Chapter 2555: Getting Beaten Again

Chapter 2555: You Bei Zou

Ye Chen returned to Dao Fu, and it was already nightfall. Half a year had passed since his last visit, and Dao Fu remained the same as before. However, along the path to Zi Zhu Lin, he noticed that many areas of the mansion had been inscribed with special restrictions—ones for surveillance, extremely secretive. If not for his exceptionally strong perception, he would have struggled to detect them. Without needing to guess, he knew this was the handiwork of Ba Tai Zi Yin Ming, constantly keeping watch.

Upon closer inspection, the guards and maidservants had also been replaced in large numbers, mostly Zhun Di level experts. They used secret techniques to conceal their original auras, suppressing their cultivation to Zhun Sheng Jing. Each one was a spy secretly placed by Ba Tai Zi.

Ye Chen ignored them all along the way; no matter how many arrangements were made, they were ultimately useless.

Once inside Zi Zhu Lin, he activated a barrier to isolate it from the outside world and further enhanced it with Zhou Tian Yan Hua. Not to mention a mere Zhun Di, even one at the peak of Zhun Di would struggle to peer into the mysteries of the bamboo forest. To spy on the emperor of Da Chu, one would need an extraordinarily high level of Dao attainment.

Sitting quietly in meditation, he moved his fingers and performed Zhou Tian Yan Hua again, attempting to divine the barrier of Tian Jie. Half a year had passed, and it still had not dissipated. He longed to return to his homeland and see if the people there were safe and whether any major events had occurred.

However, what made him frown was that a mysterious and powerful force in the void was blocking his divination. Despite exerting his full strength, he could not see through it and even suffered a terrifying backlash, failing to calculate anything substantial.

He looked up at the vast sky, knowing the source of that force. In this era, there were changes in the Emperor's Dao, and the future was not fixed but constantly shifting. Zhou Tian Yan Hua could not calculate the mysteries of the universe, and the same likely applied to Ren Wang Fu Xi.

"Old boss, found a nest."

His avatar from the lower realm sent a message, filled with excitement and joy, and proactively linked its vision to his true self, presenting that heartwarming scene.

Ye Chen saw that they were indeed reincarnated souls. The avatar had said it was a nest, and that was accurate—there were over a dozen of them, all reincarnated into the same clan. Their past memories had been unlocked, and now they were all in tears.

That night brought one surprise after another. Avatars from both the upper and lower realms frequently reported good news, finding more and more reincarnated people from Da Chu. They were sending them to Hua Shan in batches, including both men and women, with numbers reaching several thousand.

Ye Chen watched with a smile, his eyes full of vicissitudes. All his efforts in deploying so many avatars had not been in vain. Whenever there was news of reincarnated souls, he would look up, but there was still no sign of Long Ye and Hu Wa. It had been several hundred years, and they remained missing.

As dawn approached, his avatars finally quieted down.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and sat cross-legged, gently closing his eyes. Upon returning after half a year, his goal was to comprehend the Dao and seek a breakthrough opportunity. Yin Ming had already emerged from seclusion, and Dan Jun was lurking like a threat, with the possibility of an ambush at any time. Advancing his cultivation was essential.

He sat like this for an entire day.

As night fell, more than one pair of eyes was fixed on Zi Zhu Lin.

Unfortunately, their Dao attainments were far from sufficient; each one stared until their eyes spun, yet they saw nothing. They weren't even sure if Ye Chen was still in the bamboo forest. If not for orders from above forbidding any rash actions, they would have likely broken through the barrier by now.

In the following days, Dao Fu was quite peaceful, with no sign of Dan Jun.

One could say he was still a step behind Yin Ming. He had truly fallen for Ba Tai Zi's tricks and was waiting for Yin Ming to deliver the Qilin Fruit, but he was destined for disappointment.

From their previous conversation, Ye Chen had seen through Yin Ming's nature, especially after this seclusion, which made him vastly different from before.

To be precise, Yin Ming now possessed the schemes befitting a superior, destined to become the ruler of the Heavenly Court. As for Dan Jun, he was merely Dan Jun, unskilled in the arts of emperors. It was no wonder a mere subject like him couldn't outmaneuver Ba Tai Zi.

The night remained tranquil.

In Zi Zhu Lin, Ye Chen sat like an old monk in meditation, his demeanor dignified and serene.

Under the moonlight, the sounds of the Great Dao echoed, along with the aura of chaos. Various profound visions manifested one after another, and strands of mysterious Dao principles wound around his body—all traces of the Great Dao, etched into his primordial spirit and condensing supreme Dao essence.

At the peak of Da Sheng, he was just one moment of enlightenment away from breaking through.

While he remained in seclusion, the human realm was filled with roaring thunder.

The flames of war across the myriad domains of Zhu Tian had spread throughout the stars. Every star domain and ancient star resounded with battle cries, and the fights raged fiercely.

Overlooking the entire battlefield, the two sides were evenly matched.

Zhu Tian was no longer the Zhu Tian of old, bolstered by reinforcements from the underworld and years of recuperation, making their forces strong and their morale high. From the peak Zhun Di experts to the younger Tian Jing generation, all burned with roaring fighting spirit.

