Chapter 2294: Return to Position (Part 1)

Chapter 2294: Ying Jie Gui Wei (One)

"Ying Jie Gui Wei?"

Ye Chen's words were calm, yet they struck like thunder, electrifying the soldiers on all sides. With the Hong Huang clan causing chaos and the Ten Thousand Domains on the brink of collapse, the return of those fated for ying jie at this moment would be an immense boon. After all, the peak quasi-emperors who survived the ying jie trials—figures like divine generals and emperors—were each formidable legends.

In an instant, cultivators from the heavens raised their heads, just like Ye Chen, gazing into the ethereal void. Their eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.

However, their cultivation was limited, and their vision fell short, unable to see the ying jie immortal light.

Ye Chen, ever perceptive, gently waved his hand, using the power of Zhou Tian's evolution to dispel the misty fog in the unseen realm.

Now, everyone could see clearly. A beam of ying jie immortal light came into view, radiant with golden brilliance, cutting through the world's vicissitudes and the vast mortal realm, silently descending upon the walls of Nan Chu city. It landed precisely on a male cultivator clad in armor.

Many turned their gazes toward him. He had a robust physique and a steadfast presence, his eyes like stars and his black hair cascading like a waterfall. Standing on the city wall, he resembled an upright monument. His cultivation was not high, merely at the sheng ren realm, and he hailed from the distant starry skies, guarding Da Chu.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the man looked bewildered, unaware that he was one of the ying jie fated.

As the ying jie immortal light merged into him, a dazzling beam shot up from his heavenly spirit, piercing a hole in the dim sky and making the universe tremble.

Then, he staggered back a step. His ordinary face, under everyone's scrutiny, began to transform bit by bit into another majestic visage.

"Chu Huang?" The people of Da Chu collectively exclaimed in shock.

"My goodness, I had no idea a supreme emperor was right beside us." Those closest to Chu Huang were the most stunned, nearly dropping their jaws.

Just moments ago, they had been chatting casually with this ying jie Chu Huang. But with the descent of the ying jie immortal light, an ordinary sheng ren had instantly become an emperor.

Chu Huang's family was equally dumbfounded. They never imagined that their descendant was a ying jie individual, no less the first emperor of Da Chu. It completely upended their worldview.

The return of this ying jie Chu Huang brought immense honor to their family.

It wasn't surprising they reacted this way, for cultivators who underwent ying jie often differed greatly from their pre-ying jie selves, including their appearance, bloodline, origin, and dao principles. In essence, they became entirely new people. Those with limited insight could never recognize them.

"Father." A choked voice came from one side.

Before the words fully faded, Da Chu's empress appeared, her eyes brimming with tears. It had been centuries, and now her closest kin had finally returned, having survived the ying jie trials and returned against all odds.

Accompanying her was Ning Cai Chen, her husband, who appeared ordinary but was extraordinarily powerful, having reached the state of returning to simplicity. His comprehension of the dao was nothing short of heaven-defying.

His presence made the bearded Yan Lao Dao feel quite awkward.

Recalling the past, Ning Cai Chen had been merely a mortal focused on imperial exams, while Yan Lao Dao was a renowned demon hunter. Who could have foreseen that in just a few centuries, that once-humble mortal would surpass him by leaps and bounds, leaving him in the dust?

Indeed, on the path of cultivation, timing meant nothing—what truly mattered was one's understanding of the great dao. Even a mortal could rise to overtake their predecessors.

Ning Cai Chen was a perfect example of this.

Ye Chen, however, was even more extraordinary. In just a few centuries, he had reached the peak of da sheng, needing only a spark of opportunity to become a zhun di. His advancement speed was utterly heaven-defying, making countless elders bow their heads in shame.

Boom!

The city wall erupted in commotion as Chu Huang returned, shaking the heavens.

The returned Chu Huang exuded a transformed aura, as if standing on the river of time, ancient and distant. His dao principles flickered in and out of sight, and his innate phenomena manifested repeatedly, sketching out profound scenes that left onlookers in a daze.

Chu Huang smiled, his expression tinged with a hint of world-weariness.

"He's even more terrifying than before ying jie." Chu Xuan murmured.

"The ying jie washed away all karmic obstacles, making the emperor's dao purer." Ye Chen chuckled leisurely. "If I could, I'd want to undergo a ying jie myself, to rebirth through nirvana."

"You're just looking for an excuse to flirt." Chu Ling glanced at him.

"Nonsense."

"Still denying it, you flirtatious radish." Shangguan Yu Er pouted.

"Stop messing around."

"Look, the second ying jie immortal light is coming." As they bantered, cries of surprise arose, drawing everyone's gaze from Chu Huang to the ethereal void.

There, the second ying jie immortal beam streaked across, also glowing with golden radiance.

