Chapter 1538: Passive

In Xuanhuang Zhongzhou, on Zhutian Mountain, the crowd was like a vast ocean. Looking out, one saw endless figures, covering the sky and earth. Before Zhutian Mountain was a massive stone platform, stained with fresh blood, where the chained reincarnated individuals were suffering. They were like condemned prisoners awaiting execution, their bodies battered and bloody, hair disheveled, subjected to pointing fingers and curses from all sides, stripped of all dignity and respect.

Heng Yue Zhenren struggled to lift his head, his dim old eyes blurred with tears, quietly gazing at those ugly faces.

“Is this the common people we fought to the death to protect?” Heng Tian Shangren’s old eyes were filled with tears, his laughter bitter and sorrowful.

All the reincarnated individuals fell silent, overcome with grief and indignation. The scene before them was a profound irony. Once, they had fought desperately, using their own flesh and blood to build a bloody great wall for the people of the myriad domains. They had died in battle but succeeded, defending the Zhutian Gate and protecting the common folk. Yet, not a single person showed gratitude; instead, they were being sent to the underworld.

“If we must die, then let it be.” Heng Yue Zhenren laughed through his tears, his voice hoarse. “We cannot drag Ye Chen down with us.”

“It’s not over yet. Let’s kill one more.” A cold laugh echoed, coming from Feng Xian, who flicked out a strand of immortal light.

Instantly, blood splattered as one reincarnated individual was destroyed.

The reincarnated people’s eyes turned bloodshot, desperate to resist but unable to move, forced to watch their kin being killed. The streams of fresh blood made their hearts ache.

“How boring, truly boring.” The Shenzi laughed eerily, lounging on his throne, casually twirling the ring on his thumb and flicking out immortal light to slay another.

“I can hardly wait.” The Xianzu Shenzi and others laughed mockingly, their eyes filled with bloodlust.

“Where’s the Holy Body? Why hasn’t he come yet?” The crowd below the blood-soaked platform grew restless, voices rising in chatter.

“If he doesn’t come soon, his old friends will be wiped out.”

“Surely the Holy Body isn’t scared and doesn’t dare show up?”

“Would the Holy Body be afraid?” Someone sneered. “From Xuanhuang Star Sea to Ximo Ling Mountain, when has he ever backed down?”

“The Xianzu Shenzi and others have gone too far this time.” The older cultivators sighed. “Their methods are utterly despicable.”

Bang!

Amid the discussions, a sudden massive tremor shook the void sky.

He’s here!

The Xianzu Shenzi and his companions stood up together, gazing into the distance with mocking smiles on their lips, their eyes sinister.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The booming sounds rang out steadily and rhythmically. Upon closer listening, it was the sound of footsteps.

Perhaps his body was as heavy as a mountain, for each step made the heavens and earth quake.

The crowd looked on in astonishment, turning to trace the source. In the distance, clouds churned and killing intent soared. There, an elderly figure approached through the sky, his robes fluttering wildly, white hair dancing in the wind, exuding an immortal aura like a true immortal.

“Is that the Holy Body?” Someone exclaimed in surprise.

“Such overwhelming vital energy—it must be the Ancient Holy Body.”

“It’s only been a few days, yet how has he aged so much?” Many were stunned, their expressions bewildered.

“And his cultivation—how has it dropped to Quasi-Saint?” The old experts stroked their beards, their brows furrowed.

Under the watchful eyes of the multitude, Ye Chen, the Holy Body, arrived through the sky.

Gazing at the chained reincarnated individuals on the stone platform, his eyes filled with hot tears, and his sacred body trembled violently. These were his homeland’s people, now in such a pitiful state. A towering rage welled up within him. To resist the heavenly demons, the cultivators of Great Chu had nearly been wiped out. Yet now, the very people they had protected were treating them this way—how could he not be furious, how could he not feel heartbroken?

“Leave, quickly!” Heng Tian Zhenren, Heng Yue Zhenren, and all the chained reincarnated individuals roared hoarsely, expending their last bit of strength in their cries.

They were already ruined; if they had to die, so be it. They couldn’t burden Ye Chen further—he carried the long-cherished wishes of Great Chu.

At that moment, they even hoped Ye Chen would hide like a turtle, for no one would blame him, and no one would hold it against him.

“I will save you.” Ye Chen smiled through his tears and looked up at Feng Xian and the others. The tears in his eyes turned to blood, slowly freezing into ice.

