Chapter 1363: Old Acquaintances

It was a deep night once again. Ye Chen, covered in the dust of his travels, landed on a mountain range. At the foot of the deepest peak, he plucked a purple immortal herb, which was a reincarnated person from Da Chu.

Ye Chen did not immediately transform it into human form. Instead, he sealed it into his dantian sea. Just like Linglong Phoenix of Xuan Nu, this immortal herb needed its own metamorphosis, which was simply a matter of time.

He embarked on his journey again, the road ahead vast and boundless. His figure was solitary as he traversed great rivers and mountains, crossing expansive wilderness, never pausing, like a hurried traveler.

In this manner, day and night alternated, the sun and moon cycled, and time quietly passed for three months.

Over these three months, his harvest had been quite fruitful; he had found nearly ten thousand reincarnated people from Da Chu. However, not a single one remained by his side—they were all sent out to continue searching for more.

Only after traveling this far did he truly realize the vastness of Dong Huang—it was simply endless, just as Xiao Ling Wa had said. If one were to head toward Zhong Zhou from here, even ninety thousand years might not be enough.

In the fourth month, he finally landed in a massive ancient city, marking his first stop for rest in three months.

He had no desire to rest, but fate was unkind—heavenly tribulation struck again, more ferocious than before, tormenting him until his body was utterly battered, nearly leading to his death and the dissipation of his dao.

Fortunately, he endured it, undergoing another transformation and rebirth, gaining a stroke of fortune from the tribulation.

Unlike the previous time, this rebirth also benefited the Linglong Phoenix in his dantian sea. As Ye Chen was reborn, it carried Xuan Nu along in the process, showing signs of potentially taking human form right then.

The night sky was deep, with shattered stars like dust.

Ye Chen, who had been sitting in meditation, awoke and slowly stood up. He quietly gazed up at the stars. Two hundred years had passed, and he missed home. His memories, like his sacred body, were scarred and fragmented by the passage of time.

"Release me."

The silence of the night was broken by an angry shout. It came from the black-clothed saint of Taiqing Gong, who had awakened in his seal. Perhaps out of sheer boredom, he roared loudly.

"Senior, have you finally decided to teach me the secret technique?"

Ye Chen actually released him from the divine talisman, though he kept the seal intact. If the saint escaped, recapturing him would be difficult.

"I already passed you a wisp of intent. Why haven't you gone to kill Yin Zhong?" The black-clothed saint stared coldly at Ye Chen. "Or is the mighty Archaic Holy Body going back on its word?"

"Senior, you're wrongly accusing me." Ye Chen quickly protested. "When we made our agreement, we didn't set a deadline. Besides, Yin Zhong is a quasi-saint king— incredibly powerful and fierce. If I, a quasi-saint, charge in, I'd likely be destroyed. Just wait until I advance to saint level."

"Excuses, just excuses!" The black-clothed saint erupted in fury. "With your combat power, you can't defeat him?"

"Don't make it sound so easy." Ye Chen shrugged. "In a one-on-one fight, I'd have no fear. But Yin Zhong holds a revered position in Taiqing Gong—he's surrounded by experts. If I go alone, it's not one against one; it's one against many, like a legendary group brawl."

"You—" The black-clothed saint was at a loss for words, unable to retort.

"However, if Senior teaches me the full Shifting Heavens and Exchanging Earth secret technique, I might be able to gather some helpers." Ye Chen smiled. "Give it to me tonight, and I'll eliminate Yin Zhong tonight."

"I'm afraid the moment I teach it to you, I'd be on my way to the Yellow Springs the next." The black-clothed saint snorted coldly and wisely retreated back into the divine talisman. Afterward, a cold voice echoed, "I'll give you one year. If Yin Zhong is still alive after that, everything is off the table."

"Clearly an impatient type." Ye Chen didn't take it seriously. He wasn't in a hurry; the black-clothed saint was. Such deep-seated hatred would gradually raise his limits.

Hm?

As he was thinking, he suddenly spotted a dazzling immortal light streaking across the sky above the ancient city.

Upon closer inspection, the immortal glow was a woman, graceful and ethereal, untainted by dust, an absolute vision of elegance. She was at the saint level, with a powerful aura that made the void rumble as she flew.

Ruo Tian Zhuque?

Ye Chen paused. Even from a distance, he could clearly see the woman's stunning face. Wasn't she the ancestor of Zhuque Star, Xuan Chen's empress, Ruo Tian Zhuque, also known as Yan Fei?

Where do you think you're going?

As Ye Chen hesitated, a furious shout echoed through the void, like ancient thunder.

In the misty starlit sky above, three divine lights shot past: a black-robed elder, a white-robed elder, and a purple-robed elder. Their auras surpassed Ruo Tian Zhuque's—they were all quasi-saint kings, surging with overwhelming killing intent that shook the void as they pursued her at incredible speed.

Zhi Zun Cheng!

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. From the dao robes they wore, adorned with immortal city emblems, he recognized their affiliation. In this vast region of millions of li, only Zhi Zun Cheng's robes bore such markings.

