Chapter 2621: Battle of Deductions

In the Upper Immortal Realm, at Bu Zhou Shan, night had fallen once again. Gusts of yin wind howled through the air, and the heavenly soldiers and generals stood guard as before, though many were yawning and slouching with their spears in hand, looking utterly listless.

It had been half a month since they surrounded Bu Zhou Shan, and there was still no sign of Ye Chen. All they heard were occasional screams of agony that pierced the night, sending chills down everyone's spine and making them feel an urgent need to relieve themselves.

Those howls came from the Xuan Di phantom, though no one could tell if it was due to some peculiar habit or an inherent madness. The cries were piercing and mournful, leading onlookers to mistakenly think someone was about to be dragged off for execution.

These screams were enough to terrify the heavenly soldiers and generals. Not only did they dread entering the mountain, but even waiting outside was a torment. The place was too eerie, with the yin winds raging unchecked, and no one wanted to linger there.

From time to time, some heavenly soldiers would glance over at Yin Ming.

His face, illuminated by the dim starlight, was twisted into a grotesque mask—less like a man and more like a demon. His eyes glowed with a terrifying red hue, full of violence and bloodlust, as he gritted his teeth in rage.

Everyone knew his temperament, so no one dared speak. They simply waited in silence.

On the jade carriage, Yin Ming's body trembled occasionally, not from cold, but from fury. The long-suppressed anger had built up throughout his body.

There were a few times when he nearly ordered another assault, tired of waiting indefinitely like this.

While the heavenly soldiers watched him, he in turn watched Hao Miao Xian Zun. That old figure would never agree to launching an attack.

Glancing at Hao Miao Xian Zun again, he was still seated in meditation on the jade carriage. Ever since he had summoned the heavenly court experts that day, he had been in a state of healing for nine days straight, showing no signs of waking.

It wasn't until the tenth day that his body trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a turbid breath. The backlash he had suffered was now erased, and his aura felt much more robust.

"How many days have I been in seclusion?"

Hao Miao Xian Zun rose and stood at the edge of the jade carriage, gazing into the distance at Bu Zhou Shan, his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Reporting to the Immortal Venerable, it has been ten days," the Immortal Monarch replied.

Hao Miao Xian Zun said nothing. He glanced sideways at Yin Ming for a moment before performing another profound tui yan divination, once again targeting Ye Chen in an attempt to peer into his secrets.

On Chi Yan Peak, Ye Chen, who was seated in meditation, suddenly opened his eyes. A faint smile curved his lips as he chuckled coldly, aware that Hao Miao Xian Zun was divining him once more.

However, he was well prepared and had already donned the Bi Shi Xian Pao.

Though such a robe was useless in the outside world, it carried the aura of Bu Zhou Shan, allowing him to create a false image for Hao Miao Xian Zun—as if he were still within the mountain.

Indeed, after this round of divination, Hao Miao Xian Zun's expression remained unchanged. Once again, he detected the aura of Bu Zhou Shan around Ye Chen, confirming that Ye Chen was still inside. As long as he was there, it was manageable; the young man would have to emerge eventually, and they would be waiting.

But this old man was no pushover; divination alone wasn't his style.

He set up a formation array and sat cross-legged within it, tracing array patterns around him. Suspended nearby were four Bagua Shen Pan, each inscribed with ancient immortal essence.

The sight made the heavenly soldiers and generals' eyes gleam with excitement, sensing that the old Immortal Venerable was about to make a big move.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, Hao Miao Xian Zun closed his eyes again. Using the power of tui yan, he transformed it into an invisible immortal sword, tracing back along a faint connection to Ye Chen's origin before slashing out with a strike.

Uh!

Ye Chen let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Old fellow, you're the one insisting on seeking trouble."

Ye Chen snorted coldly, defending himself with Zhou Tian force while countering with his own Zhou Tian force shaped into an immortal sword. Since Hao Miao Xian Zun had struck him once, he traced the source and slashed back in return.

Uh!

Now it was Hao Miao Xian Zun's turn to cough up blood. Ye Chen's strike had hurt him just as badly as his own had hurt Ye Chen.

