Chapter 2378: I Bought It With Money

Chapter 2378: I Bought It with Money

Ten years have passed, spanning spring, summer, autumn, and winter; ten years of blossoming and fading flowers.

This decade felt both short and long. Many cultivators who had left Da Chu for training and cultivation gradually returned. The once quiet Da Chu became bustling and lively again with the arrival of numerous figures.

Consequently, the various heavenly gates and the surrounding starry skies around Da Chu regained their vitality.

After ten years of separation and individual journeys, many had gained significant fortunes. Upon returning to their homeland in Da Chu, they were filled with a sense of superiority, readily picking fights at the slightest provocation, leading to intense battles.

Ye Chen showed no interest in any of this. He spent his days either cooking or studying alchemy.

Furthermore, he continued to tease his wife, having developed even more strategies over the past ten years.

These days, Ye Chen was particularly active, frequently visiting Tianxuan Gate every few days. He carried rare collectibles to exchange for alchemy materials, putting in a great deal of effort.

The sole reason was the gradual return of people from Da Chu. Who knew when Donghuang Taiyi might come back? If she returned, with her temperament, she certainly wouldn't let him take the alchemy materials.

After all, those so-called rare collectibles held no sway with that woman.

His visits were still welcomed by that group of old fellows. At worst, he'd get a beating! Getting beaten was a small price to pay for seeing those collectibles—they were practically gambling their lives for them.

As Ye Chen had anticipated, following the return of the younger generation, the older experts also returned one by one.

"With such descendants, my heart is greatly comforted." The returning emperors watched the fierce battles among the juniors, speaking with deep emotion. Ten years hadn't extinguished the inherent spirit of their people.

"This vitality reminds me of my glorious days." The divine generals had also returned. After a decade of wandering, they had challenged every prominent Quasi-Emperor across the heavens.

"What are you all doing?" Donghuang Taiyi's return was marked by a dominating roar that echoed throughout Da Chu, causing the entire Tianxuan Gate to tremble.

The Kunlun goddess had spent ten years on a honeymoon, enjoying the mortal world with the Sword God, and was in a good mood. But upon returning home, she was shocked—over eighty percent of the immortal herb gardens she remembered were bare, clearly the victims of theft.

Following this, Tianlao, Dilao, and the old fellows like Fuya were all sent flying out of Tianxuan Gate. Each one flew farther than the last and landed more miserably, covered in injuries.

Although they were unreliable most of the time, in critical moments, they stood together. None of them betrayed Ye Chen—or rather, they didn't dare. Provoking Ye Chen wasn't the main issue; the problem was who would provide the collectibles. At their age, they relied on them to survive.

Compared to the external world, Yunu Peak remained relatively calm.

At the peak, Ye Chen was diligently working at the alchemy furnace. He had been studying the eight-marked pill for three years but still hadn't found a breakthrough. Even with all the ingredients for the Soul-Returning Pill gathered, he didn't dare attempt it lightly.

As for Tianlao and the others, he wasn't worried. Those alchemy materials weren't stolen; they were exchanged for treasures—a fair trade, a win-win situation.

Just as he expected, Donghuang Taiyi appeared.

From a distance, Ye Chen could see her fiery, beautiful eyes, filled with murderous intent. Tianxuan Gate had memory crystals, allowing some events to be replayed.

"Goddess, I hope you've been well." Ye Chen greeted her with a smile.

It had been ten years since they last met, and this woman had become even more captivating. She had been away with the Sword God for a decade, and it was obvious at a glance that she was no longer a maiden.

"Ye Chen, your audacity has grown!" Donghuang Taiyi landed with an accusatory tone, her eyes sparkling with fury. She still remembered the images Ye Chen had shown to the Quasi-Emperors years ago, and the thought of it now filled her with deep embarrassment.

Today, she was here to settle scores with him, both old and new.

"Nonsense, I bought it with money." Ye Chen refused to admit anything. Knowing she was here for revenge, he wasn't one to back down easily. As a Quasi-Emperor, he was agile and quick on his feet.

Donghuang Taiyi didn't speak; she kicked over the alchemy furnace.

Hey!

Ye Chen wasn't having it. He rolled up his sleeves on the spot and then turned to run.

"Where do you think you're going?" Donghuang Taiyi shouted, darting after him like a ghost.

Unfortunately, her speed still fell short of Ye Chen's.

Not to mention other techniques, his Flying Thunder God alone would exhaust her trying to catch him. And then there was the Heavenly Dao—a black hole escape that no one could possibly catch. His Emperor Path Black Shore was also incredibly useful. As a Quasi-Emperor-level Ancient Sacred Body, he had plenty of trump cards, allowing him to act with such brazenness.

"Where do you think you're going?" Donghuang Taiyi's frantic cries echoed across the mountains. Unable to catch the elusive Ye Chen, she nearly exploded with frustration. It had been ten years, and she had underestimated him. He was no longer the minor cultivator of before; in terms of speed and agility, he had already surpassed her. How humiliating.

Because of the two of them, Yunu Peak was quite noisy early in the morning.