Without hesitation, he took off, chasing after them. Even if he were out of his mind, he could see that Ruo Tian Zhuque was being hunted. She was strong, but as a mere saint, how could she compare to three quasi-saint kings?

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The peaceful night turned chaotic due to the pursuit by the three quasi-saint kings of Zhi Zun Cheng and Ruo Tian Zhuque's flight. Mountains collapsed one after another, and the void space flipped upside down.

This commotion stirred the world. Cultivators who had been resting emerged, staring in astonishment toward that direction. Though far away, they could still feel the quasi-saint king pressure.

"Did I see that right? Three quasi-saint kings?" Someone exclaimed in shock. "What is Zhi Zun Cheng doing? Who's powerful enough to warrant such a force? Could it be the Holy Body?"

"It's probably the Holy Body. Even if not, it's likely someone on the wanted list." An elder cultivator pondered. "Whoever it is, they won't escape the joint pursuit of three quasi-saint kings."

"Instead of guessing here, we should go take a look." Some had already taken to the skies, heading that way.

"I wonder if we can catch up." Once one person moved, a massive crowd followed from behind, and from all directions. Spectators never came in small numbers, like streams merging into a tidal wave that blanketed the heavens and earth.

"Hold on, no matter what." Amid the discussions, Ye Chen had crossed a great river, his eyes fixed on the three figures ahead. He concealed his aura but stayed ready for battle. Three quasi-saint kings—this would be a tough fight. He'd likely need to use the Heavenly Dao Escape, or he stood no chance.

Ahead lay another mountain range, stretching tens of thousands of li, with peaks soaring into the clouds.

Ruo Tian Zhuque transformed into a beam of immortal light and darted in.

Stay!

The purple-robed quasi-saint king from Zhi Zun Cheng arrived instantly, slamming down a palm that covered eight thousand zhang of the void.

Ruo Tian Zhuque whirled around, burning her blood essence. Her jade arm moved, and a divine ability flowed in her crystalline hand, a palm strike that seemed to seize heaven's creation, clashing directly with the quasi-saint king.

However, as a saint-level expert, how could she match a quasi-saint king? She was utterly defeated in one strike, spitting blood as she was sent flying through the void.

Boom!

With a tremendous rumble, the tallest peak collapsed, shattered by the purple-robed quasi-saint king's palm. The residual force also struck Ruo Tian Zhuque.

Staggering to her feet, Ruo Tian Zhuque tried to escape into the sky, but it was too late. The quasi-saint king's artifact had descended, suppressing the heavens and earth, forcing her to vomit blood as her body cracked open.

"Still putting up a fight like a cornered beast?" The black-robed and white-robed quasi-saint kings arrived one after another, deploying powerful artifacts to seal the surrounding void and prevent Ruo Tian Zhuque from fleeing again.

"Three seniors, aren't you going too far?" Ruo Tian Zhuque forcibly steadied her form, her watery eyes filled with icy frost as she coldly gazed at the misty stars.

"Hand over what Zhi Zun Cheng wants, and we'll let you go." The purple-robed quasi-saint king smirked sinisterly, his eyes full of mockery and a dark, lecherous gleam.

"I don't have it." Ruo Tian Zhuque replied coldly.

"Then I'll take it myself." The purple-robed quasi-saint king sneered and reached out with a massive hand, a strike that could destroy heaven and earth. Before it even landed, swathes of mountains crumbled.

"Xuan Chen, this time, we may be separated forever." Gazing at the descending hand, Ruo Tian Zhuque smiled sadly. She had wandered for a hundred years, surviving crisis after crisis, only to reach Xuan Huang Continent without finding her Xuan Chen.

"Farewell." She gently closed her eyes, tears glistening at the corners. Her expression was weary and poignant, carrying the weight of enduring years as she recalled that desolate, lonely figure.

Yet, in the instant before the hand struck, a golden fist shadow blasted in from the distant horizon, piercing through the void with unmatched power, terrifying in its might.

In an instant, the purple-robed quasi-saint king's hand shattered, and even he was forced back a step.

Who is it?

The three quasi-saint kings turned their heads, glaring toward the void, their killing intent surging.

Guess.

A faint voice rang out as a golden figure streaked through the sky and landed beside Ruo Tian Zhuque.

This person was, of course, Ye Chen, who had arrived just in time. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster—after all, she was Xuan Chen's empress. If she died, Xuan Chen would go mad.

"The Archaic Holy Body?" Spotting Ye Chen, the three quasi-saint kings narrowed their eyes. Though they hadn't clearly seen his face, they seemed to recognize his bloodline from his aura. Wasn't this the Archaic Holy Body that Taiqing Gong, Zhi Zun Cheng, and Piaomiao Gong were hunting?

"What a stroke of luck— we've searched everywhere and found you here without effort." The three burst into laughter. They had been pursuing him for so long without success, and now they encountered him by chance. It was a gift from heaven. The Archaic Holy Body was a treasure trove; capturing him would be a massive gain.

"The sacred body is mine."

"His sacred blood is mine."

"His primordial spirit is mine."

Before Ye Chen could speak, the three had already started dividing the spoils, their old eyes gleaming with fiery greed, mixed with bloodlust and avarice.