Chapter 1402: Imperial Might

"Daring to enter the forbidden zone, indeed a madman." Ye Chen lowered his eyes and murmured softly, a cryptic light flashing in his gaze. The madman that Qi Wang mentioned—wasn't it Liu Dao? Chi Yang Zi had once said that the five great Jin Qu of Xuan Huang had all been conquered by him alone, including this one.

"I say, we... we should leave!" As Ye Chen muttered, Qi Wang instinctively stepped back, his expression filled with terror as he stared at Lian Yu, his face turning deathly pale.

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen suddenly looked up toward the sea of fire in Lian Yu, his expression changing drastically.

The once calm Lian Yu was now in turmoil. The sea of fire churned wildly, like monstrous waves threatening to engulf the entire world. The surrounding space, already distorted, shattered inch by inch under the force of the fiery surges.

Ye Chen also instinctively retreated a step, his face instantly turning ashen. Though still far away, his soul trembled. That vast sea of fire carried an Di Wei that made the heavens and earth quake, as if an ancient primordial demon god, sealed for eons, was awakening to obliterate the vast cosmos.

The heavens shook as a dark halo spread outward from Lian Yu, centered on it. Everywhere it passed, space collapsed in vast swaths, severing the very fabric of this realm.

Go! As he retreated, Ye Chen suddenly turned and fled, using a step that shrank the ground beneath him to escape far away. Qi Wang wasn't idle either; the moment Ye Chen turned, he had already bolted off at top speed.

No sooner had they left than the mountain peak where they had stood was pulverized into dust by the dark halo. Everything in the world seemed fragile under its power.

Seeing this, Ye Chen didn't hesitate and directly activated the Heavenly Dao, pulling Qi Wang into a black hole with him. The dark halo was too overwhelming—if they were caught in it, they would be instantly erased into nothingness.

The dark halo didn't stop even after they vanished; it continued to spread endlessly, like an invisible hand wiping out the heavens and earth. A passing Zhun Di was reduced to ashes on the spot.

Inside the black hole, Ye Chen and Qi Wang steadied themselves. Qi Wang plopped down on the ground, sweating profusely and gasping for breath, his face completely drained of color.

Compared to him, Ye Chen was much calmer, though his brows were furrowed tightly. "I couldn't be wrong—that was definitely the pressure of a Da Di. Is there a Da Di in Lian Yu?"

"What's going on? What's with this madness?" Qi Wang chugged a pot of wine, cursing and complaining nonstop. But as he ranted, something seemed to click, and he looked around the pitch-black world in shock. "What... what is this place? Why is it so dark?"

Ye Chen ignored him, lost in deep thought. He had fought a Da Di before and was extremely sensitive to Di Wei. He was certain the pressure emanating from Lian Yu came from a true Da Di, not the kind emitted by an ultimate Da Di weapon. True Di Wei was something no imperial artifact could replicate.

The fact that this Di Wei came from a real Da Di was terrifying. Did Xuan Huang Continent have a living Da Di? This would be a shocking secret—if it got out, the cultivation world would be in an uproar.

"That doesn't make sense!" Ye Chen squatted down, scratching his head in confusion. "Could it be Di Zun? Did he never leave Zhu Tian Wan Yu and is instead slumbering in Lian Yu?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Qi Wang edged closer, clutching Ye Chen's arm tightly as he fearfully scanned the surrounding darkness. This place was pitch-black and utterly unnerving.

"Do you know about Xian Wu Di Zun?" Ye Chen asked, glancing at Qi Wang tentatively.

"Of course." Qi Wang shot him a sidelong look. "No one in Zhu Tian Wan Yu doesn't know him!"

"Then what?"

"What do you mean, what?" Qi Wang blinked in confusion. "Xian Wu Di Zun passed away nine thousand years ago."

"Are you sure Di Zun has passed away?" Ye Chen's words carried a profound undertone.

"Don't scare me." Qi Wang gripped his arm even tighter. "Di Zun lived for ninety thousand years and died of old age. Everyone in Zhu Tian Wan Yu knows that—it's passed down in my family."

"Then is it possible that Di Zun didn't die but chose to seal himself away?" Ye Chen faced Qi Wang directly. "Or that he sealed himself to survive into this era?"

