Chapter 3100: Lucky Arrival

The night in the Huánglín was quiet and secluded.

The demon wolf stood up, shaking its head as it walked in one direction. After a few steps, it turned back, clearly dazed from the smack Yè Chén had given it and had gone the wrong way.

Once a fierce and bloodthirsty creature, it now acted as meek as a lamb. It was a yāo beast, to be sure, but it had some intelligence. It could tell that the tiny figure sitting on its head was no ordinary being—a real talent and a freak. He looked harmless, but those chubby little hands could slap it into a pulp with one hit.

"All methods lead to different paths, but the great dào returns to the same source."

Yè Chén sat with his legs crossed, gazing up at the vast sky the whole way. The origin of this universe was different from Zhūtiān, but their ultimate destinations were the same. The most fundamental essence of spirit was identical.

Unfortunately, his perception of the Emperor's Path was sealed, so he could only see so much. He wasn't sure if this universe also had a Tiān Dào, let alone whether that Tiān Dào was like Zhūtiān's—a massive demon. If its will had formed and become antagonistic, it would likely lead to a situation like in Zhūtiān.

Once he lowered his gaze from the sky, Yè Chén looked at the demon wolf beneath him. It was quite large, but its cultivation was pitifully weak. Based on Zhūtiān's cultivation levels, it was roughly at the Zhēn Yáng Realm. It couldn't speak human language, likely because it hadn't fully awakened its intelligence yet and hadn't developed its own cultivation system.

"Boss, I want to come out for a stroll."

From the small world, the words of the Cháos Cǎodǐng echoed, along with the Cháos Thunder and Cháos Fire—they all sounded listless, probably cooped up for too long.

"Stay put."

Yè Chén replied casually.

The small world was sealed, so he could hear the Cháos Cǎodǐng's words but not its divine sense.

In other words, the Cháos Cǎodǐng and the others were trapped inside and couldn't send out their divine sense. To get out, their owner would have to break the seal.

During this time, Yè Chén had tried to summon avatars or dharma bodies.

He failed.

His divine abilities and secret techniques were also sealed. All he could rely on was his physical body; he couldn't even use his divine power or magical force. As for absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth, that was impossible too—it would circulate in his body and then dissipate, with nowhere to store it since his Dān Hǎi was closed off.

Arriving in this foreign land, things were more than just awkward.

Still, when he thought about Kuáng Yīngjié from back in the day and Zhào Yún, he realized he had it better than them. One had died and ended up in the underworld, the other in the heavenly realm—one thrown into hell by the Underworld Emperor, the other sent to the Āxiūluó Domain by the Dào Ancestor. There was no such thing as the worst situation, only worse.

Comparing the two, he felt a lot better.

It was a good thing those two weren't here. If they were, they'd surely be giving him side-eye. Zhūtiān is full of classics, yet it produced someone like you. The human world can't contain a god like you.

"Pick up the pace."

Yè Chén smacked the demon wolf, growing impatient. It was ambling along like it was sightseeing. Are you out for a joyride? You haven't lost your mate, so why aren't you in a hurry?

The smack didn't help much. The demon wolf, already moving slowly, stopped completely and even backed up a step instinctively. Its fierce eyes now showed fear, fixed dead on the depths ahead, its massive body trembling uncontrollably.

It wasn't acting this way for no reason—deep in the forest, a larger creature was approaching. From afar, it looked like a towering black shadow heading their way, crashing through ancient trees and exhaling breaths heavy with blood.

Yè Chén could see it too: a pitch-black spider, about five or six zhàng in size. It was definitely bigger than the demon wolf, with claws like steel blades gleaming eerily. It was probably another yāo beast, and the demon wolf had unwittingly entered its territory.

"Scram."

Yè Chén said flatly.

Well, the black spider didn't even get a chance for an opening line before it turned tail and fled, smarter than the demon wolf. From a distance, it had been intimidated by Yè Chén's presence and knew better than to stick around—it had to run.

The demon wolf glanced over, its big eyes rolling. It wasn't the brightest, but it had enough sense. Even a beast as big as that spider had bolted in fear, so how powerful must the little one on its head be?

Suddenly, the demon wolf felt bold. It stopped trembling, held its head high, and strutted forward with an arrogant gait. It boldly crossed territories it wouldn't normally dare enter.

Once it passed that area, it stopped again. On a massive ancient tree nearby hung a giant serpent, its body blood-red, its snake eyes glowing green, flicking a foul tongue with transparent liquid dripping from its fangs. It was poised to attack, and it wasn't kidding—it could take down the demon wolf in one go.

