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Chapter 1048: Hope in Despair

Traversing time and space!

Even Ye Chen's composure faltered, a furrow appearing on his brow. This secret had caught him completely off guard.

Hong Chen had always been a profound mystery in his heart. How could there be so many people in the world who were so alike, whether in their divine abilities, secret techniques, or experiences? It was all too identical, and he refused to believe it was mere coincidence.

Yet, for all his wisdom, he had racked his brain and still couldn't figure out Hong Chen's identity, as every possible explanation led to contradictions.

Now, he had the confirmed answer. Though he dared not believe it, this unconventional truth neatly resolved all the conflicts. The legendary figure of Da Chu, Hong Chen, whom he had once revered, was none other than his future self.

In that moment, all doubts cleared. Why had Shen Wang Shen Xuan Feng blocked a sword for him? Why had Hong Chen written that poem? Everything had its destined reason, hidden in the shadows.

"They traversed time and space, defying the heavens and altering fate. This act disrupted the established cycle of Da Chu's reincarnation." Seeing Ye Chen sitting as steadily as Mount Tai, his expression calm, Donghuang Tai Xin refilled his cup with bitter tea.

"So, a vulnerability appeared in Da Chu's cycle of the heavens, giving the heavenly demons an opportunity. They easily located Da Chu." Ye Chen finished the unspoken part of Donghuang Tai Xin's words.

"Exactly." Donghuang Tai Xin did not deny it.

"That means Da Chu's catastrophe truly began because of me." Ye Chen's voice was hoarse and strained.

"More precisely, it began because of your future self." Donghuang Tai Xin took a deep breath. "The future you was powerful enough to astonish me. He must have gathered two Six Paths Immortal Wheels—one awakened to time and space, the other to reincarnation. He sacrificed his left eye to traverse time and space, and used his right eye as a blood offering to channel the power of nine lifetimes' reincarnation into your body. But, alas."

"What a pity."

"What a pity that they paid such a terrible price to traverse time and space, only to have their memories erased by it. They ended up forgetting who they were and even the purpose of coming to this era." Donghuang Tai Xin spoke, then looked at Ye Chen with deep meaning once more. "Can you tell me what they came to this time to do? What reason drove them to defy the heavens at any cost?"

"I don't know." Ye Chen's eyes were as still as an ancient well, his expression showing no extra change.

"If you don't want to say, I won't force you." Donghuang Tai Xin poured herself a drink. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

"Zhu Xian Sword." Ye Chen blurted it out without thinking, his fists clenched white in his sleeves. It was that detestable immortal sword that had taken his loved one and stained itself with the blood of countless innocents.

"It existed at the dawn of heaven and earth." Donghuang Tai Xin spoke slowly. "It's a terrifying immortal sword that once severed ultimate Dao emperor weapons and slain great emperors. It's known as the sword of the heavens above."

"You've seen it bring devastation to living beings, so why didn't you stop it?" Ye Chen's eyes were tinged with red as he stared straight at Donghuang Tai Xin.

"As members of Tianxuan Gate, we must not interfere in Da Chu's affairs." Donghuang Tai Xin replied lightly, though she avoided meeting Ye Chen's gaze. "Tianxuan Gate controls Da Chu's reincarnation, so we cannot meddle in its cycle. Even the slightest deviation could alter the established path. Interfering with the cycle of the heavens would bring catastrophic disaster to Da Chu and the myriad realms."

"None of that matters anymore." Ye Chen continued to look at Donghuang Tai Xin. "Since Da Chu has its own cycle, that means those who die in Da Chu will still be reborn here, right?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"I need to confirm the answer."

"I can't give you a definite answer." Donghuang Tai Xin shook her head gently. "Too many people died in this war in Da Chu, and the cycle of the heavens here has been severely damaged—or rather, it's in chaos."

"So what?" Ye Chen's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins.

"So, some of those who died on this land can be reborn, some cannot. Some might reincarnate in Da Chu, others in the Quasi-Tian myriad realms."

"With your vast abilities, can't you repair the cycle of the heavens?" Ye Chen frowned deeply at Donghuang Tai Xin.

"We can't." Donghuang Tai Xin shook her head quietly. "The cycle of the heavens can suppress even great emperors; its level is beyond what we can influence. We must apologize for our inability; we can't restore it to its original path."

"In that case, tell me about those who can reincarnate in Da Chu, and I'll help them recover their past memories."

"I'm sorry, but from the moment the cycle of the heavens fell into chaos, it was beyond our control." Donghuang Tai Xin sighed helplessly. "So, we have no way of knowing who can reincarnate, who cannot, who will return to Da Chu, or who will go to the myriad realms."

"What kind of situation is this?" Ye Chen's face turned pale. Even Tianxuan Gate didn't know which Da Chu cultivators could reincarnate or where they would go—he knew even less.

