Chapter 1379: Kindred's Defiance

The night that should have been quiet was anything but, transformed by the extraordinary battle between two Zhun Sheng and two Zhun Sheng Wang. This drew the attention of cultivators heading to Yao Chi for the gathering, causing them to pause in this ancient city.

More and more people gathered, craning their necks to watch, with many pulling out memory crystals to record the scene. These recordings would be excellent conversation starters later, or even keepsakes to cherish.

The battle was predictable, and so was the outcome.

After just thirty exchanges, the purple-haired elder was defeated, struck down from the void by Ji Ningshuang's palm.

Almost simultaneously, the black-haired elder was brought to his knees, kicked down by Ye Chen.

No wonder they were such good comrades—the purple-haired elder and the black-haired elder hit the ground at the same time, each creating a deep crater in the earth. Both Zhun Sheng Wang were left unrecognizable.

In that moment, the whole world fell silent. In a two-against-two fight, the two Zhun Sheng Wang had been utterly beaten.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang descended as if nothing had happened, leaving the spectators gaping in astonishment. No one knew where these two had come from, but their power was immense.

Qi Wang sidled up to them, positioning himself squarely between them with his back straight as a rod, as if silently proclaiming: These are my bodyguards—show some respect from now on.

Ji Ningshuang glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, she turned to search the ruins for her book basket. Once she had it back on her shoulders, she smiled faintly at Ye Chen.

"Are you coming or not?"

"I think it's more reliable if we find a quiet place to chat first, like your home," Ye Chen said casually, dusting himself off.

"Then let's go to my place. I'll treat you to some peaches," Ji Ningshuang replied with a gentle smile, starting on her way.

"Honestly, I'm not really into peaches." Ye Chen shook his head and followed along.

"And don't forget about me." Qi Wang tagged along shamelessly, sticking to them like glue.

"People can be deceiving at first glance!" Watching the three depart, the people behind stroked their chins thoughtfully, especially the elders, who suddenly felt their age in that instant.

It wasn't until sometime later that the crowd slowly dispersed, but not before casting a final look at the battered purple-haired and black-haired elders. They were the perfect picture of those legendary unfortunate brothers.

As for the purple-haired and black-haired elders, they were now utterly subdued, scarred by their defeat. They could hardly believe that two Zhun Sheng had beaten them, the mighty Zhun Sheng Wang, so badly that they couldn't even hold their heads high. Now, even spotting a Zhun Sheng-level cultivator on the road made them want to flee.

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

Ye Chen and his companions headed north, like three streaks of immortal light adding color to the vast starry expanse.

Ji Ningshuang remained diligent, reading her blank book intently even as she traveled through the skies.

This time, Ye Chen drew closer, staring directly at the blank book in her hands. Given its mysterious nature, he even subtly activated his immortal eyes, hoping to discern its secrets.

As he watched, his eyes narrowed slightly, for ancient characters seemed to flicker faintly on the blank pages—yet even with his keen sight, he couldn't make them out clearly, and it left his immortal eyes blurred.

Ji Ningshuang, still buried in her book, lifted her face and looked at Ye Chen with her clear, bright eyes.

"Have we met somewhere before? You seem familiar, but I can't quite remember who you are."

"I'm Ye Chen," he replied with a slight smile. "We share an unbreakable karmic tie."

"I don't remember." She shook her head gently.

"Let's not dwell on that. Tell me about the blank book you're holding," Ye Chen said, shifting the topic with a laugh.

"An elder gave it to me," Ji Ningshuang said with a soft smile. "The elder said that though the book has no words, the heart holds words. The book is the universe, and the words are all things. Reading it is like cultivating the Dao. When the book has no words, that's when the Dao surpasses the heavens, and one becomes the ultimate saint of all things."

"The Dao surpasses the heavens, the ultimate saint of all things." Ye Chen murmured the words, and Ji Ningshuang's explanation stirred his heart, giving him deeper insight into the Dao of chaos and all things.

Hmm!

While lost in thought, Ye Chen suddenly heard Ji Ningshuang let out a pained groan beside him.

He quickly turned his head, thinking it might be the memory immortal light at work.

But it wasn't what he assumed. Ji Ningshuang wasn't trying to unlock her past memories; instead, bolts of lightning inexplicably appeared on her body, tearing at her flesh.

"Heavenly punishment." Ye Chen's expression changed drastically as he recognized the dark lightning for what it was—the thunder of heavenly retribution. He knew better than anyone that this was the heavens' punishment, intent on erasure.

"Don't come near me." Ji Ningshuang stopped and wavered unsteadily before sitting cross-legged in the void.

"What's going on?" Qi Wang jumped in fright and instinctively retreated far away, sensing the terrifying nature of the black lightning, which made his very soul tremble.

"She must be defying the heavens too." Ye Chen's brow furrowed even more. She had touched the will of the heavens, provoking punishment from above to grind her down. Back in his time, he had faced the same, and now Ji Ningshuang in this life was enduring heavenly retribution—and it was fiercely intense.

