Chapter 1353: Luminous Phoenix

Chapter 1353: Linglong Phoenix

While Ye Chen and Qi Wang were chatting idly, the three elders from Taiqing Gong who had been sent flying earlier came charging back in a rage. They had been so focused on Qi Wang that they let their guard down, allowing themselves to be knocked away so easily. Now, realizing their mistake, they were furious and unwilling to let it go.

However, when the three saw Ye Chen's face, their expressions changed instantly. "Huanggu Shengti."

Ye Chen didn't say a word and immediately attacked. He took a step that bridged vast distances in an instant, closing in on them. With one palm strike, he split one Quasi-Sage in half, then followed up with a punch that blasted the second Quasi-Sage into a mist of blood.

The Sage from Taiqing Gong turned pale and fled before Ye Chen could reach him, well aware of the Huanggu Shengti's overwhelming power. Even nine Sages had been wiped out by it, so he stood no chance.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen pursued in a single step, extending a golden hand through the air. Runes swirled in his palm, fused with chaotic dao principles, making it as heavy as a mountain. Before it even landed fully, half the sky had already collapsed.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the fleeing Sage from Taiqing Gong plummeted, his body crushed into a bloody pulp. His yuan shen tried to escape, but it was swallowed whole by Xiao Ling Wa, who had rushed over.

The battle was over as quickly as it had started, lasting no more than three breaths. One Sage and two Quasi-Sages from Taiqing Gong had met their end on the Yellow Springs, dying in frustration. Of all the people to encounter, it had to be the Shengti.

Witnessing Ye Chen's ferocity, Qi Wang grinned. These days in Donghuang, he had heard all about Ye Chen's exploits in the Xuanhuang Star Sea—deeds so audacious that only Ye Chen could pull them off.

Ye Chen ignored Qi Wang's smug expression and casually snatched the storage bell from around his neck.

"You old hag!" Qi Wang protested, leaping up to lunge at him. "You're straight-up robbing me!"

"Go play somewhere else." Xiao Ling Wa stepped forward and shoved Qi Wang aside with one hand. "Don't cause trouble for me. My temper isn't the best."

"Hey, I've got a short fuse too!" Qi Wang cursed loudly, howling as he charged again.

Xiao Ling Wa said nothing more and swung a delicate palm, striking Qi Wang squarely. The poor donkey dropped to his knees on the spot, utterly stunned despite his ambition and drive.

After dealing with Qi Wang, Xiao Ling Wa smugly smoothed his hair before turning to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen had already pulled an immortal herb from Qi Wang's storage bell. This herb was extraordinary, radiating divine light with dazzling immortal essence swirling around it, and it possessed innate spirituality.

Beyond that, the herb manifested a vision: a phoenix that appeared and disappeared, accompanied by faint phoenix cries. Though it was just an immortal herb, it was undergoing its own nirvana.

"Linglong Phoenix," Ye Chen murmured, stroking his chin as he examined it. "It's a level above the Dragon Grass that Ziyan reincarnated from. No wonder that cheap donkey risked his life to steal it."

"What I'm curious about is whose reincarnation it is." Xiao Ling Wa stared with wide, round eyes.

"Dan Zhi Xuan Nu." Ye Chen smiled slightly, and mentioning her name made his heart ache inexplicably. Xuan Nu's innate dan spirit was still within his body. Back then, she and Luo Xi had sacrificed themselves, allowing Dan City to refine the Tian Ji Dan, which helped his Shengti reach completion and slay the Tianmo Emperor.

"Thankfully we ran into it just in time, or Xuan Nu really would have been lost." Xiao Ling Wa sighed. "If that cheap donkey had taken it back, it probably would have been devoured. That would be a real mess."

"I never expected Taiqing Gong to have a Linglong Phoenix." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen spoke up, pondering slowly. "For that donkey to steal such a treasure shows his vast abilities."

"At least it turned out fine." Ye Chen chuckled, deciding not to help Xuan Nu transform into human form right away. Instead, he stored her in his Danhai, nourishing her with his Shengti essence until the time was right for her to take shape.

With Xuan Nu secured, the three set off again, dragging the dazed Qi Wang along with them.

As for the treasures in Qi Wang's storage bell, Ye Chen didn't touch any of them and even added a strand of his own Shengti blood. After all, the Linglong Phoenix was incredibly valuable, so leaving something in return was only fair.

The rest of the journey was peaceful. Dongtian Ancient City wasn't too far, and the three sped along until nightfall, when a massive ancient city came into view.

Qi Wang woke up, his donkey face darkened as he glared at Ye Chen and Xiao Ling Wa. Furious about the missing Linglong Phoenix from his storage bell, he howled and threatened to fight them to the death.

But when he noticed the strand of Shengti blood inside, he quickly calmed down and reclaimed his bell. Compared to the Shengti blood, the Linglong Phoenix was slightly less valuable, and that blood was the real prize.

"Does Taiqing Gong have more treasures? Want to hit them again?" Qi Wang grinned, now in a better mood.

"Do I look that idle?" Ye Chen glanced at him and headed straight for Dongtian Ancient City.

"If he's not going, I am." Xiao Ling Wa draped an arm over Qi Wang's donkey neck, smiling oddly. "When we have time, let's go for a stroll. I'm an expert at stealing."

"If you put it that way, I think we should head to Yuling Star first."

"Why go to Yuling Star?"

