Chapter 2273: Immortality Also Perishes

Boom! Rumbling!

The starry sky was free of heavenly tribulation, but the rumbling sounds echoed endlessly, their source untraceable. The entire void buzzed and trembled, and it was clear that the great battle in the black hole was brutally bloody.

The people of the various heavens looked up, though they couldn't see the black hole's scene. They knew Ye Chen was displaying his divine might, no longer using the Slaughter Heaven's divine punishment to trap Honghuang. This proved that Ye Chen intended to destroy Lu Tian.

Glancing toward Honghuang, it seemed they had guessed as much and felt no pity. In fact, they harbored resentment. Even if Ye Chen didn't kill Lu Tian, they still wanted to deliver a final blow themselves. Because of his heavenly tribulation, the Honghuang's third allied army had suffered heavy losses. It served him right to be executed.

To say the Honghuang army was in a sorry state was an understatement.

At a glance, more than half were bathed in fresh blood. Many had lost their physical bodies, leaving only faint primordial spirits drifting about. The Honghuang war banners were stained with blood, and many cold war spears were shattered. Even the massive jade chariots were smashed to pieces, like scattered remnants of a defeated force, staggering in from all directions, unsteady and faltering.

"Kill for me!"

The Qiongqi Clan Emperor roared in fury, like a madman.

"Kill!"

The Honghuang army, struck by lightning, howled across the starry sky. They regrouped and surged toward Youming Continent. Their faces were twisted in grotesque fury, their eyes—whether gold, silver, or purple—veined with blood, glowing red with rage. They ground their teeth, barely containing their savagery and bloodlust.

"If it's war you want, then come!"

The people of the various heavens snorted coldly, refusing to back down. Without the heavenly tribulation, breaking through Youming's protective barrier wouldn't be easy.

Once again, Youming Continent was surrounded. With Youming at the center, the Honghuang army blanketed the starry sky, sealing off every direction like a dark cloud veil. It enveloped the continent, blocking the brilliant starlight and shrouding the world's light. Dozens of emperor artifacts shone like suns, radiating dazzling brilliance.

"Kill!"

At the Qiongqi Clan Emperor's command, the Honghuang emperor weapons trembled and unleashed destructive immortal beams.

"Kill!"

The Honghuang army roared, not idle for a moment. Some activated magical tools, others revived killing formations, and still others unleashed secret techniques and divine powers, unleashing an unceasing barrage on Youming Continent. Struck hard by the heavenly tribulation, their anger had shattered their insides, and they vented it all by attacking Youming.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The rumbling erupted again, shaking the universe. Countless blade lights, sword shadows, and divine beams struck the protective barrier, sparking brilliant flashes, but they couldn't shake the Human Emperor Immortal Array.

Yet, Honghuang persisted relentlessly, like they were pumped with stimulants, attacking without regard for their lives. Those who knew them recognized it as the Honghuang race; those who didn't would think they were a horde of lunatics.

"If you didn't have those dozens of emperor weapons, I'd make you cry."

Sheng Zun cursed loudly. The Xuanyuan Sword in his hand had already been released, serving as a foundation for the Human Emperor Immortal Array. He kept thinking about charging out for a fight, but even someone who had survived an emperor tribulation feared the ultimate emperor weapons. One or two were manageable, but dozens of ultimate emperor weapons? To withstand them, you'd at least need a fully realized sacred body.

"So many people, so many emperor weapons—Honghuang is just that arrogant!"

Di Lao sighed, standing on a mountain peak and working with Tian Lao to control a formation.

"I really want to drag the Heavenly Demons here and make Honghuang fight them one-on-one."

Sheng Yuan Huang grumbled, with Kui Niu Huang just as irritated. The monkey and the ox were an inseparable pair, standing on an eight-thousand-zhang giant peak, guarding a formation node.

The other various heavens' quasi-emperors and cultivators were also busy, in groups of three or teams of five, holding the nodes of the Human Emperor Immortal Array and empowering the ultimate emperor weapons.

The starry sky was lively, and so was the black hole.

The fleeing Lu Tian was intercepted by Ye Chen again, who smashed him with a staff, blowing apart half of his immortal body.

"Destroy him for me!"

Lu Tian's golden eyes burned red with madness as he sacrificed over eight hundred magical tools, all of them great saint weapons.

These eight hundred great saint weapons formed an impressive array, like stars twinkling with various colors, overflowing with Honghuang aura. Each wisp felt as heavy as a mountain.

In addition, Lu Tian summoned his two Immortal Swords: one a great saint weapon, the other a quasi-emperor weapon. One resembled the moon, the other the sun, both gleaming brightly as he pushed them to their limits, pressing toward Ye Chen to buy time for his escape.

Buzz!

The Chaos Cauldron hummed, not holding back any longer. Overjoyed, it expanded massively, blending ancient simplicity with a touch of killing intent. It manifested visions and evolved dao principles, enhanced by the Escaping Armor Heavenly Character, and charged forward.

