Chapter 2666: Holy Demon

Boom! Rumble!

As the Sheng Ti underwent its tribulation and returned to its rightful state, ancient visions appeared in the heavens. The void was a chaotic haze, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring. Galaxies stretched across the nine heavens, and immortal seas surged with waves. All things evolved around them: majestic mountains rose, vast rivers flowed, forming a vast and boundless realm. Brilliant golden light poured down, draping the entire realm in a layer of dazzling radiance.

"Huang Gu Sheng Ti."

Jiang Taigong murmured softly, his eyes narrowed into slits as he uncovered Ye Chen's secret. Ye Chen was not from the Tian Jie; he was truly a tribulation survivor. His immense power stemmed from his existence before the tribulation, a fearsome being whose strength carried over afterward. Jiang Taigong hadn't recognized Ye Chen as a tribulation body earlier, which proved that this was no ordinary tribulation. Ye Chen's profound understanding of the Dao and rapid advancements suggested he might have undergone the tribulation with his memories intact.

"Is that the Huang Gu Sheng Ti?"

Below in the realm, Niu Mo Wang gaped in astonishment, his expression dazed. The domineering bloodline of the Sheng Ti even made him feel a deep sense of unease, stirring his own blood into a frenzy.

"It's undoubtedly a Sheng Ti."

Jiao Long Wang pondered aloud.

"How did a stone spirit turn into a Sheng Ti?"

Kunlun Zhang Jiao looked utterly confused, and the leaders of the Four Peaks were equally baffled. Many glanced toward Hua Shan Zhang Jiao for answers, but even the Hua Shan Zhen Ren's mind was a muddled mess. From the supreme elders to the divine sons and daughters on Hua Shan, everyone wore expressions of complete bewilderment.

"This is just too much."

Taiyi Taibai's face was a picture of amazement. He had seen Ye Chen exhibit the aura of a Sheng Ti before but never imagined he would fully transform into one. This defied all logic! What on earth was the reasoning behind it?

"It really came true."

Compared to them, Si Ming Xing Jun appeared quite composed. He had known Ye Chen's origins since his arrival in the Tian Jie—he was a tribulation survivor with memories intact. Now, having passed the tribulation with those memories, restoring his pre-tribulation bloodline was perfectly natural. What left Si Ming Xing Jun sighing was that Ye Chen had achieved his return in the Tian Jie so swiftly. Others might take decades or even centuries for their tribulations, but Ye Chen, even with his god-tier advantages, had done it faster than anyone.

He remained calm, and the divine generals were calm as well.

The reincarnated ones were all gasping in awe, their eyes filled with reverence and shining brightly. That was their holy lord of the Heavenly Court, their emperor of Da Chu.

"How could this happen? How did he become a Sheng Ti?"

"Those eyes—are they the legendary Liu Dao Lun Hui?"

"His aura doesn't belong to the Tian Jie. Where did it come from?"

The strong experts of the Heavenly Court were all lost for words, staring blankly at the ethereal void and at Ye Chen. In an instant, he had transformed into the Huang Gu Sheng Ti without any warning. How many secrets had he hidden?

"I say, have you figured out who he is?"

Huo De Xing Jun licked his dry lips, standing on the outskirts as if he were just there to watch the spectacle. Seeing Ye Chen become the Huang Gu Sheng Ti made him suddenly realize something.

"It's absolutely him—the Huang Gu Sheng Ti Ye Chen."

Beside him, Shui De Xing Jun sighed and clicked his tongue in wonder. If Huo De Xing Jun had recognized him, so had he.

Of course! The first time they met Ye Chen, he had seemed so familiar, as if they'd seen him somewhere before. Now, looking again, it was more than familiar—it was exactly the Ye Chen from the human realm! The three of them, along with Yan Laodao, had fought side by side across the heavens, old comrades in arms.

"How did he end up in the Tian Jie?"

"Who knows? Maybe he came for the tribulation."

The two chatted casually, muttering and speculating, but they couldn't quite make sense of it.

Boom! Rumble!

