Chapter 2502: Killing Intent of the Divine Child

Boom!

The arena vibrated and hummed, unable to bear the terrifying pressure of the Zi Fu Xian Hai.

The disciples watched in awe, keenly aware of the terror of the Zi Fu Xian Qi. Even Hua Shan Shen Nü was fully cautious, having been severely injured by it in previous battles. That expanse of purple Xian Hai was incredibly dreadful; a single misstep could turn one to dust, body and soul obliterated.

The purple Xian Hai churned, and Ye Chen's figure was no longer visible to the onlookers.

Within the Xian Hai, Ye Chen stood gracefully, clearly feeling his vital energy being relentlessly erased. The Zi Fu Xian Qi was overwhelmingly powerful, like a mountain bearing down, every strand capable of crushing even a saint. The innate Dao Qi of the Zi Fu Xian Ti was no joke.

Naturally, he was unafraid. He walked leisurely through the Xian Hai, as if strolling in a garden, contemplating the profound mysteries of this Xian Qi. It was truly extraordinary, no wonder Ye Fan had been gravely wounded by it multiple times across realms. The dominance of the Zi Fu Xian Ti was no exaggeration.

"Has he been suppressed already?" The true transmission disciples exclaimed in surprise.

"Most likely. Zi Fu Xian Qi is just too ferocious." Many elders stroked their chins, trying to peer into the Zi Fu Xian Hai, but it was impenetrable, veiled by its innate Dao Qi.

"Using Zi Fu Xian Qi against a newly advanced saint? How shameless," a male true transmission disciple scoffed. His combat strength didn't match Hua Shan Shen Zi's, yet he found him thoroughly irritating.

Hua Shan Shen Zi sneered, his eyes filled with contempt. He hadn't wanted to use Zi Fu Xian Qi, but for the sake of face, he had no choice but to cast aside his pride. Now that it was out, there was no way he could lose.

Unfortunately, his smugness didn't last long.

As everyone watched, a dragon's roar suddenly echoed from within the Zi Fu Xian Hai.

Then, a golden divine dragon leaped out, its body sleek and powerful, formed by Ye Chen's Dao. With a domineering sweep of its dragon tail, it lashed towards Hua Shan Shen Zi.

"You..." Hua Shan Shen Zi's expression changed. He deployed his protective divine abilities, but they were shattered as he was sent flying. His defenses were fragile against Ye Chen's dragon tail sweep.

"Has it really been broken?" The crowd erupted in disbelief, knowing the dread of Zi Fu Xian Qi, yet it failed to suppress Ye Chen and instead allowed him to break free, delivering a heavy blow to Hua Shan Shen Zi.

"Don't forget, he has the Dao Jing and Di Yun," an elder chuckled.

"The Dao Jing and Di Yun are with us," Tai Bai coughed dryly.

This statement drew sidelong glances from all around. When they looked at Ye Chen again, their eyes held a hint of horror. Without the aid of the Dao Jing and Di Yun, he could still shatter the Zi Fu Xian Hai.

"Three moves have passed—time to end the show!" It was that same male true transmission disciple, chuckling gleefully. Though his voice was soft, it thundered in Hua Shan Shen Zi's ears.

Indeed, three moves had elapsed, and he hadn't defeated Ye Chen. It felt like being slapped twice, his face burning with humiliation. How could someone of his stature endure this?

Roar!

Accompanied by a dragon's roar, he transformed into a dragon form and soared into the sky. His massive dragon eyes were now streaked with blood vessels, dyeing them a sinister red and etching a grotesque expression.

In that instant, all spectators tilted their heads upward. In the vast sky, a golden and a purple divine dragon clashed fiercely, shattering the heavens inch by inch, their roars like thunder.

"He's outrageously strong."

Hua Shan Shen Nü furrowed her delicate brows, viewing Ye Chen in a new light.

After all, Hua Shan Shen Zi was a quasi-emperor himself, and even with Zi Fu Xian Qi, he couldn't suppress Ye Chen. In a certain sense, Hua Shan Shen Zi had already lost.