But this serpent's eyesight seemed off. It only spotted the demon wolf and not Yè Chén on top of it. Yè Chén was just too small to notice at first glance.

"Keep going."

Yè Chén ignored the serpent and urged the demon wolf on.

Before the demon wolf could move, the giant serpent lunged like a massive shadow leaping from the tree, mouth wide open as if to bite off the demon wolf's head in one gulp.

Yè Chén didn't even bother looking. He just swung his little hand, turning the charging serpent into a mist of blood.

If you don't know your place, go back and learn some. Even Cānglóng would have to bow down—where does a little worm like you get the nerve?

Gulp!

The demon wolf swallowed hard in secret. It had been shaking in fear, but after seeing that, it gained confidence. Without Yè Chén even saying a word, it bolted forward, racing deeper into the forest without a trace of fear. It might not be much, but the little one on its head was the real deal—a true savage who had just smacked a massive serpent to death.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

The dark Huánglín grew chaotic because of the demon wolf's mad dash, crashing through territories and stirring up roars from all sides. Massive beasts emerged, each bigger than the last. But once they arrived, they cowered more than the one before—not out of fear of the demon wolf, but of the tiny figure on its head. Any yāo beast that didn't know better had already been turned into pulp, and those chubby little hands were brutally effective.

When the demon wolf finally stopped, it was near the deepest part of the Huánglín's center.

There, a radiant spiritual pool shimmered. Beside it stood a massive boulder where a person lay snoring away. This must be the strongest in the Huánglín—the boss. No wonder it was called that—it had even transformed into human form.

"This guy sure has nerves of steel."

That wasn't Yè Chén speaking—it was what the demon wolf was thinking. With all the commotion in the Huánglín at night, how could it not wake up? It must be sleeping like a log!

"Xióng Shī, a Chì Yán Xióng Shī."

Yè Chén scanned the surroundings before looking at the creature. At a glance, he could tell its true form was a lion, its body wreathed in red flames. If it shifted back, it would be over ten zhàng long. Based on Zhūtiān's levels, it was about the Kōng Míng Realm. Being the boss wasn't for nothing—it utterly outclassed the demon wolf. On this journey, its cultivation was the highest by far.

Roar!

The demon wolf crouched down obediently, like a well-trained hound, panting with its tongue out.

Startled by the roar, the Chì Yán Xióng Shī woke up, rubbing its sleepy eyes. The first thing it saw was the demon wolf and Yè Chén, its gaze full of irritation. When did these two show up? And where did this little person come from?

"Have you seen this woman?"

Yè Chén got straight to the point, pulling out a scroll—it was a portrait of Jǐ Níngshuāng, one he had painted long ago.

"Never seen her."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī replied, stepping down from the boulder and shifting back to its true form. It circled the demon wolf, its huge eyes sizing up Yè Chén. This wasn't just any little person—it could sense a terrifying aura from him, making it feel suppressed.

If it felt suppressed, the demon wolf felt it even more. Stared down by the Chì Yán Xióng Shī, it didn't dare move a muscle, feeling a chill run through it and nearly losing control of its bladder.

"What about these three?"

Yè Chén held up three more scrolls—one of Zhào Yún, one of Kuáng Yīngjié, and one of Yuè Xīn. Besides the portraits, their names were inscribed on them. In his view, if those three were famous enough, any cultivator—human or yāo beast—should recognize them at a glance. Back in Zhūtiān, even a three-year-old knew Yè Chén's name, and anyone you grabbed would likely have his portrait. In short, the Tenth Emperor of Dà Chǔ was legendary across the three realms of heaven, earth, and humanity.

"This woman is really beautiful."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī scratched its mane, staring at Jǐ Níngshuāng's portrait. It wasn't clear if it was because of Yáochí's stunning looks or Yè Chén's masterful painting, but her immortal grace and essence were captured so vividly that even a yāo beast like it was mesmerized.

Smack!

Yè Chén swung his hand and slapped it.

"N-never seen them."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī stumbled, shaking its head hard, its mind buzzing from the hit. It had known this little one was no joke—one slap and it was questioning life.

Are you kidding me?

Yè Chén raised an eyebrow. Were Zhào Yún and the others that obscure, or just that low-key? A Kōng Míng Realm yāo beast like this had never even heard of them. Even if it hadn't seen them, it should have at least heard the names.

Compared to him, they were worlds apart.

In Zhūtiān, any random creature knew Yè Chén's name—it was that renowned.

But on second thought, he understood. The situations in the two universes were probably very different. This one might be more vast or less unified than Zhūtiān, with plenty of remote, overlooked places full of the ignorant. Not hearing about them wasn't surprising.

