Chapter 1961: We Understand

“Eh?” Lin Xing was still cursing when the seal on Ye Chen broke, leaving him stunned and bewildered. He couldn’t figure out how Ye Chen had broken the prohibition, especially one set by a Zhun Di.

“I told you, heaven always leaves a path.” Ye Chen laughed, twisting his neck vigorously before flipping up to his feet. He then used his magical power to conjure a set of clothes. Running around bare-bodied was no way to carry on, even if he had thick skin—he still needed to save face.

“Hurry up and untie this for me.” Lin Xing urged impatiently.

“This one, I really can’t untie.” Ye Chen shook his head.

“Are you asking for me to curse you out?” Lin Xing’s face darkened.

“Even if you curse, I still can’t untie it.” Ye Chen spread his hands helplessly, and he wasn’t wrong. He had broken through the Zhun Di’s seal thanks to the interwoven power of Sheng Xue and Zao Hua Shen Xue, but that mysterious force had vanished in an instant.

Without that power, based solely on his current cultivation as a Sheng Wang, there was no way he could undo a Zhun Di’s seal.

Lin Xing didn’t see it that way, though. He was convinced Ye Chen was just messing with him, trying to make him look foolish, and the more he thought about it, the blacker his expression became.

“Hold on, I’ll get someone to undo it for you.” Ye Chen stood firm and forced out fresh blood from the Ten Halls of Yan Luo from his bloodline.

He was quite the hider, stashing the blood of the Ten Halls of Yan Luo, the blood of underworld powerhouses, and even Di Huang’s blood in his own veins, so much so that even the old man in purple robes hadn’t detected it.

“Better to gang up than fight alone.” Ye Chen formed hand seals, and three drops of fresh blood merged into the void, fixing the Tong Ming Seal.

Immediately, the ground beneath them trembled with a hum, and three stone coffins rose up, thick with Yin Ming Qi. As the coffin lids fell one after another, Qin Guang Wang, Chu Jiang Wang, and Song Di Wang manifested in the world.

“Di Dao Tong Ming?” Lin Xing exclaimed in shock, recognizing the divine ability. It left him utterly astounded—this was a heaven-defying immortal technique, and he never imagined Ye Chen knew it. Only now did he understand what Ye Chen had said earlier: once the seal was broken, they could really make a Zhun Di cry.

As Lin Xing marvelled, the three Yan Luo had already stepped out of their coffins. Their expressions were wooden, their eyes hollow, like puppets or walking corpses, until they were imbued with consciousness. Only then did clarity return to their faces.

“Zhun Di.” Lin Xing’s mouth fell open, and he swallowed hard. To summon three Zhun Di through Tong Ming was god-tier stuff!

“Greetings, esteemed predecessors, I hope you’ve been well.” Ye Chen said with a cheerful smile.

The three Yan Luo didn’t speak or shout, but their faces turned as black as charcoal. They were summoned every other day, turning the mighty Yan Luo of the underworld into something like spirit beasts. They didn’t bother yelling anymore—they were used to it and knew Ye Chen’s ways all too well.

The three glared fiercely at Ye Chen before turning their attention collectively to Lin Xing.

In that moment, the eyebrows of the three Yan Luo arched, their expressions growing strange. A second or two later, they looked back at Ye Chen, their eyes seeming to say: You two have quite the vibe!

“This isn’t what you think.” Ye Chen chuckled dryly.

“Don’t say it, women dong.” The three Yan Luo replied meaningfully.

“Esteemed predecessors, could you please undo this seal for me?” Lin Xing said with an awkward laugh. He was still naked and immobilized, being stared at by four grown men—this was beyond embarrassing.

“Young man, you really don’t value yourself.” Song Di Wang sighed and gently waved his sleeve, releasing the Zhun Di seal on Lin Xing.

But his comment made both Lin Xing and Ye Chen twitch at the corners of their mouths. They had said it was a misunderstanding!

With the seal undone, Lin Xing quickly got up and used his magical power to form clothes. There was no denying it felt great to be dressed.

“Jiu You Xian Yan.” Chu Jiang Wang focused on the rampaging flames in the Dan furnace. With his insight, how could he not recognize it? The origin of this immortal fire indeed came from their underworld, and he never expected to see such flames in the human realm.

“From the looks of it, you two must have been captured to serve as medicinal catalysts.” Qin Guang Wang glanced at the Jiu You Xian Yan, then at Lin Xing and Ye Chen, before finally looking toward the outside of the Dan furnace. Through the furnace body, he could clearly see the old man in purple robes.

“Esteemed mansion lords, can you handle this?” Ye Chen asked with a smile, looking at the three.

“If we can’t even take on a Zhun Di alchemist when we can’t beat Zao Hua Shen Wang, then we Yan Luo of the underworld might as well quit.” The three said calmly. As they spoke, they couldn’t help but glance at Lin Xing, remembering the scene from back then when ten of them ganged up on one.

Lin Xing felt a chill run down his spine under their gaze and instinctively hid behind Ye Chen. He sensed something off about the Yan Luo’s looks, afraid these three might drag him back to the Yin Cao Di Fu when they left.

“Make it quick.” Qin Guang Wang was the first to turn his eyes away, charging straight for the furnace opening and flipping the Dan furnace lid with a palm.

“Hmm?” The old man in purple robes outside the furnace suddenly rose to his feet.

At a glance, he saw three figures bursting out of the furnace, each with a towering presence as solid as mountains. Rolling Yin Ming Qi surged like a sea, each carrying their own phenomena—sinister and terrifying. The pressure of Zhun Di made the entire underground palace rumble and shake, on the verge of collapse.

