ISWI Chapter 778-785 (Patreon)

To avoid keeping you in suspense, I’ve decided to release all the chapters I have right now. Because of that, I’ll need some time to build up a new stockpile of chapters again.

The next update will be in three days.

Chapter 778: Trust the Holy Master!

Yet a trace of worry soon clouded Yao Yuezhi's delicate face.

"I'm afraid the myriad races, driven by shame and rage, might resort to underhanded tactics. Though they can't stray too far from their realm when targeting young prodigies, the methods of top-tier great powers are endlessly varied. As long as they erase all traces afterward, it might never be uncovered. And Brother, your guardians may struggle to withstand them!"

Ye Chen laughed at her words. "Don't worry. Long ago, I informed our Holy Master about this. I'm sure he's prepared everything!"

Indeed, ever since Feng Youhuang's fall—when everyone had eyed him like a walking gold mine—he had contacted Feng Baiyu. Leaving such matters to his own Holy Master filled Ye Chen with complete confidence.

"Brother, I'll wait for your return!"

"Scoundrel, Ruyu might come back in the next year or two. Remember to come find me..."

Seeing his unwavering assurance, Yao Yuezhi and Yan Wenwen said no more. They transmitted reluctant farewells and accompanied him to the city gates together.

At the gateway, gazing into the distance, Ye Chen's lips curved upward. In the void beyond the city hovered thirty-four prodigies, their battle intent blazing as they fixed their eyes on him. Nearly all were semi-saints. Only a handful remained peak kings.

These prodigies hailed from diverse races, each radiating terrifying auras. Virtually every semi-saint under two thousand years old from the myriad races had gathered here. With so many semi-saints unleashing their fighting spirit—striding like dragons and tigers, divine light flowing, some even revealing their true forms—they resembled a host of primordial gods and demons descended upon the mortal world.

The instant Ye Chen emerged, ferocious battle intent crashed over him like a tidal wave. The void around him shattered instantly, fracturing into dense, web-like cracks. The terrifying pressure left the onlookers who had followed to the gates gasping for breath.

"Heavenly Emperor's heir! I am Kong Wuji of the Peacock Clan—do you dare face me in battle?"

"Heavenly Emperor's heir! I am Ling Yu of the Starwing Clan—do you dare face me in battle?"

"Heavenly Emperor's heir! I am Yan Jin of the Flame Soul Clan—do you dare face me in battle?"

"Heavenly Emperor's heir! I am from the War God Clan..."

"..."

Thunderous challenges rang out one after another, shaking the heavens and earth.

Ye Chen's smile only widened. Many ordinary myriad races onlookers—who lacked access to high-level intelligence—were stunned. Though impressed by the grandeur, they couldn't help feeling secondhand embarrassment.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir was still merely in the King Realm. Yet over thirty semi-saints were ganging up for what amounted to a wheel battle, and they proclaimed it with such pomp and circumstance. Wasn't this a bit too ridiculous?

At that moment, a great power radiating saintly might descended, smiling at Ye Chen. "Young friend, as a supreme prodigy of the myriad races, why not offer some personal guidance to each of them?"

They would, of course, begin with fair one-on-one duels—to save face and follow the rules. But Luo Bingling was their hidden trump card. They would signal her to strike suddenly, "aiding" Ye Chen. Once someone from Ye Chen's side made the first move, they could hardly be blamed for swarming him. Everything would appear perfectly justified.

If Ye Chen refused?

Though they couldn't attack directly, rejecting an elder's polite request would give them ample excuse to fly into a rage.

As for Ye Chen's guardians?

The myriad races had brought numerous great powers today.

How many could Ye Chen possibly have?

They wouldn't stand a chance.

Ye Chen regarded the myriad races' great power before him, his smile deepening. Then he glanced toward a certain corner of the sky and called out, "Holy Master, I'm afraid that in guiding them, I might not know my own strength and accidentally injure these myriad races' prodigies—anger their elders! Perhaps we should call it off!"

In an instant, an immortal vessel materialized. One after another, figures wreathed in myriad phenomena and exuding terrifying auras, stepped slowly from within. Leading them was the scholarly and refined Feng Baiyu.

A smile played on his lips. "Fight without restraint. Since they begged for your guidance, even if you accidentally kill them all, their elders couldn't possibly complain. If you don't give it your absolute all, they'll be the ones offended—claiming you weren't taking it seriously!"

Gazing at the procession of horrifying figures behind Feng Baiyu, the myriad races' great power who had just spoken froze, his face stiffening. Even Ye Chen felt a flicker of surprise. Just where had his Holy Master rounded up so many human great powers?

Gazing at the human powerhouses, each radiating terrifying saintly pressure, not only Ye Chen but even the myriad races' great powers showed shock on their faces. The myriad races experts who had been concealed in the firmament, indifferently overlooking the scene, now revealed themselves one by one, their expressions grave. They had always adhered to the rules, fearing the vast might of the human faction.

But with their superior numbers and myriad methods, they could have blocked Ye Chen's guardians, suppressing his mindset and condition through overwhelming momentum. Even if Ye Chen's combat prowess exceeded expectations, they had ways to ensure his fall today—flawlessly, without giving anyone cause for complaint.

Yet Feng Baiyu had somehow rallied so many experts, utterly disrupting their plans. Still, considering Ye Chen's depleted cave heaven origin—and with Luo Bingling as their hidden traitor, capable of first attacking their own prodigies to justify a swarm, then delivering a fatal betrayal at the critical moment—the myriad races' great powers weighed their options and concluded the situation remained manageable.

The only real headache now was dividing the spoils afterward. They had spent ages negotiating how to split Ye Chen's treasures and foundations. With human great powers barging in, hoping to swallow everything whole would be harder than climbing to heaven. This filled them with faint regret. If they had known, they should have struck earlier.

...

The myriad races' great powers were stunned, tinged with regret.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, was genuinely astonished. Just where had his Holy Master recruited so many people?

Noticing Ye Chen's curiosity, Feng Baiyu—who had somehow broken through to the King Realm without fanfare—curved his lips and transmitted privately, "The Lan family—Lan Nuo accepted so many gifts from you. Contributing a few experts isn't excessive, right? Then there's the Nether God Holy Land. They have no real hope of ascension. Given their First Nether Maiden's relationship with you, pulling in some help is perfectly reasonable.

"The Star River Clan has nothing worthwhile to offer either. You possess ascension potential; they feared your future retaliation. I reasoned with them, moved them emotionally—turned enemies into friends. So a few came... Heavenly Intention Holy Land, the Yao family, Sword Sect...

"I also chatted with the Heavenly Demon Clan's ancestor. Ascension slots to the immortal realm are non-negotiable, but if you become invincible in the future and seize immortal qi, you could purge their dissidents—perhaps even elevate them to lead the myriad races, supplanting the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan...

"He was quite tempted. He's just not showing himself yet—likely lurking in the shadows, observing. Plus a few holy lands and clans I have ties with—or past misunderstandings. With you as an ascension seed, everything is negotiable. Nothing isn't. After all, cultivation isn't all killing and fighting. Better to resolve grudges than deepen them. Interests come first!"

Ye Chen's lips twitched as he listened to his Holy Master's explanation. He gifted treasures to the girls. His Holy Master quietly consolidated forces behind the scenes? This was practically conquering the cultivation world!

Yet his Holy Master was truly competent, faithfully pursuing the path of multiplying friends and minimizing enemies. He had even negotiated with the Heavenly Demon Clan's ancestor. Utterly impressive...

Having such a Holy Master brought genuine peace of mind. The absolute best Holy Master in all realms. If ascension slots to the immortal realm could one day trigger gifting feedback, he would definitely reserve one for the Holy Master.

...

Chapter 779: The Advantage Lies With Us!

"In that case, I invite all fellow daoists of the human race to join us in observing the battle from afar and appreciating the grace of these prodigies!"

The myriad races' great power spoke up, gesturing for everyone to keep their distance and watch. Deep down, they remained confident. After all, how could over thirty prodigies lose to one with a depleted cave heaven origin?

