Chapter 2599: A Troublesome One Arrives

The sky in Shangxian Jie was dim, shrouded in a haze of blood mist.

Beneath the night, amidst a range of mountains, Ye Chen gripped a blood-stained iron rod and staggered forward.

No pursuers followed behind him.

He had fought relentlessly for three days and three nights, slaughtering the Tianting forces until they fled in terror, cutting down countless Tianbing and Tianjiang.

But he had paid a heavy price for it.

His magical power was utterly depleted, and the Diyu Kai armor he wore was riddled with holes, soaked in fresh blood. His body was covered in deep gashes, each one laced with a dim, destructive light that eroded his true essence, leaving the wounds unhealed for ages.

Behind him stretched a trail of bloody footprints, starkly vivid.

A gust of wind blew, and he collapsed in exhaustion.

Xiu Luo Tianzun moved the fastest, stepping forward in an instant to catch Ye Chen. This little Shit头 Jing was utterly worn out, having broken through the encirclement of millions of troops through sheer force, forging a legend in three days and nights of slaughter, but at the cost of severe wounds.

Accompanying him were Si Ming and the others, all on high alert as they gripped their Xian Jian and stood guard in the four directions.

"Holy Lord."

Yue Xin's call was choked with sobs, her eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing Ye Chen so battered, she couldn't help but recall his past life, remembering the lone war god who charged into battle, fighting from Nan Chu all the way to Bei Zhen Cang Yuan to avenge the souls of Da Chu.

"I'm fine."

Ye Chen managed a reassuring smile. Though his injuries were grave, they weren't life-threatening, bolstered by the gifts from Da Chu's predecessors and the potent effects of the Di Dao Shen Dan.

Those troublemakers were still far from being able to kill him.

"For now, go to the lower realm and lie low for a while."

Tai Yi glanced back and spoke.

"The Nan Tian Men will surely be heavily guarded. Breaking through to the lower realm will mean another fierce battle," Si Ming said thoughtfully.

"I think it's better to head to the edge regions and take shelter there for now."

Tai Bai stroked his beard.

Ye Chen remained silent, sitting down cross-legged. Going to the lower realm wasn't an option. Forcing his way through Nan Tian Men was possible, but it would drag the flames of war down there, especially to his Hua Shan, which would become a prime target.

By staying in Shangxian Jie, he could draw the Tianting's attention.

He agreed more with Tai Bai's suggestion than Tai Yi's.

"First, heal your wounds."

Xiu Luo Tianzun placed his hands on Ye Chen's back, channeling his pure essence to soothe the killing intent within him, while Kui Wang and Yue Xin continuously crushed Shen Dan and infused them into Ye Chen's body without regard for cost.

Ye Chen closed his eyes slightly, blood still trickling from the corners of his mouth.

His injuries weren't just from the Tianbing and Tianjiang—they also came from a kind of backlash.

As Ren Wang had said, borrowing imperial weapons and various external aids clashed with a mysterious force in Tianting, triggering this backlash.

In other words, the more power he drew from the human realm, the stronger the backlash he suffered.

Ren Wang's advice to return those things wasn't without reason.

As always, Tianting was in a state of rejection toward outside forces, even imperial weapons were no exception.

This was also why his many Di Dao Xian Fa were restricted, sometimes working and sometimes not.

Bringing memories through the tribulation came with both benefits and drawbacks.

For this very reason, he felt like cursing the Dao Zu.

Among the three realms—heaven, earth, and human—the Tianting was the odd one out.

The Ming Jie allowed Di Dao to flow freely, and Tianting's divine positions could borrow laws in the same way.

But Tianting had to make things different from Ming Jie.

Not only that, it came with all sorts of complications—truly a pointless hassle.

Suddenly, another night breeze brushed by.

Yet, this breeze carried an extra chill.

Ye Chen abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze narrowing as he stared intently in one direction.

Xiu Luo Tianzun did the same, while Si Ming and the others, with their lower cultivation and less keen insight, noticed nothing.

"A formidable one has arrived."

Xiu Luo Tianzun snorted coldly, rising to his feet with a grim expression.

As he spoke, dark light pillars shot up from all sides, piercing the sky, accompanied by swirling array patterns that etched across the heavens before vanishing into the void, forming a massive barrier that enveloped the entire area.

On top of that, secretive spells concealed this patch of space.

"This—"

Si Ming and the others paled, tightening their grip on their Xian Jian.

Hehehe!

A sinister laugh echoed slowly, and the dark space twisted as a disheveled figure stepped out. His eyes glowed a blood-red, terrifying and ominous, his aged face twisted in a grotesque manner, like a demon in the night, sending shivers through anyone who looked.

And who else could it be but Dan Shen?

"Ye Chen, are you pleased to see me again?"

Dan Shen chuckled eerily, ignoring Xiu Luo Tianzun and the others, fixing his gaze solely on Ye Chen. His crimson eyes burned with intense greed, as if staring at his own Di Dao Shen Dan.

Ye Chen had been killing his way through, and Dan Shen had been shadowing him the whole time, all for this chance at enlightenment.

Fortunately, he had found Ye Chen in a weakened state.

As for Xiu Luo Tianzun and his group, some were weak, others crippled—they were negligible. This opportunity was truly once-in-a-thousand-years, with no one to compete or interfere.

"Betrayed by all and left utterly alone, don't you feel a sense of desolation, senior?"

Ye Chen replied calmly, his tone devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Desolate? Of course, I'm desolate. This cruel law has driven me to madness."

"From the moment I captured you, I cast everything else aside."

"Whether betrayed by all or left alone, nothing will block my path to enlightenment."

"Gods will be slain, Buddhas will be destroyed."

Dan Shen's words grew more fervent with each line, culminating in a frenzied roar, perfectly embodying the madness of a lunatic.

