With a few minor schemes, Ye Xuan successfully ingratiated himself with the seven brainless women of the Ye family.

Then, guided by the introductions of Ye Ling'er, Ye Han, Ye Qingqing, and the others, he smoothly integrated into the Ye family.

Following a meticulously crafted plan, and with Pill Elder's covert assistance, Ye Xuan "inadvertently" revealed a shocking secret before Ye Ding and the Ye family ancestor: he possessed a supreme divine physique with the bearing of a Great Emperor.

On that day, golden lotuses sprang from the earth, ethereal celestial music drifted through the air, and purple clouds stretched across thirty thousand Li...

The myriad of heavenly phenomena left the Ye family ancestor and Patriarch Ye Ding utterly dumbfounded, convinced the heavens had blessed their clan with an unparalleled treasure.

As Ye Ding trembled with sheer excitement, the white lotus Ye Xuan recalled a melodramatic plot from a television show in his previous life, and inspiration struck.

In front of the entire hall, he dropped to his knees before Ye Ding, tears streaming down his face as he cried out:

"Uncle Ye, it pains me to hear that your son has been crippled. My own parents passed away when I was young..."

"If you do not find me unworthy, I wish to care for you in your twilight years! I want to lead the entire Ye family to glory! To the absolute peak! We will trample all holy lands and immortal dynasties beneath our feet, making the Ye family the number one great family on the Desolate Ancient Continent!"

"..."

Ye Ding stood frozen for a long moment before wiping away tears of profound emotion.

Since Chu Chen was already crippled and the Ye family teetered on the edge of decline, the sudden appearance of Ye Xuan with the bearing of a Great Emperor could only be seen as heaven's ultimate favor.

Thus, Ye Xuan smoothly became Ye Ding's adopted son.

Step by step, he usurped the crippled Chu Chen's place, becoming the sole future hope of the Ye family!

The plan proceeded flawlessly. Chu Chen, a true Child of Providence and quintessential protagonist, was utterly crushed in every conceivable aspect by the transmigrator and grand Villain, Ye Xuan.

Utilizing everything he had learned from Blue Star-such as the Art of War and the Thirty-Six Stratagems-Ye Xuan secretly manipulated events from the shadows. He set traps and cultivated his innocent white lotus persona while simultaneously suppressing, deceiving, and framing Chu Chen, successfully severing the bond between Chu Chen and the Ye family.

He did not stop until Chu Chen's position as Saint Son was stripped away, plundering his resources, Providence, and karmic opportunities...

Even stealing his familial affection!!

Yet Ye Xuan never expected Chu Chen to be so unyielding. Or rather...

It was more akin to a shattered jade refusing to remain whole.

He had only intended to strip Chu Chen of his Saint Son title. Who could have predicted that Chu Chen would directly sever his father-son bond with Ye Ding, strike his own name from the genealogy, and abandon the Ye family entirely?

Ye Xuan cared nothing for Chu Chen's life or death.

But just as Ye Lingyue had said, the moment he left, the Ye family's Providence scattered, giving rise to endless calamities. Without Providence to plunder, what bearing of a Great Emperor could Ye Xuan possibly claim?

It was too late for regrets.

"Too hasty! Far too hasty!!"

Only after Ye Xuan had walked a great distance did Pill Elder's heavy sigh echo from within the black ring:

"Compared to the boundless Providence gathered around Chu Chen, what does a Saint Son's monthly stipend amount to?"

"You threw away a priceless jade to pick up a common stone. What am I to do with you!"

Hearing this, Ye Xuan's intestines twisted with regret.

But the wood was already carved into a boat. The deed was done, and no amount of remorse could reverse the Heavenly Dao.

"Master, what should I do? Should I abandon the Ye family and find another immortal dynasty or holy land to exploit?"

Ye Xuan knew perfectly well that without plundering the Providence of others, his own meager cultivation talent would never allow him to break through to the Saint realm in this lifetime, let alone the legendary Great Emperor realm.

"Do not rush! Do not panic!"

Pill Elder sighed softly, pondering for a moment before continuing:

"The Providence surrounding Chu Chen is utterly heaven-defying. Aside from the demonic path's Empress, Lin Shuwang, finding another existence comparable to him is nearly impossible."

"Furthermore, not every immortal family and holy land is filled with gullible fools like the Ye family."

"..."

"Besides, I do not believe that brat Chu Chen will die so easily. He is a Child of Providence, after all. Defying the Heavens to change fate and turning calamity into fortune is as natural as breathing for him."

After years of painstaking manipulation within the Ye family, neither Ye Xuan nor Pill Elder was willing to abandon their foundation so easily.

"For now, our absolute priority is to determine whether Chu Chen is alive or dead, and to pinpoint his exact location!"

