Chapter 2861: Imperial Dao Sacrifices

Ye Chen spoke indifferently, his voice cold and desolate, as he struck with a palm. With a deafening roar, the entire grand hall collapsed, sending stone bricks, tiles, copper pillars, and plaques flying everywhere.

Pfft!

Hei Pao Di was forced out, whether from injury or rage, he spat another mouthful of fresh blood, his aura fierce but his face pale, his steps still unsteady.

"What's the rush? I'm not going to kill you."

Ye Chen smiled at Hei Pao Di, revealing his rows of white teeth, his grin appearing radiantly bright.

Hei Pao Di gritted his teeth until they nearly shattered, refusing to believe Ye Chen's lies. The guy had already drawn his weapon—was he here to kill him, or just for sightseeing?

"Senior's formations, I'm not very familiar with them. I humbly request the great emperor to return with me and explain them in detail."

Ye Chen's smile grew even wider as he gripped his Dao Jian and stepped forward. However, to Hei Pao Di, that smile looked extraordinarily chilling.

Only then did he realize Ye Chen's true intention—this was a capture mission. Ye Chen planned to do something he had done before but not very well: use someone as a sacrifice.

And he was that sacrifice.

A damaged emperor was still an emperor. Even a Saint Body as a sacrifice could activate the altar formation, let alone him.

With that thought, he abruptly turned and fled into the distance.

"You can't escape."

Ye Chen was faster, having already imprinted a wheel of reincarnation mark. Like a flying thunder god, he blocked Hei Pao Di's path and struck with a domineering sword.

Pfft!

Hei Pao Di spat blood and was sent flying. If not for his deep foundations, he would have been split in two.

Zing!

As soon as he steadied himself, Ye Chen was upon him again, his sword strike divine and piercing straight through the emperor's body.

"In that case, we'll go down together."

Hei Pao Di's hair was disheveled, his eyes wild with madness. His weakened emperor dao divine power instantly turned violent—he was clearly preparing to self-destruct. Forcing an emperor to this point showed just how dire his situation was.

"Why be so pessimistic?"

Ye Chen spoke calmly.

Before his words faded, flowers of the other shore bloomed arrogantly in the darkness, each one a fiery red.

Time froze in an instant.

In that instant, Ye Chen had enough time to do many things.

In that instant, he applied over ten thousand seals, each infused with chaotic laws, Saint Body essence, emperor dao essence, and wheel of reincarnation power.

Hei Pao Di knelt, immobilized, his blood-red emperor eyes fixed fiercely on Ye Chen, filled with ferocity, anger, resentment, and a hint of hidden fear.

Ten thousand years ago, he had been defeated by the Emperor Zun, who severed his life source and dao roots, leaving him to linger in misery for endless ages.

Ten thousand years later, he was defeated again, by the Emperor Zun's reincarnation body, and even more utterly. A great emperor like him, facing a quasi-emperor, couldn't even muster the qualification to self-destruct.

Ten thousand years, a full cycle of cause and effect, and he lost both times.

His fate was clear—he would be taken back to the myriad heavens, thrown into the formation, and used as a sacrifice to activate the array he had spent ten thousand years building.

"I'm embarrassed for you."

Ming Di said meaningfully. You unlucky kid, how did you get so unfortunate? You should have stayed quietly in the black hole! But no, you had to come out seeking trouble, failed to trap others, and ended up burying yourself. At your weakest moment, you met the most dominant half-step Dacheng. Who else but you would kneel?

Ye Chen's expression was indifferent as he reached into Hei Pao Di's body. The Zhu Xian Jian was still inside—he had to pull it out and shatter it completely to eliminate future threats.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the Zhu Xian Jian. Before his hand could touch it, the sword escaped from the emperor's body, fueled by some blood sacrifice, and even shook Ye Chen back with a muffled grunt.

By the time Ye Chen steadied himself, it had fled into the endless darkness.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen snorted coldly, stored Hei Pao Di away, manifested his Dharma Body, and chased after it relentlessly.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The black hole, quiet for mere seconds, erupted again. The Zhu Xian Jian fled while fighting back, and Ye Chen and his Dharma Body pursued while attacking, determined not to stop until it was utterly destroyed.

Endless hatred and anger were poured into this chase.

"From the looks of it, that kid has found Hei Pao Di."

On this side, Di Lao had already stood up, gazing into the darkness as if he could hear the booms.

The other quasi-emperors also rose, their eyes shining with intense hope, eager for Ye Chen to capture Hei Pao Di. That way, not only would they eliminate a threat, but they'd also have the power to activate the formation. A damaged emperor would suffice.

Clang! Pound! Clang!

Such sounds echoed frequently in the darkness.

