Chương 887: Chapter 886: A Hard-Fought Battle, Counter-Kill!

In that instant, the Celestial Prince's incarnation felt his connection to the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal severed by Ye Chen. Then it was ripped out with brutal force. His power drained away like a broken dam. His face paled, and his entire form grew hazy and indistinct.

"This is the Armament Secret!" He realized immediately. The situation was hopeless. He glared at Ye Chen with an ugly expression. During the earlier fight, Ye Chen must have been using his Heavy Pupils to probe for his core the entire time. And the fact that Ye Chen could plunder the core of this incarnation so effortlessly proved one thing: Ye Chen's strength completely crushed his own. The Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal was useless to him now anyway, so losing it didn't matter.

But after sleeping for a million years, his first battle upon awakening had ended in miserable defeat—once again suppressed by the Heavenly Emperor's heir using the Heavenly Emperor Fist. Even though it was only an incarnation, the humiliation seared his soul. He stared coldly at Ye Chen.

"It's just one incarnation. Losing it means nothing. As for that Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal, it already has cracks. Even if you take it, you won't be able to condense a perfect Heavenly Heart Imprint. So what if I 'grant' it to you? When my true body emerges, I will kill you first." With those words, the Celestial Prince prepared to disperse his incarnation. Without the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal to anchor his divine sense, he would become nothing more than rootless duckweed.

He could still slaughter ordinary Saints with ease. But against someone like Ye Chen, he stood no chance at all. Rather than suffer further humiliation, he would end it himself. At least that way, he could preserve some dignity. Ye Chen, meanwhile, examined the several cracks running across the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal and gave an almost imperceptible frown. It was indeed damaged—some of its spirituality had been lost. Condensing a perfect Heavenly Heart Imprint would likely face some hindrance.

Still, Ye Chen didn't mind. Having it at all was already good enough. Nothing in the world was ever flawless. Besides, it could still serve as a gift. It wouldn't disappoint him. As for the Celestial Prince's threats, Ye Chen remained unmoved. Peak quasi-immortal? So what? Even if he couldn't win, he could simply hole up in the Immortal Path for a few years. Back then, the Heavenly Emperor—at the peak of Great Saint—had beaten a quasi-immortal Celestial Prince half to death.

True, he had set a trap and borrowed the power of a quasi-immortal array to accomplish the feat. And the Celestial Prince of today was no longer the same as the one from back then. But Ye Chen was certainly far stronger than the Heavenly Emperor had been at the same stage. Once he reached Great Saint, killing the Celestial Prince's true body would be no harder than slaughtering a chicken. So Ye Chen truly felt nothing.

As for the Celestial Prince stubbornly claiming he had "granted" the crystal when it had clearly been snatched away—Ye Chen couldn't care less. He had already won the fight. Let the man save a little face with his mouth. Seeing the Celestial Prince about to detonate his wisp of divine sense, Ye Chen spoke calmly.

"Celestial Prince, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Why not stay a little longer and witness my complete Heavenly Emperor Fist?" With that, Ye Chen began to demonstrate the technique on his own. The higher his cultivation climbed, the deeper his mastery of the Heavenly Emperor Fist grew—and the greater the power he could unleash.

Legend held that in his later years, the Heavenly Emperor could raise his hand and directly manifest six complete universes, simulating the six paths of reincarnation to refine and erase his enemies. The Celestial Prince was slightly surprised that Ye Chen had won—barely—and yet chose not to humiliate him. The Heavenly Emperor back then had been notoriously sharp-tongued and vicious at heart. When the Celestial Prince had been tricked and defeated, he had only been on the verge of death.

But the Heavenly Emperor had gone for the kill in words as well, mocking him publicly. He had nearly infuriated him to death. Compared to that, Ye Chen seemed far more like a proper person—much more magnanimous. As for the Heavenly Emperor Fist, the Celestial Prince genuinely wanted to study it closely. Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Though he didn't quite understand why Ye Chen would show him this, there was no harm in watching.

He fixed his gaze on Ye Chen, whose aura towered like it could pierce the vault of heaven. The Celestial Prince watched intently, already calculating countermeasures in his mind. … Outside the battlefield, many spectators had already rushed to the scene. News of Yan Ruyu's appearance in the seventh realm had spread far and wide. That meant the Heavenly Emperor's heir would have to face the Celestial Prince alone.

Though most cultivators didn't hold high hopes for Ye Chen, they all agreed that with his combat strength, he would never be crushed so easily. They might yet witness a true clash of titans. When they finally reached the site, what met their eyes was a single grand formation. It clearly belonged to the Heavenly Emperor's heir—one designed to suppress enemies. No one could clearly see what was happening inside. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

But the terrifying shockwaves rumbling through the array, along with the overflowing imperial might that leaked out, were enough to convey the sheer terror of the combatants within. In that moment, everyone understood. The Heavenly Emperor's heir had truly been forced into a grueling battle. Otherwise, given his usual style when fighting male cultivators, he would never resort to using formations. The realization only heightened their excitement. They waited eagerly for the outcome…

As word continued to spread, more and more onlookers arrived. All of them were waiting for the conclusion. Ye Chen possessed the potential to ascend to immortality. Whether he won or lost, the impact would be immense. Far beyond the Immortal Path, the great powers who heard that Yan Ruyu had broken through to Great Saint—only to be forcibly expelled to the seventh realm—and that the Heavenly Emperor's heir had walked straight into the trap to fight the Celestial Prince alone—showed a range of expressions.

Some worried, some anticipated, some even let out soft, satisfied hums… As for the golden-robed elder, a trace of deep concern flickered in the depths of his eyes. Ye Chen was only in the early Saint realm. How could he possibly be a match for the Celestial Prince's incarnation? This battle spelled far more peril than fortune for Ye Chen.

