Chapter 2303: Salt on the Wound

Chapter 2303: Adding Insult to Injury

With the Honghuang Clan’s imperial order, a tremendous rumble echoed as the Honghuang army launched their assault. It was like billions of iron hooves trampling the earth, shaking the ground and making the heavens hum, with an array of forces that was overwhelmingly vast.

Kill!

Fight!

Accompanied by the roars from Zhutian and Honghuang, a world-shaking bloodbath erupted once more.

The Honghuang’s offensive was even more ferocious.

This ferocity once pushed them to capture half the city walls, nearly breaching Zhutian's defenses. Fortunately, the Cangsheng’s unyielding resolve held firm, driving them back at a tremendous cost of lives.

The decisive battle between Honghuang and Zhutian was truly brutal, involving everyone from peak Zhundi to novice Qi Condensation cultivators. Soldiers faced soldiers, generals faced generals, and peaks clashed with peaks. Bathed in Honghuang’s blood, they all became frenzied madmen, fighting with utter abandon.

The Cangsheng’s roars stirred the heart of Da Chu’s Tenth Emperor.

In the borderlands of Nan Chu, on that patch of pure land where Ye Chen was in enlightenment, he showed no signs of waking. That place was free of blood and smoke, yet it was the greatest battlefield of this war.

At his side, Yuhua Xianwang stood silently.

His Dao body had already dissipated and couldn’t be reformed anytime soon. His true self longed to join the battle, to protect the Empress’s lingering soul, but Ye Chen needed him more.

As for Zhuxian Jian, it hadn’t appeared since its last sneak attack, a full day ago.

Yuhua Xianwang furrowed his brows slightly, unable to detect Zhuxian Jian’s presence. Or perhaps that damned immortal sword had already left this realm altogether—where it went, he didn’t know.

But he couldn’t leave, because Zhuxian Jian might return at any moment.

Turning his gaze from the north, he looked at Ye Chen. This junior was deep in the Dao realm, on the brink of a breakthrough; a single moment of insight could lead to advancement.

The rumbles from the north eventually faded.

The arrogant Honghuang forces had been repelled once again.

Glancing out, the Honghuang warriors’ twisted, ferocious faces were contorted in agony, their teeth grinding to pieces as they stared at the Nan Chu city walls with bloodshot eyes, doubting their very existence. No one had expected a single city wall to be so hard to conquer.

Looking at the Honghuang clan emperors, most of them had spat blood.

It was humiliating, utterly humiliating. They had charged the walls time and again, only to be driven back each time. The emperors’ dignity and the Honghuang clan’s pride had been completely shattered.

“Regroup!”

The Honghuang commander roared like thunder, shaking the heavens and causing them to collapse. He was furious beyond measure, his enraged eyes bulging as if ready to burst, his roars clouding his judgment. He was determined to seize the Nan Chu city walls.

The Honghuang army regrouped, forming ranks of cultivators that stretched endlessly for millions of li, like a black carpet covering the skies and earth, shrouding the world's order.

Zhutian wasn’t idle either. Reserve forces surged onto the city walls like a tide. The wounded desperately swallowed pills, and the emperor Dao arrays were left unrepaired—there was no time for tears, let alone that.

This intermission was a cursed break for both Zhutian and Honghuang.

Everyone knew that Honghuang’s next assault would be even more intense. Whether Zhutian could hold was uncertain; in a war of attrition and defense, Zhutian couldn’t match Honghuang.

On the city wall side, Hong Chen looked at Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

“Why are you protecting me like this?”

The two women both turned back with a smile.

“As long as you’re alive, that’s enough.”

Both were severely injured—one a disciple of Dan Zun, the other of Jian Shen. Though their combat strength was formidable, they struggled against the onslaught.

Hong Chen fell silent, gazing at the two bloodied figures. His clear eyes occasionally flashed with a murky haze, and his cultivation fluctuated, wandering at the peak Zhundi level.

This strange change drew curious glances from all around.

Especially the peak Zhundi, who narrowed their eyes. Hong Chen’s anomaly didn’t surprise them; they hoped he could defy the heavens and return at Zhutian’s hour of need.

As the Zhundi watched, Hong Chen staggered a step.

One could see the last trace of clarity in his eyes being slowly devoured by chaos, and his cultivation rose level by level—from Zhunsheng, he became a saint; from saint, he advanced to Zhunshengwang; from Zhunshengwang...

This bizarre transformation shocked the world. People had seen fast advancements before, but never this rapid. On the blood-soaked walls, faces froze in stunned expressions.

It wasn’t surprising to those in the know—they weren’t all aware of Hong Chen’s identity. Figures like the divine generals and emperors knew his secrets, so his advancement wasn’t unexpected. Compared to his past instant rise to Zhundi, this was actually slower, step by step.

