Chapter 1410: Old Grudges

Since you've come today, you won't be leaving.

Yin Zhong's laughter was wild, his massive hand reaching out toward Ye Chen, eyes blazing with naked greed. The Huanggu Shengti, a heaven-defying bloodline on par with the emperors, made every part of him a treasure!

Ye Chen sneered without a word, responding with his most powerful attack. He threw a punch that fused over a hundred secret techniques and divine abilities, interwoven with Chaos Dao principles and his origin essence, unleashing unmatched dominance.

A thunderous boom echoed as Yin Zhong's hand bones shattered, sending him stumbling backward. Each step he took left a deep imprint in the earth, and when he finally steadied himself, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

How can you be this strong?

Yin Zhong's expression changed drastically, his eyes filled with utter disbelief. Though he had known Ye Chen was no ordinary Quasi-Saint, as a Quasi-Saint King himself, the absolute suppression of his cultivation should have ensured victory. How could he be defeated in a single move? It was impossible for someone of his lofty status to accept.

You dare to lose focus? The consequences are severe.

In that brief moment, Ye Chen closed in instantly.

Arrogant!

Yin Zhong roared in fury, thrusting out a finger wreathed in divine light, carrying unparalleled piercing force.

Ye Chen didn't dodge or evade; he withstood the domineering strike and countered with a palm that left Yin Zhong's flesh and bones drenched in blood. It was only due to Yin Zhong's deep foundations that he wasn't cleaved in two by that devastating palm.

Even so, Yin Zhong was in a pitiful state. He burned his essence blood to retreat swiftly, healing his wounded body while drawing on that blood to summon overwhelming combat power and revive his natal artifact.

It was an ancient bronze mirror, a genuine Saint King weapon, stained with the blood of countless spirits. The divine light it emitted was a bloody red, accompanied by the eerie wails of vengeful ghosts.

The void sky collapsed under its pressure, with divine radiance flowing like immortal waterfalls. Every strand of it was as heavy as mountains or vast peaks, capable of instantly crushing a Saint, its aura one of utter destruction.

Die!

The man snarled ferociously, his face twisted in terror as he commanded the Saint King weapon bronze mirror to bear down from above. The newly healed void space shattered inch by inch once more.

Ye Chen dared not meet it head-on and summoned his Chaos Cauldron. Throughout his journeys, he had encountered more than one Saint King artifact, but one as formidable as Yin Zhong's was a first.

The Chaos Divine Cauldron hummed to life, expanding in an instant to an enormous size. Its body was thick and ancient, radiating Chaos energy as the Escaping Armor Heavenly Characters activated, dancing with Dao principles to clash directly with the bronze mirror.

Another thunderous boom resounded, and Yin Zhong spat blood on the spot. Though his bronze mirror was terrifying, it couldn't withstand the Chaos Cauldron, suffering a horrific backlash that sent him staggering back once more, his bloodied form cracking open again.

For a swift resolution, Ye Chen soared through the nine heavens, his figure like an illusion, closing in to within ten zhang of Yin Zhong.

Yin Zhong gritted his teeth, firing a bolt of blood-red lightning from his eyes, laced with destructive force and aimed straight at Ye Chen's brow, a targeted assault on his primordial spirit meant to obliterate him in one blow.

However, he had underestimated the defenses of Ye Chen's sea of consciousness, guarded by the Dan Ancestor Dragon Soul and the mighty Phoenix Immortal Seal. That blood-red lightning was far from enough to harm Ye Chen's foundations.

At the same time, a golden divine light shot from Ye Chen's brow—it was the Shen Clan’s Shen Shang secret technique, fused into nine paths, its power devastating enough to shatter mountains and rivers in an instant, piercing straight through Yin Zhong's brow.

Blood splattered immediately as Yin Zhong suffered a grievous wound. The defenses of his sea of consciousness were like mere decoration against that ninefold Shen Shang, fragile as paper and collapsing in a flash.

It was a destructive blow. With his sea of consciousness pierced, even his primordial spirit couldn't escape doom.

Ah!

A scream of agony rang out as Yin Zhong staggered back, his hair disheveled, his skull on the verge of exploding. Blood streamed from his seven orifices, the injury spreading to his body, fracturing his bones and tendons as fresh blood gushed forth.

Ye Chen arrived in a flash, drawing his sword with godlike speed, merging a myriad of swords into one that pierced Yin Zhong's heart meridian.

Simultaneously, the Chaos Cauldron shattered the bronze mirror and shot toward them like a divine light, crashing down from the skies. Yin Zhong, still unsteady, was immediately thrown off balance.

I refuse to believe it.

Yin Zhong howled, forcibly shouldering the cauldron's suppression. He burned his lifespan to gain even greater power, etching an ancient divine pattern on his brow.

Seeing this, Ye Chen charged forward, unleashing a devastating sword strike. Knowing Yin Zhong had activated a forbidden technique, he wouldn't give him a moment to breathe—striking while the enemy was weak was a principle he understood well.

Indeed, his sword came at the perfect time. Yin Zhong's forbidden technique hadn't fully manifested before it was severed, triggering another powerful backlash. His already shattered body turned to ash.

It's over.

Ye Chen's gaze was cold, his tone ethereal and icy, his killing intent soaring to the heavens.

Kill!

Yin Zhong's remaining primordial spirit let out a roar, summoning over a hundred artifacts in one breath. Their auras linked, their power earth-shattering, like brilliant stars exploding with divine light.

