Chapter 1957: Following Me

Ren Wang led Ye Chen, wandering without direction through the starry sky. The crisp sound of the iron chain echoed clearly. These two figures were a striking sight in the vast cosmos.

Anyone who saw them would thoughtfully stroke their chin, marveling at such an unusual scene. While others walked dogs, this person was strolling a person through the starry sky.

Ren Wang, utterly shameless, strutted along with a nonchalant air.

Fortunately, the Nine Sovereigns of Da Chu were preoccupied with their tribulations, and no one knew the truth. If they knew, they would have been furious enough to kick him to death for treating a sovereign of Da Chu like a dog – what audacity!

Behind him, Ye Chen’s steps remained stiff. He no longer wore a cloak and didn't need one, as his disheveled hair completely covered his face, making him unrecognizable from a distance.

In the illusion realm, his suffering was real. He was forced to listen repeatedly to that cursed incantation and witness those bloody scenes over and over.

He knew it was an illusion, but it was of no help. In that environment, those memories were deeply imprinted, impossible to erase. Over time, even if he didn't go insane, he would surely fall into a stupor.

That madman, Ren Wang, seemed determined to keep him trapped in the illusion forever, just to elicit a single answer.

This period of cultivation was incredibly long. In places where cultivators gathered, people often discussed the strange events in the stars. This story always came up: an old man in a cloak leading someone through the cosmos, and he had quite a temper.

Many people went to witness it for themselves, shaking their heads in amazement.

The world had changed. This year, there were more idlers than ever before. No wonder he was a Zhundi, able to do as he pleased.

In the starry sky, Ren Wang kept moving, sipping his wine and humming a tune.

He probably had no idea that he had become a breath of fresh air across the heavens. He had elevated the art of leading someone around to a divine level, a true king in his own right, dragging his "bronze" companion through mountains and waters, enjoying every moment.

By the sixty-first year since leaving Da Chu, Ye Chen's hair had turned completely white.

By the sixty-third year, his nails were longer than his fingers, and his beard had grown past his chest, tangled and unkempt, making him look like a shaggy beast.

For the first time, Ren Wang showed some mercy and released Ye Chen from the illusion.

As soon as he was free, Ye Chen stumbled and collapsed onto the starry expanse. He lay there for a long time, motionless, utterly exhausted and unrecognizable.

"If killing Ye Fan could save all living beings, how would you choose?" Ren Wang smiled at Ye Chen, asking the same old question.

"Choose your sister," Ye Chen rasped, his voice hoarse and weary, filled with the indomitable spirit of the Shengti.

For three years, he had been subjected to those bloody scenes and that demonic incantation incessantly.

Now, in his mind, two additional voices had appeared—or rather, two figures—one urging him to kill Ye Fan, the other to save all living beings, constantly warring.

He knew they were heart demons, perpetually disrupting his thoughts. Any moment of hesitation could lead to his downfall.

"Since you're not choosing, go back in and stay a few more days." Ren Wang stretched lazily and sent Ye Chen back into the illusion.

Then, he summoned his flying sword and headed deeper into the starry sky at a leisurely pace.

Just as Ming Di had said, neither he nor Di Huang treated Ye Chen as a mere mortal. They were tempering him to the extreme, as if in their eyes, a prodigy like Ye Chen could endure any hardship.

Three days later, Ren Wang stopped and descended onto an ancient star.

Soon after, rumbling sounds echoed from the star, creating quite a disturbance.

Upon closer inspection, Ren Wang was locked in combat with someone else—a Zhundi, but one who was being thoroughly beaten.

The battle between two Zhundi shook the area, attracting many cultivators from all directions. When they saw it was Ren Wang, they were stunned.

Endless sighs and exclamations filled the air, with people giving him thumbs-up. This guy was the real deal—dragging someone along without slowing him down, and he fought with incredible power.

The battle ended quickly. That rogue Ren Wang swaggered out, still leading Ye Chen, with a storage bag in hand—clearly his spoils from the fight.

As for the other Zhundi, he was sprawled flat on the ground in a perfect "big character" pose, leaving everyone wondering why he had been beaten.

"If you'd just given it to me earlier, we could've avoided this. You couldn't beat me anyway—why seek trouble?" Ren Wang sat on his flying sword, opened the storage bag, and pulled out a bronze mirror, a powerful artifact.

This mirror was extraordinary, or more precisely, the characters etched on it were. They were gleaming with golden light and radiating divine energy.

They were Dunjia Tianzi, over a dozen of them, which were what made the mirror so special.

"What painstaking effort on my part!" Ren Wang remarked, then took out Ye Chen's cauldron and began engraving the Dunjia Tianzi onto it.

Ye Chen, of course, was unaware of this. He was still enduring torment in the illusion, facing not only the demonic incantation and bloody scenes but also the whispers of heart demons—a triple assault ravaging his mind.

