Chapter 1796

With a thunderous boom, the battle platform split open into a massive crater. Jin Niao Huangzi exploded on the spot, his body turning into a mist of blood, leaving only a faint Yuan Shen in his ethereal form, clutched in Ye Chen's hand.

Fresh blood splattered across the battle platform, mingling with surging crimson mist that intertwined with Ye Chen's killing intent, rampaging through the vast sky.

"The fifth one." The older experts of the various heavens straightened up, their eyes gleaming with brilliance as they watched the masked youth on the platform. He was more than just holding his own—he was utterly dominant.

"What a relief." The younger cultivators exclaimed in excitement, having been suppressed by the Hong Huang for nearly three years. This scene was the most satisfying yet.

"What a formidable younger generation!" Jiang Taixu and Mo Yuan both laughed. The two great prodigies from the Hong Huang era suddenly felt overshadowed. Ye Chen surpassed even them in their prime.

"At this rate, he's bound to provoke the collective fury of the Hong Huang." Xiao Yao Zi said leisurely, his eyes filled with worry.

No one refuted his words. Every time Ye Chen defeated a clan's Huangzi, another Hong Huang Zhun Di would emerge.

Over time, more Hong Huang Zhun Di would appear. If their numbers reached a critical point, even with the heavens united, it would create immense pressure.

"The Xuan Huang is about to ignite war once more." On a peak in Zhongzhou Tian Xu, sighs echoed from Tian Zhu and Di Mie.

Before them stood Tian Xu Tian Wang, gazing silently into the void, as if peering through the haze to see mighty overlords striding across the river of time, heading toward the Xuan Huang mainland.

These were Da Chu's Nine Emperors, traversing the ancient eons for the Tenth Emperor. They would be Ye Chen's steadfast support.

Yet, in his aged eyes, worry lingered—not fear of the Hong Huang, but concern that the raging flames of war might disturb the forbidden zones' balance.

"Why not bring Ye Chen to Tian Xu?" Di Mie stroked his beard, looking at Tian Zhu and then Tian Xu Tian Wang.

"Without my command, no one is allowed to leave Tian Xu." Tian Xu Tian Wang replied coldly, his words carrying supreme authority.

The mountains and earth of the heavens rumbled. Twenty Zhun Di and twenty Di Bing of the virtual heavens confronted each other, throwing the cosmos into chaos.

Such a grand standoff exuded world-ending pressure. Weaker cultivators paled, their spirits trembling, on the verge of kneeling.

The atmosphere grew oppressively still, even causing the lively ones like Xiao Yuan Huang to fall silent, not daring to move from below the platform.

On the battle platform, Ye Chen remained composed, having suppressed Jin Niao Huangzi. He smiled at the Hong Huang's great clans and said,

"Who's next?"

His gaze was truly domineering, confident in his invincibility among peers. A group of Huangzi were beneath his notice.

This look enraged the Hong Huang Huangzi, who charged onto the platform, cracking the solid surface under their feet.

This time, it was the Gui Ken clan's Huangzi charging in—not one, but two, identical twins in appearance, bloodline, Dao essence, and origin, perfectly matched.

Indeed, they were twin brothers: the eighth and ninth Huangzi of the Gui Ken clan.

No wonder they were blood brothers; even their smiles were alike, with blood-red eyes and ferocious expressions.

"So, this means two against one?" Ye Chen remarked with a sigh.

"In the crowd, you can choose one to join you. I won't take unfair advantage—make it two against two." Gui Ken's eighth Huangzi said with a sinister smile.

"I'm in!" Before Ye Chen could respond, Xiao Yuan Huang roared and charged up, full of momentum.

But he ascended quickly and descended even faster—kicked down by Ye Chen. Long Jie and the others, who were about to step up, sheepishly held back.

What a joke. Ye Chen was the one who had slain three great emperors. Did he even need help? He could crush a whole group alone.

Besides, with Xiao Yuan Huang's strength, he'd be more of a hindrance than help. Better to stay below and watch the show quietly, without causing trouble.

Xiao Yuan Huang scrambled to his feet, his face awkward. He'd wanted to join Ye Chen for some glory, but ended up getting kicked instead.

Not just him—the younger generation present all chuckled dryly. With Ye Chen's power, he clearly didn't need assistance.

"You're far too arrogant." Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi laughed mockingly, his eyes flickering with dark light as he smirked at Ye Chen.

"I've got the capital to be arrogant." Ye Chen cracked his neck forcefully.

"Excellent." Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi sneered darkly. His body suddenly turned ethereal and vanished, reappearing on Ye Chen's other side, flanking him with the eighth Huangzi.

Immediately, both held chains etched with ancient runes, crackling with lightning that pierced the Yuan Shen, specifically targeting it.

"Don't touch those chains—they'll devour your Yuan Shen." A faint voice whispered in Ye Chen's ear, its source unknown, but he recognized it as Jiang Taixu's transmission, as if the elder knew the Gui Ken clan's divine abilities well.

"Thank you, senior." Ye Chen smiled and instantly vanished, for the Gui Ken clan's two Huangzi had already attacked, their chains snaking like lightning to entwine him.

"Can you escape?" Gui Ken's eighth Huangzi shouted coldly, forming a seal with one hand to lock down the surrounding space.

"With skills like that, you think you can seal me?" Ye Chen sneered, his form like a ghost, effortlessly breaking the restraints.

