Chapter 3073: Punishment

In the Wei Zhi Ling Yu.

Nu Di had already remolded Yong Heng, while Ye Chen, just three to five seconds behind, staggered before finding his footing.

Hee-hee-hee!

Soon, a childlike laugh echoed, and Xiao Wa materialized, as innocent and bright as ever. Upon spotting the two, its big eyes sparkled as if it had found something delicious, with strands of light resembling drool trickling down.

Ye Chen waved his hand, summoning a dragon.

Xiao Wa chased after the dragon without hesitation.

It had been altered by the outsiders, and now it was in its most primal state. The longer the outsiders stayed and the more rules they reversed, the more complete its form would become. Once they left, it would revert to its original state.

Thus, during the initial period after their arrival, Xiao Wa was the easiest to trick, being in a naive and oblivious state. Later, it would grow smarter and smarter.

Ultimately, as the master here, it wouldn't tolerate outsiders running rampant, especially reversing rules, which was like a slap in its face.

Hee-hee-hee!

Xiao Wa scampered joyfully, pursuing the divine dragon across the sky, while Nu Di and Ye Chen followed, observing it closely. The problem lay with Xiao Wa, so they had to find a way to break through there.

"Could we sit down and have a chat?"

Ye Chen kept calling out as he chased, trying to communicate with Xiao Wa. If he could just get a conversation started, the rest would fall into place.

Nu Di did the same, mixing flattery with threats, sharing the same idea.

Unfortunately, Xiao Wa ignored them completely, as stubborn as could be, no matter how eloquently they spoke.

In the midst of it, the divine dragon was swallowed whole.

Nu Di waved her hand, creating a phoenix, and Xiao Wa pounced on it, gnawing away.

This creature had quite the appetite, devouring anything in sight, whether real or illusory—nothing escaped its maw.

The massive phoenix, amid its cries, was consumed entirely, leaving no trace.

Xiao Wa then turned its gaze on the two of them.

From its flickering eyes, it seemed to have grown a bit smarter. It glanced at Nu Di before fixing on Ye Chen, its pupils gleaming with interest. In its view, Ye Chen appeared to be the tastier one.

That was quite intriguing.

Nu Di was in the Huang Di Jing and quite beautiful, yet in Xiao Wa's eyes, she couldn't compare to a minor Tian Di like Ye Chen.

"It's eyeing my destiny."

Ye Chen remarked, feeling it acutely. Though Xiao Wa's eyes were pure, they held a hint of greed, making his destiny tremble under its stare.

Of course, as someone who gambled against the heavens and carried the destiny of all living beings, it was no wonder Xiao Wa was fascinated by such mystical things.

Beyond that, Ye Chen thought Xiao Wa might be even more interested in the Dun Jia Tian Zi. From the moment he entered the Wei Zhi Ling Yu, the Dun Jia Tian Zi etched on his Chaos Cauldron had been unusually restless.

Buzz!

Ye Chen reached out, scraping a Dun Jia Tian Zi from the cauldron and holding it in his palm for Xiao Wa to see clearly.

Strangely, the onrushing Xiao Wa froze upon seeing the Dun Jia Tian Zi, a flicker of fear crossing its eyes.

It was afraid of the Dun Jia Tian Zi?

Ye Chen and Nu Di exchanged glances, noting the subtle change in Xiao Wa's expression—this was the first time they'd seen it show fear.

"The second time we came, it didn't react this way."

Ye Chen murmured, his eyes flickering uncertainly. During their previous visit to the Wei Zhi Ling Yu, Xiao Wa had seen the Chaos Cauldron and the Dun Jia Tian Zi on it, yet it hadn't shown fear then.

"It's the Dun Jia Tian Zi that's changed."

Nu Di said calmly, also taking a Dun Jia Tian Zi from Ye Chen's cauldron and holding it in her palm.

Compared to before, this character now carried an added layer of mystery, with faint traces of strange power flowing from it. Xiao Wa hadn't recognized it earlier, but now it clearly did.

"Come on, eat this. It's delicious."

Ye Chen extended his hand toward Xiao Wa. If you're going to eat everything, go ahead and swallow this too.

This action made Xiao Wa instinctively step back, its eyes showing not just fear, but also a hint of disgust.

Nu Di's gaze deepened, focusing not on Xiao Wa, but on the Dun Jia Tian Zi in her palm. Visions began to unfold within it, as if a vast realm lay hidden inside, with towering mountains, winding rivers, and every blade of grass and tree vividly clear—though all were illusory.

Ye Chen frowned, sensing something off. He pulled his hand back and stared intently at the Dun Jia Tian Zi, just like the one in Nu Di's hand. It revealed a vast realm, with stars, the sun, and the moon.

It was as if holding a single Dun Jia Tian Zi meant cradling an entire universe—illusory, yet incredibly heavy.

"I understand now."

Nu Di whispered.

"Each Dun Jia Tian Zi is refined from an entire universe."

Ye Chen added, finishing her thought, his soul trembling as he spoke.

Refining a whole universe into a single character—what kind of divine power did that require? Truly on the level of a supreme master?

Nu Di's heart quaked as well, her Huang Di composure unable to hide the shock at uncovering such a terrifying secret.

