Chapter 818: The Peerless King

"How is this possible? Why did Xuan Wang entering also draw out another set of Da Chu Jiu Huang?"

"That's Ye Chen's heavenly tribulation thunder sea. Xuan Wang recklessly charged in, so he naturally triggered the tribulation himself," Gu San Tong said leisurely.

"That doesn't make sense!" Su Jia Laozu said, looking puzzled. "We're all within the range of Ye Chen's heavenly tribulation thunder sea, so why aren't we being struck by lightning?"

"The key is the Da Chu Jiu Huang," Zhong Jiang said, taking a deep breath and pondering. "This heavenly tribulation might be different from those in the past. Only those inside the thunder sea will involuntarily face the tribulation. Xuan Wang was outside the thunder sea before, so the lightning didn't strike him, but it's a different story now that he's charged in."

"That's also why he drew the Da Chu Jiu Huang," Zhuge Laotou said slowly. "Whatever tribulation Ye Chen is undergoing, Xuan Wang will face the same. The difference is that the Da Chu Jiu Huang Ye Chen is fighting and the one Xuan Wang is about to face are at different levels of strength."

Amid the discussions, Dao Huang and Du Gu Ao, who had been pursuing Xuan Wang, also charged into the thunder sea.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderclap echoed through the sky, and the heavenly tribulation thunder sea expanded more than four times in an instant.

Soon, at the points where the thunder sea met the pitch-black clouds in the east, south, west, and north, figures appeared—nine in each direction, forming neat rows, all Da Chu Jiu Huang.

Seeing this, the four frowned deeply.

Retreat!

Dao Huang abruptly turned and exited the heavenly tribulation thunder sea at the first opportunity.

Buzz!

As soon as they retreated, the thunder sea shrank to less than a quarter of its size, and the four sets of Da Chu Jiu Huang that had just emerged vanished abruptly as they moved.

"Entering Ye Chen's heavenly tribulation thunder sea will involuntarily trigger the tribulation," Du Gu Ao murmured, identifying the key issue.

"What a strange heavenly tribulation," Xiao Chen said, furrowing his brow. He couldn't help glancing at the two war kings in the thunder sea—they were his father, and he never imagined they would meet again in such a scene. However, while he recognized his father, the war king did not recognize him.

"Xuan Wang is still in the heavenly tribulation thunder sea," Tian Zong Laozu said thoughtfully. "If he attacks Ye Chen, Ye Chen won't be able to defend himself."

"Xuan Wang is held back by the Da Chu Jiu Huang. No matter how strong he is, he can't overcome them," Dao Huang said, taking a deep breath. "We can't go in anymore. Ye Chen's heavenly tribulation is too bizarre. Rushing in might make his situation even worse."

Good! Excellent!

As the four discussed, Xuan Wang's laughter rang through the sky. He gazed at the Da Chu Jiu Huang opposite him, laughing wildly and excitedly.

Kill!

With a thunderous roar, Xuan Wang stepped forward and charged, but not toward Ye Chen—toward the newly appeared Da Chu Jiu Huang.

In that instant, not only Dao Huang and the others, but everyone on the battlefield, including Ye Chen in the thunder sea, felt a deep respect for Xuan Wang.

Xuan Wang, the peerless king! In the past, he had vied with Zhan Wang for supremacy and once forced the Tongtian Zhan Wang to flee to the remote borders of Da Chu. Such a supreme powerhouse had his own pride. He considered himself unbeatable in the world. His defeat by Zhan Wang had left a permanent regret. Now, facing his old enemy and the successive emperors of Da Chu, he wanted to fight with all his might and slay the nine emperors in front of everyone.

At that moment, everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the thunder sea without exception.

Under the watchful gaze of all, the Da Chu Jiu Huang moved simultaneously.

Buzz!

The Jiuzhou Divine Diagram trembled and unleashed a world-shaking divine light, but Xuan Wang swept it away with a palm, clashing with Xuan Huang from a distance. Then, he flipped his hand to punch back Tian Zang Huang, and gripping his divine sword, he slashed back Tai Wang.

