Chapter 2357: Eternal Wastelands, Blooming Flowers of the Other Shore

Upon seeing this, Bei Sheng and Qi Yue instantly appeared at Ye Chen's side, one on each flank, supporting him.

Ye Chen had already fainted, collapsing into Qi Yue's arms. His face was deathly pale, with a dark aura lingering on his forehead that refused to dissipate, and blood kept flowing from the corners of his mouth, impossible to stop.

"How could this be?" Xu Fu and Qi Yue looked grim as they turned to Bei Sheng. Among those present, aside from Ye Chen, Bei Sheng had the highest insight and should know the underlying cause.

Bei Sheng remained silent, her beautiful eyes narrowing into slits as she peered through Ye Chen's outward appearance to his deepest core.

Unfortunately, her cultivation was still insufficient, and she couldn't detect the strangeness.

"Go find Di Huang senior; he must know the reason."

"The Great Accomplishment Holy Body is like a dragon that appears and disappears at will—hard to track down."

"Then let's go to Tian Xuan Men."

"Going to her is the most straightforward." Bei Sheng said this as she picked up Ye Chen and headed straight for Yu Nu Peak. There was a female Holy Body there, infinitely close to great accomplishment. Even though she had lost all her cultivation, her insight remained.

When she arrived, the female Holy Body was up in the spiritual fruit tree.

Indeed, she was in the tree, leaving Bei Sheng stunned and wondering how she had climbed up there. With no cultivation at all, she was no different from an ordinary person, yet she had managed such a feat.

Truly, Hong Yan had the ability, but once up, she couldn't get down.

Bei Sheng gently waved her hand, bringing her down, and placed Ye Chen in front of her.

Hong Yan saw this and immediately raised her delicate eyebrows.

"What's going on with this guy?" Xu Fu stepped forward and asked tentatively.

Hong Yan's response was blunt: "He's done too many wicked deeds and brought retribution upon himself."

Qi Yue's mouth twitched, feeling that the female Holy Body was just bluffing them.

Not to mention, a woman's intuition is often accurate. Hong Yan was indeed bluffing; she had seen through the issue at a glance but had no intention of telling the three.

"How do we treat him?" Bei Sheng glanced at the female Holy Body.

"Easy to fix." The female Holy Body stood up, lifted her small foot, and kicked toward Ye Chen's face. It left a neat, delicate footprint—quite striking.

Bei Sheng watched with a twitching corner of her mouth, as did Qi Yue and Xu Fu.

Hong Yan acted as if nothing had happened, kicking again and again, one foot after another, thoroughly enjoying herself. Though she knew it wouldn't harm Ye Chen, it was all about the satisfaction. She couldn't beat him on a normal day, so she had to seize this opportunity to kick him a few more times.

As for why Ye Chen was vomiting blood and fainting, she knew it all too well. There was a golden divine pattern, visible only to those of the Holy Body lineage—it was the contract Ye Chen had formed with Di Huang.

Thus, Ye Chen's problem stemmed from that contract.

The contract from a Great Accomplishment Holy Body was even more profound than the one Hong Yan had in her time, drawing on Ye Chen's memories. The reason he vomited blood and fainted was because the contract had touched upon his first life.

As for Hong Yan kicking Ye Chen, it was purely settling a personal score. It was rare to see Ye Chen lying there helpless, so she had to vent her frustration.

It wasn't until who knows when that the little girl finally stopped, panting and covered in sweat.

She acted as if nothing was wrong, but Xu Fu and the others could clearly see a big "satisfied" on her little face. Giving Ye Chen a thorough beating had been incredibly refreshing.

"Just wait patiently; he'll wake up eventually." Hong Yan left those words and walked away.

Xu Fu and the three exchanged glances, not knowing what to say.

Left with no choice, the three had to wait.

Ye Chen's sleep was not peaceful. Though the fresh blood at his mouth had stopped flowing, his furrowed brows remained tense, and his pale face showed no sign of color.

He was conscious, but his consciousness was lost in a hazy void.

In the midst of it, he seemed to see a mist-shrouded expanse, chaotic and indistinct. Deep within the mist, there was a vague silhouette, blurred and indistinct. He could only make out its sturdy form, like a mountain or a peak, standing at the end of time, even more distant than the illusory dream, something he could see but never reach.

Even with all his vision, he couldn't penetrate it to see the figure's true appearance—just its back.

Night gradually deepened, and all was silent.

Under the old tree on the cloud platform, Ye Chen lay quietly, with Xu Fu, Bei Sheng, and the others all there, standing in a neat row, silently guarding him, hoping he would wake soon.

Compared to them, Hong Yan was quite proactive, diligently picking spiritual fruits.

She occasionally glanced over, her eyes full of expectation, hoping the contract from Di Huang could uncover the answers she wanted—the entrance to the ancient Hong Huang.

