Chapter 2679: Show Some Mercy!

At the peak of Chi Yan Feng, Ye Chen stood like a statue, completely still.

A gentle breeze rustled his long hair, but it couldn't dry the tears in the corners of his eyes.

To this day, he still didn't know why he could witness that great battle.

His guess was that it was related to the Sheng Ti lineage; perhaps this heaven-defying bloodline possessed memory inheritance, and any Sheng Ti might be able to see that battle, though he wasn't certain. At this moment, he needed to verify it with Dao Zu and confirm it with Di Huang; that would be the most reliable approach.

What was certain was that Hong Yan had participated in that war.

At that time, compared to the myriad of supreme beings in the sky, she was merely a minor player.

"In the original spacetime, that world-ending crystalline jade hand couldn't have been Hong Yan's, could it!"

Ye Chen murmured inwardly. He had seen scenes from the original spacetime but didn't know who had delivered that palm of destruction—it could be Hong Yan, or it could be Ruoxi under the control of Zhuxian Jian.

Either was possible.

He didn't know when it happened, but the ancient visions gradually faded away. Ye Chen's furrowed brow finally relaxed, yet his heart trembled with shock. That world-shaking melee was not only incredibly fierce but also capable of destroying heaven and earth. The ancient Heavenly Court had lost too many emperors in the battle. Even if Di Huang joined the fight or Di Zun was present, they would likely be reduced to nothing, as the enemy had far too many supreme beings.

Facing the breeze, the last traces of starlight dispersed, ushering in a new day.

Ye Chen did not rise; he simply sat in meditation, comprehending the Dao. As for visitors, they were all turned away at the gates of Chi Yan Feng. It wasn't that he was being unfriendly, but once that door was opened, it would be hard to find peace afterward. Even the Hua Shan sect leader wanted some quiet time for himself.

He sat like this for three full days.

In those three days, even more immortals from the upper realms migrated to the lower realms, with over eighty percent of them joining Hua Shan. The remaining less than twenty percent each found their own places to live in seclusion.

Compared to the lower realms, the upper realms appeared even more desolate.

Looking up, one could see many aged figures still guarding the foundations of the Heavenly Court. Every inch of that territory had been won with their lives. It wasn't that they didn't want to leave; they simply couldn't bear to. For them, that land was their final resting place.

It was fortunate that Yu Di had reincarnated; if he saw this scene, who knows what his state of mind would be.

One wrong step leads to eternal regret; looking back, a hundred years have passed.

This ancient saying perfectly described his decision. Choosing the wrong ruler for the Heavenly Court had doomed a prosperous dynasty. It was heartbreaking that his old comrades were all advanced in years, and no one knew how much longer they could hold on—they would likely fall one after another into the passage of time.

It wasn't until the night of the fourth day that Ye Chen awoke.

Once again, he took out a wooden sword and quietly practiced on the mountain peak, his movements slow and deliberate, each one containing endless Dao insights. Even Shura Tian Zun watched with a dazed expression.

"Monster."

Tian Zun clicked his tongue, stepping out of his small world. Joining him was Yue Xin.

Glancing at Tian Zun, one could see he had already formed a physical body and was steadily accumulating his Dao essence, on his way to recovering his peak strength—it was only a matter of time. As for Yue Xin, her talent and foundation were far inferior, so she remained in her Yuan Shen state.

"Wait a bit; I'll find some treasures for you."

Tian Zun withdrew his gaze, glanced at Yue Xin, and vanished in an instant.

That night, his figure looked a bit like a thief, sneaking stealthily into the depths of Hua Shan.

Not long after, the main peak of Hua Shan began to hum and tremble.

This awakened many elders of Hua Shan, who gathered in droves, but they couldn't catch Tian Zun—that guy was incredibly agile, arriving quickly and leaving even faster, with a strand of emperor essence in his hand.

