Chapter 1937: She's the One

Boom! Bang!

On the desolate star, following two successive explosions, Ye Chen burst forth from the Fa Zhen.

At this moment, the dormant Ren Wang lazily opened his eyes and stretched his old back. Ten years of sleep indeed felt long. This period of seclusion had allowed him to contemplate the great dao of the mortal world.

"After ten years of refining a single array, what are your thoughts?"

Ren Wang hopped down from the rock and smiled at Ye Chen.

"The profundities of arrays are limitless."

Ye Chen smiled faintly. Refining an array for ten years had brought more than just a transformation in his array techniques. His mind had also undergone a profound change, elevated to a peak state through the process, much like a form of unique enlightenment.

"There is still much for you to learn."

Ren Wang flicked his sleeve and stepped into the starry sky. "Twenty years have passed, it's time to go out and wander a bit."

Ye Chen remained silent and followed, putting on his cloak and hat.

After twenty years, the two of them stepped out of that star for the first time.

In the vast expanse of the starry sky, their lone figures were like those of the past—two travelers covered in the dust of their journey.

"Still thinking about Ji Ningshuang?"

Ren Wang asked as he walked and drank, glancing at Ye Chen.

"A hundred twists and turns, never to forget until death."

Ye Chen's voice was hoarse, a hint of pain flickering in his eyes. Even after twenty years, that graceful figure remained deeply etched in his soul. No matter how time shifted or the world aged, he could never erase her. She was his wife—how could he forget?

"Try to let go."

Ren Wang patted Ye Chen on the shoulder, but still kept the truth about Ji Ningshuang hidden. Twenty years had passed; if it were anyone else, they would have revealed it long ago, but he kept it to himself.

As they spoke, a loud string of curses echoed from the opposite side of the starry sky. It came from a plump old man, his belly exposed like a Maitreya Buddha. As he walked, his fleshy body jiggled, making him as corpulent as Xiong Er.

The man was furious for some unknown reason, cursing all the way, black lines crisscrossing his chubby face.

Ye Chen remained impassive, neither joyful nor worried. Even hearing the name Ye Chen didn't stir him much. The vast heavens were boundless, and many people shared that name. He assumed the fat old man wasn't referring to him.

Ye Chen ignored it, but Ren Wang, bored, reached out and snatched the fat old man.

A dignified Sheng Ren being seized in this manner nearly scared the fat old man to death. Anyone with a clear mind could tell that Ren Wang's cultivation was at least that of a Da Sheng level.

"Come on, tell me about this Ye Chen you're cursing."

Ren Wang said with a wide grin.

"The Holy Body Ye Chen."

The fat old man was direct, though his voice trembled and sweat poured down his back.

His words piqued Ye Chen's interest, and he turned back, his indifferent eyes scanning the fat old man up and down. He didn't recognize this person and certainly hadn't made an enemy of him. Since there was no existing grudge, he couldn't just allow himself to be cursed without understanding the situation.

"So, what did the Holy Body do to provoke you like this?"

Ren Wang glanced at the Ye Chen beside him and then looked back at the fat old man, as if he had all the time in the world for a chat.

"The Holy Body didn't provoke me, it's his precious daughter."

The fat old man's face darkened even further.

"What's the matter?"

"That little troublemaker went to my house to steal things and beat up my precious grandson. But the worst part isn't that, she fed my mount a packet of Hehuan San, making my Red Flame Lion go wild all over the starry sky. It's still lying at home recovering right now."

The fat old man grew more agitated as he spoke, spitting as he cursed. "This is the umpteenth time! She causes chaos at my place whenever she feels like it. I'm heading to Da Chu to confront the Holy Body about it."

"You'll get used to it."

Ren Wang patted the fat old man on the shoulder, speaking with a tone of earnest advice.

Ye Chen's expression had shifted from indifference to utter fascination, as if he had misheard.

After all, these sorts of shameless deeds were things he used to do all the time. He never expected his precious Ye Ling to be just as skilled, even surpassing him.

No wonder the fat old man was so furious—who wouldn't curse under these circumstances?

Ye Chen subconsciously touched his nose and coughed. "Esteemed senior, is there any possibility that someone is impersonating Ye Ling and causing trouble? You wouldn't want to wrongly accuse an innocent person."

"Wrongly accuse an innocent? I could recognize that little hellion even if she turned to ash."

The fat old man said, pulling out a scroll and holding it up in front of Ye Chen. It depicted a portrait of a young woman.

"Take a look—is it her? She's known across the heavens and myriad domains!"

The fat old man cursed.

"She's all grown up now?"

Ren Wang stroked his chin.

Ye Chen examined it closely and recognized at a glance that the woman in the portrait was Xiao Ye Ling, resembling Chu Ling'er perfectly. After twenty years, the little girl from back then had become an adult, as beautiful as her mother, especially those watery eyes that were identical to Chu Ling'er's.

This was the first time since leaving that he had seen his daughter again.

But he never imagined it would happen in such a context. From the fat old man's words, he could tell that his precious daughter was quite the instigator, earning the nickname of little hellion—which was completely unexpected.

