Chapter 2048: The Strongest Mortal Realm vs. The Strongest Cultivation Realm

"With me?"

Ye Chen scoffed, stepping forward without hesitation. He executed the Da Li Jin Gang Zhang, a palm technique so rigid and powerful, enhanced by his profound internal energy, it was truly imposing.

Their palms met with a forceful impact, but Ye Chen remained steadfast.

Tian Mo, however, coughed up a large mouthful of blood and was sent flying off the stone platform, his expression one of utter shock. At his weakest, he was still a half-mortal, half-cultivator, capable of annihilating mortals with a casual wave. Even masters of martial arts couldn't withstand a single palm from him – such was the chasm between mortals and immortals.

Yet, Ye Chen's strength defied his understanding. A mere mortal had cultivated such profound internal energy, surpassing the limits of the mortal realm. In their direct confrontation, Tian Mo was utterly defeated.

Little did he know, Ye Chen's true identity was the tenth emperor of Da Chu, a ruthless figure who had slain emperors. Even reduced to a mortal, he was still a king, having refined his mortal body to its peak, capable of communing with the divine.

"Feng Shen Jue."

While Tian Mo was still reeling in shock, Ye Chen had already leaped off the stone platform with his lightness skill, executing a swift sword strike like lightning, piercing directly toward her brow with immense force.

Tian Mo gritted his teeth, stopping himself mid-air, and flipped his hand, summoning a shield in front of him.

Clang! Crack!

The sounds of metal colliding and shattering rang out almost simultaneously. Ye Chen, wielding his peach wood sword, had actually pierced through the shield.

Unfortunately, the shield had absorbed the brunt of the impact, preventing him from wounding Tian Mo.

Tian Mo seized the opportunity to catch his breath and retreated swiftly, forming a seal with one hand to summon a massive blood dragon, thirty meters long, which roared and lunged at Ye Chen, intending to devour him whole.

Ye Chen was even more ferocious; with a single leap, he landed on the blood dragon's head and stomped it into pieces.

"Die!"

Tian Mo roared furiously, manifesting a black light ball in his palm and hurling it at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's brow furrowed slightly, and he dodged without pressing the attack, as if he knew what the black light ball was and understood Tian Mo's intent.

No sooner had he evaded than the light ball exploded, releasing streaks of dark energy that spread in all directions, an indiscriminate attack. Such a light ball was most effective in group battles, and Tian Mo was using it against Ye Chen.

In an instant, Ye Chen steadied himself and wielded his peach wood sword, deploying the Tian Gang Jian Zhen to block the incoming dark energy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

More crisp sounds of metal clashing echoed as streaks of blood light bombarded the Tian Gang Jian Zhen, exploding one after another but failing to breach the defense, thus unable to harm Ye Chen.

"Die!"

Tian Mo instantly closed in, thrusting a divine light from his finger toward Ye Chen's skull.

Ye Chen sneered and abruptly raised his hand, precisely grasping Tian Mo's finger before exerting force to snap it off. At the same time, he swung his sword, sending Tian Mo flying.

Tian Mo staggered back, coughing up blood incessantly, his face contorting into something even more grotesque. He was a half-immortal, yet he couldn't defeat a mere mortal – this was utter humiliation.

Ah!

With a roar, the enraged Tian Mo transformed into his true form: a beast resembling a jackal, pitch-black all over with fur like steel needles standing on end, a single horn on its head like a diamond drill, long fangs gleaming coldly, and blood-red eyes as large as bowls, filled with savagery and bloodlust.

The ground shook violently due to Tian Mo's massive body charging forward, stomping the earth fiercely while spewing flames and shooting thunder from its eyes.

"So what if you're huge?"

Ye Chen snorted coldly, turned, and leaped back onto the stone platform. He raised his sword, pointing it at Tian Mo as he unleashed Wan Jian Chao Zong, a powerful area attack perfect for dealing with such a large foe.

The sword energy hummed sharply as countless sword qi pierced the sky.

Tian Mo was stubborn enough to charge through the sword qi, only to be riddled with bloody holes, blood spraying everywhere. His enormous true form was forced back into human shape.

"I don't believe it."

Tian Mo bellowed, drawing his dark killing sword enveloped in demonic power, and rushed onto the stone platform. He had realized that long-range attacks were ineffective against Ye Chen; to defeat him, close combat was necessary.

