Chapter 2973: Professional

In the Chen space, Ye Chen sat still as a rock.

After suffering the backlash, he was utterly obedient. A figure like the Yi Dai Sheng Mo was godlike, beyond his reach to challenge. Only someone as divine as the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di could truly rival such a being.

For a long time, the Nu Di sent no further messages.

That woman held a grudge; after taking such a massive loss, she wouldn't let it go easily. She had tracked down the source of the curse and found the Yi Dai Sheng Mo, now relentlessly attacking with eternal laws. Invisible and destructive forces struck the Yi Dai Sheng Mo through the curse again and again. She didn't expect to destroy him, but her eternal assaults would keep him subdued for a while. Though she wasn't a complete Nu Di, neither was he truly free.

Ah!

Roars of rage echoed endlessly, audible only to Ye Chen and the Nu Di.

The Nu Di handled it well enough.

Ye Chen, however, was nearly shaken to the point of mental collapse, preventing him from rebuilding his physical body.

It was some time before the roars faded.

Ye Chen stayed quiet, and so did the Yi Dai Sheng Mo, no longer daring to curse recklessly. Not only had he failed to eliminate Ye Chen, but he had also ended up badly wounded.

Pfft!

The Gu Tian Ting Nu Di coughed up blood, her aura severely weakened. The curse of the Yi Dai Sheng Mo was terrifyingly powerful; it was no exaggeration to say she was injured. Without the support of eternity, she might have already perished.

Pfft!

Ye Chen also spat blood—or more precisely, a mouthful of yuan shen energy. Though he had borne less than ten percent of the curse, his injuries were worse than hers. At least she had a physical body; his yuan shen had been destroyed twice over.

He should feel grateful that the Yi Dai Sheng Mo had targeted him and the Nu Di.

Precisely because one of them was the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di, she could withstand over ninety percent of the curse.

In the end, it was the Nu Di who reversed the laws.

The reversal referred to the curse's power. Ye Chen might not realize it, but over ninety percent of the curse was originally meant for him. The Nu Di had upended the balance and swapped it with him.

She was saving Ye Chen and herself; if he died, so would she.

With his wisdom, Ye Chen understood this well. The Yi Dai Sheng Mo wasn't a fool; eliminating him would be far easier than eliminating the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di. Now that he was still alive, he owed his thanks to the Nu Di's life-saving intervention.

It took three full days for Ye Chen to reconstruct his physical body. His face was pale, devoid of color, and blood still trickled from his lips from time to time. Though the curse's power had weakened, the curse mark on his forehead remained.

Glancing at the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di, he saw her curse mark hadn't dissipated either.

“You even dared to fight the Yi Dai Sheng Mo—can't you break this curse mark?”

“It's there for a purpose.”

The Nu Di replied calmly, her divine power stabilizing. It seemed she had no intention of removing it.

“How about breaking mine?”

Ye Chen asked tentatively, his expression clearly conveying: I'm scared of this thing—you're not, but I am! With this curse hanging over me, I can't even fight properly; who knows if it'll strike again.

The Nu Di said nothing, closing her eyes to meditate.

Her intentions ran deep; only through extreme suppression could one achieve rebirth.

Ye Chen smirked, suddenly tempted to curse.

The curse mark was indeed suppressing him, constantly eroding his divine power. If he went out to battle now, he couldn't perform at his peak. Emperors he could have beaten before might now overpower him.

“Even you can't erase this; it's truly remarkable.”

Ren Wang approached, his hands wandering as he touched the curse mark on Ye Chen's forehead.

No sooner had he done so than he exploded into ashes, his physical body destroyed on the spot.

His misfortune affected the arriving Zao Hua Shen Wang, who was also shaken to the point of his body turning to ash.

Gulp!

Many old figures swallowed hard, having thought to come closer for a look, but now they instinctively retreated. Even though the curse mark had lost its power, its might was still world-shattering.

“You're on your own.”

Xie Yun sighed and retreated back into the Hun Dun Ding. The curse mark was too frightening, and Ye Chen's foundation was overwhelmingly strong. If it were an ordinary emperor, like Hou Yi, the outcome would be catastrophic.

Hou Yi felt this deeply.

As fellow emperors, he and Ye Chen were on entirely different levels. Hou Yi might not withstand the curse mark, and he was grateful it hadn't targeted him—perhaps he wasn't even worthy.

The divine generals who had emerged all returned to the great ding.

Ren Wang and Zao Hua Shen Wang were in the worst shape, left as mere illusory yuan shen. Already with limited lifespan, their bodies' destruction had further impacted their lives, so they entered a self-sealed state upon returning to the Hun Dun Ding.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

At his side, Hong Yan was still there, her lips pursed, her expression uneasy. Clearly, the Yi Dai Sheng Mo had set his sights on Ye Chen, and being targeted by such a supreme being meant he could be killed at any moment.