"Who is it this time?" Bi You glanced at Ye Chen.

"Tai Wang." Ye Chen replied with a smile.

No sooner had he spoken than a wail echoed, shaking heaven and earth—it was Long Teng, that emotional soul. As Tai Wang's son, he was crying his eyes out, snot and tears flying, even before Tai Wang fully returned.

"The third ying jie immortal light is here." Shouts rang out again.

People looked up, their eyes following the beam as it crossed the Nan Chu city walls and headed toward the Nan Jiang direction, heading straight for someone with pinpoint accuracy.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Chen stepped off the city wall and rushed toward Nan Jiang.

No one questioned his actions; they knew the returning one must be Zhan Wang.

Sure enough, soon from Nan Jiang came the sound of dragon roars. Though separated by vast distances, people could almost envision a golden dragon roaring across the sky.

It was a war dragon in the heavens, a manifestation of invincible battle intent in dragon form.

"The fourth ying jie immortal light next—surely it's not Xuan Huang!" Liu Ru Yan looked up at the sky, then turned to Nan Ming Yu Shu at her side.

Seeing the mist in Nan Ming Yu Shu's eyes, no one needed to ask further.

It was indeed Xuan Huang. The ying jie immortal light crossed the heavens and landed in the Nan Yan Great Marsh of Bei Chu. At first glance, the one undergoing ying jie seemed an unremarkable youth amid the crowd, much like Chu Huang. After ying jie, his appearance, bloodline, origin, and dao principles had all changed. Without the immortal light falling on him, no one would have recognized him as Xuan Huang.

"Father." Nan Ming Yu Shu choked out, stepping off the city wall and rushing toward the Nan Yan Great Marsh. How many years had she worried day and night, fearing her father had perished in ying jie? Now, seeing him return, her tears were ones of pure joy.

"How wonderful." Ye Chen smiled.

"Still watching? Go greet your father-in-law instead of standing here." Hao Tian Shi Yue kicked him off the city wall.

Ye Chen coughed, realizing only then that Xuan Huang was his father-in-law.

And so, Young Master Ye went over, not as the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu, but as a son-in-law. The scene was quite heartwarming—a family with two great emperors, wait, no, actually three, including Da Chu's Eleventh Emperor, who was also his wife.

Xuan Huang smiled warmly, doting on his daughter Nan Ming Yu Shu, but his expression darkened slightly toward his son-in-law Ye Chen. It was the classic father-in-law syndrome: a carefully tended flower snatched away by that scoundrel of a son-in-law.

When they returned to the city wall, the atmosphere grew awkward.

The awkwardness stemmed from the fact that, besides Xuan Huang, many others had gathered at Nan Tian Men—from Bei Chu's Hao Tian family, Dong Yue's Shangguan family, and Dan City—all relatives of Ye Chen's wives. Like Xuan Huang, they looked at Ye Chen with less-than-pleased expressions.

The Shangguan family was the most displeased; their two princesses, Shangguan Yu Er and Shangguan Han Yue, had both been swept away by this cad.

Surrounded by these elders, Ye Chen managed an awkward laugh, feeling a chill run down his spine.

He was indeed that scoundrel son-in-law, who had taken one carefully nurtured plant after another home to raise like pigs.

"With so many fathers-in-law gathered, they must have a lot to say." Not far from the city wall, Gu San Tong stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves, sighing. "They should give Ye Chen a good beating."

"Having many wives is his skill—could you do it?" Wu Ya glanced at him.

"You old coot, you're no better than me."

"Funny thing is, I have a wife, and you don't."

"I—"

"Quick, quick, the fifth ying jie immortal light is here." As they spoke, Wu San Pao's loud mouth shouted, his eyes sparkling with excitement, nearly tumbling off the city wall.

The fifth immortal light was purple. Before it even landed, Yan Fei's beautiful eyes welled with mist. Clearly, the fifth to return was the ancestor of the three sects: Chen Huang Xuan Chen.

Then came the sixth and seventh ying jie immortal lights, appearing together and falling in Bei Chu. At the same time, Zhou Tian Yi and Di Fan stepped off the city wall.

Seeing this, no one needed to ask; the returning ones were Dong Huang and Tian Zang Huang, their auras dominating the eight directions and illuminating the vast lands, just as before ying jie.

With this, all the emperors of Da Chu who had undergone ying jie had returned.

Yue Huang arrived as well, landing on the city wall and standing shoulder to shoulder with the other emperors, forming a straight line. Including Ye Chen and Liu Ru Yan, Da Chu's eleven emperors stood tall and majestic.

That sight was a stunning panorama, a symbol in itself.

After so many years, the emperors of Da Chu were gathered together. Their silhouettes were like an unyielding monument, each with an immortal legend that would be passed down through generations.

