Chapter 3169: Eternal Variable

Puff! Puff!

Divine light exploded, and Ye Chen spat blood as he was flung backward. Zhao Yun fared no better, his newly healed divine bones shattered once again.

Upon seeing this, Wuwang Mozun’s dim eyes ignited with a spark of hope for survival. He turned and fled into the shadows, vanishing from sight. The black divine light had already breached the Yongheng subspace, and once he escaped, he could merge with the Shenxu universe, turning the tide from certain defeat.

“Taishang, you’ve overstepped.”

In the void, cold snorts echoed continuously, coming from a group of Zhigao Shen. They all turned their gazes toward one direction.

Among the Zhigao Shen, there was an agreement: they must not interfere in worldly affairs. This blatant intervention was a direct slap in their faces.

Boom! Rumble!

Due to the Zhigao Shen’s snorts, the entire divine realm, immortal realm, and mortal realm were struck by flashing lightning and thunder. An invisible pressure enveloped the three realms’ universe, forcing even gods to their knees.

“Zhigao Shen?”

Countless gods looked up in awe, gazing at the vast sky. Such terrifying pressure could only come from the Zhigao Shen.

“Damn it.”

Zhao Yun steadied himself with a shake, his eyes flashing with icy Yongheng light. He knew who had struck, a Zhigao Shen who had ignored their sacred pact, not only meddling in Shenxu matters but also injuring him and Ye Chen.

“Your so-called rulers seem to have no shame.”

Ye Chen said lightly, looking up at the sky. He didn't know which Zhigao Shen had intervened, but he knew it was incredibly powerful, not inferior to the Heavenly Court Empress. That single black divine light had truly caught him and Zhao Yun off guard.

In an instant, the two of them retracted their gazes and vanished in a flash, chasing after Wuwang Mozun. They absolutely could not let him escape. Once he merged with the Shenxu universe, they might not be able to defeat him.

What’s more, there were the other gods of Shenxu. If a battle broke out, it would turn into a free-for-all.

“What the hell are the Zhigao Shen up to?”

In Shenxu, many gods stood atop mountains, like supreme beings in the starry sky, staring blankly at the void. They could sense the Zhigao Shen’s anger.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed through Shenxu. The gods shifted their attention from the void to the Senluo Shrine, where the sound originated.

“Save me!”

Before the gods could react, a desperate, frenzied scream rang out—it was Wuwang Mozun’s voice.

Boom!

As soon as the words fell, the majestic shrine, towering like a mountain, exploded in ruins. Bricks, tiles, screens, and pillars scattered everywhere.

Amid the flying debris, a blood-soaked figure stood out starkly—it was Wuwang Mozun, disheveled and unrecognizable, clutching his dim Wuwang divine blade as he staggered in escape.

“This…”

The gods were collectively stunned.

What on earth was happening? He had entered the shrine perfectly fine, so how had he emerged in such a wretched state? Clearly, he had been beaten, and badly at that.

But that shouldn’t be possible!

In Shenxu, Wuwang Mozun could merge with the universe; he was the ruler. Even the four great inheritances had been defeated here. How could he have been beaten?

Had something gone wrong with refining Yongheng? Had Ye Chen and Zhao Yun broken the seal?

“Save me!”

In the gods’ minds, a flurry of thoughts raced, but in the outside world, it was just a moment before Wuwang Mozun’s scream echoed again, a roar from the depths of his soul.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Before the gods could respond, a cold, desolate voice filled the heavens. Though the speaker was unseen, a Yongheng war spear shot out from the void behind, piercing Wuwang Mozun and nailing him to the sky.

Zing!

Then came a Yongheng divine arrow, carrying destructive power, piercing straight through Wuwang Mozun’s skull.

Boom! Bang!

Ye Chen and Zhao Yun charged out, unleashing devastating strikes. Without any surprises, Wuwang Mozun should have been utterly destroyed.

Unfortunately, a surprise did occur.

In that instant, Wuwang Mozun merged with the Shenxu universe. Their devastating attacks had ninety-nine percent of their power neutralized by the Shenxu cosmos, failing to kill him.

“Zhao Yun?”

“Ye Chen?”

The supreme beings of Shenxu finally saw clearly who it was, with Mengmo being the most shocked. She had once entered the shrine and seen Zhao Yun sealed within, knowing full well how formidable that Yongheng seal was—it should have been impossible to break. Now that both were free, she couldn't fathom how they had escaped.

Her doubts and shock were shared by the other gods. The more perceptive elders narrowed their eyes slightly, spotting the clue: the two types of Yongheng intertwined, weaving supreme divine power.

“Schemed against?”

Mengmo murmured, her expression darkening. Only now did she realize that the interweaving of the two Yonghengs held such power. In other words, Ye Chen had allowed himself to be captured—she was the one who had been played.

In a flash of thoughts, no one asked questions, and there was no time to. They all positioned themselves in front of Wuwang Mozun, combining their forces to erect a protective barrier, blocking Ye Chen and Zhao Yun’s second devastating assault.

“Just one instant short.”

Ye Chen clicked his tongue. It wasn’t that their attacks weren’t strong enough; it was that the Shenxu universe was too formidable.

“Damn variable.”

Zhao Yun snorted coldly. They had finally broken the Wuwang divine blade and were about to slay Wuwang, but a Zhigao Shen had interfered. Their earlier strike could have wiped him out, yet he had merged with the universe in an instant.