"Where do you think you're going?" Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi blocked his path, thrusting the chain like a thunderbolt to bind Ye Chen's true form. As Jiang Taixu had warned, it carried terrifying devouring power—if locked, the consequences would be dire.

Surprisingly, Ye Chen neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he charged straight toward the Soul-Locking Chain.

"Die!" Seeing Ye Chen rush to his doom, Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi grinned ferociously. Once the chain bound his Yuan Shen, escape would be impossible. He had full confidence in his clan's Soul-Locking forbidden art—few at the same level could avoid it.

Yet, just as the chain was about to touch Ye Chen, he vanished in a flash. In his place, Gui Ken's eighth Huangzi appeared.

A scream followed as Ye Chen swapped their positions, making the eighth Huangzi take the hit. The chain was brutally effective, nearly shattering his Yuan Shen. He knew his own secret technique well—it hurt terribly.

"How does it feel?" Ye Chen called out from a hundred zhang away, grinning wickedly. His talent for trickery was always handy.

"Damn you!" Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi roared in fury, swinging the Soul-Locking Chain as he charged, the chain moving faster than his own body.

"You're nowhere close." Ye Chen evaded with a single step, shrinking the ground to inches as he ghosted to Gui Ken's ninth Huangzi's side.

Gui Ken's expression changed as he retreated, but it was too late. Ye Chen was quicker, closing in with another step and slamming down a Great Smashing Monument Hand, nearly shattering the Huangzi's skull.

"Extermination!" The injured Gui Ken's eighth Huangzi joined in, his eyes blood-red and face twisted. He unleashed a Heaven-Sundering Sword of Annihilation, followed by the Soul-Locking Chain, one targeting the body and the other the Yuan Shen.

"Earlier, your brother hit you—how about I let him return the favor?" Ye Chen laughed lightly and used Heaven-Swapping Earth-Changing again. The ninth Huangzi, who had just regained his senses, was swapped over without a word.

He took the full blow: first, the eighth Huangzi's sword nearly split him in two, then the chain struck his Yuan Shen, inflicting severe damage and almost ending him at his brother's hand.

"This secret art is impressive." The older experts of the heavens stroked their beards thoughtfully, impressed by how skillfully Ye Chen used it for deception—two flawless executions.

"I need to get my seventh brother to teach me this when I get back." Xiao Yuan Huang rubbed his chin, while the other lively ones shared the idea. Using this technique to trick enemies would be incredibly effective.

"Numbers don't guarantee victory—look, they're getting beaten!" Chi Yang Zi said with his hands tucked away, not bothering to hide his words, directed straight at the Gui Ken clan. He was thoroughly enjoying it.

As for the Gui Ken Zhun Di, his face was grim. He knew his clan's two Huangzi's tactics best—they coordinated perfectly, especially with their innate Soul-Locking Chains. Once bound, escape was impossible.

But the current scene was unacceptable. With their two-on-one advantage, they'd exposed a fatal flaw, exploited by Ye Chen. Not only had they failed to hit him, but the brothers had gravely wounded each other.

"Come on, keep going." On the platform, Ye Chen beckoned with his hand.

The two Gui Ken Huangzi stood together, blood spilling from their mouths, their heads buzzing with rage as they gritted their teeth.

"Striking that hard—clearly not real brothers." Ye Chen tutted with mock sympathy, looking utterly provoking.

"We will end you." The Gui Ken clan's two Huangzi said, their eyes blood-red. With that, they stood firm and formed seals with one hand.

In the next instant, the two merged into one. As twins, their fusion changed nothing in appearance, but their bloodline and origin doubled in power. An ancient divine mark etched itself on their forehead, thunder cloaking their body, with long hair like a cascade of blood.

"Interesting." Ye Chen grew intrigued, subtly activating his Wheel of Reincarnation Eye to uncover the mystery. It seemed their origins and Dao had been linked since the womb, allowing a seamless fusion without conflict—perfect harmony.

"Kill!" The fused Gui Ken lunged, his speed doubling. Even Ye Chen frowned slightly; this movement ignored spatial laws entirely.

In an instant, four Soul-Locking Chains shot out like serpents of lightning, assaulting the Yuan Shen. If struck, the outcome would be catastrophic.

Ye Chen transformed his Dao principles into a divine sword wreathed in thunder, sweeping horizontally to repel the four chains.

"Die!" The fused Gui Ken soared into the sky, his palm descending like a canopy, with Gui Ken runes circulating between his fingers. It was as heavy as a mountain range, collapsing the void, and carried sealing powers at its core.

"Not bad." Ye Chen snorted coldly, clenching his golden fist and instantly fusing a hundred divine abilities, enhanced with Dao principles, to blast upward in a display of overwhelming force.

Their fist and palm collided, shattering space. Ye Chen's fist cracked, sacred blood splattering, while the fused Gui Ken's hand was no better—flesh mangled, exposing white bones.

Ye Chen retreated after repelling him, for the four chains pursued relentlessly, refusing to give up. He knew their danger all too well.

With another sword strike, the chains flipped away, though they reformed and grew stronger, closing in from all sides.

"Annoying." Ye Chen cursed under his breath, deploying the Tai Xu Dragon Forbidden to form a massive cage, trapping the four chains.

"Extermination!" The fused Gui Ken charged again, unleashing another Annihilation divine ability, condensing thousands of secrets into one finger aimed at Ye Chen.