Chapter 1516: It Doesn't Matter

"Quasi-saint weapon?" The Yaozu Saint King's face paled, staring in disbelief at the blood-red Fen Ji Jian in Ye Chen's hand. He could hardly believe that Ye Chen possessed another quasi-emperor artifact.

Moreover, he recognized this quasi-emperor artifact—it was the sword of Fen Ji Laozu. The Yaozu had friendly ties with Fen Ji Laozu, and he had been fortunate enough to see the Fen Ji Jian before. It was a notorious divine weapon.

Back in the day, Fen Ji Laozu had entered the ancient ruins. According to the Yaozu Crown Prince, Fen Ji Laozu had saved the prince's life in the ruins. As for who had pursued the prince, it was the Saint Body. After the upheaval in the ruins, many of the younger generation emerged, but Fen Ji Laozu was nowhere to be seen. Now, encountering Fen Ji Laozu's quasi-emperor weapon here, how could the Yaozu Saint King not be shocked?

"What is your relationship with Fen Ji Laozu?" the Yaozu Saint King bellowed, glaring intently at Ye Chen.

"No big relation," Ye Chen replied with a casual smile, advancing step by step. His aura merged with the quasi-emperor sword's energy, weaving killing intent and malice together, compensating for his cultivation shortcomings and boosting his combat power.

He had no personal grudge with Fen Ji Laozu, but that individual had meddled in the feud between him and the Yaozu Crown Prince. In the blood sea of the ruins, if Fen Ji Laozu hadn't intervened, the Yaozu Crown Prince would have been eliminated long ago.

That was why Ye Chen had slain Fen Ji Laozu in the ruins. Although he hadn't obtained the quasi-emperor physical body, he had claimed the quasi-emperor killing sword—a truly fearsome weapon.

"Good heavens, a quasi-emperor artifact!" Spectators from all sides trembled in fear, retreating hastily. Weaker cultivators were already pale-faced, unable to withstand the quasi-emperor weapon's oppressive force.

"Thankfully, they took the fight outside the city. If this had happened inside, Cibeicheng would likely have been reduced to rubble," many muttered in relief. The power of a quasi-emperor artifact was devastating, capable of destroying heaven and earth.

"The one in the black robe and ghost mask, wielding a quasi-emperor artifact, must have a powerful background," the elders pondered. "Without deep roots, no one would dare confront the Yaozu head-on."

"Who exactly are you?" Amid the discussions, the Yaozu Saint King formed seals and shouted, his voice echoing through the sky.

"Guess," Ye Chen said, flashing a harmless grin, though his strike was unhesitating. He unleashed a sword strike that soared to the heavens, overwhelmingly dominant, splitting the mended sky once more.

The Yaozu Saint King's face was as frosty as ice. Knowing the quasi-emperor artifact's power, he avoided a direct clash with a great teleportation technique, then countered with palm strikes like divine blades, cleaving the firmament.

Ye Chen was no pushover either, using his Saint Body to meet the attack head-on. He flipped his hand to execute the Nine Paths Eight Wastelands Fist, forcing the Yaozu Saint King back. Before the king could steady himself, another domineering sword strike arrived, drawing blood.

"Good, very good," the Yaozu Saint King snarled, his hair disheveled and laughter menacing. His once desolate eyes turned blood-red, gleaming with fierce light as he aimed to slay Ye Chen and seize the quasi-emperor artifact.

A divine pattern appeared on his forehead—it was a Yaozu forbidden technique, instantly elevating his combat power.

Activating a forbidden technique as a Saint King was terrifying. Yaozu energy surged to the skies, shrouding even the vast starry expanse.

Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged as he charged forward, engaging directly. He wielded the Nine Paths Eight Wastelands Slash with the quasi-emperor artifact, dimming the heavens and earth with its destructive might, enhanced by the evolution of Dao principles.

The Yaozu Saint King had activated his forbidden technique, expecting to dominate, but was instead struck down headfirst.

Screams echoed, but not from this side—they came from the Kui Niu's direction. The remaining two Yaozu Quasi-Saints were brutally smashed into pulp, their primordial spirits fleeing to beg the Saint King for help.

Kui Niu and his companions showed no mercy; each was more ferocious than the last, unleashing inherited primordial spirit techniques to obliterate the two completely.

The Yaozu Saint King erupted in fury, transforming into his true form: a massive black Jiaolong, its scales gleaming with a cold, eerie light, and its dragon eyes filled with savagery and bloodlust.

"Hey!"

Kui Niu and the others refused to back down, charging together from all sides and surrounding him. They unleashed a barrage of ultimate techniques, one after another without pause, each a deadly killing art.

"Get out!"

The Yaozu Saint King roared, thrashing his dragon body and shattering the void. Kui Niu and the others were all flung away.

Xiao Yuan Huang and Da Di Wu Xiong fared better, but the weaker Xian Wang He and Bei Ming Yu nearly had their divine bodies explode from the Saint King's strike, forcing them to withdraw from the battle.

