Chapter 2353: The Power of the Emperor's Way

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle between Ye Chen and Ming Jue raged on fiercely, shaking the vast starry sky and echoing across the four seas and eight wildernesses.

As Ming Di had said, Ming Jue was no match for Ye Chen.

Gazing into the endless cosmos, one could see Ming Jue covered in blood and broken bones. Whether in terms of Dao comprehension or combat mindset, he fell far short of Ye Chen. Even with his mastery of various Di Dao immortal techniques, he could not withstand the onslaught of the Sheng Ti.

In contrast, Ye Chen fared much better. Though he appeared somewhat disheveled, his ancient Sheng Ti showed almost no wounds, and any minor injuries were insignificant.

"So strong," Ming Jue murmured more than once.

Only through direct combat with Ye Chen did he truly grasp his opponent's terror. Ye Chen seemed carefree on the surface, but in reality, he was unfathomably deep. His understanding of the great Dao and his combat state of mind both surpassed Ming Jue's.

Among those of the same level, the only one who had given Ming Jue this feeling was the former Zhao Yun.

Ye Chen, like Zhao Yun, was a monstrous genius, equally heaven-defying.

The two of them perfectly illustrated the saying: There are always people beyond people, and skies beyond skies.

"Don't get distracted," a ethereal voice rang out as Ye Chen instantly closed in.

The Sheng Ti's attacks were as domineering as ever. A single punch shattered the eight wildernesses, appearing ordinary yet infused with supreme Dao principles. Countless immortal techniques merged within it, causing the very fabric of the universe to collapse.

Pfft!

Blood splattered immediately, and divine bones flew as Ming Jue suffered another severe blow. Ye Chen's punch blasted half of his divine body apart, with the Sheng Ti's killing intent rampaging through his insides.

"Suppress," Ming Jue snarled coldly, erasing the killing intent and rapidly reforming his divine body.

Roar!

A mighty dragon roar erupted as the Eight Heavenly Dragons manifested. Ming Jue, who had just stabilized, was struck by their divine dragon tails and sent flying, his body cracking open again before it could fully heal.

Exterminate!

Ming Jue shouted coldly, and from his crown, immortal light shot into the sky, transforming into a brilliant sun. Billions of divine radiances cascaded down, illuminating the world. Any of the Eight Heavenly Dragons touched by the sun's light were instantly annihilated, and even Ye Chen's vital energy was significantly eroded.

Break!

With the Eight Heavenly Dragons destroyed, Ye Chen retaliated. He had turned immortal fire into a divine bow and heavenly thunder into a divine arrow. Drawing the bow like a full moon, he shot down the radiant sun.

Fight!

Both roared in unison, their vital energies surging to the heavens. They each formed Di Dao immortal techniques and attacked again. Every collision spread waves of destructive light, expanding infinitely across the starry sky.

It was clear that Ming Jue was still at a disadvantage, having been suppressed multiple times.

Ming Di's disciple was not weak—in fact, he was incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, his opponent was even more monstrous. The myth of the ancient Sheng Ti being unbeatable at the same level was no empty boast.

"After not seeing him for centuries, that guy must have cheated his way up," Kui Niu grinned.

Here, "that guy" referred to Ming Jue. He had vanished for centuries, and upon his return, he had truly shocked Kui Niu. After dozens of rounds with Ye Chen, Ming Jue had yet to be defeated.

"The disciple of a great emperor is no joke," Dong Zhou Wu Wang sighed.

"I'm still an emperor's inheritance, aren't I?" Xiao Yuan Huang muttered dismissively.

His words drew glances from those around him. Their eyes all conveyed a certain implication: How dare you mention an emperor's inheritance? If the Dou Zhan Sheng Huang were still alive, he'd probably kick you to death for being so useless.

Xiao Yuan Huang coughed awkwardly, feeling utterly embarrassed. It was indeed a massive loss of face.

Boom!

As they bantered, a thunderous boom echoed. One of the combatants had fallen, their body so heavy that the starry sky collapsed beneath them.

The one who fell was the Sheng Ti, Ye Chen. His sacred body was shattered, with blood and bones exposed in several places, and fresh blood gushing out. It seemed he had taken a devastating hit from Ming Jue.

Meanwhile, Ming Jue stood in the void, like a sovereign overlooking the world.

His form had changed dramatically. A divine mark appeared on his forehead, his black hair turned blood-red, and around his divine body, an aura of Di Dao emerged.

This aura elevated his combat power to another level. Bathed in divine light, he shone like a dazzling sun, with numerous profound and ancient visions manifesting around him.

Most eerily, his eyes no longer showed pupils—they were like two bottomless black abysses, dark and desolate. Even a glance could make one feel disoriented.

"Blood Succession Limit?" Di Jiu Xian blinked in surprise.

"It's not Blood Succession Limit; it's Di Dao power," Chen Yi said leisurely.

