Chapter 449

In the depths of the Shattered Star Abyss, the Ancestor of the Ming River trod upon the Twelve-Petal Karma Fire Red Lotus, his swords Yuan Tu and A Bi transforming into two crimson dragons darting left and right through the void.

Though he claimed to aid the Demon Master, his sword flashes occasionally swept across the defensive array patterns of the Demon Master’s Palace.

The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng held the Qian Kun Ruler, with the Lingjiu Lamp suspended above his head, its pale green flame illuminating a realm of Buddhist purity.

The Buddhist light appeared gentle, yet it firmly blocked the Ancestor’s blood waters at the periphery, while also sending forth threads of Sanskrit chants, attempting to guide the Demon Master trapped by Zhen Yuanzi.

Zhen Yuanzi’s face was grim; the Earth Book spread wide, its mountain-and-river illusions pressing down mercilessly on the Demon Master.

Yet each time he sought to draw the Earth Book tighter to crush the Demon Master utterly, the Ancestor’s killing swords and Ran Deng’s Buddhist light would unintentionally strike weak points in the mountain-and-river illusions.

Doumu Yuanjun stood amidst starlight, the Star Constellation Divine Seal forming an endless net of stars.

She had to guard against the Ancestor’s ambush, suppress Ran Deng’s infiltration, and coordinate with Zhen Yuanzi to contain their enemy.

“Ancestor of the Ming River! Ran Deng! Do you truly mean to protect him?” Zhen Yuanzi’s gaze was icy.

The Ancestor of the Ming River laughed loudly: “Brother Zhen Yuanzi, I merely inquire after the whereabouts of the Primordial Purple Qi—who said I’m protecting him?”

The Ancient Buddha Ran Deng raised one hand before his chest: “Amitabha Buddha. The Demon Master has affinity with our Western Land; I wish to guide him to Lingshan, cleansing his sins. As for the Primordial Purple Qi, Lingshan shall investigate.”

“Nonsense!” Zhen Yuanzi roared, unleashing the Earth Book once more.

Each faction had its own calculations; none wished another to seize the Demon Master and monopolize the secret of the Primordial Purple Qi.

As their divine powers clashed, the encirclement subtly loosened.

The Demon Master, bearing his Demon Master’s Palace, gripped the North Sea Sword, standing at the storm’s center.

He gasped for breath, the blood mark on his brow still vivid; gazing at the men before him, his eyes brimmed with hatred and mockery.

“Fools,” the Demon Master hissed.

He knew he would not die today—as long as these men still coveted the Primordial Purple Qi, none would truly kill him.

Yet his hatred had not faded.

“Su Chen…” he spat the name with venom.

…

Above the Eastern Sea, boundless azure waves stretched far.

A ripple stirred in the void; a spatial rift opened above the sea surface.

Su Chen stepped out from the rift, retracting the Chaos Bell hovering above his head and exhaling a breath of turbid energy.

Even with the protection of a primordial divine treasure, the furious strike of a Peak Nascent Soul had left him wounded.

Su Chen stood atop the sea, gazing back toward the heavens.

“Fight on. The more chaos, the better,” Su Chen smirked.

He knew these men distrusted one another—they could never capture the Demon Master. The Demon Master would escape eventually.

And once free, the Demon Master’s first act would be to come for him. The grudge of severed Dao was irreconcilable.

Su Chen did not return to Huaguo Mountain. He stood atop the waves, flipped his hand, and a jade talisman radiating cold moonlight appeared in his palm.

It was the token given to him long ago by the Moon Star Lord, Chang Xi.

Without hesitation, Su Chen clenched his fingers.

“Crack.”

The jade talisman shattered; the lingering soul fragment left by the Moon Star Lord was activated.

Instantly, heaven and earth transformed.

The once turbulent Eastern Sea froze still; a chilling cold descended from the ninth heavens, turning seawater to ice wherever it passed.

Ice spread outward from Su Chen in all directions, and within mere breaths, a ten-thousand-li expanse of sea became a frozen glacier.

In the sky, a luminous moon phantom emerged, overshadowing the midday sun.

Moonlight poured like water; a cold, exquisite figure stepped slowly from the void, treading upon the lunar glow.

She wore a silver palace robe, her expression cold and distant, as if repelling all from a thousand li away—she was the Moon Star Lord, Chang Xi.

Chang Xi regarded Su Chen, her brows slightly furrowed: “You summoned me so urgently—have you encountered a life-threatening crisis?”

She sensed the residual aura on him—the fluctuation of a Peak Nascent Soul’s power.

Su Chen bowed respectfully: “Greetings, Star Lord. Not a crisis, merely returning from beyond the realms—I happened to sever a certain individual’s great destiny.”

