Chapter 2267: Explain It!

Ye Chen's silence left Donghuang Taiyi speechless.

The bamboo grove, shrouded in mist, fell into instant stillness.

Donghuang Taiyi felt a pang of guilt. As the Kunlun Goddess and the true guardian deity of Da Chu, a genuine peak quasi-emperor, her expectations for the younger generation were clearly too high. Whether it was the ancient invasion of the heavenly demons or the impending war of the primordial era, they had relied too much on this young sacred body. He was merely a great saint, after all, and some legends were beyond what he could create.

"Just do your best." After a long while, the tranquility of the bamboo grove was broken by Donghuang Taiyi's smile. The young man before her already bore too heavy a burden.

Ye Chen smiled but said nothing, slowly turning away.

On his return journey, he slowed his pace considerably. Countless cultivators had flocked to Da Chu, making the land teeming with people everywhere. Every mountain peak was occupied.

Among these people were those fated for the tribulation, such as Jiang Taixu and Feng Huang, Jiu Jianxian and Yaochi Xianmu, Shen Jiang Beilin, Di Ji, Mo Yuan, and Jian Fei Dao.

Besides them, there were many, many more.

Due to the approaching war, those fated for the tribulation had gathered in Da Chu through a series of coincidences. The same was likely true for Xuan Huang and You Ming continents. This didn't interfere with the tribulation.

However, whether in Da Chu, Xuan Huang, or You Ming, there was an unspoken understanding: no one would get involved in tribulation matters. Even if a fated one's spouse lived on the neighboring peak, they would only watch quietly, not interfering until the final moment.

As he walked, Ye Chen quickened his steps slightly, touring Da Chu once more.

Unfortunately, he didn't find any reincarnated individuals, and the fated human king wasn't among them either.

To this day, he still didn't know where the human king had undergone his tribulation. A wisp of the human emperor's remnant soul, carrying the evolution of the heavens, made his tribulation the most mysterious; no one could trace it.

Returning to Jade Maiden Peak, the atmosphere was strangely awkward.

The strangeness came from all the women having emerged from seclusion, forming a neat circle around the female sacred body, scrutinizing her from head to toe with increasingly peculiar expressions.

"Is this really the female sacred body?" Shangguan Yue'er asked, pursing her lips.

"Hmm, the real deal. But how did she revert to youth? And her cultivation is gone too." Xi Yan stepped forward and poked the female sacred body. "Hmm, feels nice."

"This little girl is so adorable." Chu Ling said with a meaningful tone.

"Is it okay for us to crowd around her like this?" Haotian Shiyue remarked.

The women chatted animatedly around the female sacred body, the scene feeling perfectly natural as they examined her inside and out.

The female sacred body looked utterly defeated, her face expressionless.

She was used to being treated like a spectacle by now. Anyone would find it novel, and even she thought so herself. Who would have imagined that the once-dominant female sacred body would end up like this—her cultivation lost and reverted to youth?

Ye Ling was there too, standing nearby and giggling nonstop.

It had to be said, the sight of all the mothers surrounding the female sacred body was quite entertaining. Ye Ling was all for the chaos, but it was torture for the female sacred body, who stood there frozen, not daring to move.

"Oh, everyone's here?" A laugh rang out as Ye Chen descended from the sky.

Glancing around, all his wives were there, having come out of seclusion without exception. It was clear they had all gained some opportunities; each one's aura was deeply concealed.

"Husband, explain it, okay?" Bi You blinked her beautiful eyes.

"This story is a long one." Ye Chen pulled out his pipe, stuffed it with tobacco, and took a deep puff, exhaling a long stream of smoke.

The women's movements were remarkably synchronized; they all crossed their arms and smiled at Ye Dashaoye, as if to say, We're waiting for your explanation. Don't think you can brush us off easily.

"We have an empty room at home—it's just sitting there idle anyway." Under their gaze, Ye Chen said this deeply, the smoke around him creating a poetic atmosphere.

Hearing this, the women were all amused, ready to listen to his story. But they didn't expect him to be so straightforward: an empty room for the female sacred body!

"You lot, all looks and no brains, so unrefined." Ye Chen muttered, putting away his pipe and heading to the kitchen. It was rare for his wives to be out of seclusion, so he had to make something good.

The women were about to explode in anger, but hearing the words "all looks and no brains," their fury subsided by half. Most importantly, Ye Chen had emphasized the word "looks" heavily.

Those two words worked like magic, leaving the wives giggling happily.

