Chapter 2985: If One Day

At the end of the Tai Gu Road, the Nü Di formed a seal with one hand. "Ye Chen, come forward."

As she spoke, another immortal pattern etched itself on her forehead.

Ye Chen stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Tian Ting Nü Di, and a matching immortal pattern appeared on his forehead.

Indeed, with the addition of two more emperors, the Nü Di had altered the formation.

This time, the main force sustaining the Tai Gu Road shifted from the Nü Di alone to her and Ye Chen. This was because Ye Chen had cultivated Yong Heng, even if it was still imperfect, allowing him to wield its power.

Soon, an immortal array spread out beneath her feet.

The four key positions were occupied by the Nü Di and Ye Chen in two, and Di Huang and Hong Yan in the other two. Xing Tian, Hou Yi, Jian Shen, and Jian Zun served as reserves. Once Di Huang and Hong Yan's divine power neared depletion, they would step in. This illustrated just how arduous maintaining the Tai Gu Road was—even great emperors and supreme beings needed backups, and one person alone could never sustain it.

In that instant, both Ye Chen and the Nü Di raised their hands, spreading their five fingers toward the void.

At that same moment, Yong Heng light burst forth from both of them, while behind them, Di Huang and Hong Yan were enveloped in emperor dao immortal radiance. The immortal array at their feet pulsed with vibrant divine power.

With a hum, the Tai Gu Road, shattered for eons, began to extend inch by inch, starting slowly but accelerating rapidly.

Ye Chen grunted, feeling as if mountains were crushing down on him.

Beyond that, the depletion of his Yong Heng power was faster than he had imagined, like being drained by someone using Tun Tian Magic Art. His once abundant vital energy could be sucked dry in an instant.

Suddenly, he turned his head and glanced at the Nü Di beside him.

Only by standing in the main position did he truly grasp the gravity of this role and the terrifying pressure the Nü Di had endured. Now that they shared the burden, he could only imagine how much harder it had been for her alone.

"Can Chu Xuan and Chu Ling still be separated?"

Ye Chen averted his gaze and asked this quietly, his words audible only to the ancient Tian Ting Nü Di.

"Even if they are separated, what difference does it make? If not, what then? Death comes either way."

The Nü Di's lips parted slightly, her words devoid of emotion, her clear eyes as cold as ice.

"Death comes either way?"

Ye Chen frowned, sensing a deeper, ominous meaning in her words.

"If there comes a day when you are the only one left in the world, would you be afraid?"

Now it was the Nü Di who turned her head, her soft voice melodious, like an ancient and distant immortal melody.

"I would."

Ye Chen answered without hesitation, having experienced such a state before.

Like the years he spent searching for reincarnated souls from Da Chu.

A hundred years in the space black hole—that was his most helpless and desolate time, wandering alone through desolation, unsure of the path ahead or where light might be. Whenever he recalled his homeland, he would huddle in the darkness, trembling. He feared it too and longed to talk to someone, yet he had to endure.

That kind of obsession was etched deep into his soul during those hundred years.

The Nü Di looked away, a weary smile crossing her face, her eyes filled with even more exhaustion. Ye Chen pitied her, and she pitied him in return, for there would come a day when Ye Chen would be utterly alone. The heavenly gods, successive great emperors, and all beings of the myriad realms would be mere passersby on his journey.

With a hum, the Tai Gu Road vibrated, its immortal light expanding endlessly into the void's depths, faster than any previous attempt.

The faster it extended, the greater the consumption.

Hong Yan was the first to falter, staggering back, and Xing Tian stepped in to take her place.

Di Huang followed soon after, replaced by Hou Yi.

Not long after, both of them depleted their power, and for the first time, Jian Shen and Jian Zun entered the formation.

They both grunted, their hearts shaken by the terrifying drain. Only upon entering did they realize how fearsome it was—their vast emperor dao divine power flowed out like a breached river, at a speed that was alarming.

Glancing at Ye Chen, his face was already pale.

He had cultivated Yong Heng, true, but his foundation was far inferior to the Tian Ting Nü Di's. His hair had turned white, whether from offering his lifespan or from the excessive loss of divine power affecting his life force.

The Nü Di stood gracefully, a true Tian Di, enduring far longer than expected.

Thus, she and Ye Chen remained in their positions, while the two behind them rotated reserves every so often—one stepping down, another stepping up—to maintain the Tai Gu Road's extension indefinitely.

"Hold on, it's almost there, almost there!"

From within the Hun Luan Ding, the little spirit child shouted excitedly, small in size but sharp-eyed.

He could see it, and so could Ye Chen and the others.

From an unfathomably distant point, they finally reached it, spotting the Tai Gu Road ahead like reuniting with long-lost family.

With a boom, after countless ages, the two Tai Gu Roads finally connected.