But she had no idea that Ye Chen hadn't used his full power. If he had fought at his peak, Hua Shan Shen Zi would have fallen long ago. Ye Chen could destroy him in less than three rounds.

He was hiding his strength deliberately, laying the groundwork for his future in the Tian Ting. Being too terrifying would only invite wariness, and he didn't want to be constantly scrutinized. Better to be seen as insignificant, like a passerby—who would bother watching a small stone spirit all day?

Roar! Roar!

The dragon roars resounded through the heavens. Disciples with weaker cultivation had their eardrums bleed from the shock, many dizzy and unsteady on their feet. The battle's fluctuations were immense.

Hua Shan Zhen Ren closed his eyes, continuing to brew tea. The "he" in his words referred to Hua Shan Shen Zi. In terms of temperament, combat strength, and talent, Shen Zi had been outmatched by Ye Chen.

"Senior brother values this little stone spirit so highly, clearly putting him in the spotlight," Hua Shan Xian Zi said as she sat down. "Those old folks won't agree to him taking the position."

"The Hua Shan factional struggles have wearied me, but this time, I will exhaust all efforts to support him," Hua Shan Zhen Ren replied calmly. "If we truly hand Hua Shan over to Shen Zi, it won't be a century before it becomes a vassal of the Tian Ting. You know the dangers involved, junior sister."

"Over sixty percent of the elders are aligned with the Tian Ting. The pressure on you, senior brother, is something I understand. I just hope this young man you back can one day hold up the Hua Shan facade."

"He can do it." Hua Shan Zhen Ren smiled faintly, unknowingly developing a strong confidence in that little stone spirit—a firm belief.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

As they spoke, the rumbling from the Feng Tian Tai grew even more intense.

Gazing into the distance, Ye Chen and Hua Shan Shen Zi had reverted to human form. One stood in the western sky, the other in the eastern void, exchanging immortal techniques in a earth-shattering clash.

Ye Chen's acting was as masterful as ever, creating the illusion that he and Hua Shan Shen Zi were evenly matched.

In contrast, Hua Shan Shen Zi's face was increasingly grotesque, repeatedly on the verge of defeating Ye Chen but always falling short. That stone spirit was a monster.

"Two hundred rounds in, and he's getting stronger?" Di Yuan Zhen Ren looked puzzled, thinking Ye Chen could likely go another eight hundred rounds and still be full of energy.

"He's incredibly tough—this is beyond my expectations." Tai Bai Jin Xing clicked his tongue, having only heard Tai Yi's praises before, but now truly believing them. Not only resilient, but also fiercely capable in battle.

"What's your chance of winning against him?" Hua Yang asked Hua Shan Shen Nü with a smile.

"I've never fought him, so I don't know." Hua Shan Shen Nü was reserved, clearly hiding her trump cards. Ye Chen could hold his own against Hua Shan Shen Zi, but that didn't mean he could beat her.

"Kill!"

A roar echoed from the void as Hua Shan Shen Zi raged, his face twisted. He gathered Zi Fu Xian Qi into a purple immortal sword, slashing through the yin and yang of the universe.

The elders frowned at this, as did Hua Shan Xian Zi and Hua Shan Zhen Ren.

The technique Hua Shan Shen Zi used had exceeded the bounds of a friendly spar. His fierce expression and grotesque demeanor made it clear he intended to kill—pure spite from humiliation.

This display of character only solidified Hua Shan Zhen Ren's resolve to pass the position to Ye Chen. A sect's divine son who couldn't handle defeat and harbored killing intent was unfit to lead. Handing Hua Shan to him would lead to ruin; he lacked the breadth and courage for the role.

Ye Chen remained composed. The Zi Fu Xian Jian was powerful, but only if it hit.

However, just as he lifted his foot, before he could set it down, a mysterious force disrupted his body. It came abruptly, affecting his origin, and he spat out fresh blood.

Pfft!

