Chapter 2258: The Tribulation Frenzy

Night quietly descended.

Bathed in moonlight, Ye Chen ascended to the mountain peak, set up his dragon chair, and sat upon it in meditation, like an old monk in Zen practice. His demeanor was dignified and sacred, with strands of Dao essence winding around his holy body, appearing faintly and mysteriously. Profound visions appeared one after another, and if one listened carefully, the sounds of the Great Dao could be heard.

As for the Nu Sheng Ti, she was finally set down.

Under the moon, this little girl stood in front of the dragon chair, tilting her small head back and gazing quietly at Ye Chen. This was her first time observing someone so closely, wondering what made a person like Ye Chen different from birth—perhaps he was endowed with an innate talent for shamelessness straight from the womb.

After watching for a long time, a hint of daze appeared in her eyes. She could read Ye Chen's thoughts but knew nothing of his story. In the deep quiet of the night, he was the most authentic Tenth Emperor of Da Chu, his entire body etched with the marks of hardship, covered in the dust of time.

"You are a good actor!"

The Nu Sheng Ti's murmur went unheard by anyone. Unconsciously, she raised her small hand toward Ye Chen's face, as if to brush away all his scars. No matter how well he played his role in daily life, there would always be a moment when he returned to his true self, and she was fortunate enough to witness it.

In the end, she lowered her hand and sat quietly at the base of the dragon chair.

From the same lineage, she should have understood Ye Chen, but unfortunately, she only saw the surface. When he was acting foolish, he was more shameless than anyone; when he raged, he was more ferocious than a demon god. There were moments when even she couldn't tell which was the real Ye Chen.

"Long time no see!"

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed, ethereal and indifferent. It came from the dragon chair, or more precisely, from a trace of divine essence lingering on it. Only the Nu Sheng Ti could hear it.

"Long time no see!"

The Nu Sheng Ti murmured softly, her voice childish and innocent, showing no surprise, as if she knew exactly who was speaking.

These two greetings, regardless of who said them, were filled with a sense of ancient weariness and an unspoken understanding known only to the two of them. In some distant era, they had been old acquaintances.

One could see that the Nu Sheng Ti's small face now bore an expression of weariness, oddly mismatched with her age. Her gaze grew more distant, as if recalling past events.

Ye Chen was unaware of all this, his entire mind immersed in the realm of the Dao. His Dao essence resonated with that of the dragon chair, weaving together mysterious principles.

On the second day, a clone emerged from his body, while his true self continued in meditation.

"In the coming days, I'll take care of you."

Ye Chen's clone rubbed his hands together, grinning at the Nu Sheng Ti. His sleazy smile was identical to that of his original self.

The Nu Sheng Ti was a well-behaved child, sitting still without moving, her head bowed in thought, ignoring the clone's words entirely.

The clone got the hint and picked her up with one hand, carrying her down the mountain.

With the original self in meditation, the clone's task was to watch over the child. He also took it upon himself to handle another mission: to flirt with the Nu Sheng Ti.

In response, the Nu Sheng Ti neither got angry nor caused a fuss; she simply looked at Ye Chen's clone with indifference.

Don't underestimate her gaze. Though indifferent, it carried immense pressure. Even though she had regressed to childhood and lost her cultivation, the aura of a supreme expert was etched into her soul. Ye Chen's original self could withstand it, but as a clone, he could not.

"My boss is actually a decent guy."

"Don't be fooled by his carefree attitude; he's really good to his wives."

"At first glance, you two would make a perfect match."

Under an old tree, Ye Chen's clone sat with great flair, holding a tobacco pipe and puffing away. Amid the swirling smoke, he looked like some kind of immortal, but he deliberately avoided the Nu Sheng Ti's eyes, for her gaze exerted an overwhelming pressure.

The Nu Sheng Ti didn't listen to a word of his chatter.

Compared to Ye Chen's clone, she preferred the two little ones, Ye Fan and Yang Lan. They were pure and innocent, full of childlike wonder, their laughter free from any worldly corruption. As the Nu Sheng Ti and a woman, she naturally possessed a gentle, motherly warmth.

"A Tian Quan Zhi Ti paired with a Tian Sha Gu Xing—what kind of bloodline would their child have?"

Ye Chen's clone tapped out his pipe ash and asked curiously.

The Nu Sheng Ti remained silent. Her lack of response didn't mean she didn't know; both Tian Quan and Tian Sha were rare anomalies throughout history. The bloodline from their union would undoubtedly be terrifying, even without thinking about it.

Quietly, night fell once more.

Ye Chen's clone fulfilled his duties, lulling the two little ones to sleep, then returned to sit under the old tree. This time, he wasn't smoking but carving wood. His craftsmanship was far inferior to his original self's—off by more than just a street—but he worked at it patiently and without haste.

Even more composed than him was the Nu Sheng Ti, sitting quietly under the old tree like a small statue, not speaking or moving. Time seemed to stand still for her.

As the night deepened, she grew tired and lay down under the old tree, drifting into sleep.

Ye Chen's clone waved his hand, summoning a cloud to keep her warm. After all, she was now in a mortal body and couldn't afford to catch a chill. In his view, this little girl would one day be his original self's wife, so she needed to be looked after properly.

