Chapter 1196: Saints vs. Saints

The night sky was profound, with shattered stars like dust.

Ye Chen emerged from Tiannv Star just as two figures arrived from the distance—they were Dongyang and Qingyue from Tianfu Shen Chao.

They really came!

Ye Chen was taken aback. Earlier, when he left the Shen Chao, he had indeed made an arrangement with them to go find Donghuang and Zhou Tianyi, but that was just a bluff! He never expected Dongyang and Qingyue to actually show up.

Still, now that they were here, it couldn't be better.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen chuckled to himself and hurriedly stepped forward to bow.

“This junior, Ye Chen, greets the two seniors.”

“Arriving early isn't as good as arriving just in time!” Qingyue Xianzi said with a light smile.

“It really is quite timely.” Ye Chen grinned.

“I've heard about what happened at Lingxiao Palace. With your Tianjing cultivation, you defeated the Gui Huang Shen Zi—it's truly shocking, I must say.” Dongyang Zhenren smiled warmly. “This will be talked about for thousands of years.”

“You're too kind, senior.”

“The disciple of the Jian Shen is indeed a heaven-defying talent.” Dongyang was full of admiration, even more convinced that Ye Chen was the disciple of the Jian Shen—perhaps only a mythical figure from the heavens could produce such a student.

“You two seniors are joking. We should set off soon.” Ye Chen coughed lightly and took the first step, feeling much more confident. With two Sheng Ren protecting him, safety shouldn't be an issue.

Dongyang Zhenren and Qingyue Xianzi smiled and followed along.

In the vast expanse of the Hao Yu Star Space, which was infinitely vast, the three moved like streaks of divine light, adding a brilliant spectacle to the starry sky.

Throughout the journey, Ye Chen held the star map, quietly pondering the routes. The positions of various ancient stars were etched in his divine sea—those stars with living beings were the ones he needed to seek out.

On either side, Dongyang Zhenren and Qingyue Xianzi furrowed their brows, occasionally glancing toward the depths of the star space.

Ye Chen didn't notice their unusual behavior; he was focused on planning his path.

Stop!

At some point, Dongyang Zhenren suddenly called out softly and halted abruptly.

Qingyue Xianzi did the same, pausing slightly and narrowing her eyes, staring in one direction of the star space, just like Dongyang Zhenren.

Ye Chen's thoughts were interrupted. He put away the star map and frowned, sensing something off about this part of the star space, as if a pair of cold eyes were watching them from the shadows.

“Fellow Daoist, you've followed us all this way—show yourself!”

“Dongyang of the Shen Chao is indeed no ordinary man.” No sooner had Dongyang spoken than a ethereal voice echoed.

As the words fell, a black-robed elder appeared in the star space ahead. His aura was concealed by secret techniques, making his face indistinguishable, but his power was immense, not inferior to Dongyang's. Behind him loomed a terrifying vision, like a scene of the sun, moon, and stars being extinguished.

Sheng Ren!

Ye Chen murmured to himself, feeling a heavy pressure on his mind.

Dongyang Zhenren and Qingyue Xianzi frowned—not because the black-robed man was so powerful, but because he dared to reveal himself knowing they were Sheng Ren from the Shen Chao. This showed he had confidence to back him up.

Sure enough, another figure appeared after the black-robed elder.

It was a purple-robed man, his true appearance also unclear and quite mysterious, with his body flickering between illusion and solidity. Behind him was a vast vision resembling a Shura hell, filled with countless wailing ghosts.

Another Sheng Ren!

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes; the purple-robed Sheng Ren's aura was even more obscure than the black-robed one's.

Dongyang glanced at the black-robed Sheng Ren, then at the purple-robed one, and said leisurely,

“What is the meaning of this, fellow Daoists?”

“Leave Ye Chen behind.” The purple-robed Sheng Ren said flatly, his voice ethereal.

“Seniors, have I done something to offend you?” Ye Chen looked calmly ahead.

“Not at all.”

“Then is this just an ambush and robbery?”

“Call it what you like.” The black-robed Sheng Ren smiled faintly.

“To mobilize two Sheng Ren like you, Gui Huang Zong must have great resolve.” Dongyang Zhenren spoke up, as if he already knew who was behind this. In this star domain's three-way balance, aside from Tianfu Shen Chao and Lingxiao Palace, only Gui Huang Zong had the resources to enlist two Sheng Ren.

