Chapter 1708: Awakening

Chapter 1708: Xing Shi Pian

This was a dense forest, with trees thriving and birds singing amid fragrant flowers. Deep in the shade of ancient trees lay a person, his clothes ragged and torn, his hair streaked with white, and his beard so long it was frightening, obscuring his true face.

Indeed, it was Ye Chen, who had fallen into this place through the Liu Dao. He had been asleep for an unknown length of time, buried under fallen leaves and dust, with occasional birds pecking at him.

He lay motionless like a corpse, as if forgotten by the world. Then, a gentle breeze brushed by, and his little finger trembled slightly.

Next, he opened his eyes, his gaze empty and vacant as he stared at the clear sky, his expression dull and devoid of any emotion.

He got up and walked in a random direction, his steps stiff, like a puppet, without any goal or sense of direction.

At the peak of Jie Ming Mountain, the water curtain shifted from blurry to clear, displaying the scene of Ye Chen.

On the mountaintop, there were now five people instead of four, with Chu Ling having joined them.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, endless no matter how she wiped them away. Seeing that Ye Chen was still alive was a blessing from the heavens.

Bai Zhi had told her about the hundred years in the Liu Dao, filled with blood and tears, which truly pained her heart. The sight of him was full of wounds and scars.

"Senior, is that the Zhu Tian Wan Yu?" Chu Ling asked Di Huang, her eyes tearful and hazy, hoping for a definite answer.

"It is not Zhu Tian; it is Ling Yu," Di Huang sighed.

"What an unlucky kid—to be pulled into the Ling Realm with only a one-in-ten-thousand chance," Ming Di said, shaking his head.

"Ling Yu?" Chu Ling asked. "Then how do we return to Zhu Tian?"

"Ling Yu belongs to the human realm, so as long as it's in the human realm, returning to Zhu Tian is easy."

"The real problem is his current state. We need to help him regain consciousness quickly. Wandering in a daze like this puts him in extreme danger."

"Can this junior be of any help?" Chu Ling hurriedly wiped away her tears. Since both supreme beings said so, it must be serious.

"In the entire Ming Realm, you are the only one who can help him wake up," Di Huang said, waving his hand to summon a simple qin.

"I once taught you the Jiu You Xian Qu. Now, play the Xing Shi Pian."

"Understood." Chu Ling sat down immediately, took a deep breath, and plucked the strings. The melodious qin music flowed like celestial sounds.

As she played, she watched Ye Chen intently, hoping he would awaken.

However, although the qin music began, Ye Chen showed no reaction at all. He remained dull, his eyes still vacant.

Seeing this, Chu Ling looked toward Di Huang, as if the music was ineffective.

Di Huang said nothing and kept waving his hand, repeatedly brushing through the void.

Ming Di did the same, using his imperial immortal techniques to pave the way for Chu Ling's qin music. After all, it had to cross two realms, and it hadn't reached yet.

This would take time; even supreme beings weren't all-powerful.

Ming Jue and Bai Zhi stood quietly, their gazes bright and focused as they watched.

Supreme beings were truly supreme, possessing great divine abilities. Though they couldn't go to Ling Yu themselves, they could help the qin music reach it.

Chu Ling didn't dare stop; her qin music remained distant and profound, and her tears grew hazy.

This Xing Shi Xian Qu wasn't effective just because anyone played it; it required genuine emotion toward him. No wonder Di Huang said only she could save him.

In Zhu Tian Wan Yu, in Da Chu, at Heng Yue Sect's Yu Nu Peak bamboo grove,

Ye Chen's small grave stood there, with several figures gathered around. Xi Yan, Bi You, Lin Shi Hua, and Shangguan Yu Er were all present.

Besides them, there were Xie Yun, Xiong Er, and Situ Nan, along with many elders, including Yang Ding Tian and others.

"Kid, I dreamed of you last night, fighting side by side with you," Xie Yun said, pouring a jug of wine, being uncharacteristically serious for once.

"Huh? You dreamed of him too?" Xiong Er exclaimed in surprise.

"What a coincidence, I did too," Situ Nan said, stunned.

With their words, everyone present exchanged glances, and from each other's eyes, they all seemed to sense something unusual.

"I don't know where it was, but it seemed like all the Da Chu cultivators were there."

"The person we were fighting looked exactly like Ye Chen."

"Dreaming of the same scene— this is really strange."

The group chattered away, discussing fervently, each scratching their heads. Since starting their cultivation paths, they had never encountered anything like this.

As they spoke, more figures kept descending from the sky.

Looking up, there were quite a few: Fu Ling, Hao Tian Xuan Zhen, Xiao Feng, Tai Yi, Wu San Pao, and even descendants of the emperors.

