Talisman Emperor

Chen Xi had returned!

This piece of news rumbled through the entire Chen Clan like a storm, and then it spread out in all directions at a shocking speed.

Pine Mist City, the Southern Territory, the Darchu Dynasty…

In merely less than a single day, the entire cultivation world of the Darchu Dynasty knew that the number one figure in the younger generation from all those years ago, Chen Xi, who’d entered the Dark Reverie as the first in the Primeval Battlefield and even ascended to the Immortal Dimension in less than a hundred years — had returned!

For a time, a mighty uproar arose in the entire world. The streets, teahouses, restaurants… Practically every single corner of the world was discussing Chen Xi’s name.

Indeed, Chen Xi had left the Darchu Dynasty for a few hundreds of years, yet the numerous miracles he created in the cultivation world all those years ago still hadn’t been broken until now.

To the cultivation world of the Darchu Dynasty, Chen Xi was like a legend that they could only look up to. Even though he’d left for a few hundreds of years, people still indulged in talking about and spreading all his deeds from all those years ago.

Now, such an unprecedented and legendary figure had returned to the Darchu Dynasty, so the greatness of the stir it created was obvious.

It was even to the extent that when the cultivator army that was fighting the Xeno-race army at the border heard of this news, their morale was instantly uplifted, and they seemed as if they were assisted by the gods as they forcefully defeated their enemies!

In short, in less than a day of time, Chen Xi who’d returned to the Mortal Dimension had become the center of attention of the entire Darchu Dynasty, and the entire dynasty was seething with excitement.

Countless cultivators didn’t hesitate to travel from far away and from all directions when they heard this news, and all of them surged into Pine Mist City for the sake of paying their respects and witnessing the elegant demeanor of this legendary figure.

It was even to the extent that the cultivation worlds of the other dynasties outside of the Darchu Dynasty had obtained this news, and they were overjoyed and fled towards the Darchu Dynasty.

Why did they flee?

Because war and disorder covered Ancient Hall now, and the Xeno-race army was everywhere. Many dynasties had been annihilated in the flames of war. Under such circumstances, the news of Chen Xi’s return instantly allowed these cultivators to see hope, and they knew that so long as they entered the Darchu Dynasty, then they would definitely be able to obtain the protection of this legendary figure.

Under such circumstances, how could they remain unmoved?

…

Compared to the extremely bustling outside world, the Chen Clan itself was filled with bustling as well.

The servants, clansmen, guards… All of them had happy expressions and were extremely excited. If it wasn’t for the rules of the clan, they would have swarmed over to pay a visit to this legendary Ancestor of the clan!

“After so many years, Ancestor Chen Xi has finally returned!”

“I heard that Ancestor Chen Xi descended from the Immortal Dimension this time, and that’s extremely extraordinary. I’ve never heard of any great figure that ascended to the Immortal Dimension returning to the Mortal Dimension. This obviously shows that even if it’s in the Immortal Dimension, Ancestor Chen Xi is definitely an extraordinary figure.”

“Hmph! You ignorant fellows. My Grandfather once served Ancestor Chen Xi all those years ago. I heard from my Grandfather that it was because of Ancestor Chen Xi that our Pine Mist City’s Chen Clan could become a top-rate clan in the Darchu Dynasty.”

“Yeah, all of you’re unaware that the top great figures of the Darchu Dynasty have already gathered within our clan’s great hall. I heard even his majesty, Emperor Chu, has come as well, and it’s for the sake of meeting our Ancestor Chen Xi.”

Even if they were servants of the Chen Clan, they felt extremely proud. Presently, the Chen Clan was in a period of great prosperity, and it was like the scorching sun in the midday sky. Even if it was in the entire world, there were none that could compare to the Chen Clan. Under such circumstances, even if they were only servants of the Chen Clan, they basked in its glory as well and were respected wherever they went.

At this moment, a dark mass of great figures in the cultivation world of the Darchu Dynasty were seated within the Chen Clan’s grand hall, and the enormous space within the hall actually showed signs of being crowded.

Amongst these great figures was the Old Turtle King, the Nine-tailed Fox King, the Wanderingcloud Sword Sect’s Supreme Ancestor Bei Heng, the Sect Master Ling Kongzi, and many other existences that had extremely deep relationships with the Chen Clan.

Besides these great figures, there were Masters of other great sects from all the other territories in the Darchu Dynasty, and all of them possessed cultivations at the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Amongst all of these great figures, the most eminent was Emperor Chu, Huangfu Zhongling!

It could be said that all the topmost great figures of the entire Darchu Dynasty were gathered within the Chen Clan’s great hall at this moment, and those with slightly inferior identities didn’t even have the qualifications to participate at all.

“Ancestor Chen Xi has arrived!!!” Right when all the great figures in the great hall were discussing animatedly, a voice suddenly resounded from outside the hall, and it caused the clamorous noise within the hall to instantly vanish and become perfectly silent.

All of these great figures of the Darchu Dynasty stood up simultaneously before looking out of the hall in unison, and their expressions more or less carried a wisp of reverence and excitement.

It was indeed reverence. Even if they could rule over others in the cultivation world of the Darchu Dynasty and stood amongst the ranks of the top experts in the dynasty, they could only maintain respect and reverence when facing an existence like Chen Xi that had come from the Immortal Dimension, and they could only stand up and greet him respectfully like a junior.

All of this could be summed up into four words — the strong were respected!

