Chapter 2249: Two Cowards

"No," Tian Zhu and Di Mie replied in unison, their tones oddly identical. "You've already beaten us up, and now you're coming to borrow imperial weapons? How shameless can you be?"

At those words, Ye Chen's face darkened. "You've had your beating and vented your anger—why hold a grudge? Besides, there are so many imperial weapons in the forbidden zones. What's the harm in lending a few to Da Chu for a while?"

Tian Zhu and Di Mie took delight in his misfortune. Whenever they saw Ye Chen's face turn black, they felt an unmatched sense of satisfaction.

It could be said that even if Di Zun himself appeared, they would still dare to confront him.

When it came to Di Zun, their expressions always grew more serious and reflective.

Looking back to the past, before Di Zun became an emperor, he often wandered outside the forbidden zones, always trying to sneak in for a look.

He was quite the extraordinary figure, skilled in every form of deception and trickery, stirring up excitement wherever he went. The shameless deeds Ye Chen had done, Di Zun had basically done them all before.

Because of this, the divine generals under his command were incredibly lively and spirited.

This was the power of personal charisma. As the saying goes, one who stoops to the lowest level becomes invincible—and that described Di Zun, as well as Ye Chen. Not only did the two look identical, but their shameless behaviors were also remarkably outstanding.

They were each a once-in-nine-thousand-years talent, each dominating in their own way.

This was Tian Zhu and Di Mie's assessment of Ye Chen and Di Zun.

It had become a profound truth, serving as a constant warning to future generations. Anyone hoping to surpass these two in the realm of shamelessness would face a challenge no easier than becoming an emperor.

"The Hong Huang era could erupt into war at any moment, and Zhu Tian can't hold out against it!"

"Please, you two big shots, show some mercy and lend us some imperial weapons for defense."

"Just say yes or no! If you push us too far, we'll all come to Tianxu to undergo heavenly tribulations together."

"Refusing to help in a crisis will bring bad karma."

While Tian Zhu and Di Mie watched silently, Ye Chen didn't waste a moment. He launched into a barrage of words, speaking non-stop—sometimes pleading, sometimes threatening, sometimes negotiating. He covered everything from the grand situation of Zhu Tian to various interests, determined not to leave Tianxu without taking a few imperial weapons.

"That mountain over there needs some upkeep; it's full of weeds."

"This kind of technical work should wait for the Tian Wang to handle personally."

"Don't mess around; the Tian Wang has a terrible temper."

Ye Chen chattered on endlessly, but Tian Zhu and Di Mie paid him no attention. They carried on their own conversation, completely ignoring him and refusing to lend anything.

Ye Chen clutched his chest, overcome with an unprecedented sense of defeat.

To be fair, it wasn't that his persuasion skills were lacking; it was just that Tian Zhu and Di Mie had already encountered someone even more skilled at it.

Well, that would be the immortal martial Di Zun. Before he became an emperor, he had come to Tianxu to borrow imperial weapons too, dazzling them with flowery words just like Ye Chen, and ending up with quite a few.

Now, Tian Zhu and Di Mie had built up an immunity. No matter what he said, they wouldn't budge.

"You two are also from the ancient Tian Ting, right?" Ye Chen said, clutching his waist as he stood up.

"Kid, you know quite a bit!" Tian Zhu and Di Mie each took a swig of wine.

"With your kind, you're fit to be part of Tian Ting?" Ye Chen immediately started cursing, his outburst so sudden that it nearly made Tian Zhu and Di Mie fall off their rocks. They spat out their wine, spraying it all over Ye Chen's face. No one had expected him to start yelling out of nowhere.

"Your master was probably killed by Zhuxian Jian, right?"

"With your master dead, aren't you thinking about revenge? Instead, you're just sitting here drinking?"

"You have so many imperial weapons in your forbidden zone, and you're treating them like firewood sticks?"

"Do you even know why your master's dragon throne didn't follow you two? It's because you're too cowardly, tarnishing the prestige of the ancient Tian Ting commanders."

"I've seen cowards before, but never ones as pathetic as you."

"You two can only pick on me. If you've got the guts, go fight Zhuxian Jian!"

Da Chu's tenth emperor was like a war god possessed, fired up and full of fighting spirit. He clutched his waist with one hand and pointed at Tian Zhu and Di Mie's noses with the other, cursing them relentlessly.

This scene was nothing short of outrageous.

From a distance, Tian Zhu and Di Mie were squatting down while Ye Chen stood tall, lecturing them like children and scolding the two peak quasi-emperors from start to finish.

And it wasn't an exaggeration—he'd been at it for half an hour straight without stopping.

His mouth worked faster than a Gatling gun, never jamming once.

Tian Zhu and Di Mie just felt awkward. As peak quasi-emperors and great figures of the forbidden zones, they were being scolded so badly they couldn't lift their heads, not even getting a chance to respond.

If outsiders knew about this, their jaws would drop.

