Chapter 662: Timing is Everything

Chapter 662: Timing Is Everything

After leaving the main hall, Ye Chen took a deep breath and walked toward Chu Ling'er's courtyard.

Once he left, Tian Zong Laozu and Zhong Jiang got busy.

Soon, orders were issued one after another.

Consequently, the Yanhuang Army assembled at the nine major branches of Heng Yue, and the experts stationed outside were all recalled and assigned to designated locations.

Everything was proceeding at a rapid pace, preparing for the upcoming war against Heng Yue.

By this time, Ye Chen had arrived at the entrance of a small garden.

Peeking inside, he saw it was full of people, the noisy chatter echoing out—it was undoubtedly Situ Nan and his group.

They were taking things in stride, not causing any trouble for Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun; in fact, they had already bonded, each holding wine jars and drinking until their faces were flushed and their necks were red, swapping stories from the Three Sects Grand Competition.

"Not bad, really not bad," Ye Chen stroked his chin, tempted to join in.

But in that instant, images of Chu Ling'er without clothes flashed through his mind, and echoes of her soft, murmuring breaths filled his ears, making his thoughts wander uncontrollably.

"Next time!" Ye Chen scratched his ear and then hurried off toward Chu Ling'er's residence.

He hadn't gone far when he spotted a shiny, bald head around the corner—it was unmistakably Long Yi, that oddball.

The moment Ye Chen saw Long Yi, his mouth twitched involuntarily.

Long Yi looked utterly disheveled today, his clothes torn and covered in footprints, his face swollen and lopsided, with two black eyes and blood still dripping from his nostrils.

Tsk, tsk, tsk!

Seeing Long Yi in such a state, Ye Chen couldn't help but click his tongue. "Haven't seen you in a few days, and you've been beaten into this mess."

"Your flirting techniques aren't working, huh!" Long Yi covered his mouth, spitting out two teeth as he spoke. "I was being really tactful, but I got pummeled every time before I could finish a sentence."

"How tactful were you exactly?" Ye Chen asked with interest, eyeing Long Yi. "Come on, pretend I'm Murong Shibo and give it a try."

"Will this work? Looking at you, I don't feel anything." Long Yi sized up Ye Chen.

"Trust me, it'll be fine."

"Alright, let's give it a shot."

Ahem!

Long Yi cleared his throat, wiped the blood from his nose, tossed his head back, and struck a cool pose. Then, he extended a finger, gently tilting Ye Chen's chin, his face full of deep affection.

"Beauty, why don't you take me right now!"

Pfft!

The sound of someone spitting out wine rang out immediately. Dongfang Yuling, who had just passed by, caught every word perfectly and sprayed her wine three meters away before she could even swallow it.

In an instant, the scene fell silent, as if the whole world had gone quiet.

Long Yi held his cool pose, still cradling Ye Chen's chin, his expression still full of affection.

Ye Chen's mouth twitched back and forth several times in that moment.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Dongfang Yuling coughed dryly and acted as if she hadn't seen anything, continuing on her way.

However, it was worth noting that the look she gave them as she turned the corner said it all.

"Why's she looking at us like that?" Long Yi rubbed his shiny bald head.

"Get out of here." Ye Chen shoved Long Yi aside and dashed after Dongfang Yuling. "Dongfang Shibo, it's not what you think!"

"Such a fuss." Behind him, Long Yi touched his bald head and, covering his face, walked off in another direction.

As he passed by the small garden where Situ Nan and the others were, he casually stepped inside.

Damn!

Soon, howls from Zhou Ao and Li Xinghun echoed out, as if they'd spotted some wild beast.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had reached the entrance of Chu Ling'er's separate residence.

He finally caught up to Dongfang Yuling, but after his explanations, she simply said with a knowing tone, "I understand."

Oh, my reputation!

Ye Chen rubbed his forehead hard and stepped into the residence.