Ren Wang set off again, causing unrest across the starry sky. This guy seemed to have a screw loose, picking fights everywhere he went. Wherever he arrived, ancient stars erupted in chaos, from Zhundi down to Tianjing level—he took on them all.

But it wasn't pointless brawling; he always gained something, like more Dunjia Tianzi.

No wonder he was so skilled. He knew exactly who had them and never missed his mark.

In the blink of an eye, sixty-seven years had passed. Ren Wang was still full of energy, but the Ye Chen he led was in a pitiful state, his once-dominant Shengti reduced to skin and bones.

Once again, Ren Wang released Ye Chen and asked the familiar question: "Ye Fan and all living beings—how do you choose?"

"Choose... your... sister," Ye Chen spat out the three words with fierce defiance, spraying Ren Wang with spittle. His bloodshot eyes were terrifying to behold.

"You've got quite the spirit—truly follows me." Ren Wang wiped his face casually and sent Ye Chen back into the illusion.

"Are you out of your mind?" Before Ren Wang could continue, a shout rang out from his sleeve.

It was a woman's voice—Donghuang Taixin's, to be exact. She had regained her cultivation and was using her divine abilities to speak to him, while also peering at the scene through her powers.

"Don't worry, I've got it under control," Ren Wang replied with a chuckle.

"If anything happens to him, I'll kick you to death," Donghuang Taixin snapped again, standing before the Huan Tian Water Curtain, her eyes blazing with fury as she watched everything unfold clearly.

"Big chest, no brains—that's you," Ren Wang shot back, then hastily cut off the connection and vanished.

His words completely infuriated Donghuang Taixin. If she knew where he was, she would hunt him down for a beating.

Compared to her, Tian Lao and Di Lao were far more composed, stroking their beards and occasionally glancing at Donghuang Taixin's ample curves. Indeed, those were quite impressive.

Donghuang Taixin didn't say a word; she just slapped them both hard across the face.

Tian Lao and Di Lao, those unfortunate brothers, were sent flying out of Tianxuan Gate together.

Meanwhile, Ren Wang crossed another stretch of stars, sitting on his flying sword, constantly calculating with his fingers, muttering and acting mysteriously.

Another three years passed, bringing them to the seventieth year since leaving their homeland.

In that decade, Ye Chen had become like a dried-up corpse, resembling an ancient monster. Whenever Ren Wang took him to ancient cities, he scared children to tears—his appearance was just that frightening.

Cultivators in the starry sky pitied Ye Chen immensely. Being led around like this for a full decade had turned a perfectly normal person into a monster. It was so humiliating; he would be better off exploding himself for a quick end.

On a quiet night, Ren Wang led Ye Chen to a mortal ancient star and entered an ancient city, renting a small garden.

With the decade at an end, he released Ye Chen from the illusion for the third time.

At the same time, he gently waved his hand, erasing the two curses imprinted in Ye Chen's divine sea, restoring his peace of mind.

Only then did Ren Wang find a lounge chair and lie down comfortably.

On the ground, Ye Chen, now back in control of his senses, knelt there, gasping for breath. His long hair hid his face, but through the strands, you could see his bloodshot eyes, sunken sockets, and haunting gaze.

It had been twenty years of torment. For the first time, there were no bloody scenes before him, no cursed incantation in his mind, and he felt a true sense of relief.

Yet, he still couldn't provide an answer. Even if confined for another hundred, thousand, or ten thousand years, he would respond the same way. Having braved the six paths of reincarnation, his resolve was as unyielding as profound iron.

For a long time, the small garden remained silent. Ren Wang gently rocked in his chair, dozing off contentedly, while Ye Chen said nothing.

"This time, why aren't you asking?" Ye Chen staggered to his feet, breaking the silence, staring straight at Ren Wang. As he spoke, his hair and nails returned to normal, and his withered Shengti filled with surging divine power once more, restoring its former glory as golden blood energy surged wildly.

"Asking you won't get me anywhere, so why bother?" Ren Wang replied casually, never opening his eyes. But the more nonchalant he was, the more it puzzled Ye Chen. After twenty years of tempering, it ended like this? Was Ren Wang just that idle?

"Have you divined something?" Ye Chen pressed, his eyes fixed on him.

"I've divined many things, but heavenly secrets aren't for sharing," Ren Wang said with a smile. "Just as I asked you that question and you couldn't answer, I can't either. Do you understand?"

"Twenty years of tempering, and this is the result?" Ye Chen frowned.

"Twenty years didn't force out an answer, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. The path of inner refinement leads to nirvana, but not today—it will come in the future." Ren Wang said calmly. "In a person's life, there are countless difficult choices and endless regrets. When you reach that height, you'll realize that so-called right and wrong are laughable illusions. When you're truly powerless, you'll understand—it's not that you won't choose; it's that you have no other option."