Chapter 1471: Passive Advancement to Sainthood

Kunpeng? Jinwu? Seeing those two figures, disheveled as they were, the entire crowd was stunned, their expressions filled with shock. There was no doubt, the ones sent flying backward were precisely Prince Jinwu and Prince Kunpeng.

What on earth was happening? Kui Niu, Qian Shangyue, Xiao Yuanhuang, and the others ceased their battles one after another, looking up at the sky.

Baqi Dashe and Jiuyi Shenpeng also halted their fights, gazing incredulously into the distance at the heavens. Jinwu and Kunpeng had actually been sent flying, and from their wretched state, it was clear they had been struck down.

So, the question arose: Who had done this to them? Was it Ye Chen of the Huanggu Shengti?

In the Zijin Xianhai, there were only three people: besides Kunpeng and Jinwu, only Ye Chen remained. But did he possess such overwhelming power? Under absolute suppression, could he really send Jinwu and Kunpeng flying?

Everyone was puzzled, unaware of what had transpired earlier inside the Zijin Shen Hai.

With two booming sounds from the void, the inverted Jinwu and Kunpeng came to a halt almost simultaneously. Perhaps due to their immense weight, their landing caused the empty sky to rumble.

Without a word, both spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, their faces shocked as they stared at the Zijin Xianhai.

Like them, everyone else was also watching the Zijin Xianhai, where all the mysteries lay.

Under the gaze of thousands, the surging Zijin Xianhai began to evaporate at a visible speed, transforming into wisps of ethereal mist that swirled hazily, obscuring the view and piercing through illusions.

Suddenly, another boom echoed from the sky, followed by a series of dull thuds—thick, muffled, slow, and rhythmic. Each sound made the heavens and earth tremble.

Listening carefully, it was the sound of footsteps, likely from a body as heavy as a mountain, causing the sky to rumble with every step and the world to quiver.

From the hazy mist, a human form gradually emerged, shifting from vague to solid.

For some reason, gazing at that indistinct figure, everyone present felt a tremble in their souls, as if the one emerging from the mist was not a person, but a supreme demon god.

The figure stepped out of the mist—it was Ye Chen, radiating golden light, his saintly body forged like molten gold, like a blazing sun emitting countless rays that illuminated the turbid world.

His vital energy surged like mighty rivers, his golden eyes vast as the starry sky, encompassing heaven and earth. His flowing white hair, each strand infused with divine glow, cascaded like a golden waterfall.

He stood like a war god, reigning over the nine heavens, overlooking the eight wildernesses, dominating the world and pressuring the nine firmaments. No one dared to meet his gaze, for even a glance might plunge them into the depths of the underworld.

"Saint? This... how is this possible?"

The whole crowd erupted in uproar, eyes bulging as they stared at Ye Chen. That rolling vital energy, that domineering saintly aura, was beyond what a Quasi-Saint could mimic.

"Direct ascension to sainthood?" Many murmured, their mouths dry. "Is there truly someone in this world who skips the five declines of heaven and man to directly advance to saint? Is the Huanggu Shengti a monster?"

"No wonder, no wonder Jinwu and Kunpeng were sent flying." Prince Qinglong took a deep breath. "The Huanggu Shengti is invincible at the same level, and now that he's advanced to saint, he wields that overwhelming combat power."

"Direct ascension to sainthood—unheard of." Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu all frowned. "How did he do it? For him, are the so-called five declines of heaven and man merely a formality?"

"Damn it, how could he ascend to sainthood directly?" Prince Kunpeng and Prince Jinwu's faces were the most grim; as the ones involved, they had seen it clearest. Ye Chen's saintly body had been suppressed by them earlier, but in that instant, he had suddenly advanced to saint and struck them flying with a single palm.

"Good, how dominant!" In contrast, Kui Niu and Xiao Yuanhuang couldn't help but cheer. Though they didn't know why Ye Chen had ascended directly, his advancement was enough to instantly reverse the tide of defeat today. The legend of the Huanggu Shengti being invincible at the same level was like a myth.

"Was he forced to ascend?" The only one among the crowd with eyes full of worry was Qian Shangyue.

Earlier, Ye Chen had told her many things, including the domineering backlash of the Zhoutian evolution.

