Chapter 2977: The Emperor's Old Profession

Chapter 2977: Di's Old Profession

Ye Chen’s shout was truly earth-shattering and ghost-weeping.

This statement was straightforward, yet profound; anyone with a clear mind could understand it.

Clearly, this was about demanding ransom for a kidnapping.

It was none other than Ye Da Di who was so considerate, tired of the endless fighting and killing. Such a special program was far more exciting, and he was worried that the outer domain supreme beings might not know his old profession, so he had meticulously prepared this event.

"Damn it."

Hei Mou E Mo Di roared in fury, gripping his blood-dripping war spear and charging straight towards the source of the voice.

"No way to heaven, no door to earth."

San Yan Di Dao Sheng Mo snorted coldly, his three eyes like black holes manifesting destruction. From the other end of the Taigu Road, he swept in with overwhelming demonic aura, like a supreme demon god emerging from the Nine Nether Hell.

"Good, very good."

Zi Fa Tian Mo Tian Di’s face twisted in ferocity as he erupted in rage, advancing with thunder and lightning, surrounded by destructive visions. Three forbidden laws circled and evolved around him, weaving into demonic imperial sounds.

Boom! Rumble!

The Taigu Road was bustling. The outer domain supreme beings, from peak Tian Di down to Da Cheng Sheng Mo, were all on the move, converging from three directions towards the end of the Taigu Road. Ye Chen's words had originated from there.

One could see their faces, all twisted and hideous.

How to put it? Ye Da Di's line about the outer domain's little brats had truly offended the supreme beings' dignity. Whether to save the captive was secondary; their main goal was to kill that little Sheng Ti.

"I can tell from a quick calculation that this act is quite impressive."

The divine generals in the cauldron were awakened by quite a few, most of them peering over the rim, speaking with great emphasis.

The tenth emperor of Great Chu had finally returned to his old trade.

Kidnapping was his specialty, a technical skill. Throughout the histories of the realms, no one seemed to do it more smoothly than him. And the life of the Desolate Ancient Sheng Ti was absolutely legendary—there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do. Back in the day, he kidnapped holy sons and holy daughters, and today he was even more domineering, having captured a Tian Di-level figure.

"Without realizing it, this old man is reminded of the past."

Si Tu Nan spoke with deep meaning, his expression one of pure nostalgia.

Talents from Great Chu were basically all like this.

As they grew older, they always liked to reminisce, recalling those green years. No matter which part of life they remembered, there was always a person named Ye Chen, using the banner of making money to do shameless things.

"Getting old, truly old."

Xie Yun stroked his beard, saying it with gravity, though his eyes sparkled brightly.

"For some reason, putting him by the bed really can ward off evil."

The divine generals of the realms all came out with this line. The old gods liked to gather in groups for no reason, and every time they did, they would spout some life philosophy.

In the eternal foreign space, Xing Tian and Hou Yi had both quirked their lips.

In their era, there wasn't such an outstanding talent who still had the mood to kidnap people.

Looking at Di Huang and Hong Yan, they were exceptionally calm.

As for the legends of Ye Da Shao, Hong Yan had already heard them so many times her ears were calloused. If the Eastern Wasteland Female Emperor were here, she'd have a say in it too—she was once a victim, having paid the ransom and still not being released.

As for Di Huang, he had seen it even more clearly back in the underworld.

The Sheng Ti lineage belonged to Ye Chen as the strongest and most stunning. He was proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to deception and schemes.

The Tian Ting Female Emperor said nothing, only closing her eyes to rest.

Her demeanor perfectly conveyed one thing: Go ahead and act wildly, even to the point of death.

At the end of the Taigu Road, a copper pillar had been erected.

The yuan shen of Tian Mo Tian Di was chained to it, bound by rune chains and unable to move.

As for Ye Da Di, he was definitely not there.

He had already hidden in the dust space, ninety million li away. Demanding ransom was just a front; his real aim was to fish in troubled waters. The money from the outer domain was useless to him, and his true body couldn't possibly go to the end of the Taigu Road.

Looking outward, the Tian Di were all moving quickly, but some were inevitably falling behind.

His targets were precisely those stragglers, like Tian Mo Da Di, E Mo Da Di, and Da Cheng Sheng Mo. If he could pinpoint their positions and speed accurately, he could capture them without anyone noticing.

As he watched, two Tian Mo Da Di had already passed through this area.

Ye Chen's eyes flashed, and in an instant, he activated Da Meng Wu Ji, forcibly dragging the two emperors into the dream realm.

Hm?

Eight hundred thousand li away, a E Mo Tian Di soaring through the sky suddenly stopped, glanced at this spot, furrowed his brow, and stared for three to five breaths before turning and leaving, heading straight for the end of the Taigu Road.

"All talents."

