A foul stench wafted over as the Corpse Gate disciples arrived, cursing Qin Long, who had already been present.
Qin Long remained as he was in the dream. As someone who cultivated the art of critical awakening, he was no match for Ye Tiancheng.
The Scorpion also made her appearance. This notorious assassin, ranked eighth within the Corpse Gate, was ultimately defeated by Ye Tiancheng.
This time, Ye Tiancheng primarily relied on the rebound function of the Fuxi Qin fragment. No matter what moves these individuals made, they would be reflected back upon themselves. The battle was destined to be unwinnable, a crushing victory.
Ye Tiancheng was simple-minded; he merely wanted to defeat them and take their possessions. For instance, the Scorpion held a snake staff, which possessed considerable power.
Ye Tiancheng could obtain whatever he desired due to absolute power suppression. The staff in his hand was commonplace and about to break. Upon acquiring the staff, he immediately discarded the previous Crimson Blood Sword.
After the battle, Ye Tiancheng noticed the Catfish Monsters lurking around in the background. He had no interest in any of their belongings and could only chat with them casually, treating them like passersby.
However, these Catfish Monsters were important NPCs. Their past dealings with the Snake Clan were crucial for Ye Tiancheng to subdue and utilize them.
The Catfish Monsters were very obedient to Ye Tiancheng because they knew that disobedience would lead to their death, as they were merely weaklings.
After concluding his negotiations, Ye Tiancheng headed back. He wouldn't be able to find Xiao Liuzi's father this time, as it was the same in the dream. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't be fixated on searching endlessly. Completing the tasks and obtaining the items was an unprecedented victory for Ye Tiancheng.
This was destiny. Ye Tiancheng would not go against the will of the dream; doing so would only lead to his own demise.
Ye Tiancheng finally saw Wang Xiao Liuzi. However, there was no prior plotline involving Wang Xiao Liuzi's appearance. This meant Ye Tiancheng did not need to explain why he hadn't found his father or why he hadn't fulfilled his promise. Making a foolish promise was something Ye Tiancheng would never do, and not promising was the best course of action.
After comforting Xiao Liuzi, Ye Tiancheng went to find the Shaman. This Shaman resided about three hundred kilometers away from Huangjia Village. Ye Tiancheng had been there before, so he was familiar with the route. He decided to take it step by step, without rushing.
Ye Tiancheng quickly arrived at the old hag's doorstep. He knew this old woman spoke harshly, but she had a soft spot for children. Therefore, Ye Tiancheng brought Xiao Liuzi with him.
Ye Tiancheng had Xiao Liuzi ask the old hag questions. The old hag spoke frankly, revealing that Xiao Liuzi's father had been killed by those demonic people.
It seemed everything was the same as in the dream. Initially, Ye Tiancheng harbored a sliver of hope that Xiao Liuzi and his father might still be alive. However, hearing it from the old hag's mouth, that hope was completely shattered. The current problem was finding the soul.
Under the old hag's manipulation, a strange sound echoed, and Ye Tiancheng was transported to another world.
This world was between Yin and Yang, inhabited by monsters. They looked terrifying and had horns, but Ye Tiancheng had seen them before, so he remained unfazed.
"Don't mess with me. You can't afford to provoke me. If you want to tease me, you'll have to pay the price."
The path ahead was truly spectacular, filled with many souls who had died unjustly. These specters were all afraid of Ye Tiancheng. Some black demonic energy had stained Ye Tiancheng, causing them all to part ways, allowing Ye Tiancheng to pass through the middle.
Ye Tiancheng exerted some effort and dealt with the situation before returning to the back mountain. Finally, he could breathe fresh air.
The feeling was palpable. Ye Tiancheng preferred Yang Jian and disliked nothing. Therefore, the minor demons could not harm him. However, whenever Ye Tiancheng felt supported, he would become very agitated.
Ye Tiancheng only wanted to find the soul of Xiao Liuzi's father, so he went again. He hadn't encountered him last time, but this time he met the black-armored figure. This black ghost was likely cultivating demonic arts.
Ye Tiancheng was directly dealt with. Ye Tiancheng's intention was to collect many ghost hearts from the path overgrown with Lycoris radiata. These ghost hearts could be used for alchemy.
The medicine could cure many diseases and also bring wealth, making it extremely valuable.
The reason Ye Tiancheng chose to endure so many setbacks and repeat the dream was to obtain this ghost pill.
First, he encountered Li Longji, and then Ye Tiancheng encountered a Minotaur monster capable of restricting others' abilities. With his previous experience, Ye Tiancheng quickly subdued them.
Of course, there was also the joint operation of the red-robed elder and the Minotaur monster, two despicable fellows. The appearance of these individuals was naturally to increase Ye Tiancheng's level, serving as sandbags for him to practice against.
The red-robed elder had given Ye Tiancheng much enlightenment back then. However, Ye Tiancheng had already received the enlightenment and directly told him to shut up and stop repeating what he had said before. Ye Tiancheng aimed to save time.
