Chapter 2551: Whose Kid Is This

Chapter 2551: Shui Jia de Wa

In Da Chu, at the Tianxuan Men underground palace.

A group of old Zhun Di all had strange looks in their eyes as they surrounded Ye Chen's physical body and Ren Wang, packing them in tightly from every angle. The person had been borrowed, that much was true, but only the physical body, without the Yuan Shen.

"This kid actually turned into a stone through tribulation."

"Fu Xi! Does your Zhoutian lineage have some unbreakable connection with stones in their tribulations?"

"Get lost."

The underground palace was buzzing with chatter. Ren Wang had set up a formation array and tried more than once to borrow Ye Chen's Yuan Shen, but all attempts failed.

At that moment, he finally understood who had borrowed Ye Chen's Yuan Shen—it had to be that outstanding descendant of his. That descendant was probably off slaying demons and fighting evil spirits. Unable to defeat the opponent, he had used a borrowing technique. They had borrowed the same person, but his descendant had acted first, taking Ye Chen's Yuan Shen ahead of time.

"Since we're here, we can't just sit around idle."

The group of old Zhun Di pulled Ren Wang aside and crowded around Ye Chen.

What followed was a scene too brutal to watch. Though it was just his physical body, these old fellows showed no mercy, pinning Ye Chen down and giving him a thorough beating. The sensation of hitting him felt incredibly satisfying.

At Ziwei Dao Fu, in the Purple Bamboo Grove.

Si Ming Xing Jun was still there, hands clasped behind his back, circling the spot where Ye Chen had disappeared, his expression as odd as before. This borrowing was truly interesting—it first took Ye Chen's Yuan Shen, then his physical body. Ren Wang sure knew how to have fun!

As he was watching, a gentle spring breeze brushed by, and Ye Chen returned.

To be precise, it was Ye Chen's Yuan Shen that returned, and it was in a terrible state. His Yuan Shen body was covered in wounds from heavy injuries. He lay on the ground, taking a long time to recover, and kept vomiting blood—or rather, Yuan Shen essence.

"What's the situation?"

Si Ming Xing Jun raised an eyebrow. And why was it only the Yuan Shen? Where was the physical body?

As if on cue, the physical body arrived next.

Thud!

There was a loud thud as Ye Chen's physical body hit the ground, sprawled out in a perfect spread-eagle position. It was completely deformed, covered head to toe in footprints—nothing but footprints. The area around Ye Chen's pants crotch was especially dark and bruised, clearly showing he'd been kicked repeatedly with considerable force.

Si Ming Xing Jun was completely baffled. After a trip home, how did he end up so battered? Were the people in his family all like that—beating someone half to death?

"Don't say anything. Let me just sit quietly for a bit."

Once Ye Chen's Yuan Shen returned to its place, he grimaced in pain, feeling agony all over. He didn't know how many bones were shattered—it was like a total pulverized fracture. And his usually robust little brother down there was now limp and sore, bringing tears to his eyes. No need to guess; it was those mischievous old timers who had given his physical body a solid thrashing.

That was why they called him the emperor of Da Chu! His experiences were so rich, even his borrowing was unique.

One Zhoutian ancestor borrowed the physical body; one Zhoutian descendant borrowed the Yuan Shen. On one side, he fought a bloody battle against a Zhun Di evil spirit, nearly destroying his Yuan Shen; on the other, his physical body was beaten, almost turning him into a pulp.

Si Ming Xing Jun's words hit the mark: after this trip home, he nearly lost his life.

His ordeal perfectly illustrated the saying: Life is full of absurdity; be cautious with borrowing techniques.

"Does it hurt?"

Seeing Ye Chen sitting on the ground and whining, Si Ming Xing Jun squatted down with a smiling face. For some reason, watching Ye Chen in such a sorry state made him feel inexplicably pleased.

"Sacred Lord?"

From outside the bamboo grove, someone entered—it was Yue Xin.