Kui Niu and his group fought fiercely, but Ye Chen was even more relentless. He combined the Nine Paths Divine Mourning and targeted the Yaozu's primordial spirit directly. While their physical bodies were strong, their primordial spirits were a critical weakness, and he struck true every time.

Indeed, even at the Saint King level, the Yaozu was severely wounded, his divine sea buzzing from the impact.

Ye Chen showcased his prowess, leaping onto the Yaozu Saint King's dragon back with the quasi-emperor sword in hand. Without a word, he swung relentlessly, strike after strike without stopping.

Once recovered, Kui Niu, Da Di Wu Xiong, and Xiao Yuan Huang swooped in from three sides. Though they lacked a quasi-emperor artifact, they had domineering secret techniques from their inheritances, making them incredibly fierce.

"Ah!"

The Yaozu Saint King was in dire straits, his massive body covered in gashes. Even as a Saint King, he couldn't withstand the group assault. His body exploded and reformed repeatedly, only to be torn apart even more viciously each time.

Blood rained down like a storm, dark and infused with demonic essence, staining the heavens black.

Onlookers from all directions gaped in astonishment at the chaotic scene. "Where did these monsters come from? Even a Saint King-level figure is being humbled."

"Each of them has the potential to fight above their level. When did the Western Desert produce so many prodigious juniors?"

"Especially the one with the quasi-emperor sword—his combat power is terrifyingly boundless," someone sighed. "With strength like that, he could stand alongside Xi Zun—who knows who would prevail?"

"The facts show that this generation completely outclasses the last," older cultivators lamented, feeling utterly helpless as they watched a Saint King being overpowered. What more could they say?

Under the gaze of all, the Yaozu Saint King fell to his knees. His primordial spirit was damaged, his dragon head severed by Ye Chen, and his massive body shattered by Xiao Yuan Huang's staff. Kui Niu and Da Di Wu Xiong dismembered him completely, dragon blood spraying in a spectacular display.

The creature's vitality was tenacious; his primordial spirit escaped, burning pure essence to flee at top speed, his once haughty demeanor replaced by that of a desperate fugitive.

Seeing him try to escape, Ye Chen and the others gave chase without hesitation, their speeds like fleeting shadows.

"You really intend to pursue me to the death?" the Yaozu Saint King roared, not daring to slow down.

"Now you know fear? What were you doing earlier?" Xiao Yuan Huang cursed, chasing the most aggressively. "You wanted my iron staff? You've gone too far—can't beat us and now you want to run? No chance!"

"Your Crown Prince bullied my seventh brother—today, we'll settle old and new grudges together," Kui Niu added, keeping pace, his war axe dark and overwhelmingly fierce, his bovine eyes gleaming with cold light.

The Yaozu Saint King was terrified, burning his primordial spirit essence again to escape faster, filled with regret.

In truth, it wasn't the Yaozu Quasi-Saint who wanted Xiao Yuan Huang's iron staff—it was this Saint King himself. The Quasi-Saint had only been acting on his orders. The staff was simply too extraordinary.

Who could have foreseen that instead of acquiring the staff, they would provoke a pack of ferocious beasts? Their lineup of one Saint King and three Quasi-Saints now faced total annihilation.

"Don't run—you can't escape," Ye Chen said, the fastest among them. He merged several Shrink the Ground to an Inch techniques into a single step, crossing the ethereal void to block the Yaozu Saint King's path.

He followed with a dominating sword strike. In his primordial spirit state, the Yaozu Saint King was finished on the spot.

The rumbling ceased as Ye Chen sealed him into a great cauldron instead of destroying him.

With that done, the seven turned and vanished. The commotion was too great and could attract unwanted attention. If their identities were exposed and word reached the Southern Domain, it would mean another widespread manhunt.

Indeed, many spectators from the battle had pursued them, hoping to witness the Saint King's downfall, but they were too slow. After chasing for a while, the trail went cold.

In the dead of night, amidst a stretch of rugged mountains, a bonfire blazed. The group set up a large iron pot, its contents emitting a rich aroma—stewed Jiaolong meat, every piece a great tonic.

"Come on, let's divide the spoils," they gathered around a pile of treasures. Xiao Yuan Huang took the initiative, tossing various pills to Xian Wang He and the others. "Take them quickly and heal up."

"The Saint King's treasures are quite plentiful," Da Di Wu Xiong chuckled, helping himself. As he spoke, he pocketed a remarkable artifact, followed by some source stones.

Ye Chen claimed a few signature items for himself, then held a wanted order in his hand.

The order depicted a person—or more precisely, a male cultivator. He had a striking presence, eyes like stars, deeply profound, with a hint of stern coldness between his brows that was intimidating.

The man looked familiar at first glance, and upon closer inspection, even more so—like a mirror image of Xiao Chen, the son of the War King from years past, in facial contours, demeanor, and gaze.

"Probably a reincarnated soul," Ye Chen murmured, pulling out the Yaozu's primordial spirit and asking coldly, "Who is the person on this Yaozu wanted order, and why are they pursuing him?"