Chapter 3086: Hand?

In the Tai Gu Hong Huang, thunder rumbled ominously.

However, compared to the illusory Ye Tian Di, it was like a minor sorcerer facing a great wizard. The Zhun Huang Di Jie of the Holy Body was truly formidable. When one gazed into the distance, Ye Chen's figure was nowhere to be seen—only a vast sea of thunder.

"You, come over and take my place."

From the direction of the Tai Gu array, several emperors called out, summoning those outside, such as Si Tu Nan, Xie Yun, and Xian Wu Di Zun. They wanted the outsiders to guard the array so they could go and watch Ye Chen's Zhun Huang Di Jie.

"No time."

Xie Yun responded with full composure and brevity. Si Tu Nan also turned and walked away—only a fool would go.

As for Di Zun, he ignored them completely, strolling leisurely all the way toward the peak of Tai Gu mountain.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

As they passed the crooked-neck tree near the peak, Si Tu Nan and Xie Yun clicked their tongues. Each grabbed a stick and poked at Xuan Di and Huang Quan Tian Di, who were hanging from the tree.

The two emperors were still unconscious.

It was no wonder—Di Zun's strikes had been too ruthless; they wouldn't wake for at least ten days or half a month.

Speaking of Di Zun, he was quite self-assured. As he passed by, he stuffed a rag into each of their mouths to keep them from howling when they awoke.

"Having such descendants brings me great comfort."

Shen Zun's words drifted like the wind, though it was unclear if he meant Xuan Di and Huang Quan Tian Di, or Di Zun himself.

"You're just an old rogue."

Di Zun didn't speak, but his expression clearly conveyed those words. He admitted he couldn't handle Shen Zun—Ye Chen would have to do it. Once Ye Chen reached Zhun Huang, he could beat Shen Zun to tears.

In the heavens, there were those who refused to back down—come and fight if you dare.

By the time they reached the peak of Tai Gu mountain, Hong Yan was already there. When Shen Zun arrived, she felt a touch of restraint, partly because of her sister Qi Huan, and partly out of guilt.

Shen Zun smiled. Every time he looked at Hong Yan, he felt a moment of daze, as if he could see Qi Huan's shadow in her.

The two shared an unspoken understanding and said nothing.

When Di Zun arrived, he stood beside Hong Yan, sharing an ancient rapport with the female Holy Body.

As early as in the heavens, he had known about the female Holy Body sealed in Yao Chi sacred ground and had visited more than once.

He had seen Hong Yan even before Ye Chen.

Meeting again after countless ages, Hong Yan's emotions ran deeper than Di Zun's. She recognized him from the first life of reincarnation and the ninth, bound by karma.

As they spoke, more people gathered—emperors and divine generals alike. Unfortunately, their vision was limited; they could only vaguely see a turbulent sea of thunder.

Boom! Boom!

As the emperors watched, the Zhun Huang Di Jie grew even stronger. Terrifying lightning intertwined in a frenzied dance, so dazzling that even looking at it stung the eyes. Not just the emperors and divine generals, but even Shen Zun was deeply shaken. It far surpassed his own Zhun Huang tribulation back in the day.

"Better to arrive at the right time than early."

The female emperor emerged from the unknown realm into the illusory space, as disheveled as before, her immortal body stained with blood. Yet her achievements were substantial. In these days, she had entered the unknown realm every few days, and each time she returned, she brought back supreme figures from the heavenly court—ones who had been buried since the previous epoch, all now at the Zhun Huang level.

She stood in the illusory space and observed. She had seen the holy demon's Zhun Huang tribulation before, but never the Holy Body's.

Roar! Roar!

From the sea of thunder came powerful dragon roars.

It was Ye Chen.

He had transformed into a golden dragon, soaring through the thunder sea. The lightning couldn't harm him; it only served to temper his body. Having grown strong enough, he no longer feared the tribulation.

"Today is quite lively."

Ye Chen smiled, peering through the hazy void to see the Tai Gu Hong Huang. He knew it was Ji Ning Shuang and Ye Fan—a family of three undergoing their tribulations simultaneously, a first of its kind.

Ji Ning Shuang glanced back for a moment, smiling gently, as if she could see Ye Chen. Her tender eyes were filled with emotion.

Ye Chen was facing a Zhun Huang Di Jie, while she remembered that when he left the heavens, he was only a great emperor. This journey through Tai Gu Hong Huang had already elevated him to Zhun Huang. She didn't know whether to marvel at Tai Gu's wonders or Ye Chen's defiance of heaven.

None of that mattered now.

What mattered was that Ye Chen was still alive.

As she withdrew her gaze, she summoned the Dong Huang Emperor Sword. The thunder tribulation had dissipated, and her emperor's path law manifestation had taken form—coincidentally, it was Ye Chen's.

On another side, Ye Fan faced the same. After destroying his thunder tribulation, he encountered the emperor's path law tribulation, and the first majestic figure was his father.

"How interesting."

The young Ape Emperor stroked his fur. With his wife and child undergoing tribulations, Ye Chen's law manifestation had come to cause chaos.

The difference was that Ji Ning Shuang faced a heavenly emperor-level law, while Ye Fan faced a great emperor-level one.

"It's not something he can control."

Kui Niu yawned.

They were used to it by now. It seemed that no matter who underwent a tribulation, Ye Chen's laws would join in. Among all emperor paths, his were the most insidious.

This was the same feeling for the newer emperors, like Xie Yun and Si Tu Nan. Whenever law manifestations appeared, Ye Chen's was always there—insidious enough to make one curse.

"In the future, it'll be even more spectacular."

Tai Xu Long Di said leisurely.

His words resonated with the emperors.

