After two hundred years apart, the brothers were finally reunited, having followed each other through life and death since the apocalyptic days of the small Earth village—a journey marked by nothing but the truest trust, devoid of betrayal, deceit, or concealment.

These two simple words were more precious than gold during the apocalypse!

Ye Chen, seeing that both Bai Long and Yue Heng had achieved levels of terrifying extremity in their power, felt deeply gratified. He smiled and said, “We’re planning to visit Earth soon; would you two like to join us for a tour when you have time?”

Hearing this, Bai Long’s eyes immediately lit up. “Go, of course we’ll go!”

“No matter where you go, to the ends of the earth or the corners of the sea, just say the word, and we will follow. Without question!” Yue Heng stated firmly with a smile, his fiercely bright pupils brimming with tears.

Ye Chen was touched and nodded with a smile before turning to walk toward the great hall’s exit. Bai Yijun stood beside him. She sensed that Ye Chen was different today; his mood, usually still as stagnant water, was like a surging, boiling river today.

Though she couldn't fully grasp the depth of this brotherhood, she could certainly feel its intensity.

What shocked her even more was that Ye Chen possessed such powerful brothers by his side. What kind of formidable unity and towering personal charisma must that require!

However, Yue Ling, standing nearby, was even more astonished. As her gaze swept over Bai Long and Yue Heng, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning deep within her core; her entire body’s blood felt numb and surging. The overwhelming auras emanating from these two youths were in no way weaker than her own! Who was she?

The Empress of the Shenyan Empire!

Now, just pulling out two random individuals resulted in power that surpassed her own! What she didn't know was that these two young men, just like Zhuge Fan, had ascended from the lowly stage of a Demigod to this level of Imperial might in a mere two hundred years!

As the group walked out of the magnificent, palace-like structure, everyone still inside the hall stared blankly at them. The most stunned were the Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Gate and the eight beauties accompanying him. As a sect leader, the Yellow Springs Sect Master possessed superior intelligence. He could scarcely imagine that the two devil-like figures he had seen earlier were waiting here for someone even more powerful!

The faint auras leaking from these individuals carried a suffocating horror that made him tremble. He dared not imagine the level of power they commanded, only certain that he was unlikely to ever encounter figures of such peerless grace again in his lifetime!

The eight beauties, however, felt as if a whole jar of mixed flavors had been overturned within them, resulting in inexpressible complexity. From the moment they saw the two girls beside the handsome young man in black, they felt the entire hall brighten, as if two radiant moons had drifted in, exuding an aura and charm far beyond their own capabilities. Whether it was their impeccably flawless beauty or their peerless, unique temperament—noble and elegant, like celestial hands descended from the Ninth Heaven, pure without a trace of impurity.

They were simply a perfect masterpiece!

Even the greatest artisan could not sculpt such beautiful figures.

In that instant, they recalled the words spoken by the young man in white and the robust youth, and they couldn't help but feel a surge of shame. In the presence of those two women, they suddenly felt as if they themselves had transformed into men, harboring an inexplicable, deep yearning. It was like stars before a bright moon—tiny and humble, no, not even comparable to stars, but rather the smallest speck of dust.

Everyone in the hall watched dumbly as Ye Chen and his party walked outside the palace and then vanished into thin air. After a long while, everyone finally snapped back to reality, feeling as if they had experienced a dream, an unreal sensation.

Thunder Plaza.

Across the vast, empty expanse of Thunder Plaza, seventeen or eighteen civilization headquarters were scattered irregularly, each having constructed their buildings clustered together like small fortresses.

Among these civilization strongholds, the compound located in the northeast quadrant was three to four times the size of the others. Atop the city’s highest machine-gun turret, a magnificent flag unfurled and snapped in the biting wind—a banner with a blazing crimson border and the characters "Gu Qin" (Ancient Zither) carved in the center.

This was the dominant power on Thunder Plaza: the Gu Qin Civilization!

Currently, upon the highest pavilion of the Gu Qin Civilization’s base, a serene and elegant terrace held an incense burner and a dark red sandalwood desk. Upon the desk rested an ancient dragon zither, its carved patterns resembling lifelike, majestic golden divine dragons.

Seated before this ancient zither was a young maiden clad in emerald green. Her skin was like snow, and her slender, long fingers danced across the strings, plucking out notes that floated forth, ethereal and graceful as flowing water, bringing profound peace to the listener’s heart.

Everyone in Thunder Plaza knew that this girl, who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, was the strongest individual on the plaza. She was the daughter of the Gu Qin Civilization’s leader, possessed supreme innate talent, and was rumored to have encountered a miraculous opportunity, receiving guidance from a divine-level expert, making her cultivation unfathomably deep.

