Chapter 2263: Searching for the Ruins

Leizu was very eager to get Ye Fan’s help, but at the moment Ye Fan seemed to have no intention of helping her at all.

“Leizu, you need to understand your identity and situation,” Xi He said in a lecturing tone, “In front of the master, what do your interests count for? As long as the Heavenly Tribulation Issue is resolved, would the master still stand by idly?”

Although Xi He was lecturing Leizu, she was actually speaking on behalf of Leizu. However, Leizu was already filled with anger towards Xi He at this moment and couldn’t perceive the underlying message in Xi He’s words.

Xi He said to Ye Fan, “Master, perhaps I shouldn’t have brought her here, causing offense to you.”

Ye Fan seemed unwilling to speak much at this point. He looked at Leizu for a while, then slightly shook his head and said, “There are times when it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but I’m simply too busy. Do you think helping a spirit body acquire a physical form is easy? Leizu, have you forgotten how you obtained your body?”

Leizu’s body trembled involuntarily.

She recalled how she had also become a spirit body and relied on Ye Fan to acquire a body back then, with Xi He as the mediator of her blood.

She glanced at Xi He, seeming to understand why Xi He always targeted her but sometimes helped her. It wasn’t simply because of the indebtedness Xi He mentioned, but rather, if there was any debt, it should have long been repaid.

“You just need to find a girl, there are so many human girls in the universe, is this difficult for you?” Leizu continued speaking in an unfriendly manner.

Xi He finally couldn’t hold back and said angrily, “If you continue, you’ll only be causing trouble for yourself. Do you want the master to punish you, to have you imprisoned in a place without daylight before you stop?”

Ye Fan raised a hand, interrupting Xi He’s words, and said, “Leizu, there are some matters I don’t wish to argue with you over, but you need to understand I have no necessity to discuss it with you now.”

Suddenly, Leizu seemed to have thought of something. She asked, “Ye Fan, have you remembered past events?”

“I’ve only come to know certain things, not remembered anything,” Ye Fan replied casually, “I’m now trying to search for memories. As the fifth cycle of the Heavenly Tribulation is approaching, I really don’t have much time to waste on talking. Follow me!”

After speaking, Ye Fan moved ahead towards a region of stars, which was relatively close to where he was.

After Ye Fan left, Xi He searched for Ye Fan’s position and then angrily said to Leizu, “Leizu, do you have a death wish? I brought you to meet the master to help you, who knew you’d act up in front of him. Do you realize the master’s patience is equally limited? You don’t want me to be punished alongside you, do you?”

“I knew you wouldn’t be so kind to help me. You were doing it for your own benefits, huh, trying to persuade me with your ways? Impossible. I must help my daughter acquire a human body—she’s absolutely indispensable!”

Leizu displayed a motherly demeanor, but inside she harbored ambition and delusion.

Xi He was furious, yet she seemed to detest Leizu in some way. She sighed and said, “Fine, do what you want, I won’t stop you, but don’t expect any help from me when you’re punished!”

“Who cares for your help anyway, huh, Xi He, I’m not your puppet. You better continue being Ye Fan’s lapdog!” After speaking, Leizu went ahead to follow Ye Fan.

After all, Ye Fan wasn’t going far this time, intentionally leaving traces for them to follow. Even without Xi He’s guidance, Leizu could accurately locate Ye Fan.

…

…

As Leizu and Xi He caught up to Ye Fan, they discovered he was on a planet.

The planet was vast, dozens of times larger than Earth, and it was clear humans once inhabited it. However, after the Heavenly Tribulation, all life forms on the planet were completely wiped out. Everywhere lay ruins, proof that human civilization once existed.

“Why come here?” Leizu asked, “Aren’t you dealing with the Heavenly Tribulation? Is this related to it?”

Xi He walked up and said, “Master, based on my judgment, this place should have been destroyed during the third cycle of the Heavenly Tribulation…”

Ye Fan shook his head, “The cycle isn’t important, what’s important is I once visited here, where there was a high civilization. Surprisingly, in the face of a Heavenly Tribulation, civilizations could collapse instantly, which was beyond my expectations.”

“So, why are you here now? Just to reminisce?” Leizu asked.

Ye Fan replied, “Last time I came, my cultivation hadn’t reached its current level. Back then, I had lost my elemental powers, but I felt this planet should have some powerful force. I came this time to explore what exactly existed here.”

Leizu scoffed, “You seem to have plenty of time. During your disappearance, you weren’t constantly searching for these insignificant things, were you?”

“Shut up!” Xi He scolded angrily.

Ye Fan didn’t bother to bicker with Leizu. He closed his eyes, sensing the surrounding space. Suddenly, the air seemed to transmit something, and as Ye Fan reached out, that power instantly vanished.

“There seems to be a very strong residue of spiritual energy here,” Xi He observed, “It must have been inhabited by practitioners.”

Ye Fan said, “Actually, in the universe, apart from the cultivation system of spiritual energy, there are many other systems. They’re just not as developed as the spiritual energy system. These systems ultimately create miracles, utilizing certain powers to alter the entire universe, but like us, they also face the Heavenly Tribulation, which leads to their destruction.”

“Master, do you mean the leftovers of spiritual energy here weren’t left by practitioners?” Xi He frowned.

Ye Fan didn’t answer. He looked at the ground beneath him, his body entirely motionless, and suddenly a very long fissure opened up underfoot, seeming to emanate a power.

Xi He scrutinized that power and felt astonishment because, with her level of cultivation, she couldn’t discern the attributes of this power. She seemed to understand why Ye Fan had come here.

“There’s not much time left!” Ye Fan said, “This should be a Divine Artifact left from Ancient Times. What exactly it is remains unclear, yet it’s sealed by a very powerful force!”

As Ye Fan spoke, a peculiar egg-shaped object slowly rose from the fissure. Xi He scanned it with her spiritual sense but couldn’t detect what lay inside.