Chapter 3213: Saintly Demon Meat Shield

Boom! Bang!

The two Huang Di unleashed their most powerful attacks, capable of destroying heaven and earth. As their expressions indicated, this attack was destined to shatter the barrier. Not only the gathered emperors but also Ye Chen believed this.

"All living beings are but ants."

Seeing the Sheng Mo acting up again, laughing wildly without restraint, and with the barrier already showing cracks, the two Huang Di saw no reason not to break through. Once the barrier shattered, the era would be destroyed, and relying on a single Zhun Huang Dacheng wouldn't withstand the assaults of two Huang Di-level forces.

"How to turn the tide?"

The faces of all living beings turned deathly pale, including the emperors and the Nu Di. They couldn't imagine what method Ye Chen could use to reverse the situation, especially considering he was only at the Zhun Huang Dacheng level. Even the Nu Di at her peak might not achieve it, let alone him.

However, the sacred body possessed great divine power, capable of turning a single thought into eternity.

He reached into the Taigu Honghuang with one hand, seizing the sealed Sheng Mo along with the sealed altar, and hurled them into the barrier's crack. His intention was clear: to use the Sheng Mo as a shield.

That entity was not only the core of the barrier but also a genuine Huang Di.

In essence, he was gambling.

What was he betting on? That the Sheng Mo could withstand the attacks of the two Huang Di without dying.

If it held up, it would buy him time to heal the cracks.

If it failed, it would be destroyed on the spot.

In that case, the force restraining the Heavenly Dao, as well as the barrier's central core, would vanish completely, making it no different from the barrier being breached.

This was a last-ditch effort with no other options.

When pushed to the brink, people could do anything.

"Damn it."

This furious roar came from the depths of the Sheng Mo's soul. It knew what Ye Chen intended—to drag it out not for a leisurely stroll, but to serve as a shield.

Enduring the peak strikes of two Huang Di, the outcome was predictable.

In an instant, eternity froze and dissipated as the two Huang Di's attacks arrived right on time.

Blood sprayed everywhere, unleashing countless laws.

The Sheng Mo Huang Di was in utter misery, struck by a palm from the Tian Mo Huang Di and a fist from the E Mo Huang Di. One palm obliterated its physical body, and one fist nearly destroyed its primordial spirit.

It had to be said, the two Huang Di were incredibly formidable.

Their peak strikes nearly reduced the Sheng Mo to ashes.

In fact, they were more than happy to do so.

Although the Sheng Mo was sealed, its existence was significant—it served as the barrier's core and restrained the Heavenly Dao's power. Destroying it would solve everything once and for all.

Destroying it would be ideal.

But the trouble was, they hadn't destroyed it completely—it was left half-dead, which was the most frustrating outcome.

Boom! Rumble!

The void rumbled ominously, likely the Heavenly Dao wailing in agony. The Sheng Mo had nearly been destroyed, so it was affected as well, since they were connected.

Seal!

Ye Chen shouted, shaking the universe. Using the fate of all living beings as a needle and the immortal Dao as thread, in that eternal instant, he forcibly sealed the barrier's cracks. In the same moment, he dragged the Sheng Mo back and returned it to the Taigu Honghuang, as if to say: The job's done—go back where you came from.

All of this was accomplished in a flash.

He had won the bet, successfully healing the cracks and restoring the barrier to its original state.

"What great resolve."

The emperors stared in astonishment, even the Nu Di's lips parted slightly in surprise. This gamble was beyond shocking.

"Damn it."

The two Huang Di roared in anger, underestimating Ye Chen—they never expected such a move.

But it wasn't over yet.

Although the barrier was healed, their attacks hadn't stopped, because the Sheng Mo was nearly dead, weakening the barrier's defenses indefinitely. With a bit more effort, they might still break through.

Condense!

Ye Chen issued a cold command, reshaping the Sheng Mo's primordial spirit and sacred demonic emperor body from across the void. The frail barrier returned to its peak strength.

At that, the two Huang Di fell silent—one with a ferocious expression, the other with a violent demeanor. With the Sheng Mo restored to its true form, the barrier was whole again, and they couldn't break it. If they could have, they would have done so already.

It was awkward, truly awkward.

Just a moment ago, they had vowed: If we can't break it, we'll take your surname.

Now, their faces were slapped hard.

Once, there was a Ming Di named Ye.

Now, there were two more Huang Di with the surname Ye—they had no choice but to accept it.

Only then did the universe fall into tranquility.

Pfft!

Ye Chen spat blood and staggered, nearly falling from the void. He wasn't unharmed.

The injury came from the aftermath of the universe's explosion.

Without his eternal immortality, he would have been reduced to ashes in an instant. It was just that the backlash was too strong this time—he alone bore over ninety percent of it.

Pfft! Pfft!

As the sacred body was injured, so were all connected to it. Di Huang and Hong Yan, who had only recently awakened after a few days, fell back into slumber. Because of their link to the sacred body, fortune and calamity were shared. Ye Chen's transformation meant their rebirth; his disaster meant their suffering too.

The catastrophe came quickly and left just as fast.

But everyone knew that instant had decided life and death.

Ah!

The most infuriated was the Sheng Mo, roaring and howling in the Taigu Honghuang. It never imagined Ye Chen would drag it out as a meat shield.

Its life had been so legendary.

As the Heavenly Dao's executor and the strongest among the three Huang Di, it first fell to the Tian Ting Nu Di, was sealed for an era, restrained the Heavenly Dao, and became the barrier's core.

