Chapter 3265: The Great Wilderness

The starry sky was vast, and the moonlight was bright.

Ye Chen stood at the peak of the mountain, quietly gazing up at the boundless heavens.

Under the moonlight, one could see a wisp of dark qi lingering around his brow, refusing to dissipate.

"Eternal life and eternal damnation, forever beyond redemption."

The curse from the previous Tian Dao still echoed in his ears.

Time, like a blade, had tormented him for over ten thousand years.

"Exterminate!"

With his faint utterance, a burst of eternal light shone from his brow, forcibly obliterating the dark qi. The relic from the old era finally turned to dust in history tonight. To break the curse, he had spent over ten thousand years, and now his efforts were complete.

"Mother."

In the quiet moonlit night, the little child's mumbling voice was soft and childish.

Ye Chen smiled warmly; the chubby little ones were truly endearing.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar shattered the night's silence.

Then, above Yu Nu Peak, visions appeared, with thunder and lightning gathering.

"Huang Di tribulation?"

Countless emperors were awakened, peering from the void toward Yu Nu Peak.

It was Ji Ning Shuang, who must have gained sudden enlightenment in her dreams, achieving full mastery as the Dong Huang Empress.

"Will she advance?"

Many emperors stroked their beards, honestly unsure.

"Don't you see who her husband is?"

"This is hard to say; Ye Chen didn't participate in her ascension to Huang Di."

"I bet on the Dong Huang Empress."

Discussions abounded, as they all stood with hands clasped, mere spectators.

The older generation of supreme beings generally knew the legends of Yao Chi. In the previous era, even without imperial visions, one could defy the heavens to become an emperor; in this era, they would likely create another myth. The wives of Ye Chen were all exceptional women, not yielding to men.

Ye Chen had already waved his hand, sending Ji Ning Shuang away from Da Chu.

It was Tian Huang, the edge of the universe, a place rich in legendary tales since ancient times. The Emperor Huang had fought five emperors alone there, Ye Chen had achieved his Holy Body there, and Dong Shen Yao Chi had proven her dao to become an emperor there, as if it held a power to turn decay into magic.

The Huang Di-level tribulation was unprecedented in history.

The Dong Huang Empress rose later but surpassed all, defying the heavens to advance to Huang Di.

Ye Chen was not surprised at all. Seeing the Huang Di tribulation, he knew she could break through. Such matters didn't require him to cheat; his little Jiu was truly outstanding. Among all his wives, her cultivation stood out the most.

"There, it's complete."

The emperors coughed dryly; under the Tian Dao, there were now five Huang Di.

So, anyone else hoping to become a Huang Di should give up—there was no chance left.

That day, Ye Chen fell into a deep sleep.

He slept for a leisurely hundred years.

During those hundred years, his little children didn't grow at all, due to his seal. It not only sealed their cultivation and realms but also granted them eternity.

This was to solidify their foundations.

On the one hundred and first year, he awoke and stood on the mountain peak for a long time.

"This aura, I could never catch up in ten thousand years."

Xie Yun sighed; it seemed impossible in this lifetime.

Ye Chen's divine eyes were profound.

As Xie Yun's words fell, his Chaos Wheel of Reincarnation Eyes gradually faded away.

By fading, it meant they dissolved into formlessness, no longer the heaven-defying eyes they once were.

"What a waste—don't just discard them for me!"

Xiong Er grumbled, truly a case of squandering treasures.

Long Ye glanced at him; give them to you? Could you even use them?

That was true.

The Tian Dao's Chaos Wheel of Reincarnation Eyes were unusable by anyone else.

Buzz!

As they spoke, Ye Chen's sacred body trembled.

In that eternal instant, he shed his Holy Body bloodline, leaving no special lineage. The radiant sacred blood and golden imperial bones in his body returned to their most original colors.

Ye Chen felt a deep sense of emotion in his heart.

He was not an innate Holy Body; he had acquired it later.

From the year he fused with Chen Zhan's origin in the Shen Ku, it had been over ten thousand years.

Ten thousand years of spring and autumn.

Ten thousand years of winter and summer.

It was the Holy Body bloodline that had helped him rise steadily; it was also the Holy Body bloodline that accompanied him in creating myths. Now that it was gone, how could he not feel sentimental?

"Don't just give it to me!"

Situ Nan popped out, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Long Ye turned and gave him a sidelong glance.

The Tian Dao's Wheel of Reincarnation Eyes couldn't be used by outsiders.

The Tian Dao's Holy Body bloodline was the same—forced fusion would lead to death.

"He has finally taken this step."

Ren Wang stroked his beard, his words full of deeper meaning.

It was more accurate to say Ye Chen had returned to his original state than to say he shed his bloodline. At a certain level, whether it was a bloodline or not didn't matter; the boost to combat power could be ignored. Though the Holy Body bloodline was domineering, it was also a chain, something many realized upon becoming emperors.

"Never before has it felt so light."

That was exactly how Ye Chen felt now, as if he had shed a heavy burden.