In essence, he wanted to test his sword skills against Ye Chen's.

Ye Chen couldn't help but laugh. If long-range attacks didn't work, close combat would be even worse for Tian Mo. The domineering Huang Gu Sheng Ti excelled in close quarters. Though he was a mortal, Ye Chen hadn't forgotten his combat techniques—whether hand-to-hand or swordplay, he outclassed Tian Mo by miles. After all, he had once battled Tian Mo Di, an unparalleled realm that no one could match.

As they spoke, Tian Mo had already closed in, launching a deadly strike with his sword piercing the air.

Ye Chen ducked low, evading the sword, and countered with a Da Li Jin Gang Zhang to Tian Mo's chest.

Wow! That hurt!

Tian Mo spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, flying more than ten meters away, his chest bones shattered and many meridians ruptured. If not for his half-immortal state, that single palm would have sent him straight to the underworld.

Ah!

Tian Mo roared again, gripping his sword with both hands and slashing wildly.

Ye Chen kept advancing, enveloping his peach wood sword with internal energy, engaging Tian Mo in a sword duel.

On the stone platform, the battle erupted in full force, with weapons clashing in a cacophony of metallic sounds.

This was a fight of great significance.

On one side, Ye Chen was a mortal body standing at the pinnacle of the mortal realm.

On the other, Tian Mo was a half-immortal at the bottom of the cultivation realm.

The strongest in the mortal realm versus the weakest in the cultivation realm—this was a first in the history of conflicts between Tian Mo and the various heavens. It was the most unconventional clash between mortals and immortals, and the most intriguing contest between the people of the heavens and the Tian Mo people.

The battle was incredibly bloody.

Ye Chen clearly held the absolute upper hand, unmatched in close combat with sword skills that were divinely masterful. Each strike left a gruesome bloody gash on Tian Mo. Ye Chen had adapted his former divine abilities into mortal martial arts, and they remained just as domineering.

As for Tian Mo, he looked utterly wretched—disheveled, bleeding profusely, and unable to raise his head. He was an immortal of sorts, but unfortunately, he had encountered the most abnormal of mortals.

"Truly a great battle in Gui Yu Zhi Cheng!"

Outside the city, the martial artists and esoteric experts who had been blown away by the wind had gathered once more, all perking up their ears and gazing toward Gui Yu Zhi Cheng. Tian Mo's roars and bellows carried a demonic power, clearly audible from outside.

"Could someone have gotten there first?"

An elderly martial arts senior pondered aloud.

"That hurricane was so ferocious—who could enter? Even Du Gu Jian Sheng would be blown away!"

"Weird, truly weird."

The group scratched their heads, baffled, all wanting to go in for a look, but their strength was insufficient. The hurricane still raged fiercely, and getting too close would send them skyward, taking ages to come down. These martial arts experts simply weren't up to it.

By now, the sky had darkened further as night fell, with misty fog settling in.

The patch of scorched earth where Yang Ge Lao and his companions were located grew increasingly restless, filled with wailing sounds and occasional cackles of eerie laughter in the pitch-black night, sending chills down the spine.

Inside the glutinous rice circle, Yang Ge Lao and the other two stood up, furrowing their brows as they stared at their surroundings. Numerous dark, shadowy monsters crawled out from the ground, grinning maliciously as they closed in. Only then did the three realize why Ye Chen had set up the evil-repelling rice circle—he had known these malevolent spirits would cause trouble!

"Ghosts!"

Not far away, the injured and disabled people struggled to retreat, their faces full of terror. Among them, a few esoteric experts hurriedly pulled out evil-repelling items.

"Save them."

Shang Guan Jiu gave the order and stepped out of the rice circle, moving with incredible speed to drag the injured individuals inside.

Yang Ge Lao and Yang Xuan didn't idle either, rushing to different sides to bring back those still outside, who had no resistance. They were all people of the pugilistic world, and these folks weren't irredeemable villains, so how could they not save them?

In no time, the rice circle became crowded, crammed with thirty or fifty people.

Woo woo!

The evil spirits that had crawled from the ground sniffed the scent of blood and charged toward them. These monsters came in various forms—some with three heads and six arms, others with a single eye and three limbs, some resembling tigers and leopards, and others like malevolent ghosts. Their eyes all glowed green, and they laughed with a sinister, terrifying grin, as hideous as demons.

