Chapter 1064: Broke

Beneath Youdu Ancient City, Ye Chen stood there like a spear, scratching his head for what felt like the umpteenth time. As the Holy Lord of the Heavenly Court and the Tenth Emperor of Great Chu, a legendary figure who had slain a great emperor, he had arrived in the All Heavens and Myriad Domains only to find himself a penniless pauper, unable even to enter the city gates. Wasn't that just absurd? Thankfully, this was the All Heavens and Myriad Domains. If word of this got back to Great Chu, every cultivator there would be left speechless.

Helpless, Ye Chen just stood there, glancing around left and right. Youdu Ancient City was incredibly bustling, with cultivators coming and going in droves, each one radiating immense power. Ye Chen saw all sorts of people, their appearances more bizarre than the last. But what really troubled him wasn't their odd looks—it was the issue of source stones. In this place, it seemed nothing could be done without money. And with his cultivation level so low, no one wanted to give him the time of day. Forget about borrowing cash; he was lucky they didn't rough him up.

As he looked around, Ye Chen spotted that lecherous old man again, the one at the Quasi-Emperor level. The old man was still wandering under the city walls, hawking his treasures, but his business was clearly going nowhere—he hadn't sold a single item despite all that time. Seeing this, Ye Chen touched his nose and, steeling himself, walked over. Among all the cultivators under Youdu Ancient City, no one else would bother with him, but this lecherous old man was at least friendly. He was willing to talk and didn't act all high and mighty.

"Old senior, how about I treat you to a drink?" Ye Chen approached and pulled out a jar of fine spirit wine from his storage bag.

"You again, you little pauper." The old man glanced at Ye Chen, but when he saw the wine jar, he cleared his throat and took it without hesitation, downing it in one go.

"Senior, I have a question for you," Ye Chen said, handing over another jar of spirit wine.

"Can't refuse a gift like that. Go ahead and ask." The lecherous old man took the wine without a second thought.

"Do you know where Kunlun Xu is?" Ye Chen asked tentatively, eyeing the old man.

"No idea." The old man wiped the wine from his mouth.

"What about Da Luo Zhu Tian?"

"Never heard of it."

"Da Xia Huang Chao?"

"Never heard of it."

"Shen Dian and Jiu Huang Tian?"

"Never heard of them."

"Come on, you have to think harder!" Ye Chen stared at the old man with wide eyes.

"Kid, the All Heavens and Myriad Domains are vast beyond measure, boundless and endless. There are over ten thousand star domains, each containing countless ancient stars like grains of sand. Every ancient star has its own myriad forces. Take Zhuque Star, for example—it's in the Tianyuan Star Domain, which is just a small one, encompassing tens of thousands of ancient stars. I only know about a few nearby ones. As for the rest, I really don't. What you're asking about—those halls and dynasties—they're not on the nearby stars. They're probably on other ancient stars in the Tianyuan Star Domain or even farther away in other star domains."

"It's really that huge." Ye Chen rubbed his forehead hard. He knew the All Heavens and Myriad Domains were big, but this was ridiculous. So many star domains, so many ancient stars—where on earth was he supposed to look?

"That old woman from the Zhuque family should know." As Ye Chen rubbed his brow, the lecherous old man stroked his chin.

"Zhuque? An old woman?" Ye Chen was taken aback.

"See that Youdu Ancient City? It's theirs, the Zhuque family's. Legend has it that their ancestors were enlightened by Emperor Xuanyuan and inherited an unparalleled legacy. But over time, the family declined and withdrew to the Tianyuan Star Domain, establishing Zhuque Ancient Star. That Zhuque is the family's ancient ancestor. She's gotten on in years, but she's strikingly beautiful." The old man spoke with a lecherous glint in his eyes.

"Emperor Xuanyuan, the strongest great emperor acknowledged by the Xuan Huang One Hundred and Thirty Emperors." Ye Chen murmured to himself, recalling the day he battled the Heavenly Demon Great Emperor, when Emperor Xuanyuan's sword had helped him slay the emperor. In a way, he and the Xuanyuan lineage had fought side by side.

"I wonder if mentioning that connection would get the Zhuque family to welcome me in." Ye Chen stroked his chin.

But after thinking about it, he quickly dismissed the idea. Fighting alongside Xuanyuan's sword and slaying a great emperor—who would believe that? He didn't know if the Zhuque family would roll out the welcome mat, but getting beaten up was a sure bet. As Dong Huang Tai Xin had said, not everyone knew about Great Chu, and not everyone knew what he had done for the All Heavens and Myriad Domains.

"That old woman is a genuine Quasi-Saint." While Ye Chen was lost in thought, the lecherous old man continued, covering his face as he spoke. "She beats me every time she sees me."

