On the Desolate Ancient Continent, within the Southern Wasteland.

Two graceful figures trekked through towering mountains and dense ancient forests. They traveled by the light of the stars and moon, scaled peaks and forded rivers, enduring the harsh winds and sleeping in the open wilderness...

It was a miserable journey.

These two figures were naturally the favored daughters of the Ye Clan: Ye Lingyue and Ye Han.

"Big Sister, we... we've been in the Southern Wasteland for over ten days now. We've practically turned the entire region upside down, and there's absolutely no sign of that little wretch!"

Ye Han wiped the sweat from her brow, swatting away the poisonous insects drawn to her aura. Her lips were pouted so high they could touch the heavens:

"Who knows if that waste is already dead? Let's just go back, Big Sister!"

"Wasting our time on someone so insignificant... this... this is simply throwing our lives away."

"Not to mention..."

Swish!

Walking ahead, Ye Lingyue abruptly turned her head, shooting Ye Han a fierce glare. Her face was stern as she demanded,

"Not to mention what?"

"Not to mention we've been out for over ten days. I... I haven't seen Xiao Xuan in over ten days~"

Ye Han smacked her lips, looking utterly aggrieved.

Yet, the moment she mentioned "Xiao Xuan," the exhaustion and dissatisfaction on her face vanished, replaced by a radiant, water-gentle smile.

"Do you truly miss Xiao Xuan that much?"

Ye Lingyue's heart tightened, though she suppressed her temper.

"But of course!"

Hearing her elder sister doubt the bond she shared with Xiao Xuan, Ye Han immediately patted her small chest and declared,

"Xiao Xuan is our younger brother! As his older sister, how could I not protect him?"

"Back in the Ye Clan, Xiao Xuan loves chatting with me the most, and he absolutely loves the chicken soup I make for him~"

Speaking of this, a blissful smile blossomed on Ye Han's face, stripping away any trace of her usual aloof pride.

"And what of Chu Chen?"

Ye Lingyue clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly as she stared at Ye Han in disbelief:

"Chu Chen is also your brother. Your blood brother."

"I recall he used to love confiding in you the most, and he used to love your chicken soup..."

But before Ye Lingyue could finish, Ye Han's eyes widened in sheer incredulity as she interrupted:

"Big Sister, what are you saying?"

"How can that waste Chu Chen even compare to Xiao Xuan? Xiao Xuan possesses the bearing of a Great Emperor! Moreover, he... he treats everyone in our Ye Clan so well, he..."

Ye Lingyue snorted coldly, resuming her brisk pace as she questioned:

"So you mean to say Chu Chen mistreated the Ye Clan? That he didn't care about us?"

"Well... that's not..."

Ye Han instinctively wanted to snap back. She wanted to list out all the heinous crimes that waste Chu Chen had committed right to her sister's face, but as she opened her mouth, she suddenly realized... it seemed...

It seemed Chu Chen had never actually done anything to wrong the Ye Clan, nor had he wronged her. Impossible! That was absolutely impossible!!

"Hmph! Before that waste had his cultivation crippled, he was tolerable. But after he became a cripple, he went completely mad! He just couldn't stand seeing us sisters thrive!"

"I will never forget it until the day I die! Right at the critical juncture when I was about to break through to become a fourth-rank Formation Master, that waste forced his way onto my Hanfrost Peak and stormed into my Secluded Cultivation chamber! He disrupted my Dao heart, causing me to suffer Qi Deviation! Not only did my breakthrough fail, but the backlash nearly obliterated my entire cultivation base! I fell gravely ill and almost lost my life!"

"Afterward, if Xiao Xuan hadn't gifted me those healing Pills, I..."

At this memory, Ye Han's beautiful, large eyes filled with unadulterated hatred, blinding fury, and piercing Killing Intent.

"This..."

Ye Lingyue paused. She had indeed heard of this incident.

Because of it, their father, Ye Ding, had chained Chu Chen up and whipped him for a full day and night, leaving him mutilated and drenched in his own blood.

