Chapter 2293: It Will Save Me

On the city wall, with the Jiuda Daoshen following, Ye Chen's figure no longer seemed isolated. Those who recognized them as Daoshen understood, but those who didn't might mistake them for guards.

Under the dim starlight, their ten figures were quite a sight.

From a distance, they all had identical faces. Ye Chen led the way, with the nine Daoshen following behind, moving like lifeless puppets, all looking rather listless—a truly unusual scene.

Not to mention, with Ye Chen in front, no one dared to attack them. Even if someone had the inclination, they wouldn't act recklessly. Attacking Ye Chen's Daoshen was one thing, but disturbing his enlightenment was a serious offense. Everyone in the realms knew that enlightenment should not be interrupted.

As a result, the nine Jiuda Daoshen stood tall and straight, basking in the glory of their original self. Their hair-flipping gestures were nothing short of domineering.

“I heard that the Shengti, for his nine people, inflicted nine self-slashes back then.”

“More accurately, it was ten slashes, including one Xingchen Fenshen named Ye Xingchen.”

“If it were me, I wouldn't have such immense courage.”

Along the way, such remarks were endless, filled with admiration and shock at Ye Chen's past boldness—who else could self-inflict ten slashes?

Ye Chen, of course, couldn't hear these words.

Although he couldn't hear them, the nine Daoshen heard every bit, leaving them momentarily dazed. In some bygone era, a man named Ye Chen had given them life and freedom. Without him, they wouldn't have their descendants flourishing.

Suddenly, Ye Chen stopped in his tracks ahead.

The nine Daoshen following him halted as well, clearing their throats awkwardly. As Ye Chen's Daoshen, they had truly embarrassed their original self, having been beaten so many times.

“I'm sorry, if that day ever comes, I may need your help in battle.” Ye Chen spoke, his back to the nine, his voice hoarse and dry.

Outsiders might not understand, but the nine Fenshen knew exactly what he meant.

The so-called help in battle meant death. As Ye Chen's Daoshen, each carried a strand of his Shengti essence. He could grant them free lives, and thus, he could reclaim their foundations to boost his own power.

“We're ready at any moment.” The nine Daoshen replied firmly, kneeling on one knee in unison.

Ye Chen trembled but didn't turn around. A gentle force emanated from him, slowly lifting them up as he walked away step by step. His lack of turning wasn't out of authority, but because he couldn't face them directly. He had given them life and seen their descendants thrive, so it pained him to think of reclaiming them. Yet, if that day arrived, the cruel decision would have to be made.

As the original self faded into the distance, the nine Daoshen remained still for a long time.

A light breeze blew, and only then did they turn and descend from the city wall, each heading to their own families. The upcoming battle might mean their end, so they needed to bid farewell—because this departure would lead to an endless eternity.

Ye Chen's silhouette grew blurry on the city wall.

He didn't know when, but he had left the wall, still with his eyes closed, wandering through the mountains and forests, oblivious to the outside world, focused solely on his own Dao. Whenever crowds appeared, they instinctively made way, not daring to disturb his enlightenment, though Ye Chen himself was unaware of it.

By the time he reappeared, he was at Hengyue Zong.

On Yunu Peak, he stood silently. The women were all on the city wall, leaving the elegant peak feeling empty. Only Ye Ling's Fenshen sat under an old tree, lost in thought.

Besides her, there was the female Shengti. That little girl had quite the flair, calmly carving wood as if nothing were wrong, and her craftsmanship had improved significantly.

“Oh, you're still alive?”

“Have you got a way for me to advance to Zhundi in the shortest time possible?” Ye Chen picked a spirit fruit and took a bite, looking at the female Shengti with hope.

“You think Zhundi is something you can just step into?”

“With Honghuang invading, you'll be hard-pressed to escape death.”

“It will save me, so don't worry.” The female Shengti shrugged.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and scanned her up and down, his eyes narrowing slightly. He knew exactly who she meant by “it”—it had to be the Zhuxian Jian.

“You seem very familiar with the Zhuxian Jian.”

“Very familiar.” Ye Chen asked casually, and she replied even more casually.

“Then, who is its master?”

“Someone you couldn't imagine and couldn't afford to provoke.” The female Shengti looked up at him with a smile. “Is this answer satisfactory?”

“Satisfactory, of course.” Ye Chen said as he stood up and headed toward the mountain peak.

Before leaving, this guy didn't forget to hang the female Shengti on a tree branch. If she wouldn't answer properly, she needed to reflect.

