Chapter 2281: Return to the Great Chu Quickly

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Lightning flashed and thunder roared across the myriad domains of Zhutian, as the Hong Huang forces launched their invasion and Zhutian mounted their resistance. The flames of war spread throughout the vast starry sky, engulfing every star domain and every star. Stars exploded one after another, turning swarms of figures into blood mist, with shattered blades, spears, swords, halberds, severed limbs, and burning war banners drifting through the endless cosmos.

Zhutian forces were in full retreat, unable to withstand the Hong Huang onslaught, as their enemies hunted them across the star-filled expanse. It wasn't that Zhutian lacked strength; it was simply that the Hong Huang army was overwhelmingly vast, exerting absolute dominance in power.

In contrast to the chaos outside, the desolate star where Ye Chen resided remained eerily quiet.

It wasn't until deep into the night that he emerged from the Dust Space, his injuries fully healed and his golden vital energy surging powerfully.

Under the moonlight, he donned a black robe and concealed his aura with the Zhoutian technique, stealthily leaving the ancient star. He could see billowing blood mist drifting in from the depths of the starry sky, obscuring the brilliant starlight. Shouts of battle, cries of agony, roars, and screams echoed incessantly, shaking the soul like funeral dirges, bidding farewell to the heroic spirits of Zhutian.

Zheng!

Ye Chen drew a Zhundi sword and enhanced it with Dao principles, rushing toward the nearest star domain where a massive battle raged, its waves rippling out with waves of destructive halo.

Upon arriving, he witnessed a scene of utter devastation: the star domain was littered with corpses, both from Hong Huang and Zhutian forces, including those from Xuan Huang, Da Chu, and You Ming. The space was stained red with fresh blood, creating a hellish landscape like a Shura field.

The battle continued fiercely, with over a thousand Hong Huang experts surrounding and attacking a single Zhutian cultivator. In truth, this group of Zhutian fighters had been reduced to just him, desperately holding on. He had tried to break out several times, only to be driven back by the Hong Huang forces.

"Jiu Xiao Zhenren."

From a distance, Ye Chen recognized the besieged figure—it was none other than the grandfather of Di Jiu Xian, the youngest Zhundi in Zhutian history. Well, more accurately, the nominally youngest, since his legend had already been surpassed by Hong Chen, that freak who achieved Zhundi status at just two hundred years old after reincarnation.

Jiu Xiao Zhenren was in a truly pitiful state, his armor battered and covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds and exposed bones, making him look like a blood-soaked wraith. He fought desperately to charge through, but the enemy formation was too massive, and he had narrowly escaped death multiple times.

"Kill!"

Ye Chen roared from his soul, unleashing a torrent of killing intent as he plunged into the Hong Huang crowd.

"You're Ye Chen." A Hong Huang Great Saint's expression changed drastically.

Pfft!

Ye Chen swung his sword, decapitating him instantly and obliterating his primordial spirit as well.

"Call for reinforcements." Spotting Ye Chen, a Hong Huang Zhundi shouted hoarsely, charging straight at him. His cry for help sounded ironic amid the scene: over a thousand Hong Huang experts, including three Zhundi and over a hundred Great Saints, with Saint Kings in abundance, yet they needed reinforcements against a mere Great Saint.

Still, it made sense upon reflection. Ye Chen was an Archaic Holy Body, having reached the peak of Great Saint, with combat power that could rival even peak Zhundi. His feats, like relocating over four hundred clan emperors and six supreme emperor artifacts, spoke volumes of his terror.

"Blood debts repaid in blood." Ye Chen snorted coldly, advancing instead of retreating, targeting that Hong Huang Zhundi. His sword carved out a brilliant immortal river, splitting the starry sky and sending the Zhundi flying.

"Suppress him." Eight Hong Huang Zhundi arrived, forming seals to cast a sealing array.

Roar!

A mighty dragon's roar echoed as the Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragons manifested, their tails sweeping with overwhelming force.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The eight approaching Hong Huang Great Saints were all flung back, their bodies exploding and primordial spirits collapsing, killed in an instant without a chance to scream.

Such ferocity made the Hong Huang experts retreat in shock.

The Hong Huang Great Saints and Zhundi held their ground somewhat, but the Saint Kings and Saints turned pale, their hands trembling as they gripped their swords. Though their eyes burned red with rage, they were filled with fear.

It was a tremor from the depths of their souls.

To them, Ye Chen was no longer a man but a god—a cold god of death.

In contrast, Jiu Xiao Zhenren managed a weary smile. He had been hunted relentlessly, watching his comrades fall one by one in the starry sky, their bodies obliterated in horrific ways. Without Ye Chen's arrival, he would have met the same fate.

Pfft!

As Jiu Xiao Zhenren felt relief and the Hong Huang forces felt dread, fresh blood suddenly splattered.

