Chapter 1904: Well-Equipped

With a thunderous boom, the Zhu Shou Zhen, which had not yet fully regained its power, was forcibly shattered by the Chaos Realm.

Qiong Qi was shaken back step by step, his face twisting into a ferocious expression. In battles against equals, his Zhu Shou Zhen had always been unbeatable, but against Ye Chen, it proved utterly useless.

“Taixu Long Jin.” In that instant, Ye Chen had already ascended to the heights of the nine heavens void. The Taixu cage appeared instantly, trapping Qiong Qi inside, where lightning raged and chains woven with Dao principles clattered loudly.

“Break.” Qiong Qi snarled coldly, bursting with ferocity as he punched straight through the cage, escaping like a soaring dragon.

“Feng Shen Jue.” Ye Chen moved like a bolt of lightning, using his finger as a sword to thrust directly at Qiong Qi’s brow.

“Trivial tricks.” Qiong Qi sneered disdainfully, not bothering to dodge. At his brow, a small shield materialized, no larger than a baby's palm, shimmering with radiant light and silver glow.

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding rang out as Ye Chen’s Feng Shen Jue struck the small shield precisely. Despite his finger's immense power, it failed to break through, only sparking bright flames across its surface.

“Fragment of an imperial artifact?” Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, recognizing the shield’s secret—it was refined from pieces of an imperial weapon, specifically to guard the divine sea gateway. With it in place, breaching the divine sea would be nearly impossible.

“Truly worthy of an imperial son—your equipment is indeed top-notch.” Ye Chen sighed inwardly.

“Imperial Dao Heavenly Punishment.” As Ye Chen reflected, Qiong Qi let out a roar that shook the heavens. He unleashed another major technique, and from the void above, streaks of lightning as thick as fingers rained down straight and unerringly. The barrage was massive, an indiscriminate attack like a storm of thunder, covering everything beneath the sky. Each bolt was devastatingly destructive.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Though Ye Chen dodged with all his might, he still took hits, his ancient holy body pierced with over a dozen bloody holes.

Qiong Qi, the imperial son, chuckled darkly, his hand seals shifting. Once they settled, a massive vortex materialized on the ground, spanning ten thousand zhang, pitch-black and desolate, exuding a terrifying devouring force.

Because of it, the vast earth crumbled inch by inch, with thick soil, solid rock, and surging waves all pulled inside. It was like an endless spatial black hole, swallowing whatever it encountered.

Ye Chen, caught off guard, was sucked in, and the fearsome vortex sealed shut behind him.

“The imperial son is invincible.” Seeing Ye Chen swallowed, the remnants of the Honghuang forces roared in excitement, well aware of the black vortex’s horror—once inside, it meant certain death.

“The ancient holy body is nothing special.” Qiong Qi, the imperial son, laughed mockingly.

But no sooner had he spoken than the ground exploded open. Ye Chen, who had been swallowed, burst out.

“How is that possible?” Qiong Qi, the imperial son, furrowed his brow.

“This level of skill is far from enough to destroy me.” Ye Chen’s form flickered like an illusion, and in an instant, he closed in.

Qiong Qi’s expression changed as he tried to flee, but it was too late—Ye Chen’s golden fist had already arrived.

Once Ye Chen got close, Qiong Qi was in deep trouble, getting pummeled from the southern void all the way to the northern heavens.

Ah!

Qiong Qi howled, every attempt to counterattack interrupted by Ye Chen. Though he possessed many imperial Dao immortal techniques, he had no chance to use them.

In that moment, even his powerful physical body was useless. Blood and bones scattered across the skies, transforming into vast essence that returned to the heavens and earth.

Ye Chen ignored Qiong Qi’s roars, his golden fists unrelenting, each one more dominant than the last. Though Qiong Qi’s recovery was formidable, it couldn’t withstand such relentless assault.

“You deserve to die.” Qiong Qi, the imperial son, raged, enduring half his body being blasted apart to seize a moment and escape to the outer heavens. His shattered holy body dripped with fresh blood, turning him into a figure of pure crimson.

“Come on, let’s continue.” Ye Chen charged upward, ready to unleash another barrage on Qiong Qi.

But Qiong Qi was no fool. He had already prepared, healing his divine body, activating forbidden techniques, summoning his visions and natal artifacts, and wrapping himself in a layer of Dao principle armor to protect his true form.

The battle erupted fully—visions clashed against visions, artifacts against artifacts—as the two dueled from above and below, bombarding each other with secret techniques. Every collision ripped the heavens and split the earth, with terrifying spatial rifts appearing repeatedly.

The imperial son’s warfare was brutally intense, blood raining down like a storm.

Qiong Qi fought like an immortal king, unleashing imperial Dao immortal techniques endlessly, drawing from his profound imperial heritage. Yet, the more he fought, the more alarmed he became. Ye Chen’s strength shocked him—the terror of the later-era holy body was every bit as legendary as the tales.

Ye Chen, too, was surprised by Qiong Qi’s prowess—he was far superior to Gui Ju Prince. Defeating Qiong Qi was straightforward for Ye Chen, but exterminating him would take time, even for him. The son of a great emperor was no simple foe, not something you could kill on a whim.

“Request aid, summon the imperial sons.” The Honghuang remnants surrounding the area crushed their jade stones one after another, calling for reinforcements. If one imperial son couldn’t take down the ancient holy body, they'd send two; if two weren't enough, then three. Their goal was crystal clear: to slay the holy body, Ye Chen.

Streams of divine rainbows shot into the sky, flying toward all directions.

Soon, booms echoed from every side as nearby Honghuang armies rushed in, blanketing the skies in an overwhelming force—not just thousands, but at least a hundred thousand strong, a veritable cultivator army.

