Chapter 2598: I Doubt It

Boom! Rumbling echoed everywhere!

Outside the Lingxiao Baodian, the heavens and earth trembled with a buzzing vibration. It was no wonder, with so many heavenly soldiers and generals amassed, wave after wave blending their auras, pressing down so heavily that the universe seemed on the verge of collapse. Space itself had turned chaotic, cutting off any escape through domain gates from the start.

“This army must have at least several million!”

“After serving in the Tianting for hundreds of years, I had no idea we had so many troops.”

“This is only part of them.”

Onlookers had gathered, staying at the outermost edge. The sight of the Tianting's massive formation scared them into not daring to approach any closer. No wonder the Tianting was the ruler; Yin Ming's orders were highly effective. In just half a day, they had assembled several million troops.

“Can Ye Chen still fight his way out now?”

“Hard to say—that little stone spirit is incredibly capable.”

“I think it’s suspenseful.”

Among the spectators, discussions erupted one after another. Besides those from the Upper Immortal Realm, people from the Scattered Immortal Realm had also arrived. For instance, Hua Shan Zhenren and his group were hidden among them. Witnessing this grand display, they felt a shiver in their hearts. It wasn’t that they had never seen such a vast army before, but deploying this level of force just to capture one person, Ye Chen, was truly terrifying.

“Your Hua Shan’s future sect leader is quite impressive!” Kunlun Zhangjiao appeared gracefully, having changed both appearance and gender. Gazing at Hua Shan Zhenren, there was a mix of sigh and admiration. How had such talent ended up with Hua Shan?

Hua Shan Zhenren said nothing. He glanced at this woman—well, Kunlun Zhangjiao—and then turned his eyes back toward the Lingxiao Baodian, his expression extremely grave. Though he didn’t know where Ye Chen’s power came from, with the current setup, it would be hard for him to break out.

Hua Shan Xianzi's face didn’t look much better either. While Hua Shan Zhenren watched the Lingxiao Baodian, she scanned the surroundings. Kunlun Zhangjiao had come, and so had the sect leaders and experts from the other Four Mountains, along with many scattered immortals from the Scattered Immortal Realm. They were all well hidden. It wasn’t just the Tianting that wanted to kill Ye Chen. Those old veterans shared the same intent—to eliminate him at all costs and prevent future threats.

Whoosh!

In front of the Lingxiao Baodian, Yin Ming reappeared. With no jade carriage left to ride, he boarded a massive war chariot instead. His ferocious face was twisted beyond recognition, his eyes blood-red and terrifying, his complexion deathly pale, and his legs trembling. He had just barely escaped the gates of death, so how could he not be afraid? Even as the ruler of the Tianting, he couldn’t escape the brink of true death. Fortunately, his father doted on him enough to bestow the power of divine faith upon him. Without that faith’s protection, he would likely have been blasted apart by Ye Chen.

Seeing his return, the heavenly soldiers and generals all breathed a sigh of relief. Yin Ming gritted his teeth, his blood-red eyes fixed dead on the Lingxiao Baodian, his anger tearing at his very guts. Yet, he did not order an attack. Or rather, he was waiting.

Waiting for what? For more troops to arrive. Since they had Ye Chen surrounded, they wouldn’t give him any chance to turn the tables or escape again.

Boom! Rumbling continued!

From all directions, the Tianting’s reinforcing armies surged like vast oceans, converging here and making the already immense formation even larger.

Inside the hall, Ye Chen stood firmly, quietly observing the outside. Yin Ming was waiting, and so was he—waiting for his injuries to heal and his magical power to recover. He shoved handfuls of pills into his mouth without restraint.

“The forces out there are at least ten times what they were before!” Taiyi poked his head out, looking at the outside world and clicking his tongue in amazement.

“Can we break out?” Taibai coughed dryly, turning to Ye Chen.

“We can,” Ye Chen replied calmly. Though he said that, in his heart, he had cursed the Dao Ancestor thoroughly. The heavenly realm had far too many restrictions, suppressing his emperor-level immortal arts and even his emperor weapons. If not for that, his consumption wouldn’t have been so severe.

“Come on, come on, let’s check out the Jinluan Hall.” Taiyi and Taibai took the initiative, stepping out of the pagoda themselves. The dragon throne wasn’t completely destroyed yet, so they headed straight for it. In the past, during court sessions, only the Tianting’s ruler sat on that throne—they, as minor figures, had never been allowed up there. Now that they had rebelled, they might as well indulge a bit. Not just them, even Ying Jie Tianqing had come out. Who knew if they could escape alive, so they wanted to go wild for a moment. Or perhaps, after spending too much time with Taiyi and Taibai, they had picked up some bad habits. Normally quite serious, they were acting out of character now.

“Just sit for a bit, then it’s my turn.”

“What a fine dragon throne, ruined just like that.”

“Little Star Lord, get in line behind me.”