The advantage was squarely theirs. As long as the human great powers did not interfere, everything was under control.

Feng Baiyu nodded in response, then turned to Ye Chen with concern, earnestly cautioning him, "If you find yourself outmatched, do not force it—withdraw and concede! Treat this merely as a spar..."

The myriad races' great power immediately shook his head, his tone resolute. "A prodigy must harbor an invincible spirit. Conceding lightly—how then could he forge ahead on the Immortal Path? Youngsters' affairs should be left to the youngsters themselves. They know their own measure. We of the older generation refraining from casual intervention—that is the greatest protection we can offer them!"

The myriad races' great power sought to deny Ye Chen any chance to surrender and be rescued by the elders.

Feng Baiyu's expression turned troubled. After a moment's hesitation, he finally nodded. "Your words hold some truth. From now on, no matter how the battle unfolds, let us both refrain from interfering. Allow them to handle it themselves! If Ye Chen truly falls, we can only sigh that his fortune was lacking—and blame no one else!"

The myriad races' great power smiled at once. "Exactly. Let us ascend to the firmament to observe. The same goes for our myriad races' prodigies. In the cultivation world, a few casualties are perfectly normal!"

With that, both men smiled warmly and soared upward into the heavens. The assembled human great powers followed closely, rising into the sky. The two sides positioned themselves opposite one another, their stances subtle yet deliberate—mutually checking each other, ensuring that any attempt to intervene would be instantly blocked.

From his place in the firmament, Feng Baiyu raised an eyebrow at Ye Chen. He had acted this way deliberately. For he possessed absolute faith in Ye Chen. This was the monstrous genius who, amid heavenly tribulation, had faced the Heavenly Emperor himself—and defeated him head-on!

Though people now often dismissed the Heavenly Emperor with talk of "luck," only those who had witnessed him firsthand could truly grasp that suffocating dominance. To vanquish a Heavenly Emperor of the same realm was genuinely heaven-defying.

...

The commotion here naturally drew countless spectators. Not only myriad races cultivators, who stood at a safe distance whispering excitedly, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Human cultivators were present in great numbers as well. The events of the recent auction had spread like wildfire throughout human territories, igniting massive uproar in many human immortal cities.

Sharp-minded figures like Thunderbolt Great Saint Wen Tailai had detected anomalies early and lingered in Myriad Races Immortal City without departing. Now, they beheld exactly the scene they had anticipated.

Many human cultivators gazed upon the standoff, their expressions complex and conflicted. Though Ye Chen had faced hostility even in the Central Continent, many had still taken pride in him—as a fellow human and a supreme prodigy. But now, attitudes had shifted.

News from the auction had left numerous human cultivators deeply dissatisfied with Ye Chen's actions, which bordered on "aiding the enemy." They believed the vast resources he had poured into the auction would greatly bolster the myriad races' core strength.

Currently, the cultivation world's focus lay on the Immortal Path. Yet once that road reached its end—when the final true immortal ascended and departed this realm—the contradictions between humans and the myriad races would erupt.

With the Age of Dharma's End approaching, resources already showing signs of exhaustion, how could the myriad races meekly retreat to the barren Northern Domain?

Even the Myriad Races Immortal City could no longer sustain them. They would inevitably covet human territories, seizing resources to endure the coming age of decline. Thus, war between humans and the myriad races was inevitable.

Yet Ye Chen, as a pinnacle human prodigy, had depleted his own cave heaven for a woman of the myriad races. Then, without regard for cost, he had bid on treasures—indirectly funding the enemy. This provoked genuine fury.

The sheer volume of resources he had invested could nurture an entire generation of myriad races' elites, allowing them to advance farther on the path of cultivation. In the future, humanity might pay a grievous price for it.

Because of this, Ye Chen's reputation among humans had plummeted. Should humanity ever weaken, this affair would be dredged up time and again. Ye Chen would be eternally nailed to the pillar of shame in human history.

...

No matter what calculations the onlookers harbored in their hearts, at this moment every gaze converged unerringly on the battle about to unfold. Everyone burned with curiosity: with his cave heaven origin so severely depleted, could the Heavenly Emperor's heir still dominate as he once had—crushing semi-saints across realm boundaries with ease? If not, in his current state, just how many could he withstand?

Ye Chen regarded the crowd with a beaming smile. His Holy Master was still playing the polite host up above, so he could hardly sweep them aside with a single wave of his hand. That would make things awfully awkward.

Thus, ignoring Luo Bingling, he soared into midair and spoke with courteous grace, "Fellow Daoists, who among you would care to offer me some instruction first?"

The words ignited the assembled prodigies like a spark in a powder keg. Battle intent surged from them in torrents.

The Divine Silkworm Clan had long confirmed that the Qiankun Cauldron had been traded to the Heavenly Emperor's heir for the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. They had even displayed it for all to see.

This thoroughly cemented the fact that Yao Yuezhi's cave heaven reconstruction was entirely Ye Chen's doing. For her cave heaven to reach such terrifying heights, the origin she had absorbed must have been beyond imagination. No matter how strong Ye Chen was, after such a drain, depletion was inevitable. This realization sent the prodigies' confidence soaring.

Moreover, the pre-arranged distribution policy among the myriad races only fanned the flames. The first to strike—and the one to deliver the killing blow—would each claim ten percent of Ye Chen's cave heaven resources exclusively. Twenty percent in total, with priority selection rights. And the first attacker needed only exchange a few blows with Ye Chen alone.

Moments later, Luo Bingling would feign an assault on her own allies. Then the rest could righteously cry foul over Ye Chen's "lack of honor" and swarm him en masse. Such a low-risk, high-reward opportunity—how could it not set every prodigy's blood ablaze?

"I, from the War God Clan, suffered huge losses at the auction. I should go first..."

"My Starwing Clan bears an irreconcilable blood feud with the Heavenly Emperor. Until this vengeance is settled, I cannot call myself a person!"

"No—the Peacock Clan deserves the first strike. That idiot Little Peacock King provoked the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan. We must set an example now."

"The Thunder Governing Clan has the greatest claim! Back then, the Heavenly Emperor struck us with ruthless savagery—inhuman, unforgivable. To this day, our vitality remains crippled..."

In an instant, the prodigies erupted into fierce argument, faces flushed, each desperate to seize the honor of attacking first.

Ye Chen watched this menagerie of bizarrely shaped prodigies as though gazing upon clusters of origin. In excellent spirits, he smiled warmly and said, "Consider who I fought in the past. The Great Yin Body, the Feather Transformation Divine Body, the Holy Prince, Prince Lu Ya, the Undying Celestial Phoenix Clan's pinnacle semi-saint... Why them? Because trash doesn't even qualify to stand before me. So why don't you all fight among yourselves first—and let the strongest step forward?"

Chapter 780: Luo Bingling Starts the Fight!

"You should pick your strongest to come out! Trash can't even spark my interest."

As he spoke, Ye Chen glanced with a half-smile at the War God Clan semi-saint standing at the very front, the one who had been the most eager and vocal.

Hearing this, the semi-saint felt Ye Chen's gaze land on him. Blood surged to his head; his body swelled with rage. The vertical pupil at his brow quivered violently, as though ready to spew endless murderous malice in the next instant. He glared with bulging eyes and roared coldly, "Why are you looking at me? You calling me trash?"

Ye Chen quickly waved his hand, his expression earnest as he explained, "No, no... don't misunderstand! I wasn't targeting you."

The War God Clan expert's face immediately lit with a smug smirk, thinking Ye Chen wouldn't dare be so arrogant after all.

But before that smile could fully bloom, Ye Chen's voice drifted out again, leisurely and calm.

"I meant everyone here..." Ye Chen lifted his chin slightly, utterly serious as he enunciated each word of the second half, "is trash..."

The instant the words left his mouth, dead silence blanketed the field—quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Countless onlookers stared in shock, eyes wide, mouths agape, faces etched with disbelief. They knew the Heavenly Emperor's heir had always been arrogant. But they never imagined that, even with his cave heaven in trouble, his attitude would grow even more brazen.

