Chapter 2717: Hard to Find

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The blood-red starry sky trembled violently with thunderous roars, each rumble accompanied by billows of blood mist that stained the star rivers a ghastly red. It cast a bloody veil over the mortal realm, obscuring the light that should have illuminated it.

"Great Emperor! Open your eyes!"

"One day, my Hong Huang clan will wash the myriad domains and heavens in blood."

"I will fight you to the death."

These roars, even louder than the thunder, erupted from the so-called Hong Huang clan. Amidst the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, cries of rage, wails of grief, and roars of fury resonated from the depths of their souls.

"Blood for blood, endless until death."

No matter how the Hong Huang people howled, the cultivators of Zhu Tian offered only one response.

Looking down upon the human realm, it was a scene of utter defeat for the Hong Huang forces. Their collapse was irreversible. Every battlefield was marked by fleeing figures, and the territories they had once conquered were being reclaimed one by one. They were being pushed back the same way they had advanced. There was no end to the suffering, only an escalation of horror.

"Heaven's sins may be forgiven."

"But human sins lead to no salvation."

The words of Tian Ming and Liang Di held no mercy, and the Hong Huang did not deserve any. From the moment they ignited the flames of war, they should have foreseen this outcome. The human realm might lack supreme beings, but that didn't mean Zhu Tian was defenseless. Even the demon invasion had been repelled, so what gave the Hong Huang the confidence to start this conflict?

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Scarlet blood flowers bloomed vividly across the vast expanse of the starry sky.

And history repeated itself in remarkably similar ways.

This mindset might not be shared by the people of Zhu Tian, but for the Hong Huang clan, it was etched deeply into their very bones.

In ancient times, the Hong Lian Empress had sacrificed the Hong Lian Ye Huo, incinerating the gods of the eight wastelands.

Ten years ago, the Da Cheng Sheng Ti had defied destiny and returned, suppressing the entire Hong Huang with an iron fist.

And now, without a Great Emperor or a Da Cheng Sheng Ti, they were still the ones defeated.

This battle raged for nine days and nine nights.

On the tenth day, the rumbling in the stars gradually subsided. As they fought on, the Hong Huang people simply vanished. Wasn't that peculiar? Wandering through the starry sky were only the cultivators of Zhu Tian.

"They're hiding again."

"Like turtles retracting their heads—that's the Hong Huang's specialty. Even the Tian Mo couldn't find them."

"We have to search. Once we find them, we'll wipe them out one by one to prevent any further chaos."

Across the vast starry sky, cultivators of Zhu Tian moved in groups of three or five, scanning as they went. Each one carried a dripping immortal sword, meticulously searching the stars for the Hong Huang clan's hiding place.

On the other side of the star river, Ye Chen walked, sword in hand, covered in blood from head to toe—all of it from the Hong Huang people. He resembled a blood-soaked Asura from Jiu You Hell, his aura of slaughter and malevolence overwhelming.

In the massacre of the Hong Huang, he had been the most ferocious killer. The Hong Huang Zhun Di who fell to him could be piled up like mountains, including many at the peak of their ultimate strength. Even with vitality as vast as that of the Huang Gu Sheng Ti, he had fought until his magical power was depleted, striking terror into the Hong Huang and scattering their forces.

The starry sky in his eyes was a wasteland of destruction. The blood-soaked battlefields were filled with swirling smoke, scattered limbs, broken artifacts, shattered war chariots, and blood-stained banners drifting through the stars. Bloody star rivers stretched across the domains, adorning the universe like gruesome veins.

He walked on, gazing around, also searching for the Hong Huang's lair.

But after traversing vast stretches of stars and domains, he found not a single trace. It was as if the entire Hong Huang clan had vanished into thin air.

"It must be hidden by Di Dao Xian Fa," Chu Xuan said softly, crushing a pill and merging it into Ye Chen's body. Even a half-step Da Cheng had fought to exhaustion, a testament to the ferocity of Ye Chen's battle. Over ninety percent of the Hong Huang fallen to him were Zhun Di.