The two of them had missed the best opportunity. Killing Wuwang Mozun now would likely require going all out.

After all, this was Shenxu.

The forbidden zone’s universe was intact, and with the Shenxu gods aiding him, the chances of killing Wuwang were almost zero.

“Good, very good.”

Wuwang Mozun steadied himself, laughing grotesquely as he pulled out Zhao Yun’s war spear and Ye Chen’s divine arrow from his body.

His form had changed dramatically; his wounds were healing rapidly, and his shattered divine body was restoring to wholeness. His previously weakened aura surged to its peak, fully harmonizing with the Shenxu universe. Every breath he took made the immortal sea surge wildly. Having survived a deadly crisis, he had become Shenxu’s true ruler once more, and even his Wuwang divine blade regained its divine glow.

“Awkward, isn’t it?”

Ye Chen coughed dryly, scanning around, wondering if there was a way to bolt straight out. Shenxu wasn’t like other forbidden zones; a head-on clash here would leave them half-dead, if not worse.

“Awkward.”

Zhao Yun replied, doing the same, glancing left and right.

Under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.

When it’s time to back down, you back down. If this were outside, they’d fight until the heavens collapsed.

As for Shenxu? Better to skip it.

This place wasn’t just full of pitfalls—it was one giant pit.

“At all costs, capture them alive.”

Wuwang Mozun let out a sinister laugh, gripping his Wuwang divine blade and charging straight at Zhao Yun.

Capture them alive—they had to be captured alive.

Earlier, in the Yongheng subspace, he had been driven to madness and cut off his path to becoming a Zhigao Shen.

However, if he captured Ye Chen and Zhao Yun, refined them, and seized their Yongheng, he still had a chance to ascend to that supreme position.

“Capture me?”

Zhao Yun snorted coldly, transforming into a streak of divine light that shot into the nine heavens, like a blazing sun illuminating the world with Yongheng. Perhaps he couldn’t win, but capturing him was just wishful thinking. Did they really think it was still five hundred years ago?

“Kill!”

Wuwang Mozun roared, pursuing relentlessly, his blade dominating the universe and cleaving through the vast sky.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The battle erupted, with destructive phenomena unfolding. The once clear void turned dark in an instant, filled with lightning and thunder. Terrifying light waves streaked across the four seas and eight wastelands. Without the universe’s protection, countless mountains and ancient cities would have crumbled.

“Shenxu’s universe is truly dominant.”

Below, Ye Chen glanced upward at the battlefield. Zhao Yun was actually at a slight disadvantage. After all, Wuwang Mozun wielded a Zhigao Shen artifact and had merged with the Shenxu universe—it was no surprise he held the upper hand.

Ye Chen was certain that if he joined in, he’d fare the same. His combat strength was on par with Zhao Yun’s; if Zhao Yun couldn’t win, neither could he. He knew his limits well.

“Fellow daoist, will you surrender peacefully, or must we make a move?”

An elderly Shenxu god with white hair spoke leisurely, stroking his beard with an air of effortless superiority. He had the right to such confidence; in terms of combat power, he was not inferior to Wuwang Mozun. Living long had its advantages, allowing his dao essence to accumulate and even surpass Wuwang Mozun slightly.

No wonder Shenxu was a forbidden zone—its foundations were profound. Glancing around, there were quite a few gods on par with the white-haired elder.

As for Mengmo, she was merely a second-rate god in Shenxu, which set it apart from the other four supreme inheritances.

“Don’t scare me—I’m not one to mess with.”

Ye Chen replied casually, still scanning his surroundings for weaknesses in the universe. Escaping was the only way out.

“You won’t escape.”

Mengmo sneered maliciously. This wasn’t the outside world; it was her Shenxu, enveloped by the universe, reinforced by divine artifacts, and backed by the gods. Her confidence was sky-high.

“Sis-in-law, let’s not burn bridges. Leave some room for future meetings.”

Ye Chen said while continuing to look for an escape route.

The word “sis-in-law” left the gods bewildered.

The old veterans paused their beard-stroking, staring for a moment before turning to Mengmo with odd expressions: How are you two related?

Mengmo’s demeanor turned utterly ugly, her demonic eyes filled with killing intent and flickering flames.

Clearly, she had been toyed with, right in her own territory and in front of everyone.

Ye Chen’s use of “sis-in-law” was deliberate. He still harbored thoughts of luring Mengmo to the Zhutian realms to pair her with the Emperor. The Emperor had been his first-life brother, so calling her sis-in-law wasn’t wrong. In Zhutian, talents abounded—if the Emperor didn’t work out, there was Xuandi; if not him, Guidi; if not him, Mingdi. The Emperor Dao F4 had options; surely one would catch her eye.

If all else failed, they could just pick someone.

“Seeking death.”

Mengmo snorted coldly, drawing her divine sword and launching the first attack. Her killing intent was blatant, especially toward Ye Chen. Ever since he appeared, nothing had gone her way.

This time, he’d schemed against her again. All of it fueled her desire to eliminate him and quell her resentment.

Ye Chen used Yongheng to vanish in an instant, easily dodging, and reappeared right in the midst of the gods.

“Take him down together!”

The gods roared, surging forward as one.

Then came a resounding dragon roar, deep and resonant, shaking the heavens—it was the Yongheng Eightfold Heavenly Dragons. Eight massive dragons coiled and struck with divine dragon tails, swinging with overwhelming dominance.

The scene was spectacular.

Every god that charged in was sent flying, one after another, crashing through the air.