While she practiced, only a single maid, sweet-looking, cute, and quick-witted, stood diligently beside her, uttering not a sound.

Moments later, the piece concluded. The emerald-clad girl withdrew her fingers from the strings and let out a soft sigh. During the last passage, a minute deviation had occurred in one note; had this been a battle against an enemy, that tiny deviation could have plunged her into mortal peril!

“Miss, this piece, Blood Dragon Sound, you’ve only just obtained it, and you already play it so beautifully—it’s truly celestial music on earth!” The maid, Xiao Fang, presented a cup of tea, handed it to the green-clad girl, and smiled sweetly.

The green-clad girl sighed again, her expression growing more forlorn. Even if she could perform the world’s most exquisite music, how lonely it was when there was no one to truly understand it?

“Xiao Fang, I need to practice it one more time,” the green-clad girl said softly after taking a sip of tea.

The maid showed slight surprise, then offered a sweet smile and nodded. “That’s wonderful, I get to have my ears blessed again.”

The green-clad girl offered a wry smile and placed her fingers back on the strings, quietly interpreting the magical and powerful composition according to the musical score in her mind.

Suddenly, while striking the "Yu" string, her fingertip deviated slightly from the string friction, causing the melody to shift once more—a change so subtle one might miss it without careful listening.

The green-clad girl’s face changed.

This was the second time she had erred at the exact same point.

“Your fingers are still not agile enough,” a cool voice suddenly rang out, emerging unexpectedly from the spacious upper level of the pavilion, startling both the maid Xiao Fang and the green-clad girl.

They turned around to see several figures standing behind them. Leading them was a black-clad youth, handsome and tall, with eyes like blades slightly sunken, deep and captivating, as if the entire expanse of the stars had fallen into his pupils. Beside him stood two beautiful women, and lounging behind them were three young men, lazily perched on chairs, propping their chins with their hands, observing the scene.

These people had obviously been present for quite some time.

Yet, she had failed to notice them!

The green-clad girl’s heart skipped a beat, but she did not panic. She composed her features and looked at Ye Chen and the others. “Who are you?”

These people were, of course, Ye Chen and his entourage.

“It’s not important,” Ye Chen stated indifferently, stepping toward the green-clad girl. When he and Zhuge Fan had teleported over earlier, intending to tear open a spatial rift, he had suddenly heard this ethereal zither music. Although the performance was still somewhat immature, it possessed a distinct spiritual energy.

Music could evoke the deepest memories held within one’s heart.

Ye Chen was immediately reminded of his time as a Demigod, frantically training every day in the Genius Hall of the Flame God Empire, where he encountered experts from various civilizations.

Then, he thought of the Myriad Heavens Furnace God Technique within his body.

While he now controlled the fundamental power of the Wind Law, and once he fully comprehended and merged the twelve fundamental profound meanings taught by Mike, his strength would definitely ascend to a higher tier, becoming even more formidable!

However, he vaguely sensed that the Myriad Heavens Furnace God Technique seemed to be an immensely powerful secret art. When cultivated to its final stage, the resulting 'Light of Civilization' it unleashed would have a terrifying effect.

Therefore, as he was preparing to leave the Ancient World for a period, he decided that during his time back on Earth, he could dedicate his free hours to smelting the genes of other civilizations.

This was why he had brought Bai Long and the others down with him.

“What are you trying to do!” Maid Xiao Fang immediately stepped in front of the green-clad girl when Ye Chen approached, warily blocking him. “Don’t come any closer.”

Ye Chen didn't even glance at her, walking straight past. An invisible pressure pushed the green-clad girl and Xiao Fang backward, forcing them back four or five steps until they reached the edge of the pavilion before they could stop.

At this point, Ye Chen stood before the desk holding the zither. He paid no mind to the green-clad girl or the maid, casually sitting down on the edge of the chair. He reached out, lightly stroked the strings, and nodded slightly. “Strings refined from Dragon Tendons; the flexibility is indeed strong. It’s a pity the Dragon Tendons used here are too coarse. If they were made from the tendons of a Sky-Supporting Dragon, the resulting music would be even more captivating.”

The green-clad girl could not understand what he meant by the “Sky-Supporting Dragon Clan.” Fortunately, she didn't understand, or she would surely have been shocked speechless; for someone in this world to dare scheme against the Sky-Supporting Dragon Clan was tantamount to courting death!

However, upon hearing Ye Chen identify the instrument as a dragon zither in one breath, her heart couldn't help but tremble. She stared at him blankly, feeling an inexpressible sense of awe and fear.

At that moment, Ye Chen turned his head to look at her. His dark pupils gave away no emotion. “Show me the musical score,” his voice commanded, sounding like a noble Emperor addressing a subordinate—calm yet imbued with vast, heavenly authority. (To be continued)