Chapter 2248: Shattered Fracture

Chapter 2248: Comminuted Fracture

Ye Chen reappeared in front of a cluster of misty immortal mountains. However, this was not the Tian Xu Forbidden Zone, but the Yao Chi Sacred Land.

Under the moonlight, Yao Chi still appeared dreamlike and ethereal, like a pearl embedded in the Donghuang lands when viewed from above. The swirling mist enveloped it like a thin veil, shrouding the ancient legends within.

"The emperor of Da Chu visits late at night—what brings you here?" The Grand Elder of Yao Chi personally came out, along with many Supreme Elders, to welcome Ye Chen inside.

"I have an item to store in Yao Chi," Ye Chen said with a smile, handing over a storage bag.

This storage bag was no ordinary one—it contained his Chaos Divine Cauldron, all his valuable treasures, and every worthwhile possession he had, leaving nothing behind.

He was about to head to Tian Xu, so he needed to hide his treasures in advance to prevent them from being seized by heavenly execution or earthly annihilation.

Storing them in Yao Chi Sacred Land was the best choice. As an imperial Dao inheritance, it was protected by imperial weapons, serving as a safeguard.

The Yao Chi Grand Elder was somewhat surprised but didn't ask further or check the bag's contents. Since it was entrusted by the emperor of Da Chu, they would take good care of it.

"One day, I'll come back for it," Ye Chen said with a laugh, vanishing into the night as he headed straight for Zhongzhou.

Behind him, the elders of Yao Chi were left baffled, still unclear about his purpose.

Perhaps no one noticed a flash of seven-colored immortal light passing through the void, concealing itself in the mist.

The night in Xuan Huang Zhongzhou was profound and serene.

Tian Xu remained as mysterious as ever, like a symbol of Zhongzhou—ancient and enigmatic. The legends and myths surrounding it were incredibly ancient, evoking awe in people whenever they spoke of it. It had endured the changes of seas and mountains and witnessed the rise and fall of Xuan Huang.

That night, a figure stepped out from a domain gate, appearing before Tian Xu.

"See, I told you—he's definitely coming." Tian Zhu, smoking on the mountaintop, exhaled a deep smoke ring, looking as if he were cultivating immortality amid the haze.

Beside him, Di Mie, who had been dozing, was startled awake. Yawning, he looked toward the mountains outside.

No mistake—it was Ye Chen out there.

The tenth emperor of Da Chu seemed quite leisurely. After emerging from the domain gate, he wandered around in front of Tian Xu, glancing here and there like a thief scouting the area, but not daring to go in.

Or perhaps he didn't dare enter, fearing the old folks inside would string him up and roast him.

In fact, Tian Zhu and Di Mie had already lit a fire, clearly in the mood for barbecue. If Ye Chen came in, they wouldn't mind grilling him on the rack for a couple of rounds.

Their feelings were understandable. They had gone to Da Chu and gotten beaten up—what kind of grudge could that be? They had to fight back, even if it meant being shameless about it.

"The lunatics from Da Chu aren't stupid, though. They beat us up and then pushed Ye Chen out as a messenger." Tian Zhu spoke thoughtfully, puffing on his pipe.

"No matter who comes, we'll hammer them." Di Mie was fully on board, already picking up an iron rod as black as obsidian and sharpening it vigorously on a rock.

"Those two old guys are probably just waiting to beat me up." Outside the mountains, Ye Chen muttered to himself as he paced back and forth. He could see Tian Zhu and Di Mie through the countless mountain barriers. Though the moonlit night was dark, their faces looked even darker.

"If you don't come in soon, we're closing up shop." Tian Zhu said, tapping out his pipe ashes.

"When did the emperor of Da Chu become such a coward?" Di Mie glanced over.

"The word 'coward' isn't quite right." Ye Chen took a deep breath and stepped into Tian Xu.

His expression was solemn, his back straight, each step firm and resolute.

This air of righteous determination made him look like a convict facing death with bravery, every gesture seeming to declare: In eighteen years, I'll be a hero again.

It had to be said, his aura was building up nicely. At this rate, he might ascend to immortality any moment.

However, as emperors of Da Chu often did, he pulled a sudden reversal. As he walked, his solemn demeanor faded, replaced by a cheerful grin. He broke into a jog, bouncing along, his cheeky smile making people's hands itch to slap him.

"Having a junior like this brings us great comfort." Tian Zhu and Di Mie said meaningfully. When it came to acting, Ye Chen was on the level of a film emperor—his face changed so seamlessly it caught people off guard. Talents like him were rare even in their era; if one appeared, they'd likely get beaten to death by a mob.

"Have you two seniors missed me?" By the time he spoke, Ye Da Shao had arrived, holding two jars of fine wine in his hands, his eyes squinted into lines from smiling.

"You came, that's enough—why bring gifts? You're being too polite." Tian Zhu and Di Mie both stood up, one on each side, each taking a jar of wine from Ye Chen.

Then, a certain emperor was pinned down.

Ye Chen might have been polite, but these two old fellows showed no mercy.

The screams of the Heavenly Court Holy Lord were still impressively domineering, enough to shake heaven and earth, making ghosts weep. Even passersby outside the mountains trembled in fear, and some nearly stumbled and fell from the void.

