The next day, dawn had barely broken, and the starlight had yet to fade.
Yet figures already crowded before Ye Chen's Chen Hall, their auras formidable. Dozens of young men and women stood solemnly in fine attire, their bearing extraordinary, traces of laws swirling around them. Even the weakest had reached Spirit Transformation, while the strongest had already touched the threshold of Void Refinement.
They were the finest of the Ye Clan's younger generation, Ye Chen's followers—or rather, the core team the Ye Clan had painstakingly selected and nurtured for its future hope. Their gazes upon the hall doors burned with fervor and reverence.
The doors slowly opened, and Ye Chen strode out. Today, he wore a fitted black outfit suited for movement, trading some of his usual languid nobility for a sharper, more efficient air. Emperor Xuanwu remained like his most loyal shadow, silently following half a step behind him.
"Greetings, Young Master Chen!"
Everyone bowed in unison, their voices shaking even the surrounding spiritual rain into a momentary pause.
Ye Chen swept his gaze over the young, vibrant faces below and nodded slightly. He knew most of them; many were companions who had watched him grow up, cultivated with him, and played alongside him. A thousand years would have seen more than a dozen dynasties rise and fall in the mortal world, but in the Ye Clan, they remained young, still members of the same generation.
"I summoned you today neither for a clan celebration nor for an ordinary training expedition." Ye Chen's clear voice reached every ear. "I intend to visit Mount Annihilation."
His declaration drew little surprise from the crowd. Instead, excitement and eagerness filled their faces. Mount Annihilation was forbidden ground, fraught with danger, but at Young Master Chen's side, danger often meant opportunity! Besides, yesterday's phenomenon, which had shaken the entire Ancestral Grounds, had already stirred everyone's curiosity.
"However, this journey will be far from ordinary." Ye Chen shifted his tone, a trace of gravity entering his voice. "Father has ordered the core region sealed. We may only investigate its outskirts. Moreover, space there is in turmoil, and the Annihilation Wind runs rampant. Not everyone can go."
His gaze flashed like lightning as he slowly surveyed them. "I need ten people. You must be at Spirit Transformation Late Stage or above. Those proficient in spatial laws or possessing special protective divine abilities will take priority. This journey may hold unknown dangers. If you wish to withdraw, there is still time."
No one moved.
Not only did no one withdraw, their eyes burned even brighter. Being chosen by Young Master Chen was an honor in itself! Danger? On the Ye Clan's own territory, following Young Master Chen, who possessed the Primordial Chaos Immortal Physique, with Sovereign Xuanwu protecting them—what real danger could there possibly be?
At the sight, the corner of Ye Chen's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. This fearless spirit was exactly what he wanted.
"Ye Yun." He called the first name.
A tall young man with a stern face and an ancient longsword strapped to his back stepped out from the crowd and bowed. "Ye Yun reporting!" His Sword Qi was held in check, yet he gave the impression that nothing could withstand his edge. Already at mid-stage Void Refinement, he was one of the strongest fighters under Ye Chen's command and excelled at offense.
"Ye Ling." The second was a young woman in an emerald dress, her bearing ethereal. She smiled sweetly, a rich aura of life flowing around her. "Ye Ling awaits your orders!" Though her cultivation was only at Spirit Transformation Peak, her understanding of the Life Law ran deep, and she excelled at healing and support.
"Shi Meng." A brawny man nearly ten feet tall, his muscles knotted like those of a savage beast in human form, stepped forward, making the ground tremble slightly. "Young Master, Shi Meng volunteers for the vanguard!" He followed the path of body cultivation, his flesh incomparably powerful. Ordinary spatial fissures could scarcely leave a scratch on him.
"Mo Yu." A slender, somewhat pale young man appeared soundlessly before the ranks. His aura flickered on the edge of perception, as though he had merged with the surrounding shadows. "Mo Yu awaits your command." He excelled at assassination and concealment and was acutely sensitive to spatial fluctuations.
Ye Chen called seven names in succession, all elites with their own strengths who worked seamlessly together.
Three more remained. His gaze passed over the rest of the crowd before settling on a youth who looked rather simple and honest, yet whose eyes were exceptionally clear.
"Ye Xiaoshan."
The youth seemed not to have expected his name to be called. He froze, then hurried out of the ranks, his face flushed as he stammered, "Y-Young Master Chen, I'm here!" His cultivation was only at Spirit Transformation Late Stage, placing him near the bottom of the group, and he was usually a quiet, reserved boy.