Thinking back on all the petty, malicious ways he had treated Ye Chen before, and then remembering Ye Chen's selfless resolve without a hint of resentment, the guilt weighed on him heavier than ever. If only he had known sooner, he should have provided Ye Chen with far more resources, helping him advance his cultivation even faster. And then there was his daughter… The golden-robed elder had no idea how he would explain this to her. The matter had grown far too big; there was no way to hide it from Qingcheng.

When she emerged from seclusion and learned of Ye Chen's death, she would surely feel even greater disappointment toward her own father. … Just as the outside world buzzed with discussion, convinced that this dazzling prodigy was about to fall, seven full days passed in the blink of an eye. The Celestial Prince watched Ye Chen, who had been throwing punches in front of him for seven straight days—his power growing dramatically with every strike.

Though he was inwardly shaken by Ye Chen's monstrous talent, he had also gained a much deeper understanding of the Heavenly Emperor Fist. When Ye Chen finally stopped, a trace of genuine admiration appeared in the Celestial Prince's eyes.

"You are quite remarkable—more upright than the Heavenly Emperor back then. I will grant you one promise. When my true body emerges, I will kill only you. As for the people around you—I will spare them!" Ye Chen gave the Celestial Prince a strange glance and ignored him completely. Under the Celestial Prince's stunned gaze, a sudden explosive rumble erupted from within Ye Chen's body. In the next instant, his face turned deathly pale. He violently coughed up a mouthful of blood…

The blood carried an intense aura, divine patterns flowing within it, instantly dyeing almost the entire void of the Heavy Pupils Pure Land crimson. And Ye Chen's aura plummeted sharply. It felt like a roller coaster, dropping to barely a tenth of its previous level. The Celestial Prince stared at the scene in complete bewilderment. What was wrong with this Heavenly Emperor's heir? He had spent days throwing punches at him—then suddenly self-injured?

Could it be that this mental instability was the price of his rapid growth? Strange as it was, the Celestial Prince could tell the injury was real. The drastic drop in aura was no illusion. A strange glint flashed through his eyes. Though he had lost the Heavenly Heart Immortal Crystal and could no longer sustain prolonged combat, he could still erupt with dozens of peak attacks by burning through this wisp of divine sense entirely.

Moreover, with his newfound deeper insight into the Heavenly Emperor Fist, he might actually be able to suppress Ye Chen right now. Ye Chen's talent and comprehension were both freakish. If he could end this once and for all, that would be the best possible outcome. With that thought, the Celestial Prince surged forward, transforming directly into an immortal phoenix. Ye Chen lifted his gaze and glanced at him. With a flicker of his mind, he let the grand formation explode outward.

The Heavy Pupils Pure Land shattered… The sealed battlefield was instantly laid bare to the outside world. … Outside the grand formation, countless cultivators had already gathered to watch. Everyone wanted to know the outcome of this battle the instant it concluded. After all, aside from fights against female cultivators, the Heavenly Emperor's heir always ended his battles against others with astonishing speed. Yet this time, a full week had passed.

Inside the formation, earth-shaking power still collided without pause. The intensity of the fight was unmistakable. Clearly, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had been forced into a truly grueling war. Just as the crowd wondered how much longer this clash could possibly last, the grand formation shuddered violently—then exploded apart. Immediately afterward, the Heavy Pupils Pure Land within it seemed to be forcibly torn open from the inside. Everyone's eyes widened.

They saw the Celestial Prince transformed into an immortal phoenix, radiating boundless killing intent as he charged straight toward the Heavenly Emperor's heir. And the Heavenly Emperor's heir? He looked more injured than anyone had ever seen him. His face was deathly pale, blood mist swirling around his body. His entire aura had sunk to rock bottom. This unprecedented state alone spoke volumes about the sheer terror of the past seven days' battle. Was the Heavenly Emperor's heir truly about to fall here?

Some cultivators from the myriad races watched with eager anticipation. Others from the human race could only look on with deep reluctance. Under countless gazes, a sudden flush of blood surged across the Heavenly Emperor's heir's pallid face. His aura began climbing rapidly once more. Every muscle on his body—mountainous and powerful—tensed to the absolute limit. It was as though he had poured every last ounce of strength into this final punch. In that instant, every expression on the battlefield froze.

They watched as the golden fist, carrying the phantoms of six illusory great worlds, slammed directly into the immortal phoenix that the Celestial Prince had become. The phoenix stiffened in midair. A flash of shock and fury passed through its eyes, but there was no time to speak. It exploded in a violent burst. When the endless divine flames finally died out, no trace of the Celestial Prince remained—only faint wisps of divine sense lingered. None of it could ever recover.

On Ye Chen's side, the surging aura collapsed again almost immediately. The shockwave from the Celestial Prince's explosion even forced his body backward. Clearly, after that final strike, the Heavenly Emperor's heir had been pushed to the brink of utter exhaustion. Yet in the end, he had won. With the grand formation shattered and the Heavy Pupils Pure Land torn apart, he had risen to his absolute peak for one climactic counter-kill… … The countless onlookers were shaken to their core by this outcome.

No one had truly believed the Heavenly Emperor's heir could defeat the Celestial Prince. Even the boldest, those with the highest expectations for Ye Chen, had only dared hope he could fight to a draw and preserve his life. None had imagined that after such a brutal struggle, Ye Chen would forcibly counter-kill the Celestial Prince's incarnation. The result was nothing short of astonishing. With only early Saint realm cultivation, he had slain an incarnation capable of effortlessly crushing peak Saint Kings.

This level of combat power was truly unprecedented! Everyone gazed at Ye Chen with complicated emotions, their eyes filled with deep awe…