"I underestimated you."

Hao Miao Xian Zun let out a cold rebuke, pressing his palms together. The four Bagua disks around him trembled with a low hum, gathering an invisible thunder god arrow. Once more, he traced the source and fired it toward Ye Chen.

Even though Ye Chen was prepared, the arrow still made him spit blood. The thunder god arrow was too insidious, piercing even the armor formed by his Zhou Tian force.

Not one to take a loss lying down, Ye Chen countered with a sword strike of his own, even more domineering than before, forcing Hao Miao Xian Zun to cough up a mouthful of old blood.

Pfft! Pfft!

The sounds of vomiting blood echoed repeatedly—one from Chi Yan Peak and one from the direction of Bu Zhou Shan in the Upper Realm. Ye Chen spat once, and then Hao Miao Xian Zun followed suit.

The two were locked in combat using tui yan power, with no earth-shattering fluctuations; everything unfolded in the unseen realm, relying solely on invisible forces.

Such battles were suited only for those skilled in tui yan, like Ye Chen and Hao Miao Xian Zun. They could engage in private warfare without even drawing weapons.

The heavenly soldiers and generals looked on in astonishment. They hadn't seen Hao Miao Xian Zun make any grand gestures, yet he kept spitting blood. His once ruddy face grew paler, and his vital energy waned significantly.

Hao Miao Xian Zun's expression darkened. He hadn't just underestimated Ye Chen—he had severely underestimated him. That young quasi-emperor could repeatedly wound him, proving his mastery in tui yan was no less than his own. In the entire heavenly realm, Ye Chen was the only one who could hold his own in such a prolonged tui yan battle.

On Chi Yan Peak, Tai Yi Tai Bai and Si Ming were equally stunned. Ye Chen sat there motionless, doing nothing, yet he kept vomiting blood. Each time he did, his face turned a shade paler, and his vital energy diminished further.

Fortunately, Ye Chen's foundation was deep enough to withstand the assaults. In the realm of tui yan, aside from the Ren Wang, he feared no one. If Hao Miao Xian Zun weren't such an ancient veteran, he wouldn't stand a chance against him.

This exchange of blows lasted an entire day.

Hao Miao Xian Zun finally backed down—or rather, continuing the fight would cost him his life. Although his cultivation surpassed Ye Chen's, it was irrelevant here; it was all about tui yan prowess. With his limited lifespan, pushing further could damage his life essence and shorten his days even more.

Once he relented, Ye Chen did the same. Hao Miao Xian Zun was gravely injured, and Ye Chen wasn't faring much better.

Still, if the other side insisted on a full-out brawl, Ye Chen wouldn't back down. It would be the opponent who fell first, given his dwindling lifespan couldn't handle such turmoil, while Ye Chen's vital energy was at its peak.

Of course, their decision to cease wasn't just due to injuries; there was another crucial reason—a mysterious force in the void was disrupting their tui yan power.

Ye Chen could sense it, and so could Hao Miao Xian Zun.

The difference was, Hao Miao Xian Zun didn't know what it was, but Ye Chen did.

In this era, there were anomalies in the emperor's path, causing the fabric of fate to shift constantly. Even the Ren Wang's divinations were hindered, let alone theirs.

Tui yan power was a profound force that could pierce heavenly secrets, directly clashing with these anomalies in the emperor's path.

Compared to that, the anomalies were stronger.

Thus, their tui yan duel was conducted under the constant threat of backlash. If they kept going, they'd be reduced to ashes by it, their souls scattered.

"Immortal Venerable."

Yin Ming approached and landed on Hao Miao Xian Zun's jade carriage.

"Wait."

Hao Miao Xian Zun tried to stand but nearly toppled off the carriage. Steadying himself, he spat out another mouthful of blood.

He had been so confident he could gravely wound Ye Chen, but after the battle, while he had indeed injured him, his own wounds were worse. The aura of death around him grew thicker.

Yin Ming hesitated, as if wanting to say more, but turned and left.

He would heed Hao Miao Xian Zun's words and continue waiting. But if his patience ran out, he would issue the order himself and head straight for Hua Shan, quenching his inner rage with blood.