Chapter 827 + 828: The End of the Heavenly Tribulation

Kill!

Having lost the chance to advance, the Gai Shi Ba Wang were filled with fury. Each of them forcibly condensed their outer path dharma images and stirred up another world-shaking melee in the Lei Hai.

They were truly enraged, furious that they had come so close yet still failed, that their eons of slumber had amounted to nothing but emptiness.

They were unwilling, resentful of the heavens' unfairness and fate's manipulation, which had presented a breakthrough opportunity in such a setting, forcing them to discard their kingly pride for such a pathetic wish.

Kill!

The eight kings had gone mad, venting their rage and resentment by attacking each other.

They didn't even know who their opponents were; they simply unleashed their supreme divine abilities in a frenzy, aiming to slaughter everyone here in a bloodbath and forge a new order from the chains of fate.

Kill!

The eight kings clashed chaotically in the Lei Hai, while their armies battled fiercely outside, shaking the entire world.

In that moment, lives were as cheap as grass. The eight kings fought with unrelenting fury, and their armies showed no quarter, with countless falling into the void in sprays of blood or crashing to the earth, piling up mountains of corpses and rivers of blood that draped a crimson veil over the land.

However, just as the eight kings and their armies were locked in fierce combat, the entire world trembled.

Then, the Lei Hai roared, and the nine emperors' dao principles dissolved into nothingness one after another. The vast sea of thunder vanished into mist before their eyes.

Was it over?

Seeing the Lei Hai dissipate, the allied forces from all sides were filled with hope.

The eight kings and their armies, still in the midst of battle, suddenly halted as the nine emperors' dao principles and the Lei Hai faded. The Ba Huang, in particular, clenched their fists tightly, their eyes filled with unwillingness and anger.

It... it's over!

In the void above, Ye Chen staggered slightly, his white hair fluttering toward the sky, his face etched with exhaustion.

Soon, the thick dark clouds thinned out, and the first rays of sunlight pierced through, gradually restoring clarity to the world and revealing the blood-soaked land and its devastated landscape.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The allied forces quickly moved forward, surrounding Ye Chen to protect him from any sudden attacks by the eight kings.

Go!

Mo Wang Kui Yu Jiang turned abruptly and led the Mo Yu army in withdrawing from this realm.

Following him, Shen Wang Shen Xuan Feng's body began to fade into illusion, and the assassins of the Sha Shou Shen Chao retreated with their god king in an instant.

Next came You Ming Yan Luo Wang and their forces, who departed in the most eerie manner: the armies of the Di Fu, including You Ming Yan Luo Wang himself, transformed into ashes right in the world, their exit truly mysterious.

Hmph!

After them, Yao Wang, Xue Wang, Gui Wang, Shi Hun Wang, and Wu Zhu Wang also withdrew one by one, their faces twisted in ugly grimaces, some even verging on ferocity.

Notably, as the eight kings left, each glanced back at Ye Chen, who was protected in the center by the allied forces. Their eyes held cold intent, mixed with traces of astonishment, killing intent, and wariness.

Whew!

With the eight kings gone, Ye Chen, still in the center of the protection, finally let out a heavy sigh of relief. Even as a quasi-Tian realm expert, he still deeply feared the eight kings.

"One day, I will come to find you."

Zhou Tian Yi smiled faintly and turned to vanish into the void space.

"You don't have to come so soon."

Ye Chen coughed dryly. He knew Zhou Tian Yi was looking for him to go to the Shi Wan Da Shan together, and that was no easy place—if you went in, you might never come out.

"One day, if I have the time, I look forward to battling you."

Xiao Chen stepped forward, his gaze fixed straight on Ye Chen. As the son of the Zhan Wang, he exuded an impressive aura, his intent not hostility but pure battle spirit, for in his eyes, Ye Chen was worthy to be his opponent.

"Good, good, good."

Ye Chen touched his nose, feeling a bit awkward. Though Xiao Chen appeared around the same age, he was from tens of thousands of years ago, and facing such a challenge felt strange to him.

Xiao Chen left, but Long Teng approached directly and reached out for something. "Hand over my father's heavy sword."

Ye Chen was stunned. "What sword?"

