Chapter 2244

Upon hearing this, Fu Ya vanished instantly.

All the Zhundi present took a deep breath, clearly understanding Donghuang Taiyi's intentions this time. Ruoxi's identity remained a mystery, and it was no coincidence that the commander of the Ancient Heavenly Court was a woman. It truly might be deeply connected to Ruoxi. Not only did Donghuang Taiyi think so, but they all felt it too. It was a feeling, an extremely strong one.

Soon, little Ruoxi was brought in, still sealed and sleeping peacefully.

Donghuang Taiyi waved her hand, lifting the seal on Ruoxi.

Ruoxi's little finger trembled slightly, and then she opened her eyes, a bit groggy from sleep. She looked around at the crowd of Zhundi in confusion. She had no idea how many years she had been sealed, and upon waking, she saw so many strangers. She lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Yue Huang smiled warmly and gently waved her hand.

"Little girl, come here."

Ruoxi timidly lifted her head, hesitated for a moment, and then toddled over. Among those present, only Yue Huang seemed kind to her, like a mother.

Yue Huang bent down, stroking Ruoxi's little face with motherly tenderness.

Moreover, her position was quite close to the dragon throne, and by calling little Ruoxi over, she had this intention in mind—to get closer to the dragon throne and observe any clues more clearly.

All the Zhundi had narrowed their eyes, staring intently at Ruoxi and the dragon throne.

However, after watching for a while, nothing unusual happened. The white jade dragon throne remained steady, and Ruoxi looked bewildered, as if the two belonged to completely different worlds, with no connection at all.

Donghuang Taiyi furrowed her brows slightly.

"Guessing wrong?"

"Perhaps we could try placing her on the dragon throne," Di Lao said, stroking his beard.

"Sounds plausible."

"Earlier, when I sat on it, I was thrown off. We can't let this little girl take the risk," Tian Lao said slowly. "One wrong move, and she might be shaken to pieces, her soul scattered."

"You're you, and she's her," Xi Chen said leisurely.

The words of the Child of the Plane carried deep meaning. Tian Lao was indeed a Zhundi, but Ruoxi was no ordinary person. Anyone who dared to pry into her secrets, even a Ren Wang, had suffered backlash. She was far from simple.

Xie Mo was the most straightforward. She picked up Ruoxi and gently placed her on the dragon throne.

The imagined scene of Ruoxi being thrown off did not occur. Everything remained peacefully calm.

The Zhundi raised their eyebrows and exchanged glances.

"So, she really is the owner of the dragon throne?" Tian Lao rubbed his chin and circled around the throne, looking at Ruoxi and then at the chair. Earlier, he had been thrown off, nearly breaking his old bones, but this little girl sat there without a care, which clearly pointed to some issues.

"Don't say it, but it might actually be possible," Di Lao nodded.

"Not necessarily," Yue Huang said softly. "On Yu Nü Feng, both the Tian Sha Gu Xing and the Tian Qian Zhi Ti once climbed onto this dragon throne, just like Ruoxi, and they weren't rejected either."

"I calculate that this dragon throne just likes children," Tian Lao said.

"Whether it is or not, we'll know with a test," Tian Lao said, then transformed into the form of a child. He looked about two or three years old, chubby and plump, making everyone's eyes light up.

Once again, Tian Lao climbed onto the dragon throne.

Then, he flew out. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he soared out of Tian Xuan Men—not an exaggeration, he flew even farther than the first time. The sound of his bones shattering was clearly audible. Not to mention the pain, just hearing it made one wince; he might not be completely shattered, but he'd be half-crippled.

In contrast, Ruoxi sat steadily, as if nothing had happened, tilting her little face to watch the direction where Tian Lao had flown. Why on earth had he suddenly flown away like that?

The expressions of the Zhundi became meaningful.

Clearly, the dragon throne liked children but had no patience for old folks. I'm the dragon throne, sure, but I'm not stupid. You turn into a kid, but you're still an old-timer?

"It's not her," Donghuang Taiyi said, waving her hand again.

Ruoxi, who had only just been unsealed, was sealed once more.

Perhaps no one noticed that in the instant Ruoxi closed her eyes, the dragon throne trembled slightly, and a trace of immortal light flashed across her little body.

Little Ruoxi was taken away, and the Zhundi gathered around the dragon throne to study it again.

On the other side, Ye Chen clutched his sore waist and trudged through the sky, limping and cursing. Donghuang Taiyi was a real lunatic; that slap was way too hard, almost shattering his small frame. He didn't even know how far he had flown. The bold spirit of the Great Chu people left even him, the emperor of Great Chu, struggling to handle it.

When he returned to Yu Nü Feng, dawn was approaching.

The women were still in seclusion, but the two little ones were full of energy, having woken up and now playing on the bed. It was a good thing they were still young; otherwise, it wouldn't just be playing.

