Chapter 1870: Don't Think About Me

Clang! Clang!

On the battle platform, the sharp clinking of iron chains filled the air, their sounds echoing clearly as the mysterious Dun Jia Tian Zi technique wove them into a dense web, tightly binding Jin Ni's yuan shen.

As for Jin Ni, he struggled desperately, unleashing all sorts of secret arts, but he couldn't break free. He was driven mad—if he couldn't escape these chains, Ye Chen would surely destroy him.

"Are you thinking you can still turn this around?"

Ye Chen stood firm, one hand gripping his killing sword and the other holding a wine flask, watching Jin Ni with great interest.

"Have the guts to release me, and we'll fight another three hundred rounds!"

Jin Ni roared in anger, his blood-red eyes terrifying to behold.

"Release you?" Ye Chen chuckled. "Is this your first time being captured? Your head must not be working right anymore. I've finally caught you—why on earth would I let you go?"

"Old ancestor, save me!"

Jin Ni howled desperately, unable to break the restraints, his face twisted with fear.

But his cries echoed loudly, while Jin Ni Zhun Di remained unmoved, his expression cold and pale. It wasn't that he didn't want to save him—he didn't dare. Hidden in the shadows, multiple emperor weapons were locked onto him. He was certain that if he made a move, he'd be obliterated in an instant, just like the Gui Kuai Zhun Di before.

"That's more like it!"

Ren Wang blew on his emperor weapon iron sword and wiped it with his sleeve. "Just sit there quietly, and we'll all get along fine."

Seeing Jin Ni Zhun Di stay perfectly still, Jin Ni Tai Zi's heart sank completely, as if his yuan shen body had been dragged into an abyss—a sensation of impending death.

"Have a safe journey, mo xiang wo."

Ye Chen raised his dao sword, which hummed with icy thunder. With this strike, Jin Ni Tai Zi would be on his way.

"No! No! No!"

Jin Ni shrieked in terror. As a tai zi, he was accustomed to his lofty status and didn't want to die.

Ye Chen showed no mercy. He swung the sword down swiftly, extinguishing Jin Ni's yuan shen, leaving only echoes of his roars.

Then, Ye Chen staggered, spitting out fresh blood.

This shadow emperor was at it again. After finishing one foe, he started acting, creating illusions for the Hong Huang clans to lure bigger fish.

"Old Seven, don't force yourself."

Kui Niu shouted immediately. No wonder they were sworn brothers—he knew Ye Chen's style well and recognized it as an act, so he played along perfectly.

"It's fine."

Ye Chen waved his hand while wiping away blood, but the blood kept surging from his mouth no matter how he tried to stop it. He deliberately suppressed his qi and blood to their lowest point.

"Anyone else want to fight?"

He coughed up blood even as he spoke, as if he were about to hack up his lungs.

This level of dedication from the actor drew approving smiles from the veteran predecessors of the various heavens. To keep luring big fish, you're really going all out! How can you perform like this?

"No one left?" Ye Chen coughed up another mouthful of blood. "This setup of yours isn't very professional!"

"A glib tongue."

A sinister laugh rang out as a figure stepped onto the platform, his qi and blood surging like a vast sea, his eyes delving into unfathomable depths, with a mysterious power hidden within his body.

"To be honest, I don't think much of you."

Ye Chen steadied himself. The moment he saw Qiu Yu Tai Zi, he couldn't help but think of Yi Nian Hua Kai, Yi Qi Hua San Qing, and that domineering Shen Shang secret technique. The Hong Huang Qiu Yu clan was, after all, the ancestor of the divine race.

"With your Reincarnation Eye sealed, how will you break my Yi Nian Hua Kai?"

Qiu Yu coldly rebuked, his eyes flickering with a dark glow as he activated Yi Nian Hua Kai, pulling his opponent into an illusion.

"Does it even need breaking?"

Ye Chen sneered, wasting no words. He charged straight at Qiu Yu, dao sword in hand.

"How is this possible?"

Qiu Yu was shocked. He was extremely confident in his Yi Nian Hua Kai, yet Ye Chen was completely unaffected, not even hesitating for a moment.

What a joke—Ye Chen's mind was incredibly resolute.

