Chapter 1445: Mischief

"No matter where I go, I always run into you."

Ye Chen glanced at Feng Xian'er. Back in Feng Huang Gu, she had seen him reveal the Xian Yan, and it must have been her who leaked the information about the Xian Yan to the Xian Zu Shen Zi. Her goal was straightforward: to use the Xian Zu Shen Zi to eliminate him, Ye Chen.

"Ye Chen, do you still want to deny it?" Feng Xian'er sneered maliciously, her voice laced with resentment.

"That day, I should have just struck you down with a single palm." Ye Chen said coldly, his disgust for Feng Xian'er reaching its peak. During the Yao Chi grand event, it was because of her that he became the target of siege by the god children of many major sects. Now, she was stirring up trouble again, all to avenge that arrow from before.

"Aren't you curious how we found you so precisely?" Feng Xian'er said with a cunning glint in her eyes, a sinister smile spreading across her beautiful face. "That's right, when we exchanged that palm strike earlier, I left a mark on you. How about it? Do you like this little gift?"

"I like it. I like it a lot." Ye Chen's eyes flashed with cold killing intent, his urge to kill Feng Xian'er impossible to suppress. She had schemed against him time and again, truly crossing his limits.

"So, you're admitting you took my Xian Clan's Xian Yan." Before Feng Xian'er could speak, the Xian Zu Shen Zi chuckled softly, his eyes burning with intense light and blatant greed. "Hand over the Liu Dao Xian Lun Yan of my Xian Clan, and tonight, I might spare your life."

"I'm sorry, I can't give it to you." Ye Chen rolled his neck and replied casually. "The Liu Dao Xian Lun Yan belonged to Senior Jiang Tai Xu. If it's to be given to anyone, it would be to him."

"No need to waste words with him." The voice came from another direction, as a third figure slowly emerged from the misty void. His vital energy surged like an ocean, and his physique was as mighty as a mountain—he was the Shen Zi of the Feng Huang Clan.

"As per our prior agreement, I want his Sheng Ti and his origin essence." The Feng Huang Shen Zi said with a sinister laugh, eyeing Ye Chen. "You pulled off that trick to deceive the heavens that day, but today, this ruins site will be your burial ground."

"His Sheng blood belongs to me." Following the Feng Huang Shen Zi, a fourth figure stepped forward, clad in purple-gold black robes and wielding a purple-gold magic sword. He hailed from the Wu Wang Mo Tu—it was the Mo Clan Shen Zi, his aura of killing intent overwhelming.

"His cauldron is mine." The Shen Clan Shen Zi arrived as well, and as soon as he stopped, two wisps of green smoke emerged from his body, allowing him to perform Yi Qi Hua San Qing, manifesting three Shen Clan Shen Zi with equal combat power.

"I won't fight you for the Xian Yan; I want his Sheng Ti origin essence." Next came the Yao Clan Shen Zi, surging with tremendous vital energy, even stronger than before—clearly, he had gained some opportunity in the Xue Hai.

"What a grand lineup!" Ye Chen glanced at the group, wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth, and finally fixed his gaze on the Xian Zu Shen Zi. The others like the Feng Huang Shen Zi were not much to worry about; what he truly feared was the Xian Zu Shen Zi, a formidable opponent whose power was on par with Dong Shen.

"None of you are to interfere." The Xian Zu Shen Zi said with a playful smile, stepping across the void. His hand was fair and slender, with ancient seal scripts flowing between his fingers. He thrust a palm through the air, and wherever the palm print passed, the void shattered inch by inch, turning to ashes in the chaos.

Ye Chen rose to meet the challenge head-on, his vital energy soaring and intertwining with the Dao principles. He threw a domineering punch through the air.

The fist and palm collided, producing a thunderous boom. The space in that section of the void shifted out of place, and a halo of light spread endlessly from the point of impact, slicing through more than a dozen massive peaks at the waist.

Ye Chen's fist exploded, his bones and blood mangled. This strike made him spit blood again—not because his power was inferior to the Xian Zu Shen Zi's, but because he had been severely injured earlier and was far from his peak.

In contrast, although the Xian Zu Shen Zi's palm was also torn, his recovery was overwhelmingly strong. The spilled blood flowed back, and the wounds healed in an instant. His vital energy even surpassed Ye Chen's.

"The Huang Gu Sheng Ti? What a joke." The Xian Zu Shen Zi laughed mockingly and attacked again.

"You're really good at playing the tough act." Ye Chen retorted with a cold smile, charging forward against the odds. Even wounded, he remained fiercely dominant. "If I were at my peak, I'd slap you silly with one hand."

The great battle erupted, shaking the heavens and splitting the earth. The chaotic shockwaves affected everything within ten thousand zhang.

Both Ye Chen and the Xian Zu Shen Zi were peak talents of the younger generation, fully qualified to stand alongside figures like Dong Shen, Xi Zun, Nan Di, Bei Sheng, and Zhong Huang. Their prowess was world-shaking.

