Chapter 2073: Getting Punished

Pfft!

A splash of blood, a chilling, vibrant red, as the Blood Robe Elder was run through—by his own sword, no less. That strike was devastating, almost killing him outright. The awkward part was, from start to finish, he had no idea what had happened.

He was gravely wounded, and Ye Chen spat blood as he fell from the sky, crashing to the ground in a pool of his own making.

As mentioned, this was a battle where both sides were severely harmed—injuring the enemy by a thousand but losing eight hundred yourself. After using several secret techniques, his bloodline power had significantly weakened, and the backlash was growing stronger by the moment.

"Who are you? Exactly who are you?"

The Blood Robe Elder gnashed his teeth, his eyes bloodshot and terrifying. Gripping his blood-soaked killing sword, he stumbled forward, intending to decapitate Ye Chen.

Ye Chen struggled to his feet, unsteady and coughing up blood non-stop, but he couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. He had overestimated this Ling Xu Realm expert. The elder had plenty of cultivation, but his combat skills were disastrously poor.

He dared to say this because, back in Da Chu, you could pick out any random Zhen Yang Realm cultivator who would completely dominate the Blood Robe Elder. After all, the cultivators of Da Chu had all been tempered in the great war against the demons, undergoing life-and-death trials that gave them a mindset the Blood Robe Elder couldn't match.

"Who are you? Exactly who are you?"

The Blood Robe Elder was still roaring in fury, driven to madness. A dignified Ling Xu Realm expert, nearly killed by a half-immortal—it was a massive humiliation to his pride as an immortal. If word got out, how could he ever show his face again?

Ye Chen just smiled without answering. Steadying himself, he once again summoned his Dao sword. Although his injuries were worse than the Blood Robe Elder's, he was more aggressive, stumbling forward in a relentless attack.

Ling Xu Realm is impressive? I've slain Great Emperors before!

His attacks only fueled the Blood Robe Elder's fury, making him charge like a mad dog.

Pfft!

Pfft!

Their fight devolved into something primal and bloody—one would slash, and the other would stubbornly stab back, no matter the cost.

Ah!

The Blood Robe Elder howled like a maniac, each cry more frantic than the last.

In reality, yelling doesn't make your attacks stronger—shouting loudly achieves nothing. Take a lesson from Young Master Ye; he stayed silent, just focused on the fight, landing a sword strike whenever he could, and even thinking about throwing in an extra kick for good measure.

His style was downright unscrupulous—he always aimed for the vital spots. After dozens of exchanges, he had reduced that big, burly man to something resembling a eunuch.

No exaggeration: that little thing of the Blood Robe Elder's, with a bit of soy sauce and vinegar, could probably be stir-fried into a dish.

While the battle raged on, up on Jie Ming Mountain, the Ming Emperor watched with his mouth twitching. He occasionally glanced at Di Huang beside him, feeling a chill in his own groin. The look in his eyes towards Di Huang said it all: Is this how your Holy Body lineage fights?

Di Huang cleared his throat awkwardly. It wasn't just the Ming Emperor feeling the cold draft—Di Huang had watched the entire fight from beginning to end, witnessing firsthand how Ye Chen had methodically sliced off the elder's manhood with one sword after another. Just thinking about it made him wince in pain.

On Jie Ming Mountain, besides those two, there was another person—take a closer look, and it's Qin Meng Yao.

This young woman was a bit... well, peculiar.

For some reason, watching the fight always reminded her of something Zhao Yun used to say: "Wander the Jianghu, and you can't avoid getting cut."

And Ye Chen's battle perfectly illustrated that truth. No wonder they were such good brothers—they were a perfect match.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, the brutal fight in the ravaged forest finally came to an end.

The Blood Robe Elder was defeated, lying limply on the ground, no longer resembling a human. Blood foam bubbled from his mouth, and his body was covered in countless wounds. The most agonizing spot was still his groin. He had no idea how the fight had even unfolded—it was all a blur, and now his manhood was gone, the pain tearing at his very soul and severely hindering his strength. He was pushed back relentlessly, truly an unlucky soul. Out of all the mortal ancient stars, he had to come here and, by sheer bad luck, run into a total freak who left him questioning his existence.

As for Ye Chen, he was also drenched in blood from head to toe.

Compared to the Blood Robe Elder, he was just a little better off—at least his manhood was still intact, and it was the most spirited part of him.