"Tian Que."

"Tian Que is Tai Wang's sword?" Ye Chen's expression turned colorful; this was something he hadn't anticipated.

"What do you think?"

"This is quite the coincidence." Ye Chen reluctantly pulled out the Tian Que sword, a fine treasure forged from divine iron, not particularly powerful in attack but incredibly sturdy and defensive.

"What do I do? I hate to part with it."

Ye Chen looked at Long Teng longingly.

"Just give it to me!" As the son of Tai Wang, Long Teng simply snatched it, leaving Ye Chen no time to react. By the time Ye Chen came to his senses, Long Teng had already vanished with the Tian Que on his shoulder.

"It hurts." Ye Chen clutched his chest, regretting that he hadn't played dumb—after all, he had numbers on his side.

"Little friend, don't forget our agreement." Qian Shang Yue smiled lightly and turned to disappear.

"Got it, got it." Ye Chen shook his head.

"One day, I will come for you too." From afar, Da Chu Huang Yan Yao glanced at Ye Chen and vanished into the wind, her cloak billowing dramatically, her presence as the daughter of the Chu Huang truly extraordinary.

"I'm getting old." Di Fan set off, walking away with shaky steps, his back hunched and forlorn.

Glancing at Di Fan, Ye Chen sighed, then turned his gaze finally to Nan Ming Yu Shu.

She still stood in the void, her expression sometimes dull and sometimes lively, strangely eerie. Using his Xian Lun eyes, Ye Chen glimpsed a mystery, just as Zhou Tian Yi had said: Nan Ming Yu Shu was indeed missing a soul, and that soul must still be in the Shi Wan Da Shan.

"One day, I will come to find you."

In the end, Nan Ming Yu Shu spoke, turning to step into the sky. Her voice was beautiful yet slightly dry, lacking some emotional depth.

"You don't have to come."

Ye Chen coughed again. It wouldn't be long before they reunited, as they would enter the Shi Wan Da Shan together to search for traces of past emperors.

Let's go down.

Heng Yue Zhen Ren patted Ye Chen on the shoulder.

Ye Chen said nothing, the playful look on his face fading, as if he understood the meaning behind Heng Yue Zhen Ren's words.

Zheng Yang Zong had been destroyed, Yin Ming Wang was dead, the Yin Ming armies were broken, the eight kings had retreated, and the descendants of the emperors had left, but the matter wasn't finished yet.

Soon, the leaders of Heng Yue, Yan Huang, Qing Yun, Dan Cheng, and the major families had all gathered in the ruins of Zheng Yang Zong's grand hall, including Ji Ning Shuang, Yang Zhen, and many elders who had surrendered from Zheng Yang Zong.

As for those below the hall, over a hundred figures were bound with Xian Tong ropes and sealed in place. Upon closer inspection, they were none other than Cheng Kun and Yin Zhou and their group.

"Any last words?" Ye Chen stood there holding his Sha Jian, his expression cold and impassive, showing no joy or sorrow.

The people sealed before him had been his seniors a year ago, but now they were his prisoners. This scene evoked sighs and reflections on the impermanence of life.

"Did you kill Wu Chang Qing?" Cheng Kun, at the front, spoke up. His hair was disheveled, his face no longer ferocious but eerily calm, like Ye Chen's—unflinching in the face of death, carrying the dignity of a sect leader.

"Yes."

"Was the Three Sects Grand Competition your doing?"

"Yes."

"You also wiped out the two halls of Zheng Yang Zong."

"Yes."

Their exchange was straightforward from start to finish, more like a conversation between old friends than enemies.

It wasn't until sometime later that the silence in the hall was broken by Cheng Kun's laughter toward the sky. He had known all along that Ye Chen was responsible but had deluded himself into wanting confirmation from Ye Chen's own mouth.

Now that he had his answer, he realized how ridiculous he had been.

Nan Chu was vast, Zheng Yang Zong immensely powerful, yet in just one year, it had been overturned by a single disciple with nothing. The entire Nan Chu and the One Hall Three Sects had been manipulated in his palm—this was the caliber, strategy, and vision of a young emperor.

