehand.

Ye Fan must start planning ahead for his family and friends.

So, after leaving the secret realm, Ye Fan first went to see Junie.

"Ye Fan, I heard the news that the Earth is facing another crisis. Is this true?" Junie asked as she approached Ye Fan.

Ye Fan nodded. "Junie, get ready. Perhaps, I might have to take you away from Earth."

What?

Upon hearing this, Junie was undoubtedly shocked. "Is... Is this a joke? Take me away from Earth? Is it really that serious? Is it so serious that it could potentially lead to the destruction of the Earth? And you can't do anything about it?"

Junie was frightened.

Even during the previous Chu Sect crisis and the disaster caused by Symborsus, Junie had never been as nervous as she was now.

That was because no matter how powerful Symborsus and the other threats were, the only chaos they could cause was within the martial arts world, while the secular world remained a place of peace and prosperity.

The majority of people in the world had been able to continue to live happily and peacefully before.

Yet, Ye Fan was telling her that they needed to prepare to escape from Earth.

Didn't that mean that this crisis was truly the end of the world, where billions of lives would be destroyed?

"Junie, this time, it's really different! It's very serious. I can hardly see a chance for humans to win. Of course, I'll still give it a try. But before that, I should also prepare for the worst-case scenario. So, I hope you can help me prepare a list of the people we need to evacuate and supplies in advance. Within five years at the latest, or three years at the earliest, I will take all of you away from Earth to a secret realm for safety," Ye Fan said solemnly.

Seeing Ye Fan's expression, Junie undoubtedly realized the seriousness of the situation.

"All right... Okay, leave the evacuation work to me."

Ye Fan nodded. "I have many relatives and friends who are under your protection here in India. Of course, there are also a group in Jiangdong. I will find more people to assist you in this task." Evacuation was a major project.

Deciding who to take and what supplies were needed required careful planning.

Of course, it might be necessary to take along a group of scientists and some prodigies for their future.

However, Ye Fan's abilities were limited.

The only thing he could do was to strive to protect his loved ones and friends.

As for the rest, there was nothing Ye Fan could do.

The space in the secret realm was limited and could not accommodate everyone.

Ye Fan could never stand by and watch his loved ones perish in the apocalypse while instead saving those experts and professors who had no relation to him!

Perhaps, Ye Qingtian would do so.

However, Ye Fan would never consider that.

From childhood to adulthood, Ye Fan's world has always been small. He did not have any grand ambitions or dreams.

The reason he embarked on the path of cultivation was solely for his loved ones, to protect those he held dear.

That was all there was to it!

Even though Ye Fan had saved the world several times, he was not really doing it for world peace.

He simply sought revenge and pursued what he desired.

Thoughts of world peace and universal righteousness were concerns for the saints to ponder.

Ye Fan had always considered himself to be an ordinary person, so ordinary that all he wanted was to ensure the safety of his family and friends.

As for others, no matter how high one's status or how great one's power, in Ye Fan's eyes, they were not even worth a single strand of hair from the ones he loved.

After leaving India, Ye Fan rushed to Jiangdong to find Li Er.

Upon seeing Ye Fan, Li Er was undoubtedly in tears.

As he knelt at the feet of Ye Fan, the man felt emotional, like an old servant seeing his former master again.

"Mr. Chu, who would have thought that in this lifetime, I, Li Er, would have the chance to see you again? I only regret that I am old and frail, plagued by illness. I'm afraid I'm of no use to you anymore and have no choice but to eke out a living in this remote and impoverished place, waiting for death to come."

Tears streamed down Li Er's face.

Upon seeing Ye Fan again, Li Er couldn't help but recall the days when he and Ye Fan ruled Yunzhou, dominated Jiangdong, and were hailed as the champions of the entire nation!

How splendid was he, Li Er, in those days?

They were spirited, heroic, and could go through anything.

Those were the most exciting years of Li Er's life!

Yet now, even the most glorious history, once bathed in splendor, had ultimately become nothing more than the past.

The current Li Er, despite his ambition and wisdom, could no longer keep up with Ye Fan's pace, nor could he offer any help to Ye Fan.