Chapter 1685: Affliction of Love

As the words fell, Bai Zhi's aura changed dramatically. Strands of her long hair turned crimson, and a purple divine mark etched itself on her forehead.

Around her, various visions intertwined, mysterious and ancient.

No one knew what path she cultivated, but it resonated with the sounds of the Great Dao echoing through the heavens.

This peerless woman, shrouded in immortal light, added a touch of vibrant beauty to the underworld, like a sacred Xuan Nü from the nine heavens, pure and flawless.

In Ye Chen's calm eyes, a flicker of light flashed briefly.

He hadn't recognized Bai Zhi's bloodline before, but now he saw it clearly.

Her true form was a phoenix, with blood so pure it approached that of their ancestor: Honghuang Yuanfeng.

He began to understand why Di Huang had taken Bai Zhi as his disciple—it was likely due to her bloodline's connection to Yue Shang.

The Donghua Nüdi's true form was also a phoenix, a branch of the Honghuang Yuanfeng lineage, a fact known throughout the realms.

After endless ages, Di Huang could not forget the Donghua Nüdi, and out of affection for her, he had accepted Bai Zhi as his student.

But none of that mattered anymore. What was important was that he needed to defeat Bai Zhi to face Di Huang.

Chu Ling had already married, and he had no attachments left to this underworld—he just wanted to go home and find some warmth and solace.

Opposite him, Bai Zhi stepped into the sky and thrust a finger toward the heavens in attack.

In a momentary daze, Ye Chen collected his thoughts and shifted his feet to dodge.

However, he was still too slow. Though he avoided the vital spot, his shoulder was pierced, and brilliant sacred blood sprayed out, scattering across the vast sky.

The finger wound on his shoulder was encircled by immortal light, dissipating his essence. Even with his dominant regenerative power, it was hard to heal.

Bai Zhi moved like a ghost, her form elusive and incredibly fast, defying the laws. After one finger strike, her crystalline jade hand struck again from above.

Ye Chen gripped his secret techniques and unleashed the Bahuang Fist, blasting upward against the heavens.

Their fists and palms collided, shattering space into fragments as thunder and lightning intertwined.

In this clash, Bai Zhi stood firm in the void, unmoved and majestic like a supreme queen overlooking the world and Ye Chen.

In contrast, Ye Chen's fist bones exploded on impact, splattering fresh blood that was strikingly vivid, and a trickle of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

In these two exchanges, one pierced his shoulder and the other shattered his golden fist. In a battle of equals, he was clearly at a disadvantage.

Bai Zhi's expression remained calm, her cold eyes carrying a hint of contempt.

Ye Chen was much weaker than she had imagined. As Di Huang's disciple, she had her own pride, viewing herself as invincible and looking down on Ye Chen.

A gentle breeze blew by as she descended from the sky, secret techniques manifesting in her jade hand, with visions of a phoenix undergoing nirvana behind her.

Ye Chen healed his fist and charged forward, his sacred blood surging and his golden vital energy burning like fire. He unleashed one world-shaking secret technique after another.

The great battle erupted, like a war god facing a queen, raging from the eastern void to the northern firmament, on a grand scale.

Deafening booms echoed endlessly, toppling ghost mountains one after another, reducing them to ashes under the battle's shockwaves.

It was clear that the once-dominant Huanggu Shengti was at a disadvantage in this same-level fight, suppressed by Bai Zhi.

He bled repeatedly, his sacred blood spilling in streams.

In comparison, Bai Zhi remained composed and at ease from start to finish.

Not only was she unharmed, but each of her immortal arts struck with devastating force, wounding Ye Chen every time.

"His combat strength is severely impaired. Di Huang, you've done him a great disservice!"

On the peak of Jie Ming Mountain, the Ming Emperor watched from afar, his words drawn out.

Di Huang said nothing, only observing quietly, his divine eyes showing no ripples.

He had never doubted Ye Chen, holding absolute confidence that not only could he defeat his disciple, but he could also overcome this Qing Jie.

His strength was indeed weakened, but only temporarily.

Bai Zhi would serve as a whetstone, forging this rusted sword back into a peerless divine weapon to help him emerge from his trials.

As a senior of his generation, Di Huang had planned meticulously, even staging this emotional tribulation and sending his disciple to temper him—it was truly a painstaking effort.

Precisely because he believed in the future Shengti, he was so ruthless in creating these hardships for him. It was cruel, yet it could save him.

As the two watched, the battle in the void grew even more intense.

Now, Ye Chen was not just at a disadvantage—he was being thoroughly suppressed. His powerful sacred body was covered in bloody gashes and exposed bones, a shocking sight.

Under the relentless blows, his energy scattered, and whether in power or agility, he was outmatched by Bai Zhi, far from his peak state.

Their fierce combat drew many onlookers.

Countless people followed the booms, gathering from all directions like a tide, crowding the earth and skies in a dense mass.

