Chapter 326

Chapter 326: Chapter 325 Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, loved ones, good friends, the tragic death of his beloved woman—they were all so pitiable and frightened. Every detail was ingrained in his memory, as if he were reliving it all over again. That pain deep in his heart that could never be erased caused Ye Tianchen’s eyes to nearly burst forth with bloody tears.

In the apocalypse, Ye Tianchen was determined to return. That place held his memories, as well as the things he must do. If he couldn’t avenge his friends and loved ones, Ye Tianchen would never be at peace in this life and would never be able to let go. Even if life on Earth was wonderful, he could never truly be happy.

Sato was rightfully an elder-level figure of the Hokuto Ittoryu, ranked among the top ten masters. His first move was to use the sect’s most powerful Illusion Technique, "Reminiscence," capable of evoking the greatest pain from the depths of one’s heart, leaving them unable to extricate themselves.

In the heart of every person, there are always painful memories that they are unwilling to recall. Often, everyone’s choice is to seal them away forever. These painful memories are too torturous, causing many people to undergo a drastic change in personality or even fall into madness and rampage when these memories are accidentally triggered. A person in this state is unable to resist an assault.

By using the most powerful Illusion Technique of the Hokuto Ittoryu right from the start, it was clear that Sato regarded Ye Tianchen as an opponent of equal standing. Seeing Ye Tianchen fall to the ground covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, a smug smile appeared on Sato’s face. He also thought that he had overestimated Ye Tianchen.

However, just as Sato was about to use his sword to end Ye Tianchen’s life, three arrows imbued with the immense Power of thunder and lightning struck towards Sato from three different directions at lightning speed, with considerable might. In a critical moment, Sato could only use his weapon to block two Thunder Arrows, with the third piercing his left chest.

"It seems you’d realized early on that this was an illusion, but how did you make it seem so real?" Sato asked Ye Tianchen with some confusion.

Ye Tianchen had broken free of his own illusions, and Sato wasn’t too surprised. He knew that the young Chinese man before him was strong and should not be underestimated. What Sato didn’t expect, however, was that Ye Tianchen could act so convincingly that even he had been deceived.

"You’re wrong. At first, I truly did fall for your Illusion Technique, but what I want to tell you is that I will not shy away from that kind of pain; I will face it bravely and break it!" Ye Tianchen said, his eyes resolute as he looked at Sato.

Indeed, at the beginning, Ye Tianchen had indeed been caught in Sato’s Illusion Technique, sinking into a state of helplessness, nearly collapsing from the pain of losing all his friends and loved ones. That feeling of being an orphan who had finally found family, only to be left desolate once again, was almost unbearable.

But just at the most critical moment, Ye Tianchen’s inner self awakened. He was filled with a sense of purity and serenity, and his impulses waned. It was as if he saw the figure of Zhang Ruotong, her pristine body untouchable by lewd thoughts or fantasies. Any slightest improper notion would be a desecration of Zhang Ruotong.

It was at that moment that Ye Tianchen woke up. It seemed he was not so pained anymore, and he realized that a person who could not face their own pain courageously would spend their whole life trapped in it, unable to grow. He had to rally himself.

In the most crucial moment, Ye Tianchen soared into the sky, battling the Demon Beasts within the Illusion Technique, and at the moment of collision that sparked fire, he used the Earth Element’s Superpower Substitute Skill, taking his place and fooling Sato.

Surrounded by Japanese-styled swords all pointing toward him, Ye Tianchen still spoke with a calm smile. At this moment, he felt unprecedentedly strong, having pushed his combat power to the limit, just barely entering the Emperor Level Realm, even if it was only for a brief moment of possessing the strength of the Emperor-level Superpower Realm.

Beep!

Sato merely glared, and hundreds of Japanese-styled swords all came slashing at Ye Tianchen. The whistling sound of tearing through the air was so intense it seemed to split the atmosphere instantaneously. This was definitely not an illusion but a tangible manipulation technique, immensely powerful.

At that moment, both Ye Tianchen and Sato were extraordinarily powerful, almost deploying their peak strength. Neither dared to be careless, especially Sato, who had been injured by Ye Tianchen due to his carelessness. This wasn’t a matter of fairness or lack thereof, but rather a lesson of combat experience. Sato, a seasoned fighter, had now been pecked in the eye by this young eagle, Ye Tianchen.

"Golden Divine Shield,"

With a loud shout, the Golden Divine Shield materialized all around Ye Tianchen, protecting him steadfastly. The sharp Japanese swords struck against it, failing to even make it wobble, producing only a metallic clanging sound, until the swords shattered from the force of the impact one by one. Ye Tianchen’s Golden Divine Shield, at full power, showed only cracks.