In the end, had Xiao Xuan not knelt on the ground and begged their father to show mercy, Chu Chen would have been beaten to death.

"But... but I believe Chu Chen is not that kind of person. There must be... there must be..."

"What hidden circumstances could there be?! That waste was crippled and could no longer cultivate, so he wanted to drag me down to his level so he wouldn't suffer alone!"

The mere mention of Chu Chen made the fury in Ye Han's heart erupt uncontrollably.

The normally noble, icy, and aloof Ye Han now shrieked like a common street shrew:

"Also, Big Sister, there's something you don't know! That waste Chu Chen was always forcing us sisters to swallow the Pills he supposedly 'refined.'"

"Tell me, he wasn't an alchemist! What kind of Pills could he refine? Who knows what garbage he dug up from the dirt? He was always running over to flatter us sisters with them. We couldn't even chase him away; he clung to us like a pathetic dog. It was absolutely disgusting."

"And those Pills reeked of blood! Just a single whiff made me want to vomit! Ugh~"

Pills?

Ye Lingyue was stunned. Subconsciously, she brushed her Storage Ring, and a dark crimson Pill instantly materialized in her palm.

Because she cultivated the Dao of divination and the Eight Trigrams, Ye Lingyue spent most of her years in Secluded Cultivation within the Ye Clan.

Yet even so, Chu Chen would frequently send her these Chaos Blood Pills.

Even when she refused them, he never once stopped...

"Ah! Big Sister, why do you have that Pill too?!"

The Pill was dark crimson, smelled of iron and blood, and possessed a rough, uneven surface. Ye Han recognized it with a single glance:

"Quick... throw it away! Who knows where that waste scavenged that filth? Don't poison yourself!"

"Those blood Pills that beast gave me, I practically never ate them. I either gave them to Xiao Xuan or just tossed them out on Hanfrost Peak..."

While Ye Han was still mindlessly berating Chu Chen and his blood Pills, Ye Lingyue stared at the Chaos Blood Pill in her hand. Thinking of Chu Chen, whose fate remained entirely unknown, her nose stung and her eyes grew red. Subconsciously, she placed the Chaos Blood Pill between her lips and bit down gently.

"Big Sister, don't!"

Boom!!

The moment the Chaos Blood Pill entered her mouth, it melted into a surging, warm current that rushed down her throat, sweeping through her limbs and bones.

The single thread of Chaos Qi contained within it deeply nourished her mortal shell, saturating her spiritual roots. In a flash, Ye Lingyue's mind achieved absolute clarity. She could vividly feel the Great Dao of the world manifesting right before her eyes.

Not only were all the hidden injuries within her meridians healed in an instant, but even though she had only recently broken through, she once...

Once again felt the imminent threshold of a breakthrough!

"This..."

This... this was simply inconceivable! Utterly unimaginable!

One had to know, the entire Desolate Ancient Continent was born from primeval Chaos. Since the splitting of heaven and earth, Chaos Qi had evolved into the myriad things and could never be found again!

Ye Lingyue paled in profound shock. A single, unassuming blood Pill actually contained genuine Chaos Qi!

Consuming just one Chaos Blood Pill erased all hidden injuries and triggered the resonance of a breakthrough. If she were to...

If she were to eat just two more-no more, just two!

Ye Lingyue would seize the momentum to forcefully shatter her bottleneck, advancing straight into the Divine Fire Realm's Tenth Heaven-the absolute peak!

By then, her mastery over the Eight Trigrams and divination arts would undoubtedly reach a transcendent level, making it infinitely easier to track down Chu Chen!

Clutching her chest, Ye Lingyue entirely ignored the ceaselessly chattering Ye Han. She frantically scoured through her Storage Ring, desperately hoping to find a few more Chaos Blood Pills.

But no matter how many times she sifted through her ring, she could not find a second one.

Ye Lingyue remembered now. The only reason she even had this single Chaos Blood Pill in her ring was because the very first time Chu Chen had brought her a large jade bottle filled with them, she had casually taken one out to inspect it.

