Shrouding the Heavens: Empress, I am truly not the Desolate Heavenly Emperor!

Amidst the chaotic rocky forest, a heavy mist hung in the air.

Ye Chen crouched behind a boulder shaped like a skull, his eyes, which glowed with an eerie light from consuming the "Human-Faced Daoist Peach," fixed intently on what lay ahead.

In his view, the originally gray world was dismantled into countless wildly twisting black and white lines.

Those are the rules of the forbidden area.

At the intersection of these lines, a stone figure, three zhang tall, stands quietly.

It is made entirely of grayish-brown rock with nine holes on its surface. With each breath, it breathes in and out the essence of heaven and earth, and with each breath, the surrounding space will slightly collapse.

An ancient remnant, a stone man with nine orifices.

This thing's strength starts at the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm, and it may even have touched the threshold of the Sendai Realm.

To Ye Chen right now, this is Godzilla, and he is just an ordinary citizen holding a toothpick.

"A direct confrontation is definitely not the way to go."

Ye Chen rubbed his temples, forcibly suppressing the dizziness in his mind caused by directly facing the rules. "The Empress gave us the task, but not the strategy. This is typical client-side thinking—only making demands, regardless of the consequences."

Just then, the domineering and unparalleled fluctuation in the distance became even more intense.

boom--!

A massive bronze warship tore through the surrounding mist, like a steel tyrannosaurus that had broken into a sheepfold, crushing in with an invincible aura.

Divine light shone brightly from the warship.

In particular, the black cauldron floating at the bow of the ship cascaded down like a waterfall, forcibly pushing aside the forbidden zone rules that were trying to erode the warship.

"The Sacred Land of Yao Guang..."

Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, a playful look on his face. "It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. Just when you're about to fall asleep, someone brings you a pillow; just when you're about to kill someone, someone hands you a knife."

He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

There was no hiding, no running away.

Instead, he straightened his slightly disheveled robe, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the shadows of the rocky forest with an extremely leisurely gait, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.

If you're going to put on a show, then go for something big.

……

On the bronze warship.

The Holy Son of Yaoguang stood with his hands behind his back, surrounded by 108 divine halos that made him appear like a god-king walking among mortals. His gaze was disdainful, and wherever his eyes fell, even the void seemed to submit.

"Holy Son, this place is strange."

Behind him, a senior elder held a compass, his brow furrowed. "The rules here are chaotic and disordered; the compass is no longer working. Moreover, I have a vague feeling that something terrifying is lurking deep within."

"If a forbidden area isn't terrifying, how can it be called a forbidden area?"

The Holy Son of Yao Guang remained indifferent, his tone exuding absolute confidence, "With the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Cauldron here, unless an Emperor is resurrected, who can stop me?"

Before he finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Not only him, but all the elders and disciples on the ship stared at the chaotic rocky forest below as if they had seen a ghost.

In that forbidden and deadly place, which even powerful beings had to be extremely careful in, a young man dressed in white was walking slowly.

There was no spiritual energy fluctuation on his body.

There are no protective magical artifacts.

They didn't even adopt the slightest defensive stance.

He walked there bare-handed, like a mortal scholar who had stumbled upon this place, leisurely traversing the rifts in the rules that were powerful enough to shatter a cultivator's soul.

The most outrageous thing was that the violent, forbidden winds, when they reached within three feet of him, strangely parted automatically, as if they couldn't bear to mess up his hair.

"How...how is this possible?!"

An elder exclaimed in shock, "A mortal? No! This cannot possibly be a mortal! A mortal here would be reduced to ashes in an instant!"

"A return to simplicity...this is a return to simplicity!" Another elder's voice trembled. "Could it be some ancient sage who has secluded himself here?!"

The atmosphere on the warship suddenly became extremely tense.

No one dared to make a move.

In this forbidden zone of life, the more ordinary something seems, the more deadly it often is.

The Holy Son of Yaoguang stared at Ye Chen below, his eyes flashing intensely.

He activated his Heavenly Eye, attempting to see through Ye Chen's true nature.

However, no matter how he probed, the other party's body was completely empty, with only a pitifully weak fluctuation of divine power at the sacral sea—that was at the level of someone who had just opened their life spring.

"Life Spring Realm?"

The Holy Son of Yaoguang was stunned.

Immediately, an uncontrollable greed burned wildly in his heart like a wildfire.

If the other party is a saint, he might give way.

But if it's just an ant at the Life Spring Realm...

There's only one explanation: this ant possesses a treasure that can disregard the rules of the forbidden area!

It might even be a byproduct of the elixir of immortality!

"An opportunity...this is an incredible opportunity!"

The Holy Son of Yao Guang's breathing became rapid, and his original aloofness instantly collapsed, replaced by a gambler's fanaticism.

Once he obtains this secret, he will be able to move freely within the forbidden area, and may even obtain the inheritance of the Ruthless Great Emperor, thus proving himself to become an emperor!

"Holy Son, you must not be rash!" The elder behind him tried to dissuade him.

"Shut up!"

The Holy Son of Yao Guang shouted, "Fortune favors the bold! If this person were truly an unparalleled expert, he would have already wiped us out. Why bother with this trickery? He's merely using this extraordinary treasure for protection!"

"Bring it to me!"

Without any warning, the Holy Son of Yao Guang suddenly made his move.

Om-!

The dragon-patterned black and gold cauldron hovering above the warship emitted a deafening roar.

