Chapter 183 Returning to Dongzhou

The Tianduan Mountain Range was a scene of deathly silence, reduced to ruins.

Smoke and dust hung heavy in the air, refusing to dissipate, as if the entire world were shrouded in this oppressive atmosphere.

The ground beneath his feet still radiated a scorching heat, as if it had just endured a terrifying catastrophe.

Ye Haocheng stood there quietly, eyes tightly shut, carefully sensing the surging power within his body.

That power was like a rushing river, flowing endlessly, causing him to be completely immersed in it, unable to extricate himself.

However, as time passed, the arrogance originally in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented sense of calm and rationality.

Although he had successfully repelled those powerful beings just now, Ye Haocheng understood very well that he had only managed to do so by leveraging the might of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Now that the Heavenly Tribulation had vanished without a trace, he might look incredibly powerful on the surface, but in reality, it was just a facade.

After all, having broken through his cultivation realm in such a short time and forcibly endured eighty-one terrifying blood tribulations of world-destruction, his body had already reached its limit; one could even say he was in an extremely weakened state.

If those cunning old fogies came to their senses and launched a counterattack, what kind of ending would await him? He dared not even imagine it...

"Uncle Chen, Jin Daoming!" Ye Haocheng called out in a low voice.

Before his voice had even faded, two figures shot over from a hidden spot in the distance.

"Hall Master! Are you alright?!" Jin Daoming rushed forward, his heart pounding with fear as he looked at the charred, still-healing wounds on Ye Haocheng's body.

He had never seen such a terrifying lightning tribulation, let alone someone who could survive one.

"I won't die." Ye Haocheng grabbed a handful of top-grade healing pills from his storage ring and, without even looking, popped them into his mouth like candy.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay."

"Those old fogies were scared out of their wits, but they will come to their senses soon."

"We must leave immediately."

"Where to?" Chen Pufan asked in a deep voice.

The heavy sword in his hand had not yet been sheathed; he remained on high alert.

"Back to the Eastern Province." Ye Haocheng's gaze was firm as he looked toward the eastern horizon.

"The Central Province has become a place of trouble. Now, all the factions in the Central Province are eyeing me like a piece of fat meat."

"Only by returning to the Asura Hall and utilizing its geographical advantages and grand arrays can I truly secure a foothold."

"Let's go!"

Without any hesitation, the three of them turned into three streaks of light, skimming close to the ground, and sped off toward the nearest major city in the Central Province.

Tianlan City, a super-large city located in the western part of the Central Province, was like a shining pearl embedded in the earth.

It was not only an important transportation hub connecting various provinces but also a place of prosperity.

The city was bustling with activity, with people coming and going, and cultivators weaving through the crowd like carp crossing a river.

At this moment, Ye Haocheng and his two companions had already changed into plain, unremarkable attire.

Ye Haocheng employed the miraculous disguise technique from the "Tianjue Strategy," cleverly altering his facial bone structure and the aura fluctuations around his body.

In the blink of an eye, the dashing and spirited man he had been turned into someone with a sallow complexion, appearing as nothing more than an insignificant, mid-stage Martial King Realm character—just an ordinary rogue cultivator.

Beside him, Chen Pufan, carrying a seemingly ordinary greatsword on his back, transformed into Ye Haocheng's personal bodyguard and guard.

They blended into the crowd in this low-profile manner and quietly entered the city gates.

However, as soon as they stepped into the city, various noisy and clamorous sounds rushed toward them.

These sounds came from the taverns and teahouses along the street, where people sat in groups of three or five, excitedly discussing a world-shaking event: "Have you heard? Something happened at the Tianduan Mountain Range!" someone exclaimed.

Another person chimed in: "Indeed! I heard that the great devil named Ye Haocheng caused it, and it actually triggered a world-destroying blood tribulation!" The speaker's tone was filled with fear and shock.

"Oh my, I really didn't expect it. Even the head of the prestigious Chu family, Chu Batian, was severely injured by this guy's sword and remains unconscious to this day..." another person interjected, a look of disbelief on their face.

"It's too terrifying. I heard that Ye Haocheng swallowed the Immortal's inheritance all by himself, and now all the major factions are hunting him down."

