Chapter 2893: Reforging the Dacheng Gate

"The emperor is dead?"

The nine E Mo Da Di and two Tian Mo Da Di had all been utterly destroyed, body and soul. Every E Mo and every Tian Mo wore expressions of utter disbelief.

Those were supreme beings! Eleven Da Di had fallen, dragged into mutual destruction by the ants of the various heavens. Even on the Tai Gu Road, such losses had never been so devastating.

The cultivators of the various heavens wept tears of sorrow.

The Da Di were gone, but at what a terrible cost? So many peak powerhouses had fought to the death, so many sons of Da Di had perished in battle, and countless veteran quasi-emperors had been buried.

Kill!

The Tian Mo and E Mo howled in frenzy. Eleven Da Di had died in battle, but they had not been defeated. Nine towering Mo Zhu still stood, and more emperors would descend. They only needed to hold out until the Da Di arrived, and then the various heavens would be finished.

Fight!

The various heavens were also driven mad, fighting desperately to the end.

Their forebears had shattered themselves for a glimmer of hope, and now that hope depended on them to carry on. The enemy had the Tian Mo Zhu, but the various heavens had those undergoing Di Jie. Dong Shen Yao Chi was breaking through to the emperor realm, and Sheng Ti Ye Chen was battling a Da Di to the death.

Whether she achieved Dao and became emperor, or he reached Da Cheng with his Sheng Ti, either would turn the tide for all living beings.

In this war, the outcome was still uncertain.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The battle was bloody and brutal, lives as worthless as grass.

Both sides had become lunatics.

It was clear that the various heavens were now at a disadvantage.

Though the eleven Da Di were dead, the various heavens' strongest forces had been nearly wiped out. In terms of numbers, the Tian Mo and E Mo armies still overwhelmingly crushed the human realm.

"Kill, kill for me."

Accompanied by the Tian Mo's howls, the walls of Nan Chu collapsed with a boom. Countless Tian Mo and E Mo formed a black ocean, surging from Bei Chu into Nan Chu.

Boom!

Amid the roaring, the last wall of You Ming also crumbled under the iron hooves of the Tian Mo and E Mo armies. The cultivators of You Ming struggled to resist, and every step the Tian Mo and E Mo advanced came at a bloody price.

Bang!

Xuan Huang had fallen. The entire Xuan Huang Star Sea, which had guarded the Xuan Huang Continent for endless ages, was now completely obliterated. More Tian Mo and E Mo poured in from all directions of the starry sky, invading Xuan Huang.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

In Tai Shang Tian, Ye Chen was still battling a supreme being.

"How is this possible?"

The E Mo Da Di gritted his teeth, his face twisted in ferocity. From the moment he sensed the eleven Da Di's annihilation, he could not believe that the various heavens, without a single supreme being, had destroyed eleven emperors.

And the Sheng Ti opposite him—why was he so strong? As a Da Di himself, not only could he not defeat Ye Chen, but he was repeatedly wounded, his emperor body blasted apart time and again.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Ye Chen burned his origin, attacking fiercely with all his might.

His eyes were filled with tears. Though he did not look, he knew that one vibrant life after another was falling in pools of blood—kings, divine generals, Yan Luo, the four peak sword cultivators, Sheng Zun, Di Ji... so many, too many.

The eyes of the Tian Ming two emperors were already bloodshot, fixed on the edge of the universe.

The nine towering Mo Zhu hummed and rumbled, with endless Tian Mo pouring out, rushing to various parts of the starry sky for wanton slaughter. At any moment, any one of the Tian Mo Zhu could see a Tian Mo emperor emerge—perhaps at the initial stage, perhaps at the peak.

Yet, she showed no sign of becoming emperor.

And he showed no sign of the Da Cheng gate.

Thud!

As the two emperors watched, the tenth E Mo emperor spat blood again, reduced to his primordial spirit. It was the umpteenth time Ye Chen had shattered his emperor body, scattering blood and bones across Tai Shang Tian.

