Chapter 2834: Secret Killings

In the Tianzun Yiji, blood mist billowed.

Looking out, the relic was a scene of carnage, with dead bodies scattered across rivers, wastelands, and mountains. The corpses lay in disarray, their deaths horrifyingly brutal, each one killed in an instant.

The entire world was shrouded in gloom, enveloped by a dark haze that blocked out any starlight from the night sky. It felt more like Jiuyou, a realm of shadows hiding a cold and merciless killer god.

"Who is it? Exactly who?"

On the vast land, Xiao Man Wang and Zifu Xian Ti walked side by side, one on the left and one on the right. As they moved, they scanned their surroundings, encountering countless bodies—all from the Zhutian realms, some familiar and some unknown. They all shared one chilling trait: their eyes bulged wide, as if they had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.

Such devastation was widespread in the relic, with many more victims unaccounted for—countless people had been wiped out.

"Who could it be?"

On a mountain path, Xian Tian Dao Ti spoke with an icy tone. Accompanying him was Jiu You Mo Ti, who was examining two corpses, attempting to find clues from their wounds. So many had been slaughtered, yet they still had no idea who was responsible. The methods were brutally savage.

In theory, these were all people from the Zhutian realms, whose ancestors had once united to fight off the Tianmo invasion, forging life-and-death bonds. There shouldn't have been such deep grudges. Was this level of ruthlessness born from a feud as grave as patricide?

"This is bad!"

Atop a mountain peak, Taiyin and Taiyang gazed up at the vast sky. A mysterious force had now enveloped the entire Tianzun Yiji, completely isolating it from the outside world. Others could enter, but those trapped inside could not escape.

The hidden killer god's intent was clear: to eliminate everyone in the relic in one fell swoop. No one knew just how powerful this entity was.

"What do you think?"

Taiyang Zhiti turned to his companion, Da Di Zhi Zi, who stood nearby with furrowed brows, also staring at the sky. He hadn't expected such a disaster to lurk within the relic.

In response to Taiyang Zhiti's question, Da Di Zhi Zi merely shook his head lightly. He had examined too many bodies, all struck down in a single blow that shattered their yuanshen, leaving no visible wounds.

"No traces left behind, and their combat prowess is unfathomable. Among the new generation, there are few who could do this."

Taiyin Zhiti murmured thoughtfully, his words laden with deeper meaning.

"If you have something to say, speak plainly, Xianzi."

Da Di Zhi Zi withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly.

"Ye Fan."

"Impossible. It's not him."

Da Di Zhi Zi replied indifferently, "I know the kind of person he is. Like father, like son. He would never stoop to such despicable acts. Even in death, he wouldn't tarnish his father's reputation. That's the measure of Ye Fan."

"That makes sense."

Taiyang Zhiti took a deep breath and looked up at the sky once more. "Ye Fan is strong, but he doesn't have the ability to seal off the entire relic. Personally, I'm more inclined to suspect the older generation from Zhutian. Perhaps some old-timer has sneaked in, posing as this killer god to plunder treasures."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Da Di Zhi Zi scanned the surroundings. "If it were just about plundering treasures, why kill so many? And why go to such extremes? With the peak strength of the strongest among us, tracking down the culprit shouldn't be hard. This opponent isn't the type to throw away their reputation for mere valuables. Besides, the fact that they're not destroying the bodies is the biggest clue—it shows they're utterly confident, unafraid of any repercussions."

With that, the three fell silent, their brows furrowing even deeper amid the mounting uncertainty. They couldn't make sense of it. Not just them—even others felt a chill running through their bodies.

It was possible they could be the next to die.

"You bastard, show yourself if you've got the guts!"

Deep in the relic, a furious shout echoed.

It came from Lie Huo Zhan Ti and Zhang Zi Fan, with Lie Huo Zhan Ti doing the yelling. After witnessing so many gruesome deaths along the way, he was seething with rage. This constant sense of vulnerability was infuriating.

Compared to him, Zhang Zi Fan was far more composed. He had visited many places, kneeling by each body to inspect it, hoping to find some hint of the killer's identity or motive. Why did this person harbor such hatred toward Zhutian, slaughtering so many—including heirs from numerous factions?

Unfortunately, he found nothing.

"Ye Fan, will we make it out alive?"

In a forested area, Yang Lan whispered softly.

"As long as I'm here."

Ye Fan smiled and took Yang Lan's hand. He had already activated his divine sense, scanning the heavens and earth as well as the surroundings. The force shrouding the relic was beyond his ability to break, so to escape, he would need to find the culprit or wait for outside help to investigate them one by one.

He remained relatively calm.

In the past, his father's generation had faced even greater perils in this relic, with far more Honghuang emperor-level figures and hundreds of thousands of troops mobilized. Yet, his elders had fought their way out. There was no reason the current group couldn't do the same.

Fortunately, the Tianzun Yiji suppressed cultivations, so anyone entering—whether a Great Saint or a peak expert—would be reduced to the Saint realm. In such equal conditions, as a young emperor, Ye Fan was no pushover.

In fact, he was confident that even if Jian Shen or Sheng Zun arrived, he could take them down. In this era of Zhutian, at the same level and realm, aside from his father, mother, and the Chaos Body, he was invincible.

That was the might of a young emperor.

Ah!

Screams pierced the blood-soaked relic, rising one after another in eerie waves. Each cry signaled another's death. By the time anyone rushed over, the victim was gone, with not a trace of the killer's presence.