"We are merely supporting characters in the end." Mo Wang Kui Yu Jiang shook his head with a smile.

"I've come to terms with it—being a king has nothing to do with emperors." Yao Wang took a swig of wine, laughing boldly. The same went for others like Gui Wang, Xue Wang, Shi Hun Wang, You Ming Yan Luo Wang, and Wu Zhu Wang. Having lived for ages, they had long passed the era of rivalry, leaving only their glorious pasts.

In less than half an incense stick's time, people on the city wall looked up again.

More ying jie immortal lights appeared—not just one, but seven, in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, adding splashes of brilliance to the dim sky.

As the world watched, the seven beams shot toward different directions: one to Bei Zhen Cang Yuan, two to Xi Ling You Valley, one to Dong Ling Gu Yuan, and the remaining three over the Nan Chu city walls—one to Dong Yue, one to Nan Jiang, and one to Xi Shu. Each light landed on a different figure.

"Di Zun's second divine general, San Sheng."

"Third divine general, Tian Yuan."

"Fourth divine general, Bei Lin."

"Sixth divine general, Hua Qing Luo."

"Seventh divine general, Mo Dao; eighth divine general, Xuan Jie; ninth divine general, Ying Long."

People murmured softly, staring in awe at the various directions, at the divine generals striding through the heavens. All were ancient and profound, as if emerging from a distant era, carrying their unique legends. These world-conquering divine generals, who once followed Di Zun, were symbols of their time.

Tian Jiu arrived too, joining the eight divine generals in a neat row.

One could see the sorrow etched on their faces. Di Zun's nine great divine generals were missing one—the first, Tian Qing, who had already fallen in ying jie.

With the first divine general gone, another took his place.

It was Di Xuan, Di Zun's own sister, also returning from ying jie. As in the past, she was peerlessly elegant, her immortal beauty eclipsing the world's splendor and leaving people entranced. She was like a banished immortal, untouched by mortal affairs, more distant than a dream.

Amid rumbling sounds, two more ying jie immortal lights streaked across the sky together.

These two were intriguing, heading in the same direction and landing below the Nan Chu city walls on a couple.

"Jiu Jian Xian?"

"Yao Chi Xian Mu?"

People marveled, for their appearances had reverted, and everyone in the heavens recognized them.

"This..." Yao Chi's great elder stammered, and the elders and fairies of Yao Chi wore strange expressions. They all knew the fated bond between Jiu Jian Xian and Yao Chi Xian Mu, which dated back to ancient times. Their pre-ying jie lives had ended in regret, but who would have thought ying jie had mended that regret?

"This ying jie turned out well—they're already married." Tai Yi Zhen Ren said meaningfully.

"Jiu Jian Xian, that blockhead, finally won his beauty."

"I can sense it—the wedding night must have been quite passionate."

"Hmm, quite passionate." Ye Chen's words carried a tone of deep experience. He had been present when Jiu Jian Xian and Yao Chi Xian Mu consummated their union. If Ji Ning Shuang hadn't dragged him away back then, he could have watched it all and captured some exclusive mementos.

Compared to him, Ji Ning Shuang's cheeks flushed slightly.

It had to be said, the scene from back then was indeed passionate. Who would have expected Jiu Jian Xian and Yao Chi Xian Mu to become a couple during ying jie and even share a bed?

The area around the city wall was packed with people.

The most awkward were Yao Chi Xian Mu and Jiu Jian Xian themselves, now the center of attention.

Yao Chi Xian Mu's face was flushed red. Though she had passed ying jie, the memories lingered, and the images of her and Jiu Jian Xian's intimate moments were etched into her soul like a curse, overwhelming her mind.

As for Jiu Jian Xian, stared at by all those eyes, even he couldn't maintain his composure. The events of ying jie were still fresh in his memory, and he could still hear Yao Chi Xian Mu's soft breaths in his ears—melodies that stirred the heart.

"Get together!"

The long silence was broken by Xiong Er's sudden yell, so abrupt that Xu Fu, standing beside him, jumped in fright.

"Get together!"

The talents of Da Chu joined in the uproar.

"Get together!"

The talents of Xuan Huang, led by Xiao Yuan Huang and Kui Niu, howled even louder, drowning out Da Chu's voices.

"Get together!"

The people of the heavens echoed in unison.

Now, it wasn't just the younger generation—even the elders were fired up, shouting as if injected with energy. Who knew if they'd see tomorrow's sun? This was their chance to cut loose on the cultivation path, their roars shaking the earth.

It was a joy to see destined lovers unite.

Helping one pair come together was helping one pair.

More than anything, the fated bond between Jiu Jian Xian and Yao Chi Xian Mu had been truly苦.