When he returned to Chi Yan Feng, Ye Chen had already stopped his sword practice and was sitting on a rock, holding a wine flask. He watched Tian Zun return with a sigh of admiration. "Not bad, quite the skill!"

"Keep it low-key."

Tian Zun stood tall and straight, his aura growing more refined. With a wave of his hand, he merged that strand of emperor essence into Yue Xin's body. Using emperor essence to refine the Yuan Shen was the best method possible.

Yue Xin was overjoyed; after all, that was emperor essence! Even just a strand was an supreme immortal treasure.

"Impressive."

Ye Chen smiled, tossed aside the wine flask, and began practicing his sword once more.

That night, Hua Shan bustled for a while before falling silent again. The entire upper and lower realms were peaceful and harmonious.

In contrast, the human realm was far more chaotic.

From a view in the void, flames of war spread across the stars, their reflected starlight stained with blood.

The great war between Hong Huang and Zhu Tian was still raging, affecting a vast area. The entire Hong Huang race was engaged, and Zhu Tian was not backing down. Except for the forbidden zones, all forces had joined the battle. Every star domain, every ancient star, was filled with smoke and the sounds of killing, roaring, and howling, making the war extremely brutal. Even the peak quasi-emperors could hardly stay out of it.

It had to be said that this time, the Hong Huang race was indeed much stronger, at least a full level above their previous invasion of Zhu Tian in terms of overall combat power. From the Hong Huang clan emperor down to the lowest soldiers, each of them was enveloped, to varying degrees, in colorful immortal light.

That was the work of Zhuxian Jian.

As Ming Di had said, the colorful immortal light was a manifestation of an ancient secret technique, greatly enhancing their combat abilities. In turn, Zhuxian Jian could draw the nourishment it desired from the Hong Huang race, gradually healing the wounds it had suffered when heavily damaged by Ye Chen and the others.

On the other hand, Zhu Tian's situation was not optimistic; they were being pushed back repeatedly, completely outmatched in the number of ultimate emperor weapons and overall forces. Though they fought desperately, they still lost star domain after star domain. The Hong Huang forces advanced like a raging torrent, their morale soaring, as if they were determined to conquer all of Zhu Tian in one go.

Ah!

On a certain night, sighs echoed from the five great forbidden zones.

Looking closely, one could see figures stealthily emerging from the forbidden zones, all peak quasi-emperors without exception, many carrying emperor weapons, intending to secretly aid Zhu Tian in battle.

But this aid was only temporary; they couldn't help for long before returning to the forbidden zones. Zhu Tian had its own mission, and the forbidden zones had theirs.

Thanks to the forbidden zones' covert involvement, Zhu Tian's defeat was stabilized, allowing them to barely withstand the Hong Huang assault. However, the war continued and would only end when one side was completely wiped out.

"Damned Zhuxian Jian."

In the eastern star domain, Zhan Wang gripped his battle spear, coughing up blood in large mouthfuls, his face pale. A gruesome bloody hole pierced his chest, surrounded by flickering colorful light that was devouring his vital energy, making the wound not only fail to heal but also spread outward.

Tai Wang, fighting alongside him, was in no better shape, covered in bloody gashes.

It wasn't that they weren't strong enough; it was just that there were too many Hong Huang experts, and each one's enhanced power from that colorful immortal light created a terrifying divine force. They had all suffered significant losses.

"We've asked Ming Di; it's a forbidden law of Zhuxian Jian. With our level, we can't break it."

In another star domain, the Ten Kings of Yan Luo appeared, all clad in armor and radiating killing intent. They had just endured a bloody battle, each bearing wounds.

"At least the forbidden zones are helping; otherwise, it would be even more disastrous."

Zao Hua Xian Wang and Yu Hua Xian Wang approached from the south and north, respectively, each holding a dripping blood sword.

"The forbidden zones won't help for long."

The Fifth Divine General descended from the sky, the strongest attacker under Di Zun's command. He couldn't sustain the toll any longer, his vital energy weakened and injuries severe, but he had still carved out the divine general's renowned might.