To outright declare that these thirty-plus semi-saints—the cream of the myriad races—were all trash. This was arrogance without limits. The assembled prodigies froze for a brief moment. Then fury erupted across every face.

Ye Chen dared to belittle them so openly? Even at his peak, he should have shown some caution. And now, in his weakened state? Who gave him the guts?

Killing intent exploded from the crowd like a tidal wave, soaring into the heavens. The sheer momentum cleared the skies for thousands of miles and even seemed to make the distant immortal city tremble faintly.

Amid the rising tension, the War God Clan semi-saint who had been at the forefront—desperate to claim the first strike—seized the moment. His figure blurred as he shot forward like a cannonball. "You dare call me trash?"

With a furious roar, the vertical pupil at his brow snapped open. A blinding divine beam lanced out like lightning.

His own speed reached its utmost limit, arriving before Ye Chen almost simultaneously with the light.

Seeing the War God semi-saint strike first, the other prodigies—seething with rage—could only swallow their frustration. After all, the human faction was powerful.

On the surface, rules still had to be followed. They would wait for the swarm, then ruthlessly crush Ye Chen. Make him pay dearly for his insolent words. And that wait would not be long. All they needed was for Luo Bingling to initiate the group fight.

...

Facing the incoming divine beam and the War God semi-saint himself, Ye Chen held back from killing outright. If he ended the man with one punch, what if the others fled in fear?

The rest hadn't attacked yet—he needed a legitimate reason to pursue and eliminate them all. So he had to wait for Luo Bingling to start the chaos.

Thus, Ye Chen merely extended a single finger, spiritual qiflowing gently. In an instant, a divine light barrier unfolded before him like an opening umbrella, steady and unyielding. It effortlessly blocked the War God semi-saint's terrifying assault.

The semi-saint narrowed his eyes. That body—only marginally inferior to the Heavenly Emperor's son—unleashed a frenzy of strikes. His brow pupil opened fully, as though linking to some mysterious realm, connecting to a fearsome nether domain.

Streams of eerie light poured forth, augmenting him further. His frame grew even more massive and terrifying. Every movement carried staggering might; the void cracked like fragile paper beneath his fists and feet, as if the heavens and earth could barely contain his rampaging form. He cut an imposing figure, reminiscent of the Holy Prince in his prime. Yet even unleashing his full arsenal, he could not breach the barrier Ye Chen had casually raised.

A chill gripped the War God Clan semi-saint's heart as he finally grasped the vast gulf between them. Even a starving camel was bigger than a horse.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir possessed astonishing talent. Despite his depleted cave heaven origin, he himself was no match. Inflicting even the slightest injury seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven. But it hardly mattered. He wasn't fighting alone.

Once everyone swarmed, the heir would surely be overwhelmed. If he could seize the moment to land a fatal blow—combined with the merit of striking first—he could claim twenty percent of the resources all to himself.

With this in mind, he ceased his futile expenditure of physical strength. Though he continued the pretense of furious assault, his power had already diminished greatly. At the same time, his gaze stealthily flicked toward Luo Bingling, a barely perceptible gleam of anticipation in his eyes.

Ye Chen's lips curved upward as well, his peripheral vision sweeping over her. The horde of eager prodigies itching to strike also monitored Luo Bingling with divine sense. She was the key to this battle. Everyone awaited her move to ignite the chaos.

Yet Luo Bingling herself, clad in resplendent golden armor that blazed with light and concealed nothing, charged straight toward the battlefield like a meteor.

The onlookers frowned at the sight.

Why was the War God Clan's princess suddenly entering the fray? Against whom would she strike?

As a member of the War God Clan, logic suggested she would aid her kinsman and deal Ye Chen a killing blow. But she was also the Heavenly Emperor's heir's woman. Rumors claimed Ye Chen had an uncanny knack for handling women—all those around him devoted to the death. By that measure, betrayal seemed unlikely. Thus, Luo Bingling might be rushing to assist Ye Chen against the War God semi-saint.

For a moment, no one could discern her intent. Regardless, caution was warranted. Myriad races spectators shouted warnings, urging the semi-saint to beware.

Human onlookers, though disappointed by Ye Chen's "aiding the enemy" at the auction and his willingness to sabotage his invincible path for a woman, refused to watch him fall to a sneak attack. They too called out reminders for him to stay alert.

But to everyone's jaw-dropping astonishment, the two combatants seemed lost in some trance of single-minded focus. Utterly immersed in their duel, they turned deaf ears to the outside clamor—not even bothering to glance back.

Thus, under the crowd's watchful eyes, Luo Bingling strode into the battlefield as though it were empty, drawing ever closer to the pair. Under the War God semi-saint's expectant gaze, she approached his side exactly as planned.

Joy surged in his heart. He readied himself to "suffer" her sneak attack and feign injury. Then he would hurl himself backward, letting others take the front line. Preserving his strength perfectly. When the swarm had worn Ye Chen down, he could swoop in for the killing blow and snatch the final merit.

At this moment, the semi-saint deliberately turned his back to her, leaving his rear wide open. In his view, all Luo Bingling needed was a casual strike to trigger the chaos. Soon after, he sensed a force homologous to his own vertical pupil surging quietly behind him.

The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. It was in the bag!

But in the next instant, he stared in stunned horror as the terrifying divine beam from Luo Bingling's pupil grazed past him. The War God semi-saint froze solid, his smile stiffening into shock. He whipped his head around, staring fixedly at Luo Bingling.

You're that close and you still miss? What else can you even do? No wonder the clan gave up on you and poured everything into the divine son. You're truly beyond saving!

Even though Luo Bingling's strike hadn't landed on him, he had still been "sneak-attacked" in the end.

Just as the War God semi-saint opened his mouth to bellow that he had been ambushed—that Ye Chen had no honor and everyone should swarm him—Ye Chen's voice rang out first.

"You are truly despicable and shameless! You already outnumber me in a wheel battle, yet you still send someone to sneak-attack me, gravely wounding me..."

"..."

The semi-saint's lines stolen, he whipped his head back in stunned silence. Ye Chen... gravely wounded? Then he saw it: Ye Chen's hand appeared to have been struck by the divine beam.

A single drop of blood, squeezed out by Ye Chen himself, hovered in midair. Had Ye Chen not acted quickly, the wound would likely have healed before even that drop could emerge.

Humans called a scratch like this a grave injury?

But this was hardly the time for nitpicking details. A faint unease stirred in the semi-saint's heart.

Ye Chen had just shouted the exact words he himself had prepared!

Over on Ye Chen's side, killing intent now boiled like a volcano on the verge of eruption. He roared in fury, "Since you myriad races prodigies forsake all honor—sneak-attacking me in what was meant to be a fair spar, intent on my death—then from this moment, I will show no mercy..."

The words barely faded when Ye Chen unleashed a punch. Dominance radiated from it, as though manifesting the cycle of sun and moon. Heaven and earth shifted color, as if the Heavenly Emperor himself had descended.

Before this fist, the War God semi-saint felt every hair on his body stand on end. Terror born from the depths of his soul flooded him. In this life-or-death instant, he pushed his bloodline and spiritual qicirculation to their absolute limits. Every cell in his body ignited, potential exploding in full. All to block this horrifying strike. Yet all struggle proved futile.

Boom...

A heaven-shaking explosion resounded.

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, the War God semi-saint who had struck first departed this world with exceptional serenity.

Immediately after, Ye Chen manifested a massive hand, seizing Luo Bingling in one grasp. He opened the gateway to his cave heaven and flung her inside in an instant. His voice chilled the air: "No woman has ever dared betray me. We'll settle accounts later."

Then, beneath the dumbfounded, horrified stares of countless onlookers, Ye Chen's figure blurred as he charged straight toward the assembled myriad races' prodigies. The prodigies themselves—who still hadn't processed what had happened—stood momentarily stunned.

