Chapter 2427: Karma?

Chapter 2427: Ye Zhang?

For several days, the heavens remained silent, and Da Chu was also peaceful.

That night, Ye Chen sat in meditation at the peak of Yu Nu Peak, absorbing the light of the stars to gather the power of his Samsara Eyes. His cultivation at the third level of Zhun Di was now consolidated, and any further breakthrough would take an unknown number of years.

He sat like an old monk in Zen, his demeanor dignified and solemn.

Bathed in moonlight, his sacred body trembled slightly, and his brows furrowed as sweat beaded on his forehead. In a trance, he seemed to see a distorted face, extremely ferocious, grinning maliciously at him with supreme demonic power. Even with his steadfast mind, he nearly lost control.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous rumble echoed from the void, startling him awake.

It was that same booming sound, the sixth time that night, like a funeral bell, evoking an ominous feeling. No one knew how many people gazed up at the vast sky, their expressions overshadowed by gloom, especially the female Sheng Ti, who stood on a mountain peak of Tian Xuan Gate, watching from beginning to end.

At the peak of Yu Nu Peak, Ye Chen had awakened, breathing heavily.

That twisted and ferocious face was not the first time he had seen it. Over the years, it appeared every few months, and recently, it had become more frequent.

"Ye Zhang?"

Ye Chen furrowed his brows tightly, making such a guess.

In a person's life, the killings they commit, the evils they do, the resentments of the deceased, and the unfinished karmas can all form Ye Zhang. Ye Zhang is like a heart demon or a demonic obstacle.

At that moment, the tenth emperor of Da Chu seemed to have some realization.

When Ye Zhang accumulates to a certain extreme, it triggers forces from the unknown, bringing calamity. This is the legendary entering the world to face tribulation. It might be a form of nirvana; if one survives it, the Ye Zhang is cleansed, leading to great fortune, but if not, it means body and soul destroyed.

Unfortunately, he had only guessed half right. That distorted ghostly face was not just Ye Zhang; there was something even more terrifying, though no one knew it.

"Before the Sheng Ti reaches great completion, there is bound to be a tribulation?"

Ye Chen murmured softly. Without a doubt, he would face an entering-the-world tribulation.

Only by cleansing the Ye Zhang could he qualify for great completion.

"Come to Tian Xuan Gate."

From beyond the heavens, an ethereal voice of Yu Nu echoed; the speaker was Hong Yan.

As soon as the words fell, a crack opened in the barrier of Yu Nu Peak.

Ye Chen collected his thoughts and rose to step out.

When he arrived at Tian Xuan Gate, he found himself in a majestic grand hall with no one else present, only Hong Yan standing gracefully, her divine form elegant and wondrous. She wore simple robes, like a dream or an illusion. Though she was not far away, she seemed even more distant than a dream. No one knew what kind of Dao she cultivated; it was simply ethereal, with Dao principles faintly visible, intertwined with a mysterious power and endless visions.

"What do you want me for?" Ye Chen stood straight and proper, quite close to the hall's entrance, as if ready to slip away at any moment. He feared the female Sheng Ti might settle old scores, which would be anything but harmonious.

"Wait," Hong Yan said softly, her back to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen cleared his throat and found a seat near the door to sit down.

Soon, Shen Jiang, Huang Zhe, Kun Lun Shen Nu, Jian Shen, Shen Zun, Zi Mian Zhi Zi, and other Zhun Di arrived one after another, apparently summoned by Hong Yan.

The once quiet grand hall now bustled with people.

There were always some unserious types, like Ren Wang, who wandered in with his hands tucked away, his eyes darting around sneakily. From time to time, he approached Ye Chen, trying to trade for some rare editions.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen ignored him. After being tricked with a pirated version once, he held a grudge.

The hall fell silent again, with Hong Yan neither turning around nor speaking.

Eventually, an elderly Zhun Di spoke up, "Senior, why have you summoned us?"