In that instant, including Ye Chen, all seven emperors collapsed to the ground.

Only the Tian Ting Nü Di remained standing, fighting fatigue as she wielded Yong Heng immortal light. With the road connected, she still needed to mend the gaps between the two paths, and among them, only she could do it.

Ye Chen was the first to rise, gripping the Yong Heng Immortal Sword and stepping into the misty void.

Then, his emperor dao divine sense spread out from him as the center, extending infinitely in all directions, scanning this segment of the Tai Gu Road for any lingering Wai Yu Zhi Zun. In the end, not a single figure was found.

Only then did he descend from the heavens, sitting heavily on the ground.

The Nü Di had withdrawn her hand and was stepping through the vast void, heading toward the other end of the Tai Gu Road.

"Come on, open your mouth."

Hong Yan teased, now holding Ye Chen's chin and stuffing pills into his mouth with force, her actions as rough as Ye Chen's had been earlier, like feeding a pig.

"Eat up. Don't even think about leaving until you're full."

The great Ye Di refused to back down. As a Dan Sheng, he had plenty of spiritual pills, and he shoved them back just as vigorously.

The other five emperors chuckled dryly. This couple was quite the pair.

The gods in the ding exchanged knowing glances: We suspect they're showing off their affection.

"Why doesn't anyone feed me like that? I'd be happy to choke on pills."

The Little Yuan Emperor folded his arms, glancing at Ye Chen and Hong Yan, then side-eyed Kui Niu.

"How about you open your mouth too?"

Kui Niu played along, eyeing the little monkey tentatively.

"Still, the boss treats me well."

"No pills, but I do have to pee."

"Don't mess around."

This monkey and old ox bantered like a comedy duo, their words cleverly witty.

Outside, Ye Chen had already gotten up.

Hong Yan rose too, coughing nonstop—who knew how many pills Ye Da Di had crammed into him.

The group set off together toward the Tai Gu Road.

This segment of the Tai Gu Road was much smaller than the previous one, with no traces of battle, everything peaceful. They could see vast rivers and mountains, ancient cities and seas, all preserved intact, like an entire great realm.

Hou Yi and Xing Tian felt a deep sense of nostalgia, having traveled this path before.

The sealed Jiu Tian Shen Wang also emerged from the great ding, gazing around with a similar air of reminiscence.

At the road's end, the Nü Di sat carving a wooden figure.

Ye Chen approached, curiously examining it. Her carving skills were divinely inspired, each stroke infused with essence. As for the person she carved, Ye Chen had never seen them before—ordinary in every way, unremarkable.

"Are you Wu Lei?"

Ye Chen looked away from the wooden figure and glanced at the Nü Di, sensing that Wu Lei now dominated her consciousness.

"He was a scholar from the mortal world."

"Our first meeting was on the road to the capital for the imperial exam, carrying a book basket."

"He was a bit foolish, quite naive."

The Nü Di didn't respond to Ye Chen directly, speaking word by word as if to herself or to him. With each sentence, she carved another stroke, bringing the figure to vivid life.

Ye Chen said nothing, just watched the Nü Di quietly.

In that moment, he confirmed that Wu Lei had taken control of the main consciousness, recounting her own past—a story from her life. Who would have thought that the lord of Wu Lei City, so formidable, had an ancient romance, loving not some world-shaking powerhouse, but an ordinary mortal.

Now, after the vast changes of time, on the far side of the ages, she could no longer find that person.

She was flesh and blood, not truly without tears or emotion; she could only seek that meager warmth in her memories.

"I'm sorry."

Hong Yan murmured suddenly, lowering her head and biting her lip, like a child who had done wrong.

This apology was long overdue.

Though Wu Lei's loved one wasn't killed by her, it was connected to her—she was, in a way, the culprit.

Wu Lei forced a smile, continuing to carve the wooden figure in silence.

Right or wrong no longer mattered. Even without Hong Yan, her story with that person would have had no happy ending.

So, at times, she envied them—envied Ye Chen, Chu Xuan, and Chu Ling.

At least, they had found a beautiful bond without knowing their identities.

And she, with fragments of the Nü Di's memories, could not.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, and looking at Wu Lei now, a pang of pity arose in him.

"What is love in this world?"

Hou Yi sighed wistfully, leaning against a stone and drinking from his flask.

Not far away, Xing Tian struck a similar pose.

Wu Tian Jian Zun was silent too, holding his own flask and drinking quietly.

Even supreme beings were human, and most had their stories.

Achieving the dao and becoming an emperor only made them feel like greater fools. What good was shaking the universe if they weren't all-powerful? More often, they hid in some corner of the world, reminiscing about those from their past.

Wu Lei's story left many in silence.

