Chapter 3136: Godhood Tribulation

Ah!

The shattered starry sky was far from peaceful, with screams like these echoing sporadically, without any warning. Each one was piercing, like the wails of vengeful ghosts.

These were from the Zhi Zun who had slipped through the net—many had escaped, but none could evade Ye Chen's pursuit. The interference of the Heavenly Dao posed no real obstacle, and even the blurred imperial senses were of little use. He had a thousand ways to track down the hidden Zhi Zun; it was just a matter of time.

"Quite a sight, truly quite a sight."

In the small world, there were many sighs. The little old man, Chi Yan Xiong Shi, Shen Yun Suan Yuan, Hun Dun Huo, and Hun Dun Lei had all gathered at the mouth of the Hun Dun Ding, peering inside. It was filled with Zhi Zun Yuan Shen, once supreme deities now reduced to prisoners, all suppressed within.

Looking at the Zhi Zun, their Yuan Shen bodies were twisted, their faces pale, unable to hide their fear. Even now, they couldn't believe the brutal reality. So many gods had been defeated so disastrously; they had hopes of winning. Before Ye Chen broke his seals, they held every advantage, but they had squandered the opportunity, leading to total defeat. Wu Tian Xue Zun felt it most acutely—he was the only one among them who had truly suppressed Ye Chen. In that battle, if not for his greed and the secret interference from Yue Shen, none of this chaos would have happened.

Relieved.

Ye Chen said nothing, but his expression said it all. Occasionally, he glanced sideways at the small world, eyeing the Zhi Zun and their treasures. All sorts of divine items were piled up like mountains. Well, this trip across the universe hadn't been in vain; he had to bring back some spoils.

At some unknown moment, he suddenly stopped and extended a small hand into the vast expanse, seizing a single grain of dust—so minuscule as to be invisible.

Yet, within that grain of dust lay a hidden space, similar to transforming a universe into dust. And in that hidden space was a Zhi Zun, who thought he had hidden cleverly, but he couldn't escape the scrutiny of a Zhun Huang Di.

"Senior, come out for some fresh air."

Ye Chen smiled faintly, and eternal light bloomed in his palm, refining the dust space and forcing out the Zhi Zun inside. It was a black-robed elder, the Yin Yang Mojun. His hair was half white and half black, with a Yin Yang seal etched on his forehead. His Dao essence was even deeper than Wu Tian Xue Zun's, but to Ye Chen, it was all meaningless.

"Must you go on until one of us is dead?"

Yin Yang Mojun roared hoarsely, trying to flee into the heavens.

But it was futile.

In Ye Chen's small hand, a vast realm had formed, with towering mountains, winding rivers, flowers, grass, trees, and woods, all infused with eternity and spirituality.

This immortal technique was exclusive to Zhi Zun, its intent somewhat like the Buddhist Palm Buddha Realm, creating a self-contained world that trapped Yin Yang Mojun within Ye Chen's palm, no matter how powerful he was.

This scene was utterly audacious. Ye Chen's palm was small, but the Yin Yang Mojun trapped inside it was even tinier, looking no different from an ant.

"Break! Give me break!"

Yin Yang Mojun howled in rage, slamming against the boundaries with all his might, unleashing world-shaking divine abilities in an attempt to escape. But from start to finish, it was just him entertaining himself. Strangely enough, no matter how he attacked, he couldn't break free.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough; his opponent was just too terrifying. Once caught by a Zhun Huang Di, escape was impossible.

"We're all busy people, so stop fussing."

As Ye Chen spoke, he clenched his extended hand into a fist. The realm in his palm collapsed instantly, obliterating Yin Yang Mojun's demonic body on the spot. Only his Yuan Shen remained, which Ye Chen dragged into the Hun Dun Ding. Before that, he had already swept away all of Yin Yang Mojun's treasures.

"This one, I want this."

"Don't mess around, I grabbed it first."

"Little lion, go wait on the side."

In Ye Chen's small world, things were quite lively. The little old man, Shen Yun Suan Yuan, and others had gathered around the mountain of treasures, not holding back at all. Anything that caught their eye, they claimed for themselves. Whenever this happened, these three always ended up getting beaten—the Hun Dun Ding and its companions weren't known for their good tempers.

As for Ruoshui, she was relatively well-behaved, mostly sneaking glances in secret at the Hun Dun Ding, Hun Dun Huo, and Hun Dun Lei. These were all heaven-defying divine objects with incredibly high intelligence, and their natures matched Ye Chen's perfectly.

The small world was buzzing with activity, but Ye Chen paid it no mind. After suppressing Yin Yang Mojun, he wandered through the starry sky, strolling along and observing as he went.

At some point, an object appeared in his hand: the Haotian Shenjing, once belonging to the Sun God. He had obtained this treasure earlier but kept it sealed. Now that his restrictions were lifted, he could finally refine it.