"How strange—where did he get Di Dao power from?" Tian Shuo murmured. The Di Dao aura was formless and intangible, invisible and untouchable, yet its might was terrifyingly formidable.

At his side, Bai Zhi stood gracefully, a faint smile on her lips. Tian Shuo couldn't tell, but as Ming Di's disciple, she knew full well, for she possessed the same power.

"No wonder he's Ming Di's disciple; his trump cards are truly ferocious," the Di Zi remarked with a mix of awe and wariness. Even Ye Chen had been severely wounded, showing just how terrifying it was.

"Secluding himself on Ming Wang Xing for centuries must be related to the Di Dao," Ye Chen said, rising and tilting his head slightly. He recognized it as Di Dao power, an elusive form of it.

This Di Dao aura was familiar to him; Di Ji had it, and Sheng Zun did too. Their auras came from the Di Jie, which was the source of their strength.

Now, seeing Di Dao power in Ming Jue was a surprise. Could Ming Di's disciple have also survived a Di Jie? Was he another ruthless figure who had lived through it?

Upon reflection, Ye Chen quickly dismissed the idea. Ming Jue was impressive, but he hadn't reached the level to face a Di Jie. Age didn't lie, and Ming Jue wasn't that old.

So, the issue must stem from Ming Wang Xing. That ancient divine tomb surely hid some secrets. And as for Ming Di's other disciple, Bai Zhi, Ye Chen didn't need to ask—he knew she was just like Ming Jue.

"Interesting," Ye Chen stroked his chin, his eyes gleaming.

"The warm-up is over; the real fight begins now," Ming Jue said with a smile.

"Is this what you call cheating?" Ye Chen laughed, looking at Ming Jue.

"If you've got cheats, you use them—who's the fool not to?" Ming Jue replied, sharing a life philosophy. In a fight, hiding your cheats is pointless; might as well use them—or take them home to stew?

"If that's how you put it, then today, I'll let you have your fun," Ye Chen grinned broadly, his smile full of mischief, even his white teeth flashing.

With that, he activated his cheats: the Great Wheel of Reincarnation Heavenly Burial, boosting his power tenfold. On top of that, he manifested his Sheng Zhan Dharma Body, another tenfold increase.

This setup made it clear he was going for a two-on-one beatdown.

There was no choice; Ming Jue's Di Dao power was too overwhelming. Anyone with such an aura was normally invincible at the same level, making a fair fight impossible from the start.

So, the clever Ye Chen responded cleverly. He had his own divine techniques, not as strong as the Di Dao power, but cheats within cheats, with plenty of trump cards.

"The era of god-level cheats is just too wild," the son of Qing Di tsked.

"In the future, when fighting someone, you won't even show up without a couple of god-level cheats," Yu Kong Di Zi said with a deep sigh, his words full of earnest advice.

"The old man calculated that anyone with Di Dao power must be impressive in bed too," Kui Niu stroked his chin. Xiao Yuan Huang scratched his monkey fur and glanced at Qing Luan.

Qing Luan ignored those two and just stared into the void, her expression dazed.

If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes today, she wouldn't have believed Ming Jue was this powerful. Even the ancient Sheng Ti, Ye Chen, was repeatedly wounded, overturning her understanding.

The mindset of the world was equally shocked, and this shock was directed at Ming Jue.

Ming Di's direct disciple was no mere title; he had such incredible trump cards. Even the Great Chu's Tenth Emperor was forced to use his Sheng Zhan Dharma Body and Great Wheel of Reincarnation Heavenly Burial. This proved that the epic battle would be even more spectacular than imagined.

Roar! Roar!

Under the watchful eyes of the world, dragon roars resounded again, mighty and prolonged, shaking the star domain.

Looking up into the void, one saw that Ye Chen and Ming Jue had both transformed into dragon forms. Ye Chen's true body and Dharma Body were golden divine dragons, while Ming Jue was a purple-golden divine dragon.

The three divine dragons roared and clashed in their outer forms.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The tranquil universe erupted once more, the commotion even greater than before.

Amid the booms, the two fought from the eastern starry sky to the northern cosmos, then from the northern cosmos to the western starry heavens, and finally from the western starry heavens to the southern star domain.

The three massive divine dragons, each as large as mountains, left destruction in their wake. Lifeless stars collapsed one after another, and vast swaths of starry sky shattered piece by piece.

Blood splattered everywhere—Ye Chen's and Ming Jue's— as they bathed in each other's blood, fighting madly. It was a clash of inheritances and a contest of Daos.

"Who's weaker and who's stronger?" the people wondered, for the first time doubting Ye Chen. It wasn't to undermine him but because the Di Dao power was too fearsome.

"Maybe the myth of the Sheng Ti being unbeatable at the same level will be broken," someone pondered. The only reason was the battlefield's dynamics; the Great Chu's Tenth Emperor had fallen behind more than once.

"You're all underestimating Ye Chen," the elders laughed, still firmly believing in his victory. That inexplicable faith was etched into their souls, unshakeable by anyone.