While everyone was in shock, the void heavens erupted with thunder again, unable to withstand Ye Chen's pressure. Looking into the distance, he was enveloped in golden divine light, his golden vital energy surging wildly. Strands of it cascaded down, shattering the surrounding space, as if he were no longer a mere person but a divine being.

This tribulation was a stroke of fortune for him.

Before the tribulation, his cultivation was at the Quasi-Emperor third heaven; after it, he had reached the Quasi-Emperor eighth heaven. His realm hadn't fallen—instead, the pre- and post-tribulation states had merged, complementing each other. That was the advantage of undergoing a tribulation with memories intact.

In this moment, his combat power was at its absolute peak since he began his cultivation path. With the Liu Dao Lun Hui eye technique fully activated and his Sheng Ti divine repositories fully opened, he was at his strongest.

This was all thanks to the Zhu Xian Jian. Before the tribulation, it had fully unlocked his divine repositories and the reincarnation forbidden law. After the tribulation, by merging the strengths, it all continued seamlessly.

In this regard, the Zhu Xian Jian had truly shown him immense favor. Without it, who knew how many years it would have taken him to fully unlock his Sheng Ti divine repositories and the reincarnation forbidden law.

Boom! Rumble!

The void hummed and trembled with lightning and thunder.

Ye Chen slightly closed his eyes, rolling his neck with a relaxed expression. Power surged within him, filled with an unyielding conviction that he was invincible across the four seas and eight wastelands.

"Sheng Dao Xian Zang, activate."

"Di Dao Tian Ji, activate."

"Lun Hui Tian Zang, activate."

In the depths of the void, icy words echoed.

It was Ye Chen, instantly activating three major forbidden techniques, all emperor-level immortal arts that boosted his combat power. His already overwhelming pressure soared even higher, as if breaking through some invisible shackles. Not just the people around, but even Jiang Taigong's expression changed drastically. Ye Chen's momentum was simply too formidable.

"I told you, you can't destroy me."

Ye Chen suddenly opened his eyes, his words carrying the roar of dragons that shattered the immortal dome. The Eight Heavenly Dragons appeared together, each one immense and towering, every scale gleaming with brilliant, scorching golden light. The eight dragons swung their tails powerfully, breaking through the Di Dao Xian Zhen like true dragons leaping forth.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The heavens exploded violently. The three supreme emperor weapons were all sent flying, crashing into different directions and collapsing vast swathes of the void. Their emperor-level immortal glows dimmed significantly.

Pfft!

Even Jiang Taigong was knocked back, stumbling several steps before steadying himself. Before he could speak, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turning pale. It was his emperor weapon and his immortal array; now that the array was broken and the weapon flipped away, he suffered the backlash.

"How is this possible?"

The strong experts of the Heavenly Court were all stunned, their faces full of disbelief. That was Jiang Taigong, after all! With the Di Dao Xian Zhen and three emperor weapons supporting him, yet Ye Chen had forcefully shattered the array. Just how terrifying was the Sheng Ti?

"The Sheng Ti is truly dominant."

The immortals below were exhilarated, their eyes sparkling with excitement. Though Ye Chen's bloodline limit had been transformed, he had returned to his bloodline roots, still possessing that overpowered god-tier edge.

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

Ye Chen roared fiercely, taking another step that shattered the Lingxiao Palace and soared straight into the nine heavens. He wielded no weapons, only a single golden fist. The nine paths and eight wastelands merged in an instant, infused with chaotic Dao principles and enhanced by emperor-level divine essence. The power of that fist could destroy heavens and earth, piercing through the vast expanse from afar.

Though he had returned from the tribulation, Da Chu's tenth emperor remained in his demonic state, still remembering the blood debts of the reincarnated ones. His eyes glowed with brilliant golden light, yet they were tinged with a hint of blood-red, filled with bloodlust and ferocity. He was determined to slaughter this old divine being of the Tian Jie and turn the entire Heavenly Court into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, as a tribute to Yue Xin and Shura Tian Zun.

He was a Sheng Ti, a Sheng Ti that had become a demon—hence, Sheng Mo. Hatred had clouded his mind, and killing intent had engulfed his spirit, turning him into a great demon lord.