Ye Chen said nothing, simply raising his hand to crush the artifacts one by one into nothingness.

Exterminate!

Yin Zhong's primordial spirit burned, spitting out a surge of blood qi that formed a blood sea, along with an ancient seal for sealing and a killing sword for destruction.

The Chaos Cauldron collided with it, neutralizing the ancient seal and directly shattering the killing sword.

Yet another backlash hit, and Yin Zhong wailed in agony, his primordial spirit twisting and turning transparent. Not daring to continue the fight, he offered his primordial spirit's power as a sacrifice and fled at incredible speed.

Ye Chen didn't pursue; instead, he summoned the Heavenly Thunder Immortal Fire, nocked an arrow, and loosed a thunderbolt shot.

In the next instant, Yin Zhong, who had escaped less than a thousand zhang, was struck down and plummeted from the void sky.

Ye Chen ascended to the nine heavens and activated the Taixu Dragon Seal, suppressing Yin Zhong just as he tried to rise.

Only then did the battle truly end. Though Yin Zhong was a Quasi-Saint King, in his current state and with his depleted power, how could he resist the Taixu Dragon Seal? His primordial spirit was ground down, leaving him immobile.

Your treasures, I'll take care of them for you.

Ye Chen reached out and casually took Yin Zhong's Qiankun Bag. War spoils were meant to be claimed, especially from a Quasi-Saint King.

Spare me, spare me!

Yin Zhong was terrified, staring at Ye Chen in fear. This high-and-mighty Quasi-Saint King now sensed the aura of death, his entire body cold and lifeless—he was afraid to die.

Begging me is useless. Tell him.

Ye Chen stowed the storage bag and released the black-clothed Saint from the divine talisman. For safety, he sealed the man's powers to prevent any escape.

Yin Zhong, I hope you've been well.

The black-clothed Saint fixed a cold stare on the sealed Yin Zhong.

Yin Shan.

Yin Zhong recognized him at once. Like himself, the man was an elder of Tai Qing Gong, though in the sect's hierarchy, Yin Zhong's status far surpassed his.

You actually schemed against me with him.

A second later, Yin Zhong realized what was happening and roared in fury, "Yin Shan and this Ye Chen are together—this proves everything."

Schemed? Take a good look at who I am.

The black-clothed Saint sneered and suddenly tore off his mask, revealing a new, aged face scarred by a sword wound running from his forehead to his chin. It was a frightening sight, especially in the night.

You... Xiao Yan.

Yin Zhong's eyes bulged in disbelief. "Impossible! This can't be. You're supposed to be dead—I sent you to the Yellow Springs with my own hands."

Nothing is impossible.

Xiao Yan, the black-clothed Saint, went berserk, grabbing Yin Zhong by the throat and lifting him up. His turbid old eyes were filled with blood and pure hatred. "You never expected this! I've been clinging to life for centuries, waiting for this day—to avenge my wife and children and settle that blood debt."

Xiao Yan, I underestimated you.

Realizing death was inevitable, Yin Zhong laughed maniacally, baring his white teeth. "Yes, I killed them. I refined your son into a pill, and as for your wife... the sight of her under me until death was truly exquisite."

Then repay with your life for my wife and children!

Xiao Yan bellowed, his hands tightening to strangle Yin Zhong. And that wasn't enough—he tore Yin Zhong's already damaged primordial spirit into fragments piece by piece.

The night fell silent with Yin Zhong's death, leaving only a devastated landscape in its wake.

Having killed Yin Zhong, Xiao Yan collapsed to his knees, his old eyes murky with blood and tears.

A breeze blew, turning his black hair into strands of silver. His aged body hunched over, as if turned to stone by time, like a soulless corpse wandering the earth.

Behind him, Ye Chen sighed softly to himself, fully understanding Xiao Yan's state of mind. His wife had been violated, his child refined into a pill—hatred alone had sustained him for centuries.

Now, with his great vengeance achieved, he had lost his driving force. Those hundreds of years of grudge and rage had drained all his energy, and without a goal, his path ahead was as dark as night, devoid of light.

Suddenly, Ye Chen waved his hand to release the seal on Xiao Yan, then slowly turned and left without demanding the Shifting Heavens and Exchanging Earth secret technique. In such a pitiable state, he couldn't bring himself to ask.

However, before he could step into the void sky, a strand of divine sense drifted into his sea of consciousness. It was a vast, profound intent containing a supreme secret technique—the very Shifting Heavens and Exchanging Earth.

Ye Chen was stunned and instinctively turned back to look at Xiao Yan, though words failed him.

Thank you.

Xiao Yan rose with his back to Ye Chen, his voice aged and hoarse. He walked away with unsteady, elderly steps, his hunched, weathered body heading into the distance.

His silhouette was desolate and lonely, every strand of silver hair carrying a sorrowful weight of time.

Ye Chen sighed again, silently turning and ascending into the void sky, vanishing like a beam of immortal light.

The world remained peaceful, until much later when two or three figures arrived. Seeing the ravaged scene, they were all shocked, easily imagining the great battle that had taken place.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already traveled tens of thousands of li away, soaring through the heavens while quietly comprehending the Shifting Heavens and Exchanging Earth secret technique. His mind delved deeply into it, nearly causing him to plummet from the sky.

The intent of Shifting Heavens and Exchanging Earth that Xiao Yan had given was incomplete, more about insight than explicit instruction. Still, it was more than enough for Ye Chen—fully mastering it was just a matter of time.