Wasn't the plan for Luo Bingling to launch the sneak attack and start the swarm? Then they would rush Ye Chen en masse? How had it reversed so completely—Ye Chen now barreling toward them with murderous momentum?

This was utterly upside-down!

Chapter 781: Offend Me and Still Think You Can Leave?

Ye Chen was actually charging straight at them? And that War God Clan semi-saint—sent off with a single punch? Why did the Heavenly Emperor's heir's combat strength seem even more outrageous than before? Had his cave heaven origin truly been depleted? Was he burning potential to forcibly reclaim his peak? Or had there been no issue at all—had they been lured into a trap?

Even as doubt crept into their hearts from this complete reversal, the prodigies remained unflustered. After all, there had been thirty-four of them—oh, wait, one War God semi-saint was gone! That still left thirty-three prodigies!

With flawless coordination, even a saint would have to yield temporarily. What was there to fear? The one who should be afraid was Ye Chen. Still, out of habit, they swept the area with divine sense. The sweep drew furrowed brows all around.

Huh? Another one missing?

"Where's Shen Yu of the Divine Silkworm Clan—the one with the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod? Where did he go?"

"Forget it. Thirty-two is still more than enough. Everyone, attack together!"

"Pay attention to coordination. War God Clan, Spirit Wood Clan, Divine Silkworm Clan—those with powerful physiques take the front line. Hold the Heavenly Emperor's heir back."

"Flame Soul Clan, Thunder Firmament Clan—use your innate divine abilities. Stay at range and bombard him relentlessly..."

"Shadow Charm Clan, Dark Soul Clan—conceal yourselves. Disrupt Ye Chen's divine sense with your innate abilities and strike when openings appear."

"Starwing Clan, unleash your healing prohibition techniques. Slow his recovery—don't stop for a moment. The sacred body's regeneration is terrifying!"

These were all pinnacle prodigies. Though the situation had veered wildly from their original plan, the outcome remained similar. It had given them a legitimate excuse to swarm Ye Chen.

Calm swiftly returned. They rapidly formed ranks, each assuming their role, and launched a fierce assault. Ye Chen, hurtling toward them, watched their maneuvers with a faint upward curl of his lips.

Luo Bingling's earlier strike against him had naturally been prearranged between the two. This way, she avoided the stain of betraying her race. And he gained full justification to annihilate the entire group.

Everything was perfect. Yet listening to their battle plan, watching them split into formations, Ye Chen's mouth twitched slightly. Why did it feel like they were forming a raid party to tackle a boss?

But considering his current strength, he could understand it. High attack, high defense, thick health bar, diverse skills. To cultivators of the third or fourth heavenly layer, he truly was no different from a final boss.

...

Shen Yu of the Divine Silkworm Clan clutched the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, concealed in the void with supreme divine arts that erased all traces of his presence. He had originally planned to blend into the crowd and coast through the fight.

But witnessing Ye Chen obliterate the War God semi-saint with a single punch, he sensed something amiss and changed tactics, hiding himself completely.

If the Heavenly Emperor's heir couldn't sustain his strength, Shen Yu would join the others for a sneak attack. If the heir was baiting them—his power undiminished—he would simply slip away as though nothing had happened.

Yet as he watched the battlefield ahead, unease grew. In his sight, the Heavenly Emperor's heir charged without hesitation—accelerating—straight into what could be called the myriad races' finest assembly of over thirty semi-saints.

Four frontrunners from the War God and Spirit Wood Clans met him first. The War God experts swelled with muscle, their killing aura shaking the heavens. Vertical pupils spewed divine beams; each punch and kick fell like meteors from the sky. Worthy of the War God name, they shattered the void relentlessly.

The Spirit Wood semi-saints transformed into divine trees, branches whipping wildly. Endless leaves burst from their bodies like razor-sharp blades. This was the Spirit Wood Clan's terror: they needed no Extreme Dao weapons. At the Mahayana stage, their very bodies became the deadliest arms. Roots, stems, branches, leaves, petals—all could wound.

Yet facing the four, Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged. His hands wove the Heavenly Emperor Fist, as though ruling the world. Each punch erupted, and one foe exploded. In mere instants, the four perished like ants, blasted apart in sequence. The annihilating force of the Heavenly Emperor Fist denied them even a chance to regenerate—they fell completely.

Shen Yu shuddered. He silently retreated further into the void. In the distance, the Flame Soul and Thunder Firmament experts' pupils contracted. The Flame Soul prodigies unleashed a sea of fire—flames, an eerie ghostly blue. Where they passed, the void melted into colossal fire serpents that coiled and lunged at Ye Chen.

The Thunder Firmament group summoned heavenly thunder together, evoking a tribulation. Endless bolts writhed like dragons in the calamity clouds, descending with savage destructive fury.

Facing this onslaught, Ye Chen's left hand manifested the True Phoenix Treasure Technique, while his right invoked the Thunder Emperor Treasure Technique. From his left, a true phoenix surged forth, expanding with the wind until it blotted out the sky.

The terrifying fire serpents seemed mere insects before it—pecked away effortlessly. The next moment, the phoenix charged the Flame Soul experts. In their despairing gazes, it exploded open, its might akin to the sun's detonation.

From Ye Chen's right hand, boundless thunder beasts poured out. Some soared to ravage the calamity clouds, clashing with the thunder dragons. Others plunged straight toward the Thunder Firmament prodigies. The ferocious beasts collided relentlessly, then liquefied into thunder essence, engulfing and refining the semi-saints. In the blink of an eye, one from each clan had fallen.

Shen Yu shuddered again. He backed away several more steps. The hidden Shadow Charm and Dark Soul semi-saints approaching through the void trembled at the sight as well. But seeing Ye Chen's back wide open, defenseless, killing intent surged in their eyes. They struck in unison.

Unleashing their strongest innate divine abilities, all four targeted the back of his head. The assault was unimaginably swift—earth-shattering. Even a saint might perish under it.

Clang...

Yet when their blows landed on Ye Chen's skull, his head didn't even twitch. Only a few strands of hair drifted down. A faint white mark appeared on the back of his head—no wound, not even a scratch.

Terror seized the four; their souls nearly fled their bodies. They sought only to flee. But Ye Chen turned with a cold sneer. Tribulation light surged from his chest as a massive hand erupted forth. The four were grasped in his palm and, in an instant, lost all signs of life—refined in the blink of an eye.

Shen Yu's hand trembled around the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. Without further hesitation, he turned to flee. Screw this—thank goodness he hadn't listened to the clan leader!

The remaining myriad races' semi-saints wore expressions of pure dread. In mere moments, nearly ten semi-saints had fallen. How could they fight this?

Semi-saints were like paper before the Heavenly Emperor's heir. This was supposed to be a weakness? He was clearly stronger!

The heir's cave heaven origin had never been drained. This was all a complete deception. A fishing expedition.

At this moment, battle intent vanished from every heart. Like startled birds and beasts, they unleashed their escape techniques and scattered in frantic flight.

Ye Chen's lips curved upward. "Offend me and think you can just leave? All of you—stay!"

In the next instant, chaos qi flowed from his eyes...

"Heavy Pupils Open the Heavens!"

A cold smile curved Ye Chen's lips as endless chaos qi surged within his eyes. In an instant, a realm of pure, pristine land materialized out of nowhere, then enveloped the entire battlefield with lightning speed.

Shen Yu of the Divine Silkworm Clan had fled desperately into the distance, but in the blink of an eye, a towering wall condensed from chaos qi rose abruptly before him. His face drained of color. His legs buckled, nearly sending him crumpling to the ground.

Regret flooded him. He hadn't been cautious enough. The moment Ye Chen obliterated the War God semi-saint with one punch, he should have fled immediately.

For some time now, he had repeatedly studied the recording stones of Ye Chen's past battles. The shocking scenes of Ye Chen unleashing Heavy Pupils—he had watched them countless times. He thought he understood the divine ability's power and range.

Yet experiencing it firsthand, he realized how grossly mistaken he had been. The scope and might of Ye Chen's current display far exceeded his imagination. His own strength was suppressed to an insane degree.