"It's really hard to find," Ye Chen replied, ever the considerate one. He popped a pill into Chu Xuan's mouth, and as he withdrew his hand, he couldn't resist giving her chest a quick, teasing touch.

"You're so improper," Chu Xuan said with a look of annoyance.

"Could the Hong Huang have fled to other domains?" Xi Yan stood at the edge of the star river, scanning the surroundings. The little girl hadn't grown taller, but her cultivation had advanced significantly. Tempered by war, she now carried an air of malice and restraint, her talent ranking among the top, just as it had in her previous life.

"It's possible!" Shangguan Yuer said, still holding her divine mirror and scanning every inch of the starry sky.

"This time you're back, you're not leaving again, right?"

Chu Ling was also searching, and as she passed by Ye Chen, she glanced at him.

"I'm not leaving."

Ye Chen gave a weary smile. The three years of tribulation in the world had exhausted him, leaving him far more weathered than before. After all, there were still thirteen hundred years in the Hun Dun Sea, and time couldn't be ignored.

"Find a lock and chain him up so he can't escape."

Haotian Shiyue and Liu Ruyan flanked him, one with a divine pearl hovering above her head, the other holding an immortal sword. They wandered around, glancing here and there in search of Hong Huang traces. As they passed Ye Chen, they thoughtfully placed a pill in his mouth—it was a highly restorative one. Luo Xi and Xuan Nu weren't idle either, each infusing a strand of their origin essence into him.

Women like Bi You, Shangguan Han Yue, and Lin Shi Hua were more reserved, saying nothing, but their eyes were full of tenderness. As they searched for the Hong Huang, they occasionally glanced back, afraid Ye Chen might vanish in the blink of an eye. Even now, it all felt unreal, like a hazy dream.

"Why doesn't anyone care about me?" Tang San Shao sighed, gripping his club and stirring the bloody star river, hoping to fish out any treasures that might have fallen in.

"Where the hell did they all go?"

Ye Ling pouted, activating her divine sense eye and scanning repeatedly, not missing a single inch of the starry sky. She was still fuming and wouldn't stop until she found them.

Not far away, Ye Fan and Yang Lan were there too, a proper couple, walking side by side along the star river and scanning as they went. So many Hong Huang people—how could they just disappear?

"Idiots, the Hong Huang are all idiots."

Xiao Yuan Huang stood in mid-air, cursing loudly, his voice booming. He was trying to lure them out with taunts—the legendary provocation tactic.

"Morons, the Hong Huang are all morons."

As the boss, Kui Niu hefted his battle axe and shouted boisterously.

It wasn't just them; the cultivators of Zhu Tian in this star domain were all busy. Some stepped through the void, overlooking from above; others walked along the star rivers, eyes scanning all directions; and some activated artifacts to perform tracking spells. They were like teams of treasure hunters, seeking the Hong Huang's traces.

"Come on, try some immortal fruits from Tian Jie."

By now, Ye Chen had sheathed his sword and was pulling out a storage bag, handing out fruits to his wives one by one. These weren't ordinary immortal fruits—they were Chang Sheng Guo, stolen from Tai Shang Xian Yu.

"Wow, Chang Sheng Guo!"

Xie Yun exclaimed and rushed over, with Situ Nan following close behind.

Once they were done, Ye Chen kicked them away, one foot each.

"Comparing people is just depressing!"

Many old-timers sighed and clicked their tongues. Look at the Sheng Ti family—they even ate fruits that were different from everyone else's. Those who knew Ye Chen well stroked their beards, thinking about how much good fortune the Da Chu Emperor had gained from this tribulation: fusing Hun Dun Huo, advancing six minor realms in just three years, and now these Chang Sheng Guo—who knew where they came from? He didn't even think to share with his elders.

"Having a dad is great."