It was some time before she withdrew her gaze and sat cross-legged.

Ye Chen was resisting the curse mark, while she was assimilating the Sheng Mo bloodline, on the verge of fully transforming into an Huang Gu Sheng Ti. It was only a matter of time—this was her only way to resolve her physical flaws.

Hou Yi remained vigilant, continuously deploying imperial laws.

He was reinforcing the Chen space, concealing its aura. This critical moment couldn't be discovered.

In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.

During these three days, the Tai Gu Road in the outside world was far from peaceful, filled with constant booms. Supreme beings from the outer domains roamed in groups of three or five, searching everywhere. Furious roars echoed; they couldn't find the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di, and surprisingly, they couldn't locate the others either. Each one was hidden more securely than the last.

This was all thanks to the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di.

She had planted concealing eternal immortal light on Ye Chen, Hong Yan, and the others. Even without the Chen space's hiding, the outer domain supremes would struggle to find them.

They were all waiting, biding their time until they recovered to their peak, then they would wipe them out in one fell swoop.

On the fourth day, Ye Chen finally opened his eyes. Due to the curse, his eyes were slightly murky, with a dark aura lingering, and the curse mark on his forehead remained stubbornly persistent. He had once tried to use the Ni Shi Lun Hui to erase it, but to no avail; all laws and divine abilities were useless against it.

He stood up and gazed into the void.

The Gu Tian Ting Nu Di was still sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, whether in enlightenment or resisting the curse, he couldn't tell.

“Kid, have you noticed anything?”

Long Ye poked his head out from the ding's rim, having awakened from his self-seal.

“What do you mean?”

“Every time a Sheng Mo is destroyed, the Sheng Ti lineage grows stronger.”

“I've already noticed that.”

Ye Chen replied slowly, then picked up his wine flask. It felt as if there was an invisible scale in the void; with each Sheng Mo lost, the Sheng Ti grew more powerful—including him, Di Huang, and Hong Yan.

In simple terms, it was a case of mutual decline and growth.

After downing the flask, Ye Chen donned a black robe and stealthily left the Chen space. Since it was a matter of decline and growth, he needed to capture as many Sheng Mo as possible, regardless of whether they were Da Cheng or Di Dao—none would be refused.

“The Sheng Mo lineage is in for trouble.”

Long Ye stroked his beard and took a deep breath, thoroughly impressed with Ye Da Di.

Outside, Ye Chen had already merged into the void.

Under the dim light, he slipped into a collapsed ancient city. In the ruins of the grand hall, there were Da Cheng Sheng Mo—more than one—all sitting in a circle, whether healing or meditating, he wasn't sure.

Glancing around, they seemed to be healing.

These four Sheng Mo didn't seem very bright. Knowing there was an Huang Gu Sheng Ti proving the Dao on the Tai Gu Road, and a more formidable Gu Tian Ting Nu Di, they still came here to heal without any guards.

“Who's there?”

As Ye Chen observed, one Da Cheng Sheng Mo suddenly opened his eyes, his perception making even Ye Chen raise an eyebrow.

“Your grandpa.”

Since he'd been detected, Ye Chen didn't hide anymore. He struck in an instant, suppressing the first Sheng Mo with a palm, then flipped his hand to deploy the Di Dao Fu Xi Zhen, sealing the second. The third had just stood up when he smashed it with a staff, and the fourth was nearly obliterated by his palm.

That was Ye Da Di for you—the pioneer who set the standard.

In just one or two moments, the four Da Cheng realm Sheng Mo were subdued without warning.

Long Ye sighed in admiration, as did Si Tu Nan and Xie Yun.

Da Cheng Sheng Mo—genuine supremes—yet in Ye Chen's hands, they were like insignificant shrimp.

Ye Chen collected the Sheng Mo into the great ding and vanished.

When he reappeared, it was over a vast sea, its demonic aura surging more fiercely than the waves.

However, they weren't Sheng Mo; they were E Mo—three E Mo Tian Di.

Ye Chen avoided their edge, coming and going quietly. It wasn't that he feared them; with the curse mark, he wasn't at his peak, and a direct fight would lead to injury. If he got surrounded, it wouldn't be worth it.

His target was the Sheng Mo lineage; he needed to capture more for devouring.

The three E Mo Tian Di didn't notice his arrival at all, and even if they had, he was already gone.

“East.”

Ye Chen was on his way when he heard a faint voice, ethereal and melodious like heavenly music.

It was the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di, still sending messages even while healing.

“I love you for that.”

Ye Chen laughed and headed straight east. The Gu Tian Ting Nu Di's perception was divinely insightful, as if she knew exactly what he was up to, guiding him and saving him the trouble of searching the entire Tai Gu Road for Sheng Mo.

