Chapter 2824: Nine Years

Ye Chen left once more, venturing back into the Xingkong. After several months, he returned to that small meteorite, where the lightning still needed to be exchanged. Many cultivators who had previously gone to observe the heavenly tribulations had gathered again.

"Big boss, the harvest has been quite abundant."

As soon as Ye Chen arrived, he heard the Chaos Cauldron buzzing with excitement.

No need for it to explain—Ye Chen could already see for himself. In the time he had been away, dozens more bolts of lightning had appeared, including true thunder, heavenly thunder, and even a complete divine thunder with its golden glow shining brightly.

The most active among them was still the heavenly thunder.

Over these months, it had devoured an unknown amount of lightning, its essence now far surpassing that of the primordial divine thunder. If the two were to merge, it would undoubtedly become even stronger. Unfortunately, that second-ranked thunder was notoriously unyielding and uncooperative.

Ye Chen sat down cross-legged, entering a state of enlightenment once again.

As he did so, the cultivators standing around him also sat down to meditate. Watching the spectacle was secondary; the real draw was borrowing from Ye Chen's enlightenment. The sacred body’s Dao sounds were profoundly mysterious.

Ye Chen remained seated for nine full days.

On the tenth day, he rose and entered the black hole again, continuing his previous mission. The heavenly demons and curse demons were still lurking within, their numbers vast and unknown.

Before leaving, he found someone to take his place for the lightning exchange—it was important work, after all. The person he dragged over was Ye Xingchen, who had been idling about with nothing to do.

"Hand over any lightning you have, and make it snappy."

Ye Xingchen, acting as the avatar, was more lively than the original body. Standing on the table, he shouted orders. The original body's task had to be handled properly, aiming to fuse the Chaos Thunder before Ye Chen returned. For the original body, this would be a great opportunity for transformation.

There were still people coming to exchange lightning.

Ye Xingchen welcomed them all without discrimination. The heavenly thunder wasn't picky—it absorbed any kind of lightning and fused it all. Little by little, it accumulated, though the road ahead was long.

Boom! Bang! Bang!

On an unknown day, a rumbling sound echoed through the Xingkong.

It was Ye Chen, who had discovered a massive nest of demons, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. They were hidden in an abandoned palace, and he wiped them out in one fell swoop. As for the heavenly demons, there were only a few.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The black hole was lively, and so was the Xingkong.

This time, it wasn't a heavenly tribulation but the fluctuations of battle.

Looking into the distance, it was the new generation of prodigies, all recovered from their tribulations. This included Ye Fan and Yang Lan, both talents who had advanced to the Great Saint level. They looked down on everyone else and were quick to spar at the slightest provocation.

History repeated itself once more.

Just like in the past, the Xingkong was filled with battlefields and countless challenges. The young emperor-level Ye Fan was the center of attention. Since emerging from the Zhutian Gate and entering the Xingkong, he had fought over a hundred battles, large and small, without a single defeat. Those who had fought him were still bedridden, injured more severely than the last. That was the gap between an emperor's son and a young emperor-level figure.

"Another Ye Chen."

The world sighed in admiration. Whenever Ye Fan entered battle, crowds of spectators gathered. This embodiment of heavenly punishment already carried the same domineering aura as Ye Chen in his youth, truly overshadowing an entire generation.

"Awkward."

People like the Zifu Immortal Body and the Jiuyou Demon Body felt embarrassed as they moved through the Xingkong, their faces marked with discomfort. Sharing the same era as Ye Fan meant they were destined to be mere foils. Unable to defeat him, they could never reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao. He was like an insurmountable chasm.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

In the spatial black hole, Ye Chen was displaying his divine might once again, wielding the Xianwu Emperor Sword and slaughtering his way forward. Whenever he encountered a heavenly demon or curse demon, he unleashed his strongest attacks.

This time, he was gone for two years.

In those two years, the number of heavenly demons and curse demons that perished at his hands was countless. Their wails echoed to the Xingkong, making the hearts of all in the realms tremble, yet no one pitied them.

In the third year, he paused in a section of the black hole.

Not far away was a dark vortex—the very one he had sealed years ago, leading to an unknown domain filled with soul-devouring insects.

As he had anticipated, the soul-devouring insects could erode seals. The previously sealed vortex was spinning again, and the prohibitions he had set were now badly damaged.

Seal!

He performed the sealing once more, reinforcing it with emperor essence and Dao principles. The vortex itself wasn't terrifying, but the soul-devouring insects inside were. Each one had incredibly tenacious vitality and fearsome devouring power. If they escaped to rampage through the realms, countless people would suffer.

Only after completing this did he depart with his sword.

This time, he delved even deeper and farther into the black hole. His resolute figure appeared solitary in the spatial void, like a lone god of slaughter. Wherever he went, he searched and killed, and because of his presence, the heavenly demons and curse demons were like startled birds, fleeing or hiding at every sound.

In the fourth year, he stopped again.

He frowned, gazing into the distance at another dark vortex, identical to the previous one, with terrifying tearing forces. Even a Zhundi-level expert thrown in would likely be shredded in an instant.

He entered and discovered another unknown domain, also teeming with soul-devouring insects, so many that it made his scalp tingle.

Helpless, he had to seal it again.

The fifth year quietly arrived.

It was a time of recuperation for the realms, with no wars. The human world had fully restored its former glory, strong and prosperous, to the point where even the Honghuang clans dared not show their faces.

In the sixth year, a thunderous boom resounded through the universe, carrying an emperor's aura. When the people arrived, they found it was an elder from the Ming Realm, an old Ming general, who had triggered an emperor tribulation in an attempt to break through his limits and achieve enlightenment against the heavens.