In contrast, Hong Huang was not the Hong Huang of the past.

When Di Huang returned, he had slaughtered countless Hong Huang Zhun Di and wiped out numerous Hong Huang races. Although their numbers of Zhun Di still crushed Zhu Tian, the overall combat strength of the Hong Huang races had greatly diminished, making it hard for them to suppress Zhu Tian.

Even so, the battles remained brutally bloody.

Zhu Tian's fighting spirit soared, while Hong Huang's fury blazed, their attacks fierce. They had learned from the Zhu Xian Jian that Di Huang and Hong Yan could no longer return, which emboldened them to act so recklessly, determined to avenge their past exile.

"This civil war, who knows how long it will drag on."

Di Mie stood at the peak of Tian Xu Mountain, his expression exceedingly grim. If not for the direct orders from the Five Heavenly Kings forbidding the forbidden zones from joining the battle, he would have already charged out to help Zhu Tian fight Hong Huang.

"Evenly matched, and when the war ends, the casualties will be unimaginable."

Tian Zhu sighed, as Zhu Tian and Hong Huang seemed locked in a fight to the death, not stopping until one side was annihilated.

The five young forbidden zone emperors were all present, each standing on a mountain peak, silently gazing in all directions. They had looked toward the Heavenly Kings more than once, their eyes filled with anticipation, hoping to join the fight.

The Five Heavenly Kings stood solemnly, their expressions grave. They too wanted to participate, but they bore a certain mission that prevented them. And then there was that damned Zhu Xian Jian—if the forbidden zones faced any upheaval, it would truly be a catastrophic disaster.

At that time, they would face not only Hong Huang but also the heavenly demons, or even the entire Tian Mo Domain. Let alone the five forbidden zones of Xuan Huang, even if all 130 emperors of Xuan Huang were still alive, it wouldn't be enough for the Tian Mo Domain to slaughter.

Compared to the forbidden zones, Ming Di was much more composed, standing quietly at the peak of Ming Jie Mountain and watching the battles of Zhu Tian. Hong Huang still fell short of wiping out Zhu Tian; after enduring many invasions by heavenly demons, Zhu Tian's combat strength was not to be underestimated.

This great emperor was not worried about Hong Huang but about the Zhu Xian Jian.

That seven-colored immortal sword was the true source of chaos. Even when Di Huang and Hong Yan joined forces in the past, they couldn't capture it, showing its terror. Now in a weakened state, if it recovered its rank, it would be an existence that no non-emperor could rival.

Speaking of Zhu Xian Jian, he glanced toward the gates of Zhu Tian and fixed his gaze on a patch of starry sky outside Da Chu. The woman controlled by Zhu Xian Jian was lingering there, her dull eyes flickering with a sharp glint, as if intent on sneaking into Da Chu.

However, she only lingered and dared not enter.

As Ming Di had anticipated, Zhu Xian Jian was in a weakened state, lacking its heaven-defying combat power, and Da Chu had become a forbidden ground for it. If it dared to step inside recklessly, it would face an attack in the next instant. There were bloody examples from before, still fresh in memory.

It was not afraid of ordinary Zhun Di.

What it truly feared were Hong Chen and Liu Dao.

Those two, like walking corpses, could sleep for eons, but when it came to fighting, they were fiercely formidable, waking up on their own whenever it appeared. How many times had it been beaten to the point of doubting life?

"I bet you don't dare go in."

Ming Di clasped his hands and spoke leisurely. In all of Zhu Tian, only Zhu Xian Jian could hear him. Having lived so long, he naturally had his tricks—ostensibly teasing, but actually provoking, hoping to use Hong Chen and Liu Dao to severely wound Zhu Xian Jian again.

This provocation from him was no trivial matter; it enraged Zhu Xian Jian. A face that should have been peerlessly beautiful was now etched with sinister and ferocious expressions—that was Zhu Xian Jian's demeanor, appearing on the woman's fleshly body, as eerie as a demon.

She moved, gritting her teeth and forming seals with her hands.

As soon as this seal was formed, Ming Di's expression turned serious, as if he recognized it as a fearsome forbidden technique—or more accurately, a curse, targeted at Hong Chen and Liu Dao, causing them to fall into a state of complete stupor for a short time.

Since it was a forbidden technique, it came with a cost.

One could see Zhu Xian Jian trembling, and the seven-colored immortal light on its sword body dimmed significantly with the curse's activation. At a glance, it was clear that casting such a curse had exacted an extremely painful price, even leaving it uncomfortable.

"I truly underestimated you."

Ming Di smirked coldly.

"Once my rank is restored, I will cut you down."

Zhu Xian Jian said indifferently, then stepped into Da Chu, like a ghost stealthily entering Tian Xuan Gate.

What followed was a brief moment of silence.

Then, boom! Bang! Boom!

After that brief moment, it erupted uncontrollably. Thunderous roars echoed, shaking the entire Tian Xuan Gate. Mountains collapsed one after another, ancient palaces crumbled in pieces, and figures fell from the sky in droves.

"Who dares bully Zhu Tian without opposition?"

