Chapter 1455: Intentional Battle

Chapter 1455: Yinian Battle

"Da Chu," Ye Chen replied leisurely, his smile hidden beneath his Gui Ming mask, giving Kongque Gongzhu a brief answer.

"Da Chu?" Kongque Gongzhu murmured softly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She was certain she had never heard of this force, yet it felt vaguely familiar, much like Ye Chen's eyes, as if she had seen them somewhere before.

"Have you remembered?" Ye Chen asked with a smile, looking at Kongque Gongzhu without removing his mask.

"The face beneath your mask is quite intriguing," Kongque Gongzhu said gently. As her red lips parted, she slowly closed her eyes, and as her words faded, they suddenly snapped open.

Ye Chen felt a flurry of petals before his eyes, and his mind was pulled into a mysterious realm.

His eyes became vacant, and like him, the immortal light in Kongque Gongzhu's eyes dimmed. The two stood silently facing each other, motionless as statues, as still as ice sculptures.

The two elders guarding the hall exchanged a glance and quickly stepped forward, one in front and one behind, to protect Ye Chen and Kongque Gongzhu, for they were engaged in a yinian battle.

In the distance, Xiao Yuan Huang limped back, initially wanting to cause trouble but ultimately holding back. The two elders could see it, and with his fiery golden eyes, how could he not? The two were simply sparring.

"The invincible Ancient Holy Body of the same realm against the Saint-level Kongque Gongzhu—this yinian battle is quite interesting," Xiao Yuan Huang gripped his Wujin iron staff, glancing at Ye Chen and then at Kongque Gongzhu, muttering to himself, "The levels aren't equal; the Holy Body is bound to lose."

Though he thought this, he did not interfere. A yinian battle could not be disrupted by external forces.

A gentle breeze blew, stirring Ye Chen's white hair and Kongque Gongzhu's flowing robes.

The yinian battle produced no world-shaking fluctuations; everything remained tranquil. Yet, it drew the attention of many elders in the Kongque family. Figures appeared on mountain peaks, gazing from afar.

Below, a crowd had gathered, with many Kongque family disciples drawn in. Some stood on arched bridges, others in pavilions, and still others by railings, all looking up from a distance.

Thus, that stretch of heaven and earth became the focus of all eyes. Except for those in seclusion, everyone was watching. "A Quasi-Saint level against the Princess's Saint level—that young man is no ordinary person."

"He's wearing a mask, so his true face is unclear." Curious whispers rose one after another, with people pointing at Ye Chen. Some had already tried secret techniques to peer through, but they could not penetrate the shroud of Zhou Tian. They wanted to step forward and remove Ye Chen's mask, but they lacked the courage—it was no trifling matter.

"Old Ancestor, could that young one be the Nan Emperor?" On a mountain peak, a group of elders looked at the purple-robed elder before them—the very one Ye Chen had met the night before. His identity was no simple matter; he was the Kongque family's old ancestor, known in the Nan Domain as Kongque Daming Wang.

"It is not the Nan Emperor, but an existence invincible in the same realm," Kongque Daming Wang smiled faintly, as if he could see through Ye Chen's identity from afar, his aged eyes filled with surprise and admiration.

"Invincible in the same realm?" The group of elders murmured in unison, exchanging glances before turning to Ye Chen in astonishment. Only the Ancient Holy Body held such a title, a legend that had never been broken—a tale of immortality and myth.

The elders were truly shocked to learn that the Holy Body was still alive, not buried in some ancient ruins as rumored. Not only was he alive, but he had come to the Nan Domain, to the Kongque family.

Under the gaze of thousands, Ye Chen's sacred body trembled slightly, and he took a step back.

His mind returned, and he shook his head with a smile. As Xiao Yuan Huang had said, at the Quasi-Saint level, he could not defeat the Saint-level Kongque Gongzhu. If they were of the same level, she would surely lose.

Kongque Gongzhu's mind also returned, her beautiful eyes rippling like water, with a hint of surprise on her face.

In the yinian battle, she had won. Though she had not seen Ye Chen's true face, she had uncovered his identity—he was the Ancient Holy Body, invincible in his realm, which explained why he could hold his own against her for so long.

She knew full well that if not for her half-level advantage in cultivation, she would not be his match. The myth of being invincible in the same realm was no empty boast, and Ye Chen's combat prowess was well-earned.

"Princess, may I speak with you privately for a moment?" Ye Chen smiled. "I have an important matter to discuss."

"Of course," Kongque Gongzhu replied with a faint smile, stepping gracefully through a trail of radiant immortal light toward the depths of the immortal mountain. Since he was the Ancient Holy Body, how could she not show respect?

Ye Chen followed, and Xiao Yuan Huang trailed behind, shouldering his Wujin iron staff and walking with an air of arrogance.

It was worth noting that behind Xiao Yuan Huang, many elders followed closely, watching him warily, afraid he might slip away and cause the family to lose more treasures.

Xiao Yuan Huang pouted and vanished in a flash, leaving the elders scrambling to search for him.

Meanwhile, Kongque Gongzhu had led Ye Chen to a grove of flowers. Deep within the trees stood a bamboo hut, petals scattered everywhere, each one glowing with a hazy light, like a dreamlike illusion.

"There's no need for the mask anymore; I know who you are." Kongque Gongzhu chuckled lightly, personally pouring a cup of tea for Ye Chen. "Your fame shakes the Xuan Huang world, and seeing you today, it truly lives up to the reputation."