"Selling aphrodisiacs, stealing things, beating up Sheng Zi, kidnapping Sheng Nv—there's nothing she won't do. I have to talk to the Holy Body about how he's raising his daughter!"

The fat old man cursed again, as if he'd been fired up.

"You can go now."

Ren Wang shoved the fat old man away. The guy's voice was too loud, making his ears ring.

The fat old man fled like he was granted a pardon, running faster than a rabbit toward Da Chu.

No one knew what his expression would be if he realized the Holy Body he was seeking had been right in front of him—it might scare him to tears on the spot. Cursing Ye Chen like that was essentially asking for death.

Behind them, Ye Chen was completely thrown off, rubbing his brow hard.

From the fat old man's rant, he could easily imagine what his daughter had been up to all these years, and it must have greatly embarrassed Chu Ling'er and the others.

"I get beating up Sheng Zi, but kidnapping Sheng Nv—what's that about?"

Ren Wang kept stroking his chin and glanced at Ye Chen. "Does she have issues with her preferences?"

Ye Chen didn't respond and turned to leave—he needed to go home and check.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ren Wang reached out and pulled him back. "We had an agreement: your cultivation isn't finished, so you can't go home."

"If it were your daughter, would you stay this calm?"

Ye Chen's face darkened.

"Young people need that kind of spirit—it's a good thing."

Ren Wang said profoundly, placing a hand on Ye Chen's shoulder as they walked and chatted nonsense. "You can't blame your girl entirely. It's just the way things are in Da Chu—the people are fierce. She learned it all from you. Ye Ling has truly inherited your essence."

Ren Wang went on and on, sounding quite convincing.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, didn't hear a word; he just wanted to return to Da Chu.

But Ren Wang was watching him too closely, dragging him back every time he tried to slip away.

As Ye Chen worried about his daughter, he also fretted about his son. If Ye Fan was causing the same kind of trouble, it would be utter chaos, and people might think his whole family was crazy.

Fortunately, along the way, he heard many stories about Ye Fan. Compared to his sister, Ye Fan was far more reliable. Among the new generation, he had made a name for himself, holding his own against the Son of the Earth, which showed Ye Fan's strength and lived up to the reputation of the Heavenly Tribulation Body.

"The rivalry among the new generation is just a sideshow."

Ren Wang said leisurely. "I don't need to calculate to know that the battles of your era aren't over yet. Once those fated for tribulation return, the unfinished fights from before will continue. The next time will be even more brutal than the last."

Ye Chen said nothing. Ren Wang might not have calculated it, but he had. Though he couldn't pinpoint the exact events, he knew the wars to come would be rivers of blood and mountains of corpses. Just thinking about the Chaos Body was enough to give him headaches. Ren Wang's decision to personally guide his training proved everything.

Because Ren Wang knew that at this moment, he wasn't a match for the Chaos Body. To defeat it, he needed this long period of cultivation. As Ren Wang said, there was still much for him to learn.

As they journeyed through the dust, the restlessness in Ye Chen's heart caused by Ye Ling gradually calmed.

Whether it was Ye Ling or Ye Fan, they weren't the children of the past anymore. They had grown into adults, each with their own paths to follow. They couldn't hide under their parents' protection forever.

After an unknown number of days, the two entered a new star domain.

This star domain was shrouded in blood mist, thick with a bloody aura. At a glance, it was clear this was a chaotic place.

"Creating arrays in seclusion doesn't advance you as quickly as real combat."

Ren Wang said. "In the days ahead, you'll fight others without using secret techniques, divine abilities, or magical tools. Use arrays against your enemies. Only through battle will you know how much essence you've truly grasped from twenty years of comprehension."

"Understood."

Ye Chen nodded lightly, fully grasping why Ren Wang had brought him here. This chaotic star domain was full of battles, the perfect place to hone his arrays—and exactly what he wanted.

Ren Wang had already vanished into the void, not wanting to scare off potential opponents by revealing his Quasi-Emperor presence.

Ye Chen proceeded alone, heading straight for the bustling areas of the star domain.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before he encountered a roadblock: an old man entirely covered in a black robe, his true appearance hidden by secret methods, with only a pair of blood-red eyes visible—crimson and savage.

This was a Sheng Ren, and a peak-level one at that, with one foot already in the Da Sheng realm. His aura was obscure and terrifying. If he had enough opportunities, he might even ascend to Da Sheng.

"Hand over your treasure, and I'll let you die peacefully."

The old man said flatly, not negotiating but commanding. His aged eyes were arrogant, looking down on Ye Chen. His murderous intent was strong, stained with the blood of many lives, and robbery was clearly not new to him.

"A peak Sheng Ren—perfect for sacrificing to my array."

Ye Chen said leisurely.

"You're asking for death."

The old man sneered and thrust out his withered palm, heavy and oppressive, causing the starry sky to collapse. He aimed to crush Ye Chen in one strike. In his view, as a peak Sheng Ren, he was nearly unbeatable below Da Sheng and could instantly obliterate another Sheng Ren.