Chapter 2641: Two Tribulations Passed

Boom! Rumble!

The main peak of Huashan hummed and roared, visibly shedding rocks from its summit, appearing as if a massive collapse was imminent. This drew the attention of many elders and disciples, who knew it was caused by the turbulent imperial energy underground, creating an unusually grand disturbance.

Beneath Huashan, the sea of clouds churned violently.

Huashan Zhenren stood at the edge, straining his eyes against the hazy mist, but to no avail. He couldn't see Ye Chen's figure, only vaguely sensing his aura, with nothing else discernible.

After a moment's hesitation, he took one last look before turning to leave. The battle outside was still raging, and as the commander of the three armies, he had to hold his position.

As for Ye Chen, he truly felt helpless—unable to enter and offer any assistance.

When he returned to the summit, the elders immediately surrounded him.

"No immediate danger to his life," Huashan Zhenren said, taking a deep breath.

Boom!

No sooner had he spoken than a thunderous roar echoed, startling everyone and making their hearts tremble. They all turned towards the source—the Chi Yan Peak where Ye Chen was.

There, they saw a massive beam of light shooting straight into the sky, piercing a gigantic hole through the vast expanse. Without a word, they all looked up, witnessing ethereal visions materializing. Amid the haze, it seemed like a faint immortal realm appeared, with showers of radiant light raining down and enveloping the entire Chi Yan Peak.

"This..."

The crowd frowned, gazing at Chi Yan Peak. Through the mountain's outline, they could see a white-haired figure standing at the summit, like an ancient monument suppressing the end of time, as if even the river of time had frozen because of him.

He was enveloped in immortal radiance, with every strand of his white hair infused with celestial light, exuding an aura of ancient desolation. His overpowering divine presence, impossible to conceal, shook the heavens with a rumble and made Chi Yan Peak tremble, like an ethereal immortal king that dimmed the entire world.

Upon closer inspection, it was clearly Tianqing, the one undergoing tribulation. More precisely, it was no longer the Tianqing in tribulation, but the true first divine general of the emperor. After many years, he had crossed two tribulations in succession and finally returned to his original state.

"This guy must be cheating!" Nearby, Taibai exclaimed, swallowing hard as he saw through Tianqing's cultivation. On the surface, he was still a saint, but his true realm had reached the pinnacle of Quasi-Emperor.

"I thought Ye Chen was monstrous enough, but this one is even more defying!" Taiyi muttered, his expression frozen in shock. Was this still the little Xingjun he knew? This was even more impressive than the ancient immortal lords—he had no idea where such terrifying power came from.

"The aura of the Zhutian realms." Compared to the other two, Siming's eyes were profoundly deep, highly sensitive to the energies of the human world, leaving no room for mistake.

"Is he also someone undergoing tribulation?"

Siming pondered this silently, with no one to answer, but as he spoke, he already had a certain conviction in his heart. If it was tribulation, it absolutely was.

"Undergoing tribulation and passing it in the Tianjie realm—quite the temperament." Siming sighed in admiration, clicking his tongue repeatedly. The pressure from Tianqing made even his soul quiver. The only ones who could exert such pressure on him were the ancient immortal lords of the Heavenly Court.

Now, it seemed this person who had passed his tribulation was undoubtedly a legendary powerhouse in the Zhutian human realms, a master of battle without equal.

At this moment, he finally understood why Ye Chen treated Tianqing so well—they were both from the Zhutian realms, likely family, and especially close.

As he watched, his gaze shifted to the other peaks, toward Ye Chen's family and companions, including Yuexin. Surely, they weren't all undergoing tribulation too?

Evidently not.

The reincarnated ones were also watching, their expressions full of astonishment.

Ye Chen knew Tianqing, but they did not. These reincarnated individuals had all perished during the first invasion of the Tianmo, while the first divine general had fallen in the second invasion at Da Chu, so they had never met.

They had always noticed how exceptionally well Ye Chen treated Tianqing, no less than his own family, leaving them puzzled about Tianqing's background and why Ye Chen regarded him as kin. All they knew was that the current Tianqing was extraordinarily fearsome, his presence making it hard for them to breathe.

"What's going on? From Saint King realm straight up to the pinnacle of Quasi-Emperor?"

"If Ye Chen is a prodigy, this one is truly heaven-defying."

"Even god-level cheats aren't this fast!"

Across the various peaks of Huashan, voices of surprise echoed, with people pointing and discussing animatedly. Shocks, astonishments, and doubts intertwined, filling the mountain. Even Kunlun Shenzi and Huashan Shennu were no exceptions, all staring wide-eyed. First Ye Chen, then the Xingjun from the later Heavenly Court—it completely upended their worldview.

Glancing at Huashan Zhenren and the others, their expressions were equally entertaining, exchanging looks of bewilderment. How had this unassuming little Xingjun suddenly soared to the skies? And not just any height—he had charged all the way to the pinnacle of Quasi-Emperor. Even they felt a sense of unease facing someone of the same level.

Under the gaze of all, the first divine general opened his eyes.

Immediately, two beams of tangible divine light shot from his eyes, piercing through the cosmos. The immortal light around his body retracted into him, revealing his aged eyes etched with desolation and nostalgia.

Having passed the tribulation, he now understood what had happened back then. Undergoing tribulation within another tribulation, two lifetimes felt like two cycles of reincarnation, evoking endless sighs.