"They say Tian Xu is strange and mysterious—now that we've seen it, it's true."

"Killing pigs in the dead of night—only a forbidden zone would do something like that."

"This is a place of great evil—don't speak recklessly."

"So what if it's evil? Back in the day, wasn't it blocked by the Sacred Body's heavenly tribulation until it had no fight left?"

Discussions buzzed among the passing cultivators, who gathered in groups of three or five, chatting animatedly. They all craned their necks to peer at Tian Xu.

Little did they know, if they realized the "pig" they were talking about was actually Ye Chen, what expressions they might wear.

The screams eventually died down.

Tian Xu was a scene of utter bloodshed.

The tenth emperor of Da Chu was unconscious, foam bubbling from his mouth now and then. The once dashing figure was unrecognizable, lying like a dead pig on the ground—utterly miserable. His body was covered in layers upon layers of footprints, stomped who knows how many times. Even a powerful body like the Desolate Ancient Sacred Physique was reduced to a pulp.

It could be said that his current state perfectly illustrated a severe injury level: comminuted fracture.

The quasi-emperors of Da Chu must have had good foresight in unanimously agreeing to send him.

This messenger role was no easy task. Anyone else from Da Chu would have been beaten senseless. After all, they had thrashed people from Tian Xu—how could that be let go? Especially since the one who came was the tenth emperor of Da Chu.

Recalling the past, this scoundrel had used heavenly tribulation to threaten the forbidden zones, and Tian Xu hadn't forgotten that.

"I told you—it's all Da Chu specialties."

"Where's the white jade dragon chair? The heaven-supporting pillar? And his Chaos Cauldron—where did they all go?"

"Obviously, this guy hid them away."

Tian Zhu and Di Mie, those two old fellows, were quite amusing. They huddled together, heads touching, rummaging through storage bag after storage bag, tallying their spoils. Every treasure inside was poured out, all taken from Ye Chen.

Awkwardly, Ye Chen's storage bags contained nothing but Da Chu specialties. Piled up, they formed a small mountain—if steamed into buns, they could feed someone for years.

This proved Ye Chen had been quite foresightful. Knowing he'd get beaten and robbed, hiding his treasures beforehand was necessary.

"This thing is probably the letter." Tian Zhu dug a jade slip out from the Da Chu specialties—it was the one Dong Huang Tai Xin had given Ye Chen before he left.

With a crack, the jade slip was crushed.

Immediately, the divine sense sealed inside drifted into their sea of consciousness.

As they read it, their old eyes grew deep in unison, and they both turned to look at Ye Chen. The jade slip revealed many secrets, such as Ye Chen retracing the reincarnation path and speculations about his identity—all logical and evidence-based. Some they knew, some they didn't. Without Tian Xuan Gate's information, the forbidden zones would have remained unaware.

"No wonder he's returned so much stronger this time." Di Mie took a deep breath. "With an extra thousand years to comprehend the Dao, it's a heaven-defying opportunity!"

"His reincarnation laws were likely comprehended in the reincarnation itself."

"From what the divine sense shows, his connection to Di Zun is basically confirmed."

"Nine thousand years ago, what exactly happened in the ancient wilderness? And what about the million divine generals he took with him?" Tian Zhu murmured, his old eyes flickering uncertainly.

As they spoke, Ye Chen woke up, his head drooping, wiping his nosebleed, looking utterly dejected.

In that moment, he mentally cursed Dong Huang Tai Xin's ancestors through eighteen generations. She didn't come herself but sent him to get beaten—what happened to the bold spirit when she thrashed Tian Zhu and Di Mie? Why not learn from him and strike stealthily?

"Come on, tell Grandpa where you hid the treasures." Di Mie poked Ye Chen, winking suggestively.

"Dong Huang Tai Xin confiscated them." Ye Chen wiped his nosebleed again.

"I figured it was her." Tian Zhu stroked his beard.

"It's a good thing you came—if it were her, I'd have stripped her bare and had my fun."

"Old Di, don't be so crude—we're gentlemen."

"Gentleman, my foot—you were peeping at her bathing just a few years ago, doing it every other day."

"You bastard, as if you weren't watching too."

The two old fellows bantered back and forth like a comedy routine, completely letting loose and ignoring Ye Chen as if he were invisible.

These two were utterly shameless!

As the listener, Ye Chen took a deep breath, his expression one of satisfaction and earnest approval. He thought only he and Ren Wang were interested in Dong Huang Tai Xin, but unexpectedly, people from Tian Xu were just as keen.

Perhaps the seductive scene of Dong Huang Tai Xin's bath had already spread across the five forbidden zones.

Given how on board Tian Zhu and Di Mie were, Ye Da Shao got proactive too. He recorded every word of their conversation verbatim—this would be perfect to show Dong Huang Tai Xin later.

And someday, he'd show it to Jian Fei Dao too.

One was the Kunlun Goddess, the other the Zhutian Sword God—they'd surely visit Tian Xu often in the future.

Jokes aside, business still needed handling. After recording their statements, Ye Da Shao chuckled again, rubbing his hands together, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Tian Zhu and Di Mie.

"How about lending Da Chu your imperial weapon for a bit?"