Chapter 2665: Battle with Tai Gong

Boom! Rumble!

On the ethereal firmament, Jiang Taigong stood imposingly. His white robes and white hair swayed in the wind, devoid of any malice. Yet, his oppressive presence was overwhelmingly formidable, leaving even powerful figures like Lao Xianzun and Lao Xian Xianjun struggling to breathe.

"Too strong."

In the eyes of the people, there was only awe.

Jiang Taigong remained silent, gazing down upon the entire world. What he saw, however, was a scene of utter carnage. The entire Shangxian Realm was in ruins, with no intact immortal mountains or palaces left—nothing but a wasteland of piled corpses and rivers of blood. It was no longer a sacred land; it had become a hellish abyss, burying countless lives.

He could not escape his share of the blame.

The Dao Ancestor had sealed himself away, entrusting the heavenly realm to Jiang Taigong's care. But due to that self-sealing, he had missed the chance to stop the catastrophe, making him the greatest sinner of all.

Only after witnessing that mountain of corpses and sea of blood did his gaze fall upon Ye Chen, his brows slightly furrowed. He recognized Ye Chen; they had met in the lower realms long ago.

Yet, he never imagined that the one causing chaos in the Shangxian Realm would be that former little stone spirit. How much time had passed? Ye Chen had already reached the eighth level of Quandi and had even unlocked the blood succession boundary. His combat prowess was extraordinarily formidable.

To this day, Jiang Taigong still did not know Ye Chen's origins or his connection to his own master, Hong Jun. He only knew that Ye Chen was shrouded in an air of mystery.

"Tai Gong, you could easily sleep for another three or five years. Let this junior wipe out the entire Heavenly Court first, and then I'll wake you up when it's done."

Ye Chen gripped his iron staff, twisting his neck with a sense of ease. There was a karmic tie between him and Jiang Taigong, one that had formed back in the days of Great Chu. It was also tied to a divine whip—the imitation of the emperor weapon, the God-Striking Whip, which originated from Jiang Taigong.

Since it was karma, it would be settled.

"Who exactly are you?"

Jiang Taigong asked coldly.

"Does that matter?"

"You have become a demon."

"And if I am a demon, what can you do about it?"

Ye Chen laughed with a demonic edge, still casually twisting his neck as surging demonic energy rolled wildly.

Jiang Taigong took a deep breath and reached out his hand.

Buzz!

The God-Striking Whip, embedded in the earth, trembled with a buzz and shot up into the sky, landing in Jiang Taigong's grasp. It revived its ultimate emperor aura, so powerful that the heavens and earth changed color.

"Gods will be slain, Buddhas will be exterminated."

Ye Chen roared fiercely, shattering the Lingxiao Palace with a single step as he charged upward with his iron staff.

Jiang Taigong said nothing and swung the whip down abruptly.

Ye Chen did not dodge; he withstood the God-Striking Whip head-on. In an instant, he closed in on Jiang Taigong and swung his iron staff with a buzz, sending Jiang Taigong flying.

"Damn!"

The newly arrived Niu Mowang witnessed the scene and was so shocked he nearly wet himself. That was Jiang Taigong's true form, wielding an emperor-level divine weapon, yet he was knocked away by Ye Chen's single strike. This was utterly unbelievable.

"Quandi eighth level?"

"Blood succession boundary?"

The allied forces from the Sanxian Realm had also arrived en masse. Seeing Ye Chen's form and cultivation, they were astounded beyond words. Now they understood why the Heavenly Court had sounded the heavenly bells—it was because Ye Chen alone had routed them completely.

Even with Jiang Taigong's true form descending and holding the emperor weapon God-Striking Whip, he couldn't withstand a single blow from Ye Chen. Just how powerful was that guy's combat strength? Was he invincible across the heavens and earth?

Everyone was shocked, but Shen Jiang remained expressionless, merely looking up. His gaze was distant, fixed on Ye Chen, and he felt an inexplicable pang of sorrow. Ye Chen had fallen into demonhood, likely due to something involving Tian Zun and Yue Xin. He must have suffered some deep stimulus to activate the blood succession boundary.

