Chapter 3108: Old Friend and Disciple

The great battle arrived and concluded with equal speed. The people of Hao Miao Zong were still in a state of shock. They had long heard that their Shi Zu was a formidable figure, but they never imagined her husband was also a peerless expert. Without even making a move himself, he had wiped out the entire horde of enemies. His dominance surpassed even that of the Shi Zu, so it was no wonder they were a couple – ordinary people simply couldn't match either of them.

"Don't move, I'll handle it."

Chi Yan Xiong Shi roared, charging out from the mountains and dashing across the sky. Although the invaders had been slaughtered, their treasures remained, scattered everywhere in the form of storage bags. It remembered the words of its ancestors: win the battle, and you'll get the spoils.

No sooner had it spoken than the elders of Hao Miao Zong swarmed out. One person collecting was tiresome, but with more hands, the work was quicker. Compared to them, Zi Xin was more composed. She held her blood-stained immortal sword, seemingly exhausted from the fighting, her jade-like hand and delicate body trembling. That person named Xue Yang was truly powerful; his attacks had even nicked her sword. If she had truly fought him alone, she wouldn't have stood a chance. She had to thank Ye Chen for restraining Xue Yang, allowing her to finally avenge her deep-seated grudge. After so many years, this night was the most satisfying of her humiliating past.

"I need more ancient characters."

Ye Chen spoke calmly, flicking his finger to send a surge of Zhou Tian power into Zi Xin's body, enlightening her mind and tempering her physique. In an instant, her cultivation broke through to a new level.

"I will serve you as a slave, as an ox, even death a thousand times over would not be enough."

Zi Xin was deeply moved, repeating the words she had spoken earlier in the Qing Lou. Whether it was being used or her own worth, her gratitude toward Ye Chen came from the depths of her soul.

Ye Chen said nothing, covering the entire universe with his Zhou Tian power. From the sect leader down to the spirit beasts, even those who had gone out to collect treasures were enveloped in an instant. The entire sect advanced in cultivation right then and there. Although he was sealed, this quasi-Huang Emperor still possessed incredible divine abilities. This move left the people of Hao Miao Zong in utter shock, their eyes on Ye Chen changing once more. Was this a god? Could he ignore the rules and elevate cultivation at will? He was far more powerful than their Shi Zu.

Before long, Chi Yan Xiong Shi and the others returned, their scavenged treasures piled into mountains—immortal stones, jade artifacts, magical treasures, secret scrolls, and spiritual elixirs beyond count. The enemy had come in force, so the haul was plentiful. Ye Chen casually took a few items before turning back to the small bamboo grove. As for the rest, he left it all to the Hao Miao Zong leader to distribute. The restless Chi Yan Xiong Shi grabbed its share and bolted.

Under the moonlight, Ye Chen stood before the Yao Chi statue, once again using Zhou Tian to trace back through time. He followed the path as before but encountered a barrier. Trying to force his way through proved futile—the barrier was too strong, and it even backfired on him. After pondering for a long time without any clues, even a quasi-Huang Emperor like him couldn't track down a Tian Di. And that barrier was incredibly formidable; he still didn't know its origin. All he knew was that in his current state, he was far from breaking it.

Late at night, Hao Miao Zong was far from quiet. More than one person left the sect, mostly elders from the intelligence pavilion, heading in all directions to help Ye Chen search for ancient characters. The intelligence pavilion wasn't unique to Hao Miao Zong; other forces had them too, forming a vast network across the entire Hao Miao Realm. Finding people or treasures was the most straightforward way, just a matter of buying information. Ye Chen had done this often back in the Zhu Tian worlds.

Three full days passed without any news.

On the fourth day, Ye Chen left Hao Miao Zong, accompanied only by Chi Yan Xiong Shi and Zi Xin. Their initial luck as newcomers seemed to have run out; after expending so much time and effort, they still hadn't found the fourth Dun Jia Tian Zi. They needed to venture farther. Before departing, the entire Hao Miao Zong saw them off and asked about the Shi Zu's whereabouts, but received no answer. Since it was Yao Chi's inheritance, Ye Chen left behind some creations—mostly Emperor Dao immortal formations and various divine abilities and immortal techniques—as a way to settle the karma between Ji Ning Shuang and this sect.

Entering the void, Ye Chen's gaze grew much deeper. After fusing with the "Xiao" character of the Dun Jia, his Emperor Dao perception had unlocked a bit, allowing him to see the structure of the Hao Miao Realm. In the starry sky, it was like a vast continent, with territory about the size of Dong Huang. What he still couldn't see through was the Tian Dao, which appeared vaguely, half-hidden. He wasn't sure if the Tian Dao was flawed or if his sealed perception was clouding his vision.

"So this is the starry sky!"

Once they left the realm, they entered the vast starry expanse. Chi Yan Xiong Shi was full of wonder, experiencing the stars for the first time since gaining sentience. Zi Xin, on the other hand, was more composed, having seen the world. Glancing back, she confirmed Ye Chen's perception—the so-called Hao Miao Realm was indeed just a continent. Compared to the universe, even the vastest continent was merely a speck of dust.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged on Chi Yan Xiong Shi's head, in his usual pose: legs folded, hands tucked away. This universe's starry sky was quite similar to Zhu Tian's—immensely vast at a glance, even a quasi-Huang Emperor couldn't see through it all. Naturally, he might have been able if at his peak.