“I thought you’d hide like a turtle for the rest of your life.” The Xianzu Shenzi smiled eerily, looking down from on high, his immortal eyes full of mockery.

“Our grievances are between us—let’s settle them. Release them.” Ye Chen spoke calmly, his tone eerily steady.

“That depends on whether you obey.” Feng Xian grinned viciously. “Hand over the Phoenix Immortal from my clan.”

“Since I’ve come, I won’t leave. Release them first.” Ye Chen’s words were flat, but his eyes flashed with cold light.

“It seems you won’t listen.” Feng Xian smiled sinisterly and casually flicked out a strand of immortal light, piercing a reincarnated individual’s skull. The person died on the spot.

“Feng Xian!” Ye Chen roared in fury, his killing intent surging as he moved to charge the platform, but he saw Feng Xian flick another immortal light, piercing another reincarnated individual’s skull.

“This princess’s patience has limits.” Feng Xian smirked, stretching her neck leisurely, immortal light swirling at her fingertips. “If you don’t want them to die, hand over the Phoenix Immortal. Otherwise, I’ll go mad.”

Ye Chen’s eyes turned blood red, veins bulging on his forehead, his fists clenched so tightly that blood seeped from between his fingers.

He hadn’t expected Feng Xian to be so ruthless, giving him no chance to respond—just killing without hesitation. If it were only Feng Xian, he wouldn’t be so passive, but there were many powerful Shenzis here. More importantly, the reincarnated individuals were in their hands—not just one or two, but hundreds of his kin.

Using the Heavenly Dao, he might save one or two, but the rest would perish.

“Will you hand it over or not?” Feng Xian’s smile grew more vicious.

“I can hand it over, but release some of them first.” Ye Chen’s killing intent overflowed, his eyes fixed deadly on Feng Xian.

“You have no leverage to bargain.” Feng Xian laughed eerily, extending a slender finger wreathed in immortal light, aiming at a reincarnated individual.

“I’ll hand it over.” Ye Chen growled immediately, shooting a strand of immortal light from his brow, which transformed into a phoenix.

“That’s more like it!” Feng Xian waved her hand to catch it, imprinting it into her divine sea, her expression one of pure enjoyment.

“Release them.” Ye Chen shouted angrily.

“Not so fast.” The Hunzu Shenzi licked his scarlet tongue. “I quite like your Chaos Cauldron.”

“And that Quasi-Emperor Sword.” The Zuntian Shenzi, Tian Can, and Xue Shangzi all laughed sinisterly.

“Your Holy Body essence.”

“Your demonic heart and demonic blood.”

“Your Secret Art of Shifting Heaven and Earth.”

“Your storage bag.”

The various Shenzis spoke one after another, their laughter dark and terrifying, their words echoing through the void sky.

“This is outright dividing up the Ancient Holy Body!” The spectators sighed. “How ruthless.”

“If Ye Chen hands them over, he’ll have no leverage left.”

“Do you think the Holy Body will comply?”

“Probably not—it’s not worth it for a group of has-beens.”

“The Xianzu Shenzi and others are clearly out to destroy the Holy Body.” The older cultivators sighed. “This is blatant extortion.”

“Leave, quickly!” Heng Yue Zhenren and the reincarnated individuals roared again, screaming desperately.

They knew Ye Chen well—he valued relationships deeply. Even though they were now worthless, he would still hand over what was asked for their sake. His loyalty was both his strength and his fatal weakness; for his kin, he would go mad.

“What’s your decision, Ye Chen?” The Shenzis all laughed eerily, watching him with interest, cold divine light swirling at their fingertips.

If he refused, they would mercilessly slaughter his old friends—these worthless ones were no more than ants to them.

Ye Chen’s eyes were full of bloodshot veins, his divine sea buzzing. The bloodied reincarnated individuals had clouded his judgment, blinding his mind with blood. In the end, immortal light flickered from his brow.

The next moment, the great cauldron flew out, humming and trembling.

“He’s really handing it over!” The crowd erupted in an uproar.

The Hunzu Shenzi laughed and eagerly took the Chaos Cauldron, his divine eyes burning with desire.

Ye Chen acted as if he heard nothing, shooting another immortal light from his body—the Quasi-Emperor Sword, its buzz ringing out with Quasi-Emperor might swirling around it.

Then came a mass of demonic light—his demonic heart and blood.

