Chapter 1773: Good Looks

The night passed without incident, and as dawn broke, the Western Desert welcomed a new morning. What was once a peaceful Buddhist haven had long been buried in the dust of history; now, the Western Desert was shrouded in the aura of the Honghuang era.

Overnight, most of the human cultivators had fled the Western Desert.

The great Honghuang clans were all like madmen; if they couldn't find Ye Chen, they would surely erupt in fury and unleash destruction on all living beings.

At the edge of the Western Desert, human cultivators gathered, murmuring in sighs.

"What a fine irony," an elder cultivator snorted coldly. "To capture one saint, they've mobilized such a force."

His words left everyone silent. They mocked the Honghuang clans, yet they were also mocking themselves—for knowing that a human prodigy was being hunted, yet daring neither to rescue him nor to intervene.

In a world where the strong ruled, it was a brutal law of survival.

The heavens dared not provoke the Honghuang; a single Honghuang era could challenge four ages, being the closest to the dawn of creation, with the first batch of beings all defying the heavens in power. They were overwhelmingly strong; if a full-scale war broke out, the myriad realms of the heavens would be reduced to ruins.

Yet, the more this was the case, the more the human cultivators of the heavens burned with anger.

If the Honghuang had unsealed themselves to aid in the battle against the celestial demons, the myriad realms wouldn't have been drowned in rivers of blood, nor would the war have been so devastating. Too many peerless heroes had fallen, their blood staining the stars. The celestial demons were repelled, only for the Honghuang clans to emerge and stir up chaos, igniting fresh conflicts and slaughtering at will. How could this not incite rage?

In the Western Desert, in a desolate forest where not even a bird stirred, Ye Chen poked his head out, casually holding his wine gourd as if nothing had happened.

"The ancient cities of the Western Desert, and their teleportation arrays, have likely all been taken over by the Honghuang. To leave this pure land, we'll have to rely on ourselves," Xi Zun said slowly.

"The enemy is strong; it's best to keep a low profile," Li Changsheng added.

"What's the plan?" Kui Niu asked, looking toward Ye Chen.

"Of course, I have a plan. We need to give the Honghuang something to cheer about," Ye Chen said with a meaningful smile as he brushed the dust from his shoulder. "Causing trouble is my specialty."

Li Changsheng didn't react much and continued sipping his meat soup.

Xi Zun and Kui Niu, however, stroked their chins and gave Ye Chen a knowing look. Trouble was brewing; with this guy stirring things up, the Western Desert was about to get lively.

"You despicable human, come out!" As they spoke, a commanding voice echoed from outside the forest.

Looking into the distance, it was members of the Tengshe clan—a Dasheng and three Shengwang, likely a patrol team. They had searched this area and sensed human cultivators in the forest, so they shouted out.

"Digging for treasures? No time," Ye Chen replied casually, already gripping his weapon, ready to strike.

"Seeking death." The four snorted coldly and stepped into the forest.

As soon as they entered, they saw Ye Chen standing like a spear on a rock, flashing them a grin with his pearly white teeth.

"Chen Ye?" The four Tengshe members paled and turned to flee.

"Think you can leave after showing up?" Ye Chen sneered, chasing them across the sky like a phantom, his form too fast to track.

"Quick, send the signal!" the Tengshe Dasheng roared.

Without needing his order, one Shengwang from the Tengshe pulled out a jade stone sealed with immortal light—a signal flare.

But before the Tengshe could crush the jade, Ye Chen was upon him, striking with a swift sword that crippled his cultivation.

In an instant, the other two Shengwang were also brought to their knees—one with his dantian destroyed, the other with his Dao roots severed.

"Exterminate!" the Tengshe Dasheng bellowed in fury, activating a divine bead that bore down from above—it was his natal artifact.

"With that?" Ye Chen chuckled lightly, slashing upward with his Zhundi sword, shattering the divine bead and severely wounding the Tengshe Dasheng in the process, sending him staggering back with blood spraying from his mouth before Ye Chen suppressed him with a palm strike.

"My clan won't let you go!" the Tengshe roared.

"Is that the line all Honghuang clans use?" Ye Chen muttered, pressing his palm to the top of the Tengshe Dasheng's head.

He then unleashed a soul-searching secret technique, forcefully extracting memories.

The Tengshe Dasheng screamed in agony, his face twisting in pain as his divine sea buzzed and his skull felt on the verge of exploding.

His screams eventually faded, and the Tengshe Dasheng blacked out.

Ye Chen stuffed him into a bronze furnace but didn't kill him; instead, he took some of his blood and soul, integrating them into his own body.

Next, Ye Chen's features shifted, transforming him into an exact replica of the Tengshe Dasheng.