Buzz! Buzz!

The Haotian Shenjing vibrated, struggling and resisting. The seals and marks etched upon it were nearly indestructible, refined over countless ages.

But to Ye Chen, they were insignificant. As eternity emerged, all else became illusion. The seals and marks shattered piece by piece, while his eternal essence and Dao insights were etched in, strand by strand. The restless Haotian Shenjing quickly calmed, its murderous aura completely eradicated as it was forcefully refined.

Now, looking at it, the mirror was enveloped in divine light, radiating eternity, hovering in his palm like a miniature sun. Its brilliant sunlight was so dazzling that even Ruoshui found it piercing. This was a divine artifact and a weapon of destruction, stained with the blood of countless gods. Even in its damaged state, its power was immense, capable of obliterating an entire star domain with a single strike.

"Good stuff."

Ye Chen smiled, growing more pleased the longer he looked.

"Boss."

"Get lost."

The Hun Dun Ding slipped out but was swatted back into the small world by Ye Chen. It wanted to devour everything in sight—you greedy thing.

"I wonder about its power."

Ye Chen chuckled and sacrificed the Haotian Shenjing. The mirror trembled with a buzz and swept out a beam of immortal light, both dazzling and devastating, dominating the heavens and earth.

Ah!

A scream rang out immediately. A hidden Zhi Zun in the void was exposed on the spot, his body exploding, his Yuan Shen nearly extinguished by the mirror.

This wasn't a coincidence.

In the previous instant, Ye Chen had already located that Zhi Zun; he just wanted to test the Haotian Shenjing's power. And he had to admit, his aim was spot-on.

"You can't just shine that mirror around carelessly."

The little old man sighed. With a single flash from the Haotian Shenjing, someone turned to ash on the spot. If it were him, he probably wouldn't even get close before being crushed by its aura.

"Not bad."

Ye Chen smiled again and put away the mirror, adding extra seals to prevent the Hun Dun Ding from swallowing it. A divine artifact of this level was meant for his wives back home.

The journey afterward felt particularly long.

Ye Chen tread through the void, crossing countless star domains like a traveler, stopping here and there. Whenever he found a Zhi Zun, he struck with thunderous force, and afterward, another Zhi Zun Yuan Shen would be added to the cauldron.

The so-called fish that slipped through the net were now extremely few, but those who could evade Ye Chen's tracking did have some skill. It was just that the universe was too vast; even a Zhun Huang Di wasn't omnipotent. If a female emperor were handling this, it would undoubtedly be effortless.

In a desolate star domain, he stopped once more.

Then, he pulled out the little old man and Shen Yun Suan Yuan. It was time for their Cheng Shen Zhi Jie; suppressing it for too long would damage their foundations.

"The Zhi Zun who slipped through—have you caught them all?"

"Honestly, I could hold it back for another three or five days."

"The Cheng Shen Zhi Jie isn't that urgent."

After emerging, the little old man chattered away, looking around warily. The heavenly tribulation of becoming a god wasn't a joke; even if it didn't kill you, you'd likely be left half-dead. If someone stabbed you in the back during it, your day of ascension would be your day of demise.

In essence, he didn't quite trust Ye Chen to protect him.

Shen Yun Suan Yuan stood with his hands clasped, glancing about cautiously. Better safe than sorry.

Ye Chen found it amusing and didn't respond. He casually pulled out a flask of wine, sat cross-legged on a meteor, and drank leisurely. Only occasionally did he glance at the two, his eyes conveying a clear message: Focus on your tribulations. Those Zhi Zun have no time for a couple of ants.

And that message was accurate.

Things were different now; they were busy hiding. Who would dare show up and wander around with a great god standing guard? Anyone who came would die. Unless they were itching for trouble, of course.

The two chuckled dryly, about to say more, but Ye Chen waved his hand, tossing one to the east and the other to the west.

Then came the thunderous booms.

The little old man and Shen Yun Suan Yuan both triggered their heavenly tribulations. Billions of thunderbolts poured down, forming a sea of lightning whose roars echoed across the eight directions.

"Shen Fa?"

Many lingering cultivators were startled, opening domain gates and converging toward the site.

From afar, they saw the sea of thunder, each bolt carrying destructive light that stabbed at their minds. An supreme pressure made their souls tremble.

"Xuan Yang? Shen Yun Suan Yuan?"

Some exclaimed in surprise, as if recognizing the ones undergoing the tribulation.

"It's definitely them."

Many elders stroked their beards, their eyes full of envy. They were all at similar levels, but these two had the edge in opportunity—it must be due to some heaven-defying fortune.

Amid the booms, more and more people arrived, crowding the star rivers and starry skies, a dense black mass. The commotion of the Shen Fa was too great, stirring the hidden heavens and earth, causing anomalies across various star domains and continents. It was impossible to ignore.

