Ye Chen glanced at him, saying nothing. From the man's attire and the earlier conversation, he understood this was a prince of the Tianqi Imperial Family.
Seeing Ye Chen remain silent, the Fifth Prince's face darkened with anger. He coldly shouted, "Ye Chen, you truly have immense gall! After killing so many of our imperial family's princes and princesses, you dare to appear within the borders of our Tianqi Empire? Have you eaten the heart of a leopard? Surrender now. If you are willing to hand over the Great Dao Blood, this prince can decide to spare your life."
As expected, the other party cared nothing for the deaths of the princes and princesses; he was only concerned with the Great Dao Blood.
Ye Chen remained silent, simply staring fixedly at the Fifth Prince.
"Not good! There's something strange about this kid!"
The Fifth Prince suddenly felt an intense sense of foreboding and retreated like lightning.
But it was too late. In the next instant, a figure flashed before him, impossible to evade. Then, a massive golden palm, shimmering with dazzling golden radiance like an indestructible heavenly stele, descended, causing even the void to seem on the verge of collapse.
*Thud!*
The Fifth Prince was sent flying, his chest caved in, several ribs broken. He coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, staining the front of his robes crimson.
The Fifth Prince was horrified. He never imagined Ye Chen would be so audacious as to attack him, a prince of the imperial family, within the Tianqi Empire's territory.
Young Ye Chen's face was expressionless as he said, "Do you truly believe I, Ye Chen, fear your Tianqi Empire?"
He strode forward, treading on the void, his body enveloped in a hazy golden light. He appeared transcendent and holy like an invincible deity, drawing all eyes, yet also exuding a terrifying pressure that assailed their faces.
The Fifth Prince panicked, wanting to beg for mercy. In the next moment, he was sent flying, covered in blood. Ye Chen had struck, now standing where the prince had been. "Is the Tianqi Empire so remarkable?"
*Swish!*
Ye Chen struck again. His palm, flowing with golden radiance like a heavenly blade, slashed down from the sky. With a *thud*, it cleanly severed Yang Shen's right arm. Then, with a shake of his hand, the arm was completely pulverized into a bloody mist, dissipating and spreading; even the bones were shattered into dust.
The Fifth Prince felt a bone-chilling terror, with the crisis of death enveloping his Primordial Spirit. Filled with dread, he still threatened at this moment, "Ye Chen, you cannot kill me. This is the Tianqi Empire. If you kill me, you will never escape the Tianqi Empire in your lifetime."
"At this point, you still dare to threaten me?" Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
"Ah!" The Fifth Prince screamed in agony. Three parts of his body suddenly exploded: his left arm and both legs. Now, they were all blasted apart by Ye Chen. All that remained was his torso and head, his face a mask of terror and ferocity.
"Ye Chen, you will die a horrible death! Await the vengeance of my Tianqi Empire!"
The voice was abruptly cut off. Ye Chen pointed a finger, completely piercing through the Fifth Prince's glabella. Thus, a generation's Fifth Prince was slain.
*Boom!*
Ye Chen opened his mouth and spat out a wisp of golden holy flame, enveloping the Fifth Prince's corpse and burning it to a pile of ashes. This person was utterly erased from the world.
Then, Ye Chen soared into the sky, disappearing into the distant heavens.
Far away, in the capital of the Tianqi Empire, at the center of the vast, ancient city lay a sprawling complex of palaces—the imperial palace, the heavily guarded heart of the Tianqi Imperial Family.
Deep within the palace was an Ancestral Hall, where the Soul Lamps of many important imperial family members were placed to monitor their life and death.
On this day, a patrolling attendant entered to dust the lamps. Suddenly, he saw one Soul Lamp permanently dim—it belonged to the Fifth Prince.
The attendant was immediately terrified and quickly left to report. News spread rapidly throughout the entire Tianqi Imperial Palace.
The Fifth Prince, Yang Shen, was dead.
"Fifth Brother is dead. Who dares to kill Fifth Brother within my Tianqi Empire?"
On this day, the Emperor's voice shook the palace. His majestic figure arrived at the Ancestral Hall, followed by a host of important imperial family members, intent on investigating who had the audacity to kill Yang Shen.
As a member of the imperial bloodline, though not truly valued and with mediocre cultivation talent—only at the third level of Martial God—his death was a major incident, not to be overlooked. The murderer needed to be apprehended and severely punished.
The imperial family invited a very ancient ancestor out of seclusion. His withered body trembled unsteadily, as if on the verge of being completely reduced to dust by time—an old monster with one foot in the coffin.
