Chapter 765: An Inescapable Death

‘No, if this keeps up, my life potential will be depleted in no time. I’ll fall to his sword.’

“Heavenly Axe Battle Skill! Die!”

Yu Chi Bugong could no longer afford to worry about the loss of his life potential as he pushed the power of the Blood Burst Pill even harder.

A monstrous torrent of axe light enveloped Ye Xuan. A heavy, oppressive aura welled up within him, and a chilling, needle-prick sensation pierced through even his Rock Armor.

“Star Sword Skill—One Sword, a River of Stars!”

Ye Xuan didn’t dare to be careless, immediately unleashing the strongest move of his Star Sword Skill.

Back when he was at the Peak of Tier Seven Second Layer, he had used this very move to repel the brown-haired Third Layer Martial Emperor who possessed the Space-Stabilizing Bead. Now that he had broken through to become a Tier Eight Martial Emperor, a terrifying Sword Intent erupted as he unleashed the strike. An image of the vast, starry cosmos instantly flooded Yu Chi Bugong’s mind.

Within that mental cosmos, countless stars imploded, transforming into an endless torrent—a river of stars surging forth with world-ending power.

‘Such terrifying Sword Intent… This Xuan Ye just broke through to the Martial Emperor realm, so how can he possess something so dreadful? I fear not even the Nine Heavens Martial Emperor could match this Sword Intent.’

Knowing the situation was dire, Yu Chi Bugong felt his scalp tingle. A mix of shock and fury welled within him as he began to burn his blood essence with all his might.

BOOM!

Scorching Profound flames erupted across his body, and his descending battle-axe bloomed with crimson rays of light that seemed to devour all in their path.

RUMBLE!

A deafening roar erupted as the black battle-axe and the heavy black sword clashed violently, generating a massive shockwave of energy.

PFFT!

Ye Xuan spat out a mouthful of blood. The Rock Armor covering his body shattered as he let out a muffled groan and was sent flying backward, his face ashen.

Yu Chi Bugong was in a much more wretched state. His robes had been utterly obliterated, and the defensive armor beneath was riddled with holes from the explosive force of the sword light. He coughed up mouthfuls of purplish-black blood.

‘After taking the Blood Burst Pill, Yu Chi Bugong’s power is near the absolute limit for a Martial Emperor. In terms of raw combat strength, I’m still a little behind him.’

Ye Xuan’s expression was one of exhilaration. He knew that while his injuries were lighter than Yu Chi Bugong’s, it was for specific reasons. First, because he cultivated the Nine Revolutions Sacred Body, his physical defense was already on par with a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor. Second, he had the added protection of the Rock Armor from his Earth Martial Soul.

Meanwhile, Yu Chi Bugong, despite the boost from the Blood Burst Pill, was nowhere near the defensive level of a Nine Heavens Martial Emperor. Furthermore, he was already injured to begin with, which naturally made his defenses weaker than Ye Xuan’s.

Still, Ye Xuan was more than satisfied, even knowing his combat strength was slightly less than that of a powered-up Yu Chi Bugong.

After all, he was only a Martial Emperor First Layer right now. Moreover, he was relying entirely on his own understanding of martial skills, Cultivation Techniques, and intent. He hadn’t even used his trump cards like the Celestial Fire or his Devouring Martial Soul.

‘If I had used them, the outcome would have been completely different.’

As Ye Xuan conducted his silent analysis, Yu Chi Bugong was reeling in utter disbelief.

‘Impossible! My all-out attack, fueled by burning my life potential and blood essence, not only failed to kill this brat but didn’t even seriously injure him! This is impossible!’

Yu Chi Bugong was on the verge of a rampage.

He had gambled everything on that one attack, and the result was merely shattering Ye Xuan’s Rock Armor and making him spit up some blood. Such a trivial injury completely shattered Yu Chi Bugong’s courage to continue the fight.

He finally understood that Ye Xuan had grown to a level he could no longer hope to reach. If he continued to fight, he would be the one to die, without a doubt.

‘Flee!’

This one thought surfaced in Yu Chi Bugong’s mind. His body blurred, transforming into a crimson streak of light as he shot violently toward the tunnel exit.

‘He’s actually running?’

Ye Xuan was stunned for a moment. But there was no way he would let Yu Chi Bugong escape. A cold sneer touched his lips as his figure suddenly turned illusory.

In terms of speed, as a mere Tier Eight First Layer, he was no match for Yu Chi Bugong, who had reached the very pinnacle of Tier Eight.

But what was Ye Xuan’s nickname in his previous life?

The Carefree Soul Emperor, the Carefree Martial Emperor!

The “Carefree” in his title not only referred to his personality but, more importantly, to the supreme martial art he cultivated—Carefree Wanderings!

And the most powerful aspect of Carefree Wanderings was its Body Technique.

“Carefree Body Technique—Void-Treading Phantom!”

In an instant, Ye Xuan’s body became like a hazy phantom, flickering through the void. He remained locked onto Yu Chi Bugong’s fleeing form, not losing a single inch of ground. In fact, he was beginning to close the distance.

“Yu Chi Bugong, you can’t escape.” Ye Xuan’s chilling voice rang out from behind him.

‘Damn it!’

Yu Chi Bugong was about to go mad with rage. This guy was just too much of a freak! Incredible strength and defense were one thing, but how was his movement speed this fast too?!

Yu Chi Bugong had never imagined that, after taking a Blood Burst Pill, he would be outrun by a Tier Eight First Layer Martial Emperor.

“Brat, keep chasing me and I’ll summon the Nine Heavens Martial Emperor ancestor of the Yuchi family to crush you where you stand! See if I don’t!”