“Since you know, Dongyang Daoist, please step aside so we can complete our task.” The black-robed Sheng Ren smiled faintly.

“Are you two ignoring the Shen Chao entirely?” Qingyue Xianzi said calmly.

“Qingyue Daoist, what are you saying?” The black-robed Sheng Ren chuckled. “We're just taking payment to eliminate a disaster.”

“Very well.” Dongyang Zhenren snorted coldly and stepped forward thousands of zhang, charging at the purple-robed man with a massive seal that covered the star space. The secret techniques of a Sheng Ren were all-encompassing.

The purple-robed Sheng Ren was equally dominant, slashing out a silver river with one palm, shattering Dongyang Zhenren's seal.

Boom!

The strike of Sheng Ren shattered the heavens and earth; within ten thousand zhang, all meteorites turned to dust, and nearby ancient stars were affected, with mountains collapsing one after another.

The black-robed Sheng Ren moved as well, reaching out from thousands of zhang to grab toward the star space where Ye Chen was.

Qingyue Xianzi stepped forward, her crystalline jade hand radiating immortal light, crushing the black-robed Sheng Ren's palm print.

The black-robed Sheng Ren laughed sinisterly and used a great divine ability to shift closer.

Qingyue Xianzi also unleashed her Sheng Ren aura, clashing with the black-robed Sheng Ren in scenes of world-shattering destruction.

Boom! Bang!

The four Sheng Ren battled in pairs—the purple-robed one against Dongyang Zhenren, and Qingyue Xianzi against the black-robed one—and surprisingly, neither side gained the upper hand.

Ye Chen frowned; the combat power of the purple-robed and black-robed Sheng Ren was not inferior to that of Dongyang Zhenren and Qingyue Xianzi.

Sheng Ren of this level were extremely rare in this star domain, yet they were willing to offend the Shen Chao's authority just to capture him. Ye Chen had reason to believe Gui Huang Zong had paid a steep price.

Hm?

As he watched, Ye Chen's brows suddenly furrowed. He turned sharply and saw a cold immortal light shooting straight toward him, carrying devastating destructive force that could pierce through anything.

Sheng Ren!

Ye Chen's expression turned stern, feeling a chill throughout his body.

In a flash, he drew the Tian Que Sword from Tai Wang, gripping it with both hands to block in front of him.

Clang!

The immortal light struck the Tian Que Sword dead-on, leaving a dent even on its tough surface.

Ye Chen was sent flying on the spot, his arms covered in bloody wounds, and he spat out blood continuously as he flew back. The strike made his divine sea roar and his primordial spirit tremble violently, nearly extinguishing him in an instant.

Another Sheng Ren!

Dongyang Zhenren, locked in battle with the purple-robed Sheng Ren, suddenly turned his head. Qingyue Xianzi's expression also darkened at the same moment.

Pfft!

Eight thousand zhang away, Ye Chen finally got up and spat out another mouthful of blood. His entire sacred body was drenched in blood. Surviving a Sheng Ren's strike might make him the first in all the realms.

From the depths of the star space, the third Sheng Ren appeared—an elder in silver robes, his aura not as strong as the purple-robed or black-robed ones, but still extraordinarily powerful.

A Sheng Ren resorting to a sneak attack!

Ye Chen felt blood surge in his mouth again. He could still fight a Zhun Sheng, but against a Sheng Ren, the gap was too vast.

The Ancient Sacred Body!

The silver-robed Sheng Ren laughed menacingly, his withered eyes gleaming with greed.

Dammit!

Dongyang Zhenren used a shifting divine ability to rush over.

Your opponent is me!

The purple-robed Sheng Ren sneered, his movements eerily precise, blocking Dongyang exactly.

On the other side, Qingyue Xianzi tried to come to the rescue but was firmly held back by the black-robed Sheng Ren in that section of the star space.

Seeing this, Ye Chen said nothing and turned to flee.

Think you can escape?

The silver-robed Sheng Ren laughed even more menacingly, pursuing at a steady pace. His steps were illusionary and strange, each one covering thousands of zhang, his greedy eyes burning with a fierce light.