Chapter 1952: Hush Money

The starry sky was unsettled because of Jiang Taixu and Feng Huang. Looking into the distance, Jiang Taixu stepped across the divine river, while Feng Huang trod upon the immortal sea. He resembled a supreme immortal king, and she was like a mysterious goddess of the nine heavens. Both stood with their backs to grand visions, dyeing the cosmos in a dazzling splendor.

The originally peaceful star realm turned into utter chaos. A halo of annihilation spread out, obliterating meteorites and collapsing space in its wake. Their imperial-level battle created fluctuations akin to those of saints, all because the two were extraordinarily powerful before the catastrophe.

In the eastern starry sky, Ye Chen and Ren Wang came to a halt. This place was unaffected by the catastrophe. Ren Wang was fine, but Ye Chen, watching the two figures locked in combat, felt a sense of daze. Before the catastrophe, those two had been lovers, yet afterward, they became mortal enemies. Compared to them, Jiujian Xian and Xian Mu were much luckier; their regrets were somewhat mended.

"Come on, sit here!" Ren Wang called out, pulling Ye Chen to sit on a meteorite. After that, he handed Ye Chen a handful of sunflower seeds, cracking them open while keeping his eyes fixed on the distant battle, looking every bit the eager spectator ready for a show.

Ye Chen said nothing and quietly sat down. However, he was far more reliable than Ren Wang, his eyes filled with worry. From the beginning, he had always felt grateful to Jiang Taixu, regardless of his grudges with the immortal clan. Back then, the fortuitous encounter passed down at the base of Hengyue Mountain was something he still remembered vividly. It was precisely that immortal wheel in his left eye that had helped him resolve crises time and again. That was a karmic tie and a fateful opportunity.

As for Feng Huang, his feelings toward her were complicated. Because of that phoenix immortal guard that protected his primordial spirit back in the day, it had provoked Feng Xian and led to numerous blood debts, resulting in the extermination of the Feng Huang clan. Whether for him or Feng Huang, that resentment was hard to dispel, though it wasn't their fault.

"No need to worry," Ren Wang chuckled lightly. "This old man has calculated it. Among all the quasi-emperors who entered the world for the catastrophe, those two have the hardest fate. Neither of them will die—whoever else might, they won't. They will definitely pass through the catastrophe."

These words were truly reassuring. Ye Chen's tense body relaxed. If Ren Wang said so, what was there to worry about? And so, he started cracking sunflower seeds as well.

As they spoke, Jiang Taixu and Feng Huang fought their way into this part of the starry sky. Feng Huang was radiantly stunning, no weaker than before the catastrophe. Immortal light swirled around her, untouched by worldly dust, pure and flawless. Her peerless face was breathtakingly beautiful, identical to how she was during the catastrophe.

Yet, her beautiful eyes sparkled with fury. Not only that, her cheeks were flushed red. As for Jiang Taixu, whether out of guilt or something else, he kept trying to flee during the fight, but each time, Feng Huang blocked his path, leading to more intense battles with thunderous booms.

"I didn't see anything. I was just passing by!" Jiang Taixu shouted.

"You still say that!" Feng Huang's eyes blazed even more, her face covered in a red glow that could be from embarrassment or anger. Her attacks grew fiercer, transforming her sword into an immortal river that nearly split Jiang Taixu in two.

"This old man did a quick calculation—Jiang Taixu must have peeked at Feng Huang bathing." Ren Wang said thoughtfully, actually pinching his fingers as if divining, muttering to himself like a wandering mystic.

Ye Chen coughed dryly and focused on cracking seeds. Did this even need calculating? He often encountered such steamy situations himself, just like Jiang Taixu right now. It might be coincidence, or perhaps intentional.

"I have a collector's edition of Feng Huang. Want it?" Ren Wang nudged Ye Chen with a wink and a grin.

"I just recorded that for Jiang Taixu. When he gets through the catastrophe years from now, he'll come chat with you about it," Ye Chen replied casually, leaving the rest to imagination.

Ren Wang's face darkened at once. He knew Ye Chen's nature all too well—what wouldn't he do? It was entirely possible he'd leak it. Jiang Taixu was a formidable force; in a fight, Ren Wang was no match. Not to mention, just one sweep of the immortal wheel Tianzhao would end him miserably.

"Here, take this," Ren Wang handed Ye Chen an ancient scroll. In the ways of the dao, people called this a fengkou fee.

"Do you really think everyone is like you?" Ye Chen grumbled as he spoke, but he still accepted it, smoothly tucking it into his robe. The whole motion was seamless, as if nothing had happened, his composure reaching new heights. Few could imitate that.

Ren Wang fell silent, stroking his beard while eyeing Ye Chen up and down. His gaze perfectly summed up one thought: This guy is a real scoundrel, the shameless kind.

"Pfft!" As they talked, Jiang Taixu was wounded again, struck down by Feng Huang's sword. She wasn't kidding around—this woman was fiercely serious, her moves aimed to kill.

