Chapter 1504: Deal Done

What on earth is going on! Ye Chen furrowed his brows deeply, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

Without a second thought, he set off immediately, heading straight for the Taizi exit, only to collide head-on with the oncoming Kunpeng Emperor and numerous Great Saints. Each of them exuded an overwhelming pressure, making the void tremble with thunderous rumbles.

Seeing the Kunpeng Emperor, Ye Chen's expression changed, realizing the gravity of the situation—something had gone wrong.

Kunpeng Emperor roared:

"You have the audacity to sneak into the Kunpeng clan."

He stared fixedly at Ye Chen, having tracked the true body all the way here, right to his own home. This both surprised and shocked him. He was absolutely certain that the person before him was the true body of the avatar.

Kunpeng Emperor's words left everyone present stunned. They looked at Ye Chen in astonishment. Wasn't this the Ninth Prince? Why was his return home being called sneaking in?

"The Ninth Prince is not who he seems," Kunpeng Great Elder said coldly, having already sent word through divine sense transmissions. "The one who collected the ransom was his avatar. He used the avatar as a distraction while his true body infiltrated the Kunpeng clan."

Everyone's faces turned pale with shock. They hadn't detected anything at all, and he had slipped into Taizi Peak. If the Kunpeng Emperor hadn't returned, they would still be in the dark.

The two Saint Kings guarding Taizi Peak felt a chill run down their spines. What kind of person had they let through? If anything happened to the Kunpeng Crown Prince, they wouldn't escape punishment.

Amid their astonishment, they were even more shocked that such a reckless madman existed in the world—daring to sneak into the Kunpeng clan to abduct someone. One wrong move, and he would be instantly killed.

"I underestimated you all," Ye Chen sneered, waving his hand to release the dazed Kunpeng Crown Prince. There was no need for more words now. The Kunpeng Emperor had likely already identified him, or he wouldn't have tracked him here. Any further denial was pointless. Fortunately, he hadn't killed the Kunpeng Crown Prince earlier; now he could use him as a trump card.

Kunpeng Emperor snorted coldly:

"Do you think you can escape?"

"Release my son at once."

"Release him, and I'll die even faster!" Ye Chen held his sword against the Kunpeng Crown Prince's shoulder, using a secret technique to link their lives. He smiled at the Kunpeng Emperor. "Let me go, or we'll all go down together. Taking the Crown Prince of a clan with me isn't a bad deal. What do you think, Kunpeng Emperor?"

"I despise being threatened." The Kunpeng Emperor's eyes turned blood-red, his killing sword humming in his hand.

"There's no other way—I want to live." Ye Chen shrugged with a smile. "You should know that if my true body dies, my avatar will too. What I hold isn't just your Crown Prince. Let me go, and we'll all be at peace. Don't push me to the brink, Kunpeng Emperor."

"Very well." Before the Kunpeng Emperor could respond, a cold voice echoed through the nine heavens.

From the depths, a golden-robed elder slowly emerged, stepping on the void. His golden hair fluttered, radiating brilliant golden light, with surging vital energy and earth-shaking pressure. It was the Kunpeng Ancestor.

He had been in slumber but was awakened by the commotion, witnessing this outrageous scene.

At the sight of the Kunpeng Ancestor, Ye Chen instinctively stepped back. This was a genuine Quasi-Emperor, and with a slip-up, he might even advance to Great Emperor level, which would spell doom for Ye Chen.

The extreme Dao Emperor Weapon in the void began to buzz, sealing off the surrounding heavens. A powerful Emperor's might revived, unleashing a force capable of destroying everything in the world—terrifying beyond measure.

The Emperor Weapon's power was at a heaven-defying level. Under its suppression, Ye Chen's Immortal Wheel Heavenly Dao was rendered useless. Any attempt to activate it would result in instant annihilation—no doubt about it.

"Desolate Ancient Holy Body, I truly underestimated you." The Kunpeng Ancestor descended, his aged eyes cold and desolate. As a Quasi-Emperor, he saw through Ye Chen's primordial spirit and true form in an instant.

"Desolate Ancient Holy Body?" Everyone present was shocked, whether it was the Kunpeng Emperor or the Saint Kings. They glanced at the Kunpeng Ancestor and then at Ye Chen in disbelief.

"How is this possible?" All minds reeled. Hadn't the Desolate Ancient Holy Body already turned to dust in the Honghuang Forest? Was he still alive? Was it him who raided the Kunpeng clan's mines? Him who abducted Kunpeng clan members? Did he possess such incredible abilities?

"He's clearly at the Saint level, yet he exhibits Great Saint level pressure." The many Great Saints fixed their gaze on Ye Chen, discerning the clue. "He's taken over a Great Saint body—quite the boldness."