Ah!

The tenth E Mo emperor howled, fleeing into the sky and using his primordial spirit to forcibly rebuild his emperor body.

Ye Chen pursued, swinging his sword to strike.

Kill!

In the Tian Huang starry sky, the Tian Mo and E Mo continued their assault, their expressions savage and terrifying, like swarms of evil ghosts. The black tide surged like monstrous waves.

"Scum, a bunch of scum."

The Hun Luan Shen Ding rumbled, its massive form like a mountain, guarding that stretch of the universe. Any Tian Mo or E Mo that charged in was crushed into blood mist, their souls scattered.

"Scum, a bunch of scum."

Hun Luan Huo and Hun Luan Lei were there too, cursing loudly. They had been left by Ye Chen to aid Ye Fan in battle. One transformed into a sea of thunder, the other into a sea of fire, blocking the left and right approaches to Tian Huang, resisting the Tian Mo and E Mo.

As for Ye Fan, he was in a pitiful state, no longer resembling a human form. Gripping his emperor sword, he dragged his broken body, slaying Tian Mo and E Mo until mountains of corpses piled up.

In the Di Jie, Ji Ningshuang was in even worse shape.

Every bolt of emperor Dao thunder carried destructive power, blasting her immortal body apart repeatedly and severely wounding her primordial spirit. She teetered on the edge of annihilation, sustained only by an unyielding obsession.

"Die!"

The Tian Mo and E Mo howled, once again overwhelming Ye Fan.

Roar!

In that instant, a mighty dragon's roar echoed. At Ye Fan's side, a figure of golden light appeared—it was Ye Chen, who had carved a Fei Lei Shen's reincarnation mark on Ye Fan before fighting the emperor.

Fortunately, he had made it in time.

Roar!

The eight heavenly dragons rampaged, scattering countless Tian Mo.

"Ten thousand swords as one."

Ye Chen shouted resoundingly, pointing his sword at the enemy. Billions of immortal swords rang out, obeying his command. Wherever they passed, nothing could stand, felling Tian Mo and E Mo in droves, extinguishing their primordial spirits.

In that moment, the assault halted.

The Tian Mo and E Mo on the opposite side retreated en masse. The Sheng Ti had returned, but the E Mo emperor was nowhere to be seen—clearly destroyed. This half-step Da Cheng minor Sheng Ti had slain a supreme being. Moreover, the emperor Dao killing intent on him was terrifying. He had slaughtered emperors, more than one, and the emperor Dao killing intent on him even surpassed that of Di Huang on the Tai Gu Road. It was precisely that killing intent, that murderous aura, that intimidated millions of Tian Mo and E Mo, none daring to cross the line. With him blocking the way, no one but a Da Di could advance.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Ye Chen said nothing, standing with his blood-drenched sword. Vast essence from his Sheng Ti surged forth, pouring into Ye Fan's body to heal his child.

In truth, blood was constantly flowing from his own mouth.

That day, he had already slain four emperors in succession. The Da Di were dead, but he had suffered grievous wounds, his body covered in bloody gashes. Each one was laced with a dark glow—the killing intent of the emperor Dao, eroding his essence and damaging his Dao roots, trying to drag him into the gates of hell.

Ye Fan staggered, barely able to stand.

His injuries were even worse than Ye Chen's.

After all, he was only a minor Da Sheng.

Fortunately, they had held the line.

Ye Chen ignored the Tian Mo and E Mo, gazing into the distance. It was as if he could pierce through the endless haze and blood mist, seeing straight to the edge of the universe.

The nine Mo Zhu were more piercing than anything in the world, with Tian Mo soldiers and generals pouring out ceaselessly. At any moment, an emperor-level Tian Mo could descend upon the various heavens.

He slowly closed his eyes, restoring his strength to the utmost, reshaping his Sheng Ti, and straining his vision to penetrate the heavens, seeking that Da Cheng gate.