On the second day, Ye Chen's face finally gained some color.

On the third day, his furrowed brows relaxed a bit, but he still didn't wake.

On the fourth day, he started sleepwalking.

Sleepwalking meant wandering around with his eyes closed, doing all sorts of strange things—like sitting under a tree carving wood sculptures, or climbing to the mountaintop to leisurely practice swordplay.

Bei Sheng and the other two dutifully acted as his bodyguards, following wherever he went.

"Do you think kicking him might wake him up?" Xu Fu said, hands in his sleeves. He'd been following Ye Chen half the night, and this impulse had already taken root and grown into a tree.

Qi Yue didn't speak, just glared at Xu Fu.

Bei Sheng's look at Xu Fu was slanted, as if to say: Go ahead if you dare.

Xu Fu coughed dryly, suddenly feeling a chill all over.

As they spoke, Ye Chen had reached the mountaintop, holding a wooden sword and slowly practicing. Under the moonlight, he looked just like an ordinary person, with no trace of a cultivator's aura. Each move of his swordplay was filled with profound dao insights, returning to a state of pure simplicity.

This practice lasted the whole night.

When the night faded, he lay down again and slept soundly.

Another day passed, and visitors from Tian Xuan Men arrived.

They were a group of old folks, including Tian Lao and Di Lao, all a bunch of mischievous elders. They claimed to be visiting Ye Chen, but in reality, they were here for his collection of rare items.

"What's going on here?" Di Lao said in surprise.

"Obviously, he's sleeping." Xu Fu yawned, his eyes ringed with dark circles, looking utterly exhausted. Watching Ye Chen day and night would tire anyone out.

"I calculated with my fingers—something's wrong." Tian Lao said meaningfully.

"How did he just fall into a deep sleep like this?" The group of old folks stroked their beards and circled around Ye Chen, going clockwise twice and counterclockwise twice, examining him from head to toe and back again, getting a full read on him.

Once done, they crowded around, rummaging through his clothes as if searching for something—specifically, the rare items he carried.

Regrettably, they found nothing.

The group's expressions turned serious. No need to say it; Ye Chen's treasures were all in his Chaos Small World, hidden where they couldn't reach.

"He's at least the emperor of Da Chu; do you really have no shame doing this?" Bei Sheng remarked, finding it amusing. Ye Chen was truly an unlucky kid—no one felt sorry for him.

"Bei Sheng, you don't understand; this is the custom of Da Chu." The old folks said gravely.

Speaking of customs, Xu Fu perked up.

Da Chu's vibrancy was all thanks to Ye Chen. Whenever someone fainted or got injured, people came to visit, but they never checked the illness first—they went straight for the treasures. After finding them, then they'd check the condition. The people of Da Chu had grown accustomed to it.

As expected, since they couldn't find the rare items, the group circled up and started examining Ye Chen's condition, now with utmost seriousness.

Unfortunately, their cultivation wasn't up to it—or more precisely, their bloodline wasn't.

The contract from Di Huang was of such a high level that it was beyond imagination. To put it simply, only a Great Emperor or a Holy Body could see it, and clearly, they didn't qualify.

Helpless, the old folks turned to the female Holy Body.

"Scram."

"Alright!"

This simple exchange was straightforward. The female Holy Body had spoken, and the old folks all left—not out of fear of the little girl, but of the female Holy Body, who might one day regain her cultivation.

As for Ye Chen, they weren't worried at all. Judging by the female Holy Body's expression, he was fine. Even if he wasn't, there was still Di Huang; he could surely save Ye Chen.

"You'll get used to it." Xu Fu said meaningfully, directing this at Bei Sheng.

Bei Sheng was quite relaxed, holding a small mirror and only tending to her hair.

He was already used to it. He didn't even need to look at the people of Da Chu—just look at the tenth emperor of Da Chu. His character was already renowned throughout the heavens, and the people of Da Chu followed his example.

Time passed, and night fell once more.

Ye Chen, who had been asleep for a day, got up on his own and continued his sleepwalking journey. Though his eyes were closed, his steps were steady, avoiding any obstacles—he even sidestepped tripping stones. This made Xu Fu and the other three strongly suspect: Was this guy faking it?

Tonight, the elegant Yu Nu Peak couldn't contain this great figure. He sleepwalked along, leisurely making his way down the peak, with no clear destination.

In the night, the diligent Heng Yue disciples were still meditating on the rocks. Seeing this scene, they were all stunned, wondering what their sect master was up to in the middle of the night.

"Focus on your cultivation." Xu Fu stroked his beard, adopting the air of an elder.

The disciples chuckled awkwardly and left the rocks, returning to their peaks.

The night grew deeper.

The sleepwalking Ye Chen didn't stop, but as he passed by various peaks, he threw strange objects into the mountains—like landmines and thunder charms.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The peaceful night turned chaotic, with explosions echoing endlessly.