"Is that... Ye Chen?" The spectators were all stunned.

"Who is the woman fighting him? She's completely suppressing the Shengti." Many were astonished, their eyes fixed on Bai Zhi.

"That's Di Jun's disciple, Bai Zhi." An old Ming Jiang stroked his beard, as if he had recognized her and knew her identity.

"No wonder she's so terrifying. Even the Huanggu Shengti, known for being unbeatable at the same level, is being beaten bloody. How formidable she must be."

"Looks like he's not at his peak." The nine great Ming Jiang from the First Hall had also arrived, all stroking their chins and sighing.

"He took down the nine hall Ming Jiang single-handedly, so Ye Chen's power shouldn't be this weak!" Lei Ming Jiang scratched his head.

"Trapped by emotion and distracted, it's hard to focus." Zhao Yun shook his head helplessly, seeing it most clearly.

He and Ye Chen were evenly matched, and Bai Zhi was on par with Ming Jue. If he could defeat Ming Jue, then Ye Chen could defeat Bai Zhi.

The reason for his suppression was all due to emotion, like a person gravely ill who hadn't recovered yet being forced into battle.

In short, this fight had been unfair from the start.

Bai Zhi was at her peak, while Ye Chen was not only not at his, but his strength was greatly diminished by the Qing Jie.

"At least pick someone weaker to vent your pain on. Jumping straight to Bai Zhi's level—isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"If it keeps going like this, the Huanggu Shengti is doomed to lose." Ming Jue had also arrived and could see Ye Chen's poor condition.

"Ye Chen." In the Luo Chuan Mountain manor, Chu Ling clenched her jade hands, tears streaming down her face, as if she could see him through the haze.

Each drop of his sacred blood felt like a sharp knife carving into her heart, the pain making her want to cry out.

He was Ye Chen! The world-shaking Huanggu Shengti, the commanding general of Great Chu who dominated the eight directions, yet he was being relentlessly beaten.

It was all because of her that he was hurt and fighting so hard.

But she could only watch as he bled again and again, tormented by emotion in the battle, unable to free herself.

"You've disgraced the Shengti's prestige." Amid the myriad discussions, a cold voice echoed from the void above.

It was Bai Zhi, looking down from the sky like a supreme queen. Ye Chen's performance had disappointed her immensely.

Ye Chen staggered but steadied himself, his golden vital energy surging chaotically, sometimes violent and sometimes fading, unstable.

Most notably, his eyes, though calm, were scattered and dull.

His dominant Huanggu Shengti was marked with bloody gashes, each wound exposing blood and bone, making hearts tremble.

It wasn't that he couldn't fight Bai Zhi—it was just that his mind was filled with thoughts of Chu Ling.

He looked pained, his eyes hazy and unfocused, lost in a trance.

It was as if he were fighting not Bai Zhi, but Chu Ling.

He was Ye Chen—how could he attack Chu Ling, the woman he loved most? His attacks had been powerless from the beginning.

The Qing Jie had become a Mo Zhang, constantly disturbing his mind and preventing him from gathering his strength, making him no match for Bai Zhi.

"You don't deserve your master's regard." Bai Zhi said indifferently, lightly waving her jade hand and pointing to the sky, forming seals.

Suddenly, a vast immortal sea materialized, like a silver waterfall from the nine heavens, pouring down with mountain-like weight and crushing the void.

Ye Chen was submerged on the spot, trying to break free, only to realize the sea's profound nature—it contained immortal formations that sealed his primordial spirit and Dantian.

"There we go, the Shengti is done for." Someone sighed.

"He took down the nine hall Ming Jiang alone, yet he can't escape Bai Zhi's suppression."

"Not quite—Ye Chen is trapped by emotion, his strength greatly reduced. If he were at his peak, do you think Bai Zhi could suppress him?"

"You're right." Many stroked their chins; with less than half his power, how could he fight Di Jun's disciple?

The Shengti's undefeated status at the same level assumed peak condition. Beating a half-crippled Shengti was hardly a glorious victory.

Amid the sighs, the void trembled violently with a sudden hum.

The immortal sea Bai Zhi had summoned was churning, its waves raging and crashing like a stormy sea, as if ancient beasts were rampaging within.

The onlookers were astonished, their eyes flashing with keen light, for they sensed a dominant force awakening—the power unique to the Shengti.

In other words, the former Shengti Ye Chen had returned.

Everyone's eyes lit up; with the Shengti regaining his peak strength, this confrontation would be interesting.

Ye Chen versus Bai Zhi—one was the Huanggu Shengti, unbeatable at the same level; the other was Di Jun's disciple, trained from youth in supreme secrets.

This was the peak showdown of the younger generation, its excitement rivaling the battle between Ming Jue and Zhao Yun.

That fight had been truly stunning, with Ming Emperor's disciple losing.

Now, no one knew if Di Jun's disciple could suppress Ye Chen and uphold the supreme one's mighty reputation.