Chapter 1013: The Chaotic Chu

Clang! Clang!

Amid Qing Luan's mournful cries, filled with deep sorrow, it still flapped its phoenix wings, unleashing waves of flames and lightning. It hoped to slay more enemies for its spirit master, Lin Shi Hua, before returning to the spirit realm.

On its back, Lin Shi Hua's beautiful eyes were trembling and slowly closing, two lines of crystal tears tracing down her sorrowful cheeks.

She passed away peacefully, her face bearing a gentle, beautiful smile that revealed a woman's tender affection. She lay quietly in Ye Chen's arms, her pale and lifeless jade-like hand clutching his clothing until the very end, unwilling to let go.

Shi Hua!

Ye Chen's voice was hoarse as he whispered her name, but the obedient junior sister from his memories no longer smiled sweetly.

A bloody wind blew, and Lin Shi Hua's body gradually dissolved into mist, scattering into the dim heavens and earth.

Qing Luan continued to wail, tears glistening in its phoenix eyes, as it too began to fade away. Lin Shi Hua had released their contract before her death, and now that its spirit master was gone, it had to return to the spirit realm.

Safe travels on your journey.

Ye Chen gazed at the faint fragrance and mist lingering on his palm, his hoarse voice choking with emotion.

Ah!

Ming Wang, still locked in battle, couldn't help but sigh quietly. For some reason, watching Lin Shi Hua dissipate made his mind wander. In ancient times, he had also watched her vanish before his eyes.

Through countless cycles of seas turning to fields and flowers blooming and withering, that once-worldly beauty was gone forever.

Kill!

Snapping out of his daze, Ming Wang swung his dark war spear, his kingly presence swallowing the eight directions. Wherever he went, hordes of heavenly demons turned to ash. He bathed in fresh blood like a blood-soaked asura.

He would fight on, as a way to atone for his past life and this land. Lin Shi Hua had summoned him at the cost of her life, placing her trust in him. A king of his caliber could die, but his death had to mean something.

Roar!

With a world-shaking dragon roar echoing through the heavens, Ye Chen rose to his feet, golden war dragons swirling around him. He slaughtered the heavenly demons in disarray, his grief over Lin Shi Hua's death making his divine blade strike without hesitation.

Crack!

Far away, beyond countless miles, Tai Xu Gu Long suddenly felt a jade pendant in his possession shatter.

Tai Xu Gu Long's body trembled, tears flickering in his eyes. It was Lin Shi Hua's soul jade pendant; its shattering meant she was dead. His one and only disciple in this life was gone.

Boom! Rumble!

The void ahead collapsed entirely, as vast hordes of heavenly demon soldiers surged like a tide.

Just as Ye Chen had anticipated, the heavenly demons had reinforced their forces behind the Da Chu cultivators, merging to launch a pincer attack. They aimed to annihilate the Da Chu cultivators in Northern Chu, forcing them to break through the encirclement to retreat to Southern Chu.

Kill!

Tai Xu Gu Long gripped his Tai Xu Dragon Sword, fighting like a madman as he carved a bloody path. This was war in its most brutal form; even with loved ones falling, there was no time for grief.

Zing!

Zi Xuan also swung her divine sword, joining forces with Dao Huang, Ouyang Wang, Tian Zong Lao Zu, and Zhong Jiang. They were like an unparalleled divine blade piercing straight into the heart of the heavenly demon army, leading the Da Chu cultivators in retreat.

At the rear, the kings of past generations and the descendants of emperors stood shoulder to shoulder, holding off the pursuing heavenly demon forces to cover the Da Chu cultivators.

Kill!

Here, Ye Chen and Ming Wang fought back to back, still battling the heavenly demon soldiers.

Once bitter enemies, they were now comrades on the battlefield, entrusting their backs to each other—a situation that evoked a sense of irony.

Both had suffered severe wounds, not because their strength was lacking, but because the heavenly demons were overwhelmingly numerous and reinforcements kept arriving. Looking around, the void in all directions was filled with endless heavenly demon figures.

Protect me!

Ming Wang hurled his spear, impaling a demon general in the void, then swiftly retreated to a section of the sky. He clasped his hands together and rapidly formed seals.

Ye Chen understood, splitting a demon general in two with his blade before ascending to the heavens. Holding the Blood Spirit Divine Blade, he guarded Ming Wang's sides.

Attack them!

A demon general roared, pointing his sword toward the section of void where Ye Chen and Ming Wang stood.

Immediately, the heavenly demon soldiers surged like a wave, and the void killing arrays targeted that area, aiming to obliterate them both.

Outer path dharma form, activate!

Ye Chen snorted coldly, deploying the Chaos World, Chaos Divine Cauldron, Blood Spirit Divine Blade, and Jiu Zhou Divine Diagram to form a massive protective barrier around himself and Ming Wang.

However, the defense he had mustered with all his strength was instantly pierced by the heavenly demons' void killing array. It wasn't that his barrier was weak; it was simply that the attackers were too numerous for one person to withstand.

Attack again!

The demon general bellowed furiously, his eyes filled with malice.

This time, killing arrays from all directions locked onto that section of the void.

Ye Chen snorted again, activating the Tai Xu Dragon Forbidden technique and layering on hundreds of protective arrays.

