Chapter 2385: A Son-in-Law is Half a Son

Boom! Rumble!

The sounds of the Emperor Tribulation echoed endlessly, filling the star domains. For those at the peak of quasi-emperor level, it seemed like an unspoken agreement, or perhaps a slim opportunity granted by the heavens to all beings—pitiful and faint. Too many veteran predecessors had fallen one after another.

However, this was no longer their era. In this age, they were merely supporting characters. Wave after wave of Emperor Tribulations claimed countless aged lives.

A sense of sorrow grew thicker, shrouding the myriad heavens and realms.

Under the moonlight, a beautiful figure stood quietly, gazing up at the stars, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Though she had not witnessed the Emperor Tribulation firsthand, she could hear its roars, sense its aura, and vaguely detect that many were undergoing it, with an alarmingly large number.

She had been hearing this throughout the year.

The world might not know, but she understood all too well.

So many attempting the Emperor Tribulation was no good thing—it could lead to a catastrophe.

The catastrophe she meant was the Tian Mo.

In every era, whenever someone became an emperor, Tian Mo would invade. These demons possessed vast divine powers and could detect the aura of the emperor's path, using it as a guide to assault the myriad heavens.

Such events were all too common.

For instance, in the past, when Yue Shang achieved emperorship, it was a bloody example. Though she had been in slumber, she perceived it clearly—if not for Di Huang's fierce battle against the Five Emperors, there would be no such legendary figure as Donghua.

This time, with so many undergoing the Emperor Tribulation and at such frequency, it was inevitable that the Tian Mo might find them. A single Great Emperor from the Tian Mo Domain was not to be feared, as Di Huang could handle it. But if a Tian Mo Tian Emperor arrived, even Di Huang might not prevail, and if he fell, the myriad heavens and realms would be trampled flat.

She knew this, and Zi Xuan, as the remnant soul of a female emperor, shared the same worry.

The Emperor Tribulation was no ordinary calamity; its aura could not be concealed. Even without anyone succeeding, the lingering essence would spread infinitely, and once the Tian Mo detected it, disaster would follow.

Sometime in the following months, Ye Chen and Chu Xuan returned to Da Chu, unable to bear watching any longer. They had witnessed one brutal battle after another, which made them suddenly think of their own futures.

Perhaps, in some future era, they too would be like their predecessors, battling the Emperor Tribulation. The elusive emperor's throne would be a distant goal, requiring a lifetime's pursuit.

Compared to the rumbling outside, Yu Nu Peak was even more serene and peaceful.

Ye Chen was no longer focused on enlightenment or refining pills; he simply sat under the old tree, one hand holding a carving knife and the other a piece of wood, meticulously carving lifelike figures of his wives.

The women were all there, nestled together, gazing absentmindedly at the stars.

From time to time, they would turn their eyes toward Ye Chen.

Though they did not know how long this tranquility would last, they all knew that Ye Chen would outlive them by far.

The Sheng Ti stood equal to emperors, granting it special privileges, including a vastly longer lifespan.

If history remained unchanged and no one achieved emperorship in between, they would pass away one by one before Ye Chen. After the seas turned to fields, their Ye Chen would be left alone, a solitary figure.

Between husband and wives, there seemed to be a tacit understanding.

Ye Chen could sense their thoughts. Ever since he became the Gu Yuan Sheng Ti in his previous life, Long Ye had once said that those with the Gu Yuan Sheng Ti would live in eternal solitude. Every moment of their long lives would be like a carving knife, etching wounds all over them.

"Ye Chen, your son has been beaten."

The long silence was finally broken by this shout.

The visitor was Xiao Ling Wa.

In recent years, he had become something like a messenger, always running to Yu Nu Peak with news from the stars, big or small—who had a child, who got married, who got beaten—he knew it all, more efficient than any intelligence agent.

This time, his news made Ye Chen set down his carving knife.

Ji Ningshuang looked over as well—after all, Ye Chen's son was her son, that is, Ye Fan.

"Who was it?" Chu Ling asked. "Dao Yuan Sheng Ti? Zi Fu Xian Ti?"

"Not either," Xiao Ling Wa waved his little hand as he sat in mid-air. "It was the Hun Tian Man Ti, nicknamed Xiao Man Wang. He's incredibly fierce, not your average opponent."

"Is Ye Fan badly hurt?" Ji Ningshuang asked Xiao Ling Wa, her face full of concern.

"I don't know; I haven't seen him in a year."

"You haven't seen him, so where did you hear this news?"

"Don't mess around; I was there at the time. That little black fatty got hammered by Xiao Man Wang and couldn't lift his head."

As soon as he said this, the women exchanged glances, all turning to Ye Chen before looking back at Xiao Ling Wa. "The son you're talking about—is it Tang San Shao?"

"A son-in-law is half a son, right? No problem with that!"

"No problem." Nan Ming Yu Shu was the first to stand up, and Shangguan Yu Er and Hao Tian Shi Yue followed, rolling up their sleeves. Flames ignited in their beautiful eyes.

Ah!

In the quiet night, Xiao Ling Wa's screams echoed with a tortoise-like quality. Already small in stature, he was kicked around by the women until he was flattened into a meat patty.

He deserved the beating. Where did he get off calling him a son-in-law? That little black fatty wasn't our son-in-law. Coming all this way to scare us—beating him was letting him off easy.

After sending Xiao Ling Wa on his way, the women finally calmed down.

