Chapter 2859: How Popular

Chapter 2859: How Popular

A deafening rumble echoed as the massive altar descended into the starry sky, emitting an invisible halo. Wherever the halo spread, space shattered inch by inch. Cultivators in that area and passersby were sent flying in droves, and even a desolate ancient star was split in half on one side.

Huff!

On the altar, Ye Chen let out a breath, staggering slightly from exhaustion. Fresh blood dripped from the corners of his eyes, and the brilliance in his pupils had dimmed to near nothingness.

The altar was extraordinarily large and heavy. Even with Ye Chen unleashing the full power of Dacheng in an instant, his Tongli was completely depleted.

Fortunately, he had managed to move it out.

"What is that?"

The onlookers had stabilized themselves and were gazing in that direction, their expressions filled with shock. It seemed to be an altar, but at first glance, it looked like an entire continent—grand, ancient, and majestic. Even from a distance, it exuded an oppressive aura.

"Is that the Shengti standing on it?"

"It's undoubtedly him."

"We haven't seen him in over a decade, not even when Ye Ling was undergoing her tribulation."

"I'm curious—where did he get such a massive altar from?"

Discussions erupted everywhere, with crowds gathering to examine it curiously, scanning it from top to bottom. They had never seen an altar this enormous before.

Many elders had already stepped onto the altar, narrowing their eyes as they scrutinized it more closely. The patterns engraved on the altar were at the Di Dao level, and the copper pillars and jade stones used in its construction were incredibly durable, their age impossible to determine—only that they were extremely ancient.

What a joke—it was an altar refined by a mid-tier Di over ten thousand years, far from simple. Such ambition was beyond even Ye Chen or Dacheng Shengti Dihuang. While the Shengti could match a Di in combat, in certain fields like array crafting, they fell far short.

"Young friend, what is this?"

The elders crowded around, all turning to Ye Chen, unsure of the altar's origins. It was even stained with the fresh blood of Tianmo and Emo.

"A treasure."

Ye Chen replied with a smile, gazing across the vast expanse toward the Heidong, where he could clearly see the crowd of Zhundi.

He could see them, and most of them could see him too. They knew his Tongli was utterly exhausted, so while he wanted to rescue them, it wasn't possible in the short term.

"I'll come for you another day."

Ye Chen said, then popped a handful of Dan Yao into his mouth, opened a Di Dao domain gate, hoisted the altar, and stepped inside. This was a valuable item he had guarded for over a decade—he needed to get it home first.

Gulp!

Witnessing Ye Chen carrying the altar away, the onlookers couldn't help but swallow hard. No wonder he was half-step Dacheng—utterly impressive. They couldn't even budge it.

Buzz!

With a buzzing sound, the domain gate closed.

In the Heidong, the Zhundi had sat down cross-legged, finally relaxing after over a decade. The altar was gone, so now they just had to wait—for Ye Chen to come and get them, and then study the altar together. It might truly connect to the Taigu Honghuang.

Though relieved, they remained vigilant, forming a circle and suspending their Di Bing in the air. With a Di in the Heidong, chaos could erupt at any moment.

When Ye Chen reappeared, he was in Da Chu.

Wow!

Anyone who saw him was stunned.

Ren Wang was the quickest to react, with the Zhundi guarding Tianxuan Men not far behind. They had heard about the altar in the Heidong over a decade ago, and now seeing it, they confirmed it was indeed massive.

Ye Chen paused for a moment, surveying his surroundings, then headed to Bei Chu to find a place to set it down.

Boom!

Soon, a thunderous boom came from the Shiwan Dashan. Ye Chen had found a clearing in the mountain's center and placed the massive altar there. He was utterly exhausted, and by the time Ren Wang and the others arrived, he was sitting on the altar, panting heavily. It was only thanks to him that they managed it—any other Zhundi would have been worn out to death.

"What a profound array."

Ren Wang stood on the altar, examining the massive formation. Its level was far beyond imagination, refined by a mid-tier Di over ten thousand years—truly extraordinary.

"Could it really connect to the Taigu Honghuang?"

"It's hard to say."

Ye Chen took a deep breath. Whether it could be done would require testing. Yuan Shi couldn't power it—it needed Di Dao power.

He already had a plan for that power: capture the Heipao Di and use him as a sacrifice. Nothing could be better.

Before that, he had to thoroughly study and refine the altar. After all, it wasn't his own creation, so the prohibitions on it couldn't be ignored.

"After over a decade in the Heidong, the hardship wasn't in vain."

Ren Wang chuckled, his eyes gleaming. As an array expert, he looked at the patterns on the altar like they were treasures. Copying them down could lead to great enlightenment.

Many old experts had gathered, with figures crowding the altar, all gazing curiously and examining it closely, occasionally reaching out to tap it.

Ye Chen popped more Dan Yao into his mouth, recovering his strength and Tongli.

"I hear your girl has been really popular lately!"

Fu Ya commented while inspecting a copper pillar.

"How popular?"

"She's drawn seventeen Faze Shen—you tell me if that's impressive."

"Seventeen?"

Even Ye Chen, with his composure, was startled. It seemed that in his absence, Ye Ling had already undergone her Dasheng Jie—not only surviving it but also summoning seventeen Faze Shen. That was straight-up Shao Nian Di level!

"For an ordinary bloodline to attract seventeen Di Dao Faze Shen—tsk, tsk."

"Absolutely unprecedented!"

Ren Wang sighed. He had been there for that tribulation, even bringing a Di Bing for protection, though he stayed hidden. Thinking back, he couldn't help but click his tongue. That mischievous girl was no longer the troublemaking imp of the past—she had truly been reborn.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and smiled faintly.

