Chapter 2366: Together in Life and Death

Chapter 2366: Life and Death Together

Returning to Tianxuan Gate, it was quite lively.

It was still the peach blossom forest, where a group of old fellows had gathered, surrounding the stone bed in layers. Hongchen lay there, indeed awake, but his eyes were vacant and his expression dull. His mouth kept moving, repeatedly murmuring eight words: Tianhuang Dilao, Bipo Hua Kai.

"What's going on?" Tianlao stroked his chin, his expression strange.

"Even the seal of a Dacheng Shengti couldn't keep him asleep." Many people sighed and clicked their tongues, amazed at Hongchen's extraordinary talent and wondering how he had woken up.

"How about we give him some special products from Dachu?"

The old fellows bantered back and forth, some stroking their chins, others twisting their beards, half speaking meaningfully and half earnestly. They were truly a bunch of crafty old mystics.

Beside Chu Lingyu, her breathtakingly beautiful face was etched with dark lines. Since arriving yesterday, this group of old folks hadn't stopped, watching like it was some spectacle, and they couldn't be shooed away.

Ye Chen arrived, pushing his way through the crowd.

Compared to the old fellows present, he was a bit more serious. He activated his Xianyan and stared intently at Hongchen. Di Huang's seal was still intact, with no sign of loosening, so why had he woken up?

Like Tianlao and the others, Ye Chen couldn't help but be astonished. Even Di Huang's seal couldn't hold him. Hongchen's subconscious will must be incredibly powerful, beyond what a Dacheng Shengti could suppress.

"Tianhuang Dilao, Bipo Hua Kai."

Hongchen continued to speak, his voice hoarse and ancient, devoid of any human emotion, as if he were possessed, repeating those eight words over and over.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowing.

He was quite familiar with those eight words. He had seen them in the visions from Xu Fu, and when he was asleep, he had also murmured them, just like Hongchen, repeating them endlessly.

Now, Hongchen was doing the same, which was truly novel.

Ye Chen had a feeling that at this moment, Liudao was probably also murmuring in his sleep.

Indeed, Liudao was the same, not just murmuring but also sleepwalking.

Diji had followed him the whole way, her brows slightly furrowed. With her level of insight, she couldn't figure out the problem, only knowing that Liudao slept during the day and wandered at night, which had been going on for several days.

In Tianxuan Gate's peach blossom forest, conversation ceased as soon as Ye Chen arrived. Everyone turned to look at him, knowing that he had a close connection with Hongchen and might understand the reason.

"How is it?" In the end, Hongchen Xue couldn't hold back and asked, breaking the silence.

Ye Chen shook his head helplessly. "My cultivation is too shallow; I can't see through it. I need to find Di Huang senior."

"Then where is your senior?"

"I've been waiting for him for years." Ye Chen shook his head again, feeling that Di Huang was avoiding him.

Everyone fell silent, truly at a loss. All they could do was wait for Di Huang.

Soon, the old fellows dispersed, leaving only Ye Chen and Chu Lingyu in the peach blossom forest. They stood by the stone bed, quietly watching Hongchen, hoping he would regain his senses.

Unfortunately, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Hongchen showed no sign of recovering his clarity, his words unending as he repeated those eight words nonstop for an entire day.

In the following days, he remained the same, as if under some curse.

The old Zhundi of Tianxuan Gate visited daily, claiming to check on him, but really just chatting idly and conveniently asking Ye Chen for some treasures—specifically, the rare collector's editions.

Night fell quietly, moonlight spilling over the peach blossom forest, making it dreamlike.

Perhaps fearing any mishap with Hongchen, Tianxuan Gate brought in two more emperor artifacts to reinforce the seal. For good measure, they added two more to Ruoxi's side, just in case.

Late at night, Ye Chen sought some excitement again, recklessly trying to divine Hongchen's fate.

This divination was truly disastrous. He coughed up blood from the backlash, his face turning pale. Now, he sat beneath the stone bed, listless and rubbing his eyes, his head buzzing.

"Is there a way to contact your senior?" Chu Lingyu asked quietly.

Ye Chen didn't speak; he didn't dare open his mouth, afraid that blood would spurt out again. The backlash was too fierce, causing blood to flow from his seven orifices and even affecting his vital primordial spirit.

Thinking about it, learning Zhoutian Evolution really wasn't all good; it always led to backlash, and he kept trying to divine anyway. Who made him carry this heaven-defying ability? He just couldn't control himself.

"Is there a way to contact your senior?" This time, the question came from Hongchen Xue.

Ye Chen said nothing, just kept shaking his head.

Now, both women fell silent, quietly guarding the stone bed—one gently stroking Hongchen's face, the other smoothing his disheveled hair. They were like devoted wives, their tenderness flowing like water.

"Have you two ever thought that if Hongchen returns to his original time and space one day, whether you'd follow him?" The brief silence was broken by Ye Chen.

"Life and death together," they replied without hesitation.

Ye Chen murmured, "What is love in this world? It drives people to desperation." As he spoke, he stood up, but before finishing, he sat back down. It was better to sit; sitting didn't make him dizzy.

In truth, as Hongchen's source, Ye Chen understood clearly that the strange twists of history had already changed. In a certain sense, Hongchen's so-called original time and space no longer existed.

But the world's laws were mysterious, always able to circumvent certain taboos and return to that original time and space. The two timelines could intersect or run parallel, depending on whether Hongchen had that level of ability.

And their vow of "life and death together" was essentially the same as choosing martyrdom.

One had to know, in the original time and space, the various heavens had no chance of turning things around; otherwise, Hongchen and the others wouldn't have reversed time to come here. So, going back would mean certain death.

"Tianhuang Dilao, Bipo Hua Kai." Hongchen's mumbling continued.

But this time was different; after his words, there was an echo. Listening carefully, it wasn't exactly an echo—it was another bout of mumbling coming from outside the peach blossom forest.

No doubt, someone had arrived, another one not fully awake.

He was Liudao, of course, not coming on his own but carried by Diji. That guy had a big heart, sleeping soundly, his mumbling perfectly in sync.

Well, now Hongchen had a companion. Those eight words were like a mantra, the two speaking in perfect unison, not differing by a single tone—truly synchronized.

"It really panned out," Ye Chen said, stroking his chin, not at all surprised.

Looking at Hongchen Xue and Chu Lingyu, their expressions were quite strange. This one wasn't healed yet, and another showed up—it was Liudao, of all people. What buddies they were.

Diji was a bit better, as if she had expected it.

"Senior, please sit." Ye Chen wiped the blood from his nose, being quite enthusiastic. And this nosebleed had to flow; after all, there was a collector's edition of Diji too, and her figure was stunning.

Not to brag, but even though Diji was clothed, in Ye Chen's eyes, it was no different from being bare. He knew exactly where she had moles—he had studied it hundreds of times.

Diji's delicate brows furrowed slightly; she felt the way everyone looked at her was odd. Moreover, a few of them even had nosebleeds that wouldn't stop.

"Still, the real person is more pleasing to the eye."

"Keep your voice down, you idiot. This woman is not to be messed with."

"Hey? Is that Liudao?"

The old fellows huddled together, muttering, and naturally spotted Liudao, sleeping sweetly and mumbling away—also those eight words, identical to Hongchen's.

"Do you think those two have slept together?" Fuya whispered.

At that, the group of old fellows, including Ye Chen, all turned to look at Diji, their eyes full of curiosity. They were bored out of their minds—truly bored.