Chapter 2748

"Why did it stop?"

The crowd strained their necks to see. The Naihe Bridge tested will and obsession. With Ye Chen's cultivation and combat power, he should have been able to ignore it. After all, he was a peerless, ruthless figure who could slay emperors – why would he fear the pressure on the bridge?

"Clearly, the Naihe Bridge is no simple matter."

The elders stopped their idle chatter. Even the Sheng Ti felt immense pressure, indicating how terrifying the restrictions were.

"Hope he doesn't fail here."

Worries were still voiced. The heavens had finally produced a half-step Dacheng figure who would one day become a supreme being. If he fell on the Naihe Bridge, the ancestors of the Sheng Ti lineage would be turning in their graves.

Some watched Ye Chen, while others watched the Zhuque Nuwang.

She was still on the Naihe Bridge, standing in her original spot in the state of Yuan Shen. The powerful pressure left her unable to lift her foot. She refused to turn back, frozen in place and unable to move.

Bang!

Behind her, Ye Chen lifted his foot again, taking a heavy step. He could stomp a Zhun Di to death with one foot, but he couldn't shatter the Naihe Bridge. As before, the bridge itself wasn't frightening; the restrictions on it were.

Ye Chen's expression was indifferent. He no longer used his Sheng Ti to resist directly, but instead used his will to counter the invisible pressure.

Everyone has obsessions – Zhuque Nuwang had hers, and so did he. Obsession and will were the key factors in crossing the Naihe Bridge. Without understanding this, even the strongest cultivation would be futile once on the bridge.

Crack! Crack!

At some unknown moment, the sound of bones shattering echoed from Ye Chen's Sheng Ti. Sections of his sacred bones fractured inch by inch, and his body was covered in cracks, with golden blood flowing from each one. He had become a blood-soaked figure.

That sight made the onlookers' hearts tremble. A half-step Dacheng Sheng Ti had actually been broken.

Ye Chen's expression remained indifferent, his eyes as calm as ancient wells.

His steps did not pause; each one was heavier than the last. His Sheng Ti continued to crack, but he paid it no mind, relying solely on his will and obsession to resist, as if enduring a heavenly tribulation or divine punishment. As long as his heart did not die, his spirit would not be destroyed.

The Tenth Emperor of Da Chu was resilient. He had broken through the six paths of reincarnation, crossed the Chaos Sea, and been struck by lightning the entire way. Even sixty-four emperor-level Dharma bodies couldn't erase him. His will was already indestructible. Destroying his Sheng Ti was one thing, but shattering his will was another – supreme pressure couldn't do it.

Bang!

On the fifty-fourth step, Ye Chen caught up to the Zhuque Nuwang. Reaching this point showed how firm her resolve was, but her foundation and cultivation were still lacking compared to his, and her will was no match for Ye Chen's.

"Senior, you should go back."

Ye Chen said.

"When you went to receive Chu Xuan back then, did you show any hesitation? Did you ever think of turning back?" Zhuque Nuwang smiled faintly, her smile weary.

Ye Chen fell silent and said no more.

In the past, no one could persuade him to turn back.

Today, he couldn't persuade the Zhuque Nuwang either.

They were ultimately the same kind of people, both driven by love and bound by obsession. Those who set foot on the Naihe Bridge all had their obsessions and refused to turn back. They came with a resolve to die – if not successful, they would simply vanish into ashes.

Ye Chen glanced back, looking toward the head of the Naihe Bridge at the Zhuque Gongzhu, his eyes full of regret.

"Forget it."

The Zhuque clan experts waved their hands lightly, and the Zhuque Gongzhu lowered her eyes. There was no pulling her back now.

"Senior, take care."

Ye Chen bowed in respect, honoring her as a senior and her emotions. Those with true feelings were worthy of respect.

After the bow, he continued his journey, step by step, toward the other end of the bridge. Before leaving, he advised the Zhuque Nuwang that to reach the bridge's head, she needed an undying obsession and belief – that was the key to survival.