He had traversed the Six Paths of Reincarnation; a mere illusion like Yi Nian Hua Kai couldn't touch him. It was nothing more than a decoration.

When it came to illusions, the Human Path was the true ancestor of Yi Nian Hua Kai, far superior in every way. If he could pass the Human Path, how could he fear Yi Nian Hua Kai?

In that instant, the sword struck. Qiu Yu Tai Zi reacted quickly and dodged the vital points, but he still took a hit, a bloody gash opening on his chest. The dao sword targeted his dao roots, and this strike wounded him severely.

"Let me calculate this—it's about to be three against one."

Chi Yang Zi stroked his chin, adopting the air of an old fortune-teller.

And indeed, as he said, the retreating Qiu Yu unleashed Yi Qi Hua San Qing, manifesting two more versions of himself. Including his true form, that made three—truly three against one.

"No wonder they're from the same family—the tai zi and the huang zi use the same tricks."

Ye Chen smirked. Back at Zhu Tian Mountain, he had fought Qiu Yu Huang Zi using this very secret art.

"Watch out for his Yi Tian Huan Di."

Qiu Yu's true form snarled viciously, clearly having studied Ye Chen thoroughly.

"Got it."

The two manifestations laughed eerily, each wielding an immortal sword, attacking Ye Chen from left and right with killing blows.

But strangely, Ye Chen vanished from his spot without a trace, and their prepared strikes hit nothing.

"Hua Yu Wei Chen."

Qiu Yu's true form narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You guessed right."

Ye Chen's leisurely laugh followed immediately as he suddenly emerged from the dust space, swinging his sword to strike.

"Be careful!"

Qiu Yu's true form shouted a warning to his manifestations.

However, it was too late. The manifestation closest to Ye Chen had its head sent rolling, its body turning to smoke and vanishing instantly.

Well then! In just one exchange, one manifestation was destroyed. Not only the Hong Huang side was stunned, but the Zhu Tian cultivators were caught off guard too—this had happened far too quickly.

"Happy about it?"

Ye Chen smoothly tossed his hair back.

"Seal him for me."

Qiu Yu's true form stomped hard on the battle platform, array patterns spreading out from his foot as the center, forming a grand formation specifically to counter Hua Yu Wei Chen.

"Even if I destroy one, it's still two against one. You're half-crippled—you're done for."

The manifestation Qiu Yu snorted coldly and charged in an instant, a divine light bursting from his forehead—it was the Shen Shang secret technique.

"With you?" Ye Chen laughed mockingly, neither dodging nor defending, taking the Shen Shang head-on while swinging his dao sword at the same time, sending the manifestation Qiu Yu flying.

"Suppress him for me."

Qiu Yu's true form's attack arrived, activating an ancient bronze bell—his life-bound weapon—and slamming it down to trap Ye Chen inside.

"Destroy."

Qiu Yu's true form formed seals, awakening the bell's slaughter prohibitions to grind Ye Chen to dust.

"This crappy bell is nowhere near as good as Qiong Qi's ancient bronze seal."

From within the bell came Ye Chen's icy laugh.

In the next moment, the ancient bronze bell exploded.

The bell had been burst from the inside. Ye Chen had activated his Outer Appearance Ba Ti, forcefully shattering the great bell in a spectacular display.

With his life-bound weapon destroyed, Qiu Yu's true form suffered backlash, stumbling backward with each step cracking the platform. When he finally steadied himself, he spat out a torrent of fresh blood.

"Here's a palm for you."

On the other side, Ye Chen swung his hand downward like a thunderbolt. In his Ba Ti Outer Appearance state, his palm was over ten zhang wide, as heavy as a mountain. The charging manifestation Qiu Yu collided with it head-on.

With a boom, the manifestation was smashed into a pulp of flesh and blood. Ye Chen grabbed the remnants and crushed them into ashes.

His Ba Ti Outer Appearance was unstable, dissipating after just a second, and blood trickled from his mouth. To outsiders, it looked like he could no longer sustain it.

This was all part of the act, performed for the Hong Huang tai zis to see. After dealing with Qiu Yu, he could lure even bigger fish.

His life was one big performance! The Zhu Tian cultivators couldn't help but click their tongues in amazement—one slip, and they'd be fooled.

"Now, it's one-on-one."

