Chapter 2051: Despair, You Ants?

Woo woo woo...!

The world of Gui Shan grew dark once more, filled with eerie wails that carried a bewitching power, disturbing the minds of all. The faint green hue that had briefly appeared was now overshadowed by the howling, as the entire Gui Shan was enveloped in sinister fog. Malevolent ghosts and evil spirits emerged, grinning grotesquely.

"In the end, what is that thing?" In the valley, everyone stared toward the direction of Gui Yu Zhi Cheng, their bodies trembling, their faces etched with terror. Even their voices shook as they spoke.

Under the watchful eyes of all, rolling demonic fog surged out from Gui Yu Zhi Cheng, shooting straight into the sky like a black curtain that blocked out the last traces of light, plunging the world into darkness.

Looking closely, within the rampaging fog, a shadowy human form could be seen—it was the resurrected Tian Mo. His face was indistinct, but a pair of massive eyes were visible, threaded with blood vessels, glowing a deep crimson that flickered with savage light, making him terrifyingly ferocious.

As Tian Mo stepped out of the fog, people could finally see his true form: a massive figure over nine feet tall, licking his scarlet tongue with fangs bared, laughing in a sinister and frightening way. Perhaps due to his immense weight, each step he took made the ground thud heavily.

He was overwhelmingly powerful. His terrifying pressure even made Jian Sheng and Dao Kuang struggle to resist, their legs bending as if they might kneel.

Among those present, only Ye Chen could still stand steadily, barely withstanding Tian Mo's aura.

"Demon... a devil." The martial artists recoiled in fear, their eyes bulging with terror as they backed away collectively.

Tian Mo ignored the others, fixing his gaze on Ye Chen with a grotesque and ruthless grin, as if he longed to tear Ye Chen apart, drink his blood, and gnaw his bones to quench his deep-seated hatred.

Ye Chen remained silent, but inwardly he was calling out, summoning the Xie Mo. For the Tian Mo before him was no longer a semi-immortal—he had surpassed any limit Ye Chen could handle. If they fought head-on, Ye Chen would surely die, and the people of Gui Shan, the land of Yan Di, even all the living beings on this Gu Xing, would be annihilated. A Tian Mo at the Ning Qi realm was like an supreme ruler in the mortal world.

Yet, his summons received no response from Xie Mo.

"Lao Yang, the Xuan Lei Jian." Ye Chen extended his hand, his expression gravely serious. If Xie Mo wouldn't come to his aid, he had no choice but to face this himself.

With Tian Mo resurrected, he would surely absorb the source crystal's spiritual power even more voraciously than before. It wouldn't be long before the source crystal's energy was depleted, potentially affecting the sealed Qin Xiong.

Ye Chen could escape, but then Qin Xiong would be beyond saving.

Yang Ge Lao didn't dare delay and hurriedly handed over the Xuan Lei Jian.

"Leave this place." Ye Chen said calmly, gripping the Xuan Lei Jian as he charged straight at Tian Mo.

Without him needing to say it, the martial artists had already turned and fled, scrambling away without looking back. Tian Mo was too terrifying—even a gust of wind from him could send them flying; how could they fight?

Ling Feng and the others hesitated for a moment before turning to leave as well; they would only be a burden here.

On the other side, Ye Chen had already closed in with his sword, unleashing a Feng Shen strike aimed directly at Tian Mo's forehead.

"Ant." Tian Mo sneered darkly, suddenly raising his hand to grip the sword tip, demonic energy surging forth.

Ye Chen was shaken backward, stumbling with each step and leaving deep footprints in the ground. The Xuan Lei Jian in his hand buzzed violently, nearly slipping from his grasp due to the shock from Tian Mo. If it weren't forged from black Xuan iron, it would have shattered on the spot.

Before Ye Chen could steady himself, Tian Mo darted forward like a ghost, thrusting a finger that pierced a bloody hole in his chest.

Ye Chen dodged and retreated, sealing his acupoints to stop the gushing blood.

"Can you escape?" Tian Mo chuckled coldly, moving even faster as he thrust another finger toward Ye Chen's forehead—this time, a killing blow that would end him if it struck.

In a flash, Ye Chen used Tai Xu Transfer to shift his vital points.

At the same time, he swung the Xuan Lei Jian, carving a gruesome bloody gash across Tian Mo's body.

"Excellent." Tian Mo laughed ferociously, not angered but even more excited. A quick kill would be boring; for an enemy like Ye Chen, he wanted to torment him to death for true amusement.

Ye Chen's mind was as still as water. He gripped the Xuan Lei Jian and used Tai Xu Step, employing his mysterious footwork to circle around Tian Mo. For every finger Tian Mo thrust at him, Ye Chen countered with a sword strike.

The battle was brutally bloody.

Clearly, Ye Chen was at a disadvantage, being relentlessly suppressed. In just over a dozen exchanges, he was covered in blood, his body marked with shocking wounds and gashes.

In contrast, Tian Mo's injuries were mere surface scratches.

As a cultivator, his recovery far outpaced that of mortals, and he continuously absorbed the source crystal's spiritual power along with the life force from plants and trees. From the start, he had completely overwhelmed Ye Chen in speed, strength, and recovery.

"Xie Mo." Ye Chen called out inwardly once more; he couldn't hold on much longer, and neither could the source crystal in the old tomb.

