Chapter 2173: Eyebrows

"Why ask such a thing?" Nu Sheng Ti replied, finally swallowing the food she had in her mouth.

"There's nothing to it, just curiosity," Ye Chen shrugged, being quite understanding as he kept piling vegetables onto Nu Sheng Ti's bowl, filling it to the brim, as if to say: Eat up, it's your cooking, no matter how bad it tastes, you have to finish it. If you can't handle the job, don't take it on!

Nu Sheng Ti caught on quickly, simply picking up the plate and dumping the remaining dishes into Ye Chen's bowl. Her actions seemed to convey: If you don't finish it, you're in trouble.

The sight of a male Sheng Ti and a female Sheng Ti serving each other food was a bit mismatched, yet it couldn't hide the warmth between them. It was just like a married couple, especially the playful kind, showing off their affection in all sorts of ways, specifically to torment those single folks. The so-called single person here was obviously Ming Di, while Di Huang was different—he had a wife, though she had passed away.

They finished breakfast in an extremely odd atmosphere.

Ye Chen let out a satisfied burp and stretched lazily.

Nu Sheng Ti's expression wasn't optimistic at all. That terribly tasting breakfast had left her feeling nauseous. In this regard, she and Ye Chen were worlds apart—Young Master Ye had even chewed on tree bark before, so this unappetizing meal was child's play to him.

"The Lei Yu has been fully searched. How about we head to other realms for a look?" Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Sounds good," Nu Sheng Ti was straightforward, waving her hand lightly to open a realm gate.

Ye Chen was the most eager, stepping right in.

As Nu Sheng Ti left, she couldn't help but glance back at the small garden, the roof eaves, and the ancient city. It was here that she had received the first bouquet of flowers in her life, first rested her cheek on a man's shoulder, and first tried cooking. The taste wasn't great, but it held special meaning.

It was also the first time the magnificent Nu Sheng Ti had shown a smile of tenderness, and this mortal city was destined to carry a beautiful memory for her.

Slowly, she withdrew her gaze and stepped into the realm gate.

When the two reappeared, they were in another realm, known as Shui Yu.

True to its name, the entire realm hung in the misty void, with water as far as the eye could see. Scattered among it were islands of various sizes, like pearls embedded in the vast ocean.

Compared to Bing Yu, Lei Yu, and Huo Yu, Shui Yu's territory was extraordinarily vast—so much so that the other three combined might not match it. The spiritual energy here was also denser, and the mist swirling over the sea added a touch of mystery to this world.

Ye Chen had already pulled out a map, hovering it in front of him and marking routes with a pen.

Nu Sheng Ti was more relaxed, gazing into a small mirror and painting her eyebrows. Since leaving Lei Yu, she seemed to pay more attention to her appearance. Already stunningly beautiful, the simple stroke of her eyebrows brought out endless charm.

After three to five minutes, Ye Chen put away the map and headed straight for the nearest island. He didn't even notice the change in Nu Sheng Ti's appearance, which made her grumble inwardly: At least take a look!

Not long after, the two landed on an island with an ancient city, full of weathered age.

Unfortunately, they found no reincarnated souls, no tribulation responders, and no one hiding the origin of the heavenly demon within them. So, in just three breaths, they left and rushed to the next island.

This time, Ye Chen's luck seemed poor. He searched island after island without finding any reincarnated souls.

It wasn't until the thirty-second island that Ye Chen had some success, locating a reincarnated person from the Hao Tian family in a past life. In terms of seniority, Hao Tian Shi Yue would have to call him great-uncle.

Ye Chen unlocked his past-life memories, leading to an emotional scene.

Whenever this happened, Ye Chen would consciously absorb the power of reincarnation. Once done, he'd always flash Nu Sheng Ti a charming look: See that? I've mastered the method of absorbing reincarnation power.

In response, Nu Sheng Ti remained expressionless, though she smiled to herself: If I hadn't demonstrated it for you, could you have learned it?

As night fell, darkness enveloped the Shui Yu, with waves shimmering under the moonlight. The islands looked like radiant pearls, adorning a beautiful scene.

Ye Chen stayed busier than ever, never taking a day off.

By the sixth month, the two arrived at the last unsearched island in Shui Yu. Regrettably, Ye Chen found nothing.

That night, they didn't leave but stayed to rest.

Nu Sheng Ti volunteered to cook dinner again. It was better than the previous breakfast, but whether it tasted good or not didn't matter—Ye Chen had to eat it all and make it look enjoyable. After all, it was her cooking, and not eating it would mean getting beaten. The clever Young Master Ye had long figured that out.

In the morning, Nu Sheng Ti opened another realm gate, starting a new journey.

The new realm brought fresh scenery.

