Chapter 2373: The Third Blossom

Chapter 2373: The Third One

"Tianmo?" Ye Chen's voice was low, but everyone present heard it clearly, and their expressions changed dramatically. Evidently, there was a Tianmo in the black hole, and by sheer coincidence, Ye Chen had detected it.

"Take her to the Xian Chi," Ye Chen said, then vanished into the black hole in an instant.

"How could there be a Tianmo in the black hole?" Situ Nan frowned, turning to the elders of Tianxuan Men.

"Let's head back first." One of the female Quasi-Emperors was the first to stand, leading Chu Xuan away.

The people of Da Chu were not idle either, rushing together toward the Zhutian Men. A Tianmo was no joke—there was a risk of invasion, and in such a situation, they needed to awaken the Dacheng Shengti.

In the black hole, Ye Chen streaked through the endless darkness like a golden divine light.

Only then did he clearly see what that dark shadow was—it was a Heilian, a black lotus enveloped in demonic energy and surging with demonic malice, accompanied by terrifying visions manifesting around it.

Ye Chen furrowed his brow slightly, fully aware that this Heilian was the true form of a Tianmo, fused with its origin essence. It was mysterious and ancient, likely from a race in the Tianmo domain.

He had encountered such a Heilian more than once before. The first one had been destroyed by the Six Paths, and the second had met a tragic end, accidentally colliding with Di Huang and turning to ash on the spot.

This one was the third he had seen.

Unlike before, he now possessed the strength to eliminate the Heilian without needing anyone's help.

Perhaps sensing that it was being pursued, the Heilian burst forth with demonic light, accelerating its speed dramatically.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen let out a cold snort, summoning the blood-stained Emperor Sword in his hand. Infused with the power of the Emperor Dao, he boosted his speed to the extreme, crossing vast expanses of darkness and shadowing the Heilian relentlessly.

This made the Heilian even more panicked, its demonic aura intensifying further.

Its aura was not weak—in fact, it was even stronger than Ye Chen's, likely that of a peak Quasi-Emperor. Unfortunately, it was still in its original form, in the final stages of attempting to transform into a human shape.

One could see the lotus trembling violently, as if in rage. Being hunted at such a critical moment would infuriate anyone. It just needed a bit more time, but its pursuer wasn't giving it that luxury.

While it was furious, Ye Chen felt like laughing. If it knew it was trying to transform, why not stay put? Instead, it darted all over the black hole and caught his eye—now it had to be dealt with.

"You insignificant ant, courting death!" As Ye Chen drew closer, a cold snort echoed from the Heilian, its voice booming like ancient thunder, shaking Ye Chen's sacred body.

But the stronger it seemed, the more fiercely Ye Chen pursued it. Stop trying to scare me off—if you're so powerful, why run? The more you try to intimidate, the more you reveal your lack of intelligence.

The Heilian was enraged but dared not stop, fleeing for its life.

It had to be said, its speed was extraordinarily fast, even making Ye Chen's heart race. This was before it had fully formed a human shape—if it reached its peak, he might not be able to catch it.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Deeper into the darkness, Ye Chen's vital energy surged as he took a step through space, appearing directly behind the Heilian. Without a word, he swung his sword, carving out a brilliant immortal river.

With a puff, the Heilian couldn't dodge in time and was sent flying by Ye Chen's strike, black blood splattering everywhere.

"Damn it." The Heilian roared in anger, summoning a sea of demonic malice that swallowed toward Ye Chen.

"Break!" Ye Chen asserted dominance with another sword strike, cleaving through the demonic malice.

Clang!

A piercing sword cry rang out, emanating from the Heilian as it shot a black shadow straight toward Ye Chen's forehead, targeting his primordial spirit and ignoring his physical body.

Ye Chen was unafraid—his Sacred Body's Divine Dragon Shield was incredibly resilient.

After withstanding the Heilian's attack, he naturally counterattacked. Fusing the Nine Divine Tribulations, he gathered a golden divine light, an immortal technique aimed straight at the primordial spirit.

