Chapter 779: Coincidence?

Upon hearing Dao Huang's words, Ye Chen, who was rushing over unsteadily, nearly lost his balance and fell to the ground.

The others, like Fuling, Dugu Ao, and the rest, also froze in expression, completely stunned by Dao Huang's sudden bow.

"Senior, this great gesture of yours will shorten my lifespan!" Ye Chen quickly ran up and helped Dao Huang to his feet. He knew exactly who Dao Huang was—such a show of respect wasn't something just anyone could accept.

"Senior's guidance from back then is something I, Sui Han, will never forget for eternity." Dao Huang's demeanor was utterly serious, with no hint of jest.

"No, I..." Ye Chen was utterly baffled on the spot.

"What's going on with you?" Zhuge Laotou stepped forward, staring at Dao Huang in astonishment. "You can't just claim anyone as your acquaintance. This kid is under twenty years old. Are you sure you've met him before?"

"Twenty years old?" Dao Huang paused, then subconsciously sized up Ye Chen. Judging by his appearance, he was indeed not yet twenty.

"This doesn't make sense! How could they look exactly alike?" Dao Huang muttered to himself, glancing at the Xuan Cang Jade Ring on Ye Chen's finger. "He's also the holy lord of Yan Huang. Could there be such a coincidence?"

"What are you mumbling about?" Zhuge Laotou poked Ye Chen with his finger.

"Young friend, what is your connection to Senior Hong Chen?" Dao Huang ignored Zhuge Laotou entirely, fixing his gaze straight on Ye Chen.

As soon as he said this, Ye Chen realized that Dao Huang had mistaken him for Hong Chen.

It made sense, though—he and Hong Chen looked identical, and now he was wearing the sacred artifact of Yan Huang, the Xuan Cang Jade Ring. No wonder Dao Huang had bowed to him right away.

"The Hong Chen you're referring to—is he the ninety-seventh generation holy lord of Yan Huang?" Ye Chen pondered as Dugu Ao turned to Dao Huang.

"That's the very senior." Dao Huang nodded with a smile.

"So, you're taking Ye Chen for Senior Hong Chen." Zhuge Laotou stroked his chin while looking at Dao Huang. "Have you met Hong Chen?"

"Yes, I have." Dao Huang affirmed confidently, glancing at Ye Chen. "The young friend Ye Chen today is practically identical to Senior Hong Chen from back then."

At these words, Fuling, Dugu Ao, Zhuge Laotou, and Bi You all turned their eyes toward Ye Chen in unison.

Hong Chen was a legendary figure in Great Chu, a towering powerhouse who, as the holy lord of Yan Huang, led the organization through its most prosperous era aside from the Yan Emperor's time. Yet he was incredibly mysterious, with few in Great Chu ever seeing his true face—not even many high-level members of Yan Huang.

Now, hearing Dao Huang say that Ye Chen looked exactly like Hong Chen, they finally knew what the legendary figure had looked like.

Ahem!

The brief silence was broken by Ye Chen's light cough. He gave an awkward dry laugh as he looked at Dao Huang. "Well, Senior, I really don't have any direct connection to the ninety-seventh generation holy lord of Yan Huang. If we're talking relations, it's just that we're both holy lords of Yan Huang—he was the ninety-seventh, and I'm the ninety-ninth."

"Kid, you're not a descendant of Senior Hong Chen, are you?" Zhuge Laotou eyed Ye Chen up and down.

"I honestly don't know about that."

"It's probably true." Zhuge Laotou stroked his chin, and the others, like Fuling and Dugu Ao, were likely thinking the same.

"No wonder." Dao Huang looked Ye Chen over, clearly sharing the thought. "No wonder you look so much like Senior Hong Chen and have become the ninety-ninth generation holy lord of Yan Huang. This can't just be a coincidence."

Hearing them say this, Ye Chen scratched his head subconsciously, finding it all incredibly bizarre. Even he was starting to think he might be a descendant of Hong Chen.

"I'll have to visit the Hao Tian family sometime and dig out the family records to check properly." Ye Chen muttered to himself while stroking his chin.

"Young friend Ye Chen, you've saved both Ling Er and my life. We owe you two enormous favors." As Ye Chen muttered, Dao Huang slapped him hard on the shoulder, nearly making him stagger. "Whether you're a descendant of Senior Hong Chen or not, if you ever need my help, Sui Han, just say the word."