The morning at Jade Maiden Peak was still warm and cozy. Ye Dashaoye handled the cooking, while the women helped out, their laughter filling the air. Even passersby couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Clearly, Ye Dashaoye's wives had all emerged from seclusion—should they come up and join for a meal?

As it turned out, meals at Jade Maiden Peak weren't that easy to crash. However many came were thrown out just as many times. No sense at all—obviously, they had to be tossed!

Xiao Ye Fan and Xiao Yang Lan were brought back too, playing innocently on the grass, full of joy.

Not far away, the female sacred body sat under an old tree, carving wood, but she kept glancing up absentmindedly. The scene in her eyes was ordinary yet heartwarming. She had fought at such high levels; when had she ever experienced the simple joys of life?

"You're welcome to join anytime!" Ye Ling sidled over with a mischievous grin.

Her daze interrupted, the female sacred body quickly looked away, unable to hide her panic.

The aroma of breakfast was invigorating, making the scene even more heartwarming.

However, the seating arrangement was a bit mismatched. The adults sat in one row, and the three little ones in another. Those who knew it was the female sacred body might think otherwise—mistaking her for just another child?

Especially the women, who were the most amusing. They didn't even eat, just propped their chins in their hands and stared at the female sacred body. How could a proper female sacred body lose all her cultivation and revert to youth? She might be small, but her appetite was astonishing!

They sighed in amazement, but the women couldn't help feeling emotional.

Back in the day, because of Ye Chen's death, they had been enemies with the female sacred body, locked in a fight to the death. Who could have foreseen they'd one day sit at the same table eating together?

It was just the way of the world—fate plays its tricks.

As Ye Chen's wives, they understood him well. He might act carefree and shameless most of the time, but he never toyed with emotions. Each of them present had shared life-and-death experiences with him. For the female sacred body, what Ye Chen felt might not be romantic love, but a kind of hope—that she could become one of the heavens' own.

Across from them, the female sacred body held her soup bowl, filled it to the brim, and turned to leave.

She ate her fill and left; no way was she staying to be stared at by this group. Staring while someone eats—what kind of habit was that?

"She's the one who helped the heavenly demons. Why?" Once the female sacred body was gone, Chu Xuan asked, and the women all turned to Ye Chen, hoping for an acceptable answer.

"I don't know." Ye Chen shook his head with a smile. This puzzle had troubled him for a millennium of cycles; he still hadn't figured it out. Perhaps the female sacred body had her own hardships.

After the meal, the dutiful wives cleared the dishes.

Afterward, they gathered in small groups—some playing with the children, others sewing little clothes—enjoying the harmony. With the primordial war looming, such peace might be hard to come by again.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, ascended the mountain peak, as he did every day, to comprehend the Dao.

Besides that, he focused on the Taichu Divine Fire, hoping to fuse it with the immortal fire before the war began. This fusion would be a stepping stone for him to become a quasi-emperor.

Night fell quickly, and when he descended again, he saw the women gathered under the old tree, forming another neat circle around the female sacred body as she carved wood. Even Ye Fan, Yang Lan, and Ye Ling had joined in.

Their expressions were quite odd.

"Ye Fan, what is she carving?" Xiao Yang Lan asked in her childish voice.

"It looks like a person?" Ye Fan replied in his tender voice.

The two little ones spoke innocently, without reservation, but the women's laughter was awkward. Indeed, the female sacred body was carving a person—of the vaguely human sort.

The night grew deeper.

The women returned to their rooms, leaving Ye Dashaoye wandering outside, hoping to chat a bit.

Unfortunately, the doors were all firmly shut.

"The feeling of heavenly retribution—enjoying it?" The female sacred body chuckled. She could see that Ye Chen was behaving himself because of the retribution. Without it, Jade Maiden Peak would be shaking. Seeing his frustration brought her inexplicable satisfaction, venting her own pent-up frustrations.

Ye Chen coughed dryly and finally turned away.

Indeed, heavenly retribution was maddening. With so many beautiful wives around, just watching them all day was torture for an ordinary person, let alone a vigorous sacred body like him.

Ignoring the female sacred body's gloating look, Ye Chen pursed his lips and climbed back to the peak.

Under the moonlight, he sacrificed a drop of Yan Luo's blood, attempting to communicate with the underworld.

Alas, the barrier between the human and underworld realms remained intact.

Ye Chen gazed up at the void, as if he could peer through the haze to the peak of the Boundary Mountains in the underworld. He was certain that Di Huang and the Underworld Emperor were watching the heavens, but why hadn't they lifted the barrier?

