Chapter 2699: A Lively Three Realms

Boom! Rumble!

The universe trembled, echoing through the Tianjie, Renjie, and Mingjie, all shrouded in a bloody hue.

In Tianjie, Ye Chen was battling an emperor, dragging his blood-soaked ancient holy body and expending every ounce of his energy in a frenzied fight. Though he was at a disadvantage, he bathed in the emperor's blood and earned a resounding reputation. It wasn't that the holy body was inferior to the supreme one; it was the insurmountable gap of half a realm that held him back.

In Mingjie, the Mingdi was not idle either, having already destroyed the towering demonic pillar and now relentlessly hammering a Tianmo emperor to death. His situation was the opposite of Ye Chen's, driving that emperor from the Tianmo domain into a frenzy. After all, how could an ordinary emperor withstand the assault of a peak great emperor?

In Renjie, the great war between Zhutian and Honghuang raged on with unyielding ferocity, flames of battle spreading across the entire starry sky. Every star domain and every star was filled with combat figures. Countless people charged into the vast expanse, countless others bled out in the void, and the bloody smoke enveloped the once-beautiful mountains and rivers.

Also engaged in battle was the Taigu Honghuang.

The Zhutian's trio had gathered once more, only to face a group assault by no fewer than a dozen Tianmo emperors, including one peak great emperor. In their desperate charge, they were scattered again. The fights among the supremes disrupted the universe, pulling too many into the chaos across all directions.

"Truly lively."

In Tianxu, Tianzhu stood at the peak of the mountain range, his eyes darting around. The commotion from Mingjie was quite significant, and Tianjie's was no small matter either. But the loudest disturbances came from Taigu Honghuang, and right now, in Zhutian's Renjie, smoke and flames of war filled the sky.

"How many years has it been since it was this lively?"

Dimie couldn't help but sigh. All three realms were in conflict, and Taigu Honghuang was no exception. Everything had converged on this single day, with disturbances growing ever greater, shaking the very universe.

As they spoke, many figures returned from outside, descending into Tianxu.

The other four forbidden zones were much the same, as these were the strong ones who had gone out to aid Zhutian and were now returning. It wasn't that they didn't want to help more; they simply couldn't stay away too long, as the forbidden zones had their own duties.

Fortunately, Zhutian had stabilized their position. They might still not overcome Honghuang, but at least they wouldn't be utterly defeated by it. Without the Zhuxian Sword enhancing their power, both sides were evenly matched.

In Tianjie, crowds thronged the area.

The battle at Taishang Tian was brutally bloody.

Below, many had already averted their eyes, unable to bear watching any longer. It seemed that ever since Ye Chen had kicked that certain someone's little brother, he hadn't stood steady once, getting relentlessly hammered by the Chiye Motian emperor.

"I say, old man, at least lend him a di bing!"

Xiuluo Tianzun muttered to himself, his words directed at Daozu Hongjun.

"Heroes think alike."

This remark immediately resonated with everyone. Forcing a ninth-heaven expert to fight a great emperor was one thing, but at least give him a di bing to aid in battle! Tianjie isn't short on di bing—your Zaohua Jade Dish would do nicely. It's a genuine emperor artifact, far superior to Ye Chen's great cauldron.

The eyes of the immortals were filled with hope. With a di bing to bolster him, Ye Chen might not fare so badly.

Under the watchful gaze of all, Daozu stood like a statue, offering no words. Tianjie did have emperor artifacts, but he wouldn't send one to aid Ye Chen.

This was a trial, a life-or-death tribulation, meant to be fought without external help. Only by battling an emperor on his own could it truly be a tempering. The ninth-heaven holy body was still like rusted iron, needing the great emperor as a whetstone to forge it into a peerless divine weapon.

"That guy must have a heart of stone!"

Xiuluo Tianzun clicked his tongue.

"Shh, keep it down. He's still a great emperor, after all."

"Great emperor or not, he should be reasonable. Being so stingy and not lending even a di bing."

"It's a good thing he's an emperor, or I'd curse him out."

A group including Xiuluo Tianzun, various great demons and devils, and a bunch of old rogues huddled together, chattering away endlessly. They had promised to keep it quiet, but everyone could hear them loud and clear.

Taishang Laojun glanced sideways, as did Yuan Shi Tianzun and the others, shooting them looks of disdain. What a bunch of fools—are you trying to provoke the heavens?

Tsk!

The crowd shook their heads dismissively, completely unserious. They were saying it for Daozu to hear. If Ye Chen were killed, they'd be cursing that certain emperor's ancestors for eighteen generations in the dead of night.

To be fair, Daozu lived up to his status as a great emperor—his tolerance was vast. He heard every word clearly but didn't get angry. Go ahead and talk; he still wouldn't give what he wouldn't give, and he wouldn't stoop to your level.

His demeanor made many people sigh deeply, feeling an urge to curse. Or perhaps they already were in their hearts. A peak great emperor standing there straight as a board, watching a Tianmo domain emperor hammer the holy body to pieces—how cold could his heart be?

Pfft!

As the crowd bantered, Ye Chen spat blood again, plummeting from the sky. His holy body had already fallen apart, no longer resembling a human form. How could one word like "miserable" capture it? The holy blood flowing from him was as striking as ever.

Chiye Motian emperor grinned viciously, pressing down with a palm from the heavens.

