Chapter 1812: Many Wives

"It's truly extraordinary," Ye Chen said, sighing in admiration. He knew how formidable the Hun Dun Ding was, and if even it couldn't break through, it showed how tough the Di Zang Meteor Iron was.

As he spoke, he stuffed the Di Zang Meteor Iron into the Hun Dun Ding. If the cauldron could absorb it, its might would surely increase.

But to his surprise, no sooner had he put it in than the cauldron spat it right back out.

This left him looking puzzled. The Hun Dun Ding would devour any magical artifact, yet it refused this piece of meteor iron.

"It's definitely a treasure," Ye Chen said, blowing on the meteor iron and wiping it with his sleeve.

The fact that even the Hun Dun Ding couldn't absorb it proved its unusual nature. It would make a great shield or a weapon to smash enemies with.

The night passed without incident, and dawn arrived in an instant. The warm morning sunlight bathed Hengyue in a layer of brilliant radiance.

The disciples and elders of Hengyue all emerged, first casting a glance towards Yunu Peak before commencing their daily tasks.

Yes, tasks. It was all because the previous night's banquet had been too rowdy, leaving everything in disarray and in need of cleaning.

But everyone was surprisingly energetic. With the Tian Ting Holy Lord returned, the future was bright, peaceful, and truly wonderful.

On Yunu Peak, doors to various chambers opened at the same time, and groups of women rushed out.

Many were barefoot in their haste, their beautiful eyes scanning the peak nervously, as if they had lost something precious and were searching desperately.

"What are you all looking for?" Ye Chen asked, wrapping a scarf around his neck as he came out holding a plate of vegetables. It was clear he was preparing a meal.

"We thought it was all a dream," the women replied, their eyes glistening with tears and their voices choked with emotion. They feared waking up and finding everything had been an illusion, which was why they were searching so anxiously.

"You silly girls, it's not that full of dreams," Ye Chen said with a smile. "Come on, let's eat. The Da Chu Emperor himself is cooking."

The women cried and laughed, forgetting to freshen up as they gathered around the table, eating without any restraint.

Ye Chen had put real effort into this breakfast.

At their cultivation level, they no longer needed food, but it was about the feeling—the sense of everyday life. Even lofty cultivators sometimes longed for the simplicity of mortal existence, plain and genuine.

"Slow down, you look like a pack of starving ghosts," Ye Chen said, holding his chopsticks but not knowing where to pick, as the food was nearly gone.

"You know you have so many wives—why didn't you make more?" Liu Ruyan teased, kicking Ye Chen lightly. "Remember next time."

"That's quite a lot," Ye Chen said with an awkward laugh, finally setting down his chopsticks. The entire table of dishes had been devoured by the women, leaving the cook himself feeling embarrassed.

"Oh man, it's all gone—did I come too late?" Xiong Er arrived, huffing and puffing, his fat jiggling all over as he ran. He was clearly here to freeload a meal, but despite hurrying, he had missed it.

"I didn't even get any," Ye Chen said, tucking his hands away and glancing at his so-called wives. Their eating speed was no joke—absolutely lightning fast.

"How awkward," Xiong Er muttered, rubbing his belly. He reached into his pants and pulled out a greasy roasted chicken, squatting down to gnaw on it without a care.

This whole act made not just the women, but even Ye Chen, look at him with disgust. He knew his storage bag was in his pants, but did he have to pull things out of there every time? What if he accidentally yanked out something else?

"Tell me, bro, which wife did you sleep with last night?" Xiong Er asked, ignoring the stares and poking Ye Chen with his oily fingers, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"All together makes it more lively," Ye Chen replied, smoothing his hair.

"Then I have to give you something good," Xiong Er said, biting into the chicken with his mouth while rummaging in his pants with his greasy hands. After fumbling around, he pulled out an item.

It was a tiger penis, absolutely massive, thicker than a forearm.

Ye Chen's mouth twitched at the sight. Xiong Er had given him plenty of treasures before, and they were all top-quality tiger penises for virility.

The women blushed at the view, the atmosphere turning extremely awkward.

Well, with so many wives, he probably needed a boost, and Xiong Er was thoughtfully looking out for his brother.

"This is a real gem—Xie Yun that jerk begged me for three years, and I never gave it to him," Xiong Er chuckled.

"To show my thanks, I'll give you this treasure," Ye Chen said, handing Xiong Er a package of specialties, a mix from the underworld and Da Chu, packed with substance.

