Chapter 2338: Don't Listen to Old People

Chapter 2338: Not Heeding the Old Man's Words

Buzz! Buzz!

As the Soul Search Technique was activated, the Zhu Xian Jian let out a violent hum. Its seven-colored immortal light, already dim, flickered erratically, on the verge of extinction.

It was in immense pain.

Any being with intelligence, whether human or artifact, would suffer greatly if subjected to a forced soul search. It could damage their memories and risk the complete collapse of their consciousness.

Zi Xuan emerged and stood alongside Ye Chen, one on each side of Di Huang, quietly watching. The secrets of the Zhu Xian Jian intrigued Di Huang, and the same went for the two of them.

"Do not search its soul."

"Do not search its soul."

From the void, two voices echoed almost simultaneously, originating from the Heavenly Realm and the Nether Realm—or more precisely, from the Nether Emperor and the Dao Ancestor. Their words rang out with imperial authority.

The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body, standing on equal footing with emperors, could hear them clearly but chose to ignore them.

Before arriving in the myriad heavens, the Nether Emperor had warned him: he could destroy the Zhu Xian Jian, but under no circumstances should he search its soul. Yet, he did not stop, driven by a desire to uncover the secrets hidden within it—a mystery that had plagued him for countless ages.

Zheng! Zheng!

With the soul search intensifying, the Zhu Xian Jian suffered even more, trembling with a deafening hum.

But Di Huang showed no mercy, nor did Ye Chen and Zi Xuan.

Di Huang furrowed his brow as he delved into the sword's memories, encountering a vast haze of chaos. Even with his vast insight, he could not see through it.

Clearly, an ancient prohibition guarded the Zhu Xian Jian's memories, designed to prevent external soul searches—a safeguard that most cultivators possessed, though varying in strength.

Di Huang snorted coldly and used his soul search power to disperse layer after layer of the chaotic haze, aiming to trace back to the origin and reveal the secrets.

However, no matter how many layers he cleared, the chaos persisted.

He closed his eyes briefly, then suddenly opened them, enhancing the soul search with divination techniques, determined not to give up until he found answers.

This time, the chaotic haze began to thin.

Deep within the haze, Di Huang glimpsed a pair of enormous eyes, vast beyond imagination, making him feel as insignificant as an ant.

Strangely, those eyes were closed.

Di Huang's brow furrowed further, never expecting to find a pair of shut eyes at the core of the Zhu Xian Jian's memories.

In a momentary daze, those massive eyes suddenly opened. They lacked pupils or irises, appearing as pure chaos, reminiscent of the legendary Chaos Eyes. Through them, one could witness the birth of the heavens and earth, the destruction of stars, the collapse of the blazing sun, all infused with destructive power.

Pu!

Di Huang spat out blood and staggered backward. Once he steadied himself, he coughed up another mouthful, his face turning deathly pale. His once radiant golden eyes now streamed with black blood from the corners, rendering him blind on the spot.

Ye Chen and Zi Xuan's expressions changed drastically as they rushed forward. They could see that Di Huang had suffered severe backlash, even worse than when divining the White Jade Dragon Chair.

Alarmingly, as soon as they approached, they were affected too. Ye Chen fared better; his Sacred Body was sturdy enough to only cause him to vomit blood.

Zi Xuan was not so lucky—her immortal body exploded on the spot, leaving only her ethereal primordial spirit.

"Do not come any closer."

Di Huang barked sharply, waving his hand to send them far away. He knew all too well the intensity of the backlash; even a trace of it could obliterate Ye Chen and the others.

His own condition was dire, his aura plummeting.

Worse still, his domineering Sacred Body was crumbling inch by inch before their eyes, exposing glistening bones drenched in blood. His blood essence, limbs, organs, meridians, Dao principles, and primordial spirit were all entangled by a mysterious force—the backlash energy, brimming with annihilating power that even he struggled to resist.

"How could this happen?" Zi Xuan's primordial spirit drifted aimlessly, her face ashen.

"It must have triggered a taboo." Ye Chen's expression was grim as he glanced toward the Zhu Xian Jian, his cold gaze turning to horror. The ancestors had not lied; this seven-colored immortal sword was truly terrifying. At its peak, it could slay great emperors, and even in its weakened state, not just anyone could search its soul. Di Huang was a stark example—possessing the power to slaughter emperors, yet suffering such devastating backlash that suppressing it was an uphill battle.

With that thought, Ye Chen gripped his iron staff and charged forward.

The Lingxiao Iron Staff hummed, infused with the essence of the Ancient Sacred Body, intent on shattering the Zhu Xian Jian. The secrets no longer mattered; destroying it was the priority.

But before he could reach it, the Zhu Xian Jian broke free from the Emperor Dao Fu Xi array and fled like a streak of seven-colored immortal light.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen roared and gave chase, not forgetting to manifest his Dharma Body on the way, leaving it with Zi Xuan to guard Di Huang.