Ye Chen smiled at Qiu Yu.

Qiu Yu said nothing, furrowing his brow as he mentally reviewed the sequence of events: How did this fight turn out like this? How did I end up in such a mess? Two manifestations gone in less than three rounds. What was supposed to be three against one has turned into a solo fight.

"Figured it out yet?"

Ye Chen approached with his dao sword, grinning widely. "It's a one-on-one now."

"I'll destroy you even in single combat."

Qiu Yu roared furiously, suddenly unfolding his vision—a vast, boundless star sea.

"You've lost your life-bound weapon and still want to destroy me? How amusing."

Ye Chen chuckled lightly. As Qiu Yu activated his vision, Ye Chen did the same, his Chaos Great Realm suppressing the star sea.

At the same time, the Chaos Cauldron expanded to over a hundred zhang, like a small mountain, making Qiu Yu stagger. Then, with a thud, the guy dropped to his knees and couldn't move, pinned down by the Chaos Great Cauldron.

Ye Chen took the initiative, slashing with his sword to finish off Qiu Yu Tai Zi.

Silence fell over the scene—an eerie quiet. Not just the Hong Huang great clans, but even the Zhu Tian cultivators stared in stunned disbelief. The battle had ended far too quickly.

"That's it?"

Xiao Yuan Huang scratched his monkey fur.

"How did this guy become a tai zi?"

Tian Shuo rubbed his brow, thinking it would last a hundred rounds or more. But it was over in less than five.

"People say Hong Huang clan members are fiercely strong, but their brains are just as fiercely dim. Turns out it's true."

Diao Yu Lao Sou stroked his beard meaningfully.

"We didn't even hear a scream. That Qiu Yu didn't get a chance to beg for help—he was wiped out in a daze."

Chi Yang Zi tsked. "Among all these tai zis, he died the fastest."

"He's probably still trying to piece it together. While he was figuring it out, he just... vanished."

The old folks came up with an excuse for Qiu Yu.

"Am I just that strong, or was he that incompetent?"

Ye Chen stroked his chin, looking at Qiu Yu's body. Even as a half-protagonist, he wasn't used to this—it had been so easy to take down a tai zi.

Glancing at Qiu Yu Tai Zi's face, the lingering expression was a mix of emotions: fear, anger, frustration, confusion, and bewilderment. He probably had a lot left to say, a lot of secret techniques unused. In the blink of an eye, all his life's ambitions were gone.

The Hong Huang side was eerily silent, the various tai zis looking as if they'd been struck by lightning. The mighty Qiu Yu Tai Zi hadn't lasted five rounds before being destroyed—and it was so straightforward, no hesitation.

Qiu Yu Zhun Di's face was the darkest. His clan's noble tai zi hadn't even matched up to their huang zi.

That day, Qiu Yu Huang Zi had fought Ye Chen for hundreds of rounds. But you? Wiped out in five. In a life-or-death battle, he had no idea what his tai zi was thinking in that final moment.

"Can you see it clearly?"

Feng Huang whispered through a sound transmission.

"There's a mysterious presence that sacrificed Qiu Yu Tai Zi's soul."

Tai Xu frowned, scanning the heavens with his immortal eyes. "They sacrificed the soul in an instant, without even a Zhun Di noticing. That mysterious being's cultivation far surpasses ours."

"So, you're saying that the moment Ye Chen struck Qiu Yu, he was already dead?"

Feng Huang probed.

"Exactly."

Jiang Tai Xu nodded slightly.

"Does this mean there's still a great emperor alive in this era?"

Figures like Di Ji, Long Cang Jie, Ren Wang, and Xian Mu were all scanning the surroundings, piecing together the clues. Anyone who could sacrifice a soul so stealthily, without a trace, was on par with an emperor—at least, none of them could do it.

The atmosphere at the scene grew strangely tense, much like the baffling way Qiu Yu Tai Zi had been eliminated.

Meanwhile, in the Yao Chi underground palace, things were even more eerie. The female holy body lying on the altar slightly opened her eyes.

But only for a moment, she gently closed them again, a strange smile playing on her lips, its meaning unknown.

If anyone were there to see her like this, they'd feel a chill run down their spine, as if the world had turned utterly sinister.