Chapter 920: Three Years Ago, Three Years Later

"Ah!"

In the vast, empty sky, Xue Ling Laozu’s terrified roars echoed.

He was like a frightened child, his spirit broken, stumbling and fleeing desperately.

Behind him, Ye Chen followed slowly, his killing sword in hand.

And behind Ye Chen, a massive crowd of spectators surged forward. Even though they knew Xue Ling Laozu’s fate, they couldn’t resist chasing after him to watch.

Further back were Tai Xu Gu Long and Dao Huang and their companions.

They wanted Ye Chen to quickly finish off Xue Ling Laozu and end the slaughter, because this was Bei Chu, riddled with dangers, and Ye Chen’s reckless actions could replay the scene from three years ago at Pan Long Hai Yu.

Ahead, as Xue Ling Laozu fled, a purple-robed elder appeared – a reclusive master, a genuine Zhun Tian Jing expert.

“Young friend, the Xue Ling family has paid a heavy price for this. Please give this old one some face and spare him!”

Ye Chen didn’t reply; his pace didn’t slow as he suddenly swung his killing sword.

Pfft!

The purple-robed elder was sent flying on the spot.

Buzz!

As he came to a stop, a black war spear pierced him, nailing him to the empty sky.

Hiss!

Witnessing this gruesome scene, everyone gasped. That was too straightforward! A Zhun Tian Jing expert, taken down in mere moments?

One could say the purple-robed elder must have lost his mind.

In this situation, with the Xue Ling family wiped out except for Xue Ling Laozu, it was a fight to the death, and yet you stepped in to plead? Were you just bored?

It wasn’t just him – many others had thoughts of intervening or at least retreating.

But seeing the elder nailed in place, those ready to plead for Xue Ling Laozu wisely held back. It was a stark warning; if you wanted to be next, feel free to step up.

Boom! Rumble!

Soon, in the direction Xue Ling Laozu had fled, a massive disturbance erupted.

Gazing into the distance, the entire empty sky collapsed as a sea of blood rolled in, carrying countless figures and radiating overwhelming killing intent.

People of the Xue Zu?

Someone exclaimed in surprise, spotting the fierce war flag of the Xue Zu.

Old ancestor, save me!

Amid the exclamations, Xue Ling Laozu roared madly, burning his essence and diving into the sea of blood for refuge.

“Old... old ancestor?”

The spectators were stunned.

Not just them – the elderly Zhuge and his group, quietly trailing behind, were also taken aback, scratching their heads. “The old ancestor Xue Ling Laozu mentioned – could it be the Xue Wang?”

“The Xue Ling family and the Xue Zu share deep roots, or rather, in ancient times, they were from the same lineage, much like Shi Xue Dian and Shi Hun Zu.”

Tai Xu Gu Long said casually.

“So there are such secrets.”

“The Xue Zu army has arrived; Xue Ling Laozu’s life isn’t fated to end yet!”

The spectators’ discussions continued.

“Not necessarily.” Someone stroked his chin. “Didn’t you see the Xue Zun of Shi Xue Dian three years ago? The Jiu Dian army of Shi Xue Dian, with hundreds of thousands of cultivators, was still forcefully slain by Ye Chen. The situation now is strikingly similar; Ye Chen’s power has grown even stronger than three years ago. Forcibly killing Xue Ling Laozu isn’t impossible.”

“Young master, let’s go to war!”

On the Xu Wu side, a gray-robed elder looked at Xiao Chen beside him, clad in armor.

The emperor descendants were restraining the various kings of generations. Their Jiu Tian Zhan Long Zong was meant to hold back the Yin Ming Sheng Yu of the Ming Wang, but with the Ming Wang dead and Yin Ming Sheng Yu destroyed, their focus had shifted to the Xue Zu.

For a long time, they had operated this way – if the Xue Zu moved, Jiu Tian Zhan Long Zong followed, like inseparable shadows.

Xiao Chen didn’t speak but scanned the other regions of the heavens. The seemingly calm four directions of the empty sky were roiling with hidden undercurrents, with cultivator armies concealed within – from other emperor descendants and the various kings’ forces.

