Chapter 2387: A Disreputable Character?

The quasi-emperors reappeared, now in a new domain.

At first glance, they saw the Qiong Qi clan members, all gazing up at the void, watching Di Huang as he walked through the air. No one dared to move, fearing any unwise action might provoke that god of slaughter.

Ever since being exiled to this domain, they had not seen Di Huang for over twenty years, but the pressure he exerted on them was like a permanent brand etched into their souls.

The Qiong Qi clan emperor gritted his teeth, feeling an unprecedented sense of humiliation.

It was as if their Qiong Qi clan were mere spirit beasts kept by Di Huang, with him periodically coming to inspect them. A once-noble imperial lineage was now trampled underfoot, and the glory of their ancestors had vanished.

"In an unconscious state," a Qiong Qi elder quasi-emperor pondered, his aged eyes narrowing into slits, as if he had seen through the situation. It was indeed Di Huang, but he was sleepwalking.

Even so, no one in the entire Qiong Qi clan dared to move.

This was the might of a Dacheng Saint Body—even in sleepwalking, no one could defy it. A single slap from him could destroy heaven and earth, and no one could withstand even one blow.

Ye Chen and the Da Chu quasi-emperors ignored the scene, quietly following behind Di Huang.

"How about releasing the Liu Dao as well, so they can keep each other company?" Sheng Zun turned his head, speaking to Di Ji. "He's been sealed for years; letting him out for some fresh air would be good."

Di Ji said nothing, pretending not to hear. She had no interest in listening to his nonsense. With Di Huang already sleepwalking and causing headaches, she didn't want more chaos. Better to keep him sealed—that way, her mind was at ease.

Ahead, Di Huang opened another domain gate, still in his unconscious state.

The domain's chosen ones, along with the quasi-emperors, pursued him without pause.

Only after they left did the entire Qiong Qi clan finally let out a collective sigh of relief. Though furious, they felt helpless, daring to be angry but not to speak out. Without a great emperor in their clan, who could challenge Di Huang?

The new domain's scene was identical to the previous one.

This time, it was the Han Jiang clan. Due to Di Huang's arrival, the entire domain seemed frozen in time. Everyone stared at the sky, gazing at that piercing figure. Merely looking at him made their hearts tremble—it was Di Huang, the genuine Dacheng Saint Body.

The Han Jiang people were not fools; they could tell Di Huang's state was strange.

Then there were Ye Chen and his group, a large crowd trailing behind Di Huang. More than eighty percent of them walked with a limp, clearly having been beaten.

Something must have gone wrong?

From the peak quasi-emperors of the Han Jiang clan down to the Qi Condensation Realm juniors, they all thought the same.

"When my clan produces another emperor, I will make you pay in blood," the Han Jiang clan emperor roared in his heart, his ferocious eyes blood-red.

This hatred was directed at Ye Chen, for it was he who had slain their clan's emperor's son. Over the years, countless clan members had fallen to Ye Chen's hand—this was a debt of blood.

This hatred was also aimed at Di Huang, for his ruthless suppression and exile had caused massive losses to the Han Jiang clan. Their noble imperial lineage had been stained with immense shame because of him.

They hated Ye Chen, hated Di Huang, and hated all the Desolate Ancient Saint Bodies. By extension, they despised Da Chu and the various heavens, vowing that if their clan produced another emperor, they would make them all pay in blood.

The Da Chu quasi-emperors understood the meaning behind the Han Jiang clan's gazes.

However, the Han Jiang clan was destined to have no chance of turning the tables. Even if they produced another great emperor, could they defeat Di Huang? The Five Emperors couldn't take him down, let alone their emperor.

Ye Chen lowered his eyes slightly, gazing indifferently at the Han Jiang clan members. Those pairs of ferocious eyes were all captured in his view. If the Han Jiang clan caused more trouble, he wouldn't mind exterminating them.

His gaze was calm and quiet, yet it made the entire Han Jiang clan tremble.

That kind of look was the contempt of a king. Ye Chen himself was not frightening, but what was terrifying was the Imperial Dao Forbidden Curse. With a single thought, the entire Han Jiang clan could be wiped out in an instant.

"Knowing what you know now, why act as you did back then?" Donghuang Tai Xin said faintly, her words ethereal.

The Da Chu quasi-emperors understood this remark, and so did the Han Jiang clan.

So what if they were a primordial clan? Acting recklessly, slaughtering lives wantonly—they would face retribution. The blood debt they created must be repaid. The various heavens were not invincible; they should not be underestimated.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Di Huang walked on and suddenly vanished. This time, he entered a spatial black hole, still in his sleepwalking state, his divine abilities defying heaven and earth.

Ye Chen acted quickly, using the Heavenly Dao to bring all the quasi-emperors with him.

The black hole was desolate and dark, vast and boundless, with no sound at all, like the hell of Jiu You. The cold seeped into their bones. The quasi-emperors looked curiously around, with more than ninety percent of them having never entered a spatial black hole before. Now that they were here, they all felt a chill run through their bodies.

"Back then, he crossed through the black hole to find the various heavens."