Following them were the successive kings of Da Chu, like Kui Yu Jiang and others.

It was as if they had arranged it, arriving one group after another at Yu Nu Peak. If outsiders didn't know better, they might think a grand event was happening here.

"It seems you all dreamed of it too," Tai Yi Zhen Ren stroked his beard. "Dreaming together must be a sign."

The night sky was profound, with shattered stars like dust, and Ling Yu was peaceful.

Once connected to Zhu Tian Wan Yu, though not as vast, it was still boundless and expansive, with majestic mountains and beautiful rivers.

Ye Chen, still in a daze, continued walking with stiff steps.

After some time, he entered an ancient city.

This ancient city was truly magnificent. Everywhere you looked, there were grand halls and pavilions, with mountains nestled within, wide streets, winding paths, and swirling lights—truly a celestial city in the human world.

The city at night was incredibly lively, with crowds bustling on the streets and vendors calling out from both sides.

His arrival drew sideways glances from passersby, all filled with contempt.

Especially the women, who couldn't help but cover their mouths with handkerchiefs and keep their distance, their faces full of disgust, as if avoiding something unclean.

It was no wonder; Ye Chen's appearance was utterly disheveled, like a beggar, drawing disdain from everyone.

"Where did this beggar come from? Get lost; there's no food for you here," an elderly cultivator scolded harshly, showing no kindness.

"This is Sheng Cheng; it's not a place you can just wander into. Scram!"

"Neither human nor ghost— what bad luck today."

Many people cursed him, each looking fierce and malicious, some even gritting their teeth as if they wanted to kick him out.

Ye Chen said nothing, keeping his head down and just walking forward.

Yet, the scene was ironically sad. He was Ye Chen, the one who had slain two emperors in his lifetime, saving the human realm twice, yet he was treated with such contempt.

His current state was so similar to Lin Shi Hua's in the past—clearly a savior, but treated like a mortal enemy.

As he walked, a burly man blocked his path, rough and aggressive, his eyes bloodshot and his face flushed red.

At a glance, it was clear he had drunk a lot and likely lost big at the gambling house, with nowhere to vent his anger.

"Running into a beggar on my way out— no wonder my luck was so bad today," the burly man cursed, and without another word, he swung his palm.

Ye Chen didn't react at all and didn't dodge the palm.

However, the burly man's palm was stopped before it could land.

The one who intervened was a woman in green clothes, strikingly beautiful, not quite world-shaking but certainly captivating, pure and flawless.

She grabbed the burly man's wrist and casually flung him away, sending him flying straight out of the city.

The people on the street stepped back at once, as if they recognized the green-clothed woman and knew her noble status.

The green-clothed woman ignored them and only looked at Ye Chen. She gently parted his messy white hair, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

"Ye Chen, is that you?" she asked tentatively.

Ye Chen didn't speak, standing like a statue, though at the sound of "Ye Chen," a flicker of confusion crossed his vacant eyes.

"You don't recognize me? I'm Qing Luan! Lin Shi Hua's contracted divine beast," the green-clothed woman called out to him again.

Ye Chen still didn't say a word, remaining in his dazed state, like a walking corpse.

Qing Luan frowned, realizing the issue: Ye Chen wasn't ignoring her; he had lost his senses, his mind completely engulfed.

This state reminded her of the events in Da Chu years ago, when he had been in a stupor until Liu Ru Yan's death brought him back to clarity—the whole of Da Chu knew about it.

As Lin Shi Hua's contracted divine beast, she naturally knew as well.

Without hesitation, she took Ye Chen's hand and led him away quickly.

Ye Chen didn't resist and let Qing Luan pull him along, with brief moments of confusion. The woman before him felt strangely familiar.

Qing Luan glanced back repeatedly, her delicate brows furrowing time and again.

Seeing Ye Chen like this filled her with inexplicable pain. Where was the mighty Lord of the Heavenly Court who once shook the world? He looked so wretched now.

In the past, when the heavenly demons invaded Da Chu, Lin Shi Hua had used her life to summon spirits, just to save Ye Chen, and in the end, she died on Qing Luan's back.

That was the last time Qing Luan saw Lin Shi Hua, and also the last time she saw Ye Chen. She never expected to meet him again in Ling Yu.

She didn't know what had happened to Ye Chen or why he had come here.

However, Ye Chen's name had already spread throughout Ling Yu.

Ling Yu and Zhu Tian Wan Yu had countless connections. Many from Ling Yu were summoned to Zhu Tian, and when they returned, they spoke most about Ye Chen—the one who had slain two emperors in his lifetime.

His legendary feats and Ni Tian achievements had become immortal myths.