Chapter 2452: Holy Body's Deception

Regarding Tian Xu Di Zi's gaze, Ye Chen acted as if he hadn't noticed it at all.

The mysterious Sheng Ti looked exactly like him, and Ye Chen wasn't surprised. The current mysterious Sheng Ti was like the past version of Ye Chen in black attire, able to change his appearance at will, something Ye Chen had long grown accustomed to.

This might be one of the peculiarities of the first type of Huang Gu Sheng Ti, slightly different from the second type, such as Xue Ji Xian Jie, Sheng Zhan Fa Shen, and even his appearance.

Tian Xu Di Zi finally withdrew his eyes and fixed his stare on the mysterious Sheng Ti.

The two lineages of Huang Gu Sheng Ti were indeed quite distinct. In terms of bloodline origin, it was purer than Ye Chen's; in special states, it was more domineering; and in divine treasures, it was even more terrifying. This gave Tian Xu Di Zi an inexplicable illusion: Ye Chen was just a counterfeit Huang Gu Sheng Ti.

Meanwhile, the mysterious Sheng Ti was the authentic one of this lineage.

Not only Tian Xu Di Zi thought so, but even Ye Chen himself felt the same way. Both inherited Huang Gu Sheng Ti, yet why was the first type so heaven-defying? In a certain sense, it could leave him far behind.

"You and I are both Sheng Ti, so why not join forces?"

The mysterious Sheng Ti spoke, ignoring Tian Xu Di Zi and only looking at Ye Chen. He wasn't foolish; he was playing the emotional card, merely stalling for time to recover to his peak state.

Ye Chen remained silent, but he felt like laughing. Where was the earlier arrogance to destroy me? Now that you're at a disadvantage, you're suddenly claiming kinship. Do you really think I'm a three-year-old child?

"Join me to eliminate him, and I'll reveal the secrets of Xue Ji Xian Jie to you." Seeing Ye Chen unmoved, the mysterious Sheng Ti gave a sinister smile and offered the temptation, certain that Ye Chen would be enticed.

Indeed, Young Master Ye was tempted.

If he could activate Xue Ji Xian Jie at will, it would be like having a god-level cheat by his side, an incredible fortune.

Unconsciously, Ye Chen glanced sideways at Tian Xu Di Zi.

Tian Xu Di Zi frowned and glanced back at Ye Chen, sensing that this guy had ulterior motives, especially those gleaming eyes, which looked sly and shifty.

"Join me, and you will achieve the highest supremacy."

"I will help you reach great completion, dominating the nine heavens and ten earths, the four seas and eight wildernesses, with you alone reigning supreme."

"Come! Fuse with me!"

In those moments, the mysterious Sheng Ti turned into a chatterbox, speaking one line after another without pause, each word laced with temptation, trying to coax Ye Chen into submitting.

As he spoke, Ye Chen made his move, raising a palm that covered the sky and slamming it down. Before the palm print even landed, the universe began to collapse, its power dominating heaven and earth.

But his target wasn't Tian Xu Di Zi—it was the mysterious Sheng Ti. What a joke; Ye Chen was the one who always did the bluffing. This guy's deceptive skills were far too lacking.

"You..." The mysterious Sheng Ti's sinister smile instantly turned to shock; he had underestimated Ye Chen, who proved utterly unmoved by even the greatest temptations, his Dao heart unshaken.

In an instant, he struck back, punching through the palm print before soaring into the sky to escape.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tian Xu Di Zi snorted coldly, slashing with his sword and nearly splitting him in two.

"Get lost!"

The mysterious Sheng Ti roared, suddenly halting in mid-air and unleashing a vast immortal domain with a palm strike, its might shaking the nine heavens and causing even Tian Xu Di Zi to stagger. He was fleeing, but he feared Ye Chen, not Tian Xu Di Zi. In a one-on-one fight, even not at his peak, he could still destroy Tian Xu Di Zi.

