Chapter 119

Lord Dingtian now wished he could kill Master Yu to vent his hatred.

This traitor betrayed me at the critical moment!

However, Lord Dingtian quickly recovered; fortunately, I have many trump cards—if I had relied only on you, I would be dead for sure.

Lord Dingtian's remaining trump cards were Lady Youlan and the Soul-Controlling Needle.

He hadn't told Master Yu about these two, which perhaps was the main reason Master Yu betrayed him.

Lord Dingtian felt there was still a glimmer of hope; the advantage of having many trump cards was exactly this.

He thought to himself that he might as well feign defeat or feign surrender to lure the Emperor closer, then strike back with the needle; it wouldn't be too late to deal with Master Yu then.

Thinking of this, Lord Dingtian suddenly retreated, maintaining a safe distance.

But who would have known that the traitorous Master Yu would directly make a move? He took a deep breath, drawing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his chest, then channeled the spiritual power through all his meridians, and waves of majestic power surged within his body.

His surroundings were like a flowing ink-wash painting, emitting a faint scent of ink.

At that moment, Master Yu's aura suddenly became incredibly sharp, with black and white light intertwining around his body, as if the brush and ink of heaven and earth were being controlled by him.

He didn't dare to fight Li Chen, a peak-level expert, but he could still beat Lord Dingtian, a dog in the water.

"Ink Stains the Universe!" Master Yu shouted in a low voice, using his finger as a brush to outline complex runes in the air.

Those runes seemed to possess life, circling and intertwining in the air, finally transforming into a huge black-and-white scroll that swept toward Lord Dingtian.

Within the scroll, the black ink was as thick as night, while the white was as bright as day; the two collided and merged, erupting with terrifying power.

The ink seemed to transform into an endless torrent, carrying a destructive momentum, intending to swallow Lord Dingtian within it.

Seeing this, Lord Dingtian was shocked.

He never expected Master Yu to have such terrifying combat power.

It seems this guy was hiding quite deep.

At this critical moment, Lord Dingtian's dao companion, Lady Youlan, finally made a move.

Her figure was light, like an orchid blooming in the starry sky; no one knew when she had appeared before Lord Dingtian.

Lady Youlan raised her hands lightly, and a brilliant galaxy instantly condensed before her, firmly protecting Lord Dingtian within it.

Those galaxies flashed with dazzling light, illuminating this heaven and earth like broad daylight, forming a sharp contrast with Master Yu's black ink.

Under Lady Youlan's control, the galaxies bloomed into gorgeous flowers, each flower emitting different light, intertwining to form an indestructible barrier.

Master Yu's offensive was incredibly fierce, but before this brilliant galaxy, it seemed to be weakened significantly.

His ink torrent seemed to be blocked by an invisible force when it touched those galaxy flowers, unable to advance even a fraction.

Master Yu's ink torrent was pervasive, but Lady Youlan's defense was like cotton, capable of absorbing this ink.

The two terrifying energies slowly began to subside.

Their duel this time ended in a draw.

Seeing the sudden helper on the other side made Master Yu's expression serious.

He didn't expect Lord Dingtian to have another trump card; this stunningly beautiful woman was actually also a Sage Realm expert.

Lord Dingtian seized the precious breathing room and continued to say to Master Yu: "Believe me, I still have a way; the three of us can fight one!"

Now, even if Lord Dingtian wanted to kill Master Yu, he felt it was better to win him over; if Master Yu didn't help and insisted on working against him, his plan to lure the enemy deep would be hard to implement.

In Lord Dingtian's view, he just needed to deal with Li Chen and then settle the score later.

Master Yu, the traitor, fell into hesitation again; if you had so many trump cards, you should have said so earlier—why make things so awkward?

I already knelt to Li Chen, and I already fought you; I'm not a person on either side now.

Just as he was pondering, a voice like a god descending from the nine heavens resounded through this area.

"Yu Zhong, if you listen to him, I won't let you off anyway." Li Chen spoke up abruptly.

This sentence left Lord Dingtian completely confused; when Li Chen spoke, he thought Li Chen was also trying to win over Master Yu—the key to this battle was Master Yu, the swing man.

Whoever gained Master Yu's help would greatly increase their chances of winning.

This guy was a Sage Realm expert, after all.

