Chapter 2346: On the Right Track

Under the watchful eyes of all directions, a quasi-emperor heavenly tribulation came to an end amid bloodshed.

Xiao Chen, the son of Zhan Wang, was horribly injured, staggering and barely able to stand. His body was covered in countless bloody gashes, each one still laced with the killing intent of the Di Dao.

Ye Chen summoned the Xian River, sweeping Xiao Chen away with it. Although the heavenly tribulation had passed, the backlash of the Di Dao's power continued to ravage him, posing a constant risk of annihilation that could not be underestimated.

"Once I'm recovered, how about a spar?" Xiao Chen said with a laugh, clinging to life with only half his strength left, yet still eager to challenge Ye Chen. He knew he was no match, but he wanted to understand the gap between them.

"Anytime you're ready." Ye Chen shrugged and vanished into the starry sky.

The onlookers lingered, reluctant to leave, each carrying a sense of foreboding that a prosperous era was on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had returned to Da Chu and entered Tian Xuan Men.

"Get lost, you're not welcome." Di Lao spotted Ye Chen from afar with his sharp eyes and immediately grew furious. So many rare treasures, and he hadn't shared a single one with them.

"You old thing, think I can't take you on?" Ye Chen grumbled as he cursed. With the peak quasi-emperors like Dong Huang Tai Xin absent, his quasi-emperor-level sacred body allowed him to strut around Tian Xuan Men unchallenged. He had a good seven or eight chances out of ten of beating someone like Di Lao.

"Don't be so rude." Tian Lao stepped in, pulling Di Lao aside and responding with a cheerful smile. He needed to keep Ye Chen in a good mood—maybe then he'd share some of those rare treasures.

"Now that's more like it." Ye Chen set Xiao Chen down. "Come over and help."

For all their banter, the old folks of Tian Xuan Men were reliable in a pinch. They swarmed over, each channeling their own origin essence to suppress the backlash afflicting Xiao Chen.

With so many hands making light work, Xiao Chen's dire condition improved as the Di Dao's killing intent was gradually erased. His faint breath stabilized, and various spiritual pills and elixirs were infused into him.

"How about sharing some of those rare treasures with us?" Tian Lao asked with a grin.

Ye Chen acted casual, slipping a jade slip to Tian Lao without a word. The implication was clear: keep it quiet and enjoy it yourself; it's nothing to boast about.

"Truly on the Dao." Tian Lao quickly tucked it away.

The other old folks noticed but said nothing, nor did they beg Ye Chen for any. If it went to Tian Lao, it was as good as shared among them—all resources were communal.

Motivated by the rare treasures, the old folks worked with renewed vigor, eager to heal Xiao Chen quickly so they could find a secluded spot to watch them together. Just the thought was delightful.

Seeing how hard everyone was working, Ye Chen simply stepped back and wandered off elsewhere.

Tian Xuan Men formed its own vast realm, its territory no smaller than Nan Chu. There were always hidden corners with treasures, like exotic immortal herbs and grasses—perfect for refining pills. Such materials were impossible to find outside, and Ye Chen was in dire need of them.

It had been years since he'd explored Tian Xuan Men like this.

This earthly paradise was filled with massive mountains and winding paths that led to secluded spots, along with countless ancient cities and halls. Every brick and tile exuded an aura of ancient timelessness.

"We greet the Huang Zhe."

Along Ye Chen's path, these words echoed repeatedly. He passed many Tian Xuan Men disciples, some meditating under old trees or on boulders, whether they were peak-level great saints or novice Qi Condensation realm cultivators. All rose to bow upon seeing him.

"Don't mind me, keep cultivating." Ye Chen walked on with his hands clasped behind his back, saying this as he went.

As the holy lord of Tian Ting and the tenth emperor of Da Chu, he stood out wherever he went, mainly due to his aura—a kind of refined presence that grew more impressive over time, impossible for most to imitate.

It was this presence that gave him an innate glow.

As a result, along his route, countless female disciples of Tian Xuan Men stopped in their tracks, staring at him in a daze, their cheeks flushing as their souls nearly drifted away.

Ye Chen's expression took on a meaningful hint.

