Chapter 1878: Don't Come Over

Ye Chen had just left when a bolt of lightning struck precisely where Xiao Ye Fan was. It was jet-black lightning, resembling the thunder of the Heavenly Punishment.

Seeing this scene, many people from Heng Yue instinctively covered their eyes, fearing that Xiao Ye Fan would be reduced to ashes by the lightning.

However, the bloody scene they imagined did not occur. Although the lightning struck Xiao Ye Fan, the little fellow was completely unharmed. He simply looked up at the sky with curiosity.

He was truly obedient, having taken Ye Chen's words to heart and treating the lightning as a playmate. He toddled around in the air, chasing the lightning with unsteady steps.

Amidst the thunderous roars, his giggles rang out clearly, full of joy as he played with unrestrained delight.

"Look, I told you! The Tian Quan Zhi Ti undergoing Tian Jie is even more like child's play," Long Wu said, touching his big bald head.

"Has crossing tribulations become this casual these days?" The elders and disciples of Heng Yue all twitched their mouths, watching as Xiao Ye Fan seemed to enjoy it even more than Xiao Ye Ling had back then, not treating the lightning as a tribulation at all.

"Both sons, yet why is the gap so big!" Xie Yun and his two fathers stroked their chins, glancing at their own son, then at Ye Fan, and back at their own.

"Worrying was pointless, wasn't it?" Ye Chen coughed lightly, realizing he had underestimated his son—he was incredibly prodigious.

Ji Ning Shuang's body tensed up. As a mother, how could she not worry? That was a Tian Jie, incredibly fearsome.

"He'll get through it," the other women said, offering comfort. As mothers themselves, they naturally felt concerned too.

"I want to play too," Xiao Ye Ling said from Chu Ling's arms, staring longingly at the sky. Seeing Ye Fan having so much fun made her eager to join in and chase the lightning.

She might have wanted to go, but Chu Ling wouldn't allow it. Ye Fan's Tian Jie would only cause chaos if she got involved.

The people of Heng Yue Zong were watching, and so were the quasi-emperors of Tian Xuan Men, all standing straight and gazing at the illusionary water curtain, clicking their tongues in amazement. First there was Xiao Ye Ling, and now Xiao Ye Fan—they had completely shattered everyone's worldview.

People crossing tribulations usually fought for their lives, but these two little ones were just playing, full of joy.

In truth, it proved they were getting old. They had been overshadowed by Ye Chen's talents and were still recovering, only for the next generation to rise up. Each one was more terrifying and prodigious than the last—Ye Chen hadn't even been this frightening in his time.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the thunder grew louder, with billions of lightning bolts weaving into waterfalls cascading from the ninth heaven, a magnificent sight.

Just like Xiao Ye Ling in the past, Xiao Ye Fan was now devouring the lightning. Every bolt that struck him was mysteriously absorbed, no matter how many there were.

The Tian Quan Zhi Ti's attribute was lightning, and an extremely fearsome one at that. Ye Fan devouring it surprised no one.

What surprised them was that amidst the Tian Jie, Xiao Ye Fan had activated a vision—a vast, pitch-black sea of thunder. Every lightning bolt in it was overwhelmingly dominant; just looking at it made one's heart tremble, all because it incorporated the power of heavenly punishment.

For others, a divine punishment was a calamity, but for Xiao Ye Fan, it was an opportunity and a fortuitous encounter.

As he devoured the lightning, his cultivation steadily climbed, advancing from Ning Qi Jing all the way to the peak of Ling Xu Jing. True to expectations, he forcefully broke through and ascended to Kong Ming Jing.

"Oh my god!" The people of Heng Yue covered their faces. It was truly disheartening to compare oneself to others.

Especially the old-timers—they had taken hundreds of years to reach Kong Ming Jing, but Ye Fan broke through as if it were a game, without any pressure at all. The comparison left only awkwardness.

"I thought, while I'm still young, I could have a few more," Ye Chen said meaningfully, glancing at the women. "Who knows, the next one might be a prodigy too."

"You, go stand over there," Chu Xuan said, kicking Ye Chen away. "Your son is crossing his tribulation—can't you take this seriously?"

"Seriously, I must take it seriously," the unreliable father replied, instantly dropping the joke and becoming dead serious.

"This lifetime, we've never been able to turn things around—it's just embarrassing," Xie Yun said meaningfully. First they were overshadowed by Ye Chen, and now the next generation was too—what was the point of trying?

"I say, is that little guy heading this way?" Xiong Er squinted his eyes, his mouth twitching violently.

Indeed, Ye Fan, still in the midst of his tribulation, was running over, toddling through the vast expanse of space.

"Mommy," the little one called out joyfully, reaching out his hands, wanting to pull Ji Ning Shuang along to play together.

"Ye Fan, don't come over," Ji Ning Shuang shouted immediately. It wasn't that he couldn't come, but his Tian Jie would follow, and if it involved the people of Heng Yue, things would get chaotic.

"Don't come over, go play with the lightning," Ye Chen also shouted. He had tough skin and could withstand the strikes, but the people of Heng Yue couldn't—one hit could wipe out a crowd.

Most importantly, if a third party got pulled into the tribulation, all sorts of nonsense could happen, affecting Ye Fan. As the saying went, whose tribulation it was, they should handle it themselves.

With his parents speaking up, Xiao Ye Fan was very sensible. He pouted midway through his run and turned back, not being chased by the lightning but chasing it himself.

