Chapter 836: A Grand Spectacle

The night was pitch-black, truly pitch-black. In a remote, desolate mountain hollow littered with rocks, a man covered in dirt and grime shook his head and struggled to his feet, spitting out mud relentlessly until his back ached and he couldn't stand straight.

This guy was none other than Tai Xu Gu Long. Ever since he had been flung away, he had reappeared here, with no idea how far he had flown.

"Oh, my lifelong reputation!" Sometime later, he slumped his head and squatted on the ground, looking utterly dejected. Even with the pride of a supreme being, he had been sent spinning by a single flick.

"I wonder if that kid Yè Chén got beaten too." As he pondered, Tai Xu Gu Long instinctively glanced toward the direction of Tian Xuan Men.

At that look, his eyes lit up. In the dark night, a tiny speck of light like a grain of sand was rapidly growing larger in his view, hurtling toward him at an unbelievable speed.

"You cheater, you're cheating!" Soon after, he heard the accompanying wails and howls. Listening closely, hey? It was that jerk Yè Chén.

"From what I calculated, that guy will fly even farther than me." Tai Xu Gu Long watched the empty sky with a serious expression, witnessing Yè Chén soar right over his head.

Boom!

A deafening crash followed quickly, as a barren mountain peak was smashed apart by Yè Chén on impact.

That looked painful!

Tai Xu Gu Long clicked his tongue and limped over.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Just like Tai Xu Gu Long, Yè Chén crawled up and started spitting out mud nonstop.

"I'm baffled— we're both flying out from Tian Xuan Men, so how did you end up in such a sorry state?" Tai Xu Gu Long walked up and sized up Yè Chén with a mix of sympathy and astonishment.

It wasn't that he was overreacting; Yè Chén's appearance was just too wretched. Aside from that, his face bore a clear palm print, with his entire features skewed to one side— not just his face, but his nose, mouth, eyes, and even ears were all tilted. It was something else.

"Dammit, she cheated." Yè Chén grumbled as he roughly straightened his face back, still with blood dripping from one nostril as always.

"Cheated?" Tai Xu Gu Long looked utterly baffled.

"I made a bet with her to see who could pee farther." Yè Chén coughed awkwardly. "And she slapped me flying for it."

The moment he said that, Tai Xu Gu Long's mouth twitched back and forth a dozen times, his eyes clearly saying: You're one hell of a character!

"Enough about that— before I got flung out, she did answer one question for me. She said Tian Xuan Men is the guardian deity of Da Chu." Yè Chén wiped away a stream of nosebleed forcefully, wincing in pain from the effort.

"The guardian deity?" Tai Xu Gu Long furrowed his brow slightly.

"That's what she said, and she doesn't seem like the type to lie." Yè Chén found a comfortable spot and plopped down. "That woman is as stubborn as they come. That was her only answer— nothing else. This trip was a total waste; we both got our asses kicked for nothing."

"It's not entirely without gain." Tai Xu Gu Long took a deep breath. "At least we know the purpose of Tian Xuan Men's existence. As for Da Chu's secrets, we'll have to uncover them ourselves."

"What do you think her level of cultivation is? You fought her." Yè Chén looked at Tai Xu Gu Long curiously.

"At minimum, she's a great saint— maybe even a quasi-emperor." Tai Xu Gu Long pondered for a moment. "I can tell she's already passed through the Tian Ren Wu Shui tribulation."

"Tian Ren Wu Shui?" Yè Chén stroked his chin. "I think Senior Jiang Tai Xu mentioned that too— sealing the Immortal Eye during Tian Ren Wu Shui."

"Tian Ren Wu Shui is the self-imposed heavenly tribulation that comes when a quasi-saint advances to sainthood." Tai Xu Gu Long explained. "It's a terrifying ordeal. When it strikes, the person's body decays from within, like plants wilting. It's their most vulnerable state. The key is rebirth through nirvana, transcending to sainthood through transformation. If you survive, it's clear skies ahead; if not, you're just dust in the earth."

"Sounds even scarier than a lightning tribulation." Yè Chén couldn't help but shudder.

