Crack!
Ye Chen clenched his fist, and the eerie black-flame God Devouring Chains shattered into countless segments.
Immediately after, his hand reached out again, grabbing the Golden War Spear that was impaled in Qian Xun's chest and began to pull it out.
"Explode!"
At that moment, the First Hall Master of Earth Hall, Nine Netherworlds, uttered a single word softly.
A terrifying killing intent began to erupt from the Golden War Spear—the very killing intent he had infused into it.
This fearsome killing intent at the Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch level had remained dormant, precisely to await Ye Chen's arrival and catch him off guard.
Otherwise, the eruption of this Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch level killing intent would have been enough to shatter Qian Xun's body to pieces, and very likely annihilate both his form and spirit.
But Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged. The hand gripping the Golden War Spear erupted with chaotic light, ten thousand Daos boiling. A powerful sealing force, so immense it would make even a Quasi-Monarch's heart palpitate, surged continuously into the Golden War Spear.
The terrifying Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch killing intent was completely suppressed, unable to erupt successfully.
"Heaven-Suppressing Seal!"
Ye Chen executed the Heaven-Suppressing Seal from the Battle Saint Art, sealing all the killing intent within the Golden War Spear into a single point, transforming it into a bead the size of a thumb. It was pitch black, utterly dark, reflecting not even a glimmer of white light.
Yet, within this tiny bead was contained boundless Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch killing intent sufficient to slay an ordinary Quasi-Monarch.
"This gift isn't quite suitable for me. The Soul-Restraining Hall should take it back."
With a flick of his finger, the black bead shot back towards the dark hall. The thousands upon thousands of layers of sealing force completely disintegrated, and a world-destroying killing intent instantly erupted, engulfing Nine Netherworlds.
Under the terrifying killing intent, the temperature across the entire battlefield plummeted. The powerhouses on both sides, whether in body or divine soul, could feel that bone-chilling cold that penetrated to the very soul.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The formless, terrifying killing intent transformed into a towering storm, sweeping out majestically. Anyone caught within the killing intent storm was doomed—not just Heavenly Kings, but even Great Powers and the more powerful Divine Kings were not spared.
Visible to the naked eye, Soul-Restraining Hall powerhouses caught in the Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch killing intent storm had their bodies explode, their divine souls annihilated along with them.
Even though Nine Netherworlds acted immediately, dispersing ninety percent of this killing intent, the remaining ten percent still caused heavy casualties among the Soul-Restraining Hall forces. Three Divine Kings, twenty-seven Great Powers, and an uncountable number of Heavenly King powerhouses fell.
This made the powerhouses on both sides, as well as the various forces observing the battle from outside the battlefield, collectively suck in a cold breath. They had truly witnessed the terror of a Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch. Just the eruption of a strand of killing intent, with merely ten percent of its power, was still this horrifying. It was hard to imagine the devastating impact if it had erupted fully.
Regarding the heavy casualties of the Soul-Restraining Hall, even the fall of several Divine Kings, Nine Netherworlds was more concerned with the Battle Saint King's methods. He seemed not to have expected the Battle Saint King to so easily neutralize the killing intent he had left in the Golden War Spear.
His interest in this Battle Saint King grew by a few degrees.
Originally, he had little interest in coming to destroy Moon Hall, but because of this Battle Saint King, his interest had increased somewhat.
Ye Chen smoothly pulled out the Golden War Spear. At the same time, he activated the Saint Body Regeneration Art, combined with the Life Light of the Tree of Life, and channeled it into Qian Xun's body, healing his injuries until the wounds were completely restored.
"Father, be careful. He's very strong!"
Qian Xun said seriously, his face still somewhat pale. He harbored immense wariness towards the First Hall Master of Earth Hall, Nine Netherworlds.
Facing him, Qian Xun had been almost completely powerless.
An existence at the Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch level was indeed too terrifying.
Ye Chen gave him a gentle smile, patted his shoulder, and said, "Don't worry. Leave the rest to your old man. Go help your mothers."
"Alright!"
Qian Xun nodded, also aware that in a battle of this level, his help might very well become a hindrance.
