Chapter 2993: True Love

On the Taigu Road, in the Eternal Different Space.

The battle between two Heavenly Emperors was as fierce as ever, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring. The Tiāntíng Nǚdì was repeatedly spattered with blood, and Cánzhào fared little better. The Eternal power couldn't sustain the endless consumption, and even the Blood Succession Limit couldn't withstand the relentless assault.

As Yè Chén had predicted, Cánzhào's face was extremely grim.

In a one-on-one fight, he was evenly matched with the Nǚdì, but he knew that if the battle dragged on, defeat was inevitable. His Blood Succession Limit had a time limit, while the Nǚdì's power was eternally inexhaustible. As one waned and the other waxed, the outcome was easy to imagine. Moreover, this Eternal Different Space was incredibly strange—it couldn't be broken no matter what.

The more this went on, the more he wanted to curse.

And the Shèngmó Dì Shā would be his venting target. If not for that traitor, he wouldn't be in such a wretched state.

Boom!

In that moment, the Tiāntíng Nǚdì struck again, her jade hand glowing crystal clear, its might dominating the universe.

Cánzhào snorted coldly and swung his war spear, forcing the Nǚdì back.

Seizing the opportunity, this fiend clenched his demonic fist, channeling destructive power, and blasted it toward the eastern haze, aiming to shatter the Different Space. This was no good place to linger—if he stayed too long, the Tiāntíng Nǚdì would reduce him to ashes.

Regrettably, his punch didn't even ripple the space.

"You can break the Different Space if you take my surname."

The Chuàngshì Shénwáng stood with his hands behind his back, a loyal spectator. The Tiāntíng Nǚdì had been gathering her power for so long—it wasn't for show. It was originally prepared to kill Cánzhào outright. Now, all that Eternal immortal force was reinforcing the Different Space. If both a Heavenly Emperor and a Holy Demon tried to break it, it would be effortless, but with only Cánzhào alone, and the Nǚdì still present, he had no hope of escape.

"Once the Blood Succession Limit fades, you'll pay for this."

The Rénwáng stroked his beard. The Nǚdì was no ordinary Heavenly Emperor—even incomplete, a starving camel is still larger than a horse. She grew stronger with every exchange, her Eternal power generating at a terrifying speed.

In this regard, Cánzhào was far inferior to the Nǚdì.

The Blood Succession Limit's immortality had its limits and would eventually end, unlike the Eternal power.

"I wonder how Lǎo Qī is doing."

The Xiǎo Yuánhuáng scratched his monkey fur as he spoke. Cánzhào had crippled Yè Chén with one strike, and Dì Shā could do the same. They feared that before the Nǚdì could slay Cánzhào, their Lǎo Qī would already be sent to the gates of hell.

After all, he was only at the peak of the Great Emperor level.

This worry was shared by the other emperors—Heavenly Emperors and Holy Demons were no joke.

Compared to them, the Nǚdì remained quite composed.

Never underestimate Yè Dàdì. Once out of the Heavenly Emperor barrier, the sky was the limit—he could fight if he could, run if he couldn't, or hide if running failed. The void beyond the Taigu Road was a perfect refuge.

As for Dì Shā, he might already be dragged into that void by Yè Chén.

Unfortunately, the barrier of heaven and earth blocked her view, and all she saw was misty haze.

Boom! Rumble!

Accompanied by rumbling, the battle waves grew even larger, with the two Heavenly Emperors showing no signs of stopping until one was dead.

While things were lively here, the void was no less active.

Yè Chén could survive in the void, and so could Dì Shā—one sustained by Eternal power, the other by Blood Succession Limit. Both were restless sorts, ready to brawl in the void, and both full of fighting spirit.

"Go ahead, kick me, will you?"

Yè Chén cursed loudly, having been kicked by Dì Shā, and retaliated with a punch.

"Kill!"

Dì Shā howled, taking Yè Chén's punch and countering with a palm strike, his face twisted from the hit.

This battle was truly entertaining.

Yè Chén was at the peak of the Great Emperor level, and Dì Shā had lowered his cultivation to the same. One a Holy Demon, the other a Holy Body—they staggered and swayed, unable to walk normally in the void or use secret techniques. It was pure, primal combat: you kick me, I punch you back. There were no battle waves, just howls and roars.

"I'll see how long you can hold out."

Yè Chén muttered darkly to himself, struck by a palm, and responded with a domineering kick that flipped Dì Shā over.

He was pondering how Dì Shā could survive in the void.

After several clashes, he glimpsed the reason—it was likely the Blood Succession Limit sustaining him, preventing dissolution. Beyond that, the obsession of falling into demonic barriers gave him an unyielding will, and even the mysterious forces couldn't erase it, proving the Nǚdì's words: as long as the dao heart endures, the body will not perish.

"Kill!"

Dì Shā roared and charged again, his hair disheveled, his black-hole eyes veiled in blood, as red as dripping blood. His grotesque, twisted face still saw this minor Holy Body as prey. Even in the void, his obsessive demonic barriers persisted—he wouldn't rest until Yè Chén was destroyed.

Pfft!

Yè Chén spat blood, punched by Dì Shā, unable to use secret techniques, but his physical strength held firm. Any ordinary Great Emperor would have been obliterated, but he was the Desolate Ancient Holy Body.

Bang! Smack! Clang!

Such sounds echoed repeatedly in this brutal, primal melee.

"Come on."

Yè Chén steadied himself and stepped forward, headbutting straight into Dì Shā's chest. It hurt more than hitting steel, with a clang, and Dì Shā, who had just stabilized, was sent tumbling back.

Before he could rise, Yè Chén pounced again.

For the countless time, the tenth sovereign of Great Chu mounted the supreme one, grabbing his collar with one hand and clenching his divine fist with the other, landing punch after punch, each more dominant than the last.

