Chapter 3162: Across the Universe Reunion

Meng Mo departed.

Soon after, Yao Chi revealed her true form, standing beneath the starry sky and silently watching Meng Mo leave.

She had always been there, quietly supporting from the shadows. Without her help, Ye Chen wouldn't have escaped the gods' pursuit so easily.

"May all merits be fulfilled."

Before long, Xiu Luo Tian Zun appeared, accompanied by Yue Shen, Di Xian, Dao Zun, and Ruo Shui—the supreme beings of their own faction. In the massive divine brawl, Ye Chen had been badly beaten, and they were no better off. Including Yao Chi, nearly all of them were covered in fresh blood.

They had gone to such lengths for this action. With Meng Mo taking Ye Chen away, half the plan was successful. As long as they reached Zhao Yun, it would mean an eternal reunion, making anything possible.

It sounded simple, but it was incredibly dangerous. Any slip-up could lead to Ye Chen's complete destruction.

In the end, it was a massive gamble. Ye Chen's severe injuries and his half-dead state were real; otherwise, they could not have lured Meng Mo out.

Speaking of Meng Mo, that woman's expression was beyond unpleasant—almost grotesque with fury.

It was a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Today, she had played the role perfectly, thinking she was the oriole, only to realize she was just a lowly cockroach. The true oriole was Wu Wang Mo Zun.

That was why she was so infuriated. All her painstaking schemes had ended up benefiting someone else.

"Release me, and I'll find you a good match."

"In my homeland, there's a talented man who's still unmarried, and he looks exactly like me."

"He's just like me—handsome beyond compare."

From within the small world, words kept echoing out.

It was Ye Chen speaking. He was truly restless, bound tightly by order chains, yet still chattering away nonstop, seizing every chance to persuade her.

The "talented man" he referred to was, of course, Di Zun. If he could send a wife back for him, that guy would surely be thrilled.

And Meng Mo fit the bill perfectly. Pairing her with Di Zun, they might even look like a couple.

Meng Mo said nothing, glancing sideways at Ye Chen more than once. Her eyes were filled with bloodthirsty rage, her killing intent impossible to hide. If not for Wu Wang Mo Zun specifically demanding Ye Chen, she would have dragged him out of the small world and strangled him on the spot.

Ye Chen paid it no mind, still pondering how to drag Meng Mo back to the various heavens.

The journey passed in silence.

Meng Mo moved swiftly, crossing vast distances.

When they reappeared, they were in an immortal sea.

This immortal sea was immensely vast, shrouded in mist and haze, with clouds swirling around and obscuring an entire star domain.

"Truly extraordinary."

Ye Chen murmured to himself, gazing around the entire way. As one of the forbidden zones, this Shen Xu was far beyond what places like the Fo Jie, Mo Yu, Xian Ling, or Di Yu could compare to.

In other words, the order of this Shen Xu was extraordinarily complete, with its inscribed array patterns and formations entirely undamaged.

He had heard before that Shen Xu was the only forbidden zone never touched by war, and seeing it now confirmed the rumors.

Just this alone made it utterly superior to the other four supreme inheritances. If the other four forbidden zones were full of traps, then Shen Xu itself was the ultimate pit.

"Thankfully, I didn't try to force my way in."

Ye Chen sighed inwardly. Only by seeing it firsthand did he realize how terrifying Shen Xu was. Even at his peak, entering would likely mean death, or at best, a miserable survival. Xiu Luo Tian Zun and Yue Shen from the past were prime examples—two quasi-wild emperors who had entered and been beaten down from their divine positions.

Meng Mo did not stop, pressing on into the depths.

From afar, a divine land came into view, its territory even vaster than the Xuan Huang Continent. It was enveloped in divine radiance, with majestic divine mountains and immortal rivers winding through. Every mountain, river, blade of grass, and tree was imbued with ancient, timeless energy. Even the towering statues exuded an aura that could suppress the eight directions. Looking up, there were massive, floating palaces, each as enormous as a mountain peak, serving as both ancient halls and integral parts of the formations.

At the most ethereal peak, a divine blade hung suspended—a crimson divine blade radiating demonic black light across the eight directions and unleashing destructive divine power capable of annihilating heaven and earth.

This was Shen Xu's supreme divine artifact: Wu Wang Shen Dao.

This blade was notoriously infamous, with ancient legends claiming it had been stained with the blood of a supreme god.

"The divine realm of return—truly remarkable."

Ye Chen clicked his tongue in amazement. Among the forbidden zones he had entered, this Shen Xu was the most terrifying. Hiding here, no one could touch it.

Of course, supreme gods were an exception.

"So many treasures."

After his exclamations, that was his next thought. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Shen Xu, for this forbidden zone hid countless divine items—many that the various heavens lacked, and even more he had never heard of. Anything that caught his eye was no ordinary treasure.

"Once I save Zhao Yun, I'll sweep the place clean."

Ye Chen mused to himself. As the tenth emperor of Great Chu, he had to take something wherever he went.

Meng Mo had already landed in front of a grand hall. Its plaque read "Wu Wang Shen Dian," the largest palace in Shen Xu. Standing before it, one felt like a tiny ant, and with poor eyesight, you couldn't even see the top.

"Supreme One."

Meng Mo bowed respectfully, hands clasped.

