Chapter 1371: Meeting the Goddess of Luo

As soon as these words were spoken, Ye Chen, who had been squatting in the corner, suddenly raised his head. He was stunned for a moment before hurriedly approaching Tian Zang Huang and staring at the scroll in his hand.

The scroll depicted a portrait of a person, painted with meticulous care, making it incredibly lifelike. Even as a painting, it exuded an emperor's aura, with eyes that seemed to encompass the heavens and the earth.

It was the portrait of Xian Wu Di Zun, created by Jian Shen, and it bore an uncanny resemblance to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen stared in a daze, his mind reeling. Looking at the emperor's portrait was like looking at himself—their facial features and outlines were identical, the only difference being their demeanor.

Dong Huang Tai Xin recounted past events, "Back when I first saw Ye Chen at Zhengyang Zong, I was quite surprised. However, I didn't think much of it at the time, as there are many people in the world who resemble each other. Now, it seems there's more to it—perhaps it's not just a coincidence."

Chu Huang mused, "Carrying Xian Wu Di Zun's Jiu Wu Xian Yan is the best proof of that."

An old Quasi-Emperor stroked his beard, "Xian Wu Di Zun left in a hurry back then, and Jiu Wu Xian Yan might be the only thing he left behind. As for that ancient primordial era, what kind of existence was it?"

Another old Quasi-Emperor said, "If we could find Fu Xi, we might be able to deduce some answers. The trouble is, he entered the world for his tribulation and left no trace, as if he vanished into thin air."

"Everything will have to be settled once we return to the various heavens and myriad domains. All signs point to Ye Chen, so it must be far from simple." Yan Huang said thoughtfully, "I truly want to see this 99th generation holy lord of my Yan Huang lineage. He slew a great emperor—what shocking secrets could he be hiding?"

After Yan Huang spoke, silence fell. Some stroked their beards, others rubbed their chins, their eyes flickering with an inscrutable light full of unspoken meaning.

Ye Chen remained quietly standing behind Tian Zang Huang, staring blankly at the emperor's portrait, his mind a muddled mess, his thoughts tangled in knots.

Today had not been a wasted trip. If not for Tian Zang Huang's revelation, he wouldn't have known about his deep connection to Xian Wu Di Zun. If he shared this story, he could boast about it for eight hundred years without stopping.

The Quasi-Emperors had already risen and left the bamboo grove, and Ye Chen hastily followed—more precisely, he followed Xuan Chen, and very deliberately imprinted Xuan Chen's image onto a memory crystal.

Since he was dreaming of returning to his old homeland of Da Chu, he wanted to gather something useful. For instance, images of the ancestor Xuan Chen—if he brought them back for Yan Fei to see, she would surely be grateful and moved to tears, perhaps even earning him some merit.

Xuan Chen flew out of Tian Xuan Gate, heading straight north, with Ye Chen following closely like a shadow.

In this way, the two arrived one after the other at a secluded valley, like a hidden paradise.

Ye Chen stopped and recognized the place. He had been here before during his time in Da Chu—it was Luo Shen Yuan, the place where Yan Fei had passed away, and Xuan Chen had once appeared in a dream to ask him to come and pay respects.

It was all ancient history now, and recalling it filled him with emotion. The seas had turned into fields, and time had slipped away.

While he was lost in thought, Xuan Chen had already sat quietly in front of the bamboo house, pulling out a wine flask and drinking alone.

Returning to his homeland, the once mighty Chen Huang now seemed like a weary old man, carrying the weight of the world, guarding this place alone and reminiscing about the ancient days. Luo Shen Yuan was still Luo Shen Yuan, but things had changed—people had come and gone. Xuan Chen was still the same Xuan Chen, but Yan Fei was missing.

Ye Chen sighed and sat down beside Xuan Chen. He desperately wanted to tell him that his Yan Fei was still alive, but it was just a dream, and he couldn't connect to reality. All he could do was keep imprinting the scenes.

After some time, he finally stood up, bowed to Xuan Chen, and slowly withdrew from Luo Shen Yuan.

However, as soon as he left the valley, he spotted a familiar figure—an ethereal consciousness form, drifting in like a dreamlike beauty. Upon closer inspection, it was Ruotian Zhuque.

Ye Chen was stunned, and Ruotian Zhuque was stunned too.

Their gazes met for a brief instant, and the dream shattered instantly, with both waking up one after the other.

Just like in the past at Youdu, as soon as Ye Chen opened his eyes, he saw Ruotian Zhuque appear like a ghost right in front of him. Her watery eyes stared intently at Ye Chen, her expression indescribable.

Ye Chen felt uncomfortable under her gaze and was quite surprised in his heart. He hadn't expected to encounter Ruotian Zhuque in the dream as well, and before he could say a word, they had both returned to reality.

Without explanation, he took out the memory crystal from his pocket and handed it to Yan Fei.

Ruotian Zhuque accepted it, her body trembling slightly, her beautiful eyes misty with tears. She didn't need to ask; she knew whose image was imprinted in the memory crystal. She only regretted arriving too late, not even entering Luo Shen Yuan before being pulled out of the dream with Ye Chen.

A gentle breeze blew, and she silently turned away, finding a quiet spot to watch Xuan Chen's image.

Ye Chen scratched his head and decided not to disturb her. He looked around but couldn't find Chi Yang Zi anywhere. Scanning the vast Phoenix Immortal Valley, he couldn't spot even a trace of him.

This made him want to curse in frustration. He had planned to take Chi Yang Zi along to find the reincarnated person, just like with Jian Shen's Dao body, to use a Quasi-Emperor's power and save some trouble. But who would have thought that upon waking, Chi Yang Zi was gone without so much as a goodbye.

