Chapter 961: A Path of Survival in a Desperate Situation

【Return to One】!

A powerful 【Return to One】 belonging to Chen Yan, belonging to the human race, is rapidly forming.

It was precisely at this moment.

Tap, tap.

A pair of feet stepped across the void, appearing not far from Chen Yan.

The white-haired Chen Fazheng looked toward the Evil Realm Saint-Breaking Tree, his gaze finally resting upon the Emperor Fruit.

That's right.

From Chen Fazheng's perspective.

There was no white mist here, no Chen Yan.

Even the Emperor Fruit, which had already been plucked by Chen Yan, was still hanging on the branch.

This was a deception aimed at Chen Fazheng, aimed at everyone in the outside world.

"It is about to ripen."

Chen Fazheng murmured aloud, taking a deep breath:

"I can consider myself to have reached the final step."

He looked around, his hands forming seals, and streaks of array patterns were carved into the void.

Terrifying killing intent gradually condensed, finally transforming into an array pattern that made the heavens and earth tremble.

"Chen Yuan, I know you will stop me, but how will you stop me this time?"

Chen Fazheng's eyes were indifferent; with a final point of his finger, streaks of array patterns flowed onto the surface of the Emperor Fruit hanging on the branch.

After completing all preparations, cold light flickered in Chen Fazheng's eyes, and he vanished instantly.

Time passed slowly.

Fifty days later.

One hundred days remaining until the Ancient God awakens.

This time, the small tide arrived.

This time, no Ancient God aura came to disturb Chen Yan.

Several streaks of light flew onto the roots of the Evil Realm Saint-Breaking Tree.

Xuan Yi, Lord Wuhen, Ruan Qingwu, and Ying.

"Is this where the Emperor Fruit grows?"

Xuan Yi looked at the Emperor Fruit hanging on the Evil Realm Saint-Breaking Tree at once, his eyes filled with immense covetousness.

As he took a step forward, Ruan Qingwu and Lord Wuhen both stepped forward behind him.

Ying remained at the very back, not moving.

"We can begin."

Xuan Yi murmured aloud:

"You and I both know that although the martial arts we practice are vastly different, they are closely related.

If our martial arts were to merge, it would be like a shattered piece of jade being perfectly pieced back together, erupting with the greatest power.

At that time, perhaps the strongest Daoist among us will achieve the title of number one in the human world."

Xuan Yi looked at Lord Wuhen and Ruan Qingwu behind him, an indifferent smile appearing on the corners of his mouth:

"Everyone, what are you still waiting for?"

Roar!

Almost in an instant.

A beast roar resounded.

Splash!

Within the Sea of Malice, endless waves surged.

Countless streaks of pitch-black viscous fluid erupted from the seabed, finally flowing to Ruan Qingwu's side.

It transformed into an Ancient God Beast, eight meters tall, with a body covered in bone spurs, a face made of a pitch-white bone mask, and rows of air vents on its mouth.

"Bone King, is this your backup plan?"

Xuan Yi looked at Ruan Qingwu, his brows slightly raised:

"That day, all the Evil Realm Ancient God Beasts died miserably, yet you actually managed to preserve one here."

Ruan Qingwu wore a bronze mask, his eyes flickering:

"I originally prepared two Ancient God Beasts for Daoist Xuan Yi, but unfortunately, one died fighting Zhu Ming."

Ruan Qingwu said.

The Bone King lowered its head and walked slowly.

At the same time, Lord Wuhen moved, clutching his sword.

Following that, Lord Wuhen, Ruan Qingwu, the Bone King, and Ying formed four corners, surrounding Xuan Yi.

"So, you have already discussed this."

Xuan Yi said with a faint smile.

The next instant.

Boom!

The clothing on Xuan Yi's upper body exploded instantly, revealing his sturdy physique as streaks of True Soul flowed and transformed into True Soul armor.

The next moment.

Boom!

Xuan Yi stepped on the void with one foot, and ripples exploded beneath his feet into spiderweb-like spatial cracks; countless True Souls erupted instantly, transforming into an ocean of True Souls.

"I am now..."

Xuan Yi clenched his fist, his eyes erupting with brilliant light:

"Truly so excited!"

Screech!

Before the words had faded, the Bone King had already torn through the curtain of the True Soul sea and lunged over.

The eight-meter-tall hideous beast body stirred up a foul wind, its bone spurs like ten thousand swords drawn from their sheaths, and the turbid currents spewing from its spiracles corroded the heavens and earth.

Xuan Yi merely sneered, his left fist brushing past as if pinching a flower.

Boom!

A massive fist soul instantly blasted the Bone King away, and countless bone spurs shattered and exploded.

