Chapter 1172: Seeing No One

"Forty thousand."

"Fifty thousand for me."

"Seventy thousand."

Inside the auction hall, bids rang out one after another, filling the space with a lively atmosphere of competition.

The third item up for auction was a secret scroll, according to Zhang Shan Zhen Ren's description, which contained an ancient secret technique. This had drawn a large crowd, including many quasi-saints.

While the auction was in full swing, Ye Chen had already stopped outside a private room on the third floor. It was the room occupied by Bi Bo.

Standing on either side of the door were two figures: one in a black robe, the other in a white robe. They stood straight and still, like gatekeepers. Seeing Ye Chen approach, their expressions turned stern and unfriendly.

"Boy, she's not someone you can mess with," the black-robed elder said coldly. "Don't waste your time."

"Understood," Ye Chen replied, scratching his ear.

"Since you understand, why aren't you leaving? Are you looking for trouble?"

"Grandmother, let him in," came Bi Bo's gentle voice from inside the room.

"Yes, divine maiden," the black and white elders replied in unison. They then cast a warning glance at Ye Chen, clearly telling him to speak only what he should and to keep silent about what he shouldn't, otherwise, the consequences would be severe.

Ye Chen shrugged and stepped through the light portal into the room.

Inside, the scene was completely different. The private room was its own world, spanning about thirty zhang in circumference. It was elegantly furnished with tables and chairs made of azure sky jade, items of immeasurable value.

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh in admiration. The wealth of the Tian Fu Shen Chao was immense, enough to make even You Du of Zhu Que Xing envious from afar.

Bi Bo stood gracefully, quietly observing Ye Chen.

Ye Chen smiled and walked slowly toward her. Without a word, he reached out a hand toward the veil covering Bi Bo's face.

Bi Bo's delicate brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness flickered in her beautiful eyes. No male cultivator had ever dared to be so presumptuous with her. The veil she wore also held a deeper meaning; removing it implied a commitment to marry her.

Bi Bo didn't move, but her eyes shimmered with immortal light, like rippling water filled with scattered petals.

Wan Hua Tong?

Ye Chen was taken aback, his outstretched hand freezing in midair. He hadn't realized she possessed the same divine eye as Xi Yan.

In that moment of distraction, Ye Chen felt the world around him shift. He was suddenly in a realm of scattered flowers, a bizarre and illusory place, dreamlike and enchanting, with drifting immortal lights carrying the essence of the Dao.

An illusion!

Ye Chen was startled, his expression showing a strange surprise. He had fallen for it without even noticing.

In the private room, Bi Bo still stood gracefully.

As for Ye Chen, his outstretched hand remained frozen in place, his entire body like a statue. He had been caught in Bi Bo's illusion technique, his consciousness trapped within it.

Bi Bo's eyes were clear as she looked at Ye Chen, a hint of confusion resurfacing in them.

For some unknown reason, this young male cultivator in front of her felt strangely familiar, as if they had met before, yet she couldn't recall. Just looking at him made her heart ache faintly.

Have you seen enough?

A faint voice echoed, and Ye Chen's dazed expression broke into a smile.

You...!

Bi Bo's face changed in shock. She hadn't expected a Tian Jing cultivator to break her Wan Hua illusion.

In that instant, a gentle breeze stirred, and her veil slipped away, removed by Ye Chen's hand.

With the veil gone, her flawless face was revealed, breathtaking in its beauty. Her exquisite features and radiant cheeks seemed sculpted by the hands of gods, utterly perfect.

Rogue!

Bi Bo's face turned frosty as she raised her jade hand, but before she could act, a beam of immortal light flew toward her and merged into her brow.

Immediately, her body trembled, and she staggered back, her expression contorted in pain.

Ah!

Bi Bo clutched her forehead and groaned, her spirit-clear eyes, like water, gradually losing their distant haze as the immortal light integrated into her divine sea. A long-sealed memory began to unravel.