"Wait," Hong Yan replied with the same word.

The crowd of Zhun Di raised their eyebrows, sensing there would be more people.

Indeed, not long after, a monkey and a bull arrived—it was Sheng Yuan Huang and Kui Niu Huang. One exuded a domineering aura, the other was full of bovine arrogance, but once they entered the hall, they became incredibly well-behaved. No matter how domineering one was, could they outdo Hong Yan? No matter how arrogant, could they surpass her?

"What's with this big gathering? What's going on?" The two sat down, looking around curiously.

"Who knows?" Sheng Zun shrugged.

"All of you, stay put and don't cause trouble," Tian Lao said, busily polishing a divine pearl until it shone brightly. That was a treasure he relied on.

Kui Niu Huang and Sheng Yuan Huang pouted. Were they out of their minds to cause trouble here?

Soon, the five great king clans of the Southern Domain arrived, all with their clan emperors in person.

Following them were the ancient races, the Dong Hua lineage, the Bei Yue Jiu Li Clan, the Dong Huang Yao Chi Sheng Di, and the Zhong Zhou Da Xia Long Chao—all major powers, each a colossal force.

Naturally, such a grand assembly wouldn't exclude You Ming Continent; the new Sheng Zhu came in person.

Seeing this scene, the Zhun Di of Da Chu, including Ye Chen, all raised their eyebrows in unison.

Clearly, this was going to be a major meeting!

Hong Yan remained silent, standing quietly. Those she had summoned exchanged glances, unsure of her intentions.

"Could it be to select Shen Jiang?" In a corner, Ye Chen stroked his chin. Di Huang and Hong Yan were going to the Taigu Hong Huang, so they might, like Di Zun in the past, take along many peak Zhun Di to become Shen Jiang and follow the supreme beings into the Taigu Hong Huang.

Not only did he think this, but Sheng Zun and the others did too. Perhaps everyone summoned by the female Sheng Ti would become one of the Shen Jiang, accompanying the two supreme beings to explore the Taigu Hong Huang once more.

As they spoke, another person entered—it was the male Yong Sheng Ti.

"If Tai Xu Gu Long Hun were here, there'd definitely be a fight," Sheng Yuan Huang sighed.

That statement was spot on, and no one refuted it.

If you asked which two had fought the most fiercely in recent years, it had to be Tai Xu Gu Long Hun and the male Yong Sheng Ti. Because of the female Yong Sheng Ti, they clashed every few days, and people in the heavens had grown accustomed to it. The Yong Sheng Ti was truly powerful; in any battle, he never threw more than three strikes.

Ah!

Ye Chen sighed, sighing for Long Wu. Even if he cultivated until death, he probably wouldn't be a match for the male Yong Sheng Ti. At the same level and realm, even Long Di might not defeat the Yong Sheng Ti, let alone a mere remnant soul—and one that was divided into three parts.

The male Yong Sheng Ti arrived and quietly found a corner to sit in, saying nothing.

Those who knew him understood he wasn't alone; he had his own inheritance, just not revealed to the world. During several heavenly demon invasions, they had participated.

This was evident from the heavenly demon fiend energy hidden in his body. Anyone who had slain heavenly demons carried that kind of fiend energy, like the Tian Mo Di Sha Qi in Ye Chen's body.

"Oh boy, what a lively scene." After the male Yong Sheng Ti, another person entered.

This time, it was a little old man, stepping with small, profound strides.

No need to say it—this was Miao Miao Lao Dao, whose seniority surpassed even Di Huang and Dong Hua Nu Di, and whose combat power was extremely fearsome. Not long ago, he had teased Wu Lei Cheng Zhu and got slapped away.

His arrival made over eighty percent of the people in the hall look at him sideways.

It was just that his walking posture was too arrogant. High seniority? Big deal. If you've got the guts, make your head taller too. This is Da Chu, not your Miao Miao Xian Yu. If you dare cause trouble here, no need for Hong Yan to act—we can beat you to ashes, scattering your soul completely.

