Chapter 2285: Returning to the Old Profession

Chapter 2285: Back to Old Ways

"Where do you think you're going?" Ye Chen snorted coldly and vanished in an instant.

When he reappeared, he was already among the Honghuang crowd. This was because one of them bore his Lunhui imprint, and he was waiting for the perfect moment to strike back. This opportunity was ideal.

Roar!

Accompanied by a mighty dragon's roar, he activated his Batitai outer form, along with the Babu Tianlong. Each dragon was dazzling in golden light, towering at ten thousand zhang, their tails swinging with unmatched dominance across ancient and modern times.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

The Honghuang experts suffered terribly, with figures exploding in waves. No one could withstand the Babu Tianlong; even those divine dragons with eight tails could overwhelm a Zhundi of the Eighth Heaven, let alone these warriors.

Looking out, amid the crowd of over ten thousand, the Babu Tianlong rampaged, sending Honghuang people flying everywhere. The more powerful ones had their bodies burst apart, leaving only their Yuanshen, while the weaker ones were instantly vaporized into blood mist, body and soul destroyed, without even a scream.

"Still trying to run? Leave your eyes behind."

"You killed people from Zhutian—did you ever think this day would come?"

"Blood debts must be paid in blood."

Ye Chen's roars carried supreme pressure. As he slaughtered, he didn't forget to seize their eyes, using them to restore his Lunhui eye power. As for those without special eyes, he showed no mercy, cutting through them relentlessly, with no one able to block even a single strike.

Inside the cauldron, the Diaoyu Lao Sou watched excitedly, clenching his fists and eager to charge out and show his might. However, his injuries were too severe, and his condition was extremely poor. Though thrilled, he couldn't stop the old blood from surging. Unable to leave the cauldron to fight, he vented his frustration on the Honghuang people inside, hammering them one by one.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Compared to him, Ye Chen was even more ferocious. In his Batitai outer form state, even his Dao sword was enormous. With no specific techniques, he just hacked and slashed wildly, not caring who was who—all Honghuang people, and he felt no pity, only merciless killing.

Blood stained the starry sky red. The over ten thousand Honghuang experts were slaughtered in disarray, fleeing desperately as Ye Chen chased them for eighty thousand li.

Only when the rumbling sounds faded did this pursuit and slaughter truly end.

In this battle, the Honghuang clan was defeated, and the defeat was devastating. Three Zhundi-level experts were wiped out, and the over ten thousand Honghuang warriors were reduced to less than a thousand in a pitiful state.

In the silent starry domain, Ye Chen opened his Chen space and entered it.

The Lao Sou Zhundi was released, coughing up old blood mouthful after mouthful.

"Hold your Shentai firm." Ye Chen said, placing a hand on his back and channeling Shengti essence, along with various healing sacred medicines, pouring them in without regard for cost.

"The Youming has been breached; next will be Dachu." The Lao Sou Zhundi wiped the fresh blood from his mouth, his laugh tinged with sorrow. "This war is truly brutal."

"As long as you're alive, there's hope." Ye Chen replied calmly. He reached into the Chaos cauldron, grabbed a Honghuang Great Saint, extracted its Yuanshen, and forcibly transformed it into Yuanshen power to heal the Lao Sou Zhundi. Though cruel, Ye Chen's expression remained as cold as frost. Compared to the Honghuang's atrocities, this was insignificant, and he felt no pity.

It was some time before Ye Chen withdrew his hand.

The Lao Sou Zhundi's injuries were mostly healed, and he sat cross-legged in the Chen space to recover on his own.

Ye Chen wasn't idle either. He imprinted one illusory eye after another into his Lunhui eyes, with varying levels that supplemented his pupil power accordingly.

The most active was the Chaos cauldron, diligently devouring magical tools. All the spoils Ye Chen obtained, except for Zhundi-level secret treasures, were swallowed whole without exception.

The Chen space was a bizarre and misty place, enveloped in serene tranquility.

Not long after, the Lao Sou Zhundi was the first to awaken.

Seeing Ye Chen still in meditation, he sighed with emotion. The first time he met Ye Chen was during the chase of Zhiyang Daoist, when Ye Chen was only at the Saint level. Over two hundred years had passed, and the former young Shengti had risen to prominence, even surpassing him. Times change, with new talents replacing the old, making him feel increasingly aged.

As he watched, Ye Chen also awoke, his Lunhui eyes radiating immortal light, brilliant and dazzling.

After absorbing many special eyes, his pupil power had recovered significantly, enough to support two uses of Tiandao. These precious two uses of Tiandao could help him accomplish many things.

The two left the Chen space one after another, parting ways in the starry sky. The Lao Sou Zhundi summoned a domain gate to head toward Dachu, while Ye Chen rushed elsewhere to continue his slaughter.