Some beside him looked surprised. Ye Xiaoshan had decent talent, but nothing about him seemed particularly outstanding.
Ye Chen looked at him and spoke calmly. "I remember that you've studied ancient texts and fragments quite extensively, especially unusual objects whose origins cannot be identified?"
Ye Xiaoshan had never expected Ye Chen to know about this "obscure" hobby of his. He nodded excitedly. "Y-yes! Young Master, I... I enjoy looking at those strange and curious things!"
"Good. You're in." Ye Chen nodded. He was bringing Ye Xiaoshan precisely because of that Nameless Fragment. Even an Immortal Emperor could not fathom it; perhaps a pure "enthusiast" like Ye Xiaoshan might discover something different.
For the last two places, Ye Chen chose a young woman skilled in formations and restrictions, and an expert at commanding spirit beasts.
The ten-person team took shape in an instant.
"You ten will accompany Uncle Xuan and me. Everyone else, remain at Chen Hall and attend to your duties," Ye Chen ordered.
"As you command, Young Master!" the chosen ten replied in unison, excitement plain on their faces. Those who had not been selected felt somewhat disappointed, but none complained.
Just as Ye Chen was about to lead the team out, a gentle voice filled with concern rang out:
"Chen'er."
The void rippled, and radiant light blossomed of its own accord. Immortal Emperor Yaoguang quietly appeared before the hall. She wore no elaborate finery today, only a simple white dress, yet her beauty remained peerless, the glow of motherhood lending her an even softer air.
"Mother?" Somewhat surprised, Ye Chen hurried forward to pay his respects. Emperor Xuanwu and the ten followers also bowed. "Greetings, Immortal Emperor Yaoguang!"
Immortal Emperor Yaoguang's gentle gaze passed over everyone before settling on Ye Chen. She lightly straightened his already tidy collar and asked softly, "I heard you're going to Mount Annihilation?"
Ye Chen's heart tightened slightly. Worried that his mother might stop him, he quickly said, "I'm only going to look around the outskirts. With Uncle Xuan there, nothing will happen."
Immortal Emperor Yaoguang saw the irrepressible desire to explore in his eyes and sighed softly. Yet she did not stop him, merely drawing an object from her wide sleeve.
It was a perfectly round pearl the size of a longan, its color murky and indistinct. No radiance shone from its surface; it looked as plain as a pebble from the mortal world.
"Take this with you." Immortal Emperor Yaoguang placed the pearl in Ye Chen's hand. "This is the Grand Void Concealment Pearl. It is neither an offensive treasure nor a supreme defensive treasure. Wearing it will conceal part of your aura and obscure heaven's workings, making it harder for certain... 'presences' to lock onto you in places where space is in turmoil."
Ye Chen clasped the pearl. It felt warm and smooth in his hand, and even the circulation of primordial chaos purple qi within him seemed to grow a little smoother. Emotion welled in his heart. He knew that although his mother would not stop him, she could not truly set her worries aside, and so had bestowed this wondrous lifesaving treasure upon him.
"Thank you, Mother!" Ye Chen put the pearl away with the utmost care, keeping it close to his body.
Immortal Emperor Yaoguang turned to Sovereign Xuanwu, a note of solemnity entering her voice. "Xuanwu, I'm entrusting Chen'er to you... sorry for the trouble."
Emperor Xuanwu bowed deeply. "Rest assured, Empress. Even if this old servant's body is shattered and his bones ground to dust, I will keep the young master safe!"
Immortal Emperor Yaoguang nodded and said no more. Her figure slowly faded away, leaving only that faint sense of care lingering in everyone's hearts.
With his mother's gift and parting instructions, Ye Chen felt even more assured. He drew a deep breath, his gaze sharpening once more as he surveyed the ten followers ready to depart.
"Move out!"
At his command, more than ten streaks of light shot skyward from before Chen Hall. Rather than flying directly toward Mount Annihilation, they curved toward the southeast of the Ancestral Grounds, heading for a region called the Shattered Star Wasteland. It bordered Mount Annihilation but lay outside the forbidden zone, making it the starting point of their planned "passing visit."
Beneath the starlight, the young team set out, carrying their hopes for the unknown and a trace of hidden tension. No one knew what raging tempest this ripple—tacitly permitted, even quietly anticipated by the Ye Clan's highest ranks—would ultimately stir within this vast cosmic cage.
Before you continue