Chapter 2914: Emerging from the Dream

"There was, once upon a time," Lianyu Dizi replied. It seemed that what he inherited was not only the throne of the Lianyu Heavenly King, but also the ancient secrets known to the Lianyu Heavenly King, such as the cycle of reincarnation in the various heavens.

His words made the female emperor's beautiful eyes flicker with immortal light.

Her suspicion was confirmed—there had indeed been a cycle of reincarnation in the various heavens, which had collapsed in the endless ages. Yet, some divine power of reincarnation remained, as evidenced by Donghuang Taixin's reincarnation into a seven-colored exquisite flower.

She wondered if other heroic souls who had died in battle or wronged spirits had been so fortunate. If among those lucky ones there was her own child, how wonderful that would be.

"Female emperor, please," Lianyu Dizi said, gesturing invitingly.

Ji Ningshuang said nothing and followed Lianyu Dizi deeper inside.

Boom! Rumbling!

The night was far from peaceful.

In the starry sky, thunder rumbled as many people underwent tribulations.

Beyond that, on the Ancient Road, disturbances occurred every so often, with supreme beings engaging in chaotic battles from time to time.

Whenever this happened, Dao Zu and Ming Di would look up.

The Ancient Road had already seen the emergence of Tianmo Emperor, E Mo Emperor, and the fully realized Saint Demon, proving that besides Di Huang's beloved and that third person from the various heavens, there were these three types of supreme beings on that road.

After all these years, it was a miracle that Di Huang and his companions had not been wiped out. They must have been fighting desperately.

This was true.

Di Huang and his group were not just fighting desperately—they struggled on the edge of life and death every day, facing an overwhelmingly large enemy force.

Precisely because of the enemy's vast numbers, they repeatedly disrupted the universe. Each time the universe was thrown into chaos, everyone in that realm would be scattered to all directions, a force even supreme beings could not resist.

This was the reason they had managed to hold on so far. Without these disruptions, they would have been destroyed countless times over.

Dao Zu and Ming Di were accustomed to the rumbling from the Ancient Road. They felt concern, but both believed that the people of the Saint Body lineage had lives as tough as cockroaches—they could endure anything.

Compared to Di Huang and Hongyan, the two emperors paid more attention to Ye Chen. They had watched the human realm for over twenty years without seeing Yanfei's figure, likely because she was in a dream. Since Ji Ningshuang could not find her, neither could they. They wondered if he had comprehended the Dao of Dreams.

Quietly, another five years passed.

It had been thirty years since Yanfei departed.

Thirty years of wind and frost, thirty years of snow and moonlight—the various heavens were full of vitality, with a new generation rising and carrying new hopes, gradually restoring their former glory.

Five years later, the female emperor returned to Grand Chu.

At Tianxuan Gate's immortal lake, she took the seven-colored exquisite flower and planted it in the center of the lake. Once it took human form, it could be revived and have its past-life memories restored.

"Donghuang Taixin."

Xi Chen was there too, his eyes nearly narrowed into slits.

"Is there reincarnation in the various heavens?"

The child of the realm asked the female emperor tentatively.

"There was once," the female emperor said softly, gradually walking away. From the Lianyu Forbidden Zone, she had obtained many secrets, known only to emperors.

But that was only a small part.

Di Zun in his time was probably the same, only gaining the complete secrets before leaving the various heavens.

As for the reincarnation in the various heavens, ever since she left the Lianyu Forbidden Zone, she had searched for it every day. Like Donghuang Taixin, she looked for those who had reincarnated, searching for five full years.

Unfortunately, besides Donghuang Taixin, she found no second one. Reincarnation had long since collapsed, and not everyone, not every heroic soul, was as fortunate as Donghuang Taixin.

Yunu Peak was still the same Yunu Peak.

When the female emperor descended, the eastern sky was already tinged with red dawn.

Wah! Wah! Wah!

Soon, the cry of a baby echoed.

The cry came from a mountain peak, accompanied by phenomena manifesting in the void above it.

It was Ming Jue's child, finally born.

This was an unusual child; Qing Luan had been pregnant for many, many years, and only now had he been born. The heavenly phenomena indicated a special bloodline—the Nine Yang Immortal Body, extremely strong and yang.

Because of the child's birth and the crying, it drew a crowd. The elders from previous generations were the most eager; after so many years, Hengyue Sect finally had a new life.

"Ming Jue, our child is born."

Qing Luan choked back sobs, her face pale and weary. Looking at the infant in the swaddling clothes, she managed a tired smile. The child's big eyes looked just like Ming Jue's. If not for him, she would have likely perished with her husband years ago.

This child was her hope.

"Let's give the child a name!"

Lin Shuhua was there too, smiling gently.

"Ming Tian."

Qing Luan smiled through her tears. This was the name she and Ming Jue had decided on long ago, a homophone for "tomorrow," symbolizing light. Ming Jue had fought for that light back in the day.

Ji Ningshuang came as well, rarely showing her softer side. Seeing the little one, she thought inadvertently of her own child, Xiao Ye Fan.

"Your father was a peerless hero."

Ji Ningshuang smiled, gently touching the baby's forehead with a finger, granting him a protective light of the emperor's dao, which would accompany him for life.

"I really want to hold him."

Ming Di's smile was full of warmth. That little one looked just like Ming Jue when he was young.

The emperor felt guilty—guilty toward Ming Jue and Qing Luan, and toward this new life. It was he who had given Ming Jue that mission, turning him into a vessel of fate full of wounds.

"He's here."

Dao Zu suddenly spoke.