These words left all the quasi-emperors silent, as they focused on recovering their wounds.

The Zhu Tian armies gathered, flocking to this star domain in droves.

Directly opposite them was the Hong Huang army, like a vast black ocean that obscured the cosmos. Dozens of emperor weapons hovered in the air, with strands of ultimate divine principles cascading down, their emperor Dao might revived. The Hong Huang forces looked as ferocious as ever, licking their bloody tongues, their eyes savage and bloodthirsty, viewing the people of Zhu Tian as mere prey.

The temporary cease-fire created a oppressive atmosphere, with even fiercer attacks to come.

"Kill!"

With a roar from the Hong Huang clan emperor, the Hong Huang army surged forward like a tidal wave.

"Fight!"

The Zhu Tian army howled in response, the two massive forces colliding in an instant.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Bloody mist erupted in waves, and figures fell one after another, with countless people perishing, their bodies and spirits destroyed.

This was just one battlefield in the war.

The vast Zhu Tian star domains held countless battlefields, each filled with bloody combat. Star domain after star domain collapsed; ancient star after ancient star exploded; and vibrant blood flowers bloomed one after another across the stars.

"Great Accomplishment Sheng Ti, oh! Manifest, oh spirit!"

In the blood pools, the cultivators of Zhu Tian roared from the depths of their souls, filled with grief and despair.

Not everyone knew that Di Huang and Hong Yan were absent from Zhu Tian; those unaware were calling upon their guardian deities, hoping they would appear and turn the tide for the myriad realms.

Alas, their calls went unanswered.

At that moment, Di Huang and the others were in no better state.

The Zhu Tian trio had been scattered in battle. Along the path to the ancient Hong Huang, the road was paved with blood and bones. In three directions, shocking battles raged: Di Huang was surrounded, fighting three emperors alone; Hong Yan was also encircled, desperately breaking through, with five Heavenly Demon Emperors in hot pursuit; as for the third person, though they possessed the power to slay emperors, their mind was incomplete, greatly reducing their combat strength. They could handle one-on-one fights but were overwhelmed in a group assault.

Boom! Boom! Rumble!

The ancient Hong Huang echoed with thunderous booms, while Zhu Tian was shrouded in blood.

The supreme beings fought desperately, and the Zhu Tian warriors bathed in blood to defend their territory. Every time Hong Huang broke through a star domain, they paid a heavy price in blood. Everyone was using their bones and blood to safeguard Zhu Tian's lands.

"Ling Er, take them and go."

"Sis."

"Go!"

In a certain star domain, a woman's anguished cries rang out, laced with grief.

Looking closely, it was Chu Xuan Er, wielding the Forget-Emotion Immortal Sword, facing nine great Hong Huang quasi-emperors alone. The Supreme Immortal Body lived up to its name; her combat power, though not matching Ye Chen or Ji Ning Shuang, was a genuine emperor-level prowess. From the day she entered the battlefield, she had struck fear into the Hong Huang forces.

But today, the situation was different; the attacking Hong Huang experts were simply too numerous.

Chu Ling, Nan Ming Yu Shu, Liu Ru Yan, and Lin Shi Hua were also there, guarding a star domain, but they struggled against the Hong Huang onslaught. People like Ye Fan, Ye Ling, Yang Lan, and Tang San Shao were all drenched in blood; the "them" Chu Xuan Er referred to were these four.

The new generation was extraordinarily talented, but against the old guard, they were still outmatched.

In the bloody star domain, blood-soaked figures fought fiercely, their capes dyed with Hong Huang blood.

The wives of the Sheng Ti were no less valiant than men.

They formed a striking scene against the stars, though the red was piercingly vivid.

Ugh!

On Chi Yan Feng of Hua Shan, Ye Chen, who was practicing his sword, suddenly stopped, clutching his chest. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, so intense that it made him want to cry.