The old fellows took a deep breath, all turning to look at Ye Chen. That hundred-year journey must have been incredibly long, carrying the hopes of his homeland, enduring dust and isolation along the way.

They didn't understand Ye Chen's mindset back then. Only now, truly entering the black hole, did they realize how terrifying this endless darkness was. Loneliness and solitude were the greatest torments.

"Heaven and earth age, the other shore flowers bloom."

The black hole was deeply silent and deathly still, with only Di Huang's dreamlike murmurs accompanying them as they walked.

He still hadn't opened his eyes.

The quasi-emperor's didn't disturb him, just followed at a steady pace, not daring to get too close. They feared this sleepwalking Dacheng Saint Body might suddenly go berserk, and ordinary people couldn't handle it.

At some point, Di Huang's steps suddenly quickened.

What was meant by quick was that his movements were still slow, step by step, but he tread upon the endless Great Dao, his body flickering in and out of existence, each step crossing into the void, even faster than Greater Teleportation.

The quasi-emperors sped up as well, flying and chasing after him. There were a few times they nearly lost him. Di Huang, the Dacheng Saint Body, was not only unmatched in combat but also peerless in speed and movement techniques. Even while sleepwalking, not everyone could keep up.

This left the quasi-emperors feeling quite awkward, especially the peak ones. Di Huang was at the quasi-emperor perfection realm, while they were at the peak quasi-emperor level. Though only half a step apart, the difference in power was like heaven and earth.

Three days later, Di Huang's pace returned to normal, slowing down again.

Only then did the quasi-emperors breathe a sigh of relief. Even fights had intermissions; they needed a break too.

But not long after, Di Huang sped up again, without any warning.

Helplessly, the quasi-emperors activated their flight techniques once more.

For many days afterward, it was the same—sometimes fast, sometimes slow in the black hole, leaving the quasi-emperors in a wretched state, not daring to relax for fear of losing him.

Di Huang finally stopped, in the depths of the darkness.

In the distance, they could see a palace, a ruined one, massive like a mountain range, exuding a grand aura with ancient Dao essence. Standing beneath it, people felt like ants, oppressed by its presence.

"That is the Ling Xiao Bao Dian," Ye Chen said, pointing toward it.

At his words, the quasi-emperors' eyes all lit up.

They had heard Ye Chen mention this palace before; it belonged to the Ancient Heavenly Court. Today was their first time seeing it, and it was even more magnificent than imagined. Not to mention other things, just the Ling Xiao iron staff and the white jade dragon chair, which came from this palace, could rival imperial artifacts. One could imagine how powerful this place was.

Once again, Di Huang entered the Ling Xiao Bao Dian.

The quasi-emperors hurriedly followed. Upon entering, they realized how extraordinary this palace was. Even at the quasi-emperor level, they felt quite oppressed, as if they were subjects paying homage to a ruler, naturally intimidated by its aura.

If just one palace was this terrifying, one could imagine what the Ancient Heavenly Court must have been like.

Di Huang stood still in the hall, like a statue, not moving at all.

The quasi-emperors were curious; while keeping an eye on Di Huang, they wandered around. There was much ruin, as if it had been plundered, with many floor tiles and bricks missing.

Every time they saw such a sight, the quasi-emperors' gazes would collectively fall on Ye Chen.

Clearly, he was the one who had robbed the place.

Ye Chen acted as if he saw nothing and switched to his bluffing mode, determined to take anything that could be carried away.

And sure enough, some things followed him.

Seeing this, people like Tian Lao and Di Lao followed suit, wanting to pry some treasures from the Ling Xiao Bao Dian, like those bricks and tiles, which would be handy for smashing enemies.

But awkwardly, their skills in bluffing were far from proficient. They talked until their lips were worn out but got nothing. Meanwhile, Ye Dasha continued to make gains frequently.

Is the character so bad?

Many of the mischievous old fellows rubbed their brows. We're all people—why is the difference so great?

In reality, this had nothing to do with character; it was just that they hadn't found the right approach. If you wanted treasures from here, you had to mention the Zhuxian Sword, and your acting had to be flawless.

"Self-contained universe," the more serious quasi-emperors, like Jian Shen and Jian Xian, looked up. There was a expanse of starry sky above, with brilliant stars, all fused with endless Dao essence.

For this, Sheng Zun had once tried to reach it but couldn't touch it.

Figures like Huang Zhe and Shen Jiang had already stepped onto the stone stairs. The white jade dragon chair that was once at the end of the stairs had been taken by Ye Chen, but the pressure on the stairs was still overwhelmingly strong.

Pfft! Pfft!

Sounds of spitting blood rang out frequently; even strong ones like Shen Jiang and Huang Zhe struggled to withstand the pressure.

In the end, they still climbed up. The ancient scene manifested once again. The Ling Xiao Bao Dian seemed to restore its divine glory from eons past, with crowds of gods kneeling in worship, the sight vast and magnificent.

The quasi-emperors were shocked, watching those illusions and unable to stop their hearts from trembling.

After just a few moments, the illusions dissipated, and the entire Ling Xiao Bao Dian returned to its current state.

