Chapter 1103: Crimson Vermilion Bird of Heaven

"She looks so similar," Ye Chen murmured to himself, gazing at Ruo Tian Zhuque in a daze. "Could she also be a reincarnated person from Da Chu?"

"Three thousand years—counting the time, it should match up," he thought inwardly.

"But that doesn't make sense!" Ye Chen pondered, stroking his chin as his mind raced. "Donghuang Tai Xin once said that apart from the Nine Emperors of Da Chu, no one has ever left the lands of Da Chu. If she's a reincarnated person, where could she have come from?"

"Little one, judging by your expression, it seems you've met me before," Ruo Tian Zhuque said, watching Ye Chen with interest.

"I've never met you," Ye Chen coughed awkwardly. "It's just that, Senior, you are... incredibly beautiful."

Her laughter rang out at his words. Many had been fortunate enough to meet her, but Ye Chen was the first to speak so bluntly, and certainly the first to comment on her appearance so directly.

Only then did Ye Chen realize his slip-up. Thankfully, it was Ruo Tian Zhuque he was dealing with—if it had been someone else, his remark might have cost him his life. Casually commenting on a senior's beauty could lead to dire consequences.

"I heard from Xuan Yu that you refined a six-pattern pill in just half an hour," Ruo Tian Zhuque said, her voice ethereal and distant.

"I was just lucky, Senior—nothing more," Ye Chen replied.

"Who taught you your alchemy skills?" Ruo Tian Zhuque sat down, her eyes like clear water that could purify the world, fixed intently on Ye Chen as if to discern something from his words.

"Well..." Ye Chen feigned difficulty. "I hope you understand, Senior—my master doesn't want me to reveal his name."

"Oh?" A meaningful glint flashed in Ruo Tian Zhuque's eyes. Ye Chen's acting was flawless, and she instinctively believed there was a formidable figure behind him. If his disciple was this extraordinary, his master must be no ordinary person—perhaps even surpassing Ku Yue.

"Senior, I hope you don't mind me asking—could I inquire about a few things?" Ye Chen ventured while she was lost in thought.

"Go ahead."

"Have you ever heard of Da Chu?" Ye Chen asked tentatively, watching her closely.

"Da Chu?" Ruo Tian Zhuque furrowed her brow slightly. "Is the Da Chu you're referring to a star domain, an ancient star, or perhaps a faction's heritage?"

"It's an ancient star," Ye Chen said casually, though he felt a pang of disappointment, suspecting she knew nothing about it.

"I'm afraid I'm not well-traveled—I've never heard of it," she replied.

"What about Zhutian Gate?" Ye Chen pressed on.

"I've never heard of it."

"Or Kunlun Xu, Da Luo Zhutian, Da Xia Huangchao, Shen Dian, or Jiu Huang Tian?" Ye Chen listed them all at once, looking at her with hope. "Have you heard of any of these?"

"No idea." To Ye Chen's dismay, Ruo Tian Zhuque shook her head again.

"What kind of background does this boy have?" Ruo Tian Zhuque wondered, a thoughtful light in her eyes. The questions Ye Chen asked were so obscure that even she, a quasi-saint, had no knowledge of them, which only piqued her curiosity about him.

"What about the Zhutian Sword God, Jian Fei Dao—do you know anything about that?" Ye Chen refused to give up, his eyes full of anticipation.

"The Zhutian Sword God?" Ruo Tian Zhuque's brows knitted slightly.

"Have you heard of the Zhutian Sword God?" Her expression instantly excited Ye Chen.

"I've heard a bit—he's someone who achieved enlightenment through the sword and became one of the sword gods."

"Do you know where he is?" Ye Chen tensed up, finally catching a lead he couldn't afford to miss.

"He's a transcendent figure—I have no idea where he is," Ruo Tian Zhuque said casually. "Back in the day, when I traveled abroad, that's when I first heard the name Zhutian Sword God. I never had the honor of meeting him in person. All I know is that he left a trace of his sword dao on an ancient star, and that trace gave rise to the Da Luo Jian Zong."

"Da Luo Jian Zong," Ye Chen murmured to himself. After a couple of seconds, he looked at Ruo Tian Zhuque. "Where is the Da Luo Jian Zong?"

"On Ziwei Xing," she answered without hesitation. "It's not close from here—it's in a different star domain from Zhuque Xing. I only visited that ancient star by sheer chance years ago. If you want to go to Ziwei Xing, you'll need a star chart; otherwise, you're likely to lose your way in the vastness of space, and that would be quite the misfortune."

"Do you have a star chart for Ziwei Xing, Senior?"

"I do."

"Could I take a look at it?"

"You can certainly look," Ruo Tian Zhuque said with a smile, "but on one condition: you have to help my Zhuque family escape this precarious situation. I'll be straightforward—I need your alchemy skills, and I need the support of your master behind you."

"Senior, that might be asking too much," Ye Chen coughed. "The Ku Yue forces are incredibly powerful—they've even constrained you and the entire Zhuque family. What could just me and my master do?"

"What are your demands? Feel free to state them." Ruo Tian Zhuque smiled. "I can assist you in secret."

"In that case, I suppose we can give it a try," Ye Chen said after a moment's thought, though inwardly he was thrilled. He was already set to confront Ku Yue for Xie Yun's sake, and now with Ruo Tian Zhuque, the ancestor of the Zhuque family, as a hidden ally, he was ready to go all out.

"Would it be possible to send a message to your master?" Ruo Tian Zhuque asked, still smiling.

"That won't work," Ye Chen declined outright. "My master strictly forbade me from revealing any information about him. Please don't put me in a tough spot, Senior."

"I won't force you." Ruo Tian Zhuque said with a hint of regret, waving her hand to produce a token and handing it to Ye Chen. "This token will grant you passage from the first level of Youdu straight to the ninth heaven. Use it as the imperial order of the Zhuque family if needed."

"Thank you, Senior." Ye Chen accepted it without hesitation.

"Off you go!"

"Got it!" Ye Chen clutched the imperial order and left the bamboo grove. This trip had been more than worthwhile—he'd uncovered a clue about the Zhutian Sword God and gained Ruo Tian Zhuque's covert support. With her as backup, what did he have to fear from Ku Yue?

"What an interesting little one," Ruo Tian Zhuque murmured as she watched Ye Chen's retreating figure, a profound light in her eyes. There was something inexplicable about Ye Chen's mystery—it gave her a gut feeling that he could help the Zhuque family break free from their troubles.

By now, Ye Chen had tucked away the imperial order and stepped out of the bamboo grove. He muttered to himself occasionally and glanced back over his shoulder now and then, mainly because Ruo Tian Zhuque bore such a striking resemblance to that person from Da Chu—as if they were cast from the same mold.

He wasn't sure if Ruo Tian Zhuque was truly a reincarnated soul from Da Chu, and he didn't dare use any divine techniques to test it. Even with his connections to Xie Yun and Nian Wei, he couldn't joke around with a quasi-saint— one wrong move, and the consequences would be severe.

As soon as Ye Chen emerged, Nian Wei hurried over. "Holy Master, did my family ancestor give you any trouble?"

"Not at all," Ye Chen said with a smile. In fact, far from trouble, she would even assist in secret—that was a real trump card.

"In that case, let's hurry down!" Nian Wei pulled Ye Chen along as they headed out.

"What's the rush?"

"The Mu family gambling house is in trouble."