Now, it was used as a shield.

And on top of that, there were always people dropping by every few days to... well, you know.

This experience would even make the Heavenly Dao sigh in disbelief.

Of course, it had no one to blame but itself for being so arrogant and bringing this upon itself.

"Sacred body!"

Cheers erupted in the starry sky, the convergence of all beings' beliefs.

"The fate of the heavens endures forever."

Ye Chen smiled faintly and quietly withdrew, stepping onto the Taigu Road.

No one knew how much blood he coughed up on that road.

No one knew the price he paid to resolve the catastrophe.

His silhouette remained as desolate as ever.

His immortal eternity dimmed inch by inch, fully countering the terrifying destruction within his body. He didn't want the world to see his vulnerability, like a defeated lion seeking a secluded spot to lick its wounds in secret.

A gentle breeze blew, and he collapsed.

The Nu Di arrived, catching him the moment he fell.

Pfft!

Perhaps because they were so close, the destruction on Ye Chen's body affected the Nu Di, nearly crushing her emperor form. This showed just how severe his injuries were.

They didn't return but found an ancient city.

The Taigu Road had no moon, but that night, the hazy sky reflected a full moon, its pure moonlight adding a dreamlike hue to the ancient city.

Under an old tree, the Nu Di laid Ye Chen down.

The sacred body was unconscious, the lingering destruction tormenting him relentlessly. Even the Nu Di's eternity couldn't dispel it—perhaps her eternity had flaws, no longer able to match universe-level destruction.

Buzz! Buzz!

Ye Chen's sacred body trembled, and compared to the Nu Di, his eternity was complete, striving to hold on. Though the destruction was fearsome, eternal immortality wasn't just for show.

Recovery was only a matter of time.

The Nu Di didn't leave. She took out a block of wood and a carving knife, meticulously carving Ye Chen's likeness—one stroke at a time. It was unclear if it was her carving or Chu Xuan and Chu Ling.

Hmm!

At some point, Ye Chen let out a soft groan, likely having a nightmare.

A Zhun Huang Dacheng sacred body like him shouldn't dream anymore.

Yet now, he had fallen into a dream.

In the haze, he seemed to see a chaotic void where a child with a "Xing" character on its forehead was playing, laughing with a childish, crisp voice.

No mistake—it was the unknown child.

Besides it, there was an ancient, ethereal figure, like a fairy in a dream, untouched by the mortal world, free from earthly dust. She resembled the Tian Ting Nu Di exactly—or rather, she was the Tian Ting Nu Di, with the same radiant eternity and unparalleled elegance.

Hmm!

Ye Chen groaned again, his brows furrowed in distress even in sleep. The mighty Zhun Huang Dacheng couldn't distinguish reality from illusion, lost in a daze without clarity.

"Ye Chen?"

The Nu Di paused, softly calling out.

Unfortunately, there was no response.

She understood the path of dreams. Following a gentle breeze, she entered Ye Chen's dream.

Strangely, his dream was a blank void.

She didn't force it—perhaps her eternity was damaged, making it impossible to peer into Ye Chen's dreams anymore, not even finding a trace.

Under the moon, her beautiful eyes grew misty.

In her gaze, the moonlit Ye Chen seemed to gain a mysterious aura.

This mystery made her feel unfamiliar.

"Was he really Ye Chen?"

This odd question echoed in her wandering thoughts repeatedly.

The first life's emperor, the ninth life's Ye Chen.

Yet, from Ye Chen, she seemed to glimpse another, even more mysterious identity—a hint of eternity not belonging to the heavens, faintly emerging.

Ye Chen's dream finally ended.

It took three full days for him to awaken from his slumber, his injuries mostly healed.

After a long while, he turned his head and gazed at the Nu Di.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the Nu Di whispered, continuing to carve the wooden figure.

"You're beautiful."

Ye Chen replied casually, slowly closing his eyes. In that instant, his eyes narrowed slightly, with a meaningful glint, as if deep in thought.

"Ten thousand years ago, did you ever see the child with the Xing character?"

He spoke again, his tone as profound as his gaze.

"Which era are you referring to?" the Nu Di lightly parted her lips and asked softly.

"The previous epoch."

"I've never seen it."

Their simple exchange fell into silence.

Ye Chen rose to his feet and tilted his head back, quietly gazing at the vast sky.

He believed the Nu Di's words.

What he didn't believe was the so-called unknown. The universe had flaws, undoubtedly linked to the child with the Xing character. Perhaps this once-complete universe had been made incomplete by it, including time, space, rules, and the very fabric of reality.

And the universe's explosions.

How many days had passed? Why were they so frequent? Was it the child with the Xing character or the Yongheng Xianyu? What secrets lay between the universe and eternity?

"Ten thousand years ago, were you also eternal?"

The Nu Di suddenly asked, shifting the silence as she questioned Ye Chen.

"What do you mean?" Ye Chen turned his head.

"Nothing." The Nu Di stood up, brushed off the wood shavings, and gradually walked away.

Ye Chen followed, hands clasped behind his back, pondering to himself.

On the return journey, he occasionally glanced sideways, wondering if there were any crooked-neck trees.

Hanging the Nu Di on a tree.

That was his long-held wish.

If the Di Dao F4 were here, they'd surely roll their eyes collectively.

Who skips the bed to hang on a tree?