A gust of autumn wind blew by, and Ye Chen climbed to his feet again, gripping his bloodstained Dao sword. He stumbled step by step towards the Blood Robe Elder. The elder wasn't dead yet, so he had to finish him off—otherwise, the aftermath could be endless. Cultivators had incredibly strong vitality; he couldn't leave any hidden threats.

"You... exactly who are you?"

The Blood Robe Elder glared with wide, furious eyes, staring intently at Ye Chen. Only after fighting did he realize how terrifying this seemingly insignificant half-immortal was. Whether in secret techniques or combat mindset, Ye Chen surpassed him completely. Compared to Ye Chen, the elder's only advantage was his cultivation level; everything else was utterly crushed.

"Have a good journey."

Ye Chen didn't answer the question and raised his killing sword.

"Then I'll drag you down with me in death!"

The Blood Robe Elder let out a sinister grin, his eyes wild with madness. His body swelled instantly, violent energy surging forth—this was clearly a self-destruction.

Ye Chen's expression changed. He quickly withdrew his raised sword—it was too late to strike. His top priority now was to escape.

"On the Yellow Springs Road, with you for company, this old man won't be lonely."

Accompanied by that eerie, cold laugh, the Blood Robe Elder exploded. Centered on that patch of land, a layer of devastating blood-red halo spread in all directions, obliterating mountains and rocks, turning them to ash, and felling ancient trees in swaths, cutting them down at the waist.

Ye Chen was still fleeing, leaving bloody footprints with every step, swaying unsteadily.

Just as the halo was about to reach him, he turned abruptly and forced out the last of his bloodline power, forming a shield in front of him.

In an instant, the shield shattered, and he was sent flying, soaring over the forest and plunging into a rushing river. He drifted with the currents towards the distance, his fresh blood staining the water red.

At that moment, the world fell silent.

Sometime later, a figure in black robes appeared in the forest—it was Yin Yue Huang Fei, drawn by the echoes of the battle. What she saw was a landscape of utter devastation. Being clever, she followed Ye Chen's blood trail to the riverbank and searched downstream along the shore.

Ye Chen was fortunate to survive; he hadn't drowned and had washed up on a reef.

By the time Yin Yue Huang Fei arrived, it was dawn. Seeing that Ye Chen was still alive, she let out a huge sigh of relief. She took him back to the ancient tomb and used source crystal spiritual energy to nourish his body. His injuries were severe—if not for that bloodline shield, he likely would have been reduced to ashes.

Yin Yue Huang Fei was shocked by Ye Chen's strength. As a half-immortal, he had actually taken down a Ling Xu Realm expert—and this was while sealed. If he were at full power, how terrifying would he be? Surely a being with earth-shattering abilities.

Ye Chen lay quietly, still unconscious. Though only a half-immortal, his recovery was incredibly powerful, enhanced by the source crystal spiritual energy. The bloody wounds all over his body were healing rapidly.

Yin Yue Huang Fei didn't idle while he slept. She ventured out multiple times, returning to the forest where the Blood Robe Elder had exploded. Though he was gone, he had left behind various treasures, like spiritual artifacts and source crystal fragments. She collected them all—they would be useful, at least for absorbing the spiritual energy within.

That night, a gentle breeze carried a woman's fragrance into the main tomb.

If Ye Chen had been awake, he would have sensed it—the woman had come to him in a dream again.

In his slumber, Ye Chen felt a jade-like hand softly brushing his face. The sensation was familiar and warm, and vaguely, he could hear a woman's gentle whisper calling his name.

In the tomb, Yin Yue Huang Fei sat cross-legged, opening her eyes more than once to scan the surroundings. She had a persistent feeling that, besides her husband and Ye Chen, there was a fourth presence in the main tomb. Unfortunately, her cultivation was not advanced enough to detect it.

It wasn't until the second night that Ye Chen awoke from his coma. His body was weak, and his head was dizzy. He rubbed his brow hard, recalling the events before—his fierce battle with the Ling Xu Realm expert.

"Senior, you're awake."

Yin Yue Huang Fei channeled a strand of spiritual energy into Ye Chen's body.

"How long have I been out?"

Ye Chen rubbed his brow fiercely.

"Two days."

"I've brushed with death again."

Ye Chen got off the stone bed. His body was still frail, but at least he was the victor, having slain the Blood Robe Elder. If he had lost, this ancient star would likely be drowned in blood.