Chapter 923

In the early morning, snow continued to fall, draping the vast expanse of heaven and earth in a layer of pure white.

At the peak of the mountain, Ye Chen and Chu Xuan'er rose and set out across the broad land, both dressed in white robes with white hair and white cloaks, as pristine as the snow itself.

Unbeknownst to anyone, they appeared in an ancient city in Bei Chu.

As soon as they stepped in, the bustling streets fell into an eerie silence. Everyone stared at them—the teacups halted midway to lips, mouths hung open in shock, and feet froze mid-step.

Their white hair swayed gently as they walked on quietly, showing no pause despite the city's stillness.

Long after they had left, the ancient city remained deathly quiet.

The world stayed just as serene, their arrival and departure leaving no trace, as if they had never been there at all.

"I... I didn't see wrong, did I?"

"Eight... eight out of ten, it's him."

"Is he really this bold, walking around openly? Won't he fear another ambush?"

"Or maybe, he's here to kill again."

Though whispered, those words hit like thunder, making everyone's bodies tremble.

Kill again?

All shivered at the thought. Even after several days, the bloody scenes were still etched into their bones.

The peerless demon god, single-handedly routing hundreds of thousands of cultivators, left Bei Chu's land strewn with corpses and rivers of blood. Even now, a thick mist of blood lingered in the hazy sky.

Ye Chen and Chu Xuan'er continued on their way without lingering, coming lightly and leaving lightly, like the drifting snow, leaving only a faint white silhouette for the world.

Yet, their appearance plunged Bei Chu into panic.

Every ancient city they entered fell silent, only to erupt in waves like a surging tide.

"Ye Chen is here again?" The major families of Bei Chu turned pale upon hearing the news.

"Quick, quick, reinforce the mountain-protecting barriers. No one is to leave the family grounds." Such commands echoed rapidly, evoking a nightmarish dread they dared not revisit.

"What's the delay?" In the grand hall of Shi Xue Dian, Shi Hun Wang glanced at Shi Xue Yan Luo. "This is our last chance."

"Hundreds of thousands of cultivators were routed before. Sending troops again will end the same way," Shi Xue Yan Luo replied, his eyes bloodshot.

"If hundreds of thousands won't do, then a million. If a million fails, then two million," Shi Hun Wang said coldly. "This person must die, or else the Xue Ling family will be a warning to us all."

"A million, two million—such grand ambition," Shi Xue Yan Luo sneered, his eyes full of bloodshot veins as he stared at Shi Hun Wang. "Even if Bei Chu has that many cultivators, will they obey my command?"

"In the end, you're just afraid," Shi Hun Wang's voice turned sinister.

"You're no different," Shi Xue Yan Luo shot back coldly. "Instead of arguing with me, why not go to Mo Yu and You Ming Di Fu? To kill Ye Chen, we need the power of the various kings."

"Do you see the descendants of the emperors as mere ornaments?" Shi Hun Wang's face grew even more sinister, his eyes flickering with a ghostly light.

"Then why waste words with me?" Shi Xue Yan Luo's expression turned savage. "Without the great armies of the kings, how can we eliminate Ye Chen? We'd just end up with rivers of blood again."

"You..."

In the vast wilderness, Ye Chen and Chu Xuan'er still moved forward slowly, like a couple on a romantic journey.

All sides in Bei Chu watched and waited, but no one made a move. Even Shi Xue Dian stayed hidden, leaving the people of Bei Chu sighing in disbelief.

This was the might of a king!

This was the presence of a king!

Though this was not Tian Ting's territory, he had come openly without any concealment, yet the major forces of Bei Chu were too frightened to even step out their doors.

The holy lord of Tian Ting shook the world.

They were afraid—true afraid, their fear born from the slaughter that made them lose their nerve.

Under everyone's gaze, the two figures in white departed the world of cultivators and entered the mortal realm.

In the Nan Zhao imperial palace, an elderly man was using his sleeve to wipe snow from a gravestone. He trembled with age, his dim eyes clouded, his snow-covered back hunched and frail.

This man was none other than Liu Qingquan, the ruler of Nan Zhao.

Now, he was white-haired and decrepit, bearing no trace of his former regal bearing, like an old man on the brink of death.

"Grandpa, where did Mommy go?"

Nearby, Xiao Ruoxi spoke in a childish voice, sweetly helping to brush away the snow with her small hands. She remained as innocent and carefree as ever, unaware of the world's pains.

"She went to a faraway place!"

Liu Qingquan held the little girl in his arms, his cloudy eyes gazing into the distance, his voice hoarse and weary.

The greatest sorrow in the world is a parent burying a child. What good was being an emperor? In the eyes of cultivators, he was still just an ant, guarding his pitiful people and their pitiful graves.

A breeze blew, carrying flakes of snow, and Ye Chen appeared slowly.

"Big brother!"

The little girl lifted her rosy, chubby face, her big eyes blinking at the sudden arrival of Ye Chen.

Ye Chen smiled slightly, patted her little head, and turned his gaze to Liu Ruyan's grave.

Amid the heavy snow, he stood like a statue of ice, motionless, letting the snowflakes cover his body.

"I am Liu Ruyan!"

Suddenly, those words echoed in his ears. His eyes blurred, as if he could vaguely see the graceful figure playing the qin for him. Now, she was inside, and he was outside, separated by the rolling waves of mortal life.

"I will remember!"

He gently touched the gravestone, his mind filled with Liu Ruyan's last words to him. Those eyes, reluctant to close, held tenderness and pain as they bid farewell to the mortal world.

He smiled with a sense of desolation. A mortal woman, a worldly bond—it had destroyed her but forged him.

"Immortal one, please take her with you." Liu Qingquan approached shakily, holding a plain qin in his hands.

"I'm sorry." Ye Chen took the qin, his voice hoarse.

"Three years ago, you saved her once. Three years later, she returned the favor with her life. This may be the karma you immortals speak of." Liu Qingquan turned back, using his sleeve to wipe the endless snow from the gravestone.

"It's I who owes her." The holy lord of Tian Ting bowed deeply in respect to this mere mortal.

As snowflakes danced, he slung the qin on his back and turned silently, holding a small hand in his. The little girl's rosy face glanced back occasionally at the white-haired Liu Qingquan.

Liu Qingquan did not turn around, but tears glistened in his cloudy eyes.

Three years ago, he was the head of a small family, who by some twist of fate became the ruler of a nation.

Three years had passed like a dream, and in the end, he had still lost his daughter.

Outside the palace, Chu Xuan'er stood like a statue of ice, letting the snow fall around her.

This kingdom was her second visit. She had met a mortal woman, taught her the Jiu You Xian Qu, and left behind a tale of sorrowful love.

Ye Chen emerged, carrying the qin and leading Xiao Ruoxi.

Suddenly, she trembled slightly, looking at the innocent little girl, a hint of confusion flashing in her gentle eyes.

Their journey now included a tiny figure.

Across the vast land, three sets of footprints were left behind, just as on that day with Liu Ruyan, Ye Chen, and Xiao Ruoxi. As the sun set in the west, their backs formed a warm scene, like a family of three.