That wasn't all—he also applied Taixu Illusion and Soul Concealment techniques to mimic the Dasheng's cultivation level, and finally used Zhoutian to mask his Saint Body essence and bloodline power.

"What a domineering disguise technique," Xi Zun couldn't help but exclaim in admiration; even with his insight, he couldn't see through it.

"With this Tengshe facade, we can stir up some real chaos," Li Changsheng said with a chuckle, rubbing his hands together.

"Brother, let me calculate—if you're going to sow discord, that's spot on," Kui Niu said with a profound tone, his demeanor growing more refined.

"That's why you're my brother—you get me," Ye Chen laughed, digesting the Tengshe's memories while stretching his neck contentedly. "I hear the Qiu Yu clan and the Tengshe clan don't get along at all."

With that, he turned and stepped out of the forest.

The skies of the Western Desert were filled with Honghuang clan members flying about, either in groups of three or five, inspecting every human cultivator they encountered.

Ye Chen ignored them completely, striding boldly as if he owned the place.

He was impersonating a Tengshe, and a Dasheng at that— even a Zhundi might not see through it, so who would dare stop him? Not only was he unhindered, but some even bowed in respect as he passed.

Thus, he flew freely, causing mischief all the way.

As night fell, Ye Chen arrived at Yinguo Ancient City.

As Xi Zun had predicted, all the ancient cities in the Western Desert were under Honghuang control, and Yinguo Ancient City was no exception.

The one controlling this city was the Qiu Yu clan.

Ye Chen's purpose was clear: to stir up trouble, not as himself, but as a Tengshe.

From the Tengshe Dasheng's memories, he knew there was bad blood between the two clans. Coming here to cause chaos would be twice as effective with half the effort.

If he played his cards right, he might even spark a war between the two Honghuang clans, allowing him to sit back and watch the spectacle.

In fact, Ye Chen's disguise proved incredibly effective; as he entered Yinguo City, numerous Qiu Yu Shengwang and Dasheng passed by, yet none suspected his identity.

It was also clear that the relationship between the Tengshe and Qiu Yu clans was indeed tense; every Qiu Yu member treated him with cold stares, and some even showed signs of killing intent.

Ye Chen sneered, his eyes full of contempt, walking with an arrogant swagger that perfectly captured the Tengshe Dasheng's personality. If you don't like it, come at me—who's afraid?

Before long, he reached the city center, where an altar stood, and the teleportation array of Yinguo Ancient City was located on it.

Guarding the array was a Qiu Yu Dasheng, whose details Ye Chen had learned from the Tengshe's memories—he was notoriously violent.

"Tengshe, you're quite relaxed, aren't you!" the Qiu Yu Dasheng said with a sinister smile, his tone mocking.

"You look like a dog, and you're just as annoying," Ye Chen shot back with a playful, taunting laugh, his words unfiltered. That's right, I'm insulting you—what are you going to do about it?

His retort made the Qiu Yu Dasheng's eyes flash with cold light, and the surrounding space solidified with tension.

"No time to tangle with you—activate the array. I need to go to Zaohua City," Ye Chen said, flicking his robe and stepping into the formation.

"Nine million source stones," the Qiu Yu Dasheng replied with a sly grin, suppressing his anger and stroking his beard nonchalantly.

"What did you say?" Ye Chen's face turned icy.

"To go to Zaohua Ancient City, that's nine million source stones. Clear enough?" The Qiu Yu Dasheng's lips curled up. "If you don't have the money, wait until you do."

He lifted his chin defiantly, clearly provoking him.

Or perhaps, he was deliberately egging him on—after that insult earlier, now you want to use the array? Not a chance. This array is under my control; if I don't let you go, you're stuck here. Let's see you try.

Ye Chen ramped up his act, his blood-red eyes gleaming with icy killing intent as he stared down the Qiu Yu Dasheng.

"Well? Hand it over or not?"

Seeing Ye Chen's grim expression, the Qiu Yu Dasheng asked with interest, his smile widening.

"You've lived too comfortably," Ye Chen snorted coldly and suddenly drew his sword, thrusting straight for the Qiu Yu Dasheng's forehead.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, the Qiu Yu Dasheng was hit unprepared, his primordial spirit suffering a heavy blow. Had Ye Chen not held back, he would have been sent straight to the underworld.

"Tengshe, how dare you harm me!" The Qiu Yu Dasheng retreated instantly, his roar shaking the heavens, his face twisted like a demon.

"Harming you is just the beginning," Ye Chen cursed loudly and pressed his attack, his killing sword ringing out, each strike aimed to kill.

"Good, very good." The Qiu Yu Dasheng trembled with rage, halting his retreat as a divine light flashed from his brow, summoning a divine mirror above his head.