But upon seeing the scene, Yue Xin froze. Was that really the Sacred Lord of the Heavenly Court? His hair was a mess, his face was black and blue with panda eyes, he was clutching his pants crotch and spitting blood, and his body was covered in nothing but footprints. Clearly, he'd been beaten badly. He was fine just yesterday!

"Yue Xin! I—"

Ye Chen hadn't finished his sentence when a divine light enveloped him, and whoosh—he vanished.

This time, the borrowing was normal; it took both Yuan Shen and physical body together. No need to ask—it was Ren Wang's doing.

Where did he go?

Yue Xin looked around but couldn't find a trace of Ye Chen. It was like a magic trick; he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Did your master not come?" Si Ming Xing Jun had already stood up, tiptoeing and craning his neck to look outside the bamboo grove, his eyes filled with a hint of expectation.

"The Jade Emperor summoned her."

"It's the Jade Emperor again—nothing good ever comes from that."

Si Ming Xing Jun withdrew his gaze and muttered curses under his breath. In an instant, he had mentally cursed the Jade Emperor's ancestors for eighteen generations.

In Da Chu, at Tianxuan Men.

Still in that underground palace, filled with people. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Young Master Ye was borrowed over again. He was still sitting as he had been in the Purple Bamboo Grove, clutching his pants crotch and spitting blood in big gulps. His messy hair looked like it could hatch an egg if you put a hen on it.

"Now, that's the style befitting the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu."

Ren Wang stroked his beard, speaking with great emphasis. The group of mischievous old Zhun Di all had meaningful expressions, feeling an unusual closeness to Ye Chen upon seeing him again, with a strong urge to rush over and give him another beating.

"You're all sick, every last one of you."

Ye Chen wiped the fresh blood from his mouth and glared at the crowd with a darkly furious face. Returning to his homeland was heartwarming, but it also left him seething with anger. These old fellows must be bored out of their minds—staying up late at night just to beat his physical body.

"Seeing us again, are you happy?"

Di Lao asked with a smile.

"Happy."

Ye Chen forced the words out through gritted teeth. Every single one of those mischievous old ones present—he made a mental note of them all. Just wait until he passed his tribulation and reached great completion; none of them would escape.

His glare made the emperors cough awkwardly, while figures like Jian Shen and Di Ji just shook their heads with a smile. They were still relatively proper, at least they hadn't joined in beating Ye Chen's physical body—or rather, they hadn't gotten the chance.

"There's not much time. Go home and take a look. There might be a surprise."

Donghuang Tai Xin said leisurely.

Ye Chen didn't say a word. With a dark expression, he stood up, one hand clutching his waist and the other wiping his nosebleed. He walked with a limp, not forgetting to use Zhoutian evolution to conceal his appearance and aura, avoiding any unnecessary trouble.

"In just a few months, his advancement is terrifyingly fast."

Watching Ye Chen's departing figure, Fu Ya sighed.

"Undergoing tribulation with memories means carrying the insights of the Dao."

Sheng Zun said casually, "Any bottlenecks below Zhun Di are irrelevant to him."

"With this living treasure around, the Heavenly Realm is bound to be lively."

The emperors all took a deep breath.

No one refuted that. A person like Ye Chen, who came with his own halo, brought excitement wherever he went—it was an undeniable truth. People in the human realm knew it, and the Yama lords in the underworld were well aware too. Back in the day, Ye Chen had turned the underworld upside down.

Now that he was in the Heavenly Realm, it was no surprise it would be lively. They just wondered if the Dao Ancestor had chatted with him yet—the two of them would probably hit it off immediately.

By now, Ye Chen had left Tianxuan Men and was greedily inhaling the air of his homeland, feeling content and at ease. Though only a few months had passed, it felt like a lifetime ago. The vast mountains and rivers, every blade of grass and tree, were as warm and familiar as in his memories.

He soared through the sky, heading straight for Yunu Peak.