Nine Netherworlds was in no hurry to attack. In fact, as a Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch, virtually invincible among Quasi-Monarchs, he feared nothing unless an Ancient Monarch's true body descended.
Now, he watched Ye Chen with great interest and said, "Battle Saint King, I heard you've been in seclusion recently. Presumably, you've made some breakthroughs. However, this Hall Master is quite interested—just how strong are you now? How many more Monarch Rules have you cultivated compared to three years ago?"
His words carried a hint of mockery.
Not to mention a Quasi-Monarch, even an Ancient Monarch couldn't cultivate multiple Monarch Rules in a mere three years.
Ye Chen said indifferently, "Saying it out loud is meaningless. To truly comprehend, one must face life and death."
Nine Netherworlds was taken aback, and everyone else was shocked.
The Battle Saint King was truly domineering. Was he about to engage in a life-and-death battle with the First Hall Master of Earth Hall?
"Compared to your cultivation progress, your arrogance has improved much faster." Nine Netherworlds' brow furrowed slightly before relaxing. A cruel smile suddenly appeared on his ordinary face. "This Hall Master wishes to see just what capabilities you possess."
Whoosh!
Just as his voice fell, the void behind Ye Chen suddenly twisted. A God Devouring Chain shot forth silently, carrying eerie black flames like a fearsome black arrow, viciously aiming for the back of Ye Chen's head—his mud pill palace divine soul.
This God Devouring Chain was extremely fast. Although the Moon Hall powerhouses noticed it, they had no time to warn him.
Pfft!
The God Devouring Chain successfully pierced through Ye Chen's head, passing straight through.
Countless people were horrified. Had the number one overlord of the Ancient Road, the Battle Saint King, fallen just like that?
However, Nine Netherworlds' brow furrowed deeply. He raised his voice, "As expected of the Battle Saint King, to actually detect this Hall Master's attack. But where have you hidden yourself this time?"
Hearing this, everyone looked at the Battle Saint King pierced by the God Devouring Chain. To their astonishment, the figure slowly dissipated—it was merely an afterimage, not his true body.
The powerhouses were shocked. Nine Netherworlds' speed was fast, but the Battle Saint King's speed was not the slightest bit slower.
Silently, a figure manifested behind Nine Netherworlds. A jade-like pale hand gently reached for the back of his head. At the same time, a cool, light voice sounded, "As expected of the First Hall Master of Earth Hall, to discover the truth so quickly."
Pfft!
This hand also penetrated Nine Netherworlds' head, but the afterimage dissipated—it, too, was merely an afterimage.
Soon, Nine Netherworlds' figure manifested again behind Ye Chen, a mocking sneer rising on his face. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
He was the oriole.
But soon, his smile stiffened, because the Battle Saint King before him was also just an afterimage.
A light laugh came through. "Hall Master Nine Netherworlds, this oriole of yours isn't quite up to par. Let me play the hunter who preys on the oriole."
Ye Chen's figure appeared, simultaneously making his move.
Pfft! Pfft!
Pfft! …
The two continuously exchanged blows in the void, afterimages appearing one after another, both moving at a shockingly fast speed.
Nine Netherworlds was one thing; as the First Hall Master of Earth Hall and a Heaven-Defying Quasi-Monarch, his speed was naturally extreme.
But no one expected the Battle Saint King to be not the least bit inferior. The two were contending in speed, fast and slow, while exchanging blows repeatedly, each attack aimed at a fatal point.
Unfortunately, each other's attacks landed on afterimages; neither could truly gain the upper hand over the other.
Finally, the First Hall Master Nine Netherworlds seemed somewhat impatient. With a cold snort, he shouted clearly, "Myriad Shadows, All Heavens!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, thousands of figures rushed out from his body, each one resembling his true body. The myriad figures thunderously charged towards Ye Chen.
Ye Chen also let out a cold laugh. With a movement of his figure, he, too, sent out ten thousand overlapping figures to collide with them.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In a series of collisions, it seemed as if every single one was a true body, and then both sides annihilated each other.
In the end, Ye Chen and Hall Master Nine Netherworlds each stood on one side of the sky, facing each other from a distance.