He hadn't realized it before, but now he saw that Tian Xuan Men had quite a few beautiful female immortals. He made a mental note to tell the talents of Da Chu to visit more often—maybe they'd find a wife and bring her home. Tian Xuan Men was certainly short on sons-in-law.

As he walked, Ye Chen reached a secluded area hidden among the mountains, where a vast immortal herb garden lay.

This immortal herb garden was enormous, shrouded in mist and ethereal haze. Rows of immortal herbs were wrapped in immortal energy, brimming with vibrant life force and glowing in various colors, each one a rare specimen that outshone any spiritual herbs from the outside world.

"We greet the Huang Zhe." The elder guarding the garden hurried over to bow. He was a plump old man, round as a ball and reminiscent of Pang Da Chuan, with a kindly and amusing demeanor.

"Don't worry about me, carry on." Ye Chen waved casually and stepped into the garden, glancing around like a farmer inspecting his orchard.

The plump elder didn't leave, instead folding his hands and following behind Ye Chen.

Ye Chen stopped and glanced back at him. "Why are you tailing me?"

"The Shen Nv said that if you, the Huang Zhe, came, I should follow." The plump elder chuckled, essentially summing up a life lesson: guard against theft, and guard against Ye Chen.

No sooner had he spoken than the elder was knocked out cold by Ye Chen's surprise strike.

What a joke—assigning a great saint to guard an immortal herb garden? Could he even stop anything? Ye Chen hadn't started looting on the spot out of courtesy, and now this guy was following him? A great saint was useless against him.

The clever Ye Chen pulled out his storage bag—the extra-large kind.

Then, he got to work, sweeping through the garden methodically. He didn't pick herbs one by one; he took entire patches at once. Everywhere he passed, the ground was left bare.

By the time he left, the immortal herb garden was gone, leaving only the plump elder sprawled there. Years of careful cultivation had been packed away in Ye Chen's bag in an instant.

The tenth emperor of Da Chu's sense of propriety was, to put it mildly, nonexistent. After clearing out this garden, he headed straight for the next one. He knew exactly where all the herbs and treasures were hidden.

Of course, not everyone turned a blind eye.

Those who tried to stop him ended up in a sorry state, hanging from the trees.

Anyone with any sense just pretended not to see.

Looking back, even when Dong Huang Tai Xin was around, Ye Chen dared to steal. Now, with Kun Lun Shen Nv absent, who could stop him? Anyone who stepped up to block him probably didn't even know his name.

Ye Chen appeared next in a peach blossom forest at Tian Xuan Men.

This small peach grove was heavily guarded, with nine quasi-emperor-level experts hidden in the shadows and the faint hum of Ji Qi weapons echoing from the void, including a supreme Di Bing suspended in emptiness.

Tian Xuan Men guarded it so tightly for good reason: Hong Chen was sealed here.

Deep within the peach blossom forest, an ancient altar stood, etched with emperor-level array patterns. The sealed Hong Chen lay upon it like a stone statue, utterly still.

"Oh, what a rare visitor!" Both Hong Chen Xue and Chu Ling Yu glanced at Ye Chen.

The two of them had a certain elegance about them—one watering the peach trees, the other gathering fallen petals. They'd likely been here since the day Hong Chen was returned to Tian Xuan Men. In their eyes, only this Hong Chen mattered, whether he was in deep slumber or muddled.

"If you're feeling lonely, I'd be happy to help since he and I look exactly alike." Ye Chen spoke earnestly, with a touch of righteous conviction.

"I've recorded every word of that." Hong Chen Xue waved the memory crystal in her hand. "I'll send it to Yu Nv Peak when I have time, so your wives can hear it too."

Ye Chen clicked his tongue dismissively and approached the altar without a care.

"Could we unseal him? I want to talk to him." Chu Ling Yu stepped forward, her eyes full of hope.

"Di Huang's seal—only an emperor could break it." Ye Chen replied.

Chu Ling Yu fell silent, realizing how foolish her question was. Even if it could be broken, Ye Chen wouldn't do it—at least not until Ru Xi's identity was clear. For now, Hong Chen had to remain sealed.

"What would the original history have been like?" Hong Chen Xue murmured softly.

At her words, Chu Ling Yu looked up at Ye Chen as well.