Who knew Li Chen would push Master Yu toward him instead? What was going on? Could he have another trick up his sleeve?

Could it be that he had brought the Imperial Weapon of the May Tian Ce Dynasty as well?

Thinking of this, Lord Dingtian's expression began to grow heavy.

Seeming to see through Lord Dingtian's thoughts, Li Chen yawned and said: "Don't worry, with your meager skills, I don't even have the interest to use a weapon."

Don't look at the fact that these three Sage Realm experts had decent auras; in Li Chen's eyes, they were weak, and it didn't matter if they came together—if he hadn't wanted to see the battle of other Sage Realm experts to estimate their strength, he would have made a move long ago.

Li Chen couldn't be bothered to win over any Master Yu; who would play this game with you?

I used to think I was invincible in the Imperial Capital, and I knew that the world was full of experts, but since stepping out of the Imperial Capital, I've found that I seem to be invincible as well.

In a situation of absolute crushing like this, if I didn't want to watch the show, I wouldn't even give you room to breathe.

Originally, for this battle, Li Chen had made plenty of preparations.

Now it seemed unnecessary; these people were no match for a single blow.

It could be said that Li Chen had overestimated Lord Dingtian, this famous Sage Realm expert.

Lord Dingtian hadn't underestimated Li Chen, but now it seemed he had indeed underestimated him.

As for Master Yu, he was just a dead man walking.

Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolute disloyalty!

Why keep him? To wait for him to betray me again next time?

Without any pressure, Li Chen naturally wanted to let them come together; the main theme was casualness.

But Li Chen's words were like a steel fork, stabbing fiercely into Lord Dingtian's heart.

We've played all our trump cards, and you, kid, are too lazy to even use a weapon?

Seeing the three of them afraid to move, Li Chen stopped talking nonsense and formed a seal with one hand!

Golden divine light erupted from his pupils!

The golden light of the Heavenly Dao appeared!

The golden divine power within his body surged, and violent energy rippled!

At that moment, the three people opposite realized that this guy was really about to make a move!

As Li Chen raised his hand, countless golden beams of light shot out from the space behind him, instantly piercing through the defenses of the three people before him.

Whether it was the black torrent or the galaxy flower sea, they were pierced through in an instant!

The waves of golden light erupted and ravaged in all directions, with a radius of dozens of miles roaring and trembling!

The three Sage Realm experts were left heavily wounded and unable to stand, like dead dogs, their faces filled with unbelievable shock.

It was just a flick of Li Chen's finger that made them feel what the might of a supreme being of heaven and earth was!

If they had known Li Chen had this level of strength, they wouldn't have dared to appear here, but now it was too late.

Seeing Li Chen walking toward them, Master Yu was preparing to say something to beg for mercy, but Li Chen waved his hand and interrupted him.

"I recall you teaching in the Imperial Capital for many years; do you want to leave with dignity, or do you want me to make a move?"

This sentence revealed an unquestionable attitude.

I already said just now, I'm determined to kill you!

Since you dared to make a move against me, how could I spare you!

If you do it yourself, you'll leave with dignity.

Then you'll at most be considered missing, and future generations might still give you the reputation of a great scholar.

If I make a move, you'll be a traitor.

When the time comes to announce it to the world, you'll have to bear the infamy of the ages.

Hearing this, Master Yu's heart turned to ash.

But he also understood that he couldn't escape today.

Since it had come to this, begging for mercy would seem a bit cowardly.

Master Yu used all his strength to stand up and sighed: "Truly 'Ink stains the universe with no regrets, a total defeat sighing at the fate of dust'."

Master Yu's life flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern; this poem was a summary of his life's pursuit, or perhaps he had taken the wrong path.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

After speaking, a burst of energy exploded from Master Yu's body, and he died with all his meridians severed!

Li Chen waved his hand, and a golden energy turned his body into ashes.

There was no longer anyone named Master Yu in this world.

Next were the two experts from the Tianyan Tianyan Shen Zong. Seeing Li Chen getting closer and closer, Lord Dingtian was still acting; he felt he had one last chance—as long as the Soul-Controlling Needle in his sleeve pierced Li Chen's body, he could turn the tables!

But Li Chen didn't do as he wished; as he got close, several golden lights pierced through Lord Dingtian's body.