Even someone as carefree as Ren Wang quietly pulled out his flask; he had his own tales of romance.

Life was a play, and they were all actors.

Perhaps only in the dead of night were they truly themselves.

Ah!

Ye Chen sighed, finding a stone to sit on. Unbidden, he glanced at Wu Lei, hoping she could regain control so Chu Xuan and Chu Ling might as well.

Regrettably, after waiting a long time, there was no shift in consciousness.

He realized then that Chu Xuan and Chu Ling couldn't emerge, and the Nü Di wouldn't allow it. Their identities were too special; if they took the main consciousness, it could lead to separation.

The end of the Tai Gu Road fell into a prolonged quiet.

The Nü Di waited, and so did Ye Chen and the others, all restoring their depleted emperor dao divine power.

Hm?

For a brief moment, Ye Chen, who was sitting in meditation with eyes closed, suddenly opened them and looked toward the Hun Luan Ding.

Then, he drew out a drop of blood from the ding—the blood of a Dao Ling body.

Years ago, when he entered the Tai Gu Road through a rift, he had saved Jiu Tian Shen Wang and found a drop of fresh blood on a broken artifact—it belonged to a Shen Jiang. He had sealed it in the Hun Luan Shen Ding, hoping to one day enter the Tai Gu Hong Huang and use the offerings of successive generations to summon her spirit.

"It seems no offerings are needed after all."

Ye Chen smiled, looking at the blood hovering in his palm, for it had already produced a spirit.

Without hesitation, he channeled Yong Heng power into it.

Immediately, the drop of blood transformed into a faint, ethereal figure, no larger than a cherry.

"Hua Sheng."

Chen Yi called out, stepping out from the ding, tears in his eyes and excitement on his face.

"How do you know her?"

Ye Chen was taken aback, but his question was rhetorical—Chen Yi's expression made it clear.

Chen Yi didn't answer, just wept as he gently cradled the ethereal figure.

He knew her well; she was his sister, a sister he had found on the road, and they had depended on each other for years.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the ninth Shen Jiang under Yao Chi Nü Di."

Zao Hua Shen Wang stroked his beard, well-versed in such matters, recognizing her origins.

The Shen Wang was correct.

The person Ye Chen had saved was indeed a close kin of Yao Chi Nü Di and one of her Shen Jiang.

"Not a day too soon."

Hou Yi and Xing Tian had gathered, having seen Hua Sheng in the Tai Gu Hong Huang as fellow emperor Shen Jiang. In fact, she had emerged even before them.

Unfortunately, her luck had been poor, and she had perished on the Tai Gu Road long ago.

Fortunately, she had met Ye Chen.

Now, with a single drop of blood defying fate to produce a spirit, her revival was only a matter of time.

"What talent!"

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh. Someone buried for eons had produced a spirit without any offerings.

"Thank you, thank you."

Chen Yi wiped away his tears, holding Hua Sheng's spirit as he walked away. In the days to come, he would nourish it with his own primordial spirit until it formed a soul and then a full primordial spirit.

"Another good deed done."

Ye Chen laughed to himself. It seemed entering the Tai Gu Road through that rift had been the right choice. Because of it, he had saved Jiu Tian Shen Wang and Shen Jiang Hua Sheng. Fate worked in mysterious ways.

"Judging by the vital energy, she must be a Dao Ling body."

"I say, is she married? If not, how about betrothing her to me?"

"Get lost. If anyone's getting her, it's me."

The crowd had already surrounded Chen Yi, with Little Yuan Emperor and Kui Niu being the most eager. Seeing the outline of the beauty in the blood's glow, they thought, as the saying goes, keep the fat water in the field.

Chen Yi ignored them, focusing on nurturing Hua Sheng's spirit.

After a while, the crowd reluctantly dispersed, hooking arms and wandering off together.

On the other side, Wu Lei had finished her carving.

Then, the consciousness shifted, and the Nü Di regained control, sitting in meditation to restore her power.

Looking at Ye Chen and the others, they were all doing their own things.

Ye Chen was in a whimsical mood, carving his own wooden figure; Hou Yi, Xing Tian, and Jian Zun were drinking from their flasks; Di Huang stood tall, gazing into the void, with Zi Xuan and Bai Zhi by his side; Jian Shen's side was warm, nestled close with Dong Huang Tai Xin; Hong Yan was silent, mostly consumed by guilt.

But regardless of what they did, they were all restoring their power to the fullest.

Maintaining the Tai Gu Road was not just a technical task—it was grueling work that drained their energy immensely.

With a boom, the long silence was shattered by a thunderous rumble that shook the heavens.

"Demons! There are Tian Mo!"

The group that had gone wandering returned in a panic, scrambling back in disarray. As they fled, they saw a rift opening, and from it emerged a Tian Mo emperor.