Chapter 2187: Fighting

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The vast starry sky was no longer peaceful. Though there were no crowds like surging tides or seas, the cultivators involved were all at an extraordinarily high level. At a glance, every participant in the battle was a Quasi-Emperor.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that even many veteran Great Saints didn't dare to join in. Ordinary Quasi-Emperors could barely withstand a single palm strike from Zaohua Shenwang, let alone these minor figures who would become cannon fodder the moment they stepped into the battlefield.

"Why are there Heavenly Demons again? Where did they come from?" the arriving cultivators asked, their expressions full of surprise.

"Could there be another Heavenly Demon invasion?"

"I heard it's from Dachu, and it's the legendary Zaohua Shenwang. But no one knows why he transformed into a Heavenly Demon and broke free from the suppression of the Xianwang Ta."

"Zaohua Shenwang transforming into a Heavenly Demon... this is unbelievable."

Discussions erupted everywhere, mixed with shock and confusion. They were shocked by Zaohua Shenwang's combat prowess, as so many Quasi-Emperors, along with numerous ultimate Emperor Artifacts, still couldn't stop him alone. They were confused about how he had suddenly become a Heavenly Demon.

The cultivators of the various heavens couldn't figure it out, and the same went for those from Honghuang.

Among the onlookers from all sides, many Quasi-Emperors from Honghuang were hidden, but they merely observed without any intention to join the fight. Amid their confusion, they felt a sense of schadenfreude—let them fight, and the more who died, the better.

Pfft!

Amid the discussions, Zaohua Shenwang was spattered with blood across the starry sky. It wasn't that his strength was lacking; it was just that his opponents were too numerous, all at the Quasi-Emperor level, and some even shamelessly wielded Emperor Artifacts. Was it fair for so many to gang up on him alone?

Fair? That would be the response from the people of the various heavens. With so many not fighting, why target you? Don't you have any self-awareness? You're the only one exceptional enough to transform into a Heavenly Demon.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The starry sky trembled with vibrations as streaks of ultimate immortal light shot through, each carrying destructive power that left the star domain in ruins. Not only the onlookers but even the participating Quasi-Emperors dared not get too close, and many had already quietly withdrawn from the battlefield to make room for those wielding Emperor Artifacts. The crowd was too dense and could lead to friendly fire.

Zaohua Shenwang's face was twisted in ferocity, but he was in full retreat. No matter how masterful his techniques, he couldn't withstand the onslaught of so many Quasi-Emperors from the various heavens. Such a grand battle could only be endured by an Emperor; anyone else would be overwhelmed. As he was chased, his body was covered in bloody gashes, all inflicted by ultimate Emperor Artifacts.

Still, being able to draw so many Quasi-Emperors in pursuit was something he could take pride in.

Typically, battles of this scale involved Great Emperors, so for him to provoke such a lineup was, in a sense, supreme glory.

Realizing he was outmatched, Zaohua Shenwang fled without stopping.

Behind him, an uncountable number of Quasi-Emperors chased relentlessly, especially those from Dachu, who knew all too well the terror of Zaohua Shenwang. Now that he had become a Heavenly Demon, if they let him escape, it would lead to catastrophe sooner or later.

Their mindset had shifted. Sealing Zaohua Shenwang again would be ideal, but if that failed, they had no choice but to eliminate him entirely—this was their last resort.

The pursuit and escape created a magnificent scene.

Looking into the distance, it was a trail of immortal lights, each more brilliant than the last, with Zaohua Shenwang in the lead and the Quasi-Emperors of the various heavens following, adding a dazzling splendor to the vast starry sky.

This spectacle was clearly visible to Ming Di and Di Huang.

Both supreme beings understood that if Zaohua Shenwang kept fleeing, no one could catch him.

As they predicted, Zaohua Shenwang escaped. In a desolate star domain, he tore open a realm gate and vanished in an instant.