Lord Dingtian vomited a mouthful of blood, because all his meridians had been severed by Li Chen; he was already a cripple, and even if he had trump cards, he couldn't use them.

At this moment, Li Chen stepped over him, locked his gaze on Lady Youlan, and said: "Yo, long time no see."

Lady Youlan sighed: "I didn't expect it to be you either; I lost this time—do as you please, kill or carve me up!"

Lord Dingtian was stunned for a moment and looked at Lady Youlan; his expression seemed to be questioning: How do they know each other?

If Li Chen knew what he was thinking, he would surely say: What kind of talk is this? I've been accompanying your wife for the past few days you were busy.

Lord Dingtian suddenly remembered that on the first day he arrived in the Imperial Capital, Lady Youlan said she had met a young Sage Realm person—could it be that they met at that time?

He now even began to suspect if Lady Youlan had betrayed him in this failure.

But that made no sense; Lady Youlan was his dao companion—what benefit would she get from betraying him? And she had been beaten like this too.

Just as Lord Dingtian was letting his imagination run wild, Li Chen took out something like a magnet from his bosom, and with a 'whoosh', a thin needle flew out from Lord Dingtian's sleeve.

!

Lord Dingtian was even more unable to understand how this Emperor knew he had this thing and even brought a tool to restrain it?

But so what if you know? Could you even use it?

But people are just like that—the more you fear something, the more it comes to you.

Li Chen grabbed the Soul-Controlling Needle and refined it in an instant!

As golden light flashed on the Soul-Controlling Needle, Lord Dingtian completely lost contact with it, his face filled with terror.

He couldn't understand how he had spent over ten years refining the extraterrestrial demon's treasure to make it his own, yet this guy refined it in an instant?

"So that's how it's played; let me try."

Saying this, Li Chen waved his hand, and the Soul-Controlling Needle instantly pierced into Lady Youlan's brow.

At that moment, Lady Youlan seemed to lose her spirit, her eyes hollow.

After a while, something like a gold earring appeared on Lady Youlan's earlobe.

This was the sign that she had been controlled by Li Chen; her will had been changed by Li Chen.

Next, the scene Lord Dingtian feared most before coming out of the mountains appeared, because Lady Youlan was already standing obediently beside Li Chen like a doll.

Li Chen hooked one arm around Lady Youlan's shoulder, his palm just able to touch that fullness, while his other hand stroked her chin.

This was Li Chen's first time controlling someone, so he wasn't very good at it; he figured he'd get better after practicing a few more times.

Seeing this, Lord Dingtian vomited another mouthful of blood, enduring the pain of almost fainting, and said: "If you want to kill, then kill—what kind of skill is doing this?"

Li Chen didn't need to answer such a boring question.

It's simply a joke; if I had lost, would you have spared me?

After enjoying himself for a while, Li Chen didn't know how he edited Lady Youlan's memories, but she took the recovery elixir Li Chen handed her and disappeared from the vicinity shortly after.

There was no choice; there were still many people around, and these people were arriving one after another—Li Chen couldn't play here.

Immediately after, he waved his hand, and Lord Dingtian fainted.

As the leader of the Jiuyuan Sacred Domain, he still had some intelligence value.

Besides, if he died, how boring would it be to play?

Daring to challenge me, you must pay the price after failing.

Want to die and be done with it? How could it be so cheap for you!

Since you delivered yourselves to my door, I'd be a fool not to take it.

Lord Dingtian perhaps never imagined that his plan was exposed initially just because the Son of Destiny, Xiao Ming, tracked a mid-level official of the Ministry of Justice, then discovered the Second Imperial Prince's tracks along the way, and finally the news reached Li Chen's hands.

With the dust settled, Li Chen also withdrew the 'Long Yin Zixiao Divine Formation'.

As the Long Yin Zixiao Divine Formation dissipated, it was as if the curtain had finally fallen on the prelude to a world-shaking battle.

The courtiers nearby saw this and hurriedly quickened their pace, rushing toward the center of the battlefield; their hearts were filled with curiosity and anxiety, wanting to catch a glimpse of the result of the duel between the Sage Realm experts.

When they arrived nearby, they saw Li Chen's proud figure standing on the ruins; his back was filled with invincibility, as if nothing in this world could stop his steps.