As night fell, an atmosphere of terror blanketed the relic.

Those inside instinctively banded together for mutual protection and began searching for Tian Zhen Zhi Ti, the young emperor-level figure. Staying with him offered the greatest safety. The hidden killer was simply too frightening.

"If I had known, I wouldn't have come in."

"Killing so many— what's the grudge?"

"Could it be the Honghuang clan?"

"It's possible."

The younger generation murmured as they moved cautiously, forming a tight circle and scanning their surroundings vigilantly, not daring to let their guard down for a moment. Even a split-second lapse could cost them their lives.

Yet, even so, more were slain.

The secret killings continued relentlessly in the darkness.

"Ye Ling!"

From the eastern part of the relic, calls rang out.

It was Tang San Shao, gripping his wolf-tooth club as he walked and shouted. Since entering the relic, he and Ye Ling had been caught in a chaotic spatial shift and separated, with no sign of her since.

But Ye Ling couldn't hear his cries.

Or rather, the current Ye Ling had become a puppet, controlled by the Zhuxian Jian. Like an evil spirit, she appeared and vanished unpredictably, leaving death in her wake wherever she went. Her laughter was twisted and grotesque, perfectly mirrored on her face, as she savored the thrill of the slaughter and deliberately prolonged the fear for those trapped in the relic.

In Hengyue, at Yu Nu Feng,

Ye Chen was still unconscious, meditating to heal his wounds.

A gentle breeze rustled the old trees, sending leaves fluttering down, some landing on his shoulders.

"Don't slack off. Keep practicing."

"Honestly, I don't like your tone."

"Keep whining, and I'll kick you."

Nearby, the Chaos Great Ding chattered noisily, with Chaos Lei and Chaos Huo joining in. They had fought fiercely during the day, but at night, the three were thick as thieves.

Far from idle talk, they were focused on a serious task: refining a fragment of the Zhuxian Jian.

The Chaos Ding hovered in midair, humming and vibrating, while Chaos Lei and Chaos Huo served as the laborers. Their lightning and flames intertwined, enveloping the small fragment of the Zhuxian Jian.

However, after refining it for most of the night, they made no progress.

"I don't believe it. Keep going!"

The Chaos Ding cursed in frustration, eyeing the treasure it couldn't swallow—or more precisely, digest. As a Chaos Ding, how could it tolerate this? It had devoured all sorts of artifacts before, but nothing as stubbornly resilient as this. With Chaos Huo and Chaos Lei combined, it refused to give up.

"What material is this? How is it so tough?"

The Chaos Ding was furious, and Chaos Huo and Chaos Lei were equally incensed. As the supreme of lightning and the king of fire, their joint efforts were useless against a mere fragment. If word got out, they'd be too embarrassed to show their faces.

They weren't helping the Chaos Ding out of obligation; it was a matter of pride. They were determined not to stop until the fragment was refined.

Perhaps too absorbed in their work, they didn't notice Ye Chen waking up.

Under the old tree, Ye Chen opened his eyes, his gaze flickering—first the Wheel of Reincarnation Eye, then blinking to reveal the Chaos Eye, as if performing some magic trick.

"Chaos Evolution Dao."

Ye Chen murmured softly, his expression oddly curious.

During his meditation and healing, he had stumbled upon a minor fortuitous encounter, awakening a divine ability of the Chaos Eye. It was called Chaos Evolution Dao, a secret technique for evolving Dao principles. It shared similarities with the Wheel of Reincarnation Eye's replication and deduction but was even more profound. Chaos Evolution Dao could steal and learn emperor-level immortal arts—a feat the Six Paths Wheel of Reincarnation Eye couldn't always achieve.

"You sly Chaos Body— no wonder you know so many immortal techniques."

Ye Chen stroked his chin, pondering. The Chaos Body must have awakened Chaos Evolution Dao; otherwise, how could it master so many emperor-level arts? During their battles, it had used all sorts of techniques, including his own Bahuang Zhan and Wan Jian Chao Zong. Over the years, it had clearly stolen plenty.

"Boss, lend us a hand!"

The Chaos Ding called out, thoroughly exasperated.

Ye Chen snapped out of his thoughts and stood up.

He first observed Chaos Lei.

Having emerged from Chaos, he had never closely examined it before. Now, seeing it clearly, it was indeed extraordinary—the essence of Chaos-level lightning, incredibly pure and far superior to Taichu Shen Lei. As the supreme of lightning, akin to the king of fire, it carried an innate aura reminiscent of a Great Emperor in the cultivation world.

"I can talk now."

Chaos Lei chuckled, its electric sparks crackling with joy. It had thought it would take another hundred or eighty years, but happiness had come early.

Ye Chen smiled but said nothing. He still didn't fully understand why Taichu Shen Lei had submitted so suddenly, without any prior signs.

"I'm truly stumped. Can't refine it."

Chaos Huo said dejectedly.

"United, we stand strong."

Ye Chen replied casually before turning to leave. He needed to continue healing; the backlash from his forced breakthrough and the hidden injuries were taking their toll.

But after two steps, he abruptly turned back, reaching out to grab the Zhuxian Jian fragment enveloped by Chaos Lei and Chaos Huo.

"How is this possible?"

His eyes narrowed into slits as he stared intently at the small fragment.

In that instant, he had detected a faint spirit within it—a Zhuxian Jian spirit, though well-concealed. He was certain he wasn't mistaken.

The presence of a spirit in the fragment proved that the Zhuxian Jian was still alive.