Chương 377: Chapter 376: Even the Heavenly Emperor Fell!

Feng Baiyu had assumed that someone like Ye Chen, bold enough to kill the Heavenly Intention Holy Son's brother without hesitation, would favor aggressive, straightforward offensive techniques. He never expected Ye Chen to choose the Thunder Emperor's Soul Purification Technique. This technique used divine lightning to cleanse the soul, purging all anomalies, nourishing it to resist external corruption, and enhancing its resistance to lightning-based arts. It was a supportive technique, not a combative one.

"Why this one?" Feng Baiyu asked, curiosity piqued. Ye Chen saw no need to hide his reasoning. An Miaoli was clearly suffering from a disturbance deep in her soul, unwilling to recall past-life memories. This technique might shatter those lingering thoughts. It was perfect for her. However, since it was a gift from the Holy Lord, passing it on without acknowledgment would be disrespectful and could breed resentment. So, Ye Chen spoke openly.

"An Elder of my Ascension Peak, An Miaoli, has an issue with her soul—she's recalling memories that aren't hers. I suspect it's tied to reincarnation. She doesn't want her past life, only her present one, and wishes to avoid those memories. The Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique seems like it could help her. I'd like to gift it to her after receiving it from you, Holy Lord." Ye Chen was completely candid. There was no point in deceiving someone as astute as Feng Baiyu.

The mention of reincarnation made Feng Baiyu's brows furrow, as if he were pondering something, but he ultimately shook his head and didn't press further. Instead, he looked at Ye Chen with a mix of admiration and amusement.

"The rumors are true—you're generous, treating women like treasures, even willing to give away something as precious as the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. But it's just one technique. Gift it if you wish. Now I'm curious—whose inheritance did you obtain? The Heavenly Emperor's? Or perhaps the Great Zhou Dynasty's Great Emperor?" Ye Chen smiled and thanked him but sidestepped the question with a light chuckle.

"Compared to you and Senior Brother, I'm nothing special—just piecing together bits and pieces from here and there." In the cultivation world, most Holy Sons and Holy Lords followed their sect's inherited techniques. The question was almost unnecessary. Yet Heavenly Evolution Holy Land was an oddity—its Holy Son and Holy Lord both disdained their own legacy, which was rather absurd. Feng Baiyu didn't take Ye Chen's words seriously, idly fanning himself with a folding fan.

"You're much more likable than Hua Yunfei. I'd rather see you as the next Holy Lord. So, I plan to linger in the Unity stage a bit longer, waiting for you to grow and catch up to Hua Yunfei's cultivation. Then I'll break through and give you a boost. Seize this opportunity!" Ye Chen's lips twitched. It was the first time he'd heard someone frame their slow cultivation progress and delayed breakthrough so elegantly. Still, he didn't call it out. With a serious nod, he said, "Thank you, Holy Lord!"

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Feng Baiyu laughed heartily, pointing a finger. A beam of divine light surged into Ye Chen's forehead. Instantly, the cultivation method for the Thunder Emperor Soul Purification Technique appeared in his mind, unrestricted and free to share. Ye Chen thanked him sincerely. After a few encouraging words about crushing the Heavenly Intention Holy Son, Ye Chen took his leave from the Cloud Summit Palace.

As Feng Baiyu watched Ye Chen's departing figure, mist clouded his eyes, obscuring his pupils.

"The Western Empress Scripture, Eternal Cosmos Sutra, Great Emperor Scripture, and the True Dragon, True Phoenix, and Kun Peng Treasure Techniques. Plus that massive cluster of Black Yellow Primordial Essence. Your path mirrors the Heavenly Emperor's exactly. You still claim you're not his successor? But even the Heavenly Emperor, who shook the ages, fell in the outer domains, never to return." His voice trailed off with a sigh. As for Ye Chen's mention of reincarnation, Feng Baiyu knew it was real.

But who would choose reincarnation over this life? Like himself, they were all just failures. Even if one regained their past life's peak and walked a more perfect path, what did it matter? Even the Heavenly Emperor had fallen. Ye Chen returned to the Holy Son Peak in high spirits, increasingly satisfied with Heavenly Evolution Holy Land. Though the Holy Lord's reputation suggested he wasn't exactly virtuous, he treated his own people well. Ye Chen despised power struggles, internal scheming, and mutual betrayal.

Both his senior brother and the Holy Lord were open and forthright, making him feel at ease. An Miaoli was still in seclusion, so Ye Chen wasn't in a rush to gift her the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. Instead, he retrieved an Ancient Star his senior brother had given him long ago, intending to give it to An Yuyi. Its return wouldn't greatly enhance his combat or cultivation, so it had been low on his gifting priority. Now was the perfect time.

An Yuyi, with the Soul-Swaying Divine Stone, had reached a five-hundred-fold return. Though their status as cultivation partners meant no critical hits, the partner bonus doubled it to a thousand-fold—not bad at all. It could yield a few stars to brighten his small world and keep the Star Pool replenished with spiritual liquid. If it fell short, he could refine and gift a star himself once his cultivation advanced, filling his small world's sky. No big deal. He drifted to An Yuyi's cave abode.

She was cultivating the Hundred Flowers Immortal Scripture. Since reaching the Nascent Soul stage, her skin exuded a faint fragrance. Her youthful, adorable face, complete with small tiger teeth, carried a hint of mischief, yet her stunning figure—only slightly less striking than his master's—created a captivating contrast. Seeing Ye Chen, her eyes curved into crescents, her voice syrupy sweet.

"Senior Brother, you're here! Feeling unwell again? Need some detoxification?" Ye Chen flicked her smooth forehead with a wry smile.

"All you think about! Focus on serious matters—cultivation is the true path." An Yuyi pouted.

"How is it not serious? Dual cultivation is cultivation too." Having tasted its delights, she was hooked. Ye Chen chuckled, presenting the Ancient Star.

"This is for you. Refine it, and your strength will soar." Stars shone in the daylight sky but were far weaker than at night, limiting cultivators of star-based arts during the day. Possessing a star eliminated that constraint. An Yuyi's eyes sparkled as she took the star, clutching it to her chest. Her face flushed with excitement, her voice even sweeter.

"Senior Brother, are you sure you don't want me to detoxify you?" A system prompt sounded in Ye Chen's mind, and he grinned. If he was happy, he couldn't let her down. With an indulgent nod, he said, "Alright, detoxify away!"