Chapter 3076: One Word

Ah!

Xiao Wa roared hysterically, his cries piercing and desperate. With Ye Chen and Nu Di having escaped, he was left alone in that place. His form had transformed dramatically, shedding all impurity as his eyes shifted from blood-red back to clear. The intelligence he once possessed was gradually fading away. Truly, this change was triggered by outsiders; without their presence, he would return his soul to some unknown realm, reverting to his most primal state.

Puff! Puff!

In the void, Ye Chen and Nu Di reappeared, both spitting out fresh blood. They must have felt fortunate, for at that critical moment, the character "Xing" had unleashed its full power once more. Without it, they would have been pulled back by Xiao Wa.

The two didn't linger. With a few swift leaps, they returned to the peak of Taigu Peak, barely managing to steady themselves.

Hong Yan rushed forward in alarm upon seeing them.

But after taking just one step, she was forced to stagger back by the overwhelming murderous aura emanating from Ye Chen and Nu Di. Having battled Xiao Wa, that bloodthirsty force was something even the Heavenly Emperor Sacred Body couldn't fully withstand.

If even she was affected, there was no question for Di Huang, who was at the Great Emperor level. He was knocked over on the spot, his physical body exploding apart. The once mightiest Sacred Body now found itself in an utterly awkward predicament.

Exterminate!

Both Nu Di and Ye Chen shouted softly, invoking the eternal power to enhance the might of the escape armor, forcefully eradicating the lingering killing intent. Only then did they return to normal.

Nu Di fared relatively well.

Ye Chen, however, was in a truly wretched state, reduced to little more than a heap of blood and bones, sustained only by the escape armor character. To hold back Xiao Wa, he had paid a terrible price.

Moreover, his cultivation had advanced to quasi-huang only to be knocked back down. Reflecting on it now still left him with a queasy feeling.

But none of that mattered anymore. What was important was that they had escaped, and they had found a potential method that might work.

If this method proved effective, the rootless plight of all past supreme beings would finally be resolved.

"Any harvest?"

Hong Yan asked tentatively.

"Yes."

Nu Di replied curtly, vanishing in an instant and taking Ye Chen and Hong Yan with her. She even swept up Di Huang, who had just steadied himself, and they reappeared on another mountain peak.

During this, Nu Di glanced at the Taigu formation, observing the state of the emperors within. Their so-called roots had already vanished, leaving them showing signs of age, with the aging process accelerating rapidly. Without roots, their lifespan would continue to drain away faster and faster.

In other words, the time they had left was now measured in days.

She withdrew her gaze and looked toward the first-generation Sheng Mo.

Sheng Mo's smile was exceptionally sinister, as if he hadn't been idle during the time she and Ye Chen were away. He must have assaulted the seal multiple times, leading to the emperors' roots being destroyed.

"You are destined to fail."

The first-generation Sheng Mo chuckled darkly, his tone full of provocation. He was merely biding his time, waiting for all the past supreme beings to perish.

"That remains to be seen."

Nu Di responded indifferently as she descended upon the mountain peak.

The sealed Shen Zun was still there.

As she had anticipated, even her seal couldn't halt the rapid depletion of Shen Zun's lifespan. His once-flowing black hair had turned completely white, his vital energy withered, and he was decaying amid the aging process.

All because he lacked roots.

Hong Yan and Di Huang stood silently nearby, occasionally glancing at Nu Di. They couldn't fathom what method could break the rootless dilemma.

"Pick one."

Ye Chen waved his hand, summoning the Dun Jia Tian Zi characters. They were all gleaming golden, floating in the air like stars, their essence perfectly formed.

As the Dun Jia Tian Zi appeared, Hong Yan and Di Huang narrowed their eyes slightly. They could clearly see vast realms manifesting on each character, resembling an entire universe, faintly visible.

The two exchanged a look, wondering if they were seeing things.

They focused again.

This time, they saw it clearly, and it left them deeply astonished. They had encountered Dun Jia Tian Zi before, but these characters were vastly different from what they remembered. The fact that they could manifest a universe alone set them far above the past. If not for witnessing it themselves, they wouldn't have known the Dun Jia held such profound mysteries.

"Come on, this one."

"So many Tian Zi, and this one's the brightest. It matches your brother's temperament perfectly."

"Trust me, it's spot on."

Before Nu Di could choose, Ye Chen selected one for her: a shining golden character "Zhu."

Yes, it was the character "Zhu."

This "Zhu" was no ordinary one; it radiated a piercing light and exuded an overwhelming dominance, making its nature immediately apparent.

Nu Di said nothing and casually took the "Zhu" character that Ye Chen handed her.

Then, she slapped him across the face.

To provoke a Huang-level emperor to such an outburst, Ye Chen, the Heavenly Emperor, was undoubtedly the first of his kind. Such a talent hadn't existed even in the ancient Heavenly Court era.

Once he steadied himself, his head buzzing, the Sacred Body supreme being had a bloody nose.

Meanwhile, Nu Di had already chosen her own Tian Zi.

Compared to Ye Chen's selection, hers was far more subdued: a character "Qing" that emitted a restrained glow.

Di Huang and Hong Yan frowned, unsure of Nu Di's intentions, though they knew the Dun Jia Tian Zi might break the rootless situation.

Nu Di gently waved her hand, pressing the Tian Zi into Shen Zun's body.