Although it was just a replica, under the full power of the Holy Son, it still unleashed an attack comparable to that of a Holy Lord.

A colossal hand formed from black divine light, carrying an aura of annihilation, tore through layers of mist and reached directly towards Ye Chen below.

The void shattered under the giant palm.

The terrifying pressure was like ten thousand mountains pressing down at once, and the surrounding rocks instantly turned into dust.

……

on the ground.

Ye Chen stopped and looked up at the enormous hand that blotted out the sky.

The wind pressure made his clothes flutter loudly, and his cheeks stung.

But he didn't move.

It's not that I don't want to move, it's that I can't.

Under the oppressive aura of a Saint Lord, his newly cultivated Life Spring Divine Power was like a candle flame in a storm, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

But there was no sign of panic on his face.

He even frowned in disdain.

"That was quite a commotion."

He muttered to himself, "I hope that crazy woman's Wi-Fi signal is strong enough, or I'll really be turned into mincemeat today."

It's a big gamble.

He was gambling on his "value" in the Empress's eyes.

He was gambling on whether the identity of that "older brother" could truly become his greatest get-out-of-jail-free card in this world.

The giant hand is getting closer and closer.

100 meters.

Fifty meters.

ten meters.

The terrifying energy fluctuations had pierced his skin, and blood was flowing down his cheeks.

But he still stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes deep and unwavering.

He is waiting.

……

Deep within the desolate and forbidden land lies Peach Blossom Spring.

The white-clad empress, seated cross-legged beneath the old peach tree, remained with her eyes closed, deep in a state of enlightenment.

All the noise and commotion outside seemed to have nothing to do with her.

Time has settled upon her, and eternity has flowed through her fingertips.

however.

Just as the giant black hand was about to touch Ye Chen's head...

Just as that trace of malevolent killing intent from the outside world locked onto the soul possessing the aura of "the older brother".

The Empress's eyelashes trembled slightly.

That's not thinking.

It's not a trade-off.

It was not an outburst of emotion.

That was simply an instinct.

It's like a dragon in its slumber feeling an insect crawl onto its most cherished, unsustainable scale.

That was her anchor point.

It was her only bond in the mortal world.

It was a lingering obsession she would hold onto even if it meant fighting against the entire universe.

"court death."

Two words floated lightly from her red lips.

There was no earth-shattering roar, nor any violent outburst of energy.

She simply kept her eyes closed, without even changing her posture, except that her jade-like hand, which had been resting on her knee, was now gently pointing towards the void...

I flicked my fingernail.

……

"boom!!!"

At this moment, all was silent.

The massive black hand, which was originally unstoppable and about to crush Ye Chen, suddenly froze just three inches above Ye Chen's head.

Followed by.

It's like snow under the scorching sun, or a pencil drawing erased by an eraser.

That colossal energy hand, imbued with the power of a Saint Lord, along with the boiling space behind it, instantly...

Annihilation.

There was no explosion.

Because even the sound has been erased.

There is only one kind of obliteration, belonging to the "Tao".

"puff--!"

On the warship, the Holy Son of Yao Guang was struck as if by lightning. He was sent flying backward and crashed heavily onto the deck, spitting out blood.

"Snap!"

The replica of the dragon-patterned black and gold cauldron, which was suspended in the air, let out a mournful cry, and a shocking crack appeared on its body!

"Holy Child!"

"What...what kind of power is this?!"

The four elders fared even worse; under the impact of that backlash, they all bled from their seven orifices, and their souls nearly shattered on the spot.

fear.

An overwhelming sense of fear instantly enveloped the entire warship.

They didn't even know what had happened.

They felt a will from countless ages ago that nearly annihilated them with just a glance.

"Great...Emperor..."

The Holy Son of Yaoguang was disheveled, his face covered in blood, and he had long lost his former high spirits.

He looked up in horror at the white-clad figure below, who was still completely unharmed, with not even the hem of his clothes disheveled.

That mortal.

He was still standing there.

Even the posture didn't change.

It was as if that earth-shattering blow was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

At this moment, in the eyes of the Holy Son of Yaoguang, Ye Chen's figure was no longer insignificant.

Instead, it became infinitely tall, so tall that even his soul trembled.

What kind of realm is that?

Faced with a blow from a Saint Lord level, he neither dodged nor avoided, nor even made a move. He could shatter the Saint Weapon and severely injure everyone with just his protective aura!

This is no ordinary person.

This is clearly an unparalleled taboo in the mortal world!

"Who...who did I offend...?"

The Holy Son of Yaoguang's teeth chattered; the fear of surviving such a calamity made his legs go weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

At this time.

Ye Chen slowly raised his head.

He glanced at the warship swaying precariously in mid-air, then at his still-bleeding hand—cut by the wind pressure earlier.

"Tsk."

Ye Chen clicked his tongue in annoyance.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible in the deathly still air.

Everyone on the warship held their breath instantly, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Ye Chen stretched out his hand and pointed to the nine-aperture stone man not far away, who was awakened by the commotion and was on the verge of exploding in rage.

Then, he looked at the Holy Son of Yaoguang and gave a gentle, kind, yet chilling smile.

"You guys are disturbing my walk."

Ye Chen's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable tone of command.

"As compensation."

"Go, kill that stone man."

"or……"

Ye Chen paused, his eyes turning slightly cold, and mimicking the Empress's tone, said casually:

"I'll kill you all."