Even so, Cheng Kun laughed wildly and defiantly, using it to mask his mistakes and cling to his remaining pride.

He knew he had been terribly wrong, but as a strong one's pride wouldn't allow him to admit fault or show regret. He was the lord of a sect, once the most powerful in Nan Chu. He could die, but he had to do so with dignity.

"The winner takes all; death is death." Compared to Cheng Kun, Yin Zhou and the Zheng Yang Zong ancestors laughed ferociously. Though sealed, their hair rapidly turned white as they began to dissolve into the dao.

Yet, no one in the hall stopped them. They had lost, and self-destruction might be their best end.

In just over ten seconds, the hundred sealed figures turned to dust in the cold wind.

Each of them had been a Zheng Yang Zong ancestor-level figure, once commanding winds and storms, but in death, they faced it openly. Perhaps from the moment they chose this path, they had seen through it all.

Now, only Cheng Kun remained standing in the hall, his body straight as a stone stele. In his eyes, his spine had never been straighter.

Zheng!

Ye Chen raised his hand and planted the Sha Jian in front of Cheng Kun. "Safe travels."

Without a word, Cheng Kun gently drew the sword from before him, then slowly turned and walked toward the hall's exit. His form was still upright, his steps firm, his long hair swaying, but his back was forlorn.

It wasn't until sometime later that he stopped, standing high and overlooking the ruined Zheng Yang Zong. Once, he had been its ruler, familiar with every hall, mountain, flower, and blade of grass here.

In that instant, his eyes grew hazy, and as death approached, memories of old events surfaced. In his youth, he had been bold and ambitious, with the heart of a strong one and grand aspirations. There had been joys, sorrows, regrets, and unwillingness—all woven into his glorious life.

Suddenly, he laughed, but it was a weary, world-weary laugh. His once upright body hunched slightly, his back even more forlorn.

Zheng!

As the Sha Jian rang out, his figure dissolved into ashes on the wind.

Ah!

Watching the sect leader end this way, the surrendered disciples and elders of Zheng Yang Zong sighed collectively.

Such was war: the winner takes all. It was brutal, but it was reality.

The Three Sects were unified!

Chapter 828: Shun and Live, Defy and Perish

The Three Sects were unified!

With Cheng Kun’s suicide, most people in the hall murmured to themselves.

The members of the Three Sects felt it most deeply. From the split of Da Chu Xuan Zong, it had been thousands of years of endless warfare, with countless heroes dying on the battlefield and this land burying so many valiant souls.

Now, after thousands of years, the Three Sects were unified again, giving people a surreal feeling.

Yet, for some reason, looking at the blood-soaked world, Ye Chen and his victorious allies felt little joy.

War—there were no true winners.

In that instant, the hall, the courtyard outside, and even the entire world fell into a deathly silence.

Zhong Jiang was the first to snap out of it, taking a deep breath as he looked at Ye Chen.
“Next, what do we do? March into Bei Chu?”

Not just him, but the high-ranking members in the hall—from Heng Yue, Yan Huang, Qing Yun, and the various clans’ ancestors—all turned their gazes toward Ye Chen at the same time.

“Though the Three Sects are unified, Nan Chu isn’t yet,” Ye Chen said slowly. “If we’re going to fight, let’s make it complete.”

“Just tell us straight—how do we do it?” Gu San Tong cracked his neck forcefully.

“Shun and live, defy and perish,” Ye Chen spoke, uttering just six simple words.

Shun and live, defy and perish!

Everyone in the hall furrowed their brows, their gazes toward Ye Chen suddenly filled with profound meaning.

Perhaps after enduring so many wars, this young man, who should have been full of vigor, had grown increasingly cold. His policy was one of iron and blood, aiming to unify Nan Chu through ruthless means and end the chaos with a merciless war.

Though this approach was inhumane, no one objected.

It wasn’t that they dared not defy Ye Chen’s orders, but that this chaotic world desperately needed a bloody purge. Since ancient times, every prosperous dynasty had been built on mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, paved with bones.

In the midst of the silence, a divine light shot out from the hall and halted in the void above Zheng Yang Zong, transforming into a massive map.