"If you devour me and still can't achieve enlightenment, what then?"

Ye Chen met his gaze directly, his eyes free of hatred, filled instead with a deep sadness.

This question struck fear into Dan Shen's heart.

Indeed, if devouring Ye Chen didn't lead to enlightenment, what would become of him?

An immortal in the human world?

A ghost in hell?

Or just a pitiful, tragic dog under the cruel law?

"I will achieve enlightenment."

Whether from fear or rage, Dan Shen's roar shook the heavens, his blood-red eyes bulging even more.

Xiu Luo Tianzun snorted and casually took hold of Ye Chen's iron rod.

But in his hand, the rod lost all its ethereal glow, its spirituality vanishing in an instant. Not only that, a mysterious force began to backlash against him. Before the battle even started, blood trickled from his mouth.

Ye Chen witnessed this clearly.

Once again, it confirmed Tianting's rejection of outside forces.

The Xuanyuan Jian belonged to the Zhu Tian, and Xiu Luo Tianzun was from another universe—both were external powers. Combined, their backlash was even stronger. Though he held an imperial weapon, it couldn't unleash its full might.

"You people are truly something else."

Xiu Luo Tianzun wiped the blood from his mouth, his face darkening further.

In his current state, he was no match for Dan Shen, which is why he had tried to use the divine weapon to aid him.

But he hadn't expected the backlash, limiting the added power greatly.

"A defeated foe, how dare you stand in my way?"

Dan Shen thundered and struck with a palm.

Xiu Luo Tianzun showed no fear, charging into the void with the iron rod, his anger raging.

The mere sight of Dan Shen ignited an inexplicable fury in him.

Back in the day, when he was ruthlessly suppressed, this old man had played a major role.

He was indeed a defeated general, but not to Dan Shen alone—he had been overcome by the entire Tianting. In a one-on-one fight back then, he could have beaten Dan Shen senseless. Alas, he had been ganged up on, unable to fight four hands with two fists, leading to a century of suppression.

Boom!

Their clash erupted in a thunderous boom, with waves of destructive light spreading out.

Dan Shen stood firm, unmoved.

Xiu Luo Tianzun, however, grunted and staggered back, spitting blood once he steadied himself. He was far from his peak, and the imperial weapon couldn't perform at full strength, making him no match for Dan Shen.

"Overreaching."

Dan Shen's eyes gleamed with mockery as he ignored Xiu Luo Tianzun and lunged straight for Ye Chen.

Xiu Luo Tianzun crossed the void in a single step, blocking him.

"So eager to die? I'll grant your wish."

Dan Shen's gaze turned icy, unleashing a barrage of Di Dao Xian Fa.

"Come on!"

Xiu Luo Tianzun roared, sacrificing his origin to boost his combat power, charging head-on.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle raged, filling the sky with explosions.

Clearly, Xiu Luo Tianzun was at a disadvantage.

Like Ye Chen, he was restricted—his powerful secret techniques couldn't be fully executed, and even when they could, they were unreliable.

In contrast, Dan Shen was far more formidable, his attacks deadly and precise, shattering the heavens and earth, forcing the Tianzun to bleed repeatedly.

"He won't last much longer."

"Damn it."

Tai Yi's face was grim as he gripped his Xian Jian, standing in front of Ye Chen. If Xiu Luo Tianzun fell, they would be Ye Chen's last line of defense.

Behind him, Ye Chen had closed his eyes again, with Kui Wang and Yue Xin frantically feeding him Shen Dan.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

As they watched, blood rained down. Xiu Luo Tianzun was in a pitiful state, constantly on the defensive since entering the void, his divine body shattered and covered in gashes, no longer resembling a human form.

"Sacrifice the domain gate and escape quickly."

Xiu Luo Tianzun sent a message. Even he couldn't beat Dan Shen, let alone the others.

"If we could leave, we would have already."

Si Ming coughed dryly. Dan Shen's barrier was inscribed with Di Dao array patterns, sealing off the domain gates. That old man had prepared thoroughly, intent on wiping them out from the moment he set up the barrier.

"Nonsense."

Xiu Luo Tianzun gritted his teeth and once more crossed the void to intercept Dan Shen.

"Overreaching."

Dan Shen smirked eerily, vanishing in an instant and slashing Xiu Luo Tianzun down with a sword. Before Xiu Luo Tianzun could recover, Dan Shen reappeared like a ghost, piercing his brow with a finger of divine light, severely damaging his Yuan Shen and nearly killing him on the spot.

Pfft!

Xiu Luo Tianzun spat blood and plummeted from the void, crashing into a mountain peak and collapsing it.

Dan Shen paid him no mind, charging straight for Ye Chen.

At this, Si Ming, Tai Yi, and Tai Bai all moved, rushing into the void together.

"A bunch of ants."

Dan Shen's eyes were full of contempt. With one sword, he struck down Si Ming, nearly splitting him in two; with a backhand palm, he sent Tai Bai flying, almost shattering his body; Tai Yi's sword strike was powerful but useless, as he took a finger strike that heavily wounded his Yuan Shen.

The subsequent Kui Wang, Yingjie Tianqing, and Yue Xin fared no better.

Their cultivation was even weaker, their combat power insufficient, and they were swept away by Dan Shen's palm.

In mere moments, all six were defeated, falling from the void like broken kites, smashing into six mountain peaks and staining the sky with blood.

"The Di Dao Shen Dan, my Di Dao Shen Dan."

With no one left to block him, Dan Shen laughed, baring his pale teeth.

In this three-way contest, he had become the final mantis—or rather, the ultimate victor.

In an instant, he reached out eagerly to grab Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes snapped open, and he staggered to his feet, tapping his toe on the ground to soar away, dodging Dan Shen's grasp.