"It's not afraid of the Dun Jia Tian Zi itself, but of the one who refined it."

Ye Chen pondered. Someone who could turn universes into characters was likely above Xiao Wa in power—perhaps even the one who sealed Xiao Wa here.

The seal was precise. Without needing to ask anyone, they knew this Wei Zhi Ling Yu had once been a universe, or rather, a prison. Xiao Wa could devour everything within, but it could never escape, trapped for eternity. It was the master here, but only here.

"It came from the Yong Heng Immortal Domain."

"Probably committed some crime there, or offended some supreme authority, and was exiled by the gods of the Yong Heng Immortal Domain."

"Sounds plausible."

Ye Chen muttered to himself, letting his imagination run wild, convinced his guess was correct.

"Senior, could we have a chat?"

Nu Di addressed Xiao Wa, calling it senior out of respect—who knew how many ages or epochs it had existed?

Ah!

Xiao Wa suddenly let out a roar.

It was a roar, pure and simple.

The sound came out of nowhere, startling even Ye Chen and making Nu Di's heart tremble.

After the roar, Xiao Wa's form changed dramatically. Once radiant and untainted, it now was coated in a layer of blood, like a little blood-soaked figure. The light emanating from it was gruesomely red, and its expression lost all innocence, twisting into something savage and violent. Its face contorted, resembling a demonic child on the edge of rampage, bloodlust, and cold malice.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, and Nu Di did the same, both focusing on Xiao Wa's forehead, where a golden ancient character was etched—the Dun Jia Tian Zi, specifically the character for "Xing."

"Xing."

Ye Chen murmured. The character on Xiao Wa's forehead was indeed "Xing," as in punishment.

This only reinforced his suspicion—Xiao Wa was likely an exile.

In plain terms, a convict.

Nu Di thought the same. Who would idly etch a "Xing" on their forehead? And of all characters, why this one? The implication was profound.

"There's another possibility."

"Maybe its name is Xing, and it's showing off, making sure everyone knows for a more imposing vibe."

"Sounds plausible too."

Ye Chen stroked his chin, muttering again, his tone full of conviction.

Nu Di glanced sideways at him. Was he always this unserious? That "Xing" was clearly a seal.

Ah!

As they spoke, Xiao Wa roared again, making the entire Wei Zhi Ling Yu rumble and shake.

Pfft!

Ye Chen spat blood, nearly obliterated by the roar, while Nu Di fared little better, blood trickling from her mouth and her face paling.

Xiao Wa was incredibly powerful.

Even sealed by the "Xing" character, it had this level of might. Without the seal, that roar alone could have reduced them to ash.

In terms of presence, nothing outshone Xiao Wa. After all, these two—one the empress of the Heavenly Court, the other the supreme Sacred Body—were the strongest among mortals, yet they couldn't withstand even its roar.

"Let's go."

Nu Di grabbed Ye Chen and vanished in an instant, reappearing at the exit of the Wei Zhi Ling Yu. They couldn't stay any longer—Xiao Wa was out of control, far beyond their ability to handle. Better to retreat and plan.

But Xiao Wa wasn't about to let them escape.

Before they could flee, it appeared, laughing with savage glee, and swatted them back with a palm.

Nu Di held up okay, but Ye Chen was in bad shape, nearly erased by that single strike. In this Wei Zhi Ling Yu, the supreme Sacred Body from outside was weaker than an ant.

Buzz!

The void trembled as Xiao Wa pressed down with one hand. Though its hand was small, it covered the sky when it descended, with devastating, world-ending power.

Nu Di stood firm, instantly manifesting her outer path form, her crystalline jade hand reaching up to block Xiao Wa's palm.

Sadly, even as a Huang Di, she was no match, her form shattering under the pressure and her legs buckling.

"Break!"

Ye Chen roared, transforming into his dominant body and thrusting the Yong Heng Immortal Stick skyward.

This strike wasn't particularly strong.

In terms of power, it fell short of Nu Di's form, but it worked against Xiao Wa because the stick was inscribed with Dun Jia Tian Zi, borrowing their authority.

As the saying goes, everything has its counter.

His strike pierced Xiao Wa's massive hand, earning a surprised look from Nu Di.

"Sticks really get the job done."

Ye Chen chuckled, blowing on the stick before polishing it with his sleeve until it gleamed.

See? There's always a weakness.

In that instant, he released all his Dun Jia Tian Zi, splitting them into two: half flew to Nu Di, half stayed with him.

The characters arranged into armor—one set for Ye Chen, one for Nu Di. To deal with this little thing, they needed the gear; no secret technique or immortal law was as dominant as the Dun Jia Tian Zi.

"Come on, use this."

Ye Chen gestured helpfully, handing Nu Di a straight stick.

The word "use" carried a suggestive tone, easily misinterpreted. If Xie Yun and his crew were here, their minds would wander.

Nu Di took it, giving Ye Chen a sideways glance—his grin when handing it over was anything but normal.

"At night, when it's quiet, it's even better than a divine weapon."

Ye Chen's words were loaded, earnest and deliberate, nearly making Nu Di explode on the spot.

If the situation weren't so dire, she'd send him back to the womb for a thorough redo.