Chapter 1405: Suffering

"How could this be?" Ye Chen furrowed his brows deeply, well aware of what kind of power it was. In the previous instant, his Zhun Sheng realm had stirred, brushing against the barrier of the Sheng Ren realm.

"At just over two hundred years old, you've already touched the Sheng Ren bottleneck. Are you cheating or what?" Qi Wang noticed it too and dashed over, his eyes wide like those of a donkey staring at a monster as he looked at Ye Chen.

"You should quickly find a safe place to undergo the Tian Ren Wu Shui tribulation," Xu Nuoyan said with a smile. "The space black hole would be ideal—no disturbances, and the tribulation would only take about a month."

"I cannot undergo it," Ye Chen replied calmly, deploying a great divine ability to suppress that power.

"Such an opportunity is rare—why are you doing this?" Xu Nuoyan looked at Ye Chen in astonishment, and even Qi Wang was stunned, not expecting him to seal the power that would advance him to Sheng Ren.

"I have my own plans," Ye Chen said, taking a deep breath without further explanation.

He wasn't unwilling to advance to the Sheng Ren realm; he simply couldn't, at least not yet. Due to the backlash from Zhou Tian's evolution, once he became a Sheng Ren, his cultivation would gradually decline, and his lifespan would dwindle. He still had many unfinished tasks and absolutely could not take this step too soon.

Xu Nuoyan and Qi Wang were even more baffled. So many Zhun Sheng longed to become Sheng Ren but lacked the chance, and even numerous elderly Zhun Sheng spent their lives unable to cross that heavenly chasm. Yet here was Ye Chen, with the opportunity to advance to Sheng Ren, deliberately sealing it away.

Ye Chen said no more, remaining silent. Based on his calculations, he would need at least another two hundred years to reach the Sheng Ren realm, but today's events had caught him completely off guard.

He couldn't understand why this opportunity had come so quickly. Was it a gift from the heavens?

As he pondered, the Hun Dun Shen Ding, which had devoured the Jiu Yang Xian Tie, flew over and hovered before him, seemingly excited. The cauldron trembled violently, exuding a majestic, ancient, and natural aura.

After its hearty feast, it had become even more extraordinary. The Dun Jia Tian Zi rearranged themselves automatically, the Dao principles intertwined and evolved on their own, and the sounds of the Great Dao echoed. Occasionally, visions of the chaos at the beginning of the universe and vast worlds appeared, leaving Qi Wang and the others staring in amazement.

Gazing at the Hun Dun Shen Ding, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. "Could it be that the Hun Dun Shen Ding's evolution after devouring the Xian Tie has driven my cultivation, leading me to touch the Sheng Ren bottleneck?"

As he thought about it, he couldn't help but rub his brow, confirming his suspicion was correct.

The Hun Dun Shen Ding sought to advance to Sheng Wang level, but its master's cultivation was too low, limiting its own rank. Thus, its evolution was subtly forcing its master to advance.

At that moment, Ye Chen regretted letting the Hun Dun Shen Ding devour the Jiu Yang Xian Tie. This unexpected turn had disrupted his plans. He could suppress his cultivation from advancing, but he knew he couldn't hold it back for long. The force pushing him toward Sheng Ren was too sudden and intense.

As a result, the Hun Dun Shen Ding's transformation had thrown his schedule into chaos, leaving him with even less time and lifespan. Unless he also underwent a cycle of reincarnation.

"Look at that—it's clearly showing off. I'd give it full marks for this," Qi Wang remarked, seeing Ye Chen's troubled expression and curling his lip. "He got the benefit and now he's acting all pitiful."

"He must have his reasons," Xu Nuoyan said, thinking more deeply than Qi Wang. She understood Ye Chen well; sealing off such an opportunity likely meant he had unspoken difficulties.

"Lead the way ahead, to your family," Ye Chen said, collecting his thoughts and turning to Xu Nuoyan.

"It's not far," Xu Nuoyan replied without delay, stepping onto the ethereal void sky.

"I won't join you; it's been too long since I returned to my ancestral land," Qi Wang said, shaking his large head.

"The roads of the jianghu are long; we'll meet again in the future," Ye Chen said with a smile, turning to follow Xu Nuoyan.

"May we meet again when you are the renowned God of War shaking Xuan Huang," Qi Wang said earnestly for once, watching Ye Chen's departing figure before turning away in the opposite direction.

Ye Chen and Xu Nuoyan traveled like streaks of divine light across the ages, passing through the teleportation arrays of two or three ancient cities, finally descending before an obscure old city pool as dawn approached.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ye Chen draped Xu Nuoyan in a black robe and used the Zhou Tian secret method to conceal her aura, preventing her from being recognized and bringing disaster to her family.

The new day brought a lively buzz to the ancient city, full of prosperity. As soon as the two entered, they heard discussions erupting everywhere. "The Jing Yu has fallen into silence; the storm has finally calmed."

"I don't know what got into that forbidden zone." Many people shivered at the mention of Jing Yu. "From a distance, the area thirty thousand li outside Jing Yu has all turned to scorched earth."

"I've also heard that a Zhun Di passed by and was instantly reduced to ashes." Many drew in sharp breaths. "What kind of pressure was that? An existence like world-ending destruction?"

"A Zhun Di was obliterated?" Listening to the surrounding discussions, Xu Nuoyan's face turned pale.