The female Shengti remained unfazed, even while hanging from the tree, continuing to carve wood. Being hung up was something she was used to— that shameless one was capable of anything.

Once Ye Chen was gone, Ye Ling's Fenshen quickly got up and let her down. Before leaving, the original self had instructed her to treat this mother well.

At the mountain peak, Ye Chen stood quietly, overlooking all of Hengyue.

Like Yunu Peak, Hengyue was incredibly empty now. All who could fight had gone to the city wall, leaving only children and various Fenshen to care for them.

This scene was strikingly similar to the invasion by the heavenly demons in his previous life—a true all-out war. Ironically, this time it was internal strife, a war to the death.

Slowly, he closed his eyes and left Hengyue Zong.

Watching his departing back, the female Shengti felt annoyed, strongly suspecting that Ye Chen had come all this way just to tease her. He hung her on the tree and then left.

“Mother, are you hungry?” Ye Ling's Fenshen chuckled, blinking her beautiful eyes.

“Not hungry.” The female Shengti replied immediately, but her little stomach betrayed her, gurgling loudly right after—perfectly timed.

Ye Ling's Fenshen took the initiative, bringing over a basket of spirit fruits.

It was indeed a whole basket. Don't underestimate the female Shengti's small size—she ate like a beast. One basket wasn't enough; if she ate seriously, she could finish over a dozen.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen had already arrived in the vast wilderness, wandering aimlessly.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The Honghuang forces besieging Da Chu were as relentless as ever, attacking like madmen. They laughed sinisterly, their faces twisted in ferocity, fixated on Da Chu like wolves eyeing their prey. Da Chu could hold for now, but breaking through was only a matter of time.

“Ants, pathetic ants.”

“Stop your futile resistance, and we might grant you a peaceful death.”

“When the barrier breaks, you'll wish you were dead.”

Such voices thundered like ancient lightning, echoing endlessly over Da Chu, each word carrying a supreme curse that disturbed the minds of all in the realms.

Accompanied by eerie laughter, the Honghuang assaults grew even fiercer.

Da Chu's barrier hummed and trembled, on the verge of collapse. Each Honghuang attack made the mountains and rivers shake, and those with weaker cultivation couldn't even stand steady.

Boom!

This explosion was louder than any before, shaking the eternal immortal dome.

Then, a crack appeared in the barrier, originating from Nanchu Xishu. Looking up through the vast crack, waves of Honghuang extreme Dao emperor power surged in, transforming into destructive lightning that poured down from the sky. The Situ family's Xiaolong Mountain was obliterated in an instant, with palaces and pavilions collapsing one after another. The flying bricks and tiles turned to ash mid-fall from the shock.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The cultivators guarding Xiaolong Mountain suffered heavy casualties. Those nearby vaporized into blood mist en masse, and even those with weaker foundations had their souls scattered in the tremor.

“Quick, seal it!” Shouts echoed through the heavens as Tianlao and Dilao rushed from east to west toward the area, with various realm cultivators converging—using secret techniques or formations—to desperately repair it. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

After the first crack, it triggered a chain reaction. Dongyue, Beichuan, and Nanjiang were successively breached, damaging many array foundations and making them hard to maintain.

Beichu was no different. With Beizhen Cangyuan cracked, Xiling Yougu, Dongling Guyu, and Nanyan Daze also faced disaster, with lightning pouring down to cover the sky.

As more cracks formed, Da Chu's dark sky turned into a storm of flashing lightning, as if someone were undergoing a tribulation. The shattered earth was riddled with lava, and many great rivers dried up in an instant, left barren.

“Hold on!” The realm's Zhundi shouted, splitting into groups—one heading to various peaks to guard the formations, the other rushing to the cracks for repairs.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The realm's extreme Dao emperor weapons trembled with a hum, serving as the barrier's foundations and bearing destructive pressure. Their once brilliant emperor light dimmed rapidly. Without the infusion of vast divine power from the masses, they might have fallen. The only blame was that Honghuang had too many emperor weapons and too many powerful experts, making their relentless assaults unbearable.

“Bombard it for me!”

Seeing Da Chu's barrier weaken, the Honghuang clan emperors perked up, standing on massive jade chariots, gripping killing swords and frenziedly pointing at Da Chu, striving to break through in one go.

“Bombard it for me!”

The Honghuang Zhundi outside also howled, driving their emperor weapons, formations, and artifacts, unleashing a barrage of divine abilities toward Da Chu's barrier.

However, Honghuang had underestimated Da Chu. After a night of bombardment, they still couldn't breach it.

