Chapter 1373: Another One

The gambling house was a vast realm, its environment beautifully arranged, yet it was still filled with smoke and foul air.

Ye Chen glanced around, sighed, and headed straight for a nearby gambling table.

This was a familiar place for Ye Chen; whenever he was short on money, he would visit a gambling house, play some games, and often get invited by the owner for tea. By the time he left, his pouch would be full.

When Ye Chen arrived, the table was in full swing, with gamblers yelling excitedly. Some bet on big, others on small, all red-faced and heated.

Sure enough, once the dice cup was lifted, a wave of curses erupted. Those who won grinned from ear to ear, while those who lost started swearing. It was only the gambling house's restrictions against private fights that kept things from escalating.

Ye Chen ignored the other gamblers and focused on one side, where Gui Wang, Yao Wang, and Xue Wang were.

These three looked just as they did in his previous life, all at the Zhun Sheng level with no special bloodlines. Their eyes were bloodshot, suggesting they'd lost a lot and were on the verge of starting a fight.

Huh?

As he watched, Ye Chen let out a soft sound of surprise. His gaze shifted from Yao Wang and the others to the plump man beside them—or more precisely, to the small cauldron in the plump man's hand.

Instantly, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. He already had three of these small cauldrons, identical to the one the plump man held. They were all items from the Mo Yuan, each containing the essence blood of the demon race.

Back then, Jiang Tai Xu had mentioned that these cauldrons originated from the Mo Yuan, though he didn't know the exact number. He only knew they had a significant background, related to the demon race, and were likely not simple.

Without hesitation, Ye Chen circled around and pulled the plump man holding the small cauldron out of the game.

"You have a problem!"

The plump man was dragged out abruptly and was clearly annoyed. Like Yao Wang and the others, his eyes were bloodshot, probably from losing a lot of money.

"Dao friend, that small cauldron of yours is nice. Want to sell it?"

"Cauldron?" The plump man was stunned, not expecting Ye Chen to pull him out for this. It might be the only thing he had left besides his clothes; he'd already lost all his magical tools, source stones, and pills.

"Hey, I'm talking to you. Sell it or not?"

"This is my family heirloom." The plump man rolled his eyes and blew on the small cauldron, then wiped it with his sleeve.

"The price is negotiable."

"This really is a family heirloom."

Ye Chen didn't respond, just watched the plump man with interest, knowing exactly what he was planning. It was no heirloom; he just wanted to drive up the price.

"One thousand source stones." Ye Chen pulled out a storage bag.

"It's not about the money."

"Two thousand." Ye Chen pulled out another storage bag.

"I'm not the type to be swayed by money."

"Plus another thousand."

"Here, the cauldron's yours." The plump man was straightforward, handing over the small cauldron and grabbing Ye Chen's storage bags before darting away, as if afraid Ye Chen would change his mind.

"He runs fast." Ye Chen chuckled, examining the small cauldron. "With this one, I have five small cauldrons now. What secrets are hidden in the Mo Yuan's cauldrons?"

"You piece of crap! Big again." While Ye Chen was inspecting the cauldron, more curses erupted from the table, especially from Yao Wang and the others, who were yelling the loudest after losing everything.

Hearing this, Ye Chen put away the cauldron, shook his head with a smile, and prepared to pull Yao Wang and the others away.

But before he could, someone shoved him from behind.

Once he steadied himself, Ye Chen saw it was a purple-robed elder, a true Sheng Ren. His robe was embroidered with totems of the yin moon and scorching sun.

The elder was aggressive and clearly targeting the gamblers at the table—more specifically, Yao Wang, Xue Wang, and Gui Wang.

"Ri Yue Shen Jiao." The gamblers at the table all changed expressions, recognizing the elder's robe and the aura of a Sheng Ren, which made their hearts tremble.

"You three, quite the mood for this!" The purple-robed elder sneered mockingly, eyeing Yao Wang and the others with a sinister grin, his old eyes flickering with menace.

"Your nose is sharp!" Yao Wang cracked his neck. "You actually found us."

"Since I've found you, then..." The elder's smile turned playful, but before he could finish, a sudden palm struck him aside.

The sudden move stunned everyone present, and their gazes collectively turned to Ye Chen, as he was the one who had struck.

"You popped out of nowhere, ruining my good time by shoving me aside." Ye Chen spat out his words with flying saliva, leaving the onlookers stunned and muttering to themselves about where he had come from. A Sheng Ren getting pushed away like that?

"You're asking for death." The purple-robed elder roared in fury, immortal light swirling at his brow as he prepared to summon his Sheng Bing.

"I hate this temper of mine." Ye Chen immediately struck back with a powerful palm strike. The elder's Sheng Bing hadn't even left his sea of consciousness before it was sent flying back.

On the spot, the elder collapsed to his knees, suffering from severe backlash, coughing up blood. Before he could stop, Ye Chen kicked him flying out of the gambling house.

Whoa!

Everyone in the gambling house looked up, their eyes following the elder's trajectory. What else could you expect from a Sheng Ren? Even his landing was impressively dramatic.

For a moment, the gambling house fell silent. Many people opened their mouths in shock, unable to process how a Sheng Ren had been defeated in one move by a Zhun Sheng. The sight was truly satisfying.

In an instant, everyone's eyes on Ye Chen changed, as if he were some kind of monster.

"You all keep going, win big." While everyone was still stunned, Ye Chen dusted off his hands and turned to leave, stuffing the dazed Yao Wang and the others into his Hun Chao Ding.

"What a godlike figure!" As they watched Ye Chen leave, murmurs of admiration filled the air.

"This world never lacks freaks."

"Compared to Yao Chi, he's still a bit short."

"Come on, let's continue." Some had already turned back, eagerly pulling out their storage bags.

After this brief interruption, the gambling house livened up again, with shouts echoing everywhere.

Ye Chen had already stepped onto the main street, wandering aimlessly. Along the way, he glanced at a nearby spot—it was a tavern, now in ruins, surrounded by people.

Soon, a figure crawled out of the rubble: the purple-robed elder. He'd been sent flying by Ye Chen's palm and had crashed into the tavern, bringing it down.

"You just wait for me." The elder shouted angrily, spotting Ye Chen in the crowd before staggering into the sky and fleeing in embarrassment.

"Only a fool would wait." Ye Chen muttered, heading straight for the teleportation array in the city center. He wasn't about to stick around for a group beating. He'd heard of the Ri Yue Shen Jiao; it was a massive force.

As for Yao Wang and the others, they were confused inside the Hun Chao Ding, unsure who Ye Chen was or why he'd saved them only to lock them up.

Ye Chen ignored them and flicked three strands of immortal light into the Hun Chao Ding, each entering the foreheads of the three men.

Low roars immediately sounded as the three clutched their heads, their faces twisted in pain.

Ye Chen glanced at them briefly before vanishing into the crowd, reappearing at the city center.

"Where to?" The elder guarding the teleportation array glanced at Ye Chen.

"Shuang Tian Gu Cheng." Ye Chen replied, handing over a storage bag. Shuang Tian Gu Cheng was his next stop, the closest ancient city, though still nearly a million li away.

The elder said nothing, took the storage bag, and activated the array. The teleportation array began to spin.

Hmm?

In the moment before vanishing, Ye Chen suddenly turned his head toward the northern city gate.

There, a figure was entering, with disheveled hair and tattered clothes, a dull expression, and empty eyes. He looked like a person, but more like a puppet or a walking corpse, devoid of emotion.

"Liu Dao." Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, but a moment later, his pupils contracted sharply. "Not Liu Dao, it's Hong Chen."