Ten years of repentance, ten years as a mortal, and the hardships of the ancient ruins—for his daughter, it had all been a true transformation. But the price had been too high.

"She's gone to Zhuxian Town again."

Ren Wang mentioned casually, glancing at Ye Chen with a meaningful look.

That mortal town was truly extraordinary. Ye Chen had spent a hundred years as a mortal there and comprehended the human Dao; Ye Ling had spent ten years and undergone a rebirth. It even made him want to go and seek enlightenment.

"Fu Xi, those three have gone out again."

Just then, a call came from Tianxuan Men.

"Let them be—I'm used to it."

Ren Wang replied indifferently. By "those three," he meant Ruoxi, Chu Xuan, and Chu Ling. Ever since their first outing from Lingxiao Dian, this had happened occasionally. He had chased after them a few times but always lost them. Now, he didn't bother—they were truly strange, and he couldn't keep up.

Though Ren Wang didn't go, Ye Chen did.

Ren Wang wasn't idle, though. He summoned many experts to guard the area. They had finally brought this back—they couldn't let the Heipao Di slip in. He even brought Di Bing.

Outside the walls of Nan Chu, Ye Chen spotted Chu Xuan and the others, standing in a neat line. They had identical, stunning appearances and unmatched elegance, even their steps and breaths perfectly synchronized. Even real twin sisters couldn't match this level of uniformity.

"They've come out again."

On the city wall, Gu Santong stood with his hands tucked in his sleeves, as if this wasn't his first time seeing it. If Ren Wang was used to it, so was he. Those three were like ghosts, always slipping out in the dead of night.

"I thought they were twin sisters, but now it looks like triplets."

Wuya Dao Ren stroked his beard and said.

"You're thinking too simply."

Tai Er Zhen Ren replied slowly. Chu Xuan and Chu Ling were strange, but Ruoxi was even stranger. Their relationship went far beyond just being triplets.

"If Ye Chen brings Ruoxi to Yunu Peak too, that would be lively."

"Would you even tell them apart?"

"That doesn't matter—who's bed you end up in is who's."

"Brilliant."

In the night, these old-timers bantered idly, hands in their sleeves as they stood on the city wall, chatting away merrily.

Ye Chen hovered in the air outside the city, silent, just watching quietly. Though surprised, he wasn't shocked.

A faint fragrance of women wafted toward him as Chu Xuan and the others approached, stepping through the void.

They seemed devoid of awareness, their expressions somewhat dull, their clear eyes vacant. They didn't glance sideways, as if they hadn't noticed Ye Chen at all. They came lightly and passed lightly.

Ye Chen reached out, grabbing Chu Ling with one hand and Chu Xuan with the other. He couldn't remember how many years it had been since he held their hands.

These were his wives, yet now they felt more like walking corpses. They wouldn't cry for him, laugh for him, or give him that world-shaking smile. In their eyes, it was as if Ye Chen didn't exist.

This sensation made his heart inexplicably uneasy.

Chu Xuan and Chu Ling stopped, and Ruoxi stopped too. They stood there gracefully, like three ice sculptures, utterly still, with only their hair lightly fluttering and a trace of fragrance in the air.

After a long while, Ye Chen slowly released his grip.

In that instant, the three of them lifted their feet in unison, taking stiff, lotus-like steps and walking step by step into the distance.

Ye Chen followed silently.

"How interesting."

In the night, Wu San Pao got up to relieve himself and spotted the scene from afar. The rippling waters of the Nanyan Daze made the four figures look like they carried stories.

Niu Shisan wore a meaningful expression, standing on a mountain peak of an island, hands tucked as he gazed into the distance. Ouyang Wang was also watching quietly.

It wasn't until who knows when that Chu Xuan and the others left the Nanyan Daze. They wandered through the mortal realm, entering Zhongzhou. Anyone who saw them paused to look.

Over the next few days, they roamed like tourists across Zhongzhou, passing Dongling Gu Yuan, then heading north through the mortal realm into Beizhen Cang Yuan. From there, they went south into Xiling You Gu, crossed the city walls, and returned to Nan Chu.

Throughout, Ye Chen said nothing, unsure if they were sleepwalking or had some unknown purpose. They never stopped, as if patrolling.

"They look just like a family of four."

The successive kings of Da Chu had gathered as spectators, with Gui Wang speaking up.

The descendants of the emperors were there too, watching silently.

"After one cycle of reincarnation, Da Chu feels different from my previous life."

Passing Wanhua Valley, Zhuge Yu looked up and muttered. Fu Ling, Dugu Ao, Dao Huang, and Qin Yu were there as well, unsurprised by Chu Xuan and the others' sleepwalking. The only difference this time was Ye Chen following, as if afraid they'd get lost.

Boom! Bang!

As they watched, another rumble came from Tianxuan Men. The two restless figures from Hongchen Liudao had broken their seal again, rushing out one after the other straight toward Ruoxi.

Well, now the scene was quite the sight.

The three of them looked identical.

The three of them looked identical.

The six together were truly a feast for the eyes.

Ye Chen turned and struck down with a palm, suppressing Hongchen. Compared to Liudao, Hongchen was more dangerous—at least Liudao protected Ruoxi, while he never forgot his mission to destroy her.

The person was in a daze, unresponsive to anyone.

As for Liudao, they couldn't escape being sealed either.

When Ye Chen turned back to look for Chu Xuan and the others, they had vanished, as if their sleepwalking had ended and they had returned to Lingxiao Bao Dian.