Chapter 1451: Essence

"This... well!" Ye Chen coughed dryly, unsure how to respond for a moment.

"You promised her a lifetime of romance," Xuan Nu said, blinking her beautiful eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense, I never said that," Ye Chen replied, adjusting his clothes and shifting his position slightly.

"My spirit is within you. I clearly remember her dying words from over two hundred years ago. Your tears were clearly for her," Xuan Nu said with a faint smile, raising her hand to gently brush Ye Chen's chest. A wisp of immortal light floated out—that was her spirit, which had once been integrated into the Tian Ji Dan.

"We'll talk about it after we find her," Ye Chen said, scratching his head as he stepped forward and ascended into the virtual sky.

Xuan Nu smiled and followed him. In her heart, there was a faint hope that the one in the Cang Lan Realm was not Ji Ning Shuang, but herself—even if Ye Chen had been in a dazed state at that moment.

The two moved like streams of immortal light and divine radiance, passing through the night sky.

Ye Chen put on a black robe and the Gui Ming mask, once again concealing his secrets with the Zhou Tian technique.

As for Xuan Nu, she simply disguised herself as a man, looking quite handsome.

Ye Chen glanced at her with a strange expression. What was it with the women of Da Chu? They all seemed to like dressing as men—Ji Ning Shuang liked it, Hong Chen Xue liked it, and now even Xuan Nu.

Shaking his head, he casually used a Zhou Tian technique to form a ray of immortal light and sent it into Xuan Nu's body, concealing her aura as well. The world was too chaotic; an extra layer of protection was not a bad thing.

It was nearly dawn when they landed in front of an obscure ancient city.

This ancient city was quite old, covered in the dust of the ages and bearing marks of war. The city walls were scarred with traces of swords and spears, each one a testament to the passage of time.

"Wan Gu City," Ye Chen read from the stone stele in front of the ancient city. He then pulled out a map and checked it, finding the city's location. His expression became quite interesting.

"Why that look?" Xuan Nu asked in surprise, looking at Ye Chen with astonishment.

"It's a bit ridiculous, see for yourself," Ye Chen said, not explaining but simply handing the map to Xuan Nu.

Xuan Nu took it and scanned the map, quickly finding Wan Gu City's location. Her expression also became interesting. "Isn't this Zhongzhou? How did it end up in Nan Yu?"

"That evil demon is truly a great deity from the Hong Huang era, possessing impressive divine powers," Ye Chen said with a sigh of admiration. "Zhongzhou is tens of thousands of miles away, and it was able to send us here. Truly amazing."

As he spoke, he stepped into the ancient city, thinking silently in his heart. The evil demon had sent him to Nan Yu; who knew where it had thrown Ji Ning Shuang? It might even have lost her.

"Have you heard? The far ancient ruins in Zhongzhou have collapsed." While he was deep in thought, discussions erupted from both sides of the street. "Apparently, over ninety percent of the people who went in died."

"The far ancient ruins collapsed?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. He stopped at a teahouse, found a seat, and ordered a pot of tea. This was where the discussions were most lively.

"I know about the ruins collapsing," a burly man at a nearby table said, rolling up his sleeves and spitting as he spoke. "I heard the ruins were full of evil spirits. Everyone who went in to seek treasures was devoured. The entire Hong Lian Ye Hai turned red."

"Those who made it out are all formidable figures—the Nine Immortals of the Di Family, the godchildren and goddesses of the Far Ancient Nine Clans, Zhong Huang, Xi Zun, Nan Di, Bei Sheng, and even the Feng Huang Shen Zi," a lecherous old man added with a sigh. "But it's a shame, neither the Sheng Ti nor the Dong Shen was seen."

"Speaking of the Sheng Ti, that's a true monster," someone at the table grinned. "Three years ago outside the Dong Huang Ancient City, everyone thought he was dead. Who knew he was still alive, causing chaos in the ruins and even defeating the Xian Clan godchild? What a surprise."

"I have a feeling the Sheng Ti is still alive," the sharp-faced, monkey-like lecherous old man stroked his beard meaningfully. "His life is incredibly tough."

"Seems like a lot happened yesterday," Ye Chen said, taking a sip of tea amidst the discussions. "The far ancient ruins actually collapsed. Was that the work of those ghosts and evil demons?"

"What's the plan next?" Xuan Nu asked, refilling Ye Chen's cup.

"I'm not going anywhere, I need to stay put for a few days," Ye Chen said. A trace of black blood mixed with faint strands of lightning trickled from the corner of his mouth. His face instantly paled.

"Another Tian Qian?" Xuan Nu asked, full of worry, as if she understood Ye Chen's condition.

"It's nothing," Ye Chen said, wiping away the blood, although his brow furrowed slightly. He vaguely remembered the evil demon's words—the reason it made him and Ji Ning Shuang unite was because they both suffered from the Tian Qian.

Ever since waking up, he had felt the power of the Tian Qian weaken significantly, now within his tolerance.

He realized this must be related to his union with Ji Ning Shuang—their Tian Qians had canceled each other out during it. He was certain Ji Ning Shuang's Tian Qian had also weakened.

In a way, the evil demon had helped them, but Ye Chen didn't think its intentions were that simple. As a ghost and evil demon, it never did anything normal—there must be a deeper meaning.

