Chapter 1289: The Slip-Up

"Jian Fei Dao, do you still remember Dong Huang Tai Xin?"

Ye Chen's hoarse words echoed through the starry sky of the dimension, carrying the weariness of a long journey and the passage of a century.

At these words, the illusory figure of Jian Shen Jian Yi trembled slightly and turned to look at Ye Chen.

However, he remained silent, standing still like a statue, his eyes as placid as ancient wells, filled with a dull confusion.

"You should remember Dong Huang Tai Xin," Ye Chen stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Jian Shen Jian Yi.

Yet, his question still received no response from Jian Shen Jian Yi, who remained just as confused.

Ye Chen frowned and suddenly activated his Xian Yan, seeing straight through Jian Shen Jian Yi. The sword intent possessed some intelligence, but it was in a state of ignorance, lacking Jian Shen's memories, let alone anything about Dong Huang Tai Xin.

Suddenly, Ye Chen raised his arm, extending his five fingers toward Jian Shen Jian Yi.

Zhou Tian Yan Hua!

Silently in his heart, Ye Chen invoked the Zhou Tian Yan Hua secret technique, using it to deduce Jian Shen through the sword intent.

He didn't expect Zhou Tian Yan Hua to pinpoint Jian Shen's current location across the heavens, as his own cultivation was too low, even with such a powerful secret method, to trace Jian Shen's whereabouts.

Nevertheless, he proceeded with the deduction, his purpose simple: to attract Jian Shen's attention.

As a quasi-emperor at the peak, Jian Shen would surely detect anyone using a secret technique to deduce him. If Jian Shen noticed, Ye Chen's plan would succeed, and Jian Shen might descend upon the Bei Dou Star Domain.

Due to Zhou Tian Yan Hua, ancient runes appeared around Jian Shen Jian Yi, arranging and combining on their own.

Jian Shen Jian Yi frowned, trying to move, but was restrained by the Tai Xu Long Jin that Ye Chen had summoned.

Zhou Tian Yan Hua!

Ye Chen shouted again, using his Dao principles and origin as the foundation to sustain the technique's operation.

In the process of deduction, he found a faint connection from Jian Shen Jian Yi—a thread linking the sword intent to Jian Shen himself. Hastily, he followed that thread and continued the deduction.

In the haze, his deduction crossed the vast starry sky, wildly tracing back to the source of that connection.

In a daze, he saw a boundless continent, vast and endless, like an immortal realm.

At the summit of a mountain peak stood a figure in white robes and white hair. Only his back was visible, not his true face, yet he seemed like a transcendent immortal, inspiring awe from the world.

He was Jian Shen Jian Fei Dao, a legendary myth across the myriad domains of the heavens.

A gentle breeze brushed by, stirring the mundane world and Jian Shen's white hair, causing his brows to furrow slightly.

Zhou Tian Yan Hua!

Jian Shen murmured softly, lifting his head to gaze into the ethereal void, as if he could see through countless star domains to a vast starry sky known as Bei Dou, where someone was secretly observing him.

Pu!

In the dimension's starry sky, Ye Chen spat out blood, suffering a terrifying backlash. Fresh blood overflowed from his eyes, ears, and nose, and his powerful Huang Gu Sheng Ti became drenched in blood at that moment.

He had glimpsed Jian Shen of the heavens but also endured a fearsome backlash from the void, nearly perishing in body and dao.

Buzz!

The dimension's starry sky trembled as Jian Shen Jian Yi broke free from the Tai Xu Long Jin's restraints and waved his hand to erase Ye Chen's Zhou Tian Yan Hua. Ye Chen, already injured, suffered another backlash, his Sheng Ti cracking open.

Ye Chen forcibly stabilized his form and regenerated his Sheng Ti, though his face was deathly pale.

Jian Shen Jian Yi still stood silently, watching Ye Chen with those dull, confused eyes.

Zheng!

A sword's resonant hum echoed as Ye Chen summoned the Chi Xiao Jian. His aura surged, his vital energy rolling forth, followed by the manifestation of chaos phenomena, and then even the demonic path unfolded.

He believed that Zhou Tian Yan Hua had already drawn Jian Shen's attention, but it was far from enough.

He needed to fan the flames on this foundation, and that flame would be to slay Jian Shen Jian Yi. Only then could he truly lure Jian Shen to descend upon the Bei Dou Star Domain.

Originally, he had considered using Tian Zhao, but he discovered that deducing Jian Shen had sealed his Xian Yan. With no other choice, he would have to face Jian Shen Jian Yi with his own strength.

"Jian Shen Qianbei, I must offend you." Ye Chen suddenly stepped forward, slashing out a world-shaking sword beam.

Jian Shen Jian Yi's expression remained calm as he gently raised his arm, tracing a star river with one hand. It carried Jian Shen's Dao and contained supreme sword intent, effortlessly destroying Ye Chen's magnificent sword beam.

Wan Jian Feng Shen!

Ye Chen halted abruptly and used Shun Di Cheng Cun to charge forward, his sword delivering a devastating, piercing force—a strike of absolute killing, carrying his invincible Dao and unyielding will to win.

However, his peak sword strike was easily caught between Jian Shen Jian Yi's two fingers.

Ye Chen's vital energy surged, with chaos Dao principles and Sheng Ti origins intertwining, all channeled into the Chi Xiao Jian. Yet, no matter how hard he pushed, he could not advance it even a fraction. The strength of Jian Shen Jian Yi left him stunned.