Ye Chen's wives watched with indifference. Whether he was caught or not, it didn't matter. At worst, he'd get a beating, and afterward, he'd be back to his lively self.

The emperors, divine generals, and Saint Venerables also arrived, not to find Ye Chen, but to seek Di Huang. They had heard he had fallen into a deep sleep and was even muttering in his dreams, so they came together to check on him.

Little did they expect that before seeing Di Huang, they would first witness Ye Chen and Donghuang Taiyi.

The two of them made quite a spectacle—one a Da Chu emperor, the other Da Chu's guardian deity—playing hide-and-seek early in the morning, turning the entire Hengyue into chaos.

"The Sacred Body has risen, and no one can stop him now." The War King laughed, standing tall. Ye Chen had brought great pride to the Da Chu emperors; even the Kunlun goddess couldn't catch him.

"His escape techniques are unmatched in the world." The Five Divine Generals nodded with a grin. The other divine generals mostly agreed. Compared to the Emperor Honored of the past, Ye Chen was even more formidable in his own way.

"Why are you just watching? Help out!" The Saint Venerable glanced at the Sword God, that troublemaker who seemed to want to see Donghuang Taiyi catch Ye Chen and give him a thorough thrashing.

It wasn't just him; all the old Quasi-Emperors present shared that hope. It had been ten years since they'd seen Ye Chen get beaten, and they missed the sight. Today, it might finally happen.

The Sword God shook his head with a smile and eventually stepped forward—he had to help his wife.

However, before he could speak, a thunderous boom shook the entire world.

Ye Chen stopped in his tracks and looked toward the chamber, his eyes brightening: Ji Ningshuang was breaking through.

Like him, the other women were filled with joy.

Only the old Quasi-Emperors looked up at the hazy sky, their brows furrowing. Dark clouds had gathered, with lightning tearing through them. The pressure from the heavenly tribulation was terrifyingly strong, even making peak Quasi-Emperors feel a tremor in their souls.

From this, it was evident how powerful Ji Ningshuang's tribulation was.

Under everyone's gaze, Ji Ningshuang stepped out of the chamber. She smiled lightly at her family and then left Hengyue.

Ye Chen put away his playful demeanor and followed with the other women.

The Quasi-Emperors exchanged glances and also took to the skies.

Behind them, a large crowd gathered—whether cultivating, flirting, or in seclusion, they all rushed out. They knew Ji Ningshuang's tribulation was extraordinarily strong and wanted to witness the Emperor Path Dharma Body.

Indeed, Ji Ningshuang's divine punishment was outrageously powerful. As soon as she reached a desolate stretch of starry sky, thunder descended. It started with nine bolts of divine punishment, with no gradual buildup.

Boom! Boom!

The thunder's roar made the star domain tremble violently. The Da Chu juniors who were still fighting in the starry sky were all startled, abandoning their battles to gather. From afar, they saw a sea of thunder, with bolts tearing through it. Just looking at it stung their eyes.

Ji Ningshuang was as dominant as ever, like a supreme queen. Billions of thunderbolts couldn't overshadow her. She tore through the sea of thunder, bathing in the lightning, with three blank heavenly books hovering above her head. She struck straight into the nine heavens, aiming to fight all the way to the peak of the void and shatter the so-called chaotic clouds underfoot.

Gulp!

Xie Yun swallowed hard, his mouth twitching. This woman was too overbearing. Even as a Quasi-Emperor, he was no match for Ji Ningshuang.

"A youthful Emperor-level prodigy, a heaven-defying monster." Situ Nan chuckled self-deprecatingly.

At his side, Xiao Chen, the son of the War King, also felt awkward. He didn't even need to fight Ji Ningshuang to know he was outclassed. Beings like Dong Shen were only rivaled by Ye Chen.

Not just the juniors, even figures like Di Ji, Donghuang Taiyi, and Yue Huang couldn't hide their admiration. This junior from Yaochi was far fiercer than they had been in their youth. This was the might of a youthful Emperor-level. In a same-level one-on-one fight, none of them could match her—only the Sacred Body could contend.

"The Ultimate Saint of All Things." Di Xuan murmured softly, "Ren Wang, you've nurtured another monster."

No one refuted this. Why say Ren Wang nurtured her? It was because of the blank heavenly books. Ji Ningshuang's first blank heavenly book came from Ren Wang. Perhaps it was Dong Shen, the origin of the path of all things' nirvana, parallel to the chaotic path, equally heaven-defying.

"I don't know why, but I really want to see her fight Ye Chen." The Saint Venerable stroked his chin, drawing all the Quasi-Emperors' eyes to Ye Chen.

In this era, there were many Emperor Children, but only Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang were youthful Emperor-level. A showdown between this couple would be quite a spectacle; it was unclear who would win.

Ye Chen ignored the gazes from all sides, focusing only on the tribulation.

There was no shock in his eyes; he had always known Ji Ningshuang was powerful—perhaps even he couldn't defeat her. A mere thunder tribulation couldn't harm her; what could truly threaten her was the Emperor Path Dharma Body.