The holy body was truly audacious, coming to the forbidden zone to curse people—cursing Tian Zhu and Di Mie, no less—and acting more arrogant than the owners on their own turf.

This wasn't a plea for help; it was like crashing the party.

Only a Da Chu emperor would dare pull something like this. Anyone else would probably be drinking Meng Po soup by now.

"This junior of yours has surpassed all expectations," said the Ming Di on Mingling Mountain, his voice deep and profound.

"I'm truly gratified," Di Huang replied with a deep breath.

"If he fully achieves his holy body, he might even make a great emperor cry with his words," Ming Di said, his words laden with meaning. Back when he was at the saint level, he could already drive quasi-emperors to their tribulations. If his holy body were complete, it wouldn't just be quasi-emperors he'd confront.

Facts proved that when mouth skills reached a certain level, they could be more domineering than imperial dao immortal arts. The former Shijia Zunzhe of Ling Mountain was a bloody example of that.

It wasn't until who knows when that Ye Chen finally stopped, his throat hoarse and smoking. He clutched his waist, coughing nonstop, with bloody spittle flying out. He was literally cursing with his life on the line.

Meanwhile, Tian Zhu and Di Mie were shaking their heads. They couldn't even remember how many insults Ye Chen had thrown at them; their ears were buzzing, and their minds felt like someone had been banging gongs and drums inside for a full hour.

"Come here," Di Mie waved, calling Ye Chen over.

"No need; just say it from there." Ye Chen panted heavily, plopping down on the ground. His expression was full of righteous indignation, as if Tian Zhu and Di Mie had a mortal grudge against him.

"I'm just baffled—how is Zhuxian Jian related to you borrowing imperial weapons?" Di Mie stroked his beard and glared.

"It's a huge connection." Ye Chen quickly got up and squatted between Tian Zhu and Di Mie, his tone softening a bit. "You know about the tribulation calamities, right? It's all Zhuxian Jian's doing. So many quasi-emperors from Zhu Tian, including those from your forbidden zones, have fallen. What is that? It's hatred!"

The more Ye Chen spoke, the more excited he got, and he sat down again. "I'm not just scaring you two—Zhuxian Jian has already allied with Hong Huang. After they wipe out Zhu Tian, you're next. The five great forbidden zones are so powerful, and yet Zhuxian Jian is this brazen. Can you tolerate it?"

At that point, Ye Chen took a swig of wine and continued, "In my opinion, we should form an alliance. First, take down the Hong Huang clan, then destroy Zhuxian Jian. If your forbidden zones won't send troops, that's fine—just lend the imperial weapons to Zhu Tian, and we'll handle it for you."

"Keep bluffing," Tian Zhu glanced at him.

"Say whatever you want; we're still not lending," Di Mie shrugged.

"Two cowards."

"Kid, you're getting way too bold today. If it weren't for—"

"Two cowards."

"If not for Da Chu's sake, I would—"

"Two cowards."

"Here, take the imperial weapons and get out." Tian Zhu handed Ye Chen a storage bag and kicked him out of Tianxu. Ye Chen's small frame nearly fell apart from the force.

The two peak quasi-emperors still had buzzing heads and spinning vision.

They felt genuinely impressed with Ye Chen—even more so than with the Di Zun of the past.

Not just them; Ming Di and Di Huang felt the same way.

That night, the two supreme beings gained another truth: Da Chu's tenth emperor was a true all-rounder. He could handle formal occasions, curse like a storm, confront quasi-emperors, and even swipe imperial weapons.

Facing someone like him in battle, you'd have to rip out his mouth first; otherwise, the consequences would be severe.

Boom!

In Zhongzhou, Ye Chen soared over mountains and rivers before finally crashing into the ground.

When he stood up, he stumbled, nearly falling—not from injury, but from being stunned by his own audacity. He had just cursed out Tian Zhu and Di Mie, like walking through the gates of hell.

Still, he had borrowed the imperial weapons.

Thinking of that, he hurriedly opened the storage bag. Inside, ten imperial weapons were safely sealed: five imperial swords, two imperial copper furnaces, one divine mirror, and two imperial seals.

Only ten?

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, glancing back toward Tianxu, black lines crawling across his forehead. After all that effort through the night, he only got ten imperial weapons? With so many in their possession, they were being way too stingy.

As he thought about it, he considered turning back to try more persuasion and maybe get more.

But after walking just a few steps, he stopped. He still needed to visit the forbidden zones, but not Tianxu again. Those two old guys had volatile tempers and might reclaim these ten imperial weapons, which would be a loss.

After a moment's thought, he summoned a domain gate and headed straight for Ximo. Since he got ten imperial weapons from Tianxu, he should go to Wangchuan and borrow a few more. Then, he could hit Nanming Mingtu, Beiyue Huangquan, and Donghuang Lianyu—maybe not many, but accumulate them bit by bit.

It was a solid plan for Ye Chen.

