Chapter 2566: A Ruined Hometown

In the underground palace of Tianxuan Gate, the Ren Wang hand seal held everything in place, with all the Zhun Di gathered.

A divine light descended from the sky, revealing Ye Chen, who had been borrowed for the ritual, now manifesting in human form within the formation.

Once he regained his senses and saw the Zhun Di around him, Ye Chen furrowed his brows. Every one of them was as powerful as a Sheng Zun, and each bore wounds to varying degrees. Figures like Tian Lao and Di Lao looked particularly weakened, their auras dimmed. Every person present exuded a fierce killing intent, honed from relentless battles.

Having crossed mountains of corpses and seas of blood himself, Ye Chen could easily tell that these seniors must have endured a fierce and devastating war.

"Don't look anymore; Honghuang has made its comeback."

"Even so, how dare they cause chaos? Aren't they afraid of the Di Dao Curse Seal?"

"The so-called Di Dao Curse Seal was destroyed the moment you underwent your tribulation, shattered by the Zhu Xian Sword. Even though you survived your ordeal and still carry a Di Dao Curse Seal within you, it no longer holds any deterrence against Honghuang."

"Again, the Zhu Xian Sword."

Ye Chen's body trembled violently, his deep eyes filled with bloodshot veins, turning a vivid red. His killing intent seeped into his very bones. It seemed he had only just learned about the curse seal's destruction, and clearly, much had happened after his tribulation.

"How goes the war?"

Suppressing his murderous rage, Ye Chen scanned the crowd.

"The human realm is divided, with the Yinming Star Domain as the boundary. The east belongs to Honghuang, and the west to the Zhutian."

Chu Huang took a deep breath.

Ye Chen fell silent, understanding the helplessness of these predecessors. Although Honghuang had been suppressed and exiled, its foundations remained intact. If they fought to the death, it wouldn't end in mutual defeat but total annihilation. With the Zhutian's strength, they couldn't eradicate Honghuang, so a temporary truce was the best outcome, awaiting the return of Di Huang and Hongyan.

Once more, he silently observed the seniors, noting the absence of many familiar faces. From their appearances, he could gauge the brutality of the war against Honghuang. Even powerhouses like Jian Shen and Di Ji were injured. The losses among the Zhutian cultivators must have been catastrophic.

That battle must have piled up mountains of corpses and rivers of blood.

The underground palace fell into a prolonged silence.

After some time, Ye Chen produced a storage bag and handed it to the Evil Demon. Inside were materials for refining Jiu Zhuan Huan Hun Dan.

He also included a note with several lines listing the names of the materials.

"I hope you seniors can gather these for me. I need them urgently."

With those words, Ye Chen turned and left.

After the borrowing ritual, he still had to continue the alchemy duel. He needed to defeat Dan Zong to win his immortal fire. Gaining another immortal fire would increase his chances of fusing it with Chaos Fire, all in preparation for refining the resurrection pill.

He departed, and the Evil Demon opened the storage bag, seeing the materials. A warmth stirred in his heart. That young Sheng Ti might seem unreliable, but in reality, he was always thinking of his homeland and its people. Even during his tribulation, he hadn't forgotten to help gather these items.

The Zhun Di gathered around, glancing at the note Ye Chen had left. Since it was his request, they would certainly fulfill it. Given the urgency, it must serve a great purpose.

By then, Ye Chen had already left Tianxuan Gate.

What met his eyes was a landscape of devastation—countless mountains collapsed, ancient cities reduced to ruins. The air was thick with blood mist, and faint cries of grief could be heard, laden with sorrow.

Under the moonlight, the people of his homeland were busy rebuilding their homes.

He spotted Man Shan, dragging his wounded body as he carried a massive boulder to reinforce the walls of Nanchu City. He also saw Gu Santong and Wuya Daoist leading the people of Dachu, meticulously inscribing array patterns to strengthen the city's defenses.

Ye Chen wore a black robe, but it couldn't hide the tears in his eyes. This was his homeland, scarred by endless wars and left in tatters.

He didn't reveal his identity and headed straight for Hengyue Sect.

"That figure looks so familiar."

Many of the busy people of his homeland glanced up inadvertently, their hearts stirring at the sight of Ye Chen.