"No way." Qi Wang waved his hand dismissively, his tone firm. "A Da Di is a transcendent being; no seal in this world can hold one, not even self-sealing."

"That's strange, then." Ye Chen stroked his chin. "If it's not Di Zun, could it be another Da Di? That doesn't add up either. Xian Wu Di Zun has only been gone for nine thousand years—it's impossible for someone in Zhu Tian Wan Yu to have become a Da Di without the world knowing about it."

"What is this place? At least give me an answer!" Qi Wang nudged Ye Chen.

"A spatial black hole." Ye Chen replied casually before diving back into his thoughts.

"Space... black hole?" Qi Wang shuddered all over, reacting just as anyone would on their first entry—shock, fear, curiosity, and dread of the unknown.

He fell silent after that, constantly summoning luminous spirit pearls for light while clinging to Ye Chen's arm. Though he wanted to leave, thinking of the terrifying scene outside made him think twice. Compared to out there, this place was dark and chaotic, but at least it posed no immediate threat to their lives.

The spatial black hole fell into a dead silence. Ye Chen pondered for a long time but only ended up more confused, his head spinning. In the end, he gave up on the train of thought.

He stood up, stuffed Qi Wang into the Chaos Cauldron, and sped off in one direction, aiming to escape the black hole far from Lian Yu and find a safe exit.

But the journey was far from peaceful. The black hole remained as perilous as ever. He hadn't gone far before encountering a horrifying entity—a blood-drenched arm radiating an aura of annihilation. He dodged it just in time; otherwise, he would have been crushed by its killing intent.

After circling wide around the bloody arm, he continued onward, staying vigilant for dangers on all sides.

Outside, a massive upheaval was unfolding. Lian Yu was in chaos, with Di Wei spreading in all directions.

Various major forces sent people to investigate, but they found no clues. By the time they arrived, Lian Yu had returned to calm. Still, the Di Wei had claimed many victims, turning them to ash.

That night, those who had gone to check retreated one by one. After flying for a long time, they landed in the ancient city closest to Lian Yu, planning to use its teleportation array to report back.

This was an ancient city, grand and imposing. At night, it bustled with activity, adorned with red lanterns everywhere, adding a vibrant glow to the scene.

At the city's center stood a mansion, festooned with lights and red silk, for a joyous occasion was underway—the family's divine heir was getting married, with an extravagantly grand setup.

It was late at night, and in the bridal chamber, red candles flickered, casting a romantic ambiance over the room.

The bride sat quietly by the bed, veiled in red, but a breeze blew the veil away, revealing her stunning face—beautiful enough to topple nations.

However, upon closer inspection, her eyes were cold and indifferent, not the expression one would expect from a bride. It was as if she were marrying not a loved one, but a sworn enemy.

She was indeed the bride, but her will was suppressed, bound by over a dozen seals that locked her powers, true essence, and even her ability to move.

This beautiful bride looked vaguely familiar. Upon a second glance, she was strikingly so—at least, if Ye Chen were here, he would recognize her as a very familiar reincarnated soul.

With a creak, the door opened, and a purple-haired young man in red entered. His first impression was one of eerie allure, his playful smile laced with wickedness.

"So eager, are you? You even removed the veil yourself." The purple-haired youth smirked, stripping off his groom's attire as he approached slowly. He lifted her chin, admiring her peerless beauty with interest. "You can never escape my grasp."

"I've agreed to this, so don't go back on your word. Leave my family and clan alone." The bride spoke softly, her tone icy and emotionless, her eyes devoid of any warmth.

"If you'd known it would come to this, why didn't you think ahead?" The purple-haired youth bared his teeth in a grin and burst into wild laughter. But his laughter abruptly stopped as he shoved her onto the bed and pounced like a wolf, tearing at her wedding gown.

The bride closed her eyes gently, tears glistening at the corners, tracing down her sorrowful cheeks.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in the bridal chamber, stumbling and falling to the ground with a thud. The impact was so heavy it made the room shake.

It was Ye Chen. He had emerged from the black hole, disheveled and battered after encountering another fearsome entity. He had intended to fly farther but was forced to exit midway.