Chapter 1876: By Seniority

The breakfast was warm and enjoyable, full of warmth and harmony. As usual, as soon as the meal ended, a group of old folks appeared and took the five children away, because, as the saying goes, grandchildren and grandparents are like separated flesh and blood; they're naturally closer.

After the meal, Ye Chen returned to his room, sat cross-legged, and gently closed his eyes. He was not only healing his injuries but also seeking enlightenment. Due to the Rinne Sharingan, the seal on his Rinnegan couldn't be broken quickly. It was a matter of one thing countering another, completely suppressing it. It was like a curse, with mysterious and terrifying power. It took Ye Chen a full nine days to erase the backlash, and then another three days of quiet meditation before he entered a state of deep enlightenment.

What he was enlightening on was still the Dao Sword, a sword formed by the Great Dao itself, incredibly fearsome. This had already been demonstrated at the Yao Chi grand event, where it could ignore the source armor of others. His comprehension of the Dao Sword was largely thanks to the Holy King Heavenly Tribulation. Without the oppression from the sixteen emperors, he wouldn't have undergone a desperate rebirth, transforming his body into chaotic Dao to evade the refinement of the emperor's path.

In the room, it was serene and still. Ye Chen was immersed in the Dao realm. The Chaos Cauldron hovered above his head, ancient and natural. Influenced by Ye Chen's chaotic Dao, it emitted continuous heavenly sounds and various faint, ancient visions.

Ye Chen remained in this state for an entire month, like a stone-carved statue, unmoving. He gained a profound understanding of the chaotic Dao. However, despite his efforts, he couldn't find the bottleneck to the Great Saint realm. All he saw was a hazy expanse, with breakthrough still far off, possibly requiring thousands of years.

The women knew he was in enlightenment and didn't disturb him. Instead, they used secret techniques to isolate his room from the outside world.

On the third month's clear morning, distinguished guests arrived. It was a group of Emperor's Dao Inheritances, not just one, but several, who had come together. Chen Yi, Tian Shuo, Xiao Lu, Wu Qing, Li Feng Qiu, and Mu Yang were all there, causing a stir throughout Heng Yue Sect.

The disciples and elders were all eager, gathering in crowds, curious to see what made these Emperor's Dao Inheritances so different.

The most enthusiastic was a young woman, who rushed over faster than anyone else, straight to Tian Shuo, smiling radiantly.

That young woman was, of course, Bai Zhi, the disciple of the emperor. She was radiantly elegant with exceptionally high standards. Among so many Emperor's Dao Inheritances, she had set her sights on Tian Shuo.

Was this love? Di Huang and Ming Di from Boundary Nether Mountain couldn't help but smile. As the two masters, they had originally tried to match Bai Zhi with someone from the underworld, but it just didn't click.

However, once their disciples arrived in the various heavens, things changed naturally—one took a liking to Qing Luan, and the other to Tian Shuo.

So, that's how fate works! It's the most unpredictable thing; you can't stop it, and trying to force it is useless.

"Fellow Daoists, you've come at an inopportune time; he's in seclusion," Chu Xuan Er said with a light laugh, serving rich tea. As the peak master of Jade Maiden Peak, she was fulfilling her duties as host.

"Then we'll wait!" Mu Yang said, holding a teacup and wandering around Jade Maiden Peak, as if sightseeing.

The other Emperor's Dao Inheritances were much the same, looking here and there, wondering what magic this small Heng Yue Sect held that it could nurture a prodigy like Ye Chen, making even Emperor's Dao Inheritances feel inferior.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed extraordinary—not because Heng Yue Sect itself was remarkable, but because its people were. This small sect was full of hidden talents, with special bloodlines everywhere.

And as for Ye Chen's wives, each one was extraordinarily formidable: there was the Yao Chi goddess, the Wu Lei goddess, and the Da Chu sovereign, any of whom would be terrifying on their own.

Ye Chen's two children didn't even need mentioning—they put others to shame. One had the Sheng Ling Zhi Ti, the other the Tian Qian Zhi Ti. In a thousand years, the younger generation of the various heavens would be their domain, with few able to rival them.

"You haven't married yet, have you?" Bai Zhi asked, resting her chin on her hands, her bright eyes blinking at Tian Shuo.

"I say, little girl, are you interested in me?" Tian Shuo replied, focused on sipping his tea. The tea from Jade Maiden Peak had a unique flavor, brewed from special materials.

"What do you mean, little girl?" Bai Zhi pouted. As Di Huang's disciple, few dared to address her that way.

"In terms of seniority, I don't know how many generations ahead of you I am," Tian Shuo chuckled, his confidence boosted by his status.

"That depends on how you count it," Bai Zhi said with a smile. "If we go by my master's seniority, you're far behind. And you still call me a girl?"

"Do you know I'm the son of Xuan Gu Da Di?"

"Do you know my master has a bit of a temper?"

"Your bragging skills deserve full marks." Tian Shuo took another sip of tea, meaningfully adding, "Someday, I'll make time to chat with your master about ideals."

"Got it all recorded!" Ming Jue said, holding a memory crystal, capturing every word Tian Shuo said today. He planned to show it to Di Huang when he returned to the various heavens, for a good laugh.

Tian Shuo didn't mind, casually pouring and savoring his tea, completely unfazed, as if Bai Zhi and Ming Jue were just boasting.

Little did he know, if Bai Zhi revealed her master's name, this emperor's son might be scared witless on the spot. Xuan Gu Da Di shook the ancients and illuminated the present, but Di Huang's reputation was no less formidable—they were both ruthless figures of their eras.

