Chapter 1769: Night of Xuanhuang

The night sky was profound, with shattered stars like dust in the mortal world. The sacred land of cultivators on the Xuan Huang Continent still shone brilliantly under the moonlight.

However, what should have been a quiet night was extraordinarily still.

The cultivators from the Xuan Huang coast had returned, spreading the news across the entire Xuan Huang Continent. The land erupted in uproar: "The six great clans of Hong Huang were utterly defeated in the Xuan Huang Star Sea."

In ancient city teahouses and taverns—any place where cultivators gathered—discussions buzzed. There were always a few chatty ones spouting off, their saliva flying everywhere as they captivated their audience.

"Thousands of warships, over a dozen Zhun Di, and hundreds of thousands of people—it was a total disaster. Only about a thousand warships made it back, along with around a hundred thousand people. Even several Zhun Di were captured—who knows if they're alive or dead."

"This move by Ye Chen was brilliantly executed, and that Tian Shuo—he's said to be the son of Xuan Gu Great Emperor—really came through."

"Heaven's cycle of retribution spares no one. They didn't show up to help during the Tian Mo invasion, but once the Tian Mo were repelled, they came out to cause chaos and bully others. Well, the Hong Huang great clans are finally getting their due."

"If I could, I'd love to meet those two divine figures."

In a tavern, a group sat around a table, laughing with a sense of nostalgia. Looking closely, they were Nan Di, Xiao Yuan Huang, and Long Jie.

After two years, they had all matured significantly, shedding their sharp edges for a more restrained and steady demeanor, though traces of hardship remained.

Their faces were pale, clearly indicating injuries, and serious ones at that. Especially Bei Sheng, whose mouth occasionally overflowed with fresh blood, and whose hair had turned snow-white.

"I dreamed of him last night," Xiao Jiu Xian pouted. "He was flirting with beauties, so I gave him a good beating."

"If he were still around, the younger generation of the heavens wouldn't have suffered such a devastating defeat." Nan Di chuckled self-mockingly, pouring wine from his jug onto the ground in tribute to the fallen young heroes, like the Bai Hu Crown Prince and the Qing Long Crown Prince.

"The facts prove we really couldn't hold our own." Long Jie also mocked himself, splashing wine as an offering to the Man Huang Crown Prince. He still vividly remembered the scene of that burly figure being beheaded, a memory that always brought a twinge of pain.

"I'll avenge you all." Xiao Yuan Huang sprinkled wine, his fiery golden eyes brimming with tears, honoring Kui Niu, Di Wu Bear, Bei Ming Fish, and Pangolin—once seven sworn brothers, now only he remained.

"Ye Chen, I miss you." Bei Sheng smiled sadly, her clear and beautiful eyes misty, as if she could see that slender figure. He had once seen her bare form—it was a karmic tie, and also a bond of affection.

The group fell silent, focusing only on drinking.

The years were turbulent, and the glory Ye Chen had established was something they couldn't continue. The ancient myths were, in the end, just legends.

The night on Xuan Huang rumbled, as if a great battle was brewing.

Gazing into the distance, the Xuan Huang Star Sea coast was engulfed in surging Hong Huang energy, majestic and icy, violent and bloodthirsty.

It was the Hong Huang great clans, hidden in the deep mountains and ancient forests, waiting for Ye Chen to come ashore so they could swarm and suppress him.

In the Star Sea battle, the Hong Huang's prestige had been completely shattered. Since their unsealing, they had never suffered such a loss.

"We'll make him wish he were dead." The Zhun Di of each clan gnashed their teeth, their faces twisted and grotesque under the starlight and moonlight, emitting a sinister glow that was terrifying.

By now, Ye Chen had followed Tian Shuo deep into the Star Sea.

It was a cave dwelling that formed a vast realm within. Inside, clouds and mist swirled, hazy and ethereal, like a slice of paradise.

The place was profoundly mysterious, with emperor-level array patterns concealed within, intertwined with the Star Sea to mask its aura—which explained why the outside world knew nothing of its existence.

"What a hidden wonderland!" Ye Chen couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"This bamboo is top-notch." Kui Niu and Li Changsheng burst out, pulling them up one by one like bandits. They knew their stuff—the bamboo was indeed a treasure.

"Get out of here." Tian Shuo stepped forward and kicked them away one by one. How dare you act like that in front of me?

