Chapter 1910: The Immortals Are Also Here

Ji Ningshuang also tried, and from her glabella, a lotus platform flew out, sweeping out splendid immortal light. What astonished Ye Chen was that this lotus platform easily tore open a crack, allowing a clear view through it into the vast underground space realm, where clouds and mist swirled in a hazy, ethereal manner.

Ji Ningshuang was also surprised, as this attempt, which she hadn't expected to succeed, had actually worked. Without hesitation, she stepped into the space realm.

Ye Chen lifted his foot and followed. However, awkwardly, as soon as he entered, the crack healed behind him. Clearly, the space realm welcomed Ji Ningshuang but not him, refusing to let him in.

Ye Chen began to understand that Ji Ningshuang's lotus platform must have an extraordinary origin. The space realm was giving face to the lotus platform and, by extension, to its owner, which was why it allowed Ji Ningshuang entry.

"Since it's your opportunity, I won't force it."

Ye Chen coughed dryly as he spoke, then turned and left the underground palace, leaving behind only a clone. He wasn't worried about the Honghuang Emperor's sons coming; he was concerned that when Ji Ningshuang emerged, she might be ambushed by the Honghuang Emperor's sons, so he was taking precautions.

Once out of the underground palace, Ye Chen ascended to the peak of a mountain and gazed out in all directions. There were almost no booming sounds or signs of battle fluctuations. This was all thanks to Ji Ningshuang's heavenly tribulation, which had wiped out over two million of the three million Honghuang troops. Such devastating losses were even too much for the Honghuang to bear, so they would likely behave more cautiously from now on.

After this battle, the Honghuang would surely learn their lesson and stop acting so openly, opting instead for sneaky operations. They understood the principle that open attacks are easy to defend against, but hidden ones are hard to guard against.

For the Zhutian Emperor-level figures, this wasn't good news at all. Overt attacks could be prepared for, but covert ones were impossible to fully anticipate, and the Honghuang Emperor's sons might strike at any moment.

After one last look, Ye Chen descended from the mountain peak and continued deeper into the area. It wasn't long before he landed in a mountain valley.

This valley was extremely dark, with no grass growing and layers of yin mist covering it, giving off a sinister vibe.

As Ye Chen walked along, observing everything, he particularly liked these sinister places. Along his journey, most of the treasures had been found in such areas. They might look desolate and worthless on the surface, but they often held hidden treasures and opportunities. The saying "don't judge a book by its cover" applied perfectly to the Tianzun Relic.

Sure enough, deep in the valley, he made a discovery: a massive rock with half a piece of rusted iron embedded in it. It appeared to be rust, but it was actually meteorite iron, an excellent material for forging magical tools.

"Not bad at all." Ye Chen struck the rock with a palm, splitting it open and taking the meteorite iron. Though it was only about the size of a fist, it was more than enough to forge a small dagger, perfect for a child to play with.

Hm?

As he examined it, his eyebrows furrowed, and he instinctively turned his head toward the deeper part of the valley. There was a faint life fluctuation, and the aura felt familiar. It was so subtle that it would be hard to detect without careful sensing.

"Why are you still wandering around here when everyone else has left?" Ye Chen muttered to himself as he hurried in that direction.

Soon, deep in the valley, he found a young man lying slanted against an old rock. The youth had disheveled hair, was covered in blood, had a pale face, dim eyes, and was severely injured.

At a glance, who else could this young man be but the Wu Clan Divine Son?

Ye Chen flashed to the Wu Clan Divine Son's side and placed his hand on his shoulder, channeling Saint Body essence. Only then did he realize that the Wu Clan Divine Son's primordial spirit had been gravely damaged, with his primordial spirit fire on the verge of extinction, and his Dao roots and bloodline origins had suffered destructive blows, leaving him on the brink of death.

"Ye Chen." The Wu Clan Divine Son's voice was hoarse, and blood trickled from the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

Ye Chen didn't respond. His pair of radiant golden eyes were fixed on the Wu Clan Divine Son's chest, where there was a sword wound piercing straight through from front to back. He could easily imagine that the Wu Clan Divine Son had been run through by a sword.

Ye Chen wasn't surprised by the sword wound; what shocked him was the multicolored immortal light flickering on it, which was eroding the Wu Clan Divine Son's vital energy. Not only was the wound not healing, but it was also spreading outward, destroying his origins and foundations.

"Zhuxian Jian." Ye Chen murmured, his eyes turning ice-cold. He wouldn't mistake it—the sword wound on the Wu Clan Divine Son's chest was from the Zhuxian Jian; he had been pierced by it.

In that moment, Ye Chen's expression darkened considerably. He never expected the long-vanished Zhuxian Jian to have entered the Tianzun Relic as well. That self-proclaimed sword of the heavens was once again causing slaughter.

"Seal." With a light shout, he used a great divine ability to seal the Wu Clan Divine Son. There was no other choice; the Wu Clan Divine Son had been wounded by the Zhuxian Jian and was barely clinging to life. Ye Chen was powerless to help him fully. To save his life, it would require the intervention of a Renwang, and likely someone sacrificing their life in exchange.

After sealing the Wu Clan Divine Son, Ye Chen stood firm and closed his eyes slightly, performing a Zhou Tian evolution to trace back to the source and deduce what had happened in the valley earlier. However, he couldn't deduce anything.

He had anticipated this; matters involving the Zhuxian Jian were rarely calculable by anyone.

"If you're not strong enough, don't go charging deeper." Ye Chen shook his head helplessly and placed the sealed Wu Clan Divine Son into a bronze furnace. Whether he could be saved would depend on his fate once they got out and found a Renwang.