The two vanished one after the other into the depths of the black hole.

Soon, booming sounds and metallic clashes echoed, indicating Ye Chen had caught up to the Zhu Xian Jian and engaged it in battle. However, the noises grew fainter and fainter, suggesting the sword had escaped again, with Ye Chen in relentless pursuit, fighting as he went.

Zi Xuan remained in place, rebuilding her physical body while keeping a watchful eye on Di Huang.

She was not worried about Ye Chen; the Zhu Xian Jian was formidable, but in its weakened state, as long as one avoided searching its soul, divining it, or touching its secrets, it posed no real threat.

As for Di Huang, his state was truly pitiable. His golden Sacred Body had crumbled to pieces, leaving only blood-soaked bones, barely resembling a human form. Strands of seven-colored immortal light lingered on him.

That was the backlash force, eroding his essence and incredibly difficult to dispel, threatening to consume him at any moment.

"This is just too powerful." Ye Chen's Sacred War Dharma Body swallowed hard, shuddering at the bloody scene. That was Di Huang, the ruthless figure who could battle five emperors without undergoing heavenly tribulation! With the power to slay emperors, he was still backlashed so severely. How terrifying was the taboo of the Zhu Xian Jian, and what kind of existence was its owner—unimaginably strong, capable of erasing Di Huang with a single swipe.

"Don't listen to the old man's words, and suffer the consequences." The Nether Emperor sighed, unable to bear watching any longer. He had warned Di Huang, but Di Huang had not heeded it. Now, he was paying the price for the Zhu Xian Jian's backlash.

Though he sighed, this outcome was within his expectations.

The Sacred Body lineage was full of unyielding individuals, especially a Great Accomplishment Sacred Body. No warning, no matter how grave, would stop them from acting. Even knowing the risks, they would still try.

To be fair, one could not blame Di Huang entirely. If the eternal secrets had been shared with him, he would not have taken such a reckless risk. But keeping the secrets hidden and forbidding him from seeking answers himself? That was unreasonable.

Pang! Kang dang! Zheng xiang!

The desolate black hole was far from quiet, filled with incessant metallic clashes.

It was Ye Chen versus the Zhu Xian Jian.

The sword fled desperately, while Ye Chen wielded the Lingxiao Iron Staff, chasing and striking without respite. Now at the Quasi-Emperor level, his combat prowess was on another level entirely. The Zhu Xian Jian, weakened and depleted from its earlier pursuit by Di Huang, was no match for him.

The scene of pursuit and escape was quite a sight.

Ye Chen exuded divine might, while the Zhu Xian Jian's state of mind was one of pure fury.

Recalling the past, Ye Chen had been merely a minor cultivator, far from the sword's equal. Yet, in just a few centuries, that former ant had risen to Quasi-Emperor status, turning the tables and becoming the hunter.

Of course, Ye Chen's rapid rise owed much to the Zhu Xian Jian, which had inadvertently provided him with numerous opportunities, serving as an excellent whetstone each time it caused trouble.

Setting aside grudges, Ye Chen should probably thank it for the many fortunes it had delivered.

As he spoke, Ye Chen caught up again, launching into an attack without preamble, swinging his staff with all his might.

Pang!

The metallic clash was crisp as ever. The seven-colored immortal sword was sent flying, its already faint light dimming further as it trembled violently.

"Emperor Dao Fu Xi." Ye Chen arrived and waved his hand, summoning eighty-one arrays that trapped the unsteady Zhu Xian Jian on the spot.

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood." Ye Chen's voice was icy as he brought down a devastating staff strike.

Unfortunately, he had underestimated the Zhu Xian Jian. In mere moments, it shattered the Emperor Dao Fu Xi array—unsurprising, given that it had broken Di Huang's version, let alone Ye Chen's.

Hong!

Ye Chen's strike missed, smashing the black hole with a thunderous boom.

Glancing over, the Zhu Xian Jian had already escaped a thousand zhang away, its light dim but its speed undiminished.

Anyone who had fought the Zhu Xian Jian knew this well; its escape speed was notorious. To truly catch it, one needed cultivation on par with Di Huang.

Ye Chen activated the Great Reincarnation Heavenly Burial to boost his speed, pursuing relentlessly with no intention of stopping until it was destroyed, even if it meant chasing to the edge of the universe.

Zheng! Sou!

The black hole grew turbulent again, one ahead and one behind—a streak of seven-colored divine light and a burst of golden immortal light, adding two brilliant arcs to the dark world.

Deeper in the black hole, the Zhu Xian Jian vanished, tearing open a rift and escaping the black hole.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ye Chen snorted, activating the Great Reincarnation Heavenly Dao and following it out.

They reappeared in a realm, more precisely, a watery domain.

