Ye Chen nodded.
"Hahaha, I had long heard that a new Supreme Heavenly Venerate had emerged in this world. It's a pity that for all these years, my Desolate Ruins has been trapped within the Endless Forbidden Zone, unable to venture out. I never expected to meet you here." Desolate Ruins's gaze was blazingly intense, as if he had spotted prey, showing none of the reverence other Supreme Realm Overlords displayed upon meeting a Supreme Heavenly Venerate.
"Chaos Heavenly Emperor, I wish to challenge you. Do you dare accept?"
Desolate Ruins's words left countless supreme powerhouses utterly stunned.
His courage was truly immense, to dare challenge even a Supreme Heavenly Venerate, even if Desolate Ruins was indeed incredibly powerful.
Having spoken, Desolate Ruins paid no heed to whether Ye Chen was willing or not. He swung his colossal star-forged hammer, imbued with vast destructive power, and launched a direct strike at Ye Chen.
Everyone was shocked by Desolate Ruins's audacity, daring to attack the Chaos Heavenly Emperor.
Even if he was the teacher of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate, it was still unacceptable.
"How dare you!"
As a Supreme Heavenly Venerate, Ye Chen naturally had his followers. Many of the supreme powerhouses he had rescued had become his followers, and among them, three Supreme Realm Overlords soared into the sky. Each unleashed their Supreme might, simultaneously intercepting that sky-obscuring giant hammer.
"Hahaha, with just you three Taishang, you cannot stop this venerable one!"
Desolate Ruins laughed heartily. The hammer descended with a thunderous crash, like a Supreme Heavenly Venerate pressing down with a single hand.
With a deafening roar, the void shattered.
The three Supreme Realm Overlords suffered cracks in both body and soul, spitting blood as their figures were sent flying like cannonballs, crashing heavily into the ground.
This left all the powerhouses awestruck. Truly worthy of being a peerless supreme powerhouse capable of contending with a Great Venerable's awakened corpse. He was indeed formidable enough to defeat three Supreme Realm Overlords in a single encounter.
"Desolate Ruins's strength is no longer simply at the Supreme Realm level. He is infinitely close to a true Ancient Great Venerable, likely not much inferior to Hun Wuji of the past. Both are true Supreme Supremes."
The powerhouses wore expressions of shock and awe, holding Desolate Ruins in extremely high regard, dubbing him a Supreme Supreme—one who surpasses Supreme Kings and possesses peerless combat power capable of rivaling Ancient Great Venerables.
It must be known that Ancient Great Venerables are called flawed Heavenly Venerates, capable of challenging Supreme Heavenly Venerates. In all of the current Origin Land, such Supreme Supremes likely numbered only Desolate Ruins and Hun Wuji.
At the instant the three Taishang were about to crash into the earth, a gentle force appeared, neutralizing that terrifying impact.
It was Ye Chen who had acted.
He extended a single finger to meet the giant hammer.
The expected collision and explosion did not occur. In the next moment, the supreme powerhouses of the myriad heavens saw that beneath the hammer, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor's single finger held up that star-forged hammer.
It could not descend another inch.
Desolate Ruins's hammer strike, which had so easily sent three Supreme Realm Overlords flying, was thus effortlessly blocked.
"So strong!"
The powerhouses from all sides were utterly astonished. The Chaos Heavenly Emperor was indeed worthy of being a Supreme Heavenly Venerate, to be so powerful as to block such a fearsome strike with a single finger.
It must be remembered that three Supreme Realm Overlords who intercepted it were blasted away in an instant.
Was this the manifestation of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate's might?
Desolate Ruins showed no surprise. In his eyes, if a dignified Supreme Heavenly Venerate lacked some capability, what right did he have to be called a Heavenly Venerate?
However, his fighting spirit burned even brighter. Swinging his hammer once more, he shouted, "Chaos Heavenly Emperor, witness the Ninety-Nine Returns Great Destruction Hammer I created!"
In the blink of an eye, he had already unleashed eighty-one hammer strikes.