"A Quasi-Saint?" Ye Chen was startled. "So, if she survives the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, she'd become a true saint?"

"Oh, ho! You even know about the Five Decays of Heaven and Man." The old man exclaimed.

"I heard about it from my seniors," Ye Chen replied.

"But speaking of your seniors, they're pretty unreliable," the old man smirked. "How do they teach you kids? Sending you out without knowing a thing—aren't they afraid you'll get killed?"

"Yeah, they're pretty unreliable." Ye Chen coughed, thinking to himself that if Dong Huang Tai Xin heard this, she might slap the old man silly.

"Kid, since you treated me to drinks, I'll give you some advice." The old man hugged his wine jar and spoke up. "On Zhuque Star, don't mess with anyone from the Zhuque family. They dominate the entire star. Cross them, and you'll die a horrible death."

"Got it." Ye Chen sighed, glancing again at the massive Youdu Ancient City. Building something on par with Southern Chu's Eastern Yue was no small feat—the Zhuque family was clearly not to be trifled with.

"A Quasi-Saint." Ye Chen took a deep breath, thinking that if he wanted any info on Kunlun Xu, the entire Zhuque Star might only have that Zhuque ancestor who knew. A Quasi-Saint's experience far surpassed this lecherous old man's. Maybe she really had the answers.

But as he pondered, he circled back to the same problem: source stones. Without source stones, he couldn't get into Youdu. Without entering Youdu, he couldn't meet the Zhuque ancestor. Without meeting her, he couldn't find news about Kunlun Xu. It all boiled down to being broke. He'd thought about asking the guards to pass a message, but who would listen to a half-baked Heaven Realm nobody like him?

"Sell some treasures?" Ye Chen mulled it over. He'd picked up a few good ones during his hundred years in the space black hole.

But he quickly scrapped that idea. This wasn't Great Chu—it was Zhuque Star in the Tianyuan Star Domain of the All Heavens and Myriad Domains. Everyone here was like a wolf, ready to rob you if you had nothing, and even more so if you had something. He knew better than to flaunt his wealth.

"I'm short nine hundred, just nine hundred. Damn it, these are all great treasures—why won't anyone buy them?" Ye Chen muttered to himself, while the lecherous old man grumbled too, looking frustrated and annoyed.

"Senior, let's make a deal." Ye Chen coughed.

"Spit it out."

"Borrow me one source stone."

"Don't even mention money—it stresses me out." The old man shook his head. "I'm trying to borrow some myself. I'm just short nine hundred source stones. With that, I could buy a house in Youdu."

"Buy a house?" Ye Chen was stunned, not quite following.

"What else would I buy? Gotta have a place to live." The old man picked at his teeth.

"Are you serious? Zhuque Star is huge. You're a Quasi-Emperor—can't you live anywhere? Why stick to Youdu?" Ye Chen looked at him doubtfully.

"What do you know?" The old man plopped down on the ground, giving up on selling his stuff. "Zhuque Star is big, sure, but nowhere's as safe as Youdu. Forget the wild beasts that could snatch you up, or those powerful cultivators forming gangs to rob and kill—it's dangerous out there. A Quasi-Emperor like me isn't nearly strong enough."

"I see." Ye Chen nodded.

"So, Youdu's the safest spot on Zhuque Star. No fighting's allowed inside, and it's a holy ground for cultivation with spirit-gathering arrays that are way better than anything outside. Living in Youdu is a point of pride on Zhuque Star."

"Zhuque Star's so vast—surely it's not just Youdu as the only ancient city?" Ye Chen asked tentatively.

"You know what? It really is just the one," the old man replied.

"So, from what you're saying, if you don't buy a house, you can't live in Youdu?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

"You can live there, of course," the old man said. "But only in inns, and the rates are sky-high—three source stones a day."

"Three source stones doesn't sound that bad," Ye Chen said.

"You don't get it." The old man shot him a look. "As cultivators, we might meditate for three to five years, or even seven or eight, ten, twenty, or a hundred years. Do you know what it's like to wake up broke? I've been through it. Last time, I had an epiphany that took ten years. When I woke up, I couldn't pay the rent, got beaten, and was thrown out."

"That makes sense." Ye Chen stroked his chin. "What if you just sneak into Youdu and sleep on the streets?" Ye Chen asked.

"You think they're fools? You're way off." The old man grumbled. "You can sleep on the streets, but you need a temporary residence permit. Without it, you'll get tossed out. And me, a dignified Quasi-Emperor, sleeping on the streets? Where's the dignity? That permit's a pain anyway—expensive as hell. Might as well save up and buy a house for permanent residency. That's the smart move."

"Are houses in Youdu that pricey?" Ye Chen scratched his head.