Chapter 3231: 荒魔

Clang, clang, clang.

In the vast and boundless void, the sharp sound of metal clashing echoed incessantly, much like the sound of forging iron.

Ye Chen and Nü Di had fallen silent, but the unknown creature was exceptionally active. Ever since it entered the Xian Hai and located the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, it had been relentlessly pounding on it.

Because of this, the entire Xian Hai was churning with massive waves.

Earlier, the Xian Hai had seemed like a dreamlike illusion, reflecting a hazy immortal realm.

Now, it was filled with signs of utter destruction.

"Who is buried?"

Ye Chen murmured this question, perhaps for the hundredth time. Through the void, he sent a strand of eternal divine sense into the Xian Hai to approach the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, wanting to see who exactly was interred there.

However, the moment his divine sense entered the Xian Hai, it encountered disaster.

Ye Chen quickly severed his divine sense, as a destructive force had followed it back towards him.

"Only a Huang Di may approach."

Nü Di whispered softly, having attempted the same thing and almost suffering a backlash.

Suddenly, the clanging stopped.

Perhaps unable to break through, the unknown creature finally gave up.

Then came the rattling of iron chains.

The unknown creature, formed from blood and bone, transformed into a pitch-black chain. It wrapped around the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, gripped it with one hand, and began dragging it away.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Qing Tong Ancient Coffin was incredibly heavy. With every step the creature took, it hummed and vibrated. No one could tell what divine material it was made from or just how immense its weight was.

In Ye Chen's estimation, he certainly couldn't budge it.

As the coffin was dragged along, the entire Xian Hai became even more turbulent, stirring up larger waves.

Roar!

The unknown creature let out a low roar, its three blood-filled maws opening wide to reveal dark vortices. It began devouring the Xian Hai like a whale sucking in water, swallowing everything into its belly.

"What an appetite."

Ye Chen sighed in amazement, clicking his tongue. The Xian Hai was so terrifying that even he and Nü Di had nearly been ground to dust upon entering. Yet this creature simply gulped it down. In that regard, it rivaled the "Xing" character child.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Qing Tong Ancient Coffin vibrated again, its hum making both their hearts tremble violently.

The unknown creature, however, seemed completely unaffected. It trudged onward, dragging the coffin without pause, its destination unknown and its purpose a mystery. The scene was eerily frightening—so desolate and dark. The space beyond the universe was already daunting, and now this added layer was enough to terrify anyone.

Ye Chen and Nü Di exchanged a glance and followed from a distance.

Compared to the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, the unknown creature seemed uninterested in the two of them. It must have known they were trailing it, yet it never once looked back, as if they were just insignificant specks.

"Don't get too close."

Ye Chen left those words behind and pressed on a few steps.

He strained his eyes to stare at the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, where ancient patterns and indecipherable runes were engraved. He couldn't understand their meaning, but they were likely related to the person inside—perhaps records of their life.

In just three or five moments, he averted his gaze.

Blood was trickling from the corner of his eye—he had suffered backlash.

Or rather, he had seen something he shouldn't have.

The more this happened, the more shocked he felt.

The person inside was long dead, leaving only the coffin, yet even a glance caused backlash. How incredibly powerful and fearsome must they have been? It was all because his cultivation was too low; he must have touched some supreme authority. Though the divine essence had faded, the aura from their lifetime still lingered.

Even a trace of that aura could tear through his sacred body.

It was truly humbling—only by venturing beyond the universe did one realize their own weakness and insignificance.

Buzz! Buzz!

The clanging had stopped, replaced by the buzzing, which was unsettling to hear.

The unknown creature didn't stop.

It wandered aimlessly, as if without purpose.

Behind it, Ye Chen and Nü Di kept going, estimating they had followed for about a hundred years.

At some point, both halted.

In the depths of the darkness, a halo of light seemed to be spreading towards them.

A universe explosion?

Upon seeing it, Ye Chen and Nü Di both stepped back.

It must be a universe exploding, with terrifying aftershocks rippling through the void beyond. Perhaps that exploding universe was incredibly far away, but these aftershocks were devastating. Not even a Huang Di might withstand them, let alone a Zhun Huang Di. If they were inside a universe, they could rely on its barriers to resist.

But out here, they were just easy targets.

"Let's go."

Ye Chen grabbed Nü Di's hand and retreated step by step. With their current levels, they couldn't block such destruction at all. Eternal immortality? Bloodline eternity? It was all nonsense in the face of a universe-level cataclysm.

Roar!

Just as they turned to flee, the unknown creature roared.

That roar was incredibly domineering.

How domineering? Domineering enough to shatter the destructive halo on the spot.

Gulp!

Ye Chen swallowed hard, and Nü Di was equally stunned.

They had forgotten that, though there was no universe barrier, the unknown creature ahead was even more formidable than one. With a single roar, it had obliterated the aftershocks.

"It absolutely surpasses Huang Di and even transcends the Heavenly Dao."

Only then did they truly confirm the creature's level. Thankfully, it lacked consciousness—if it were aware, the two of them would have been reduced to ash long ago.

Buzz! Buzz!

After the destruction, the buzzing resumed, grating on the nerves.

The unknown creature continued on its way, and Ye Chen and Nü Di followed.

And so, more years passed, traversing endless darkness.

Another void appeared ahead.

Gazing into the distance, it looked like a galaxy, dotted in the darkness—a illusory river, yet they could hear the rushing flow of water, which sounded quite pleasant at first.

But that river was no simple thing.

To flow through the void for endless ages, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, enduring forever—it had clearly transcended eternity. If it was a natural formation, that was one thing, but if man-made, it was terrifying.