He withdrew his gaze from the room, and his divine sense enveloped the entire Heng Yue. He was about to go to the forbidden zone as a messenger, and who knew how long it would take to return. He needed someone to look after the two little ones.

But scanning around, he didn't see anyone wandering about; they were all in seclusion.

This was a bit awkward.

Ye Chen had considered sending Ye Fan and Yang Lan to Tian Xuan Men, but after thinking it over, he immediately dismissed the idea. The people at Tian Xuan Men were all a bunch of old rogues. If he sent the children there and got them back, they'd probably pick up all the bad habits from those old fogies. He didn't want his well-behaved kids to be corrupted like that.

"What are you looking for?" As Ye Chen was searching, a door opened, and Liu Ruyan walked out, yawning and stretching. It was obvious she had just woken up.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. "Why did you come out of seclusion?"

"Nothing major, just coming out to face a tribulation," Liu Ruyan said with a smile.

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh at her words.

No wonder she was the eleventh emperor of Great Chu; even talking about facing a tribulation sounded so casual.

He wasn't surprised about Liu Ruyan facing her tribulation.

More than a decade ago, she had already reached the peak of Sheng Wang. She had suppressed this Da Sheng heavenly tribulation for over ten years. It was all about building up for a breakthrough; she should face it now. Or rather, the tribulation had been suppressed for too long; she couldn't hold it back anymore, or it would backlash against her.

"Face your tribulation with peace of mind; I'll protect you," Ye Chen said with a smile.

Liu Ruyan smiled charmingly and then soared into the sky, stepping into the void and leaving Heng Yue.

Ye Chen followed closely behind.

The two of them, one after the other, found a remote place, far enough from Heng Yue.

Only then did Liu Ruyan stop and release the suppression of her heavenly tribulation.

Boom!

Immediately, thunder rumbled from the nine heavens. The sky, which had just brightened, was covered by rolling dark clouds, with lightning flashing and thunder booming inside. A pressure that made all living beings tremble suddenly appeared.

Then, thunder gathered and poured down from the void.

Liu Ruyan showed no fear, stepping into the sky in one stride. With no weapons or tools, just her crystalline jade hands, she swept away swaths of lightning. Bathing in the heavenly tribulation, she was like a queen from the nine heavens, defying the heavens as she ascended.

Not far away, Ye Chen stood quietly. His eight Dao of Reincarnation seals had already left his body, engraved in eight directions, ready to activate the Flying Thunder God at any moment in case of emergency.

Boom! Boom! Rumble!

The eleventh emperor of Great Chu was of emperor-seed level, and her heavenly tribulation was extraordinarily vast. Each bolt of lightning carried world-ending power, gathering into a sea of thunder that engulfed that graceful figure. Yet, it could not overcome her; time and again, it swallowed her, only for her to fight her way out each time.

Ye Chen took out a wine flask and watched with enjoyment.

He hadn't realized it before, but now he saw that his usually gentle and lovely wife was quite fierce. She didn't make a move often, but when she did, it shook the heavens and earth, fearing neither divine punishment nor the heavens above.

Though the thunder tribulation was strong, he had no worries.

Every emperor of Great Chu had an aura that dominated the eight directions and a reputation that shook the world. If they couldn't even overcome a heavenly tribulation, they wouldn't deserve the title of emperor. He was like that, and so should Liu Ruyan.

As expected, she was even fiercer than he imagined. The sea of thunder tribulation couldn't handle her; it was split open repeatedly. The domineering lightning from the heavens was wiped out in swaths by her.

As Ye Chen took a sip of wine, he shifted his gaze from her and looked toward the more distant void.

Piercing through the mists of fate, he could see over a dozen rays of tribulation-responding immortal light.

That's right; more Zhundi had successfully responded to the tribulation, just like before, all from the Hong Huang clans.

And they were purely from the Han Jiang clan.

Unfortunately, the Han Jiang ancestral land had already collapsed, and except for the Han Jiang clan emperor, no one else survived. This time, when they returned from the tribulation, they would likely be stunned, searching for their home in confusion—if they weren't confused, that would be strange.

Even from a distance, Ye Chen seemed to hear roars of anger.

But what he worried about wasn't that; it was the tribulation-responding wave, which was too biased toward Hong Huang. Every time someone successfully responded, it was always from the Hong Huang clans, never from the various heavens.

This was a serious problem.

If things continued at this rate, Hong Huang would finish their tribulation-responding wave ahead of the various heavens. Imagine what would happen: all of Hong Huang's tribulation-responders return, while those from the various heavens haven't, and Hong Huang would launch an all-out war without restraint. Whether it disturbs the tribulation or not would be irrelevant to them; they wouldn't care if the various heavens still had responders.

In other words, figures like the emperors and divine generals wouldn't even wait to return before perishing in the flames of war.

After enduring the heavenly demon invasion, the tribulation disasters, and numerous battles, the various heavens were already at a disadvantage. If Hong Huang started the war before the tribulation wave ended, it would be a devastating blow to the various heavens. With their strength waning and Hong Huang's growing, how could the various heavens fight back?

