Chapter 2833: Stop

Bang!

Under the collective gaze of the masses, Ye Chen took a single step, causing the void to collapse beneath him. His resilient form stood as the world's most radiant pearl, outshining the sun.

Roar!

In an instant, he transformed into a Dao Long, soaring through the nine heavens. The entire world plunged into darkness, stars vanishing, with only that golden divine dragon remaining. Every scale on its body pulsed with golden light, its majestic roar echoing in every direction, exuding unparalleled dominance, like the heavenly symphony of the emperor's path.

People looked up in awe, holding their breath. That ethereal gate in the void was visible only to Ye Chen, and only he knew if he could pass through.

Roar!

With another dragon roar, Ye Chen spiraled upwards, his dragon eyes filled with an unwavering resolve, forged into an unbreakable belief. He charged directly towards the towering gate; crossing it meant achieving Da Cheng and becoming the supreme being.

Alas, an invisible barrier in the void blocked his path. Before he could even approach the gate, he was forcefully repelled, his agile dragon form nearly shattering upon impact.

“Again.”

Ren Wang’s eyes were bloodshot as he cheered for Ye Chen, his restless hand gripping Di Lao's so tightly that it crushed Di Lao's hand bones.

Di Lao felt no pain, his entire focus fixated on Ye Chen. Ye Chen was only half a step away from reaching Sheng Ti Da Cheng; crossing that threshold would fulfill his destiny.

“Again.”

The eyes of the peak experts also shone with divine light.

“Break for me.”

Ye Chen roared from the depths of his soul, reshaping his dragon form and infusing it with his origin and Dao principles. He charged once more, determined to forcefully shatter the invisible barrier. Without breaking it, he could not enter the gate of Da Cheng, rendering all efforts futile.

Boom!

The sound was deep and muffled.

Though the void appeared empty, Ye Chen collided with it, sending blood and bone fragments flying everywhere. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spines. Even a Sheng Ti as strong as his was battered so severely, highlighting just how unyielding that barrier was—so much so that it surpassed the toughness of his sacred body.

“Break for me.”

Ye Chen shouted hoarsely, launching his third assault.

Boom!

The sound was even more intense than before.

Puff!

The golden dragon that Ye Chen had transformed into exploded instantly, suffering a terrifying backlash from the forced breakthrough. His dragon form disintegrated inch by inch, falling from the ethereal void. As he plummeted, he reverted to human form, but his body was unrecognizable, with Sheng Ti blood staining the sacred bones scattered across the universe.

“Did he fail?”

Xie Yun opened his mouth, his heart pounding wildly.

“He failed.”

Long Ye sighed. Seeing the gate of Da Cheng and actually crossing it were two different things. Ye Chen's attempt to advance to Da Cheng clearly lacked the necessary refinement.

Ah!

The peak experts also sighed. It wasn't that Ye Chen wasn't astonishing enough; it was just that the barrier was too difficult to break, and their expectations for him were too high. After all, this young Sheng Ti was only a thousand years old.

Boom! Rumble!

The void buzzed and trembled, unable to withstand Ye Chen’s pressure. As he fell, he collapsed one expanse of space after another, toppling mountain after mountain.

It was utterly devastating.

Everyone's hearts trembled at the sight. Even the invincible Sheng Ti was nearly destroyed, and without any epic battle. It was the first time they had seen Da Chu’s tenth emperor wounded so gravely. He should have been radiating golden light, but instead, his divine glory was extinguished along the way.

Puff!

Ye Chen vomited blood, his falling form unstoppable. The backlash from the void continued to ravage him, threatening to consume him entirely. He had never experienced it before and hadn't realized how rigid that barrier was. Now he truly understood—it was so formidable that even he felt a sense of powerlessness. After three consecutive collisions, he had nearly destroyed his body and buried his spirit, yet he hadn't shaken it in the slightest.

He had underestimated the difficulty of achieving Sheng Ti Da Cheng; it was no different from becoming an emperor. He was still far from ready. To break that barrier and cross that gate, he would need much more time to accumulate and settle his foundations before he could defy the heavens and achieve rebirth.

“Ye Chen.”

Nanming Yushu and the others rushed into the sky together.

“Step back.”

Sheng Zun manifested and waved his hand to push Nanming Yushu away. Di Ji followed suit, flicking her sleeve to send Bei Sheng and the others to safety. Also appearing were Zaohua Shenwang, the four peak-level sword cultivators, Yu Hua Shenwang, Hao Mie Shenwang, and Tun Tian Mo Zun. In short, nearly all the peak experts in Da Chu had arrived, and many of them carried Di Bing.

The falling荒古 Sheng Ti was not something just anyone could catch. What they were intercepting wasn't just Ye Chen, but also the backlash force he carried. That power was mysterious and terrifying, capable of destroying heaven and earth.

If they tried to catch him directly, with Nanming Yushu and the others' strength and cultivation, they would be instantly crushed to ashes, their bodies and souls obliterated in a single moment. Ye Chen alone could smash Heng Yue into dust upon impact.

“Stop.”

The four sword cultivators snorted coldly, each raising their hands to the sky. Their bodies resonated with Di Qi, conjuring a soft sea of clouds that looked like fluffy, white cotton.

Puff!

The falling Ye Chen smashed straight through the sea of clouds.

“Stop.”

Di Ji, Sheng Zun, Sheng Huang, and Tun Tian Mo Zun shouted in unison, also using their Di Bing to form another sea of clouds, infused with emperor path principles.

Puff!

Ye Chen crashed through it as well.

Gulp!

Onlookers swallowed hard, wondering if it was Ye Chen's strength or the backlash that was too overwhelming. So many peak experts had summoned seas of clouds with ultimate Di Bing, yet they were as fragile as paper. If he hit the ground, the entire Heng Yue would likely be leveled, and most people on this land would be obliterated.