The Quasi-Emperors of the various heavens arrived too late, their faces darkening with frustration. They never expected that Zaohua Shenwang, after transforming into a Heavenly Demon, would master realm traversal techniques. Now that he had entered another realm, where could they find him?

Without time to dwell, Donghuang Tai Xin took out a divine stone and sent a message to the son of the realm, briefly explaining the situation.

Xi Chen, who was still searching for Ye Chen in the realms, received the message and suddenly halted in the void, his expression changing dramatically.

"What happened?" Sheng Zun asked immediately.

Xi Chen didn't reply but shared a divine thought with him.

Upon reading it, Sheng Zun's expression also turned to one of shock. Even with his composure, he couldn't help but be astonished. He had once inspected the sealed Zaohua Shenwang, who was bound by numerous seals and suppressed by Emperor Artifacts. Such powerful restraints—how had Zaohua Shenwang broken free?

"This is troublesome," Xi Chen said, furrowing his brow. Zaohua Shenwang himself wasn't frightening, and even as a Heavenly Demon, he wasn't that scary. What was terrifying was his ability to freely traverse realms after transforming, making him hard to track. Even if they found him, they might not defeat him, and even if they did, capturing him would be another challenge.

Even Sheng Zun couldn't help but rub his forehead in frustration. They had searched for eight years for the Dachu emperor without success, and now they had to deal with a realm-traveling Zaohua Shenwang as a Heavenly Demon. Just thinking about it gave them headaches.

The two powerhouses hesitated: should they search for Ye Chen first or go after Zaohua Shenwang?

One thing they both silently agreed on was that Zaohua Shenwang's transformation into a Heavenly Demon and his escape from the seals wasn't a coincidence—it must be related to the Qingtian Magic Pillar. In fact, it was likely the Qingtian Magic Pillar that lent him the power to break the restraints.

Now that Zaohua Shenwang had fled into another realm, they were certain it was the Qingtian Magic Pillar summoning him. As a transformed Heavenly Demon, Zaohua Shenwang must know where the Qingtian Magic Pillar was, meaning it was hidden in one of the realms within the myriad domains.

Hm?

As they pondered, they suddenly saw the space distort, and a figure emerged into this realm. She was cloaked in black robes, appearing ethereal and illusory, like a ghost even in broad daylight. Her body flickered between intangible and solid.

"The Female Eucharist?" Both narrowed their eyes slightly, surprised. They hadn't expected the Female Eucharist to be in the realms as well. They had heard of her existence but were seeing her for the first time. She truly was a taboo-defying being— the existence of a Female Eucharist was novel just to think about.

In the void, the Female Eucharist's expression was indifferent. From the moment she entered the realm, she spotted Sheng Zun and the son of the realm but completely ignored them, instead scanning the surroundings with her divine sense, as if searching for something—specifically, Ye Chen.

Seeing this, Sheng Zun and Xi Chen exchanged glances.

Could she be here for Zaohua Shenwang?

This guess seemed plausible. As the supreme Eucharist of the various heavens, how could she allow a transformed Heavenly Demon like Zaohua Shenwang to escape?

With that thought, both rose into the air, intending to have a proper chat with the Female Eucharist.

But she said nothing. Before they could approach, she suddenly turned and tore open a realm gate, stepping into it and disappearing.

Hey!

Sheng Zun was annoyed. He was someone who had survived an Emperor Tribulation and nearly become an Emperor—being ignored like this was humiliating.

Xi Chen wasn't slow either, following into the realm gate, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. He felt this Female Eucharist was more mysterious than expected, as if hiding unknown secrets. Why else would she leave without a word?

Now, one Female Archaic Eucharist, one near-Emperor powerhouse, and one realm-traversing son of the realm were all entering the same gate. There was bound to be some conversation.

And conversation there was—perhaps even a fight at the drop of a hat.