Buzz! Buzz!

The void trembled as hundreds of void killing arrays unleashed their devastating beams. Ye Chen's protective arrays shattered on the spot, and even with his saintly physique, half of it cracked apart, leaving him in a wretched state.

Open!

Ming Wang shouted lightly, and the ground instantly split apart.

Then, nine ancient stone coffins rose from the earth as he invoked a forbidden technique, summoning from the underworld.

Bang!

The first stone coffin exploded, revealing a barbaric warrior gripping a bone club. He was bare-chested, his muscles coiling like dragons, etched with ancient patterns and entwined with thunder—a sign of an extraordinarily powerful physique.

Next, the second stone coffin burst open, releasing a youth clad in golden armor.

The third held an elderly man with white hair, dressed in ancient attire from some bygone era.

The fourth contained a middle-aged man wielding a battle halberd, his back as unyielding as a mountain.

The fifth revealed a woman.

The sixth, a scholarly young man.

The seventh, a three-eyed youth.

The eighth, a purple-haired girl.

The ninth, a hunched old woman.

Puff!

After summoning these ancient figures, Ming Wang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his aura weakening significantly.

What a powerful presence!

Ye Chen's eyes narrowed sharply as he gazed at these individuals, realizing for the first time that Ming Wang could summon such formidable allies. If they had been called forth during the past battle at Zheng Yang Sect, the losses would have been devastating.

Kill!

Ming Wang's voice rang out firmly as he issued the command to the nine.

The summoned ancient figures charged into the heavenly demon army.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Though these nine had been at the heavenly realm in life, they no longer possessed that level of power. Even so, the heavenly demon forces fell in droves, unable to stop their advance, forcing numerous demon generals to retreat.

The tide of battle turned instantly with the arrival of these nine, scattering the heavenly demons in chaos.

Go!

Ye Chen and Ming Wang withdrew from the battlefield, not heading toward Southern Chu but charging north instead.

Ye Chen's goal was clear: to guide the Da Chu cultivators and lead them safely back to Southern Chu.

Boom! Bang! Boom! Bang!

Along the way, Ye Chen struck relentlessly, destroying any teleportation portals he encountered. The heavenly demons were already too numerous; allowing more portals to remain would only bring more foes.

However, with the heavenly demons rampant, the hidden reclusive cultivators of Da Chu were forced to emerge.

Gazing into the void, scattered figures appeared, each with heaven-piercing strength and the aura of ancient veterans. Awakened from their slumbers by the demons, they were furious and rampaging, slaughtering in all directions.

Overlooking the land, all of Northern Chu was engulfed in chaos.

The heavenly demon army split into two prongs: one chasing Da Chu cultivators from north to south, the other blocking from south to north. These were the major battlefields, while smaller skirmishes involved fighters like Ye Chen, Ming Wang, and the reclusive cultivators—everywhere one looked, battles raged.

The disorder wasn't limited to the Northern Chu cultivation world; the mortal realm of Northern Chu was a sea of corpses and blood, with heavenly demons massacring indiscriminately.

Kill!

Yang Ding Tian and his group, heading to rescue Northern Chu's mortals, fought like berserkers, forging a path paved with blood and bones.

Boom! Bang!

The flames of war soon spread to Southern Chu, as the heavenly demons' strange teleportation portals appeared on Southern Chu's soil.

At all costs, surround and eliminate the heavenly demons!

In the Heavenly Court headquarters' grand hall, Hong Chen Xue's voice was icy and commanding, carrying supreme authority.

Immediately, the massive army of cultivators garrisoned in Southern Chu advanced from all directions to encircle the demons, their forces vast and imposing.

Perhaps due to the great distance, only three or five teleportation portals descended in Southern Chu, bringing far fewer heavenly demons than expected. With the overwhelming Southern Chu forces, they had the demons completely suppressed.

Puff! Puff!

In the dim void of Northern Chu, Ye Chen slew two more demon generals and landed in a blood-soaked ancient town.

This was Qing Xian Ancient Town, a place he had visited before. In his memories, it was a peaceful and serene town—the only mortal settlement in the cultivation world. It was home to a mysterious fortune-teller: Zhou Yi.

Stepping in once more, Qing Xian Ancient Town was now drenched in blood, a gruesome scene that erased all traces of its former peace.

Senior!

Under the same old tree, Ye Chen found Zhou Yi lying there.

Zhou Yi possessed heaven-defying divination abilities but had no cultivation or combat power whatsoever. Even a single ordinary heavenly demon could end him, which is why he couldn't escape his fate.

Zhou Yi was already dead, but his breath lingered, sustained by an extremely profound secret technique.

"Guarding Da Chu is guarding the myriad realms and all living beings," Zhou Yi said, his turbid eyes fixed on Ye Chen. He smiled warmly and kindly, his trembling hand pulling a turtle shell from his robes and placing it in Ye Chen's grasp. His voice was hoarse and aged.

"I will not fail this mission," Ye Chen replied, gripping Zhou Yi's hand tightly and channeling his essence, though it was futile to save the already deceased.

Zhou Yi turned to ash, leaving only the ancient turtle shell in Ye Chen's hand—a weight heavier than anything.