Chapter 2528: I Understand

"Ye Chen?"

Several hundred Zhundi narrowed their eyes simultaneously. They couldn't be mistaken; it was Ye Chen from Hua Shan, the one whose Dao Jing acknowledged him as master, the prominent figure of the Wuyue Doulfa.

"Didn't Hua Shan Shenzi say he was undergoing the Tianren Wushuai tribulation?"

"So, the one who fired those surprise arrows was him? How is that possible?"

The Zhundi's eyes flickered with uncertainty, filled with shock and doubt. Their aged, somber faces all displayed utter disbelief.

Not just them, even Hua Shan Zhenren and Hua Shan Xianzi were stunned.

Ye Chen was clearly in the midst of his tribulation, specifically the Tianren Wushuai, which typically takes at least ten days to half a month. Yet, it had only been half a day, and he had already overcome it?

Moreover, his combat power was terrifying—he killed Zhundi as easily as crushing ants, one arrow at a time, even peak Zhundi were no exception.

In their daze, Ye Chen had already reached out, placing his hands on their shoulders and channeling his pure essence to suppress the killing intent within their bodies.

"You little rascal, were those dozen or so Zhundi you took out just now?" Hua Shan Zhenren turned his head, still unable to believe it, hoping to hear it from Ye Chen himself.

"Just a casual effort." Ye Chen's tone was deep, his aura growing more imposing by the moment.

"What about your Kunlun Di Yun?"

"Stolen... well, picked up."

"..."

"Shibo, he's quite capable, isn't he?" Hua Shan Shen Nü smiled and also channeled her true essence.

As she spoke, the young woman shot Ye Chen a sidelong glance. This guy wasn't just strong in battle; he was also skilled at teasing people.

"The world truly hides dragons and crouching tigers; there are always stronger opponents beyond."

Hua Shan Xianzi gave a self-deprecating smile. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it—a junior whose alchemy skills surpassed hers also possessed such overwhelming combat strength. It was sheer domination, utterly defying heaven.

Not just her, even Hua Shan Zhenren felt the same, realizing how narrow his knowledge was. No matter how much he observed, he had still underestimated Ye Chen.

The group chatted happily, completely ignoring the several hundred Zhundi on the opposite side.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that those several hundred Zhundi didn't dare approach. Their eyes were nearly squinted into slits as they stared fixedly at Ye Chen, confirming he was just a minor Sheng Wang. But why was his power so immense? Killing peak Zhundi was like child's play.

The scene was quite amusing—the mysterious Sheng Wang had them all frozen in place, too afraid to advance or retreat. It was a real dilemma.

"Shibo, do you know that secret technique for retrieving treasures from one's internal small world?"

Ye Chen asked quietly, glancing at the opposing side. Each of those Zhundi was like a gleaming ingot of gold. Their internal small worlds must be full of treasures.

It was a nest of big fish; he had to squeeze out some profit.

Unfortunately, he wasn't Dong Shen Yaochi and didn't know how to extract items from small worlds.

Hua Shan Zhenren shook his head with a smile, and Hua Shan Xianzi did the same.

Seeing this, Ye Chen looked disappointed. It was awkward—they were right there, a pile of treasures glittering before his eyes, yet he could only watch.

"I know it."

Just as Ye Chen felt frustrated, Hua Shan Shen Nü suddenly spoke up.

Her words made even Hua Shan Zhenren and Hua Shan Xianzi turn their heads, their expressions strange.

It seemed neither of them knew she possessed this secret technique. If she knew it, why not share it with family? Keeping it hidden was ungenerous.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Ye Chen glanced at Hua Shan Shen Nü.

"You didn't ask me!" she replied irritably.

Ye Chen said nothing, instinctively clutching his chest: it hurt.

For some reason, he suddenly wanted to poke Hua Shan Shen Nü with a stick. If she had this useful technique, why not bring it up sooner? He had wasted so much good loot when he took out those dozen Zhundi earlier.

"It was taught by Kunlun Shenzi."

Seeing the strange looks from Hua Shan Zhenren and the others, Hua Shan Shen Nü finally revealed the secret.

"Who taught it doesn't matter, as long as you know it."

Ye Chen laughed, his grin full of mischief. His gaze toward the opposite side grew even sharper.

He put away his Dao Jing and Di Yun, then casually pulled out the Dinghai Shenzhen, striding forward step by step, ascending through the air toward them.

As he moved, the several hundred Zhundi tensed up, summoning their natal weapons in unison. Each weapon was of Zhundi grade, radiating brilliant divine light.

"They're all mine."

Ye Chen swept his eyes over the sky full of weapons, like shining stars, many of which were forged from divine iron.

And that was just what was visible—who knew how many more treasures they had hidden in their internal small worlds?

"Join forces to suppress him!"

The leading elder roared, but as soon as he gave the order, he retreated the fastest, clearly intending to use others as cannon fodder.

Sure enough, there were a couple of fools who charged in blindly—one from the Sanxian Realm, a great demon, and one from the Shangxian Realm, a great immortal. One swept in with a sea of demonic blood, the other strode on a vast silver galaxy, their momentum earth-shattering.

Ye Chen sneered, crossing the void in a single step, swinging his staff down.

Thud!