“Has he begun to respond to the tribulation and return?”

Tian Lao asked tentatively, his dim old eyes gleaming with hope. If Hong Chen returned, it would be a massive boost for Zhutian.

“No sign of the tribulation’s immortal light.”

Chu Huang looked up at the ethereal sky.

“Why isn’t there any reaction from the Liudao side?”

Chi Yangzi remarked with a strange expression.

Indeed, the Liudao side showed no reaction, just like the rest of Zhutian, staring at Hong Chen in utter astonishment and muttering, “That guy must be cheating.”

At his side, Di Ji furrowed her brows. Hong Chen and Liudao shared the same form, so if Hong Chen changed, Liudao should too. But Liudao acted as if nothing had happened.

Boom!

As the world marveled, a sudden thunderclap boomed from the skies, stirring winds and clouds.

Then, a beam of light shot from Hong Chen’s crown straight into the heavens, piercing a massive hole in the vast sky. Accompanied by flashing lightning and destructive omens, a vague and terrifying pressure descended, making even peak Zhundi tremble.

In that instant, not just Zhutian, but the regrouping Honghuang forces all looked up, especially at the lightning, shuddering in fear. At first glance, it seemed like a heavenly tribulation—dangerous if someone was crossing it amid the Honghuang army.

Looking at Hong Chen, the final spark of clarity in his eyes had vanished. His gaze turned hollow, his expression wooden and emotionless—he looked like a puppet.

He had returned.

But his return was strangely twisted, with no tribulation immortal light. His cultivation, once at Zhunsheng level, had skyrocketed to peak Zhundi, infinitely close to emperor realm. Zhutian stared in bewilderment, mouths agape and unclosed.

“So strong.”

This murmur came from Ye Ling, or more precisely, from the female Shengti in the Bao Lian Deng. She saw it clearly; her beautiful eyes couldn’t hide her wariness. She knew Hong Chen was strange, but she hadn’t realized how terrifying he would become after returning.

She was certain that even in a one-on-one fight, she might not win.

“A half-tribulation state, without the tribulation’s immortal light?”

Donghuang Taixin frowned.

“In Zhutian’s history, there’s never been a half-tribulation. It must differ from a normal one.”

Yao Chi Xianmu pondered. “Hong Chen and Liudao are beings that defy the laws.”

Speaking of Liudao, more eyes turned to Di Ji’s side, gazing at the Liudao beside her.

Liudao, however, showed no reaction, trembling under the Zhundi’s stares. *I’m just like him in appearance, but don’t stare at me like that! I’m only a saint.*

“Hong Chen, do you still remember us?”

Hong Chen Xue and Chu Lingyu stood on either side of him, looking at him hopefully, their eyes misty.

Hong Chen said nothing, merely lifting his foot slowly, moving with rigid steps toward a direction.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sounds rang out, slow and rhythmic. His body was perhaps too heavy, causing the city walls to tremble and hum with each step.

To everyone’s surprise, he was heading straight for Donghuang Taixin. His wooden eyes stared at the Kunlun Goddess, occasionally flickering with a terrifying killing intent.

“This...”

The Zhundi were baffled, sensing that killing intent but not understanding why.

“His target is Ruoxi.”

Donghuang Taixin said calmly, her face darkening. Ruoxi wasn’t at Tianxuan Gate; she was sealed in Donghuang Taixin’s natal artifact.

It wasn’t Donghuang Taixin he was staring at, but Ruoxi. Though he had returned through tribulation, he had no memories—only his mission: kill Ruoxi.

The Zhundi’s expressions turned grim collectively. With the Honghuang army looming threateningly and Zhutian already at a disadvantage, this world-shaking figure’s return was targeting their own—far from help, it was outright chaos.

“What a mess—rain on a leaky roof.”

Ming Di said awkwardly, slapping his forehead.

Di Huang’s face was equally somber. He knew Hong Chen’s terror; with the female Shengti’s powers lost, no one in Zhutian could match him alone. At this critical moment, his return was a nightmare, adding insult to injury.

“Good one, Zhuxian Jian. I underestimated you.”

Ming Di snorted coldly, seeing through it. The one scheming in the shadows was Zhuxian Jian, who had used some divine ability to force Hong Chen’s early return—that’s why Liudao showed no reaction.

“Hong Chen.”

Chu Lingyu and Hong Chen Xue stepped forward, blocking his path.

Hong Chen remained silent, his pace unchanged, merely unleashing a terrifying pressure that sent them flying. His eyes never left Donghuang Taixin—or rather, the Ruoxi in her natal artifact. Killing her was his greatest mission, the reason he had reversed time.

“This one’s got to be slapped awake.”