The journey that followed was extremely bloody. He encountered Honghuang people more than once. If their forces were too large, he wouldn't seek trouble and would slip away from afar. But if their numbers were manageable, he would strike without hesitation, fighting quickly and decisively—that was his usual style.

He was like a god of death, clad in a black robe and wearing a Guiming mask, traversing star domain after star domain. Under his feet lay a carpet of Honghuang blood and bones, and he witnessed many tragic scenes. He had wiped out many Honghuang people, but Zhutian cultivators also suffered greatly from the flames of war, with even more being slaughtered.

Half a day later, gripping his blood-dripping Dao sword, Ye Chen suddenly stopped in the starry sky, gazing quietly at a distant point. In his eyes reflected a star, entirely fiery red and bathed in crimson starlight.

That was Zhuque Xing, which he had visited years ago while searching for Zhutian. It was there that he found the reincarnated Xie Yun, Nianwei, Xiao Ying, and Chen Huang's Yanfei.

Amid surging smoke and collapsing star domains, Zhuque Xing was the only star left in that region. At a glance, half of the star was destroyed, with fragments of star rock scattered across the sky.

Ye Chen slowly moved forward and stepped onto Zhuque Xing.

In his memory, this was the majestic Youdu with nine layers of Lingxiao Xianque.

But now, walking the streets, all he saw was devastation. The buildings and pavilions on both sides were mostly collapsed, with scattered bricks and tiles everywhere. The array patterns etched in the shadows had all crumbled. The entire world was dim, devoid of any light, and not a single person in sight. The cultivators of Zhuque Xing had all migrated to Dachu, leaving only a ruined landscape.

On the sixth heaven, blood mist billowed, and corpses littered the ground—all blood and bones of Zhutian cultivators. Most had fled here during the battle and been surrounded and annihilated by Honghuang experts.

Ye Chen circled around but found no survivors, so he went to the back mountain of the Danfu.

In the withered forest stood a small grave, where a woman named Huxian was buried. She had used nine lifetimes of reincarnation to save a man named Ye Chen.

Two hundred years later, returning here, Ye Chen's expression was full of weariness, and his heart ached. He gently brushed the dust from the tombstone, as if wiping tears from the woman's face.

"Never thought this ruined star still had survivors. Kill them for me." A sinister laugh suddenly echoed from the starry sky. Before the words ended, figures poured in from all directions—it was undoubtedly Honghuang experts, having detected the presence of life.

Ye Chen said nothing. Using a secret divine ability, he turned Huxian'er's grave into ashes and placed it in a treasure box, not wanting her to lie alone in the deep mountains.

"Capture him alive here."

The Honghuang experts had arrived, surrounding him from all sides, their faces twisted in ferocity. They had no intention of killing him quickly; they wanted to capture him alive and torture him to death. That was the Honghuang's idea of fun—they loved seeing the despair and helplessness in others.

Ye Chen stowed the treasure box, and his Dao sword appeared in an instant. With one swing, he unleashed an immortal river.

The Honghuang people who arrived first saw it and paled in shock, trying to dodge, but it was too late. Wherever the immortal river passed, figures fell in droves, whether Great Saints or Saint Kings, none escaped the fatal blow. The already blood-red sky gained another layer of crimson.

"Ye Chen!" Only then did the Honghuang experts recognize him, collectively stumbling back in terror. The fearsome reputation of the Huanggu Shengti was known to all.

"Since you've come, there's no need to leave." Ye Chen rose steadily, his words calm yet desolate and icy, like a monarch's decree, carrying an irresistible authority.

"Retreat!" A Taotie Great Saint roared and fled. The other Honghuang people dared not linger, scattering in the same way they had come, the scene descending into chaos.

Zheng!

The sword's hum pierced the air. Only cold sword light was visible, not Ye Chen's form, because his speed was too fast. Wherever he went, Honghuang people were exterminated. This wasn't a war—it was Ye Chen's one-sided massacre. Figures in the sky bled and fell, turning to ash.

Hm?

Seeing his own people fleeing in panic from outside the star, the Honghuang Zhundi narrowed his eyes. Such a formation being forced to retreat—how many Zhutian experts were on this ruined star?

"Ye Chen! It's Ye Chen!" A shriek echoed, making the Honghuang Zhundi's body tremble, his expression changing instantly. The name Ye Chen was like a curse, shaking the soul.

"Retreat!" Without hesitation, the Honghuang Zhundi gave the order, not even mustering the courage to fight, and turned to flee as the army's commander.

"Shenhuo Thunder, One Arrow Across Worlds." A cold voice rang out from behind.

It was Ye Chen, already drawing his bow and aiming at the Honghuang Zhundi.

Buzz!

The thunder god arrow was as dominant as ever, like a dark divine ray carrying destructive power.

Puff!

The fleeing Honghuang Zhundi was hit on the spot, his divine body pierced and his Yuanshen shattered, unable to withstand the god arrow's might. He was utterly destroyed in one shot.