Ye Chen returned to the old tree, roughly calculating that it had been two years since he last heard from Ye Fan and Yang Lan.

As for those younger ones, they were truly restless. With Emperor Tribulations happening everywhere, instead of watching the spectacle, they had the mood to pick fights.

As expected, Tang San Shao getting beaten was no surprise.

Without activating his Bloodline Limit, his combat power was quite weak. But if he did activate it, then Xiao Man Wang would likely be the one getting thrashed—he could wear down even the most arrogant foe.

In the days that followed, Yu Nu Peak remained peaceful.

The Emperor Tribulations across the star domains and various realms, however, grew more intense.

Each Emperor Tribulation was like a gate to the underworld; no one who entered survived, no matter how brilliant they had been in life—they all fell to the tribulation's destruction.

It was not until four months later that this wave of Emperor Tribulations began to subside.

There were still those attempting it, but not as frequently as before. The battered star domains finally had a chance to catch their breath. First came the younger generation's tribulations, then the emperor's sons and young emperor levels, and finally the elders'—turning the stars into utter chaos.

Under the moonlight, Yu Nu Peak was elegant and radiant.

Beneath the old tree, Ye Chen worked diligently and earnestly on his wood carvings.

As for the women, they were each occupied—three or two practicing swordplay, four or five embroidering, one or two in meditation, and some restless ones amusing themselves with Xiao Ren Wang.

This scene was incredibly warm.

The only discordant element was the Tian Fa. Without it, Ye Da Shao's days would be quite comfortable. Only a fool would sit here carving wood— with that time, he could be doing something more in-depth.

Hmm?

As he was carving, Ye Chen suddenly looked up toward the void. A figure was passing through the sky like a ghost, more shadow than substance.

Wasn't that Di Huang? Zi Xuan followed closely behind.

Ye Chen was stunned for a moment, then quickly ascended. Di Huang was not awake; he was sleepwalking. His steps were slow but incredibly fast, each one crossing a realm of space.

Once they passed through the gates of the myriad heavens, it was not just Ye Chen and Zi Xuan chasing him— the quasi-emperors of Da Chu had also been summoned by Ye Chen and were hurrying after, their expressions full of bewilderment.

A fully realized Sheng Ti going for a stroll needed watching. If he caused chaos, it would be worldwide disaster. Even someone as powerful as Sheng Zun could not withstand a single palm from him, let alone others.

"Fresh events happen every year, but this year's are especially many," Di Lao sighed as he chased along.

This was truly apt.

This year had been the most eventful in a thousand years. Countless had attempted the Emperor Tribulation, none succeeded, and all perished, yet it would be recorded in the annals of the myriad heavens.

And Di Huang, the fully realized Sheng Ti, was not making things easy—wandering in his sleep brought many variables. If he went mad, this golden age would face a tremendous catastrophe.

"Stop him!"

After chasing for a while, Chu Huang finally spoke, activating his imperial artifact. The other quasi-emperors also summoned their imperial weapons, and over a dozen artifacts gathered in the sky, forming a massive barrier.

Awkwardly, Di Huang ignored the barrier and stepped right through it.

In the end, the quasi-emperors of Da Chu, including Ye Chen—except for Zi Xuan—were all swatted away like flies, one slap sending a group flying. The scene was wildly out of control.

Now, everyone behaved themselves. Whether gods or kings, they all became subdued. Some of the more improper ones clutched their waists, limping along, their bodies nearly shattered. If Di Huang had been fully conscious, their fate would have been even worse.

"Any way to wake him?" Ye Chen, not much better off, asked Zi Xuan.

Zi Xuan said nothing. There was a way, but she had no intention of revealing it.

Di Huang had instructed her during his slumber: as long as the myriad heavens were at peace, there was no need to wake him.

Clearly, the myriad heavens were fine—everyone was lively. The elders and youths were all idle, attempting tribulations every few days and brawling every so often. It was as bustling as could be.

As he spoke, Di Huang suddenly stopped, waving his hand to open a domain gate channel, and stepped inside, vanishing in an instant. The quasi-emperors of Da Chu who arrived later could not catch up.

"Ling Yu," the Son of the Plane said immediately, waving his hand to open another domain gate.

When the quasi-emperors reached Ling Yu, it was eerily quiet, with not a single primordial being in sight.

To be precise, the primordial beings had all retreated to their lairs, for they had seen Di Huang and were scared witless, fearing this Sheng Ti might go mad and wipe them out.

Fortunately, Di Huang caused no trouble, merely wandering aimlessly through the void.

"Heaven and earth age, the other shore blooms."

These eight words came from his mouth, murmured as he sleepwalked.

The primordial beings could hear them but dared not breathe a word, knowing Di Huang lacked self-awareness. Provoking him in this state was unwise—just look at those following him, all battered and bruised. If Da Chu's people were fair game, so were they.

"If he goes mad here, we won't feel bad about it," Sheng Zun said meaningfully.

"Exactly as I see it," the quasi-emperors replied with equally profound expressions. As fellow primordial beings, who would feel sorry? Just thinking of those who had died tragically made it clear.

Sadly, Di Huang only wandered and muttered in his sleep, causing no chaos.

As he walked, another domain gate appeared before him, and he vanished once more.

The Son of the Plane led the quasi-emperors through without delay—it was fortunate he was there, or Di Huang might have been lost in the domain gates, and finding him would have been a challenge.