Endless cave heaven power churned within him, yet he couldn't scratch the pristine realm even slightly. He cursed his clan leader inwardly—a complete idiot. He had insisted he shouldn't come, but the leader persuaded him anyway.

The leader himself was no genius—never succeeded at anything. What useful advice could he possibly give? Now he was done for...

Shen Yu huddled silently in a corner, desperately pondering how to survive. Figures like Yao Yuekong and Little Peacock King flashed through his mind.

Yao Yuekong had lived by selling his sister. Little Peacock King had called Ye Chen "father." His own mother visited the Heavenly Demon Clan's residence daily, staying a full week each time—emerging radiant and utterly satisfied.

Shen Yu fell into deep thought. His own mother possessed mediocre talent—only at the Unity stage, with average looks. But the clan leader's wife was stunningly beautiful and of exalted status. She seemed quite suitable—a Saint King, no less. The leader had risen to his position largely because of her.

...

High in the firmament, the myriad races' great powers—who had lounged confidently moments ago, certain of victory—paled dramatically. Their eyes narrowed.

Everything unfolded too swiftly. In mere blinks, dozens of pinnacle prodigies had fallen. The scene resembled autumn winds sweeping away leaves—utterly devastating.

The great powers watched with aching hearts. These prodigies were the carefully nurtured hopes of their clans, each brimming with extraordinary potential. Even if ascension proved impossible, most were destined to reach the Saint King realm at minimum. They formed the foundation for their clans' survival in the impending Age of Dharma's End.

Yet before Ye Chen, they proved so fragile—dying like ants in an instant. The elders hadn't even had time to intervene. That bastard Heavenly Emperor's heir had truly schemed against them. Every "flaw" he had shown before was deliberate misdirection—virtual and real intertwined—leading them to fill in the gaps themselves and firmly believe he had weakened. He had even dangled the Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod, a supreme Extreme Dao weapon, as bait to lure them in.

Insidious. Utterly insidious.

Seeing the remaining prodigies wisely choose flight, the elders exhaled in relief. But before they could recover, Ye Chen unleashed Heavy Pupils, trapping everyone once more—intent on wiping them out completely. Their hearts leaped into their throats again.

At once, the great power who had bantered amicably with Feng Baiyu moments earlier watched Ye Chen charge toward his clan's prodigies. Panic seized him. He stepped forward and bellowed desperately, "Heavenly Emperor's heir, stop! They have lost all will to fight—killing them further serves no purpose!"

Yet within the Heavy Pupil Pure Land, Ye Chen seemed deaf to it all. He didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow. Lifting his gaze, he fired a beam of annihilating divine light. Fury consumed the great power. He prepared to charge in and save his kin.

Yet just as the great power surged forward, Feng Baiyu appeared before him like a phantom, smiling warmly. "My friend, where are you headed?"

Facing that beaming smile, killing intent flared in the elder's eyes. This man was no good either. Rumors had long called him a schemer. But Feng Baiyu was even sneakier than imagined, as if he didn't know exactly what the elder intended.

"Step aside. This battle must end!" the great power roared.

Feng Baiyu seemed not to hear, shaking his head gently as he spoke unhurriedly, "Wasn't it you, my friend, who said it earlier? The young must walk their own path. If elders intervene at the slightest setback, how can they grow? We of the older generation watching coldly from the sidelines—that is the greatest protection we can offer the juniors..."

Hearing Feng Baiyu turn into a parrot, repeating his own words, the great power's face turned livid. He cursed inwardly: They're about to be wiped out—protection my ass!

"Move!" he bellowed again, his voice rolling like thunder, vibrating the surrounding air with buzzing echoes. This myriad races' great power was a fifth-heaven saint—immensely formidable. Yet Feng Baiyu, merely at the King Realm, showed no fear. He continued smiling directly at the elder, refusing to yield a single step.

At the same time, the other myriad races' great powers pressed forward, intent on breaking through his blockade. But the human great powers Feng Baiyu had brought reacted swiftly, locking onto them one by one. Both sides stood in a tense standoff, neither budging.

"Heavenly Evolution Holy Master, do you truly wish to war with us?" one myriad races' great power asked through gritted teeth, voice icy. "Think carefully—this is Myriad Races Immortal City! If we truly clash, your human race will undoubtedly lose!"

Feng Baiyu reacted as though hearing the funniest joke in the world, his lips curving upward. "Come on, then. Best if you kill a few more! If humanity's pinnacle experts don't surround and annihilate you tomorrow, I'll count it my loss!"

Internal conflicts abounded within the human race, true. But deep down, all shared one unspoken understanding: those not of our kind must harbor different hearts.

Just as the myriad races had their "Make the Myriad Races Great Again" extremists, humanity too had voices calling for the extermination of the myriad races over the past million years.

With the Age of Dharma's End approaching, cultivation resources dwindled rapidly—no longer sufficient to support so many cultivators.

Contradictions between humans and the myriad races sharpened. Even factions once advocating coexistence quietly shifted their stance. If true war erupted today and human experts fell, it would inevitably ignite the third great war.

Feng Baiyu's ruthless words turned the myriad races' great powers' faces exceptionally grim. They knew full well that clashing with humanity now—unprepared and caught off guard—would bring disastrous consequences.

"Some of you hold the human experts back. I'll rescue our clans' prodigies!"

But they outnumbered the humans after all.

A new plan quickly formed. With superior numbers, a portion could pin down the human great powers while the rest slipped in to save their prodigies. They had forces to spare—splitting troops posed no issue.

Chapter 782: The Holy Spirit Clan Arrives!

Yet in the next instant, the myriad races' great powers raised their brows in astonishment. Fully a third of their number abruptly stepped back, showing no intent to engage or restrain the humans. They even adopted a posture of casual indifference—"do as you please."

"You lot..."

The remaining great powers, frantic with urgency, opened their mouths to accuse them of betrayal—only to realize what was happening. Those retreating were precisely the elders from the War God, Thunder Firmament, Dark Soul, Flame Soul, and Shadow Charm Clans. A glance at the battlefield revealed the truth: their clans' prodigies had already been wiped out—dead to the last.

...

The great powers whose prodigies still lived burned with desperation, itching to charge in and rescue them. Those whose prodigies had fallen chose to sit on the sidelines. They secretly hoped every last prodigy would die. This drew a faint smile to Feng Baiyu's lips. With so many races among the myriad, their internal conflicts far exceeded those within humanity.

My clan's prodigies are dead—why should yours live?

It wasn't mere petty rivalry; it was a struggle over future interests. Humanity's rise back then had much to do with the myriad races' disunity. In those days, the Heavenly Emperor had teetered on the brink of death multiple times—miraculously surviving each crisis. Shadows of myriad races interference lurked in several instances. Their motives needed no explanation: tripping up rivals.

...

At this moment, the great powers high in the firmament stood in tense deadlock. None could influence the battlefield below.

Within the Heavy Pupil Pure Land, Ye Chen punched through foes like children—one fist per target—rampaging unchecked, thoroughly enjoying the slaughter.

Though some myriad prodigies refused to await death passively—fighting desperately, joining forces, or launching sneak attacks—their resistance was laughably futile, like ants shaking a tree. They couldn't scratch Ye Chen.

With a sweep of his gaze, relying on his keen sensitivity to origin auras, Ye Chen confirmed that every prodigy present was a genuine myriad races elite. The weakest among them matched the level of the third-generation Star River King Body. The strongest few nearly rivaled the fallen Ba Wang. One or two were closing in on the Holy Prince's caliber.

The joy of this bountiful harvest filled Ye Chen's face with smiles. His strikes grew almost gentle—yet still one-hit kills. In mere blinks, dozens more prodigies fell within the pristine realm!

...

Silence blanketed the entire field.

The myriad races onlookers nearly ground their teeth to dust. The prodigies they ordinarily revered and looked up to proved as fragile as ants before Ye Chen—falling one after another. The sight left them trembling in terror, souls seemingly frozen. In this extreme fear, their thoughts pierced through time, delving into bloodline memories. The terror inflicted by that ancient Heavenly Emperor surged forth like a tidal wave.