It was the Zhu Xian Jian, enduring countless strikes from Ye Chen. It was incredibly resilient—more gashes appeared, but it refused to be destroyed, sustained by an immortal mark and imprint. Precisely because of that mark and imprint, it was extremely hard to refine, even taking Ye Chen ten years to wear it down.

"Catch it, catch it!"

Ming Di, who had been sitting, stood up again, cheering Ye Chen on from behind the human and nether barrier.

Dao Zu remained silent but watched intently.

Alas, things didn't go as planned—the Zhu Xian Jian escaped. It must have sacrificed all its remaining power to cast a heaven-defying immortal technique, vanishing in an instant. Not even Ye Chen, let alone the Heavenly and Nether Emperors, could trace it.

"Damn it."

The Dharma Body cursed loudly. What a golden opportunity, and it slipped away.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, his anger boiling to the point of agony. Now that it had escaped, finding it again would be like searching for a needle in the sea.

Anger wouldn't help—it was gone.

For many days after, he wandered the black hole, holding onto a sliver of hope.

He didn't find the Zhu Xian Jian, but he did encounter many heavenly demons and calamity demons, dispatching them to the Yellow Springs along the way.

Sigh!

Three months later, he sighed and turned to leave.

When he returned to that patch of darkness, before the quasi-emperors could ask, Ye Chen produced Hei Pao Di. As for the Zhu Xian Jian, he really didn't want to mention it—it just fueled his frustration.

"An emperor! You actually caught a live one."

Chujiang Wang exclaimed in admiration, grinning nonstop. Defeating an emperor and capturing one were two different things, and yet, the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu had accomplished it—what a feat.

"Don't be afraid, the people of the myriad heavens are quite hospitable."

The group of old-timers had already surrounded Hei Pao Di—some with hands tucked in sleeves, some stroking their beards, others circling and eyeing him like a monkey. A few of the less serious ones even poked at him. This was a genuine emperor, after all.

Hei Pao Di couldn't speak, but his emperor eyes were blood-red, as if dripping blood. If he could self-destruct, he would do so without hesitation, dragging these ants into the ghost gate with him. Anything was better than being treated like a spectacle.

Ye Chen parted the crowd, stowed Hei Pao Di away again, and added more seals. He didn't want any mishaps.

Once done, he left.

Before departing, he took his wives with him, leaving only the group of old-timers, who needed to wait for their eye power to recover.

"I calculate that your son-in-law doesn't think much of you."

Zao Hua Shen Wang sat cross-legged, playing the part of a divine fortune-teller.

This was directed at Xuan Huang—Ye Chen had taken the wives but left the father-in-law behind.

"I have a son-in-law. Do you?"

Xuan Huang shot him a sideways glance.

Zao Hua Shen Wang took a deep breath. He was usually so arrogant, but this retort left him speechless. Without a wife, how could he have a son-in-law?

"Your brother doesn't seem to care much for you."

"Join our team!"

"When night falls on the human world, we'll group up and curse the Emperor Zun."

The divine generals were in high spirits, hands tucked away as they chattered endlessly. These words were aimed at Di Xuan.

Di Xuan remained composed, holding a small mirror in one hand and fixing her hair with the other. Her entire demeanor conveyed one message: Keep babbling, and I'll end you.

In the quiet night, Ye Chen returned to Da Chu.

After over a decade, the Jade Maiden Peak was still serene and empty.

Hu Wa was there, offering a simple smile. All these years, he had been guarding the Jade Maiden Peak, keeping it spotlessly clean.

Ye Chen smiled warmly, full of affection.

That night, they paid respects to the fox spirit and to Yang Lan. Every time they emerged from the small bamboo grove, they fell into a heavy silence. How wonderful it would be if they were still alive.

Three months later, Ye Chen entered the black hole again.

This time, he took all the female quasi-emperors with him, like Dong Huang Tai Xin, Yao Chi Xian Mu, Feng Huang, Zhu Que Queen, Di Xuan, Yue Huang, and San Sheng. He brought them all out, leaving only the group of men behind.

"No beating around the bush, I want to curse him."

Di Lao's face was the darkest, and Kui Niu Huang and the others didn't look much better. The black hole was already dull, and with beauties around, they could at least tease them for fun.

But now, they were all taken—none left. They strongly suspected Ye Chen did it on purpose.

I did it on purpose.

That would be Ye Chen's response. Let it frustrate you.

Three months passed, then another three.

When Ye Chen came again, he took the serious quasi-emperors, like Jiang Tai Xu, Jiang Chen, and the male eternal body, leaving only the unserious ones.

From that day, Ye Chen didn't visit for half a year.

