<h4>Chapter 1978 (Raw 2076): How Fortunate</h4>


    While Xiao Chen’s group put in a lot of effort to get to the herb garden, there was a person dressed in long robes with twenty-six constetions drawn on them outside the ancient city. This person burned his Soul Energy, rushing over from the distant Heavenly Lodging Pce’s headquarters.


    The blood sand that lingered all year round and theplicated and harsh environment of Deste God Valley did not affect this person at all.


    This person looked like he was walking on an endless in. Everything before him—all the storms, the sand, and horrifying ferocious beasts—did not seem to exist to his eyes.


    Perhaps it would be more urate to say that this person found these things unworthy of his attention, ignoring them like he ignored air.


    The terrifying blood sandstorm scattered before him. Before the horrifying ferocious beasts could show their malevolent side, they were torn apart, and their corpses disappeared. As this person strolled, ignoring everything, he gave off a strong asphyxiating feeling.


    Who knew where this person was headed in the vast Deste God Valley?


    This person sized up the surroundings with his eyes, searching for something. asionally, he closed his eyes to try and sense something. Worry and hidden rage appeared on his face.


    The hidden rage would deter anyone who saw his strength from bing his enemy.


    After verifying the direction, that old man moved quickly. However, when he arrived at his destination, there was nothing.


    Even the Soul Energy of someone as strong as this person suffered from interference in this Deste God Valley.


    After he tried a few times and changed his direction, that hidden anger peaked.


    Finally, a 2-Star Heaven Suspending War Chariot hovering in the air appeared before this person, bringing him to a stop.


    “Boom!”


    This old man threw a palm strike, and the 2-Star Heaven Suspending War Chariot exploded as though it was a toy. The defensive formations that the Pirate Alliance made were not even worth mentioning before him.


    When the Heaven Suspending War Chariot exploded, a figure fell out.


    That old man’s figure shed and firmly caught that person. Naturally, this person was Hua Qingyun, the person Xiao Chen and the others restrained and confined there.


    After the old man removed the restrictions on Hua Qingyun and sent in a strand of Astral Energy, Hua Qingyun woke up.


    When Hua Qingyun saw the old man’s face, he eximed in pleasant surprise, “Grandfather!”


    This old man was Hua Qingyun’s grandfather, Hua Qin, a Sovereign Emperor of the Heavenly Lodging Pce.


    When Hua Qin saw that Hua Qingyun was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he asked, “Who put you in such a state? They are truly bold. To think that they dare to bully my—Hua Qin’s—grandson. The people at the Ancient Deste Town branch are all trash.”


    The appearance of Xiao Chen and the others appeared in Hua Qingyun’s mind. He replied, “It is a group of people from the Divine Dragon Empire. I only remember what they look like, but I do not know who they are.”


    “That’s enough. Leave the rest to Grandfather. No matter who it is, anyone who hurts my grandson will have to pay the price!”


    The rage on the Sovereign Emperor Hua Qin’s face would cause souls to tremble in fear.


    —


    Back at the herb garden:


    Situ Changfeng recovered at a visible pace, hisplexion improving by leaps and bounds.


    Anyone could tell that Situ Changfeng had gained a fortune through his misfortune. Not only were his injuries healed, but his bloodline was also strengthened.


    “Xiao Chen, what pill exactly did Situ Changfeng eat? Get me one too,” Murong Yan said with a smile. He had seen that Situ Changfeng was fine, so he rxed as well.


    Get another one?


    That Pill Spirit would probably fight me to the death. It did not have much Medicinal Energy left in the first ce; then, I took ten percent of it. If I took another ten percent, it would probably go berserk and choose to end itself together with me.


    A starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The Great Deste Ten Thousand Beast Pill still had its divine nature and should not be offended casually.


    Xiao Chen smiled and ignored Murong Yan’s request. He looked at the sky and wondered how the Demon Blood Vulture was doing now.


    In reality, Xiao Chen was not too worried about the Demon Blood Vulture dying.


    The Demon Blood Vulture was very crafty and moved extremely fast. Even if it could not defeat Ming Xuan and that mysterious person, it would not face difficulty fleeing.