Beyond them, the Honghuang imperial sons also heard the news of an imperial son-level battle involving the ancient holy body. Each one was fired up, eager to eliminate Ye Chen and divide his holy body essence—this was a golden opportunity.

However, they were not the fastest. A graceful figure arrived first, clad in battle armor with a fluttering cloak, wielding an immortal sword and treading the cloud sea like a female general. She was enveloped in immortal light, her three thousand strands of hair each tinged with divine radiance.

This was an acquaintance—or more precisely, Ye Chen’s wife: Ji Ning Shuang.

She had also entered the ruins, arriving before Ye Chen, but had been trapped in a secret realm until just now.

No wonder they were a couple who had created life together; no sound transmission was needed—they instinctively knew each other’s location. This was an innate tacit understanding, the legendary heart-to-heart connection, incredibly accurate.

Ji Ning Shuang’s speed was no joke; even Ye Chen couldn’t quite match her in that regard.

Meanwhile, back at Ye Chen and Qiong Qi’s battle, the two were going all out, both fueled by adrenaline as they activated forbidden techniques one after another, each trying to outdo the other in sheer hacks.

The fight escalated repeatedly, forcing the Honghuang remnants to retreat further, fearing collateral damage. One was a Honghuang imperial son, the other an ancient holy body—both were world-shaking tyrants with terrifying combat power.

It was clear that whether in hacks or raw strength, Qiong Qi was outmatched. As the battle wore on, Ye Chen had him on the ropes, nearly blowing him apart several times.

“If not for my Dao root being damaged, I would surely kill you.” Qiong Qi, the imperial son’s furious shout echoed through the heavens, giving himself a convenient excuse and blaming his defeat on his Dao root. He was utterly convinced that without the damage, he could destroy Ye Chen—in short, he was deluding himself.

“How about comparing miseries with me?” Ye Chen was amused. “If not for my reincarnation eye being sealed, do you believe I'd kick you back to your mother's womb? If you can’t win, just say so—why make excuses?”

His words only infuriated Qiong Qi further. Burning his essence for greater power, his once golden eyes were now streaked with blood vessels, turning a bloody red—violent and bloodthirsty, his face as grotesque as a demon’s. He was truly thunderously angry.

“Given how many family members you have, I need to finish you first.” Ye Chen soared in for the kill, weaponless and empty-handed, relying solely on his golden fists infused with chaos to shatter all laws, his attacks overwhelmingly dominant.

In this moment, he unleashed his peak power fully, as the Honghuang army’s attention had shifted. No need to hold back anymore—he had to eliminate Qiong Qi before being surrounded.

Pity for Qiong Qi—even with his forbidden techniques activated, he couldn’t hold against Ye Chen. His mighty physical body and fearsome secret techniques were all rendered meaningless under Ye Chen’s golden fists. The imperial son was beaten to his knees.

Ah!

Driven mad, Qiong Qi roared to the skies, refusing to accept being suppressed by a holy body. Who was he? The son of a great emperor! With his supreme heritage, when had he ever been so utterly defeated? He lost to Ye Chen not just in strength, but in the glory of his imperial ancestors.

“Screaming won’t help.” Ye Chen snorted coldly, his fist exploding half of Qiong Qi’s body.

“Once I heal my Dao root, I’ll come back to kill you.” Qiong Qi bellowed in rage, dragging his blood-soaked body as he fled.

“Since you’ve come, don’t think about leaving.” A cool female voice rang out from behind him.

Hearing this, Qiong Qi’s face paled as he whirled around, only to meet a sword head-on.

Pfft!

A spray of dazzling blood erupted as Qiong Qi’s head rolled through the void.

The attacker was Ji Ning Shuang, who had just arrived, her sword strike clean and decisive.

Qiong Qi was utterly frustrated! He had been so focused on Ye Chen that he overlooked his rear, allowing her to exploit the opening.

“Damn you.” Qiong Qi roared, even without his head, he stood firm and swept a palm at Ji Ning Shuang.

Ji Ning Shuang said nothing, her crystalline jade hand striking back, infused with countless immortal techniques, shattering Qiong Qi’s body.

“Headless and still acting tough.” From behind, Ye Chen arrived, his fist piercing the heavens and reducing Qiong Qi’s mangled body to a pulp of blood and mist.

With his physical form destroyed, only his primordial spirit remained, and Qiong Qi panicked, fleeing desperately. Even with a body, he struggled against Ye Chen; in primordial spirit state, against two imperial son-level opponents, he stood no chance.

“Protect me! Protect me!” Qiong Qi shouted for help as he escaped, hoping someone would aid his retreat. In just minutes, the Honghuang army would arrive, and as an imperial son, he didn’t want to die.

But to his calls, the Honghuang remnants didn’t advance—instead, they fled.

Save you? Only if we could.

Besides, you’re not our imperial son—why should we risk our lives for you? Who do you think you are?

Seeing his Honghuang kin flee, Qiong Qi’s primordial spirit trembled with fury. If not for saving you lot, would I be in this mess? The Honghuang race’s failure to unite the heavens stemmed from their self-serving ways.

“Two Honghuang imperial sons have already fallen—now it’s your turn to join them.” Ye Chen’s voice was stern and icy as he thrust a sword of annihilation through the skies, piercing the fleeing Qiong Qi.

Qiong Qi’s vitality was tenacious; he wasn’t killed outright.

Since he wasn’t dead, Ji Ning Shuang stepped in, her sword no weaker than Ye Chen’s.

“I am unwilling!” Qiong Qi’s eyes bulged, his pupils contracting as he howled from his soul. Having lain dormant for eons, unsealed in this era, he had thought to continue his forebears’ legend, only to meet his end midway on the path of imperial contention.

This was the hatred of an imperial son, born under ancestral glory, only to perish in regret.