Chapter 1751: Blooming

In the starry sky, the surrounding onlookers had scattered in panic, fleeing in terror. They feared that the Zhun Di Taotie might go mad and swallow them too.

This creature's true form was extraordinarily massive. Even stars appeared as small peaches in its presence. No one dared to linger.

As a result, the previously bustling starry expanse suddenly felt much emptier.

The Zhun Di Taotie trembled lightly, quickly shrinking back into human form. His face was full of contentment, as if he had eaten his fill.

Swallowing a star was akin to eating dirt, something only the Taotie clan would do. Whether it caused indigestion was something they understood all too well.

"Ants."The Zhun Di Taotie sneered wickedly, circulating the universe within his body to crush the star and forcibly refine Ye Chen.

"Fight, beat it to death."His words were strangely echoed by a howling and scolding voice from within his stomach, loud and clear.

"How is that possible?"The Zhun Di Taotie looked shocked.

The inside of a Taotie's stomach was no laughing matter. Even a great saint, if swallowed whole, would find it impossible to survive, let alone a saint like Ye Chen.

While he was still in shock, a sudden, intense pain erupted in his abdomen, piercing to the bone.

Before he could examine it, a bloody hole burst open in his lower abdomen. A figure shot out from inside him—it was Song Di Wang.

The Zhun Di Taotie was greatly alarmed, staggering backward as fresh blood sprayed wildly.

But that wasn't the end. In mere moments, his chest also exploded, another bloody hole tearing open with blood gushing out.

Another figure emerged—Chu Jiang Wang, bursting from his body.

The most ferocious was Qin Guang Wang, who fought his way from the Taotie's stomach straight to its head, bursting out from the top of its skull.

The scene was gruesome, with Taotie blood splattering across the vast starry sky.

The Zhun Di Taotie's body "bloomed," exploding into a mist of blood, leaving only a faint primordial spirit that fled into the distance.

Everything happened too quickly. Even a Zhun Di was completely unprepared.

He had been so arrogant, swallowing a star in one gulp, but he never imagined that three Zhun Di-level beings were hidden inside.

Just think about it—three Zhun Di attacking from within his stomach. How exhilarating that must have felt? His physical body shattering was lucky; surviving at all was impressive.

"How's that for satisfying?"Ye Chen gripped his battle spear, standing in the east, flashing a grin with his pearly white teeth as he eyed the Zhun Di Taotie.

The three Yama lords positioned themselves in perfect coordination—one in the south, one in the north, and one in the west.

The four of them surrounded the Zhun Di Taotie's primordial spirit from four directions: three fierce and menacing figures, and one grinning like a troublemaker.

"Who are you all?"The Zhun Di Taotie roared in fury.

As a true Zhun Di cultivator of the Taotie imperial clan, he had never suffered such a loss since his debut.

It was a grave miscalculation; he had underestimated Ye Chen, that little saint.

Now, not only had he failed to refine him, but he had been counterattacked, his physical body reduced to ashes, with only his ethereal primordial spirit drifting aimlessly.

"Who we are doesn't matter; what matters is, you're not going anywhere."Qin Guang Wang snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Then come on."The Zhun Di Taotie bellowed in anger. Even with only his primordial spirit left, he was still terrifying, attempting to transform back into his Taotie form.

"Imperial Dao Spirit Trap."Chu Jiang Wang and Song Di Wang quickly formed seals, and two divine lights—one gold and one silver—shot straight down from the heavens.

The Taotie, just about to transform, was instantly struck by the golden and silver divine lights, forced back into human form, with his primordial spirit becoming even more translucent.

The Yama inheritance of imperial dao immortal techniques was no trifling matter.

At the same time, Qin Guang Wang ascended into the sky, unleashing various secret arts and divine abilities, converging them into a single finger that thrust toward the Zhun Di Taotie.

The Zhun Di Taotie was hit, his brow pierced and his divine sea shattered.

Already in a primordial spirit state, this devastating blow made his spirit fire flicker unsteadily, on the verge of extinction and unable to withstand any more turmoil.

"It's over."Ye Chen launched his attack, merging eighty-one divine calamities into one and slashing toward the Zhun Di Taotie.

"No, no, no."The Zhun Di Taotie's eyes bulged, his pupils contracted, and his face turned deathly pale, filled with terror.

Even a Zhun Di feared death, and the scent of it was ice-cold and bone-chilling.

Yet, what was meant to come did come. Ye Chen's fatal strike targeted the true form of his primordial spirit, extinguishing his spirit fire.

The Zhun Di Taotie was obliterated, his primordial spirit dispersing amid a final roar.

