Chapter 1285: A Quiet Night

Three people walked side by side, attracting a lot of attention. Most gazes were fixed on Ye Chen, accompanied by pointing and whispering. After today's battle at Fengyun Tai, his fame had skyrocketed. A cultivator at the Tian Jing level had slapped away three at the Huang Jing level with one palm. Such power was astonishing, leaving people dumbfounded. The three disciples he had defeated were still lying in bed, groaning and complaining.

Ye Chen simply ignored it all. Nie Feng did the same. If all of Ye Chen's achievements were revealed, even Sheng Wang experts would be frightened to tears. While the two of them brushed it off, Zheng Tao, on the other hand, was restless. With his shifty eyes and sneaky demeanor, he walked with an air of arrogance, shouting and calling out along the way, the classic type to bully others with borrowed authority.

Before long, the three arrived at a mountain called Zi Zhu Feng. This was their cultivation peak, led by a Quasi-Saint as the peak master, with three thousand disciples under him. Ye Chen's return drew even more stares. The disciples training on the mountain looked at him in surprise, and many like Zheng Tao rushed over, inevitably offering source stones and treasures.

Ye Chen accepted them all without hesitation. He wouldn't be staying long anyway. Once they reached the grand hall, an elder in purple robes was already waiting. He was Zi Zhu Zhenren, the master of Zi Zhu Feng. Ye Chen looked him over, stroking his chin. He had seen this purple-robed elder before, not just in Li Kang's memories, but also during the sieges in Zang Hai and the Jie Jie starfields. Each time, the elder had ended up in utter defeat.

"Kang'er, you've truly surprised me as your master!" Zi Zhu Zhenren slapped Ye Chen on the shoulder, beaming with joy. After all these years, he finally had a talented disciple under his wing.

"Just a minor thing." Ye Chen shrugged casually, then couldn't help glancing around the hall, a habit of his to check for any treasures wherever he went.

"This is a reward from your master." Zi Zhu Zhenren was in high spirits and handed Ye Chen a storage bag, filled with various cultivation materials like dan pills, immortal herbs, source stones, and secret scrolls.

"Thank you, master." Ye Chen didn't hold back; free gifts were meant to be taken.

"Cultivate well."

"Master, I have something to ask." Ye Chen put away the storage bag and tentatively looked at Zi Zhu Zhenren. "Do you know where the Jian Shen Jian Yi of Da Luo Jian Zong is located?"

"I don't know." Zi Zhu Zhenren stroked his beard and shook his head. "That's a top secret of Da Luo Jian Zong, known only to a few in the sect. I'm not at that level yet."

"What a shame." Ye Chen sighed inwardly. Originally, Da Luo Shen Zi knew where the Jian Shen Jian Yi was, but his memories were sealed with restrictions set by a Sheng Wang expert—ones that even Ye Chen couldn't break easily, leaving him in this passive position.

"In three days, there's the Jian Zong Grand Competition. If you perform outstandingly, Kang'er, you'll have a chance to comprehend the Jian Shen Jian Yi."

"Master, what exactly is this Jian Zong Grand Competition? Is it one-on-one duels?"

"It's the Treading of the Tian Road." Zi Zhu Zhenren smiled faintly. "In three days, there will be a cloud ladder with nine hundred and ninety-nine levels, each with prohibitions. The higher you go, the greater the pressure. Only those who truly reach the end will qualify to compete for the Shen Zi position. Of course, if only one person makes it to the end, that person will be the undisputed Shen Zi of Da Luo Jian Zong."

"I see." Ye Chen chuckled. Back in the day, Da Chu Tian Court selected its nine great true disciples in a similar way. This would save time compared to pairwise duels.

"Go on!" Zi Zhu Zhenren patted Ye Chen on the shoulder again.

"This disciple bids farewell." Ye Chen bowed respectfully, putting on a show of utmost deference that made Zi Zhu Zhenren grin with delight. Little did he know, if he discovered Ye Chen's true identity, he might just burst into tears on the spot.

After leaving the hall, Ye Chen headed to Nie Feng's residence. Nie Feng's cultivation spot was a grove of purple bamboo, incredibly serene and perfectly matching his temperament. However, the grove wasn't just for Nie Feng; there was also a graceful figure of a woman in fluttering white robes, like a fairy descended from the nine heavens, untouched by the mortal world.

