Everyone in the city drew a sharp breath. Any single one of those divine abilities was fearsome beyond measure, requiring a Saint Lord to exert their full strength to withstand, and would consume a vast amount of divine power.
Yet Gu Changsheng alone had unleashed so many supreme divine abilities. The amount of divine power consumed was simply unimaginably vast, terrifying to even contemplate.
Moreover, with so many supreme divine abilities erupting simultaneously, merely facing them would cause countless people's legs to tremble and go weak, let alone actually fighting against them.
At this moment, Gu Changsheng's divine power burned like fire around his body, the released radiance making him appear like a peerless deity, with an immortal power of the Great Dao perpetually encircling him.
Boom—
The heavens trembled, his aura dominating the world. The strongest Heaven's Prides were all horrified, their hearts quaking as they quickly distanced themselves from the battlefield, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
To become the successor of the Ancient Divine Palace, this Gu Changsheng was truly powerful to the extreme, utterly terrifying beyond doubt.
"Battle Saint King, die!"
With the fall of the final word, Gu Changsheng's black hair exploded outwards as he struck like a giant god.
The celestial palace pressed down, the twin wings shattered the heavens, the blood spear pierced through, and that single Emperor character shone with a brilliance that made even the sun pale in comparison. A world-shaking strike ravaged the heavens and earth, causing even the long-renowned Heaven and Earth Battle Stage to crack with several massive fissures, streaking across the sky.
One could feel that the void in that area was completely shattered, that piece of the world utterly blasted apart. Everything was in a vacuum, capable of tearing apart any formidable foe.
Ye Chen had to admit that this Gu Changsheng absolutely possessed the bearing of a True King, worthy of being called the number one Heaven's Pride throughout the ages on the Ancient Divine Continent. In this ultimate state, a single strike from him possessed heaven-defying combat power!
The world was shocked. They had thought this battle had reached its conclusion, with Gu Changsheng tasting bitter defeat, unable to turn the tide, facing ruin. Who could have imagined that at this final moment, he would reveal his greatest trump card, launching a desperate counterattack from the brink of defeat.
Everyone was stunned. Who could possibly contend with such an invincible posture? He was truly unrivaled.
Even though the Battle Saint King's previous strike was sufficiently peerless, sufficiently transcendent and stunningly beautiful, heaven-defying to the extreme, it still might not be enough to secure victory.
Because when Gu Changsheng unleashed this strike, it gave them a glimmer of hope for the battle's outcome. They couldn't help but hold their breath, watching unblinkingly.
Perhaps this would be the final decisive clash between these two young, invincible figures.
"Very strong. You have indeed impressed me. But you are still not enough."
Ye Chen spoke, his tone still as calm and composed as ever, as casual as discussing everyday matters, embodying the naturalness of the Dao as he raised his hand to strike.
Yet another strike devoid of any worldly aura.
Rumble—
The heavens were thrown into great turmoil as Gu Changsheng arrived. His talent was unparalleled throughout the ages on the Ancient Divine Continent, rare in the world, and even across the myriad realms, he was an extraordinary seed-level figure.
The phantom of that Ancient Divine Palace had already crushed down upon the heavens, those Immortal Phoenix Divine Wings shook and shattered the nine layers of clouds, the bloody light that flashed from that Crimson Blood Divine Spear seemed to plunge the world into oblivion.
That Emperor character threatened to crush the eternal sky, suppressing everything beneath it.
An invincible strike, a world-shaking offensive that would even impress and suppress a Heavenly King.
"Go back."
It was still that same slap. The forcefully advancing Gu Changsheng was sent flying once again.
The magnificent phantom of the Ancient Divine Palace collapsed. The Immortal Phoenix Divine Wings that filled the sky with crimson mist scattered. The Crimson Blood Divine Spear was sent flying up to the Nine Heavens...
He was sent flying horizontally once more. This time, even the black battle armor on his body shattered, transforming into a meteor shower that scattered across the sky.
And his entire person was bisected at the waist, split into two halves, blood spraying across the heavens and earth!
Everyone in the Ancient Divine City was dumbfounded, their faces filled with horror, a great terror rising in their hearts.
For no other reason than because of the Battle Saint King.
Even the few figures hidden in the shadows revealed looks of shock.
And the experts of the Nine Great Imperial Dynasties, especially those from the Ancient Hua Imperial Dynasty, felt that the Battle Saint King at this moment had grown even stronger.
Ye Chen did not speak, nor utter a word. He still stood upon the Heaven and Earth Battle Stage. No blood energy exploded, no astonishing divine power surged forth, no divine abilities or laws manifested. He simply stood there quietly. It was a very ordinary strike.
Yet that world-shaking strike, one that would force a Saint Lord to avoid its edge and impress a Heavenly King, had been so easily dispersed.
What exactly had happened during that moment?
Why was it like this?
While countless people were shocked and awed, they were also filled with doubt and uncertainty. They didn't understand why the Battle Saint King had so lightly and effortlessly dismantled Gu Changsheng's world-shaking offensive with a single strike. Even a peak expert at the ninth heaven of the Saint Treasury Realm probably couldn't achieve that.
But the Saint Lord-level figures of the Nine Great Ancient Imperial Dynasties, at this very moment, had eyes filled with shock. Only those who had reached their level could perceive it; even a quasi-Saint Lord would find it difficult to see.
The reason the Battle Saint King was so powerful was not because of anything else, but because he had grasped the Dao of a Heavenly King!
That's right. He had grasped the invincible Dao Rhyme of a Heavenly King, thus placing him above the Saint Treasury Realm, overlooking everything. With a flick of his sleeve, he could send even a young invincible like Gu Changsheng flying and grievously wounded, unable to resist.
To be more precise, the current Battle Saint King had one foot already stepped into the Heavenly King Realm.
Generally speaking, this was an impossible state of existence. Because to advance from Saint Treasury to Heavenly King, one must struggle through the crossing of Samsara. Therefore, such a state of having one foot in the Heavenly King Realm shouldn't exist.
But without a doubt, the Battle Saint King had truly achieved it, though it was unclear how he had managed this.
Ye Chen held in his hand an incredibly profound character—precisely that Emperor character. It had actually not dissipated and had been captured in his palm. His Heaven's Eye gazed upon it, further bolstered by the power of faith, which greatly enhanced his perception, allowing him to comprehend the various meanings contained within the Emperor character.
Undoubtedly, this was a genuine Emperor character, containing a portion of the Dao of an Emperor or Sovereign, supreme and unparalleled. Long-term contemplation of it held immense benefits, imperceptibly elevating one's understanding of the Dao.
Pfft—
Gu Changsheng spat blood across the sky, his entire body covered in wounds. Even his black battle armor had been shattered by his opponent, staining the sky with blood.
That should have been the moment that turned the tide. Yet, who could have imagined that such a supremely powerful strike was still utterly crushed by the Battle Saint King, sending him plummeting from heaven straight into hell, beyond all redemption.
He had lost. Completely and utterly lost. Lost disastrously. Lost irreversibly!
The world fell silent, no one speaking. They just stared blankly at that scene, feeling only that Gu Changsheng was pitiful, desolate, and lonely.
Such an outcome could indeed be called cruel.
It wasn't that he wasn't stunning enough. At this realm, he absolutely deserved to be called earth-shattering throughout the ages, the greatest prodigy the Ancient Divine Continent had ever seen. But one could only say his opponent was even stronger.
The invincible Gu Changsheng had met the even more invincible Battle Saint King at an inopportune time!