In just three to five breaths, booming sounds echoed from the realm gate, not from any malfunction but from fighting inside.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Amid the booms, Sheng Zun's angry shout could be heard. He had just entered the realm gate and approached when, without a chance to speak, the Female Eucharist struck first with a resounding slap that caught him off guard.

Xi Chen was also affected, his head buzzing from the impact.

Getting slapped out of nowhere, the two powerhouses weren't about to take it lying down. Ignoring them was one thing, but attacking first was outrageous.

So, naturally, the three of them started fighting.

These three were quite something— instead of searching for their targets, they were brawling in the realm gate.

The two powerhouses didn't hold back, showing no mercy despite her being a woman.

In their view, the Archaic Eucharist lineage, whether male or female, was incredibly tough.

And indeed, this Female Eucharist wasn't just tough; she was formidable. At one point, she even had the two powerhouses on the defensive. An infinitely close-to-great Female Eucharist wasn't to be trifled with—the myth of invincibility in the same realm wasn't just talk.

With a two-against-one setup, the commotion was massive, causing the sturdy realm gate to crack under the strain.

Ye Chen, of course, was unaware of all this.

The tenth emperor of Dachu was still diligently traveling through the black hole, nearing the Ling Domain.

He didn't emerge until who knows when.

When he reappeared, it was in a vast landscape of mountains and rivers, brimming with spiritual energy and wreathed in mist.

This was the Ling Domain.

Ye Chen didn't pause, using Shrinking Earth into Inches to hurry toward the Qing Luan Clan. As he surveyed the surroundings, he couldn't help but feel sentimental. After over a hundred years, he was back in the Ling Domain, and memories of the past were still vivid.

"I say, that person looks familiar!"

"A bit like the Archaic Eucharist." Many cultivators he passed scratched their heads subconsciously, but because Ye Chen moved so quickly, they couldn't get a clear look.

Ye Chen paid them no mind, his brilliant golden eyes scanning the heavens and earth along the way, but he detected no anomalies or scent of Heavenly Demons.

Helpless, he sped up, heading straight for the Qing Luan Clan.

His goal was clear: to use the Qing Luan Clan's spirit beasts to contact the various heavens.

Under the moonlight, he passed through the Qing Luan Clan's barrier and hovered above Qing Luan Immortal Mountain, his powerful pressure descending.

"Who goes there?" Shouts erupted as the Qing Luan Clan Saint Lord and the elders rushed into the sky. Seeing it was Ye Chen, they were stunned. It had been over a hundred years since their last parting, and encountering him now left them unprepared.

"No time for chit-chat—contact the various heavens," Ye Chen said directly.

"I'm afraid that's impossible," the Qing Luan Saint Lord replied with a helpless shake of his head. "Everyone in our clan who signed the spirit contract with the various heavens has died."

"Not a single one left?" Ye Chen asked in surprise.

"Not a single one remains," the Qing Luan Saint Lord sighed, nodding.

Ye Chen frowned but said nothing, turning and vanishing.

Behind him, the Qing Luan Clan members were left baffled, unsure why Ye Chen was in the Ling Domain or why he was in such a hurry.

Leaving the Qing Luan Clan, Ye Chen streaked through the vast void like a blazing divine light.

That night, he visited countless clans, seeking spirit beasts to contact the various heavens.

To his astonishment, among the thousands of clans in the Ling Domain, not a single one had anyone left with a spirit contract to the various heavens. They had all died violently or been buried, with not a trace remaining—and all this had happened in recent years.

A conspiracy—there must be a conspiracy.

The astute Ye Chen's eyes flickered with uncertainty. For them all to die without exception—how could that be a coincidence? Some mysterious force must have secretly eliminated those with spirit contracts, aiming to cut off communication with the various heavens.

In the dead of night, Ye Chen stepped into the void, heading straight for the ancient abyss where the Heavenly Demon army and the Emperor's corpse had once been hidden.

When he arrived again, it was at the abyss's ruins, now filled in.

Eh?

No sooner had he descended than Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, surprised to see someone else at the site—an old acquaintance.