In his dying moments, he finally understood regret—regretting his reckless arrogance, underestimating Ye Chen, and bringing about his own demise.

"This can't go to waste."Ye Chen opened the divine gate in his brow, a vortex appearing to absorb the Taotie's primordial spirit power.

The Kui Niu in the furnace wasn't idle either; the Zhun Di Taotie's primordial spirit was a heavenly tonic, an absolute stroke of fortune.

As for the three Yama lords, they were eyeing the Taotie's physical body.

Unfortunately, as beings of the underworld, they could only carry items from the nether realm, not from the heavens, due to the laws' restrictions.

"Since no one can take it, it's mine."Ye Chen dashed over with a chuckle, grinning cheekily as he casually collected it.

The three Yama lords' faces darkened. They had played the role of free enforcers multiple times and gotten nothing in return, leaving them so frustrated it hurt.

"Don't sweat the small stuff. Here, drink up, drink up. No need to be polite—there's plenty."Ye Chen laughed, handing out wine to each of them.

"That's more like it."The Yama lords huffed, not holding back.

"Did Di Huang predecessor leave any message for me?"Ye Chen asked.

"I almost forgot."Qin Guang Wang waved his hand, producing a jade slip sealed with immortal light, which merged into Ye Chen's body.

"What's this?"Ye Chen examined his body internally but couldn't find the immortal light; he only felt a mysterious power lurking within.

"The emperor said to be careful of the Zhu Xian Sword. This immortal light will help you ward off its attacks."Chu Jiang Wang said leisurely.

"Zhu Xian Sword."Ye Chen's expression turned colder at the mention.

If there was anyone he hated most, it was the Zhu Xian Sword—it had destroyed one sacred body after another, and even the heavenly demon was deeply connected to it.

Di Huang's warning wasn't unfounded; the Zhu Xian Sword was incredibly terrifying, appearing and disappearing unpredictably, always ready to strike from the shadows.

Such an existence was the most troublesome; it made even sleeping uneasy, and one slip could cost you your head.

"Time to go."After downing a jug of wine, the three Yama lords patted their behinds and turned to leave, stepping away and vanishing into smoke.

Ye Chen collected his thoughts and turned to depart, disappearing without a trace.

With a Zhun Di being destroyed, the Taotie clan was bound to go mad. It wouldn't be long before more arrived, and they would certainly be at the Zhun Di level.

Sure enough, after just a short while, figures descended upon this starry region: two elders, one in black and one in white, with overwhelming vital energy.

Both were Zhun Di level, from the Taotie imperial clan, their furious roars shaking the starry sky.

By then, Ye Chen had already fled far away, refining the Zhun Di Taotie's primordial spirit and devouring his physical essence.

Once again, his cultivation stirred, on the verge of a breakthrough, reaching the peak of his bottleneck, but he forcibly suppressed it.

"Suppressing it for too long will harm your foundation. Find a good spot to break through."Kui Niu offered a reminder.

"I'll find the perfect place."Ye Chen smiled slyly.

Seeing Ye Chen's unusually mischievous grin, Kui Niu shivered. As his older brother, he knew Ye Chen's nature all too well.

What Ye Chen was suppressing wasn't just his cultivation—it was the heavenly tribulation and divine punishment.

A sacred body's tribulation was terrifyingly powerful, something Kui Niu had witnessed before.

Back at the Ten Thousand Clans Assembly, when Ye Chen broke through to the saint realm, it triggered a four-emperor heavenly tribulation, sending the clans scattering in chaos.

Now, breaking through to Quasi-Saint King would make for an even grander spectacle.

It might even summon imperial imprints, even more intense than before.

Imagine if he triggered it at a great primordial clan's territory—how lively that would be. This tribulation was scarier than a million-strong army.

"You're the master of this game."Kui Niu gave a thumbs-up.

"Good steel on the blade's edge."Ye Chen laughed heartily.

"Speaking of which, teach me that Imperial Dao Nether Passage."Kui Niu rubbed his hands with a shameless grin.

"Then what?"Ye Chen looked at him with interest.

"Then, give me some fresh blood from nether realm folks. No males, just females; no ugly ones, just the beauties."Kui Niu leered suggestively. "I can pop over to the nether realm for a cuddle now and then—guaranteed to have them all sleeping soundly."

Hearing this, Ye Chen twitched his mouth, eyeing Kui Niu up and down with a meaningful, almost pitying expression.

You're really something, my brother. I thought I was shameless enough, but you're on another level.

Who knows, if the three Yama lords had heard this, they might have kicked him to death and dragged him back to the underworld for good.