Chapter 2850: My Lord, Wants to See You

The black hole was profoundly deep, ice-cold and desolate.

The black-robed figure was like a ghost, his eyes glowing with an eerie light, visions of destruction evolving within his pupils, carrying supreme demonic power. Being stared at by him felt like being targeted by the Grim Reaper.

"Shishen Chong."

Ye Chen murmured softly, finally recognizing the black-robed figure's true origin. He was not a human cultivator; his essence was that of a Shishen Chong, or perhaps the Shishen Chong itself.

When the black-robed figure had rescued the Zhu Xian Jian earlier, his speed had been blindingly fast, appearing only as a fleeting shadow without leaving any trace of aura or clue, so Ye Chen hadn't sensed him in time.

Seeing him again after ten years, Ye Chen could see clearly that he was undoubtedly a Shishen Chong, and moreover, an emperor—a damaged emperor. As for what exactly was missing, it wasn't yet clear, but Ye Chen knew he was extremely terrifying, at the mid-tier level. If he were a complete emperor, he would be no weaker than the E Mo Great Emperor that Ye Chen had slain in the past.

This black hole was even more frightening than Ye Chen had imagined. No one would suspect that hidden in the darkness was a damaged mid-tier emperor. No one knew from which era he originated, how long he had been hiding, or how many such emperor-level powerhouses might still lurk within the black hole.

"Wu Zhu, Xiang Jian Ni."

The black-robed emperor spoke slowly, his body twisting grotesquely, his true form flickering in and out like a phantom ghost. Though he emitted no imperial aura, he still evoked a sense of oppression.

In that brief statement, Ye Chen's brows furrowed again. The black-robed figure was a mid-tier emperor, so how powerful must his master be? A Tian Di? Or perhaps the legendary Huang Di?

"You Zhu, Shi Shei."

Ye Chen said calmly, his gaze steady and unwavering.

"Bu Ke Shuo."

"Hand over the Zhu Xian Jian, and I'll go with you to meet him."

Ye Chen's words were even, still holding onto the old grudge. He wouldn't let go of his raging fury until the Zhu Xian Jian was completely destroyed. He also knew that the sword was with the black-robed emperor.

"This, I'm afraid I can't do."

"In that case, goodbye."

As Ye Chen spoke, he turned and walked away.

"Wu Zhu, can cure your Dao wounds."

"No time."

"Wu Zhu, can help you achieve great success."

"No time."

"Wu Zhu, can help you attain the Dao."

"Lead the way."

Ye Chen turned back in an instant, his change of heart remarkably swift. However, it wasn't due to the temptation; he simply had to act as if he were tempted. Since the other was playing mind games, Ye Chen would play along. His earlier departure was just to create an opening, and now these temptations served as that step. The black-robed emperor was luring him, and Ye Chen was in turn lulling him into a false sense of security.

It was no joke—having finally found this person, Ye Chen wasn't about to let him go easily. Whether it led to mountains of knives or seas of fire, he would follow the black-robed emperor. Only by entering the tiger's den could he capture the tiger's cub. Without venturing forth and risking himself, how could he uncover the hidden schemes?

As for the master the black-robed emperor mentioned, Ye Chen only believed half of it. Perhaps it was indeed a supreme powerhouse, but certainly not at their peak. If they were in full strength, why send a subordinate to coax him? They could have simply captured him directly. Going to such lengths proved one thing: the other side lacked the power to take him down and was merely trying to lure him in.

"That's more like it!"

The black-robed emperor chuckled darkly, confident that the temptations he offered would stir the heart of any sacred body, including Ye Chen, making them impossible to resist.

Thus, he felt a secret thrill, delighted that his scheme was succeeding and that Ye Chen was stepping into his trap. As long as Ye Chen agreed to go, everything would fall into place.

Unfortunately, the Tenth Emperor of Great Chu was no fool or simpleton.

It was all a game of schemes, and it would come down to who was more skillful.

In the darkness, the two walked side by side.

The black-robed emperor constantly scrutinized Ye Chen. Though damaged, his mid-tier emperor's insight allowed him to see through many secrets clearly. For a few moments, his eyes even narrowed slightly.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, appeared relaxed, casually holding a wine flask while unobtrusively observing the black-robed emperor.

Up close, he could see even more clearly. This emperor was missing his Dao roots and life essence, likely severed by some extraordinary figure. With those losses, his combat power was greatly diminished. Additionally, he was suppressed by the heavens, adding to his woes. Though a mid-tier emperor, he was no different from a beginner-tier one.

Beyond that, Ye Chen detected a strange aura from the black-robed emperor—one he had encountered before: the aura of Taigu Honghuang.

"Did he come from Taigu Honghuang?"

Ye Chen pondered inwardly.

His doubts didn't stop there. The fact that the black-robed emperor had saved the Zhu Xian Jian proved he was an enemy of the heavens. Yet, during all the invasions by the heavenly demons, he never showed himself to help.

After all, in times of crisis for the heavens, an extra mid-tier emperor could have tipped the scales of the war.

But the black-robed emperor never emerged. Was it out of cowardice, or did he have scruples?

The path through the darkness was endlessly long.

"It's him, it's him."

The black-robed emperor's gaze on Ye Chen now carried resentment and ferocity, his killing intent barely contained.

"Stop staring. Even if you do, you can't take me down."

Ye Chen said indifferently, remaining composed.

"You are more extraordinary than I imagined."

The black-robed emperor sneered coldly. He couldn't capture Ye Chen, and Ye Chen couldn't capture him either.

"We must be old acquaintances."

Ye Chen's words held deeper meaning.

That single phrase made the black-robed emperor's mindset tremble slightly.

Indeed, they were old acquaintances.

