Chapter 3210: The Unknown

Chapter 3210: Wu Wei Zhi

Ye Chen slept for another three days.

In those three days, Heavenly Emperor Tribulations continued across the realms. Countless people achieved enlightenment, all benefiting from his Dao sounds.

Yet, he remained in deep slumber.

Every day, people came—cultivators and ordinary folks alike—standing at the edge of the star domain, tiptoeing to catch a glimpse of that world-saving deity.

On the fourth day, the star domain began to hum.

Then, bursts of radiant colors erupted, with eternal light flowing freely, manifesting cosmic visions once more.

“He is about to wake up.” Ren Wang said, then stood up.

As his words fell, Ye Chen opened his eyes.

His eyes were a blur of chaos at first, only gradually clearing to reveal scenes of eternity and indestructibility, which then faded into marks on his body.

The masses rose to their feet in unison upon seeing this.

Ye Chen smiled faintly but said nothing, gazing across the star river at his wives, old friends, and family.

So many familiar faces were missing.

He remained silent, quietly turning away and heading to Tian Huang to repair the Taigu Road and the ancient Hong Huang, leaving behind only his silhouette for the world.

“The years are like a blade!” Long Ye murmured, taking a deep breath, his eyes growing misty as he watched Ye Chen’s back. He recalled the past and that young cultivator—he never imagined that little guy would one day stand shoulder to shoulder with the heavens.

“Wait for you to come home.” The wife from the Sheng Ti family watched him leave, her gaze blurred, her heart aching inexplicably at his retreating figure.

His entire life had been spent on the road.

He had walked a lifetime, and they had chased a lifetime, never once catching up to his steps from beginning to end.

They also left, waiting silently at that place called Yu Nu Peak for his return.

The masses dispersed as well, walking far away but still turning back for one last look at that silhouette.

Ye Chen did not stop, walking and observing along the way, gazing at the Cang Miao and also at the Tian E Sheng San Domain, seeing the two Huang Di through the barrier.

“In the future, I will surely slay you.” The two Huang Di from Tian E snorted coldly, their faces twisted in malice.

Ye Chen remained silent.

To be frank, he could barely fight one of them—perhaps he was no match for a Huang Di, or perhaps he could defeat one, but he absolutely could not kill it.

When he reached Zhun Huang Dacheng, he could slaughter great emperors.

But when he reached Zhun Huang Dacheng, he could not slaughter Huang Di.

This was his realization.

The three Huang Di were linked to the Heavenly Dao; as long as the Heavenly Dao did not die, they would not perish. To truly overthrow that detestable heaven, he must first seal his position as Huang Di.

Boom!

Suddenly, in the ethereal void, lightning flashed and thunder roared, with seven wheels of pitch-black suns rapidly evolving.

That was the Tian Mo Chong Qi Sha.

Indeed, it still existed, and across all realms, only Ye Chen could see it.

As long as the Heavenly Dao endured, so would it.

When it descended again, that would be the true apocalypse, the final battle between the masses and the Heavenly Dao.

That battle would no longer involve crossing time and space.

The wheel of history had completely ended; whether for the future masses or the future Heavenly Dao, all their destined powers had been exhausted in the void. They could no longer summon cross-time abilities or interfere in this time with future forms. Victory or defeat would be decided in the present era.

Buzz!

A buzzing sound arose as the Hun Dun Ding arrived, along with the Hun Dun Fire and Hun Dun Thunder.

In the battle against Tai Shang, they had all been entrusted to Ji Ningshuang, and now they returned to their original owner.

With Ye Chen reaching Zhun Huang Dacheng, all three had transformed, especially the Hun Dun Ding, which had completely undergone nirvana and could now withstand Huang Di weapons.

As he walked, he vanished.

When he reappeared, he was on the shattered Taigu Road.

Beneath his feet, eternal light spread out, and wherever he passed, segments of the Taigu Road connected once more.

The three emperors were in slumber, but only Di Zun was awake, showing a weary smile upon seeing Ye Chen.

One from the first life.

One from the ninth life.

Their ancient bond created a heaven-defying karma, igniting the light of the masses.

He was the true supreme among emperors.

Ye Chen smiled and waved his hand, drawing Di Zun into his small realm, doing the same for Ming Di, Xuan Di, and Gui Di.

He entered the Taigu Hong Huang.

What met his eyes was a scene of blood, and from his memories, too many familiar figures were gone.

“Cang Sheng Commander.”

All the emperors opened their eyes, gazing collectively at Ye Chen, saying nothing, their expressions speaking for them.

One era, one protagonist.

In this era, that heavy mission truly fell on Ye Chen’s shoulders, marking him as the second Gu Tian Ting Empress, who must uphold the heavens for all realms and for the masses.

Buzz!

Still, the eternal halo spread from Ye Chen’s body, healing the emperors’ wounds, repairing the cosmos, restoring order, and setting everything right.

“This time, I am truly convinced.” Shen Zun said with a laugh, handing over a jug of wine.

One brother-in-law.

One elder brother-in-law.

They had clashed in countless battles before, but now, the supreme of the Sheng Ti family had finally made the Tian Ting War God utter these words—he had earned that right.

Ye Chen said nothing, reaching out to take it and standing before the empress. His eternal halo could not fully heal her wounds, for she had been injured by a Huang Di incarnation.

He waved his hand and placed it on her forehead, letting the eternal light enter to dispel the lingering killing intent in her body and heal her scars with indestructibility.

The empress did not wake, sleeping peacefully and serenely, but the peerless beauty now showed a trace of aged weariness—or perhaps, her eternity had been forcibly marred by the Tian Mo Huang Di incarnation.

Ye Chen reached out, gently stroking her cheek, trying to erase that unbefitting sign of age.

Unfortunately, he could not succeed.