The Underworld Emperor was helpless about this too. They could lift it, but the consequences would be severe.

The two supreme beings were out of reach and could only wait for Ye Chen to find his opportunity and become a quasi-emperor. Then, they would temporarily tear open a gap for him to try communicating with the underworld.

Ye Chen didn't know when he finally lowered his gaze.

That night was exceptionally quiet, but the shadow of war was gradually emerging.

The heavens were calm, and so was the primordial era.

This might be a mutual understanding, with the atmosphere oppressively heavy. Both sides were waiting—the primordial era for all the fated ones to return, and the heavens for Ye Chen to become a quasi-emperor.

Strategic deployments were underway in secret.

The commanders of the heavens' three forces had met, and so had those of the primordial era.

As Ye Chen had anticipated, their first target was the You Ming continent. Compared to Xuan Huang and Da Chu, it was easier to attack, and the war there was inevitable.

And so, nine days passed quietly.

In those nine days, the winds of change had already stirred, all because of the fated immortal lights—one after another. Each beam represented a returned fated one, all peak quasi-emperor. The sheer number made the heavens' quasi-emperors look gravely serious, for those who had returned were all from the primordial era, not a single one from the heavens.

"This is ridiculous." Tian Zhu stood at the peak of Tian Xu Mountain, cursing loudly.

"As that brat Ye Chen said, this so-called tribulation surge and calamity was a conspiracy from the start, targeted at the heavens." Di Mie snorted coldly. "So many quasi-emperors fallen, and those who return are all from the primordial era. What a coincidence. Damn that Zhu Xian Sword—its schemes are truly heavens-reaching."

"We should be grateful it's not at its peak, or the catastrophe would be even greater." Tian Zhu took a deep breath, his old eyes filled with killing intent, fear, and wariness.

His words made Di Mie's face even colder.

To put it bluntly, whenever the Zhu Xian Sword was mentioned, it evoked memories of events from antiquity—that dark age, the most despairing time. The only remaining light in the world was the seven-colored immortal glow of the Zhu Xian Sword, more terrifying than the apocalypse itself.

On the tenth day, Ye Chen, deep in comprehension, awoke from his slumber.

Ah!

Without a word, he let out a sigh first. Nine days of comprehension had yielded some minor insights, but merely superficial ones. It was impossible for him to become a quasi-emperor that way—it was too difficult.

Every time he awoke, he drew attention from all sides—Tian Xuan Gate, the forbidden zones, and the underworld—all hoping he could cross that threshold before the war ignited. A single quasi-emperor could make all the difference.

Helplessly shaking his head, he descended the mountain peak.

His dutiful wives had already prepared breakfast, and the three little ones were in their spots, with the female sacred body standing out as usual. Without hesitation, she sat down to eat and left once done.

"I'm wondering, what kind of bloodline would two sacred bodies produce together?" Nanming Yushu laughed.

"Before seeing her, I hadn't even heard of a female sacred body. A union of two sacred bodies is unprecedented in history." Under the women's gaze, Ye Chen shrugged.

"This era might just create one!" Xi Yan chuckled.

"Don't worry, we won't be jealous."

"A boy could be named Ye Sheng, and a girl..."

"They're here." Before the women could finish, Ye Chen suddenly stood up, his golden eyes narrowing as his expression turned serious. He stared fixedly at the void, using his Zhoutian Divine Eyes to pierce through layers of mist.

Visible in the void were beams of fated immortal light streaking by, so numerous they formed vast expanses, like a brilliant immortal sea sweeping across the sky.

Ye Chen's seriousness stemmed from the fact that every one of those lights belonged to the primordial era. The final batch of fated ones had returned, meaning the primordial era was about to wage war.

In contrast, the heavens remained eerily silent, with no signs of fated ones returning. Instead, there were falls—one divine soul jade tablet after another shattering.

"Damn it!"

This roar echoed through Da Chu, Xuan Huang Continent, and You Ming Continent—a furious rebuke against the heavens, resenting its injustice.

Boom! Boom!

Thunder rumbled in the void in response, an overwhelming pressure manifesting.

This wasn't a sign of heavenly tribulation; it was heavenly retribution.

Amid the shouts, countless people suffered retribution, and many perished under it. The war hadn't even begun, yet blood had already been spilled.

Accompanying this blood was the unbridled laughter from the primordial era, spreading across the four seas and eight wastelands, followed by rolling primordial aura, surging violently, carrying savagery and bloodlust as it engulfed swaths of starry sky, blotting out the last trace of light in the world.