"Now that's good," Xiong Er exclaimed, tossing aside the roasted chicken and wiping the grease on his hands before holding the package with both.

For some reason, watching Xiong Er at that moment, Ye Chen couldn't help but think of the human realm: a few wives pinning down Xiong Er's legs and arms while he rode on top, stuffing a sack of specialties into him forcefully. The idea was enough to turn his stomach.

Xiong Er left, hugging the package of specialties and scampering off, probably to test its effects on someone.

Ye Chen glanced at the women and quickly put away the tiger penis. With so many wives, he had to keep it safe.

"Pervert," the women scolded Ye Chen in unison.

"If I were really being a pervert, you'd all still be in bed," Ye Chen smirked. Nothing had happened last night.

"What did you say?" the women snapped, furious, grabbing plates, dishes, and bowls to hurl at him.

"You missed," Ye Chen said, darting away, his voice echoing back: "I'm heading out, don't miss me."

"As if we'd miss you," the women huffed, though they smiled sweetly. They got along well, tidying up the dishes like dutiful wives, the scene warm and harmonious.

Ye Chen left Hengyue, speeding north like a divine ray.

It wasn't until he reached an ancient city that he finally descended.

The city was grand and imposing, with a thick medicinal fragrance billowing out, and its walls still stained with drying blood.

This was Dan Cheng, the sacred ground for alchemists of Da Chu.

It was here that he had been named a Dan Sheng by Dan Zu, and he was also the nominal city lord of Dan Cheng.

"Dan Sheng has arrived; we failed to welcome you properly—our fault," a group of Dan Cheng elders said, coming out to greet him before he could enter. Though they were all seniors, they showed great respect.

Ye Chen was the Da Chu Emperor, the Tian Ting Holy Lord, a Dan Sheng, and the city lord of Dan Cheng. Any of these titles warranted their reverence.

"I've imposed on you," Ye Chen said with a smile, taking an urn of ashes from his storage bag and holding it in his hands.

"May we ask, Holy Lord, what is this?" the elders asked tensely, all eyes on Ye Chen. Clearly, it contained ashes, and they were from Dan Cheng—possibly Dan Chen, Dan Yi, or other elders.

"Senior Dan Mo," Ye Chen replied with a sad smile.

Their karma with Dan Mo was complicated—enemies at first, allies later. Without Dan Mo, Dan Cheng wouldn't have refined the Tian Ji Dan, and he wouldn't have become a quasi-Heavenly great saint body, able to defeat the Tian Mo Emperor. By now, Da Chu would likely be nothing but ancient history.

During the Tian Mo invasion, Dan Mo had defended Dan Cheng with his life and was a hero of Da Chu.

Fate was cruel; Dan Mo had reincarnated in the Tian Mo Domain and met Ye Chen on the underworld battlefield.

Tragically, the memory immortal light couldn't break his seal, so he chose death for a few moments of clarity.

"We pay respects to our ancestor," the Dan Cheng elders said, kneeling on one knee with utmost respect upon learning it was Dan Mo.

Dan Chen had explained Dan Mo's story back then.

Dan Mo wasn't a traitor to Dan Cheng but a victim, burdened with blood debts and living in shadows like a stray dog. The entire Dan Cheng owed him.

Ye Chen entered Dan Cheng and stood before the statue of Dan Zu.

The elders followed, and alchemists from Dan Cheng gathered in droves, their eyes filled with grief.

"Senior, you're home," Ye Chen said with a weary smile.

With that, he opened the urn and scattered Dan Mo's ashes beneath the Dan Zu statue. After a great cycle, he had returned to dust and earth, like fallen leaves to their roots.

All past grudges, rises, and falls faded with the ashes, becoming mere history.

In that moment, everyone in Dan Cheng knelt on one knee, bowing deeply to the scattering ashes.

Ye Chen departed quietly, and faintly, he heard a hoarse, weary voice: "Thank you."

Leaving Dan Cheng, Ye Chen continued north to Bei Chu.

He paused briefly on the vast plain, pouring wine before the Ying Ling Zhong, where many names were engraved—most had been found, with only one left.

He didn't know how many would never return or how many, like Dan Mo, had reincarnated in the Tian Mo Domain as demons.

The next Tian Mo invasion would likely see these heroes meet as eternal foes on the battlefield.

With a sigh, he turned and soared into the sky, heading to the Bei Chu Tian Long Sheng Zong to visit that woman who had sacrificed her life for him: Nanming Yushu.