Chapter 2517: Annihilate Him

Buzz!

The void trembled as four bronze pillars abruptly appeared. Two rose from the earth, two descended from the heavens, standing grand and imposing. Each pillar was carved with divine patterns and connected by rune chains, forming a dense network of formations that created a massive cage. Within the cage, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and visions of destruction manifested everywhere—sword qi and blade light swirled, each imbued with sealing and annihilation power.

"A good formation."

Ye Chen sprang into action, treading on the essence of the Dao as he moved through the cage, wielding his iron staff with practiced skill.

Boom! Clang! Crash!

The sounds were continuous. Every sword shadow that stabbed at him was shattered; every blade light that slashed at him was obliterated; every lightning bolt that struck him was blasted apart.

Such a formation could be broken by Ye Chen in an instant, but he was deliberately feigning weakness, putting on a show. In terms of formation mastery, he utterly surpassed Tai Shan Shen Nü. He didn't even need a Shi Er Tian Zi Da Ming Zhen or a Di Dao Fu Xi Zhen; a simple formation would be enough to seal and destroy her.

"Seal!"

Tai Shan Shen Nü let out a soft cry, her hand seals changing.

Immediately, storm clouds churned within the array, unleashing sealing power. Then, thunder and rain poured down from the sky. Any part of Ye Chen's body it touched would have its essence eroded. The longer he stayed, the worse his condition would become—if he couldn't escape, he could be reduced to a withered corpse, even if not outright destroyed.

"The Si Ji Xian Zhen of Tai Shan is truly profound." Kun Lun Zhen Xian, who oversaw the event, murmured to himself. As a master of formations, he was also studying the intricacies of the array.

"I've heard that when Tai Shan Shen Nü was in the Great Saint realm, she once used this formation to seal a Quasi-Emperor. I wonder if that's true."

"It's no lie. I was present during that battle back then. That great demon died a miserable death, never breaking free from the array. Its origin was erased, and it turned to ash."

"It's just unclear if this little stone can break through. Without a high level of skill in formations, he'll definitely be suppressed. The Tai Shan Sect's formations are no joke." Many onlookers whispered among themselves, watching intently, eager to see if Ye Chen could once again defy expectations.

Crash! Clang!

Within the massive cage, Ye Chen executed a perfect staff technique. Sword shadows and blade images couldn't harm his body, and the endless lightning bolts couldn't penetrate his physical form. It was an absolute defense, pushed to its limit in resistance.

"Destroy!"

Tai Shan Shen Nü changed her hand seals again, her voice turning desolate.

The scene within the array changed dramatically. Rune chains slithered like snakes, and beams of divine light darted wildly, carrying destructive power.

Now, in the eyes of the world, Ye Chen was struggling. He was constantly being wounded, gashes appearing all over his body, and there were moments when he was nearly suppressed, covered in blood.

The spectators gasped and clicked their tongues, their hearts gripped by anxiety. It seemed inevitable that Ye Chen would be sealed.

In reality, Ye Chen was merely feigning vulnerability, willingly taking the hits. Those minor injuries were insignificant.

"Destroy him."

Tai Shan Zhang Jiao sent a voice transmission to Tai Shan Shen Nü, a cold glint in his eyes. He wanted to eliminate this future threat, and even if Hua Shan Zhang Jiao sought revenge, he had his excuses ready.

In a fight, casualties were unavoidable.

Tai Shan Shen Nü hesitated for a moment before changing her seals. Ye Chen was too monstrous; he would undoubtedly become a great enemy of Tai Shan in the future. Given their opposing stances, striking a killing blow in this battle was necessary.

As her seals shifted, the entire cage began to hum.

Instantly, several illusory divine beasts appeared within the array—a Cang Long coiled in the air, a Feng Huang screeched, a Bai Hu roared, and a Xuan Wu charged forward. Each was as massive as a mountain, and being swallowed by any meant certain death.

Ye Chen feigned a grave expression and performed his signature non-sealing ban.

In that instant, his long hair turned snow-white in a flash, and his combat power surged. He shattered the Cang Long with a single staff strike, crushed the Xuan Wu with a palm, obliterated the Feng Huang with a fist, and stomped the Bai Hu into dust underfoot.

Tai Shan Shen Nü frowned slightly and clasped her hands together.