Shen Jiang and Huang Zhe were still immersed in it, their hearts stirred. The one receiving the worship of the gods—the commander of the Ancient Heavenly Court—must have been an existence beyond compare. The ruler of this world?

The quasi-emperors were each occupied: people like Tian Lao and Di Lao were prying for treasures; Ye Dasha was diligently bluffing; figures like Huang Zhe and Shen Jiang were lost in thought at the end of the stone stairs; female quasi-emperors like Di Ji and Donghuang Tai Xin were looking around, as if touring the place.

Only Di Huang stood quietly, his eyes closed, murmuring in his dreams.

At his side, Zi Xuan guarded him silently, with no interest in the Ling Xiao Bao Dian—she only cared about Di Huang.

And so, nine days passed quietly.

On the tenth day, Di Huang suddenly turned and stepped out of the palace in one stride.

The quasi-emperors gathered again and followed.

Before leaving, the looks in their eyes toward the Ling Xiao Bao Dian were filled with awe. What was frightening wasn't the palace itself, but the Dao essence it contained. With that essence guarding it, even a great emperor might not be able to shake it.

Zi Xuan and Ye Chen knew this; Di Huang had tried before and truly couldn't move it.

"What kind of era was the period when the Ancient Heavenly Court ruled?" Yue Huang murmured softly.

"There must have been existences beyond emperors, far surpassing this age," someone replied.

"Such a powerful dynastic era, how could it have fallen? What secrets are hidden?" another asked.

"For this matter, asking the forbidden zones would be most appropriate."

The quasi-emperors chatted back and forth, sighing, clicking their tongues, shocked, and puzzled. Even after walking far away, they couldn't help but glance back; that ancient palace was more dazzling than a great emperor.

Compared to them, Ye Dasha was tallying his spoils.

Indeed, every visit to the Ling Xiao Bao Dian yielded something—every brick and tile was a treasure.

"Kid, you've got quite the haul!" The old fellows crowded over, their eyes gleaming.

"Share the spoils; hand some over," Di Lao said, extending his hand.

Ye Chen was generous, giving each a storage bag.

But what was in the storage bags wasn't treasures from the Ling Xiao Bao Dian—it was Da Chu specialties, in generous portions. These things weren't valuable, so the Dan Saint wouldn't mind.

The old fellows' faces turned pitch black in an instant.

We have plenty of Da Chu specialties; do we need you to give them?

"Ye Chen." As they joked around, they suddenly heard Zi Xuan calling, because Di Huang, while walking, had exited the black hole.

Ye Chen didn't think twice and immediately activated the Heavenly Dao.

The new domain was like a fairyland, the exile ground of the Lu Tian clan.

Di Huang's arrival instantly caused panic.

Not exaggerating, even the strongest peak quasi-emperors didn't dare breathe loudly.

Fortunately, Di Huang didn't cause trouble; he came quickly and left just as fast.

In the days that followed, he seemed like a traveler, murmuring his dreams as he crossed one domain after another. Wherever he went, the primordial clans fell into collective silence, terrified.

Ye Chen and his group were extremely dedicated, following wherever Di Huang went.

From an outsider's perspective, the scene was quite pleasing.

And this outsider was Ming Di, hands clasped behind his back, lazily sitting on a mountain peak.

For some reason, he always felt that Di Huang was walking a dog.

Or how else to explain it? The people following him were no ordinary folks—there was the Da Chu Huang Zhe, Di Zun Shen Jiang, the various heavens' Jian Shen, Kunlun Shen Nu, and more.

Not just him, even Ye Chen and the others felt the same after following for so long. They began to think of themselves as pets, Di Huang's pets, being led by the Dacheng Saint Body to wander through the domains.

"We're at least Da Chu Huang Zhe," Zhan Wang said, stroking his chin.

"We're still Shen Jiang," someone else added.

"Don't mess around; we two have even survived emperor tribulations!" another chimed in.

"The seniors are really pushing me here!" Seeing the quasi-emperors playing along, Ye Chen couldn't help but take a deep breath, his expression turning meaningful. He also wanted to bring up his glorious history, like slaying emperors, the sixty-four emperor laws, or being the commander of the various heavens.

The quasi-emperors all turned to look at him, scanning him up and down, their eyes seeming to say: You're so impressive, yet you're still being led around by Di Huang. What's there to be proud of?

Ye Dasha didn't mind. Jealousy—that's clearly jealousy.

Boom!

As they watched, a sudden boom echoed, with emperor might spreading from a certain domain. The vibration was so massive it affected various domains, causing many mountains and peaks to collapse.

"Emperor tribulation?" The quasi-emperors all raised their eyebrows, sensing the aura of an emperor tribulation.

And the one undergoing it must be from a primordial clan—always restless, always trying to defy heaven and become an emperor.

Perhaps the rumbling of the emperor tribulation was too grand, even the unconscious Di Huang was drawn to it. Treading the void and ignoring domain barriers, he headed straight for the source of the tribulation.

At this, the quasi-emperors' expressions changed. Di Huang was sleepwalking; if he unwittingly entered the emperor tribulation, he might be forced to respond, and who knows what accidents could happen.