"Father, you can't just say that and leave it at that!" Bi You said with a charming smile.

"Of course not." Dao Huang laughed heartily. "Favors are favors, but today I'm in a good mood, so I'll pass on a secret blade technique to you."

At this, Ye Chen's eyes lit up instantly.

Dao Huang was a legendary supreme expert in Great Chu—any technique he passed down was no trivial matter.

Immediately, Ye Chen quietly activated his Xian Lun Eye, intending to use its power to copy and analyze the blade technique Dao Huang was about to demonstrate.

Meanwhile, Dao Huang had already drawn a dragon blade with a flip of his hand and stepped into the void sky, slashing out fiercely.

In an instant, a golden blade aura over twenty zhang long erupted, its invincible intent and overwhelming dominance splitting the entire void apart with destructive power.

"Ba Huang Zhan." Ye Chen was stunned below—Dao Huang's incredible slash was exactly Ba Huang Zhan.

Bi You and Zhuge Laotou both turned to look at Ye Chen. They had witnessed the Three Sects Grand Competition and seen him use the same blade technique, identical to Dao Huang's.

In the void, Dao Huang descended and looked at Ye Chen with a smile. "Young friend, did you see it clearly?"

"Senior, why don't you try a different one?" Ye Chen said with an awkward laugh. "I already know this blade technique."

"You know it too?" Dao Huang was taken aback.

"Watch this." Ye Chen stepped forward, drew his Ba Long Blade, and slashed into the void just as powerfully. A ten-zhang golden blade aura appeared instantly. Though not as dominant as Dao Huang's, anyone could see it was the same technique.

"See? It's the same, right?" Ye Chen sheathed his Ba Long Blade and turned to Dao Huang.

"I overlooked that. I really did." Dao Huang patted his forehead in embarrassment. "As a descendant of Senior Hong Chen, you should have inherited this secret technique."

"Hold on." Ye Chen looked at Dao Huang in surprise, probing carefully. "Senior, did you learn this Ba Huang Zhan from Senior Hong Chen?"

"Yes." Dao Huang nodded solemnly, his eyes full of reverence. "Senior Hong Chen was truly a great cultivator, versed in everything. Back then, I received his guidance and learned Ba Huang Zhan. After a hundred years of contemplation, I achieved enlightenment on the essence of the blade, which led to my title as Dao Huang."

At this, Ye Chen rubbed his brow subconsciously. "Wait a minute, let me sort this out."

He needed to sort it out properly.

"He looks exactly like me—okay, coincidence."

"I went to Shen Ku, and he did too—okay, coincidence."

"He went to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and I did too—okay, coincidence."

"He's the holy lord of Yan Huang, and so am I—okay, coincidence."

"He has Xian Lun Eye, and I have it too—okay, coincidence."

"He mentioned the name Ruoxi, and I'm connected to her—okay, coincidence."

"He knows Ba Huang Zhan, and I know it too—okay, is this also a coincidence?"

"But the problem is, my Xuan Cang Jade Ring came from Senior Zhong Yan, my Xian Lun Eye from Senior Jiang Tai Xu, my Ba Huang Zhan from the Tian Que Sword, and I'm from the Hao Tian family. The only thing we share is looking identical, yet there are so many coincidences?"

Ye Chen scratched his head vigorously, feeling that his connections to the legendary Hong Chen were far too numerous and coincidental.

If he had been born with the Xian Lun Eye, Xuan Cang Jade Ring, and Ba Huang Zhan, plus their identical appearances, he would naturally assume he was Hong Chen's descendant.

However, the way he obtained the Xian Lun Eye, Xuan Cang Jade Ring, and Ba Huang Zhan seemed to have no relation to Hong Chen whatsoever. So many coincidences piling up like this was just too mind-boggling.

Suddenly, Ye Chen recalled the ancient cliff in Shen Ku and the rock wall in Yan Huang's Ling Mountain with that poem inscribed on it.

He vaguely remembered the poem mentioned his name and Chu Xuan's. Could that also be a coincidence?

The more Ye Chen thought about it, the more confused he became. He had once thought Hong Chen's Xian Lun Eye came from the person who took Senior Jiang Tai Xu's eye, but these coincidences contradicted that idea.

"What exactly is Hong Chen's background?" As he pondered, Ye Chen couldn't help rubbing his head, his curiosity about Hong Chen reaching an unprecedented peak.