In the years that followed, Ye Chen remained as diligent as ever, searching realm after realm—some large, some small, staying a few days in one, a few months in another, sometimes with gains, sometimes empty-handed. He shuttled between the realms, day and night, repeating the same mission.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

During these three years, Hong Huang stayed quiet, and the various heavens remained relatively peaceful. Many tribulation-bound Zhun Di had returned, but over ninety percent were from the Hong Huang clans.

However, the tide of tribulation hadn't ended. Hong Huang still held back, not daring to start a war recklessly. All clans lay low, waiting for their tribulation responders to return before igniting another massive conflict.

In the fourth year, Dong Huang Tai Xin, who had been sealed, awoke from her slumber. Her immortal face was haggard, unable to conceal the weariness. Compared to before, she was much more silent, often standing alone at night in front of the divine monument, quietly gazing at the shattered primordial spirit jade plaque. Occasionally, she'd glance at Jian Fei Dao's plaque, which flickered with bright light—a reflection of his destiny. Given enough time, the Zhutian Sword God would surely return against the heavens.

On a tranquil night, Kunlun Shen Nu stood before the divine monument, neither speaking nor moving.

Behind her, space twisted, and Xi Chen, the son of the realm, emerged. He looked somewhat exhausted.

"Where is Ye Chen?" Dong Huang Tai Xin asked softly.

"Who knows?" Xi Chen shook his head helplessly. He had been searching realm by realm but couldn't find a trace of Ye Chen—or rather, someone was deliberately avoiding him with Ye Chen, causing them to always just miss each other. With so many realms, tracking him down was no easy task.

Even Xi Chen was puzzled about where the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu had gone. It was as if he had vanished from the world. There were moments when Xi Chen almost thought Ye Chen had been killed.

Fortunately, Ye Chen's primordial spirit jade plaque was still intact, glowing impressively, proving he was alive and well—just off wandering in some remote corner. After searching for over three years, he still hadn't found him. You can imagine the frustration.

Dong Huang Tai Xin said nothing, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She had a growing sense of unease, which was what had woken her from her slumber.

Xi Chen didn't stay long before leaving again to continue his search for Young Master Ye.

Before departing, he visited the Zaohua Shen Wang, who had been sealed for years and was still in deep sleep. The heavenly demon origin within him hadn't decreased—in fact, it had increased. Without the emperor weapon suppressing it, he would have likely transformed into a heavenly demon.

In the fifth year, Ye Chen and Nu Sheng Ti appeared in Feng Yu.

This realm was quite interesting, with howling gales raging day and night across the land. The winds were at least force ten, and during their search, they often saw people being blown through the air. Cultivators were fine—they could land without dying if the wind died down—but ordinary people didn't dare go out, afraid of being swept away unexpectedly.

On a mountain peak, the dedicated Emperor of Da Chu was once again buried in his map, making notes.

It had been five years since leaving Zhutian. Even Ye Chen hadn't realized how long it had been. But his journey wasn't without reward—he had found many tribulation responders and separated the heavenly demon origin from quite a few people.

He had also located numerous reincarnated souls, each discovery bringing a small stroke of fate. The power of reincarnation he absorbed had accumulated over time, gradually deepening his understanding of the reincarnation principles.

What dimmed his eyes was that so many reincarnated souls remained unfound, like Long Ye, Hu Wa, Ye Xing Chen, Dao Huang, Ouyang Wang, and Shen Xuan Feng—they were still nowhere to be seen. Even Ye Chen had lost hope, feeling those heroic spirits had likely turned to dust in history.

At his side, Nu Sheng Ti stood gracefully. This time, she wasn't painting her eyebrows or fixing her hair, just quietly watching Ye Chen.

Five years had passed, and she had followed him for all of them, growing accustomed to the dusty road. Whenever they reached the last city of a realm, she would cook like a wife. Over five years, her cultivation hadn't advanced, but her cooking skills had reached master level.

Under the starlight, the way she looked at Ye Chen carried an extra touch of tenderness, born from five years of shared time. Along with it came a growing complexity.

She didn't know when it started, but she no longer dared to meet Ye Chen's eyes directly, only stealing glances in quiet moments. Her hazy feelings—whether infatuation or guilt—she couldn't say.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" Ye Chen leaned in, waving a hand in front of her face when he saw her zoning out.

Nu Sheng Ti's thoughts were interrupted, and she quickly turned away, looking around to avoid his gaze.

"What's the situation with Po Luo Yu? Why is it so small?" Ye Chen asked, puzzled. Without even needing the map, he could see the edge of the sky with a single glance. Roughly estimating, the realm was only a few dozen li across—the smallest among all realms—and it had just one ancient city.

The spiritual energy here was thin, unsuitable for immortals to cultivate. Even if there were cultivators, none exceeded Zhen Yang realm.

Indeed, when the two descended into the realm's only ancient city, they saw few cultivators—over ninety-nine percent were ordinary people. The highest-level cultivator was merely at the first level of Zhen Yang realm, an elderly man nearing the end of his life.

