Chapter 1564: Delaying Aging

Long Yi and Long Wu had left. Both were bald and conspicuously shiny, making anyone who saw them feel an urge to pat them.

Though those two were indeed asking for a beating, they were still reliable when it came to getting things done. For example, the Sheng Si Fu—its abilities were incredibly overbearing.

And then there was the Chang Ming Deng, truly mysterious as it was. It ignited within the body, bringing more light to the fire of the soul.

"Open the door! Open up, quick! Let us in."

As he was thinking this, a noisy clamor arose outside Nan Tian Men.

Ye Chen lifted his gaze and saw straight through the gates of Tian Ting.

The ones calling out weren't just one person but a group, and without needing to guess, it was Nan Di and Bei Sheng and their companions.

Soon, the gates swung wide open, and Xiao Jiu Xian was the first to leap inside, bouncing around like a little sprite.

The cultivators of Tian Ting, upon seeing her, all stroked their chins. The reason was that Xiao Jiu Xian looked exactly like Xi Yan—they were practically cast from the same mold.

Xiao Jiu Xian paid no mind, her big eyes curiously scanning the surrounding immortal mountains. Even with her composure, she couldn't help but gasp in awe—this place was simply too wondrous.

"Truly a heaven-seizing creation." Nan Di, Bei Sheng, and the others were also taking it in, filled with amazement and unable to stop tutting in admiration.

Under the watchful eyes of the Tian Ting cultivators, the group made their way up to Yu Nu Peak.

Ye Chen was already waiting, having prepared fine jade nectar and immortal brew.

"Wow, it smells amazing." Once again, it was Xiao Jiu Xian who spoke up, not treating herself as an outsider at all as she hugged a jar to herself.

Bei Sheng stepped forward but hesitated, ultimately falling silent. He found a spot and sat, though he couldn't resist stealing glances now and then.

"Tian Ting's Holy Lord, it's been a hundred years— I hope you've been well." Nan Di approached slowly, smiling at Ye Chen.

"Don't tease me. Please, sit." Ye Chen smiled faintly.

"Kid, you're something else! Slaying great saints, overturning Ling Shan, and even making Emperor Shakyamuni face his tribulation and enter the world." Long Jie and the others grinned and clicked their tongues, summing up Ye Chen's glorious deeds in a single sentence.

"Ancient history now." Ye Chen waved it off.

"From now on, we're following you. Come on, drink up—free booze, don't be shy." Long Jie and the Wu Zu Shen Zi clapped Ye Chen on the shoulder, each grabbing a jar of wine, acting completely at home.

"As for Lao Qi..." On the other hand, Kui Niu, Xiao Yuan Huang, and the others had tears in their eyes. The death of the Immortal King He, their sworn brother, pained them deeply.

Their tears made the atmosphere turn heavy in an instant, and everyone felt a deep regret over Immortal King He's passing.

In a way, Kui Niu and the others were luckier than Ye Chen.

Ye Chen had watched helplessly as Immortal King He was shot to death arrow by arrow, powerless to stop it—that kind of agony was something most people couldn't bear, let alone endure.

"Don't worry, none of them will escape." Ye Chen held back his tears, his eyes veiled in cold light.

"What's your plan?" Nan Di looked at Ye Chen.

"I've already sent people to track them down. Blood debts will be paid in blood." Ye Chen concealed his cold edge, becoming utterly calm.

"If you need help, just say the word—don't hesitate." The Man Zu Shen Zi wiped the wine from his mouth.

"I won't leave you out." Ye Chen smiled.

"So, could you tell us about the origins of your Da Chu Tian Ting?" Nan Di chuckled lightly. "Even Jian Shen's disciple, Tian Que Di Wang Cheng's Hua Wu, Dan Zun Dian's Shen Nu, Kong Que Gong Zhu, Hu Die Gong Zhu, and Lei Ting Zhan Ti all follow your command. I'd really like to know, just who exactly are you?"