Ye Chen furrowed his brows; many matters were pressing. He needed to advance to Zhundi in the shortest time possible and do his best to connect with Ming Di Huang. Before that, going to Tian Xu was essential; he had to borrow as many emperor artifacts as possible, even if it meant enduring hardships, to hold out until the various heavens' responders returned.

As he watched, the thunder had ceased.

That stretch of sky was in ruins, with no lightning left, only Liu Ruyan remained. She had withstood the heavenly tribulation but was injured, her delicate body covered in lightning scars that were shocking to see.

Ye Chen stood straight but did not approach, because the tribulation was not over yet.

An emperor-seed level Da Sheng tribulation would definitely include an emperor dao law body.

Sure enough, under his gaze, a graceful figure slowly emerged in the void. She had an absolutely stunning face, surrounded by emperor dao laws, her entire body bathed in immortal light, pure and flawless, untouched by the mundane world. Though only a few thousand zhang away, she seemed more distant than a dream, as if standing on the river of time, aged by the years.

"It's actually Hong Lian Nü Di," the Zhundi from Tian Xuan Men couldn't help but sigh, and many of them were seeing the emperor dao law body of Hong Lian Nü Di for the first time.

"We should all thank that female emperor," Yue Huang said softly.

No one refuted her words.

Throughout history, few who attained the emperor position engaged in widespread slaughter, because the emperor was supreme, and none would lower themselves to massacre weak ants.

But Hong Lian Nü Di was an exception.

Legend has it that on the day Hong Lian became emperor, she sacrificed the Hong Lian industry fire and burned the gods of the eight directions.

And those so-called gods of the eight directions referred to Hong Huang.

That day, countless great gods of Hong Huang perished in the Hong Lian industry fire, and who knows how many Hong Huang clans were wiped out because of it.

In a way, seven out of ten of Hong Huang's forces were destroyed by Hong Lian, which is why Hong Huang trembled at the mere mention of her name.

Without Hong Lian's slaughter of Hong Huang, the various heavens today wouldn't even qualify as opponents. By that logic, shouldn't the various heavens thank Hong Lian?

At the very least, the various heavens could still barely fight against Hong Huang now.

Among the many Zhundi of Tian Xuan Men, Xie Mo's expression was the most somber.

She was the Chi Mei Xie Shen, and in the past, like Hong Lian before she became emperor, she was one of the few supreme queens of that era. Unfortunately, she lacked that sliver of opportunity and missed the emperor position.

After countless years, seeing Hong Lian again, her state of mind was imaginable.

She knew all too well why that Hong Lian industry fire had burned the gods of the eight directions. Though Hong Lian was supreme as an emperor, she couldn't escape the pull of emotions. For the Tian Tun Mo Zun, she had nearly slaughtered all of Hong Huang. In that dark age, even the sun was blood-red.

Now, she was still alive, Mo Yuan was still alive, and Mu Liuqing had hope of returning to the world, but the mighty Hong Lian Nü Di had already become dust of history eons ago. This one emperor dao law body felt like a reunion from another world, and Xie Mo was filled with endless sorrow.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Under the watchful eyes of the Zhundi, Liu Ruyan had already engaged Hong Lian in battle. The battlefield was immensely grand, with mountains collapsing one after another, disrupting yin and yang and overturning the heavens and earth.

This time, even Liu Ruyan's combat prowess couldn't avoid bloodshed.

She was fighting a Hong Lian of the same level, an emperor-seed against a young emperor level, and she was at a disadvantage everywhere. Though it was just an emperor dao law body, the female emperor's attacks were unparalleled, with each strike being an emperor dao divine ability. It was like she was suppressing Liu Ruyan, and there were even a few times when she nearly obliterated her. Such scenes made everyone watching hold their breath in anxiety.

"Hold out past that limit," Ye Chen couldn't help but remind her. Having fought the emperor dao law body of Hong Lian before, he knew how terrifying that female emperor was. Though not the strongest great emperor, she was the most ferocious one. Her Hong Lian industry fire possessed the power to destroy heavens and earth—it wasn't a joke.

"Understood," Liu Ruyan nodded, enduring bitterly.

Her state of mind was one of shock; even a single emperor dao law body was this strong, so one could imagine how difficult it was for Ye Chen to fight thirty-two emperors alone back then. Just from this, as the eleventh emperor, she was a whole level below the tenth.

Fortunately, her willpower was firm enough, and she finally withstood the female emperor's assault.

As the female emperor's law body dissipated, she fell from the void, her entire body covered in fresh blood, with countless bloody gashes, each one entwined with emperor dao killing intent that was eroding her origin essence. Not only were the wounds not healing, but they were also expanding outward. In the shadows, some emperor dao power was still tormenting her body and seriously threatening her primordial spirit.

Ye Chen hurriedly stepped forward, using a gentle force to support her, and headed straight back to Heng Yue Sect.