Next were the storage bag and the Secret Art of Shifting Heaven and Earth.

He had truly lost his mind. Handing over these wasn’t enough; he even forcibly extracted his Ancient Holy Body essence.

Now, the crowd’s eyes lit up, their breaths quickening. That was the Holy Body essence—a heaven-defying treasure!

Yet, Ye Chen showed no hesitation, pushing out the essence. The brilliant essence surged powerfully.

His figure staggered, his aura plummeting, nearly falling from Quasi-Saint. Already aged, he now looked even older, his vitality dimmer.

At that moment, he was no longer the Holy Body—just an ordinary bloodline, devoid of the Holy Body’s domineering pressure.

“How wonderful.” The Shenzis all looked ecstatic, dividing up Ye Chen’s treasures with utter satisfaction.

“Release them.” Ye Chen coughed up blood, looking up.

“What’s the rush?” The Xianzu Shenzi smiled eerily. “You know what I want.”

Ye Chen said nothing, understanding the Xianzu Shenzi perfectly.

What the Xianzu Shenzi coveted was the Six Paths Immortal Eye.

He raised his hand, touching his left eye, and painfully gouged it out.

Blood sprayed, streaming down Ye Chen’s face, each drop stinging sharply and making onlookers gasp.

“Return this immortal eye to your Xianzu.” Ye Chen’s voice was hoarse as he flung out the immortal eye—this heaven-defying eye that had brought him fortune, now leaving him once more. Whether it was tragic or ironic, he hadn’t expected to return it under such circumstances.

The Xianzu Shenzi’s breath quickened, eagerly catching it in his palm, his eyes blazing with fire.

The Six Paths Immortal Eye—this was the supreme eye of the Xianzu, something he had long dreamed of.

“It’s the Six Paths Immortal Eye.” The surrounding cultivators were shocked, many recognizing the heaven-defying eye.

“Heavens! Ye Chen actually possessed the Xianzu’s immortal eye.”

“No wonder he’s so formidable, no wonder he escaped death time and again—it’s all because of that dominant immortal eye.”

“How did he get the Six Paths Immortal Eye if he’s not from the Xianzu?”

“What a marvelous feeling.” Amid the discussions, the Xianzu Shenzi had already fused the immortal eye’s essence into his left eye, his face full of ecstasy. The overpowering force of the Six Paths Immortal Eye excited him to the point of madness.

“Release them.” Ye Chen spat blood again, his aura weakening.

As long as the reincarnated individuals were safe, he had a chance to turn the tables and reclaim everything he’d handed over. Even without the Holy Body essence, treasures, Quasi-Saint level, or Six Paths Immortal Eye, he still held a strong confidence to reverse the situation.

“To save them, kneel and beg me.” Feng Xian laughed viciously, her stunning face now twisted and ugly, like a malevolent ghost.

Ye Chen fell silent, his legs bending as he knelt with a thud, lowering his proud head.

In that instant, his figure was desolate, his aged body hunched.

The mighty Ancient Holy Body had fallen to such a state.

The crowd watched with sighs, marveling at Ye Chen’s resolve while lamenting his folly.

“Ah!”

The reincarnated individuals all went mad, roaring wildly, tears of blood streaming down.

That was Ye Chen—the Heavenly Court’s Holy Lord who once dominated all, the Great Chu emperor who overlooked the world—now kneeling like a dog, all for their sake, a group of worthless ones.

“Ha ha ha!”

Feng Xian laughed, and the Xianzu Shenzi and others joined in, laughing wildly. “Ye Chen, you have this day too—like a dog on its knees.”

“Release them.” Ye Chen said the same words, his voice hoarse.

“Release them?” The Shenzis and Shenmus on their thrones bared their white teeth, gleaming with sinister light, their eyes fierce and bloodthirsty.

Strands of cold immortal light shot from their fingertips, piercing the chained reincarnated individuals.

The scene turned bloody, flowers of blood blooming one after another, each marking a life extinguished.

“They all died because of you.” Their wild laughter echoed through the sky, sinister and deranged.

Ye Chen’s body trembled violently, his eyes bulging with bloodshot veins. The blooming blood flowers filled his vision—hundreds of them, not a single one surviving.

Suddenly, his pupils turned visibly black; his white hair shifted to blood red before their eyes; and the blood flowing in his body transformed to black.

Bloodline Limit, activate!