Sheng Zun snorted coldly, striking down with a palm.

Hong Chen moved then, casually swinging a palm in response.

Boom!

Their palms collided with a thunderous boom, and a wave of silent destruction spread, sending countless people flying. Even the sturdy Nan Chu city walls crumbled in places.

In the clash, Hong Chen’s steps didn’t falter, while Sheng Zun was forced back, stumbling. His pristine young hands were bloody and mangled, blood trickling from his mouth, his eyes filled with shock. He knew Hong Chen was strong, but not this formidable.

The unaware crowd stared wide-eyed. Sheng Zun was a genuine peak Zhundi, one of the strongest, having survived his own tribulation—yet he was defeated in one move.

“This powerful?”

Honghuang Qilin Jiuchen bellowed, instantly appearing from a distant wall. He had never feared anyone in single combat, thrusting a finger of divine light at Hong Chen.

Hong Chen showed no reaction, treating the attack as if it didn’t exist.

But just as Jiuchen’s finger was about to strike, Hong Chen’s body suddenly turned ethereal.

“Emperor Dao Miaomiao?”

The world exclaimed in surprise.

“Does he know it too?”

Dongzhou Wuwang Songyu was stunned. Body etherealization, ignoring external attacks—this emperor Dao immortal technique was exclusive to his Da Zhou royal clan.

Boom!

Due to Emperor Dao Miaomiao, Jiuchen’s finger missed, his divine ability exploding harmlessly and collapsing a section of the wall behind Hong Chen.

Hong Chen struck again with a palm, sending Jiuchen flying.

Even the Honghuang-level Qilin was defeated in one move. Unconvinced, Jiuchen finally believed it—the world-shaker who once overpowered Di Huang left him shocked by Hong Chen’s might.

Jiang Taixu and Moyuan moved together, charging in unison with fists and palms of emperor Dao immortal techniques.

But even these two Honghuang-era prodigies were no match; their so-called emperor Dao methods were mere trifles before Hong Chen, who repelled them with a single palm.

“Join forces to suppress him.”

The emperors and divine generals advanced together, summoning their natal weapons and boosting their power to the peak. With war imminent, they couldn’t let Hong Chen cause chaos—this was pure disruption.

“Don’t waste combat strength—Honghuang is about to attack.”

Jian Shen said immediately, waving his hand to draw Donghuang Taixin’s natal artifact from her body, then extracting Ruoxi and sealing her in his own inner world.

Now, Hong Chen’s gaze shifted from Donghuang Taixin to Jian Shen. Wherever Ruoxi was, he followed—and Jian Shen’s move was clear: to lure Hong Chen away. Otherwise, Donghuang Taixin wouldn’t stand a chance.

Jian Shen soared into the sky like a beam of divine light, heading straight for the void.

He moved, and Hong Chen followed, like a streak of brilliant immortal light, chasing relentlessly.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Explosions echoed as Jian Shen and Hong Chen clashed in the void.

One was Zhutian’s Jian Shen, the other Ye Chen from the future—one seeking to kill Ruoxi, the other to protect her. Their battle raged fiercely above the void, with suns shattering, stars exploding, and blood raining down—from Jian Shen and from Hong Chen.

“What’s going on?”

Zhutian’s juniors looked up, full of confusion. Zhutian’s tribulation figure had returned, yet instead of helping, he was fighting Jian Shen.

Not just them—Honghuang was baffled, all craning their necks.

The Honghuang clan emperors’ actions were the most telling; they were about to order an attack, swords raised, but froze mid-air due to Zhutian’s anomaly.

Internal strife?

The Honghuang forces’ eyes all reflected those two words, clueless about Zhutian’s game.

As they watched, a beam of divine light and a streak of immortal light descended from the void, heading straight for the Honghuang army—it was Hong Chen and Jian Shen.

Jian Shen might not talk much, but he was clever, true to being Di Zun’s disciple. Wherever they fought was fine; using the Honghuang army as a battlefield would make it even more lively.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle was massive, devastating the Honghuang ranks. Swathes of figures turned to ash, their formations crumbling in an instant. Some Honghuang soldiers didn’t even know what hit them, destroyed by the shockwaves; those who retreated too slowly met the same fate.

“His power surpasses Jian Shen’s.”

The Honghuang great gods were shocked, clearly seeing Jian Shen at a disadvantage. The so-called peak sword Dao couldn’t harm his opponent.

“No matter who they are, surround and kill them together.”

Honghuang Zhundi roared, charging from all sides toward Jian Shen and Hong Chen.

“Attack! Attack for me!”

The Honghuang clan emperors bellowed, ignoring the pair. Their killing swords fell, convinced this was Zhutian’s scheme to obstruct them. No more words—seize the Nan Chu city walls!