"Stay back." Feeling Ye Chen still nearby, Ji Ningshuang groaned in pain again.

"I can't help." Ye Chen took a deep breath and stepped away, but before he could take the first step, his ancient holy body shuddered violently. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood as dark lightning manifested all over him, ripping through his limbs, organs, meridians, and roots, devastating his vitality and Dao foundation.

"Damn it." Ye Chen gritted his teeth and staggered before sitting cross-legged in the clouds.

"What the hell is this?" Qi Wang watched from a distance, baffled. He didn't know what kind of injury they had, but it was clear they were suffering the same thing—and it was brutally overpowering. In just a few breaths, both were covered in blood, a sight that made his heart race.

"We're the same kind of people." Ji Ningshuang smiled through the blood, her expression growing more pained.

"How did you provoke the heavens?" Ye Chen slowly closed his eyes, struggling to resist the heavenly punishment.

"I touched a supreme taboo." Ji Ningshuang gave a light, bloody smile and gently closed her beautiful eyes.

"Me too." Ye Chen smiled, manifesting an invisible killing sword within his holy body to relentlessly cut the lightning. It was his unyielding will, fighting back against the heavens.

Ji Ningshuang was the same, appearing delicate but with an unbreakable spirit deep inside. She turned her will into a divine sword, slashing at the lightning and defying the merciless heavenly Dao, striving to break free from the invisible chains.

The so-called heavens were a form of will that tolerated no intrusion, like an emotionless hand manipulating fates, with all living beings as its playthings.

Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang were rebelling against that will, resisting that merciless hand.

Perhaps their defiance angered the heavens further, for even more ferocious heavenly punishment descended, tormenting their bodies and seeking to erase them in the river of time.

It was a gruesome scene, more terrifying than the five decays of heaven and man, leaving Qi Wang shuddering in the distance. He didn't know what the black lightning was, but he knew if it struck him, he'd likely be sent to the underworld. Only someone as tough as them could withstand it.

He wanted to help but had no idea how—this had all come on too suddenly and strangely.

Just as he grew anxious, figures appeared on the distant horizon, approaching through the skies. Nine Sheng approached, their auras powerful enough to make the void tremble.

The nine Sheng moved like divine rainbows, arriving in an instant at the high void. They spotted Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang, as well as Qi Wang standing guard in the distance.

Injured?

The nine shifted their gaze from Qi Wang to Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang, not forgetting to eye their storage bags, greed flickering in their old eyes.

Immediately, one Sheng acted, extending a massive hand to grab at the two from afar.

But before the hand could reach them, Qi Wang intervened, shattering it with a single hoof. This time, he showed real loyalty, knowing Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang were in no state to fight—they could barely protect themselves. Any misstep would lead to their destruction, and if he didn't step in, they were doomed.

"These two are under my protection. Get lost." Qi Wang summoned a barrier and glared at the nine.

"A mere Zhun Sheng courting death." One Sheng snorted coldly and swung his sword down from the heavens.

"Go to hell!" Qi Wang cursed, firing a divine light from his forehead to obliterate the sword beam.

"Die!" A second Sheng attacked, his palm like a god-knife, sending Qi Wang stumbling. Before he could steady himself, a third Sheng struck, leaving him covered in blood and bones.

"Suppress them!" Three more Sheng shouted, joining forces to activate a bronze furnace that crashed down from above. Already wounded, Qi Wang was pinned down, unable to move.

"If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!" Qi Wang roared, struggling to rise but held fast. Though he was a Zhun Sheng, his talents lay in treasure hunting, not combat, and he was no match for these nine Sheng.

"Overestimating yourself." The nine ignored his shouts, focusing on Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang as they closed in, eyes full of malice.

"You two, wake up!" Qi Wang yelled desperately. "Even if just one of you wakes up, we might make it! At this rate, we're all finished."

But Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang seemed not to hear, or perhaps they heard but couldn't rise—the heavenly punishment was too overwhelming.

Just as Qi Wang feared, they could barely save themselves, let alone fight.

"They must have plenty of treasures." One Sheng laughed sinisterly, raising his blood-drenched killing sword.

However, at that moment, a powerful divine rainbow shot from the distance, striking the sword and reducing it to ashes, sending the Sheng flying back.

"Who is it?" The remaining eight Sheng whipped around, staring in the direction the rainbow had come from.

There, a figure in white emerged, stepping through the skies like a fairy from a dream. Her eyes were like clear water, her expression aloof, with water-blue hair flowing and shimmering. Her purity was otherworldly, making all things around her seem diminished.

The woman looked somewhat familiar at first glance, and upon closer inspection, she was indeed an acquaintance.

"Chu Lingyu." Ye Chen, with his eyes closed, smiled slightly, as if he already knew. "The true disciple of the All Heavens Sword God—truly stunning."

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