As she said, in the eastern haze, a Di Dao Sheng Mo was hidden, its position and spatial coordinates pinpoint accurate. It was well concealed, but nothing escaped the Nu Di's gaze.

Ye Chen grinned, thrilled. With the Nu Di's guidance, things would be much easier.

By the time he arrived in the haze, the Di Dao Sheng Mo was sitting cross-legged, its face pale and expression poor, with a trickle of fresh blood at its mouth.

Clearly, it was injured and healing.

“Did Di Huang do this?”

Ye Chen stroked his chin. Aside from him and the Nu Di, only Di Huang could severely wound a Di Dao Sheng Mo. As for Hong Yan, her combat power wasn't at its peak due to her physical flaws.

Hm?

The Di Dao Sheng Mo instantly opened its eyes, furrowing its brows as it scanned the surroundings.

After a few moments, it closed its eyes again.

But in that instant, Ye Chen moved, dragging the Di Dao Sheng Mo into a Da Meng Wu Ji. He wasn't planning to trap it there; it was just to disrupt its footing.

“Who?”

The Di Dao Sheng Mo escaped the dream in a flash, its roar like thunder from the nine heavens.

“Your grandpa.”

Ye Chen's line came smoothly. The moment the Di Dao Sheng Mo emerged, he swung his staff, shattering its head. Before it could regenerate, he unleashed a Yi Nian Yong Heng.

When it came to ambushes, Da Chu's tenth emperor was the professional.

A moment later, the Di Dao Sheng Mo stood frozen, wanting to move but unable. Ye Chen's over ten thousand seals weren't for show; every inch of its body, inside and out, was covered in Di Dao seals, all completed in an instant. Give him that moment, and even a Di Dao Sheng Mo would kneel.

The Sheng Mo gritted its teeth.

Yet, it felt more frustrated than anything. A mighty Di Dao Sheng Mo, suppressed just like that?

“I get how you feel.”

Ye Chen said solemnly, then casually tossed the Sheng Mo into the great ding.

A breeze blew, and blood trickled from his lips again.

The curse mark was persistent and mischievous, tormenting him constantly, even making fights uneasy.

“Southeast.”

The Nu Di's voice came again, a yuan shen transmission with an exact location.

Ye Chen moved swiftly, vanishing into the void.

Barely three seconds after he left, over a dozen figures materialized in the haze, more than half at the Tian Di level. They must have sensed the battle's aura, their imperial eyes scanning the vast expanse.

Unfortunately, they were too late.

When Ye Chen stopped next, it was in a range of mountains, with over a hundred thousand majestic peaks.

Within, there were Sheng Mo.

Ye Chen folded his hands, eyeing the lineup: three Di Dao Sheng Mo and six Da Cheng Sheng Mo.

“You're quite playful too.”

Ye Chen glanced at one side, speaking to the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di. With this kind of force, he could handle them, but capturing them alive would be impossible—especially since one Di Dao Sheng Mo was at its peak.

So, a battle would mean getting surrounded.

Withdrawing his gaze, he focused on the nine Sheng Mo; each was injured and healing.

“Interesting.”

Ye Chen's eyes deepened, flickering with light and shadow. The Di Dao Sheng Mo and four Da Cheng Sheng Mo he had captured earlier were also wounded. One or two injuries might be coincidence, but all of them? That was odd.

“Did you do this?”

Ye Chen transmitted, glancing at the Gu Tian Ting Nu Di. Only she had the power for something like this.

“They're all because of the Yi Dai Sheng Mo.”

The Nu Di replied lightly.

Ye Chen paused, then his expression grew more meaningful.

Clearly, the Yi Dai Sheng Mo had been severely wounded by the Nu Di.

And just as clearly, the Yi Dai Sheng Mo's injury had affected the entire Sheng Mo lineage.

In a way, this was the Nu Di's doing.

But Ye Chen couldn't figure out why the Yi Dai Sheng Mo's wound would impact the others, even Di Dao Sheng Mo. His own Sheng Ti lineage didn't have such absurd effects—one person's injury affecting the whole family.

Fight or not?

Shaking off the thought, Ye Chen looked again at the group of big fish—it was quite a sight.

“Fight.”

Laughter echoed as two figures appeared: Di Huang and Xing Tian.

Ye Chen looked at them, his expression peculiar.

“The most dangerous place is also the safest.”

The Zhan Shen laughed, axe in hand.

“Bold move.”

Ye Chen sighed, having been so focused on the Sheng Mo that he hadn't noticed the Chen space hidden in these mountains—and that both Di Huang and Zhan Shen were inside. He hadn't expected it; the Sheng Mo certainly wouldn't either.

“With help, it's different.”

Ye Chen chuckled, transforming a staff with Lun Hui, buzzing with energy. He didn't need long; just holding off two Di Dao Sheng Mo would do. As for the rest, he could handle alone.

With that, the three charged into the mountains.