It was the Jiu Zhou Shen Tu, as majestic as ever, its powerful pressure making it hard to breathe. The patterns etched on it intertwined, revealing a vast world—that of Nan Chu.

At the sight, everyone inhaled sharply, knowing the final battle for Nan Chu’s unification was about to begin.

“Starting from Zheng Yang Zong, Yan Huang and Qing Yun will advance east; Heng Yue and Zheng Yang Zong will advance west; the five great clans—Dong Fang, Xi Men, Nan Gong, Bei Chen, and Ou Yang—will advance south; Dan Cheng, Shang Guan family, Si Tu family, Xiong family, Hei Long Dao, and Pan Long Hai Yu will advance north, sweeping across Nan Chu.” Ye Chen’s words rang out with force and ethereal authority, carrying the majesty of an emperor and the chill of a king, echoing limitlessly through the heavens and earth.

“Understood!”

With the unified shout, Yan Huang and Qing Yun were led by Zhong Jiang; Heng Yue and Zheng Yang Zong by Heng Yue Zhen Ren; the five great clans by Nan Gong Zheng; and Dan Cheng and the others by Dan Chen. They surged forth toward the east, south, west, and north.

If viewed from the sky, the allied armies resembled a black ocean, now splitting into four massive rivers, churning with terrifying waves.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen gently put on his Gui Ming mask.

Ye Chen!

At his side, Chu Ling Er reached out and grasped his hand, knowing full well that this journey would lead him to kill countless more.

“It’s the final battle.” Ye Chen turned and smiled at her, his tone warm, then suddenly stepped into the void. Clad in his Hun Tian battle armor, he looked like a war god ready to conquer the world.

Boom! Boom! Rumble!

Instantly, the land seemed to face an apocalypse, with thunderous roars shaking the heavens and earth, alarming all of Nan Chu.

“What on earth are they doing?” The rogue cultivators hiding in the distance and watching the spectacle paled as they saw the cultivators’ armies surging like an ocean. In front of such forces, they were mere specks of sand.

Shun and live, defy and perish!

Soon, this phrase echoed across all directions, broadcast through divine sound transmission and spreading endlessly throughout Nan Chu.

Shun and live, defy and perish?

Too many people shivered involuntarily upon hearing these six words, realizing what the ocean-like armies intended.

“My fellow daoists, is this bullying through sheer force?” One army was quickly blocked by a massive ancient city, where a gray-haired elder on the city walls glared angrily outward.

“Shun and live, defy and perish,” Ye Chen stepped forward slowly, his voice resounding firmly through the heavens and earth.

“You’re going too far!” The gray-robed elder erupted in fury.

“Kill.” Ye Chen offered no further words, suddenly raising his killing sword and pointing it at the ancient city.

Boom!

The void trembled violently as the tidal wave of cultivators charged toward the ancient city. Its mountain-protecting barrier shattered in less than a second.

The battle was brutal. By the time the cultivators’ army passed through, the ancient city was drenched in fresh blood, littered with corpses and flowing rivers of red, like a living hell that horrified all who saw it.

“You’ll face retribution!” In the blood pool, the gray-robed elder stared at Ye Chen with eyes full of resentment.

“So what?” Ye Chen, covered in blood, replied indifferently, his calm tone sending chills down spines.

Thud!

On the spot, the elder’s head was severed—not by Ye Chen, but by Ji Ning Shuang. She too wore a mask and was drenched in blood, like a merciless female demon.

Ye Chen said nothing, gripping his bloodstained Chi Xiao sword as he charged toward another location.

Behind him, Ji Ning Shuang followed closely, sword in hand.

Perhaps from the moment she donned the mask, she had prepared to share Ye Chen’s burden of eternal infamy. In this war, she had killed many innocents, for she understood that ending the world’s chaos and turbidity required not persuasion through virtue, but the iron blade of slaughter.

The army swept through, leaving no survivors.

After an unknown time, figures finally emerged in the distant void, gazing at the bloody scene. Their faces were all pale.

“This is too ruthless! Has Ye Chen gone mad?” The speakers’ voices trembled.

“Shun and live, defy and perish—clearly not a joke. He’s using brutal methods to unify Nan Chu.”