When everyone regained their senses, they saw a head rolling through the stars—it belonged to one of the Hong Huang Zhundi, who had been struck down by Ye Chen's sword after being marked with a Wheel of Reincarnation seal. Ye Chen had used the Flying Thunder God technique.

"Save me." The Hong Huang Zhundi howled, his primordial spirit fleeing his body.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ye Chen snorted coldly, pursuing him and infusing his immortal sword with nine layers of Divine Mourning, extinguishing the Zhundi's primordial spirit in one strike.

"Retreat." Another Hong Huang Zhundi bellowed, ordering a full withdrawal. Ye Chen was a monster; to fight him required at least an eight-heaven Zhundi. Clearly, none of them qualified. What good were a thousand experts? They weren't enough for him to slaughter. Against someone like Ye Chen, only a peak Zhundi stood a chance.

"Senior, hurry back to Da Chu." Ye Chen called out before chasing the fleeing Hong Huang forces.

Jiu Xiao Zhenren wanted to join the fight, but as soon as he stepped forward, he could barely stand, his vital energy depleted and his powers exhausted. Though he still had some fighting ability, he was at his limit.

Ah!

With a sigh, he summoned a domain gate with a wave of his hand. In his half-dead state, joining the battle would only be a burden. His priority was to return to Da Chu quickly to heal and prepare for the Hong Huang's fiercer attacks. With You Ming already fallen, Da Chu and the Zhutian gates would be next.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

On the other side of the stars, blood rained down as the fleeing Hong Huang forces were caught and slain by Ye Chen. None below Zhundi could escape him.

"Reinforcements! Call for reinforcements!" That Hong Huang Zhundi screamed the entire way, fleeing as fast as he could, too weak to turn and fight Ye Chen.

The others fared no better, focused solely on escape with no thought of battle.

Ye Chen pursued relentlessly, his eyes flashing with cold light. He had switched his killing sword for the Immortal Fire Divine Bow and Thunder God Arrows, shooting as he chased. His aim was impeccable; every arrow felled a Hong Huang expert, embodying the legend of picking them off one by one.

In the midst of the grand war, his pursuit was the most striking spectacle. While other Zhutian cultivators were being hunted, he alone was chasing over a thousand enemies.

Boom! Rumbling!

The surrounding starry sky trembled violently, drawing nearby Hong Huang forces who had heard the calls for aid. The news of Ye Chen's presence excited them further, pulling in experts from even farther domains. Massive Hong Huang forces converged, including peak Zhundi, their auras like rolling seas, heavy as mountains, crushing the stars.

Ye Chen ignored it all, gripping his divine bow and arrows, reaping Hong Huang lives. Whenever he caught up, there was no preamble—just a palm strike, and no one escaped annihilation.

Those thousand Hong Huang experts met a tragic end, reduced to less than a hundred. All the Saint Kings and Saints were wiped out, leaving only Great Saints and that one Hong Huang Zhundi, fleeing for their lives.

"You won't escape." Ye Chen's voice was icy as he stepped across the vast void, blocking their path in the starry sky, his killing intent and fury overwhelming.

"Join forces and destroy him." The Hong Huang Zhundi roared madly, his eyes bloodshot, summoning his life-bound artifact—a divine mirror radiating thousands of immortal rays.

At the same time, dozens of Hong Huang Great Saints attacked, unleashing their life-bound artifacts—swords, blades, cauldrons, towers—all glowing like stars and bearing down on Ye Chen.

Buzz!

In such situations, Ye Chen's Chaos Cauldron acted on its own, surging from his sea of consciousness. Its body was massive and thick, enveloped in Chaos energy, with the Escaping Armor Heavenly Characters circulating and immortal light weaving around it, manifesting Dao principles and resonating with heavenly sounds.

Bang! Clang! Boom!

The cauldron charged forward dominantly, no fancy techniques needed. The Zhundi-level divine mirror shattered, and the dozens of Great Saint artifacts exploded one after another. The flying fragments were all swallowed by the cauldron, absorbed as nourishment.

Pfft! Pfft!

With their artifacts destroyed, the Hong Huang experts suffered backlash, spitting blood and staggering back.

"Ten Thousand Swords Unite!"

Ye Chen shouted coldly, his fingers pointed icily at them.

Instantly, ten thousand swords hummed, each enhanced with immortal fire and thunder, engraved with Divine Mourning. It was a devastating group attack and single-target technique, piercing the starry sky full of holes.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The Hong Huang experts suffered greatly again. Except for the Zhundi, the remaining Great Saints were all run through. The Ten Thousand Swords technique shattered their bodies, while immortal fire, heavenly thunder, and Divine Mourning obliterated their origins and primordial spirits, turning the group assault into a total kill.

Now, the starry sky was much quieter.

