Chapter 1830: Family Ties

Chapter 1831: My Child Has Become a Spirit

The night was silent. Da Chu was quiet, bathed in starlight across its vast land, exuding a peaceful atmosphere. Every inch of that starlight seemed to carry an ancient story.

However, this tranquility was broken by a painful scream.

The one screaming was none other than Ye Chen.

He had been caught red-handed stealing treasures. Given his thick skin and flesh, the mischievous Zhun Di elders beat him soundly before throwing him out.

He was thrown with great force, like a shooting star streaking across thousands of mountains and rivers.

It was worth noting that Ye Chen’s posture remained as overbearing as ever, with the imposing aura of an emperor.

After some time, a thunderous boom echoed.

Looking into the distance, a towering and majestic mountain peak had collapsed from the impact, sending rocks flying everywhere.

“This bunch of old fogeys are getting more and more vicious,” Ye Chen cursed, rubbing his aching waist as he stood up.

In the moonlight, the emperor of Da Chu looked quite pathetic. His face was bruised, his eyes were swollen like a panda’s, and he couldn't wipe away the blood from his nose.

Still, the beating was worth it – he had stuffed a large storage bag full of treasures.

“I’ll go back in a few days,” Ye Chen chuckled slyly, wiped his bloody nose, and began sorting through his loot, completely unashamed.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, who is this?” Just as he was enjoying himself, two graceful figures descended from the sky. Both were exceptionally beautiful and otherworldly, like exiled immortals.

Upon closer inspection, these two women were none other than Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue, the disciple and wife of Hong Chen.

They had come to Tianxuan Gate to inquire about Hong Chen, but before arriving, they saw someone being flung out, and it turned out to be Ye Chen.

Ye Chen glanced at them but didn’t respond, continuing to focus on his treasures. He had no interest in these two women.

“You’ve stolen quite a bit again, haven’t you?” Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue approached, looking at the bag of treasures and clicking their tongues in amazement.

“Don’t put it that way,” Ye Chen pursed his lips.

“Hmph,” Chu Lingyu brushed it off. She was well aware of Ye Chen’s nature; he was either robbing or stealing, making him the most peculiar emperor in Da Chu’s history.

“I received an invitation yesterday,” Hong Chen Xue looked at Ye Chen with a smile. “What’s this? Another child on the way?”

“Don’t joke around. Last time it was just the little fatty,” Ye Chen muttered.

“So, this time? Which one is impersonating you again?” Chu Lingyu laughed, pulling out an invitation. Even the Tianzong families had received one yesterday.

“This time, it’s really mine,” Ye Chen tossed his head, as if to say that fathers were always handsome.

“As if we’d believe you,” Hong Chen Xue rolled her eyes. She knew Ye Chen’s wives well, and he had only been back for a month. There was no way a child could be born that quickly.

“It’s truly mine,” Ye Chen said with utmost seriousness.

“Who cares whose it is? Anyway, there’s no gift money from me.”

“Hey, if you say that, I’ll curse you.”

“No time to waste words with you,” Chu Lingyu extended her jade hand and pulled Ye Chen over, staring at him intently. “Have you sensed Hong Chen’s aura lately?”

“Well…” Ye Chen tilted his head upwards, gazing into the vast sky, not at the stars, but through the void towards the Heidong, in case Hong Chen and Liudao were still fighting there.

Unfortunately, he saw nothing this time. The spatial Heidong was endless, and who knew where Hong Chen and Liudao had gone.

“I’m talking to you! What’s with staring at the stars?” Hong Chen Xue’s eyes flashed with anger as she stepped forward and kicked him.

“Is this how you ask for a favor?” Ye Chen’s face darkened.

“Then let’s change the attitude,” Chu Lingyu blinked her beautiful eyes, a hint of imperial might flickering deep within them.

Clearly, she had an emperor weapon in her body, likely granted by Tianxuan Gate because of her connection to Hong Chen, to protect her.

Ye Chen backed down on the spot, chuckling awkwardly. This woman was fierce; if he provoked her, he’d end up half-disabled.

“Say something!” Hong Chen Xue kicked Ye Chen again.

“The Heidong—they’re in the Heidong,” Ye Chen coughed and explained. “They were fighting Liudao earlier. I went with Chu Huang and Yan Huang to break it up, but those two didn’t hold back and beat us up.”

“The Heidong?” Hong Chen Xue and Chu Lingyu exchanged glances, then both turned to Ye Chen, their brows furrowing slightly.

“I don’t know why they’re in the Heidong either,” Ye Chen shrugged.

Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue fell silent, their brows knitting even deeper.

Hong Chen was the future Ye Chen, and Liudao was the future Hong Chen. The two were of the same origin and had once fought side by side during the second Tianmo invasion. Now, their conflict was truly bizarre.

“Think about it slowly,” Ye Chen said as he turned and walked away.

But after two steps, he spun back, raised his hand, and slapped Hong Chen Xue’s backside.

Then, with a cheeky move, he grabbed Chu Lingyu’s chest and squeezed hard, putting real effort into it.

His actions were lightning-fast, all in the blink of an eye.

Before the two could react, he had already turned and bolted.

Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue were stunned, hardly believing that Ye Chen had the audacity.

“Ye Chen!”

The peaceful night was once again shattered by the two women’s furious shouts, making the heavens rumble.