However, the outcome wasn't quite as expected.

It was another dark and windy night when he entered Wangchuan.

But in less than a second, he was sent flying out, clearly kicked by someone. The force was immense, smashing an eight-thousand-zhang mountain into rubble.

"If you're not lending, then don't—stop hitting people!" Ye Chen clutched his waist, wiped his nosebleed, and grumbled as he left. At least they had some history; this was just too rude.

A few days later, in Nanming Mingtu.

Ye Chen found himself in an even more embarrassing situation. He hadn't even stepped through the door or said a word before a powerful force swept him out. This time, it was even more forceful, collapsing over a dozen mountains in a row.

What followed in Beiyue Huangquan was even bloodier.

The bloodiness referred to Ye Chen's experience. As soon as he entered, he was knocked out with a surprise attack—who knows by whom. They tied him up like a crab and hung him on a crooked tree outside the mountain. For good measure, they hung a white cloth banner around his neck, with five crooked characters scrawled on it.

"I'm a lunatic." A passing cultivator landed under the crooked tree and stared in astonishment at the white cloth banner around Ye Chen's neck. Those five crooked words were strikingly clear.

"He must have been robbed," sighed a kind-hearted old cultivator.

"This guy looks so familiar," said a sharp-faced young man, stroking his chin. He used a gentle force to brush aside Ye Chen's disheveled hair, finally revealing his face.

"Ye Chen?" The crowd was stunned. The holy body's appearance was known throughout the realms; no one would believe anyone who claimed not to recognize him.

For a moment, everyone looked at each other, then turned to stare at Ye Chen. What was going on? How did the holy body end up in Beiyue like this, tied up and hung on a tree?

So, the question was—who had tied him up, and who hung that banner? They'd all heard of the holy body kidnapping others, but this was the first time seeing Ye Chen in this state. Whoever did this must be an incredible master.

"You can't walk by the river without getting your feet wet," the kind-hearted old cultivator said, stroking his beard.

The other cultivators were even more unreliable; each pulled out a memory crystal and recorded the eye-catching scene without missing a detail. They had to show this to the people of Xuanhuang. Not a single one stepped forward to untie Ye Chen—they were still filming.

There were good-hearted people, though—a stunningly beautiful woman who soared through the air but quickly turned back and descended.

This woman was none other than Bei Sheng.

The world recognized Ye Chen, so they naturally recognized Bei Sheng, the top beauty of Beiyue. The crowd forgot about Ye Chen and stared at her, their hearts stirred by her beauty.

Bei Sheng ignored them completely, her expression strange as she looked at the crooked tree and the hanging Ye Chen. What on earth was this situation?

Ye Chen was finally taken down, carried away by Bei Sheng in an instant.

What shocked Bei Sheng was that inside Ye Chen's body, ten supreme imperial weapons were fused—and none of them belonged to Zhu Tian.

"Where did you get so many imperial weapons?" Bei Sheng frowned slightly.

"I said, don't carry me like this; it's embarrassing." Ye Chen finally woke up. Without even looking, he knew it was Bei Sheng; her woman's scent was unforgettable to him.

"Ye Chen has quite the style," Bei Sheng said with a smile as she set him down. "You came to Beiyue and didn't even tell me, so I could play host."

"If you were a man, I'd beat you until you cried." Ye Chen said with a dark face, pulling off the white cloth banner from his neck. He didn't throw it away but stuffed it into his storage bag. One day, when he achieved greatness, he'd make sure every person in Huangquan Forbidden Zone got one.

Damn it, if you're not lending, fine—but resorting to sneak attacks?

"Those ten imperial weapons in your body came from the forbidden zones, right?" Bei Sheng asked tentatively.

"Do you think I came to Xuanhuang for sightseeing?" Ye Chen limped along.

He had visited four of the five great forbidden zones in Xuanhuang, taken four beatings, and only gotten imperial weapons from Tianxu. The other three hadn't given him a thing. Now, Da Chu's emperor's reputation had another thick layer added to it—those five words, "I'm a lunatic," were bound to spread across all of Zhu Tian.

Bei Sheng said nothing, but she didn't need to ask more; she knew Ye Chen's purpose. He must have come to the forbidden zones to borrow imperial weapons, and from the looks of it, he'd been beaten up plenty.

Still, the result was good—he had borrowed them. Ten supreme imperial weapons were a force that could turn the tide in war.

"The last one: Donghuang Lianyu." Ye Chen took a swig of wine, determined. He'd probably get beaten again, but he was all in. If they hit him, he'd curse right back.

"I'll go with you." Bei Sheng smiled charmingly and summoned a domain gate—an imperial-level one at that.

Ye Chen didn't refuse; hers was much faster than his.

The next day, the two appeared on the lands of Donghuang.

"Hurry, hurry! Yaochi Shengdi is under attack; half the immortal mountain has been destroyed."

As soon as they landed, waves of shouts echoed through the heavens and earth.