Chapter 437: True Martial in Peril, Chaos Bell Breaks the Barrier

Above the Duanchun Mountains, dark, ink-like demonic qi obscured the sky and sun.

Kunpeng took one step forward, and space collapsed behind him.

The True Martial Emperor’s divine body stood in the heavens, his black armor shimmering with nine-colored divine light, the Dangmo Sword held horizontally before him.

Before the two forces even collided, the remaining demons of the Duanchun Mountains were crushed to the ground by pressure alone.

The clash between two Semi-Saints was no different from the end of the world to these demonic clans.

Kunpeng raised his hand, and a colossal palm coalesced in midair, space laws swirling in his palm, five fingers like a prison, reaching straight for the True Martial Emperor’s divine body.

The True Martial Emperor swung his sword; the Dangmo Sword intent surged into the heavens, a frost-white blade light slicing toward the giant palm.

BOOM!

The blade light exploded, but the giant palm only paused for an instant before pressing down again.

The turtle and snake shadows beneath the True Martial Emperor’s divine body reared their heads, and the Divine Power of the Heavens surged forth, colliding head-on with the giant palm.

The next instant, the turtle and snake shadows both let out a mournful cry.

The True Martial Emperor’s divine body retreated half a step, and behind it, the void split open for a thousand li.

“True Martial, you’ve guarded the Northern Continent for many years—you’ve grown quite capable.”

Kunpeng stood with his hands behind his back, his voice calm.

“But you’re still only a Great Immortal. Even with the Heavenly Court’s divine path and cosmic order granting you Semi-Saint power, it’s still not enough before me. If you retreat now, I’ll spare your life.”

The True Martial Emperor did not respond. He gripped the sword with both hands; divine path power from the Nine Heavens descended, forming golden runes that wrapped around his divine body.

The cracks on his divine body were filled by divine path energy, and the Dangmo Sword glowed once more.

“I ask but one question.”

The True Martial Emperor lifted his head. “Was the blood array meant to detonate the earth veins in the Duanchun Mountains set by you?”

Kunpeng smiled.

“So what if it was?”

“Then that’s enough.”

The True Martial Emperor took a step forward; his divine body surged upward, and he swung the Dangmo Sword for a second strike.

This strike held no extra flourishes.

The blade light fell from the heavens, aimed straight at Kunpeng’s third eye.

Kunpeng did not dodge. He raised his right hand and calmly pinched the blade light between two fingers.

The frost-white light trembled in his grasp, its intent slicing through space, yet unable to advance an inch further.

Kunpeng curled his fingers.

CRACK.

The blade light shattered.

A deep gash split open across the True Martial Emperor’s chest, extending from shoulder to waist, nine-colored divine light gushing from the fissure.

In the Duanchun Mountains, the demon kings who had believed the True Martial Emperor’s arrival would end everything now lowered their heads, daring not to look upward.

This was the Demon Master Kunpeng—an unparalleled being who had attained Semi-Saint status since the ancient Honghuang era.

The True Martial Emperor stabilized his divine body, letting the Dangmo Sword hang low. Though he was no match for Kunpeng, his gaze remained calm, and he sensed something amiss in Kunpeng’s attack.

Kunpeng’s strike was indeed powerful—but not deadly enough.

With the power of a peak Semi-Saint, had he truly wished to destroy the divine body, that single blow would have shattered the True Martial Emperor’s divine path foundation.

But Kunpeng did not. His strike appeared mighty, yet lacked follow-through—as if merely putting on a show.

The True Martial Emperor was certain: Kunpeng had held back.

The True Martial Emperor’s eyes darkened as he stared at Kunpeng.

“You’re buying time. What are you really after?”

Kunpeng’s gaze paused, then he smiled.

“Nothing. I’ve simply not fought in so long—I wanted to play a little longer.”

He looked upward toward the Nine Heavens, where several Heavenly Court divine lights were faintly emerging.

With the Northern Continent in such chaos, the Heavenly Court could not remain unresponsive.

“It seems the Heavenly Court’s reinforcements are nearly here. Then let’s end this.”

Kunpeng raised his hand; vast, ink-black demonic qi surged into an endless tidal wave, sweeping toward the True Martial Emperor’s divine body.

“True Martial, next time we meet, I hope you’ll give me a real challenge!”

The True Martial Emperor spoke coldly: “Kunpeng, you seek to overthrow the Northern Continent and shatter the Three Realms’ order. The Heavenly Court will not let you go unpunished.”

“The Heavenly Court?” Kunpeng sneered. “Just a group of thieves who stole the spoils of the Witch-Demon War.”