As soon as he entered, he saw Chu Ling'er sitting cross-legged under a spiritual fruit tree, meditating.

Ye Chen rubbed his hands together and approached her eagerly, but she was deep in meditation and didn't wake even when he got close.

Realizing this, he pulled out a jug of wine and sat down beside her. For cultivators in meditation, when their souls are wandering, it's crucial not to disturb them—messing it up could lead to qi deviation, which would be a disaster.

"She looks so beautiful no matter how I see her." Ye Chen took a swig of wine and gazed admiringly at Chu Ling'er's flawless face, her features so delicate and her cheeks so perfect.

But as he watched, he noticed blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, and her face suddenly turned pale.

Ye Chen's brow furrowed instantly, and he activated his Xianlun Eye, staring intently at her body.

After a few seconds, he identified the source of her injury: her soul level was too high, throwing it out of balance with her physical strength. If the imbalance grew too severe, it could shatter her body.

Unbidden, his brow furrowed again.

Chu Ling'er's soul level was among the highest in Da Chu, but it was precisely because it was so advanced that it didn't match her cultivation and physical strength, leading to her current condition.

"Lord Long, how do we fix this?" Ye Chen immediately called out to Taixu Gudong.

"There are two methods: first, lower her soul cultivation; second, enhance her physical strength." Knowing how important Chu Ling'er was to Ye Chen, Taixu Gudong didn't beat around the bush this time.

"Is it that simple?" Ye Chen was stunned.

"Simple?" Taixu Gudong glanced at Ye Chen's nine clones. "Forcibly lowering soul cultivation isn't easy—if you want to raise it again, it could damage the foundation."

"Then let's enhance her physical strength!" Ye Chen said hastily.

"That's not simple either." Taixu Gudong said leisurely. "Her soul is exceptionally strong and doesn't align well with her body. She's been smart about maintaining a delicate balance between them. Rashly boosting her physical strength could disrupt that balance. Strengthening the body is easy, but keeping the balance is hard. Do you understand?"

"So, that means while improving her cultivation, we have to maintain that balance, right?"

"Looks like you're not as dense as I thought." Taixu Gudong replied. "She's different from you. You have the bloodline of the Huanggu Shengti, making your body incredibly dominant, which allows it to support your Yuan Shen."

"I'll go with the second option to enhance her physical strength. How can I do that without breaking the balance?"

"Use the Dan Zu Longhun." Taixu Gudong said casually. "It's a type of soul itself, perfect for maintaining the balance. Essentially, let it suppress her soul directly to a level that matches her physical strength. As her body strengthens a bit, release a bit of the suppression. It's the most effective method right now."

"Got it."

"Before that, you should still help her open up her Shen Hai first!" Taixu Gudong added.

"How do I open the Shen Hai? I used Xianhuo to open the Dan Hai, but what's the method for Shen Hai?" Ye Chen looked at Taixu Gudong in surprise.

"With the Dan Zu Longhun, of course! It's not just a symbol of status—it can also open the Shen Hai. Didn't you know?"

"It's that powerful?" Even Ye Chen, with his composure, was shocked. If Taixu Gudong hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have realized the Dan Zu Longhun had such an ability.

After all, opening a Shen Hai was something only achievable at the Zhun Tian Jing level.

"Xianhuo can open the Dan Hai, Tian Lei can temper the soul, and Dan Zu Longhun can open the Shen Hai. I'm loaded with cheat-level treasures!"

"A natural treasure trove, absolutely." Ye Chen grinned from ear to ear. With these three items, the combat strength of his forces would surely jump several levels.

Right away, Ye Chen sealed off the residence to prevent any disturbances.

Then, he summoned the Dan Zu Longhun and looked at it solemnly. "I say, Brother Long, this is my wife you're dealing with, so take it easy. Don't mess this up."

Roar! Roar!

Though the Dan Zu Longhun couldn't speak, it understood Ye Chen's words. It nodded before darting into Chu Ling'er's forehead.