“This...” The old man in purple robes’ eyes bulged in disbelief, his face full of confusion. His own Dan furnace had hidden three Zhun Di? And he was only realizing it now?

In an instant, Qin Guang Wang had closed in, his palm as heavy as a massive mountain peak.

The old man in purple robes paled and retreated instantly, but he was still too slow. Qin Guang Wang’s palm sent him flying with blood and bones scattering. Before he could stop his retreat, Chu Jiang Wang arrived, fusing thousands of secret techniques into a single finger—its power devastating enough to pierce through anything—as it drilled through his brow.

Song Di Wang was equally dominant, gripping the universe in his hand and inscribing seal scripts with his fingers, also merging multiple secret techniques. With one punch that shattered space, he blasted half of the old man in purple robes’ body to pieces, exposing gruesome white bones.

Everything happened in a flash, and in just a blink, the old man in purple robes was nearly done for by the three Yan Luo.

“Impressive!” Ye Chen and Lin Xing had already exited the Dan furnace. Ye Chen remained composed watching the scene, but Lin Xing couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement—a single exchange had almost wiped out a Zhun Di.

“You lot, who are you exactly?” The old man in purple robes roared ferociously, his hair disheveled and face twisted like a demon, blood streaming from his body in a horrific sight.

“You don’t need to know.” The three Yan Luo charged again.

Seeing this, the old man in purple robes turned and fled. As a Zhun Di alchemist, he wasn’t skilled in combat, and now with successive heavy injuries, his strength had plummeted. If it were just one Zhun Di, he might hold his own for a few moves, but facing three peak Zhun Di? How could he fight?

With a boom, he smashed a huge hole in the underground palace and burst out into the starry sky.

“Where do you think you’re going?” The three Yan Luo said coldly, their voices stern and authoritative, as they shot out through the hole like three beams of eternal immortal light.

Ye Chen and Lin Xing followed suit—they couldn’t let their possessions and treasures get away with the old man.

When they emerged, dark flames had already blanketed the sky—it was the old man in purple robes trying to escape, only to be blocked by the three Yan Luo in the void. Forced into a corner, he unleashed the Jiu You Xian Yan, turning the once clear heavens dark and lightless.

The Jiu You Xian Yan was indeed fearsome, especially when urged by a Zhun Di, its power overwhelmingly dominant. It cracked the void inch by inch and reduced massive mountains to ashes.

Yet, terrifying as it was, in front of the three Yan Luo of the underworld, it was like nothing. They rampaged through the sea of flames without restraint, ganging up three against one.

The battle of four Zhun Di was no small affair, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring.

Blood rained down, staining the heavens red—all from the old man in purple robes. Surrounded by the three, he had no chance to turn the tide.

“Ah!” The old man in purple robes howled, his roar filled with grief and fury. Unable to withstand the three Yan Luo’s assault, his blood and bones scattered across the sky, reducing the once dignified Zhun Di to a mangled form.

The three Yan Luo ignored his roars, their attacks growing even fiercer as they unleashed deadly techniques one after another—all ultimate exterminating divine abilities.

“Truly dominant.” Below, Lin Xing watched with wide-eyed admiration, clicking his tongue.

Ye Chen was watching too, his eyes fixed on the Jiu You Xian Yan, licking his lips repeatedly. If he could get that immortal flame, it would be a game-changer.

“How about teaching me that Di Dao Tong Ming?” Lin Xing nudged Ye Chen, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he grinned.

“Without the blood of underworld people, even if I taught you, you couldn’t perform Tong Ming.”

“That’s true.” Lin Xing coughed dryly and dropped the idea.

Speaking of blood, Ye Chen shifted his gaze from the sky and stroked his chin, sizing up Lin Xing. He was tempted to draw a bit more—after all, the power from the interweaving of Sheng Xue and Zao Hua Shen Xue was incredibly potent. Getting some to study back home would be hugely useful.

Lin Xing had no clue what Ye Chen was thinking. He was too busy watching the sky battle, getting hyped and occasionally yelling cheers for the three Yan Luo at the top of his lungs.

Soon, a blood-soaked figure plummeted from the sky.

No need to guess—it was the old man in purple robes. He’d been beaten so badly his protective immortal light was gone, and even with Jiu You Xian Yan aiding him, he was utterly defeated. The only reason was that the three Yan Luo were just too ferocious.

He wasn’t dead, though—merely having his cultivation crippled by a finger from Qin Guang Wang.

Chu Jiang Wang and Song Di Wang were efficient, breaking open the old man’s inner world and taking out all the treasures.

“I’m unwilling, so unwilling!” The old man in purple robes roared from his soul, lying feebly on the ground with blood-red eyes. This was supposed to be his path to ultimate fortune, but it had turned into disaster. The elixir wasn’t refined, his cultivation was destroyed, and five thousand years of effort were ruined. Now, even his life was forfeit.

“I did give you a chance, predecessor—it’s just that you didn’t cherish it.” Ye Chen stepped forward, his words calm and his expression indifferent.

“Ah!” The old man in purple robes let out a sky-shaking wail, his blood-drenched body turning to ash inch by inch.

In his final moments, a wave of regret flooded his soul. Indeed, Ye Chen had given him a chance—it was his own greed that led him astray, insisting on using the Great Chu emperor for alchemy, convinced he could create an immortal elixir and ascend to emperor.

But he had dreamed too big. One misstep, and it became eternal regret. The elixir wasn’t made, his life was lost, and it was all self-inflicted karma.