Chapter 1651: Emperor's Wasteland

"Are you sure about challenging five emperors alone?" Ye Chen asked in surprise.

"Confirmed." Qin Mengyao thought for a moment before nodding.

Her words made Ye Chen's expression instantly turn extraordinarily vivid. His mouth hung open, and he remained speechless for a long time.

A fully realized Sacred Body from the various heavens and domains had once taken on five Great Emperors single-handedly. Wasn't that Di Huang?

In the entire history of the various heavens, only Di Huang had accomplished such a feat, fighting to the death against the five Heavenly Demon Emperors to protect the Donghua Empress's ascension.

Ye Chen felt dizzy, utterly shocked by this revelation.

Who would have thought that Di Huang, who had died in battle eons ago, was still in the Underworld and even revered as an emperor by the Ming Jie realm?

"After being in the Underworld for so long, I had no idea about this."

"No wonder, no wonder I disrupted the reincarnation cycle, shattered hell, and abducted souls, yet the Ten Kings of Hell didn't punish me with death."

"No wonder the judge gave me so much face—it's not for me, but for Di Huang."

Ye Chen's mind raced, suddenly piecing together many things.

He even suspected that fusing with Ba Yuan's Sacred Bone was arranged by Di Huang, or perhaps that Sacred Bone was prepared specifically for him.

Di Huang was in the Underworld, but why didn't he return to the various heavens and domains?

Ye Chen was extremely puzzled. He couldn't help but look up toward the vast emptiness of the nine heavens. "Senior Di Huang, may this junior have the honor of meeting you?"

"Come to Jie Ming Mountain." A faint, ethereal voice seemed to echo in Ye Chen's ear, gentle and mysterious.

Ye Chen was thrilled, knowing the voice came from Di Huang.

The senior Sacred Body had agreed to see him—an supreme honor.

Without a second thought, he turned and headed straight for the garden gate.

Before leaving, he glanced back at Zhao Yun and said, "While I'm away, please look after my old friend."

"Come back and we'll drink together." Zhao Yun smiled and waved.

"You got it." Ye Chen stepped out of the garden and vanished in an instant.

After he left, Qin Mengyao linked arms with Zhao Yun and blinked her beautiful eyes, as if asking: Now that we're alone, what should we do?

Zhao Yun acted nonchalant, casually pushing away Qin Mengyao's jade hand. Afterward, he slipped something into her palm.

That item was quite a treasure—a thick, long black iron staff, even more useful than a divine artifact on a quiet night.

Qin Mengyao's eyes sparkled with a flame, gleaming with a predatory gaze, while her fair cheeks flushed bright red.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already left the ghost city and was heading straight for Jie Ming Mountain.

Striding through the void, his gaze remained fixed in one direction.

Looking far into the distance, a massive mountain stood there.

That was Jie Ming Mountain, the tallest and most majestic peak in the Underworld, a symbol of the realm that overlooked the four seas and eight wastelands.

Ye Chen crossed the sky and in one step reached the summit of Jie Ming Peak.

Looking up, the sky above was not the dim void but a expanse of stars, with countless twinkling celestial bodies.

On the mountaintop stood a young man in plain robes, his back broad and imposing, like an unyielding monument that no force in the world could topple.

Though only about ten zhang away, he seemed more distant than a dream.

He appeared to stand on the river of time, older than the ages themselves, eternal and weathered, having witnessed the transformations of seas turning to fields.

He was Di Huang, the one who had single-handedly challenged the five emperors in ancient times, leaving behind an immortal legend that still echoed today.

"This junior, Ye Chen, pays respects to you, senior." Ye Chen bowed with his hands clasped, performing the junior's rite, his demeanor solemn and filled with reverence.

Di Huang turned around and smiled warmly. "No need for such formality."

Only then did Ye Chen clearly see Di Huang—ordinary in appearance, his eyes like still ancient wells, yet vast enough to encompass the heavens and earth, with the Great Dao evolving within.

Standing before him, all secrets were laid bare with nowhere to hide.

Every wisp of aura he emitted was woven with emperor-level laws, faintly visible, rendering all other paths insignificant.

This was the legendary Di Huang, a fully realized Sacred Body, a living myth, an eternal legend.

As Ye Chen felt a moment of daze, the scene on the peak transformed into a bamboo grove, with a stone table and two stone chairs, and a pot of tea set out.

"Come and sit." Di Huang smiled, brewing the tea with Dao principles.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and sat across from Di Huang, his heart pounding. Everything felt somewhat unreal.

"Is there anything you'd like to ask?" Di Huang's smile was as gentle as a spring breeze.

"Yes." Ye Chen calmed his emotions and looked at Di Huang. "Senior, do you know about the affairs of the various heavens, such as the invasion by the Heavenly Demons?"

"I see it all clearly." Di Huang replied calmly.

"Then why haven't you returned to the various heavens?" Ye Chen asked, puzzled.

"It's not that I won't go back—it's that I can't." Di Huang gave a self-deprecating smile, his expression tinged with helplessness.

"With your cultivation, on par with the Great Emperors, you can't break through the passage between the Underworld and the various heavens?" Ye Chen was even more confused.

"Forcing my way through the passage would let me return, but it would disrupt the balance of the three realms. The consequences would be far more terrifying than a Heavenly Demon invasion—it could lead to a catastrophic disaster."

"The balance of the three realms?" Ye Chen frowned, sensing he had touched upon a profound secret, one known only to the supreme beings.

The three realms were far from as simple as they appeared. Even Di Huang dared not attempt it lightly, indicating the immense implications.

A veil of mystery shrouded Ye Chen's mind, impossible to dispel, and he was filled with curiosity about the secrets of the three realms.