Ye Chen's figure began to overlap with the Heavenly Emperor's in their minds. Truth be told, every detail of the Heavenly Emperor's rise had been unearthed. Many times, sheer luck had preserved him. Nearly every myriad race had once lamented: if only his enemies back then hadn't been so foolish and shortsighted...

Would the myriad races not be in such misery today? This had always left them somewhat unconvinced. Yet now, the Heavenly Emperor's heir before them needed no luck at all. With raw, overwhelming strength, he slaughtered the myriad prodigies to the last. Even that lingering defiance was shattered—leaving no room for excuses.

It was utterly suffocating. The human spectators, meanwhile, fell silent. Earlier, some had worried for Ye Chen; many had grumbled over his "aiding the enemy" at the auction. But now, they quietly admitted they had been wrong.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir wasn't aiding the enemy—he had meticulously schemed, baiting the hook for the myriad races to bite. With this massive crop of pinnacle myriad prodigies fallen, the myriad races teetered on generational collapse—vitality grievously wounded. The Heavenly Emperor's heir truly understood the greater good.

...

High in the firmament, the myriad races' great powers watched their prodigies fall one by one, hearts aching with unbearable pain. The Age of Dharma's End loomed ever closer. Resources grew scarcer by the day, and lifespans would soon shorten dramatically. No one could predict the horrors that awaited.

In this critical juncture of survival, the loss of prodigies could spell generational collapse for a race—leaving them vulnerable to extinction by rivals. Yet as more prodigies perished, fewer myriad races' great powers remained entangled with the human experts.

Those whose prodigies still lived grew increasingly frantic. Especially the Divine Silkworm Clan's great power. Though Shen Yu currently huddled at the outermost edge, seemingly unnoticed, at this rate his death was not far off. After all, Ye Chen bore the Heavy Pupils—those inscrutable eyes might well pierce the heaven-deceiving divine art Shen Yu relied on for survival.

Timid as he was, Shen Yu remained the most gifted of their clan in the last two generations. He could not be allowed to fall.

Enduring the heartache, the Divine Silkworm's great power was transmitted urgently to his clansmen in the city, "Hurry and invite the Little Stone Sovereign! Tell him we are willing to offer half the ninth-molt legacy exuvia left by the true immortal of old—to aid in repairing his stone body. We only ask that he intervene, stop the Heavenly Emperor's heir, and rescue Shen Yu!"

The Little Stone Sovereign was the final hope in the Divine Silkworm's great power's heart.

...

Within the Heavy Pupil Pure Land, Ye Chen waved his hand like a death god presiding over life and extinction. A winged myriad races prodigy, lying in wait for a sneak attack, was seized in his grasp the next instant—crushed without even time for a scream.

Ye Chen was already terrifying. Augmented by the pristine realm, slaying semi-saints required not even a blink. Mechanical suppression—extract origin—toss into the small world...

The motions flowed seamlessly, without the slightest hesitation. Soon, the original force of over thirty myriad prodigies dwindled to five.

Ye Chen swept his gaze across them, a satisfied arc curving his lips, for he spotted his Compliant Golden-Hooped Rod. Though he now possessed the Sea-Calming Divine Treasure, Ye Chen still held great fondness for the cudgel. Regaining what was lost felt exceptionally gratifying.

He planned to clear out the rest first. Then retrieve the cudgel last. But in that moment, Ye Chen's brow arched faintly, as though sensing something unusual. He turned toward Myriad Races Immortal City.

From within the city, a streak of black light soared skyward, tearing through the void with apocalyptic momentum as it hurtled toward him. The black light resembled a meteor wreathed in roaring flames—its aura horrifying to the extreme. Where it passed, the air itself ignited with sizzling burns.

In mere instants, it reached the edge of the pristine realm. Then, with an earth-shaking boom, it smashed against the realm, sending ripples cascading through the surrounding space. The next moment, the Heavy Pupil Pure Land was forcibly torn open. The black light ghosted inside like a specter.

This stunning scene drew raised brows from all. Who was this? Capable of forcibly breaching the Heavenly Emperor heir's Heavy Pupil Pure Land? Such strength defied imagination.

High in the firmament, the myriad races' great powers started in shock. "The Little Stone Sovereign was in the immortal city?"

Feng Baiyu and the other human existences watched the black light, brows furrowing as gravity flashed in their eyes. "This... could it be the Holy Spirit Clan?"

Chapter 783: The Deficient Holy Spirit!

The mention of the Holy Spirit Clan drew astonished looks from everyone. Among the myriad races, the Holy Spirit Clan stood as the most peculiar branch. While other races—regardless of their bizarre forms—arose from parental conception, the Holy Spirits were different.

They were born from heaven and earth's treasure, absorbing vast spiritual qi and the essence of sun and moon over endless ages until spiritual wisdom awakened, allowing them to emerge. They might manifest as a stone etched with mysterious runes, a metal lump gleaming with cold luster, or even a pure elemental form.

In the long river of history, suspicions had arisen of Holy Spirits birthed from immortal medicines. And every Holy Spirit possessed terrifying combat prowess. Few rivals existed at the same realm; cross-realm kills were commonplace.

Before humanity's rise, a Holy Spirit nurtured in chaos from a Nine-Orifice Divine Stone had emerged at a quasi-immortal level, undefeated against all myriad races. At quasi-immortal peak, its body—impervious to myriad laws and indestructible—had outright suppressed a true immortal.

The spectacle had been utterly horrifying. Later, this Holy Spirit ascended successfully, defying the era with absolute might, earning the title of Stone Emperor.

In the Heavenly Emperor's age, a Fire Clan Holy Spirit also ascended smoothly, rivaling ancient emperors in strength, dominating the world, and cowing true immortals.

Though ultimately slain by the Heavenly Emperor—who sustained serious injuries in turn—this underscored the Holy Spirit Clan's fearsome foundation. Nearly every Holy Spirit's emergence defied the heavens.

Moreover, their lifespans were staggeringly long. For any Holy Spirit, ten thousand years marked merely the beginning. Those with especially unique materials could live hundreds of thousands of years—a jaw-dropping reality. If the Holy Spirits had one sole weakness, it was their inability to reproduce; they relied solely on heaven's natural gestation.

Yet this process brimmed with variables, easily disrupted by external forces. Premature emergence from unforeseen causes often left them defective.

At the same time, for cultivators, the Holy Spirits still gestating represented peerless treasures. Upon discovery, nearly all would ruthlessly interrupt the birth process without hesitation.

Thus, the Holy Spirit Clan remained exceedingly rare. To date, recorded members numbered barely a hundred. Those emerging intact at quasi-immortal realm? A mere three or four. Yet each had etched indelible strokes into cultivation history.

...

As astonishment rippled through the crowd, the black light that had smashed before Ye Chen slowly rose. A three-meter-tall, burly frame stood erect—like an ancient stone beast awakening from slumber—radiating an archaic, weighty aura. It regarded Ye Chen with cold indifference, its presence overwhelming. "You are the Heavenly Emperor's heir?"

Ye Chen lifted his gaze, brow arching. This Holy Spirit resembled an enormous stone gleaming with enigmatic luster. Natural textures crisscrossed its surface like ancient runes embodying heavenly truths.

Seven orifices dotted its body, faintly leaking strange radiance and energy fluctuations. As if linked to heaven and earth by some profound, arcane bond. Its eyes shone like twin radiant gems, dark light flickering. Aura readings placed it at peak semi-saint, same as him.

A Holy Spirit, eh? No longer the naive novice fresh to cultivation, Ye Chen instantly identified the race. An intrigued smile curved his lips.

The Holy Spirit Clan was born from heaven and earth, wholly dependent on fortune. Some required a hundred thousand years—or even a million—to gestate before emerging.

Ye Chen had never expected to encounter one today. Though the figure before him bore defects from premature birth, Ye Chen could sense the astonishing potency of its origin. Yet the other had done nothing provocative. To refine it on sight would be far too demonic.