Chang Xi’s gaze sharpened: “Who?”

“The Demon Master.”

Upon hearing the name, the temperature around Chang Xi plummeted again.

“You encountered him?” Chang Xi fixed her gaze on Su Chen. “You’re a Taiyi Jin Xian… no.”

Her eyes swept over him, flickering with surprise: “You’ve already reached Mid-Realm Luo Jinxian? And your body rivals a Peak Nascent Soul!”

How much time had passed?

Su Chen did not dwell on this. He cut straight to the point: “Star Lord, briefly: the Demon Master found the Primordial Purple Qi in the Shattered Star Abyss beyond.”

“What?!” Chang Xi’s face paled; she gasped in shock.

Primordial Purple Qi! That was the foundation for becoming a Saint!

Even Emperor Jun and Tai Yi, with their extraordinary brilliance, had ultimately perished in the Great Calamity.

If the Demon Master became a Saint, the old grudges of the demon race would never be settled—and she, the Moon Star Lord, might not even survive.

“Has he assimilated it?” Chang Xi’s voice tightened.

“Almost.” Su Chen’s tone was calm, as if describing a trivial matter. “I followed him. At the critical moment when he was about to assimilate it, I used the Chaos Bell to freeze time and space, then struck him with an axe.”

“The Chaos Bell?” Chang Xi froze.

She stared at the young man before her, her mind buzzing.

The information overload was immense—even this ancient former Empress of the Demons, who had lived countless eons, struggled to process it.

“The Purple Qi, startled, fled into the void,” Su Chen continued. “Now, beyond, Zhen Yuanzi, Doumu Yuanjun, the Ancestor of the Ming River, and the Ancient Buddha Ran Deng are surrounding him, demanding answers.”

Chang Xi drew a deep breath, suppressing her shock. She looked at Su Chen with newfound seriousness.

“You not only severed his path to sainthood—you made him the target of all.” Chang Xi’s eyes blazed with unhidden delight. “Good! Excellent! He betrayed the Demon Court and caused the downfall of the Demon Emperors—this severing of his Dao is his just retribution!”

Laughing, Chang Xi fixed her gaze on Su Chen: “You summoned me for more than just to tell me this, correct?”

Su Chen nodded, his gaze sharpening: “Though surrounded, those men harbor ulterior motives—they won’t truly kill him. His escape is inevitable.”

“I severed his path to sainthood—he hates me with every fiber of his being. And since the Chaos Bell is in my possession, he will surely come to Huaguo Mountain to hunt me.”

Chang Xi instantly understood Su Chen’s intent: “You wish to lure him into a trap?”

“Precisely.” Su Chen nodded. “He is wounded now—this is the perfect moment to kill him.”

Upon hearing this, Chang Xi’s killing intent surged violently.

“Kill the Demon Master…” she murmured, her eyes blazing with madness. “I’ve waited too long for this day!”

She turned sharply to Su Chen: “I swore to wait until you possessed the strength to challenge him before aiding you in killing him. Since you now believe the time has come, I’ll follow your lead. What is your plan?”

Su Chen analyzed calmly: “Star Lord, with your power, mine, and the Chaos Bell, defeating him may not be difficult. But if a Peak Nascent Soul is determined to flee, we cannot stop him.”

Chang Xi frowned: “The Demon Master’s speed is unmatched in the Three Realms. If he chooses to flee, no one below a Saint can hold him.”

“Therefore, we must set a trap from which he cannot escape.” Su Chen looked at Chang Xi. “I must summon an elder to join us. With him, the Demon Master will surely die.”

“Who?”

“Bai Ze.”

As former Empress of the Demons, Chang Xi knew Bai Ze well.

The Demon Saint Bai Ze understood all creatures’ natures and knew all spirits’ secrets; in strategy and troop deployment, no one in the demon race could surpass him.

“Since the Great War between the Demons and the Immortals, he has vanished from the world—even I do not know his whereabouts. Can you persuade him to come?” Chang Xi doubted.

“I have my own method.” Su Chen offered no further explanation. “Before I return, Huaguo Mountain must not be compromised. If the Demon Master arrives early, please, Star Lord, remain at Huaguo Mountain and protect it.”

“I accept.” Her voice was cold. “Go. With me here, not a single blade of grass on Huaguo Mountain will be harmed.”

“Thank you, Star Lord.”

Chang Xi’s form dissolved into a thread of moonlight, streaking toward Huaguo Mountain.

Su Chen watched her depart, then turned, his gaze fixed on the west.

That was the direction of the Western Ox Continent.

“You want my life,” Su Chen stepped forward, his body dissolving into the void. “Let’s see—this time, whose life is truly at stake.”