The Supreme Martial King Shocking All Realms Chapter 3298: 3293: Destroying the Gates of Life and Death_1
Regret came too late now, for the restriction had activated, sealing the fate of the Scorpio Ghost King in downfall.
Yet, Yang Chen had gleaned a vital detail: Wan Qiuying had vanished from this realm, apparently whisked off by fellow Ghost King powerhouses to another plane for some mysterious agenda.
Precisely what transpired there, though, remained a mystery to the Scorpio Ghost King.
Yang Chen's sole disappointment lay in his unfinished quest for insights on the Calamity City; right as he delved further into those memories, the Scorpio Ghost King's restriction ignited, claiming its life.
A touch of irritation gnawed at him, but gazing upon the cluster of ghost cores clutched in his palm eased Yang Chen's spirits somewhat.
“Looks like the outcome of my intense cultivation over these many decades turned out pretty well.”
Back then, taking down these Heaven-separated Realm foes wouldn't have posed much challenge, yet achieving it with such effortless grace as he did now? Utterly impossible.
Those decades had passed in focused seclusion for him.
Ever since absorbing Princess Wenqi's words, Yang Chen plunged into profound reflection and rigorous training, convinced of her wisdom.
To push boundaries in the Dao, one must carve their unique trail, not mimic another's footsteps.
Diverging paths would only lead to personal ruin in the end.
Thus, he pondered deeply on the matter.
He even toyed with abandoning his cultivation path altogether, yet reason triumphed over rash urges, burying the notion deep.
From there, he turned to exploring the Space-Time Law, a realm untouched by any prior Dao practices of his.
This domain stood as a pristine void for him, free from any infusion of Dao techniques.
In those years, Yang Chen forged numerous innovations, with the azure pattern emerging from his exhaustive fusion of the Space-Time Law into the Domain of Earth.
He refined it even more, weaving in elements from various other laws.
At its core, this azure pattern sprang from a flawless foundation in the pure Space-Time Law.
Upon unleashing this domain, any intruder would find their spacetime utterly reshaped by his will—should he desire, time could crawl at a fraction of its pace, be it dozens, hundreds, or thousands-fold.
Of course, the potency varied by the target.
A mere pebble? He could halt it in an instant.
Gusts of wind or pelting rain? Within his spacetime, they bent to his command.
Yet against titans like Ghost Kings, the impact diminished slightly; facing a squad of over ten such experts, he might only drag their pace by a handful of times.
A slowdown of mere multiples hardly daunted Heaven-separated Realm powerhouses. The real horror lay in his ability to throttle their velocity while accelerating his own to blinding speeds.
That was the essence of spacetime reconfiguration.
As for dubbing this domain, Yang Chen hadn't settled on a name.
Why, you ask?
The azure domain lingered in an incomplete state. Until perfection dawned, bestowing a title felt hasty.
For now, Yang Chen stowed the ghost cores in his storage bag—valuable items ripe for trading into Jiyu Essence.
Suddenly, Ling Huan Sha, Zhou Yiming, and their group entered Yang Chen's view.
“Brother Yang Chen…” Ling Huan Sha gazed at him, her subtle allure radiating, her eagerness to curry favor plain as day.
The rest of the cultivators wore fawning grins, their eyes fixed on Yang Chen in profound deference, careful not to betray a hint of offense.
Reflecting on their earlier disdain toward him, these mighty figures now harbored deep unease.
The mere thought chilled them: Had Yang Chen's temper flared then, slaughtering them in secret with his might would have been child's play, bodies vanished without a whisper. To whom could they appeal for redress?
How could they risk slighting Yang Chen today? They even lamented their past distrust; had they believed his words and joined his scheme, alliance with him might have blossomed by now.
Forging bonds with such a formidable ally...
But in this moment, that chance had slipped away forever.
Yang Chen stayed composed, his neutral poise offering neither warmth nor chill, fostering no bond whatsoever.
“The crisis is over. Fellow Daoist Ling, you may escort Zhou Daoyou away.” Yang Chen stated, hands clasped behind his back.
Zhou Yiming gave a subtle shake of his head, “I'd prefer to stick with Brother Yang Chen. You still have unfinished business in the Spirit Fire World, don't you? I'm well-versed in its ways; I could lend a hand.”
“Exactly, we're quite knowledgeable about the Spirit Fire World ourselves. We might assist Brother Yang Chen as well.” Ling Huan Sha offered with a seductive smile.
Yang Chen replied, “Zhou Daoyou's aid suffices for me; no need to burden Fellow Daoist Ling or the rest.”
A shiver ran through Ling Huan Sha, realizing her charms held no sway over Yang Chen. Attempts to ingratiate herself now rang hollow.
Clenching her pearly teeth, aware that lingering would only invite scorn, she signaled her companions and declared, “Then we won't impose on Brother Yang Chen further.”
With that, Ling Huan Sha and her entourage swiftly departed.
Yang Chen turned his gaze to Zhou Yiming.
Zhou Yiming bowed promptly, offering due reverence.
Such honors befitted a titan like Yang Chen, especially as the slayer of over a dozen Ghost Kings—and his savior to boot.
“Brother Yang Chen, what's your next move?” Zhou Yiming inquired.
“To shatter the Gates of Life and Death and the Unwarranted Black Hole.” Yang Chen declared, “Plus, these captives can yield plenty of Jiyu Essence for me. Fellow Daoist Zhou, track them down. With no Heaven-separated Realm threats left in the Spirit Fire World, your power should make freeing them straightforward. In return, I'll share some Jiyu Essence with you.”
Zhou Yiming waved his hands in haste, “Brother Yang Chen, you're too generous. You rescued me; I'd never claim the Jiyu Essence. I'll liberate them all myself—I know their whereabouts. As for the Gates of Life and Death, that's yours to handle.”
Zhou Yiming had nearly voiced a warning about the perils of tackling the Gates of Life and Death.
After all, wrenching free such a treasure demanded ages, and countless experts had faltered, only to perish under the onslaught of bolstered Ghost King reinforcements. Such tragedies abounded.
But witnessing Yang Chen's prowess anew, he swallowed those cautions.
This warrior defied all norms.
Having mapped out their strategy with Zhou Yiming, Yang Chen dispatched him to gather the captives while he sped toward the Gates of Life and Death.
His arrival brought him before a colossal portal bridging life and death, shrouded in boundless gloom teeming with ghost qi…
Myriad ghostly remains littered the ground, and Yang Chen strode amid them until he reached the grand entrance.