Chapter 943: Battling Heaven

On Yu Nu Peak, all the women were still there. As Ye Chen approached, they all stood up. Chu Lingyu had been suppressed by the combined forces of various experts, creating quite a stir, and they had all witnessed it, leaving them with many questions in their hearts.

"It's nothing!"

Ye Chen smiled casually, but he naturally wouldn't explain the reasons to them.

Matters of the mortal world were deeply significant, a mysterious and powerful legend that could easily cause panic in Tian Ting. As the holy lord of Tian Ting, his duty was to safeguard the stability of this land.

"You all chat; I'll go rest for a bit!"

With another smile, Ye Chen stepped toward the peak of the mountain.

Standing at the highest point of Yu Nu Peak, he could overlook most of Hengyue Sect, watching the diligent disciples practicing and the elders bustling about. Once again, he fell silent.

His mind was elsewhere, the shadow of Hong Chen lingering in his thoughts like an unshakeable mountain weighing on his heart, or like a dream that seemed within reach yet as distant as ten thousand cycles of reincarnation.

"Hong Chen! Hong Chen!"

What a fitting name, Ye Chen murmured to himself.

He thought he had seen through the mundane world, but he couldn't see through that person. That person was a demon in Chu Lingyu's heart, and how could it not be one in his own? Like a curse, it wouldn't go away.

He stood there for an entire day, like a statue, unmoved by the wind, not even noticing Chu Xuan'er's arrival.

It wasn't until nightfall that he subconsciously raised his hand and began carving on a massive rock in front of him. It wasn't just writing; more accurately, it was an ancient poem.

My soul fades with scattered leaves under evening flowers and moon; waning stars age easily, bringing sorrow and chill.

Lonely winds drift in desolation, rains from Chu fall in grief; forget-me-nots overflow with worldly scars.

What do the common people wish for? What does the vast heaven resent?

Once I gazed upon the Bridge of Helplessness and saw your shadow, yet on the Stone of Three Lives, your name is absent.

Behind him, a soft voice sounded. Ye Chen was writing, and Chu Xuan'er was reciting. In her mouth, the poem carried an added layer of sorrow.

"What a heartbreaking poem, full of such sadness."

"Which one did you copy it from?"

After murmuring, she turned her head to look at Ye Chen, blinking her beautiful eyes with a playful smile. "Which one did you copy it from?"

"What do you mean, copy? I wrote it myself."

"Is that so?"

"Okay, fine! I copied it."

"What a coincidence, I copied one too."

"You copied one too?" Ye Chen paused for a moment. "Where did you copy it from?"

"From an ancient town in the mortal realm." As Chu Xuan'er spoke, she waved her hand and produced a scroll. The handwriting on it was elegant, clearly from a woman's hand—it was the poem she had copied.

"An ancient town." Ye Chen stroked his chin, murmuring to himself. Though surprised, he wasn't overly shocked. Hong Chen was elusive and unpredictable; it wasn't strange for the poem to appear elsewhere.

"Ye Chen, Chu Xuan—our names are in it. How strange."

"That's just fate destined to be."

"Who wants to be destined with you?" Chu Xuan'er rolled her eyes at Ye Chen, then waved her hand to put away the scroll. "By the way, what about Xi Yan? Didn't she come back with you?"

"She joined the Human Emperor's lineage."

"So, you've decided to temper her character."

"Her ambitions are too high." Ye Chen shook his head with a smile. "Her exceptional talent can sometimes be a stumbling block."

"You have so little faith in her?"

"My disciple—I know her best. Even after three years, I can still see right through her at a glance." Ye Chen spoke slowly. "But what impressed me most on this return is Hu Wa. He's the one truly transforming."

"Are you saying that in the upcoming Three Sects Grand Competition, Xi Yan will lose to Hu Wa?"

"The Xuan generation of Tian Ting won't be led by Xi Yan; it will be pioneered by Hu Wa."

"You're that certain?" Chu Xuan'er still looked skeptical.

"Shifu, don't you believe in your disciple's judgment?" Ye Chen turned with a smile, shifting his gaze back to the hazy void. "The battle in three days will be spectacular and will prove an age-old truth to the world: acquired effort can make up for innate shortcomings."

"If that's the case, it's truly something to marvel at." Chu Xuan'er also looked toward the hazy void. "Back in the Three Sects Grand Competition years ago, you defeated Ji Ning Shuang, and now, her disciple is destined to turn the tables for her."

"Win or lose doesn't matter to me." As Ye Chen spoke, he shifted his gaze from the void to Chu Xuan'er. "But speaking of the Three Sects Grand Competition, it seems you still haven't fulfilled a certain promise."

"A promise? What promise?"

"I think someone said that if I won first place, you'd strip naked."

"Did I say that?"

