Chapter 2672: Going Back Home

In the early morning, warm sunlight shone upon Tian Jie.

Looking down from above, both the upper and lower realms were still encased in ice. Although the great catastrophe had ended and Ye Chen had been taken away, the seal remained unbroken. The shattered mountains and rivers, the piles of corpses and seas of blood, the immortals from both realms, and the ethereal blood mist—all were shrouded in that layer of icy seal.

Time in Tian Jie seemed frozen in place.

Buzz!

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, a brilliant beam of light descended straight from the heavens once more, piercing through both the upper and lower realms. A halo of light spread out, and wherever it passed, mountains and waters, grasses and trees, people and shadows—all shed their icy coating and returned to their original colors.

Tian Jie was finally unsealed. The air began to flow again, fallen leaves continued to drift, and the thick, crimson blood mist surged once more, billowing across the sky and earth.

The immortals awakened, stumbling unsteadily all at once.

Once they steadied themselves, they exchanged glances and looked toward the void. The sealing had lasted half a month, but to them, it felt like merely an instant. They still remembered Ye Chen defiantly withstanding the Di's palm strike before being taken away by the Di.

"Tian Jie actually has a Di. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Jiao Long Wang sighed, putting away his war spear of his own accord. He felt a surge of frustration but had no intention of continuing the fight. With a Di presiding, what was the point of battling on?

"Wanting to destroy the Heavenly Court seems impossible now."

Niu Mo Wang tucked his hands away, also gazing up at the ethereal void. If that Di were to unleash their fury, a single palm could wipe out the scattered immortal realms. Everyone would have to behave themselves.

Like them, the immortals still on the battlefield had all become as meek as little lambs. Tian Jie had a great Di—this left them no choice but to toe the line. As the saying goes, the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. At this critical moment, anyone who acted out would be in trouble. Ye Chen was a perfect example—he had caused the most chaos in both the heavens and the earth, provoking the Di and getting suppressed by a single palm. It was unclear if he was even still alive, and he might well have been struck dead.

The current situation was the most awkward. Across the various battlefields, the immortals of the upper realm and the lower realm were still mingled together. If not for the Dao Zu's seal, they would likely still be fighting. Now that the seal was lifted, they stood staring at each other with wide eyes, too embarrassed to continue the battle.

"The Holy Master won't be executed, will he?"

The reincarnated ones all gazed into the void, their faces full of worry. Compared to the war between the upper and lower realms, they cared more about Ye Chen.

"No harm will come to him."

Shen Jiang Tian Qing said calmly, turning away first. That was Dao Zu Hong Jun, the supreme Di. How could they act against a minor Sacred Body? As a Di, they would surely recognize Ye Chen's potential, which was even more astonishing than Di Huang's. When he returns to the various heavens in the future and reaches great accomplishment, he will become a supreme being. With a great Sacred Body guarding the realm, the human world will be free from worry.

The reincarnated ones took a deep breath and followed suit. They had learned of Tian Qing's origins from Ye Chen—he was also from the various heavens and served as the first divine general under Xian Wu Di Zun. In that sense, he was like a fellow countryman.

"What are you looking at? Not satisfied? Want to go another round?"

"Provoking the great Di will bring punishment upon you all."

"Then punish us all together."

"That's the Heavenly Court's Di—it has nothing to do with the lower realm."

"Hmph."

Although Shen Jiang and his group had left, the scene behind them was quite noisy. The great demons and devils of the lower realm and the immortal lords and kings of the Heavenly Court glared at each other with displeasure. A single wrong look, and they might start fighting again. They all harbored pent-up anger.

However, despite their frustration, no one dared to make the first move. They were just venting with words, dividing into two large groups and cursing across a river of blood. From peak quasi-emperors to minor spirit realm figures, they all shamelessly joined in, spitting insults that flew everywhere.

"Each return to your own homes."

Just as they were cursing, a cold snort suddenly rang out.