Back in the day, when Xian Wu Di Zun underwent his heavenly emperor tribulation, Ye Chen's manifestation had appeared at the heavenly emperor level.

That alone was intriguing.

Ye Chen must have encountered Di Zun's law when he underwent his own tribulation, and now Di Zun had encountered Ye Chen's in return.

This was the way of the later surpassing the former.

However, Di Zun wasn't the first such case—he was preceded by two others: Di Huang and Hong Yan.

Just wait—if the emperors of past eras reached Zhun Huang, Ye Chen's laws would appear. That's why they said it would be spectacular.

The surpassing of later generations had reversed the roles, with the tribulant and the law manifestation flipping who came first and last.

In the illusory space, the booming sounds had faded.

Ye Chen's thunder tribulation had dissipated, but his Zhun Huang Di Jie was not yet over. Defying heaven as he did, how could there be no laws in his tribulation?

Soon, figures began to manifest.

As expected, the first law manifestation was Xuanyuan Di from the heavens, his emperor path aura shaking the universe. It was still that ancient stele, timeless and unyielding, standing at the end of ages and illustrating the vicissitudes of life.

After Xuanyuan came Shen Zun's law manifestation, its emperor path might even surpassing Xuanyuan's. The war god of the ancient heavenly court was no mere title.

Following were many more figures, all from the heavenly court. One could see Cheng Zhun Huang's Qi You, as well as Shen Nong and Qing Shang, plus Mang from earlier, whom the female emperor had pulled back to the mortal realm. Any one of them was a Zhun Huang emperor.

The final law manifestation was a woman. Even before it fully formed, swirling laws intertwined with heavenly sounds.

Shen Zun saw it and felt a stir in his heart. Hong Yan and the female emperor saw it and their eyes grew misty. The original holy demon saw it and gritted his teeth.

It was Qi Huan.

As a Zhun Huang of the same holy demon lineage, her law manifestation drew no surprise from the emperors.

But Shen Zun's emotions were hard to calm. After an entire epoch, he saw her again in this form.

"Showing some respect."

Ye Chen watched, drawing his Yong Heng Sword. He had experienced scenes like this many times.

A breeze blew, and Shen Zun's law struck first, raising a palm that covered the sky. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but it had simplified complex divine abilities, fusing countless laws and immortal arts, with power to destroy heaven and earth.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

In that instant, all the laws moved together, each strike appearing simple but carrying dominion over heaven and earth.

Ye Chen showed no fear, charging forward with his sword.

The battle erupted at once. In just one exchange, Ye Chen nearly fell, his body shattered into pieces.

He was strong, but outnumbered.

"No big issue."

Si Tu Nan said with his hands clasped, his voice deep.

Who was Ye Chen? An undying cockroach. What tribulation hadn't he survived? Compared to this, when he proved his dao as an emperor, the lineup had been truly massive—a mix of ancient heavenly court, heavens, and outer realms, like a grand mishmash.

Facts proved it right.

Though many Zhun Huang were present, they couldn't take down Ye Chen. A few times, he even counterattacked the Holy Body.

Ah!

Roars echoed endlessly from the altar—it was the original holy demon, howling madly, representing the heavenly dao. His ferocity mirrored the dao's, desperate to destroy Ye Chen in the tribulation, but to no avail.

"Quiet down!"

Ren Huang glanced over.

The rise of the Holy Body was unstoppable. Thinking of using the emperor tribulation to extinguish it was just wishful thinking.

"No mercy for the fairer sex!"

Long Ye tsked, watching Ji Ning Shuang. Among the many emperor path laws, Ye Chen's was the fiercest, attacking relentlessly regardless of who is tribulating.

In a way, Yao Chi's heavy blows were thanks to Ye Chen's laws. Not just Nan Ming Yu Shu and the others, even the supreme figures of past eras couldn't bear to watch.

Ye Fan's situation was equally bloody. After beating his wife, he didn't hesitate to beat his son too.

Laws recognized no kin.

That was an absolute truth.

Pfft!

In the illusory space, Ye Chen spat blood again. As the emperor path laws faded and vanished one by one.

Looking at Ye Chen, a great realm had formed around him—or rather, a universe. Mountains and rivers stretched out, vast rivers flowed, flowers and grasses thrived, and the starry skies were vast, all encircled by laws and resonating with profound heavenly sounds. He stood within like a god.

The female emperor smiled and stepped forward.

But in the next instant, she retreated, gazing up at the vast sky with a slight frown. The tribulation wasn't over.

"Still more?"

As the one tribulating, Ye Chen knew best—it truly wasn't finished; a destructive force was gathering.

When he looked, a massive hand covering the sky gradually formed, its fingers etched with divine patterns. Even before it struck, it exuded power to destroy heaven and earth.

"A hand?"

The divine generals were stunned, and the emperors wore baffled expressions. Even the female emperor showed a hint of surprise. She had seen many tribulations, but this was a first, and its power surpassed the laws.

"How interesting."

The original holy demon chuckled eerily, as if he knew what the hand signified.

Exactly because he knew, his laugh turned sinister. The laws couldn't destroy Ye Chen, but that hand was another story—it was beyond compare.

"The hand of annihilation."

Ye Chen frowned, his eyes narrowing into slits. He recognized that hand—or more precisely, the divine patterns on it. He had seen it in the cosmic intent, where it had obliterated a universe and refined it into a character.

The difference was, this hand was illusory, like the laws, only in form.

"I understand."

Ye Chen murmured, his gaze growing deeper. It must be because of that "Dao" character. The fusion of a character and a universe had likely offended some supreme existence. There was no such tribulation originally, but it had been forcibly summoned to erase him.