"Whether you did or not doesn't matter anymore." Ye Chen shrugged. "Back then, you went back on your word, and I couldn't beat you, so I had no choice. But now, things have turned—the tables have shifted. If you won't strip, I can help you. After all, you can't beat me now. Forcing it might feel pretty good."

"But I'm your shifu."

"You can't pull that on me—I'm still the holy lord of Tian Ting. By rank, you should listen to me." Ye Chen scratched his ear. "Two choices: either you do it yourself, or I help you."

"Am I supposed to take this as harassment?"

"You can go back on your word, so why can't I harass? Besides, among all the women in the world, you're still the most beautiful." Ye Chen tilted his head, reaching out to lift Chu Xuan'er's chin, admiring her stunning face with great interest.

"Where did you learn such sweet talk?"

"It's self-taught."

"You cheeky thing."

"Looks like I'll have to help you with it." Ye Chen grinned mischievously.

"You wouldn't dare..." Before Chu Xuan'er could finish, she felt a hand gently brush her cheek, carrying a strange force that made her eyes grow hazy. Her entire body slumped into Ye Chen's arms, her cheeks flushing red.

"Shifu, forgive my boldness." Ye Chen picked up the sleeping Chu Xuan'er, but instead of anything improper, he gently placed her on a cloud.

Once that was done, he suddenly turned away, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. His once ruddy face turned pale in an instant, his breath chaotic, and his vision blurred.

If anyone were here, they would understand why he had put Chu Xuan'er to sleep—he didn't want her to see him like this.

Ugh!

Ye Chen knelt on the ground, clutching his head as if it were about to explode, veins bulging on his forehead, his expression twisted in agony, a mix of ferocity and madness as he let out low, painful roars and growls.

"You can't destroy me!" He glared at the sky, his bloodshot eyes filled with rage and insanity.

Boom!

His words triggered a thunderclap in the nine heavens, making the dark, quiet night tremble.

It wasn't until some time later that Ye Chen on Yu Nu Peak stopped his roars, kneeling there gasping for breath, drenched in sweat and blood. If this was his personal heavenly tribulation, he had just survived the crisis.

A breeze blew by, and a figure in white appeared before him—it was Tai Xu Ancient Dragon.

Ah!

Tai Xu Ancient Dragon glanced at Chu Xuan'er sleeping on the cloud and sighed before helping Ye Chen up. "Is the Holy Body lineage all this unyielding? Why put yourself through this?"

Perhaps in all of Tian Ting, or even the entire Great Chu, he was the only one who truly understood Ye Chen's condition.

On the surface, the holy lord of Tian Ting seemed normal, but in reality, he was constantly enduring heavenly retribution without showing it—until now, when he could no longer suppress it.

"Fighting with heaven is endless fun." Ye Chen sat on the ground, leaning against the boulder, his face still wild with madness.

"Damn, I haven't seen a lunatic like you in eight hundred years." Tai Xu Ancient Dragon grumbled as he handed over a wine flask.

"You know, right now, I really wish the Heaven-Devil Rushing Seven Killers phenomenon would descend upon the world."

"Are you out of your mind?" Tai Xu Ancient Dragon snorted coldly. "If the Heaven-Devil Rushing Seven Killers appears, it would be a catastrophe sweeping across all realms, plunging all living beings into a dark era."

"The Heaven-Devil Rushing Seven Killers, when immortals battle the heavens." Ye Chen spoke calmly. "Catastrophe brings hope. The human world has emotions; the heavenly dao is heartless. So what if they're emperors, sitting high above and looking down on all? What a joke. Fate is just some vague decree. If the day comes when the Seven Killers manifest, this lowly one will be the first to charge into the nine heavens and wage war against the sky. It's a grand gamble—we might not lose."

"Was I kicked in the head by a donkey to come chat with a madman like you in the middle of the night?"

"Maybe I was the one kicked in the head." Ye Chen rubbed his head.

"That's more like it!" Tai Xu Ancient Dragon sat down, bumping Ye Chen with his shoulder before looking at him curiously. "Come on, tell me why you captured Chu Lingyu."

"He offended the holy lord of Tian Ting's authority. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Don't give me that crap. I—"

"I saw Hong Chen." Ye Chen interrupted Tai Xu Ancient Dragon directly, deciding not to hide it anymore.

"He's not dead?"

"He's tough; he's still alive."

"So he's alive. But what's that got to do with capturing his wife?"

"Chu Lingyu is Hong Chen's wife." Ye Chen sighed lightly.

"This..." Tai Xu Ancient Dragon drew out the word. "This news is even more shocking than Hong Chen being alive. But what's your logic? Hong Chen's alive, so you capture his wife? Are you just bored?"

"When Hong Chen shows up, you can ask him yourself, and then you'll know if I'm bored." Ye Chen had already stood up, picking up Chu Xuan'er and heading down the peak. "Oh, and keep this under wraps."