Truly comparing seniority, Xuan Gu was a junior to Di Huang. Tian Shuo was Xuan Gu's son, and Bai Zhi was Di Huang's disciple, so by that measure, Tian Shuo's seniority fell short of Bai Zhi's.

There was no helping it; with a master like Di Huang, her status was elevated. In this era of comparing fathers, it was also an era of comparing masters.

The group of Emperor's Dao Inheritances chatted and laughed, but Xuanyuan Di Zi was a bit of an outlier, silent and reserved. He climbed to the peak of Jade Maiden Peak and gazed out at the vast mountains and rivers.

Ten thousand years ago, his father, Xuanyuan Di, had fought fiercely against the heavenly demons on this very land, protecting the myriad realms. Now, looking at the territory his father once guarded, he couldn't help but recall those ancient events, feeling as if it were all a fleeting dream.

"How about we draw some blood from these Emperor's Dao Inheritances?" Xi Yan said, resting her chin on her hands as she looked at the group of emperor's sons.

"Sounds feasible," Ming Jue replied, stroking his chin, his eyes gleaming.

"Sounds feasible," Long Yi and Long Wu echoed, touching their foreheads.

"Sounds feasible," the talents of Heng Yue Sect agreed, rubbing their hands in anticipation. Emperor's Dao Inheritances were full of treasures, rarely seen individually, and here they were all gathered—quite the opportunity.

The women rubbed their brows at this; these individuals weren't ordinary Holy Kings, each being an Emperor's Dao Inheritance. Were they joking around?

Mid-conversation, a door creaked open, and Ye Chen emerged, stretching lazily. His vital energy surged, his face glowed with vitality, and he looked full of energy.

Seeing Ye Chen appear, the Emperor's Dao Inheritances gathered around. Their trip to Da Chu was specifically to find the Holy Body.

"Well, well!" Ye Chen clicked his tongue, scanning the group—all pure Emperor's Dao Inheritances. If he could draw some blood from them and sell it, it would fetch a fortune.

After looking around, his gaze settled on three in particular: one with flowing white hair, one in black robes, and the third carrying a red immortal sword.

These three all had surging vital energy, their eyes as deep as the starry sky, naturally evolving Dao principles, having reached a state of returning to simplicity.

He focused on them because he had met the other Emperor's Dao Inheritances before, but these three were new to him.

"The one with white hair is Zi Yu, son of Wu Ji Da Di," Xiao Lu explained helpfully, introducing them one by one, as if they were old acquaintances.

"The one in black is Jiu Liu, son of Yu Kong Da Di."

"And the one with the red immortal sword is Feng Yu, son of Qing Di."

"Three more emperor's sons—truly an honor," Ye Chen said with a laugh, thinking to himself that if it came to comparing fathers, he definitely couldn't compete.

"The Holy Body lives up to its reputation," the three replied with faint smiles, though a hint of wariness showed in their eyes.

"That's all just empty praise," Ye Chen said with a smile, also wary of these three emperor's sons. After all, no Emperor's Dao Inheritance was ordinary; they were all formidable.

"No need for small talk; let's get to the point," Li Feng Qiu interjected, smiling at Ye Chen. "The Tian Zun ruins, which open once every eight hundred years, are about to begin. Is the Holy Body interested?"

"The Tian Zun ruins?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, glancing at the group questioningly. "What level is Tian Zun?"

"Tian Zun isn't a level; it's a title for a person," Feng Yu explained with a smile. "Ancient legends say that a Da Luo Jin Xian fell from the heavens and dissolved into the Dao. His physical body, after enduring the passage of time, transformed into a vast starry realm—that's the Tian Zun ruins. And Tian Zun is the honorific the world gives to that Da Luo Jin Xian."

"There's such a thing," Ye Chen said, his eyes lighting up. He was no stranger to Da Luo Jin Xian; his Chaos Cauldron was forged from Da Luo divine iron, said to be derived from a Da Luo Jin Xian's Dao bones. To this day, he still didn't fully understand what kind of existence a Da Luo Jin Xian was and how it compared to a great emperor.

"In the Tian Zun ruins, there are treasures left by that Da Luo Jin Xian, including insights into the Dao—all supreme opportunities," Zi Yu said leisurely. "Throughout history, countless who gained these fortunes went on to become world-shaking giants."

"Are there any cultivation restrictions?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

"No level restrictions, but there's a mysterious force inside that suppresses cultivation," Jiu Liu replied with a smile. "It's similar to the ancient ruins in Xuan Huang Central State; it'll be a battlefield."

"With opportunities like this, the primordial clans must be involved!" Ye Chen said, stroking his chin and glancing around.

"Naturally," Chen Yi responded, speaking slowly. "As Jiu Liu said, it's both opportunity and a battlefield—a battlefield exclusive to emperor's sons. This is an unspoken agreement among Emperor's Dao Inheritances. The battles between successive generations always begin in the Tian Zun ruins."

"To put it bluntly, the few of us going in might not come out," Mu Yang said, sipping his tea. "In the wars of past emperor's sons across the various heavens, only we remain. This trip to the ruins could be our final battle; lives are at stake."

"That exaggerated? It's not mandatory, right?" Ye Chen asked, stunned.

"How can we back down from the primordial clans' provocations? Our forebears shook the ancients and illuminated the present; we can't let their glory be tarnished by later generations," Xiao Lu said with a smile. "We're fighting for our lives and upholding the emperors' reputations. The Holy Body should understand that."

"I understand," Ye Chen nodded. If the primordial clans declared war on the Holy Body lineage, he would go too, just as these Emperor's Dao Inheritances were willing to risk their lives for their forebears' honor.

"We came to invite the Holy Body to join us in the Tian Zun ruins," Tian Shuo said. "Not to fight alongside us, but to bring out our bodies if we fall."