Chapter 2084: He's Undoubtedly Him

The starry sky was vast and profound. Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang stood side by side, their figures reflected in the starlight, creating a warm and intimate scene. More than three days had passed since they left Zhuxian Town. The two of them traveled leisurely, passing through one star domain after another. However, the distance to their homeland in Da Chu was still unknown—perhaps millions of miles away. This was with the help of transmission gates. If they had to rely solely on flying, at their cultivation levels, they might not reach it in ten thousand years. Of course, emperor path level transmission arrays were an exception, but unfortunately, he did not have one.

Shangguan Jiu clung to the edge of the Hundun Ding, peering around curiously like a naive villager who had never seen the world. Whenever a meteor streaked by, she exclaimed excitedly, more thrilled than if she had seen a beautiful woman without clothes.

"Oh, so the stars in the sky are all balls!"

Yang Xuan stroked his chin, pondering the same question all along.

"You know, if ordinary people like us were thrown into the starry sky, would we float around like cultivators do?"

Given his curiosity, Ye Chen kindly pulled him out for a quick test. Yang Xuan did not float; instead, he plummeted downward, feeling as if he were falling into hell.

After that experience, he quieted down and no longer suggested going out to play.

Compared to the two of them, Ling Feng was more reserved. Though he found it novel, he remained composed.

As for Qin Xiong and Huang Fei, they were quite romantic, nestled together with endless whispers. Having gone through the anti-demon war and even commanded immortals in battle, Qin Xiong had seen his share of grand events and remained unfazed. Yin Yue Huang Fei, however, had eyes only for him. Compared to the vast starry sky, she preferred to stay in her husband's embrace, simply as a delicate woman.

"Mother, Lan is hungry."

The little one rubbed her belly and looked up, peering through the Hundun Ding's opening at Ji Ningshuang with eager eyes, truly seeing her as her mother.

Ji Ningshuang smiled gently and lifted Xiao Yang Lan out of the ding.

This perked up Yang Xuan and Shangguan Jiu immediately. Their eyes widened with excitement, gleaming brightly, as they waited for Ji Ningshuang to feed Xiao Yang Lan.

But they were mistaken. What Ji Ningshuang gave Xiao Yang Lan was a crystalline lingguo. The little one ate it with relish, and Ji Ningshuang, as a devoted mother, wiped the juice from her mouth with a handkerchief. She adored this future daughter-in-law, treating her not as an outsider but as her own child.

Ye Chen smiled and occasionally stroked Xiao Yang Lan's little head.

He thought he had settled his karma with Yang Laoge, but Xiao Yang Lan would be its continuation, something he could never shake off in this life. She was his daughter, with his blood flowing in her veins, a bond that could never be severed.

"Ye Chen, is that the Jieying Tun Tian Mo Zun?"

Ji Ningshuang asked softly.

Ye Chen gathered his thoughts and glanced sideways toward the eastern starry sky.

There, he saw a person with blood-red hair striding through the void, holding a bloodstained magic knife. His eyes were crimson, as if about to bleed, radiating cold brutality. Rolling demonic energy surged like a stormy sea. Anyone could tell at a glance that he had slaughtered many lives—he was like a demon god.

"It is him without a doubt."

Ye Chen replied, confirming it.

His reverence for Mo Yuan was no less than for Jiang Taixu. These two great figures from the Honghuang era both had karma with him—one passed on the Liudao Xianlun Eye, the other the Tun Tian Mo Gong. In this web of cause and effect lay deep gratitude, something he would remember for life.

As he spoke, he donned a cloak to cover his face.

Ji Ningshuang did the same. Since it was a jieying, it was best not to meet.

Yang Xuan and the others were frightened and quickly retreated back into the ding, no longer peering out. It was all because Mo Yuan's form was too terrifying, exerting a soul-shaking pressure that made even looking at him unbearable.

Ye Chen said nothing more and activated the transmission gate, entering it with Ji Ningshuang.