This "he's here" was only audible to Ming Di, who knew exactly whom Dao Zu meant—it was Yanfei, who had been gone for so long.

It was on a lifeless ancient star, a place of ruin left from the great calamity of the various heavens, everything in disarray. Yanfei, who had entered the dream, manifested there.

Under the moonlight, she appeared as ethereal as a dream. After thirty years, she showed more signs of age, with dust from the years on her jade shoulders. In the dream, she must have walked a long road.

Once again, she performed a secret technique, carving a mark on her brow—the same Dream Dao mark she had once carved on Ye Chen's brow. It was a contract exclusive to her and Ye Chen, used to perform that heaven-defying forbidden art.

She formed a seal with one hand.

Under the gaze of the two emperors, Ye Chen began to manifest bit by bit—one moment it was Yanfei, the next it was Ye Chen.

"Senior..."

"Little one, from now on, you'll have to walk your own path. Only by comprehending the Dream Dao can you fully revive."

Yanfei's smile carried a hint of exhaustion.

As she spoke, her immortal body disintegrated inch by inch. With each inch that vanished, Ye Chen's body solidified further. When he truly returned to the world, it would be the moment of Yanfei's burial. The Dream Dao sacrifice was truly a life-for-life exchange.

"Senior..."

Ye Chen called out again, his deep eyes streaked with blood vessels as he struggled, but he was bound by the contract.

Only now did he realize the horrific price of his return to the world—it required Yanfei's death in exchange.

If so, he would carry guilt for the rest of his life.

"I'm tired."

Yanfei's voice grew hoarse. She had dreamed for thirty years and endured for thirty years; she was indeed exhausted. Even her beautiful eyes had dimmed. Xuan Chen was gone, and the world in her eyes had lost its color. Her only remaining thought was to summon Ye Chen out of the dream—then her mission would be complete.

Tears filled her eyes—tears for Ye Chen.

Zing!

A sword cry pierced the soul.

A flash of seven-colored light came from the black hole.

Upon closer inspection, it was the damned Zhu Xian Jian, which had been silent for decades but was now causing trouble again. Its sword body was still broken, but the seven-colored light across it was dazzling and radiant.

It certainly knew how to pick its moment, choosing this critical time to appear. If it interrupted the Dream Dao immortal art or severely injured Yanfei, Ye Chen would never return to the world.

"Damn it."

Both Tianming and Ming Di snorted coldly, their killing intent surging.

Zing!

Zhu Xian Jian buzzed as it soared through the sky to strike. If it were a person, its expression would likely be ferocious and sinister, for it could personally cut off Ye Chen's path to life.

Unfortunately, it had thought too simply.

Before the sword could land, Yanfei's body was enveloped in a layer of emperor's dao immortal light, like armor or a protective shield, safeguarding not only her physical form but also her primordial spirit.

That was right—it was Ji Ningshuang's emperor's dao immortal light, inscribed in Yanfei's body many years ago precisely to guard against Zhu Xian Jian, a precaution that proved useful.

Bang!

The sound of metal colliding rang out clearly. Though Zhu Xian Jian's strike was world-shattering, when it hit Yanfei, it was like striking steel. Not only did it fail to harm her or break the Dream Dao immortal art, but it was also sent flying, its seven-colored light dimming instantly.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Zhu Xian Jian trembled violently. It had been trembling with excitement before, but now it was trembling with rage. It had underestimated the Eastern Wasteland Female Emperor, who had planted such protection in Yanfei.

So, its mind wasn't very sharp. Yanfei was involved with too much, connected to Ye Chen, so how could the female emperor not leave a backup? Anyone with a clear head could figure that out.

Zing!

Zhu Xian Jian went berserk, sacrificing some unknown power, and its dim seven-colored light bloomed again. This second strike was even more domineering than the first, seemingly intent on breaking through the emperor's dao immortal light, for this opportunity was rare.

Bang!

Again, the sound of metal colliding, even clearer than before.

Zhu Xian Jian was sent flying horizontally, not shaken off but struck by a crystalline jade hand.

The female emperor had arrived. The moment the emperor's dao immortal light manifested, she sensed it. One moment she was in Hengyue, the next she was here, delivering a palm strike with her peak power.

Buzz!

Zhu Xian Jian buzzed and fled into the black hole. Taking a hit from the emperor was no small matter; the blood-sacrificed seven-colored light was directly extinguished, and its already damaged sword body cracked further, on the verge of shattering.

Boom!

Ji Ningshuang stepped through the void, shattering the universe as she pursued into the black hole. After thirty years, her icy emperor's dao killing intent reappeared, turning the desolate darkness into visible frost. She was determined not to stop until Zhu Xian Jian was destroyed.

The upheaval came quickly and ended quickly.

The desolate ancient star fell back into silence, leaving only Yanfei and Ye Chen—one disintegrating, one reforming; one perishing, one emerging from the dream.

"Xuan Chen, you've gone so far. Wait for me."

Yanfei lifted her face, her gaze toward the vast sky soft and tender. She showed no reaction to her body's gradual disintegration, having long since seen through life and death.

"Senior..."

Ye Chen called out for the third time, his eyes brimming with hot tears.

But this time, there was no response—only a single crystal tear slid from Yanfei's dissolving cheek and turned to ash as it fell.

Ah!

Sorrow filled the eyes of the two emperors as they silently bid Yanfei farewell.

Ji Ningshuang returned, and seeing this scene, her heart ached fiercely. The mist in her eyes, under the moonlight, condensed into frost. Hot tears streamed down the emperor's face.

In that instant, Yanfei completely vanished.

In that instant, Ye Chen fully emerged from the dream.