Damn!

Seeing this scene, whether it was Ye Chen in the thunder sea or everyone on the bloody battlefield, they were all shocked.

Xuan Wang's strength far exceeded their expectations. In their first clash, he overpowered four of the Da Chu Jiu Huang. Such a feat was absolutely heaven-defying.

"Is this the pride of a true powerhouse?" Ye Chen, who was being brutally beaten by the nine emperors, couldn't help but feel awe as he watched Xuan Wang take on another set of nine emperors alone.

"I can't deny that," Tai Xu Gu Long said leisurely. "But he probably has another purpose."

"Another purpose?" Ye Chen asked while desperately dodging the nine emperors' overwhelming attacks.

"If I'm not mistaken, Xuan Wang is seeking a breakthrough to the heavenly realm," Tai Xu Gu Long said slowly. "His cultivation was at the quasi-heaven peak during the Zhan Wang era, infinitely close to the heavenly realm, but he was suppressed by Zhan Wang's dao imprint, preventing him from taking that step even until today, after ten thousand years."

"You think I'm just sitting around twiddling my thumbs? Can you get to the point?" Ye Chen couldn't help but curse, struggling to fight back against the Da Chu Jiu Huang without a moment's carelessness. His sacred body nearly cracked several times.

"What I mean is, he's seeking nirvana through life and death. To put it more bluntly, he's using the pressure from the nine emperors to force himself to advance to the heavenly realm. If he crosses that threshold, he'll become an emperor. If not, he'll be reduced to ashes. In the end, he's gambling. Do you understand now?"

"I see." A flash of shock crossed Ye Chen's eyes. He stole a glance at Xuan Wang, his awe mixed with a hint of sorrow.

Xuan Wang, a powerhouse who could pierce the heavens and earth, had clung to life for ten thousand years. Was it really this world he desired?

No, it wasn't! He was unwilling to accept it.

For that, he no longer cared about the outcome of the war and was willing to gamble with his life. He seemed to have grown weary of the vicissitudes of time. Even if he failed, he wanted to end brilliantly in ultimate sublimation, for he was a king—a peerless Xuan Wang.

The cruelty of the cultivator's path and the long passage of time might have eroded one's emotions, but the pursuit of supreme strength remained eternal. That was the pride of the strong, as well as their hatred and unwillingness toward the world.

In that instant, Ye Chen's state of mind sublimated, filled with awe and sorrow for Xuan Wang, and disgust and anger toward the world.

Perhaps, in a hundred years, he would be like Xuan Wang, choosing to seal himself for the sake of that ultimate cultivation.

By then, after a thousand years or even ten thousand years, he might become an emotionless, cold-blooded person, casting aside everything for his own unwillingness, living like a dog in this turbid world.

Boom!

As Ye Chen pondered, the peerless Xuan Wang was wounded. He was sent flying by a halberd from Zhan Wang and, before he could land, was struck by Yue Huang's Fumo Heavenly Umbrella divine light. His purple-gold robe exploded on the spot, and his body was sent scattering blood and bones.

Bang!

Perhaps because Xuan Wang's body was too heavy, the thunder sea shook violently when he hit the ground.

However, before he could steady himself, Yan Huang arrived. The divine monument loomed overhead, instantly growing massive and slamming him into a stagger.

"Break for me!"

Xuan Wang roared to the sky, forcibly shouldering the Yan Huang divine monument.

Dong! Dong!

But Dong Huang's arrival forced him down again as he tried to rise. The Dong Huang Bell's divine might was overwhelming, pressing him to his knees on the ground, his powerful body cracking as fresh blood spurted out.

Zheng!

With the divine sword's ring, Chu Huang's attack came—a domineering sword strike with destructive piercing force, aimed straight at Xuan Wang's brow. Chu Huang had no thoughts and thus no mercy; his only goal was to kill Xuan Wang.