"When the time comes for you, if you're lucky enough to reach that stage, find a safe place. Countless geniuses have been wiped out by enemies during Tian Ren Wu Shui— bloody lessons, every one."

"I'm only at the quasi-heaven realm now; I'm light-years away from quasi-saint." Yè Chén shrugged.

"That's true."

"I've been to Tian Xuan Men, so now I need to head to Bei Chu to find my master." Yè Chén stood up, brushing off his backside. "If you're free, go back to Tian Ting and teach Lin Shi Hua more. She's a real talent— we can't let her potential go to waste."

"You bet." Tai Xu Gu Long straightened his collar. "I've decided to take her as my disciple."

"That's quite the stroke of luck for Junior Sister Lin! Having a know-it-all master like you— it's like her life is on easy mode."

"You got that right."

"Hmph!" Yè Chén smirked dismissively, then stepped into the air and shot northward like a divine ray.

Watching Yè Chén's departing figure, Tai Xu Gu Long's vast dragon eyes flickered with deep meaning. "The Tian Xuan Men holy master actually gave you a special privilege, Yè Chén. You're starting to become unfathomable to me."

Yè Chén, of course, had no idea about Tai Xu Gu Long's doubts.

And just like Tai Xu Gu Long, he was still in the dark about it. Even someone as powerful as Tai Xu Gu Long hadn't received such an honor, yet the Tian Xuan Men holy master had straightforwardly granted it to him. He couldn't quite figure it out.

It wasn't until near dawn that Yè Chén approached the border between Nan Chu and Bei Chu.

From afar, he saw a sea of people, with figures flying in the sky and rushing on the ground— everywhere he looked, it was all Tian Ting's forces, their shouts echoing like thunder.

They were well-organized!

Yè Chén smiled slightly. He saw cultivators using earth escape techniques, Tian Ting members diligently inscribing array patterns, armies stationed at the Bei Chu border, and powerful figures like Man Shan effortlessly moving mountains and seas, leaving the Tian Ting crowd stunned.

"Don't dawdle like a bunch of women— get to work!" As expected, someone like Man Shan had booming vitality; he carried a massive mountain on his shoulder and still had the energy to roar, without even breaking a sweat.

"From now on, everything south of this wall will be Tian Ting's domain. Not bad at all." Yè Chén smiled again, waving his hand to summon a black robe that wrapped him up tightly.

This trip to Bei Chu required keeping a low profile— after all, he was just there to find someone, and Bei Chu wasn't their territory. Everything needed to be handled discreetly; the place was a web of complex powers, full of pitfalls.

Without disturbing the Tian Ting army's wall construction, Yè Chén arrived quietly and left just as quietly.

However, as soon as he crossed the Nan Chu border, he spotted a dense crowd at the Bei Chu boundary from afar— all Bei Chu people, staring in astonishment at the Tian Ting army. Most had their hands tucked in, while others pointed and commented on the bustling workers, like a bunch of onlookers.

"What's going on over there in the south?"

"Are you blind? They're clearly building a wall."

"Yeah, yeah, building a wall." Someone spat out words amid a spray of saliva. "I just came from the eastern end of the Bei Chu border— they're constructing walls all along the Nan Chu-Bei Chu junction. It looks like the south is putting up a barrier to isolate Bei Chu. Absolutely, that's it."

"Spanning from east to west across the entire Nan Chu border— over three million li! Are the Nan Chu people out of their minds?"

"Haven't you heard? Yè Chén allied with various forces to wipe out Zheng Yang Zong and unify Nan Chu." A well-informed person chimed in. "They've established a power called Tian Ting. With their strength now, building a wall across the entire Nan Chu border isn't impossible."

"To isolate Nan Chu from Bei Chu— are they trying to divide the world?"

"I bet that once the wall is up, we'll have to pay tolls to enter Nan Chu."

"Just wait— one day, Yè Chén will lead the Tian Ting army to sweep through Bei Chu." Many took a deep breath, their eyes filled with worry. "Their power is overwhelmingly strong now."

Amid the discussions, Yè Chén walked past the Nan Chu border with a smile, stepping onto Bei Chu's soil.

"Xuān'ér, I'm here."