He needed to go into seclusion to fully suppress the Tian Qian, and also take time to comprehend the Tun Tian Mo Gong passed down by the Mo Ding Qi Ling. It was a heaven-defying immortal technique, with its true essence as vast as the sea.

"Though I really want to stay with you all the way, I know I have my own mission," Xuan Nu said, seeing Ye Chen silent. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled softly. "Give me your soul imprint."

"The world is chaotic, be careful with everything," Ye Chen said, handing over his storage bag. It contained many jade slips sealed with memory immortal lights, as well as various divine abilities, artifacts, source stones, and pills.

"I understand," Xuan Nu said, taking it. She slowly stood up, then leaned over the table and cupped Ye Chen's face with her hands. Her red lips pressed against his Gui Ming mask, accompanied by a soft murmur full of affection: "I hope that when we meet again years from now, you will have a house full of descendants."

Everyone in the teahouse turned to look, especially the burly man and the lecherous old man, their eyes wide with shock, as if they were about to stand up and shout, "Get together!"

The streets were bustling as Xuan Nu vanished into the crowd, leaving only a lip print and a murmured voice of hope and blessing. This departure would mean many years before they met again.

Ye Chen smiled, finished his last cup of tea, left a source stone, and disappeared. He needed to find a quiet place for a short seclusion, a brief rest amidst the dust of the world.

"Male cultivator kissing male cultivator, how romantic," the people in the teahouse clicked their tongues, watching Ye Chen's retreating figure. "I just don't get it, what can two men do together?"

"What male kissing male? That one is probably a woman disguised as a man," an old fellow said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Even Bei Sheng is a woman—what in the world isn't possible?"

"Speaking of Bei Sheng, I almost forgot, turns out it's a woman," the crowd said, withdrawing their gazes and grinning again. "This world is so vast and full of wonders. Is cross-dressing all the rage now?"

While they chatted excitedly, Ye Chen had already found a small garden, renting it for a hundred source stones.

Once inside, he set up a concealment barrier, completely isolating it from the outside world, along with various profound protective formations to avoid disturbances during his seclusion.

Only then did he sit cross-legged under an old tree in the garden, gently closing his eyes and entering a state of emptiness.

Lightning tore across his body as the Tian Qian ravaged him. Though fierce, he forcibly suppressed it—thanks to the offset, it wouldn't truly threaten his life.

He remained seated for three days, like an old monk in meditation, without the slightest movement.

It wasn't until the fourth night that he slowly opened his eyes, two beams of tangible divine light shooting out—brilliant and sharp, piercing through the void, carrying a kingly aura.

Only then did he crush the jade slip containing the Tun Tian Mo Gong passed down by the Mo Ding Qi Ling and begin to quietly comprehend it.

It was a vast realm, from the initial creation of the magic skill by Tun Mo Zun to its perfection, all explained clearly and surpassing anything from Tai Xu Gu Long.

His mind fully immersed, amidst the drifting leaves, his brows sometimes furrowed, sometimes relaxed, sometimes puzzled, sometimes smiling—as he gained insights and seized opportunities.

Secret techniques and divine abilities were also a path, vast as the sea and profoundly deep. Though a magic skill, it surpassed immortal laws. Tun Tian Mo Zun had forged a new path, evolving this immortal law from its origins to its peak.

At some point, Ye Chen suddenly realized that the so-called Tun Tian Mo Gong was not about devouring the heavens and earth, but about devouring oneself—not external things, but one's own body. That was its first essence.

Nine days later, Ye Chen opened his eyes again, having grasped many of its true principles through sudden enlightenment.

A gentle breeze blew as he slowly raised his hands, swirling Tun Tian vortexes manifesting in both palms.

He clasped his hands together, and the two vortexes merged—the left devoured the right's essence, the right devoured the left's vital energy. What they devoured was his own power, which then returned to his body.

In this cycle of devouring and returning, a mysterious circulation formed within his Sheng Ti body, subtly perfecting another force: the wheel of reincarnation.

"So that's it," Ye Chen laughed, his eyes flashing with enlightenment. "Devour the external world outwardly, cycle reincarnation inwardly—this is the true essence of Tun Tian. The Tun Tian Mo Gong truly seizes heaven's creation."

"Thank you for the gift, senior," Ye Chen smiled as he looked at his hands, his state of mind elevated once more.

This magic skill opened another world for him. The heavenly dao of reincarnation—how could all things not follow a certain cycle? Yin and yang, heaven and earth, cause and effect, birth and death, right and wrong.

Whether real or illusory, all had rules; even opposing forces ultimately escaped the wheel of reincarnation.

Only after truly comprehending its essence did he understand why Hong Lian Nu Di had scattered the five small Mo Dings across the realms—she followed the cycle, the wheel of departure and return.

The empress must have known the Tun Tian Mo Gong and understood its true principles, using it to enhance her imperial immortal techniques in hopes of reviving the deceased Tun Mo Zun. It was a heaven-defying act.

Now, with the small Mo Dings returned, it completed one cycle, indeed giving the Tun Tian Mo group a chance at revival. But this cycle's timeline was far too long—so long that even an empress hadn't waited for it. The regret of one cycle was the ruthlessness of time.