Chapter 1261: Collective Kidnapping

Boom! Bang!

In the quiet night, the vast starry sky had become lively once more.

Ahead in the starry sky, the fatty old man was fleeing at full speed, moving like a streak of light.

Behind him, Ye Chen was using the Suo Di Cheng Cun technique, his escape skills unmatched in the world, and his pursuit abilities equally peerless. Once he caught up, he wasted no time in attacking.

Farther back, Yan Laodao and his companions followed, all clicking their tongues in amazement.

The four of them witnessed Ye Chen's ferocity again: a Huang Jing cultivator chasing down a Sheng Ren and fighting fiercely. This might be unique across the myriad domains of the heavens. If word got out, it would surely cause another sensation.

Boom! Bang!

As they grimaced, the starry sky ahead erupted once more.

Ye Chen caught up to the fatty old man and charged forward with a devastating overhead strike from his wolf-tooth club.

The fatty old man looked disheveled and didn't dare take the hit head-on; he shifted away in a flash and scrambled off again. This dignified Sheng Ren even made his escape look impressively bold.

Ye Chen cursed under his breath and chased after him with all his might, determined to catch the fatty old man.

Ye Chen's storage bag was packed with treasures he'd accumulated from years of looting, and the fatty old man had taken it earlier. Now that the old man was alone, Ye Chen wasn't about to let this chance slip away.

The fatty old man fled without any dignity, trying several times to stop and talk things out with Ye Chen. But Ye Chen wouldn't hear it—as soon as he caught up, he attacked without a word.

You're impressive!

The fatty old man grumbled to himself and manifested an ancient divine pattern on his forehead, suddenly boosting his speed dramatically.

I've got one too!

Ye Chen shouted back, activating his demonic path and etching a demonic pattern on his forehead, enhancing both his power and speed.

And so, the two raced through the vast starry sky—one like a divine light, the other like an immortal glow—zipping past in flashes. Any cultivators they passed stared in astonishment, mistaking the lights for some kind of treasure.

What beasts!

Behind them, Yan Laodao and the others were panting heavily, having chased all this way without catching up.

After some time, an enormous star appeared in the starry sky.

This star was exceptionally massive, even larger than the ancient star of the Sheng Wang Man Ren, with a purple haze glowing all around it, radiant and striking. In this star domain, it had its own name: Xian Yue Xing.

Heh!

Spotting the ancient star, the fatty old man grinned and darted straight into it. By the time Ye Chen arrived and swung his wolf-tooth club, the old man had already escaped too quickly.

Where do you think you're going?

Ye Chen's face darkened further as he pursued him inside.

The two continued, one ahead and one behind, until a cluster of immortal mountains came into view. The fatty old man bolted into them.

Ye Chen was about to follow when he suddenly halted.

It's him! He's the one who beat me!

A commotion erupted from the immortal mountains, and the fatty old man who had just entered came flying back out.

This time, he wasn't alone. Five others flanked him—three men and two women—all Sheng Ren level. Gu Lan, who had chased Ye Chen before, was among them.

Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!

With five Sheng Ren suddenly appearing, Ye Chen backed down immediately, smiling awkwardly as he retreated, then turned and bolted. His escape posture was just as bold as ever.

Where do you think you're going?

Gu Lan shifted in a flash, blocking his path and unleashing a wave of immortal light.

This wasn't ordinary immortal light; it was a specially refined heavenly net woven from tiny runes and inscribed with sealing secrets, spreading out to engulf him completely. Ye Chen was caught on the spot.

Break!

Ye Chen was incredibly fierce, raising both hands to tear the net apart.

You won't escape!

Gu Lan blocked him again. After searching for so long without finding Ye Chen, now that he'd delivered himself to Xian Yue Gong's territory, she wasn't about to let him go.

Seize him!

The fatty old man and the other four Sheng Ren pounced.

Come at me one-on-one!

Ye Chen yelled, trying to break free, but he was forced back.