Before the words had even faded, Jiang Tai Gong appeared, standing in the void like an ethereal immortal. He held the Di Dao's God-Smacking Whip and had the Di artifact Feng Shen Bang suspended above his head, with the Five Elements Command Flags circling his body. The three Di artifacts buzzed, and Di Dao laws intertwined, making Jiang Tai Gong look truly like a god.

At the sight of him, the immortals of both realms instantly ceased their conflict.

"Each return to your own homes."

Jiang Tai Gong spoke again, his words ethereal yet carrying a hint of authority. The meaning was clear: Go back to where you belong and cool off. If anyone caused more trouble, he'd whip them senseless. A Di had already appeared—did they still dare to act up?

The immortals coughed awkwardly, especially those from the lower realm, who scurried away the fastest. Niu Mo Wang and that little serpent ran the quickest, afraid Jiang Tai Gong might settle scores with them. On the Heavenly Court's turf, they had no backbone left.

The Heavenly Court's immortals also dispersed, retreating in all directions to their own homes. Along the way, they kept looking around at the blood-red heavens and the shattered mountains and rivers, unable to hold back their sighs. What a prosperous dynasty it had been! Now, it was falling apart. The Jade Emperor was gone, and the eight great princes had all stepped into the underworld. The Heavenly Court's royal bloodline was severed, with no one left to succeed as ruler. And as for the Heavenly Court's strong ones—from the elder immortal lords to the minor star monarchs—who knew how many had died in battle? The peak-level forces had been nearly wiped out by Ye Chen. This war had burned far too fiercely.

On the return journey, many of the older generations felt melancholic, taking a deep breath as they headed into the distance. Though the dynasty was no more and their hearts were filled with regret, what brought some joy was that Tian Jie actually had a great Di. If the dynasty were to continue, a new ruler would likely be chosen to maintain order on behalf of the Di.

A great war came to an end.

The upper realm was a ruin, and the lower realm was full of scars. Each side began rebuilding their sacred mountains and repairing their Dao palaces. With a Di presiding, the endless years ahead would likely see no wars of this scale. Tian Jie had truly entered an era of recuperation and regeneration. Both realms shared an unspoken understanding, quietly adhering to a certain order.

In the Tai Shang Immortal Domain, night had already fallen.

It was still that bamboo grove, still that immortal pool. Ye Chen sat cross-legged within it, like an ancient monk in meditation. His face had regained its healthy color, and his breathing was much more even. That session of divination against the Di Zun had left his ninth life in a pitiful state, with backlash striking him wherever he went. The waters of the immortal pool rippled gently, containing vast divine power that poured into his body, warmly helping him dispel the hidden threats.

Bathed in a beam of moonlight, his brows furrowed slightly.

In the depths of his mind, he seemed to see a scene: a world-shaking melee, with figures radiating overwhelming vital energy like blazing suns, all emitting a demonic light. These were the Sacred Bodies of the first kind—the Archaic Sacred Bodies—along with those terrifying heavenly demons. The Sacred Bodies were all at the great accomplishment stage, and the heavenly demons were all at the Di level.

The sky in that vision was blood-red and dim, with apocalyptic omens above and mountains of corpses and seas of blood below. The entire universe was devoid of any light, more dreadful than the endless hell, filled with the wails of vengeful ghosts.

In a daze, he could see the war banners of the Ancient Heavenly Court.

The battle was brutal, with countless first-generation Sacred Bodies and heavenly demons rampaging like gods of slaughter, violent and bloodthirsty. They mercilessly slaughtered living beings, fighting until the universe was destroyed and the heavens collapsed. Countless people charged into the Tai Shang Heaven, and countless exploded into blood mist. Every drop of blood was from a supreme being—it was a true Di Dao assault. The blood of the supremes and the Sacred Bodies stained the entire world, even the laws of the universe dripping with blood.

The chaos in that vision eventually subsided, but the sky was still filled with supremes: one heavenly demon Di after another, and one first-generation great Sacred Body after another, overlooking the world.

