Chapter 2849: Visiting

Breakfast was still warm and cozy.

After the meal, Ye Chen went to Xiao Zhu Lin, paid his respects to Hu Xian and Yang Lan, and then left Yu Nu Feng.

As he emerged from the mountain, many in the world sighed quietly to themselves.

Even now, it still felt somewhat unreal.

Just nine days earlier, the heavens had nearly produced a supreme being! The lineage of the Huanggu Shengti could not find another person more extraordinary than Ye Chen—rising to Dacheng in an instant, then falling to half-step Dacheng in the next. Such drastic ups and downs would be unbearable for most.

Ye Chen reappeared at the Lingxiao Bao Dian, coming to see Chu Xuan and Chu Ling. It had been ten years since he last left Yu Nu Feng, and ten years since he had come to visit them.

Buzz! Buzz!

The treasure hall trembled lightly, carrying layers of meaning—sighs, grief, and resentment. It had known when Ye Chen attempted to break through to Dacheng, witnessing everything clearly. If not for that spacetime assassination across eras, the one before it would have already achieved Dacheng.

Now, not only had he failed to break through, but he had also sustained a spacetime injury, and not just any wound. As long as that scar did not heal, Ye Chen could never advance.

After standing there for a long time, Ye Chen finally departed.

The Lingxiao Bao Dian trembled intermittently, its implications even deeper. In this world, not everyone was qualified to face a spacetime assassination. The fact that future powerhouses had targeted Ye Chen proved how strong the future Ye Chen must be—strong enough to drive that person mad, willing to resort to such extreme measures.

Inside the hall, Ru Xi and the others underwent another change.

In that same instant, a faint immortal mark slowly etched itself on each of their foreheads, incredibly ancient in appearance. It stirred excitement in the Lingxiao Bao Dian and in the Tian Ming Liang Di.

The immortal mark flashed brilliantly but vanished in an instant.

Ye Chen entered the starry sky and opened a domain gate.

In the passage, he stood as still as a statue, internally examining the scar on his primordial spirit. It was entwined with spacetime forces, as profound as the mysteries of reincarnation, flickering in and out, ethereal beyond measure.

Though he could not comprehend it, one thing was certain: this spacetime was deeply connected to time and space. To break it, one would need a high level of mastery in both spacetime principles and space principles.

He did not know how much time passed before he emerged from the domain gate.

Under the moonlight, at a gravesite, he descended from the sky. It was the tomb of Tang San Shao. Ten years had passed since his last visit, and now he sprinkled a cup of strong wine before the stele.

Bathed in the moonlight, he walked away.

In the days that followed, he could be seen wandering the starry sky.

He had become a traveler, sometimes strolling through the void, other times standing at the far end of a star river, or perched on a mountain peak in contemplation.

Nine days later, a beam of radiant light shot up from Yu Nu Feng, piercing a massive hole in the firmament. The light was dazzling, manifesting numerous visions of all things in creation. Mountains and rivers, trees and plants—all seemed alive, and if one listened carefully, the heavenly sounds of the Great Dao echoed through them.

"Zhundi complete?"

"Good eyes—Yao Chi has achieved Dacheng."

"She once abandoned her Xian Ti bloodline, then revived her origins. That girl is something else."

Many Zhundi-level experts from Tianxuan Gate emerged, gazing toward Yu Nu Feng with sighs of admiration. That junior was truly astonishing, reaching this level before a thousand years—utterly monstrous.

That night in Da Chu, the visions of all things caused quite a stir, drawing countless people to look up in wonder.

"This scene is truly moving."

"Ye Chen tried twice to reach Zhundi complete and failed both times, while Ji Ningshuang succeeded on her first attempt."

"Achieving Zhundi complete is a great feat, but the Dacheng of a Huanggu Shengti and the Dacheng of a Xian Ti hold different significance."

The elders took a deep breath, speaking thoughtfully.

"Old man, do all bloodlines have a Dacheng stage?"

A younger generation asked curiously.

"Not necessarily. Only heaven-defying bloodlines like Huanggu Shengti, Xian Ti, and Hundun Ti have it."

"However, among these, only Huanggu Shengti requires crossing an extra gate when advancing to Dacheng—that's why it's so difficult for them to achieve it."

"In simple terms, aside from Huanggu Shengti, all other bloodlines need only one gate to prove the Dao and become emperor, while Huanggu Shengti must cross two: one for Dacheng and one for emperor."

"That's why a Dacheng Huanggu Shengti rivals a Great Emperor."