Jiang Taigong's expression turned stern as he suddenly steadied himself, pressing his palms together and rapidly forming seals. He summoned back the three emperor weapons, circling them around his body for defense.

Boom!

The universe was utterly destroyed, and the vast expanse collapsed.

Jiang Taigong was injured again. Even with the three emperor weapons, he couldn't block Ye Chen's punch and was sent flying once more, spitting blood as he landed and staggered back three or five steps. Each step caused the heavens to crack. Before he could fully steady himself, Ye Chen was upon him like a ghost, delivering another straightforward punch, even more powerful than the last.

Pfft!

Jiang Taigong coughed up blood, his old eyes etched with shock. Ye Chen's strength and terror had shattered his previous limits. Without the bloodline limit, he had gained this Huang Gu Sheng Ti, combined with forbidden techniques—his combat power far surpassed Jiang Taigong's.

As he spoke, Ye Chen attacked again.

Jiang Taigong instantly teleported away, dodging the lethal strike, and soared into the sky like a divine ray. He sacrificed the emperor weapon, the Whip of Divine Punishment, striking down from above to target the primordial spirit and true form.

"Break!"

Ye Chen shouted resoundingly, throwing another punch.

Clang!

The golden fist collided with the divine whip, like metal clashing. The supreme emperor weapon was actually sent flying by Ye Chen's punch, its divine light dimming as it trembled and buzzed.

The immortals watched with hearts pounding in fear. They had always said that a fully realized Sheng Ti could clash with emperor weapons bare-handed, but seeing Ye Chen do it before reaching that stage was eye-opening.

Boom! Bang!

As the crowd reeled in shock, two more thunderous booms followed. The emperor weapons, the Five Elements Command Flag and the Feng Shen Bang, were also blasted away by Ye Chen, crushing two sections of the void. The backlashed Jiang Taigong was shaken so badly he could barely stand, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood as his face grew even paler. He was utterly astounded, as if in front of Ye Chen, even supreme emperor weapons were mere decorations. That pair of golden fists shattered all laws, emperor weapons included, sending them flying at will.

Jiang Taigong gritted his teeth and formed a seal with one hand.

Immediately, his form transformed into that of a youth. His floating white hair turned black, his eyes clear and profound, no longer appearing aged. His aura surged to its peak—he must have activated some forbidden law to enhance his power, making his pressure so intense that the heavens trembled.

At his call, the three emperor weapons returned. The Whip of Divine Punishment merged into his brow to guard his divine sea; the Feng Shen Bang turned into armor enveloping his body; only the Five Elements Command Flag hovered outside, weaving emperor Dao principles and wrapping around him, accompanied by the resounding echoes of supreme Dao sounds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The banging sounds echoed endlessly across the dome of the sky, the void trembling rhythmically. It was the sound of Ye Chen walking, his Sheng Ti body so heavy that each step made the universe quake.

He was still that demon, with towering demonic energy dancing alongside his Sheng Ti vital energy. The divine power of Sheng Mo was domineering and demonic, pressuring the nine heavens and ten earths. His aura continued to rise with every step, like a supreme demon emerging from the end of time, eclipsing the sun and moon, intent on creating a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

"Boss."

Accompanied by a call, the Chaos Cauldron emerged from the small world, circling around Ye Chen and buzzing excitedly. It was overjoyed at its master's fortune, and it had gained as well—its grade had elevated, with chaotic energy flowing from it. The Tian Zi characters etched upon it rearranged themselves in mysterious patterns.

It was still as massive and heavy as ever; with its size, smashing down could overwhelm even a peak Quasi-Emperor. The Zhu Xian Jian had shown great favor to Ye Chen, and Ye Chen had reciprocated with his life-bound weapon. Along the way, he had fed it countless artifacts, transforming that former piece of rusted iron into a divine treasure.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The Chaos Cauldron hummed, its battle intent soaring. The rumbling sound shook everyone's minds, but to Ye Chen, it was wonderfully melodic.

Everything had returned.

Ye Chen's pace didn't slow, but his smile grew even more demonic, as if his origins, bloodline, immortal eyes, Chaos Cauldron—all that he possessed—had fully come back.