A single finger pointed out—that was Ye Chen's attack.
This was not the Severing Heaven Finger, nor was it the Spirit Rhinoceros Sword Finger. It was merely a very ordinary, unremarkable finger, a simple point executed casually.
Yet, as this finger slowly extended, it bestowed a sense of extraordinary naturalness in its dao techniques, as if it contained the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, encompassed the cosmos and starry skies, and pierced through the void—indescribable.
All the experts of the Emperor Dynasty on the divine ship, including the contemporary Sovereign, involuntarily widened their eyes as they watched this finger. They felt they could not comprehend the Great Dao within this finger; the Dao it contained was beyond their understanding.
Unfathomably profound!
Even a Heavenly King's finger strike would likely be no more than this.
Facing such a finger, Tian Xu Crown Prince, who bore the brunt of it, felt an unprecedented sense of fear welling up from the depths of his heart—a feeling of utter irresistibility.
It was as if this was no ordinary finger, but a finger pointed down by a lofty Divine Spirit of the Nine Heavens. Nothing could stop it; everything would be crushed like rotten wood.
An intangible, fearsome influence emanated from this finger, oppressing him to the point of near suffocation. Even the Emperor Dynasty powerhouses observing the battle felt the same sensation.
A single finger from the Battle Saint King—such terror!
"Ah!"
Pushed to his limit, Tian Xu Crown Prince immediately let out a long roar that exploded like thunderclaps. His pitch-black hair billowed wildly without wind, and the most brilliant divine radiance erupted from his entire body. His divine power surged and boiled like an abyssal sea.
He began to display his strongest power, erupting without restraint, surpassing his own realm and faintly touching the barrier of a fourth-layer Ancient Saint.
But even this was not enough to withstand that finger. From between his brows flew a nine-colored divine radiance, transforming into a nine-toothed dharma wheel. Each massive tooth shimmered with a unique, extraordinary brilliance, the nine colors flickering unsteadily. Vast swathes of law Dao marks appeared, densely covering its surface.
This was Tian Xu Crown Prince's life-bound Saint weapon, refined from precious divine materials and inscribed with countless Dao patterns and runes. It possessed immense growth potential; if Tian Xu Crown Prince achieved Heavenly King status, this nine-toothed dharma wheel could similarly evolve into a Heavenly King-level Great Dao Ancient Weapon.
The nine teeth shone radiantly as the dharma wheel fully awakened and erupted, attempting to block.
At this point, Tian Xu Crown Prince had long abandoned any thought of contending. His only remaining goal was defense—to withstand this finger was his greatest and final objective.
Only after allowing him to unleash all his methods did Ye Chen finally bring his finger down to its final point. And his voice rang out like immortal music—
"You are prepared, and you must also watch carefully. I will only strike with this single finger. Whether you gain any insight from it depends entirely on your own fortune."
His voice was ethereal and intangible, seeming to come from nowhere as it resounded, causing Tian Xu Crown Prince to tremble. While defending, he also widened his eyes, gazing intently without blinking at Ye Chen's descending finger.
The other Emperor Dynasty powerhouses and Cang Dragon also watched with rapt attention, perceiving endless trajectories of the Great Dao.
Finally, the finger point landed.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any power to tear the void asunder. It was very ordinary, very plain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The nine-colored divine radiance scattered. The nine-toothed dharma wheel was sent flying. The divine radiance emanating from Tian Xu Crown Prince's body instantly extinguished. As if struck by lightning, he staggered backward over a dozen steps before halting his retreat.
Yet each step back caused the entire divine ship to shudder.
In the end, Tian Xu Crown Prince half-knelt on the deck, disheveled, spitting three mouthfuls of blood that stained the planks before him. The divine power within his body was in utter chaos, and his qi and blood boiled uncontrollably.
But at this moment, Tian Xu Crown Prince's eyes shone with unprecedented brightness. He did not rise immediately, instead silently recalling in his mind that profoundly mysterious, extraordinary finger point Ye Chen had delivered earlier.
Like a finger of a Divine Spirit!
He could sense a transcendent Dao Rhyme overflowing, encompassing myriad Daos, far surpassing his own comprehension. It contained too many, too many philosophical truths of the Great Dao—insights that even his father, a Saint Lord-level figure, could not impart to him.
Experiencing that finger directly and head-on had granted him much enlightenment, benefiting him greatly.
He needed to digest it, to truly integrate these precious insights into his own power.
Seeing Tian Xu Crown Prince half-kneeling on the ground and not rising, the Emperor Dynasty powerhouses, concerned and flustered, initially thought something had gone wrong and were about to step forward to inquire. But Ye Chen stopped them, saying, "Do not worry. The Crown Prince has gained some enlightenment—a rare insight. Do not disturb his contemplation of the Dao."
Hearing this, the others finally breathed a sigh of relief, also feeling pleasantly surprised as they looked at Ye Chen with gratitude.
For they understood that this time, the Battle Saint King's action had not truly harmed the Crown Prince. On the contrary, he had generously bestowed upon the Crown Prince a rare opportunity, for which they were deeply grateful.
Such opportunities for Dao enlightenment were not something one could simply give away at will. Only when the gap between the two parties was sufficiently vast could such a gift be granted.
Even they, even a Saint Lord, could not bestow such an opportunity for Dao enlightenment.
But the Battle Saint King could.
A full half-day later, Tian Xu Crown Prince finally awoke from his contemplation. Although his realm remained the same, his divine power had quietly grown significantly stronger, becoming increasingly powerful and nearing a breakthrough to the fourth layer.
He did not immediately wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. Instead, he strode to Ye Chen's front and performed a solemn, respectful bow. "Thank you, Sir, for your instruction and guidance, which has granted me enlightenment."
"It was merely a trivial effort. How much you comprehend depends entirely on your own fortune," Ye Chen said indifferently, waving his hand. Then he patted Tian Xu Crown Prince's shoulder, and a golden radiance instantly vanished into his body. "You should be in peak condition for the final battle, not injured. I will heal you."
Tian Xu Crown Prince was about to politely refuse, but the next moment, his eyes widened in astonishment as he discovered the injuries within his body were recovering at an astonishingly rapid pace.
In just two or three breaths, all his injuries were completely healed. Even the hidden injuries left from the Trial World were restored.
At this moment, Tian Xu Crown Prince once again understood Ye Chen's fearsome strength—it could truly be described as unfathomably profound.
How laughable that he had previously wanted to resolve the battle quickly. Indeed, it was resolved quickly—but he was the one instantly defeated by a single move from his opponent.
In a real fight, he was far from being a match for the other, making him sigh that there is always a higher sky and greater people beyond. The Battle Saint King's strength was far beyond imagination.
"Sir, please forgive my offense. I was truly blind, failing to recognize a towering figure. My transgression is my own fault. I beg for your forgiveness, Sir," Tian Xu Crown Prince said sincerely, repeatedly addressing Ye Chen as "Sir" to express his utmost respect.