Chapter 913: Ruthless Siege

Boom!

Soon, one side of the virtual sky shattered, revealing a dense crowd of figures that blocked his path. Each one exuded an overwhelming aura, and their faces were twisted with malice.

Upon seeing this, Ye Chen came to an abrupt halt, intending to retreat, but he discovered that a vast army of cultivators was surging in from behind like an ocean, instantly filling the four directions of the virtual sky. Among them, there were three at the Zhun Tian Jing level.

Immediately, Ye Chen's expression turned extremely grave.

With such a lineup, if he were at his peak, he could certainly rout them completely.

But now, not only was he not at his peak, he was also constrained by Liu Ruyan's qin music.

In this situation, escaping was nearly impossible, because he still needed to protect Liu Ruyan fully.

This was a war among cultivators; she was just an ordinary person. Even the slightest disturbance could reduce her to ashes. If she died, he would revert to a state of confusion, and at that point, he wouldn't know how much of his combat strength he could muster—most likely, he'd be like a lamb to the slaughter, given the enemy's massive forces.

"Ye Chen, I never imagined you'd escape from Wuwang Daze." As Ye Chen frowned, an elder in purple robes from the Xue Ling Shijia, at the Zhun Tian Jing level, stepped forward, smirking at him sinisterly.

"The Xue Ling Shijia, truly persistent as ghosts!" Ye Chen snorted coldly. "Such a grand setup—I'm truly flattered."

"The Heavenly Court Holy Lord is too kind." The purple-robed elder sneered mockingly. "Compared to the hundreds of thousands of cultivators in the Panlong Sea Domain, this is just a drop in the ocean. But I hope, young friend, you can enjoy the kill."

"Have you forgotten the pain so quickly?" Ye Chen huffed. "Do you really think this number can stop me?"

"Let's find out." The purple-robed elder bared two rows of white teeth, his eyes flashing with a cold light. With that, his words turned into a command: "Kill them."

Instantly, the experts from all sides attacked—sword rain, palm strikes, blade lights, and killing formations surged forth, overwhelming Ye Chen from every direction.

Tai Xu Long Jin!

Ye Chen unleashed the Tai Xu secret technique, forming a cage to shield himself and Liu Ruyan within it.

Bang! Boom! Bang! Boom!

The onslaught struck the Tai Xu Long Jin cage, shattering its powerful barrier on the spot.

Anyone who blocks me dies!

Ye Chen gripped his Chi Xiao sword and charged toward one side, slashing down a swath of attackers with his blade.

"Still with such formidable strength." The purple-robed elder narrowed his eyes at the sight.

"The key is that woman beside him." A blood-robed elder pondered. "The intel is correct—he's fighting with his hands tied, clearly protecting her."

"In that case, it's straightforward." The purple-robed elder grinned darkly, drawing an ancient great bow and nocking a black long arrow. His target wasn't Ye Chen, but Liu Ruyan.

Zheng!

With a sharp twang, the arrow shot out like a divine beam, wrapped in blood essence and thunder, possessing devastating piercing power.

Pfft!

On Ye Chen's side, he had just slain another group when his expression suddenly sharpened.

In a flash, he spun around, shielding Liu Ruyan behind him.

Pfft!

Golden blood sprayed out as the blood-robed elder's killing arrow pierced his chest, its contained killing intent rampaging through his body.

"Ye Chen." Seeing him wounded, Liu Ruyan paled, her eyes misting with tears.

"I wonder how many arrows you can block." The blood-robed elder sneered, drawing his bow again with even greater terrifying power.

Break!

This time, Ye Chen was prepared, severing the arrow with a sword strike. He then whipped around, sweeping a palm across the virtual sky and turning hundreds of figures into blood mist. Even so, the enemies closing in from all sides were still like a vast ocean.

Die!

The second Zhun Tian Jing blood-robed elder struck, wielding a divine blade and slashing down from the heavens, splitting the virtual sky.

Ye Chen raised his sword abruptly, blocking it forcefully.

Clang!

The clash echoed clearly, sending the blood-robed elder reeling back.

Suppress!

The third Zhun Tian Jing expert, a black-robed elder, activated a blood-colored bronze furnace, bringing it crashing down from above. Before it even landed, swaths of mountains were ground to dust.

Pfft!

Ye Chen spat blood on the spot, staggering under the furnace's weight.

Zheng!

The blood-robed elder's divine arrow fired again, piercing through his back and emerging from his chest—a bloody spectacle.

Get back!

Ye Chen held his Chi Xiao in one hand and the Wu Huang Zhan Mao in the other. He slashed the blood-robed elder away with his sword and swept the spear horizontally, forcing the black-robed and purple-robed elders to grunt and retreat.

But he paid a heavy price for it—over a dozen sword lights struck his body, and dozens of finger strikes pierced his flesh. If not for the domineering physique of his ancient holy body, he would have been obliterated.

Ye Chen!

Liu Ruyan's voice trembled with sobs, her eyes full of tears. If not for protecting her, he wouldn't have to fight so desperately.

Anyone who blocks me dies!

Ye Chen roared to the heavens, his voice like thunder, shaking those with weaker cultivation into blood mist on the spot.

His blood essence burned, and his bloodline power ignited. Even with damaged principles, his combat prowess remained unmatched, like a war god wielding his killing sword and spear, routing the Xue Ling Shijia forces.

"I'd like to see how long you can protect her." The blood-robed elder's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he spat out a blood-colored killing sword, unleashing a world-shaking sword light.

Meanwhile, the black-robed and purple-robed elders also moved—one controlling the blood-colored bronze furnace, the other swinging his divine blade.

Buzz! Buzz!

The sword light and blade light fell simultaneously, with power strong enough to instantly slay a Zhun Tian Jing expert.

Ye Chen lifted his spear, blocking them again!

Clang! Clang!

The sword and blade lights hit the spear in unison, making even Ye Chen stagger.

Die!

The black-robed elder's attack followed, the massive blood-colored bronze furnace buzzing loudly, its every wisp of aura as heavy as a mountain.

Pfft!

Ye Chen was crushed and spat blood, his body half-kneeling on the ground as his holy body cracked, golden blood gushing out. Each drop in Liu Ruyan's eyes was painfully vivid.

Zheng!

In that instant, a cold divine light shot toward Ye Chen's back of the head.

Ye Chen roared, madly burning his origin, but it was too late—that divine light was a fatal strike.

Yet, in the critical moment, a slender figure blocked his back.

Pfft!

The blood was a vivid red, the blood flowers brilliant. Her body was so fragile, pierced instantly by the cold divine light, and as she leaped up, she fell like a drifting leaf.

"Ruyan." Ye Chen shook off the three Zhun Tian Jing experts and spun around, catching the falling Liu Ruyan in his arms.

But the qin music stopped. Even as he held her, her clear eyes were steadily clouding over, pain returning to her face. His gaze turned dull as he stared blankly at Liu Ruyan in his arms.

"Who are you?" His voice was hoarse. Though the woman in his arms felt so unfamiliar, his heart ached as if cut by a knife.

"Ye... Ye Chen." Liu Ruyan smiled, blood surging from her mouth, her smile a tender agony. Her blood-stained jade hand trembled as it rose, shakily reaching for Ye Chen's face.

"After a thousand... a thousand years, will you still... still remember a woman named Liu Ruyan?" Liu Ruyan smiled through her tears, her tears mixed with blood. Her trembling eyes slowly closed in the hazy tearlight, leaving only two trails of tears streaking down her sorrowful face. That blood-stained jade hand ultimately failed to touch Ye Chen's face, slipping lifelessly away.