Zhuque Nuwang smiled as she watched him go, her gaze lingering on Ye Chen's back, making her mind blur for a moment. Looking at the emperor of Da Chu was like seeing her own lover – such a similar back, with the same unyielding obsession.

A gentle breeze blew, stirring her ethereal hair, making her figure appear even more sorrowful and beautiful.

The crowd sighed, feeling a pang of heartache. They hoped the one she loved could show some sign, just a glance at this devoted woman. For the sake of continuing his unfinished wish, she refused to let go even in death, sustained by that love, determined to hold on until the end of time.

Boom! Bang!

Ahead, Ye Chen did not look back, his domineering body covered in wounds, pressed into an unrecognizable form.

Yet, his steps did not stop.

His indestructible will provided endless power. Even without the bloodline limit or immortality, he made the Naihe Bridge tremble and roar.

The Wulei Chengzhu's indifferent expression showed a hint of surprise for the first time. Without activating the bloodline limit, to reach so close to the bridge's end – Ye Chen was absolutely the first. His will must be extraordinarily strong.

Ye Chen paused again; half of his Sheng Ti had already collapsed.

He was only three steps from the end of the Naihe Bridge. The pressure from the void was unimaginably intense, even stronger than the last time he came.

"Back then, I crossed it, and today I can do the same."

Ye Chen said calmly. With one step, his physical body exploded on the spot, turning into a mist of golden blood, leaving only his ethereal Yuan Shen. The sight made the onlookers' faces turn pale.

"My heart does not die, my spirit does not perish."

Ye Chen spoke, taking the second step with a bang, like a funeral bell from hell, shaking the souls of all immortals present. The fierce and ancient Sheng Ti had his Yuan Shen destroyed on the spot, truly scattering into nothingness.

"This..."

The cultivators of the heavens gaped. Was this it? Had a half-step Dacheng figure really fallen on the Naihe Bridge? The creator of countless myths – had he just died like this?

"Seriously?"

The Little Yuan Huang shouted.

At that moment, this monkey was completely sober, cursing loudly, even louder than his previous howls.

"Seriously?"

Not just him – the entire crowd echoed the sentiment.

"No tears without emotion, but humans have emotion."

Suddenly, an ethereal voice echoed across the four seas and eight wastelands. At the empty head of the Naihe Bridge, though no figure was seen, a thunderous boom resounded, louder and more resonant than any before, making the bridge shake.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, at the end of the Naihe Bridge, chaotic golden light flashed, and chaotic Dao principles intertwined, rapidly forming a human shape. It was hazy and indistinct, with blinding golden light, but it was undoubtedly there.

It was the Tenth Emperor of Da Chu. His soul had scattered, but his will remained undying. With divine thought forming resolve and resolve forming the Dao, he crossed that final step and conquered the Naihe Bridge.

He had created another myth, blazing a new trail. He was the first to make Wulei Cheng suffer a setback and the first to cross the Naihe Bridge without activating the bloodline limit – more domineering than his previous attempt.

"I knew he wouldn't die that easily."

The Kui Niu wiped his hands, tears he had prepared now held back. Damn, it was always this thrilling, every single time.

"This old man calculates that this act is quite impressive."

"'No tears'' two first times were both given to Ye Chen – satisfying."

"Finish your sentence: it's Wulei Cheng, don't make it sound so vulgar."

"That Wulei woman is very vengeful."

The old folks were up to their nonsense again, always needing to chat during these moments and tease Wulei a bit. On the same person, she had suffered twice, two records broken. Your Naihe Bridge doesn't seem to work well against the emperor of Da Chu!

Buzz!

Wulei Cheng trembled again, with brilliant light bursting forth.

Then, the crowded scene swayed one after another.

This time, many were specially targeted.

For example, the old man who mentioned "first times."

For example, the little worm who called her a woman.

For example, the honest old cow who said something vulgar.

"It wasn't me!"

Ye Chen clutched his forehead, also swaying. He had been hit twice, specially targeted both times, and this one shook him even harder, making blood flow from his seven orifices.