Shrouding the Heavens: Empress, I am truly not the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!

"call……"

Ye Chen took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart.

He knew that now was not the time to give in.

There was another audience member next to him.

Ye Chen slowly turned around and looked at the nine-aperture stone figure not far away.

This ancient remnant, which was originally fierce and ready to devour Ye Chen, was now clinging tightly to the rock wall like a schoolchild who had made a mistake, trembling all over.

Its nine orifices, which were meant to absorb and release the essence of heaven and earth, were now all tightly closed, for fear of leaking out even a trace of energy and attracting the attention of that "white-robed killing god".

Although it wasn't very intelligent, its primordial instincts told it: This human before it was someone it couldn't afford to mess with! Absolutely not someone it could afford to mess with!

Although the empress was the one who placed that peach blossom petal, it was clearly to protect this human!

This is the Empress's person!

Looking at the cowardly appearance of the stone man, Ye Chen's confidence instantly surged.

He straightened his collar, resumed his inscrutable expression, glanced indifferently at the stone man, and spoke in a cold tone:

"You're lucky."

"I'm in a good mood today and don't want to see blood."

After saying that, he didn't even glance at the stone man and walked straight towards the spot where the warship had disappeared.

Although the people and boats are gone, some things remain.

It must be said that the Empress's control was absolutely exquisite. She died in the tower, but all her equipment was destroyed.

Several storage rings, radiating a precious glow, lay scattered on the ground. The most conspicuous was a small, palm-sized black fragment, engraved with ancient dragon patterns, emanating a chilling aura.

That's a fragment of a replica of the black and gold dragon-patterned tripod!

Although it was shattered, the material was an extremely rare and precious material. Even a single piece would be enough to cause countless powerful figures to fight tooth and nail in the outside world.

"We're rich...we've really struck it rich!"

Ye Chen squatted on the ground, his movements as practiced as a seasoned offender cleaning up a battlefield. While maintaining the demeanor of a superior, he swept everything on the ground into his arms with lightning speed.

"Top-grade Originium? Good stuff, I'll take it!"

"This is... a thousand-year-old medicinal herb? Although it's not as good as the one in the forbidden area, it's still usable. I'll take it!"

"Oh, isn't this the Holy Son of Yaoguang's private stash? Tsk tsk, the rich are really something else, carrying so much Pure Source when they go out, aren't they afraid of being robbed... Oh right, I've already robbed them."

Ye Chen muttered to himself as he quickly counted his spoils.

Suddenly, he stopped moving.

In the corner of the most luxurious storage ring of the Holy Son of Yaoguang, there lay a scroll of scripture that was neither gold nor jade.

The scripture was tattered and incomplete, with only half a scroll remaining, but the Daoist aura flowing through it caused a faint resonance within Ye Chen's "Devouring Heaven Dao Evolution Scripture".

Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly took it out.

The moment I held the ancient scroll in my hand, several large, gold-embossed characters came into view—"The Dao Yan Jue: Fragment".

"The Dao Evolution Technique?"

Ye Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

He vaguely remembered this technique from reading novels on Earth. It wasn't some offensive, supreme secret art, but rather an extremely special auxiliary technique. Its greatest function was "deduction" and "compatibility."

It is said that when cultivated to its peak, one can simulate the aura of all things and even deduce the remnants of the Great Dao.

"Wait... simulated aura?"

A flash of lightning seemed to strike Ye Chen's mind.

What is the biggest problem in his current situation?

He's a fake!

He is impersonating the Empress's brother by using the "bug" of Earth's soul energy.

But this is not a long-term solution. Once the Empress regains her sanity, or the demonic personality goes mad and carefully examines his origins, he will be exposed in no time.

But if one possesses this "Daoyan Jue"...

With his Devouring Heaven Dao Scripture, which can devour everything, could he try to simulate or even assimilate the aura of the real "brother"?

Turn "pretend" into "real"!

Turn "fraud" into "fact"!

"It's like a pillow delivered just when you're sleepy." Ye Chen gripped the tattered scroll in his hand, his gaze deep and thoughtful. "Holy Son of Yao Guang, you're a good person. In your next life, remember not to provoke those in white robes again."

After putting away all the spoils, Ye Chen stood up and clapped his hands.

He glanced back at the nine-aperture stone figure still affixed to the wall, a deep smile on his face.

"What are you standing there for?"

"Aren't you going back to sleep?"

The nine-aperture stone man felt as if he had been granted a pardon; the oppressive feeling emanating from the soul level made him dare not even have the thought of resisting.

It awkwardly nodded at Ye Chen—the movement was as comical as a giant terracotta warrior—and then scrambled into the depths of the rocky forest without even daring to look back.

Ye Chen chuckled and turned to walk towards Peach Blossom Spring.

His silhouette was elegant, and his steps were composed.

But only he knew that his back was already soaked with sweat.

"That was a perfect display of swagger."

"But the accounts that follow might be difficult to settle..."

Ye Chen looked up at the core of the pink restricted area, his expression becoming somewhat complicated.

The Empress has made her move.

This means he owes the Empress an enormous favor.

In the desolate and forbidden lands, debts of gratitude are usually repaid with one's life.

Moreover, he had just used the Empress's influence to expose the Holy Son of Yao Guang. While this felt good, it also meant that he had completely offended the Yao Guang Holy Land.

Once he leaves the forbidden area, he will face endless pursuit.

"We have no choice but to go down this path to the bitter end."

Ye Chen clenched his fist, his gaze resolute. "Either I appease the Empress and have her carry me to new heights, or I cultivate myself into an Emperor and annihilate them all."

……

at the same time.

Eastern Wilderness, the Sacred Land of Yao Guang.

Inside a magnificent temple suspended in the clouds.

"Snap—!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out sharply in the silent hall.

The Elder Guardian suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the altar in horror.

There, the soul lamp representing the life force of the Holy Son of Yao Guang went out without warning. Immediately afterward, the jade tablet beneath the soul lamp was instantly covered with cracks, and finally exploded into dust.

Not only that.

Around the Holy Son's Soul Lamp, the four Soul Lamps representing the Supreme Elders also seemed to be extinguished simultaneously by some invisible force, shattering together!

"This...how is this possible?!"

The Elder Guardian was deathly pale, collapsed to the ground, and his voice trembled so badly he could barely speak.

"The Holy Son...has fallen?!"

"With a replica of the dragon-patterned black-gold cauldron and four powerful protectors... they were all wiped out?!"

"The Forbidden Land of the Ancient Wilderness... What exactly happened there?!"

A mournful bell tolled, instantly echoing throughout the entire Yao Guang Holy Land.

Countless terrifying auras awakened from the depths of the holy land, carrying boundless rage and shock, soaring straight into the sky.

The sky over the Eastern Wilderness is about to change.

The person who started all this was squatting under the peach tree, fawningly peeling a crumpled apple for the empress who had just woken up and was still grumpy from waking up.

"Um... Your Majesty, how well did you peel this apple? Shall I tell you another story of Snow White?"

Ye Chen looked into the Empress's eyes, which were calm yet faintly tinged with bloodlust, and silently shed tears.

This gigolo is really tough on the teeth.