"Senior, I just want to survive. What do you say?" Ye Chen ignored the murmurs and smiled at the Kunpeng Ancestor. If the Kunpeng Ancestor insisted on killing him, he was done for.

"Today, you will not escape death." The Kunpeng Ancestor said faintly, his voice soft but like thunder from the nine heavens. The overwhelming pressure made the heavens lose color and the sun and moon dim. His Quasi-Emperor level killing technique was brewing, ready to strike at any moment—one blow sufficient to kill instantly.

Ye Chen felt a piercing chill throughout his body. The Kunpeng Ancestor had locked onto him; in an instant, he would be utterly destroyed. With his cultivation and abilities, evasion was impossible.

"I will give you one chance." The Kunpeng Ancestor regarded Ye Chen indifferently. "Release my clan's Crown Prince, and I will grant you half an hour to flee. No one will pursue you during that time."

"Deal." Ye Chen agreed readily. "But I'll only release him once I'm out of the Immortal Mountain."

"Agreed." The Kunpeng Ancestor replied faintly. "Don't try any tricks—I can extinguish you at any time."

"Of course not." Ye Chen chuckled lightly, secretly rejoicing. Once he left the Kunpeng Immortal Mountain, the Heavenly Dao would no longer be suppressed by the Emperor Weapon. Even this Quasi-Emperor couldn't stop him then.

The dense crowd of figures slowly parted, creating a path at the Kunpeng Ancestor's words.

Ye Chen retreated while holding the Kunpeng Crown Prince hostage. The scene made everyone's hearts race, as he could be killed in any instant, with no guarantee of survival.

Indeed, cold sweat had already beaded on Ye Chen's forehead, half his body feeling as if it had fallen into the nine abysses.

Fortunately, the Kunpeng Ancestor did not strike. As Ye Chen retreated a step, he followed a step.

The Kunpeng Emperor, the many Great Saints, and Saint Kings did the same, grinding their teeth in frustration. There were a few moments when they nearly attacked, but they held back, concerned for the Kunpeng Crown Prince's safety.

Ye Chen slowly withdrew from Taizi Peak and continued retreating. The Kunpeng clan disciples and unaware elders watched in bewilderment. What was happening? Why was the Ninth Prince holding the Crown Prince hostage?

No one explained it to them. Ye Chen had no time, and the Kunpeng Ancestor and others had no mind for it.

It was worth noting that the Kunpeng clan's princes all gazed with fiery eyes, impulsively wanting to lunge forward and finish off the Kunpeng Crown Prince for Ye Chen. If the Crown Prince were killed, they would all have a chance to become the next heir—a matter of their lifelong fate.

If the Kunpeng Emperor knew of his sons' thoughts, he might spit blood on the spot. What kind of offspring had he raised? So quick to betray their own.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, amid pairs of bewildered and hopeful gazes, Ye Chen exited the Immortal Mountain. A horde followed him out in a rush, blotting out the sky and darkening the heavens.

"Release my grandson, and you may flee as you wish." The Kunpeng Ancestor spoke, his words carrying an undeniable authority. If Ye Chen refused, he would strike without hesitation, even if it meant destroying the Kunpeng Crown Prince along with him. The mighty Kunpeng clan had never been threatened like this before.

"I wonder if you've ever heard this saying, Senior." Ye Chen did not release the Kunpeng Crown Prince but smiled at the Kunpeng Ancestor. "Blood debts must be repaid in blood. Your grandson killed my kin, so I must use his head to honor their spirits in the heavens."

"It seems you've chosen not to cherish this only chance at life." The Kunpeng Ancestor snorted coldly and pressed down with a palm, having decided to show no mercy since Ye Chen had no intention of releasing the hostage.

"Back then, I escaped, and today will be no different." Ye Chen's lips curved slightly as he activated the Heavenly Dao. The moment the Kunpeng Ancestor struck, Ye Chen vanished in a flash, disappearing without a trace.

"The Six Paths Immortal Eyes?" The Kunpeng Ancestor suddenly changed color, his eyes full of disbelief. He recognized it clearly—that was the forbidden art of the Immortal Wheel Eyes, capable of connecting to black holes for unparalleled escape.

In that instant, he understood everything. He realized why Ye Chen had escaped that day and why he had been so confident—it was his trump card, the Immortal Wheel Heavenly Dao.

A miscalculation, a grave miscalculation. As a Quasi-Emperor with heaven-defying cultivation, he had still been outmaneuvered. After all his schemes, he hadn't anticipated that Ye Chen possessed the Immortal clan's Six Paths Immortal Wheel Eyes.