Boom!

The rumbling continued as Jiang Taigong was struck again, more accurately, ever since he took Ye Chen's first hit, he hadn't been able to steady himself. Ye Chen hammered him relentlessly with one strike after another, from the misty western skies to the eastern firmament. Blood rained down like light, pouring from the heavens.

Gulp!

The people of the Sanxian Realm swallowed hard in unison, finding it hard to believe. If the Shura Tian Zun defeating Jiang Taigong's soul in the past was impressive, then the current Ye Chen was on another level entirely. Even Jiang Taigong's true form wasn't enough.

"How... how is this possible?"

The Heavenly Court forces stared with wide eyes, their voices trembling. They had waited desperately for Jiang Taigong, hoping he could turn the tide, only to see him being relentlessly pummeled by Ye Chen.

The most shaken in his heart was Jiang Taigong himself. His expression, once calm, now carried a hint of surprise. Ye Chen was too strong, far beyond his expectations. With the blood succession boundary, Ye Chen's comprehension of the Dao even surpassed his own. When had such a figure emerged in the heavenly realm? He was completely unaware. Could it really be connected to his master, Hong Jun?

"Hong Jun, I'm embarrassed for you."

The illusory shadow of Xuan Di sighed, also watching the battle with a tongue-clicking expression. Ye Chen wasn't just strong; he was overwhelmingly so. Despite being a minor realm below, without any emperor weapon, he was still suppressing his opponent.

Buzz!

Ye Chen swung his staff again, shattering the firmament.

Jiang Taigong vanished in an instant, ascending step by step into the highest void. Only there, in the most ethereal nothingness, did he stop and silently chant an incantation, forming a seal with one hand.

Immediately, a beam of immortal light flew from his body. Upon closer inspection, it was a command flag—the emperor weapon, the Five Elements Command Flag. The flag fluttered fiercely, its emperor aura bursting forth, with terrifying emperor Dao principles flowing out.

"Heavens! Another divine weapon?"

The immortals exclaimed in unison.

"Seal!"

Jiang Taigong shouted coldly. The Five Elements Command Flag divided into five, representing metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, and they were planted in the five directions of the void sky. They formed a sealing array, a genuine emperor Dao immortal formation that trapped Ye Chen inside. Lightning flashed and thunder roared within, every beam of light carrying destructive power.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Ye Chen swung his iron staff wildly inside the array, slamming into it and causing the emperor Dao immortal formation to tremble violently. Even the Five Elements Command Flag buzzed and shook, on the verge of falling.

Buzz!

The God-Striking Whip flew from Jiang Taigong's hand, soaring like a divine ray into the vast void and hovering in the nothingness. It trembled massively, wrapped in ultimate Dao principles, its emperor aura growing even stronger. As an emperor weapon specialized in striking the primordial spirit, even its buzzing sound made people's primordial spirits feel on the brink of collapse. Only in Jiang Taigong's hands did it truly display its dominance.

With the God-Striking Whip reinforcing the immortal formation, it stabilized instantly. Soon after, muffled grunts came from Ye Chen inside the array, as forces targeting the primordial spirit assaulted him. Even his primordial spirit was nearly forced out several times, his sea of consciousness buzzing and his head on the verge of exploding.

"Break! Open for me!"

Ye Chen roared hoarsely, his hair disheveled. He paid no heed to the heavens or earth, nor to the Five Elements, only swinging his iron staff with all his might, making the emperor Dao immortal formation buzz again.

Jiang Taigong frowned once more and flicked his sleeve violently.

Emperor Dao heavenly sounds erupted as another immortal light shot out—it was the Feng Shen Bang, another ultimate emperor weapon. It stretched across the void sky, vast as a mountain, with characters appearing and disappearing on it. Vaguely, one could see towering mountains and flowing rivers, as if it sealed an entire realm within. Every mountain, river, plant, and tree inside was imbued with ultimate Dao principles, immensely heavy and freezing the heavens and earth in place.

"Another emperor weapon?"

The people were shocked again, their expressions stunned. They knew Jiang Taigong had divine weapons, but not that he possessed three, each more domineering than the last.