He didn't recognize Ye Chen, but he recognized Ye Chen's first life—that is, the Di Zun.

That emperor was truly terrifying. In some ancient era, on the road to Taigu Honghuang, dozens of great emperors, plus a Mo Tian Di, had failed to take him down and were instead slain by the Di Zun, who even killed a Tian Di.

Keep in mind, on that road, none of them were suppressed. Yet, with such a lineup, they still couldn't capture a single great emperor.

And he was one of those dozens of great emperors. His current damaged state was all thanks to the Di Zun, and even after ten thousand years, he hadn't fully recovered.

That battle had been so massive that it even cracked the road to Taigu Honghuang. He had been swept away by those cracks and, upon waking, found himself in the heavens. Another who had been swept over was the corpse of a Tian Mo Di, which Ye Chen had destroyed in the black hole back then.

What he couldn't believe was that the Di Zun had established his own reincarnation and had already reached his ninth life.

"During the heavenly demon invasions, why didn't you help?"

Ye Chen asked leisurely.

"Don't want to."

The black-robed emperor snorted coldly, though saying he didn't want to felt insincere. More accurately, he didn't dare.

Knowing too many secrets, he understood the terror of the heavens. The ants themselves weren't frightening, but that empress was. If she were provoked, she could hunt you down no matter where you hid. Better to stay concealed and safe.

He didn't care about the fate of the Tian Mo Di. It wasn't yet time for the final battle. Going out too early would just make him cannon fodder. With great generals guarding the heavens, a small soldier like him was better off staying away. None of them could catch her eye anyway—that would just be asking for trouble.

"Do you regret it?"

Ye Chen suddenly asked as they walked.

His words left the black-robed emperor slightly stunned.

"I've entered this black hole so many times, and you had plenty of chances to kill me, but you never struck. Was it because you found a junior appealing, or because you couldn't bring yourself to?"

Ye Chen smiled at the black-robed emperor.

The black-robed emperor's eyes flashed with cold light. Damn it, if I had spotted you earlier, would you still be alive now? The black hole is so vast; who knows where you were.

Because of the black-robed emperor's silence, the rest of the journey passed without words.

However, the path wasn't entirely peaceful. The black-robed emperor was constantly scheming how to deal with Ye Chen.

Ye Chen, though appearing calm and carefree on the surface, was pondering how to kill the black-robed emperor and destroy that damned Zhu Xian Jian once and for all.

Yet, both held back, mutually wary and without absolute certainty, so neither dared to act rashly; they only remained on guard against each other.

From behind, their figures still made for an interesting sight: one a half-step to great success, the other a damaged great emperor. Though enemies, they walked together, occasionally chatting amicably, and might even stop for a drink if the mood struck.

It wasn't clear when, but eventually, the two came to a stop.

Looking ahead, not far away floated a massive altar, so large it shocked even Ye Chen. In the shadows, imperial Dao array flags were arranged, concealing all traces and clues. Even standing there, no aura could be detected.

"Such a huge altar, and yet the emperors of past eras never noticed it?"

Ye Chen furrowed his brow slightly, his thoughts racing. There were only two possibilities: either the black hole was too vast and they hadn't found it, or the altar existed in an era when there were no emperors in the heavens. Perhaps it was built after the Di Zun left, which would mean the black-robed emperor's origins needed further scrutiny.

Putting those thoughts aside, Ye Chen approached, stopping only a hundred zhang from the altar. He stood with his hands behind his back, scanning it up and down. It was an altar, but in reality, it was inscribed with a formation array of an incredibly high level, far beyond his expectations. It was covered in dense imperial Dao patterns, with destructive forces wandering through it, ancient and mysterious. The four copper pillars standing on it were no smaller than those in the Lingxiao Hall.

"Enter the array, and I will take you to see my master."

The black-robed emperor said flatly, without a hint of jest, as if it were true. Ye Chen almost believed it, but in terms of acting, you were far from it.

Even so, Ye Chen stepped onto the altar one step at a time.

As before, without entering the tiger's den, how could he capture the tiger's cub? The altar was domineering, and the formation on it was equally so. It was indeed a teleportation array, though the destination was unknown for now.

As he stepped onto it, the black-robed emperor's eyes behind him slowly ignited with a sharp glint.

On the altar, Ye Chen stopped just short of the array, his eyes darting left and right as he surveyed his surroundings.

"What's wrong, afraid?"

Seeing Ye Chen hesitate, the black-robed emperor sneered.

"Honestly, your provocation is quite clumsy."

Ye Chen said, then stepped directly into the array.

"Activate the array."

In that same instant, the black-robed emperor formed a seal with one hand.

Buzz!

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, the imperial Dao array activated, spinning rapidly with spatial forces surging and even temporal forces inscribed within.

But the array's revival wasn't for teleportation—it was for sealing and destruction. Rune chains emerged, binding Ye Chen's limbs, origin, Dao roots, and primordial spirit, immobilizing him completely. These rune chains also had a devouring power, greedily sucking away his vital energy like a whale swallowing the sea.

"So, you plan to sacrifice me to the array?"

Ye Chen glanced around and then smiled at the black-robed emperor. This wasn't about teleporting him at all; it was about offering him as a sacrifice to revive the teleportation array. The one truly using this array was the black-robed emperor.

With such awareness, that's good.

The black-robed emperor grinned maliciously, his blurred features shifting between clear and chaotic, revealing his pale, ghostly teeth that glowed eerily, his face like that of a malevolent spirit.

Buzz!

From within him, the Zhu Xian Jian flew out, hovering at his side and buzzing furiously, as if in anger or ecstasy. Already damaged, the sword's body was full of notches. If it were a person, its expression would be even more ferocious than the black-robed emperor's.

"Before I die, could you tell me where this array leads?"

"Taigu Honghuang."