Reenactment and Replay

The Illusory Star Cave.

Chen Yi's true form slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling on the distant Heavenly Robe Stele standing in solemn silence.

Just moments ago, Fang Fan—introduced by his mentor Black Earth—had met with two high-ranking moles from the Immortal Realm. Upon emerging, he immediately reported a fragment of lost history to Chen Yi.

The revelation was this: the "Chi Tian" that Senior Cui Changsheng had specifically warned about was indeed real. Cross-referenced with the Little Golden Dragon's experiences, it was confirmed that Chi Tian was a short-lived Immortal Emperor who existed before the Era of Divine Concealment!

Moreover, the two moles from the Divine Realm speculated that Senior Cui Changsheng might be in peril, likely trapped by Chi Tian!

This deviated slightly from what Cui Changsheng himself had claimed. After all, when the senior had last sent word, he explicitly stated that he was in good condition and needed no concern.

"Senior, are you truly alright?" Chen Yi murmured softly, channeling his will into the Heavenly Robe Stele in an attempt to communicate with Cui Changsheng.

Yet Cui Changsheng seemed to be in a deathlike slumber—the trace of his foundational Dao imprint within the stele showed no response.

Such was the drawback of one-way communication. Even if Cui Changsheng were in dire straits, he would never drag the Purple Star Immortal Realm into his crisis!

"Sigh... this is troublesome."

Chen Yi fell into deep contemplation.

Senior Cui Changsheng's current situation was unclear, but there was a high probability he was locked in a fierce clash with a former Immortal Emperor. To avoid exposing the coordinates of the Purple Star Immortal Realm, he might be stubbornly insisting he was winning despite being at a severe disadvantage...

How could this be allowed?

Cui Changsheng had contributed too much to the development of the Purple Star Immortal Realm. Now that he faced danger, how could Chen Yi turn a blind eye?

Besides, dealing with Immortal Emperors? That was Chen Yi's specialty!

Ling Xiao, who reigned for nine great epochs, had been toyed with by him. Wuji, capable of slaying Immortal Emperors, had also been played by him. Now, a short-lived Chi Tian dared to emerge—how could Chen Yi resist the urge to have some fun?

According to the secrets Fang Fan had uncovered, this Chi Tian was a lackluster figure, failing to leave even a glorious mark in the River of Time, ultimately fading into obscurity.

Practically a pushover...

Still, no matter how weak Chi Tian might have been, he was once an Immortal Emperor. He would undoubtedly surpass ordinary Dao Ancestors. A single six-star clone might not suffice to suppress him—at least two would be needed to barely contend, while a seven-star clone would be required to crush him outright.

But...

Chen Yi glanced at the remaining eighteen Chaos Prismatic Pearls within the Illusory Star Cave and sighed in resignation.

The Little Golden Dragon was already tied up with one six-star clone. Fang Fan's Myriad Phenomena Mystic Ring housed a five-star clone. Over in the Divine Realm, Ye Wuchen was linked to another five-star clone. There was also a four-star clone idling in the River of Time, not to mention the miscellaneous clones scattered elsewhere. All in all, he only had eighteen Chaos Prismatic Pearls left to deploy.

Converted, that was barely enough for two three-star clones. What good would that do?

"Ah... though I haven't fully consolidated my gains, I have no choice. I must seek you out again!"

With a resigned shake of his head, Chen Yi tore open a rift in the fabric of time and stepped inside.

In his own history, the Immortal Ascension Tribulation had been maliciously barred behind the Immortal Gate by the despicable Wuji, preventing their reunion.

Thus, his only option was to return to the past and stand in for his former self to meet the Tribulation once more.

The River of Time surged endlessly, its radiant walls of temporal light barring all who lacked the proper method from glimpsing the truths of history.

Of course, Chen Yi was an exception.

He might not have the "proper method," but he had brute strength to spare. The temporal walls couldn't hold him back, nor could the mists of history obscure his vision. To him, the River of Time was like a maiden clad in sheer gauze—her mysteries were easily torn away...

Thankfully, Chen Yi was no novice. Having seen it all before, he had little interest in revisiting the past. Pressing forward against the immense resistance of the temporal walls, he strode upstream along the River of Time.

Step by step, stride by stride...

Year by year, half-year by half-year...

He arrived at the Purple Star Continent, on the seventh day of the sixth month in the 823rd year of the Calamity Resistance Calendar. This was the 82nd—and also the 83rd—time he had reunited with the Immortal Ascension Tribulation. Soon, it would become the 84th!

To the Tribulation of this era, he was nothing more than a reckless fugitive who refused to surrender and dared to provoke it repeatedly.

But to Chen Yi, who had come from the future, this era's Tribulation was a cherished yet unreachable old friend—one he had fought alongside for half a lifetime before being cruelly separated by a single gate.

The Tribulation had no idea how deeply Chen Yi missed it. All it knew was that this damned troublemaker was back for another round!

BOOM!!!

The most thunderous annihilation drowned everything. The details of Chen Yi and the Tribulation's reunion were not for outsiders to witness.

Once Chen Yi had his fill, he reenacted history once more.

The Tribulation chased him all the way to the Purple Star Continent, where the familiar script played out: the Purple Star Heavenly Dao dutifully presented its military merits, and the masses prostrated themselves to receive its blessings...

"Ahhh! The Disaster Relief Granaries of the Calamity Resistance Sovereign have arrived! These mighty bolts will keep this old man alive for years to come!"

"Bliss! Nothing compares to tribulation lightning of this caliber—lesser strikes make me cough!"

"He truly is a magnificent man... Wait, why does it feel like I've said this before?"

"Who cares? Just inhale! One whiff of this divine lightning, and all worries vanish!"

"..."

Some denizens of the Purple Star Continent must have had sensitive souls, for they faintly perceived the ripples of temporal disturbance.

After all, Chen Yi wasn't doing this for the first time. Having already replayed history once, now he was rewinding it again—naturally, those with innate sensitivity might notice something amiss.

But it was no major issue. Chen Yi shouldered all resulting karma himself, ensuring those "sensitive souls" could only dismiss their feelings as mere illusions.

Plop.

When the seasoned Master Chen exited history and returned to the River of Time, all traces of his interference vanished. He absorbed every strand of causality, leaving the Purple Star Continent's timeline undisturbed—save for a few faint ripples.

After observing the River of Time for a long while, confirming no major disruptions would arise, Chen Yi finally returned to his own era and began tallying his gains.

"Not bad. As expected of the Immortal Ascension Tribulation. This haul should yield at least five hundred basic one-star Chaos clones."

"Roughly equivalent to two six-star clones. That'll do. Senior Cui Changsheng, wait for me. When it comes to fighting Immortal Emperors, I simply must lend a hand!"

..........