“Stop.”

Zaohua Shenwang, Yu Hua Shenwang, Weimian Zhizi, Hao Mie Shenwang, and many other Zhun Di joined forces, activating their Ji Dao Di Bing to create a third layer of clouds.

Puff!

It shattered just like the previous ones.

“Awkward.”

The Zhun Di all grunted uncomfortably, though their eyes showed shock. It was just too powerful.

Bang!

A figure descended from the void, causing the sky to rumble. It was the Hun Dun Ti, who had raised his hands to catch Ye Chen directly. If this continued, the consequences would be severe.

Puff!

Blood splattered as Hun Dun Ti’s arms exploded, but he managed to block Ye Chen. However, he fell with him. Without the three layers of clouds to dissipate most of the force, he wouldn't have been able to hold on.

Buzz!

A fourth layer of clouds had already formed, blanketing the starry sky and catching both Ye Chen and Hun Dun Ti.

Hun Dun Ti was relatively fine, but Ye Chen's shattered Sheng Ti continued to break apart; the backlash was too strong.

The Zhun Di rushed forward, channeling the power of the ultimate Dao to envelop Ye Chen and help erase the backlash. Having failed to break the barrier, his injuries were catastrophic, but surviving was already a miracle, thanks to his deep foundations.

“Next time, do it in the starry sky.”

Zaohua Shenwang said gravely, mobilizing his creation power to dispel the backlash. They should have chosen an uninhabited place if they knew it would be this intense. Today, all the peak experts were in Da Chu; imagine how many people could be affected by the aftershocks if they had all gone elsewhere.

The stronger the person, the more solid the barrier and the more fearsome the backlash—this was a principle everyone understood. Clearly, Ye Chen's power was defying the heavens.

“If you achieve Da Cheng, you'd surpass Di Huang.”

Yan Luo's words came with a mix of admiration and tsking.

Ye Chen had no time to respond; he was channeling his Sheng Ti origin to counterattack, aided by the Zhun Di, finally suppressing the backlash.

With the backlash force eliminated, the rest was minor. In less than half an hour, Ye Chen had reshaped his Sheng Ti. He said nothing, only gazing into the distant void, where he could still see that gate, though unbreakable.

“The dawn has broken. Is there food?”

Ren Wang was the first to withdraw, glancing at the sky.

This night had been far from peaceful: first the Hun Dun thunder tribulation, then Ye Chen's assault on Da Cheng. The former was a joyous event, but the latter was hard to describe.

Ye Chen didn’t answer; he descended from the void. Before leaving, he left behind basket after basket of specialties, as if to say, eat your fill before you go—we have more if needed.

“Old Xuan Tou, your son-in-law isn’t up to snuff!”

Chu Jiang Wang patted Xuan Huang on the shoulder.

This remark resonated with many. It was one thing to offer specialties, but using Da Chu's local products to treat your father-in-law? That was excessive. If it were me, I'd storm his house, curse him out, and take my daughter back.

Xuan Huang glanced around and turned to leave. Truth be told, he was a bit annoyed, but having an outstanding son-in-law made him genuinely proud.

The Zhun Di who hadn't left also dispersed one by one. Some of the old folks even took a few baskets of specialties with them—freebies, after all, why not?

The more serious Zhun Di lingered in sighs. Ye Chen had created so many legends and myths along his path, so why did he falter at the critical moment? What a pity it would have been if he had achieved Da Cheng today.

Alas, he had failed miserably.

As the Zhun Di departed, the people from all directions sighed and left as well, feeling both unsatisfied and regretful. With the advancement failed, who knew when the next attempt would be.

“I think we should go offer some consolation.”

The people of Heng Yue gathered in groups of three or five and headed up to Yu Nu Peak. It wasn't just talk—they were there to console him, and afterward, they flew out in droves.

“Haste makes waste.”

Nanming Yushu and the others looked at him with tender eyes.

Ye Chen smiled warmly. He had been too impatient, overestimating his own strength and underestimating the chasm of Da Cheng. It was a harsh wake-up call.

Under the old tree, he sat cross-legged once more.

The backlash was gone, but hidden injuries remained. Advancing successfully would be a heavenly fortune; failing brought corresponding heavenly tribulation.

He had lost today, but in the years to come, his next challenge would be even tougher. As one who bore heavenly retribution, the heavens held a grudge, making the difficulty greater.

Yet, the harder it was, the more excited he became. Failing this time didn't mean defeat next time. The unyielding Sheng Ti lineage had never surrendered or admitted defeat. If his foundations weren't solid enough, he would continue to accumulate over endless years until the day he broke through.

“I like that one.”

“The loli type is my favorite.”

“I prefer the cold and aloof ones.”

On the other side, Hun Dun Ding, Hun Dun Huo, and Hun Dun Lei were huddled together, chatting away. They didn't dare disturb their master but had set their sights on Nanming Yushu and the others.

Hun Dun Lei, now able to speak, chattered nonstop, as if pouring out all the words he'd held back.

Mid-conversation, the three vanished.

Soon, rumbling sounds came from another area. They had agreed to chat somewhere else, but one disagreement led to a fight. Hun Dun Ding and Hun Dun Huo, the two old veterans, ganged up on Hun Dun Lei for a beating, determined to teach the new kid the rules—they were the bosses.

Passersby wore expressions of sheer delight.

Ye Chen's Hun Dun Ding, Hun Dun Huo, and Hun Dun Lei were all treasures, each inheriting their master's temperament. Their way of speaking and acting was just like Ye Chen's.

With these three little treasures around, things were bound to stay lively.