Chapter 3044: I Understand

Boom! Rumble!

The Taigu Road shook violently, as if reverting to the ancient chaos of Taigu Honghuang, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring across the sky. There was no major battle, yet apocalyptic visions unfolded, making the heavens and earth unstable. Perhaps due to the excessive impact, cracks appeared in many places along the Taigu Road, showing signs that it might break apart again.

"How could this be?"

The Fourth Shen Jiang spoke, unsteady on his feet from the shaking.

"It must be that Taigu Honghuang has a problem."

Xing Tian pondered aloud. Having come from within, he knew deeply that the Taigu Road and Taigu Honghuang were one and the same, involving ancient seals. If Taigu Honghuang was unstable, the Taigu Road would fare no better.

"No more talk, lend a hand."

Hou Yi instantly appeared at Ye Chen and Nu Di's side, followed closely by Di Huang and the others. Even the new emperor Donghuang Tai Xin, Xuan Huang, and Di Xuan emerged from the Chaos Cauldron, all offering their emperor-level origins.

They didn't know what catastrophe had occurred in Taigu Honghuang, but they knew that if Ye Chen and Nu Di could restore their divine power, the crisis could be resolved.

"Xiao Hong?"

The Chaos Cauldron floated toward Hong Yan, buzzing incessantly as it called out repeatedly. At times, it even nudged her with its body. Qi Wan's everything had been sacrificed to her, and if she awakened, she could certainly help Ye Chen and Nu Di recover quickly.

Unfortunately, Hong Yan remained in deep slumber.

After calling for a long time with no sign of her stirring, it seemed Qi Wan had placed a seal on her before dying.

In other words, in this gamble of hope, Qi Wan had excluded Hong Yan entirely. Her purpose was clear: neither aiding the forces of the heavens nor helping the first-generation Saint Demon.

Victory or defeat would depend on their own abilities.

Suddenly, amid the rumbling, waves of demonic aura rolled in. The gods turned their gaze and saw a layer of black mist sweeping in from the west.

It was like trouble upon trouble.

Foreign Domain supreme beings had sneaked in. Judging by the surging demonic aura, their numbers were significant, with who knew how many from the Foreign Domain charging toward them.

"Damn it."

Di Huang was the first to withdraw, dragging his blood-soaked imperial body straight toward the western Heavenly Emperor, joined by Jian Shen, Jian Zun, Xing Tian, and Hou Yi.

"Son of a bitch."

The Chaos Cauldron, Chaos Fire, and Chaos Thunder also sprang into action. However, due to their master's weakness, their power was greatly diminished. The Chaos Cauldron, once able to fight a Heavenly Emperor, could now only toy with Great Emperors. The Chaos Fire and Chaos Thunder, which had previously battled Great Emperors alone, could now only team up against one emperor.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Soon, the sounds of battle echoed, sending out layers of destructive halos. The Foreign Domain forces were indeed formidable, with only one Heavenly Emperor but numerous Great Emperors. Even with Di Huang holding the line, they were forced into continuous retreat.

Ye Chen's mouth overflowed with blood as he forcibly manifested his Dharma body.

Regrettably, the Dharma body exploded into ashes after just one or two steps, as his true body was too weak and injured to sustain it.

"Don't worry about us."

Nu Di said wearily, her face pale and bloodless from extreme weakness, to the point where even a Great Emperor could harm her.

Ye Chen was in the same state.

In this situation, they couldn't allow the Foreign Domain forces to break through. Though they couldn't be destroyed, it would waste time. The sneaked-in supreme beings weren't the real threat; the one in Taigu Honghuang was.

"Focus on recovering."

The Chaos Body, Fourth Shen Jiang, Son of the Plane, Mo Zun, and the others rose to their feet. Di Huang and his group clearly couldn't hold them back; they needed to buy time.

It was a masterful scheme.

For a moment, Nu Di and Ye Chen both opened their eyes, looking at Hong Yan. Qi Wan had dragged everyone else in but deliberately excluded her.

But she didn't realize that if the first-generation Saint Demon broke free, it wouldn't just bury all living beings—it wouldn't spare Hong Yan either.

"Open, let me open."

If you listened carefully, you could hear Hong Yan's anguished cries. Though in slumber, she had conscious awareness and was trying to awaken from some kind of restraint.

Alas, Qi Wan's seal was too strong.

Ye Chen and Nu Di both closed their eyes, blood overflowing from their mouths again. They had restored a bit of divine power, but it was destroyed by the lingering killing intent from Qi Wan.

The two had no choice but to heal first, eliminating the killing intent in their bodies. Otherwise, with it disrupting them, restoring divine power would be impossible.

This alone showed Qi Wan's immense power.

Even after her death, the residual killing intent was enough to make Ye Chen and Nu Di suffer. She had put tremendous effort into this scheme.

Naturally, the two wouldn't blame Qi Wan.

After all, she was a Saint Demon with her own mission. Even if she betrayed them, she had to give her master an account. Without her mercy, all living beings would have already fallen. No matter how dire the current situation, it was still better than total despair.

"I understand."

Ye Chen murmured softly.

Putting himself in her shoes, if he were the first-generation Saint Demon and Xie Yun were Qi Wan, even if he betrayed and acted ruthlessly, he would still leave a thread of hope for survival.

From Qi Wan's perspective, she had already done all she could.

As for what came next—who won or lost— it was up to fate.

"Boss, we can't hold on!"

From the western horizon came the Chaos Cauldron's howls, its body already cracked and its divine light nearly extinguished.