"You don't need to know who I am, and you don't need to ask about Tian Ting's origins. All you need to know is that in a certain year and month long ago, ninety million heroic souls fought to protect all living beings, and the Zhu Tian Wan Yu owes them their lives."

Ye Chen's answer was vague and cryptic, leaving everyone frowning. His words hinted at deeper meanings, but no one could decipher them.

What was certain, though, was that the fifty million cultivators here were no ordinary folk, and Ye Chen's identity was even more extraordinary.

Everyone fell silent, some gripping their wine cups, others sipping quietly. Amid the confusion, a touch of melancholy crept in.

It was for Ye Chen—suppressed under Wu Zhi Shan for a hundred years, the once world-shaking Huang Gu Sheng Ti had now become an aged man, worn down by time and full of scars.

Back in the day, they had all been the proud geniuses of Xuan Huang.

Now, they were all in their prime, while Ye Chen was in his twilight years, evoking a sense of heroes faded with time.

"Don't make it so gloomy." The prolonged silence was finally broken by Xiao Jiu Xian, the little girl slapping the table to pull everyone's thoughts back to the present.

"Drink up." Everyone raised their cups, setting aside their troubles for the moment.

"Kid, you've got quite the luck with women! So many beautiful wives—spill it, which one's the most enjoyable?" Xiao Jiu Xian blinked her bright eyes at Ye Chen.

"Pfft!" Bei Sheng, Zhu Que, and all the women present spat out their wine. Did she have to be that direct?

"I'm a gentleman." Ye Chen coughed awkwardly.

"Whether you're a gentleman or not, we can set that aside. Come on, let's talk about the medical fees."

"What medical fees?" Ye Chen was baffled.

"Your disciple beat me up, so as her master, you have to compensate me." Xiao Jiu Xian puffed out her cheeks.

"My disciple?" Ye Chen frowned, glancing at Xiao Jiu Xian beside him. "Have you met Xi Yan?"

"Met her, all right—in the starry sky, she gave me a thorough beating." Xiao Jiu Xian pouted, looking indignant. "I don't care, she hit me, so you're responsible."

Ye Chen didn't respond, his old eyes flickering with a dim light.

Clearly, Xiao Jiu Xian had met Xi Yan, and just as clearly, Xi Yan hadn't broken her seal; otherwise, she would have come to Xuan Huang. Going to the starry sky this time would make her hard to find.

It was the same strange situation as with Ji Ning Shuang—these two among the reincarnated were unique, their memories untouched by immortal light.

Thinking of Ji Ning Shuang, Ye Chen turned to Nan Di and the others. "In the past hundred years, have there been any news about Dong Shen?"

"None." Everyone shook their heads in unison. "After the ancient ruins, there's been no word of her. It's as if she vanished from the world—maybe she was killed."

"I'm certain she's still alive." Ye Chen took a light sip of tea, guided by a strange intuition.

"Don't dwell on uncertainties. Come on, drink." Bai Hu lifted his wine jar, his roar full of energy.

The atmosphere livened up with his words.

It wasn't until late at night that the group finally drank themselves into a stupor.

Just like their farewell a hundred years ago, they each shared their experiences from the intervening years, every story brimming with legend.

Only when night fully fell did they stagger to their feet, with Ye Chen having already arranged lodging for them.

"A friendly reminder— the people of Tian Ting are quite fierce, so try not to cause trouble. And keep an eye on your valuables." Ye Chen called out from behind.

The group heard him but didn't quite understand, so they didn't pay it much mind.

As Bei Sheng left, he glanced back at Ye Chen and pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, but we couldn't find Ren Wang Fu Xi."

"I know where he is!" Ye Chen smiled slightly.

"You're still as unfathomable as ever." Bei Sheng laughed and turned away, walking a few steps before looking back again. "Your wives... they're all very beautiful."