Gurgle!

As he pondered, that sound came from his stomach.

Yè Chén clutched his belly, suddenly hit with hunger. Back in Zhūtiān, even a Quasi Huáng Emperor starving would be unbelievable, but here in this foreign place, with everything sealed, he was actually craving food. And looking at the Chì Yán Xióng Shī in front of him, it suddenly seemed more appealing. If he stewed it, it might make a hearty meal.

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī shivered, seeing the odd look in Yè Chén's eyes. Maybe, in this little person's view, it was already a feast on legs.

So, both sets of eyes darted around, wondering which way to bolt for a quick escape.

Yè Chén looked away. He wouldn't eat this lion—he still needed it to help find people. A Kōng Míng Realm yāo beast could at least serve as a mount and fly through the air, which was faster than his current sealed state. He was strong in a fight, sure, but if the Chì Yán Xióng Shī decided to run, he couldn't catch it. Not being able to fly was frustrating enough.

"Where is this place?"

Yè Chén asked, casually plucking a bunch of grapes. The boss's territory had plenty of spiritual fruit trees, with clusters of grapes wrapped in mist—this was probably the most spiritually rich spot in the Huánglín, where the strongest claimed the best.

"I'm just a country bumpkin."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī shifted back to human form, chuckling awkwardly and trying to butter Yè Chén up. It gathered a huge pile of fruits and laid them out in front of him. As long as it wasn't on the menu, anything was fine. This fawning attitude made the demon wolf sneer—it had never seen the Chì Yán Xióng Shī act so meek before. In its memory, this beast strutted around like it owned the place ever since it awakened.

That "country bumpkin" comment made Yè Chén rub his forehead. He didn't need to ask to know the Chì Yán Xióng Shī had never left the Huánglín and probably didn't know a thing about the outside world. No wonder it didn't recognize Zhào Yún, Kuáng Yīngjié, and Yuè Xīn—asking it was pointless.

"I heard from the elders that the outside world is dangerous."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī coughed, laughing sheepishly. Despite its imposing true form, it was a total coward. Even at Kōng Míng Realm, it didn't dare venture out. Creatures like this had no ambition—they were content being the king of this Huánglín.

"This bell of yours isn't bad."

Yè Chén bit into a spiritual fruit and eyed the bell hanging from the Chì Yán Xióng Shī's waist. It looked decent, though its level was low, but the ancient character etched on it elevated its value. Even as a Quasi Huáng Emperor, it made his eyes light up.

That's right—it was a Dùn Jiǎ Heavenly Character.

Earlier, he'd been too focused on finding people to notice the character on the bell. It was in its most primal state, and if taken to the unknown domains, it could be activated to reveal cosmic secrets. But that wasn't the point—the key was that it could save lives. A single Heavenly Character, small as it was, could bring someone back from the dead, with immense significance. Wasn't coming to this universe all about finding these characters? His luck was good—he'd stumbled upon one right away on his first arrival.

"It's a family heirloom."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī grinned awkwardly, shifting the bell to a safer spot and tucking it away securely. Yè Chén's gaze was getting that weird look again, full of greed.

"Come on, let's trade."

Yè Chén pulled out a small spiritual pearl from his pocket, no bigger than a fingernail and glowing with brilliant purple light. It was the only item he could produce, since his small world was sealed.

This little pearl was more than enough, though. It was a genuine Dà Shèng soldier, far superior to the Chì Yán Xióng Shī's bell in quality. As long as the creature had any brains, it would make the swap.

"How could I?"

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī smirked, quickly pulling out the bell it had just tucked away. It was cowardly, but not stupid—it knew a treasure when it saw one. Its family heirloom was junk compared to this pearl.

"Afraid I'll kill you and take it?"

Yè Chén asked, glancing at the Chì Yán Xióng Shī as he took the bell.

"How could that be? Senior is a master."

The Chì Yán Xióng Shī lowered its head, clutching the pearl and breathing on it, then wiping it vigorously with its sleeve.

A treasure—it was definitely a treasure.

The dazzling purple light was mesmerizing.

It had worried about being killed and robbed earlier, but not anymore. With Yè Chén's strength, if he wanted to do it, there was no need for pretense.

It had that much sense.

"Not too dumb."

Yè Chén chuckled, casually prying off the Heavenly Character and etching it onto his chest. As for the bell, he tossed it to the demon wolf as a parting gift.

This was karma, and it needed to be settled.

The demon wolf leaped to catch it, then bolted, afraid Yè Chén might change his mind and take it back. This trip hadn't been for nothing—it had scored a treasure.