Ye Zichen, clad in long white robes, hovered above the mud hut. Predictably, Yang Jian, the Great Sage, and Pu Jingwan were at his side, as well as Venerate Spirit Treasure.
But there were quite a few others there too.
They were hiding their presences, so the immortals gathered in the village had no idea just how profound their cultivations were. But when
The Green Emperor.
The Flame Emperor.
The Green Emperor had risen to prominence in the Immortal Region in the half year following the demons’ invasion. There was no need to explain the Flame Emperor’s status; he’d been famous in the Immortal Region for a long time. Moreover, he was on the level of Fuxi and Suiren, a top expert.
It’s just that, not long ago, Fuxi and Suiren had, alongside many of the Immortal Region’s holy land’s other experts, ascended to the God Realm. The Flame Emperor was the only member of their group who remained behind.
Of course, those gathered in the village were still more concerned about just who Ye Zichen was.
“Big Brother Zichen, it’s really you.”
The girl who’d dashed out of the hut paused in the doorway for quite some time, staring up at Ye Zichen in a daze. Quite some time passed before she dared believe what she was seeing. Her beautiful eyes misted over, and she pressed off against the ground and launched herself at Ye Zichen.
“It’s really you!” This was none other than Xue Qi’s little sister, Xue Lan. They hadn’t seen each other for a hundred years, but it seemed that this girl, who Ye Zichen remembered as youthful and immature, hadn’t grown up at all.
“You’re still such a crybaby.” Ye Zichen laughed and wiped away her tears. Yang Jian and the Great Sage felt a sudden, inexplicable chill course through them.
When they turned to search for its source, they saw Pu Jingwan gnashing her teeth and glaring at Ye Zichen and Xue Lan. Her fists clenched so tightly, her knuckles cracked.
“….” Yang Jian and the Great Sage glanced at each other, trembled inexplicably, and said nothing.
If it were anything else, they might have said something, but when it came to matters of the heart, they were better off staying out of it.
Although they didn’t notice it, there was one other woman staring intently up at Ye Zichen.
She was the valiant, short-haired girl from before.
If you looked closely, there was a hint of tears in her eyes too, but she merely bit her lip and watched. She didn’t take so much as half a step forward.
“Little Yu, to think you’d already become an immortal king!” Ye Zichen’s group had already landed back on the ground. When he saw the short-haired girl, Ye Zichen chuckled and nodded at her.
“So what if I’ve become an immortal king? The distance between us has only increased.” She seemed rather disconsolate.
Pu Jingwan’s expression was getting darker and darker. If there weren’t so many people around, she’d definitely want to pinch Ye Zichen’s ears and ask “just how many girls have fallen prey to your womanizing ways, anyway?!”
Women’s intuition was always keen. Although Pu Jingwan hadn’t said anything, Little Yu noticed her. “Hah? It’s been a hundred years, but it seems you’ve still got no lack of female companionship.”
“Big Sister Lil’ Yu.” Xue Lan pouted her lips, but Lil’ Yu simply tugged her back.
“Xue Lan, you ought to know that you’re now the head of the Leisure House, and the leader of the Upheaval Alliance. When your brother left, he told me to educate you properly. Stop acting like a child all the time, alright?”
“But that’s Big Brother Zichen!”
“What of it?”
Lil’ Yu’s words were rather cold. Fortunately, Great Emperor Qingming walked out of the mud hut just in time. The Twin Axes followed half a meter behind.
“Emperor Ye.” Great Emperor Qingming cupped his fist in greeting.
“Great Emperor Qingming, after Fuxi left, the Flame Emperor abdicated, and you assumed leadership over the Immortal Region. I haven’t been a citizen of the Immortal Region for quite some time, so it is none of my concern, but don’t you think you owe the Flame Emperor and Green Emperor an explanation? Seizing the homes of the populace by force, acting without regard for human life… The Immortal Region has never tolerated such behavior before. The Flame and Green Emperors trusted in you, which is why they gave you this position,” said Ye Zichen solemnly.
“This is indeed my responsibility,” said Great Emperor Qingming.
“Alright, enough. Fortunately, no one was really hurt. Let’s end this here. Just be more careful going forward,” said the Green Emperor with an amiable smile. He tapped each of the Twin Axes between their eyes and said, “I’ve sealed your spiritual seas for one hundred years. Go work in the fields for a hundred years.”
“Yes, sir!” The brothers dared not rebel. Besides, with their spiritual seas sealed, they really weren’t much different from ordinary mortals. All they could do was nod their agreement. They’d made their bed; now they had to lie in it.
But at that moment, Bai Yu took another two steps forward, threw himself to the ground, and kowtowed repeatedly before Ye Zichen.
“Little Yu.” The village head called out to Bai Yu, but got no response.
When he looked, he saw the boy with his head against the ground. Then, he suddenly shot up and pointed at the gathered immortals. “Great immortals, your excellencies, those brothers weren’t the only ones who seized our homes. They did too…”
Suddenly, the offending immortals’ hearts clenched.
Great Emperor Qingming furrowed his brow. Then, quite a few people shouted from the skies, “Great Emperor Qingming, please forgive our offenses. We’ll leave right away, and we’ll compensate the home’s rightful owners. Please, spare us. We didn’t hurt anyone.”
“Hmph.” Great Emperor Qingming snorted coldly. Despite his displeasure, this was equivalent to tacit agreement.
The immortals instantly dispersed. Ye Zichen smiled and helped Bai Yu to his feet, then walked up to the elderly village head. “Sir, we must have startled you.”
“Great Immortal, you needn’t be so courteous.” The village head was visibly terrified. He’d never seen such influential figures in his life. In his eyes, even sky immortals were peerless existences.
Ye Zichen could chastise the commander of the entire Immortal Region, Great Emperor Qingming. It was clear how lofty his status was.
A few of the immortals, those who’d arrived early or who’d never stolen villagers’ homes, remained behind. Now, they furrowed their brows.
Suddenly, someone’s eyes widened, and he called those around him over. “He’s Emperor Ye!”
“Emperor Ye? Who’s that?” Quite a few people didn’t know who that was, but others looked stunned.
Then, they frowned. “Are you talking about that guy who disappeared silently after warding off the demons’ invasion? Don’t they say he already passed away?”
The first to realize who he was furrowed his brows. “Look at his appearance. It’s 90% similar to that statue in Pool City. Great Emperor Qingming, the Flame Emperor, and the Green Emperor are all following his lead. I’m afraid he really is the very same Emperor Ye. Passed away? I’m afraid he’s gone off and become a god!”
“A god?” Quite a few people gasped. Most of them were just human immortals. Sky immortals were few and far between. In this group’s eyes, immortal kings were distant, lofty existences. To think Emperor Ye was a god!
“Can you really come back after becoming a god?”
“Who knows? In any event, in the near future, you’d best behave yourself. Whatever you do, don’t provoke Emperor Ye, or anyone in his group.”
After the immortals in the sky dispersed, Ye Zichen escorted the elderly village head back to his room. Once they’d both taken a seat, Ye Zichen chuckled. “Sir, might you be able to tell us about the mausoleum’s current situation?”