"Whoever can provide clues about him will get a bounty of a full one hundred million top-grade spirit stones!"

Hearing these discussions, Ye Haocheng looked up.

"Ahead is the teleportation array of Tianlan City, but the checks are very strict."

In the square at the center of the city, a massive teleportation array emitted a dazzling white light.

However, around the array, hundreds of city guards clad in golden armor were stationed.

The leader was clearly an expert at the early stage of the Martial Venerable Realm.

Everyone who wanted to use the teleportation array had to undergo a strict identity check.

"Those are people from the Tianlan Sect, a vassal faction of the Chu family." Chen Pufan transmitted his voice secretly, his tone grave.

"It seems the Chu family is moving quickly; they have already begun to blockade the main thoroughfares."

"Force our way through?"

"No." Ye Haocheng shook his head.

While they could force their way through, it would definitely expose their tracks.

Once delayed here, if the pursuers caught up, they would be like turtles in a jar.

"Use money to pave the way." A mocking arc curled at the corner of Ye Haocheng's mouth.

"In this world, there is no problem that money cannot solve."

"If there is, it's just that there isn't enough money."

He took a heavy storage bag from his bosom and threw it to Jin Daoming.

"Go, that leading Martial Venerable looks like a greedy fellow."

"Handle him."

Jin Daoming took the storage bag, scanned it with his divine sense, and immediately gasped.

This offer... was too generous!

However, he quickly put on a mercenary smile, puffed out his big belly, and walked over.

"Oh my, this lord, you've worked hard!" Jin Daoming squeezed through the crowd and arrived in front of that Martial Venerable Realm commander.

He was all smiles, his handlebar mustache twitching.

"Get lost! Can't you see we are searching for wanted criminals?" The commander frowned, his face full of impatience.

He leveled his long spear, intending to drive Jin Daoming away.

"My lord, calm down, please calm down." Jin Daoming did not get angry; instead, he leaned in closer.

Using his body as cover, he quietly slipped the storage bag into the commander's hand.

"I'm just a small-time herb merchant. My old mother is critically ill back home, and I'm in a rush to return to the Eastern Province to see her one last time."

"This is just a small token, for the brothers to buy some wine and moisten their throats."

The commander had originally intended to scold him.

But the moment his palm touched the storage bag, his expression changed slightly.

He scanned it with his divine sense.

His breathing immediately became heavy.

A full five million top-grade spirit stones!

His salary for guarding this place for a month was only one hundred thousand spirit stones.

This was simply a massive fortune!

"Ahem..." The commander calmly tucked the storage bag into his sleeve.

His originally cold and hard face instantly became much softer.

"So it is an act of filial piety."

"Filial piety is the most important of all virtues. Since that is the case, I cannot be unfeeling." He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to clear a path.

"Go on through, don't miss your time."

"Many thanks, my lord! You are truly a righteous official!" Jin Daoming showered him with thanks and quickly signaled for Ye Haocheng and Chen Pufan to follow.

The three of them successfully stepped onto the teleportation array.

With a flash of dazzling white light, their figures disappeared from Tianlan City.

The commander was still feeling smug, thinking he had made a windfall.

Little did he know that the person he had just let go was the "walking mountain of gold" that the entire Central Province was frantically searching for.

After countless twists and turns, sleeping in the open and eating in the wind, they finally completed the long and arduous journey—crossing vast, boundless, and immense territories, domains, and distances...

It had taken a full three days!

At this very moment, in this place, and in this situation, Ye Haocheng had finally stepped back onto this once-familiar and dear land once again!

In that very instant, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart: he actually felt a trace of peace and tranquility that he hadn't experienced in a long, long time!

You must know, this place was where he could settle down and establish himself; it was the world and domain that he had built for himself, starting from nothing, through his own two hands and feet, step by step, through struggle and hard work!

Ye Haocheng waved his large sleeve.

A gentle force lifted everyone who had come to salute him.

He did not say any superfluous words.

He directly issued a series of orders.

"Pass down the order: Asura Hall is to enter Level 1 combat readiness immediately."

"All disciples on missions outside are to be recalled within three days."