Yu Chi Bugong, flustered and exasperated, roared in anger.

“Be my guest,” Ye Xuan sneered.

‘Who was he kidding? Based on the intelligence Ye Xuan had, the Yuchi family’s ancestor had long since entered the abyss’s depths. The Nine Heavens Martial Emperors down there were facing a massive catastrophe—a situation of near-certain death where they could barely protect themselves. It was highly probable the Yuchi ancestor was already dead. If Yu Chi Bugong could actually summon him, why would he have waited until now?’

“Damn it all.”

Yu Chi Bugong seethed. Ye Xuan was completely unfazed, leaving him utterly helpless.

Just as Ye Xuan guessed, Yu Chi Bugong had already tried to summon Yuchi Huade. However, ever since Yuchi Huade had voluntarily dissipated at the altar, all his summons went unanswered. Otherwise, he would never have taken the desperate risk of consuming a Blood Burst Pill.

‘The only plan now is to enter the abyss. I refuse to believe this guy will dare to follow me in.’

Feeling his life potential almost completely depleted, Yu Chi Bugong’s heart filled with despair. The moment he rushed out of the passageway, he shot toward the bottom of the abyss.

“Hmph, trying to escape into the abyss? Not a chance!”

The instant Yu Chi Bugong burst out of the passageway, Ye Xuan finally closed into effective attack range.

“Divine Spirit Gaze—Eye of Illusory Restriction!”

An incredibly powerful wave of Soul Power suddenly sank into Yu Chi Bugong’s body.

To stop Yu Chi Bugong, Ye Xuan pushed his Soul Power to its absolute limit. His mid-stage Eighth Grade Soul Power, enhanced by the Secret Technique, instantly blasted into Yu Chi Bugong’s mind.

Yu Chi Bugong felt a wave of vertigo wash over him. His body froze in place, his eyes glazed over, and for a brief moment, his mind went blank.

“Die!”

Seizing the opportunity, the Sword of Judgment in Ye Xuan’s hand fell like a thunderbolt, instantly sinking into Yu Chi Bugong’s wound-riddled body.

Yu Chi Bugong’s body suddenly trembled. He finally regained his clarity the instant the sword entered his body, and a look of utter despair appeared in his eyes.

“If I die, you’re not getting away unscathed!”

At the very moment of his death, spurred by the Blood Burst Pill, Yu Chi Bugong unleashed an unprecedented burst of power and slammed a heavy blow into Ye Xuan’s chest. At the same time, his own body disintegrated under the power of the Sword of Judgment and plummeted into the abyss.

BOOM!

The Rock Armor instantly appeared on his body. Under the immense force, the armor on Ye Xuan’s chest was pulverized, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. But instead of retreating, his figure moved forward. At the critical moment, he snatched Yu Chi Bugong’s Storage Ring.

“Cough, cough!”

Ye Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at the Storage Ring in his hand, and smiled faintly.

‘Getting injured in exchange for Yu Chi Bugong’s Storage Ring? Worth it.’

Ye Xuan was well aware that the treasures the Yuchi family obtained from the mysterious land were bound to be in Yu Chi Bugong’s Storage Ring.

At the same time, Ye Xuan activated his Life Martial Soul to begin healing his injuries.

TSSS!

A dense life force circulated, and Ye Xuan’s injuries began to heal at an astonishing speed.

ROAR!

But just then, a deafening roar rose from the bottom of the abyss. A powerful sonic wave hit him, and Ye Xuan felt his head spin, almost causing him to fall headfirst into the abyss.

‘What a terrifying roar. What kind of monster is it?’

A look of alarm on his face, Ye Xuan didn’t dare to linger above the abyss and turned to return to the passageway.

WHOOSH!

Just then, a streak of black light suddenly shot out from the abyss, its speed astonishingly fast.

“What rotten luck! A bunch of puppets controlled by the Spirit Demon Race nearly got me killed! Son of a bitch, time to go.”

The streak of light cursed as it flew, and its eyes met Ye Xuan’s.

“It’s you?”

Ye Xuan and the other person exclaimed at the same time.

The streak of light that had flown out from the depths of the abyss was actually Zhan Shang.

At this moment, black demonic qi swirled around him, exuding a staggering pressure. In the dozen or so days since they’d last seen each other, his cultivation had actually broken through from the Peak of Tier Eight Second Layer to Tier Eight Triple Peak. He radiated a profound and terrifying aura that was deeply unsettling.

“You’ve been in this abyss all this time,” Ye Xuan said, his face a mask of shock.

The terror of the abyss was clear from the state of the Twin Martial Emperors and the others who had barely escaped. Yet Zhan Shang, a mere Martial Emperor, was completely unscathed. Ye Xuan was secretly astounded.

“Heh heh… Well, well, kid. It looks like fate wants me to kill you.”

After his cry of surprise, a trace of malice and a savage grin immediately flashed across Zhan Shang’s face, revealing his greed.

He had reaped great rewards in the abyss, and his power had soared. Now, seeing Ye Xuan reminded him of the humiliation he had suffered before. He was eager to kill Ye Xuan and claim his body.

“On your own?”

After the initial surprise, Ye Xuan quickly calmed down.

“You think breaking through to Martial Emperor Third Layer is enough to threaten me? Remember your place. You are my servant!”

A cold sneer played on Ye Xuan’s lips, without a trace of fear.

BOOM!

A terrifying pressure erupted from his body. The aura of his Martial Emperor Level spatial principles, combined with the power of his Devouring Martial Soul and Celestial Fire, coalesced into a frightening domain that swept out in all directions.