Watching the numerous Monarch Rules swirling around the Battle Saint King, every Quasi-Monarch present changed their expressions.
The number of Monarch Rules represented the strength of a Quasi-Monarch.
Similarly, even among Great Perfection Quasi-Monarchs, there were distinctions in power.
Generally, a Great Perfection Quasi-Monarch's inner world would be over ninety percent complete, and the number of Monarch Rules mastered would reach one hundred.
However, among Great Perfection Quasi-Monarchs, the greater the number of Monarch Rules mastered, the stronger the individual.
For someone like the Battle Saint King, who had mastered over one hundred and eighty Monarch Rules, the sheer quantity was nearly double that of an ordinary Great Perfection Quasi-Monarch.
Was this the Battle Saint King's true strength?
Encircled by numerous Monarch Rules, Ye Chen was almost like an ancient Monarch, peerless and unmatched.
His powerful aura spread out, even causing the four Quasi-Monarch-level Imperial Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao descendants—the Divine Emperor's Son, Chu Shenjun, Yu Wudi, and Huang Yao—to feel an intense sense of oppression, making it difficult to breathe.
The four widened their pupils, seemingly shocked that in less than ten years, Ye Chen's strength had increased so much.
But how could they know that during these years, Ye Chen had successively refined the eighth and ninth-level Dark Gold Dao Stars, extracting who knows how many Monarch Rules.
Boom—
Ye Chen made his move, targeting the Divine Emperor's Son first. He did not use his ultimate speed, but his attack carried an unparalleled momentum that blotted out the sky and covered the earth, making the latter feel a terrifying sense of pressure. His figure even slowed down, as if about to be immobilized.
"Chaos Heaven-Shattering Hand!"
A palm slapped towards the Divine Emperor's Son. That hand contained billions of layers of chaotic light, condensed within the palm.
The Divine Emperor's Son acted decisively, swinging the Great Annihilation War Halberd forward to attack, while simultaneously manifesting all his Monarch Rules, merging them into the strike.
Clang—
There was no terrifying collision because Ye Chen's palm directly shattered that Great Annihilation War Halberd. The terrifying force landed on the Divine Emperor's Son's chest.
Boom—
Even the nearly indestructible Quasi-Monarch War Armor could not withstand it, directly caving in with a huge depression.
Immediately, the palm blade transformed into a fist, burning with billowing Chaos Flames, piercing through the Quasi-Monarch War Armor. What was pierced along with it was the Divine Emperor's Son himself—his chest and back were penetrated, with only that Chaos hand passing through.
The Divine Emperor's Son's figure was sent flying. If not for the protection of this extraordinarily crafted Quasi-Monarch War Armor, which blocked the vast majority of the force, he would have been smashed to pieces long ago.
But even so, his body was nearly shattered, and his divine soul was the same, covered in countless cracks that were difficult to heal, almost unable to withstand the damage.
In a single encounter, he severely wounded the Divine Emperor's Son. His invincible might shook the starry sky, astonishing everyone.
Such combat power was truly peerless!
Ye Chen did not look at the severely wounded, flying Divine Emperor's Son. Instead, he looked at Chu Shenjun.
"Brother Ye!" Chu Shenjun smiled slightly. Even at this moment, he possessed a transcendent charm, as if detached from the mortal world. This was one of the extraordinary, peerless qualities of an Immortal King's descendant.
Ye Chen nodded but still attacked.
His palm blade swept out, with the Metal Monarch Rule fused within. It was like an immortal heavenly blade forged from Nine Tribulation Gold, exuding a sharp aura capable of severing the nine heavens and ten earths.
Everything the palm blade passed through would be split apart; even heaven and earth would be cleaved in two.
"You and I will have a battle, but it shouldn't be now. It's a pity it's happening ahead of time."
Chu Shenjun sighed lightly, expressing regret. But at this moment, his star-like, brilliantly bright eyes shone, radiating dazzling immortal light.