    Xiao Chen also wondered what fortuitous encounter it obtained. When it appeared, it looked like a burning Blood Phoenix.


    Speaking of fortuitous encounters, Xiao Chen should have obtained the greatest one in this ancient city.


    He had not fought for the Divine Crystal shards, but he vaguely felt that the Divine Universe Stele that he opened was even more valuable than an intact Divine Crystal.


    Universe referred to the space all around, and eternity epassed all time.


    [TL Note: These particr Chinese characters for universe and eternity can be ced together to form a two-character word that also means universe. However, the meaning is slightly different, the first one only refers to space, but the second one epasses everything, including time.]


    The Divine Universe Stele was a spatial-type Divine Tool. However, Xiao Chen had yet to investigate its mysteries.


    As for its origins, Xiao Chen actually only found fragmented clues in the Blood-Soaked Dragon Emperor’s memories.


    It was mysterious and unfathomable, with no authenticated version of events.


    During the Mythological Eon, before heaven and earth split apart, before order was born, the world was filled with primal chaos, birthing countless Primal Chaos God Demons.


    Legend had it that the Divine Universe Stele was born when the primal chaos finally split and the Great Deste Continent appeared.


    Aside from the Divine Universe Stele, there was the even more mysterious and unfathomable Divine Eternity Stele.


    As for how many Divine Universe Steles and Divine Eternity Steles were born at the same time and whether other artifacts were born as well, nearly no one in the current epoch knew.


    Xiao Chen did not know what secrets the Divine Universe Stele contained. However, he could still understand the simple function of storing things.


    The herb garden should be safe for now. Xiao Chen searched around for a quiet ce.


    Then, he took out the Divine Universe Stele, wanting to refine it and merge it into his body.


    However, after giving it a try, Xiao Chen felt shocked to realize that he had no way to refine this Divine Tool. He even found it very hard to leave a Spiritual Mark.


    After thinking about it, Xiao Chen concluded that he needed Divine Essence to refine it.


    Hence, he had to settle for less. He could only merge a strand of his will of soul with the Divine Universe Stele, achieving a basic level of control.


    Doing this made Xiao Chen feel somewhat unsettled. There was no Spiritual Mark, and he did not refine it.


    If someone snatched it away, that person could easily take ownership of the Divine Universe Stele.


    For a simple way to understand it, even if Xiao Chen’s Tyrant Saber were stolen, he did not have to worry at all. Others would not be able to use it; they could not even draw it, so it would eventually return to Xiao Chen.


    When the strand of will of soul merged with the Divine Universe Stele, Xiao Chen’s Spiritual Sense entered the internal space of the Divine Universe Stele.


    Xiao Chen saw a vast and boundless ce. The edges were filled with primal chaos.


    After entering deep into it, he felt that this was remarkably different from the Immortal Spirit Ring. There truly was another world in there.


    Can my physical body enter this as well?


    Just as Xiao Chen thought that, he found himself dazzled for a moment. Then, he felt something solid under him. To think that he actually managed to enter it.


    —


    “Where’s Xiao Chen?”


    Xiao Chen’s sudden disappearance attracted the attention of Murong Yan, Liu Ruyun, and the others, greatly startling them.


    Everyone rushed over and saw a stone stele emitting a horrifying might and pressure hovering where Xiao Chen had been cultivating.


    “Divine Universe Stele!”


    After the group read out the ancient words on the stone stele, they showed confused expressions. They had not heard of this stone stele before.


    “Could Xiao Chen have entered the stone stele?”


    Murong Yan’s guess startled even himself. If that was really true, then this stone stele was quite heaven-defying.


    A spatial treasure that could store even living humans was definitely something that surpassed even Soul Tools. Most people had only heard of such divine objects; few saw it for themselves.


    As though to verify Murong Yan’s guess, Xiao Chen silently reappeared before the group, holding the Divine Universe Stele.


    Wei Hongfei said in shock, “Xiao Chen, this is...?”


    Xiao Chen smiled and exined, “This is the Divine Universe Stele that I obtained after I cracked the meaning of some divine characters in the Divine Crystal. At the moment, I’m still not aware of all its functions.”