The killing intent of an emperor was raw and unfiltered. You don't know until you fight, and once you do, it's shocking. This ninth-heaven holy body was more monstrous than he imagined, surviving over a hundred rounds under his assaults. How defying could it get? Ye Chen's talent and comprehension of the Dao made even him feel a hint of dread. If Ye Chen reached his peak, who below the Tian emperor could stand against him?

Ye Chen staggered to his feet, swaying unsteadily, barely able to stand.

His gaze was incredibly dim, sustained only by a single thread of will keeping his holy body from collapsing.

It wasn't that he couldn't defeat a great emperor; it was his cultivation that fell short.

No matter how strong his talent or how many forbidden techniques he bore, he couldn't withstand the crushing weight of a realm's difference. He was defeated, but not by Chiye Motian emperor—by the emperor's level of cultivation.

Boom!

The emperor's palm descended, grinding through the heavens and earth with devastating power.

In that instant, everyone's bodies tensed up, their eyes fixed on Daozu. If you don't act now, the ancient holy body will surely die.

But Daozu remained unmoved, showing no sign of intervening. Not only that, he cast an emperor dao seal, binding everyone present. The message was clear: no one could help. If the holy body dies, it's due to his own inadequacy. If he wants to survive, he must slay the emperor himself.

"Die!"

Chiye Motian emperor's eyes were full of malice, his palm an apocalyptic strike. Once he destroyed that little holy body, he could live on, with a thousand ways to return to Tianmo domain.

"My heart is undying, my spirit unextinguished."

Ye Chen roared to the skies, even as the emperor's seal bore down. His holy body stood tall, like a blood-red monument in the river of time. The holy body was unyielding, and so was he.

Boom!

The emperor's palm imprint fell, from the vast Daoshang Tian all the way to the ground, slamming a massive ten-thousand-zhang handprint into the boundless land. The universe collapsed in an instant.

Looking toward Daoshang Tian, the lightning had faded, the visions buried, and the swirling blood mist churned wildly. That defiant figure was gone, obliterated under the emperor's seal—body destroyed, spirit extinguished.

In that moment, time seemed to freeze, and the world fell silent.

Everyone stared in a daze, mouths agape, fingers trembling slightly. Their pale faces had no color, and their tense bodies went slack one by one.

"Dead? Just like that?"

Niu Mowang opened his mouth, breaking the silence, straining his bull eyes to search for that figure. But even after scanning all of Daoshang Tian, he saw no sign of Ye Chen.

"Extinguished."

Sighs echoed suddenly, with too many shaking their heads in resignation. The emperor's palm was world-ending. Even if Ye Chen was astonishing, he couldn't escape his soul scattering in the void. This life-or-death trial—he hadn't overcome it, hadn't achieved a heavenly rebirth, hadn't slain the great emperor. Instead, he was executed by the emperor.

"This is it? He's dead?"

Xiuluo Tianzun's body shuddered, still unable to believe it. But the reality was cruel.

The Chaos Body's face turned ashen, seeing it most clearly: that ancient holy body had indeed been crushed to dust under the emperor's palm, truly turned to ashes and scattered.

Ah!

Laojun and the others sighed too. The ninth-heaven holy body ultimately couldn't triumph over the emperor.

"Impossible."

The transmigrators of Dachu were the most unsettled, their emotions hard to describe. Even without finding Ye Chen's figure, they firmly believed he wasn't dead. The Dachu emperor hadn't led them back to their homeland yet—how could he die? He was the holy lord of Tianting, the creator of countless myths. He had to still be alive.

"You said your word would hold."

Chiye Motian emperor laughed at Daozu, his expression sinister and terrifying.

"Of course it holds."

Daozu replied indifferently.

"Then we'll meet on the battlefield another year."

Chiye Motian emperor chuckled, stepping down from Daoshang Tian and opening a void passage, instantly stepping into it to flee back to Tianmo domain.

Daozu flicked his sleeve, reaching a hand into the void passage.

In the next instant, Chiye Motian emperor, who had just entered, was dragged back out. A peak great emperor handled another great emperor like grabbing a chick, pulling him out and tossing him back onto Daoshang Tian. The whole motion was seamless, embodying the emperor's dominance.

"You intend to break your word?"

Chiye Motian emperor staggered, steadying himself as his emperor eyes turned blood-red, glaring fiercely at Daozu. This guy had just entered the passage and was yanked right back out.

"The battle isn't over, so how could I break my word?"

Daozu smiled, his words light but echoing boundlessly, shaking the heavens.

"His body and spirit are destroyed. I—"

Chiye Motian emperor roared, but his words cut off abruptly.

He suddenly lowered his gaze, looking down below, where strands of blood mist were rapidly converging. At a visible speed, they formed flesh, reshaped bones, and carved out a human form on Daoshang Tian. Focusing closely, wasn't it Ye Chen?

Yes, it was the holy body Ye Chen, leaving the world staring in stunned disbelief.

"This is impossible."

Chiye Motian emperor gritted his teeth. His earlier palm had been devastating—how could a half-dead little holy body, clearly extinguished, reform his golden body?

"You came to Zhutian and thought you could leave? Did you really think the ancient holy body was just for show?"

Ye Chen stood gracefully, slightly closing his eyes and casually stretching his neck.

Now, he exuded a touch of demonic aura. His once pitch-black hair like a waterfall had turned crimson, and the fresh blood flowing in his body had become inky black. When he opened his eyes, his pupils were gone—just two black voids, like bottomless abysses reflecting mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Around him, surging demonic energy rolled like tidal waves, overshadowing the surrounding universe.