They were mutually restraining one another; the kings’ armies watched Ye Chen, while the emperor descendants’ armies watched them.

Both sides maintained a strange balance, clashing only in secret.

This was a tacit understanding – since they restrained each other, without absolute dominance, no one would start a war, knowing it would lead to mutual destruction with no clear victor.

“Young master, fight! It was the Xue Zu that first shattered this balance.”

The gray-robed elder spoke again.

“With his power, he could have killed Xue Ling Laozu ages ago, yet he let him escape into the Xue Zu army. Have you considered why?”

Xiao Chen said lightly.

“I am too dull to see it.”

“He is transforming.” Xiao Chen’s gaze was sharp. “He likely knew the Xue Zu army would come, or rather, he’s waiting for them. He needs this slaughter to complete the transformation.”

“But this is too risky.” The gray-robed elder’s heart raced. “The Xue Zu army has hundreds of thousands of cultivators; one misstep, and Ye Chen could be lost among them.”

“Three years ago, he could do it; three years later, he can too.” Xiao Chen’s tone was even. “He walks the emperor’s path; among Da Chu’s nine emperors, which one didn’t carve their way out over mountains of corpses and seas of blood?”

“Virtual sky killing array, target him – bombard him for me!”

As soon as Xiao Chen finished, a roar erupted from the Xue Zu army.

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Instantly, the nine directions of the empty sky rumbled as nine virtual sky killing arrays and hundreds of absolute killing formations activated, unleashing world-ending power. If this strike landed, it could obliterate an emperor on the spot.

Yet, for the virtual sky killing arrays and absolute killing formations to devastate, they first had to hit their mark.

Ye Chen had already moved, taking a step that shrank the ground to an inch, instantly plunging into the Xue Zu army, swinging his sword in a wide arc before vanishing again. He reappeared thousands of feet away, swinging once more.

This display made the Xue Zu divine general’s blood surge.

Now, he understood why the vast Xue Ling family had been slaughtered so thoroughly – with just this movement technique, the killing arrays struggled to land a hit, and only those arrays could truly threaten Ye Chen.

“Kill!”

The Xue Zu divine general suddenly thrust his sword, pointing at Ye Chen as his roar shook the heavens and earth.

The Xue Zu army surged like a vast ocean, covering everything – divine abilities, spiritual tools, array diagrams – all crashing toward Ye Chen at once.

But Ye Chen vanished again.

Pfft!

When he reappeared, over a hundred Xue Zu experts had dissolved into blood mist beneath the demonic sword.

What followed was an exceptionally bloody scene.

Ye Chen moved like a ghost, his path erratic and mysterious; each appearance meant swaths of enemies fell. Amid the hundreds of thousands of cultivators, he rampaged unchecked.

This left the Xue Zu divine general powerless, with the sky full of killing arrays yet accomplishing nothing.

“Senior, is the technique Ye Chen is using spatial teleportation?”

The young cultivators turned to the elder cultivators beside them.

“It’s a spatial secret technique, but not spatial teleportation.” The elder cultivator took a deep breath, shock in his eyes. “Even spatial great shift couldn’t cover that distance in one step. With such a heaven-defying ability, it’s no wonder he dares to charge into an army of hundreds of thousands.”

“Activated the bloodline limit, and this shrinking the ground to an inch has been elevated too. Is it really that incredible?”

On one side of the empty sky, Tai Xu Gu Long sighed.

“Ye Chen, how many more people must you kill for her sake?”

Watching Ye Chen’s rampage, Chu Ling Er murmured.

“Your killing – is it for your dao, or for your feelings?”

Chu Xuan Er murmured as well, her beautiful eyes growing hazy.

In that moment, whether Chu Ling Er or she, amid their heartache, felt an inexplicable twinge of bitterness. Was it jealousy or sorrow, envy or grief?

“If in the future, we die because of you, will you become a demon like this, carving out mountains of corpses and seas of blood?”