Before today, he had undergone tribulations before, but each time, he returned to where he started. This time was different—from the Zhutian human realms, he had undergone and passed it in the Tianjie realm.

"Why not? You're quite the talent!" Renwang gazed into the vast sky, aware that the divine general had passed, but despite a crowd waiting, no one appeared. They only saw a flash of tribulation immortal light, gone in an instant.

"Passing tribulation in the Tianjie realm?" Dila scratched his head, while Tianlao smirked awkwardly. The expressions of the veteran figures present were full of shock. Undergoing tribulation within a tribulation was already unusual, and now, not returning to his original place made the emperor's first divine general a talent indeed.

"Just wait! Ye Chen might pass his tribulation in the Tianjie realm too." Renwang stroked his beard, his expression meaningful. "One is the reincarnation of the emperor, the other his divine general—neither follows the ordinary path."

"Does that mean he won't come back?" Fuya gestured questioningly.

"How could that be? The Daozu is incredibly powerful." Shengzun scratched his ear, inching closer to Dijiji. The fragrance of a woman was quite enticing.

Dijiji said nothing, merely glancing sideways at Shengzun, her eyes seeming to say:

"Keep inching closer, and I'll kick you—believe it or not."

On Chi Yan Peak of Huashan, Tianqing had already moved, stepping out from the summit and walking into the sky, heading straight for the main peak of Huashan. Each step he took followed the profound rhythms of the universe. Though he showed no cultivator's aura, strands of Dao essence wound around his body, perfectly natural.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he streaked like divine light into the depths of Huashan, knowing Ye Chen was there and why Ye Chen was in the Tianjie realm—just like him, undergoing tribulation with memories intact.

"Hey!"

Diyuan Zhenren shouted and chased after him.

"Hey, that's our Huashan's forbidden ground! How can you just walk in like that?"

Boom! Bang!

Soon, they saw him fly out, clearly smacked away, hurtling through the air and crashing into a towering peak.

Witnessing this, Huashan Zhenren and the others frowned and moved in unison, one figure after another rushing into the depths of Huashan.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The subsequent scene was quite spectacle-worthy. Anyone who chased in came flying out the next second—not walking out, but tumbling out. The Huashan disciples and elders watched in stunned silence. Just how strong was this guy? It was overwhelmingly domineering.

"Senior, he won't harm me."

From deep within Huashan, Ye Chen's voice echoed, his condition much improved, even with time to send a message.

Huashan Zhenren looked disheveled as he steadied himself, about to rush in for some reasoning, but upon hearing Ye Chen's words, he stopped abruptly, his face etched with awkwardness. The other elders were much the same. On their own turf, getting beaten one by one by an outsider—who wouldn't feel awkward?

"Too damn arrogant." Diyuan Zhenren grumbled, clutching his waist as he returned, blowing his beard and glaring, his face dark as ink.

"Most likely Ye Chen's master."

Huashan Zhenren pondered, finding this guess highly plausible. Though the other appeared youthful, he could see Tianqing's true age—it wasn't much less than his own, a veteran of thousands of years. For such a senior to be Ye Chen's master made perfect sense.

His words made Diyuan chuckle dryly. Any urge to curse the intruder vanished instantly. Someone who could teach a disciple like Ye Chen must be terrifyingly formidable. A fiery temper was only reasonable.

"If he's really Ye Chen's master, then Huashan gains another powerful ally."

This sentiment resonated with everyone.

With such a prodigious disciple, his master must be equally extraordinary. They had all seen it with their own eyes—able to swat away these old veterans in one strike. Such combat prowess was no less than that of Shura Tianzun.

"Divine General, I hope you're well."

In the purple sea of clouds deep within Huashan, Ye Chen said with a smile, fully aware of the commotion outside. He never expected the emperor's first divine general to pass his tribulation in the Tianjie realm—it was beyond his anticipation.

"Is Zhutian still at peace?"

The divine general replied warmly, his expression flickering with distraction, as if seeing Ye Chen was like seeing the ancient Xianwu Dizu, evoking memories of their glorious past battles across the world.

Ye Chen remained silent, sending a strand of divine sense containing many events—like the chaos of Honghuang, the return of Dihuang, and the rise of Hongyan Dacheng.

Reading this divine sense, even Tianqing's composure wavered. He never imagined that during his tribulation, his homeland had faced so many major events.

"Focus on healing."

After a long while, the divine general turned and headed to the highest point of Huashan. Before he could even land, Diyuan Zhenren and the other veterans felt a chill run through them, fearing he might not have had his fill and would strike again.

"My friend, I apologize for any offense."

Huashan Zhenren cupped his hands with a smile.

The divine general said nothing, only glancing at the Huantian water screen, which displayed the scene at the city walls.

After a few breaths, he withdrew his gaze, waved his hand to open a domain gate, and headed straight for the northern city walls. That was where the battle was most intense and where the Heavenly Court's attacks were fiercest. Having passed his tribulation, he needed to lend a hand—not to protect Huashan, but to protect Ye Chen. Helping Huashan defend the walls was the same as building a defense for Ye Chen.

"Not only is his power immense, but he's also principled."

Huangyuan Zhenren stroked his beard, his expression meaningful. No need to say a word—he went to help on his own.

"Quick, quick!"

The Huashan elders heading for reinforcements moved with exceptional speed, looking less like they were going to fight and more like they were heading to watch a show, eager to see the white-haired figure unleash his might.