Chapter 2239: Rewards

Xie Mo had left, casting a lingering shadow over those who had fled to Hengyue Zong, leaving many half-crippled and traumatized. After her departure, Hengyue Zong saw a steady stream of visitors, roughly divided into two groups: one seeking the Yongsheng Ti, and the other pursuing Ye Chen. Among them were Yue Huang, Sheng Zun, Weimian Zhizi, Tian Lao, Di Lao—all seasoned quasi-emperors without exception.

Just like with Xie Mo, the way everyone looked at Ye Chen was filled with untold stories. After hearing what Donghuang Tai Xin had said, no one could remain calm; the shock was profound and unsettling.

Sheng Zun touched his chin and said,“It's a good thing Tian Jiu is in seclusion, otherwise, he'd be even more excited.”If that divine general learned that Ye Chen was connected to Di Zun, he'd probably burst into tears.

Xi Chen said leisurely,“We haven't confirmed it yet, so let's not jump to conclusions.”

Tian Lao stroked his beard and said,“I also think this matter is too far-fetched. We need to investigate thoroughly.”

Someone added,“We have to keep a close eye on him, make sure no one spirits him away.”

Another suggested,“Tying him up might be more reliable.”

Apart from Yue Huang, who remained silent, the group of old quasi-emperors circled around Ye Chen with perfect coordination—two laps clockwise, then two laps counterclockwise—like they were observing a monkey. Every now and then, they'd reach out to pat his shoulder or pinch his face.

Ye Chen's face had turned pitch black. Were all these old quasi-emperors this idle? They came to Yunu Peak to gawk like it was a show, but did they have to keep circling? The spinning was making him dizzy. And if they had to pinch his face, couldn't they do it gently?

“This is a real treasure!”

The group of quasi-emperors finally stopped and uttered those words with great emphasis.

Then, they slung their arms around each other's shoulders and left, heading off to check out that other treasure—the Yongsheng Ti.

As soon as they arrived at Longwu Mountain Peak, disaster struck again. People were sent flying in droves, smashing into the various peaks of Hengyue Zong and leaving a mess in their wake. What else could you expect from peak quasi-emperors? They did as they pleased.

Only after this group of big shots had gone did Yunu Peak finally settle into peace.

Ye Chen sat under an old tree, continuously inscribing jade slips with laws—one after another.

Sealed within these jade slips were various Di Dao Xian Fa, obtained from the Huangjiang Emperor's son. Over the past days, he had meticulously deduced them all, engraving the true essence of these immortal laws along with his own insights. These were meant to be passed on to the people of Da Chu.

It took him over ten days to finish.

As his wives, they were the first to benefit, each receiving a copy.

Shangguan Yue Er sighed and said,“Your ability to deduce secret techniques is truly a heaven-defying gift.”

Ye Chen yawned and stretched lazily as he replied,“Make sure to discern them carefully. Some can be learned, but others might conflict with your core essence. Don't risk going astray and falling into qi deviation.”

The women smiled and said,“We understand.”

Ye Chen, the young master, sighed and said,“After all this hard work, no one's given me any reward or anything.”

The women stepped forward one by one and said,“There is one, of course there is.”Each planted a red lipstick mark on Ye Chen's face. Then, they all retreated to their rooms for seclusion, intending to spend the coming days in cultivation to boost their strength as quickly as possible. When chaos arrived in the future, they wanted to stand alongside Ye Chen and hold up the sky together.

Ye Chen grinned and said,“Now that's more like it.”He savored the faint scent of lipstick, feeling a surge of restless energy. Having spent a thousand years in the cycle of reincarnation, his vigor was at its peak, and he'd suffered countless internal injuries because of it.

Whenever this happened, he'd curse the ancestors of the heavens eight generations back. Without that damned heavenly tribulation, his life would be so much more enjoyable—holding his wives close while sleeping, what a wonderful feeling that would be.

Tang San Shao, not far away, watched Ye Chen enviously and said,“How great is that?”He couldn't help glancing at Ye Ling.

As soon as he finished, Ye Ling slapped him across the face.

Ye Chen approached and handed Ye Ling a secret scroll, which was a Di Dao Xian Fa focused on evasion. For someone like Ye Ling at this stage, the priority was to solidify her foundation. Learning too many overbearing attack techniques could do more harm than good, but an escape method was still useful.

Ye Ling chuckled and said,“Thanks, Dad.”Then she hurried off to seclude herself.

Tang San Shao picked himself up, looking at Ye Chen with hopeful eyes, as if to say, I'm not your son-in-law, but I'm still on Yunu Peak. They say the legendary items are for all to see, so you should give me one too.

Ye Chen tossed him a storage bag and said,“Take it and be grateful.”He had prepared it for the little fatty in advance. As the only person in the heavens who could freely control the bloodline limit, Tang San Shao might be a bit unrestrained in appearance and always scheming to woo his little cabbage, but there was no denying he was a talent worth nurturing.

Tang San Shao beamed and said,“Thanks, future father-in-law.”He scampered off happily and vanished from sight.

Watching his retreating figure, Ye Chen's expression was full of meaning.

Among the younger generation in the heavens, Tang San Shao was undoubtedly top-tier—not an exaggeration. If it came to a real fight, even Dadi Zhizi might not be his match. The bloodline limit wasn't a joke; you could fight, he could endure, and if it dragged on, he could outlast you. With a god-tier cheat, how could he not be cocky?