But this ancestor excelled at divination, hence he was specially invited.
"Ancestor, you excel at divination. We beseech you to act and deduce the one who killed Fifth Brother," the Emperor said respectfully, filled with reverence, not daring to be presumptuous.
"Very well, I shall attempt it."
The ancestor nodded tremulously, making one feel he might pass away at any moment.
*Boom!*
A powerful fluctuation emanated, causing hearts to tremble. Though the ancestor was truly ancient, when he performed his divine art, a soul-shaking fluctuation was released.
Indeed, no old monster could be underestimated, even one as ancient as this, nearly stepping into the coffin.
Ripples of power spread out. The ancestor began to trace back to the source, using the Fifth Prince Yang Shen's Soul Lamp as a focal point for his divination. A light screen materialized, showing a blurry scene—the last thing Yang Shen saw before his death.
Vaguely, before the Emperor and the other imperial family members, an image appeared. The background was faintly recognizable as within the empire's borders. A youth with an imposing and upright posture stood proudly, his black hair cascading over his shoulders like a waterfall, extraordinarily handsome.
"A youth."
Everyone was shocked. The one who killed the Fifth Prince was merely a youth? Or perhaps an old monster transformed into a youth? When they saw who it was, almost everyone changed color. "He is... the young great demon king!?"
It was actually Ye Chen who had killed the Fifth Prince. This left many imperial family members both shocked and furious.
This kid was too arrogant. First, he killed several princes and princesses on the Trial Path. Even the most outstanding talent of this generation, Yang Shaoqi, was crippled by him, having four whole cultivation levels severed and both arms cut off, creating a deep enmity.
They had even requested the Ancient Talent Yang Wushuang to act, but he was nearly banished.
Now, intruding into the Tianqi Empire's territory, he was still so brazen, slaying the Fifth Prince Yang Shen, truly enraging them. Previously, it was conflict among the younger generation on the Trial Path; they were somewhat in the wrong. But now, an important clansman was killed right at their doorstep. They could not help but be furious.
"Your Majesty, we implore you to issue an order. We must capture this kid and punish him severely, to bring justice for Fifth Brother. Otherwise, others will think our Tianqi Empire is cowardly, damaging our dignity," a prince stepped forward to petition, hoping the Emperor would issue a decree.
"We beseech Your Majesty to issue a decree and severely punish this villain!"
Other important imperial family members also stepped forward to petition, urging the Emperor to issue a decree to personally capture Ye Chen. Among them, the faction of Consort Xiang was the most active. Her two imperial sons, Yang Shaoqi and Yang Jun—one crippled, one killed—held the deepest grudge against Ye Chen, thus they fervently beseeched the Emperor.
The Emperor's face was expressionless, silent. The other imperial family members grew anxious. "Your Majesty!"
"Let this matter rest. All of you, disperse!"
The Emperor suddenly flicked his sleeves and left. Everyone exchanged glances, bewildered.
But an old man suddenly drifted over—another ancestor of the imperial family. He nodded to the divining ancestor, then looked at the departing Emperor's figure and said, "His Majesty does not issue the decree because this kid's connections are too significant. He cannot casually give orders to avoid causing unnecessary repercussions. But since His Majesty cannot speak, this old man will speak for him. Capture this kid with full force. If necessary, you may kill him, but you must obtain the Great Dao Blood."
"Ancestor, but this kid possesses the Slaying the Heavens Alliance leader's token. This..." a prince said. This was the most daunting aspect. The Slaying the Heavens Alliance leader's token was equivalent to a Divine Spirit. Who would dare offend such majesty? Not even the three great empires or the great academy—these superpowers—would.
The ancestor shook his head. "It is of no concern. As Divine Spirits, they are wise and righteous. This kid is so arrogant and rampant; even the ancient Divine Spirit ancestors would not shield him. Even if you kill him, they will not blame you. You all act. This old man will bear all the consequences."
"The ancestor is profoundly wise and righteous!"
Everyone bowed and shouted.
That day, several powerful auras vanished from the imperial palace.
"Little Chen, killing this Fifth Prince will bring great trouble."
After slaying the Fifth Prince Yang Shen, Ye Chen quickly departed. Old Yan's voice transmitted into his mind. He did not emerge because this central region was home to almost all the superpowers, with several Supreme Divine Spirits present. He feared alerting those Divine Spirits.