Before leaving, he could not help but glance back at Mo Yuan.

More than a hundred years ago, when the Ren Wang took him for training, they had encountered Mo Yuan, who was slaughtering lives. The ruthless Ren Wang had thrown him into an illusion, tormenting him for twenty years. Back then, Ye Chen did not understand, but now he did—it was to temper his dao heart.

A hundred years later, Mo Yuan was still on his killing spree, with no end to his jieying in sight. The lover of Hong Lian Female Emperor, a Honghuang-level great god, and the renowned Tun Tian Mo Zun—if he fell in this jieying, it would be a tremendous loss for the zhutian.

Two days later, the two stopped outside the Canglan Realm.

The Canglan Realm was as it had been years ago, shrouded in mist like a dream. But upon returning after a century, Ye Chen was surprised to see a crimson emperor sword hanging in the void. Etched with emperor path divine patterns, strands of ultimate dao principles cascaded down, suppressing eternity. Though just a sword, it manifested various visions, with the sounds of the great dao echoing faintly. Vaguely, one could see the shadow of a peerless beauty, like a supreme queen ruling over the heavens.

"Hong Lian Female Emperor."

"Red Lian Emperor Sword."

Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang murmured almost simultaneously, standing quietly and gazing into the void. They both realized that this crimson ultimate emperor sword was Hong Lian Female Emperor's life weapon, summoned by the evil demon to guard the Canglan Realm. The ethereal, stunning shadow was undoubtedly a remnant image of the female emperor left on the sword.

Ye Chen was not surprised by this.

Years ago, the Zhuxian Sword had sneaked into the Canglan Realm, abducted Mu Liuqing's body, and used it to wreak havoc across the zhutian, nearly destroying the Ren Wang. If not for the Zaohua Shenwang awakening and joining forces with the evil demon to suppress Mu Liuqing, both he and the Ren Wang might have perished. The evil demon clearly did not want to repeat that mistake, so he used the Hong Lian Emperor Sword to protect the Canglan Realm. With a female emperor's weapon guarding it, even if the Zhuxian Sword came, it would be forced to retreat in defeat.

"The good sister of Hong Lian Female Emperor certainly has quite the influence."

Ye Chen sighed.

"No nonsense, come to the bamboo forest."

From one side, the evil demon's ethereal voice echoed.

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze from the void but did not go immediately. Instead, he first released everyone.

The group looked around with fresh curiosity. Immortal light filled the air, and mist shrouded everything. Spiritual flowers and exotic grasses were everywhere, with abundant spiritual energy warm and gentle, forming strands of divine radiance that danced through the heavens and earth. It was truly like a vast immortal realm, a pure land on earth.

Xiao Yang Lan was the most excited, already toddling after fluttering butterflies.

Huang Fei smiled and called after her, following closely to prevent the little one from falling.

Ye Chen stood still and took a drop of his fresh blood, forming the Tongming seal. As the blood merged, the earth trembled slightly, and a stone coffin rose from the ground.

"Emperor path Tongming."

In the depths of the bamboo forest, the evil demon could not help but exclaim in surprise, "Good lad, you can ignore the Canglan Realm's restrictions and the emperor path pressure."

Indeed, Ye Chen could ignore them. Having fully comprehended the human world great dao, his understanding of emperor path Tongming had reached true perfection. Back then, he could not perform Tongming in the Canglan Realm, but now he had surpassed that barrier. A hundred years of mortal experience was no joke.

The person he summoned with Tongming was not Yan Luo, but Qin Mengyao.

He gently waved his hand, granting her consciousness. Qin Mengyao's eyes were already filled with tears. Ignoring Ye Chen, she looked only at Ji Ningshuang, as if knowing where she came from.

"You two, chat slowly."

Ye Chen said, then headed to the bamboo forest.

The moment he left, Qin Mengyao stepped forward, her eyes full of hope as she gazed at Ji Ningshuang.