Blood flowers bloomed as the Sanxian Realm great demon was smashed to pieces. With another flip of his hand, he struck again, turning the Shangxian Realm great immortal into a mist of blood.

However, Ye Chen only destroyed their physical bodies, not their primordial spirits—he was saving those for the treasures.

"Save me!"

"Save me!"

The great demon and great immortal, now reduced to primordial spirits, realized they'd been betrayed by the leading elder. They dared not fight and fled, knowing they could rebuild their bodies but not if their spirits were destroyed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ye Chen snorted coldly, sweeping his hand across the sky and suppressing the two Zhundi primordial spirits, sealing them into a bronze furnace. He'd collect the treasures later, after dealing with the rest.

"Suppress him! Join forces to suppress him!"

The leading elder howled, a master at pitting others, his commands bold but his retreat swifter than anyone.

This time, no one was foolish enough to rush forward.

Ye Chen, however, was sharp and went straight for the leading elder. Among the several hundred Zhundi, he was the strongest and most advanced in cultivation, so his treasures would be the most abundant—there was no reason to let him go.

"You insignificant Sheng Wang, how dare you challenge me?"

The leading elder thundered, a beam of immortal light shooting from his brow and transforming into a net of heaven in the void, woven from runes—a sealing secret technique meant to trap Ye Chen.

Unfortunately, he underestimated Ye Chen's speed. Before the net could fully descend, Ye Chen had already escaped that section of the void. In an instant, he closed in on the leading elder and swung his staff without a word.

Thud!

Blood mist erupted, but the leading elder's body didn't completely shatter. His foundation was extraordinarily deep, allowing him to withstand Ye Chen's strike. Still, that single blow made him realize Ye Chen's power was beyond his ability to handle, at least in the suppressed Sanxian Realm.

With that thought, he turned and fled desperately, his old face etched with shock and horror. He never knew the Sanxian Realm harbored such a powerhouse.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Ye Chen ascended to the heavens, blocking the leading elder's path, and smashed down with another heavenly strike.

This time, even with his deep foundation, it was useless. The peak Zhundi leading elder's body turned into a puddle of flesh, leaving only a faint primordial spirit fleeing in panic.

"Save me! Save me!"

His howls were filled with terror. Even with his body, he couldn't withstand Ye Chen's second strike, let alone without it. In Ye Chen's presence, he couldn't even cast his emperor-level immortal arts, and even if he could, they probably wouldn't help.

No one answered his pleas; they were all scattering in escape.

"Come here!"

Ye Chen waved his hand, seizing the leading elder's primordial spirit and adding a seal before tossing it into the bronze furnace.

After suppressing him, Ye Chen scanned the heavens. The several hundred Zhundi were all fleeing, each faster than the last. Even someone as strong as the leading elder had been decisively suppressed—who would dare fight?

A cold glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes. They came thinking they could leave? Not that easily.

He moved like a ghost, darting through the void.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The scene that followed was exceptionally bloody, with blood flowers blooming one after another. Each one represented a Zhundi—whether at the eighth heaven, ninth heaven, or peak level, none could withstand a single strike from him.

In short, wherever he went, blood flowers followed, destroying only their bodies and sparing their primordial spirits.

Blood dyed the sky red, veiling the vast starry universe.

This realm became a slaughterhouse for the god of killing, filled with screams, wails, and pleas for mercy that made one's heart tremble.

"Too strong."

Hua Shan Xianzi's lips parted slightly, her face paling as she watched.

"Too strong."

Even Hua Shan Zhenren, with his steadfast resolve, looked stunned. His thousands of years of cultivation had shaken his dao heart with Ye Chen's power. Even at his peak, he would be half-crippled by one of Ye Chen's strikes.

"Too strong."

Hua Shan Shen Nü murmured softly. Though she had seen Ye Chen's prowess before, witnessing it again still filled her with horror. Those were Zhundi, after all—the weakest at the eighth heaven—and he swatted them down like flies, one by one.

The rumbling and screams eventually faded.

Looking at the realm, only Ye Chen remained, with blood mist drifting everywhere. The several hundred Zhundi had all been suppressed without exception.

Ye Chen returned, gripping his blood-stained iron staff, his killing intent cold and desolate, raging wildly. One man against several hundred Zhundi—he emerged without a single scratch. It wasn't just a victory; it was total domination.

In that moment, Hua Shan Shenzi, still sealed in the night pot artifact, felt his heart turn to ice. His face was deathly pale, his eyes full of fear. He had anticipated every twist, except for Ye Chen and his terrifying power. Several hundred Zhundi couldn't take him down and were instead wiped out en masse, their bodies destroyed and spirits captured.

With such a fearsome god on their side, the so-called Hua Shan coup was doomed to fail. Even if all of Hua Shan united, they might not match him. How could they turn the tables?

In contrast, Hua Shan Zhenren, Hua Shan Xianzi, and the others had a glimmer of joy in their eyes. The coup no longer seemed so threatening. So what if they controlled Hua Shan? They could still fight back.

"If he sought power, he could unite the Wuyue."

Hua Shan Shen Nü said with a light smile.

Her words weren't entirely accurate. With such fearsome strength, uniting the Wuyue sects was possible, and even dominating the entire Sanxian Realm wasn't out of reach. One man defeating several hundred Zhundi—who in the Sanxian Realm could stand against him?