In the dust space, Ye Chen looked in the direction E Mo Tian Di had gone and couldn't help but sigh. It was fortunate they were ordinary Tian Di; if it were someone of Hei Mou E Mo Di's level, they would definitely have noticed him.

That's why he was being so cautious. It would take time, but it was safe.

Looking at his side, the two captured Tian Mo Di were staring at him in fear, completely disoriented, having been pulled into the dream realm before they knew what hit them. By the time they returned to reality, they were already sealed and suppressed by Ye Chen.

Ye Chen didn't say a word and directly obliterated them.

Afterward, he stealthily exited the dust space; this place was no longer safe.

After three to five breaths, in another dust space, he appeared again.

He had prepared these in advance, always setting up hiding spots for himself. The enemy was in the open while he was in the shadows—that was his advantage. Capturing him wasn't that easy, and he was a professional at ambushes.

Looking toward the end of the Taigu Road,

Many outer domain supreme beings had already arrived, over ninety percent being Tian Di-level or Di Dao Sheng Mo. They saw the Tian Di yuan shen chained to the copper pillar but no sign of Ye Chen, making it obvious he was toying with them.

"Save me."

The Tian Di yuan shen howled, trying to break free from the copper pillar, but it was futile.

Upon hearing this, a Tian Mo Di hurriedly stepped forward.

Unfortunately, before he could reach it, the still-howling Tian Di yuan shen exploded into ashes—it was a prohibition set by Ye Da Di in advance. He was joking; if he captured someone, there was no reason to let them go.

"Damn it."

The crowd of Tian Di supreme beings erupted in thunderous rage, the feeling of being played driving them mad with fury.

"You little brats of the outer domain, bring your family's money and come redeem your people."

Ye Chen's words came at just the right time, his voice as loud and domineering as ever.

"I will cut you down."

The Tian Di supreme beings roared, vanishing in an instant as they homed in on the source of the voice.

When they arrived, they found nothing.

"You little brats of the outer domain, bring your family's money and come redeem your people."

"Hurry up, or I'll drag him back and make soup."

"Cash on delivery, fair prices, no deception."

Ye Chen's words kept coming, one after another, rising and falling.

The tenth emperor of Great Chu wasn't a fool; he absolutely wouldn't show his true body. As for those voices, they were all from prohibitions set in advance. On the surface, he was luring the outer domain supreme beings back and forth, but in reality, he was stirring up the waters to fish in the chaos. As the art of war says, feign an attack in the east to strike in the west—it was very practical.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The Taigu Road grew even more lively. Every time Ye Da Di spoke, a crowd of outer domain supreme beings would charge over, but the result was predictable—they didn't find the person, and each one was left fuming with anger.

"Run, where do you think you're running?"

In a remote corner of the mountains, Ye Chen suddenly struck, pulling in a passing E Mo Di and Da Cheng Sheng Mo into the dust space, like a stone sinking into the sea, with no further movement.

He had no interest in the E Mo Di and obliterated it with a palm.

But for the Da Cheng Sheng Mo, he showed particular favor, forcefully devouring it. The blood succession limit power accumulated in his body increased significantly. At this rate, he would eventually be able to unlock the blood succession.

"You idiots, all of the outer domain are idiots."

From outside, his howls continued without pause, coming from all directions, erratic and without pattern. Earlier, he had openly demanded ransom, but now he was too lazy to bother and just cursed outright.

This move of his was indeed provocative.

The outer domain supreme beings were persistent; wherever there was cursing, they rushed over first thing. What if Ye Chen was really there? People needed ideals, and to kill that little Sheng Ti, running a few more steps was worth it.

"Come in here!"

On the vast ocean, a Tian Mo Di soared across the sky and then vanished without a trace, as if evaporated from the world—or rather, captured by Ye Da Di. He just loved going after lone targets.

And today, his luck seemed pretty good.

After that Tian Mo Di, he captured quite a few more supreme beings, including several Da Cheng Sheng Mo. His ambitions were far-reaching; he was gearing up to clear out the small fry first. By small fry, he meant E Mo Da Di, Tian Mo Da Di, and Di Dao Sheng Mo. Only then would he take on the big fish one by one.

"Don't be afraid, it'll be over soon."

Ye Chen smiled faintly, looking at the captured Da Cheng Sheng Mo with a grin that was especially chilling. The Heaven-Devouring Vortex had already appeared, pulling in the Da Cheng Sheng Mo one by one, their bodies withering rapidly.

The wails of agony were particularly piercing.

He showed no mercy, forcefully devouring them, enhancing his origin with each one. Every time a Da Cheng Sheng Mo was devoured, his origin became more refined. Moreover, another kind of divine power was added, and in the unseen balance, it had shifted with each Da Cheng Sheng Mo's destruction, gradually favoring the Sheng Ti side. While he benefited, Di Huang and Hong Yan also gained. The added divine power was minimal but clearly felt.

