Chapter 531: Obtaining the Physical Body

When the first person discarded their weapon, it triggered a chain reaction. One by one, the Xuan Huang experts threw down their armor and stepped out of the barrier.

After witnessing that scene, they were utterly disillusioned with their holy master, Zhong Mu. If he was willing to kill his own subordinates, what else could they hope for?

In comparison, Yan Huang and its holy master seemed far more benevolent, showing no resentment and overlooking their past offenses. Weighing their options, anyone with a clear mind would choose not to resist.

As a result, before the battle even began, two-thirds of the Xuan Huang forces had fled the barrier.

"I surrender too!"

From the crowd, a purple-robed elder emerged with the flow of people, only to be seized by Di Huang's holy master, Ye Chen.

This man was no other than Yue Yang, who had fled to Di Huang that day.

Although Ye Chen knew that many in the mix were opportunists fishing in troubled waters, he didn't have time to investigate them all. But he had prior knowledge of Yue Yang and wasn't about to let him slip away.

"I-I'm surrendering," Yue Yang stammered in panic, restrained by Ye Chen.

"Surrender?" Ye Chen sneered. "Back in the Di Huang underground palace that day, you didn't know I was there, did you? I remember every word you said clearly. Letting you live would only invite future trouble."

Hearing this, Yue Yang's face turned pale. He never imagined that Ye Chen had been present that day, which explained why they had fallen into such a massive ambush.

At that thought, Yue Yang gritted his teeth and broke free from Ye Chen's restraint. With a crazed expression, he unleashed a sword of divine light aimed straight at Ye Chen's vital points, his face twisted in a terrifying grimace.

"Even if I die, I won't let you off easy."

But his sword was shattered in an instant by a palm strike from someone who charged out beside Ye Chen.

This person was the burly man from Yan Huang named Yan Shan, radiating overwhelming aura and surging vital energy. He swung his massive axe, cleaving the sky in two. Yue Yang was split in half on the spot, not even managing a scream.

Boom! Rumble!

On another front, Di Huang's holy master, Zhong Li, had already charged at another Quasi-Tian Jing expert from Xuan Huang—the white-clothed youth. Though he appeared young, he was actually an old-timer who had lived for several hundred years.

To be precise, he wasn't part of Xuan Huang; he was an external aid invited by Zhong Mu.

"Zhong Li, my friend, we have no grudge between us. Must we fight to the death?" the white-clothed youth said as he dodged Zhong Li's attacks.

"Ji Zhong, no matter how you hide, you can't escape my Tong Tian Eye." Zhong Li snorted coldly, as if he could see through the youth's true form. From his words, it was clear there was bad blood between them from the past.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand." Ji Zhong huffed and continued to evade.

"A hundred years ago, you killed my disciple and destroyed my branch hall. Did you think I wouldn't know?" Zhong Li roared, summoning a river of stars with a wave of his hand. His attacks grew even fiercer, leaving Ji Zhong no chance to counter.

Upon hearing this, Ji Zhong's face darkened completely. He hadn't expected his carefully hidden identity to be exposed by Zhong Li.

Originally, he had been brought in as reinforcements by Zhong Mu, hoping to gain some benefits from the war against Yan Huang. But now, with this sudden turn of events, they were ambushed before even reaching their target, and his identity was revealed. In such a dire situation, he could already sense the approach of death.

With that in mind, Ji Zhong stopped fleeing and unleashed his powerful Shen Tong, engaging Zhong Li in a fierce battle high in the void. Since his identity was out, there was no point to hiding anymore.

Ji Zhong's only thought now was to break out at any cost; otherwise, his centuries of cultivation would all be lost here.

Boom! Rumble!

The battle was brutal, with groups of figures exploding into blood mist.

On one side, Hong Chen Xue had Zhong Mu pinned down in the sky.

On another, the Su family ancestor and Zhong Jiang led their forces in a rampage against the Shi Xue Dian army.

Meanwhile, the Xuan Huang side had mostly surrendered.

With such an overwhelming advantage, Yan Huang held absolute dominance, and victory was only a matter of time.

In the void, Ye Chen scanned the various battlefields before turning his gaze to the empty space beside him. He looked at Gu San Tong, who was crouched inside, and grumbled, "I didn't bring you here just to watch. Do you still want to borrow the Tian Lei?"

"What's the rush?" Gu San Tong shot back. "I'm waiting for the perfect moment to deliver an absolute kill. You get that?"

"Then make sure you don't damage their physical bodies."

"I handle my business; don't worry."

Hearing that, Ye Chen finally relaxed.

In the end, what he cared about most was the Quasi-Tian Jing physical bodies. He was quite fond of those Yin Ming dead generals and saw them as essential forces for when he returned to fight in Da Chu's southern regions.

Soon after, the barrier trapping the Shi Xue Dian army was forcibly breached by Xue Tu, creating a large gap. He shot out like a beam of divine light.

Seeing this, Gu San Tong, who had been hidden in the void, darted out in an instant.

Buzz!

Ye Chen heard a piercing hum and saw the rusty iron sword in Gu San Tong's hand. Though it looked shabby, it exuded an extraordinary terror that even made Ye Chen's eyes burn with excitement.

Thud!

In the void, blood sprayed as Xue Tu, who had just burst out, was struck by Gu San Tong's sudden sword, leaving him mangled with blood and bones.

Another Quasi-Tian Jing expert?

Xue Tu's expression turned grave; he could clearly feel the terrifying power of Gu San Tong's sword. If he hadn't dodged in time, he would have been obliterated on the spot.

Even so, his fate was sealed.

"Shen Ji!"

With a light shout from Gu San Tong, he transformed into a dazzling divine ray and instantly closed in on Xue Tu. His domineering sword strike demolished everything in its path, piercing straight through Xue Tu's body.

This sword was a soul attack, directly shattering Xue Tu's soul into fragments.

A Quasi-Tian Jing expert was killed outright. Even in death, he was filled with resentment, never expecting to be slain so decisively by a peer of the same level.

"Not bad for Du Gu Ao's senior brother—such a dominant sword," Ye Chen thought, watching in shock. He hadn't realized Gu San Tong was this powerful. If it were him in that position, he probably couldn't have evaded it either.

Everything happened in a flash, and even with his Xian Lun Eye, Ye Chen couldn't decipher the intricacies, let alone replicate the Shen Tong.

"Here, catch." As Ye Chen marveled, Gu San Tong tossed Xue Tu's physical body over.

"Got it!" Ye Chen's eyes lit up as he swiftly stored the body in his storage bag. His spirits soared; he could hardly contain his eagerness to return and refine a Yin Ming dead general.

On the other side, after slaying Xue Tu with one sword, Gu San Tong vanished back into the void, ready to strike again at the right moment.

Bang! Boom!

Because Xue Tu had opened a gap in the barrier earlier, the Shi Xue Dian experts poured their strength into completely shattering it.

But this changed nothing. The Yan Huang forces, already poised for action, surged forward like a tidal wave, engulfing the Shi Xue Dian army. The one-sided battle offered no surprises, even with the barrier broken.

Moreover, the Shi Xue Dian troops had no desire to fight on.

With their ancestor Xue Tu killed in a single strike, what chance did they have? All they could think of was fleeing desperately.