As the character entered, waves of essence spread through him, but otherwise, there were no other changes. Shen Zun remained as he was, like a statue, unmoving in his slumber.

Ye Chen, still clutching his face, stepped closer, half in jest but focused on the task at hand.

After observing for a while, nothing seemed to happen.

Nu Di's gaze was deeper than his. Although there was no visible movement, the rate at which Shen Zun's lifespan was draining had slowed considerably.

In other words, the Dun Jia Tian Zi entering his body had some real effect.

Over time, Ye Chen noticed it too, while Hong Yan and Di Huang looked on in confusion, baffled as to how the Dun Jia Tian Zi could slow the depletion of lifespan. Did it possess such divine power?

"It seems we need to fully merge the Tian Zi with Shen Zun. If that works, it might truly succeed."

Ye Chen murmured thoughtfully.

Nu Di fell silent, casting a sidelong glance at Ye Chen, her eyes full of unspoken meaning.

This Heavenly Emperor was utterly shameless when unserious, yet disarmingly insightful when he was.

Still, his suggestion aligned perfectly with her own thoughts.

Merely implanting the Dun Jia Tian Zi wasn't enough to form roots; only by fusing them completely could it be achieved.

Without hesitation, she acted. Raising her hand again, she unleashed the eternal power, waves of immortal light cascading down and enveloping Shen Zun's body, transforming into eternal flames that refined him to the utmost.

This was the refining method of a Huang emperor, treating both Shen Zun and the Tian Zi as a single piece of immortal iron, forging them together with eternal fire.

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, watching intently. He could see through Shen Zun's form and observe the solid Tian Zi gradually turning ethereal under the eternal flames, until it dissolved into nothingness.

The process was excruciatingly slow—perhaps deliberately so, as Nu Di didn't dare rush it, fearing any mishap. The Tian Zi was too significant to handle carelessly.

What followed was an extraordinarily mystical scene. As the Tian Zi merged with Shen Zun, ancient visions surrounded him: towering mountains, winding rivers, and every blade of grass and tree brimming with essence. Beyond that, there were sun and moon, heaven and earth, yin and yang—vast realms and boundless lands came into view. Together, they formed an entire great realm, more precisely, a universe.

"This is promising."

Ye Chen's eyes lit up. These visions weren't Shen Zun's but originated from the Dun Jia Tian Zi.

It had been refined from a universe, and now, by merging with Shen Zun, those visions manifested. Though that universe no longer existed, its imprints remained within the character, and the current visions were traces of what once was.

Nu Di's eyes shone even brighter than Ye Chen's. She cared nothing for the visions, the universe, or the traces and imprints.

What mattered to her was Shen Zun's root.

As the Dun Jia Tian Zi fused, the rootless Shen Zun astonishingly began to form roots and origins. She couldn't see them, nor could anyone else, but they existed—more vast than she had imagined. As Ye Chen had said, by incorporating the Tian Zi, he now carried a universe within, establishing his own foundation.

"This..."

Hong Yan was stunned, hardly able to believe what she was seeing. Di Huang's expression was even more dramatic.

The Dun Jia Tian Zi was incredibly powerful; a rootless quasi-huang emperor had regrown roots through its fusion. This scene, defying all rules, overturned everything they had ever known.

Buzz!

As they watched, Shen Zun's body trembled with a hum, layers of halo spreading out, brimming with vitality and surging life force.

Soon, the glow enveloped Shen Zun entirely, making him resemble a divine being. His once-white hair turned black again, and his aged appearance faded bit by bit. Though he lay there in slumber, he gave off the aura of life's very source.

This was an absolutely heaven-defying rebirth—from rootless to rooted, now housing a universe within.

"It's done."

Di Huang said, excited, for Donghua Nu Di was also rootless. If the Dun Jia Tian Zi could restore Shen Zun's roots, it could do the same for Yue Shang.

"It's done."

Hong Yan smiled, finally breathing a sigh of relief. Seeing Shen Zun's current state, the fusion with the Dun Jia Tian Zi had not only recreated his roots but elevated them beyond their previous level.

"Ye Chen, you truly are a bringer of good fortune."

Nu Di murmured with a light smile, her expression radiant, momentarily forgetting Ye Chen's usual antics. She only knew that his idea had helped her brother escape the torment of being rootless.

"I like hearing that."

Ye Chen replied casually, straightening his posture with an air of composure, his presence growing more refined.

He couldn't help but wonder if Nu Di might come over and kiss him—women in the throes of extreme joy often felt such impulses.

In reality, he was overthinking it.

Nu Di was indeed overjoyed and had her impulses, but they weren't to kiss him—they were to punch someone to vent her uncontainable excitement.

Hong Yan knew this all too well.

Recalling the past, Nu Di had been something of a madwoman. When unhappy, she'd use people as punching bags; when something good happened, she'd do the same, and she never held back.

So, Ye Chen should count himself lucky that she hadn't acted on it—otherwise, he'd be left questioning his existence.

As for Shen Zun, his transformation was far from over.

Having fused with the Dun Jia Tian Zi, his metamorphosis was otherworldly, surpassing even his former self in essence, origin, divine power, and eternity—everything had reached new heights.

Yet, he remained unconscious.

Though unaware, his evolution continued silently, and awakening was only a matter of time. If conditions were right, he might even advance to Huang emperor.