Chapter 2723: War's End

"I want thunder, as much as possible."

"You little old man, I'm talking about you. Don't run away; we're not taking it for free—we're buying it with money."

"If you don't give it, I'll bring my dad to your place for a visit."

In the crowded Honghuang ancestral land, the air was filled with Ye Ling's clear and lively voice. The little girl was like a sprite, darting all over the ancestral ground, and she was quite a filial daughter, searching for thunder on behalf of her father.

Since she asked for it, the cultivators of the various heavens naturally provided it.

To put it simply, it wasn't that they feared her, but that they feared Da Chu's Tenth Emperor.

When it came to reasonable discussions, the Sacred Body family members were fair and would convince others with virtue. As for those who didn't comply, they were left lying there—many were already drinking Meng Po soup.

Ye Ling ran ahead, with Chu Xuan and the others chasing behind, truly not taking it for free but paying for it.

The sensible senior predecessors didn't even need to be asked; they directly offered it. They all knew that Ye Chen needed to fuse with Chaos Thunder, so they had to help out. If they could aid Ye Chen in achieving great success, it would be a meritorious deed.

On the small hilltop, Ye Chen was still shaking his little gourd, having swallowed quite a bit of imperial essence this time.

"What an incredible immortal treasure, absorbing imperial essence on its own!" the Ten Yama Kings exclaimed in amazement, their eyes gleaming. With their shoulders nearly touching as they leaned in, they marveled at how fortunate Ye Chen was. Gathering so much like this—how much imperial essence would that amount to?

"Do you know he often sneaks peeks at female immortals bathing?"

"Don't judge him by his proper appearance; deep down, he has a restless heart."

"Tell me, have you two been to bed together?"

Not far away, Shura Tianzun had already struck up a conversation with Qin Mengyao. This supreme ruthless figure from the Shura realm was quite the chatterbox, his mouth firing like firecrackers. Once he started, he didn't stop, spreading all sorts of rumors and thoroughly slandering his good friend Zhao Yun inside and out.

Qin Mengyao was a bit naive and actually believed it, becoming a loyal listener. Her beautiful eyes shimmered as she eagerly absorbed anything related to Zhao Yun, whether good or bad.

"Bringing you over was definitely the right choice."

Ye Chen watched with a meaningful expression, having used his Reincarnation Eye to record everything the Tianzun said. If he ever met Zhao Yun again in the future, he had to show it to him—to see what his good brother had been up to. Someone like that deserved a thorough beating, right to the end.

Well then! Shura Tianzun was quite the character, badmouthing Zhao Yun everywhere; and Ye Chen was also quite the schemer, always up to no good. Later, if the Tianzun got beaten, he probably wouldn't even know why.

"Dad, I brought you some treasures."

Ye Ling climbed to the mountaintop, chuckling. She pulled out over a dozen bolts of true thunder—they were what she had asked for, but in reality, they were bought, and some were even given. The people of the various heavens knew how to play along.

Ye Chen smiled warmly and didn't refuse, waving his hand to send them into his dantian sea.

The heavenly thunder became quite active upon seeing them, rushing forward for a frenzy of fusion.

At that moment, he was strong enough that even the true thunder couldn't help but tremble.

The fusion process went smoothly. With over a dozen bolts of true thunder integrated, the heavenly thunder became much more powerful. The pitch-black lightning tore through space with a crackling sound, incredibly piercing to the eye.

As for when it would become Chaos Thunder, it would still take quite a long time.

Thinking about it, Jiuwu Immortal Flame had swallowed countless flames before turning into Chaos Fire. The path for heavenly thunder would absolutely be even longer. Compared to flames, lightning was rarer and harder to find.

Boom!

Half an hour later, the Honghuang ancestral land collapsed, marking the end of another imperial dao lineage, now buried in the dust of history. They were too ashamed to face their clan's great emperors. The glory built by their ancestors had been utterly squandered.

The cultivators of the various heavens dispersed again, heading toward the four directions of the starry sky.

Ye Chen also left, with his little gourd on his head. Before departing, he couldn't help but glance at the Tianzun and Qin Mengyao. The two had hit it off instantly, chatting happily as they walked.

Once again, they entered the vast and boundless starry sky.

"If only we could keep walking like this until the end of time, how wonderful that would be."

Chu Ling smiled, and her words about "the end of time" made Chu Xuan and the others feel a momentary daze in their hearts. In an instant, they all turned to look at Ye Chen, their eyes full of a wife's tender affection.

Ye Chen smiled and waved his sleeve, pointing toward the starry sky.

Immediately, fireworks bloomed across the sky, vibrant and colorful, dazzling enough to make the wives' eyes misty.

Passersby sighed and clicked their tongues in wonder.

The Sacred Body sure knows how to be romantic. While everyone else in the various heavens is searching for Honghuang, only this family is strolling along and courting. Such romance would be even better with a bed.

"So beautiful."

The women were entranced, their hands in a prayer pose as they stared blankly at the fireworks in the sky.

Ye Chen laughed and turned back, but when he looked at the void behind him, his smile had vanished. His eyes narrowed almost to slits, as he felt a pair of eyes staring at him from the shadows—cold and desolate.

Unaware of what he was doing, the Tianming and Liang Di Emperors were also watching, their imperial eyes narrowed.

It wasn't until some time later that Ye Chen withdrew his gaze, his face once again showing a warm smile.

Under the watchful eyes of the world, they gradually walked farther away, accompanied by the fireworks of the human world, heading straight toward the end of time.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Sounds like these echoed across many parts of the starry sky, occurring every so often.

Every boom meant a great battle, meant a Honghuang clan was wiped out.