For this, the realm's cultivators paid a heavy price. Due to the cracks, countless people perished, their bodies and souls destroyed, leaving no remains. Even before Honghuang entered, blood had already stained the rivers and mountains, with smoke obscuring everyone's vision.

Fortunately, the realms withstood the assault, repairing the damaged barrier under immense pressure.

Yet, everyone knew that from this day on, Da Chu's protective barrier would grow weaker by the day. The cracks had destroyed many foundations, leaving it incomplete and unable to maintain its peak defense. With Honghuang's overwhelming force, they would gradually crush it.

By the time Ye Chen returned to the Nanchu city wall, it was dawn.

Though called dawn, there was no light—day and night were both dark, as if veiled by a black curtain that blocked the sun.

This gloom resembled the underworld, making one's heart and spirit feel suppressed, instinctively wanting to reach out and clear the sky.

Ye Chen's face was pale, with blood occasionally trickling from his mouth. He had been in the midst of enlightenment when he was suddenly struck by lightning, jolting him awake.

During this barrier breach, he had contributed as well, using his physical body to plug the gap and nearly being obliterated. He relied on an emperor Dao Fuxi array to seal the crack, and it was only thanks to the Huanggu Shengti's powerful regeneration that he survived. If it had been an ordinary great saint, they would have died.

Smoke rose on the Nanchu city wall, which had also been affected, with many sections collapsed. Realm cultivators were frantically repairing it, and the damaged array patterns were being urgently inscribed.

“I underestimated Honghuang.” The Shenjiang stood at the Nanchu border, his face grim as he gazed outward, able to see through the void the Honghuang's ferocious faces.

Ye Chen ascended steadily, reaching the sky and standing beside the Shenjiang.

“You don't need to fight; just focus on your enlightenment.”

“I wish I could.” Ye Chen chuckled dryly. He had been enlightening when lightning struck out of nowhere, and now, even thinking about it was a luxury—fighting was unavoidable.

Ah!

The Shenjiang sighed, understanding Ye Chen's meaning. With this first incident, no corner of Da Chu was safe anymore. Who knew where the next crack would appear? Enlightening anywhere could lead to being struck by lightning. Ye Chen was helpless, and so was he. As the strongest attacker under the emperor, the Shenjiang had never feared one-on-one fights, but Honghuang was clearly gearing up for a group assault.

“Just do your best.” The Shenjiang left those words and stepped into the void, heading north—he, as a peak Zhundi, needed to patrol Beichu.

Like him, many Zhundi crossed the borders into Beichu, some in groups of three, others in teams of five, scouting various areas to guard against potential changes.

Ye Chen descended from the sky and returned to Nantianmen.

The women were all there, and the female Shengti from Yunu Peak, along with Hengyue's children, had been brought back. In the coming days, cracks could appear anywhere, making it unsafe elsewhere. Keeping them close was the safest option.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

A new wave of Honghuang attacks soon arrived.

As expected, Da Chu's barrier had weakened. Each Honghuang assault now blasted larger or smaller cracks into it, and the destructive lightning seeped through everywhere the cracks covered, obliterating mountains, peaks, or palaces.

On the first day, Zhengyang Zong collapsed, with countless immortal mountains destroyed.

Then, Qingyun Zong fared even worse, leveled to the ground under waves of lightning. It was fortunate no one was inside, or the casualties would have been catastrophic.

Of the three sects, two had suffered, and Hengyue Zong was no exception.

Compared to Qingyun and Zhengyang, Hengyue fared a bit better, but half its immortal mountains were still shattered.

On the second day, the Hero Monument standing in the heart of Beichu toppled with a boom.

Gazing at that monument, the people of Da Chu felt a sharp pain in their hearts, for it bore too many names—some had returned, but others remained just names.

On the third day, a crack appeared in the void above Nantianmen, causing a hundred-li section of the city wall to collapse and countless people to turn into blood mist, dyeing the wall red.

By the fourth day, Da Chu's cracks were forcibly sealed, and the realms once again repelled the Honghuang assault. No one knew how many more times they could hold out, as Honghuang's forces showed no sign of weakening, while the barrier grew frailer with each attack.

In the dead of night, Nantianmen was repaired, and the guards returned to the city wall.

Ye Chen stood like a monolith, quietly gazing at the sky, silent for a long time.

The women accompanied him, saying nothing, assuming he was enlightening.

“It's back.”

“What?” The women turned to look at him.

“The realms' tribulation responders are about to return.” Ye Chen smiled.