The four of them chattered noisily around the Jade Emperor’s dragon throne, making a racket. Not only did they want to sit on it, but they also thought about carrying it away. After all, it was forged from immortal gold—taking it back to refine into weapons would be incredibly powerful.

Ye Chen ignored them, focusing only on the outside. More and more heavenly soldiers and generals gathered from all sides. As far as the eye could see, it was all people, a dense, endless black mass.

“In a situation like this, a heavenly tribulation would be quite exhilarating.” Ye Chen watched and took a deep breath. Unfortunately, ever since arriving in the heavenly realm, he had forgotten what a heavenly tribulation even felt like. This tribulation was just a memory-based one, with no actual tribulations, missing out on many tricky opportunities.

He spotted Yin Ming again, staring intently at this place. Whether he could take down Yin Ming, he truly had no confidence. The reason was that the Tianting’s forces were just too vast. It wasn’t the heavenly soldiers and generals he feared, but those ancient-level old immortal venerables, even more terrifying than Jimi Xianzun, lurking in the shadows. They seemed intent on not showing themselves openly and were planning ambushes.

“Attack for me! Capture him alive, capture him alive for this king!”

Suddenly, Yin Ming’s roar echoed, spreading across the four seas and eight wildernesses. His voice carried an extra layer of chilling coldness, his blood-red eyes filled with ferocity. Killing Ye Chen wasn’t enough to vent his fury anymore. He wanted to capture him alive, make him suffer endlessly, and force him to grovel at his feet for eternity.

With the order given, movement erupted from all sides.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Accompanied by buzzing sounds, countless magical weapons soared into the sky, gleaming with various immortal lights like brilliant stars; countless formations materialized, awakening their silent divine might; countless people formed seals, unleashing divine abilities that blanketed the sky toward the Lingxiao Baodian.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Immediately, the Lingxiao Baodian shook violently, but the barrier shielding it was overwhelmingly powerful. The wave of attacks landed but failed to break through.

“Come back.” Ye Chen shouted lightly, casually shoving Siming and the others into the pagoda.

“Bomb it! Bomb it for me!” Yin Ming roared, gripping his immortal sword and swinging it wildly, pointing straight at the Lingxiao Baodian.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The heavenly soldiers and generals attacked with even greater ferocity. It seemed they not only wanted to shatter the barrier but also demolish the Lingxiao Baodian entirely. Without causing some real chaos, Ye Chen wouldn’t come out.

As the heavenly soldiers and generals bombarded fiercely, Yin Ming howled loudly.

“Your Majesty, we’ve just received word—the Tianlao has collapsed.” Ziyang Xianjun suddenly appeared from nowhere, his body covered in blood. But his wounds weren’t from Ye Chen; he had inflicted them on himself deliberately, putting on a show for Yin Ming. It was his way of seeking some presence, implying that he had nearly died protecting him.

“A single Tianlao collapsing is nothing.” Yin Ming bellowed, shoving Ziyang Xianjun aside with one hand. Not to boast, but even if his ancestral tomb were dug up, he wouldn’t bat an eye. The only thing on his mind right now was capturing Ye Chen.

In reality, the Niutian Wang and his group were indeed searching for his ancestral tomb, hoping to find some treasures inside. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find it. Though they didn’t locate the ancestral tomb, they easily found the Pantao Garden. They uprooted peach trees one by one and took all the peaches, ripe or not. By the time they left, the Pantao Garden was completely bare. That wasn’t the end of it—many halls and pavilions, like the Zangjing Ge, were also ransacked. Those who came to cause trouble wrecked everything in their path. If you looked now, not a single intact palace remained.

The rumbling from all sides reached Yin Ming’s ears clearly, but he ignored it. Once Ye Chen was dealt with, he would hunt down those great demons and evils one by one—none of them would escape.

Crack!

In the midst of it, a sound like that rang out, quite heart-wrenching. Especially for Yin Ming, whose eyes burst with blood-red divine light. The protective barrier of the Lingxiao Baodian had been bombarded with cracks.

Crack! Crack!

Once the first crack appeared, it triggered a chain reaction, with more fissures spreading one after another, like a spiderweb. The once-dominant barrier teetered on the edge of collapse.

Ye Chen’s eyes shone sharply. He popped another handful of pills into his mouth and gripped his emperor weapon, the iron staff, ready to charge out at any moment.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the barrier shattered. The Lingxiao Baodian crumbled along with it, that majestic structure which had stood in the heavenly realm for who knew how many years, now reduced to ruins. Bricks and tiles flew everywhere, and the gathered majestic energy, along with the inscribed faith power, dissipated completely.

At this sight, the immortal families couldn’t help but stroke their beards. Well, for many days to come, they wouldn’t have to get up early for court anymore.

“Kill!” The heavenly soldiers and generals shouted fiercely, surging forward like a tide.

“Get out!” Ye Chen snorted coldly and burst out headfirst, not even using his staff, smashing through countless people along the way.