Ye Chen was calm and composed. "If others do not offend me, I will not offend them. Since the other party wants to kill me and seize the Great Dao Blood, why should I be merciful and hold back? Moreover, I've long been thoroughly at odds with the Tianqi Empire. What does killing another imperial family member matter? If they want revenge, let them come."
With the protection of Great Sage Hong Tian for his family, he had nothing to lose. He could face whatever came, ready for battle if necessary.
Riding the demonic flood dragon, they traveled uneventfully for ten thousand li. Suddenly, powerful auras erupted in the distant sky. Ye Chen's expression changed immediately, for he saw ahead seven powerful Martial Gods blocking his path.
Moreover, the leader was a super Martial God at the seventh level, clad in battle armor, wielding a soaring Heavenly God Spear, leading six Martial Gods through the air, obstructing Ye Chen's way.
"Ye Chen, halt immediately and surrender! Daring to kill an imperial family member within our Tianqi Empire is a capital offense. Cease resistance and submit at once!" the leading super Martial God roared, his voice shaking the heavens, startling the massive city below and drawing the attention of countless commoners.
Looking up, they saw several figures in the air, confronting a youth riding a dragon.
"Ye Chen? Could it be the young great demon king Ye Chen from the Trial Path?"
"Aren't those the Martial God Guards responsible for palace security? The strongest imperial guard, only mobilizable by His Majesty the Emperor and some important imperial family members, have actually been dispatched."
"What happened? From the sound of it, it seems Ye Chen killed an imperial family member and is being besieged by the imperial guard captain leading a squad of Martial God Guards."
The people in the city below speculated, but also lamented Ye Chen's fate. These were the strongest imperial guards stationed specifically in the palace. Their numbers were few, all organized into squads of true Martial Gods, incredibly powerful. A mere squad of a few could sweep through armies of thousands—one of the Tianqi Imperial Family's foundations for safeguarding the nation, invincible wherever they went.
These Martial God Guards were typically deployed against extremely troublesome foes. Who would have thought they would be used today against the young great demon king Ye Chen, who had been unrivaled among the recent younger generation.
Ye Chen also frowned. He hadn't expected the Tianqi Imperial Family to dispatch so many experts to deal with him recently; they truly thought highly of him.
"You are responsible for delaying three Martial Gods. That will suffice. I'll handle the others," Ye Chen commanded.
"Understood." The demonic flood dragon let out a low roar, its dark golden pupils fixed on three Martial Gods.
The imperial guard captain was enraged. Did this young great demon king truly believe he could oppose them? He couldn't help but snort coldly. "Truly ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. Attack! Capture this kid. If he resists, kill him if necessary."
"Yes!"
Powerful Martial God auras soared skyward, causing Ye Chen's eyes to narrow. Each of these Martial Gods was a powerful expert above the fourth level, stronger than those encountered on the Trial Path. They all charged forward, divine might surging, displaying fearsome combat prowess.
The demonic flood dragon let out a long roar. Its massive demonic body shook, stirring up a fierce gale that indeed swept away three Martial Gods, dragging them to another area, preventing them from attacking Ye Chen.
But the remaining three fourth-level Martial Gods were unopposed, charging toward Ye Chen and launching their attacks. Meanwhile, the super Martial God imperial guard captain stood to the side, watching intently, ready to deliver a fatal strike at any moment.
Ye Chen did not hesitate. His aura surged violently. A divine light erupted from the crown of his head, soaring upward as he actively met the three Martial Gods.
But just as they were about to clash, a dazzling golden light flashed. Ye Chen actually vanished from his original spot, leaving everyone stunned. Where was he?
"Not good! We've been tricked!"
The imperial guard captain's expression changed, for he saw Ye Chen flash toward the battlefield where the demonic flood dragon was fighting the three Martial Gods. He understood Ye Chen's intention—this was a feint; his real target was the other three Martial Gods.
He immediately shot into the sky, rushing toward that area, and from a distance, thrust out his spear. The spear's radiance transformed into a beam of light that traversed the sky, exploding across the firmament.
Ye Chen sidestepped to avoid it, then plunged into the demonic flood dragon's battlefield. At this moment, his entire body flowed with brilliant golden radiance, transforming into a Glazed Golden Body, like an immortal war god descending to the world, beginning to sweep through his foes.
*Boom!*
Blood energy soared to the heavens. Endless golden light exploded. Ye Chen's body was like a furnace, boundless blood energy surging forth, shaking the sky. Moreover, a pair of invincible fists struck out, reaching everywhere. The three Martial Gods coughed up blood and were sent flying.