Jian Shen Jian Yi flicked his fingers lightly, sending Ye Chen flying backward, his internal energy churning as he vomited blood again.

Again!

Ye Chen charged back with surging vital energy, his entire body engulfed in golden flames. His powerful Sheng Ti, bathed in blood, resembled molten gold, like a war god dominating the eight directions.

The great battle erupted instantly.

On one side, Jian Shen Jian Yi was calm as an immortal king, his every move appearing ordinary, yet each contained the profound essence of supreme swordsmanship—a return to simplicity.

On the other side, Ye Chen's battle intent soared, unleashing divine abilities and secret techniques endlessly. In several moments, he too achieved a return to simplicity in his Dao. Having fought the Tian Mo Di and the young Dong Hua Nu Di, his understanding of the Dao had long transcended the mundane. Though Jian Shen Jian Yi was strong, Ye Chen fought on equal footing.

Boom! Bang!

The dimension's starry sky grew chaotic, trembling and rumbling from their world-shaking battle.

Outside, the Da Luo Jian Zong was alarmed. Whether saints, elders, or disciples, all eyes turned toward the depths of Da Luo Jian Zong, the mysterious rumbling making their hearts quiver.

Even the secluded Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang was disturbed, abruptly emerging from his palace.

"What is this commotion?" Voices of astonishment echoed everywhere, with weaker disciples turning pale and forced to have the peak masters activate the mountain-protecting barriers.

"How could there be such immense fluctuations?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu and over a dozen saints, who had just returned, gathered at the Feng Chan site, while figures from various peaks flew in—all quasi-saints.

"Who is in the Jian Shen Yi Jing?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang arrived, descending into the sky above the Feng Chan site. He was an elderly man with white hair, his brows furrowed as he looked at the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu and the others.

"Reporting to the ancestor, it is Zi Zhu Feng's Li Kang," the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu hurriedly replied.

"Li Kang?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang furrowed his brows slightly, perhaps because Li Kang was too ordinary, far from worthy of his notice, making the name unfamiliar even to a Sheng Wang.

"He is the newly appointed godson of Da Luo Jian Zong," a saint quickly explained, sensing the ancestor's confusion.

"The newly appointed godson?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang raised an eyebrow. "What about the original Da Luo godson?"

"He's dead," the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu and the over a dozen saints, along with the more than two hundred quasi-saints present, all lowered their heads at the same time. The quasi-saints, in particular, felt their hearts tremble.

"Dead?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang's tone turned icy, and the entire Feng Chan site was visibly covered in frost, his terrifying killing intent as heavy as mountains.

"The ancestor has been in seclusion, and many events have occurred in Da Luo Jian Zong," the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu explained with gritted teeth. "There is a person named Ye Chen who killed the Da Luo godson."

"What were you all doing?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang erupted in fury, unaware during his seclusion that such a shocking event had befallen the sect—the godson slain, a grave humiliation.

"We are guilty," everyone present knelt down, sweat pouring from their brows.

"A bunch of useless fools." The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang snorted coldly and immediately formed seals with his hand, single-handedly opening a passage to the Jian Shen Yi Jing world.

But before he could enter, the passage collapsed.

At this sight, whether it was the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang or the saints and quasi-saints present, their expressions changed simultaneously. The passage's collapse indicated a major disturbance in the Jian Shen Yi Jing.

Jian Shen Jian Yi was of utmost importance; it was the foundation of Da Luo Jian Zong. If something happened to it, it would be a catastrophe.

Boom!

As everyone paled, two figures silently appeared in the void—one was the illusory Jian Shen Jian Yi, the other a youth shrouded in golden light, engaged in a world-shaking battle.

"The Huang Gu Sheng Ti." The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang exclaimed in shock, gazing at Ye Chen in disbelief, his old eyes filled with surprise. He had not realized that the newly appointed Da Luo godson was a Huang Gu Sheng Ti.

"How... how could it be... him?" Compared to the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang, the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu and the others had their eyes bulge wide, instantly recognizing Ye Chen. Perhaps because Ye Chen had previously deduced Jian Shen and suffered backlash, his true appearance was now revealed.

"What is this?" The group of saints and quasi-saints were dumbfounded, their expressions a mix of astonishment. In an instant, their minds raced, piecing together the puzzle. No wonder an obscure figure like Li Kang had suddenly become so strong, even defeating Zi Yang and the others—it turned out he was Ye Chen in disguise.

"Where is my disciple?" Zi Zhu Zhen Ren felt dizzy, having thought he gained a talented disciple to boast about, only to be hit with this shocking revelation.

"What is happening?" The various disciples and elders were also stunned, staring in shock at the void.

"We've been tricked." Everyone quickly realized, their faces turning fierce in an instant.

"What kind of expressions are these?" The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang frowned at the crowd's strange reactions.

"Ancestor, he... he is Ye Chen."

"Ye Chen? Which Ye Chen?"

"The one who killed the Da Luo godson." The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu wiped away his cold sweat.

"What are you saying?" Even the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang furrowed his brows, looking at the Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Zhu in confusion. Despite his Sheng Wang cultivation, he was momentarily baffled. "Wasn't it Li Kang who entered?"

"Yes, it was Ye Chen disguised as Li Kang to sneak in."

"I..." The Da Luo Jian Zong Sheng Wang choked, nearly spitting out a mouthful of blood.