Sure enough, Ye Chen didn't disappoint. He turned the tide, pressing Ming Jue back. His golden divine dragon glowed even brighter, while Ming Jue's began to dim.

From that moment, the outcome was decided.

After an unknown number of rounds, Ye Chen's Dharma Body dragon exploded.

Then, Ming Jue's purple-golden dragon was blasted apart, transforming back into human form as he fell and shattered a section of starry sky. It was a scene of utter defeat. His Di Dao power dissipated with it, leaving him covered in blood, unsteady on his feet, a ghastly sight.

In comparison, Ye Chen reverted to human form and descended from the sky.

He was in much better shape than Ming Jue. God-level cheats lived up to their name, allowing him to hammer away without issue.

"Still want to fight?" Ye Chen asked with a grin.

"You win," Ming Jue gave a thumbs-up, clutching his waist as he limped off. He couldn't continue; even his Di Dao power wasn't enough against Ye Chen.

"See how self-aware he is," Kui Niu said meaningfully as Ming Jue approached.

"Get lost," Ming Jue cursed, but his exertion was too much, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His injuries were severe, the damage from the dragon-form battle affecting his very Dao.

"Come on, tell your monkey brother where that Di Dao power came from," Yuan Fei chuckled, rubbing his furry paws, his fiery golden eyes radiating brilliant light.

Not just him; Xiao Chen and the others all turned to Ming Jue.

"Found it," Ming Jue said deeply under their expectant gazes.

No sooner had he spoken than he collapsed, probably from a sneaky blow by someone.

On another side, a new challenger stepped forward.

This time, it was Tian Que Di Zi, clad in flowing purple robes, exuding an immortal aura with every step infused with Dao essence. Knowing he couldn't beat Ye Chen, he stepped up anyway to gauge the gap between them.

Ye Chen tore off his bloodstained outer garment and changed into a new Dao robe.

"Recover your injuries; I'll wait for you," Li Feng Qiu said with a smile. "I won't take advantage."

"Take a bit of advantage," Ye Chen laughed and launched his attack immediately.

Li Feng Qiu shook his head with a smile and met the assault, forming a divine seal with one hand—it was a illusory seal resembling the Tian Que Emperor's Seal.

Buzz!

With a buzzing sound, the illusory emperor's seal pressed down from the sky. Though formed from Dao, it carried a trace of ultimate emperor's might, as heavy as a mountain, collapsing the starry sky before it even landed.

Ye Chen was straightforward, stepping through the heavens and punching with overwhelming force.

A boom followed, and the illusory Tian Que Emperor's Seal was shattered by his punch. Even Tian Que Di Zi was shaken back, stumbling and crushing swaths of starry sky.

Before he could steady himself, Ye Chen was upon him again, his finger strike radiating domineering divine light.

Li Feng Qiu's movements were profound, barely dodging the attack. He countered with a palm strike.

The palm missed Ye Chen, striking empty air.

Indeed, Ye Chen showed the world another wave of Di Dao's elusiveness, ignoring external attacks. Li Feng Qiu's strike was ineffective, but Ye Chen's punch was brutally powerful.

Pfft!

Li Feng Qiu was wounded, half his divine body blasted with blood and bones flying.

"It's over," Ye Chen said ethereally, appearing like a ghost.

"Flying Thunder God is useless against me," Tian Que Di Zi replied calmly, gently waving his hand to erase the Wheel of Reincarnation mark Ye Chen had placed, while swiftly retreating.

"Impressive indeed," Ye Chen laughed, manifesting the Di Dao Fu Xi array.

"A good array, but useless against me," Li Feng Qiu smiled. As a master of arrays, he broke out in an instant and countered with a sword strike at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen dodged, his palm descending like the sky.

Break!

Li Feng Qiu snorted coldly, drawing a star river with one hand to shatter the palm seal, only to collide with the Nine Divine Plagues. This divine race technique ignored the physical body, targeting the true self's fatal points.

However, Tian Que Di Zi was stubborn, resisting with his Yuan Shen.

Once again, it proved the formidable foundation of a great emperor's child. His divine sea held a Yuan Shen shield that blocked the plagues, preventing heavy damage from Ye Chen.

"Come, try this," Ye Chen smiled, summoning the Chaos vision. All things evolved within it—one mountain, one river, one tree, one plant—all full of spirituality and fused with supreme Chaos Dao principles.

Boom!

Li Feng Qiu was caught off guard, staggering under the pressure as his divine body cracked.

Open!

In an instant, he upheld the Chaos realm with his own life vision to counter it.

He then charged upward against the heavens, his sword unmatched.

This time, Ye Chen didn't dodge or evade; he stood still, allowing the sword to come. The emperor's son's sword was devastating, capable of piercing everything in the world.

Just as the sword tip was an inch from him, a Mantra Flower bloomed at his side, with both flower and leaf, crimson as fire. In the moment it bloomed, it turned eternal.

Time froze, and Li Feng Qiu was no exception, his sword halted in place.