Chapter 1452: Little Saint Ape

Late at night, Ye Chen finally got up, stretched lazily, and enjoyed another rare stroke of good fortune.

He didn't continue to comprehend the Tun Tian Mo Gong. Instead, he pulled out all his storage bags, each one bulging with loot from the Yuan Gu Yi Ji. He finally had time to sort through them properly today.

The treasures were piled like mountains—source stones, magical artifacts, secret scrolls, and elixirs of all kinds, with a massive quantity that shimmered with dazzling immortal light, illuminating the small garden as brightly as daylight.

It was fortunate that Ye Chen had set up a barrier to isolate the garden; otherwise, the ancient city would have instantly become a bustling hub of activity.

The guy busied himself checking and categorizing each item one by one, grinning in a somewhat sleazy manner.

This trip to the Yuan Gu Yi Ji had been incredibly rewarding. The treasures he'd plundered could equip an entire army of cultivators, a vast fortune meant to be distributed to the reincarnated ones.

After finishing the inventory, he moved to the cauldron and peered inside. Suspended within was a crimson immortal sword.

This sword, named Fen Ji, was forged from special divine iron and was the life-bound Zhun Di Bing of the Xue Pao Zhun Di. That day in the desolate forest of the relic, Ye Chen had slain the Xue Pao Zhun Di and sealed away this sword as well.

It was a terrifying weapon of the Zhun Di Bing level. Even though it was sealed and its owner was dead, it still hummed and vibrated, its sword energy overflowing with every wisp carrying the essence of annihilation.

As Ye Chen watched, the Fen Ji Sword continued to hum, trying to break free, but it was firmly restrained.

Though it was a Zhun Di Bing, it was ultimately just a magical artifact without its owner to wield it, making it impossible to escape or resist the suppression—let alone when it was trapped inside a cauldron made of Da Luo Shen Tie.

"It's the most valuable one, so don't go swallowing it," Ye Chen said, patting his own cauldron.

The Hun Dun Shen Ding buzzed in response. It wanted to devour the Fen Ji Sword, but it couldn't, as the levels were too disparate, and the sword's spirit was extremely powerful, not something that could be refined overnight.

That said, if it actually succeeded in swallowing the Fen Ji Sword, it would surely evolve, and that evolution might even force Ye Chen, its owner, to advance as well. If that happened, Ye Chen would truly be in for a headache.

"Remember, don't swallow it," Ye Chen added, just to be safe.

Once done, he waved his hand to store the cauldron, dispelled the barrier and formations, and headed out of the garden.

The ancient city at night was far from quiet; it was as lively as during the day, with vibrant activity everywhere.

Glancing around, he saw large red lanterns hanging high, streets teeming with people, shouts rising and falling, and couples whispering on arched bridges or toasting under the moon on flower boats.

However, for Ye Chen, all of this was just fleeting scenery. Without the reincarnated ones, this place was merely a waypoint. He was a traveler from afar, destined to journey on through the dust.

After one last look at the ancient city, he stepped onto the teleportation array to search for the reincarnated ones and Ji Ning Shuang.

Thinking of Ji Ning Shuang, he couldn't help but cough awkwardly. His mind kept replaying that intimate scene. Back then, his mind was clouded, but now that he was clear-headed, it felt like a dream.

If Xiong Er and the others were here, they would definitely surround him in layers and bombard him with questions: Was her figure good? Was her skin soft? Were her... well, you know... fair? What positions did you try? Was it satisfying? Did she... you know... moan?

As he thought about it, Ye Chen rubbed his brow, wondering where she was and what her state of mind might be. She could be scouring the world for him right now, ready to strangle him on sight.

But that wasn't what troubled him most; his real worry was what would happen after she unlocked her memories.

The teleportation passage was a bizarre spectacle of lights, with him standing—wait, actually squatting—there alone. Who knows if he was pondering his age or meticulously recalling their... positions.

Just as he was lost in thought, a streak of light shot past him. On closer inspection, it was a person—or more precisely, a Wu Gong Jing in human form, its true body being a centipede.

The Wu Gong Jing was also using the teleportation array, perhaps fleeing from pursuers, as it dashed straight for the other exit at top speed, moving like a blur of light, slick as could be.

"Xuan Huang truly lives up to being a sacred land for cultivators—even a Wu Gong Jing is this impressive," Ye Chen sighed. He could tell the Wu Gong Jing was extraordinary, with an ancient bloodline and a long heritage.

"Run! Run faster! If you escape again, I'll take your surname!" As Ye Chen sighed, a booming voice echoed from behind, thick and resonant, making the entire passage rumble.

Ye Chen instinctively turned around and felt a surge of domineering aura rushing toward him, even making his sacred blood pulse. Looking closely, he saw a monkey—or more accurately, an ape.

It was a small ape, shouldering a black gold iron rod, its fur all golden and bristling like steel needles. Its eyes blazed like fire, radiating divine light as if flames were shooting out, instilling fear in the soul.

"Dou Zhan Sheng Yuan," Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, recognizing the ape's bloodline. It was the extremely domineering Dou Zhan bloodline, fierce and violent, strikingly similar to the Dou Zhan Sheng Huang.

"Finally caught a live one," Ye Chen scanned it up and down, his mind briefly dazed. Looking at this Xiao Sheng Yuan was like seeing Hu Wa, though unfortunately, it wasn't Hu Wa reincarnated.

"What are you staring at?" The Xiao Sheng Yuan barked as it passed by, noticing Ye Chen's gaze.

"Just curious," Ye Chen coughed. "Never seen anyone as arrogant as you."