Just as he was fuming, Ruotian Zhuque in the distance stood up and walked toward the valley's exit without a word, tears still drying in the corners of her eyes. Her figure looked quite desolate.

Ye Chen shifted his feet but ultimately didn't follow—one reason was he didn't want to disturb Ruotian Zhuque, and the other was that he still had business here. Tai Xu had a chance of rebirth, so the Immortal Eye naturally needed to be returned.

However, he waited for a long time and didn't see the Phoenix appear. He didn't dare call out casually either, as Tai Xu's rebirth was a major event that couldn't be interrupted. He knew better than to meddle.

Left with no choice, he sat on the grass, hands propping up his chin, bored and waiting.

As dawn approached, he finally looked up and saw someone entering the valley from one side.

It was a woman in white, surrounded by immortal radiance, like a fairy descending from the nine heavens, untouched by the mortal world. Her cultivation wasn't extremely high—on par with his—but her bloodline was extraordinarily noble.

Strangely, the white-clad woman seemed to ignore the restrictions of Phoenix Immortal Valley. Wherever she passed, the barriers retreated on their own, not only avoiding harm but even protecting her—it was truly mysterious.

In no time, the white-clad woman entered and immediately noticed Ye Chen. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, her expression full of confusion, as if wondering why there was an outsider in Phoenix Immortal Valley.

Ye Chen sized her up and thought, "From what I can tell, she must be a junior of the Phoenix Clan." He could see through her bloodline at a glance—it carried Phoenix blood, though not as pure as the true Phoenix bloodline.

"Who are you?" the white-clad woman demanded coldly. She seemed spoiled and accustomed to authority, her tone quite arrogant. Even the Phoenix phenomena manifested around her, as if to announce her Phoenix Clan heritage.

"You can just call me Ye Chen." Ye Chen replied casually before lowering his head again. He had thought about chatting, but seeing her arrogance, he wasn't about to give her a friendly face.

"Why are you in Phoenix Immortal Valley?"

"I'm waiting for Senior Phoenix to handle a small matter." Ye Chen answered offhandedly.

"You're lying. Phoenix Immortal Valley never allows male cultivators to enter." The white-clad woman pressed closer.

"Nonsense. The old man Chi Yang just left, and he's a man too."

"You—"

"Xian Er, do not be rude." The white-clad woman's words were cut off by a distant, ethereal female voice. The Phoenix appeared, stepping out like a divine immortal from a dream, pure and flawless.

"Feng Xian pays respects to the ancestor." The white-clad woman, Feng Xian, hurriedly bowed, her sharp demeanor vanishing in an instant.

"Ye Chen pays respects to the senior." Ye Chen also stepped forward and bowed. He had waited so long for this moment.

"No need for formalities." The Phoenix smiled faintly and waved her hand, sending a stream of immortal radiance into his sea of consciousness. It transformed into a Phoenix, infused with Phoenix Dao principles, forming an invisible barrier.

"Is that the Phoenix Immortal Guard?" Feng Xian thought to herself in shock, recognizing the technique. It was the supreme immortal art of the Phoenix Clan, an honor even she hadn't received, yet it was given to an outsider. How could she not feel resentful?

"Thank you, senior." Unlike Feng Xian, Ye Chen was overjoyed. He could sense the technique's power—it would protect his true self in the sea of consciousness. A gift from a Quasi-Emperor was no small matter.

"Go now!" The Phoenix said with a gentle smile, "I hope that when we meet again, you will have become a great powerhouse."

"That might take a while." Ye Chen chuckled and immediately extracted the Immortal Eye's origin. "Returning it to its owner."

"The Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eye?" Feng Xian exclaimed again upon seeing the Immortal Eye's origin in Ye Chen's hand. She hadn't realized he possessed such a heaven-defying eye from the Immortal Clan—it was hard to believe.

"We'll speak of it another time." The Phoenix glanced at the Immortal Eye's origin and smiled warmly, but instead of taking it, she gently waved her hand, sending it back into Ye Chen's left eye.

"This doesn't feel right!" Ye Chen coughed awkwardly. He had been waiting here precisely to return the Immortal Eye, but the Phoenix wouldn't accept it. Her generosity surprised him—it was a heaven-defying eye, after all.

"It will protect your path," the Phoenix said with another smile, "just as you have protected it all along."

"Thank you, senior." Ye Chen grinned and bowed again before turning and dashing away faster than a rabbit, afraid the Phoenix might change her mind and take the Immortal Wheel Eye back.

"Ancestor, who exactly is he, and why does he have the Immortal Clan's Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eye?" Feng Xian glanced at Ye Chen's retreating figure and asked the Phoenix with great curiosity. Unable to contain her dissatisfaction, she added, "And for that, you even gave him the Phoenix Immortal Guard."

"He's a very interesting young fellow." The Phoenix replied with a light smile and slowly sat down, looking at Feng Xian. "Why have you come this time? Is there trouble in the Phoenix Clan?"

"Not at all. It's about the Yao Chi gathering." Feng Xian quickly produced an invitation and presented it. "The Yao Chi immortal mother personally invited you and sent this invitation."

"I understand. You may go back now." The Phoenix took the invitation and vanished like a wisp of mist.

"Feng Xian bids farewell." Feng Xian bowed toward the direction where the Phoenix had disappeared, then abruptly turned and flew out of Phoenix Immortal Valley, chasing in the direction Ye Chen had gone.

"A mere Quasi-Saint like you—what virtue do you have to possess the ancestor's Phoenix Immortal Guard?" Feng Xian sneered, locking onto Ye Chen from afar and speeding after him on a brilliant immortal rainbow.