From Li Kang's memories, Ye Chen recognized this woman in white as Ling Xuan, another disciple of Zi Zhu Feng. How interesting! Ye Chen smiled, instantly figuring out what was going on. The proud Nie Feng hadn't found his soulmate in his previous life, but in this one, he seemed to have made up for that regret, with this beauty by his side.

Seeing Ye Chen arrive, Nie Feng stood up, rarely showing a smile. Ling Xuan rose as well, like Nie Feng, sparing few words, but her beautiful eyes couldn't hide their astonishment—shocked by how Ye Chen had slapped away three Huang Jing experts with one palm.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Ye Chen flashed a set of white teeth.

"Don't joke around." Nie Feng coughed dryly, and Ling Xuan looked a bit uneasy.

"Still feeling shy." Ye Chen grinned and waved his hand, pulling out a Qian Kun bag and handing it to Ling Xuan. It contained plenty of source stones, secret scrolls, and some exceptional magical tools.

"This..." Ling Xuan was stunned, mainly because the contents of the storage bag were overwhelmingly abundant.

"Take it if it's given to you." Nie Feng smiled.

"But this is way too much."

"Sister-in-law, no need to be formal with me." Ye Chen grinned.

"Sis... sister-in-law?"

"Alright, let's get to business." Ye Chen chuckled and waved his hand, summoning a barrier to envelop the purple bamboo grove. Nie Feng immediately understood what Ye Chen was about to do and sat down cross-legged. He then smiled at Ling Xuan, gesturing for her to sit as well. Though Ling Xuan was puzzled, she still sat down.

By then, Ye Chen had already summoned his Xian Huo and Tian Lei, enveloping the two of them. Nie Feng was fine with it, knowing full well about Ye Chen's Xian Huo and Tian Lei, but Ling Xuan was taken aback. Having been fellow disciples with Li Kang for so long, she had no idea he possessed such things, far exceeding her expectations.

"Stay calm!" Ye Chen smiled slightly and released his Sheng Ti essence, channeling it into their bodies to refine their bloodlines and stabilize their existing cultivation foundations.

What a dominant bloodline! Ling Xuan was startled, clearly feeling the power within Ye Chen's bloodline. Having cultivated for a hundred years, she had never encountered anything so overpowering. She had truly underestimated this junior brother of hers. Shaking off her thoughts, she and Nie Feng both closed their eyes.

It wasn't until deep into the night that Ye Chen finally withdrew his hands. As for Nie Feng and Ling Xuan, they remained seated with eyes closed, their bloodlines refined and their cultivations advancing a level. For them, this was an unexpected stroke of fortune.

Ye Chen smiled as he glanced at the two of them. Nie Feng had found his other half, and as his brother, he was happy for him. With another smile, Ye Chen turned and left the purple bamboo grove.

The night sky was profound, with stars like scattered dust. Ye Chen climbed to the summit of Zi Zhu Feng and gazed out over the immortal realm below. In the quiet of the night, under the moonlight, Da Luo Jian Zong appeared dreamlike and illusory, peaceful and serene. Divine light floated about, white mist swirled, draping this pure land in a dazzling veil.

Hm? As he was observing, Ye Chen furrowed his brow and instinctively looked up toward the depths of Da Luo Jian Zong. There, immortal light danced and clouds billowed, with a hazy figure suspended in the air—a person in white robes and white hair, face indistinct, their ethereal white clothes and hair swaying without wind, like a dream.

This hazy figure was strange, appearing and disappearing, seeming like a person but more like a sword. Jian Shen Jian Yi? Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, but when he looked again, the hazy figure in white robes and hair was gone.

Ye Chen frowned. For it to evade his Xian Yan's scrutiny, this figure wasn't real but a manifestation of some intent. The only thing he could think of was the Jian Shen Jian Yi. Subconsciously, Ye Chen stepped forward, heading straight toward that direction. However, after one step, he stopped. That was the depths of Da Luo Jian Zong, and with his current identity, he couldn't venture there. If the Sheng Wang expert noticed, it would bring endless trouble.

Just wait three more days! Ye Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. He was certain the Jian Shen Jian Yi possessed some spiritual awareness. As long as it had even a bit of awareness, he could use it to find the Jian Shen. Once he found the Jian Shen, he could locate Kunlun Xu, and with Kunlun Xu, Da Chu could be saved.