"Amazing, truly amazing."

Chi Yan Xiong Shi wandered slowly, taking in the sights like a country bumpkin. Everything was novel to it, and it even chased after meteors now and then, followed by bursts of foolish laughter. Zi Xin couldn't help rolling her eyes at it more than once.

Ye Chen remained calm, silent, occasionally glancing toward the four seas and eight wildernesses, as if waiting for something.

What was he waiting for? Of course, powerful cultivators. Not to rob them, but to borrow something from them.

What exactly? An Emperor Dao domain gate.

Otherwise, who knew how long it would take to reach another realm or star—they were relying on Chi Yan Xiong Shi, after all, which was only at the Tian Jing level post-advancement, and its speed was pitifully slow.

It was just that the starry sky was too enormous and vast; without the supreme divine abilities, nothing else mattered.

Zi Xin understood this well, at least better than Chi Yan Xiong Shi. She was good at reading people. Hao Miao Realm was a remote backwater; they had searched everywhere earlier and found no domain gate, so borrowing one was the way to go. The starry sky was the most direct place to find one.

"Stop!"

After three or five days of travel, Ye Chen finally spoke. They had encountered a living being: a little old man sitting on his wine gourd, humming a tune as he approached. From a million li away, Ye Chen could clearly see him. In terms of cultivation, he was equivalent to a quasi-emperor in Zhu Tian—possibly with a domain gate.

In no time, the little old man arrived.

Spotting Ye Chen and his companions, the old man leisurely came to a halt. He ignored Chi Yan Xiong Shi and Zi Xin, stroking his beard as he circled around Ye Chen, sizing him up from head to toe. This plump little child seemed extraordinary; with his own level and insight, he couldn't see through him at all.

Chi Yan Xiong Shi's eyes darted around, not daring to move, and it felt an urgent need to relieve itself. People shouldn't be judged by appearances—this little old man was terrifyingly strong. Zi Xin was the same; her cultivation wasn't high, but her insight was.

"Have you had your fill?"

Ye Chen said casually. I'm not some monkey for you to gawk at.

"Interesting."

The old man muttered to himself, sighing endlessly. He thought the starry sky was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, but in this remote corner, he never expected to find someone he couldn't see through.

Ye Chen waved his small hand and slapped the old man down with a single palm, leaving Chi Yan Xiong Shi and Zi Xin swallowing hard. Their master was just too overpowering—no one could stand against that palm.

The old man looked utterly baffled. He knew Ye Chen was exceptional, but not to this extent. As someone with few rivals below the supreme level, he had been felled by this child's palm.

"Lucky for you."

Ye Chen chuckled, reaching his small hand into the old man's inner world and pulling out a domain gate.

"With your esteemed status, isn't robbing a junior like this a bit improper?"

The old man shook his head vigorously, his mind buzzing and seeing stars. He could tell with his backside that this one was a hidden senior of great power—maybe even a genuine god. No wonder he couldn't see through him.

Ye Chen didn't reply; he just focused on studying the domain gate, his demeanor saying it all: I'm strong, so I do as I please.

This domain gate was a bit different from those in Zhu Tian, but the principles were the same, inscribed with spatial divine patterns. Traces of the Dao could even be seen on it, likely crafted by a supreme being—a genuine Emperor Dao domain gate. No wonder he called it good luck!

"My master has a bit of a temper, you know."

The old man finally steadied himself, his face darkening, though without real fear. From the tone, his master must be incredibly powerful, giving him such confidence.

"How bad is it?"

Ye Chen replied absentmindedly, still examining the domain gate. Activating it required divine power, and the farther the transmission, the more power needed. Clearly, neither Chi Yan Xiong Shi nor Zi Xin could do it. As for him, he was sealed tight and couldn't summon his divine power. So, he had to settle for the next best thing: using immortal stones. But that would be costly—they probably didn't have enough.

And so, his small hand reached into the old man's inner world again, hauling out an entire mountain—a mountain made of immortal stones.

The old man's face turned completely black. Damn it, scaring him off didn't seem to work at all; it only encouraged more.

"This guy, do you recognize him?"

While grabbing the stones, Ye Chen also pulled a painting from the old man's inner world. The person depicted was domineering and striking—it was unmistakably Xiu Luo Tian Zun.

"My shishu."

The old man straightened his back as he spoke, his gaze toward Ye Chen turning a bit smug, implying: Are you scared now?

Not really.

Ye Chen didn't say a word, but his expression said everything. That small hand of his grew restless again, delving into the old man's inner world for the third time and clearing out all the treasures. Oh, you old madman, what a coincidence! The universe is so vast, and people so numerous, yet I just happened to run into your shizhi. Not robbing him would be a disservice to you.

This scene had even Chi Yan Xiong Shi and Zi Xin twitching their mouths. The old man might not have mentioned his background if he knew it would only make Ye Chen rob more fiercely. Clearly, their boss wasn't one to be intimidated.

The old man decided to keep quiet, afraid that mentioning more background might cost him more than just treasures—it could cost his life. This plump little child seemed to have no sense of propriety at all.

Don't say it, but this kid's shameless behavior was just like his shishu's.

"Where is he?"

Ye Chen asked, casually picking up a wine flask. The "he" referred to that surname-mad fellow—he really missed him.