Hum!

A sword shadow suddenly struck; Wuhen Jun thrust out a sword, the sword light flickering with golden thunder.

Xuan Yi suddenly tilted his head, and Wuhen Jun's sword had already reached within three inches of his throat.

That sword light was like a pouring Milky Way, cutting even time into a fault line.

Click!

An array pattern emerged upon Xuan Yi's neck, blocking this sword.

The next moment, Xuan Yi raised a fist, and blinding sparks erupted on his True Soul armor.

He transformed his right fist into a golden sun and smashed it toward Wuhen Jun's face, but his wrist was entangled by crimson chains.

Ruan Qingwu's red dress rustled in the hurricane, and the Ten Thousand Flowers Grand Array bloomed beneath her feet, transforming into countless chains that killed toward Xuan Yi.

As for Ying, at this moment, they had already transformed into a stream of light and were flying toward the Emperor Fruit.

"Scram!"

Xuan Yi roared like thunder, and the True Soul totem on his chest suddenly lit up.

The majestic fist soul condensed into a materialized golden torrent, scattering both the chains and the sword radiance.

The aftermath swept across the void, transforming into ten thousand fist imprints that collided toward Ying.

"Not good!"

Ying exclaimed aloud, struck by a fist imprint, and spat out blood.

"That is my Emperor Fruit!"

Xuan Yi roared.

"Ying, let's kill Xuan Yi together first!"

Ruan Qingwu shouted sharply, deploying the 【Ten Thousand Spirits Cessation】 to control the Bone King to kill toward Xuan Yi.

Screech!

The Bone King's physical body transformed into a phantom, smashing fist after fist toward Xuan Yi.

Xuan Yi gave a cold rebuke and pressed forward.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The eight-meter-tall Bone King was actually forced to retreat by Xuan Yi's fist strikes.

Hum!

Wuhen Jun transformed into a stream of light, splitting into a hundred clones, and killed toward Xuan Yi.

Xuan Yi seemed to have anticipated this, turning back to lash out with a whip kick that exploded the space, the leg wind carrying the mountain soul and blasting each of the Wuhen Jun clones into blood mist!

"Trash!"

Xuan Yi gave a low shout, raised a fist, and smashed it toward the Bone King's head as if holding a great sun in his palm.

"Quick, dodge!"

Ruan Qingwu shouted sharply.

Screech!

The Bone King roared, and circles of black light erupted toward Xuan Yi in a spiral shape.

Hum!

Between heaven and earth, the light suddenly dissipated.

Ying's figure suddenly appeared behind Ruan Qingwu.

"Silent Night - Dust Severing!"

This sword was sharp to the extreme, instantly grazing across Ruan Qingwu's neck.

Beneath the mask, Ruan Qingwu's eyes widened, and a bloodstain emerged from her neck.

At the same time.

Xuan Yi's fist descended, and the True Soul armor all over his body suddenly collapsed into a searing white singularity.

Golden light comparable to the explosion of a star engulfed the heavens and earth.

When the light dissipated, the Bone King had vanished into ashes, and violent malice surged crazily toward the four directions of the universe.

Ruan Qingwu, dead!

Bone King, dead!

Ying stood not far from Ruan Qingwu's corpse:

"I've long since been unable to stand her; you guys continue."

As Ying spoke, their eyes suddenly constricted.

For they saw that Xuan Yi's fist had already blasted over in an instant.

Damn it!

Ying's body stiffened.

Yet at this very moment.

Whoosh!

Countless streaks of white flowing light emerged, instantly wrapping around Ying to dodge this punch.

Ying's figure vanished from the spot, disappearing without a trace.

"You seek death!"

Xuan Yi let out a low shout and was just about to pursue when Chen Fazheng appeared, looking at Xuan Yi indifferently:

"I still have some matters that require Ying to handle."

Xuan Yi narrowed his eyes, and Chen Fazheng glanced at Monarch Wuhen:

"Whichever of you two contends for the strongest Dao Child, the Emperor Fruit shall belong to that one."

At the same time.

Above a pure land.

Ying's figure appeared through a teleportation array, nearly falling to the ground.

To the side, Ji Chen was sitting cross-legged calmly, a smile on the corners of his lips.

"You saved me?" Ying looked at Ji Chen.

"I struck a deal with the master of the array," Ji Chen said with a faint smile.

The next moment, Chen Fazheng appeared and looked at Ying:

"Kill someone for me, and I will only take your physical energy and martial Dao memories, sparing your life."

Ying glanced at Ji Chen, then looked back at Chen Fazheng:

"Who?"

