Chapter 1163: Black Mountain

Upon seeing this, Yan Chixia leaned in closer, stroking his chin while his eyes gleamed with interest, clearly recognizing the scroll's extraordinary nature. "What a treasure, truly a remarkable artifact."

Ning Caichen shot Yan Chixia a glance and said, "Someone's asking if you've seen the woman in the painting."

Yan Chixia coughed dryly and shook his head vigorously. "I haven't."

Ye Chen looked disappointed, put away the scroll, and turned back to Yan Chixia. "As a revered senior and expert, you must have vast knowledge of people. Could you tell me if, among those who participated in the treasure robbery back then, you knew anyone—or anyone who might know the identity of the woman in the painting?"

"I only know one person: Hua Tian Laozu," Yan Chixia replied after thinking for a moment. "That old rascal grabbed plenty, but as for the others, they weren't from this star domain. Most came from other regions, chasing after the treasure."

"Then have you heard of Da Chu?" Ye Chen asked again.

Yan Chixia grew impatient. "Kid, why do you have so many questions?" Ning Caichen, standing nearby, looked even more anxious.

"Forgive my impudence," Ye Chen quickly bowed. "It's just that I've lost my way in the starry sky and can't find the path back to my homeland."

"Da Chu? Never heard of it," Yan Chixia said, shaking his head.

"What about Kunlun Xu, Da Luo Zhutian, Jiuhuang Tian, Da Xia Huangchao, or Zhutian Jian Shen?"

"The first few, no idea. But Zhutian Jian Shen, I've heard of in passing," Yan Chixia said, scratching his ear. "There's a Da Luo Jian Zong on Ziwei Xing that's deeply connected to it."

"In that case, thank you, senior. Farewell." Ye Chen cupped his hands in a bow and swiftly flew off in one direction.

"Lost his way? How interesting." Yan Chixia muttered quietly as he watched Ye Chen depart.

"Save my wife!" Ning Caichen grabbed Yan Chixia's sleeve again.

"Save her, save her—I'm worn out by you." Yan Chixia grumbled irritably. "Who asked me to get tangled in this karma with you?"

"Then let's set out right away," Ning Caichen said, filled with excitement.

"What's the rush?" Yan Chixia glanced at the stars above, still calculating with his fingers. "That old demon of yours is a Zhun Sheng. I can't take her on. We have to wait until tomorrow night when she's weakened—that's our chance."

"But what if—"

"Your wife is a nine-tailed imperial clan member; she won't die that easily," Yan Chixia interrupted, finding a comfortable spot to sit and close his eyes for rest. "And you, don't say I didn't warn you. A human and a demon in love—it won't lead to good karma. You're not from the same world."

As the two conversed, Ye Chen streaked through the void like a divine light.

Along the way, he saw ancient cities and towns below, all inhabited by ordinary people, with no cultivators in sight. This surprised him again, reminding him of Yan Chixia, a peak Huang Jing cultivator, who had ended up on a mortal ancient star and even formed karma with a commoner.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ye Chen increased his speed.

During the journey, blood kept seeping from the corners of his mouth—it was the backlash from recklessly viewing the scroll. The Zhun Sheng's laws had faded, but the wounds lingered and wouldn't heal overnight.

How arrogant I was! he thought to himself, touching his left eye. Bearing the Tianyan Immortal Eye was a double-edged sword; while it pierced through illusions, it also exposed him to forces he shouldn't touch. This time was a bloody lesson—he'd provoked a Zhun Sheng and was lucky to survive.

After some time, he came to a halt in the void.

Ahead lay a range of mountains, but they were eerily strange. Every peak was pitch-black, shrouded in swirling mist and gray fog, obscuring what lay within. It felt deeply ominous.

Illusion technique!

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, detecting that the black mountains were veiled by a mysterious, powerful force—a formidable illusion.

Focusing his gaze, he peered deeper into the mountains.

Such strong demon qi!

He murmured to himself, parting the layers of mist to reveal demons and fierce ghosts, their resentment and malice incredibly thick. It was this resentment that fueled the powerful illusion.

Woo woo woo...

As he watched, wails of fierce ghosts echoed from the black mountains, chilling and piercing.

Ye Chen looked toward the deepest part, where the most mysterious black mountain loomed, exuding a tremendous pressure. It was absorbing the resentment and malice, and this vast illusion originated from it.

It's a tree demon, at Zhun Sheng level!

Ye Chen frowned. On a mortal ancient star, there was actually a Zhun Sheng—far beyond his expectations.

Zhou Tian Evolution!

He silently invoked the technique, divining the reincarnated person, and confirmed they were indeed in the black mountains, deep within, bound by a powerful force.

This is tricky!

Ye Chen's expression turned serious. He knew the reincarnated person was trapped inside, but he was powerless to act.

To save them, he'd have to face the Zhun Sheng tree demon. With his Tianyan Immortal Eye sealed, even if he rescued them, escaping unscathed would be nearly impossible—especially since he wasn't at full strength.

Should I call for reinforcements?

He pondered going to Youdu for help but quickly dismissed the idea. The round trip would take at least nine days, and by then, the reincarnated person's life force might be too weak—it could be too late.

Fa Tong!

A sudden idea struck him, thinking of that old monk.

It's worth a try!

Ye Chen stroked his chin. Fa Tong, like Fahai, was stern and unfeeling, but he specialized in subduing demons. If Ye Chen lured him here and he saw the overwhelming demon qi, he'd likely intervene.

Solid plan!

With that, Ye Chen ascended into the sky, shooting like a divine light out of Tianchen Xing and back into the starry void.

Fa Tong!

As soon as he entered the stars, Ye Chen spread his divine sense, letting it extend infinitely, hoping Fa Tong would detect it.

However, after a long while, there was no response.

What the hell!

Ye Chen cursed under his breath and flew off in a direction.

Fa Tong!

You old bald donkey!

He kept calling out, growing more frustrated. You were so eager to chase me before—now that I need you, you're nowhere to be found. Dropping the ball at a critical moment!

Eventually, he arrived at the place where he had fought Fa Tong earlier.

The area was a wasteland of destruction, with unstable space and lingering traces of battle, but neither the Zhuque avatar nor Fa Tong was there.

You're impressive!

Ye Chen gave up and turned back toward Tianchen Xing, still calling out along the way.

Meanwhile, outside the black mountains on Tianchen Xing, Yan Chixia and Ning Caichen had arrived, keeping their distance to avoid detection by the old tree demon. They hid themselves with concealing talismans.

Woo woo woo...

The wails of fierce ghosts continued, the atmosphere sinister and terrifying, making the black mountains feel like a gateway to hell.

Yan Chixia was unfazed, being a peak Huang Jing cultivator who had seen it all.

Ning Caichen, however, looked pale. As a scholar who had only read about sages, he had never encountered such horrors. The legends of demons he knew were from plays, but now he was witnessing them firsthand.

"Honestly, this damned place is the last I'd want to visit," Yan Chixia grumbled, staring at the foggy black mountains.

"This is subduing demons and protecting the common people," Ning Caichen replied, his voice worried as he gazed toward the mountains, as if he could see the white-clad woman chained beneath the tree demon.

"Tch!" Yan Chixia scoffed dismissively, then looked up at the stars and began calculating again.