Sainthood would be a turning point for Ye Chen, but also his endpoint. From sainthood onward, his cultivation would gradually regress, step by step, until he became a mortal without any heavenly gifts.

In other words, Ye Chen's lifespan had now become extremely limited. In the years to come, his life would diminish with each use of the Zhoutian evolution.

Ye Chen stood silently in the void, not speaking. His ascension was not voluntary; it was passive. Some unseen force had broken through his seals, forcing him to advance.

To others, this seemed like a stroke of fortune, but to him, it was a calamity.

This sudden turn of events shattered all his plans. Every step he took from now on would be reactive. The Zhoutian would gradually erode his cultivation and devour his lifespan.

Man's plans are no match for heaven's will. Suppressing his sorrow, a cold light flashed in his eyes as he stared into the distant sky at Kunpeng and Jinwu. Since he had ascended, he would not leave any future threats for the reincarnated people of Da Chu.

Locked in Ye Chen's gaze, Kunpeng and Jinwu trembled instinctively, feeling an urge to flee.

In an instant, Ye Chen vanished—or rather, swapped positions with Kui Niu. His intent was clear: before dealing with Kunpeng and Jinwu, he would first eliminate Baqi Dashe and Jiuyi Shenpeng.

"Newly ascended to saint, this king wants to see how much power you truly have." Whether from fear or innate arrogance, Jiuyi Shenpeng roared in anger, transforming into his true form. His nine pairs of wings blocked out the sky, spewing electric light and shooting thunder from his eyes, aimed straight at Ye Chen's spirit.

Ye Chen said nothing, calmly raising his hand to erase the electric light and thunder. He stepped onto Jiuyi Shenpeng's back without a word and delivered a palm strike that severed its nine wings.

Jiuyi Shenpeng let out a miserable scream, trying to shake Ye Chen off, but his saintly body was as immovable as a mountain. All of Jiuyi Shenpeng's divine arts and secret techniques failed to budge him; instead, he was stomped so hard that his divine body cracked.

Blood splattered as Ye Chen reached out and tore off the remaining nine wings.

Bloody rain poured down, staining the sky red. The mighty Jiuyi Shenpeng had all nine pairs of wings stripped away, and even his bird head was wrenched off and crushed into pulp.

"Prince, save me!" Jiuyi Shenpeng was terrified, his eyes full of dread. His spirit fled his body, racing toward Jinwu and Kunpeng. Ye Chen's strength had shattered his limits of shock.

Ye Chen did not pursue. A war spear materialized in his hand, which he hurled through the void.

Jiuyi Shenpeng knelt in defeat, unable to escape that patch of sky before being impaled by Ye Chen's spear.

The scene was gruesomely bloody, leaving the onlookers swallowing hard. The Huanggu Shengti was terrifyingly powerful; Jiuyi Shenpeng was a genuine saint-level being, yet he was slain in an instant.

"He's actually this strong." Kunpeng and Jinwu's eyes were grave. If facing him alone, neither would be Ye Chen's match, for even they couldn't dispatch Jiuyi Shenpeng so effortlessly.

"Old Seven, you're awesome!" Kui Niu couldn't help but roar, with Xiao Yuanhuang and the others joining in the loud cheers. The gap between Quasi-Saint and Saint was indeed vast; it was truly dominant.

"Can you escape?" Amid the shouts, Ye Chen intercepted the fleeing Baqi Dashe.

"Arrogant!" Baqi Dashe bellowed, transforming into his true form. His eight massive tongues flicked with blood light, his pairs of snake eyes as sinister as ever, brimming with violent bloodlust.

Ye Chen struck with a single palm, wiping out the eight blood lights. He charged forward powerfully, sword in hand, severing seven of Baqi Dashe's eight heads in one swing. Fresh blood sprayed like fountains, shooting into the clouds.

"Destroy him for me!" Baqi Dashe roared, spitting out an ancient seal that descended from the sky.

It was a Quasi-Saint King weapon, infused with Baqi Dashe's principles, having devoured countless lives. Its wails were eerie, its divine patterns reviving as annihilating force rampaged, shaking the heavens and earth.

Ye Chen swung his sword, sending it flying. The ancient seal's divine light vanished in an instant, trembling with a buzz as it tried to return to its master, only to be swallowed by a divine cauldron descending from above.