“We should head back quickly, or our clans might suffer the same fate.”

“Hall Master, our Shi Xue Dian branch in Nan Chu has been destroyed.”

“What?” Shi Xue Yan Luo of Shi Xue Dian shot to his feet in rage, the hall’s atmosphere turning as if it could freeze solid, even the floating air turning to ice shards.

“Ye Chen has gone mad.” The messenger trembled all over. “Nan Chu is now filled with mountains of corpses and seas of blood everywhere.”

“I underestimated him.” Shi Xue Yan Luo clenched his fists with a crack, sucking in a cold breath, but ultimately refrained from ordering an attack.

Though furious, he remained clear-headed, fully aware of the immense power Ye Chen controlled. Sending troops south rashly would only lead to defeat.

Soon, Bei Chu was in an uproar, as Ye Chen’s massive actions and iron-fisted methods made too many people tremble.

Not just Shi Xue Dian—various forces in Bei Chu were watching cautiously. Even a powerhouse like Shi Xue Dian dared not venture south lightly, let alone them. Going would risk total annihilation.

“That guy’s absolutely insane.” In a Bei Chu tavern, Wei Wen Zhuo and his group smacked their lips upon hearing the news.

“Not submitting means death—does he have to be this domineering?”

“His actions feel unfamiliar to me now.” Chen Rong Yun, who usually liked to toss his hair, didn’t do so this time. “If he marches into Bei Chu one day and we don’t submit, will our clans be wiped out too?”

The words silenced the scene, as Ye Chen’s methods instilled a sense of fear in them.

“Princess, what about us?” In the Da Chu imperial clan, Tai Yi Zhen Ren looked at the returning Da Chu Huang Yan, hesitating to speak.

“What are you trying to say?” Da Chu Huang Yan replied flatly. “You were once a veteran who followed my father the emperor. You know better than anyone how he obtained his realm. A unified empire demands sacrifice in blood.”

“I’m just reflecting. The Ye Chen I knew wasn’t like this.” Tai Yi Zhen Ren chuckled and shook his head.

“He’s walking the path of past emperors. This road ensures he bears eternal infamy while claiming glory.” Da Chu Huang Yan murmured softly, then vanished from sight.

“Now that’s what a king should be.” At the border between Nan Chu and Bei Chu, Kui Yu Jiang stood on a mountain peak, watching the flames of war in Nan Chu with interest, his vast demonic eyes flashing with sharp light.

“Wang, perhaps we could ally with the Yao Wang and others to strike back into Nan Chu.” Behind him, a demon general from Mo Yu spoke. “Ye Chen’s growth is too rapid; he’ll be a major threat to Mo Yu in the future.”

“Do you really think we’re the only ones eyeing Nan Chu?” Kui Yu Jiang sighed. “We’re watching Nan Chu, and so are they. The killer divine dynasty is held back by the Da Chu imperial clan; Di Fu by Guang Han Gong; the demon race by Tian Fu Shen Chao; the witchcraft clan by Sheng Dian; the soul-devouring clan by Tian Long Sheng Zong. With *** Wang dead, can Mo Yu and the blood race alone stand against them?”

“It’s… it’s my folly, my lord.”

“What are you thinking about, Xuan Zhen?” On a mountain peak of Hao Tian Shi Jia, Hua Xu quietly watched Hao Tian Xuan Zhen standing there.

“Nothing.” Hao Tian Xuan Zhen gazed south, his expression somewhat pained. As a father, he seemed to understand Ye Chen’s mindset. As a father, he wished his child to bear only glory, and take the eternal infamy upon himself.

“I underestimated him!” In the grand hall of Tian Xuan Men, watching the bloody scenes in Nan Chu on the Huan Tian water curtain, Dong Huang Tai Xin sighed, her beautiful eyes flickering with deep meaning.

“It’s undeniable—the methods are a bit cruel.” At her side, Fu Ya took a sharp breath.

“That’s the harsh law of survival,” Dong Huang Tai Xin replied indifferently. “Which of the nine emperors of Da Chu didn’t follow this path? Iron-fisted methods may be inhumane, but they’re effective. A prosperous dynasty needs the baptism of blood.”