The problem was, there was another Sheng Ti present, and not just any Sheng Ti. Ye Chen's existence was his greatest fear; the earlier demonization had already shattered his state of mind.

"Seal!"

Ye Chen stood in the nine heavens, his voice cold and desolate. He deployed the Emperor Dao Fu Xi Array on his left and the Twelve Heavenly Characters Great Hades Array on his right, merging the two. Array patterns filled the sky, accompanied by thunder and lightning, descending from the ethereal void like massive mountains, their sealing power overwhelmingly strong.

The mysterious Sheng Ti's face twisted with ferocity as he instantly shattered the arrays and burst out like a soaring dragon.

Before he could escape, Tian Xu Di Zi's Sealing Heaven Cage arrived, with towering copper pillars that exuded an aura of dominance just by their presence, engraved with ancient divine patterns glowing with the light of ages.

However, strong as the cage was, it couldn't contain the mysterious Sheng Ti, who broke through it with force.

Tian Xu Di Zi grunted and retreated, his expression awkwardly embarrassed.

In that ancient era, his Sealing Heaven Cage was undoubtedly a dominant sealing technique; few at the same level could break it, and even then, not so easily. But ever since entering this ancient land, everything had been humiliating for him. His proud sealing methods were repeatedly shattered.

Thud! Thud!

As he felt awkward, the mysterious Sheng Ti spat blood repeatedly. He had broken the seal, but he couldn't withstand Ye Chen's assaults. The domineering Great Chu Huang Zhe bombarded him from the eastern skies all the way to the western heavens, each punch and palm drawing blood, his Sheng Ti body exploding multiple times.

"Ah!"

The mysterious Sheng Ti howled in rage, driven to madness by Ye Chen. Even without Xue Ji Xian Jie, he was still a Huang Gu Sheng Ti, yet in same-level combat, he was far from Ye Chen's match.

He should have known that Ye Chen's feats included slaying more than one emperor and creating countless myths. Among same-level opponents, Ye Chen was the strongest Sheng Ti in history, not your average one. Whether in Dao comprehension or combat mindset, he surpassed the mysterious Sheng Ti.

Bang!

A section of space shattered underfoot as Ye Chen charged again, his punch fierce and overbearing.

The mysterious Sheng Ti didn't dare clash head-on and tried to flee into the sky, but before he could escape more than a hundred zhang, Ye Chen manifested ahead in the void, landing a solid punch directly.

It was Ye Chen using Fei Lei Shen, having earlier inscribed a reincarnation mark in that patch of void. To be precise, he had placed reincarnation marks throughout the surrounding voids to prevent the mysterious Sheng Ti's escape.

Thud!

Golden blood flowers bloomed brilliantly as the mysterious Sheng Ti's Sheng Ti body shattered, with blood and bones flying.

Zing!

Tian Xu Di Zi arrived, his sword piercing the heavens and carving out an immortal path, severing the universe.

"Get out!"

The mysterious Sheng Ti roared, not even fully reforming his Sheng Ti body before unleashing Ba Bu Tian Long.

Roar!

The dragon's roar was deep and resonant, the eight divine dragons' tails collapsing the heavens and earth.

Tian Xu Di Zi was wounded, his immortal path destroyed and himself flung back, vomiting blood madly. Surviving eight divine dragon tail strikes, he managed to steady himself—among quasi-emperor, aside from Ji Ning Shuang, he was the first. Not everyone could withstand such an attack.

After repelling Tian Xu Di Zi, the mysterious Sheng Ti didn't glance back and fled, his recovery ability still formidable. He reformed his Sheng Ti body, though his aura weakened slightly.

"You won't escape." Ye Chen used Fei Lei Shen to block his path, sweeping forth with the Golden Immortal Sea, his momentum swallowing the eight wildernesses—a feat even Tian Xu Di Zi couldn't match.

"Kill!"