"Ant, are you in despair?" Tian Mo's laughter carried demonic power. Before the words faded, he lunged like a shadow, thrusting out a pitch-black palm strike.

"Wan Jian Feng Shen." Ye Chen gritted his teeth and stepped forward, his sword piercing through the palm strike, though the impact made him spit blood.

"I underestimated you." Tian Mo licked his lips and waved his hand, summoning a blood dragon that roared toward Ye Chen—far stronger than the one in Gui Yu Zhi Cheng.

Ye Chen halted abruptly, channeling his inner energy into the Xuan Lei Jian and pointing it at the blood dragon.

Instantly, a ferocious sword hum echoed as countless sword energies manifested—it was his self-created secret technique, Wan Jian Chao Zong.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The blood dragon was wounded, its massive body slashed with bloody marks. Yet, even so, Wan Jian Chao Zong couldn't stop it. The blood dragon charged in, swinging its tail like a divine dragon and flinging Ye Chen away, breaking several of his bones.

The blood dragon pursued relentlessly, opening its maw to devour him.

"With you? Devour me?" Ye Chen snorted coldly, steadying himself mid-air and unleashing Feng Shen Jue once more. His sword pierced from the dragon's mouth straight through to its tail.

The blood dragon wailed and disintegrated on the spot.

But Ye Chen staggered, struck by Tian Mo's palm and sent flying, crashing into a pool of blood.

This time, Ye Chen didn't get up. After the grueling battle, he was utterly exhausted. In a contest of endurance, he couldn't match Tian Mo; in recovery, he was far inferior; and in combat power, they were on entirely different levels—one a cultivator, the other a mortal, with no comparison.

"How dull." Tian Mo smirked with sadistic pleasure, advancing step by step. A bone spike protruded from his palm, ready to drive it into Ye Chen's skull. The moment it withdrew, the spraying blood would be a sight to behold.

But before he could reach him, a series of whooshing sounds filled the air as hundreds of figures arrived—Ling Feng, Yang Xuan, and many martial arts experts, all rushing back.

"Take this blade!" Shangguan Jiu charged fiercely, leaping into the air and slashing down with her Purple Gold Blade.

"Overreaching." Tian Mo didn't even pause or glance her way, merely flicking his hand to send her flying into a boulder, which shattered on impact.

Yang Xuan snorted coldly, gathering Gang Qi in his palm and striking from a distance.

Tian Mo didn't bother to speak, merely huffing coldly to knock Yang Xuan back.

Ling Feng's sword strike was powerful, piercing the air and striking Tian Mo's chest. However, though strong, it couldn't breach Tian Mo's defense, only sparking off his body.

Tian Mo chuckled eerily, his demonic energy surging and flinging even the top-ranked Du Gu Jian Sheng backward.

"Kill!" The martial arts experts roared, launching arrows and flying daggers from all directions.

But it was futile. Those arrows and daggers were too fragile; if even Jian Sheng couldn't break through, and Ye Chen had been defeated, what chance did they have? They charged in waves and were swept away in waves. Those who came to help were all brought to their knees in an instant.

"How dull, truly dull." Tian Mo stretched his neck contentedly, his eyes gleaming with malice, his gaze fixed on Ye Chen the whole time.

Ye Chen coughed up blood, using the Xuan Lei Jian to prop himself up and stagger to his feet, his body drenched in fresh blood, looking like a blood-soaked figure.

He remained as calm as ever, his anger toward Tian Mo buried deep in his soul. Once unleashed, it would shake heaven and earth, as proven when he had slain the two emperors' bodies.

Tian Mo finally stopped, standing three paces away, slowly raising his hand to choke Ye Chen's neck from afar, lifting him into the air. The bone spike in his palm gleamed menacingly, poised to pierce Ye Chen's skull.

Ye Chen struggled feebly, his hands hanging limply, like a lamb awaiting slaughter. He was, after all, only mortal and couldn't defeat a cultivator. This time, he couldn't turn the tide.

Ling Feng and the others wanted to save him but were powerless, unable even to stand. Despair engulfed everyone's hearts. If the martial arts legend had fallen and Ye Chen died, they would follow. This mortal world would have no one left to stop this demon; he would turn this Gu Xing into a lifeless hell.

But at that moment, a thunderclap echoed through the nine heavens.

Dark clouds gathered in the sky, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling—the prelude to a storm.

In that instant, Ye Chen's dim eyes suddenly sparked with brilliance, his scattered gaze sharpening like scorching starlight, as if regaining strength. That strength came from the thunder resounding through the void. Though mortal, he could draw lightning into his body and harness its power. The battle's outcome was still uncertain.

Amid the thunder, he mustered his last bit of inner energy, breaking free from Tian Mo's grip and landing unsteadily on the ground.

Once steady, he raised the Xuan Lei Jian high, aligning it with his technique and pointing it at the sky.

Immediately, the raging lightning in the void seemed drawn by some divine force, striking straight down and connecting to the sword's tip. Through the Xuan Lei Jian as a conduit, the destructive thunder poured into Ye Chen's body. The silent thunder transformed into threads of electricity, merging into his limbs, organs, meridians, every acupoint, and even the tiniest pores. In an instant, he was enveloped in thunderous energy, like a thunder god incarnate.

"Mortal means can't kill you, so let's see the power of thunder."

Ye Chen's words rang out strong and resolute, cold and authoritative.