Ye Chen, the Goddess, Yi Wu, and Chen'er entered the peaceful world. Led by an old servant, they headed deep within to meet the master of this place.
In truth, waves of surprise stirred within each of them, for they hadn't expected this peaceful world to have an owner.
However, Ye Chen had never believed this place was unclaimed from the start. When he discovered it, he had harbored some speculations. Perhaps there was a peerless existence within, taking action, utilizing this vast Divine Battlefield to lay out arrangements and drive its evolution, ultimately transforming it into this extreme reversal of fortune. Where there is abnormality, there must be a reason—this was precisely the meaning.
And this person was most likely the 'master' who had sent the old servant to invite them.
Traveling through layers of immortal mountains and Divine Islands, the group rode clouds and mists, moving swiftly. In just a moment, they finally arrived at the depths of the peaceful world. Everything appeared so harmonious, beautiful, and tranquil.
Spirit deer galloped across the grasslands, immortal cranes danced in the sky, and many small beasts brimming with spiritual energy were present.
Heaven and Earth Treasures, each radiating colorful light, took root within the forests.
There was a vast garden lake, its surface sparkling. At the center of the lake lay a simple, small island, not large, about three zhang in circumference, upon which a thatched hut was built.
It was very simple, very natural, without any special Dao Rhyme or world-shaking pressure. There was only a kindly old man with white hair and beard, reclining on a grandmaster chair. He held a bamboo rod, fishing on the lake, motionless and utterly focused.
Everything seemed so simple, so natural.
But the more it was like this, the more Ye Chen sensed the old man's extraordinary nature.
The old servant led Ye Chen and the others to land on the small island. He first stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Master, the guests have been brought."
The kindly old man nodded, offering Ye Chen and the others a gentle, warm, and benevolent smile, honest and upright, without a trace of Great Dao divine charm flowing about him. He slowly rose to his feet and made an inviting gesture. "Young friends, please sit."
There, a stone table appeared, upon which a teapot and four teacups materialized out of thin air. The old man personally poured four cups of hot tea, inviting Ye Chen and the Three Immortal Maidens to partake.
Ye Chen nodded and sat down with the Three Immortal Maidens. He was the first to pick up one of the teacups. It was not large, containing a light tea with only a single tea leaf floating within. Yet, one could see this leaf was not ordinary. Upon it was imprinted a magnificent landscape of mountains and rivers, and even the sun, moon, and stars appeared on the leaf, as if it contained an ancient, vast world within—truly extraordinary.
The old man smiled without speaking, merely inviting them to taste the tea.
"Brother Yue," Yi Wu was the most worried, fearing something might go wrong, given the other party's unknown origins.
Ye Chen shook his head, indicating it was fine. As the possessor of the Battle Sacred Body, few poisons could harm him. Chen'er also giggled, revealing adorable dimples. "Sister Yi Wu, don't worry. This tea hasn't been poisoned. It's the finest Dao tea, very helpful for comprehending the Dao."
The others looked at Chen'er in astonishment. Chen'er, inherently extraordinary with radiant halos and flowing spiritual energy around her body, nodded seriously. "I sense the old grandfather has no ill intentions."
Ye Chen and the others fell silent. Chen'er was most attuned to the World Origin, possessing an innocent heart that could also perceive the emotional fluctuations in others' hearts.
If she spoke like this, it was almost certainly correct.
The old man also looked at Chen'er, first showing surprise. His gaze became piercing for the first time, fixed on Chen'er's brow, but quickly turned inward again. He sighed with emotion. "In this world, there once was a type of person whose spiritual platform was like a clear mirror, untainted by dust, with an innocent heart that could sense heaven and earth, sense the hearts of others. So, this young friend is also one of that type."
Such people were exceedingly rare. One must know that even figures at the level of ancient Great Sages could not maintain an innocent heart at all times, for the world always had its trivial and complicated affairs that troubled the mind, like dust covering the spiritual platform, preventing it from ever being completely clear.
But someone like Chen'er, perhaps due to her innate nature—pure and innocent—her spiritual platform remained forever untainted by dust, needing no wiping, always maintaining a clear and flawless state. This provided unparalleled, immense benefits for cultivating the Dao.
Ye Chen drank the cup of tea. The moment the tea entered his mouth, it instantly transformed into endless Great Dao principles, flowing within his body and rushing toward his sea of consciousness. It was as if a vast world appeared within his sea of consciousness—boundless and magnificent, with all living beings reviving, prosperous and glorious.
Boom—
Suddenly, a peerless Dao pressure overflowed from Ye Chen's body, nearly shattering the entire peaceful world. But the old man merely stamped his foot and withstood it.
And at this moment, a thirty-three-layered Human Sovereign Pagoda shot out from between Ye Chen's brows. It trembled slightly, flowing with primordial Chaos Qi, calming Ye Chen down.
Ye Chen stared at the cup of tea in his hand, his gaze flickering uncertainly. This was a cup of Dao tea, and an extraordinary one at that. The moment he drank it, endless insights akin to the Heaven and Earth Creation of a vast world surged into his heart, loosening his own Dao. It was about to burst forth, shaking the Great Era, allowing him to undergo tribulation and ascend to Heavenly King.
In the end, he managed to suppress it in time with the Human Sovereign Pagoda, averting disaster.
However, the old man before him was indeed extraordinary, withstanding his pressure with just a stamp of his foot.
Extraordinary Dao tea, extraordinary old man.
At the same time, the old man looked at the Human Sovereign Pagoda above Ye Chen's head, his gaze somewhat complex. In the end, he let out a soft sigh. "It has been a long time since I last saw this pagoda."
Ye Chen's expression grew even more solemn, but the white-haired old man did not continue on this topic.
The Goddess, Yi Wu, and Chen'er all drank the Dao tea and immediately fell into a state of comprehension, with a great many insights flashing through their minds.
"Old sir, we came this time to look for two little beasts. They are within this inner world," Ye Chen spoke up, and he projected images and information of Yiyi and the Golden Little Divine Dragon.
Seeing the appearances of the two little beasts, the old servant's expression changed. He looked at his master and couldn't help but say, "Master, this..."
The old man sighed softly. "Fate is already destined; there is no need to force it. The true people have come. They should return to these people's side."
He waved his hand, tearing through the void to reveal a multicolored, radiant passageway.
"Yiyiyaya—"
From within the passageway came the sound of a young beast's cry, along with an "aoao" roar.
The old man beckoned, chuckling. "Come over, all of you. The people you've been waiting for have arrived."
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two streams of light, one white and one gold, flashed, traversing the multicolored passageway and appearing on the small island.
One was a snow-white little beast, resembling a cat, blinking its pitch-black, bright eyes. It looked incredibly tender and adorable, making one unable to put it down. It could even make countless women burst with maternal radiance, wishing to hug it tightly to their bosoms.
The other was a golden dragon, though it looked chubby and was not large in form, about the size of a puppy, yet still appearing cute and charming, completely defying the infinite majesty that True Dragons held in people's minds.
Yiyi, the Golden Little Divine Dragon.