    The group felt shocked at Xiao Chen’s luck. After congratting him, Wei Hongfei showed a serious expression as he advised, “Xiao Chen, don’t casually show this treasure to others. I believe that even a Sovereign Emperor would have murderous intentions if he saw it.”


    Xiao Chen nodded. Even if Wei Hongfei did not say it, he would not dare to take it out casually.


    After all, Xiao Chen had not left a Spiritual Mark on it. At this moment, he was not the Divine Universe Stele’s true owner yet.


    Xiao Chen walked past hispanions and arrived before the pill river. Then, he infused his Soul Energy into the Divine Universe Stele. After a while, the pill river flew into the Divine Universe Stele, looking like a dragon.


    When the entire pill river had entered the Divine Universe Stele, Xiao Chen’s body swayed somewhat, hisplexion pale.


    Many people targeted this pill river. However, they could only collect some of it at most, simply a drop in the ocean.


    However, Xiao Chen made a big move and activated the Divine Universe Stele, storing the entire pill river.


    This bbergasted Murong Yan and the others, stunning them.


    After resting for a moment to recover his Soul Energy, Xiao Chen used the Divine Universe Stele in his hand to collect the Coiling Dragon Tree and the humongous medicine cauldron.


    Xiao Chen felt that he nearly overdrew on his Soul Energy. If not for reading the divine characters, which strengthened his Soul Energy and will of soul considerably, he might not have been able to collect the pill river and Coiling Dragon Tree, even with the Divine Universe Stele.


    This also showed him that the Divine Universe Stele was not all-powerful. When collecting the treasures, it drained a shocking amount of Soul Energy.


    When Liu Ruyun and the others looked at Xiao Chen, they felt somewhat terrified.


    Even a Sovereign Personage’s wealth paled inparison to what he had—a pill river that could support a Rank 6 sect, a seven-color Coiling Dragon Tree, and a Divine Tool that could store living humans.


    Suddenly, Liu Ruyun remembered that when Xiao Chen first obtained the Coiling Dragon Tree sapling, he had said he would not hand it to the Dragon’s Gate to exchange for a reward.


    In that case, what was Xiao Chen going to use it for?


    A divine object like the Coiling Dragon Tree could bring out its greatest value only in the hands of a sect, to bless the sect disciples and quickly strengthen them. This would guarantee that the sect would be passed on and not destroyed.


    In a personal capacity, one would only be able to obtain Coiling Dragon Fruits.


    At most, one could eat four or five before it lost effect.


    Liu Ruyun thought about it but could not understand, so she set the matter aside, revealing a smile. She should be happy for Xiao Chen for obtaining such a fortuitous encounter.


    “Situ Changfeng woke up!” Murong Yan discovered that Situ Changfeng had opened his eyes at some point in time.


    Situ Changfeng got to his feet and looked at Xiao Chen with gratitude in his eyes. He knew better than the others what kind of Medicinal Pill Xiao Chen let him consume and what kind of changes it brought him.


    He simply did not expect that Xiao Chen would give him such a precious Medicinal Pill and not keep it for himself.


    Xiao Chen saw what Situ Changfeng had in mind and nodded slightly, indicating for him not to mind it.


    “Situ Changfeng, I’m sorry. Had I used that strand of aura my father left in my body earlier, you would not need to suffer so much.”


    Liu Ruyun stepped forward and apologized to Situ Changfeng. The littledy had been feeling guilty all this time.


    Situ Changfeng smiled casually and said, “You should learn from Murong Yan. I have saved that fellow several times already, but he never said a word of thanks.


    This teasing clearly showed that Situ Changfeng did not mind it, nor did he me Liu Ruyun.


    Liu Ruyun let out a peal ofughter, resolving her emotions. Strangely, Murong Yan did not talk back.


    Be it Wei Hong Fei, Duan Fei, Xiao Chen, or the others, they all showed smiles.


    After a cmity, one would understand a lot of things.


    How fortunate they were to have a group of friends and brothers to adventure with and live together!