Seeing Ye Fan run off, the people of Heng Yue breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Tian Jie of the Tian Quan Zhi Ti was no ordinary tribulation—it carried the power of heavenly punishment, which ordinary people absolutely couldn't withstand.

Not to boast, but if Xiao Ye Fan wandered over for a lap, over eighty percent of those present would be struck to ashes, their souls scattered—utterly fatal.

As time passed, the lightning in the sky gradually weakened. If the heavens had a spirit, they would be furious. It had come with such momentum, carrying billions of thunderbolts, only to be toyed with by this little one until it lost all temper. Where was the heavens' dignity?

Finally, the last bolt of lightning dissipated, and the Tian Jie ended.

Xiao Ye Fan, perhaps tired from playing, floated in the air and fell asleep. Lightning crackled around him, dazzling to behold, accompanied by visions weaving scenes of destruction. For such a young child to have this, it was shocking.

Ye Chen and the women hurried forward, taking Ye Fan back. The little one slept peacefully, murmuring about his mother.

The world fell quiet. Ji Ning Shuang carried the child back to their room, and the people of Heng Yue returned to their affairs, still clicking their tongues—everyone in Ye Chen's family was a freak.

Outside the mountains, Ye Chen stood quietly, not returning to Yu Nu Peak. His eyes narrowed slightly, fixed on the misty sky, sensing a pair of eyes watching from afar.

Unfortunately, with his Liu Dao Lun Hui Yan sealed, though his vision was there, he couldn't see through the black hole or spot the watcher.

A breeze blew by, and he turned, stepping back to Yu Nu Peak, though his brow remained furrowed. He could guess who it was.

It had to be the Teng She Di's imperial body, which had followed him here, peering from the black hole. Its mind was not fully intact, so it hadn't attacked.

Night quietly passed, and Heng Yue welcomed a new day.

In the morning, Ye Chen rose early, the perfect family man, busy preparing breakfast for his wives—it was quite considerate.

The two little ones were up early too, playing on the grass and occasionally darting to the stove to snatch things.

Ye Chen chuckled with delight, paying special attention to Xiao Ye Fan. After last night's Tian Jie, it had been a false alarm, but his precious son acted as if nothing had happened, innocent and radiant.

"After returning from Tian Zun Yi Ji, I need to start teaching the children cultivation," Ye Chen pondered silently. The two little ones would eventually enter the world, and only with strong power could they ensure their safety.

"So thoughtful," Chu Ling said, emerging from her room and heading to the stove, casually picking up a slice of cucumber. She giggled afterward, like a naive young girl—though a mother, she was still playful.

"No way around it, with so many wives," Ye Chen sighed. "My cooking skills have become incredibly refined because of you all."

"I'm rooting for you!" Chu Xuan said, walking out and taking quite a few of the carrots Ye Chen had cut.

Ye Chen didn't respond, just continued chopping vegetables while glancing up and down at Chu Xuan and Chu Ling, from head to toe.

He wondered what secrets these two held—secrets even Di Huang and Ming Di couldn't see through. Sadly, his own cultivation wasn't enough to uncover any clues.

Being stared at like that made Chu Xuan and Chu Ling feel uneasy, sensing something off about Ye Chen's gaze. They glanced back and went to play with the little ones.

Breakfast was warm and cozy, and as always, there were uninvited guests for a free meal.

This time, it wasn't Xiong Er and the others, but a woman in fluttering white robes, untouched by the mundane world, like a banished immortal.

This young woman was none other than the Qi Xi Sheng Nu, with the meaningful name Xu Nuo Yan.

"Just in time, I haven't eaten," Xu Nuo Yan said casually, squeezing herself between Ye Chen and Ji Ning Shuang, even bringing her own bowl and chopsticks.

"What brings you here?" Ye Chen asked with a smile.

"Missed your wives, that's why!" Xu Nuo Yan chuckled, blinking her beautiful eyes at Ji Ning Shuang beside her. She looked, but her gaze turned momentarily dazed—as if she were seeing Ji Ning Shuang but thinking of Ji Wu Chen.

Ji Ning Shuang frowned, feeling uncomfortable under the stare, and couldn't help but recall her past life. As the Sheng Nu of Zheng Yang Zong, she had attended the Dou Dan Da Hui disguised as a man under the name Ji Wu Chen, capturing a woman's heart.

That infatuated woman was none other than the Xu Nuo Yan before her. Ji Ning Shuang only learned of those feelings when Xu Nuo Yan died.

"Just look for a bit and be done," Ye Chen said, rubbing his brow. He had been there for that meal in Dan Cheng in their previous life, witnessing it all from start to finish. Every time he thought about it, he felt strangely awkward.

No helping it—who made Ji Ning Shuang so beautiful, and her male disguise so dashing? Long Jie was smitten with her, and Xu Nuo Yan was enchanted. She truly appealed to both genders.

"How about it, getting jealous?" Xu Nuo Yan pouted, though she withdrew her gaze. Her heart sank a little. It was love at first sight, carried from their past life to this one, but sadly, she loved someone she shouldn't.

"You need to find a matchmaker and get married off quickly," Ye Chen said meaningfully. "This idea is spot on."

His words made Xu Nuo Yan pout and the women cover their mouths to stifle laughter—they all found the situation incredibly bizarre.

After the meal, Ye Chen left, heading to the Tian Zun Yi Ji. That stretch of starry space was neither too near nor too far.

Originally, he didn't need to leave so soon, but because of the Teng She Di's imperial body, he had to depart early. Knowing it was targeting him, he had to lure this terrifying entity away from Da Chu to keep the people there out of danger.