"The failure in the Xian Jie is now offset by this success."

A dry, ethereal voice echoed from within the hall—it was Wu Wang Mo Zun speaking.

As the words fell, a wisp of divine light flew out and entered Meng Mo's small world. Ye Chen, sealed inside, was instantly pulled into the grand hall.

"Thank you, Supreme One."

Meng Mo bowed again, though her expression was still sour. She had expected rewards, not just a balancing of merits and faults.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen was being drawn deeper by the divine light, unable to resist.

Before long, a mighty figure came into view, blurred and indistinct, his features unreadable. Strange phenomena swirled around him, and demonic heavenly sounds reverberated. His long, crimson hair seemed washed in fresh blood, and his eyes were as deep and bottomless as abyssal pits, embodying pure destruction.

No need to say it—this was Wu Wang Mo Zun.

"My friend, we finally meet."

Wu Wang Mo Zun gave a faint, eerie smile. He had already summoned Wu Wang Shen Dao, transforming it into supreme laws that etched themselves into Ye Chen's body.

In addition, countless god-level array patterns were branded onto Ye Chen's primordial spirit. Each one was an ultimate seal—necessary precautions, given Ye Chen's unpredictability.

"To be honest, I don't think much of you."

Ye Chen said, glancing around.

The interior of this hall formed its own world, even more extraordinary than he imagined. Four massive copper pillars rose like ancient titans, covered in terrifying divine patterns. An outsider entering would meet an unknown death.

Wu Wang Mo Zun remained silent, a slight curl at his lips as he raised his hand. From Ye Chen's body, he extracted a thread of light, entwined with laws and radiating eternal brilliance, with immortal power flowing within.

"Indeed, it is eternal."

Wu Wang Mo Zun's eyes flashed with fervent light. Though different from Zhao Yun's, it led to the same essence.

"It's deeper within."

Ye Chen continued scanning, sensing Zhao Yun's presence. This hall was its own realm, concealing a separate space. Wu Wang Mo Zun was cautious; without entering the hall, Ye Chen would not have known where Zhao Yun was.

As for the seals Wu Wang Mo Zun had imposed, Ye Chen could not break them in his current state—not even at his peak might he succeed.

Shen Xu was too strange; some seals seemed specifically designed to counter eternity.

Thus, he needed assistance, and that would come from Zhao Yun. With their eternities intertwined, no seal could hold.

"You even brought the Dun Jia Tian Zi."

"Good, very good."

Wu Wang Mo Zun chuckled, drawing out one Dun Jia Tian Zi after another from Ye Chen's body. Along with them came the Chaos Cauldron, Chaos Fire, and all the treasures Ye Chen had collected along the way, which he swept away completely.

"It's no big deal."

Ye Chen shrugged it off. Whatever was taken from him would be returned one day. As for the gods and the supreme beings he had captured earlier, they were no longer with him—otherwise, their fate would be unimaginable.

With a hum, Wu Wang Mo Zun tore open a light gate and vanished with Ye Chen in an instant.

They reappeared in a separate space, resembling a starry sky with twinkling stars everywhere.

Deep in the stars stood a massive altar, surrounded by floating heavenly characters and rampant destructive laws.

And there, sealed on the altar, was Zhao Yun.

This was Ye Chen's first time seeing Zhao Yun since arriving in this universe. At first glance, he hardly recognized him. The once god-like Zhao Yun now looked aged and worn, his strands of white hair dusted with the grime of years.

Zhao Yun opened his eyes and saw Ye Chen, showing no surprise. His murky eyes held mostly weariness.

Since their parting in the underworld, thousands of years had passed. He never imagined reuniting after so long in such a state. He was still Zhao Yun, but aged and broken; Ye Chen was still Ye Chen, but barely clinging to life.

Wu Wang Mo Zun raised his hand and pushed Ye Chen onto the altar, where he sat cross-legged beside Zhao Yun.

Immediately, fearsome law chains locked Ye Chen's dao roots and sealed his primordial spirit, layering on countless more seals in an instant.

Even then, Wu Wang Mo Zun was not satisfied. He summoned Wu Wang Shen Dao, suspending it above the altar, with supreme laws cascading down.

Ye Chen and Zhao Yun sat side by side, sharing a silent understanding. In the same moment, they turned and glanced at each other, sizing one another up from head to toe and back again.

"This friend looks awfully familiar."

"Anyone who respects me on the path calls me Long Ge. What about you—what's your title?"

"Anyone who respects me calls me Liu Ye."

"Don't try to one-up me like that."

Time truly was a slaughtering knife.

The conversation from their days in the eighteen layers of hell was replayed after thousands of years.

The circumstances were much the same.

Back then, they were suppressed in the underworld's hell.

Now, they were sealed in the divine hall's altar.

No wonder they were both unfortunate souls—together, they always spelled trouble.

"Bragging, are we?"

"Go ahead!"

Zhao Yun tucked his hands in his sleeves, and Ye Chen did the same. Like two spectators, they watched Wu Wang Mo Zun bustle about, not knowing what he was up to. In the end, it would all be for nothing.

And why not? Someone whose brain was waterlogged usually had pitiful intelligence, and Wu Wang Mo Zun was a prime example.

How else to put it? He didn't even understand what eternity was, yet he dared to put the two of them together—clearly digging his own grave.

And then burying himself alive.