She had grown old, having endured two eras in hardship; even eternity could not hide that weariness.

At some point, Ye Chen slowly withdrew his hand and turned away silently, heading toward the Taigu Virtual Realm.

This battle had been too devastating, but fortunately, he still had the Tian character, which could revive many through the unknown—like Yu Xian and the fallen emperors.

At the end of Taigu, a beautiful figure stood gracefully; as Ye Chen completed his nirvana, she had also awakened from her slumber.

When they met again, no words were spoken.

They simply exchanged a smile, with everything understood in silence.

Deeper in the virtual realm.

Ye Chen stopped quietly and found Zi Zai Tian, who had been drifting for who knew how many years.

Zi Zai Tian awoke, her expression complex; once sworn enemies, now standing side by side.

Ye Chen was grateful to her.

Without her aid in battle, the Heavenly Dao might have already brought apocalypse.

Ye Chen entered the vortex.

When he emerged, his brows were slightly furrowed; the vortex was the entrance to the unknown, but this time, he found neither the unknown nor the “Xing” character child.

Afterward, he tried multiple times.

In the virtual realm, there were countless vortices, and he attempted them one by one, seeking the unknown domain.

Regrettably, he found nothing.

That unknown realm seemed to have vanished from existence.

“How could this be?”

His face paled slightly; without the unknown, he could not revive those who had fallen in battle.

On this day, he stood quietly on the mountain peak, gazing up at the void, his eyes profound and boundless.

He felt as if something was missing.

He also felt as if he had forgotten something.

At his level, intuition was reality.

If his guess was correct, a segment of time had likely been intercepted out of nowhere—or perhaps, eaten by the “Xing” character child.

Thus, all the memories and traces that should have existed were completely erased, even for him, a Zhun Huang Dacheng.

So, where had that “Xing” character child gone? Was it still in the realms? Still in this universe?

No one could answer him.

He could not figure it out, and neither could Shen Zun, who had been watching the unknown—how could it just disappear?

“Yong Heng Xian Yu?” Shen Zun turned his head, tentatively looking at Ye Chen.

“I don’t know.” Ye Chen shook his head lightly; since the time had been intercepted, not a single trace could be found.

Perhaps even the Heavenly Dao was unaware.

That “Xing” character must have transcended the Heavenly Dao.

Shen Zun frowned as well.

This was strange; the child had vanished before they even defeated the Heavenly Dao—who knew if it was a blessing or a curse?

It was not until late at night that Ye Chen descended from the mountain peak and arrived at the altar sealing the first-generation Sheng Mo.

“All beings are ants.”

The first-generation Sheng Mo gritted his teeth, his blood-red eyes filled with resentment, hatred, and malice.

This was also a reflection of the Heavenly Dao.

As the executor of the Heavenly Dao, its demeanor was the demeanor of the heavens above.

Ye Chen said nothing, standing there like a monument, quietly watching the first-generation Sheng Mo, quietly watching what was called the heavens.

This was his first time standing here in his true form since leaving the realms years ago; his state of mind was entirely different from back then.

Upon seeing the first-generation Sheng Mo again, it actually felt fear and dared not meet Ye Chen’s eyes; his calm was terrifying, calm enough to make it panic.

Boom! Rumble!

In the ethereal void, there was rumbling; the Heavenly Dao was also panicking, using the thunder to mask its inner unrest. From Ye Chen’s body, it sensed a terrifying threat—the will, faith, destiny, and obsession of the masses, all gathered in him.

For a long time, Ye Chen did not move.

He had reached the pinnacle of Zhun Huang, just half a step from Huang Di; his vision was on par with the Heavenly Dao. From the heavens’ perspective, he could clearly overlook everything, and precisely because he saw clearly, he hated the Heavenly Dao even more.

The masses were not ants.

Yet, rules had become cages; fate, the void, and destiny were all those detestable chains.

“Release the seal and fight me.”

The first-generation Sheng Mo snorted coldly, struggling violently, trying to lure Ye Chen into freeing him.

Ye Chen ignored it.

Restraining the Heavenly Dao and serving as the central anchor was the first-generation’s sole purpose; this Huang Di could absolutely not be released. The barrier would shatter because of him, and the destroyed Tian Mo Chong Qi Sha would reappear because of him. Once war with the heavens began, the masses of the realms would still face certain defeat.

Three days later, he entered the virtual realm again.

This time, he walked for a long while.

The virtual realm had no time, but the outside world did; some waited, some calculated. After tens of thousands of years in the virtual realm, Ye Chen did not know how far he had gone or how many voids and vortices he had explored, but he still did not find the unknown domain.

When he returned, the empress had awakened.

Shen Zun had already told her about the unknown; even as a former Huang Di, she could not explain it.

With the Tian character but without the unknown, those buried in the future would truly be gone forever.

Under the moonlight, a game of chess was set up beneath an old tree, a contest between Ye Chen and the empress.

“Once I defeat the heavens, I will grant them freedom.” The empress parted her lips lightly; the “them” she referred to were Chu Xuan and Chu Ling.

“What about you?” Ye Chen placed a piece. “Will you still remember Ye Chen?”

“It is best to forget each other in the rivers and lakes.”

That night carried a touch of fantasy.

Gazing at that mountain peak, the contest of eternities reflected legends and myths.

All the supremes watched, observing the players and also the ethereal void; the intertwined visions of the two eternities were ancient and splendid, dusted with the passage of time.

“This is so serious; it’s quite uncharacteristic.” Di Zun said with his hands behind his back, feeling as if something was missing.

“I’m still waiting for him to hang the empress from a tree!”

“And why not just go to bed?”

“Next time you drive, could you give a heads-up first?”

The Di Dao F4’s conversation was always so profound, their shamelessness unmatched.