Unfortunately, his opportunity was insufficient, and he was reduced to ashes.

On the same day, an old immortal monarch from the Tian Realm also invoked a heavenly tribulation, trying to prove the Dao and become an emperor. He fought until his body and Dao were destroyed, vanishing in sorrow and reluctance.

Still on that same day, an old cultivator from the human world roared as he bathed in the emperor's thunder, charging into the vast expanse. That was the last time the world saw him. When the lightning faded, he was gone, and even the blood-stained robes drifting down turned to dust in mid-air.

Sighs echoed endlessly. Those three elders were all nearing the end of their lifespans, each trying to seize a final chance before death. But the heavens were merciless, and none crossed that threshold. There were countless others like them on the path to enlightenment, a road stained with the blood and bones of supreme heroes.

In the seventh year, the Chimie Evil God was resurrected against the heavens, reformimg his primordial spirit and remolding his flesh. Under the gaze of the Moyuan, he headed deep into the Xingkong, perhaps to revisit old haunts. Their two figures were ancient and weathered, and all who saw them offered blessings, respecting them and their bond. Lovers reunited, complete and fulfilled.

In the eighth year, the Lingxiao Baodian suddenly stirred, buzzing without cease as a halo spread outward. Even the strongest peaks who rushed over were knocked back wave after wave.

When the halo dissipated, the scene inside the baodian was revealed. Chu Xuan, Chu Ling, and Ruoxi were suspended side by side, having transformed from their two- or three-year-old appearances back to their twenties. They were equally beautiful, equally stunning, with even stronger auras and more ethereal Dao sounds.

As for Ye Ling, she was still sitting in meditation. Since Ye Chen's departure years ago, she hadn't opened her eyes. This seclusion had lasted eight years, with no sign of ending, accompanied by enlightenment and fortuitous opportunities.

Speaking of her, one couldn't help but mention the Zhuxian Sword. Ye Ling's seclusion had it on edge, desperate to cause chaos, but restrained by the Lingxiao Baodian and Ruoxi, it didn't dare act rashly—especially since it was no longer at its peak.

"Ye Ling, when are you coming out?"

Outside the hall, Tang San Shao waited eagerly.

This little black fatty was quite persistent, dropping by every few days to check, and trying to enter every so often, only to be flung back farther each time. The Zhundi onlookers couldn't help but click their tongues— for the sake of wooing the sacred body's little beauty, he was risking his life.

In the ninth year, statues of the Beisheng across the north began to stir, a thread of light emerging, carrying a wisp of spirit—a wisp of the Beisheng's spirit. The world watched with bright eyes.

"Does this method really work?"

"The power of worship is truly profound!"

"Our efforts haven't been in vain."

Xiao Yuan Huang and Kui Niu gathered once more, heading to the Beiyue. The Jiuli Clan celebrated as a whole, with the Jiuli Saint Lord weeping like a tearful child, and the clan members shedding tears. Countless acts of worship had finally summoned a living spirit. With spirit came hope, like the Chimie Evil God and Nianwei. Reviving her was now just a matter of time.

"Ye Chen, have you seen this?"

Ji Ningshuang and the others had come too, their smiles mixed with tears. It was through that woman's sacrifice that Ye Chen had been pulled back from the gates of the underworld. They already regarded the Beisheng as family, offering daily sacrifices and nightly worship.

As for Ye Chen, things weren't going well for him at the moment.

In the depths of darkness, he gripped the Xianwu Emperor Sword, wandering aimlessly. His steps were stiff, his expression dull, and his eyes vacant, like a walking corpse with no purpose or direction.

No one knew when Ye Chen had become like this, or why he had turned into such a dazed state out of nowhere.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The Xianwu Emperor Sword vibrated continuously, trying to rouse him, but received no response.

Looking back at Ye Chen, his figure wasn't just one but two—sometimes illusory, sometimes solid; sometimes merging, sometimes separating. Whenever this happened, the Xianwu Emperor Sword trembled even more violently, though it was unclear if it was for Ye Chen or the other shadow.

The darkness stretched endlessly, and he did not stop.

"Big boss, nine years have passed—where are you?"

On the meteorite, Ye Xingchen propped his chin in his hands, bored out of his mind. He had been diligently guarding this post for nine years, with people dropping off lightning every few days. The heavenly thunder had been fused to a terrifying degree, making even the primordial divine thunder keep its distance, afraid of being swallowed in a sudden surge.

"Big boss, we miss you."

The Chaos Cauldron's buzz was lackluster.

Even the Chaos Fire's flames had dimmed considerably.

The next day, Ye Xingchen packed up and returned to Grand Chu. He had exchanged lightning for nine years, and few people brought any more. If there were any left to exchange, they would have come by now. He didn't force it—besides, he had no idea who had lightning hidden away, and they guarded it closely.

People were selfish, after all.

"This time, he's been gone quite a while!"

On the peak of Tianxuan Gate, Ren Wang stroked his beard and remarked.

"I've decided to give it a try."

At his side, the Zao Hua Shen Wang suddenly spoke up.

His words made Ren Wang and the strongest peaks raise their eyebrows. They all understood what he meant—he intended to trigger an emperor tribulation and charge toward the emperor realm.

But it was just talk. No one took it seriously.

The Zao Hua Shen Wang's words were best taken as mere chatter. He hadn't yet reached his lifespan's limit, so attempting it now wasn't timely. Moreover, the Emperor Zun's imprint suppression was still weakening, so it wasn't the optimal moment. The Zhundi were all waiting for the right opportunity.