As he spoke, the ink-black tidal wave descended, and the Dangmo Sword intent shattered inch by inch.

Cracks multiplied across the True Martial Emperor’s divine body; the nine-colored divine light was swallowed by demonic qi, and the massive form trembled precariously in the heavens.

Yet he did not retreat. The Dangmo Sword remained held before him, fiercely blocking the ink-black demonic sea.

Below the Duanchun Mountains, every demon clan witnessed this scene.

The Dangmo Patriarch, who had guarded the Northern Continent for countless eons, was being crushed by Kunpeng, barely able to defend himself.

Yet he did not step back. Far away in the void, Su Chen had already left the Northern Continent.

The Chaos Bell concealed his aura as he sped through the spatial passage.

Moments later, at the end of the passage, the light faded.

Su Chen stepped forward, arriving at the edge of the Three Realms.

Here, there were no mountains or rivers, no sun or moon—only a gray, empty void.

Ahead, an invisible barrier stretched across the horizon.

The light screen appeared formless, yet infinite cosmic laws flowed within it.

Each law was like a chain, interwoven, sealing the passage between the Three Realms and the Outer Realms.

This was the World Barrier.

Within the Three Realms, immortals and gods could traverse space using arrays, techniques, and divine powers.

But to leave the Three Realms and enter the Outer Realms, one must face this barrier.

This barrier was the cosmic law’s protection for the Three Realms—only a Semi-Saint could break it.

And any attempt to destroy it would create massive disturbances, easily detected by great beings within the Three Realms.

Even a Great Immortal forcing his way through would be violently repelled by cosmic laws—suffering either damage to his Dao Fruit or total annihilation.

Su Chen stood before the World Barrier and pressed his hand against it; a repelling force surged back.

The Hunchen spiritual power barely touched the barrier before countless law chains wrapped around it, preventing any damage.

Su Chen withdrew his hand, his brow slightly raised.

“No wonder Kunpeng went to such lengths to conceal his movements.”

The Outer Realms were not a place one could simply enter. For Kunpeng’s true body to leave the Three Realms silently, he must have prepared in advance.

But Su Chen had no time for careful preparation. On the Duanchun Mountains, Kunpeng was holding off the True Martial Emperor—and by extension, the Heavenly Court.

Yet this situation would not last long. Once the Heavenly Court’s great beings arrived, Kunpeng would surely retreat.

By then, Kunpeng’s true body would likely have already completed his task.

Su Chen exhaled, and his Hunchen Dao Fruit began to rotate; Hunchen spiritual power surged, transforming into a force that embraced all Dao principles.

Then he activated the Chaos Nine Revolutions.

All three hundred and sixty-five major acupoints trembled simultaneously; within each, miniature inner realms opened and closed, chaos qi gushing forth, his spine’s great dragon like an ancient celestial pillar, pulsing with deep, resonant beats.

Each pulse caused Su Chen’s physical aura to surge higher.

Chaos blood surged within him; his physical strength fully revived, revealing his peak Semi-Saint physical power.

At the same time, a brilliant yellow-gold light flared from Su Chen’s third eye, and an ancient bell slowly emerged.

On the bell’s surface, sun, moon, and stars revolved; earth, water, fire, and wind floated and sank. As soon as the Chaos Bell appeared, the entire gray void stabilized.

The cosmic laws within the World Barrier sensed the aura of a primordial treasure; the light screen blazed brightly, countless law chains surging wildly.

Su Chen activated the Chaos Bell, preparing to use the power of a primordial treasure to carve a passage through the World Barrier.

“Open,” Su Chen murmured.

The Chaos Bell trembled slightly.

DONG!

The bell’s sound rang out; the World Barrier before him shuddered violently, the cosmic laws within it frozen for an instant.

In that instant, Su Chen acted. The Xuanyuan Divine Axe appeared in his palm; Hunchen spiritual power flooded into its blade.

The primordial opening intent he had once understood manifested.

One axe swing—and a crack appeared in the Three Realms’ World Barrier.

The crack was small, but enough for Su Chen to pass through.

Violent Outer Realm gales poured through the fissure, sweeping toward Su Chen.

The gales were like blades, carrying fragmented laws, scraping against Su Chen’s body with piercing shrieks.

Yet they were all annihilated before his mighty physical form, unable to harm him.

Su Chen’s eyes emitted chaos divine light; his Dharma Eye opened, gazing beyond the crack.

On the other side, he saw a chaotic void: shattered continents floating, stellar debris spinning, and distant void storms churning.

That was the Outer Realms.

Su Chen did not hesitate—he leapt into the fissure.