The women's seclusion made Yunu Peak much quieter. Apart from the two little ones playing on the grass, only Ye Chen remained.

Speaking of those two little ones, they showed some changes today.

The change was in their age—they were no longer stuck in place but had entered the realm of normal growth, starting to mature gradually. This meant that the certain nirvana between the Tianze Body and the Tiansha Lone Star had come to an end. What followed was the true path of the strong.

Ye Chen withdrew his gaze from the two little ones and glanced toward the gates of Hengyue Zong. A young man wearing a mask emerged from the void and stood there, gazing across the countless peaks toward Yunu Peak—or more precisely, toward Xiao Ye Fan.

The young man was strikingly handsome, with eyes like stars and black hair like a waterfall. His aura was naturally infused with the Dao, and visions of Dao principles manifested around him, weaving with the sounds of the great Dao. From his body, one could sense a hidden, mysterious power that, once unleashed, would be terrifying.

He was, of course, Dadi Zhizi.

Ye Chen wasn't surprised by his arrival.

In the past, this brilliant junior had come by every so often, clearly to observe the Tianze Zhizi and wait for him to grow, so they could settle who was superior.

Unfortunately, each visit ended in disappointment. The loneliness of a master was hard to bear.

Ye Chen smiled, feeling honored for his son to be regarded so highly by Dadi Zhizi.

With a gentle wave of his hand, Ye Chen sent a storage bag flying out of Hengyue Zong, landing perfectly in front of Dadi Zhizi. Inside were various Di Dao Xian Fa, all suitable for him to learn.

As the ruler of Da Chu, Ye Chen wasn't stingy, even if the recipient was his son's rival. That was the resolve of a Shengti.

Dadi Zhizi frowned and said,“Senior, aren't you afraid I'll learn these and defeat your son?”

Ye Chen laughed and said,“I have confidence in both of you.”

Dadi Zhizi cupped his hands and said,“Thank you for the gift, Senior.”He took the storage bag and turned to leave. Even after walking far away, he glanced back, gaining a new perspective on this Shengti senior. Ye Chen's repeated creation of myths wasn't by chance; just this level of boldness was beyond most people. In comparison, he himself seemed a bit narrow-minded—a gap he couldn't deny.

As Dadi Zhizi faded into the distance, Ye Chen found a comfortable spot and sat down cross-legged.

He then summoned over a dozen strands of true fire, each possessing some basic intelligence, though they were far inferior to his Xianhuo and Tai Chu Shenhuo.

Ye Chen connected with them telepathically and said directly,“Submit to me!”

As soon as he spoke, the Xianhuo darted out, circling Ye Chen. Its flames flickered occasionally, as if showing off to the true fires, implying: This is my master—hurry up and merge with me, or I'll swallow you whole.

Sure enough, its intimidation worked; seven or eight strands of true fire submitted on the spot. The remaining five or six were more stubborn, hovering there and pretending not to hear.

Ye Chen ignored them for now and focused on fusing with the submissive ones.

With their willing submission and aligned intent, the fusion went smoothly, taking just three hours to complete.

Next came those five or six strands of true fire. The Xianhuo's threats had no effect.

Clever as ever, Ye Chen resorted to his smooth talking, seriously discussing life with them.

His skill at persuasion was unmatched—whether dealing with people, beasts, true fires, or true thunder, few could resist him.

Thus, the five or six strands of true fire, not highly intelligent to begin with, fell for it completely, getting so disoriented they couldn't tell north from south. Gradually, they leaned toward submission, and with another scare from the Xianhuo, they gave in.

The fusion process was smooth once again.

After it was done, the Xianhuo's origin grew denser, bringing it closer to the Chaotic level. But Ye Chen knew that even that final sliver of difference could be an insurmountable chasm, much like the gap from peak quasi-emperor to emperor—seemingly just a thread, yet countless geniuses spent their lives unable to cross it.

With the Xianhuo's opportunity came benefits for Ye Chen as its master.

In that moment, he seemed to touch the bottleneck of quasi-emperor, but it was only a fleeting glimpse before it vanished. To truly find the breakthrough opportunity, he needed fate on his side. And he did have such an opportunity—it just wasn't cooperating.

That opportunity was the Tai Chu Shenhuo. Ever since it was brought out of the black hole, it had been sealed away. He'd tried everything to win it over, and the Xianhuo had threatened it daily, but to no avail.

Once more, he summoned the Tai Chu Shenhuo. If he could fuse with this divine fire, he might seize that breakthrough chance and reach quasi-emperor—an act that would defy the heavens.

Regrettably, the Tai Chu Shenhuo remained unmoved, ignoring his persuasion and the Xianhuo's threats, leaving Ye Chen utterly helpless.

“Is that really the Tai Chu Shenhuo?” Fu Ya, watching the scene at Yunu Peak from the Huan Tian Water Curtain in front of Tianxuan Gate, exclaimed in surprise. As an old quasi-emperor, he naturally recognized it, though it was his first time seeing it.

Beside him, Donghuang Tai Xin was also taken aback, unaware that Ye Chen possessed such a treasure. Ranking just below Chaotic Fire, the Tai Chu Shenhuo's level was higher than she'd imagined.