However, the rice circle was no ordinary barrier, reinforced by Ye Chen's evil-repelling items, all flickering with light. Any evil spirit that touched it burst into black smoke with a sizzling sound, causing the monsters to writhe in pain. Yet, they pressed on relentlessly, wave after wave, determined to devour Yang Xuan and the others.

"I never imagined that simple glutinous rice could have such capabilities," Yang Xuan exclaimed in astonishment.

The martial artists inside the rice circle, witnessing this, felt much safer. The few esoteric experts among them were particularly surprised, marveling at the rice circle's power—something they themselves could never achieve.

"A prolonged siege will eventually break through. Prepare for battle," Shang Guan Jiu said gravely, applying black dog blood to his weapon, ready to fight fiercely. The incoming evil spirits were too numerous and fearless.

As he predicted, the rice circle was weakening steadily; its collapse was only a matter of time.

The three of them were fine, unharmed and able to fight their way out if needed, but the injured people behind them were in despair. If the dark horde broke through, they would be the ones devoured. This trip to Gui Shan had turned into a path to the Yellow Springs for them.

The night stretched on endlessly.

As dawn approached and the rice circle had weakened to its limit, it finally shattered.

"Hold them back."

Shang Guan Jiu snorted coldly, gripping his long saber and charging out first, sweeping through a swath with a dominant slash.

Yang Xuan and Yang Ge Lao took positions on either side, repelling waves of evil spirits. The injured people behind them represented lives that couldn't be abandoned—they had to make one last effort. If it came to it, they'd retreat, at least with clear consciences.

"Three great heroes, it's time to go! Better than total annihilation," an elderly esoteric expert said hoarsely, not wanting to be a burden.

The others hung their heads in resignation. Though they wanted to live, in this situation, survival was a pitiful delusion.

Yang Xuan and the others didn't respond to their words. As people of the pugilistic world, they upheld its code and wouldn't abandon anyone to die.

Their resistance only enraged the evil spirits, who attacked even more madly, charging without regard for their lives.

"We can't hold them," Yang Xuan said, splitting one evil spirit in half as he looked toward Yang Ge Lao and Shang Guan Jiu.

Ah!

The two sighed heavily, glancing back at the people behind them. It wasn't that they didn't want to save them; they were all struggling just to survive themselves. Escaping with this group would be impossible for any of them.

The injured people remained optimistic, having accepted their fate, merely bowing their heads and waving them off.

Before Shang Guan Jiu and the others could retreat, however, sword hums echoed through the heavens, and sword qi rained down like a storm, each strand tainted with black dog blood, specifically countering evil spirits.

"Imperial Sword Flight."

The three spoke in unison, their faces lighting up with joy.

"Du Gu Jian Sheng?"

The injured people also gazed up at the sky.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, a figure in white descended from the heavens, ethereal as a dream, holding a long sword and pointing it at the oncoming evil spirits. Countless sword qi shot forth, exterminating them in droves, like autumn winds scattering fallen leaves.

In that moment, the last traces of darkness in the world dissipated, and the first rays of dawn arrived.

As the sky brightened, the remaining evil spirits showed expressions of terror, as if fearing the light, and all retreated into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

The scorched earth finally returned to peace.

The white-clad figure sheathed his sword—it was indeed Ling Feng, the genuine Du Gu Jian Sheng.

"You bastard, you finally show up!"

Yang Xuan and Shang Guan Jiu cursed loudly, stepping forward and each landing a punch on Ling Feng, making a fuss.

Ling Feng was completely baffled, and Yang Ge Lao wore a strange expression.

"The disguise can come off now. This look suits you better," Yang Xuan said, stroking his chin.

"Come on, tell us about Gui Yu Zhi Cheng. Did you find any treasures?" Shang Guan Jiu asked with a grin.

"You two... what are you talking about?"

The top-ranked martial artist in the world, Ling Feng, was utterly confused, scratching his head involuntarily.

"I don't get it either," Yang Ge Lao chuckled dryly.

Yang Xuan and Shang Guan Jiu raised their eyebrows, exchanging glances, then looked at Yang Ge Lao and Ling Feng. The group stared at each other in bewilderment, along with the injured people, all wearing puzzled expressions.