Chapter 2818: You're Practical!

No one knew when the group of Reverse Heaven prodigies finally left, but Ye Chen personally saw them off, enduring their endless chattering until he swatted them away with a palm, bringing some peace at last.

"Wait for it, wait until I finish refining the lightning."

This fellow tucked his hands behind his back, already set on visiting certain places, dropping by the families of those talents to have a chat with the old folks.

Crackle! Crackle!

In his inner world, thunder rumbled incessantly.

The heavenly lightning worked diligently, fusing one bolt after another, with an insatiable appetite that welcomed all comers and thrived on more, the process going smoothly.

Time slipped by, and three days passed quietly.

Ever since the talents had left, Ye Chen hadn't opened his doors for business.

It wasn't until the fourth day that someone arrived.

It was a young man, carrying a bone club and bare-chested, with ancient divine patterns etched on his body. His bloodline was domineering and majestic, his bright eyes gleaming with golden light and evolving profound Dao principles. His steps were heavy, thudding against the ground with each footfall.

"Xiao Man Wang?"

"It's definitely him, the younger brother of Man Di."

"What a powerful bloodline."

Whispers spread as people recognized him. Not just the younger generation, but even the elders felt oppressed—Xiao Man Wang's bloodline origin was extraordinarily strong.

Ye Chen recognized him too.

Xiao Man Wang had once visited Da Chu, and his background was well-known. Sealed by Man Di in ancient times, he was about the same age as Ye Fan and the others, though his seniority was much higher.

"I've come to deliver lightning."

Xiao Man Wang stood firm and handed over a bolt of black lightning, a remnant divine thunder. Its level wasn't low, but its source of lightning essence had mostly dissipated.

"Thank you."

Ye Chen smiled and accepted it without hesitation. This Xiao Man Wang might be short in stature, but his seniority was high—Ye Chen, as the tenth emperor of Da Chu, would have to address him as a senior.

"I've taken a liking to your daughter Ye Ling."

As Xiao Man Wang spoke, he also helped himself, trading the lightning for a quasi-emperor level wolf-tooth club. Comparing it to his bone club, he tossed the bone club aside—the wolf-tooth club seemed even more domineering.

"You're quite straightforward!"

Ye Chen picked up his wine flask and sized up Xiao Man Wang. With such high seniority, you're out here causing trouble? If I made you my son-in-law, I'd probably shorten my lifespan.

"I'm off to woo your daughter."

Xiao Man Wang was not only straightforward but also direct, his words unfiltered. The barbarian people were always like that—straightforward, saying exactly what they meant.

As he walked along, someone suddenly got kicked.

The one who kicked was, of course, Ye Chen.

This guy was so fast that no one even saw it clearly. He was sitting there one moment, but in the blink of an eye, he dashed out and kicked Xiao Man Wang. If you want to steal my little cabbage, you've got to be tough enough—let's test that with a kick.

"I know it was you."

Xiao Man Wang climbed up, his face darkening.

Ye Chen sat up straight, now holding an ancient book in his hand, flipping through the pages with great interest. He was quite the studious emperor, completely ignoring Xiao Man Wang's glare, as if nothing had happened. Yeah, I kicked you—what about it?

Xiao Man Wang left, fuming with anger.

"Da Chu is about to get lively."

Many elders stroked their beards thoughtfully. These talents were flocking here, all heading to Da Chu, mostly for Ye Ling. They were likely carrying missions from their own elders—if you don't win over the Holy Body family's little cabbage, don't bother coming home. Keep an eye on them.

As for Ye Chen, no one was worried.

Da Chu was great! With its beautiful landscapes and friendly people, every visitor received special hospitality. They were so considerate that if anyone got tired from walking, they'd be sent out lying down.

Once again, Ye Chen ran out of stock.

People came and went in waves, one group after another, with many yawning and watching the spectacle, more interested in the drama than in cultivation, and never seeming to tire of it.

Ye Chen tucked his hands behind his back and dozed off.

"Run, where do you think you're running?"

"You cheap cauldron, daring to ambush me?"

"I'm hitting you all right."

In Ye Chen's inner world, things were still chaotic. That large cauldron and that clump of flame never stopped fighting, brawling every few days and hurling insults non-stop.

What a pair of fools!

That was what the Taichu Shen Lei wanted to say. Though it couldn't speak, its intelligence was high. Ever since Ye Chen sealed it in his inner world, it had become a daily spectator, watching the Hun Dun Ding and Hun Dun Huo squabble every day.