At once, the massive cage transformed into a lotus flower, its petals closing towards the center to engulf Ye Chen. Once fully formed as a bud, it would completely seal him.

"Open for me!"

Ye Chen roared, thrusting his staff into the void. That spot was the array's central node, which he had identified from the start. With one powerful strike, he stirred the very fabric of the universe.

Boom!

The Si Ji Xian Zhen shattered on the spot.

Puff!

The backlash caused Tai Shan Shen Nü to spit blood and fly backward, her eyes filled with shock. The surrounding spectators were equally stunned. Ye Chen was the first in his realm to forcibly break the Si Ji Xian Zhen.

After all, this was Tai Shan's Si Ji Xian Zhen. When Tai Shan Shen Nü was a Great Saint, it had sealed a Quasi-Emperor in a higher realm. Yet now, in the same realm, it couldn't contain a mere Saint King.

Moreover, this Saint King was already gravely injured and not even using his own body.

Puff!

Ye Chen staggered as he burst from the array, coughing up mouthfuls of fresh blood, giving the illusion that breaking the formation had severely wounded him, leaving him on his last legs.

"He's badly hurt—quickly finish him off!"

Tai Shan Great Elder bellowed, unwilling to give Ye Chen any chance to recover. He understood the principle of striking while the enemy was down. This palm strike involved too much at stake, with enormous risks, and it concerned Tai Shan's reputation—they couldn't afford carelessness.

"A fight is a fight; killing will sour the harmony."

Tai Yi said leisurely.

"I just can't stand types like him, always bullying the kids." Tai Bai grumbled.

Hua Shan Zhen Ren glanced at Tai Shan Great Elder but said nothing, his eyes flickering with cold light. They had underestimated the people of Hua Shan.

In the void, Tai Shan Shen Nü steadied herself, raising her immortal sword high and pointing it at the sky. She gathered the power of the stars, infused it with Dao essence, and enhanced it with immortal arts. The sword hummed, radiating brilliant divine light and unleashing destructive forces.

"This strike is barely passable."

Ye Chen thought with a smirk, suddenly planting his iron staff into the battle platform. He then summoned the Dao Jing and Di Yun, once again bending a bow and nocking an arrow—the Dao Jing transformed into the divine bow, and the Di Yun into the divine arrow.

Tai Shan Shen Nü swung her sword, sending a beam of multicolored immortal light hurtling downward.

At the same time, Ye Chen released the bowstring.

Zing! Buzz!

The multicolored immortal light hummed as it descended; the Di Yun arrow buzzed as it ascended. Both carried devastating power, drawing ever closer in midair.

Which was stronger?

In that instant, more than half the crowd rose to their feet, holding their breath.

Boom!

The multicolored immortal light collided with the Di Yun arrow, the explosion shaking the nine heavens. Centered on the impact, waves of annihilating light spread out, shattering space inch by inch and causing the imperial barrier to rumble violently.

Under the watchful eyes of all, the multicolored immortal light exploded, and the Di Yun arrow shattered along with it.

Puff!

Tai Shan Shen Nü vomited blood and plummeted from the sky, her divine glow nearly extinguished.

Puff!

Ye Chen also spat blood, flipping backward through the air and continuing to cough it up. The difference was that Tai Shan Shen Nü's injuries were real, while he was still acting through and through.

"What exactly are you?"

On the eastern side of the platform, Tai Shan Shen Nü staggered to her feet, gripping her blood-stained sword. Her face was pale as the hidden wounds from the earlier Wu Yue battle resurfaced. Her eyes were filled with shock.

Ye Chen's strength far exceeded her expectations. The Si Ji Xian Zhen couldn't suppress him, and even her trump card technique had been countered.

On the western side, Ye Chen rose as well, casually drawing the iron staff from the platform and advancing unsteadily. As he walked, he suddenly vanished.

Tai Shan Shen Nü was horrified and tried to flee, but it was too late. The humming iron staff was already pressed against her forehead. With the slightest force, it could shatter her divine sea and destroy her primordial spirit.

In that moment, she felt as if she were gazing at the gates of the underworld, or seeing a ferocious death god beckoning her. The sensation of heaven one instant and hell the next made her body tremble uncontrollably.

"Shen Nü, you've lost," Ye Chen said with a smile, withdrawing the staff. To top it off, he even coughed up another mouthful of blood. This little stone spirit was pure drama from head to toe.