Temporarily setting aside those thoughts, Ye Chen looked at Di Huang again. "Was the Sacred Bone I fused arranged by you, senior?"

"It was left specifically for you." Di Huang nodded with a smile.

"Was it Ba Yuan's Sacred Bone?" Ye Chen asked hastily.

"As you said." Di Huang spoke slowly. "He was the first Desolate Ancient Sacred Body in the history of the various heavens. The legend of a fully realized Sacred Body rivaling a Great Emperor began with Ba Yuan."

"The first Desolate Ancient Sacred Body." Ye Chen was deeply moved. That was a true ancestor! And he had fused with his bone.

"A few days ago, this junior was pulled into a vision by the Sacred Bone." Ye Chen shared the secret, his expression turning sorrowful. "I personally witnessed Ba Yuan being slain by the Zhu Xian Jian."

"Not just Ba Yuan—over eighty percent of the Sacred Body lineage was cut down by the Zhu Xian Jian, including myself."

"This..." Ye Chen was stunned. He had known Di Huang fought the five Heavenly Demon Emperors, but he hadn't realized Di Huang also fell to the Zhu Xian Jian.

Later legends were inaccurate, just like with Chen Zhan, who was thought to have died in battle but was actually ambushed by the Zhu Xian Jian.

And what about himself? In the eyes of the world, he had perished fighting a Heavenly Demon Emperor in the starry sky.

"Why does the Zhu Xian Jian have such a grudge against the Sacred Body lineage?" Ye Chen's eyes filled with bloodshot veins, flickering with a cold light.

"Because only the Sacred Body can truly threaten it." Di Huang's words were calm, yet carried a hint of killing intent.

"What is the origin of the Zhu Xian Jian, and what is its connection to the Heavenly Demons?" Ye Chen voiced his doubts.

"One day, you will know for yourself." Di Huang did not elaborate.

Another secret. Since Di Huang wouldn't say, Ye Chen didn't dare press further.

He also wanted to ask about the five forbidden zones of Xuan Huang, but he knew that even if he asked, Di Huang wouldn't reveal it.

It was all because his level was too low. Many ancient secrets were beyond his qualification to know, and even if he did, what could he do?

Speaking of level, Ye Chen rubbed his hands and chuckled. "Senior, could you put in a word with the Ming Emperor to let me reincarnate?"

"You carry your own reincarnation, which has already disturbed the Underworld's cycle of laws. The Ming Emperor won't allow you to reincarnate." Di Huang explained.

"Carry my own... reincarnation?" Ye Chen was astonished, unsure what Di Huang meant. Was it because he had comprehended a trace of reincarnation power, thus disrupting the cycle?

"So, does that mean this junior has to stay in the Underworld forever?"

"If you can't reincarnate, you can take another path. If you succeed, you can still return to the various heavens." Di Huang's words were unhurried.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. I knew there had to be a turning point.

But he was even more puzzled and asked in surprise, "If there's another path, why haven't you taken it back to the various heavens, senior?"

"I haven't succeeded." Di Huang shook his head helplessly.

Hearing this, Ye Chen swallowed hard.

A trial that even a fully realized Sacred Body couldn't pass—how terrifying was that? If Di Huang couldn't make it, then he certainly couldn't.

"It's not related to cultivation level or combat power." Perhaps sensing Ye Chen's concerns, Di Huang smiled. "Just because I couldn't pass it doesn't mean you can't."

"Well, that's good." Ye Chen coughed, though he still lacked confidence. Since Di Huang had failed, that trial must be extraordinarily abnormal and frightening.

"If you can successfully return to the various heavens, then I can return as well." Di Huang smiled faintly, his words laden with deeper meaning.

"I don't understand." Ye Chen scratched his head, feeling a bit confused.

Di Huang just smiled and didn't explain, handing Ye Chen a secret scroll.

Ye Chen quickly took it—anything from Di Huang had to be a treasure.

Opening it, he saw a profound technique, and at first glance, four bold characters caught his eye: Di Dao Tong Ming.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up again, and his breathing grew heavier.

How could he not know what Di Dao Tong Ming was?

In the past, the Zhu Xian Jian had used this technique to summon Qian Kun Master and Wu Xing Emperor—those two were incredibly powerful.

This was a true emperor-level immortal art, something even Donghuang Tai Xin and the Sword God didn't know, an absolute heaven-defying divine ability.

Now, he understood Di Huang's intention.

As long as he returned to the various heavens, he could use this technique to summon Di Huang from the Underworld.

With Di Huang's boundless abilities, once back, he would have many ways to stay in the various heavens. That was the idea.

Ye Chen could imagine the chaos if Di Huang returned—the various heavens would be lively indeed.

Any so-called Hong Huang clans would all have to bow down.

Do you know who this is? Di Huang, the one who single-handedly challenged the five Heavenly Demon Emperors. Unless a Great Emperor showed up, no one could stop him.

"This is great." Ye Chen grinned and quickly tucked it away. This was an emperor-level immortal law, a heaven-defying divine power.

Next, he needed to raise his cultivation. Once he reached the Saint realm, he'd go to the Nai He Bridge, take Chu Ling with him, and then tackle the trial.

Back in the various heavens and domains, he'd summon Di Huang, and then they'd deal with everyone one by one. You think you're tough? Wait till you see something even tougher.

The more Ye Chen thought about it, the more excited he became, already eager to see Di Huang dominating the Hong Huang clans. That scene would be quite satisfying.

"You should understand my intention now." Di Huang smiled.

"I get it, I get it. This junior understands completely." Ye Chen chuckled.

"In that case, I'll give you one more great gift." Di Huang said.