Roar!

The unknown creature roared again, dragging the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin and forcing its way through.

Ye Chen and Nü Di found themselves in an awkward spot.

The void river blocked their path, and they couldn't cross it. If swept in, they wouldn't even be able to stand. Ye Chen knew this from personal experience.

Once the void river had passed, they moved forward.

But awkwardly, the unknown creature had vanished, as if it had disappeared into thin air.

"This way."

Ye Chen spoke and headed in one direction. Though the creature was gone, they could faintly hear the buzzing of the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, so following the sound would work.

"Could that monster possibly come from the Yong Heng Xian Domain?"

Nü Di suddenly asked.

"Probably not." Ye Chen shook his head lightly.

He hadn't seen any signs of eternity from the creature, so it clearly had no connection to the Yong Heng Xian Domain. It was likely a strange life form born in the void beyond the universe, powerful from birth.

He just didn't know what kept it alive.

"The person in the coffin is probably related to the Yong Heng Xian Domain."

After a long while, Ye Chen murmured.

"How so?"

"The runes on the coffin."

Ye Chen didn't hide anything. When he had merged with Zhao Yun, he had vaguely seen the Gate of Eternity, which also bore ancient runes similar to those on the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin—equally bizarre and incomprehensible.

"No wonder even the monster can't break the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin."

Nü Di said softly.

She had glimpsed the material of the coffin before, but it was something unheard of, likely unique to the Yong Heng Xian Domain—extremely hard, leaving even a creature surpassing Huang Di helpless against it.

"Come on, I'll give you a mirror."

Ye Chen waved his hand and handed a delicate bronze mirror to Nü Di.

Nü Di was puzzled.

But when she looked at herself in the mirror, her whole demeanor changed. One cheek had a circle drawn on it, the other a cross; and there was an X on her forehead.

After a moment of stunned silence, she turned to Ye Chen.

It was obvious that, during her unconscious moments while playing the zither, someone had "enhanced" her appearance.

"What a beautiful girl. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

Ye Chen crossed his arms, clicking his tongue in admiration.

After all, more than a hundred years had passed, and such marks should have faded. However, the circles and crosses he drew were infused with eternity, so they would remain perfectly intact for thousands or even millions of years.

Today, he finally couldn't stand it anymore.

Nü Di's beautiful eyes flickered with sparks of anger. Her already darkened cheeks turned completely black in an instant, and she truly regretted not sending this guy back to the womb for a redo back when she was a Huang Di.

Now, she couldn't beat him—what an awkward situation.

Satisfaction.

Ye Chen's face was full of it. He always knew this day would come. Back when he was constantly getting beaten, he had to claim some interest in return. If you really pushed me too far, I'd just force myself on you—believe it or not.

Huh?

Nü Di let out a light exclamation and looked in a certain direction.

What?

Ye Chen turned his head, following her gaze.

Unfortunately, he saw nothing.

Smack!

As he turned back, a jade hand struck him, knocking his face sideways.

Wow, what a thrill.

Even as a Zhun Huang Da Cheng, he nearly lost his balance, his head buzzing.

He had truly underestimated the Heavenly Court Nü Di.

He had never seen her trick anyone before, but this sudden move caught him off guard.

He was always the one tricking others.

It turned out her acting skills were on par with a film emperor's.

"Run, where do you think you're running?"

In the desolate void, things got lively, filled with someone shouting.

Nü Di's feet were quick—she struck and bolted.

Ye Chen wasn't having it.

He had to catch her, had to teach her a lesson.

"See? This is what a honeymoon looks like."

If the emperors were here, they'd surely say something like that.

Flirting and bickering—Ye Chen was a pro.

"Stop."

Soon enough, Nü Di called out lightly and halted.

In an instant, Ye Chen arrived.

Without needing her to speak, he stopped too. Fun was fun, but when it was time to be serious, he was serious—like now, when they spotted another strange object.

"What is that?"

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, focusing intently.

In the distance, another unknown life form appeared. At first glance, it resembled an octopus with eight tentacles, its body pitch-black, suspended in the void. It was enveloped in dark qi, and within the black mist, faint wails could be heard.

"So big."

Ye Chen looked up. That unknown life form was larger than the biggest star in the heavens, Wang Xuan Star, by a whole circle. What kind of pot would it take to stew something that size?

Compared to it, he and Nü Di were like tiny grains of sand.

Stumbling upon such a massive thing out of nowhere was heart-pounding.

"Huang Mo."

Nü Di parted her lips slightly, her expression full of disbelief.

"Huang Mo?"

Ye Chen instinctively turned his head. This was a name he was hearing for the first time, and with the word "Huang" in it, it was clearly no ordinary being. From Nü Di's cautious look, he knew this eight-tentacled monster was not to be trifled with.

"A being from beyond the universe," Nü Di explained. "It only exists in the void, born as a Huang Di, with no fixed form. This eight-tentacled shape is probably just a random change. Legend has it that it's a greedy demon, fond of devouring universes, and each time it does, it evolves."

"That's scary."

Ye Chen took a deep breath. Devouring universes—what an appetite.

"It seems to be in hibernation."

Nü Di pondered and quietly withdrew from that section of the void.

Ye Chen understood the implication—waking the Huang Mo would be disastrous.

Buzz! Buzz!

But things didn't go as planned. As they tiptoed away, the buzzing started again.

It was the unknown creature.

Earlier, the void river had blocked them, and Ye Chen and Nü Di had lost track of it. Now, it emerged from somewhere, dragging the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin from another part of the void.

Its appearance wasn't the issue.

The buzzing from the Qing Tong Ancient Coffin, however, awakened the Huang Mo.