Ye Chen smiled but said nothing, simply closing his eyes slightly as his thoughts wandered, lost in contemplation.

Though he was on the brink of becoming a cripple, he still held value.

He was a capable commander and a wise general.

A hundred years under Wu Zhi Shan had made his heart as still as water, allowing him to see through many things clearly.

His wisdom would make Da Chu Tian Ting renowned throughout Xuan Huang.

With no one to disturb him, he sat like a statue, unmoving.

Even though it was night, visitors still came to Yu Nu Peak.

It was a group of three women and one man—looking closely, it was Hao Tian Xuan Zhen, Hua Xu, Hao Tian Shi Yue, and Shang Guan Yu.

Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes and spotted the four from afar, his expression turning a bit awkward. His tangled fate with the Hao Tian family had all been a series of misunderstandings.

Along with the awkwardness came guilt—it was because of his reservations that Hao Tian Xuan Zhen had died with regrets.

And then there was Hao Tian Shi Yue, a hidden affection that had followed from a past life into this one, catching him off guard.

The three of them had red eyes, clearly having cried.

Of course—reuniting as a family through reincarnation, what could be more moving? The warmth here was enough to bring tears.

As he thought about it, he couldn't help but look at Shang Guan Yu.

Her coming with Hao Tian Xuan Zhen and the others wasn't surprising, all due to her connection with Hua Xu.

In this reincarnation, she and Hua Xu had become sisters, so by seniority, she was Hao Tian Shi Yue's aunt.

Putting it all together—ah? The generations in Da Chu were getting messy again.

Ye Chen was already used to it by now.

"Chen Ye, are you feeling any better?" The concerned words came from Hao Tian Xuan Zhen. Even through reincarnation, he still addressed him that way, treating Ye Chen like a child, his weathered face full of fatherly love.

"Everything's fine." Ye Chen gave a dry laugh.

What made him most uneasy was the way Hao Tian Xuan Zhen looked at him—like a son, or perhaps a son-in-law.

"Take this pill; it can delay aging." Hao Tian Shi Yue smiled gently and handed over a treasure box.

"Thank you." Ye Chen didn't refuse her kindness.

"Wear this jade pendant; it also helps delay aging." Shang Guan Yu took a jade pendant from her sleeve, threaded it on a cord, and hung it around Ye Chen's neck.

"How could I accept this?" Ye Chen chuckled, then couldn't resist breathing on the pendant and polishing it with his sleeve, treating it like a precious gem.

"Consider it my dowry. When you're better, you have to marry me." Shang Guan Yu blinked her beautiful eyes.

"The same goes for me." Hao Tian Shi Yue smiled charmingly.

"I'm not in good health." Ye Chen kept his head down, still wiping the pendant. "I might not have the energy for the wedding night."

"We don't mind; we can take the lead." The two women giggled, without a hint of reservation.

Ye Chen twitched his mouth—this was a bit too open.

Hao Tian Xuan Zhen and Hua Xu beside them also twitched their mouths.

Especially Hua Xu—one was her daughter from a past life, the other her sister in this one, making it incredibly awkward no matter how she looked at it.

Still, awkward or not, she had her blessings.

It was just that time was so merciless, and farewells so painful, toying with affections and wearing away a woman's modesty.

"We won't disturb your meditation." Hua Xu smiled and began leading them away, one hand in each of hers as she dragged them down the mountain. You two really know how to drop bombshells.

"Don't pull us; we'll walk." The two women struggled and looked back, both winking at Ye Chen.

"Chen Ye, we'll come see you another day." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen gave a dry laugh and hurriedly followed Hua Xu.

"Was I too conservative?" Watching the family leave, Ye Chen stroked his beard. After reincarnation, the women of Da Chu were all incredibly forthright.

With that, he turned around and sat cross-legged on the Hui Xin Shi once more.

The starry night remained peaceful, with all sounds faded into silence.