The surging blood mist still hadn't dissipated; the war flames continued, stained with crimson blood.

"Damn it, damn it."

The Honghuang clans that hadn't been found were all grinding their teeth. The imperial dao lineages didn't even dare to show themselves, not only that but also had to hide carefully. If they were discovered, they would surely be exterminated.

The Honghuang great clans had fallen.

This phrase was like a curse, carrying supreme power as it echoed in their divine seas, impossible to shake off. Even if they refused to believe it, even if they were unwilling, it was a bloody reality.

The Honghuang were truly plagued by misfortune. First, they were dealt with by the Honglian Empress, then by Di Huang, and now by Ye Chen. Each defeat was more devastating than the last. Once incredibly dominant great clans, they had been repeatedly battered, suffering heavy losses each time.

From this point on, the Honghuang seemed to have no power to rise again. It was all because the Sacred Body had risen. Unless the Honghuang produced an emperor, who could hold them in check? With the Archaic Sacred Body around, he could uphold the facade of the various heavens.

Two months passed quietly.

In those two months, dozens of Honghuang races were wiped out.

However, for the entire Honghuang, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Those destroyed were merely minor factions; the truly major clans were hidden extremely well, undetectable even by emperors. It showed just how domineering their concealment techniques were—perhaps any speck of dust could hide a Honghuang ancestral land.

The cultivators of the various heavens were quite persistent, still searching without respite.

In the third month, a boom came from the Lei Domain direction—a Honghuang race had been caught. They weren't foolish; they had fled to the domain gates to hide, but it was useless. They couldn't escape the fate of extermination.

In the fifth month, another boom sounded, still from the domain surfaces—one clan was obliterated.

In the eighth month, Ye Chen made a powerful move, single-handedly flattening the Honghuang Flame Lion Clan. That clan did have some outstanding individuals; in their desperation, they triggered an emperor tribulation, but Ye Chen extinguished their primordial spirit with a single finger.

In the following three months, the booming sounds gradually became rarer.

In the twelfth month, the cultivators of the various heavens truly withdrew their forces. Each clan, sect, and power set off on their return journeys, their joy mixed with profound grief. In this great war, the various heavens had won, but the victory was tragic. Looking at the vast starry sky, the shattered battlefields and the winding blood rivers buried countless heroic souls—both predecessors and successors. Too many had fallen in foreign lands.

Wails and sobs echoed throughout the universe. The once prosperous mountains and rivers had become ruined wastelands. Countless clans and forces had their inheritances severed due to the Honghuang war flames.

This world-shaking blood war had finally come to an end.

On the way back, the common people sprinkled wine along the path, paying tribute to the fallen heroes and wishing their spirits peace in the heavens.

Ye Chen did the same, carrying a jug of rough wine and pouring it out as he walked.

Whenever someone spotted him, they would stop from afar and bow in respect. The turning point in the great war between Honghuang and the various heavens was Ye Chen's return. It was he and the Chaos Body who had restrained the Zhuxian Sword, and they who had reflected the Dao Ancestor's seal, erasing the Honghuang's power boost.

It was also he who bore the beliefs of all living beings, rousing the strongest will of the various heavens.

Amid the smoke of war, his silhouette remained as resilient as ever, shrouded in mythical glory.

In the quiet night, he returned to his hometown.

Looking around, the cultivators of Da Chu stood across the land and filled the skies, as if welcoming the return of a war god. After three years of tribulation, Da Chu's Tenth Emperor had finally made a complete comeback.

Ye Chen paused briefly and bowed in respect, toward the starry sky and toward the Da Chu cultivators.

This bow was to honor the predecessors and to commemorate the heroes. That blood-colored Great Wall was built by them, saving the various heavens. It wasn't Ye Chen alone, but all the beings of the myriad domains. He owed them thanks for guarding this splendid land, allowing him to see home upon his return.

"I say, is this a bit too sentimental?"

Di Lao stroked his beard.

"If it were in the past, he probably would have been dragged down and beaten."

Fu Ya said meaningfully.

"This time, let's just let it go."

Tian Lao took a deep breath.

This "let it go" truly captured everyone's sentiment. Da Chu's Tenth Emperor was no longer the little Sacred Body of the past. That guy was now at the peak of Quasi-Emperor, half a step into greatness. If anyone wanted to kick him, they'd better prepare for permanent injury—a slap from him would be hard for anyone to withstand.

"How nostalgic those days were!"

Countless old folks showed a wistful expression. The routine of eating, sleeping, and beating Ye Chen was gone forever. Although their hands itched, their lives were more important.

"Just wait! When he comes back to Tianxuan Gate, he'll definitely be arrogant."

Ren Wang flexed his hands; with half-step great power, who wouldn't strut?

His words drew side glances from the crowd of Quasi-Emperors. It was fine if he didn't speak, but now that he had, the old Quasi-Emperors were all stroking their chins and sizing him up, their eyes full of ulterior motives.

They wouldn't dare hit Da Chu's Tenth Emperor, but this weakling could be toyed with. They were all from the Zhoutian lineage, so beating someone was beating someone—who else would take the hits?

This was Da Chu's style—still as fierce as ever. Without a fight for three days, they'd feel uncomfortable. The custom not only needed to continue but also to be promoted, setting an example for the younger generations.

Ah!

Soon, a mighty wail echoed throughout Da Chu's domain.

That Fu Xi guy was really getting hammered.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had descended from the void, stepping through the air toward Hengyue Sect.

"It feels a bit unreal."

Gazing at his retreating figure, many Da Chu cultivators murmured, as if Ye Chen still existed only in their memories.