Chapter 1275: Burial at Sea

Immortal light merged into him, and the white-clothed youth's body trembled. He clutched his head with both hands and let out a painful roar.

The green-clothed woman paled and rushed forward in panic.

Ye Chen smiled faintly and invoked a secret technique to restrain the green-clothed woman. Then, he crushed several pills and infused them into her body, healing her wounds and dispelling the killing intent within her.

The green-clothed woman looked bewildered, her delicate brows furrowed. She couldn't tell if Ye Chen was friend or foe—he had saved them and was now treating her injuries, yet he had also sent out that immortal light, causing the white-clothed youth such agony.

"It's fine, it'll be okay soon!"

Ye Chen offered a comforting smile and crushed more pills, channeling sacred body essence into the green-clothed woman to heal her.

"Ah!"

The white-clothed youth continued to roar, kneeling on the ground in agonizing pain.

As the immortal light integrated, fragments of ancient memories and old events surfaced in his mind.

Indeed, he was Duan Yu, one of the nine major true successors of the Heng Yue Sect's Qing generation and the heir to the six-pulse divine abilities.

In his previous life, during the great battle against the demons, the cultivators of Da Chu launched their only full-scale charge. Duan Yu fought alongside Xie Yun and Xiong Er, dying on the battlefield. With their blood and bones, they paved a bloody path for Ye Chen.

At some point, the last trace of confusion in the reincarnated Duan Yu's eyes faded away. He suddenly lifted his head and stared at Ye Chen in a daze. That weathered face was exactly as he remembered.

"Welcome back!"

Ye Chen smiled with a touch of sorrow, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Good brother!"

Duan Yu sprang to his feet, arms outstretched, and embraced Ye Chen tightly. Tears streamed down his face.

This scene left the green-clothed woman stunned, unsure of what was happening or how the situation had unfolded. Clearly, the two knew each other.

What followed was an especially emotional display.

The restraints on the green-clothed woman were lifted, and she stood there in astonishment, watching Duan Yu and Ye Chen.

The two had much to say.

Under the moonlight, the two old acquaintances each held a wine jug, speaking only of events from the past that the green-clothed woman knew nothing about. Their words were filled with emotion, like a dream weaving through past and present lives.

Eventually, the green-clothed woman could no longer contain her curiosity. She approached tentatively and glanced at them. "You two..."

Hearing this, Duan Yu smiled but continued catching up with Ye Chen. Overwhelmed by the joy of reunion, he had forgotten about the woman beside him.

"Ye, my junior brother, she is my wife. You can call her Yun Meng."

"Yun Ru Yan, Meng Ru Huan—what a fine name for an elder sister-in-law," Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Elder sister-in-law?" Yun Meng exclaimed in surprise, turning to Duan Yu.

"He's my good brother, Ye Chen," Duan Yu replied with a laugh.

"I've never heard you mention him before. And what's this Da Chu place?"

"I'll tell you in detail later."

"How did you end up in conflict with the Da Luo Sword Sect?" Ye Chen took a swig of wine and asked, looking at them curiously.

"It's because of the Da Luo Shenzi," Duan Yu said, his expression turning icy in an instant.

"He's a madman," Yun Meng added.

"Ye, my junior brother, you've probably heard about the Hao Yang Ancient City incident. He fought a mysterious emperor-level expert and suffered a great humiliation. Unable to find that mysterious expert, he took out his anger on various forces. Countless sects have suffered, and lives are treated like worthless grass."

"So that's what happened." Ye Chen furrowed his brow, feeling a pang of guilt.

"In the Bei Dou Star Domain, there's a place called Zang Hai. The frenzied Da Luo Shenzi has captured countless people there. He vows to kill a batch every day if that mysterious emperor-level expert doesn't show up. His goal is to force him out. Already, many have been killed—his cruelty is plain to see."

"I am that mysterious emperor-level expert from Hao Yang Ancient City," Ye Chen said calmly.

"You?" Duan Yu and Yun Meng both turned to him in disbelief, staring as if they couldn't comprehend that the one who had defeated the Da Luo Shenzi in a single move was Ye Chen. It was utterly unexpected.

"I'm going to Zang Hai," Ye Chen said, rising to his feet.

"Ye, my junior brother, don't be reckless!" Duan Yu quickly grabbed him. "That's a death trap."

"The karma I created is there, and among the innocent lives captured, there might be people from Da Chu."

"In that case, I'll go with you," Duan Yu declared immediately.

"Very well." Ye Chen didn't object. He stepped onto the void, not expecting Duan Yu and Yun Meng to be of much help, but at least he could protect them by keeping them close.

Once they left the ancient star, the three shot off like streaks of immortal light, heading in one direction.

As Duan Yu had said, the Bei Dou Star Domain was extraordinarily bustling these days. Da Luo Sword Sect members could be seen flying by everywhere, in groups of three or five, acting arrogantly and overbearingly.

Ye Chen's face was cold as ice; he despised the Da Luo Sword Sect's actions. After all, they had ties to the Sword God, yet they behaved so lawlessly. He wondered what the Sword God would think if he knew.

For safety, Ye Chen placed Duan Yu and Yun Meng inside the Chaos Cauldron.

As for himself, he donned a black robe and a Ghost Underworld mask, using the Zhou Tian Evolution secret technique to conceal his aura.