Jiang Taixu was in a sorry state, scrambling away in a most undignified manner. The sight was quite something to behold. Jiang Taixu, that legendary figure and absolute gentleman, had never been so disheveled. He was a completely different person before and during the catastrophe.

Ren Wang seized the moment, tossing aside his seeds and pulling out a memory crystal to capture every bit of Jiang Taixu's frantic escape. In the future, this would fetch a good price.

Ye Chen thought about recording it too, but then decided against it. Such a scene would shatter one's view of the world, and Jiang Taixu had it tough enough. He couldn't ruin a lifetime of reputation.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!" As they watched, Jiang Taixu kept spitting blood, sent flying repeatedly by Feng Huang's strikes. Truth be told, his combat strength wasn't inferior to hers; he was just being chased because of his guilt.

"That's enough fooling around. Let's get serious!" Jiang Taixu yelled again.

"Not until one of us is dead," Feng Huang couldn't stand hearing Jiang Taixu speak; it only fueled her rage. And when she got angry, she became even more ferocious in her rampage.

"Hey!" Jiang Taixu had enough and stopped running, turning to fight back.

Boom! Bang!

The battle erupted again, the former lovers clashing fiercely. The commotion was immense, with the surrounding ten thousand zhang of starry sky constantly collapsing and visions of annihilation rampant.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen and Ren Wang sat there dutifully, each with a leg crossed, cracking seeds in rhythm, as the audience to this grand fight. They were incredibly idle, skipping cultivation to watch this couple's quarrel. According to Ren Wang's twisted logic, this counted as training. What a justified excuse.

Indeed, cultivation was too dull, especially for two old men. Besides chatting, they had no special hobbies, so they had to find their own entertainment, like watching fights.

The starry sky continued to rumble as Jiang Taixu and Feng Huang exchanged hundreds of rounds without a clear winner, showing no signs of stopping. It seemed they wouldn't quit until the end of time.

To be fair, Jiang Taixu was incredibly fierce once he turned to fight, his power even slightly overpowering Feng Huang. This only made her more furious, stomping her feet in frustration.

"Fighting is affection, scolding is love," that was Ye Chen and Ren Wang's take on this battle. Who knows, they might spark romantic feelings amid the fight. Or perhaps, in the heat of it, they'd end up in bed. That bloody, sensual scene would be incredibly steamy and even more exciting than now. Ren Wang loved that sort of thing, Ye Chen enjoyed it too—or rather, all men did.

Alas, the thrilling battle didn't last long before it ended. A powerful intruder arrived: a purple-robed elder, a genuine Zhundi, coming from the distant starry sky. With one palm, he pinned down Jiang Taixu. At a glance, it was clear he was an ancestor from Feng Huang's family.

Jiang Taixu finally behaved. Fighting Feng Huang was one thing, but taking on a Zhundi was another league entirely.

"Run? Why aren't you running now?" Feng Huang's cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling with fury. She rolled up her sleeves and started beating Jiang Taixu. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she also had a violent streak, hitting without holding back. Jiang Taixu's handsome face was left a mess.

"If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one," Jiang Taixu was stubborn, even sealed as he was.

"How dare you talk back!" Feng Huang slapped him across the face.

"Bullying my granddaughter? You're asking for death," the purple-robed elder snorted coldly and raised his hand to annihilate Jiang Taixu.

"Grandfather, don't!" Feng Huang quickly intervened.

"Oh?"

"Killing him like this is too easy on him," Feng Huang said, her face turning even redder. She grabbed Jiang Taixu and left, hauling the mighty hero away like a helpless chick.

From this, you could see the sparks in Feng Huang's eyes fading slightly, while the flush on her cheeks grew more pronounced. The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt, and the faster she walked, intent on finding a place to deal with Jiang Taixu properly.

Watching Feng Huang's retreating figure, the purple-robed elder smiled. He knew his granddaughter well; she must have taken a liking to that young man. He'd never seen her plead for a man before.

With another smile, he followed her.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the eastern starry sky, where two figures sat cloaked in robes, wearing hoods, legs crossed, cracking seeds.

They made for a striking scene. Even as a Zhundi, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth. How idle must those two be, cracking seeds here and wasting their youth and lives?

That said, his old eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't for nothing; he simply couldn't see through their true appearances or their bloodlines. Especially with Ren Wang, he detected an extremely subtle aura from him.

After one last look, the purple-robed elder withdrew his gaze and vanished, though he glanced back occasionally.

"The show's over," Ren Wang stretched and yawned.

"How long will it take them to get through?" Ye Chen asked.

"Who knows? It could be a few decades, or a few hundred years, even up to a millennium. It all depends on their fortune," Ren Wang replied leisurely. "Not everyone is like Donghuang Taixin. She's a heaven-defying prodigy; even Jiang Taixu and the others can't compare."

As he spoke, Ren Wang lifted his foot. The sideshow was done; it was time to get back to cultivation. He couldn't keep dragging Ye Chen into nonsense.

Ye Chen stood up and followed Ren Wang. In the months that followed, the two roamed like wanderers, stopping and resting on ancient stars, lingering in various places. They arrived quietly and left without a trace, traveling through the dust of the stars.