Curses followed, one after another. People who were sleeping soundly were suddenly awakened—who wouldn't be furious? Especially couples with plans for the night; they were the most annoyed.

Bei Sheng rubbed her brow; this was typical Ye Chen behavior.

As for Qi Yue and Xu Fu, they showed no reaction—or rather, they were completely used to it. On normal nights, without some explosions or curses, they couldn't even sleep.

What happened next truly broadened Bei Sheng's horizons.

In front of Wan Bao Pavilion, Ye Chen stopped and threw a brick inside.

In front of Ling Qi Pavilion, he paused and kicked the door in the dead of night.

In front of Ling Dan Pavilion, he flicked his robe and pulled out his little brother.

This sight was truly eye-catching. Even Xu Fu couldn't help but twitch his mouth. He always felt there was a lingering stench of urine back then—it turned out it was Ye Chen's doing. If not for the sleepwalking, he wouldn't have known.

Qi Yue and Bei Sheng had already turned away, their faces flushed red.

The sound of urination was still quite pleasant.

Followed by a triumphant shake, full of swagger.

It had to be said, Ye Chen's little brother was exceptionally spirited.

As dawn approached, he finally headed back.

The three followed behind, with Xu Fu's face dark and an urge to hit someone.

Qi Yue and Bei Sheng, meanwhile, had flushed faces.

Tonight, the revered God of War of the mortal realm had, in his sleepwalking, perfectly demonstrated what it means to be shameless. Everything he did in his dreams, he had done in his youth without exception—these were his glorious history, possibly even recorded in the annals.

Everyone has their wild younger days, but Ye Chen's were exceptionally outstanding.

In the following days, the sleepwalking happened frequently.

Ye Chen was dedicated, completely reversing day and night. People rise with the sun and rest at dusk, but he slept during the day and became especially active at night.

Over time, not just Qi Yue and Xu Fu, even Bei Sheng got used to it.

Not to boast, but if Ye Chen pulled this in the Jiu Li Clan, he'd have been beaten to death long ago. The Jiu Li people are hot-tempered, but they still value face—unlike this one.

"Whoever wants to follow can; I'm done."

Another peaceful night, and Xu Fu plopped down, waving his hand dismissively. Day after day, just watching Ye Chen's nonsense, with each act more bizarre than the last.

Bei Sheng and Qi Yue also sat down, with no intention of following anymore. Let him go wherever.

Perhaps without an audience, Ye Chen was unusually well-behaved tonight and didn't sleepwalk.

Instead, he started talking in his sleep.

This time, even Hong Yan, who was picking spiritual fruits, stopped and ran over faster than anyone. She might glean some clues about the ancient Hong Huang from Ye Chen's mutterings.

"Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai." The sleeping Ye Chen uttered these eight words.

Hearing this, Bei Sheng, Qi Yue, and Xu Fu were all stunned, wondering why Ye Chen said these words. Did they represent some meaning, or was it just for his own amusement?

"Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai." Hong Yan murmured softly, her delicate brows furrowed, convinced this was a secret, possibly related to the entrance of the ancient Hong Huang.

"Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai." Far away in the depths of the starry sky, Di Huang suddenly stopped, murmuring the same words. Due to the contract, he heard Ye Chen's mutterings clearly.

"Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai." Such murmurs echoed in both the heavenly realm and the underworld—one from the Underworld Emperor, the other from the Dao Ancestor of the heavenly realm.

What they had in common was that whether it was Hong Yan and Di Huang, or the Underworld Emperor and Dao Ancestor, none could decipher the meaning of these eight words, but they were all certain they related to the entrance of the ancient Hong Huang.

"Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai." The sleeping Ye Chen continued to say these words.

In the haze, his mímíhūhū mind couldn't distinguish reality from illusion, only knowing that these eight words echoed in his ears, ethereal like a spell, looping endlessly.

With the first light of dawn in the east, daybreak arrived.

At this moment, Ye Chen's words abruptly stopped. After sleeping for an unknown number of days, he finally opened his eyes, his gaze dazed, as if he hadn't fully woken up.

When he regained clarity, the first thing he saw was four pairs of eyes staring straight at him, each with different expressions. Xu Fu and Bei Sheng looked strange, while Hong Yan had her delicate brows furrowed, her eyes flickering with deep meaning as she stared at him.

In an instant, Ye Chen sat up bolt upright, feeling creeped out by the stares.

"Awake?" Xu Fu said with a smile.

"How long was I asleep?" Ye Chen frowned, his tone tentative.

"Well, let's see... I—"

Before Xu Fu could finish, the female Holy Body shoved him aside and leaned in front of Ye Chen, staring intently.

"What does Tian Huang Di Lao, Bi An Hua Kai mean?"