With that thought, Ye Chen nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Indeed, it is I."

The Little Stone Sovereign lowered his head, gazing at Ye Chen with indifferent eyes. His tone remained flat. "You are an entire great realm below me. Defeating you would bring no glory. I will give you one chance—leave now."

His words triggered an uproar among the crowd. In the cultivation world, it had become a common consensus that enemies needed to lead the Heavenly Emperor's heir by a full great realm merely to contend with him head-on. Even the Celestial Prince—who had burst from divine source—had required that advantage. It had been ages since anyone dared battle the heir at equal realm.

Yet this Holy Spirit clansman disdained Ye Chen's lower cultivation, unwilling to fight. Though it sounded arrogant, it revealed the bone-deep confidence innate to the Holy Spirit Clan. Truly a race favored by heaven and earth, their combat prowess transcended the ordinary. One need only recall the Fire Emperor of the Heavenly Emperor's era—who clashed with the Emperor at equal realm without falling leeward. The clan's terror was evident. Even a deficient Holy Spirit, born prematurely, remained not to be underestimated.

Ye Chen's smile widened at the words. The last to posture so brazenly before him had been the Holy Prince. If he had a grave, the grass atop it would stand meters tall by now. Yet today, another emerged.

"And if I don't wish to leave?" Ye Chen replied with a warm smile.

The Little Stone Sovereign's gem-like eyes chilled instantly. He wasted no further words. His aura erupted like a raging tide, surging to its zenith. Cold light flashed in his pupils, as though lightning streaked through. His form blurred, cloaked in boundless ferocity, charging straight at Ye Chen.

The onlookers stared wide-eyed. The Heavenly Emperor's heir possessed an invincible physique in this generation—nearly peerless. Beings like the Holy Prince had fallen before him in defeat. Yet this suddenly appearing Little Stone Sovereign of the Holy Spirit Clan inspired equal dread.

As he charged, seven divine rings manifested around his body—layering and reflecting one another. They cast him as an awakened ancient mountain god. The essence of sun, moon, mountains, and rivers in this domain cascaded like heavenly rivers piercing Ye Chen's pristine realm, pouring into his stone frame. Fusing with the orifices upon his body, flooding within!

In an instant, vast essence churned through the pristine realm—all transforming into the Little Stone Sovereign's boundless might. With every step, the pristine realm quaked as though struck by a titan. Though merely three meters tall, he now loomed like an invincible giant propping up heaven and earth. Striding forth with overwhelming momentum.

The sight left countless souls shuddering in awe. Those witnessing a Holy Spirit Clan member fight for the first time were struck with heavenly wonder. Even the great powers high in the firmament gazed upon the scene with profound emotion.

Chapter 784: I Refuse to Accept This!

"Not worthy of the Holy Spirit Clan name for nothing—innately harboring heavenly laws within their bodies. Every movement draws upon the essence of heaven and earth!"

"This Little Stone Sovereign was birthed from divine stone, a child of the great earth—endless and inexhaustible. Heaven's dao itself favors his every action!"

"The Holy Spirit Clan is nearly invincible at equal realms. Suppressing the Heavenly Emperor's heir by a full great realm—he might truly slay him!"

"A pity that deficient Holy Spirits cultivate so slowly. In a thousand years, the Little Stone Sovereign has only advanced two minor realms. A perfect Holy Spirit's cultivation speed would rival humanity's Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo!"

The myriad races great powers exchanged divine sense transmissions. Some brimmed with anticipation, others with regret. All eagerly awaited the Holy Spirit Clan's display. Save for the Divine Silkworm ancestor.

None of the other great powers had foreseen the Little Stone Sovereign's presence in Myriad Races Immortal City. Much less his voluntary intervention. After all, the Holy Spirit Clan differed from ordinary myriad races.

Perhaps due to their extreme rarity, they cared only for fellow clansmen and their own completeness. Matters of myriad races interests or human prodigies concerned them little. Now, with the Little Stone Sovereign facing the Heavenly Emperor's heir, it was an unexpected boon for the others.

On the human side, expressions varied. Feng Baiyu remained serene, betraying no trace of worry. The expert from the Central Continent's Lan family, however, narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the Holy Spirit as though pondering something of utmost importance.

...

Under countless focused gazes, the Little Stone Sovereign finally reached Ye Chen. His aura—capable of crushing all under heaven—erupted in full. Every gesture radiated divine might.

In this moment, the Little Stone Sovereign embodied utmost rigidity and strength, as though fused with the grand momentum of heaven and earth. One punch smashed forth. Terrifying force surged like a world-ending deluge.

The Holy Spirit Clan's hallmark physical invincibility shone unmistakably. Countless hearts seemed to skip beats. Facing such a foe inspired only despair. In the path of the physique, this Little Stone Sovereign might truly surpass the Heavenly Emperor's heir.

Yet Ye Chen, standing before him, remained calm as still water. His right arm rose slowly, muscles knotting like cast steel. Without flourish, he swung his fist in the most explosively domineering manner—meeting the blow head-on.

In this instant, Ye Chen resembled an ancient divine emperor descended upon the mortal dust, ruling supreme. Though his realm fell short, he seemed to gaze down upon his opponent from on high.

As the punch flew, it oppressed heaven and earth. Boundless momentum swept outward like a storm. As though nothing in the world could halt it.

Many onlookers, merely catching a distant glimpse, felt urges to submit. Even some saints felt the influence. The Heavenly Emperor's heir intended to clash physically with a Holy Spirit Clan member.

This scene shocked everyone once more. Gasps echoed in all directions.

The Heavenly Emperor's heir was too proud. Even against a heaven-nurtured Holy Spirit, he showed no fear. This only heightened anticipation for the impending collision.

Boom...

Their fists collided solidly, like two primordial stars smashing together—earth-shattering. Terrifying divine light instantly engulfed the entire Heavy Pupil Pure Land. The shockwaves rippled outward like a raging tsunami, spreading in all directions.

Fortunately, the pristine realm held firm, containing the energy backlash. Otherwise, cultivators of lower realms might have been obliterated outright.

Even so, those below Mahayana nearly went blind from the radiance, their skin prickling in pain. The deafening crash left blood trickling from their ears.

Countless onlookers stared in stunned silence. This was a clash of pinnacle physiques? Truly too horrifying—as though capable of annihilating heaven and earth. Yet it only heightened their curiosity. Hearts raced with urgency to learn the outcome.

As vision gradually returned, they fixed their gazes on the pristine realm, awaiting the divine light's dispersal to glimpse the center.

"Ah!"

At that moment, a roar filled with shock and unwillingness echoed forth.

Everyone turned toward the sound, eyes widening. It was the Little Stone Sovereign's voice.

The next instant, the divine light faded. At last, the battlefield's center came into view.

The Heavy Pupil Pure Land lay riddled with holes. Several prodigies within had their bodies directly shattered by the fallout. Evidence of the terrifying clash between the Heavenly Emperor's heir and the Little Stone Sovereign.

But what concerned the crowd most were the two combatants. Upon seeing the result, all drew sharp breaths, faces etched with astonishment.

As the radiance cleared, Ye Chen stood unscathed—not even a corner of his robe torn. He appeared transcendent, like an immortal untouched by dust.

The Little Stone Sovereign of the Holy Spirit Clan, however, had half his stone body shattered. Even the intact half bore web-like cracks threading through it. The scene was too shocking—too absurd.

The Holy Spirit Clan's physiques rivaled—or surpassed—the hardness of Extreme Dao weapons. A third-heaven peak existence like the Little Stone Sovereign could match mid-grade Extreme Dao weapons in durability.

Yet now, a single punch had nearly blasted him apart entirely. Just how monstrous was the Heavenly Emperor heir's physique?

This defied all reason.

Ye Chen's domineering, heaven-defying punch replayed endlessly in their minds, branded like an eternal mark.

Feng Baiyu's lips curved in a smile. He had known this Little Stone Sovereign stood no chance. A perfect Holy Spirit might contend with Ye Chen at an equal realm. A deficient one? No hope at all.