"Ye Lingyue studied under the Divine Calculator. Her mastery of the Eight Trigrams and divination is exceptionally profound. First, help her break through her current realm, then borrow her hands to track down Chu Chen!"

Ye Xuan's eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly like a chick pecking at rice. But a sudden realization struck him, and his smile vanished instantly:

"But Master, I can barely break through my own bottlenecks. How... how am I supposed to help Ye Lingyue break through? She is an expert at the Eighth Heaven of the Divine Flame realm!"

"Hmph, you useless waste, what else are you good for?"

Pill Elder snorted coldly, his voice dripping with reprimand:

"Have you forgotten my title? Gather the necessary medicinal herbs first. I will refine a Divine Flame Breakthrough Pill for her, and you will present it as your own gift."

"This is the perfect opportunity to buy Ye Lingyue's loyalty once more. Binding her to your service will be highly beneficial."

"When dealing with women, playing the pitiful, innocent, and naive victim is your specialty. You white lotuses excel at such underhanded tricks."

At these words, Ye Xuan flushed red, offering an awkward, placating smile.

He dared not show the slightest hint of dissatisfaction before Pill Elder, hurriedly nodding in agreement:

"Mas... Master is absolutely right to scold me. Xuan'er will immediately prepare the medicinal herbs required for the Divine Flame Breakthrough Pill."

"Once Xuan'er's strength increases, I will definitely forge a new body for Master so you can exact your revenge!!"

Hearing this, Pill Elder's tone softened slightly. This promise was the sole reason he was willing to secretly aid Ye Xuan.

Yet what Pill Elder failed to notice was the venomous resentment flickering deep within Ye Xuan's eyes. Beneath that harmless, innocent facade, the word "waste" burned like acid.

However, Ye Xuan concealed this malice perfectly, burying it without a trace before it could fully surface...

At that moment, Pill Elder was troubled by an entirely different matter. Frowning deeply, he muttered to himself:

"Strange... why is Ye Lingyue no longer under the influence after emerging from Secluded Cultivation..."

...

Outside the mountain gates of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace.

Space shattered like a fragile mirror, and a ragged, bloodied youth stumbled out from the fractured void.

"I... I actually survived!"

Staring up at the towering, majestic architecture of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, the youth gasped for breath, his heart pounding with sheer relief:

"To survive a great calamity guarantees future fortune. This time, I, Chu Chen, truly walked right through the gates of hell!"

The youth was none other than Chu Chen, having forcibly crossed the void from the Heavenly Demon Gorge. Surviving such a desperate tribulation left him feeling as though he were trapped in a surreal dream.

Facing Ye Lingyue, a peak Divine Flame realm expert.

Facing a Saint-level Demon Beast Flood Dragon that had comprehended the Dao of Space.

Facing the lethal perils of the Heavenly Demon Gorge and the Divine Flame Emperor Palace tens of thousands of Li away.

...

By all logic, Chu Chen should have been dragged back to the Ye family by Ye Lingyue, devoured alive by the Flood Dragon, torn apart in the Heavenly Demon Gorge, or left to rot on the arduous journey to the Divine Flame Emperor Palace.

After all, Chu Chen was currently nothing more than a...

Yet, when all these lethal threats converged upon him, Chu Chen emerged as the ultimate victor.

At the absolute precipice of life and death, the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon-the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar-Awakened on its own. It forcibly shielded its master, suppressing everything in its path.

Not only did it throw off Ye Lingyue, but it also ruthlessly suppressed the Saint-level Flood Dragon, sealing the beast within the Spiritual arts Jar.

And the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, tens of thousands of Li away, was reached in a single breath.

"Demonic path Empress Lin Shuwang, I..."

Standing before the colossal Divine Flame Emperor Palace, which loomed like a ferocious ancient beast crouching upon the earth, Chu Chen pictured the devastatingly beautiful, peerless Empress Lin Shuwang. He couldn't help but swallow hard.

He was a little nervous.

During their battle three years ago, he had beaten Empress Lin Shuwang...

Black and blue.

Horribly.

Completely and utterly suppressed.

Logically, Empress Lin Shuwang should hate him to the marrow of her bones, desperate to tear him apart with her bare hands to wash away the humiliation.

Both were supreme prodigies.

They were naturally opposed like fire and water, let alone the fact that they had fought a deathmatch that nearly resulted in mutual destruction.

Yet what Chu Chen couldn't fathom was his crystal-clear memory from before his rebirth. When he had been tortured beyond recognition by the Ye family, hovering on the brink of death...

The one who had single-handedly carved a bloody path into the Ye family with her sword, desperately trying to save him...

Was none other than the demonic path's Empress, Lin Shuwang!!

But Chu Chen's oil had already run dry. Even if a Great Emperor descended in person, it would have been too late to reverse his fate.