The Zi Fu Xian Jian arrived, piercing through his body in a radiant streak. Blood sprayed like rain, each drop vivid and startling, making many female disciples cover their eyes.

With this heavy strike, Hua Shan Shen Zi's momentum surged. He grinned viciously and charged across the void, giving Ye Chen no chance to recover. He had truly ignited his killing intent, aiming to eliminate him and avoid future threats. In essence, he feared Ye Chen would endanger his position.

"Tian Ren Wu Shui."

Ye Chen steadied himself, furrowing his brows. He had identified the source of that mysterious force—it was a tribulation he faced, the Tian Ren Wu Shui that would appear upon advancing to sainthood.

It made sense. After his tribulation, he was no longer of the Huang Gu Sheng Ti bloodline. Advancing to sainthood would trigger the Tian Ren Wu Shui. He had overlooked this earlier, but he couldn't understand why it had been delayed. He was already at the peak of sainthood, on the brink of becoming a great saint, so why this now?

"Die!"

Hua Shan Shen Zi closed in, his sword unmatched.

In that moment, Ye Chen forcibly suppressed the Tian Ren Wu Shui, shifting in a single step to evade the sword. He countered with a Great Falling Monument Hand, sending Hua Shan Shen Zi flying. Though still holding back, this palm strike was substantial—who dared to kill him?

Pfft!

Hua Shan Shen Zi vomited blood and soared backward, his face twisting further. He didn't even know how he'd been hit; clearly gravely wounded, how could Ye Chen still counterattack?

"I don't believe it."

With a furious shout, he halted in mid-air, a divine light bursting from his forehead—it was his life-bound artifact, a divine mirror. Myriad divine rays cascaded down, silent and devastating.

Ye Chen was straightforward. He drew the Ding Hai Shen Zhen and smashed the mirror to pieces with one strike.

Pfft!

The life-bound artifact shattered, and Hua Shan Shen Zi spat blood again, in utter disbelief. That mirror, forged from divine iron, had been destroyed so easily. Was his treasure that fragile?

"That iron staff is quite the treasure." Many people looked up, fixated on the Ding Hai Shen Zhen in Ye Chen's hand. Smashing a divine iron artifact with one blow was incredibly fierce.

"Getting hit by that stick must feel interesting." Quite a few old-timers stroked their beards.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The scene in the void turned bloody. The little stone spirit wielded the iron staff, dominating the fight and relentlessly hammering Hua Shan Shen Zi. Each strike was more domineering than the last, drawing blood every time.

Ah!

Hua Shan Shen Zi was disheveled, his howls shaking the heavens. Every attempt to counterattack was beaten back. Despite his array of emperor-level immortal techniques, none matched the power of Ye Chen's staff.

Before he could steady himself, another strike from Ye Chen sent him plummeting.

With a boom, Hua Shan Shen Zi crashed onto the battle platform, his body a mess of blood and bones. Whether from severe injuries or the backlash of his artifact, he fainted and lay there motionless for a long time. In truth, Ye Chen's strike had been overwhelmingly powerful.

For Shen Zi, fainting was a mercy. If awake, he couldn't face the crowd's gazes. A quasi-emperor like him, defeated by a minor saint?

With his temperament, he would surely go mad from such a humiliating loss.

Ye Chen descended from the sky, wiping the blood from his mouth. That sudden Tian Ren Wu Shui had caught him off guard. He hadn't passed it before his tribulation, and now he had to make up for it, but he still couldn't fathom why it had been delayed.

Ironically, everyone present, including the hidden Hua Shan Zhen Ren and Hua Shan Xian Zi, assumed he had already overcome the Tian Ren Wu Shui. If they knew the truth, they would be shocked.

"See? I'm the kind one."

It was that same male true transmission disciple, leaping onto the platform and dragging the unconscious Hua Shan Shen Zi away. More precisely, he grabbed one of Shen Zi's legs and hauled him off, leaving the onlookers twitching their mouths. This was revenge, pure and simple.