Ah!

Another howl of rage came from the Holy Demon, filled with towering fury.

Then, Yè Dàdì was shaken off.

Before he could get up, Dì Shā had pounced, mimicking him—one hand on the collar, the other pummeling his face.

This scene had played out many times before.

Dì Shā's face was a mess of blood and flesh, and Yè Dàdì's was bruised and swollen. The Holy Demon and Holy Body were absolutely true loves—one on top, then the other— they'd switched positions who knew how many times.

And both had a particular fondness for each other's faces.

When Yè Chén rose again, it was Dì Shā who fell, now mounted beneath Yè Dàdì.

This time, Dì Shā didn't get up.

He tried to, but Yè Dàdì's golden fists weren't for show.

Ah!

Dì Shā roared, perhaps from being beaten senseless or sheer rage, and in an underhanded move, he released his cultivation seal on the spot. From peak Great Emperor, he surged back to peak Heavenly Emperor.

Pfft!

Yè Chén spat a mouthful of old blood, blasted away by the Holy Demon Heavenly Emperor's might.

As soon as he landed, he didn't even look back—he turned and ran, scrambling away in a flailing mess.

He had to run. Dì Shā had restored his cultivation; fighting on would get him killed.

"You won't escape."

Dì Shā gritted his teeth, his demonic barriers still intact, but clarity returned with his cultivation, gradually reviving him. Now back at peak Heavenly Emperor, he could steady himself and walk on the void, though slowly, he moved normally—at least faster than Yè Chén.

Seeing this, Yè Chén's short arms and legs flailed even more desperately.

Dì Shā advanced step by step, his expression growing more grotesque with each one, as if he'd forgotten where he was.

But Yè Dàdì knew—if he could evade the pursuit, he could survive.

"I said, you won't escape."

Dì Shā snorted coldly, raising his arm and spreading his five fingers toward Yè Chén. From his palm, a rune chain shot out with a clinking sound, wrapping toward Yè Chén. The chain was fused with Blood Succession Limit power, surging endlessly, and it withstood the mysterious forces of dissolution, taking form in the void.

This was something Yè Chén hadn't anticipated—he could actually cast spells in the void.

Now, with the Holy Demon rune chain upon him, still scrambling, his ankle was ensnared.

This time, no matter how he struggled, it was futile.

He was yanked back. He tried to sever the chain but couldn't, and couldn't resist the pull. When he steadied himself, he was right in front of Dì Shā, one hand gripping his neck, lifted into the air.

"Run. Why aren't you running?"

Dì Shā grinned maliciously, his smile laced with demonic madness, his black-hole eyes full of destruction and cruelty.

"I'm tired. Need a break."

Yè Chén struggled desperately, but it was useless. He could barely speak coherently. If Dì Shā applied even a little force, he'd be done for. A Heavenly Emperor Holy Demon killing a Great Emperor was like squashing an ant.

And right now, he was that ant.

But Dì Shā wasn't ready to kill him yet—he was waiting for the right opportunity to seize his fate. As a Heavenly Emperor, he couldn't gain it by killing; it required slaying at the same level. So, he'd find the perfect spot to eliminate the Desolate Ancient Holy Body supreme one under equal conditions.

"Even if you slay me, you won't enter the Quasi-Huang Emperor realm."

Yè Chén spoke again, veins bulging on his forehead, his eyes blood-red.

This was absolutely true.

From their battles, Dì Shā had first lowered to mid-tier Emperor, then risen to peak, activated his Blood Succession Limit, and now returned to peak Heavenly Emperor—repeated shifts that had completely eroded his supposed invincible conviction. That was the flaw. Even if he slew Yè Chén at the same level and eliminated the Holy Body supreme one, there'd be no advancement opportunity. This Holy Demon was doomed to remain at peak Heavenly Emperor forever.

Dì Shā seemed to understand this, which made his expression even more grotesque.

"Senior, you're truly pitiful."

Yè Chén stopped struggling and smiled mysteriously, his eyes gradually filling with madness as he smiled.

With that, he sacrificed ninety thousand years of his lifespan, exchanging it for a burst of power, forcibly breaking free from Dì Shā's grip. In this desperate strike, even Dì Shā's true form was pushed back half a step.

"Pointless struggle." Dì Shā snorted coldly and reached out to grab Yè Chén again.

But Yè Chén was faster, charging headfirst. Since escape was impossible, he wouldn't run anymore. In that instant, his Holy Body expanded rapidly, and the Eternal power within him turned wildly violent.

"You."

Dì Shā's black eyes bulged—not from fear, but anger. With his insight, he saw Yè Chén intended to self-destruct. A peak Great Emperor's explosion might tickle him, but if Yè Chén did it, he'd lose his advancement opportunity forever. There was no second Holy Body supreme one in the world!

He tried to stop it, but it was too late—he hadn't stabilized from the impact.

"This way of going... it's really embarrassing."

Yè Chén murmured, forcing a bitter smile. This laughable resistance still couldn't escape the mysterious fate. In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind—he missed his homeland, his family, and reflected on his journey...

Boom!

With a boom, a golden blood flower bloomed proudly, the most brilliant color in the void.

Pfft!

Dì Shā's demonic body exploded but reformed instantly, as Yè Chén's self-destruction power was targeted at him.

Ah!

An enraged howl echoed through the void, the violent Holy Demon Emperor Sha in a frenzy of anger.

The opportunity! That was his opportunity!

Now, because of Yè Chén's self-destruction, it had truly become nothing. He was unwilling, furious.

After the fury came despair.

The time limit of his Blood Succession Limit had finally arrived. Losing its immortality, he could no longer resist the mysterious forces of dissolution. His demonic body, his origin, his source—all dissolved inch by inch.