Within his pupils, the faint image of a supreme immortal actually appeared, seated atop the thirty-three layers of heaven, suppressing all realms. The immortal light was supreme, and boundless Immortal Dao runes danced, evolving into a vast Immortal World.
Boom—
Deafening roars rose one after another. It was the three thousand immortal rings on Chu Shenjun's body resonating.
The three thousand immortal rings were already dazzling, but at this moment, they suddenly shone to their utmost extreme. Each immortal ring was as blinding as the sun, with clear immortal radiance flowing, interweaving across his entire body.
Vaguely, one could see the three thousand immortal rings transforming into three thousand great worlds, floating and sinking, imposing upon him.
Each immortal ring exuded immortal Great Dao power, forming a layer of immortal light defense.
"Hongtian Immortal Shield!"
Chu Shenjun shouted lightly, his gaze clear.
All the Imperial Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao descendants were shocked.
The Hongtian Immortal Shield was a peerless immortal divine ability created by the Hongtian Immortal King—a defensive immortal technique hailed as absolute defense. Even giants of the Chaos Sea like Immortal Kings and the strongest Emperors would find it a headache upon seeing it, not necessarily able to break it.
Of course, that referred to the Hongtian Immortal King himself. Chu Shenjun could not possibly be that powerful.
"Today, let me, Ye, experience the Hongtian Immortal Clan's strongest defensive divine ability."
Ye Chen's figure did not stop. One palm shattered ten thousand techniques, breaking all the immortal light, and even more forcefully slashed at the immortal light defense formed by the three thousand immortal rings on Chu Shenjun's body.
This defense could be called absolute defense, as if three thousand great worlds had transformed into layer upon layer of protection. Even a Great Perfection Quasi-Monarch might not be able to break it.
Ye Chen's palm was also blocked, actually encountering immense resistance. Layer upon layer of world-destroying power was isolated by the Hongtian Immortal Shield, transforming into boundless destructive force that continuously annihilated the starry sky and disintegrated countless Flying Fire Dao Stars.
This was the first time since Ye Chen emerged from seclusion that he had been blocked by a Quasi-Monarch.
"The defense is indeed good."
He praised, expressionless. "But it is definitely not absolute defense!"
Boom—
All the Monarch Rules suddenly converged into Ye Chen's palm. Then, transforming his palm into a fist, that momentum rose level by level once more. It was clearly a full-force strike, causing large areas of this starry sky to shatter.
A fist fiercely hammered towards Chu Shenjun's absolute defense!
Boom—
Chaos Saint Fist, one fist shattering ten thousand techniques.
Even Chu Shenjun's absolute defense could not hold. It was forcibly blasted open by a single fist. The light of the three thousand immortal rings suddenly dimmed, with large fragments of immortal light dancing about.
This fist, carrying an invincible momentum that could crush dry weeds and smash rotten wood, truly landed on Chu Shenjun's body.
Visible to the naked eye, Chu Shenjun also wore Quasi-Monarch War Armor, made of extremely extraordinary material, capable of withstanding attacks from a Great Perfection Quasi-Monarch at the very least. It bloomed with blazing immortal radiance, blocking this fist.
But it was still broken through, pierced.
Ye Chen's fist gathered over one hundred and eighty Monarch Rules, terrifying and peerless. Compared to the hundred Monarch Rules of an ordinary Great Perfection Quasi-Monarch, it was nearly double the quantity, naturally even more fearsome.
The Chaos Saint Fist pierced through the Quasi-Monarch War Armor, plunging into Chu Shenjun's body. That peerless power also erupted.
Boom—
Chu Shenjun exploded, his body smashed to pieces.
This fist was far more terrifying than the one used against the Divine Emperor's Son. It was absolutely not something Chu Shenjun could withstand. Even with the protection of the Quasi-Monarch War Armor, he could not endure it, thus being smashed to pieces.