Still, the sight was satisfying, especially for disciples usually bullied by Shen Zi, who felt an urge to rush over and kick him a few times.

"He's won."

Di Yuan took a swig of wine, in good spirits. He and Hua Shan Zhen Ren were of the same faction and couldn't stand Shen Zi. He hoped Ye Chen would win and even inherit Hua Shan's legacy as the next sect leader.

Where there was joy, there was sorrow.

Many elders' faces darkened, as they didn't align with the sect leader's faction and mostly supported Shen Zi. As Hua Shan Xian Zi had said, over sixty percent of the elders were at odds with the current leader. The surface was calm, but beneath, currents surged. Every succession was marked by bloodshed.

This was politics.

Suddenly, a beam of white light flew onto the platform and merged into Ye Chen's body. It was a pill—an eight-pattern pill for healing.

The one who gave it was Hua Shan Shen Nü. Ye Chen's wounds healed instantly.

Disciples and elders turned to look at Hua Shan Shen Nü. It seemed she wanted to spar with Ye Chen, not wanting any advantage, so she gave him the eight-pattern pill to recover.

Ye Chen played along, forcing out another drop of blood.

Well then, Hua Shan Shen Nü was generous and gave him another one. What a wealthy woman.

Now, the spectators sat up straight. The little stone spirit had defeated the first true transmission disciple and beaten Hua Shan Shen Zi. If he won against Hua Shan Shen Nü, he'd have swept them all.

"Let's keep it to a draw."

With those clear words, Hua Shan Shen Nü gracefully landed on the platform, smiling like a flower. Her bright, pure eyes shimmered with Dao essence.

"Understood."

Ye Chen rolled his neck. He didn't make a habit of hitting women, but he wouldn't show mercy either. She wasn't his wife, so whoever cared could worry about her.

Hua Shan Shen Nü smiled and gently closed her eyes. The next instant, they snapped open.

In that moment, Ye Chen's expression turned blank, his eyes vacant, as if he had become a puppet. His face showed no trace of human emotion.

Across from him, Hua Shan Shen Nü fared no better, her demeanor mirroring his.

The situation was dramatically absurd. A simple exchange, and one seemed frozen like ice, the other like stone; one stood on the eastern side of the platform, the other on the west, motionless, facing each other in a bizarre standoff.

"This..." Tai Yi Zhen Ren raised an eyebrow, clueless about what had happened.

Not just him—the disciples around were equally baffled.

"Da Meng Wu Ji." Di Yuan Zhen Ren narrowed his eyes, his insight sharp, sighing in admiration and disapproval. "You little girl, daring to use such an immortal technique."

Those who saw through it all had their mouths twitching.

"Why aren't they moving?" More people scratched their heads.

The question worked. As soon as it was asked, Hua Shan Shen Nü staggered a step. At the same time, Ye Chen swayed, nearly falling.

"You're kidding me!" Hua Shan Shen Nü cursed.

Though the words came from her mouth, it was Ye Chen's voice. Exactly Ye Chen's voice—or more precisely, his yuan shen was in her body.

"How... how is this possible?" Ye Chen looked stunned, his words in a female tone. Clearly, Hua Shan Shen Nü's yuan shen was in his body.

"You haven't mastered it and you're using it? Playing with such a secret technique?"

"Don't fuss, let me think."

"A person like you, I don't know how you became a Shen Nü."

The little stone spirit and Hua Shan Shen Nü, one on each side, weren't fighting at all. Instead, they were bickering. Every time one spoke, the crowd's eyes darted back and forth, glancing at one then the other. These two seemed to have swapped bodies!

"What a drama."

On Kun Lun Peak, Hua Shan Xian Zi and Hua Shan Zhen Ren wore equally strange expressions. They saw it clearly: Hua Shan Shen Nü had used Da Meng Wu Ji, but something had gone wrong, leading to a messy body swap. At this rate, they might not switch back.

Thus, what should have been a stunning battle had devolved into a verbal spat. The unsuspecting disciples were left in the dark, clueless about this twist.