Chapter 1654: Invincible Physique

Outside Gui Cheng, it was extraordinarily lively, with crowds packed shoulder to shoulder.

Inside Gui Cheng, the place was nearly deserted, as most people had rushed out to watch the spectacle.

A Ming Jiang had been brutally defeated, which was shocking news in itself. Once they went to see it for themselves, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Ye Chen carried the storage bag all the way back to the small garden.

He was in high spirits—after the fight, he had gained some treasures. If anyone else came looking for trouble, he wouldn't mind taking on a few more battles.

Even if Yan Luo stirred up trouble, he wouldn't be afraid.

If the older generation insisted on meddling in the affairs of the younger ones, he would just go chat with Di Huang. With a powerful backer, he had nothing to fear.

"Can't deny it, you're pretty good at playing it cool."

As soon as he entered the small garden, he heard Kui Niu's meaningful remark. Though Kui Niu had his eyes closed in meditation, he had seen everything clearly.

It really lived up to what Xuan Huang had said—his seventh brother brought excitement wherever he went. Even in the underworld, he didn't back down.

"Keep it low-key," Ye Chen said earnestly, opening the storage bag from Fei Long Ming Jiang. The contents made his eyes gleam with stars.

Fei Long Ming Jiang's treasures were quite impressive—plenty of Ming Shi, along with secret scrolls, Ming Qi, and pills.

This one's collection was even more abundant than that of Gui Quan Ming Jiang.

Ye Chen was thoughtful, crushing handfuls of soul-replenishing pills and scattering them around. Kui Niu needed soul power right now.

If not for concerns about Zhao Yun, he would have pulled out Fei Long Ming Jiang's Yuan Shen, refined it into Yuan Shen power, and given it to Kui Niu.

"Old seventh, is Di Huang really in the underworld?" Kui Niu asked.

"No doubt about it," Ye Chen replied with a smile, continuously channeling soul power. "The world is vast and full of wonders."

"Once we have some free time, take me to meet Di Huang!" Kui Niu grinned. "The guy who single-handedly takes on emperors is a real force."

"First, focus on condensing your Yuan Shen," Ye Chen said, withdrawing his divine ability. "In the future, across the myriad realms of the heavens, we'll have plenty of chances to meet."

"That sounds perfect." Kui Niu laughed even more heartily, already envisioning a scene: Di Huang thrashing the great clans of the primordial era.

The heavens aren't without heroes—if they don't show up, fine, but when they do, they'll be the kind you can't afford to mess with. Go ahead and take on the five emperors if you're so tough.

As he thought about it, Kui Niu suppressed his excitement and slipped back into slumber. Right now, condensing his spirit was the priority.

Ye Chen summoned a barrier, enveloping the entire small garden.

Then, he sat cross-legged under an old tree, quietly comprehending his Shen Zang. The innate divine ability of the Huang Gu Sheng Ti was surely overpowered.

Di Huang's Shen Zang seized heaven's fortune, sketching out vast scenes with various profound realms—mysterious and enigmatic.

Shen Zang was like a massive mountain or a vast sea, while he was merely a grain of sand at its base or a drop in the ocean.

What he could see was only the tip of the iceberg. To unlock all of Shen Zang would require endless years of comprehension.

The small garden fell into tranquility, with only the faint ghostly winds blowing.

Outside, the unconscious Fei Long Ming Jiang had already been carried away.

Those who had gone out to watch the show returned in small groups, all clicking their tongues in amazement and lingering on the excitement.

"Make sure to keep an eye on that guy—we can't let him back into the fighting arena." A group of arena masters huddled together, muttering.

"I think we should just forget it. Even Fei Long Ming Jiang got beaten—if he forces his way in, can any of us stop him?"

"You're right." The crowd of masters stroked their beards thoughtfully.

After today's battle, they had witnessed Ye Chen's power firsthand. The fighting arena couldn't reopen; it would only lead to bankruptcy.

"What a surprise." On one side of Ghost Street, Meng Po walked along with her cane. She was probably the most shocked of all.

It hadn't been long since that day at the Nai He Bridge. The former soul fragment had not only condensed a Yuan Shen but had also grown to such a terrifying level, defeating even Fei Long Ming Jiang.

"The underworld is full of monsters." Meng Po sighed and shook her head, no longer holding a grudge against Ye Chen for costing her her divine position.

As she walked, she paused, gazing quietly at a wall. Posted on it was a portrait of a woman—Chu Ling's.

She had been the previous Nai He Bridge deity, and Chu Ling was the current one. Looking at it like this, she couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

Sometimes, she thought, being out in the world wasn't so bad. She didn't have to stand at the head of Nai He Bridge or force people to drink that soup of forgetfulness.

