Chapter 2671: Peering into Reincarnation

"Gu Tian Ting Nu Di," Dao Zu said with a smile, withdrawing his gaze. "In the myriad domains and heavens, the Nu Di's imprint is everywhere, and illusions naturally manifest from time to time."

Ye Chen finally voiced the doubt that had troubled him for hundreds of years across his past and present lives. "What exactly is the relationship between Ruoxi, Chu Xuan, Chu Ling, and Wu Lei Chengzhu?" He knew they shared some deep connection but was unaware of the true secret, which likely involved the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di and was known only to great emperors.

"Unspeakable," as expected, Dao Zu replied with a smile and a shake of his head. Some matters weren't that he wouldn't say, but rather that Ye Chen wasn't qualified to know them yet—he needed to become an emperor first.

As they spoke, someone entered—it was Jiang Taigong. He bowed respectfully to Dao Zu, but when he looked at Ye Chen, the old man became visibly uncomfortable. Even now, a shadow lingered in his mind, making him uneasy whenever he saw Ye Chen.

That day, he had been beaten quite badly.

Ye Chen remained composed, holding a teacup and examining it up and down, occasionally sniffing the tea inside. As he looked, the teacup suddenly disappeared—or more precisely, he had stealthily slipped it into his spatial microcosm. The tea was a bit bitter, but it wasn't ordinary brew, and the small teacup itself was no common item, crafted from special immortal jade.

Jiang Taigong watched with twitching corners of his mouth. This kid was bold, daring to steal right in front of Dao Zu. His movements were seamless, as if nothing had happened, and he acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. Clearly, he was no stranger to such petty thefts—his technique was expertly smooth.

Compared to Ye Chen, Dao Zu seemed quite indifferent. For someone like Ye Chen, there was nothing he wouldn't steal. He had even dismantled a pillar from the Gu Tian Ting's Lingxiao Treasure Hall, so what wouldn't he do? Over the years, Dao Zu had grown accustomed to it. He had long given up hope on the character of Di Zun and now Ye Chen as well. Among the Emperor Dao F4, the most outstanding one went everywhere without a shred of shame.

Meanwhile, Jiang Taigong waved his sleeve, and Yu Di was brought out, lying quietly in midair. He had been sealed, motionless like a statue, though the faint trace of Tianmo Qi at his brow was strikingly evident.

Upon seeing it, Ye Chen stood up and gazed at Yu Di. Perhaps because the demonic nature hadn't been fully eradicated, a flash of killing intent surfaced the moment he laid eyes on him.

But the killing intent lasted only an instant.

Now that Yue Xin and Tian Zun could be resurrected, his hatred toward Yu Di and the Heavenly Court had completely dissipated. As long as they could be brought back, that was all that mattered.

Dao Zu raised his hand and placed it on Yu Di, causing layers of immortal light to spread out from his palm, repeatedly refining Yu Di's divine body. The immortal light was profoundly mysterious, a form of the Dao itself. Because of it, the Tianmo Qi at Yu Di's brow thinned instantly and began to dissipate completely.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. He could see that Dao Zu was using a secret technique to eliminate the Tianmo bloodline and memories—a Dao law that seized heaven and created fortune.

Suddenly, Ye Chen activated his Lunhui Eye, attempting to deduce and replicate that Dao law—or rather, to secretly learn it. With this secret technique combined with Lunhui power, he wouldn't be so passive if he encountered someone like Dan Mo reincarnated in the future.

However, the Dao law was of an extremely high level and couldn't be replicated. All he deduced was a chaotic void, with no trace of the source, let alone any essence.

As Dao Zu had said, while this Dao law was profound and could completely eradicate the Tianmo Qi in Yu Di, it still couldn't wipe it out entirely. It needed the addition of Lunhui power, but even then, it wouldn't be useful here. The Dao law paired with Lunhui force only worked on those reincarnated as Tianmo, and clearly, Yu Di didn't fall into that category.

While Dao Zu was busy, Ye Chen wasn't idle. He nudged Jiang Taigong at his side and grinned. "Old man, lend me your Da Shen Bian to play with for a couple of days!"