After bidding them farewell, Ye Tiancheng encountered the Black and White Impermanence. Those two fellows were very foul-mouthed, and Ye Tiancheng couldn't be bothered to speak to them further.
After dealing with everyone, he successfully reunited Xiao Liuzi with his father. Having completed all the tasks, Ye Tiancheng had no reason to linger in the underworld and quickly returned to Huangjia Village.
Ye Tiancheng's deeds quickly spread. Wang Youcai praised Ye Tiancheng upon seeing him return.
"I never expected you to have such immense power to defy fate. It seems I'll need your help in the future."
"I helped this time to complete my own mission. If you have nothing important, don't come looking for me. I'm very busy."
Ye Tiancheng's attitude was aloof. He didn't want to become a neighborhood busybody, helping everyone with everything. Ye Tiancheng was not the type of person who was overly enthusiastic and did a lot of work just to be praised by others.
Ye Tiancheng only needed to do things that would establish his authority. Just like now, all the villagers of Wangjia Village revered Ye Tiancheng.
Soon, the village chief would suddenly jump up in fear and urge Ye Tiancheng to leave quickly. Ye Tiancheng was not that thick-skinned, so he spoke proactively.
"My brother is leaving soon. If you have anything you want to praise me for, tell me now, as you won't have the chance later."
Ye Tiancheng wanted to leave because he foresaw that in the dream, Shenshi and Daqing Snake had a dispute, and then they devoured all the cultivators in Huangjia Village, leaving their bodies as soulless husks.
Ye Tiancheng did not want such chaos. The people of Huangjia Village, while fawning and stepping on others, were not irredeemably wicked. There was no need for such cruelty. Ye Tiancheng only wanted to extricate himself completely from here and avoid causing so much bloodshed.
Previously, the red-robed elder had been advising Ye Tiancheng against being too arrogant and doing too many wicked deeds, which eventually led to irreversible losses for himself.
Now, every step must be taken with righteousness, and one must not owe others, lest they have to repay it one day.
This path would lead to destruction. These were the words the elder Hong Yun had spoken to Ye Tiancheng. Unfortunately, Ye Tiancheng had become so arrogant that he feared nothing negative, not even death. He only pursued becoming an immortal and seeing the splendor of the Heavenly Court.
It was a matter of a single thought. The past Ye Tiancheng had turned Huangjia Village into a place of strife, while the only sanctuary he protected in his heart was Dahe Village because he had people close to him there. However, Ye Tiancheng's mindset was too narrow at that time.
All living beings are equal, with no distinction between near and far. Everyone should be the same to Ye Tiancheng. One should not try to harm someone just because they are not close to you.
Ye Tiancheng's past self, in the dream, was too naive. He found it laughable.
After leaving Huangjia Village, Ye Tiancheng searched all the way and soon triggered an important plot point. The woman named Bai Jingjing appeared.
As her name suggested, this woman was fair and slender. The red-robed elder also followed Ye Tiancheng silently.
"Old man in red, you don't need to explain to me. I know this woman is a White Bone Demon from the banks of the Limiting Water River. Isn't it just because she obtained the Fire God Pill that she transformed into a woman? To me, demons are demons; there's a fundamental difference between them and humans."
This encounter was inevitable, and that romance was also an unavoidable plot point.
"I've taken a liking to you, Ye Tiancheng."
Ye Tiancheng originally did not want this demon to approach him. For a woman who had been deceived in love before, encountering a man like him was not a good thing for her.
It would only be another instance of hurt. Ye Tiancheng always believed that love that brings happiness is true love. If it makes someone cry all day and filled with negative emotions, it's not love at all, but rather a twisted ideology used for brainwashing.
"Don't fall for me. Falling for me will only bring you pain."
"But fate told me to wait for a destined person here. I met you, and you are my destined person. I want to elope with you."
Bai Jingjing's sincerity was genuine. Unfortunately, Ye Tiancheng was here to fight. This woman loved him madly, but Ye Tiancheng only wanted to use Bai Jingjing's power to level up.
"You've finally come back to life once. Don't die at a man's hands in the end. Love doesn't love women. I think you're living quite well alone, or find someone who truly cares for you, not someone like me who grabbed you midway through some so-called fate. I think you've been deceived."
Over a thousand years ago, the owner of Bai Jingjing's current body was harmed and betrayed by a scumbag. That's why she urgently sought a warm lover to completely escape that unbearable memory.
"I want to be with you too, but I just used my power and saw the woman destined for you. That woman is named Su Muxian."
Ye Tiancheng stood there stunned because he couldn't imagine how Su Muxian, whose feelings were usually quite pure, had become his destined celestial maiden. It seemed a bit far-fetched, regardless.
"Don't spread gossip. It's fine for me, a grown man, you can say whatever you want. But if these words get out, Su Muxian is still single. If she wants to find a boyfriend later, or get married, she might be greatly hindered by me!"
"I never lie. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been deceived by men. I'm just too honest. I, Bai Jingjing, am always very accurate in judging these matters, and I believe in fate. I know you don't have feelings for me, but because we have fate, I've come to fulfill this appointment. This appointment might be from a thousand years ago, and I cannot escape it."