After some time, Bi Bo's groans subsided, and the last trace of confusion in her eyes vanished.

You... Ye Chen!

She stared at Ye Chen in a daze, tears welling in her eyes. She recognized him. Despite the passage of a hundred years and the weight of time, his image was etched deeply into her soul.

Bi You, welcome back!

Ye Chen's smile was tearful, carrying the weight of years.

Ye Chen, it's been a hundred years!

Bi You choked up, stepping forward and throwing herself into his arms, her face streaked with tears, washed by the passage of time.

The room fell silent, filled only with the sound of her sobs as Bi You clung to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's face flushed red – it was from the pain. Even his saintly physique of steel couldn't withstand her embrace, which cracked his bones.

Bi You was unaware, holding him even tighter, gripping with all her strength as if to merge him into her very being, fearing it was all just an illusion.

"I said, can we talk properly?"

"Let me hold you a little longer," Bi You refused to let go, hugging him even tighter, burying her tear-streaked face in his chest and greedily breathing in his scent.

"Then... hold on a bit more," Ye Chen coughed, blood trickling from his mouth. He wasn't sure if it was from some heavenly retribution or her grip.

"We've met the divine prince of the dynasty," as they spoke, the voices of the black and white elders came from outside the door.

"Is the immortal maiden inside?" Hua Tian Du still played the part of a refined gentleman, his smile warm as a spring breeze, though his eyes flickered with a lecherous gleam.

"She is, she is," the black and white elders replied hastily.

"Please, esteemed elders, announce my presence."

"No one is to be seen," before Hua Tian Du could finish, Bi You's cold voice echoed from the room.

"Divine maiden, this..."

"No one at all." The elders tried to speak, but Bi You cut them off.

"Good, very good," Hua Tian Du laughed, but it was laced with chill, his expression turning sinister. As the divine prince of the dynasty, how could he tolerate being turned away twice? It was a blatant slap in the face.

Hua Tian Du had assumed that after Bi You met the Ghost Emperor's divine prince, she would feel pressured and come seeking his help. He had come to take advantage of the situation, and if possible, he wouldn't mind engaging in some intimate affairs right in this auction room – it would be thrilling to hear her moans.

But to his surprise, not only did she not seek him out, she rejected him again.

"Divine prince, please don't be angry. The divine maiden is..."

"No need for more words." The elders' explanation was interrupted as Hua Tian Du abruptly turned and left.

"Ah!" The black and white elders sighed, glancing toward the room's light door. "Divine maiden, why put yourself through this?"

"No one means no one," in the room, Bi You had already released Ye Chen, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Wow!" Ye Chen was clutching his waist and sitting down, his spine broken and most of his bones fractured from her hug. He still couldn't believe such a delicate woman could have that much strength – thankfully, his foundation was strong; anyone else at Tian Jing level would have been reduced to a pulp.

"Are... are you alright?" Bi You stepped forward, even more embarrassed, her emotions having overwhelmed her sense of restraint.

"I won't die," Ye Chen waved it off, grimacing as he circulated his Man Huang Lian Ti technique.

"I was just too excited," Bi You smiled through her tears, moving behind him to massage his shoulders, channeling pure spiritual energy into his body. She still couldn't believe all of this was real.

"I get it."

"Besides me, who else have you found?"

"Xie Yun, Li Xiao, Nian Wei, Xiao Ying, and Da Chu Huang Yan." As Ye Chen spoke, he condensed his memories into a stream and transmitted them to Bi You. A hundred years' worth of stories were too many to tell.

Bi You absorbed the divine sense and, after processing it, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Time had passed too long; many were still unfound, including his father the emperor, his aunt, Du Gu Ao, and Zhuge Yu.

Still, Bi You eventually smiled, for the outcome was good. The reincarnated ones were scattered across the Zhutian Wandu, and with enough time, they would all be located.

Thinking of this, Bi You looked at Ye Chen, her heart aching for him.

A hundred years in endless darkness.

How much suffering and hardship had he endured?