Ye Ling chuckled, the Chang Sheng Guo tasting incredibly sweet.

"Having a father-in-law is great."

Xiao Hei Pangzi laughed heartily too, not sure if it was luck from the water, but Ye Chen had given him one as well. He ate the fruit and even crunched up the pit, swallowing it down. Afterward, he licked his fingers and looked longingly at Ye Ling beside him.

What he received was a small palm slap, landing squarely on his face.

"Call him that again, and I'll kick you to death."

"How about I call him dad too?"

"Go ahead, just try!" Ye Ling slapped him again, nearly twisting his face.

"Stop messing around." Chu Ling glared at them.

"Full of energy, just like me." Ye Chen casually tugged at his blood-stained clothes, revealing his bronze-colored skin. He patted his chest with a thud, just half a step away from the Wan Fa Bu Qin of the Sheng Ti.

"Di Dao: Tong Ming."

On the other side of the star river, Bai Zhi cast the Tong Ming forbidden spell. Searching the entire starry sky was like finding a needle in a haystack; it was more reliable to ask someone. The Ming Di of the Ming Jie should have sharp eyes for this.

Upon hearing her words, not just Ye Chen, but cultivators from all directions gathered.

Under everyone's gaze, a little old man was summoned through Tong Ming—it was an old Ming Jiang.

Once consciousness was restored to him, he shook his head.

Clearly, he knew why Bai Zhi had summoned him.

Unfortunately, he had no idea about the Hong Huang clan's location—or rather, Ming Di didn't know. That Great Emperor was still standing alone at the peak of Jie Ming Mountain, brooding. The Hong Huang's ability to hide exceeded expectations; even with his emperor-level vision, he couldn't find them.

"Ask someone higher up?" Ming Jue glanced at Ye Chen.

"Easy." Ye Chen used Jie Fa, aiming precisely, and brought down Lao Jun.

"Tai Shang Laojun, or just Tai Jun for short."

"Hey, you brat."

A Da Chu Emperor and a Dao Zu disciple met and immediately wanted to fight.

Like the old man from Ming Jie, Tai Shang Laojun had no answers. If Ming Di couldn't find them, neither could Dao Zu. It wasn't that the two emperors lacked vision; it was that the Hong Huang's hiding techniques were too profound, combined with barriers in the void that limited what the emperors could see of Zhu Tian.

Naturally, Zhu Xian Jian was stirring things up behind the scenes. Not only did it boost the Hong Huang's combat power, but it had likely passed on many hiding immortal techniques—ones even Great Emperors struggled to detect.

Finding the Hong Huang wasn't impossible, but it required the two emperors to come to the human realm.

Otherwise, the only option was a tedious one: spend vast amounts of time observing.

In the past, Ming Di had found the Hong Huang this way and given the exact location to Di Huang.

Without that, Di Huang's cultivation wouldn't have sufficed; although Da Cheng Sheng Ti could rival or even slay emperors, their vision fell far short. That was why some secrets were known only to emperors, not to Da Cheng Sheng Ti.

"Search, keep searching."

The cultivators of Zhu Tian dispersed again, in teams of three, heading in all directions.

Like them, in other star domains, figures like Shen Jiang, Huang Zhe, and Sheng Zun were also searching. Streams of divine light streaked across the vast starry sky, refusing to stop until the Hong Huang clan was found.

"Have you found anything?" Ye Chen rose step by step, looking toward the Da Chu direction.

"There's a mysterious force concealing it." The response came from Ren Wang, transmitted through Zhou Tian as a medium.

If even Ren Wang couldn't calculate it, Ye Chen stood no chance.

Boom!

As soon as they spoke, a rumble echoed from the depths of the starry sky.

"Hurry, hurry, we've found one!"

Shouts rang out through the Di Dao transmission stones across various star domains—it was the words of the Sixth Shen Jiang, his tone filled with excitement. They had caught a big fish.