But back then, repulsed by Chu Chen's ragged appearance and the nauseating stench of blood, she had felt... disgusted, and carelessly tossed the single pill into the corner of her Storage Ring.

To think that...

"Xiao Han, do you still have any of the... the blood Pills Chu Chen gave you?"

Ye Lingyue stared at Ye Han with an incredibly tense expression, her voice trembling with frantic urgency.

"B-Big Sister, I... I thought those Pills were filthy. I either gave them to Xiao Xuan or... or I just dumped them on Hanfrost Peak."

Ye Han froze. She had never seen her composed elder sister look so panic-stricken. Could...

Could it be that the Pill really rotted her brain?!

She had said it! Nothing Chu Chen gave them could be eaten! Especially his Pills!

But her Big Sister just wouldn't listen. Sigh!

"Xiao Han, this Pill is not the vile thing you think it is. On the contrary..."

Why did the Pills Chu Chen gave them reek so heavily of blood? Why did they contain the mythical Chaos Qi?

Ye Lingyue's nose stung, and hot tears welled in her eyes once more. She already had a terrifying hypothesis; she merely needed to confirm it.

"Aiya, Big Sister, why are you crying?"

"The dead should be respected. If... if you don't like hearing it, then fine, I won't call that waste a waste anymore~"

Ye Han didn't think too deeply into it. She affectionately linked her arm through Ye Lingyue's. As they spoke, the two finally emerged from the dense ancient forest.

A magnificent, sprawling city abruptly revealed itself before their eyes.

This city was none other than-

Shenhuo City, the domain resting beneath the Divine Flame Emperor Palace!

"Wonderful! Big Sister, we've finally reached Shenhuo City!"

Staring at the bustling, prosperous city, all the fatigue vanished from Ye Han's face. She practically danced with excitement:

"Big Sister, let's use Shenhuo City's spatial wormhole to return to the Ye Clan, alright?"

"We've scoured almost the entirety of the Southern Wasteland, and there's absolutely no sign of that was-... of Chu Chen."

"He's probably dead already. And... and even if he isn't, he likely left the Southern Wasteland long ago, right?"

The mere thought of immediately returning to the Ye Clan and seeing Ye Xuan filled Ye Han with overflowing joy.

"..."

Ye Lingyue exhaled a quiet sigh. She knew that her younger sisters-and even their father-harbored an insurmountable prejudice against Chu Chen. It was a bias that could not be dismantled with mere words.

Unless she presented them with undeniable proof, they would absolutely never change their perspective on him.

Once prejudice took root, even the act of breathing was a sin.

"If you wish to return, then go back yourself."

Ye Lingyue gently pushed Ye Han's arm away and walked toward the gates of Shenhuo City alone. A never-before-seen resolve hardened her gaze:

"I have yet to search Shenhuo City or the Divine Flame Emperor Palace. Perhaps Chu Chen..."

Ye Han froze. Staring at her elder sister's lonely silhouette, a sudden pang of heartache struck her.

And so, she viciously cursed Chu Chen a thousand times over in her heart. He wouldn't even let them live in peace after his death!

"Big Sister, I know you want to find Chu Chen, but..."

"Big Sister, it's not like you don't know! Three years ago, Chu Chen defeated and suppressed the Empress of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace!"

Seeing Ye Lingyue about to cross into Shenhuo City, Ye Han stomped her feet in sheer frustration, yet had no choice but to chase after her:

"Just who is Empress Lin Shuwang?! She is the most dazzling talent on the entire Desolate Ancient Continent! She is the absolute master of the Divine Flame Emperor Palace!"

"Our Ye Clan and the Divine Flame Emperor Palace are as incompatible as fire and water! The Emperor Palace hates Chu Chen to the bone! No matter how stupid Chu Chen is, he wouldn't willingly walk into their trap!"

"You just wait and see! Let alone stepping foot into the Divine Flame Emperor Palace, if Chu Chen even dares to set foot inside Shenhuo City, I..."

"I, Ye Han, will twist my own head off and let him kick it like a ball~"

......