The journey was not smooth; they encountered Da Luo Sword Sect members more than once, but Ye Chen evaded them all. There were a few skirmishes along the way, but he dismissed those minor foes without a second thought.

Ye Chen didn't idle during the trip; he continuously used the Zhou Tian Evolution to divine for reincarnated individuals.

Regrettably, while he met many people, none were reincarnated souls.

To reach Zang Hai, they passed several ancient stars without stopping. He was more concerned about Zang Hai itself, where the mad Da Luo Shenzi had captured many—reincarnated souls were likely among them.

At that thought, Ye Chen increased his speed, drawing a brilliant arc through the vast starry sky.

Zang Hai was one of the great ominous places in the Bei Dou Star Domain. As the name suggested, it was a site for burying the living. Ancient beyond measure, it had given rise to turbid spirits and resentful ghosts. Those with weak cultivation who entered were often eroded in mind and spirit. Moreover, it was a place of ill omen that no one dared to approach.

From afar, Zang Hai appeared as a vast blood-red ocean, with surging waves and eerie wails carried in the foam. Just hearing it sent chills down the spine; the place was thick with yin energy, like a bloody hell.

At present, the area around Zang Hai was crowded with people, all pointing and commenting on what was inside. Most spoke with sighs of regret and pity, and many elder cultivators wore expressions of sympathy, their sighs rising one after another.

In the midst of Zang Hai stood numerous blood pillars, each one chaining a person to it.

Counting them, there were at least a hundred thousand people locked there—members of small sects, nameless rogue cultivators, emperor-level experts, and quasi-saints. In the world of the strong, they were ruthlessly trampled.

At the center of Zang Hai loomed a blood-red platform, eight hundred zhang high and inscribed with runes. Upon it sat a blood throne, where the Da Luo Shenzi lounged at an angle, his face twisted into a ferocious, sinister mask.

With his Nine Yang True Body, supremely rigid and yang, the Da Luo Shenzi could linger in Zang Hai thanks to his bloodline's power, unfazed by the yin energy and resentful ghosts. His presence inspired fear, like that of a terrifying demon.

"How ruthless," murmured the cultivators outside Zang Hai, glancing at the chained prisoners and then at the Da Luo Shenzi.

"Everyone knows his nature, so it's no surprise to see it now."

"It's just tragic for those who've been captured." Many shook their heads helplessly, disgusted by such methods but afraid to speak out, lest they provoke the Da Luo Shenzi and meet their own end.

"If you have to blame someone, blame that mysterious emperor-level expert. Why provoke this madman? Now he's gone berserk, and the whole Bei Dou Star Domain is suffering. Who knows how many will die before it's over?"

"You can't say it like that. Even without the mysterious expert, the Da Luo Shenzi's violent nature wouldn't change."

"At this point, I'm curious if that mysterious emperor-level expert will show up."

"Show up? That's unlikely." Someone sighed. "He's probably fled the Bei Dou Star Domain or hidden in some corner. This setup is clearly a death trap—who would be foolish enough to come?"

Amid the discussions, no one noticed Ye Chen in his black robe joining the crowd.

Beneath the mask, Ye Chen's eyes flashed with cold light. He glanced at the Da Luo Shenzi on the throne, then focused on the people chained to the blood pillars in Zang Hai. Indeed, there were reincarnated souls from Da Chu among them.

"Damned!" Ye Chen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. Among the hundred thousand captives, at least over a hundred were reincarnated souls.

"How chilling!"

From within the Chaos Cauldron, Duan Yu's voice was ice-cold.

Even though he was in Ye Chen's sea of consciousness via the cauldron, he could still see the horrific scene in Zang Hai.

Now that his past memories were unlocked, Duan Yu recognized several of the reincarnated souls.

A hundred years ago, Da Chu's nine million heroic spirits had died fighting the demons, safeguarding the myriad domains. Every being in the myriad domains owed them a life.

Yet now, the very people protected by Da Chu's heroic spirits were suffering so terribly. How could one not feel rage? How could it not chill the heart? This world was maddeningly unjust.

Ye Chen remained silent, quietly scanning the surroundings of Zang Hai.

With his insight, he spotted numerous hidden experts—mostly from the Da Luo Sword Sect. There were over thirty quasi-saints, six saints, and an overwhelming array of forces.

Beyond that, there were countless emperor-level experts, numbering over two hundred thousand.

This was indeed a death trap. Even with his strength, Ye Chen couldn't guarantee escape, especially since his Immortal Eye was still sealed, leaving him without the ace of evading heavenly dao.

"Kill!"

A sinister laugh echoed from the Da Luo Shenzi in Zang Hai, filled with mocking amusement.

"Don't kill us!"

Zang Hai erupted in wails as the chained individuals turned pale, as if envisioning their own gruesome deaths. They saw no hope, only endless despair.

The Da Luo Sword Sect members raised their blades, smirking with cruel delight, as if taking lives meant nothing.

"Ah!"

Sighs of helplessness spread among the surrounding cultivators. The blood-red Zang Hai was about to witness a slaughter.

"Spare them!"

Amid the wails and sighs, a calm voice resounded through Zang Hai.

Ye Chen emerged, tearing off his black robe and stepping into the void, drawing all eyes.

"It's that mysterious emperor-level expert!"

"He actually dared to come!"

"Doesn't he know it's a death trap? Has that guy lost his mind?"

Ye Chen's appearance ignited a uproar among the onlookers, waves of shocked cries rising one after another.