"For all these eons, you've been sealed away here?" Ye Chen asked, acting normally as he glanced around and handed Tian Shuo a wine gourd.

"I've lost track of time." Tian Shuo shrugged, seeming carefree, though he couldn't hide the weariness in his eyes.

"It's surprising that Xuan Gu Great Emperor had a descendant still alive." Ye Chen sat down, sighing repeatedly. "Even now, I can hardly believe you're the son of an emperor."

Tian Shuo took a swig of wine and looked at Ye Chen with interest. "Weren't you supposed to be dead? How are you still alive?"

"Looks like you've already figured out who I am." Ye Chen smiled and removed his mask, revealing his true face. There was no point in hiding it anymore.

"I entered the world to face the calamity, but my insight is still sharp." Tian Shuo said leisurely. "A hundred years ago, when you and that little overlord Long were stirring up trouble in the Star Sea, I saw it all clearly. You slaughtered two emperors in one lifetime and even returned from the underworld. If my father were still alive, he'd surely be pleased."

"While you were sealed away, you still knew what was happening outside?" Kui Niu asked, stuffing a peach into his mouth.

"Can't I wake up and go out for a stroll?" Tian Shuo glanced at Kui Niu. "Do you think the nearly ten thousand Tian Mo warships destroyed two years ago during the invasion were taken out by someone else?"

"So that's what happened!" Kui Niu stroked his chin. "When we were exchanging fire with the Tian Mo warships, theirs just sank out of nowhere. Turns out we had a great master like you helping out!"

"Staying cooped up here is boring. Come on, let's go make some waves on Xuan Huang!" Ye Chen grinned at Tian Shuo.

"I need some time to merge with the Dao, so I can't leave the Star Sea for now." Tian Shuo replied. "When you go out, if you run into someone named Xiao Lu, tell him not to go wandering off anymore—he's always impossible to find."

"Xiao Lu? Your wife?" Kui Niu ventured.

"Wife, my ass! He's a guy, the direct heir of Yan Di."

"Yan Di has a descendant alive too?" Ye Chen exclaimed in surprise.

"There's a lot you don't know." Tian Shuo stood up and walked into the bamboo house. "If there's nothing else, get out."

"So arrogant—should we beat him up?" Kui Niu said meaningfully, pulling out an iron staff from his sleeve.

Ye Chen ignored him and turned to leave, muttering to himself. This trip back had been full of remarkable encounters.

First, there was Hong Huang Qi Lin Jiu Chen, then Tian Shuo, the son of Xuan Gu, and now Xiao Lu, the son of Yan Di.

He was certain that in some corners of the myriad heavens and domains, there were still many imperial legacies. This era was truly one of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, an absolute golden age.

Once they left the cave, the group didn't dare surface from the Star Sea; they traveled along the sea floor. Occasionally, they glanced upward.

Ye Chen didn't need to look to know that the Xuan Huang Continent's coast was swarming with Hong Huang clan members, all waiting for him to come ashore.

But Xuan Huang was vast, and even with many Hong Huang forces, they couldn't guard every inch. He could find a way to land—the initiative was in his hands. Who knew where he'd emerge?

"We're rich this time—we really hit the jackpot." Inside the copper furnace, Kui Niu and Li Changsheng chuckled gleefully.

Peering inside, magical artifacts were piled like mountains, including many Da Sheng weapons, along with pills and secret scrolls in quantities too vast to count.

This wealth could equip a massive army of cultivators, specifically one meant to fight the Hong Huang.

As for the sealed prisoners—the three Zhun Di of Qiong Qi, the Gui Ji Zhun Di, and Qiong Qi Ninth Prince—they looked ferocious, like demons.

By now, they had guessed Ye Chen's identity: the sacred body who had supposedly perished in the stars, yet here he was, alive.

It was shocking and unexpected, but it also explained why he wasn't bound by the Star Sea—Xuan Gu Great Emperor's paternal bloodline granted him special privileges. Unfortunately, they had realized it too late.

"Why are you all glaring at me so angrily?" Ye Chen glanced at them. "It seems I'm the one who should be angry!"

"The Hong Huang won't let you go." They gritted their teeth—if looks could kill, Ye Chen would have died ten thousand times over.

"The Hong Huang is so powerful, yet where were you during the two Tian Mo domain invasions? Do you even realize that the beings you harmed are your benefactors?" Ye Chen snorted coldly. "Betraying kindness demands a bloody price."