Chapter 1605: Hanging

A single mention of Chu Xuan, a single promise to wait, entangled for a thousand years, words unable to convey the vast changes of time, unable to express the endless yearning, only the passage of years standing guard.

Ye Chen lifted his small foot, his eyes holding only Chu Xuan, his smile warm and tender, as if saying: Don't be afraid, I'm here.

As the first step fell, a strange scene unfolded—the two- or three-year-old child instantly transformed into a teenager.

It was not an illusion or a technique; it was genuine growth.

With the second step, his height increased again, shifting from a teenager to a young man, his eyes like stars, his black hair cascading like a waterfall.

"I didn't see wrong, did I!" The onlookers were stunned at Ye Chen's youthful form, with many rubbing their eyes.

"What's going on? That little kid is actually Ye Chen."

"Back then, he was on his last breath, and he really pulled through."

"What a surprise, truly an eye-opener today."

"See, I told you he looked familiar!" Xiao Yuan Huang jumped three *zhang* high, chattering excitedly, his fiery eyes gleaming brightly.

"Another nirvana rebirth?" Kui Niu scratched his head.

"Is she also your wife?" Bei Sheng murmured softly, his expression of surprise mixed with worry and loneliness.

"This is bad!" Long Jie frowned. "Several Quasi-Emperors and Great Saints have already fallen, let alone someone at the Heavenly Realm level."

"That's a dead end. How can you seniors let him walk the Nai He Bridge?" Xiao Jiu Xian pouted, glancing at Dong Huang Tai Xin and the Jiu Huang.

The Quasi-Emperors fell silent, knowing it was a path of no return.

Yet, they were helpless; Da Chu simply could not offer aid.

Besides, this path of no return was one Ye Chen had chosen himself, and as rulers of Da Chu, they had the right to select their own journey.

"He's changing again." Cries of astonishment rose from all sides.

The spectators, whether elders or juniors, male or female cultivators, stared fixedly at the Nai He Bridge.

On the bridge, Ye Chen's pace did not slow; with the third step, his youthful form instantly aged into middle age.

Then, with the fourth step, strands of his black hair turned snow white, and his straight posture slowly hunched over. His middle-aged appearance faded, leaving him as a decrepit old man.

In just four steps, it felt like a hundred years had passed in an instant, as he embodied four different ages, leaving the onlookers bewildered.

For the first time, he stopped, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Indeed, with each step, the pressure grew stronger.

After only four steps, he felt as if an eight-thousand-*zhang* mountain was crushing his back, intent on grinding this ant to dust.

Gazing at Chu Xuan, he smiled faintly and took another step.

With that step, the sound of bones cracking echoed from within his body.

Another step, and his Saint Body split open, cracks spraying fresh blood, gleaming gold and strikingly vivid.

Yet another step, and his flesh turned to a handful of flying ash, leaving only a faint, illusory primordial spirit swaying on the Nai He Bridge.

"You fool, come back!" Kui Niu could no longer sit still, shouting hoarsely. If Ye Chen took another step, he would likely vanish completely; the bridge's pressure was beyond what a Heavenly Realm cultivator could withstand.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't be so stubborn!" Xiao Yuan Huang also cursed, attempting to rush forward but held back by the Yuan Huang's restraint.

"Brother Ye, think twice." Nan Di advised, having never truly fought Ye Chen and unwilling to see such a legendary figure fall on that accursed bridge.

"Please, come back." Bei Sheng's voice carried a plea, her jade hands clenched tight, her eyes misty with tears that condensed into frost under the moonlight, fearing he might turn to dust in the next moment.

"Come down, and I'll let you touch my chest." In her panic, Xiao Jiu Xian blurted out this shocking line, leaving Jiu Xiao Zhenren stumbling and the onlookers staring in disbelief. This little girl certainly knew how to get attention.

"Just do your best, don't force it." Dong Huang Tai Xin said softly, her jade hand in her sleeve clenched with cold sweat.

Jiu Huang opened his mouth but swallowed his words, ultimately holding back.

Though he had known Ye Chen for only a short time, he understood his temperament well.

That young man, who had held up Da Chu's war banner until his dying breath, was incredibly determined. Once he set his mind to something, no one could stop him.

Amid the watchful eyes, Ye Chen remained silent, manifesting his physical form once more.

His appearance shifted again—strands of snow-white hair turned to blood-red, drops of radiant golden blood were overlaid with black light, an eerie sight.

At his brow, an ancient Saint Mark slowly etched itself, a symbol of indestructibility and unyielding resilience.

"This... he can even activate the Blood Succession Boundary?" On one side of the crowd, a Quasi-Emperor with his hands tucked in his sleeves couldn't help but grimace.

"How many times is this? Indestructibility, just like that?"

"Even with the Blood Succession Boundary, he's still only at the Heavenly Realm."

"Quasi-Emperors have fallen; there's no way he can cross the Nai He Bridge." An elderly Quasi-Emperor shook his head with a sigh, unable to bear watching further.

But as soon as he spoke, a domineering aura spread across the Nai He Bridge—genuine Quasi-Emperor pressure.

"Well, the Great Accomplishment Saint Bone is joining the fight again." Many people tucked their hands away, no longer surprised. With the Blood Succession Boundary activated, what else could shock them? The Saint Body was just too abnormal.