Looking at the Ancient Heavenly Court, aside from that graceful figure, there was no other Di. Or rather, the Ancient Heavenly Court's Dis, except for her, had all perished in battle.

Ye Chen's mind trembled violently, his face turning pale again. He stared blankly at that graceful figure, whose face was identical to Chu Xuan's and Chu Ling's. No need to say it—she was the female Di of the Ancient Heavenly Court. Compared to the countless first-generation Sacred Bodies and heavenly demon Dis in the sky, her silhouette seemed incredibly lonely. Her long hair was disheveled, and her expression was one of sorrowful beauty.

In that instant, light burst forth.

Ye Chen finally opened his eyes, unaware that a tear still lingered at the corner of his eye. He didn't know if it was out of heartache for the Heavenly Court female Di or for that familiar face. The Ancient Heavenly Court's Di-level experts had all fallen in battle. In that Di Dao assault, she had fought alone. She must have struggled immensely, and he understood that state of mind all too well—it was like his past life, charging solitarily against the heavenly demon invasion.

"How could I see that world-shaking melee?"

Ye Chen wiped the tear from his eye, murmuring to himself. His soul was shaken, and waves of profound sorrow washed over his heart, mourning for the Ancient Heavenly Court.

After pondering for a long time, he finally pieced it together.

It must be due to the Sacred Body's connection. His Sheng Ti shared some origin with the first kind of Sacred Body. Perhaps certain memories among Sacred Bodies were passed down through generations.

Since the first kind of Sacred Body had participated in that great war, some memories must have lingered, allowing him to inadvertently witness that Di Dao assault.

"You've slept long enough for this nap."

Outside the immortal pool, Jiang Tai Gong stood with an air of composure, stroking his white beard like an elder. But that was just for show—if Ye Chen decided to punch him, he'd still have to run.

"Long enough?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and stepped out of the immortal pool. "How long?"

"Not much, just three months."

"That's long enough." Ye Chen rubbed his brow, silently cursing Dao Zu thoroughly in his mind. He still remembered that day, thinking Dao Zu was teaching him a secret technique. Who would have thought it was a divination of his memories, leading to a massive backlash.

"This is a gift from the master ancestor."

Jiang Tai Gong waved his hand, and a jade slip floated into the air, glowing with a mysterious light. "The secret law sealed within is likely what you're seeking. Whether you can comprehend it depends on your own fate."

Ye Chen reached out to take it, his curses mixed with a bit of delight. Just as he thought! Dao Zu passing on a secret technique meant that terrible backlash wasn't for nothing—it was worth it.

Jiang Tai Gong said no more and turned to leave.

Ye Chen glanced at his sword and tried using the Di Dao to peel away something—he was quite keen on Jiang Tai Gong's God-Smacking Whip and wanted to strip it away to play with for a couple of days. If he could take it back to the various heavens, even better.

Awkwardly, the God-Smacking Whip buzzed in response. Not only did it not get peeled away, but it also shook him severely, making fresh blood spill from the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Tai Gong glanced back, spotting Ye Chen hunched over wiping the blood, and felt a sense of satisfaction. Still trying to peel away my God-Smacking Whip? You're not quite up to it yet.

After a while, Ye Chen crushed the jade slip, and a divine sense entered his sea of consciousness. Four ancient characters slowly emerged: Dao Hua Wan Qian.

Clearly, this technique was called Dao Hua Wan Qian.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged and closed his eyes again, quietly comprehending it.

As the tenth emperor of Da Chu, his comprehension was decent. After some insight, he grasped the essence. This so-called Dao Hua Wan Qian was similar in principle to his Reversed World Reincarnation—one used reincarnation to achieve annihilation, the other used the Dao to achieve annihilation. The reason for incorporating reincarnation power into Dao Hua Wan Qian was likely related to the reincarnated ones.

Every reincarnated person carried, to varying degrees, a trace of reincarnation power. His Reversed World Reincarnation targeted that very reincarnation, so it needed to be enhanced with reincarnation power. The profound aspect lay precisely here.