He needed Da Cheng, needed that dominating power.

This time, he saw it.

Perhaps because he had slain so many emperors, the merciless heavens had granted him a special reward, allowing the shattered Da Cheng gate to reappear in the world.

However, his Da Cheng gate was illusory, shrouded in mist, faintly visible. Though he could see it, the distance felt more remote than a dream.

In an instant, he burned his Dao Jing.

The Da Cheng gate solidified a fraction.

In an instant, he offered his emperor Dao essence as a blood sacrifice.

The Da Cheng gate solidified another fraction.

In an instant, he sacrificed five thousand years of his lifespan.

The Da Cheng gate solidified yet again.

His hair, like a waterfall, turned completely white.

But even now, that gate remained ethereal.

"Old boss, we're here."

Suddenly, a warm call like a spring breeze came from the Zhu Tian Gate of Da Chu, spoken in unison by ten people—his ten Dao Shen of Ye Chen.

Including Ye Xing Chen, each Dao Shen had once been severed by his own hand, one after another, totaling ten cuts, granting them their freedom.

"Old boss, we're here."

The ten Dao Shen roared, rushing into the Tian Mo and E Mo armies at the same moment, self-detonating into dazzling blood flowers in that dark ocean, taking countless Tian Mo with them in death.

From each blood flower, a wisp of golden light shot skyward, streaking through the bloody heavens, piercing the bloody smoke of war, and heading straight for Tian Huang.

It was their essence, the Sheng Ti essence of Ye Chen.

After a thousand years, it was returning to its origin.

From the moment they gained freedom, they had a certain resolve. Cause and effect follow cycles; they all originated from Ye Chen, so they must return to the root. They should thank their original self for granting them life and an extraordinary existence.

Now, the time has come. Their original self needed their aid in battle, and at this moment, they were fully prepared to shatter themselves.

"Xing Chen."

"Father."

"Grandfather."

Watching the ten golden lights, Xing Yue Sheng Nu wept, as did the wives, sons, and granddaughters of the nine Dao Shen. The Dao Shen had their resolve, and so did they.

"Hold Da Chu."

From beyond the heavens, words seemed to echo back—the final entrustment of the ten Dao Shen. This was their original self's homeland, and theirs as well.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The nine essences merged into Ye Chen's body simultaneously.

Ugh!

Ye Chen grunted in pain, his heart tearing apart. He could see fragmented visions—the lives of the Dao Shen, filled with tears, laughter, emotions, and sorrows.

Now, all were sacrificed to him.

Buzz!

The Da Cheng gate solidified once more.

Yet, it was still not enough.

"Old boss, we're here too."

Hun Luan Huo flew over, along with Hun Luan Lei. It burned with flames, it tore with thunder; one offered its flames, the other its thunder; one refined the source of Hun Luan Huo, the other the source of Hun Luan Lei. Without delay, they fused into Ye Chen's body.

Ugh!

Ye Chen grunted again, the pain just as intense.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

The Hun Luan Shen Ding hummed, as if weeping, as if bidding farewell to Hun Luan Huo and Hun Luan Lei. They bickered endlessly every day, but they were like brothers.

Buzz!

The Da Cheng gate finally solidified completely.

However, the mist shrouding the Da Cheng gate had not dissipated—it remained ethereal and dreamlike.

Break for me!

Ye Chen roared, a bellow from his soul.

Thud!

The sound of vomiting blood was weak and pale.

He had failed, failed miserably. It was not that he was not strong enough; his Da Cheng gate was too strange. The mist veiling the Da Cheng gate was like an insurmountable chasm, a vast gulf. Without dispersing the mist, he could not cross into Da Cheng.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Nine thunderous booms suddenly resounded.

They came from the nine towering Mo Zhu. From each, a majestic figure emerged, all with blood-red hair billowing and carrying the power to destroy heavens and earth. Their feet stamped down, shaking the entire universe.

They were all emperors.

They were all peak emperors.

"Nine... peak emperors."