With another puff, dark blood sprayed forth as the Heilian suffered a severe blow and was flung sideways. Before it could steady itself, Ye Chen flashed forward again, his battered blood-stained Emperor Sword humming as it nearly split the Heilian in two.

"Ah...!"

The Heilian let out a shrill roar, a mix of agony and fury, infused with supreme demonic power. Anyone with a weak mind would lose control upon hearing it, given the high level of its cultivation.

Following this roar, the Heilian changed form, forcing a condensation of its divine body before the right time. It donned icy armor and wielded an ancient war spear. Born with three eyes—all blood-red and terrifying—and horns on its forehead gleaming with a sinister light, its head of blood-red hair flowed like a river of blood.

It was indeed a Quasi-Emperor Tianmo, at the peak realm. It stood on demonic malice, with visions of a demonic land behind it, featuring mountains of corpses, seas of blood, flashing lightning, and collapsing stars.

"You lowly ant, you have provoked me beyond measure."

The Tianmo from the Heilian gritted its teeth, its face twisted like a malevolent ghost etched with black demonic patterns. Its already fearsome pressure surged instantly, making the black hole rumble.

Ye Chen frowned, detecting a terrifying force within the Tianmo's body—traces of Emperor essence. In other words, this Tianmo had likely survived an Emperor Tribulation.

Such beings were on the same level as Sheng Zun and Di Ji.

However, this was not the Tianmo domain but the Zhutian realm, where all Tianmo were inherently suppressed. What good was Emperor essence if it wasn't a true Emperor? Even Sheng Zun and Di Ji could be challenged by Ye Chen, let alone a suppressed Tianmo, especially one that was injured.

With that thought, Ye Chen snorted coldly and unleashed his full combat power, his momentum reaching its peak.

His Sacred Body, bathed in divine light, was the most formidable sight—every inch of his sacred form radiated golden light, as if forged from pure gold, with his surging vital energy rolling like an ocean.

Now, it was the Tianmo's turn to pale. Ye Chen had sensed the Emperor essence in its body, and it had detected the Emperor Dao killing intent in Ye Chen's—killing intent unique to someone who had slain an Emperor, possessed only by those who had truly killed one.

"How is it possible? He has slain a great emperor?" The Tianmo from the Heilian could scarcely believe it.

In that moment of distraction, Ye Chen struck like a ghost, his sword aimed straight for its head.

The Tianmo snorted coldly, trying to retreat and escape.

But before it could move, it felt an supreme law manifesting, binding its actions.

That was right—Ye Chen had activated Eternal Thought.

Though it lasted only an instant, it was enough for him to do many things, such as piercing the Tianmo's skull with a single sword.

With a puff, the Tianmo's blood—black and demonic—spurted out. Unable to evade the attack, its forehead was breached, and its third eye was utterly destroyed in that strike.

"Damn it." The Tianmo roared in fury and fled, spitting out a beam of blood light.

The clever Ye Chen, however, showcased another immortal technique: Emperor Dao Ethereal.

The Tianmo's blood light was powerful, carrying destructive force, but it passed right through Ye Chen without hitting him. No matter how strong the immortal technique, it was futile against Emperor Dao Ethereal.

His attacks might be ineffective, but Ye Chen's were not.

With another puff, he struck again, piercing the Tianmo's still-unhealed skull once more.

"Kill!"

The Tianmo bellowed, invoking its Emperor essence. A layer of black halo spread out, and Ye Chen, who had just closed in, collided head-on and was forced to stagger back, shaken by the dark radiance.

Only then did the two stand still, one on each side.

Ye Chen's killing intent was thick and bone-chilling, impossible to suppress.

Across from him, the Tianmo looked wretched, covered in fresh blood, with the most gruesome wound at its forehead—a bloody hole still gushing blood, laced with the killing intent of the Emperor Sword, preventing it from healing.

No wonder it was a peak Quasi-Emperor—its foundation was extraordinarily strong, surviving two direct hits from Ye Chen without being finished off, thanks in part to the Emperor essence within it.

"One day, I will end you." The Tianmo snarled menacingly and turned to flee.

Oh, it wants to run?

Ye Chen wouldn't allow it. As if he'd let it escape and dream of revenge—who gave you that confidence?