The heavenly lightning didn't get involved and had no plans to, but once it evolved into Hun Dun Lei, that might change. The Hun Dun Ding had bullied it, and the Hun Dun Huo had too—these grudges, it remembered well.

Shen Lei?

In that instant, Ye Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

His senses were spot-on—there really was divine lightning.

Looking into the distance, he saw a young man in white sitting on an immortal crane. His appearance was ordinary, and he blended in so well that he'd be unnoticeable in a crowd. He exuded no aura of a cultivator, his eyes as calm as an ancient well, seeming like just an ordinary person.

"Zhang Zifan?"

"The one who once made the Liehuo Zhan Ti stagger with a single palm."

"We still don't know what his physique is."

"It's no wonder—we can't tell; it's just an ordinary bloodline."

Murmurs arose as most people recognized him. In the past generation's competitions, this young man named Zhang Zifan had been one of the standout figures, incredibly mysterious with no one knowing his origins, only that he was extremely powerful.

"The Dao of the Ethereal."

Ye Chen murmured softly. He'd heard of this white-clothed young man who once made the Liehuo Zhan Ti stagger with one palm, even surpassing the Zifu Xian Ti as an opponent. Today was his first time seeing him.

As a half-step Dacheng Holy Body, Ye Chen's insight was exceptionally high. He could tell that Zhang Zifan's Dao was the same as what the Miaomiao Laodao cultivated, though with slight differences.

Zhang Zifan was truly extraordinary.

Without any special bloodline, his comprehension of the Dao was profound. At such a young age, he had already achieved a state of returning to simplicity, appearing utterly unremarkable at first glance—typically a sign of a formidable expert.

"I've seen you, senior."

Zhang Zifan had arrived, a well-mannered young man, proper and respectful, unlike the other talents before him. His temperament was somewhat similar to Ye Fan's.

"No need for formalities."

Ye Chen smiled warmly, like a benevolent elder.

Zhang Zifan waved his hand and produced a bolt of golden lightning.

"Kaitian Shen Lei?"

Exclamations of surprise echoed as the lightning appeared.

Among the onlookers, many had sharp eyes and vast experience, recognizing the thunder by its name. It carried the power to split the heavens, incredibly domineering.

Ye Chen took it, his eyes glittering brightly. In terms of level, this Kaitian Shen Lei was inferior to the Taichu Shen Lei, but it was more overbearing because it was a complete bolt, with its lightning essence intact.

"Choose whatever you like."

Ye Chen gestured, and various quasi-emperor artifacts floated into the air, along with numerous pills, secret techniques, and ancient scrolls—all top-tier items. Since this junior was so generous, Ye Chen couldn't afford to be stingy.

Zhang Zifan smiled and only took one ancient scroll.

"With this Shen Lei, your background must be quite extraordinary."

Ye Chen examined the lightning while asking with a smile.

"My ancestor is Gui Di."

"Come here, you."

At the mention of Di Qing and the legendary Gui Di, Ye Chen set the lightning aside and beckoned Zhang Zifan with a finger. He needed to study this up close.

Zhang Zifan smiled faintly and stepped forward.

Ye Chen put away the Shen Lei, tucked his hands behind his back, and stood up, circling around Zhang Zifan—from head to toe and back again—his expression deep and serious.

Finally, he'd caught a live descendant of Di Qing. He'd been searching for people from the Gui Di lineage for so long, hadn't found Di Huang, but now he'd bumped into one—heaven must be smiling on him.

"Do you know the Sun and Moon Forbidden Curse?"

"A little."

"Are there others in your family?"

"Quite a few."

"Do you have portraits of your ancestors?"

"Of course."

Ye Chen was like a local magistrate interrogating a suspect, digging into every detail, determined to get a clear picture of Zhang Zifan's family registry. That way, he could pay them a visit later to discuss life and, if possible, ask for a portrait of Gui Di to enshrine at home.

To be honest, he rarely picked fights with juniors unless he couldn't help it. Looking at Zhang Zifan was like looking at Gui Di, stirring up an intense urge.

As for Zhang Zifan, his expression grew a bit uneasy. Being questioned and scrutinized like this by Ye Chen made him feel a chill all over, along with a vague sense of impending trouble. He'd heard about the Holy Body's temperament before.