Additionally, the blood succession limit power had accumulated quite a bit more.

"Have you noticed, kid, that this blood succession limit is very similar to a certain power?"

Long Ye poked his head out from the cauldron's rim.

"It's quite similar to the eternal power."

Ye Chen took a wine flask, watching the outside world while speaking leisurely. Even shameless people had their smarts. He hadn't known before, but ever since meeting the Tian Ting Female Emperor, he'd been pondering this.

Eternal power: inexhaustible divine energy.

Blood succession: undying and unextinguished.

These two forces were clearly related but also different. The ancient Tian Ting Female Emperor's eternal power wasn't pure; otherwise, why would she need their help to continue the Taigu Road?

As for blood succession, it seemed to lack a specific concept.

He had activated the blood succession limit many times, or rather, any cultivator could potentially activate it, without restrictions on cultivation or realm, though there was a distinction between innate and acquired. For example, the Sheng Mo lineage could enter that state within a certain timeframe, with time limits.

In contrast, eternal power was far more mysterious.

Take the Female Emperor as an example; she had comprehended so many forbidden laws, with multiple taboos intertwining and laws fusing, which could spark eternity. But due to limitations in cultivation, realm, and law comprehension, no one below Da Di could achieve it. Even he, now a supreme being, was far from it.

"Is it converging on the same path?"

Long Ye stroked his beard meaningfully.

He was starting to understand what the true ancient Tian Ting Female Emperor was like. In the ancient Tian Ting war, it was because of her that they held the line. A generation of Sheng Mo had the blood succession limit, while she had eternal power. Divine energy that never exhausted against undying and unextinguished—that battle must have been world-ending.

"Back then, Wu Lei must have held something back from me."

Ye Chen murmured to himself. Wu Lei City's Nai He Bridge collected blood succession power, clearly not as simple as it seemed. The Female Emperor was likely researching the blood succession limit too, comparing it to eternity over endless years.

The Female Emperor was researching it, Long Ye was researching it, and so was he.

From synthesizing his previous activations of the blood succession limit, he had already grasped some truths. It was basically a terrifying potential unleashed in desperate situations, like when Liu Ru Yan died, or on Wu Lei's Nai He Bridge, or when Ye Fan was buried—whether extreme anger, extreme despair, or other factors, there were certain common points.

"In my view, eternity is more reliable than blood succession."

After a long while, Long Ye spoke, returning the trace of blood succession power he had taken earlier.

"As if I needed you to say it."

Ye Chen casually took it back. Blood succession had time limits, while eternity was enduring. If it came to a one-on-one fight, a generation of Sheng Mo was no match for the ancient Tian Ting Female Emperor. Both had god-level abilities, but it depended on who could last longer. Just comparing blood succession and eternity showed the difference; in a war of attrition, blood succession couldn't match eternity.

"You've comprehended many forbidden laws; maybe you can try delving into eternity."

Long Ye said leisurely. Once this path was walked, who in the eight desolate realms could stand against him?

In fact, Ye Chen was already trying.

He spread his palm: his thumb was entwined with time law, index finger with reincarnation law, middle finger with time law, ring finger with space law, and pinky with Qian Kun law.

Under Long Ye's gaze, he clenched his fist, attempting to fuse the laws.

The wish was beautiful, but reality was mischievous. The moment he clenched, the laws collided into chaos, and that destructive force caused Ye Chen's fist to explode on the spot, even affecting his arm and sacred body. His arm turned to blood mist, and half his sacred body was destroyed, with blood and bones scattering through the dust space.

Awkward!

Ye Chen shook his head, feeling completely off. He hadn't been crippled by the outer domain supreme beings; he'd done it to himself. This miserable scene was just like back when he was comprehending time and space.

He still needed to find that unseen balance point.

Realizing this, Ye Chen felt his head swelling. Back when he comprehended time, he didn't know how many times he exploded, and that was just time and space. Now, with multiple laws seeking balance, the difficulty was imaginable.

So, in a certain sense, eternity was harder than blood succession.

In a person's life, they might activate blood succession once before dying, but not necessarily comprehend a single forbidden law. To achieve eternity, one law wasn't enough. Even if multiple laws were comprehended, the balance point might not be found, and even if found, eternity might not be forged.

"You'll have to fend for yourself."

Long Ye coughed dryly and retreated back into the Chaos Cauldron. That phrase "fend for yourself" carried deep implications. To comprehend eternity, exploding once or twice wasn't enough; he needed to prepare for total destruction.

"Who else do I bow to but you?"

Ye Chen sighed, looking up at the vast sky—it was directed at the Tian Ting Female Emperor. Those who could comprehend eternity were all world-shaking tyrants. Along his path, he'd met so many people and witnessed so many myths, but she seemed to be the most stunning. No wonder the ancient Tian Ting she led could force the three domains to retreat in defeat.