Chen Changsheng said earnestly, "The Power of Karma is formless and traceless. Master, you may have already transcended karma, but I have not."

Lu Xuan replied casually, "I'll carry it for you in the future."

Chen Changsheng said faintly, "Actually, I'm already making you carry it."

Lu Xuan was speechless.

After a moment of silence, Lu Xuan asked, "You've been in this realm for endless Epochs; have you ever seen the Heavenly Dao?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "Yes, I have. The Heavenly Dao exists, and it has consciousness, but it transcends all living beings. Cultivators absorb spiritual energy from heaven and earth, and when they fall, their cultivation returns to heaven and earth. However, the Heavenly Dao also has its limits; after several Epochs, its power has significantly weakened."

Lu Xuan nodded.

Not long after, Chen Changsheng prepared the meal. Giant pork ribs, sweet and sour spiritual meat, stir-fried meat with green peppers… The two began to eat, as if they were back on Azure Mystery Peak.

An hour later, they finished eating, packed up the pots and pans, and continued on their way.

Chen Changsheng asked, "Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother, I wonder where they are now?"

Lu Xuan said, "Send two Wooden Puppet Clones to look for them. Knowing their temperaments, they'll probably enter the Emperor Realm Area sooner or later."

Chen Changsheng nodded, flicked his sleeve, and several Wooden Puppet Clones shot out, rising into the air and flying in all directions.

...

Below the Emperor Realm Area.

Ye Chen moved forward, activating his Transmission Jade Slip to contact others.

But the place was too vast, Ji Fuyao and the others were too far away, and the Transmission Jade Slip received no response.

Two days later, Ye Chen, alone, arrived at the ruins of an ancient sect. Numerous peaks here, ruined palaces, traces of a great battle, and withered bones everywhere.

Soon, Ye Chen ascended the broken steps and entered the sect grounds. The mountain gate was long dilapidated, with only a few massive foundation stones remaining.

Ye Chen cleared the weeds from the foundation stones and saw a heavily scarred stone tablet, on which two ancient characters were carved: "Fire Forging Sect!"

Just then, the jade pendant on Ye Chen's chest glowed, and Yao Yan suddenly spoke, "Underground, there's the aura of spirit fire. It will be of great use to you, Chen'er!"

Hearing this, Ye Chen summoned his Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame, and the flames immediately danced, showing a hint of craving.

Yao Yan said, "This Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame seed should be advanced now; it needs to devour some high-tier flames."

Ye Chen nodded, the Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame swirling around his fingertip, and delved deeper into the Fire Forging Sect.

Not long after, Ye Chen discovered an underground fire domain. The flames here were scorching, even surpassing the Grand Dao Sect's fire secret realm. Ye Chen's Divine Sense probed out, and a terrifying heatwave surged forth, a dreadful, scorching aura raging like a sun fallen into the earth's core!

The fire domain was vast, and from the cracks in the earth, scorching winds roared, and rolling heatwaves surged towards Ye Chen like a raging tide.

Boom! Ye Chen directly leaped into the fire domain, activating his Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame, and began to devour the spirit fire of this place.

As time passed, the power of the Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame continuously grew stronger. Ye Chen sat cross-legged, also comprehending the power of spirit fire. As an alchemist, mastery of spirit fire was equally crucial!

Yao Yan said, "Chen'er, you are now only one step away from becoming a Heaven-tier Alchemist. After the Bronze Ancient Palace concludes, once you become a Heaven-tier Alchemist, you can have Peak Master Lu help you return gloriously to the Yao Family and reunite with your mother."

Ye Chen was a little excited. "Really?"

Yao Yan said in a deep voice, "Our Yao Family members are obsessed with alchemy. No matter how strong your martial arts are, they won't acknowledge you! But as long as your alchemy talent can astound the Yao Family Old Ancestors, they will accept you."

Ye Chen nodded heavily. "I understand."

Half a day later, Yao Yan's voice changed slightly. "Chen'er, someone's coming! This aura... it's from the Supreme Profound Sect!"