"Good cauldron."

Two Calamity Demon Great Emperors chuckled menacingly, striking from the sky and smashing the Chaos Cauldron into the void. Falling with it were the Chaos Fire and Chaos Thunder, both beaten back to their original forms.

The other emperors fared no better.

Except for Di Huang, they were all in continuous retreat, as they were all injured and not at their peak.

"Emperor Dao Sacred Body, is that all?"

The Heavenly Demon Heavenly Emperor laughed hideously and sinisterly, thrusting a spear through Di Huang's sacred body and following with a palm that nearly shattered him.

"Damn it, fight me one-on-one if you've got the guts."

The Four Shen Jiang cursed furiously, their anger immense. They charged in to help but were immediately ganged up on. Without Heavenly Emperors to face, the Great Emperors were numerous enough that in a single exchange, they were nearly wiped out.

For Di Huang to curse like that showed just how vast the enemy's forces were. Supreme being after supreme being fought like frenzied war gods, their numbers giving them boundless confidence, beating the emperors so they could barely stand. It was a rare chance to catch such a big haul.

"Boss, we can't hold on!"

The Chaos Cauldron howled again, fighting and retreating as it went.

"Don't let it escape."

The two Calamity Demon Emperors pursued relentlessly, occasionally glancing toward the east. They were quite curious about the "boss" the cauldron mentioned. If even a cauldron like this was so formidable, its owner must be extraordinary. The fact that the owner hadn't joined the battle likely meant they were in a weakened state.

That's why they chased so fiercely—to fight all the way to the end of the Taigu Road and see just who this divine figure was.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle raged on a massive scale, throwing the heavens and earth into chaos. Including Di Huang and that Heavenly Emperor, the participating supreme beings were scattered in all directions.

By chance, the Heavenly Demon Heavenly Emperor fighting Di Huang fell to the end of the Taigu Road, crashing into the ground and creating a deep pit, his form in disarray.

As he crawled out, he caught sight of Ye Chen.

At that glance, he nearly cried in fear. Was this a Heavenly Emperor-level Sacred Body?

Looking again, he spotted the Heavenly Court Nu Di. He didn't cry, but he stumbled, losing his footing. One Heavenly Emperor Sacred Body was enough—why was there also a Quasi Huang Emperor?

"Weakened state."

The Heavenly Demon Heavenly Emperor narrowed his eyes, instantly seeing through it.

Suddenly, his gaze brightened.

While the others fought desperately over there, these two hadn't joined in, clearly weakened to the extreme. Attacking now was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he could destroy a Heavenly Emperor Sacred Body and a Quasi Huang Emperor, the fortunes and serendipity would be otherworldly.

With that thought, he swung his battle spear.

Ye Chen didn't move, letting the Heavenly Demon's spear strike down.

Clang! Crack! Puff!

Those sounds followed: the Heavenly Demon's spear hit like steel, producing a crisp metallic clash. The spear shattered, and he was flung back, his arm exploding and blood spurting wildly.

Buzz!

A buzz sounded as a golden battle spear streaked across the dim sky. Before the Heavenly Demon Heavenly Emperor could steady himself, he was impaled into the void, the spear piercing straight through his flesh and nailing his origin.

The Heavenly Demon Heavenly Emperor died in regret, likely ruing his overreach in trying to slay a Quasi Huang Emperor. He clearly wasn't up to the task.

In that instant, Ye Chen rose.

In that instant, Nu Di also burst with radiant light, blood still trickling from her mouth. Though far from her peak, it was enough to repair the Taigu Road and open the gate to Taigu Honghuang.

Boom! Bang!

The two ascended to the sky, one on the left and one on the right, both forming seals with their hands.

Buzz!

The Taigu Road suddenly hummed, its stone-paved path shedding its form and bursting with brilliant colors, transforming into a path of light. The chaotic heavens and earth calmed, following some mysterious trajectory to operate normally. The Taigu Road, broken for countless ages, finally became whole again. Ancient visions unfolded one after another, with chains of laws shimmering like fairy light darting through the world, faintly visible. Even profound heavenly sounds echoed throughout the Taigu Road.

The supreme beings still fighting all stopped.

The emperors of the heavens were fine, swaying unsteadily but wearing tired smiles. The Foreign Domain supreme beings, however, showed fear, for at the end of the Taigu Road, a destructive pressure was spreading outward.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

What followed was exceptionally brutal and bloody: the halo formed by the Quasi Huang pressure swept across the heavens and earth. Where it passed, the emperors of the heavens felt like a spring breeze, but the Foreign Domain supreme beings were extinguished one after another, completely wiped out in an instant.

"Open."

Ye Chen and Nu Di shouted resoundingly, their hand seals changing as they prepared to forcibly open the gate to Taigu Honghuang, with no time to summon the emperors.

Ah!

Roars of rage echoed from Taigu Honghuang, where the ancient seals suppressing the first-generation Saint Demon had already collapsed in many places. Waves of demonic aura surged out through the cracks, rampaging through the world.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Successive generations of supreme beings spat blood, many having their bodies shattered and others flung away, their formations collapsing one by one.

"You cannot seal me."

The first-generation Saint Demon roared wildly, laughing without restraint as he shattered the order chains binding him and forcibly rose. In just a moment, he could break free from his eternal shackles.

Boom!

At that very moment, the gate to Taigu Honghuang burst open, and two divine lights illuminated the darkness—Ye Chen and the Heavenly Court Nu Di, charging in one after the other.