Ah!

Ye Chen sighed, taking out a wine flask and sprinkling it along the way as he walked. This was his habit over the years—if there had been reincarnated souls, they were likely buried in time. A flask of wine was his way of paying respects to the heroic spirits of Da Chu, who could never return home.

He was still kind-hearted, sacrificing source stones to condense spiritual origins and infuse them into the realm's world, gathering spiritual energy as a cultivation resource for the aging cultivators.

Once again, the two stopped to rest.

The scene in the garden was still warm, with Nu Sheng Ti busy at the stove.

Under the moonlight, she looked serene and beautiful, her usual magnificence replaced by a touch of everyday warmth.

Not far away, Ye Chen propped his chin in his hands, idly watching her. Every time they entered a new realm, Nu Sheng Ti would cook, and he had grown used to it. At the stove, she resembled a gentle wife, and even as the Heavenly Court Holy Lord, he found himself momentarily lost in thought.

Tonight's dinner was a bit different from before. Nu Sheng Ti kept her eyes lowered the whole time, as if she had no appetite, barely touching her chopsticks.

Young Master Ye was different—he ate and drank heartily, his appetite as strong as ever, completely unaware of her unusual behavior.

After the meal, Ye Chen stroked his chin and wandered the garden, lost in thought. Occasionally, he'd glance at the void and mutter to himself, pondering the location of the Qingtian Demon Pillar. If he searched all the realms and still didn't find it, it was probably in Zhutian.

With a gentle spring breeze blowing by, Nu Sheng Ti approached slowly and handed Ye Chen a brush.

"What's this for?" Ye Chen asked, surprised.

"Help me paint my eyebrows," Nu Sheng Ti said softly.

"Uh..." Ye Chen coughed awkwardly but still took the brush.

Nu Sheng Ti sat down, facing him directly for the first time in years, her beautiful eyes like water.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, was a bit flustered.

Not to boast, but his hand holding the brush was trembling. He was good at fighting and being shameless, but painting eyebrows was a first for him. If he messed it up, it could lead to serious consequences—Nu Sheng Ti's slap packed a punch.

To be fair, the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu had some talent. He might not have done it himself, but he'd seen Chu Ling and the others do it, so he knew a thing or two.

The process was incredibly slow. Ye Chen bent over, painting carefully, his palms sweaty.

Nu Sheng Ti sat like an ice beauty, perfectly still. Under the moonlight, her tenderness, along with each stroke of the brush, wove into an inexplicable bond.

After half an hour, Ye Chen finally put down the brush and let out a long breath. He fetched a small mirror and placed it in front of Nu Sheng Ti. "First time painting, no experience."

Nu Sheng Ti finally smiled faintly. In the mirror, she looked stunning, and Ye Chen's work on her eyebrows was perfect.

Seeing her smile, Ye Chen felt as if he'd been pardoned, quickly slipping away. He was afraid this woman might come up with more odd requests. He'd been beaten enough times—better to play it safe.

The night grew deeper.

Under the old tree in the garden, Ye Chen had fallen asleep, waiting for dawn to continue his search.

Nu Sheng Ti approached quietly, extending her hand to gently brush aside the stray white hair on Ye Chen's forehead, caressing his weathered face. Her beautiful eyes grew misty as she gazed at him.

Even now, she didn't know why her heart had blossomed for him. It must have been on some night when that crazy little Sheng Ti selflessly used half his origin to heal her wounds, treating her like family without holding back.

That moment of gratitude, mixed with guilt, had intertwined into deep feelings. Over five years, day and night, it had borne the fruit of this affection.

A woman's heart is the most unfathomable. She had stood too high, unaware of the mundane world. For someone like her, it was easy to be ensnared by emotion. At a specific time, meeting a specific Da Chu Emperor, the twists of fate had sketched this extraordinary bond.

Yet, she still withdrew her hand and drew out a jade bottle from Ye Chen's body.

The bottle contained a golden liquid—more precisely, blood, the blood of Di Huang, which she had taken.

Along with it, she took the blood of Yan Luo, the judge, the underworld generals, and in fact, the blood of all underworld people—she had collected it all.

Bathed in moonlight, she turned silently and walked away, leaving only a strand of her hair drifting back, landing in Ye Chen's hand, carrying the faint fragrance of a woman.

With her departure, the garden fell quiet once more. The sleeping Ye Chen drifted into dreams, unaware that Nu Sheng Ti had left.

"What does she mean by this?" Ming Di asked, raising an eyebrow on Jie Ming Mountain.

"Clearly, she doesn't want me to return to Zhutian," Di Huang said calmly, his dazzling golden eyes flickering with uncertainty. After observing Nu Sheng Ti for five years, her unusual behaviors had proven everything—she truly loved Ye Chen, but she had also truly deceived him.