The words of the Tian Ming two emperors stuck in their throats. The cultivators of the various heavens, still fighting, saw the light of hope in their eyes gradually extinguish with the demonic aura of those nine emperors. Many weapons slipped unnoticed from their hands. Nine peak Da Di meant the various heavens had no chance of turning the tide.

"The emperors have come, the emperors have come."

Compared to the various heavens, the Tian Mo and E Mo were ecstatic. Nine peak Da Di—what a formidable lineup. Even if the various heavens produced an emperor, they could not stop nine supreme beings.

"All beings are mere ants."

The nine Mo Di laughed eerily, gazing across the endless starry sky at Tian Huang, at that Di Jie. Their emperor eyes were profound, brimming with destruction.

Thud!

Ye Chen spat blood and staggered, as if sensing the nine emperors; as if sensing that they were nine peak emperors, watching this place.

At his side, Ye Fan, who had been standing with him, suddenly lifted his foot. Step by step, he stumbled and swayed, his bloodstained back figure desolate.

"Father, kill me."

Three steps away, Ye Fan slowly stopped, turning his back to Ye Chen, his voice hoarse and faint. He was a good child, a considerate one, knowing his father needed a stepping stone to cross the Da Cheng gate—and he would be that stone.

He had heard the legends of slaying one's son to prove the Dao. It would bring a certain ruthlessness, a rebirth, helping his father achieve Da Cheng against the heavens.

In this way, the various heavens would still have a sliver of hope.

"Come back."

Ye Chen said calmly.

For the first time, he spoke to Ye Fan with a father's authority.

Ye Fan said nothing but obediently turned around. He had walked out step by step before, and now he walked back step by step. He was smiling, smiling at his father.

As he smiled, his final step suddenly quickened, like a divine light, too fast for even Ye Chen to react. He charged headfirst into his father's embrace.

Thud!

Blood light flashed, staining Ye Fan's body.

It was he who used the emperor Dao killing intent flowing from his father's Sheng Ti to extinguish his own primordial spirit fire; it was he who used his father's Sheng Ti to destroy his own true form.

"Ye Fan!"

In the Di Jie, Ji Ningshuang's scream echoed. She fell from the void once more, swallowed by thunder.

Ye Fan, the Tian Zhen body.

He was truly ruthless, forcing his mother to watch him die in his father's arms.

He was forcing his mother to achieve Dao and become emperor.

He was also forcing his father to achieve Da Cheng against the heavens.

The various heavens needed a supreme being, needed that supreme being to turn the tide.

His death would be worthwhile. Whether his mother proved the Dao or his father reached Da Cheng, it would fight for a ray of hope's dawn for all beings in the myriad domains.

"Father's embrace is still so warm."

Ye Fan's breath was weak, his voice hoarse and broken. He stood unsteadily, his face weakly pressed against Ye Chen's chest, murmuring. Those eyes, which should have been brilliant, were now dim and lifeless. The last trace of light in them was rapidly fading. From the moment he charged forward, he had left no way out. From the moment he came to Tian Huang, he had prepared for death.

"Ignite, ignite for me."

Ye Chen roared lowly, his eyes blood-red as if dripping blood, veins bulging on his forehead. He madly mobilized his Sheng Ti essence, trying to reignite Ye Fan's primordial spirit fire. But no matter how he urged his divine power, it was futile.

"My father is the unrivaled war god."

"My mother will be the most stunning female emperor."

"The various heavens' destiny will endure forever."

Ye Fan's words grew fainter, unsure if they were for his parents or all beings. With the last word, he finally closed his eyes, collapsing into Ye Chen's arms, still smiling in death.

Ah!

Ye Chen threw his head back and roared, his face streaked with bloody tears.

The world-renowned war god had let down the entire world, but only his child.

Boom!

The heavens trembled, the stars collapsed.

In that instant, he finally took that step, remolding the Da Cheng gate and crossing it. And that stepping stone was his child.