Chapter 2429: Off Target

On the return journey, a sense of melancholy lingered for Ye Chen and Zi Xuan, as well as for Di Lao and Ren Wang.

From this day forward, Zhutian would no longer have any supreme beings in residence. The once-solid confidence had waned by a third, but fortunately, the two supreme beings had drawn away the Zhu Xian Jian. In the future, Zhutian only needed to guard against the Tian Mo, until a new emperor emerged.

Midway, Zi Xuan quietly walked off in another direction, her figure desolate and forlorn, with traces of undried tears at the corners of her eyes. She was heading to the homeland of Di Huang and Yue Shang, to reminisce about old memories and events, and she would likely remain there for a long period without reemerging.

"What a fine girl."

"Don't you think I should play matchmaker for you?"

"Don't joke around." Di Lao gave a dry cough. After all, who would dare to pursue the beloved of Di Huang?

The two chatted amiably, while Ye Chen at their side remained silent.

As he walked, Ye Chen's brows furrowed repeatedly, and his mind drifted in and out of focus. The karmic obstacles were still accumulating, inching ever closer to a certain threshold, on the verge of triggering a calamity.

Ren Wang glanced at Ye Chen more than once, having glimpsed some clues. This was the precursor to facing a tribulation! Before the Huang Gu Sheng Ti reached its peak, there was bound to be a trial, and Ye Chen would not escape it.

"Can you divine who the new emperor of Zhutian will be?"

"If I say it's Xiong Er, would you believe me?"

"Consider that I never asked." Di Lao suppressed his urge to lash out.

Ren Wang dismissed it with a wave. He was indeed skilled in Zhou Tian divination, but the new emperor of Zhutian was truly beyond calculation. That level of existence stood shoulder to shoulder with the Great Dao, or even surpassed it, naturally concealed by the imperial path. With his level of cultivation, it would be strange if he could figure it out.

At some point, Ye Chen summoned a domain gate.

The bustling star system was now full of activity, with people everywhere busy—more precisely, busy consolidating their forces. The ancestors of smaller sects were clueless, unaware that Di Huang and his beloved had already departed. The common people were the same, still believing that Zhutian had two supreme beings watching over it.

This was no surprise, as the events of the Taigu Honghuang were highly classified. Only those who reached a certain level or had a powerful background were privy to it.

This was also for the sake of peace in Zhutian.

In the past, with Di Huang and his beloved, both great Huang Gu Sheng Ti, holding the fort, no one dared to cause chaos or wage major wars. If news of the two supreme beings' departure were made public, it would incite panic. Restless forces, like those hidden ancient sects lying in wait, would stir up trouble, leading to endless conflicts. Zhutian's enemy was the Tian Mo, so why exhaust their own strength?

As things stood, only the major sects, great teachings, and powerful figures knew about the two supreme beings, serving as an invisible deterrent. Anyone daring to act out would have to think twice.

It had to be said, the major forces were acting swiftly.

Da Chu, Xuan Huang, and You Ming divided Zhutian, delineating territories and integrating forces, rallying strength in the shortest time possible to avoid being caught off guard if the Tian Mo attacked.

In a vast stretch of star space, Ye Chen parted ways with the group and headed elsewhere.

Passing by a mortal ancient star, he quietly entered it. It was still that town called Zhu Xian, bustling even at night. The tavern was still there, as was his fortune-telling table—a bamboo pole and a white cloth banner inscribed with the words "Ye Banxian."

After decades apart, returning to Zhu Xian Town, his heart was filled with a touch of melancholy.

The hundred years of living as a mortal back then were memories of the mundane world, as well as its path.

In the dead of night, he glanced toward the Yang family home before heading to the wilderness, stopping at the graves of Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan. The tombstone was covered in dust from the years, and that old erhu had long since decayed, merging into the earth, bearing witness to their love.

Ah!

Ye Chen sighed, pouring out a jug of rough wine. Buried within were not just two mortals, but also the parents of the Tian Sha Gu Xing, as well as his in-laws. During those hundred years of living as a mortal, there was a bond of worldly karma, a part of his path in the human realm.

Bathed in starlight, he silently turned and walked away, gradually fading into the distance.

On a quiet night, he returned to Da Chu.

Upon reaching Jade Girl Peak, he saw three women seated around a stone table, quietly sipping tea—one was Chu Xuan, one was Wu Qing Xianzi, and one was Wu Lei Xianzi.

The three sat together, which didn't surprise Ye Chen at all—they all hailed from Wu Lei City and had once been its divine maidens. Unlike Chu Xuan, the other two had indifferent expressions, their eyes revealing no trace of human emotion, truly emotionless.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that if the Fifth Shen Jiang and Dong Zhou Wu Wang were beaten to a pulp right in front of them, the two would likely not even frown, let alone feel any pain.

Yet, the three were also fortunate, for someone loved them enough to cross the Bridge of Helplessness and risk their life for love.

"Long time no see—I've missed you all terribly." Song Yu was there too, chuckling as he accompanied Wu Lei Xianzi. Getting married had changed him; he was practically glowing with joy.

"Keep this safe." Ye Chen pulled out a storage bag and handed it to Song Yu.

As for what was inside the storage bag, it had to be something precious—a specialty of Da Chu, a unique Dan Sheng formula that could make even a great saint kneel, let alone a Zhun Di.