The discussions among the people rose and fell, with many eager juniors and patient elders clarifying all the details about bloodlines.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had entered the starry sky again.

This time, he was gone for three months.

In the fourth month, he arrived on an ancient star.

Deep in the forest stood two modest graves, holding the remains of Yang Lan's parents—one was Yang Ge Lao, the other Xia Lan—both his in-laws.

"Old Yang, I'm sorry."

Ye Chen's words were filled with sorrow. He lit three sticks of incense and placed a jug of strong wine, coming to atone. He had failed to protect their daughter. After so many centuries, he wondered if little Yang Lan could ever catch up to her parents' footsteps—they had been gone for far too long.

After many years, he returned to Zhu Xian Zhen.

Looking around, he saw no familiar faces.

In the distance, he spotted that tavern, a centuries-old establishment, though the owners had changed hands multiple times.

Beside the tavern, the fortune-telling table was still there, occupied by a young scholar with refined features. A long line of people waited for their readings.

She was Ye Ling.

Ye Chen smiled warmly.

It had been ten years since he last saw his daughter, and unexpectedly, she was here in Zhu Xian Zhen, living as a mortal, sitting in the very spot he once had. She had lost some of her playfulness and gained a quiet elegance.

In these ten years, she had transformed and been reborn, truly experiencing the mundane world and cultivating the Great Dao of humanity through it.

He did not approach her right away but first went to Yang Lan's family home.

The Yang family estate was still standing. In the ancestral hall, he saw Yang Lan's memorial tablet—it might have been placed there by Ye Fan or Ye Ling. Over these centuries, the Yang family had seen several generations, all treating Yang Ge Lao and Xia Lan as revered ancestors and offering daily sacrifices.

When Ye Chen emerged again, night had fallen.

Watching the bustling figures on the streets, he could not help but feel sentimental.

He, too, had spent a hundred years here.

The fortune-telling table was now empty, and he sat down, using Zhou Tian Yi Rong Shu to disguise himself as an elderly man with a white beard, smiling gently and kindly.

Ye Ling paused for a moment upon seeing him, sensing something familiar, but with her mortal eyes at that moment, she could not see through Ye Chen's true form. Even though her cultivation remained, she could not detect it, for he had concealed it perfectly—not just his appearance, but his bloodline as well.

"Fortune for good or ill?"

Ye Chen said with a chuckle, his demeanor benevolent.

Ye Ling composed herself, smiled quietly, and casually picked up a brush, writing two elegant lines of characters.

"Thank you."

Ye Chen laughed, slowly rising and walking away. From start to finish, he never revealed his identity, not wanting to disturb his daughter's path of enlightenment. Her journey was still long.

Gazing at his retreating figure, Ye Ling felt a daze, the sense of familiarity growing stronger. She was certain he was no ordinary person; there was an aura about him that could not be hidden.

"Do not forget your original intention, and you will achieve the Great Dao."

In the ether, a faint heavenly sound echoed in Ye Ling's ears—it was Ye Chen's words to his daughter. Just eight simple characters, but their meaning was clear, though few could truly live by them.

Two months later, Ye Chen appeared in the starry sky once more.

Again, he entered a mortal ancient star.

It was the dawn of a new day, with gentle morning light, and the ancient mortal town brimmed with vitality.

"From birth, human nature is inherently good."

In a private school, childish voices reciting lessons could be heard. The young children were full of youthful spirit, though some were mischievous, smearing ink all over their faces.

Ye Chen hid in the void, quietly watching the teacher.

That was Ye Fan, his son.

No one would have guessed that the son and daughter of the Huanggu Shengti were both cultivating in the mortal world—one as a fortune-teller, the other as a teacher.

He still did not disturb them and left quietly.

After ten years, his children were undergoing their own transformations. Perhaps in the dead of night, they sat under old trees, quietly gazing at the stars, thinking of home and the people from their past.

Back in the starry sky, Ye Chen slowed his pace, wandering aimlessly, simply walking. Occasionally, he would look up at the vast expanse, always feeling as if someone was watching him.

He knew it was the Tian Ming Liang Di.

As he walked, he vanished, entering a black hole.

"Long time no see."

In the darkness, a desolate voice suddenly resounded, ancient and carrying supreme demonic power, though its source was unseen.

"You recognize me."

Ye Chen replied calmly, knowing exactly who spoke—it was the mysterious figure who had saved the Zhu Xian Jian years ago.

"Of course I recognize you."

With the words, a figure cloaked in black robes slowly emerged, his features obscured, perhaps blurred by some mysterious force.

"I should have realized."

Seeing him, Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze profound.