With the commander slain in an instant, the Honghuang people dared not stop and scattered in all directions.

Ye Chen showed no mercy, his body like a ghostly light, swift as lightning. He manifested his Shengzhan Law Body and summoned the Chaos shen ding. The three were incredibly fierce, chasing the Honghuang people with no escape to heaven or earth. Bloody flowers bloomed across the starry sky, with countless killed and captured, their screams, wails, and roars blending into one.

Only when the last Honghuang Great Saint was destroyed did this slaughter truly conclude.

In the shattered starry sky, Ye Chen gradually walked away, his shadow stretching long. The black robe on his back was dyed red, each step leaving a bloody footprint. The blood on his Dao sword still dripped steadily—all Honghuang blood. In this battle, he had slain countless enemies.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The great war between Honghuang and Zhutian continued, with rumbling echoing through the universe.

The tragedy of Zhutian was unbearable to witness, with countless heroic souls buried far from home, and the survivors still fleeing. The path back to Dachu was harder than ascending to heaven.

"Qiongqi clan, bring your money and come collect your people."

Amid the rumbling, such a statement suddenly rang out, using an emperor-level sound transmission secret art, spreading infinitely across the seas and wilderness, like an invisible hand brushing through the mortal world.

As soon as the words were spoken, the chaotic starry sky fell silent for a moment.

Looking down, the Zhutian cultivators and Honghuang experts still fighting paused collectively, their battle circles tacitly halting as they all gazed in one direction.

"From the looks of it, it's our clan's sovereign." In one starry region, Tianlao and Dilao spoke meaningfully, both disheveled and covered in blood. The Honghuang people surrounding them were everywhere, but at that moment, they too stared toward that starry sky, just like the two.

"I've calculated it—this must be the legendary kidnapping."

"What a refined touch; he could make a fortune from this." In the Western star domain, Shengyuan Huang said with a serious tone, recognizing it was Ye Chen. Beside him, Kuiniu Huang's bull eyes gleamed.

"We're in the middle of a war, and he's still thinking about ransom? Dachu's Tenth Huang is full of surprises; he always manages to stand out at key moments."

"The Shengti is truly exceptional, right back to his old profession."

"Hasn't returned to Dachu yet—does he have a death wish?" In the Northern star sky, Donghuang Tai Xin's brows furrowed slightly, her stunning face pale and gravely wounded.

Murmurs erupted everywhere, mostly from Zhutian cultivators, caught off guard by Ye Chen's actions. Both sides were locked in fierce battle, and yet he was the one pulling off something like this. Was this the right atmosphere for it?

"Taotie clan, bring the money to ransom your people—won't wait forever."

"..."

"Tianxie clan, hurry up and collect them, or I'll take them home and make soup."

"..."

"Jin'ni clan, come quickly to claim them. Clear pricing, no deception."

"..."

Amid the discussions, Ye Chen's words came one after another without pause. To put it simply, he had called out every major Honghuang race by name. The Zhutian cultivators clicked their tongues in amazement—how many Honghuang people had their supreme commander captured?

"Damn it."

The Honghuang great clans were furious. Because of Ye Chen's words, countless Honghuang experts left their battle circles, surging with raging fury toward the source of the voice.

And in going there, they might not be there to ransom their kin but to eliminate Ye Chen. Though they knew he was drawing attention to ease Zhutian's pressure, they couldn't hold back. It was simply because they hated him too much. Every time they heard his name, it made their teeth grind, let alone when their own were captured. This was blatant provocation.

"Kill!"

Roars echoed through the universe as experts from each clan converged from all directions, forming streams that flowed toward the voice's origin. Their twisted, ferocious faces were beyond recognition, and their bone-chilling killing intent made the star sky tremble and freeze inch by inch.

With experts leaving various battle circles, the pressure on Zhutian cultivators dropped sharply. Though still at a disadvantage, it was much better than before. Ye Chen's call had been more effective than a tiger-wolf army, drawing away countless Honghuang people.

"Our Zhutian commander is truly resourceful."

"Kidnapping for ransom during war—probably only he could think of it. And it works; he's lured away so many Honghuang experts. How much must Honghuang hate him?"

"With that many surrounding him, he might get wiped out."

"Don't joke; anyone could die, but not him. That guy has nine lives."

Though the Zhutian cultivators weren't together, these were exactly the words on their minds.

There's no denying Ye Chen's move was clever, making excellent use of hatred.

In truth, whether he kidnapped or not wasn't the point; the key was that Ye Chen himself was too hated by Honghuang, and they couldn't wait to eliminate him. Simply put, he was using himself as bait, successfully igniting Honghuang's fury. Enraged Honghuang experts weren't thinking straight.

"Quickly return to Dachu."

The Zhutian cultivators understood tacitly. Ye Chen was doing this precisely for the Zhutian people outside, to lighten their burden and help them survive back to Dachu.