"Probably sixty-four Emperor Dharma Bodies." Luo Xi whispered.

"Anything less than sixty-four wouldn't do justice to a youthful Emperor-level." Xi Yan giggled.

"Now, we'll have backup for fights." Shangguan Yuer smirked.

Others might not understand, but the women knew exactly what she meant. With Ji Ningshuang around, plus them, they could make Ye Chen cry.

Boom! Boom!

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the heavenly tribulation's lightning grew even more ferocious. The nine divine tribulations had dispersed, and now came the divine beast tribulation: divine dragons, phoenixes, white tigers, black tortoises, and a sacred beast kirin. Their massive thunder-formed bodies loomed like mountains, crushing vast swaths of starry sky.

Ji Ningshuang remained overwhelmingly strong, activating her outer path immortal form and wielding a massive Dao sword. She slashed the divine beast tribulation to pieces, with no beast able to approach her.

She forcefully destroyed the second tribulation, the divine beast tribulation.

As the divine beast tribulation vanished, the third tribulation arrived—the artifact tribulation. Countless artifacts hung in the air, entwined with lightning and radiating divine light, like brilliant stars.

However, no matter how many artifacts there were or how powerful the artifact tribulation, it couldn't touch her.

The fame of Dong Shen Yaochi wasn't just for show; it was earned through battle.

She pointed her sword toward the sky, and billions of thunderbolts obeyed her command, counterattacking the heavens. One by one, the tribulation artifacts exploded, turning into lightning and reforming, but they still couldn't withstand the assault until they were completely destroyed.

"Your dream goddess is no joke." More people arrived from afar: a monkey, a bull, and a long serpent—oh, wait, it was a blue dragon, also known as Long Jie.

These three had somehow ended up together, and the Spirit Clan goddess was nowhere in sight.

Long Jie sighed. His dream goddess had long been taken by a pig named Ye Chen, and he hadn't even gotten to see it. He still remembered that year, when Ye Chen chased him for over eight million li, nearly killing him.

Boom!

Accompanied by a thunderous boom, the third artifact tribulation ended.

But the booming didn't stop; the phenomenon tribulation struck. Mighty rivers, towering mountains, grand palaces, spiritual springs, and immortal pools—all manner of phenomena manifested from thunder, like a real vast realm, identical to the one Ye Chen had faced before.

Ji Ningshuang stood firm, transforming into a Dao form—the form of all things. Every mountain, river, tree, and plant had a spirit, each one being Ji Ningshuang herself, clashing with the phenomenon tribulation.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

One was the tribulation's phenomena, the other her Dao phenomena, both like genuine realms—one above, one below, directly opposing each other. Chunks of phenomena collapsed, painting a scene of destruction. The already shattered starry sky was left in utter ruins, with no intact space remaining.

It was clear that Ji Ningshuang's Dao phenomena had the upper hand, completely overwhelming the tribulation's phenomena.

This tribulation ended without suspense, as the tribulation phenomena were completely destroyed.

The fifth tribulation arrived: in the east, a thunder sun manifested; in the west, a thunder moon appeared. Stars formed from lightning filled the sky, creating a dazzling display.

"I should stand back a bit." Xiong Er coughed and wisely stepped away. Among Ye Chen's three good brothers, his talent was the weakest. After ten years of starry sky cultivation, he was still at the Great Saint level and hadn't even touched the peak bottleneck. With his foundation, a single wave from this tribulation could crush him to dust.

Like him, Huo Teng, Wang Lin, and Shi Yan also retreated cautiously. Dong Shen's tribulation was too powerful; just watching it made their hearts quiver. If it were them, they'd have been struck dead hundreds of times over.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think Ye Chen was undergoing the tribulation." From the eastern star domain, a group arrived—the various heavenly Emperor Children. They said this because Yaochi's tribulation was nearly identical to Ye Chen's previous one.

Awkward!

This word was on the minds of all the Emperor Children.

Ye Chen was a prodigy, sure—he was the Ancient Sacred Body, unbeatable at the same level. But his wife was also a prodigy, and a heaven-defying one at that. With this couple suppressing them, they'd never have a chance to rise.

As they spoke, the fifth tribulation ended, with the stars collapsing and the thunder sun and moon dissipating.

At this point, everyone collectively held their breath. The lightning tribulation was over; next came the Emperor Path Dharma Body tribulation. In particular, the Emperor Children, divine generals, and those with Emperor Path inheritances all watched with anticipation, hoping to see their ancient emperors in the tribulation.

However, to everyone's astonishment, what descended this time wasn't the Emperor Path Dharma Body tribulation, but a colossal giant. It had three eyes, bathed in billions of thunderbolts, like a ferocious divine statue shrouded in chains of order.

It wasn't just three-eyed; it had six arms, each holding a thunder spear, carrying an aura of world-ending destruction. It seemed to be the ruler of the world, looking down on all living beings.

"The Heavenly Dao Idol?" Ye Chen murmured to himself, his brows furrowing slightly.