The mysterious Sheng Ti bellowed, his Sheng Ti body trembling as beams of divine light shot from within, each one a magical artifact, all quasi-emperor weapons engraved with divine patterns. They soared into the sky like brilliant stars in the dark night, carrying destructive power to crush Ye Chen.

Buzz!

In such situations, the Hun Dun Ding emerged on its own without being summoned, its body humming as chaotic energy overflowed. The Escaping Armor Heavenly Characters arranged themselves, accompanied by the sounds of the Great Dao, clearly excited for a feast.

The great ding charged forward.

Then came the sound of artifacts shattering—not just one, but a multitude.

Though the mysterious Sheng Ti's artifacts were numerous and powerful, they couldn't withstand the Hun Dun Ding's collision. No artifact dared compare in hardness; over a hundred were smashed to pieces mid-air, their fragments swallowed by the ding before they could fall.

Crack! Crack!

Followed by cracking sounds from within the ding, the swallowed fragments were ground to dust, their essence becoming nourishment for the ding's body.

"Come on, keep going." The Hun Dun Ding spoke in human words, darting about chaotically, quite cheerful. It seemed unsatisfied and was eyeing the mysterious Sheng Ti and his artifacts.

The mysterious Sheng Ti's eyes turned blood-red; he had underestimated not only Ye Chen but also his life-bound artifact. It had undergone nirvana and gained sentience, fused with indestructible immortal gold and inscribed with chaotic Dao principles—utterly domineering. Even his own life weapon couldn't match it.

"Suppress!"

Tian Xu Di Zi attacked again, his vital energy surging as he unleashed a great technique, transforming his Dao into a massive ancient palace, as vast as a mountain, pressing down from the air.

Thud!

The mysterious Sheng Ti staggered under the pressure, spitting a mouthful of blood impressively.

This scene made Tian Xu Di Zi feel relieved for the first time. Damn it, ever since entering this ancient land, he finally got to show off. Among so many prodigies, acting superior was no easy feat.

"Break!"

The mysterious Sheng Ti roared furiously, steadying himself and punching skyward, demolishing the palace.

"Suppress!"

Ye Chen's great divine ability arrived, manifesting Dao principles into a divine ding larger than Tian Xu Di Zi's ancient palace, truly standing between heaven and earth with chaotic immortal light cascading down, its weight destructive.

Thud!

The mysterious Sheng Ti knelt abruptly, unable to bear Ye Chen's divine ding just as he couldn't bear Tian Xu Di Zi's palace. He was forced to his knees with a boom, his Sheng Ti body cracking under the pressure, blood spraying as it nearly exploded on the spot—he couldn't even stand.

"Seal!"

Tian Xu Di Zi flashed forward, layering seals on the mysterious Sheng Ti's body, adding over ten thousand in total, binding him completely.

Now, the mysterious Sheng Ti was subdued, like a statue unable to move, his blood-red eyes dripping with malice, filled with ferocity, hatred, savagery, and killing intent. There was no turning back; it wasn't that he wasn't strong enough, but his opponents were too monstrous, especially Ye Chen's Sheng Ti. He couldn't even win in a one-on-one, let alone two against one.

With his suppression, the shattered world finally grew quiet.

Ye Chen retrieved the great ding and descended from the heavens, landing with a thunderous boom.

As fellow Sheng Ti, he felt no kinship with the mysterious Sheng Ti—in fact, he sensed a deep aversion from his soul, impossible to suppress.

He had considered devouring the mysterious Sheng Ti, but quickly dismissed the idea. It wasn't that he didn't want to; it was impossible. The two lineages of Sheng Ti had origins that couldn't fuse, like natural enemies.

The mysterious Sheng Ti's eyes held even more hatred, directed at Ye Chen, as if there were a deep grudge. Without Ye Chen, how could he have been defeated so miserably and end up sealed?

"What secrets does the Sheng Ti lineage hold?" Ye Chen asked indifferently.