Jiang Taigong turned his head and gave Ye Chen a sideways glance, sizing him up. If this had been in the past, he might have lent it, but just now, he thought better of it. You dare to steal in front of Dao Zu—if I lend you the Da Shen Bian, I'll never get it back. Besides, are we even that close? Why should I lend it to you? You nearly beat me to death earlier, and now you have the nerve to ask for my treasure. How thick is your skin!

"Honestly, I don't like that look in your eyes," Ye Chen said with a deep breath. If Dao Zu weren't here, he'd have to spar with Jiang Taigong again.

Jiang Taigong cleared his throat and immediately averted his gaze.

On Dao Zu's end, he had finished and flicked a strand of ancient immortal pattern into Yu Di's body. Only then did he say leisurely, "Send him to reincarnate through the wheel of Lunhui."

Jiang Taigong nodded, took Yu Di, and vanished. Before leaving, he couldn't help but glance back at Ye Chen, feeling an urge to retort at him.

"Senior, you seem particularly fond of that Yu Di!" Ye Chen said with a laugh, his words laced with implication. Among all the Tianmo, Hong Jun was only this attentive to Yu Di. If there wasn't something fishy about it, no one would believe it. Perhaps there really was some ancient secret, but he just didn't know it.

"The Nu Di shares a connection with him," Dao Zu smiled.

Ye Chen raised his eyebrows at that. A connection with the Nu Di? That couldn't be right! Back in the day, the Tianmo Domain and the first-generation Sheng Ti had joined forces to attack the Gu Tian Ting. How could they be related? Were they some kind of family?

Dao Zu didn't elaborate, and from his expression, he had no intention of saying more. Ye Chen didn't press further—asking would be pointless, as Dao Zu would just keep it mysterious.

"Center your mind and focus your energy."

Dao Zu spoke again, pointing a finger at Ye Chen's brow. At his fingertip, a mysterious immortal essence swirled, faint and elusive.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. Was this about to transmit a secret technique to him? Without thinking much, he immediately closed his eyes and centered his mind, waiting for Dao Zu to pass on that supreme secret law.

However, his hopes were dashed by reality. Dao Zu wasn't transmitting a secret technique; instead, he was using his supreme divine ability to peer into Ye Chen's memories—specifically, the memories of his first life. As a great emperor, even he was filled with endless curiosity about why the Xianwu Di Zun had left that day and what he had encountered in the Taigu Honghuang. A peak emperor falling in battle, with a hundred thousand divine generals wiped out—that was an event of monumental proportions!

In the haze, Dao Zu parted layer upon layer of mist, tracing back from Ye Chen's foundation to the source. He crossed nine great cycles of Lunhui before reaching the first life.

At the end of time, he seemed to glimpse a silhouette—ancient and weathered, resilient and upright, standing as if in the river of time, visible but unreachable.

"All well since we last met."

Dao Zu murmured softly, recognizing that silhouette as the Xianwu Di Zun—a most unreliable yet terrifying emperor. He had known this back when Di Zun visited the Heavenly Realm. That seemingly shameless person was actually an extremely formidable emperor.

There was a wariness that Dao Zu felt toward Di Zun.

As for Ming Di, he felt no such thing. Comparing the two at the same level and realm, Ming Di fell far short of Di Zun in their comprehension of the Dao.

Uh...!

Ye Chen groaned in pain, his expression twisting in agony, his face deathly pale, blood flowing from his seven orifices. Dao Zu's supreme tracing had touched some taboo, and while Dao Zu would suffer backlash, so would he.

Dao Zu sighed and withdrew his divine ability. It wasn't that he couldn't trace back to the ultimate source or uncover that eternal secret—it was just that he feared Ye Chen couldn't withstand it. Finding the secret would come at the cost of Ye Chen's life.

As Dao Zu retracted his ability, Ye Chen collapsed and fell into a coma. Anything involving Di Zun meant backlash for whoever tried to deduce it—it was always like this.

Dao Zu waved his hand to erase the backlash for him, then sent Ye Chen back to that deep immortal pool. The kid needed to sleep it off.

Ah!

Dao Zu's sigh was filled with many layers of helplessness.

"Another upheaval in the Emperor Dao—perhaps the Nu Di will return. The millennia of planning will succeed or fail on this."

A ethereal voice rang out—it was Xuan Di speaking, gazing into the vast expanse, his expression full of weariness. Every time like this, his mind wandered, for only those who had endured that darkest era knew how precious that ray of dawn truly was.