Even ordinary people could sense it, let alone the Zhi Zun who had slipped through. The moment Shen Yun Suan Yuan and Xuan Yang started their Shen Fa, they could detect it and pinpoint the location. In the past, they would have launched attacks to turn those two small fries to ash.

But now, it was best to stay put. With a killing god standing guard, they weren't sure if they could eliminate the tribulating ones, but they would certainly be exterminated themselves. Any hint of an opening, and Ye Chen would strike them down.

Their thinking was spot-on.

Ye Chen might look relaxed, drinking casually, but his imperial divine sense was roaming the eight directions. Anyone who dared show themselves would learn what a Sheng Ti Zhi Zun was truly like.

Ruoshui also emerged from the small world, standing beside Ye Chen, occasionally glancing at him.

This glance left her deeply shocked.

Though she stood right next to him, just a foot away, that foot felt like millions of miles. It must be due to Ye Chen's laws of space and time. To approach him, one had to cross both space and time. That short foot might be an insurmountable chasm. Even the strongest force would be useless without overcoming it.

What she saw was merely the tip of the iceberg. There was space and time, of course, but also spacetime and reincarnation—multiple laws intertwined, forming an eternal and indestructible barrier. That single foot was an eternal foot. Facing someone like him in battle, without comprehending the laws, you couldn't harm him at all.

Suddenly, Ruoshui gave a self-mocking smile. As fellow Zhi Zun, compared to Ye Chen, she was no different from a joke.

Zhi Zun varied in strength; reach a certain level of terror, and even other gods were mere ants.

"Senior, can you find my Shiniang?"

After a long while, Ruoshui finally spoke.

"In dreams."

Ye Chen replied lightly. He had tried to divine it before, but it was all a blur, just like with the Meng Mo. Some dreamlike veil obscured it.

From this, it was clear the Meng Mo had constructed a dream realm and dragged Yue Shen into it.

Thus, he couldn't divine their location.

Perhaps they were in the Xian Jie, or maybe the lower realms.

"It's also possible they've returned to Shen Jie." Ruoshui said softly. "The Meng Mo is very elusive."

Ye Chen shook his head with a smile.

He admitted the Meng Mo was elusive, but the path between Xian Jie and Shen Jie was severed. Even he couldn't go to Shen Jie now, let alone the Meng Mo.

There was one method that could work: Meng Hui Qian Gu.

But judging by the Meng Mo's grasp of the dream path, she hadn't mastered it yet. Otherwise, she would have used it to return to Shen Jie long ago.

At the very least, she would have sent the Tian Zi back first.

He should be grateful that the Meng Mo hadn't fully comprehended Meng Hui Qian Gu. If she had, like Ji Ning Shuang, he would have a hard time stopping her.

So, he was waiting—for the Meng Mo to emerge from the dream. In that instant, he could lock onto her position.

Before that, he had to block her in the Xian Jie. No matter what, he couldn't let the Meng Mo take the Tian Zi back to Shen Jie.

As for Yue Shen, he wasn't worried at all. Zhao Yun's wife wasn't just for show.

Ruoshui fell silent, seeing Ye Chen's calm demeanor, likely meaning everything was under control. This little senior was unfathomable; he could surely turn the tide.

She quieted down, but Ye Chen turned his gaze, a cold smile on his lips. There really was a Zhi Zun who didn't fear death and revealed an opening.

"Quite the spot you've chosen."

Ye Chen slowly closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them wide, targeting the Cang Miao—unknowingly millions of miles away—locking onto a blood-robed figure. He wasn't hiding in the void but in a space black hole, and he wasn't staying put; he had to wander around.

Ah!

A scream erupted, echoing through the vast universe, even drowning out the Shen Fa's thunder.

The onlookers were astonished, collectively narrowing their eyes, unsure where the wail came from, only knowing it was utterly harrowing, making their souls shudder.

Uh!

The one hidden in the space black hole was beyond miserable. He had taken a Tian Zhao from Ye Chen and a Tian Zu, his body collapsing instantly, his blood and bones turned to nothingness by the dark flames. His ethereal Yuan Shen was etched with curse runes.

This was the might of a Zhun Huang Di.

Once locked by a Sheng Ti Zhi Zun, doom was inevitable, whether in the starry sky or a black hole.

Ah!

Another scream followed as the blood-robed Zhi Zun was flung from the black hole. His Yuan Shen was too heavy, smashing a star domain to pieces, with waves of destructive aura spreading and colliding with countless stars.

"Come here, nice and cool."

Ye Chen reached out, overturning the laws of space, seizing the blood-robed Zhi Zun from across countless star domains.

Ruoshui had seen this divine ability more than once. The space around Ye Chen, just a foot away, felt like millions of miles. Similarly, millions of miles in the outside world were like a foot to him, snatching a Zhi Zun as easily as taking something from his pocket.

Of course, this required a profound comprehension of the laws. Ye Chen could do it; she could not. That was the difference.