Simultaneously, the White Jade Dragon Chair materialized. The immortal patterns engraved on it activated and flowed, enveloping it in immortal light. A mysterious power slowly awakened, even more domineering than the Chaos Cauldron. Without any special techniques, it simply rammed ahead.

Bang! Pound! Crack! Clang!

The sounds were chaotic. Lu Tian's magical tools were fragile against the Chaos Cauldron and White Jade Dragon Chair, shattering one after another. Even the fragments weren't spared, as the Chaos Cauldron devoured them completely.

Zing!

The great saint weapon Immortal Sword struck, forcing back the Chaos Cauldron.

Buzz!

The Chaos Cauldron refused to yield, humming louder and growing more powerful. After months, it faced this sword again. Regretting not claiming the Immortal Sword that night, it wouldn't miss this chance. As the sacred body's natal weapon, it was unbeatable in its rank and couldn't disgrace its master's reputation.

Zing!

The quasi-emperor weapon Immortal Sword shot like a rainbow toward the White Jade Dragon Chair.

Buzz!

The White Jade Dragon Chair showed no weakness—it was of the same caliber as the Lingxiao Iron Staff. Though not a typical weapon, it grew stronger against formidable foes and could clash with ultimate emperor weapons, so it feared no quasi-emperor weapon.

Pound! Clang! Pound!

Amid the heavenly tribulation's rumbles, the metallic clashes rang clear. The great saint weapon Immortal Sword battled the Chaos Cauldron, and the quasi-emperor weapon Immortal Sword fought the White Jade Dragon Chair. It was all about brute force.

It was evident that both the Chaos Cauldron and the White Jade Dragon Chair had the upper hand, overwhelming the two Immortal Swords.

Buoyed by their success, Ye Chen didn't fall short.

Eight thousand zhang away, the escaping Lu Tian was caught again. Despite sacrificing eight hundred tools and his natal weapons, he couldn't stop Ye Chen and was blocked once more.

"I told you, you won't escape."

Ye Chen said calmly, advancing with his iron staff. The weakened heavenly tribulation lightning struck his sacred body but caused no harm. It crackled as the tribulation of the emperor dao principles was about to manifest.

"Have the guts to remove the Heavenly Burial and fight me fairly!"

Lu Tian gritted his teeth, his face twisted like a malevolent ghost.

"Ranked first in Honghuang, have you lost your mind?"

Ye Chen sneered, not slowing his pace as his aura climbed higher. This was a prime opportunity; there was no question of removing Heavenly Burial. In peaceful times, if Lu Tian wanted a fair fight, he would oblige.

But this was war—where was the fairness?

A sacred body unbeatable in its rank could defeat an Immortal Body, but defeating and killing were different. Removing Heavenly Burial would make beating Lu Tian easy but killing him difficult.

Ye Chen knew this well and wasn't foolish enough to fall for the provocation. As the supreme commander of the various heavens, he wouldn't make such a mistake at this critical moment.

"The sacred body lineage is truly a joke."

Lu Tian grinned maliciously, still trying to goad him.

Ye Chen ignored him, stepping through the void and vanishing, responding only with his most powerful attacks. He wouldn't give Lu Tian the fairness he demanded.

Reappearing three zhang from Lu Tian, Ye Chen swung his staff heavenward, dominating and unmatched.

Lu Tian gnashed his teeth and offered his essence blood, casting an emperor dao immortal technique. A layer of golden shield enveloped his immortal body, a defensive art to withstand Ye Chen's staff.

Boom! Puff!

The sounds came in quick succession. Lu Tian's golden shield exploded, and his immortal body wasn't spared, half of it blasted apart. Under absolute suppression of power, his so-called secret techniques were useless, especially against a sacred body unbeatable in its rank.

"Truly a joke, the sacred body lineage."

Even so, the frenzied Lu Tian didn't give up. He dragged his bloody body to flee while howling.

Ye Chen said nothing, catching up and striking. Without any flair, he smashed Lu Tian into a pile of bloody pulp with his staff.

The Immortal Body, known for not dying, had terrifying regenerative power. His flesh writhed with undying immortal light, visibly reforming limbs, organs, and meridians, restoring his immortal body.

"I'll see if your Immortal Body is truly indestructible."

Ye Chen said indifferently. His second strike landed, pulverizing the newly reformed Lu Tian into a heap of golden flesh. Not just his body—even his primordial spirit was flattened.

But Lu Tian was tenacious. This didn't kill him; his undying regenerative power rivaled bloodline limits. He reformed his golden body again.

Puff!