As his voice fell! Boom, boom, boom! Several figures leaped down into the fire domain, all elders and disciples of the Supreme Profound Sect.

"Ye Chen?" A grey-robed Quasi-Emperor was slightly startled, not expecting to encounter Ye Chen here, and immediately sneered, "It truly takes no effort to find what you're looking for when you're not looking for it! The White Robe Great Emperor isn't here, how do you expect to escape?"

The other Supreme Profound Sect members instantly erupted with monstrous killing intent, surging with terrifying Quasi-Emperor Realm and Half-step Emperor Realm pressure. In an instant, several figures directly surrounded Ye Chen!

There were three Quasi-Emperors in total!

Their eyes burned with fire as they looked at Ye Chen, like he was a mere prey. Nangong Baixue, in her capacity as Divine Goddess, had ordered that Ye Chen's head must be brought back! Old Ancestor Nanchenzi and others had also solemnly declared that Ye Chen must die, as it concerned the future of the Supreme Profound Sect.

The grey-robed elder immediately activated his Transmission Jade Slip, sending a message to Peak Master Qianyang, "Peak Master Qianyang, we've found Ye Chen!"

Peak Master Qianyang was the senior brother of Quasi-Emperor Yunyang, Nangong Baixue's master. Quasi-Emperor Yunyang had not entered the Bronze Ancient Palace this time, but he had entrusted Peak Master Qianyang and others: Ye Chen's head must be brought back to Nangong Baixue.

At this moment, a Profound Saint Realm genius, his face twisted in a sneer, said menacingly, "Ye Chen, our Divine Goddess wants your head..."

Before he could finish, Ye Chen suddenly moved. His figure was like lightning, abruptly appearing before the genius, and he punched out. "Pfft!" The genius had no time to react; his head exploded directly. Instant kill! Blood splattered everywhere!

Seeing this, the many elders immediately roared, "Attack together! Suppress this fiend first! Peak Master Qianyang said he wants to personally end Ye Chen's dog life!"

Ye Chen snorted, his white robes billowing, and he directly condensed his Martial Dao Furnace, divine radiance flowing around him like a War God, and he charged forward to kill them. "Desolate Heaven Art!"

In an instant, Ye Chen's aura surged, deep as an abyss, vast as a sea, directly suffocating several Saint King Realm cultivators. And the other Profound Saint Realm geniuses immediately began to cough up blood! "Pfft, pfft, pfft!"

The geniuses were inwardly horrified. Back in the Martial Emperor Secret Realm, they could still fight Ye Chen, but now they could only look up to him!

The grey-robed elder showed a look of shock, "This child's talent is indeed heaven-defying! Just after breaking through to the Saint King Realm, he's already this terrifying! Attack together, hold nothing back!"

Several Quasi-Emperors and Half-step Emperors simultaneously attacked Ye Chen. Terrifying spiritual energy surged like great rivers, spirit fire storms gathered from all directions, their sleeves billowed, and strands of Dao Rhyme struck out.

"Heaven-Covering Palm!"

"Mountain-Viewing Seal!"

"Dragon Roar Fist!"

"..."

Several terrifying killing techniques blasted towards Ye Chen. Ye Chen stood unmoving, the spiritual energy of his inner world surging out. His three thousand black strands of hair danced wildly, and with a great shout, he extended his large hand, directly unleashing the Star-Plucking Hand!

In an instant, the heavens and earth changed, a Sea of Spirit Fire surged, and an unparalleled Martial Dao Will continuously evolved, forming a colossal palm that blotted out the sky and sun, its terrifying pressure alarming everyone.

Boom! The two forces collided, a massive surge of energy overflowing, the Sea of Spirit Fire was directly cut in half, and vast waves of energy swept out, tearing the void apart.

Ye Chen was directly sent flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But on the other side, several Quasi-Emperors and Half-step Emperors were also forced back! The next moment, Ye Chen stood up again, his palm bleeding, but his face was filled with battle intent. Fight!

Yao Yan asked, "Chen'er, do I need to make a move?"

Ye Chen shook his head. "No need. They are merely my stepping stones."