"Chen Yuan," Chen Fazheng said flatly, murderous intent emerging in the depths of his eyes.

Ying was stunned and frowned:

"You might as well just kill me."

Ji Chen stood up:

"Rest assured, I will create the best opportunity for an assassination for you."

Ying fell silent.

Chen Fazheng waved a hand, opening the barrier between the outside world and the Evil Realm.

The scenery belonging to the outside world spilled into Ying's eyes, leaving Ying somewhat mesmerized.

"You haven't been to the outside world yet, have you?" Ji Chen said:

"I'll take you to eat a bowl of hot noodle soup first."

Immediately, Ji Chen walked into the outside world.

Ying glanced at Chen Fazheng, then entered the outside world.

At the same time.

The outside world.

Within Yu Province.

Li Zhiyi found Xia Hanzhou.

"We can begin."

Xia Hanzhou nodded heavily and took out the Soul of the Life Seal.

"Success hinges on this one move."

Shen Yiwei stood up and bowed to Xia Hanzhou:

"Once we remove Chen Yuan, this final stumbling block, our great cause will be within reach."

Xia Hanzhou nodded, his hands behind his back:

"If I do not enter hell, who will?"

Xia Yuan looked at Xia Hanzhou, his eyes complex:

"Farewell, King Xiayue."

Xia Hanzhou was stunned, looked at Xia Yuan, and frowned:

"Are you itching for a beating?"

A few tears appeared in Xia Yuan's eyes:

"Imperial Uncle, you must reach the Ninth Rank."

The coldness in Xia Hanzhou's eyes gradually dissipated as he looked at Li Zhiyi and said:

"Whether I reach the Ninth Rank or not makes no difference to me.

That night you launched a surprise attack on Ji Province, I saw Chi Mi's letter.

That woman scolded me until I was bloody and battered."

Xia Hanzhou shook his head, unable to laugh or cry:

"I had already planned it out; once the great matter was settled, I would go to the Forbidden Land of Ancient Gods myself to stay with Chi Mi.

I have carried too much in this life, and missed too much.

I keep thinking, damn it, if I do something wrong, what will happen to the Xia Imperial Clan? What will happen to Great Xia?

How I wish that one day, I wouldn't be King Xiayue, just Xia Hanzhou."

Xia Hanzhou patted Chen Yan's shoulder, his voice heavy:

"Do not imitate me, do not let opportunities slip by.

That girl San Jin has been in Jin Province all along; she opened a chicken leg shop, you must go and have a taste.

And there is Ke Qingxuan; she doesn't say anything, but you cannot always let her be like that. She is a human, not a robot.

And there is Si Wenyi, and that Lu Jianxia from Lu Province; in truth, they have never done anything harmful to Great Xia.

You are already strong enough, do not suppress anything."

Li Zhiyi's eyes were calm as he smiled and said:

"Many thanks for the guidance, King Xiayue."

Xia Hanzhou smiled faintly:

"Marry them all, do not miss out.

It is my fault, it is Lu Xunyang's fault, it is Great Xia's fault; we have let you shoulder too much.

You are Chen Yan, remember that you are Chen Yan of Green Mountain."

He sighed with emotion, and the next instant, he opened the Soul of the Life Chapter.

At the same time.

Hum!

A blood-red pillar of light erupted from within Yu Province into the clouds, and billions of Great Dao rules resounded.

At the same time.

The human world watched.

The vast might of the Ninth Rank continuously overflowed; someone was ascending to the Ninth Rank.

Chen Province.

The Pool Master looked toward the direction of Yu Province with a pale complexion, the chess piece in his hand gripped tight in his palm.

Opposite him.

Chen Yuan held a black piece between his fingertips and paused slightly.

His brow relaxed slightly, and he did not pay attention to the strange phenomenon that erupted when Xia Hanzhou ascended.

Chen Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the chessboard, calm as a pool, as if leisurely savoring a mountain breeze.

"Brother Chi, who do you think wins or loses this game?"

The Chen Master spoke calmly.

The Pool Master looked at Chen Yuan, his voice heavy:

"It seems to be a dead game."

Chen Yuan's brows lifted slightly, his knuckles tensing as he held the piece between his fingers.

Snap!

The chess piece in Chen Yuan's hand slammed onto the star point, the sound of the placement causing stone dust to tremble slightly.

"Look, has this game of chess come alive?"

The Chen Master's voice fell.

The Pool Master frowned and looked over.

On the chessboard, the previously isolated black pieces were all connected, all because of the one piece the Chen Master had placed.

The dead game was instantly brought to life; amidst the interweaving of black and white, a path to survival suddenly opened up in the desperate situation.