Amid the roaring thunder, a cold and desolate voice emerged from Tian Xuan Gate, resonating across the four seas and eight wastelands, like ancient thunder shaking the immortal dome for eternity. Even Zhun Di listening felt their hearts tremble.

Immediately after, Ming Di saw Zhu Xian Jian fly out horizontally.

It crashed into over a dozen large mountains in succession, sending fragments of rock flying everywhere. The seven-colored immortal light on its sword body, already dim, darkened to an extreme, clearly having suffered another severe blow.

"What a unlucky kid."

Ming Di sighed with emotion, seeing it most clearly: Zhu Xian Jian had cursed Hong Chen and Liu Dao, but it had still underestimated Tian Xuan Gate. There were plenty of great gods inside, and that single slap packed quite a punch—so painful it made even him wince just watching.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The heavens and earth of Da Chu trembled, the banging sounds slow and rhythmic. Listening carefully, it was the sound of footsteps, perhaps because the body was so heavy that each step shook the universe.

A person walked out from Tian Xuan Gate.

It was a youth, with an immortal air and Dao bones, dressed in white with white hair. Strands of mysterious power surrounded him, faintly visible, accompanied by heavenly sounds that outlined ancient visions. His eyes were like ancient wells, devoid of waves yet embodying the essence of the Dao.

At first glance, who else could it be but Lin Xing? To be precise, he was no longer Lin Xing.

After one cycle of Zaohua, that supreme god king who dominated heaven and earth had finally fully revived and returned to the world. Etched with vicissitudes, his entire body was covered in the dust of ages, yet it could not hide his peerless divine presence.

"It's you."

Facing him, Zhu Xian Jian steadied itself, but upon clearly seeing the person's true face, it staggered again, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood—whether from injury or rage, it was unclear. It seemed to recognize the Zaohua God King.

Unlucky? It was more than unlucky; it was just plain jinxed!

How many times was this? Not counting the previous cycle, just in the last hundred years, first there was the female sacred body, then Liu Dao, and now the Zaohua God King. Every time it went, it got beaten!

This time, it had temporarily dealt with Hong Chen and Liu Dao, thinking it could take away Ruoxi, but who would have thought the Zaohua God King would revive, and in full strength at that. Beating its weakened self was a sure hit. That earlier slap had left it in pieces, intestines twisted. Zhun Di weren't scary, but a god king with Zaohua power was the most headache-inducing.

"Beat it, beat it to death."

Before the battle could resume, a noisy voice rang out—it was that guy Ren Wang. This war slacker was the one left to guard Da Chu. Earlier, when Zhu Xian Jian had charged in, it had nearly wiped him out. If not for the Zaohua God King awakening, he would have been drinking Meng Po soup at the Nai He Bridge by now.

The Zaohua God King said nothing, merely glancing sideways at Ren Wang.

He naturally recognized the remnant soul of the Human Emperor; they had been friends for years, discussing scriptures and Dao in ancient times. In his memory, Ren Wang Fu Xi was a majestic immortal, a transcendent being with Dao essence naturally formed.

But the one before him was clearly nothing like that—how did he look like a complete fool?

"To be honest, I don't really like that look in your eyes."

Ren Wang wiped the blood from his nose and glanced back at the Zaohua God King. Looking was fine, but giving him a sidelong glance? What was that supposed to mean?

The Zaohua God King remained silent, withdrew his gaze, and ascended to the heavens in one step, for the Zhu Xian Jian opposite him had already fled. Since he had finally fully revived after endless ages, he needed to show off a bit and properly deal with Zhu Xian Jian.

Ren Wang watched for a moment and considered giving chase, but seeing how swiftly Zhu Xian Jian and the Zaohua God King moved, he dismissed the idea. Not only was he a slacker in battle, his speed was pitifully slow, so clearly, he couldn't catch up.

Thus, this guy just clasped his hands and headed back.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

In the starry sky outside Da Chu, the roaring had begun.

In its weakened state, Zhu Xian Jian's combat power was greatly reduced, so it dared not fight the Zaohua God King in full strength and kept fleeing. As it fled, the Zaohua God King pursued relentlessly, unleashing divine abilities along the way, sending Zhu Xian Jian flying and destroying stars one by one.

Naturally, the terror of the Zaohua God King went beyond that. He could turn calamity into Zaohua and also turn Zaohua into calamity.

Such Zaohua attacks were formless and invisible, impossible to guard against, causing Zhu Xian Jian to suffer greatly. In the void, there was always a mysterious force assaulting it—that was the power of Zaohua. Already injured, this only added insult to injury.

"How interesting."

Ming Di wore a meaningful expression, no longer concerned with the great war between Hong Huang and Zhu Tian. He just watched the two, feeling immense satisfaction at seeing Zhu Xian Jian being hunted. You, who were so arrogant, have your day too.

At this moment, Zhu Xian Jian must have felt melancholic. Every time it went to Da Chu, it got beaten. It entered perfectly fine and came out battered.

Not to brag, but next time it came, even without Hong Chen and Liu Dao, or the Zaohua God King, there would still be someone to deal with it. As always, Tian Xuan Gate had plenty of great gods. If you dared to go in, you'd be sent flying out again.