Gu Lan and the fatty old man ignored his outburst completely. They couldn't fall for his tricks again. For someone like Ye Chen, talking nicely wouldn't work—they had to capture him first and discuss later.

The other four Sheng Ren agreed, having heard the fatty old man and Gu Lan mention Ye Chen more than once. Now that they saw him in person, they knew he was no ordinary foe and couldn't afford to let him slip away with a moment's distraction.

What followed was a brutal scene: the clever Ye Chen was beaten on the spot.

In a one-on-one fight, Ye Chen could face a Sheng Ren at the eighth heaven head-on, but against six Sheng Ren ganging up on him—all tough opponents—he had no choice but to take the beating.

As a result, he was tied up, layer upon layer with over a hundred Xian Kong ropes.

The group still wasn't satisfied and added their own sealing techniques.

Even so, Ye Chen wouldn't stay put, wriggling on the ground like a worm, trying to break free. But he couldn't muster any spiritual power at all—it had all been sealed.

Misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!

Once subdued, Ye Chen finally calmed down, grinning at the group.

No problem! Everything's fine!

The six Sheng Ren stood in a circle, all smiling at Ye Chen with an unsettling grin that made his skin crawl, as if he were about to be cooked.

What's going on here?

A surprised voice came from the void as Yan Laodao and his group arrived, stunned to see Ye Chen bound.

Nothing much!

The fatty old man chuckled and extended his hand, sweeping through the void. Yan Laodao and the others, who had just steadied themselves, were pulled down and sealed before they could say a word.

I've calculated it—we've been captured!

Taiyi Zhenren glanced meaningfully at the Xian Kong ropes binding them.

I've calculated it too—you're absolutely right!

Yan Laodao said with a serious tone.

And I've calculated that you're all quite talented!

The fatty old man stroked his eyebrows, speaking with a meaningful and serious expression.

How embarrassing!

Ye Chen looked as if he'd eaten something foul. Not only had he failed to get his storage bag back, but he'd also been beaten, tied up, and even dragged his companions into this mess. This was probably what they meant by "attempting something and ending up the victim"—utterly awkward.

Let's head back!

Gu Lan flicked her hair and grabbed Ye Chen, flying back to the immortal mountains.

Let's head back!

The fatty old man strolled along with his hands behind his back, humming a tune as he headed to the immortal mountains. The other four Sheng Ren weren't idle either, each carrying one of the captives and flying into Xian Yue Gong's immortal mountains.

Once back in the mountains, Yan Laodao and his group were tossed aside.

As for Ye Chen, he was taken to a grand hall, still bound.

The six Sheng Ren sat in a neat row, watching Ye Chen with great interest. "Now, will you listen to what we have to say?"

"Could you untie me first?" Ye Chen coughed.

"That won't do." A white-robed Sheng Ren spoke up immediately. "Gu Lan and Gu Yuan have said that if we let you go, we'd have to chase you eight million li just to talk."

"Even then, we might not catch you." Gu Lan rubbed her forehead.

"I have to admit, I do run pretty fast."

"Enough chit-chat—let's get to business." The one called Gu Yuan, the fatty old man, smoothed his eyebrows. "Our Xian Yue Gong's goddess has a problem with her Dao principles and needs a special bloodline to balance it."

"You should have said so earlier!" Ye Chen couldn't help but snap.

"I wanted to, but did you give me a chance?" The old man's face darkened. He'd been chased and beaten the whole way, without even a breath to speak.

"Our Xian Yue Gong has inherited for tens of thousands of years and always values karma; we never bully with power." Gu Lan smiled lightly. "If you help our goddess this time, Xian Yue Gong will offer you a great opportunity in return. You can think of it as a fair exchange."

"I can help, but can I at least get my storage bag back first?" Ye Chen glanced at Gu Yuan, the fatty old man.

"We'll return it, of course, but you have to treat our goddess first."

"Deal."