But boundless immortal light appeared. All flesh, blood, and bones reassembled in the distant sky. Chu Shenjun reappeared in the world, not having perished.
No one was surprised by this.
As a Quasi-Monarch, his life force was powerful to an extreme point, difficult to extinguish.
Moreover, as an Immortal King's descendant, how could he not have some backup plans? Even for an existence like Ye Chen, a peerless Quasi-Monarch, truly killing him would be extremely difficult.
However, after this battle, Chu Shenjun was also severely wounded. Both his body and spirit had dimmed significantly. Recovering would require a considerable price.
Chu Shenjun turned and left, charging towards the Imperial Hall. No one dared to stop him.
Ye Chen did not pursue. After all, he held a certain degree of goodwill towards Chu Shenjun.
Then he looked at Yu Wudi and Huang Yao. His aloof, emotionless gaze that overlooked all realms made their hearts tremble. They could not muster the desire to fight and turned to leave.
"Daring to attack me, how can you not pay the corresponding price?"
Ye Chen sneered coldly, then attacked Yu Wudi and Huang Yao without the slightest sentiment. Even though Huang Yao was peerless and radiant, it was the same. He attacked forcefully.
The battle was intense, but the outcome would not change much, similar to his engagements with the Divine Emperor's Son and Chu Shenjun.
Although the two joining forces could slightly delay their defeat, that was all.
Ye Chen was simply too powerful. This power had reached an indescribable level, a level where he could find no match in the Quasi-Monarch domain.
Boom—
Ye Chen held aloft a Chaos Great Cauldron. Billions of layers of ancient Chaos Qi exploded, like an Imperial Realm descending, carrying a world-destroying momentum. It crashed onto Yu Wudi, directly blasting apart even a Quasi-Monarch-level Imperial Son like him. His body and spirit suffered terrible, severe wounds.
In comparison, Huang Yao fared much better.
Not because she was stronger than Yu Wudi—in fact, the strength of the four was roughly on par—but because she possessed the Immortal Phoenix bloodline and was the second Immortal Phoenix. Her peerlessly elegant figure vanished, replaced by an Immortal Phoenix that could burn three thousand great worlds, manifesting in the starry sky. Boundless Immortal Phoenix Flames billowed forth.
Huang Yao was quite powerful, already possessing the strength to slay a Quasi-Monarch. The Immortal Phoenix could even be called immortal and indestructible.
Unfortunately, she encountered Ye Chen, an existence even more monstrous and abnormal than the Immortal Phoenix.
He merely extended a single large hand, transforming it into a sky-covering Chaos hand that blotted out the boundless starry sky, covering down and enveloping even the billowing Immortal Phoenix Flames. Chaos suppressed the immortal flames.
In the end, Huang Yao had no choice but to reveal her true form. Her peerlessly elegant figure appeared once more.
Swish—
Ye Chen descended before Huang Yao, his speed reaching the extreme, not allowing the latter any chance to block. With one hand, he firmly grasped her proud, swan-like, snow-white jade neck, lifting her up. Chaos light performed layer upon layer of seals.
His eyes coldly looked at the lifted Huang Yao. Emotionlessly, he said, "I'll give you one more chance. If next time you still dare to attack me, even if you are the daughter of the Southern Phoenix Female Emperor, I will suppress and kill you!"
Under that emotionless gaze, even a Quasi-Monarch-level Imperial Daughter like Huang Yao felt her heart tremble, truly sensing a kind of fear originating from the depths of her being.
Although it was very faint, very faint!
But it was clear, unprecedented!
She could sense that Ye Chen was serious, without the slightest falsehood.
The starry sky fell silent!
On this day, Ye Chen, with absolute strength, suppressed the four Quasi-Monarch-level Imperial Sons and Daughters and Immortal Dao descendants, truly ascending to the position of the number one among the younger generation.
No one could question it!