Sato frowned—he knew he had underestimated Ye Tianchen. The young Chinese man before him had become so strong it was beyond his imagination, unfathomable. Therefore, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent. Attacking with full force, his left hand covered the wound on his chest while his right hand gripped his weapon, the military sword. He leaped upward, charging at Ye Tianchen who was encased in the Golden Divine Shield on top of the large rock.

Boom!

With one strike, Sato’s sword heavily smashed against the Golden Divine Shield, indenting it along with Ye Tianchen below. The large rock on which Ye Tianchen stood shattered instantly, indicating the enormity of Sato’s strength.

But that wasn’t all. Sato, now enraged and murderous, considered Ye Tianchen too strong. Even if it meant dying here, he wouldn’t leave a significant threat for Hokuto Ittoryu. What came next were three fierce strikes.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The Golden Divine Shield shattered. Ye Tianchen’s Golden Divine Shield defense had, for the first time in history, been completely destroyed by someone, and he himself had been greatly shaken inside, feeling an overwhelming urge to vomit blood.

Swish!

Ye Tianchen burst out from within, his gaze as deadly as that of the Death God himself as he looked at Sato. Neither side dared to take the battle lightly. A moment’s negligence could mean defeat and death.

The Fangtian Halberd in his right hand had fully materialized. Ye Tianchen was incredibly powerful in wielding this Superpower, to transform something intangible into something substantial and to wield it with great might was no simple feat.

Boom!

Ye Tianchen’s Fangtian Halberd in his right hand pointed straight at Sato, targeting his head. Sato did not dare to underestimate it, for he was already surprised by the combat strength Ye Tianchen had shown thus far. So, he decisively swung his sword in response.

Bang Dong!

The entire Black Mist Canyon shook. This was the first intense clash between Ye Tianchen and Sato, and it had wiped out everything within a kilometer radius. Rocks and plants alike were all reduced to dust; the energy fluctuation was simply too immense.

Ye Tianchen landed firmly, staring intently at Sato. He could feel the old man’s might. Currently at the Peak of the King-level Superpower Realm, he could barely wield the strength of the Emperor Level Realm. This power discrepancy was not something to be taken lightly. Even such a strike had not severely wounded Sato, which was truly worthy of awe.

"Powerful, I love powerful people. Twenty years, give me a good fight!"

Like a madman, Sato plunged his Japanese military sword into the ground. His whole body shook and his upper clothes tore apart, revealing solid muscles. The wound in his left chest was still bleeding, but the old man showed no signs of muscle decay; on the contrary, he appeared robust, which was almost unbelievable.

"The feeling of youth is so good, the new drug’s effects aren’t bad!" Sato said, satisfied as he looked at the muscles on his arms.

People from Japan were crazy, even perverse. They were always researching various drugs, trying to enhance human combat capabilities with them, and simultaneously enabling those who were aging and close to death to regain a youthful body and fighting capacity. These drugs seemed beneficial but came with serious side effects. Many who used them died instantly, a sight too grim to bear.

"Do you think you can match me with this? That’s wishful thinking..."

Sato had completely lost his mind. He dug his right hand into the wound on his left chest, smearing his right hand with fresh blood, then put it into his mouth and licked his own blood.

"Die!"

Boom!

Wielding his sword with both hands, Sato’s immense momentum swept across the entire Black Mist Canyon. The energy went berserk, slashing towards Ye Tianchen.

Ye Tianchen was shocked and involuntarily took two steps back, his face extremely solemn. Sato had gone mad and was willing to destroy everything here just to kill him.

No retreat was possible. Ye Tianchen could only grip the Fangtian Halberd tightly, activating the strength of the Emperor-level Superpower Realm, ready to fight with all his might.

When a flash of white light passed by, the rock walls on both sides of Ye Tianchen and Sato’s battle were crumbling, and the mad dog-like strike from Sato left a swath about thirty feet long on the rock wall behind Ye Tianchen, which was utterly horrifying.

"You will surely die. I will let you see that my Northern Star One Sword Flow is far superior to any other Ancient Martial Sect of China!" Sato said with a vicious smile on his lips.

Standing about ten meters away from Sato, Ye Tianchen’s Fangtian Halberd in his right hand had already vanished. When he forcibly stopped Sato’s ferocious strike, it turned into a shower of light. A wound also appeared on his chest and abdomen, his intestines almost spilling out. He had narrowly avoided being bisected. Sato’s strike possessed the power to annihilate heaven and earth.

"Old thing, you’ve already given it your all, haven’t you? Now isn’t it my turn?" The look in Ye Tianchen’s eyes was rarely so murderous. At this moment, he too was unprecedentedly powerful and ready to unleash his most ferocious Slaughter Skill.(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and your support is my greatest motivation.)