No sooner had he said this than someone entered the valley, cloaked in black robes, looking around as if searching for something.

Ye Chen glanced over and instantly saw through their true identity—it was the Xue Mang Emperor's Son, or more precisely, a clone of the Xue Mang Emperor's Son. They weren't looking for treasures but for Zhutian Emperor-level figures. Once they spotted one, they would immediately contact their true self; that much was certain.

Ye Chen concealed himself in the void space but didn't attack the Xue Mang Emperor's Son's clone. He didn't want to draw the Honghuang Emperor's sons to him. If he killed this clone, it wouldn't just be the Xue Mang Emperor's Son who came—it would bring other Honghuang Emperor's sons as well, leading to another siege that he couldn't handle alone.

After evading the Xue Mang Emperor's Son's clone, he slipped out of the valley and ran straight into Ming Jue's clone.

"Don't go in there." Ye Chen waved his hand, pulling Ming Jue's clone into his space. If Ming Jue's clone entered the valley and encountered the Xue Mang Emperor's Son's clone, the two would clash without a word.

"My boss has been looking for you for ages."

"Cut the nonsense and contact your true self."

Ming Jue's clone was obedient, closing his eyes and then reopening them, having linked with Ming Jue's true self.

"You bastard, where have you been?"

"I don't have time for your chit-chat. Be careful—the Zhuxian Jian is also in the Tianzun Relic. It's far more terrifying than the Honghuang Emperor's sons. If you encounter it, let me know."

"So the Zhuxian Jian has shown up too. This is really getting lively."

"If possible, warn the other Emperor-level figures to watch out for the Zhuxian Jian."

"Got it."

"Stay in touch at all times." Ye Chen stuffed Ming Jue's clone into the bronze furnace as well, to make communication easier. With the Zhuxian Jian in the relic, he had to be extra cautious and avoid any mishaps.

On Ming Jue's end, he was diligent, spreading the news about the Zhuxian Jian to the Zhutian Emperor-level figures, sparking widespread astonishment. They all knew about the Zhuxian Jian and its notorious reputation—it had caused havoc in Da Chu before, and Ye Chen had died by its hand in his previous life.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days and nights had passed. In these three days, Ye Chen had ventured deep enough, but the Tianzun Relic was boundless, seemingly endless.

Over these three days, he had made quite a few gains: he obtained a divine herb, found half a divine pearl, collected various fragments of magical tools, and in an old, ruined cave dwelling, he imprinted a profound realm.

During this time, he also encountered the Honghuang forces a few times. He didn't run into any Honghuang Emperor's sons, but he did eliminate several hundred Honghuang experts and seized quite a few treasures. His once-empty storage bag was now full again.

On the fourth night, he spotted an ancient city standing amid the mountains. Its walls bore many scars from blades, spears, and swords, exuding an aura of ancient desolation, with mysterious phenomena faintly appearing.

"This Tianzun Relic has everything under the sun." Ye Chen looked on with a strange expression, staring at the ancient city in astonishment.

"My boss said that once you reach the Zhun Di realm, you can manifest a world within your body. The legendary Tianzun's cultivation was clearly beyond Zhun Di. After his death, his body turned into the relic, and the worlds he had evolved within himself would correspondingly manifest in the relic."

"That explanation is straightforward and easy to understand." As Ye Chen spoke, he stepped into the ancient city.

The ancient city wasn't very large—just a typical ancient city, manifested with incredible realism, as if the internalized world were identical to reality, except it lacked people, making it feel eerily quiet.

Walking through the city's streets, Ye Chen curiously looked around. Though the city was real, it was in utter disarray, with many houses collapsed and numerous skeletons scattered about. He wasn't the first to arrive; others had likely come before, fighting over treasures and opportunities, turning this once-fine ancient city into a wasteland.

In front of a cracked wall, he stopped, his eyes narrowing as he stared at it. Faint remnants of a profound realm lingered on the wall, though it was incomplete due to the wall's damage and the passage of time.

Immediately, he sat down cross-legged, summoning his Hun Dun Ding to hover beside him, and focused on capturing the profound realm.

Though the profound realm was fragmented, it was incredibly mysterious, expounding on the way of self-cultivation. Vaguely, he could see a figure in purple robes standing atop a mountain, unmoved by wind or rain.

Ye Chen immersed his mind, quietly comprehending it. The way of self-cultivation was simple and ordinary, or rather, it had returned to its natural state. It seemed unremarkable, yet it brimmed with Dao insights. The one who left this profound realm must have been a great master of divine abilities.

As night fell once more, while he was still absorbed in the profound realm, he suddenly heard his Hun Dun Ding humming.

Without thinking, he withdrew from the profound realm. The ding's hum was a signal: someone had entered the city.

Soon after, a booming sound echoed as a graceful figure fell from the sky, smashing a house to pieces.

Ye Chen saw clearly—it was the Gu Clan Goddess, who had ventured even deeper into the relic without leaving.

Her pursuer was a blood-haired elder cloaked in black robes, not from the Honghuang clan, but exuding a cold aura with dull eyes. He was a Zhun Di, though his cultivation had been suppressed to the Sheng Wang level.

As Ye Chen watched, the Gu Clan Goddess rose from the collapsed house, her figure unsteady and coughing up blood nonstop. She was no weakling herself, but her opponent was stronger, beyond what she could handle.

"The bloodline of the Gu Clan will make an excellent medicinal spirit." The blood-haired elder chuckled sinisterly, reaching out with a large hand toward the Gu Clan Goddess, his eyes full of greed. From his words, it was clear he was an alchemist.