The Tenth Emperor of Da Chu had clear intentions: give his wife a dose now and then, for a more fulfilling life. Whether she was Wu Lei or Wu Qing, she couldn't resist Da Chu's specialties. If not for Hong Chen Xue causing trouble back then, there surely would have been a beautiful romance.

"You think everyone is like you?" Song Yu rolled his eyes at Ye Da Shao, though he snatched up the storage bag with impressive speed.

"Types like you should visit Da Chu less often—easy to get beaten up." Ye Chen shot back with a glare. They were so familiar now; was this the time for formalities?

The night grew deeper.

Wu Lei Xianzi finally rose and left hand in hand with Song Yu, their figures blurring into the night.

The Fifth Shen Jiang arrived and took Wu Qing Xianzi away.

"Isn't this nice? Yet they're trapped in the realm of Wu Lei and Wu Qing." Watching the four depart, Ye Chen sighed with melancholy, wishing that lovers would always find their way to each other.

"If another Wu Lei City appears, you should bring a few more back." Chu Xuan said with a smile.

Ye Chen didn't respond, but he harbored his own wishes. Once he reached great completion, he might just overturn Wu Lei City. Why bother bringing them back one by one? He'd take them all home. The talents of Da Chu without wives—count them out, one by one, and hand them over. The local customs? They needed to be a bit more robust.

That night, the clever Ye Da Shao was left outside the door again, leaving even the Ming Di clicking his tongue in amazement. With so many beautiful wives, he could only look on—how could that not wound him?

Under the old tree, Ye Chen sat down and picked up his carving knife, working stroke by stroke.

Carving wood figures was a form of enlightenment, requiring a steady mind—not everyone could do it well. This kind of precise work, if given to Xiong Er, he couldn't manage, let alone achieve enlightenment through it.

However, tonight Ye Chen's carving skills were way off. A perfectly good piece of wood, meant to be lifelike, was ruined by a few misplaced strokes.

Ye Chen stopped, shaking his head more than once. The reason was the power of karmic obstacles, causing him to lose focus unexpectedly, even making his grip on the knife unsteady.

This was precisely the sign of an impending tribulation—not because he had created so many sins, but because along his path, he had done too many things against the heavens. It seemed the heavens held a grudge, tallying each violation and pushing him toward disaster, intent on destroying him completely.

In the days that followed, his moments of distraction became more frequent.

In the haze, that twisted and grotesque ghost face seemed to become a nightmare, appearing every time he slept. He couldn't tell if it was karmic obstacles or some demonic affliction, but it clung to him relentlessly.

The morning light was warm and peaceful, heralding a new day.

Ye Chen rose early, went to the kitchen, and tied on an apron to prepare breakfast for his wives. Every motion—chopping vegetables, flipping the wok—was infused with a divine essence.

"Having a diligent husband is wonderful." Chu Ling was the first to emerge, still full of playfulness, giggling. It wasn't just Ye Da Shao's influence; Ye Ling's mischievous nature had also inherited some from her.

"Once my heavenly punishment dissipates, I'll deal with you first." Ye Chen chuckled.

"You're incorrigible." Chu Ling had just bitten into a cucumber and tossed it at him.

"You missed."

"Flirting already?" Chu Xuan stepped out of the room, smiling brightly.

"Waking up to a meal ready—how great."

"Shiniang, you're even more beautiful today. You'd be even prettier without clothes." Nan Ming Yu Shu and Xi Yan also got up one after another, with Xi Yan, the young girl, being the most teasing and unreserved. By "Shiniang," she meant Ji Ning Shuang.

Laughter filled the air, and the once-quiet Jade Girl Peak instantly came alive.

Breakfast was as warm as always.

However, the atmosphere at the table took on a strange turn. After taking the first bite of the dishes, the women all froze in place. They looked at the food, then collectively turned to Ye Chen with odd expressions.

It was just that today's breakfast didn't taste right—in fact, it was quite awful. Compared to usual, it was like night and day. No one knew if it was intentional or if his cooking skills had declined, but the drop was drastic, as if it weren't even the same person cooking.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, reading some implication in his wives' gazes. He picked up his chopsticks and tried a piece of his specialty dish.

Then, he spit it out.

"You didn't do that on purpose, did you?" Shangguan Yu Er blinked her beautiful eyes.

"Do I have time for that?" Ye Chen just focused on rubbing his forehead. It wasn't just his carving that was off—his cooking was full of mistakes too. Not a single dish on the table tasted normal.

Sensing something wrong, the women stood up and circled around Ye Chen. As his wives, they knew him well; such strangeness must mean something had happened.

"It's nothing." Ye Chen smiled reassuringly, though his expression flickered with distraction again.

"Karmic obstacles." Ji Ning Shuang murmured softly, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. Among those present, she had the highest insight and unique perception, pinpointing the issue.

The word "karmic obstacles" made Chu Xuan and the others furrow their brows in unison.

As Zhun Di-level cultivators, they had no reason not to know what karmic obstacles meant. They also understood that once they accumulated to a certain limit, they would trigger a disaster—the legendary worldly tribulation.

In other words, Ye Chen was facing a tribulation, much like the peak Zhun Di of the past, entering the world to endure it. If he overcame it, it would be a great fortune; if not, it would mean his body and spirit destroyed.