"The last time you praised me feels like ages ago," Ye Chen replied with a faint smile, lifting the white jade cup to his nose and gently inhaling the fragrance of the ancient tea. "You remain as beautiful as ever, like a fairy descended from the Nine Heavens, untouched by the mundane world's smoke and dust."

"Have we met before?" Kongque Gongzhu frowned again, eyeing Ye Chen tentatively.

"A very close acquaintance from the past," Ye Chen set down the jade cup, and as he spoke, his mask dissolved away.

Upon seeing Ye Chen's true face, Kongque Gongzhu's delicate body trembled. In that instant, a profound stirring arose from the depths of her soul. That face was so familiar it made her mind blur.

Before she could speak, a strand of immortal light flew toward her and instantly merged into her brow.

What followed was the process all reincarnated souls must endure. Even someone as strong as Kongque Gongzhu could not withstand the pain of her sealed memories. The jade cup fell from her hand as she let out a pained groan.

Ye Chen stood up, holding his tea cup and standing before a flower tree, quietly admiring the slowly blooming petals. Their vibrant beauty was like the splendor of the world—fleeting and hasty.

As flowers bloom and fade, that brief radiance was their life. People were much the same, having experienced glory, yet ultimately succumbing to the blade of time, ending in dull obscurity.

The wind blew again, lifting his white hair, strands brushing against his weathered face. Though only over two hundred years old, he felt aged. He had journeyed too long and witnessed too much of life's trials; the sharp edge of his youth was long buried in the passage of years.

Amid the drifting petals, Kongque Gongzhu's memories awakened. She slowly rose, staring blankly at Ye Chen's back, her watery eyes brimming with tears, blurring her vision.

She remembered her true name: she was Qian Shang Yue, the fairy of the Guanghan Palace, daughter of the Yue Emperor. Those sealed memories imprinted themselves bit by bit into her soul.

Ye Chen turned, giving her a warm smile, like a gentle breeze from home.

Qian Shang Yue cried and laughed at once, slowly approaching and stopping before Ye Chen. She reached out her jade hand, gently caressing his face, gazing at him with utter fascination, her face streaked with tears.

Ye Chen did not pull away, knowing she was not touching him but Shen Xuan Feng.

Even after traversing past and present lives and enduring over two hundred years, she still remembered that man she should not have loved—the Sacred Lord of the Assassin Divine Dynasty, the killer who had once nearly slain her mother.

Shen Xuan Feng was a name from long ago, bearing the same face as Ye Chen. In their previous life, he had died in her arms, and she had never had the chance to confess her feelings.

Ye Chen remained silent, giving her time to process and to let the memories of the past settle, along with that scarred fate. He would not disrupt this haze.

"Did he reincarnate?" The silence was broken by Kongque Gongzhu's words, accompanied by tears streaming down her face. The "he" she referred to was, of course, the killer Shen Xuan Feng.

"I'm still searching; I'll find him eventually," Ye Chen smiled, not daring to give her a definitive answer. He did not know if Shen Xuan Feng had the qualification for reincarnation; he needed to seek the truth himself.

"Thank you," Qian Shang Yue's tears fell like rain, tracing her sorrowful cheeks.

"Your mother is still alive," Ye Chen sat down, revealing an ancient secret.

"Mother is still alive?" Qian Shang Yue suddenly looked up, thinking she had misheard.

"She is indeed alive; all nine emperors of Da Chu are alive," Ye Chen smiled, speaking of ancient events while handing her a Tian San—it was the Fumon Tian San, the Yue Emperor's life-bound artifact. After the great battle against the demons, he had found it and carried it for over two hundred years.

Qian Shang Yue wept with joy, more thrilled than advancing to Saint level, more moved than her own reincarnation.

Ye Chen then shared many more stories—about Da Chu and his experiences over the past two centuries—like an elder recounting tales to the younger generation, his tone calm and steady throughout.

He did not reveal the secrets about Shen Xuan Feng, for that was a true killer god, the future Ye Xingchen who had descended into this time, forgotten his mission, and wandered like a soulless shell through the red dust and six paths.

The speaker was casual, but the listener was deeply affected. Qian Shang Yue listened with lightly bitten lips, marveling at the illusions of reincarnation and shocked by Ye Chen's feats—he had slain a great emperor and avenged the people of Da Chu.

Two hundred years felt like an instant, yet for him, it was endlessly long. Those strands of snow-white hair and the traces of weariness on his face were enough to evoke heartache.

Yet, in all he said, he never mentioned Chu Xuan or Chu Ling. Throughout his dusty journey, he carried that longing, step by step, bearing wounds all over.

"Just chatting and you set up a barrier? Watch me smash it for you." As Qian Shang Yue fell silent, a scolding voice came from outside the grove. It was Xiao Yuan Huang, followed by a thunderous boom.

The grove shook violently as Ye Chen's previously set barrier shattered. Xiao Yuan Huang barged in, his face bruised and swollen, his fur disheveled—he had clearly been beaten badly.

Ye Chen glanced at him, knowing without asking that he must have been caught stealing treasures again. He could imagine the scene of a group of elders ganging up to kick him.

"You two hiding here—isn't this some secret affair?" Xiao Yuan Huang planted his iron staff in the ground, acting as if he were at home, casually picking large peaches from the trees.

"Say another absurd word, and I'll send you flying into the sky for a spin," Qian Shang Yue replied coolly.

"Don't make trouble; I just got beaten up," Xiao Yuan Huang hugged a pile of peaches, munching on one shamelessly. "Do you know we have a distinguished guest here?"