The Hong Huang Zhundi stumbled backward, unable to stop, his eyes wide with terror. As a Zhundi, he finally understood Ye Chen's dreadfulness firsthand—having slain even the Exposed Heaven Emperor's son, this "youth emperor" level expert had shattered all his expectations.

As he retreated, he turned and fled in panic.

Buzz!

The Chaos Cauldron hummed, descending like a mountain and crushing the Hong Huang Zhundi's body, leaving only his twisted primordial spirit.

"Break for me!" The Zhundi bellowed, burning his primordial spirit to lift the cauldron.

But though he escaped the cauldron's pressure, he couldn't evade Ye Chen's final strike. The Wind God Sword pierced his primordial spirit's skull, sealing his doom.

After slaying the Hong Huang Zhundi, Ye Chen didn't linger. He vanished into the void, heading in one direction, collecting the scattered artifact fragments and storage pouches from the fallen Hong Huang experts along the way.

In war, the victor claims the spoils. He hadn't had time to gather them earlier, but he couldn't overlook them now. The artifacts themselves didn't matter much; what he needed were the pills to replenish his energy. He was preparing for guerrilla warfare against Hong Huang, and for that, his supplies had to be ready.

"Catch Ye Chen and be granted kingship immediately."

"Slay Ye Chen and receive nine-marked pills as reward."

These cold proclamations echoed through the vast universe, carrying supreme authority like a monarch's decree, unassailable and thundering like eternal lightning, shaking the immortal dome.

With the proclamations, Hong Huang forces from all directions closed in on this star region.

From above the void, their formation was immense—like four dark oceans, devouring inch by inch of the starry sky, shattering stars and crushing domains. There were over a million of them, with countless Zhundi among their ranks, riding ancient war chariots and wielding icy war spears, their ferocious faces exuding sinister cruelty.

"Catch me?" Ye Chen sneered and entered the Dust Space. The starry sky was so vast; let them search every inch if they dared. Finding him would mean they shared his surname.

Indeed, the cosmos was boundless and expansive, making even massive stars seem like mere specks, let alone a speck within specks. Without heaven-defying abilities, who could find him? Ye Chen's evasion techniques were divinely crafted, unmatched in the world.

Soon, the Hong Huang army arrived, encircling the site of the previous battle.

"Where is he?" A towering Kui Ba Clan Zhundi roared.

"The distress call came from this star region." A Qiong Qi Clan Zhundi pondered, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings, but no one was in sight.

"The entire army wiped out?"

"He must still be here. Search! Search for me!" A Tao Tie Clan Zhundi bellowed. "Search every inch. Catch Ye Chen and be granted kingship; slay Ye Chen and receive nine-marked pills!"

At his command, the million-strong Hong Huang force lined up in formation from east, west, south, and north, advancing in an encirclement. Those with Heavenly Eye abilities were especially thorough.

In the Dust Space, Ye Chen's eyes widened as he crammed pills into his mouth, using the Zhoutian secret to mask his aura completely. He was ready to strike at any moment. A million opponents? Lined up like that, they were easy to break through.

But he underestimated the Hong Huang's cunning. If a million weren't enough, they called for more. Experts from distant star regions were already on their way.

"This works too." Ye Chen stroked his chin. The more Hong Huang forces hunted him, the less pressure on the Zhutian cultivators, giving them a better chance to survive and return to Da Chu.

"Don't linger outside any longer; return quickly." From Tianxuan Gate, Fu Ya communicated through Ye Chen's clone to his true self. "As the supreme commander of Zhutian, don't put yourself at risk."

"Do you think I want to?" Ye Chen retorted. "Don't just stand around. Guide the Zhutian cultivators back to Da Chu. It won't be long before the Hong Huang army assaults the Zhutian gates."

"As if I needed you to say that." Fu Ya replied irritably.

Ye Chen said no more, narrowing his eyes and fixing them on a nearby Tian Xie Great Saint.

This one wasn't ordinary. Though not yet Zhundi, he possessed a special ability: a third eye on his forehead, golden and radiant, an unique immortal eye with the power to see through illusions. In other words, Ye Chen's Dust Space was useless against him.

"Quite the standout." Ye Chen sighed, genuinely impressed. He was tempted to ask the Tian Xie Great Saint his surname and adopt it himself.

"A delivered immortal eye? Can't pass that up." Ye Chen's tone was meaningful. Using the Tian Xie Great Saint's immortal eye to replenish his Wheel of Reincarnation Eye power would be perfect.

Hm?

As Ye Chen mused, the Tian Xie Great Saint had already zeroed in, his third immortal eye narrowing on a patch of space, piercing right through the Dust Space's veil.

"Senior, you've got quite the eye!" Ye Chen laughed, blinking his blinded Wheel of Reincarnation Eyes. For some reason, his smile was joyful, his teeth gleaming white.