Coupled with the fact that many great figures within the hall didn’t have any relationship with Chen Xi in the past, and Chen Xi had left the Darchu Dynasty for a few hundreds of years, they made even more respectful displays when facing Chen Xi’s return.

As for the Old Turtle King, the Nine-tailed Fox King, Ancestor Bei Heng, Ling Kongzi, and the others, because they hadn’t seen Chen Xi for so many years and felt their status was far inferior to Chen Xi, they naturally didn’t dare be disrespectful to him.

So when Chen Xi entered the great hall with Chen Hao while having his granddaughter, Chen Yunyun, in his arms, he saw everyone standing up to greet him, and the atmosphere was deathly silent and rather grand.

Chen Xi couldn’t help but be slightly stunned by this, and he complained in his heart. Why did Chen Hao have to make this gathering so ceremonious?

“Big Brother, I didn’t arrange all of this.” Chen Hao seemed to have discerned Chen Xi’s thoughts and smiled bitterly as he said via voice transmission, “It’s all because your reputation is too great, so how could any of them dare to sit and wait for you to enter? If they did that, then even if you didn’t mind, the others would!”

Chen Xi thought for a moment and realized that it was indeed the truth. He could only sigh lightly in his heart while he felt that this was slightly disappointing because he really hated this sort of solemn and reverent atmosphere.

At the same time that Chen Xi entered the great hall, all those great figures of the Darchu Dynasty were sizing up Chen Xi as well. He still wore green clothes, and still seemed handsome and extraordinary. The only change was the aura he emanated, it had become even more restrained, steady, and carried a unique aura of boundlessness.

Even though Chen Xi had restrained his imposing aura since the beginning, when all of them looked at him from afar, they still couldn’t help but feel like they were tiny like ants. It was like meeting a supreme divine king, and they felt reverent from inside out.

Originally, many great figures that had comparatively close relationships with Chen Xi intended to greet him. However, when they truly saw Chen Xi, they noticed that a strand of reverence and pressure had suddenly appeared within their hearts, and they were actually unable to speak!

This caused the atmosphere to become even more silent and solemn.

Chen Xi sighed once more in his heart when he noticed this, yet he revealed a wisp of a smile on his lips as he took the initiative to greet them. “Emperor Chu, Big Brother Xuan Jing, Big Brother Qing Qiu, Big Brother Bei Heng…all of you are here, huh!”

His voice was clear and carried a trace of an aura that caused one to feel warm as if they were bathing beneath a gust of spring breeze. As soon as it resounded, it completely wiped away the solemn and reverent aura within the hall.

Especially Huangfu Zhongling, the Old Turtle King Xuan Jing, and the others that Chen Xi had called out by name. All of them instantly felt relaxed in their hearts while their faces lit up with happiness. They noticed that after a few hundreds of years, besides the change in his aura that had become unfathomable aura, Chen Xi hadn’t changed at all, and he was still so calm, modest, and sincere.

“These Fellow Daoists are probably the seniors from the various areas of Darchu Dynasty.” Chen Xi swept the unfamiliar gazes in the hall with his gaze, and he smiled as he greeted them as well.

A single word, ‘senior,’ instantly terrified all those great figures, and they trembled with fear as they spoke hurriedly.

“Not at all. Ancestor Chen Xi, I can’t accept such a form of address.”

“Time is meaningless, the accomplished stand above. Ancestor Chen Xi, please don’t call us seniors again. Otherwise, it’s too much for us.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

Chen Xi smiled and didn’t speak any further. He just instructed Chen Hao to prepare the feast, and then he directly sat at the central seat of the host. It couldn’t be helped. Even if he modestly declined to sit there, the others would probably not agree to it, and they would even insist on it.

When the feast arrived, Chen Xi didn’t put on any airs of a great figure from the Immortal Dimension. He smiled as he spoke, and he drank wine, chatted, and looked back to the past with all the great figures of the Darchu Dynasty present here.

The other great figures were old and experienced as well. They quickly adjusted their mentality and started to roar with laughter while clinking glasses with Chen Xi. They chatted incessantly, and the atmosphere quickly became bustling.

However, Chen Xi still acutely noticed that no matter if it was Emperor Chu, Xuan Jing, or Qing Qiu, they seemed to more or less act carefully when they chatted with him.

On the other hand, when they chatted with his younger brother, Chen Hao, they didn’t seem to be ‘careful’ like this. This caused Chen Xi to be slightly envious and flagging with interest.

However, Chen Xi was clearly aware that this was the force of time. He’d left for a few hundreds of years, and his status, cultivation, and strength couldn’t be compared to the past at all. Even if he felt the relationships from the past hadn’t changed, but in their hearts, he’d become a member of the Immortal Dimension in the end, so they unconsciously aroused reverence towards him.

What was loneliness when standing at the peak?

The scene before his eyes was the best explanation of these words.

When the status and identities of two people were too far apart, some things were bound to be unable to go according to one’s will.

This gathering continued for an entire three days of time. Chen Xi welcomed and sent guests off, and he’d entertained countless great figures of the Darchu Dynasty. However, his heart grew lonelier, and he suddenly felt slightly impatient to return to the Immortal Dimension.

Three days later, Chen Xi decided to stop welcoming any further guests. He asked his younger brother, Chen Hao, to prepare and choose a venue for him to meet all the clansmen of his Chen Clan.

After that, he would start preparing to return to the Immortal Dimension!