Heaven-Dominating Martial Emperor

「Yan Province, outside Flame City.」

Since Xu Ao, the Third Elder of the Xu family, had given the order, Xu Sanshui could only grit his teeth and agree.

In the next moment, Xu Sanshui steeled himself and attacked Ye Chen.

He clutched a secret protective talisman and channeled his Spiritual Power into it. In an instant, the seemingly ordinary talisman erupted with a blinding silver light, like magma splashing beneath a volcano, ready to burst forth at any moment.

An incomparably terrifying aura surged forth, and the surrounding space seemed to ripple with invisible waves, causing the three nearby Saint Monks to nod in silent approval.

BOOM!

The terrifying torrent of power was finally unleashed!

Xu Sanshui struggled to control this immense power as it shot toward Ye Chen.

This was a strike comparable to the Ninth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!

This power was clearly far beyond his ability to control. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead as he visibly strained to command it.

Just as it seemed that Ye Chen, locked in a stalemate with the killing formation, was about to be engulfed by this torrent of power...

At that very moment, Ye Chen suddenly chuckled and said aloud, "Still trying to test me with such cheap tricks?"

"So be it. It seems it's time to end this. I thought I might lure out a big fish, but if it's just small fries like you, then there's no need to waste any more time."

His words caused the expressions of the three Saint Monks—Fa Zhao, Fa Ming, and Cheng Ji—to shift.

'So, in Ye Chen's eyes, the three of them—Saint Monks renowned throughout the eastern dynasty—were merely small fries?'

'What right did a brat not even twenty years old have to look down on them?'

Before the three could even speak, Ye Chen flicked his finger. An incomparably sharp Sword Qi shot out, as if to pierce the void, and swept straight across the horizon.

BOOM!

Under the astonished gazes of the Xu family's experts, the powerful strike—comparable to the Ninth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm—was casually blocked by Ye Chen.

The powerful aftershock swept out, even catching the three Saint Monks in its wake.

"What's going on?"

"We were clearly suppressing this kid! How did he have the strength to spare to block the Xu family's attack?"

A look of shock and uncertainty flickered across the faces of Fa Zhao and the other two monks.

'Could it be that this stalemate was just an act?'

'That they hadn't actually forced him to use his full strength at all?'

Soon enough, Ye Chen answered their silent questions with his actions.

BOOM!

A cyan light erupted from Ye Chen's body as his arms were suddenly covered in dense, cyan dragon scales. A vast, mountain-like torrent of power gathered within his flesh and blood, an utterly astonishing sight.

He threw a sudden punch. Its unparalleled force, accompanied by a beam of Spiritual Power, shattered the killing formation before him in a single blow!

"What?"

"How is this possible?!"

Fa Zhao and the other two monks were stunned.

'Ye Chen had actually shattered the killing formation with a single punch, right in front of them?'

'Wait, weren't the Vajra Temple's technique and the Buddha's Fury Seal still suppressing him?'

'Could it be...'

They looked closely and saw that Ye Chen had, at some unknown point, broken free from the Vajra Temple's restraint.

As for the Buddha's Fury Seal, however, it was still binding him, keeping him imprisoned.

This made Fa Zhao cry out in alarm, "How can this be? The Buddha's Fury Seal is clearly still active, so why are you completely unaffected?"

"Has the Buddha's Fury Seal failed?"

The scene before them baffled the three Saint Monks.

The Buddha's Fury Seal had a powerful restraining effect on any Cultivator below the Divine Might Realm. How on earth had Ye Chen negated its influence?

However, Ye Chen just smiled faintly and said casually, "I'm afraid you've misunderstood something. This Buddha's Fury Seal has been in effect the whole time."

"In effect the whole time?"

Fa Zhao froze. He quickly understood the meaning behind Ye Chen's words and was left utterly stunned.

'In other words, even with his strength reduced by thirty percent, Ye Chen had still displayed power that surpassed the Ninth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!'

'Not only had he shattered the Xu family's attack with one punch, but he had also destroyed the killing formation they were controlling, all while under the suppression of the Buddha's Fury Seal!'

'He knew that this killing formation was being controlled by both him and Fa Ming simultaneously. An ordinary Peak Divinity Transformation Realm Cultivator could never have dealt with it so easily!'

'Especially not while being suppressed by the Buddha's Fury Seal!'

'Could it be that Ye Chen's true combat power had already surpassed the Divinity Transformation Realm?'

The very thought made the hearts of the three Saint Monks pound with terror.

'A youth who hadn't even broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realm... possibly possessed astonishing combat power comparable to the Divine Might Realm?'

'They didn't dare to think about it any further!'

As the killing formation shattered, both Fa Zhao and Fa Ming spat out a mouthful of blood, their auras weakening.

They had been injured by the backlash from the formation's destruction.

However, the two of them immediately popped a couple of pills into their mouths and began to recover from their injuries.

Taking advantage of the moment they were injured, Ye Chen thrust out a hand. A dense cyan light formed into what looked like a sharp sword and tore straight through the Buddha's Fury Seal.

With a tremendous rumble, the layers of suppression laid down by the Saint Monks, like sheets of paper, were all effortlessly broken through by Ye Chen.

Ye Chen immediately countered with a punch, striking first at Cheng Ji.

The cyan dragon scales covering his arm seemed to ripple like flowing water, circulating a faint cyan glow.

Cheng Ji's expression changed drastically in an instant.

Although he had already stabilized his injuries, he still felt a profound sense of threat from Ye Chen's heavy, powerful punch!

"HAAH!"

He bellowed, and the string of Buddha Beads in his hand suddenly burst apart, transforming into layers of light barriers that shielded him!

A quick count revealed there were as many as thirteen layers!

Apparently, each Buddha Bead had transformed into a light barrier, and each barrier possessed defensive power strong enough to block a Ninth Layer Divinity Transformation Realm Cultivator!

However, this seemingly impenetrable defense was as fragile as paper before Ye Chen.

BOOM!

Ye Chen's fist slammed into the barriers. Amidst a surge of cyan light, layer after layer of the barriers rapidly shattered, barely hindering him for even a fraction of a second!

In the blink of an eye, Ye Chen had already broken through and was right in front of Cheng Ji!

"What?" Cheng Ji's eyes widened as he cried out in disbelief.

He could already feel death's approach!

After all, the Ye Chen of this moment undoubtedly possessed combat power comparable to the Divine Might Realm.

How could a defensive artifact, only capable of blocking a Ninth Layer Divinity Transformation Realm expert, possibly stop his attack?

"Kid, stop right there!"

Fa Zhao could no longer stand by and watch. He roared and thrust the staff in his hand toward Ye Chen's back. A terrifying aura erupted, and the very void roiled in response.