"Now he can probably stand against a Quasi-Emperor. Add in the Blood Succession Boundary, and he might create a miracle, shattering that Nai He Bridge."

"Diao!" Xiao Yuan Huang howled at the top of his lungs, startling those around him and making them jump.

"Diao!" Kui Niu and the Earthly Martial Bear joined in the clamor, waving banners and cheering for Ye Chen.

"Diao!" The young cultivators from all sides roared along, their shouts rising like waves and shaking the starry sky.

"The heavens are not without heroes." Even the old folks got fired up, rolling up their sleeves and yelling with boiling blood.

Everyone yearned to see the Saint Body create another legend.

"We're getting old." The Jiu Huang of Da Chu shook his head with a smile, admitting they couldn't compare to the younger generation. This was no longer their era.

"I'm old too." Dong Huang Tai Xin extended her jade hand, setting aside her reservations, and gently took the arm of the Sword God.

The Sword God smiled, the legend of the heavens filled with tenderness.

They were fortunate, their years together bringing mutual support.

But Ye Chen faced a trial of life and death, pushing forward for that love, even on a path of no return.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The booming sounds rang out, slow and rhythmic.

It was the sound of Ye Chen's footsteps, his body as heavy as a mountain, making each step shake the Nai He Bridge.

From afar, his silhouette was majestic, his entire form radiating golden light, his domineering Saint Body like molten gold.

He was a war god, a war god overlooking the eight wastelands, his might shaking the vast universe, his presence dominating the heavens—a living legend.

With a crisp crack, he crushed a jade slip sealed with memory immortal light, the sound clear and audible.

The memory immortal light flew toward the other side, merging into Chu Xuan's brow.

But the expected scene of her seal breaking did not occur.

She still stood gracefully, her expression cold and emotionless, the memory immortal light wandering in her divine sea without integrating.

"It's ineffective again." Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

Memory immortal light failing to unseal a reincarnation had happened only three times before: once with Hong Chen, once with Ji Ningshuang, and once with Xiyan. He never imagined Chu Xuan would be the same.

This unforeseen turn made his gaze even more resolute. He held his head high, each step steady and powerful.

No matter what, he had to reach the other side of the bridge. Whether Chu Xuan's seal could be broken or not, he would take her home.

The Nai He Bridge trembled, buzzing and rumbling continuously.

The pressure on him intensified, his steps growing heavier.

Faintly, the sound of his Saint Bone cracking could be heard, his Saint Body splitting open again, bathed in fresh blood.

With every step, the immense pressure grew stronger.

With every step, he left a bloody footprint.

The Great Accomplishment Saint Bone bolstered him against the force, the Blood Succession Boundary raged on, indestructible and healing his wounds repeatedly.

He was drawing closer to the bridge's end, the finish line not far off.

Yet, his unyielding spirit seemed to provoke some hidden law, as forces of annihilation rampaged, unleashing even greater pressure.

It was an extremely powerful, ancient force.

That very force erased the Blood Succession Boundary state.

Without the indestructibility, his Saint Body became blood-soaked, even with the Saint Bone's aid, his legs began to bend.

Only a few steps remained, yet they felt like an insurmountable chasm.

"You cannot cross; turn back!" A ethereal female voice echoed from Wu Lei City, cold and distant, yet imposingly authoritative.

"She has blood and flesh; by what right do you make her tearless and emotionless?"

Ye Chen roared, his eyes blood-red, veins bulging on his forehead. He straightened his bent legs with sheer will, lifting his proud head once more.

With a boom, he took a step, shaking the bridge.

His Saint Body shattered, his radiant bones exposed, fresh blood covering his entire form and staining the flowers on the Nai He Bridge.

"You who sit high above, have you ever looked down upon the common people?"

With another roar, Ye Chen suddenly raised his foot.

As it landed, his legs exploded, his flesh and bones turning to blood mist in the same instant.

The fierce Saint Body collapsed, lying on the ground.

For a long time, he did not rise; he was utterly exhausted.

"That's my Chu Xuan; I must take her home." Ye Chen wept, his voice hoarse, blood and tears streaming down.

Without legs, he used his hands, crawling forward with difficulty.

The ancient Saint Body, reduced to crawling like a dog, humble to the extreme.

This sight was heart-wrenching, moving all who watched.

Many male cultivators clenched their fists, while many female cultivators covered their mouths, their eyes brimming with tears.

"Are you truly so heartless?" Dong Huang Tai Xin's gaze turned cold, her face like frost, fixed on Wu Lei City.

"Tearless means emotionless." The same ethereal, indifferent words echoed from Wu Lei City, resounding through the heavens.

"Do not beg her. Even in death, he remains a ruler of Da Chu." Jiu Huang said flatly, his expression unchanging.

His words brought utter silence, the starry sky as still as death, filled only with the choked sobs from the Nai He Bridge.

Ye Chen continued to crawl, his eyes dimming, even his tears growing murky.

Behind him stretched a trail of blood from his mangled body.

Chu Xuan stood quietly, like an ice sculpture, motionless.

Gazing at her approach, her delicate form trembled slightly, her watery eyes revealing an ancient confusion.