Chapter 399

Chapter 399: Chapter 398: Only two steps away, Ye Tianchen was covered in blood and let out a furious roar. His fists, blurred with flesh and blood, kept striking upward. This was an invisible Holy Power that pressed down upon him. To the shock of Dongfang Meng, Ye Tianchen was confronting the Holy Path with his bare fists. What was he trying to do? Defy the heavens?

The Holy Path has always been considered synonymous with the Heavenly Dao. Ordinary people might not understand, but cultivators are well aware. The Holy Path is equal to the Heavenly Dao, which refers to the magic laws and rules of the universe. These are formed naturally, without intervention. Every being, whether human or animal, living within the universe must abide by these rules. It is not unusual for cultivators to face Heavenly Punishments as by improving themselves; they are simultaneously altering the universal laws. For instance, birth, aging, sickness, and death are conditions set by the Heavenly Dao, and all cultivators desire Eternal Life, which is inherently against the Heavenly Dao. However, what Ye Tianchen was doing - not just defying but also provoking the Heavenly Dao with his fists - was incredibly rare.

As Ye Tianchen faced the increasing pressure from the invisible Holy Power, he continued to react with defiance. Many cultivators, even the most powerful, when breaking through realms and possibly facing Heavenly Punishments, would show weakness or use their own strength in hope that the punishment would weaken and they could escape it. Almost nobody dared to openly challenge the Heavenly Punishment like Ye Tianchen, who seemed to have no regard for the rules that everyone in the world must follow.

Of course, Ye Tianchen was not actually facing Heavenly Punishment at the moment. With his current level of cultivation, he had not yet reached the stage that could trigger such retribution. Those who could attract Heavenly Punishment demonstrated their strength indirectly. Ye Tianchen was, after all, at the level of the King-level Superpower Realm and hadn’t reached the point of triggering Heavenly Punishment.

Crack!

Boom!

Ye Tianchen swung his fists, clashing with that strand of Holy Path Power, which resulted in an even greater Holy Power bearing down upon him. A crisp sound was heard, an overwhelming force that no human strength could withstand suppressed Ye Tianchen, causing him to fall to one knee. His knuckles were visibly bony, and the knee that hit the ground made a huge dent. Even the Taie Sword and Fish Intestine Sword at his sides showed signs of bending. One could imagine the magnitude of the Holy Power coming down. Furthermore, this strand of Holy Path Power was not engaging in any killing action; it was merely suppressed slowly by Ye Tianchen’s provocation. Otherwise, had it come crashing down at once, Ye Tianchen would have been pulverized, no matter how strong he was.

At that moment, Ye Tianchen truly felt the pressure. The force above him was no longer just an immense weight but like ten thousand mountains suppressing him, slowly descending. If this continued, he would undoubtedly die. From his time in the apocalyptic star to his rebirth on Earth, Ye Tianchen had never knelt on one knee before. He had always been someone unwilling to admit defeat or give up. Yet, facing the overwhelming power of the Heavenly Dao, he found himself somewhat overpowered.

"Stop resisting and fall back. The rules of the universe cannot be broken by anyone!" Dongfang Meng’s tears flowed down as she looked at Ye Tianchen, who was covered in blood, and began to cry out loud. She did not expect Ye Tianchen to be so resolute and stubborn, casting aside his unreliable persona to reveal the true mettle of a great hero seldom seen among men.

"I, Ye Tianchen, have never knelt down before. Even to the heavens and earth. You have your rules, but I have my pride!" Ye Tianchen, bleeding from the corner of his mouth, looked up at the invisible Holy Power and said.

"We are all part of this universe, bound by the Great Universe’s laws, which nobody can change. We must follow them. Do you truly wish to die?" Dongfang Meng shook her head, tears streaking her face, and yelled at Ye Tianchen.

"Fate? My fate is in my own hands, not dictated by the heavens. If I do not wish to follow the rules of this world, and if it insists on suppressing me, then I can only shatter it with my fists and establish my own rules!"

Ye Tianchen’s voice echoed through the entire stone chamber, as if it burst from the ancient tomb and traveled far and wide. It was a display of great spirit and chest-thumping defiance. Throughout history, how many cultivators have dared declare that they do not follow the Great Universe’s laws and would break them with their fists to establish their own? This was an outright rebellion against the heavens, a refusal to acknowledge any authority but one’s own!

Dongfang Meng was stunned, standing motionless on the spot, for she was in utter disbelief. As Ye Tianchen’s words ended, he stubbornly got back on his feet, even though the bones in his shoulders were crushed, and he continued to roar and throw punches at the Holy Power above him. At that moment, the Taie Sword and Fish Intestine Sword seemed to resonate with Ye Tianchen’s unyielding will, emitting a shrill scream as the most origin forces within them burst forth, connecting with each other like some Sword Array that had once been one. After millennia, their interconnectedness erupted at this moment.