As far as the eye could see, it was all water, with surging waves and towering swells. Under the moonlight, scattered islands gleamed like pearls embedded in this aqueous world.

Hong!

Accompanied by a boom, a mountain collapsed, struck down by the falling Zhu Xian Jian, which had taken a hit from Ye Chen's staff and was in poor shape.

This rumble alerted the primordial clans of the watery domain.

Figures soared into the sky from all directions, heading toward them—the Lu Tian Clan.

Though exiled to this realm, the Lu Tian Clan's forces remained formidable. Those arriving were all Quasi-Emperors, including peak ones, numbering in the thousands. They rode clouds, stepped on flying swords, and advanced with rolling primordial energy, making the void rumble under their violent and bloodthirsty aura.

"Ye Chen?"

The first Lu Tian Clan experts spotted him from afar, their doubtful expressions twisting into ferocity, their eyes blood-red with gritted teeth.

The later-arriving Lu Tian Quasi-Emperors wore similar looks, crowding the skies.

In the night, the Lu Tian clanspeople resembled demons. Their princes and crown princes had mostly been slain by Ye Chen, as had the Lu Tian Emperor's son.

Over the years, countless of their kin had fallen to Ye Chen's hand—this was a mountain of blood debt. The Lu Tian Clan's exile to this realm was indirectly his doing.

Spotting Ye Chen in the watery domain, how could they not be enraged?

Pang! Kang dang!

Ye Chen ignored the Lu Tian Clan entirely, focused solely on hunting the Zhu Xian Jian. Strike after strike landed, each more ferocious than the last. The once arrogant sword was sent flying chaotically, powerless to fight back, with only faint traces of seven-colored light remaining on its blade.

Hong! Bang! Hong!

Their battle destroyed mountain after mountain on the islands, and when it reached the sea surface, massive waves surged, capable of drowning hordes in a single swell.

The Lu Tian Clan followed closely, weapons at the ready, but not to assist—they plotted to eliminate Ye Chen and avenge their grudges.

This was merely a thought, however, as no one dared act. First, they feared the ruthless Di Huang; killing Ye Chen would provoke him and doom the entire clan.

Second, they feared Ye Chen himself, who bore the Emperor Dao Forbidden Curse. A single thought from him could wipe out the Lu Tian Clan.

Having their enemy in sight yet unable to strike—this frustration was unbearable.

"Where do you think you're going?"

From one side of the watery domain, Ye Chen's roar echoed. The Zhu Xian Jian had fled back into the black hole, with Ye Chen in hot pursuit, vanishing inside. The booming watery domain finally fell silent.

Though quiet there, the black hole remained chaotic.

The seven-colored immortal sword was extraordinarily resilient; even at its weakest, it could not be shattered. Instead, the Lingxiao Iron Staff now bore numerous sword marks.

Hong! Bang! Hong!

Their chase affected countless realms, as the Zhu Xian Jian kept escaping the black hole, emerging in one domain after another.

It fled, Ye Chen pursued, and each domain they entered erupted in turmoil.

The primordial clans in those domains always arrived first, their expressions upon seeing Ye Chen like copies of one another—faces twisted in savagery, eyes filled with violence, yearning for slaughter.

Yet, with Di Huang looming and the Emperor Dao Forbidden Curse in place, no one dared make a move.

Ye Chen paid them no mind throughout, not even considering asking the primordial clans for help. His grudges were immense; not tripping him up was already generous—expecting aid was out of the question.

Once more, the Zhu Xian Jian darted into a domain—the Luo Sha Domain.

Right on its heels, Ye Chen burst out, swinging his staff with force that could shatter a hundred thousand mountains. The weakened Zhu Xian Jian could not withstand it, sent flying an unknown distance.

Ka cha!

A crisp crack sounded. The sturdy Zhu Xian Jian had split open—a first in its long history, forcibly cracked.

Ye Chen's eyes lit up at the sight, invigorated. He channeled more Sacred Body essence into the iron staff. The Zhu Xian Jian was not unbreakable; given enough time, he could smash it to pieces.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Zhu Xian Jian hummed but stopped fleeing, hovering in the air with its immortal light extinguished.

Oddly, from the crack in its blade, black blood seeped out, giving the impression that this seven-colored immortal sword had transformed from a person.

"Blood debts must be repaid in blood." Ye Chen closed in, delivering his most powerful strike.

Then, he was sent flying, the impact sending him crashing through countless mountains, his domineering Sacred Body cracking in several places as blood sprayed.

Glancing back, the Zhu Xian Jian now radiated seven-colored light more brilliantly than ever, its aura surging to a new level, far surpassing before.

Even stranger, it had taken human form, with flesh and blood, eyes like stars and black hair like a waterfall. Gradually, its features sharpened, outlining a face.

"How is this possible?" Ye Chen staggered to his feet, eyes bulging in disbelief as he stared at the human form of the Zhu Xian Jian—it was identical to his own.