That punch reminded him of his own reckless youth—clashing head-on in the same manner. Back then, he must have seemed just as overwhelming to onlookers. Yes, just as overwhelming.

The Lan family great power's eyes lit up. The myriad races' great powers, meanwhile, fell into collective silence. Deep in their eyes, amid the shock, flickered threads of despair.

Why did this Heavenly Emperor's heir seem even more heaven-defying than the ancient one? If he continued growing, who could possibly stand against him? Among the myriad races, aside from the Celestial Emperor's son—who reportedly cultivated scriptures beyond immortal texts and had undergone rebirth—who could check him?

They even began worrying for that yet-to-emerge prince. If this generation saw another human ascend to immortality, the myriad races truly had no future in the coming Age of Dharma's End—reduced to scraping by in the Northern Domain.

...

In this moment of complex emotions for all, the Little Stone Sovereign threw his head back and roared like a madman. His expression brimmed with grief, indignation, and refusal to accept defeat—as though losing to Ye Chen in the path of the physique was utterly intolerable.

He glared fixedly at Ye Chen and declared coldly, "I refuse to accept this! Had my gestation site not been ravaged by great powers' battle—forcing my premature birth, leaving me inherently deficient and without heaven-defying laws—how could I not be your match? Had I remained undisturbed in slumber until now, I would be perfect—flawless, at the quasi-immortal level! You, and everyone here, would be mere ants in my eyes!"

Chapter 785: You're Feeling Sorry for Him Now?

"I refuse to accept this!"

The unwillingness and indignation in the Little Stone Sovereign's voice were palpable to all. Such was the fate of most Holy Spirits. Each possessed the potential for perfection.

Yet before emergence, they were helpless. The slightest mishap forced premature birth—eternal imperfection, forever barred from immortality. But this only deepened outsiders' awe for the Holy Spirit Clan's terror.

A deficient one was already this formidable. What heights would a perfect specimen reach?

...

The onlookers felt profound pity. Some even ached with sympathy.

Ye Chen, however, remained unmoved. The Holy Spirit Clan had luck enough. Even deficient, they stood at the pinnacle—nearly all reaching Mahayana. He had started with mere third-grade spiritual roots. Breaking through a minor realm in Qi Refinement had taken him one or two years. Seeing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had to call them "ancestor."

Where could he go to air his grievances? Did they need a guaranteed ascension slot just to be satisfied? And these spectators—pitying the Little Stone Sovereign?

Stronger than you, longer-lived than you.

Yet you feel sorry for him, lament his misfortune?

Laughable.

Slaves pitying their masters—exactly this.

As the Little Stone Sovereign roared, seven-colored divine light blazed from his stone frame. Endless divine flames surged, like boiling magma. Cracks healed in an instant; the obliterated half of his body cracked and reformed rapidly. Like a dragon stretching its limbs.

In blinks, he stood restored. Now, his stone body pulsed with power, treasure light flowing. He radiated ferocious killing intent.

At the same moment, an ancient, weathered three-meter stone sword materialized abruptly from the void, grasped in his hand. Pitch-black as ink, it matched his body's material perfectly. The blade gleamed with edge and chill, killing aura manifesting tangibly.

This startled everyone. Legends spoke of Holy Spirits blessed with extreme fortune—accompanied by natal weapons gestated alongside them.

Clearly, this stone sword was one such. It already exuded the presence of a high-grade Extreme Dao weapon. This deepened the crowd's empathy for the Little Stone Sovereign's resentment. Had he gestated undisturbed, not only would he have emerged at quasi-immortal realm, this sword might have become a supreme Extreme Dao weapon. A supreme Extreme Dao weapon of the same origin, birthed together—what terror would its might hold? Likely rivaling a quasi-immortal martial emperor.

At this thought, countless hearts could only sigh in regret for him.

...

Swish!

Cloaked in boundless heaven-and-earth essence, the Little Stone Sovereign exploded forward. Stone sword in hand, he teleported-like from above, cleaving down at Ye Chen.

The massive blade rent heaven and earth—like a world-shaking thunderbolt, edge fully bared. In his grasp, the sword complemented him perfectly, unleashing every ounce of potential. Its power far surpassed an ordinary high-grade Extreme Dao weapon in another's hands.

Ye Chen regarded the descending sword with calm indifference. Earlier, curious to test his physique's limits against the Little Stone Sovereign, he had refrained from the Nine Secrets or other arts. Only the Heavenly Emperor Fist—to gauge the quality. The result had pleased him. The opponent couldn't even scratch him.

Of course, this Little Stone Sovereign proved resilient too. Against the full terror of his physical might, a single punch had left half the stone body intact.

Impressive. But that was all.

Ye Chen had no intention of lingering. Having slain so many prodigies, Myriad Races Immortal City was no longer safe. Otherwise, assassinations would plague him daily. Better to end this quickly and hit the road—to find Lan Nuo. Stay with her a while, deliver the gifts, then return to the Great Yan Continent for his fiancée.

By then, his realm should reach the third-heaven peak. Visit the divine maiden once more—have her and the Heavenly Desire Sect Master assist his cultivation together. Then break through directly.

Perfect!

Ye Chen's figure blurred as the Battle Secret and Multiplier Secret activated simultaneously. He charged forward with his bare body, not even summoning the Heavenly Emperor Sword—meeting the attack empty-handed.

Yet everyone saw it clearly. His fists gleamed like molten gold, radiant and blinding. They carried a momentum that suppressed heaven and earth as they smashed upward.

Under countless unblinking gazes, Ye Chen's golden fists collided with the Little Stone Sovereign's stone sword.

The next instant, a thunderous crack exploded—like the sky splitting apart. The colossal stone sword—naturally forged by heaven and earth, terrifying beyond measure—shattered under Ye Chen's punch.

The entire tip snapped off, hurtling away in fragments. Then Ye Chen invoked the Armament Secret.

At the moment the Little Stone Sovereign froze in shock, Ye Chen effortlessly seized the weapon.

In a mere flash, the Little Stone Sovereign's natal divine armament changed owners.

Ye Chen glanced at the stone sword in his hand with faint regret. It bore innate divine patterns, unrefined by secondary crafting—a rare treasure. Perfect for gifting; the feedback would be extraordinary. A pity he had struck too hard earlier.

"You..."

Fury consumed the Little Stone Sovereign. Losing his natal weapon was unbearable. For a human, it would be like having a long-pursued goddess snatched away after finally winning her. Especially since Ye Chen gazed at the sword with such pity. It enraged him further.

Yet in the next moment, something even more unacceptable occurred. A radiant cascade like an inverted galactic river flashed. The Heavenly Emperor's heir before him wielded his own natal weapon, as though possessed by a war god. He swung it backhanded, momentum overwhelming. His stone sword, in Ye Chen's grasp, proved even more terrifying than in his own.

The Little Stone Sovereign dared not block directly. Though his stone face betrayed no expression, terror filled his eyes. He flashed away at extreme speed, desperate to evade the fatal strike. But it was futile.

Against a numerical monster like Ye Chen—who overpowered in every aspect—how could the Little Stone Sovereign escape? Especially since Ye Chen commanded the supreme immortal scripture sword arts.

This swing dragged endless laws and order god chains, wreathed in boundless divine light—like lively serpents. Even a wisp of its aura held power to cleave heaven and earth. Before this unimaginably shocking sword, the Little Stone Sovereign had no counter.

"Ah..."

In the end, the blade cleaved him at the waist. An unwilling roar tore through the skies. His lower stone body exploded outright. The upper half struggled like a cornered beast, desperate to flee. But Ye Chen granted no such chance. He swept the broken-tipped greatsword again, smashing down with the flat.

Boom...

The Little Stone Sovereign's head and upper torso shattered in a thunderous blast. Signs of resurgence lingered. Destruction force surged in Ye Chen's eyes. Annihilating light swept the entire battlefield.

Moments later, silence finally descended. The entire field fell so quiet that a pin drop would echo.