Whoosh!

Thud!

Suddenly, the Taie Sword and the Fish Intestine Sword, carrying a bloodied Ye Tianchen, turned into a streak of sword light and rushed into the stone coffin. Before Dongfang Meng could react, the lid of the coffin had fallen heavily. The vision of the sun, moon, stars, and the scenery of mountains and vegetation that had been floating above the stone coffin vanished. As for the oppressive might of the Holy Power, it too disappeared with the closing of the coffin lid.

"Ye Tianchen..."

Dongfang Meng rushed over immediately, only to be greeted by the cold stone coffin. No matter how hard she tried, even when she used the most refined power of the Jade Maiden Heart Scripture, she couldn’t open the coffin. It was truly unexpected. At such a moment, there would be such a change. The Taie Sword and the Fish Intestine Sword had taken Ye Tianchen into the stone coffin. Perhaps this had allowed Ye Tianchen to escape the deadly danger of the Holy Power’s might. However, he might have fallen into an even greater danger. He might already be dead because if such a powerful Holy Power could emit from the stone coffin, then there must also be Holy Power inside. Even without any attacks, in such a sealed coffin, Ye Tianchen could suffocate to death.

"Ye Tianchen, you big idiot!" Dongfang Meng cursed vehemently, yet her eyes were filled with tears. Ye Tianchen had given her a great shock. From the initial disdain and annoyance she had felt towards him, to the point where she wanted to kill him, and finally, to being moved by Ye Tianchen’s great determination and magnanimity. Deep down, she had greatly changed her impression of this unreliable man.

At this moment, Ye Tianchen, who had been suddenly taken into the stone coffin, was bloodied and covered with wounds, floating in the space, his consciousness extremely blurry. He had directly confronted the Holy Path, which was equivalent to openly defying fate, declaring war on heaven, seeking to break the laws of the Great Universe. Such an act was terrifying just to think about.

Ye Tianchen floated there, originally thinking that he was surely going to die. But when he entered the stone coffin, he found it wasn’t a narrow, dark space. Instead, the space of the Great Universe unfolded before him. Floating there, covered in blood, with suns, moons, stars, and vegetation around him, stars drifted past him. Seeing this, Ye Tianchen’s blurred consciousness once again became clear. It was incredibly magical, as if he was situated in the cosmic space. Everything in his sight shrank, and he experienced a mysterious realm beyond description and understanding, feeling as if the universe was in utter silence, except for his lone awakening.

"What place is this?" Ye Tianchen couldn’t help but frown in thought.

Gradually, Ye Tianchen’s consciousness became clearer. He did not know what kind of environment he was in, nor what experiences lay ahead. Perhaps in the next moment, he would face the Holy Power’s oppression again, being crushed into pulp, or maybe he would continue to float in this realm forever. In any case, Ye Tianchen had never dreamed of such a situation. Even as a Divine-level superpower in the previous universe during the apocalypse, who could be said to be experienced and knowledgeable, having gone through much in that bizarre and fantastical world unimagined, nothing was unacceptable to him. His mode of thought had long since diverged from that of ordinary people who are resigned to their fate.

On that note, it’s necessary to mention that in this mysterious world, ordinary people are mostly concerned with chasing fame and wealth, dealing with birth, old age, sickness, and death, understanding very little. If you haven’t experienced it, how could you know there are no immortals, gods, ghosts, and monsters, no cultivators, no supreme masters who can turn clouds with a flip of the hand and rain with the turn of a hand? Those with such realms and power are no longer ordinary; ordinary people are like ants in their eyes. Whether you know of these phenomena or understand them, it makes no difference and affects nothing. The planes of existence they are in are not merely one or two; they can decide the fate of a world. What can you decide? Thus, whether you know or believe, to such beings, it is entirely inconsequential, of negligible significance.

"In any case, I should heal my injuries slowly before anything else. I can’t just wait to die!"

Ye Tianchen sat cross-legged, dragging his exhausted, almost comatose body and slowly used his soft power combined with a tiny bit of remaining Superpower to heal his wounds. The Taie Sword and the Fish Intestine Sword, having brought Ye Tianchen out of the danger of the Holy Power’s might, had already returned to Ye Tianchen’s storage space.

The surroundings were so serene. Ye Tianchen seemed to be sitting at the center of the universe, with stars occasionally streaking past, making the world appear to have only him left. To his amazement, within this mysterious realm, his injuries healed rapidly. In the blink of an eye, they were nearly cured, which was truly miraculous.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)