At night, his limping figure flickered in and out of sight, like a ghost, making the passing cultivators rub their eyes in disbelief, thinking they were seeing things. Quite a few followed him, but soon he vanished without a trace.

"What a familiar back."

Many watched with a dazed expression, murmuring such words.

Ye Chen didn't stop along the way, spotting many familiar faces but not revealing his true form. He just watched quietly—that was enough. After all, he was still in the midst of tribulation, and currently in a borrowed state.

"Try to have as little contact as possible."

That was also the advice Si Ming Xing Jun had given him.

Under the moonlight, Yunu Peak was shrouded in immortal mist, glistening with starlight, adding a layer of peaceful radiance.

It was the same old tree, and Chu Xuan and the others were all there—some embroidering, some sewing clothes, some carving wood, and some gazing at the stars.

"Jiu Niang, when will you pass your tribulation?"

The little demon Ye Ling was there too, hands cupping her cheeks as she looked at Ji Ningshuang, who appeared as a child. That little one was innocent and unknowing of the world, clumsily hugging a spirit fruit and munching away.

This dream tribulation was unlike ordinary ones; without the memories of tribulation, she didn't recognize anyone present. No one knew exactly how to consider it passed.

Many Tianxuan Men Zhun Di had come to check, but they all shook their heads. The two great young emperor-level figures of the realms were exceptional even in their tribulations—one in a dream tribulation, the other with memories. Such precedents were rare in the history of the realms.

"Oh, you're all still awake?"

Suddenly, a smiling voice rang out, making Chu Xuan and the others abruptly stand up, staring blankly in one direction. A hazy figure was slowly approaching, his features unclear, but his voice carried an ancient warmth.

"It's not a dream."

Chu Ling parted her lips.

"Ye Chen, is that you?"

"Besides me, who else walks with such commanding presence?"

Ye Chen smoothed his hair, his ethereal body solidifying step by step, dispersing the Zhoutian concealment. Bit by bit, it revealed his true appearance, full of smiles as he looked at his wives.

The women's eyes grew moist, blurring their vision. There was no mistake—it was their Ye Chen. He had returned.

Ye Chen smiled warmly; the feeling of home was the most comforting.

"Something's wrong. You're still in a tribulation state."

Nanming Yushu said in surprise.

"Not just tribulation—I'm in a borrowed state too."

"Borrowed?"

"With memories in tribulation."

"With memories?"

"Whose child is this?"

Ye Chen spotted Xiao Yaochi and, out of curiosity, picked her up with one hand. From a distance, it looked like he was holding a rabbit, examining her up and down.

The women all rubbed their brows. Do you even know that's your wife?

The most stunned looks came from Yang Lan and Ye Fan, who had just stepped out of the room and nearly lost their balance at the sight.

That was Ye Fan's mother and Yang Lan's mother-in-law, being held like that—it shattered their worldview.

And the more they looked at Young Master Ye, the stranger and more fascinating their expressions became. Was this really their old ninth?

Waa!

Xiao Yaochi was terrified, bursting into tears. Her little arms and legs flailed about, her face streaked with tears.

"Put her down already."

Chu Ling snatched her over, holding her close, and didn't forget to kick Ye Chen.

Chu Xuan and the others shot him looks sharp enough to kill. You really know how to make an entrance! After months away, you come home and pick up your wife like that?

"This..."

Ye Chen looked completely bewildered.

"Jiu Niang is in a dream tribulation. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Dream tribulation?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, and his gaze toward Xiao Yaochi changed. His old ninth was truly outstanding—this kind of tribulation entry was unheard of.

After that little interlude, the women fell silent, and the joyful atmosphere was tinged with a touch of sorrow.

"Ye Chen, she's been waiting for you at Hengyue for a long time."

In the end, Chu Xuan spoke up, pointing into the distance.

The women all knew she meant the small bamboo grove, that modest grave inscribed with Bei Sheng's name.