"Hey!" The Xiao Sheng Yuan got fired up, its temper flaring, and it swung its iron rod to strike Ye Chen. But when it spotted the Wu Gong Jing far ahead, it quickly chased after it instead.

Compared to the Wu Gong Jing, the Xiao Sheng Yuan's speed was truly something—racing like a brilliant golden light.

Soon, booming sounds erupted from the direction it went, shaking the space passage, accompanied by constant shouts:

"You little punk, run! Why aren't you running now?"

"Are all the Dou Zhan lineage this fierce?" Ye Chen watched with his mouth agape. He had seen the Xiao Sheng Yuan pursue it and, with his own eyes, witnessed it smash the Wu Gong Jing down in one blow.

The Wu Gong Jing had an impressive bloodline and combat power, not inferior to the Tian Fa Shen Zi, yet it was taken down in a single exchange by the Xiao Sheng Yuan, nearly exploding on impact, now covered in bloody wounds and bones.

"From what I can tell, its fighting strength could rival a Di Jiu Xian of the same level," Ye Chen stroked his chin. If the Xiao Sheng Yuan were in the same realm as Xiao Jiu Xian, she probably couldn't handle it—he was just that formidable.

"Monstrous talents are everywhere you go," Ye Chen murmured with another sigh. "It seems the Nan Di in the Nan Yu isn't without rivals, and there are likely quite a few."

"Mumbling about what? Get over here." The Xiao Sheng Yuan returned, dragging the Wu Gong Jing along.

"Honestly, my temper isn't the best," Ye Chen said, shaking his head in a carefree manner.

"As if anyone's is," the Xiao Sheng Yuan retorted, swinging its iron rod at him.

Ye Chen wasn't having it either. Without using a weapon, he swung his palm to meet it head-on.

A thunderous explosion erupted instantly, making the space passage rumble again. Ye Chen winced, shaking his hand from the impact against the black gold iron rod, which had left his palm stinging.

The Xiao Sheng Yuan wasn't faring much better, grimacing in pain as the rod vibrated intensely.

"What kind of freak are you? That palm is tough as nails. How come I haven't seen you before?"

"There's plenty you haven't seen," Ye Chen shot back, his hand still numb.

"Still wearing a mask? Let's get rid of that," the Xiao Sheng Yuan lunged again, its black gold iron rod glowing with golden light and wrapped in thunder, swinging with a deafening buzz, its aura overwhelmingly fierce.

Ye Chen wasn't about to stand there and take it. He shifted in a step, dodging instantly, then raised his palm where secret techniques and divine powers naturally evolved, unleashing a Da Shua Bei Shou straight at it.

Another clash of palm and rod shook the passage, nearly causing it to collapse.

Neither gained the upper hand in that round, so they both got up for another go. The Xiao Sheng Yuan swung its rod with crisp, brutal strikes, while Ye Chen held his own, fighting bare-handed with secret arts and divine powers emerging endlessly.

Both ended up coughing up blood, shaken from the impacts, and this was without either using their full strength. If they went all out, the space passage would crumble in an instant.

The more Ye Chen fought, the more astonished he became. The Xiao Sheng Yuan was incredibly tough, each strike of its rod more ferocious than the last, its momentum savage, its battle intent unmatched, drawing out its latent dominating power.

The Xiao Sheng Yuan was just as shocked. In the Xuan Huang Nan Yu, among the younger generation, there were only a few who could match him blow for blow, and Ye Chen clearly wasn't one of them.

This piqued its curiosity about Ye Chen's identity, so it tried using its fiery golden eyes to peer into his true face and bloodline, but it was blocked by a mysterious secret art on Ye Chen, preventing any insight.

As they fought, both suddenly paused and turned toward one side of the passage.

There, powerful figures were approaching, exuding killing intent and a bloody aura—a black-robed and a white-robed elder, both with immense presence as genuine Sheng Wang, not human cultivators but Wu Gong in their true forms.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, glancing at the two Wu Gong Sheng Wang, then at the downed Wu Gong Jing held by the Xiao Sheng Yuan, and finally looked at the Xiao Sheng Yuan with interest.

The Xiao Sheng Yuan was quick on its feet. The moment it saw the two Wu Gong Sheng Wang, it turned and bolted.

"You little ape brat, where do you think you're going?" the two Wu Gong Sheng Wang shouted, chasing after it with large strides.

"Damn it, have the guts to fight one-on-one!" The Xiao Sheng Yuan's domineering yell echoed from afar, but the two Wu Gong Sheng Wang ignored it completely, capturing it without a word.

When Ye Chen saw the Xiao Sheng Yuan again, it was being carried back by the white-robed Wu Gong Sheng Wang, flailing its hands and feet wildly but unable to break free from the elder's grip.

Ye Chen decided to ignore it; fighting the Xiao Sheng Yuan was one thing, but taking on two Sheng Wang was another level entirely.

However, while Ye Chen brushed it off, the Xiao Sheng Yuan didn't overlook him. As it was carried past, it suddenly howled, "And him! He beat up that little Wu Gong too!"

"Hmm?" The two Wu Gong Sheng Wang stopped abruptly and turned to look at Ye Chen.

"Go to hell!" Ye Chen cursed and bolted, black lines crisscrossing his forehead. He regretted not using his peak power earlier; if he could redo it, he'd kick that little ape brat to death.

"Where do you think you're going?" The black-robed Wu Gong Sheng Wang roared, teleporting in a single step to pursue him.

"Heh heh, clever me," the Xiao Sheng Yuan grinned, even as it was held by the white-robed Wu Gong Sheng Wang, laughing smugly. "Now someone's got my back."