Chapter 748: Chu Shaocheng Pledges Allegiance

A shiver ran down Ye Tianling’s spine. He snapped back to his senses and looked at the Blood Moon again, but it had already returned to normal.

But Ye Tianling knew that it was no illusion.

"Whatever you are, bring it on! No matter what you are, I, Ye Tianling, will not fear you!"

Ye Tianling murmured, his gaze growing even more resolute.

A cold wind blew past, making Ye Tianling shudder. But gradually, as his Dragon Blood circulated and the Dragon Soul-like Divine Power flowed quietly through his veins, his body quickly warmed up.

The sinister chill also quickly dissipated.

"The Great Dao ends with withered bones in a world of dust; Emperor’s Blood and Dragon Soul mark the passage of time. Why is creation’s fate so full of sorrow? How many Venerables have known such grief?

"The path of cultivation is so cruel. A peerless prodigy of his generation, a Venerable king of unrivaled grace, has now perished, his Dao vanished, leaving behind only his remains. How tragic, how lamentable."

Ye Tianling sighed to himself, then bowed three times toward the Cold Pool in a gesture of respect.

It seemed as if he had used up a lifetime’s worth of bows in this single moment.

But it was worth it.

Because Feng Chaoge was not only his friend, but could also be considered his master—the one who had guided him on his cultivation path.

"It’s truly astonishing. After ten years apart, despite your hardships and the terrible Cultivation Resources, you’ve still managed to reach such a level."

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

Then, a figure walked over from a distance. His aura was settled, his power restrained, as profound as an abyss and completely unfathomable.

It was Chu Shaocheng’s voice.

His astonishment and emotion signified that his memories had been completely restored. He had fully integrated the resources from two Worlds and had made the greatest possible progress.

"Chu Shaocheng? You’re finally you again."

Ye Tianling said with emotion. He turned around to find that Chu Shaocheng had already walked up behind him.

With that Body Technique and level of power alone, if Chu Shaocheng had launched a sneak attack, Ye Tianling would have at least been severely injured, if not killed.

Now, after entering the Hidden Dragon Demon Cave and completing their final transformations, the progress of every Divine Son and Divine Lady had clearly reached its peak.

This was the beginning—the true start of a glorious and unparalleled era.

It was also the dawn of the greatest and most brutal age, where countless Divine Sons and Divine Ladies would clash.

For Chu Shaocheng, more than ten years had passed since they last saw each other.

But for Ye Tianling, they had only been apart for a few dozen days.

Yet, even Ye Tianling, after all he had been through, felt a sense of profound, world-weary change, as if an entire lifetime had passed.

So much had happened during their long separation. Ye Tianling knew nothing about what had transpired in the Soul Burial Starry Sky, or even the wider Star Domain.

But from Chu Shaocheng’s emotional sighs and his heaven-defying transformation, Ye Tianling could glimpse the tip of the iceberg and imagine the rest.

"I’m finally me again. Yes, I’ve finally returned. But none of this would have been possible without your help. Ye Tianling, thank you."

Chu Shaocheng’s thanks were sincere. His words were soft, but his emotions were genuine.

He was far calmer, more composed, and more magnanimous than before.

At the same time, his gratitude toward Ye Tianling was also heartfelt.

If not for Ye Tianling’s repeated help back then, he, Chu Shaocheng, would never have had the chance to rise. Without that, he never could have obtained the resources of two Worlds, much less fused them, allowed his Dao Body’s will to return, and completed the final Great Perfection Fusion to become a true Unparalleled Divine Son with Battle Power at the Nine Forbidden Limit.

None of this would have been possible without Ye Tianling.

Their past brotherly relationship had now deepened, forged through time and ages, across space, and through life and death.

However, Chu Shaocheng was not good at expressing himself, and Ye Tianling didn’t mind. As a result, it might seem like their relationship wasn’t particularly good.

But everything was understood without a word.

"What’s there to thank? We’re brothers. The fact that you didn’t make a move earlier was actually the greatest help you could have given me. If you had joined the battle then, I’m afraid I really wouldn’t have been able to hold out."

Ye Tianling smiled, but his tone was sincere.

"I couldn’t remember before, but I had a vague feeling that I shouldn’t act. Now that I remember, I feel deeply ashamed. Tianling, I have a supreme treasure here that can help you avert disaster. You’ve caused too big of a stir this time. After you leave this place, you’ll probably have a hard time finding your footing."

As he spoke, Chu Shaocheng unhesitatingly took out his ultimate protective trump card—the Celestial Demon Ancient Tripod Cauldron.

"There’s no need. The matter has already been resolved. I have now become the Disciple of the Emperor’s Path Thunder Inference King. The Thunder Inference King has stood up for me and made an announcement to the world. Now, the various factions will likely only want to curry favor with me; they certainly won’t cause me any trouble."

Ye Tianling said, then briefly recounted the contents of the projection.

He was only recounting the contents, not trying to deceive him.

In truth, Ye Tianling’s own feelings about the Thunder Inference King were strange—it was a special, indescribable sensation.

But he knew that even if he said this, it wasn’t exactly wrong.

He was a junior of the Dragon Race to begin with, and the Thunder Inference King was an Unparalleled Dragon Ancestor of the Dragon Race. There was nothing wrong with him borrowing the Thunder Inference King’s prestige.

Furthermore, he was indeed the second person to possess the Emperor’s Qi Sword Body, and the Thunder Inference King’s guidance, which had helped the second Emperor’s Qi Sword Body reach this point, was also real, not fabricated.

Of course, Feng Chaoge was an exception in all of this.

Ye Tianling said all this not to deceive Chu Shaocheng, but simply to avoid stirring up more trouble.

"I see. Even so, you should still take this Celestial Demon Ancient Tripod Cauldron. This way, when I withdraw from the life-and-death battle between the hundred disciples in this area, it won’t have any effect."

"In each area, only one in a hundred can survive. But I won’t fight you."

Chu Shaocheng continued to insist.

But Ye Tianling shook his head and said, "My Xuanyuan Celestial Evil Sword and Baiyu Demon God Radiant Bow are both peerless weapons. I don’t need any more.

"Besides, I’m not one of the trial-takers in this area. I came in through an external Void passage without activating the trial’s Law, so it has no effect on me. You don’t need to fight me either. If you don’t believe me, just use your Sensing on my Soul Mark and investigate carefully. You’ll understand then."

Ye Tianling smiled.

He was very satisfied with Chu Shaocheng’s behavior.

’If I can pull a prodigy like Chu Shaocheng into the faction I plan to build in the future, he’ll be an enormous asset!’

’After all, Chu Shaocheng’s current strength probably isn’t much weaker than my own.’

’And I know very well just how damn strong my own Battle Power is right now!’

Hearing this, Chu Shaocheng was also clearly surprised.

He immediately extended his Sensing to investigate carefully. A moment later, realization dawned on him. He looked at Ye Tianling with a gaze full of immense admiration and said, "You are truly... too astonishing."

Ye Tianling gave a relaxed smile and said, "You’re pretty astonishing yourself. I thought you would eventually reach this stage, but I never expected it to be so soon. After all, you know how incredibly difficult it is to rise up from a world like the Buried Soul Star Domain."

Chu Shaocheng grew emotional. As he thought back to the past, a wistful look appeared on his face.

That world-weary feeling was definitely not an act.