His bloodline, origin, and divine treasures returned to the heavens and earth.

Under the watchful eyes of all, Ye Chen sat cross-legged like a deity, with a solemn and dignified appearance.

For three days, he didn't move.

On the fourth day, he condensed an invisible sword and slashed himself with it. This self-slash wasn't targeting his cultivation but his connections—the connections to this universe.

That's right; he severed his mark in the universe.

In that instant, he was no longer the Tian Dao.

In that instant, he was no longer a person of this universe.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the Female Emperor, Shen Zun, Emperor Huang, Emperor Zun, and the Dong Huang Empress all burst with the most brilliant light. With Ye Chen's self-slash and his departure from the Tian Dao, they became the new Tian Dao—five Huang Di merging into one.

"What kind of move is this?"

Many were puzzled; they understood abandoning the bloodline, but why relinquish the Tian Dao?

"This universe's highest is merely Huang Di peak."

"He abandoned his bloodline, severed his mark, and shed the Tian Dao all for a higher realm."

"That makes it clear."

All beings suddenly understood. If this could lead to a higher cultivation, it was worth it. The dao is endless, and as the Huang Di peak, Ye Chen was qualified to transcend Huang Di. He would forge a path that this universe had never seen.

Ye Chen left Heng Yue Sect.

Accompanying him was the Dong Huang Empress.

As they walked, Ji Ning Shuang also shed her Immortal Body bloodline, returning it to its original state.

"Indeed, they are closely related."

Ye Chen murmured, raising his hand to pinch a wisp of Yao Chi's origin that hadn't fully dissipated. The Yao Chi Immortal Body had some connection to the previous Tian Dao; it could be said to originate from the Tian Dao or be akin to the Holy Body. That was why the two bloodlines could exchange bodies and unlock divine treasures, though compared to the Ancient Holy Body, the Immortal Body lacked a certain power—or rather, all bloodlines lacked it, and only the Holy Body possessed it.

It was because the Holy Body was the direct descendant of the Tian Dao.

But none of that mattered anymore.

What was important was that the new era was a fresh start.

The two entered the universe's highest peak.

The Female Emperor, Shen Zun, Emperor Huang, and Emperor Zun were already there. The former Tian Dao and the new five Tian Dao set up a tea table in the mist, reminiscing and discussing the dao. Between them, there was a certain unbreakable bond that no force could erase.

"That's the gathering of the big shots."

Many supreme beings stood with hands clasped, seemingly only able to watch from afar, unable to join.

The gathering lasted nine full days before dispersing.

Before leaving, Shen Zun and Emperor Zun challenged Ye Chen to a fight.

A battle at the same level.

No one knew the outcome.

All they knew was that Shen Zun ended up hung on a tree, and the little Shen Zun was kicked into a pulp.

Emperor Zun was also hung on a tree, and the little Emperor Zun became a pulp.

For this, Qi Xuan and the Dream Demon went to Yu Nu Peak and gave Ye Chen a thorough scolding.

If you're going to fight, just fight!

But why hit that particular spot? How could they do anything in bed now?

"Why didn't you beat up Emperor Huang while you were at it!"

Ming Di felt quite regretful; maybe the little Emperor Huang would have been kicked into a pulp too.

That night, Ming Di got beaten.

Emperor Huang was now the Tian Dao; he knew exactly what Ming Di was thinking.

"What I wanted to see was him fighting the Female Emperor."

Xuan Di stroked his beard; he was quite the restless one.

"Where would they fight? In bed?"

"Hmm, great minds think alike."

"It should be earth-shattering."

The topic veered off, as improper people tended to flock together.

Ye Chen left, departing the universe.

Since his resurrection, this was his first time going out—to find the Xing Zi child, to find Zhao Yun, and to find Zhao Yun's universe. Also, for the Eternal Immortal Domain, there were too many unknowns he needed to explore, all to unravel his doubts.

The outer void was as vast and desolate as ever.

Even though he had become a Huang Di and reached the pinnacle, he still couldn't see through it.

In the depths of the void, he stood silently.

If he remembered correctly, Zhao Yun's universe had been here before, but now that he returned, it was gone. It was probably moved by the five Tian Dao again—who knew where.

The search was extremely long.

It took a full thousand years, and he still hadn't found a trace of the universe.

Instead, he found the Void River.

He followed it all the way and even entered it with his true body. Now, as a Huang Di peak, he was qualified to do so. Compared to back then, he and Zhao Yun had been so awkward, getting swept in haphazardly and unable to even stand steady.

He followed this river for a thousand years.

For a thousand years, he lay in the river, quietly comprehending.

"So that's how it is."

At the end of the thousand years, he murmured.

He had grasped some of the true essence of the Void River's secrets.

He didn't follow it further and gradually moved away.

The outer void was boundless; his figure appeared somewhat lonely as he walked, not knowing how many years passed.

Zheng!

One day, the Eternal Immortal Melody resounded.

In the past, he and the Female Emperor had to play it together to summon the child.

Now, he alone could handle what two people did.