"Immortal, is he doing well?"

"Not well."

Ji Ningshuang sighed, not hiding the truth.

"His wife has passed away."

Hearing this, Qin Mengyao's heart ached sharply—not because Zhao Yun had a wife, but because his wife had died, and she could imagine his grief.

In that instant, she silently prayed, hoping for Zhao Yun's lifelong safety. She even wished to trade her own life for his wife's.

Ji Ningshuang fell silent, as if she could read Qin Mengyao's thoughts. Love that ran so deep meant priceless sacrifices. If it were her, she would unhesitatingly give her life for Ye Chen.

Qin Mengyao wiped away her tears, as if she had endless questions. Anything related to Zhao Yun was a comfort to her soul. She had once thought of going to the universe where Zhao Yun was, but she could not. The Ming Emperor and Emperor Jun would not open the path for her, and she did not know the Meng Hui Qian Gu technique. Even if she mastered that heaven-defying immortal art, without someone to receive her on the other side, it would be a dead end.

By then, Ye Chen had arrived like a phantom at the deepest part of the small bamboo forest.

The ice jade bed was still there, with Mu Liuqing lying quietly on it, like a statue, utterly still.

Different from before, there was now a treasure box beside Mu Liuqing.

Ye Chen recognized it as the one Qin Mengyao had brought to the evil demon years ago—or more precisely, entrusted by Di Huang. Back then, as a mortal, his vision was limited, and he could not see through it. Now, with his cultivation restored, his insight had returned, allowing him to discern at a glance that the box contained a section of bone that seemed both real and illusory. It flickered with immortal light, fused with endless dao essence, and exuded a powerful, ancient pressure that made breathing difficult.

"Dao bone."

Ye Chen murmured, looking toward the evil demon.

"Mu Liuqing's dao bone."

The evil demon replied softly.

"How did Mu Qianbei's dao bone end up with Di Huang Qianbei?"

Ye Chen asked, full of confusion.

"It's all ancient history."

The evil demon said lightly, not elaborating further.

"If the dao bone is still here, and one day I can refine the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan, I might be able to revive Mu Qianbei."

Ye Chen stroked his chin. Since he could advance through the dao, Mu Liuqing could certainly revive through it. A Honghuang great god's comprehension of the dao far surpassed his own, so there was no reason he could not do it.

"Focus on fusing the true fire and true thunder."

The evil demon waved his hand, and clusters of various colored flames and thunder gathered in the air—over a hundred kinds in total.

"Qianjun Shen Lei, Tiandi Yun Lei, Wanxiang Xin Lei, Senluo Gui Lei, Moluo Xue Yan, Yinsha Ji Huo, Wenwu Tian Huo, Qiankun Zhen Huo."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up as he named them, his heart pounding with excitement. He could identify each one, and his breathing grew rapid.

He never expected that in just a hundred years, the evil demon had gathered so many, all of high grade. It seemed the evil demon had gone all out to help him produce the Chaos Fire, increasing the chances of refining the Jiuzhuan Huan Hun Dan. These divine items were given to him unconditionally.

At that moment, the thunder and immortal fire within Ye Chen's body became restless, flying out without being summoned and darting around the other true fires and thunders. Sealed for a century, they were nearly driven mad and eager to fuse—this feast had been anticipated for a hundred years.

Ye Chen wasted no words and sat down cross-legged, using his divine sense to communicate with the true thunders and true fires, needing their willing cooperation to ensure successful fusion.

He had to admit, as the tenth emperor of Da Chu, he had considerable charisma. Most of the true thunders and true fires were willing to submit. Naturally, a few stubborn ones, like Wenwu Tian Huo and Qianjun Shen Lei, ignored him entirely and even tried to escape.

For those types, Ye Chen paid them no mind and sealed them first. He would deal with them later, after fusing the others. He took it one step at a time, without rushing.

The evil demon glanced at him, then silently turned and left the bamboo forest.