"Activate the Sect Protection Array. Any non-sect disciples who trespass will be killed!"

Each order was conveyed methodically.

The entire Asura Hall, this massive war machine, instantly began to operate at full speed.

After arranging everything, Ye Haocheng did not choose to rest and recuperate like a normal person; instead, he headed straight for the forbidden secret chamber in the deepest part of the Asura Hall without a moment's delay.

This place was a location that only past Hall Masters were allowed to enter; if any ordinary person dared to trespass even half a step, they would surely face severe punishment!

Accompanied by a dull and soul-shaking roar, the massive stone door, weighing thousands of catties and shimmering with a cold light throughout, began to close slowly, and finally shut tight without a gap.

Thus, all the noisy and clamorous sounds from the outside world were completely shielded, and the entire space instantly became quiet and silent.

Ye Haocheng's face was as calm as water.

He walked to a bed carved from a single piece of top-grade cold jade, then sat down steadily with his legs crossed.

This trip to the Central Province for training could be considered fruitful, with a full harvest; however, at the same time, it also harbored many potential crises and hidden worries.

Although his cultivation had successfully broken through to the Martial Venerable Realm, this advancement had been achieved by forcibly breaking through the barrier, so his foundation was still not solid enough.

Furthermore, the cultivation technique he was practicing, the "Tianjue Strategy," was extremely profound and mysterious.

Based on his current level of understanding of this secret manual, at best, he only knew a little and had barely scratched the surface.

If he wanted to master what he had learned and convert it into tangible combat power, he had to seize the time to study and comprehend it with full concentration.

"Hoo..." Ye Haocheng took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, as if wanting to expel all the distracting thoughts in his heart out of his body.

He stood there quietly, eyes slightly closed, carefully sensing every minute change inside his body.

After a while, he slowly opened his eyes, reached into his bosom, and pulled out a yellowed scroll—it was the mysterious and precious "Tianjue Strategy."

He carefully unfurled the scroll, and an ancient and powerful aura rushed toward him.

Those dense, dazzling golden runes jumped and danced on the paper like living things, emitting a heart-palpitating light.

Ye Haocheng stared at these runes without blinking, completely immersed in them, attempting to comprehend the endless mysteries and profound paths they contained.

At this moment, all external disturbances had vanished without a trace, leaving only the communion between him and this heavenly book.

Without the mountain-like pressure from before, and no longer under the threat of the thunderous Heavenly Tribulation, his state of mind was like a tranquil lake—calm and waveless, yet deep and boundless.

This ethereal state allowed him to concentrate better and devote himself wholeheartedly to the study and deduction of the cultivation technique.

At the same time, the luck points within Ye Haocheng's body seemed to have been ignited, beginning to burn fiercely at a very slow but steady speed.

These luck points transformed into streams of warm and gentle energy, wandering through his limbs and bones, constantly nourishing and strengthening his physical body and meridians.

As time passed second by second, the surging, roaring aura on Ye Haocheng's body gradually receded, turning instead into an increasingly pure and concentrated ball of energy.

The originally wild and restless aura caused by his recent breakthrough in cultivation no longer existed; in its place was a feeling as warm and smooth as ancient jade, natural and seamless.

He was striving to consolidate his newly acquired strength and, through long periods of settling, polish himself to make it even more flawless.

Just like a gemstone that has undergone thousands of refinements, although it looks plain and unremarkable on the surface, once it blooms with brilliance, it will surely be dazzling and shock the world!

Meanwhile, in the distant land of the Central Province, the Chu family's ancestral grounds were like a mysterious and solemn fairyland, floating high above the clouds.

This was a magnificent complex of palace buildings, resplendent with gold and jade, shining brightly and emitting endless auspicious energy, as if every brick and stone carried the supreme majesty and glory of the Chu family as a hegemon-level faction of the Central Province.

However, at this very moment, this once tranquil, peaceful, and inviolable holy land was permeated with a heavy and solemn atmosphere.

A biting, murderous aura descended quietly like a haze, plunging the entire ancestral grounds into a deathly silence.

Entering the ancestral hall, that sense of oppression became even more intense, making it almost impossible to breathe.