Finally, the eighty-one strikes converged into one. The hammer gathered an extremely dense black light, radiating an aura of intense danger that even Ancient Great Venerables could feel. It twisted the void of the Endless Forbidden Zone, causing countless layers of crimson mountain ranges to collapse and be destroyed. Numerous fragments of the Eternal Heavenly Realm and spacetime were swept up by the hammer's wind, coalescing into a terrifying black storm that clung to the hammer as it smashed down heavily towards Ye Chen.
This single hammer strike made even three Ancient Great Venerables sense a threat, revealing looks of shock.
The other powerhouses, especially those who were Supreme Realm Overlords, knew that if this hammer fell, they would surely be annihilated, body and soul.
This time, Ye Chen did not use a single finger, but a whole hand to meet it.
Yet again, it was a case of great sound being silent!
Desolate Ruins's strongest attack was still blocked.
It could not harm Ye Chen in the slightest.
The palm that blocked the Ninety-Nine Returns Great Destruction Hammer was fair as jade, completely unscathed.
Desolate Ruins let out a soft sigh. "A Supreme Heavenly Venerate is indeed invincible. I am not your match."
He was strong, but ultimately not a true Supreme Heavenly Venerate. Now, facing the might of a Supreme Heavenly Venerate head-on, he could not help but sigh with emotion.
The Ninety-Nine Returns Great Destruction Hammer was the strongest attack he had created, confident that even if an Ancient Great Venerable were struck, they would be injured.
Yet, it still could not harm a Supreme Heavenly Venerate in the slightest.
"My turn."
Ye Chen spoke. Desolate Ruins had dared to attack him openly. Although he was not angered—in fact, he somewhat admired this Desolate Ruins—admiration was one thing. If he did not impart some lesson, in the future, anyone might dare to attack him lightly.
He needed to make an example to warn others.
Naturally, Desolate Ruins was that example, and a rather large one at that.
Boom—
Ye Chen still used only a single hand, pressing down towards Desolate Ruins.
At this moment, Desolate Ruins's expression turned grave. He naturally knew this was the Chaos Heavenly Emperor establishing his authority using him.
Of course, he could see that the Chaos Heavenly Emperor bore no hostility, and who could blame him, as he had offended first.
However, he was also quite willing to exchange blows with this newly ascended Origin Land Heavenly Venerate.
He took a deep breath. Immediately, within the Endless Forbidden Zone, the heaven and earth essence from an area spanning who knew how many billions of li converged upon his hands in an instant. Channeling it into the hammer, the hammer instantly erupted with a radiance as dazzling as a Heavenly Venerate's sun, shining brilliantly and irresistibly.
Streaks of dark-red Eternal Heaven Patterns manifested.
At this moment, the pitch-black giant hammer seemed to transform into a black heavenly sun, carrying countless Eternal Heaven Patterns and an immeasurable imposing might.
If not for Ye Chen's presence stabilizing the space here, making it incredibly firm...
If not for the fact that outside was the Endless Forbidden Zone, reinforced by infinite Heavenly Venerate secret patterns...
Merely this level of power would have been enough to collapse and destroy the entire Endless Forbidden Zone.
Under the watchful eyes of all, everyone stared unblinkingly, paying close attention.
This was a battle of Great Venerables, a battle of Heavenly Venerates, a battle at the Venerate level.
"Chaos Heavenly Emperor, witness my Desolate Heaven Sumeru Hammer!"
Desolate Ruins roared. This was a Heavenly Venerate-level divine ability he had created. Having lived two lives, he had long reached the peak below the Heavenly Venerate level, nearly taking that final step. Now, with his cultivation condensed to its extreme, he struck towards the Chaos Heavenly Emperor.
Facing that strike, Ye Chen's palm remained unchanged, his expression unmoved, meeting it head-on.
Boom—
Desolate Ruins's figure was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood that made the billions of giant mountains appear even more demonically crimson. His originally boundless, flourishing aura now seemed dejected.
Gasping for breath, he looked at the Chaos Heavenly Emperor, who remained as immovable as a mountain, and clasped his fists. "Desolate Ruins is truly no match for the Chaos Heavenly Emperor. Today, I thank the Chaos Heavenly Emperor for the instruction!"
Ye Chen said indifferently, "It is of no consequence."