At some point, he put away his carving tools and leaned against the old tree, falling asleep as well.

He was asleep, but the Nu Sheng Ti awoke. She climbed down from the cloud and toddled with unsteady steps toward the chambers of Chu Xuan and Chu Ling, standing outside the door.

One could see a hint of wariness in her eyes.

This scene escaped the clone's notice, but the two supreme beings in the underworld saw it clearly—and it wasn't the first time they had observed the Nu Sheng Ti like this.

A Nu Sheng Ti infinitely close to great accomplishment, capable of battling emperors, yet showing such wariness, indicated that Chu Xuan and Chu Ling's identities must be tied to some ancient secrets.

At the peak of Yu Nu Peak, Ye Chen sat in meditation, still as a statue.

The dragon chair was indeed more profound than the Wu Dao Stone, filled with endless Dao essence. Ye Chen's mind had sunk into it, unable to extricate himself, and several times he glimpsed the gate of Zhun Di.

However, that gate was too elusive, distant beyond reach, as if blocked by an insurmountable chasm.

He remained in this state for three months.

For three months, the heavens were peaceful, Da Chu was peaceful, and Heng Yue Sect was peaceful. Even the Hong Huang clans were unusually quiet, as if the world had fallen silent, with no major wars.

But everyone knew this was the calm before the storm. The frenzy of tribulations that had plagued the heavens for two hundred years was gradually approaching its end with the passage of time. That day was not far off, and bloody warfare would engulf all realms.

It wasn't until the fourth month that Da Chu showed some activity.

Gazing into the distance, dark clouds roiled across the sky, with lightning and thunder, and a trembling will shrouded the universe—it was clearly the prelude to a Tian Jie.

Indeed, someone was crossing a tribulation: Qing Yun Zong's sect master, Zhou Ao.

Today was a memorable day for him; he had finally found the opportunity to break through and welcomed the Da Sheng Tian Jie. This step would be a transformative rebirth.

Not long after, thunder also rumbled from the directions of Heng Yue Zong and Zheng Yang Zong—one from Liu Yi and one from Hua Yun—who had both ascended to the heavens to face their tribulations.

These three were like good brothers: a descendant of Guang Long, a descendant of Yu Ji, and a descendant of Yun Qiu. Even their Tian Jie divine punishments came right on schedule.

Their tribulations were nothing compared to Ye Chen's monstrous ones; they didn't summon an emperor-level Dharma body, but they were genuine divine beast tribulations, truly a matter of nine deaths and one life.

Following them, the heavens grew unsettled again as more people began crossing tribulations.

This time, it was Tian Ting's first hall master, Xiao Feng, and Wan Hua Gu's valley master, Fu Ling. Their timing was perfect; back in the day, one had reincarnated, and the two had become siblings through fate.

Before their tribulations ended, Bei Chu also erupted with activity.

It was another Tian Jie, from Gu San Tong and Wu Ya Dao Ren. Those two clowns had gained some fortuitous insight during their seclusion and found their breakthrough opportunity, laughing loudly.

Barely a quarter of an hour later, another Tian Jie appeared.

This time, it was from Hao Tian Xuan Zhen and Chan Yuan Zhen Ren, who had also seized their chances.

At the same moment, the thunder grew even louder as divine punishment struck again—one from Xi Ling You Gu and one from Pan Long Hai Yu: Tai Yi Zhen Ren, Niu Shi San, and Wu San Pao. Those three were always a team, even their Tian Jie divine punishments came as a group.

"This is getting lively—let's join in!"

Long Teng, son of the Tai Wang, roared with domineering flair, stepping into the sky and ripping off his clothes to cross the tribulation bare-chested.

Da Chu Huang Yan, daughter of the Chu Emperor; Zhou Tian Yi, son of the Dong Huang; and Di Fan, son of the Tian Zang Emperor, were not to be outdone. Their tribulations had been suppressed for too long and could no longer be held back, so they crossed together.

The successive generations of Da Chu kings were equally bold, like seven divine rays shooting straight into the sky: Mo Wang Kui Yu Jiang, Yao Wang, Gui Wang, Shi Hun Wang, Xue Wang, You Ming Yan Luo Wang, and Wu Zhu Wang. The only regrets were that Wu Fa Lun Wang and Shen Wang Shen Xuan Feng were absent, making the full scene of the nine kings unlikely to be seen again. One cycle of reincarnation had lost too many reincarnated souls.

Boom! Rumble!

Tribulations happened every year, but today there were exceptionally many. Accompanied by thunder, even more Tian Jie followed in succession.

One could say that in Bei Chu's Dong Ling Gu Yuan, Xi Ling You Gu, Nan Yan Da Ze, and Bei Zhen Cang Yuan; in Nan Chu's Dong Yue, Xi Shu, Nan Jiang, and Bei Yuan—shadows of those crossing tribulations appeared everywhere, affecting Tian Ting's three sects, nine halls, and eighty-one gates. Every force had representatives, some more and some less. The thunder echoed across the four seas and eight wastelands, with tribulation clouds overshadowing the beautiful mountains and rivers.