Before Lu Tian could fully form his head, Ye Chen's third strike turned him back into pulp. It wasn't for nothing that Ye Chen had glimpsed this legendary Immortal Body—it was extraordinary. Hidden in his bloodline was a mysterious power like bloodline limits. Such beings were nearly unkillable in their rank, able to regenerate from a single drop of blood unless absolutely suppressed, as Ye Chen was doing.

"If you can take this, I'll make sure you enjoy it fully."

Ye Chen's words were cold and desolate as he swung his staff again.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

What followed was extremely bloody. Lu Tian was shattered repeatedly, reformed each time, only to be shattered again. His body and primordial spirit were destroyed over and over.

"Ah!"

Lu Tian's furious roars surpassed the thunder's rumbles. He wanted to fight desperately, but Ye Chen gave him no chance, blasting him before he could fully regenerate.

So what if he was an emperor's son? So what if he had an Immortal Body? Even with countless emperor dao immortal techniques and heaven-piercing means, they were all laughable against Ye Chen's tenfold power. He could only be beaten, unable to form a complete immortal body. Without his undying bloodline, he would have been destroyed hundreds of times over.

Puff!

In the midst of it, Lu Tian was reduced to a puddle of flesh again.

One could see that every bit of his flesh was entwined with mysterious golden light, aiding his regeneration at incredible speed. Even Ye Chen was startled by how hard this foe was to kill—both body and spirit were resilient, his primordial spirit fire unextinguishable no matter how many times it was crushed.

It was thanks to his tenfold power that he could manage this. Without Heavenly Burial's boost, killing an Immortal Body would be nearly impossible. Even if he could, he'd likely be left with barely a breath. After all, his own origin wasn't complete; if the sacred body origin were whole, it would be another story.

"Ah!"

Amid the roars, Lu Tian reformed his golden body.

But this time, Ye Chen didn't strike with his staff. Instead, he used an emperor dao sealing array to trap him completely. Thousands of seals were inscribed on Lu Tian in an instant, fully suppressing him.

"It's over."

Ye Chen's words were icy and authoritative. He placed a hand on Lu Tian's crown, where a dark vortex manifested—Swallowing Heaven Devil Art. Such a dominant bloodline couldn't be wasted.

"No!"

Screams erupted as Lu Tian struggled futilely, sealed tight by Ye Chen's immortal techniques. He could only watch helplessly as Ye Chen devoured his bloodline, origin, and undying blood.

His roars of anger carried a tragic undertone. As an emperor's son, with a father like the eternal Bu Mie Great Emperor, he had disgraced his father's legacy. Sealed for eons and unsealed in this era, he thought himself unbeatable in his rank.

Yet, he had met a terror like Ye Chen and was utterly defeated.

Listening to his tragedy, Ye Chen remained indifferent, without a shred of pity. This was war, and war was cruel. As enemies, it was kill or be killed.

Only after some time did Lu Tian's screams truly fade.

In his final moments, he knew regret. He regretted coming to this starry sky to show off; he should have stayed in a secluded place, crossed his tribulation in peace, and waited until he became a quasi-emperor to settle scores with Ye Chen.

But he had been too arrogant, too reckless. He tried to trap the various heavens but overlooked Ye Chen, losing his life in the process. Even in death, he never reached the quasi-emperor realm; his emperor path vanished with him.

The black hole finally fell silent.

Yet this darkness recorded a historic moment: the indestructible Immortal Body, the unbeatable sacred body in its rank—two undying legends, and one was broken. The Immortal Body was not truly indestructible.

With Lu Tian's destruction, his heavenly tribulation vanished completely. It ended without even summoning the emperor dao principles form. As a prodigy, he would have had sixty-four such forms—a devastating tribulation and a heaven-defying fortune.

Ye Chen stood quietly, his golden sacred body radiating brilliant light.

Having devoured the Immortal Body, he frowned deeply.

The power was immense, but it carried a terrifying demonic force laden with Lu Tian's dao, resentment, malice, obsessions, beliefs, karma, and karmic burdens. This invisible force disrupted his mind.

He sat cross-legged at once, reciting the Sacred Heart Mantra to guard his divine platform and eradicate this demonic power.

He had underestimated the Immortal Body. He swallowed the bloodline, origin, and primordial spirit, but also what he shouldn't have—like resentment and malice, which were stubbornly persistent and nearly indestructible, threatening to overwhelm his mind at any moment. Invisible powers were the most dangerous.

"Young one, you've been a bit reckless."

The Ming Emperor of Jieming Mountain sighed softly, seeing through the barriers of the human and nether worlds into the black hole, worried about Ye Chen's actions.

"He's underestimated the power of indestructibility."

Di Huang sighed. Ye Chen might not know, but he did. You could swallow what was meant to be swallowed, but taking what wasn't invited trouble. Such a bloodline wasn't easy to digest; the legend of indestructibility had its eerie aspects.

In short, devouring the Immortal Body had pros and cons. Those with weak will could be completely backlashed, and if not careful, Lu Tian might even revive.