Buzz!

The Feng Shen Bang descended, positioning itself on one side with the God-Striking Whip on the other, both enhancing the Five Elements Command Flag. The power of the emperor Dao immortal formation instantly escalated to a level that could destroy heavens and earth.

The faces of the onlookers paled. Even from outside, they felt their souls tremble. If they were the ones trapped inside, they would likely be obliterated on the spot.

Crack! Crack!

These sounds suddenly rang out.

It was Ye Chen, trapped in the emperor Dao immortal formation, his legs bending under the pressure as his bones cracked inch by inch. Even his blood succession boundary's unyielding resilience couldn't withstand such strain.

Puff!

Ye Chen spat blood, veins bulging on his forehead. He tried to stand but couldn't overcome the force; it felt like carrying a massive mountain on his back, ready to crush him to dust at any moment.

"Exterminate!"

Jiang Taigong said indifferently, forming another seal with one hand.

The emperor Dao immortal formation buzzed, and multicolored immortal lights burst forth, engulfing Ye Chen.

In the first instant, his long hair lost its blood-red hue and turned snow-white again.

In the second, his eyes were no longer black voids but regained their pupils.

In the third, his blood returned from pitch-black to red.

By the fourth, the surging demonic energy around him was completely annihilated by the emperor Dao immortal formation.

With the three ultimate emperor weapons combined, their power was world-shattering. Even immortality couldn't hold up; the blood succession boundary state was forcibly dispelled.

"Son of a bitch."

Niu Mowang cursed loudly and charged into the sky with his battle axe, intent on rescuing Ye Chen.

Even faster than him was the First Shen Jiang. His Dao sword appeared in his hand, its clang piercing as he unleashed a domineering strike, cleaving through the eternal immortal sky.

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding echoed. Though Shen Jiang's sword was powerful, it struck something as hard as iron—or more precisely, a barrier. It was the barrier Jiang Taigong had summoned. Not only did Shen Jiang fail to break it, but he was also shaken back, spitting blood as he flew away.

Puff!

Niu Mowang fared the same, flying even farther. Following him were Jiao Longwang, Man Niuwang, Man Xiangwang, the heads of the Five Peaks, the head of Kunlun, and countless other great powers. Anyone who charged forward ended up covered in blood without exception.

It wasn't that they weren't strong enough; the barrier was just too solid. Jiang Taigong's barrier was supported by three emperor weapons, making it an emperor Dao barrier that no one could shatter.

"Kill."

"Kill him."

In contrast to the Sanxian Realm, the Heavenly Court experts looked ferocious, grinding their teeth with bloodshot eyes, desperate to tear Ye Chen apart.

"Exterminate!"

Jiang Taigong shouted coldly, his words laden with authority.

"You can't exterminate me anymore."

Ye Chen laughed wildly, his bloodied face twisted with ferocity and madness. His bent legs straightened forcefully, and his hunched back rose again. As the emperor of Great Chu, he embodied unyielding resolve, his iron will unbowed.

In the eyes of the people, Ye Chen appeared strangely ethereal, like two overlapping figures—one illusory on the left, one solid on the right. In the next instant, the left became solid and the right illusory, merging and separating alternately. A profound force enveloped his body, faint and elusive.

"The power of the calamity response?"

Jiang Taigong suddenly frowned.

"You can't exterminate me."

Ye Chen roared skyward, and a brilliant light beam shot from his crown, piercing the heavens and tearing a massive hole in the vast sky.

At once, the two ethereal and solid figures—one from before the calamity response and one from after—merged into one under the apocalyptic glow.

Looking at Ye Chen now, an ancient pattern was etching itself bit by bit on his forehead—a divine mark unique to the sacred body. His white hair turned strand by strand into gold, and a torrent of golden blood energy surged wildly, unleashing a domineering bloodline power. His eyes were vast as the starry sky, and upon closer inspection, his pupils bore two marks of the six paths of reincarnation—it was a pair of Six Paths Reincarnation Eyes.

The supreme ancient sacred body had returned to its true form.