He realized the severity of the problem. Was he supposed to search through Da Chu and the myriad realms one by one? In the vast sea of people, with no clear target, it would be impossible.

In an instant, his eyes blurred, and visions of familiar figures and faces flashed through his hazy sight.

He had thought those who died could be reborn, that he could meet them again as vibrant individuals. But the reality was cruelly heartbreaking—some of them he might never see again. This uncertainty filled him with unprecedented fear.

Search!

Even to the ends of the earth!

Suddenly, he clenched his fists in his sleeves, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented determination. He would search every inch of Da Chu, then go to the myriad realms. For the endless years ahead, this would be his greatest goal.

"There's one more piece of bad news." As Ye Chen fell silent, Donghuang Tai Xin spoke again.

"More bad news?" Ye Chen frowned at Donghuang Tai Xin, wondering how bad it could be for her to call it that.

"Da Chu has been isolated from the myriad realms." Under Ye Chen's gaze, Donghuang Tai Xin finally spoke.

"What do you mean by isolated?"

"The passage between Da Chu and the myriad realms has been severed." Donghuang Tai Xin took a deep breath. "People from the myriad realms can't come here, and those from Da Chu can't go there either."

"When will the passage be reopened?"

"It won't be." Donghuang Tai Xin pursed her lips. "Da Chu is like a stone flung from a rock—it's split off from the myriad realms and fallen to who knows where."

"Is there any way to reach the myriad realms?"

"There is a method, and in all of Da Chu, you're the only one who can try it." Donghuang Tai Xin's words reignited the fighting spirit in the disheartened Ye Chen, and his dim eyes began to flicker once more.

"What is it?"

"Space black hole."

"Space black hole?"

"Although Da Chu and the myriad realms have split apart, the space black holes connect them."

"I don't understand." Ye Chen shook his head in confusion.

"Think of Da Chu and the myriad realms as two stars in the cosmos, and the space around those stars as the space black hole." Donghuang Tai Xin explained calmly. "The passage between Da Chu and the myriad realms may be broken, but they both exist within the space black hole."

"I see." Ye Chen suddenly understood. "You're saying I could navigate through the space black hole—if I find the right position and direction—I could still reach the myriad realms."

"In all of Da Chu, only you can freely enter and exit the space black hole." Donghuang Tai Xin said slowly. "I'm just suggesting you try it. Whether you do is up to you. Tianxuan Gate can do our best to guide you in a general direction, but success depends on your own fate."

"Give me some time." Ye Chen pondered. "I need to search for those who have reincarnated in Da Chu first."

"Of course, we'll give you time." Donghuang Tai Xin smiled lightly. "We also need time to deduce the general direction of the myriad realms. As long as the direction isn't too far off, you might make it there."

"In that case, I'll take my leave."

"There's one more thing I think you should know, to spare you a lifelong grudge against him." As Ye Chen was about to rise, Donghuang Tai Xin spoke again. "Actually, you're not Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's child."

"I'm not?" Ye Chen frowned and sat back down, looking at Donghuang Tai Xin with a puzzled expression.

"It's not that the Qian Kun Yin Guo Mirror had an issue; it's because of your bloodline." As if anticipating Ye Chen's confusion, Donghuang Tai Xin explained slowly, "The earth spirit vein beneath Zhengyang Sect's underground world was formed from the bloodline of the Earth Child, transformed over vast ages into what it is now. The Earth Child is an extremely unique existence, with a bloodline that merges with all living beings. You've absorbed too much of the earth spirit vein's essence, so your body now carries a trace of the Earth Child's bloodline. That's why your blood fused with Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's."

"What a twist of fate!" Ye Chen laughed oddly, his expression a mix of self-mockery and guilt.

Back in the day, during the alchemy duel in Dan City, he had casually made up a family name, only to be defined as Hao Tian Chen Ye. His entanglement with the Hao Tian family began then, and so did his karmic ties with Hao Tian Xuan Zhen.

All along, he had thought it was just a coincidence—how could he be Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's child? But the Qian Kun Yin Guo Mirror showed their bloodlines merging, and though he didn't believe it, it was a fact.

Now, it seemed it really was a coincidence, a bizarre mix-up that was almost laughable.

Suddenly, the image of Hao Tian Xuan Zhen flashed in Ye Chen's mind. That man had died full of guilt, nearly begging to know the name of Ye Chen's mother, and never heard him call out "father."

A breeze blew by, and Ye Chen rose, walking silently away. His back was forlorn, carrying a mix of guilt and loss.

He wondered, if Hao Tian Xuan Zhen were still alive and heard Donghuang Tai Xin's words, what his reaction would be.

And what about Hao Tian Shi Yue, who was fated with the Godslayer Qin Yu—would she burst into tears of joy upon hearing this?

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