After he succumbed to his grievous wounds and his soul dissipated, Empress Lin Shuwang learned the entire truth. Her fury shattered the heavens.

Without a sliver of hesitation, Empress Lin Shuwang ignited a forbidden secret technique and directly sacrificed her Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon.

Wielding supreme imperial might, she unleashed an apocalyptic slaughter.

She shattered the void and forced the Great Dao itself to sink into oblivion.

The Ye family ancestor, Patriarch Ye Ding, the seven sisters, and that sickening white lotus Ye Xuan...

All of them were utterly annihilated!

Not just the Ye family members-even the chickens and dogs of the Ye estate were slaughtered! Every living thing was buried alongside Chu Chen!

She, the demonic path's Empress Lin Shuwang, swore to completely erase the immortal Ye family from the face of the Desolate Ancient Continent!

This...

Such a terrifyingly fierce woman-who would dare provoke her?!

Regardless, Chu Chen felt a lingering unease in his heart. He was definitely a bit nervous~

But having been granted a second life, he had to uncover the truth behind her actions.

Moreover, although he had escaped the Ye family's clutches and refined the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon, the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar...

Chu Chen was still a mortal with shattered Meridians, entirely incapable of cultivation. Having endured three years of relentless torment and neglect at the hands of the Ye family, his physical vessel was completely burnt out. He did not have much time left to live.

Even if Chu Chen did absolutely nothing, he would drop dead in a matter of weeks, or a few months at best.

"Damn it, I'm a dead man walking anyway. What do I have to fear?"

Chu Chen took a deep breath and marched straight toward the towering gates of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace.

Even if he died today, he would die with clarity.

He had to know why Empress Lin Shuwang treated him so... differently.

Furthermore, the Empress had burned her own life force and mobilized an Emperor Weapon just to avenge him, igniting an imperial war.

No matter how one looked at it, he owed this Empress a massive karmic debt.

Chu Chen had always been a pragmatic man-he repaid grudges with blood, and debts of gratitude with his life.

Since he was destined for the grave, hoarding these supreme treasures was pointless.

The value of the Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon, the Heaven-Swallowing Magic Jar, went without saying. Even the Divine Phoenix Blood he had extracted within the Spiritual arts Jar was an impossibly rare heavenly treasure.

Empress Lin Shuwang possessed the Undying God Phoenix Physique, and that Divine Phoenix Blood contained the ancient Divine Phoenix Treasure Technique.

Although it was useless to him, to Empress Lin Shuwang, it was...

Steeling his resolve, Chu Chen strode up to the majestic palace gates. Just as he was about to cross the threshold, the perimeter guards violently blocked his path.

"Insolent!"

"How bold!"

"This is the Divine Flame Emperor Palace. Trespassers will be executed!"

Facing the vicious guards who had already drawn their gleaming blades, Chu Chen halted, finding himself in a difficult bind.

These guards were all experts of the Heaven Opening or Spirit Communication Realms. Three years ago, Chu Chen could have annihilated them with a mere flick of his finger. But now, his cultivation was crippled, reducing him to a mortal. The Extreme Dao Emperor Weapon within his body was only superficially refined; he couldn't actively mobilize its power.

"Gentlemen, I... I have urgent business with your Empress Lin Shuwang. Please announce my arrival!"

Chu Chen cupped his fists respectfully toward the guards.

Unexpectedly, the guards burst into mocking laughter.

"Hmph, who do you think you are?"

"A crippled mortal like you wants an audience with our Empress? Keep dreaming!"

"Exactly. Who in this world doesn't want to see our Empress? Who doesn't want to behold her peerless beauty?"

"Do you think any random stray dog can just demand an audience? Who the hell do you think you are? Does our Empress have time for trash like you?"

...

Chu Chen frowned, a spark of irritation flaring in his chest, but he couldn't resort to force.

If he tried to fight his way in, not only would he fail to see Empress Lin Shuwang, but he would also be pinned to the dirt and beaten half to death by these gatekeepers.

As the guards pressed their blades toward his neck, a sudden, reckless inspiration struck Chu Chen.

"How dare you! I am Chu Chen of the immortal Ye family! Three years ago, I personally defeated and suppressed your Empress Lin Shuwang!"

Chu Chen's expression turned glacial, and a terrifying, phantom Killing Intent swept through the air.

With a sharp wave of his hand, he roared at the guards, his sheer audacity forcing them to take a step back:

"Today, on behalf of the immortal Ye family, I issue a formal war challenge to your Empress Lin Shuwang! I declare war upon the entire Divine Flame Emperor Palace!"

"If you delay reporting a matter of this magnitude, when the Empress learns of your incompetence, she will execute you all without mercy!!"

...