With the great divine abilities of Huang Di peak, no matter where he went, he could enter the Female Emperor's dreams.

Unfortunately, after playing for a thousand years, the child still didn't appear.

The outer void was so quiet that it felt unfamiliar, as if everything had fallen silent. He saw no Xing Zi child, no Zhao Yun, no Void Flowers, no one in the coffin, and no two demons. It was as if in this endless darkness, he was the only living being, wandering for thousands of years without even encountering an unknown creature.

Though he couldn't find the people he sought, he did encounter opportunities.

In the nine-thousandth year in the outer void, he transformed into eternity.

In the ten-thousandth year, he finally transcended Huang Di.

In the history of the various heavenly universes, he was the first to reach the Tai Huang realm.

For a thousand years, he didn't move, only gazing up at the void.

Transcending Huang Di brought the perspective of transcending Huang Di, as if he could glimpse secrets related to the Eternal Immortal Domain. He could vaguely see the eternal kingdom, but it was incredibly distant, even more so than an illusory dream.

"The gate of eternity?"

He closed his eyes, murmuring to himself, his gaze flickering uncertainly.

"Let's go back!"

The Chaos Cauldron darted out, jumping up and down.

Honestly, it didn't like the outer void at all; everywhere was dark and gloomy. The various heavens were better, full of people, and you could chat or do something when bored. There were plenty of Female Emperor artifacts waiting for it to court—that was serious business.

Ye Chen said nothing, glancing in a certain direction.

After three to five moments, he finally stepped forward, venturing deeper into the void.

There, a sea of demons lay.

Hidden within the demon sea was an old acquaintance: the Void Demon.

As he arrived, the demon sea churned, with waves of demonic mist surging—it was the Void Demon sensing a powerful presence and showing wariness.

That made sense; he was no longer just at Huang Di peak.

In their past battle, he had self-slashed and nearly been destroyed.

"Senior, I hope you've been well."

Ye Chen said indifferently, looking at the demon sea and scanning the surroundings.

He confirmed it was only the Void Demon, with no sign of the Void Demon.

"It's you."

The Void Demon was startled, as if recognizing Ye Chen. Back then, he was only at Huang Di perfection; now, upon meeting again, he had surpassed Huang Di and reached Tai Huang. Was this guy cheating? His advancement was terrifyingly fast.

Amid the shock, there was also anger.

If not for Ye Chen back then, he and the Void Demon would have likely destroyed the child.

They had lost that battle.

In that fight, he had fallen in rank, not only dropping below Tai Huang but also sustaining irrecoverable injuries that persisted to this day. And now, at this critical moment, he encountered Ye Chen at the Tai Huang level.

Thinking of this, he turned and fled.

Fight? What was there to fight? He alone couldn't match Ye Chen.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen's voice was desolate; he reached out and plunged his hand into the demon sea, seizing the Void Demon.

"Give me... extermination!"

The Void Demon roared, summoning the demon sea to devour the heavens and earth.

Zheng!

Ye Chen didn't move; from within his body, a ray of eternal light slashed out, splitting the demon sea and flipping the Void Demon along with it. It flew horizontally through the void for eighty thousand li. That guy was a Huang Di, but only at the initial stage, far from his match.

Ah...!

The Void Demon howled in rage, suddenly changing form into a colossal demon reaching the sky.

Ye Chen ignored it and stomped down with one foot.

That foot carried immense weight, crushing the Void Demon's body, leaving only its primordial spirit. Even then, as it tried to escape, it was forcefully suppressed by the Chaos Cauldron. No matter how it unleashed its demonic power to destroy the heavens and earth, it couldn't break the seal. Strand by strand, its primordial spirit was forcibly extinguished.

"Where is the gate?"

Ye Chen said calmly.

The gate he referred to was, of course, the Gate of Eternity.

Only by crossing that gate could one truly reach the Eternal Immortal Domain.

"You will never know."

The Void Demon grinned maliciously; knowing he wouldn't survive, he refused to reveal the secrets.

Ye Chen didn't speak; he directly searched its soul.

Regrettably, deep in the Void Demon's primordial spirit, there was a strange Tai Huang-level prohibition. Triggering it caused the Void Demon to begin disintegrating, its primordial spirit collapsing inch by inch, accompanied by malicious laughter, until it turned to nothingness.

This was awkward.

He had finally caught a live one, only for it to vanish into ashes.

Ye Chen silently turned away.

If this journey ended here, then he was just a wandering traveler in the void.

No one to record his light.

For endless ages, he was like a wandering soul, drifting through the boundless darkness.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any of the people he sought.

Had they all vanished from the world?

Ye Chen asked himself this more than once; they had all disappeared without a trace.

Perhaps the void was too vast, and what he had seen and known was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"The Gate of Eternity."

His murmurs accompanied him all the way; the secrets he wanted to know could only be truly unravelled in the Eternal Immortal Domain. The problem was, he didn't know where that gate was.

Zhao Yun probably knew.

But that guy had no idea where he had wandered off to.