"Yuling Star has dragon eggs. We could steal one and stew it." Qi Wang looked eager.

As soon as he said that, Hao Tian Xuan Zhen and Ye Chen, walking ahead, turned back instinctively. They first glanced at Xiao Ling Wa, then pitied Qi Wang.

Soon enough, Xiao Ling Wa rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck menacingly.

Screams echoed through the quiet night. Mid-conversation, Qi Wang was smacked silly by Xiao Ling Wa.

"You want to stew me? Eat dirt, you idiot!"

And so, Qi Wang, who had just woken up, happily drifted back into dreamland. Xiao Ling Wa stuffed him into a self-contained spatial artifact and had no plans to let him out anytime soon.

By the time they finished talking, the three had arrived at Dongtian Ancient City.

Like the previous ancient cities, Dongtian Ancient City had notices plastered on its walls—wanted posters.

These were issued by Taiqing Gong, and there were two of them. One featured Ye Chen's portrait, and the other, needless to say, was for Qi Wang. After all, stealing the Linglong Phoenix was no small matter, and the bounty wasn't any less than Ye Chen's.

The night in Dongtian Ancient City was still bustling, with crowds thronging the streets in a lively scene.

Once inside the city, Ye Chen activated his Zhou Tian Evolution technique, and sure enough, the reincarnated Mo Yuan was there—in this very city, the only one from Great Chu.

Without hesitation, he headed straight in that direction, weaving through the crowds.

It's worth noting that Dongtian Ancient City was full of hidden auras, with plenty of Taiqing Gong experts lurking in the shadows, clearly waiting to ambush Ye Chen.

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh. Without Zhou Tian Evolution, he'd have been swarmed the moment he entered.

Before long, the three arrived at a quiet corner of Dongtian Ancient City, in a secluded garden.

The garden was simply arranged, with no luxuries—just an elderly man sitting cross-legged under an old tree in meditation. His cultivation was modest, only at the Kongming Realm, and he was the reincarnated Mo Yuan Shen Jiang.

"He was clearly a Quasi-Sage before," Hao Tian Xuan Zhen said, puzzled as he looked at the reincarnated Mo Yuan.

"He's injured." Ye Chen saw it at a glance. There was a strange scar on Mo Yuan's yuan shen, not from dao wounds but inflicted by a powerful foe, turning into a chronic affliction over time.

"I know you can fix it." Xiao Ling Wa popped a yuan stone into his mouth. "This won't stump you."

"It's hard to say." Ye Chen flicked a beam of immortal light toward Mo Yuan. As soon as Mo Yuan opened his eyes, the light entered his forehead and headed straight for his shen hai.

Painful roars soon filled the garden. To avoid trouble, Ye Chen set up a barrier to keep Mo Yuan's cries from alerting the Taiqing Gong experts in the city.

Xiao Ling Wa found a comfortable spot, leisurely drinking while crunching on yuan stones.

Hao Tian Xuan Zhen stood quietly in place, while Ye Chen stepped forward, activating his Xian Eyes to focus on Mo Yuan's yuan shen. That scar was incredibly domineering, which was why it had caused Mo Yuan's cultivation to drop.

By midnight, Mo Yuan stopped roaring and stared at Ye Chen and the others in a daze, thinking he had entered a dream. But the dream felt so real, with memories of his past life flooding back, entangled with old events.

What followed was deeply emotional, even bringing tears to Mo Yuan's eyes despite his strong will.

Two hundred years of past and present lives had blurred his aged eyes and faded his memories. As the former first Shen Jiang under the Tai Wang, he was even older than the passage of time itself.

He was full of emotion, having once followed the Tai Wang in conquering the world. Now, a hero in his twilight, he had fought against the Tianmo invasion, giving his life for the lands he once protected. After two hundred years and another cycle of reincarnation, those glorious days had turned to dust.

"Ye Chen, you haven't disappointed Great Chu." Mo Yuan took a swig of wine and smiled contentedly. "You're more brilliant than the Tai Wang, having written an immortal legend of slaying a great emperor."

"You're too kind, senior." Ye Chen smiled. "The Tai Wang is still alive and should be in Great Chu right now."

"The Tai Wang is still alive?" Mo Yuan was stunned.

"Not just him—all the nine emperors of Great Chu's history are alive." Ye Chen chuckled. "Back then, the emperors of Great Chu didn't truly perish; they came to the Zhutian Wandu. For a long time, they were in self-seal. It was only when they sought help from the Zhutian Wandu that they unsealed themselves. Though the Zhutian Sword God and many great masters from the Zhutian Wandu went to find Great Chu, they're likely on their way back now."

"There's such a thing." Mo Yuan was deeply moved, tears streaming down his face. Even after reincarnation and two hundred years, he hadn't forgotten his old lord, the Tai Wang.

"If the Tai Wang sees you, he'd be overjoyed."

"I can't wait."

"I think fixing your injury first is the most reliable plan." Xiao Ling Wa broke the emotional moment with his words.

"Speaking of your wound, senior, it's quite mysterious." Ye Chen refocused on the scar on Mo Yuan's yuan shen. This kind of injury was new to him and even trickier than dao wounds.

"Was it Taiqing Gong that hurt you, senior?" Hao Tian Xuan Zhen asked, eyeing Mo Yuan tentatively.

"It was Wulei City." Mo Yuan laughed and shook his head.