The mysterious Sheng Ti laughed but didn't respond, his lips curling mockingly, his expression playful. Though sealed, his eyes were full of disdain, aimed at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen didn't ask further; he knew it would be futile.

Tian Xu Di Zi was more straightforward, placing a palm on the mysterious Sheng Ti's crown.

Then, he performed a soul search technique.

Ugh!

The mysterious Sheng Ti groaned in pain, roaring lowly as the soul search force invaded his sea of consciousness and locked onto his origin soul, probing his most ancient memories.

Ye Chen watched silently, waiting for the result.

Tian Xu Di Zi closed his eyes, his brows furrowing tightly. He was soul-searching, but he couldn't find the mysterious Sheng Ti's memories—or rather, he couldn't reach the source. Every time he tried to glimpse deeper, a layer of chaotic mist would block him, concealing the secrets.

Clearly, there was a special prohibition on the mysterious Sheng Ti's origin soul.

After a while, Tian Xu Di Zi withdrew his hand, blood trickling from his eyes and mouth—he had suffered backlash.

"With your skills, you dare to read my memories?" The mysterious Sheng Ti grinned menacingly, his face twisted in pain but his laughter unrestrained, as if he had given up all hope.

"You try." Tian Xu Di Zi shook his head helplessly and stepped back.

Ye Chen stepped forward without a word and directly performed the soul search.

Ugh!

The grinning mysterious Sheng Ti groaned again, veins bulging on his forehead, blood streaming from his eyes.

Ye Chen's soul search was even more domineering than Tian Xu Di Zi's.

However, the prohibition within the mysterious Sheng Ti was too formidable. Ye Chen achieved no more than Tian Xu Di Zi; all he found was chaotic mist, nothing else.

He also withdrew his hand, retreating a bit earlier than Tian Xu Di Zi and avoiding backlash.

"Why stop?" The mysterious Sheng Ti sneered sinisterly, his voice eerie.

Ye Chen ignored him. Since soul search failed, it didn't mean he couldn't deduce it.

He unleashed Zhou Tian Evolution, using the mysterious Sheng Ti as the starting point and tracing back to the source, employing Zhou Tian's power to peel away layers of misty fog, determined not to stop until he uncovered the secrets.

In the silence, blood trickled from Ye Chen's lips as he suffered backlash.

In the haze, he saw only chaos. Beyond the misty fog was a twisted silhouette, seemingly close but as distant as a dream, as if standing at the end of time, visible but unreachable.

Thud!

With a spurt of blood, Ye Chen staggered back, his face deathly pale. Not only had he failed to find the secrets, but the backlash was fiercer than Tian Xu Di Zi's, the blood from his eyes turning black as the force still rampaged within him.

The mysterious Sheng Ti laughed again, blood surging from his mouth like a demon, sinister and terrifying. So what if you suppressed me? You still can't uncover the secrets.

Zing!

Suddenly, a sword hum echoed as Tian Xu Di Zi summoned his killing sword, silently gazing at the mysterious Sheng Ti with icy killing intent. It was clear he intended to destroy him—this was his mission here.

The enemies of the Ancient Heavenly Court were his enemies, and this ancient land held the graves of countless Ancient Heavenly Court warriors.

Yet, just as he raised his immortal sword to strike, a beam of seven-colored immortal light descended straight from the heavens, landing precisely into the mysterious Sheng Ti's body and enveloping him in a layer of seven-colored divine glow.

At the same time, a seven-colored halo spread out, knocking Tian Xu Di Zi flying and even sending Ye Chen tumbling, his body crashing into a mountain and collapsing it.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

These sounds rang out continuously from the mysterious Sheng Ti. The seals Tian Xu Di Zi had placed on him were breaking one by one, restoring his freedom.

"Zhu Xian Sword."

Amid the scattering rubble, Ye Chen and Tian Xu Di Zi steadied themselves, speaking in unison as their brilliant eyes flashed with cold, piercing light.