“Take him down.” The immortal venerables sneered and charged together, some casting seals, others unleashing thunderous kills, their coordination flawless. As Ye Chen had anticipated, they were indeed launching a surprise attack. Forewarned, he was prepared. With one emperor-level darkness technique, he dispelled the surrounding seals; with one emperor-level ethereal technique, he evaded the kills.

“Capture him alive! Capture him alive for me!” Yin Ming grew restless again, standing on his war chariot and screaming hysterically.

His outburst only fueled Ye Chen’s advance—he charged straight for him. As Ye Chen moved, Yin Ming staggered back a step, nearly turning to flee. Having been chased by Ye Chen before, he now had a shadow of fear.

“Stop him!” Not just Yin Ming wanted to run; Ziyang Xianjun on the side of the war chariot also felt the urge to bolt. But with his master not fleeing, he didn’t dare move, though that didn’t stop him from howling. If anyone didn’t know better, they might think he was the Tianting’s ruler!

“Anyone who blocks me dies.” Ye Chen’s verbal threat rang out louder than ever, shaking many heavenly soldiers until blood flowed from their seven orifices.

Buzz!

He swung his iron staff, charging fiercely in one direction. This time, he didn’t linger in battle or settle scores with Yin Ming. The current situation clearly wasn’t right for that. One wrong move could trap him too, so the best strategy was to break out quickly. As for Yin Ming, let him live a few more days. He refused to believe Yin Ming would always have millions of troops guarding him—he’d have his chance eventually.

“Catch him! Catch him!” Seeing Ye Chen trying to escape, Yin Ming jumped three feet high. He couldn’t let Ye Chen get away. If he did, as the Tianting’s ruler, he wouldn’t sleep peacefully. He understood the principle of open guns being easy to dodge but hidden arrows hard to guard against. Who knew when he might get ambushed?

“Kill!” The heavenly soldiers and generals roared, their figures forming a vast sea, like towering waves crashing repeatedly over Ye Chen. Sadly, Ye Chen wasn’t a small boat. No matter how big the waves, they were useless. One moment he was submerged, the next he burst out, mowing down swaths of people. Regardless of who they were, anyone in his path had to prepare for a beating.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Blood flowers bloomed, painting the scene gruesomely red. Looking from east to west, Ye Chen carved out a bloody path, charging without defense, risking his life while trapping his enemies. Every swing of his staff meant bloodshed; every spatial shift meant someone got caught. He was still that invincible war god, unstoppable. Millions couldn’t hold him back, and now with tens of millions of soldiers, they still couldn’t block his way. This blood-soaked war god marched over bones, turning the bright universe into a river of blood.

The immortals of the Tianting, having seen Ye Chen’s might before, weren’t as shocked as one might expect. As for late arrivals, like Kunlun Zhangjiao or the Four Mountains sect leaders, they watched with hearts pounding in terror. Seeing it in person was beyond just startling.

In this battle, the Tianting was drenched in blood, the cries of killing echoing for three days and nights without cease. A man named Ye Chen charged from the eastern skies all the way to the western void, trapped time and again yet breaking free each time. Every mountain he encountered collapsed, every river he crossed dried up; countless palaces were destroyed, and ancient cities exploded. Along that path, corpses littered the ground. All were the Tianting’s soldiers and generals, countless fallen, their flowing blood forming a crimson river that surged from west to east, shockingly red.

The rumbling didn’t fade until who knew when. The Tianting’s army, vast as an ocean, finally halted, chasing and chasing but losing track of Ye Chen. They stood in the void, looking around in confusion.

“Useless! A bunch of useless fools!” Yin Ming went berserk like a mad dog, his roars echoing through the skies.

“What a god he is!” The spectators from the Tianting and immortals from the lower realms gazed at that stretch of void, clicking their tongues in amazement, still not fully recovered. Ye Chen had escaped for three days and nights, and the Tianting had pursued for three days and nights. And they had watched for three days and nights, truly witnessing what an invincible war god looked like. Tens of millions in a siege, and he still fought his way out. Back when the Tianting’s grand army unified the Upper Immortal Realm, they were like a storm, conquering all without fail. But against Ye Chen, that entire army had become mere decoration. Scanning the entire history of the heavenly realm, you couldn’t find anyone as dominant as him.

“Ye Chen has escaped, so Yin Ming probably won’t sleep well.” The immortal families clasped their hands, sighing endlessly, all harboring a hope in their hearts—that Ye Chen would take down Yin Ming and replace the Tianting’s ruler. Among the Jade Emperor’s other seven princes, any one picked at random would be better than that one. At least, those seven didn’t kill innocents indiscriminately.

“The heavenly realm is going to be unsettled.” Many more worried, for with Ye Chen uncaptured, given Yin Ming’s temperament, he wouldn’t let it go. To vent his rage, he would likely ignite a great war, and one order from him could turn it into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.