Miao Miao Lao Dao didn't mind, hands tucked behind his back as he shooed away the Qi Lin Huang sitting next to Ye Chen and sat down himself. He smiled at Ye Chen, "Miss me?"

"Your Tai Yin Tai Yang can't beat my Tian Qian Tian Sha."

"I—"

"As a junior, I've slain an emperor."

"I—"

"As a junior, my family has two great Sheng Ti."

"I—"

This was a bizarre conversation. Every time Miao Miao Lao Dao tried to speak, Ye Chen interrupted him, not letting him finish a single sentence. He was blocked so thoroughly.

And so, the Miao Miao Lao Dao who had just sat down stood up again and politely invited Qi Lin Huang back. Sitting next to Ye Chen could get you half to death; that guy's mouth was no joke. Back in the day, Shi Jia was a prime example, getting argued into facing tribulation alive.

He held grudges—this was a vengeful person. Who asked him to beat up Ye Chen?

Ye Chen laughed cheerfully, finally getting his revenge. Not just him; Ye Fan, Yang Lan, Di Huang, and Hong Yan were all impressive, completely outmatching Miao Miao Lao Dao.

The Zhun Di of Da Chu also laughed, feeling thrilled at seeing Miao Miao Lao Dao's darkened face. Let's see you walk so arrogantly again. You can't win a verbal spat with our emperor, and you're far from matching in a fight. So, in Da Chu, behave yourself. If you want to show off, turn left at the door.

Bang!

While they were amusing themselves, another person entered, their body so heavy that it made the hall rumble. The newcomer had a dull expression, empty eyes, thick yin energy, yet immense pressure.

That's right, it was Shi Zu Jiang Chen. Without a word, he found a corner and sat down.

After him came Wu Tian Jian Zun and Jiu Jian San Ren together, followed by Hong Huang Qi Lin, with an overbearingly dominant bloodline, walking with the air of a king. Yu Hua Xian Wang and Jiu Tian Xuan Nu also arrived, entering side by side—a truly perfect match, made in heaven.

Next came the Ten Halls of Yan Luo, arriving in a neat row, exuding an aura of absolute dominance.

The vast hall was now filled with people, resembling a mortal world's court assembly. Moreover, this was no ordinary gathering; aside from Hong Yan and Ye Chen, anyone you picked was a peak Zhun Di, and anyone you picked backed a major clan or sect with deep foundations.

In short, all the notable forces in the heavens were basically present.

Only then did the female Sheng Ti turn around. Still without speaking, she sent out streams of divine sense, one for each person present, entering their brows. The matter conveyed by the divine sense was her and Di Huang's decision: they were about to leave the heavens and venture into the Taigu Hong Huang to investigate.

As for why she summoned them, it wasn't to select Shen Jiang, but to divide territories.

The so-called territories referred to the heavens, centered around Xuan Huang, Da Chu, and You Ming, divided into three major domains: the Xuan Huang Domain, the Da Chu Domain, and the You Ming Domain. The forces within each domain should integrate themselves in the shortest time possible.

Everyone present understood the reason for this.

Soon, Di Huang and Hong Yan would go to the Taigu Hong Huang, leaving the heavens without supreme beings to guard it. If heavenly demons invaded, they would need the full power of the heavens to defend. The three domains must always be in a state of readiness, so they wouldn't be caught off guard when the demons attacked.

For a moment, the hall fell silent, with many furrowing their brows. The two supreme beings could have waited for a new emperor to emerge in the heavens before going to the Taigu Hong Huang. This haste indicated one thing: something had changed in the Taigu Hong Huang. Those recent booms were not without reason.

The Shen Jiang felt this most deeply.

Back in the day, when Di Zun was about to leave, he had also gathered the forces of the heavens, creating a scene identical to today—the same oppressive atmosphere, the same urgency, making one's heart tense involuntarily.