Gazing into the void, the sky had been divided into two sides. On one side was the Xian Zu Shen Zi, treading the Jiu Tian Xing He with the Xian Yu Jing Tu at his back, radiant like the scorching sun, like an unparalleled Xian Wang.

On the other side was Ye Chen, striding across the Jin Se Shen Hai with the Hun Dun Da Jie behind him. His Sheng Ti was stained with Sheng blood, his body forged like molten gold, with golden energy flowing and shining brilliantly, like an eight barren war god.

However, this confrontation was unfair. The Xian Zu Shen Zi was unharmed, while Ye Chen was not at his peak. As one waned and the other waxed, despite Ye Chen's strong will, he had been suppressed since the battle began.

Dazzling golden blood stained the starry sky, drawing ferocious smiles from the Feng Huang Shen Zi and the others.

They indeed did not join the fight, merely watching as spectators, waiting to claim the spoils. In their view, even at his peak, Ye Chen might not defeat the Xian Zu Shen Zi, let alone in his current injured state.

The battle's fluctuations were immense, drawing the attention of cultivators from all directions. Dong Shen, Xi Zun, Nan Di, Bei Sheng, Zhong Huang, and the remaining god children and goddesses of the ancient nine clans all arrived one after another.

Even the several Zhun Di elders in the ruins hurried over from various sides. Others who had been searching for treasures abandoned their quests and came to watch, with people continuously joining until the four directions were filled.

"Three years have passed, and everyone thought the Sheng Ti was dead, but he's still alive." Many sighed in amazement. "This trick to deceive the heavens has fooled the world for three whole years!"

"What I'm curious about is how he survived." The elders stroked their beards thoughtfully.

"What's done is done; why dwell on it?" Most were more focused on the void battle, their eyes gleaming as they watched. "It's my first time seeing the Xian Zu Shen Zi's full power—truly impressive. Even the Huang Gu Sheng Ti, invincible among his peers, is being beaten so badly."

"You don't know what you're talking about." Someone scoffed. "If it were peak against peak, the outcome would be uncertain."

"It's him." In one section of the void, Bei Sheng narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, fixing them on Ye Chen. She seemed to recognize his aura—it was him who had stolen her treasure and stripped her clothes, leading her on a chase throughout the ruins, unaware that the culprit was the Huang Gu Sheng Ti, Ye Chen.

"You sneaky brat, hiding so deeply!" Bei Sheng's eyes sparkled with anger, her cheeks flushing red in an instant. If not for Ye Chen being in the midst of battle, she would have rushed over and strangled him.

"Looks like I really went after the wrong person." She thought to herself, then awkwardly cleared her throat and glanced at Nan Di nearby. These past few days, she had been fighting him relentlessly and without mercy, leaving his face swollen—he probably still had no idea why she was attacking.

"I'll treat you to a drink once we're out." Bei Sheng rubbed her brow, feeling embarrassed, wondering if Nan Di would be so furious he'd spit blood upon learning he had been beaten into a pig's head for no reason.

"This isn't fair." On another side, Xiao Jiu Xian shouted directly, scolding the Xian Zu Shen Zi. "You're a Shen Zi? Have you no shame? Attacking someone when they're down—what kind of skill is that?"

"There's no true fairness in the world." Ji Ning Shuang said softly beside her. "Let's just watch for now."

No sooner had she spoken than Ye Chen was sent plummeting from the void, crashing into a pool of blood and creating a deep crater.

He had done his best, but the Xian Zu Shen Zi was too strong. To fight him evenly, Ye Chen needed to be at his peak. Now, gravely injured, managing to hold out for three hundred rounds without defeat was already something to be proud of.

"Hand it over, and I'll spare your life." The Xian Zu Shen Zi stood supreme over the Jiu Tian, his tone carrying an overbearing authority. His words were not a negotiation but a blatant command.

"If you want it, come and take it yourself." Ye Chen snorted coldly, forcibly gathering his vital energy for another fight.

"You're overestimating yourself." The Xian Zu Shen Zi chuckled darkly, secret techniques swirling in his palm with formidable power.

"Then let's fight." Ye Chen roared, about to blood sacrifice his origin essence, when a beam of Xian light flew in from the side. Upon closer inspection, it was a pill—and a Jiu Wen Dan at that.

"A Jiu Wen Dan?" The scene erupted in shock, even the elders' eyes burning with excitement.

"Who gave him the Jiu Wen Dan?" Voices of astonishment rose everywhere. "What incredible resolve!"

"I think it's real, and it came from Dong Shen Yao Chi." Someone whispered, drawing everyone's gaze toward Ji Ning Shuang. It was indeed her who had sent the Jiu Wen Dan to Ye Chen for healing.

"Yao Chi, have you lost your mind?" Bei Sheng sent a message, stunned. "There's only one Jiu Zhuan Hui Yuan Dan like that, and you're giving it away? Helping him is one thing, but this is over the top!"

"I want to see an exciting showdown." Ji Ning Shuang turned with a silly smile. "The Jiu Wen Dan can instantly restore him to his peak. Only then, peak against peak, will it be interesting!"