And beside him lay a weak expert—it was none other than the Tianyan Tianyan Shen Zong Master, Lord Dingtian, that expert who had been famous in the cultivation world of the May Tian Ce Dynasty for a long time, and even had some fame on the continent.

At this moment, he had fainted, and his meridians were all severed, with no strength left to resist.

The courtiers looked around, only to see that the towering mountain range had become riddled with holes in the fierce battle between the two experts.

Peaks had collapsed, boulders had rolled down, and the originally lush forest was now left with only bare trunks.

Those traces of battle were like carvings of knives and axes, deeply branded onto this land, making one's heart tremble.

Recalling the thrilling scene just now, even Ma Hei, at the peak of the Heavenly Abyss Realm, was filled with fear.

He couldn't get close to the formation, only vaguely feeling the shock of the dragon god phantom in the sky and the impact of those energy waves.

Those energies seemed capable of tearing space apart and causing the heavens and earth to collapse.

It made Ma Hei have to retreat again and again, fearing he would be swept into it.

Now looking at the dilapidated state of the surrounding mountains, Ma Hei and the others were even more glad they had run far away; otherwise, they would likely have become victims of this battle.

At this moment, Li Chen hadn't restrained his aura, and that powerful, suffocating might was still rippling around him.

Just by standing there, he was the master of heaven and earth.

Anyone who got close to him felt an invisible pressure, making them involuntarily want to kneel and submit to this invincible Emperor.

At this time, Pang Jin, the Minister of Justice, and the Imperial Guard captain brought a team of men over; they escorted the fainted Lord Dingtian and walked before Li Chen.

Li Chen only glanced at him indifferently and ordered: "Throw him into the Heavenly Prison and wait for him to be dealt with."

The Heavenly Prison was not an ordinary cell; it was a cage in the forbidden grounds of the Imperial Clan, with extremely strict guards.

As Lord Dingtian was escorted away, this spring hunt was nearing its end.

Xu Zifeng also slowly began to realize that Li Chen's slap last time was truly just a casual one; if he had really angered this Emperor, he would likely have been turned to dust in the blink of an eye.

It seemed he had thought too simply of the Sage Realm.

In fact, Xu Zifeng didn't know that ordinary Sage Realm experts weren't that terrifying; Li Chen was a top-tier Sage Realm expert of the era.

In other words, there were different levels even among Sage Realm experts.

Long Xiang Heiyao came to Li Chen's side and knelt halfway to let Li Chen sit on it.

It had to be said that this beast also knew the rules—the stronger the master, the lower its posture.

There was no trouble on the way back, because there were only these three Sage Realm experts who came.

As for the remnants of the previous dynasty and foreign forces, none of them had sent Sage Realm experts this time.

Zhao Wenyuan had already made arrangements for these small matters.

Li Chen was also pondering; although it was a crushing victory this time, many trump cards hadn't been used—for example, the 'Void Shackles Domain Formation' to prevent space magic treasures, and the 'Sword Dao Demon-Slaying Formation' hadn't been activated.

The place where he was attacked was in the middle section, so only the 'Long Yin Zixiao Divine Formation' was activated.

Besides these, Li Chen also had the divine armor of the Li Imperial Clan, a dagger in his sleeve that could cut space and create spatial turbulence, and he even wore a heart-protecting mirror.

But the problem was, none of it was needed.

Li Chen even felt that he wouldn't have had any difficulty even without activating the 'Long Yin Zixiao Divine Formation'.

I'm just practicing the cultivation method left by the founding Emperor—how come it feels like no one is my match?

But thinking about it, that founding Emperor was an expert who withstood the heavenly tribulation and successfully ascended; the cultivation method he left behind shouldn't have any major issues.

So that means only people of that level can pose a threat to me?

Lord Dingtian was strong, but he hadn't reached the level of being able to ascend.

According to the records in the Li Clan's files, most of those who can ascend have innate Dao fetus sacred bodies, or extremely strong bloodlines, or heaven-defying luck.

These should pose a certain threat to me.

In fact, Lord Dingtian's bloodline was also strong, just not cultivated to the extreme.

This was Li Chen's first same-level battle, and he slowly began to understand this world.

In his view, winning this time didn't mean he should be careless next time; being steady is never wrong!

Li Chen was thinking, who should he find to practice with next?

At this moment, countless experts on the continent felt a chill down their backs, as if they were being watched by some guy!

(End of chapter)