"That was the might of a Di Wei, enough to crush a Zhun Di in an instant," Ye Chen said lightly, now even more certain that the Di Wei emanating from Jing Yu came from a true great emperor.

"What Di Wei?" Xu Nuoyan asked, confused and looking at Ye Chen with doubt.

"You'll know one day," Ye Chen said with a smile, stepping to a teahouse where a white-clothed youth was still drinking tea. He waved his hand and drew the youth into the Hun Dun Shen Ding—it was a reincarnated person.

"Sen... Senior, wh-why are you capturing me?" From within the cauldron, the youth's trembling voice emerged. His cultivation was not high, only at the Huang realm, and he looked at Ye Chen with eyes full of fear.

"For no particular reason," Ye Chen said with a smile, summoning immortal light that pierced into the youth's brow. The youth's body shuddered violently, and he clutched his head, roaring in agony.

"I don't recognize this person," Xu Nuoyan said, scratching her head, certain she had never seen the youth before.

"Da Chu is vast, and there are countless cultivators. It's normal not to have seen him," Ye Chen said with a laugh.

"That makes sense," Xu Nuoyan chuckled. "Anyway, they're all fellow countrymen from our homeland."

"Hurry, the Yang Family is causing trouble at the Zhou Family again!" Just as Xu Nuoyan finished speaking, a loud cry rang out, and the bustling crowd rushed toward one side.

"The Zhou Family—surely not your family?" Ye Chen asked, turning to Xu Nuoyan.

"It is," Xu Nuoyan replied with a single word, her killing intent surging as she dashed straight ahead.

"Time to stir things up," Ye Chen muttered, cracking his neck before instantly following.

At the center of the ancient city stood a grand and imposing mansion, known as the Zhou Family estate.

From a distance, the Zhou Family mansion was already crowded with onlookers, mostly idle people there for the spectacle. "What's going on? The Yang Family and Zhou Family just became in-laws yesterday, and now they're causing trouble?"

"You don't know?" An old fellow stroked his beard. "Last night, the Yang Family lost a treasure. Their Shen Zi was abducted in the east, and the new bride was taken along with him."

"Does that mean the Zhou Family did it, senior?" Many people asked tentatively.

"The Yang Family has two Zhun Sheng Wang; the Zhou Family doesn't have the power to steal their treasure and abduct their Shen Zi and Shen Nu," the man sneered. "Last night, the Yang Family suffered a big loss and couldn't find the culprit, so they're just venting their anger on the Zhou Family."

"The Yang Family's style is as always—get used to it," another old fellow sighed helplessly. "Who knows which poor family will be the next to suffer."

Amid the discussions, booming sounds came from the mansion; the Zhou Family was in chaos, with blood everywhere. A bronze furnace hung high in the sky, a Sheng Wang Bing suppressing the entire Zhou Family.

In front of the great hall, the Zhou Family members were all pale and vomiting blood as they lay on the ground, unable to rise under the pressure of the Yang Family's Zhun Sheng Wang and the Sheng Wang Bing.

The most tragic were the three Zhou Family Sheng Ren elders, reduced to bloody masses of flesh and bone.

The vast Zhou Family estate had no intact pavilions or halls left. Though there were many people, they couldn't withstand a Zhun Sheng Wang; all their formations were mere decorations before such power.

"Senior, please see clearly—it wasn't the Zhou Family's doing," the Zhou Family elder endured his anger, knowing the Yang Family was deliberately stirring trouble, but he dared not speak too sharply. For the safety of his clan, the Zhou Family elders had to swallow their pride.

"How dare you quibble?" The Yang Family Zhun Sheng Wang lounged on his throne, looking down with a sinister grin. Last night, while searching for the Xian Tie, the Yang Family had provoked many powerful foes and suffered losses, so he was taking it out on the Zhou Family.

"You're bullying us too much!" the Zhou Family Sheng Zhu roared, like a madman. Yesterday, to protect his clan, his daughter had willingly married into the Yang Family, thinking it would bring peace, but he never expected them to come back and humiliate them like this.

"Zhou Xuan, I quite admire you," the Yang Family Zhun Sheng Wang said with a eerie smile, extending a finger of divine light that pierced straight through the body of the Zhou Family Sheng Zhu, who was pinned to the ground.

"I'll fight you to the death!" The three Zhou Family elders suddenly rose and charged madly.

"You're overreaching," the Yang Family Zhun Sheng Wang scoffed, raising his hand for a sweeping palm that sent them flying through the void. The three Sheng Ren elders crashed to the ground in pools of blood, their spirits severely wounded and nearly extinguished.

"You've truly provoked me," the Yang Family Zhun Sheng Wang stood up, his face full of mocking amusement, his words cold and authoritative. "Kill all the male cultivators of the Zhou Family and take the women away."

"As ordered," the Yang Family experts bared their white teeth like vicious wolves, charging forward with eyes full of brutality and lust. They intended to slaughter the Zhou Family's men and carry off the women for their own pleasure—that would be quite the delight.

"The Zhou Family is doomed to this fate," the Zhou Family elder and Sheng Zhu wept tears of blood, and the entire Zhou Family estate echoed with cries of grief, filled with sorrow and resentment.

"This is what happens when you provoke the Yang Family," the Yang Family experts said, raising their weapons.

But at that moment, a brilliant golden light descended straight from the sky. Before its form was clear, a rolling sea of golden qi surged forth, swallowing the Yang Family experts in waves. "You had the road to heaven but didn't take it; you charged into the gates of hell instead."