“We’re even now.”

Ye Chen’s voice echoed back with a laugh. The phrase “we’re even” was something they all understood – from his past life when he was rejuvenated, these two women hadn’t spared his backside.

“You just wait!”

Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue were furious, stomping their feet in embarrassment. Their chests heaved dramatically, their beautiful eyes blazing with anger, and their cheeks flushed red.

They had thought about chasing him, but that idea quickly vanished.

Ye Chen’s speed was unmatched in the world. Even with an ultimate emperor weapon, they couldn’t catch him – that scoundrel was too slippery.

“The feel was pretty good.”

In the distant sky, Ye Chen chuckled to himself. After all these years, he finally felt vindicated.

Feeling smug, he picked up speed and teleported eight thousand zhang away, heading straight for Hengyue Zong.

It was nearly dawn when he arrived home, hurrying to Yunu Peak to hold the little one and touch his tiny face.

Hengyue Zong was a bit different today. Normally, before full daylight, elders and disciples would emerge from their caves to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and refine the essence of the sun and moon.

But today, after he ascended the mountain, he saw almost no one – or rather, everyone from Hengyue Zong had gathered at Yunu Peak.

“My Ling’er is quite popular,” Ye Chen smiled and stepped from the outer gate directly to Yunu Peak.

Indeed, Yunu Peak was bustling. It was packed with people – on the ground, on rocks, in trees, and in the air. The crowd filled the entire peak.

“This is insane. He was just a baby yesterday?”

“This growth rate is terrifying. Is he cheating?”

“No wonder he’s the Holy Lord’s child – too monstrous.”

The discussions were lively, with everyone staring intently at one spot. They were so focused that they didn’t even notice Ye Chen’s arrival.

“What’s going on?”

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and followed their gaze.

There, he saw a little toddler, about two or three years old, toddling across the lush grass, chasing a colorful butterfly and letting out childish giggles from time to time, full of joy and excitement.

The little one was like a sprite, with bright, clear eyes untainted by the world’s filth. His chubby, rosy cheeks and small body were enveloped in multicolored immortal glow, accompanied by various phenomena.

Most strikingly, at only two or three years old, his cultivation was already at the Kongming Realm. His little feet didn’t even touch the ground – he was stepping through the air, with Dao principles weaving around him.

Ye Chen was stunned, his eyes wide. He recognized at a glance that this little toddler was his daughter, Ye Ling.

As a father, he was completely baffled. When he left, she was just a baby, and in just one day, she had grown to two or three years old, leaping five major realms in cultivation.

This speed of growth and cultivation was probably unmatched across the entire Zhutian Wandu.

“I say, Xiao Ye, has your kid turned into a spirit?” Xie Yun nudged him with his elbow, clicking his tongue as he looked at Ye Chen. “What’s your secret formula? You have to tell me later.”

“It must be Chu Ling Shifu’s milk,” Situ Nan sighed, his expression meaningful.

“Good brother, get me a basin of your wife’s milk,” Xiong Er was the most straightforward, handing Ye Chen a large iron basin. “If my little one drinks it, he’ll grow too.”

“What’s all this about?” Ye Chen scratched his head, barely registering Xie Yun and the others’ words, but he ended up clapping the iron basin over Xiong Er’s head.

“Daddy.”

Ye Ling, who was chasing the butterfly, seemed to spot Ye Chen and toddled over with her little arms outstretched.

“Huh? When did the Holy Lord get here?”

Everyone turned around and saw Ye Chen standing there, looking utterly confused.

Ye Chen had already gone over and picked up the little one, his expression a mix of surprise and bewilderment at this unexpected joy.

The little one was delighted, touching Ye Chen’s face now and then, and rubbing her little head against him. When she laughed, her tiny tiger teeth and dimples made her adorably cute.

Ye Chen chuckled dryly and glanced at Chu Ling and Chu Xuan and the others, who must have witnessed this strange process.

“We’re just as surprised,” Chu Ling shrugged, feeling awkward as a mother. She really had turned into a spirit.

“Even more monstrous than you,” Chu Xuan couldn’t help but smile.

“I can see that,” Ye Chen coughed. When he was that age, he didn’t even know where he was.

“Who knows, she might be taller than me tomorrow,” Xiyan pouted, feeling truly awkward.

“You never know!” The women all covered their mouths and laughed. At this rate, in three days, she’d be a full-grown beauty.

As they spoke, a group of elders swarmed over, their affection for the next generation pushing Ye Chen aside as they vied to hold the little one, making her giggle nonstop.

The most awkward ones were probably these elders.

A two- or three-year-old at Kongming Realm – what could they say?

It had taken them centuries to reach Kongming Realm, but this little girl had done it in a day.

While that side was lively, Ye Chen stood there stroking his chin, staring at Chu Ling, especially focusing on her two mounds.

“What are you looking at?”

Chu Ling glared at him fiercely.

“I’m wondering, is your milk really that magical?” Ye Chen said earnestly. “Maybe I should try some?”

“Get lost.”

Chu Ling kicked him away, huffing in annoyance, her cheeks tinged with red.

“Is it really that magical?” Chu Xuan and the other women were also staring, their eyes curious, wondering if they could get some to study.

Chu Ling covered her forehead, then her face, and turned to run away. Being stared at like that was too embarrassing.

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