Having lived so long and seen so much, she had grown weary of it all—the tears of those drinking Meng Po Soup as they reincarnated.

The soup of forgetfulness was brewed from those tears, each drop heavy with memories, cycling endlessly.

In that moment, her state of mind sublimated, and she advanced while walking. Her Saint-level cultivation stepped directly into Quasi Saint King.

Passersby turned their heads, their expressions full of astonishment. Advancing just by walking? Why don't we have that kind of luck?

Meng Po smiled kindly, finally understanding the cycle of cause and effect.

Encountering Ye Chen was both a tribulation and a stroke of fortune. She should thank him—after centuries, she had finally taken that step.

In the small garden, Ye Chen sat utterly still, like an old monk in meditation.

He remained that way for nine days, everything peaceful.

On the tenth day, his sacred body trembled slightly, and his expression shifted subtly—his brows furrowing then relaxing.

At some point, he stood up. Though his eyes were closed, he stepped out of Gui Cheng and stood in the void above.

A gust of yin feng swept by, and lines slowly etched across his forehead, forming a divine pattern.

Then, strands of mysterious power flowed from his body, rapidly outlining a massive illusory figure.

The figure was enormous, over a hundred zhang tall.

It too had the same divine pattern on its forehead as Ye Chen.

From afar, the colossal illusory figure looked like a hundred-zhang mountain peak standing between heaven and earth.

Ye Chen stood at the figure's chest.

The illusory figure was like a suit of armor enveloping him.

Strangely, its facial features, appearance, and even hairstyle were identical to Ye Chen's.

In other words, it was an enlarged version of Ye Chen, a hundred zhang tall.

The difference was that Ye Chen was flesh and blood, while it was illusory.

Ye Chen opened his eyes, and so did the massive figure.

Ye Chen raised his hand, and the figure raised its hand.

Ye Chen took a step, and the figure took a step.

In short, the massive figure's movements were perfectly synchronized with Ye Chen's—he did whatever Ye Chen did.

Even if Ye Chen smiled, it smiled; if Ye Chen's hair floated slightly, so did its illusory hair.

This was one of the Huang Gu Sheng Ti's Shen Zang abilities, named Ba Ti.

This Shen Zang provided absolute defense—anyone wanting to harm him had to break through the Ba Ti figure first.

It also offered absolute offense—when Ye Chen attacked, so did it, with amplified power.

"Not bad at all." Ye Chen laughed and twisted his neck, and the Ba Ti figure laughed and twisted its neck too.

"Standing tall lets you see far." Ye Chen started walking through the void, surveying all directions.

The Ba Ti figure walked alongside him, doing the same, its massive feet shaking the ground with each thunderous step.

Passing a towering ancient tree, Ye Chen reached out and grabbed it.

Though the tree was large, to the Ba Ti figure, it was like a blade of grass. With two fingers, it uprooted the tree entirely.

As he walked, Ye Chen conjured a sword in his hand.

At the same time, the Ba Ti figure conjured a sword too—illusory, but enormous, at least twenty to thirty zhang long.

Ye Chen began to flourish the sword in an open area.

The Ba Ti figure mirrored his every move perfectly.

From a distance, it looked like a gigantic illusory giant wielding a sword, carelessly leveling the surrounding peaks.

"Holy crap, what in the world is that thing?"

Passing little ghosts stared in bewilderment.

Was that an illusion? A ghost? But it was way too big.

In the dead of night, wielding such a massive, illusory sword, leaping and swinging wildly—it was making a huge racket.

More and more people gathered, especially from Gui Cheng.

Countless heads tilted up, all staring in confusion.

"Where did that massive figure come from? And it's illusory."

"Is it a ghost soul? Never seen one that big."

"Doesn't he look familiar?"

"Of course he does—he's identical to Sheng Ti Ye Chen. But what kind of ability is this? An outer path Dharma form?"

"What are you all gawking at!" Ye Chen bellowed.

His voice boomed like ancient thunder, distorting space and collapsing mountain after mountain.

Since he shouted, the Ba Ti figure shouted too.

With its size—a hundred zhang tall—its voice was incredibly loud.

This was the boost in power; his voice might not be that strong, but the Ba Ti figure's was overwhelming.

The scene turned awkward, with ghosts, big and small, and even some Ming Jiang collapsing, their heads buzzing.

"Truly unexpected—he mastered Ba Ti in just nine days." At the peak of Jie Ming Mountain, Ming Di chuckled. "Di Huang, your Huang Gu Sheng Ti lineage really produces talents."

"He will be the most astonishing Huang Gu Sheng Ti of all." Di Huang smiled, his eyes full of pride for his predecessor's line.