Ye Chen didn't stop; it wasn't that he didn't want to, but he had no time.

That night, Hengyue Sect was unusually quiet. The usual troublemakers were uncharacteristically still.

A quick scan revealed they were all in seclusion. Through the stone doors, he could see bloodied figures, their faces pale and auras weak. In the battles against Honghuang, many had suffered severe injuries. For instance, Xie Yun and Situ Nan were still in Yuan Shen form, yet to reconstruct their physical bodies.

On the opposite peak, Long Yi, sitting in meditation at the summit, suddenly opened his eyes and spotted Ye Chen in his black robe. He froze for a moment, then confirmed it wasn't a mistake. Though Ye Chen's face was hidden, Long Yi recognized those eyes—irreplaceable, filled with ancient weariness and etched with stories.

Yet, he was still in the midst of his tribulation, in a borrowed state.

"Good kid, undergoing tribulation with your memories intact."

"Rest and heal properly."

With that, Ye Chen landed on Jade Girl Peak.

Jade Girl Peak was also silent.

Chu Xuan and the others were in seclusion, healing their wounds. Under the ancient, withered tree, only Chu Ling remained, holding Xiao Yao Chi in her arms, looking utterly alone. When she saw Ye Chen return, her beautiful eyes instantly welled up with mist, tears streaming down.

Ye Chen removed his black robe and embraced Chu Ling.

Through countless hardships and wars, he had always fought alongside his family.

But this time, he had been absent, unable to shield his wife and child. Every wound on them was like a sharp blade piercing his heart, causing excruciating pain.

"We didn't disgrace Ye Chen."

Chu Ling's smile was tearful.

He was the war god who dominated the eight wastelands; as his wife, she was no less formidable. In that battle, she had fought fiercely, striking fear into Honghuang.

Ye Chen said nothing and held her even tighter.

His life wasn't his own—it was one they had traded theirs for. As long as he lived, he would be their sky, fighting for them until his last breath.

"Wait for me."

He came in a hurry and left just as quickly, glancing at the other rooms before departing.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to pay respects to Bei Sheng and Hu Xian.

Chu Ling watched Ye Chen's retreating figure through tear-blurred eyes, lost in a trance, now laced with an unprecedented fear. She dreaded that when he returned next, Jade Girl Peak might no longer have Chu Ling.

Xiao Yao Chi blinked her big eyes, not understanding why Chu Ling was crying. She tiptoed and used her little hands to wipe away the tears, her voice tender: "Sister, don't cry."

When Ye Chen returned to Tianxuan Gate, the Dachu Zhun Di had already gathered the materials.

"If there's more chaos, don't forget about Ye Chen."

Ye Chen took the storage bag, his words calm.

The Zhun Di could all hear the seething fury beneath those words. The more silent Ye Chen became, the more terrifying he was—like a ancient Honghuang beast in slumber, awakening to shake the eight wastelands.

"Of course."

Ren Wang chuckled and formed hand seals again. Ye Chen was clearly in a rush to return, so there must be important matters in Tianjie. No need for Ye Chen to say it; if war arose, they would summon him back, provided the Tianjie barrier had dissipated.

Under their watchful eyes, Ye Chen transformed into a divine light once more, soaring into the vast expanse.

This time, Ye Chen saw it clearly—the immense starry sky was shrouded in blood mist, obscuring vast star domains and hiding the stars. Even the twinkling lights were tainted with a bloody hue.

That damned war had turned the mortal world into a living hell.

In the Purple Bamboo Forest, he manifested his true form.

Bi Xia was still there, and so was Dan Zong. Upon Ye Chen's return, they both furrowed their brows slightly, sensing he was different from before—more silent, with undried tears at the corners of his eyes. His gaze was calm yet hid deep sorrow and a bone-chilling killing intent.

Ye Chen's white hair swayed like ice. He ignited his immortal fire again, methodically adding the materials one by one. From the moment he returned from the borrowing, he hadn't uttered a single word.

Dan Zong focused on refining pills.

As for Bi Xia Xianzi, her eyes held even more curiosity. This borrowing, like the last, left Ye Chen unusually calm—so calm it made her uneasy. She couldn't help but wonder what stories lay hidden beneath his surface.