So many people crossing tribulations at once was a rare spectacle throughout history. As far as the eye could see, it was all lightning. Those who knew it was Da Chu might mistake it for Lei Yu.

"Is this the Du Jie Kuang Chao?"

Di Lao stood at Tian Xuan Gate, his expression stunned.

"Obviously, yes."

"First the Ying Jie Kuang Chao, now the Du Jie Kuang Chao—things are getting more exciting."

"Think about our time; breaking through to Da Sheng was so difficult. These youngsters are something else—only a few hundred years old and already summoning Da Sheng Jie. Comparing people really is infuriating!"

"The weakening of emperor-level suppression has made breakthroughs relatively easier."

"All these Tian Jie are such a waste."

Sheng Zun smirked. "Wait until the war with Hong Huang to trigger them—that scene would be spectacular."

"Do you really think everyone is like Ye Chen?"

Dong Huang Tai Xin said slowly. "Back in the day, the Huang Jiang Di Zi was a clear lesson; you can't avoid emperor-level annihilation. So-called Tian Jie might not help at all and could even harm your own people."

"The goddess is right."

Tian Lao stroked his beard. "Ye Chen can manipulate the Heavenly Dao to avoid emperor-level annihilation, but these others should forget it. If they get pulled into a passive tribulation, they might be instantly killed by ultimate emperor weapons. Using Tian Jie to trap Hong Huang isn't that simple."

"Speaking of Tian Jie, I look forward to Ye Chen's Zhun Di Jie more."

Xi Chen laughed.

This made the Zhun Di present all light up with excitement.

Among the new generation of prodigies, Ye Chen stood out the most. With a thousand years of reincarnation insights, he had reached the peak of Da Sheng. If fortune favored him, he might defy the heavens and become a Zhun Di.

Imagine if the Sheng Ti became a Zhun Di—how grand that would be! There would definitely be an emperor-level Dharma body, and based on the numbers, at least sixty-four of them. If he went to Hong Huang to cross his tribulation, that would be truly outrageous. Who would dare face it head-on? Who could annihilate them?

A single Huang Gu Sheng Ti crossing tribulation would be like a million soldiers.

"I'm afraid the war with Hong Huang will come before he becomes a Zhun Di."

Yue Huang looked up at the hazy void, parting the misty clouds to see rays of Ying Jie immortal light.

The Zhun Di present all raised their heads.

The Ying Jie immortal light was dazzling, one ray after another, all belonging to Hong Huang.

Yue Huang's worry was not unfounded. At this rate, Hong Huang would complete their tribulations first. If war broke out, how could the heavens withstand their iron hooves?

"Let's hope he can defy the heavens and create another legend."

Dong Huang Tai Xin took a deep breath, gazing through the haze toward the peak of Yu Nu Peak. If Ye Chen became a Zhun Di, he could try to connect with Ming Di Huang. Once the great accomplishment Sheng Ti was brought over, the heavens' crisis would be resolved.

But becoming a Zhun Di was no easy feat. Excluding unique cases like Hong Chen, the youngest Zhun Di in the heavens had taken three thousand years. With Ye Chen's current age and without the accumulation of time and the Dao, breaking through would be extremely difficult. This legend was truly hard to forge.

"If we include the six paths of reincarnation and the thousand-year reincarnation, it's not so certain."

Laughter rang out as a person approached the small bamboo grove, his forehead shining brightly.

Look closely—it was Long Wu.

He wasn't alone; he had brought the Yong Sheng Ti, also known as Xiao Dong Fang Yu Ling.

His words made the Zhun Di's eyes brighten, as they had overlooked that point.

The six paths of reincarnation were a thousand years, and the thousand-year reincarnation was another thousand years. That added up to two thousand years. With that accumulation of the Dao, it might just be possible. Given Ye Chen's heavenly talents, it wasn't out of the question. In the upcoming war with Hong Huang, the heavens might not lose.

"It's all Tian Jie—nothing worth watching. Come over and see my wife."

Long Wu called out, placing the sleeping Dong Fang Yu Ling on a layer of clouds.

Today's Dong Fang Yu Ling was different; a certain power was slowly awakening, with a layer of splendid immortal glow enveloping her small body.

The Zhun Di gathered around, examining her closely, especially Xie Mo, who was always eager, constantly thinking of drawing blood from the Yong Sheng Ti for refining Nine Revolutions Soul-Returning Pills. He wasn't the only one; the old-timers present had similar ideas, as the Yong Sheng Ti was a treasure, and a bit of blood for research would be invaluable.

"She's been asleep for half a month; I don't know why."

Long Wu said.

"Have you consulted Dong Hua Nu Di's remnant soul?"

Dong Huang Tai Xin asked lightly.

"She couldn't figure it out either."

"The issue isn't with this little girl."

Sheng Zun opened his eyes, narrowing them slightly—a rare moment of seriousness for the once emperor-tribulation survivor, whose insight was sharp.

"Don't beat around the bush; spit it out."

Long Wu scolded.

"There must be another Yong Sheng Ti in this world, and it has to be a male cultivator who's met this little girl and formed a Yong Sheng contract with her."