In that half-year, he wasn't idle. He spent his days in the 100,000 Great Mountains, studying the altar with experts versed in formations. He couldn't activate the array without figuring it out, especially since there was only one emperor to sacrifice.

It had to be said, the formation and altar built by Hei Pao Di were indeed profound. Every pattern etched on it served a purpose.

Their task was to decipher it completely.

Meanwhile, back in the black hole, the old-timers' faces grew darker by the day.

A month later, Ye Chen appeared.

"My little ancestor, we've finally waited for you."

The old quasi-emperors were tearful.

"I still remember when I was just a small cultivator."

"That was so green and naive!"

"In the blink of an eye, over a thousand years have passed."

Ye Chen sat down and pulled out a wine flask, chatting away. It was unclear if he was being sentimental or forcing it, full of nostalgia and regret in his words.

The quasi-emperors' gazes turned sideways, eyeing Ye Chen suspiciously. This guy must have been hit by something—just bring us out and be done with it. Some things didn't need saying, and they had no interest in his past.

Ye Chen ignored them and kept talking.

This visit was mainly to see his children, and he passed by here on the way, so he dropped in for a chat and to stir up some emotion.

As he chatted, he wrapped it up and left the unserious old-timers in the black hole again.

In that moment, those old fogies even entertained thoughts of overpowering Ye Chen.

Ye Chen was gone for three years, spending another three in the 100,000 Great Mountains.

In total, six years were spent studying the altar formation.

One day, he suddenly recalled: Had he forgotten something? Weren't there still people in the black hole?

So, he made a quick trip there.

Oh? There really were people.

Not kidding, when they returned to the myriad heavens, those old-timers saw mother pigs as fair and beautiful.

Under the night sky, the 100,000 Great Mountains were crowded with figures.

They were all quasi-emperors, uniformly at the peak level, including some at the ultimate peak—from Da Chu, Xuan Huang, You Ming, and even reclusive old-timers who came for the excitement.

Of course, they weren't there to chat—they were studying the altar. It took three years to break the restrictions on it and seven years to decipher the patterns.

Another ten years came to an end.

Ye Chen finally released Hei Pao Di, placing him in the formation.

Hei Pao Di's face was twisted in ferocity, though he couldn't hide his fear. An emperor who had lived so long should have seen through life and death, but this one was terrified of dying.

Ye Chen's expression was indifferent as he formed seals with one hand.

Immediately, chains of runes intertwined, locking Hei Pao Di's hands, feet, body, and primordial spirit.

"Sacrifice!"

Ye Chen shouted firmly, activating the sacrificial rite.

Buzz!

The formation hummed, and the rune chains rattled more urgently, draining Hei Pao Di's emperor dao divine power.

"Ah...!"

Hei Pao Di's wails were piercingly shrill. His emperor blood was drawn out, his emperor dao power siphoned away, and even his emperor body withered visibly. Everything he had became a sacrifice, fueling the formation.

Everyone present, including Ye Chen, showed no emotion. Though the method was cruel, no one felt pity. Thinking of the heroic souls who died in battle, their ends were just as tragic.

No one spoke, no one uttered a word—not even the Heavenly and Nether Emperors, who watched in silence.

The formation was now active, but whether it could connect to the ancient wilderness remained unknown. That uncertainty even Hei Pao Di couldn't confirm, as he had never truly tried it.

Still, the scene was terrifying. Hei Pao Di was covered in blood, like a demon crawled from hell.

The screams eventually faded.

In the formation, Hei Pao Di was no more—his emperor blood, bones, and primordial spirit had all dissipated, transformed into emperor dao power.

He might be the most wretched among all emperors. The invading emperors died in battle, but he was used as a sacrifice.

Though death was the same, his was unimaginably painful.

Buzz! Buzz!

The formation spun rapidly, weaving forces of space, time, and spacetime into a chaotic mix.

"Incredible."

Chu Huang murmured softly, his eyes full of wariness.

"Incredible."

Even the ultimate peak experts, including Di Ji and Sheng Zun, furrowed their brows.

If even they felt this way, the other quasi-emperors were even more so.

Everyone present, except Ye Chen, dared not approach too closely. The spinning formation had a powerful devouring force—if one wasn't careful, they'd be sucked in. The forces inside could shred a peak quasi-emperor to dust in an instant. It was an emperor dao formation, no doubt, but an extremely domineering one. It could teleport, but not just anyone could enter—it might kill them before they reached the other side.

So, they needed a vanguard.

Ye Chen's mind stirred, and he manifested his Dharma Body. It was the most suitable for this role, with combat power equal to his own, able to withstand the formation's forces.

At least, it wouldn't be destroyed in a second.

"Boss, watch this!"

The Dharma Body grinned and stepped into the formation.