Chapter 276

“Hmph!” Ji Qingyou smirked dismissively. With a flash, she entered the valley, arriving behind Yang Chen.

“Kid, step back quickly. For Empress Yan’s sake, I won’t make things difficult for you. You can take this blood sword with you!”

Ji Qingyou didn’t take Yang Chen seriously. Although this kid’s talent in swordsmanship was unparalleled, even able to comprehend a Sword Domain that she couldn’t unravel, his cultivation was, after all, only at the second stage of Void Refinement. He was far beneath her.

“Step back?” Yang Chen turned around at this moment. In these three days, his constant comprehension of the sword intent had also led to a breakthrough, reaching the second stage of Void Refinement.

“The reason this valley’s Sword Domain dissipated shouldn’t have anything to do with you, right, Senior? Moreover, while the blood sword is impressive, in terms of cultivation, it can’t compare to the blood and flesh essence of a true immortal! Aren’t you being a bit too greedy, Senior?”

As he spoke, Yang Chen’s gaze met that of the Empress Destiny before him.

He had heard of the four great dynasties of the Central Continent. The strength of each dynasty was no less than that of a sacred land. The Destiny Dynasty, in particular, was the foremost of the four great dynasties.

The Empress Destiny’s renown even slightly surpassed that of Yu Yourong, the Holy Lord of the Heavenly Dao Holy Land. But unfortunately, the tall woman before him wasn’t the Empress Destiny herself, so he couldn’t see her true face.

[Ding, detected a female protagonist with a destiny aura: Ji Qingyou, sister-in-law of the Child of Destiny, Zhou Chen!]

At that moment, the system’s voice suddenly sounded.

Hm?

Yang Chen couldn’t help but show a slight change in expression.

This Empress Destiny Ji Qingyou was a female protagonist? The sister-in-law of the Child of Destiny, Zhou Chen? This? Interesting. Very interesting.

It seems a new identity had emerged.

…

Having learned that Ji Qingyou was a female protagonist with an aura of destiny, the sister-in-law of the Child of Destiny, Yang Chen’s gaze couldn’t help but carry a bit more amusement.

This damn system had perfectly grasped his tastes.

“Hmph, ignorant fool!” Ji Qingyou let out a cold snort at this moment.

She was tired of wasting words with a junior like Yang Chen. If it weren’t for her past friendship with Empress Yan, she would have killed this kid long ago. She directly formed hand seals with both hands.

The aura of imperial majesty spread out, condensing into a divine mountain. She wanted to quickly suppress and subdue the kid in front of her. The true immortal’s blood and flesh essence in the valley, now free from the Sword Domain’s suppression, began to emit its immortal aura. It wouldn’t be long before other cultivators sensed it.

When that happened, a flood of Void Refinement cultivators would arrive, and things would get troublesome.

“Brother Chen, be careful!” Seeing this from afar, Empress Yan urgently shouted a warning.

Then, activating a secret technique, crimson flames surged from her body, directly sending the two mid-stage Void Refinement palace-clad women flying with blood spewing from their mouths. A trace of pallor appeared on Empress Yan’s charming face, but she still rushed toward Yang Chen at full speed.

Above the divine mountain Ji Qingyou had conjured, dragons and phoenixes spiraled, imperial pressure radiating outward, dominating the world as if forcing the heavens and earth to submit.

The divine mountain pressed down toward Yang Chen.

But then—

Clang!

A sword cry resounded. Yang Chen, wielding the blood sword, slashed out with a single stroke. The sword light transformed into a blood-red river.

The divine mountain pressing down was instantly engulfed and covered by the blood-red river, then sliced into nothingness by the infinite sword intent within it. And the sword intent, after obliterating the mountain, showed no sign of weakening.

It charged straight toward Ji Qingyou.

“What?” Ji Qingyou’s gaze froze in shock. She hurriedly struck out with a palm.

Pfft!

Though the sword intent was shattered by her palm strike, Ji Qingyou’s expression at this moment was grim. Even though her current body was only at the seventh stage of Void Refinement, her primordial spirit had already passed the Primordial Spirit Tribulation, leaving her just one step away from true immortality.

The divine technique she had unleashed was enough to easily suppress late-stage Void Refinement cultivators. Yet it had been broken by this kid with a single sword strike! And it even forced her to defend herself again. A mere second-stage Void Refinement cultivator, even wielding a sacred weapon, could possess such combat strength?

“The Empress Destiny—seems she’s not all that impressive after all! If Senior Empress only has this stage of strength, you’d better leave quickly. For the sake of you being Yan’er’s old friend, I won’t hold it against you!” Yang Chen said lightly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

At this moment, Empress Yan arrived as well. Seeing Yang Chen shatter Ji Qingyou’s attack with one strike and force her into a flustered defense, her beautiful eyes couldn’t hide her delight. Worthy of being her, Empress Yan’s, man—truly ferocious. Second-stage Void Refinement surpassing seventh-stage Void Refinement.

“Ji Qingyou, even if you’ve passed the Primordial Spirit Tribulation and are just a step away from true immortality, your current body only has the cultivation of seventh-stage Void Refinement! Moreover, this opportunity doesn’t even belong to you! Everything is guided by the will of the heavens!” Empress Yan stood beside Yang Chen, speaking in a deep voice.

“Hmph! The will of the heavens? Then I’ll defy the heavens themselves!” Ji Qingyou’s beautiful eyes grew cold. Her phoenix robe fluttered without wind. Her aura began to surge rapidly.

A faint silhouette appeared behind her. Stunningly beautiful, regal and noble, with a commanding gaze. Though a woman, she exuded the air of one who ruled the world.

“Not good—Ji Qingyou is starting to use her primordial spirit’s power! This wretched woman has gone mad! This realm doesn’t allow cultivators above Void Refinement to set foot here. If it’s sensed, the heavenly tribulation will descend and directly obliterate this strand of her primordial spirit!”

As Empress Yan spoke, Ji Qingyou’s aura had already surged to the ninth stage of Void Refinement.

“Yan Honglian, don’t blame me for disregarding old ties. Right now, you two either get lost or die here!” Ji Qingyou spoke coldly.

The silhouette behind her dissipated, and her aura finally stabilized at ninth-stage Void Refinement. She didn’t push it further to tenth-stage Void Refinement. Because that would cause her primordial spirit’s fluctuations to become too intense, easily triggering this realm’s tribulation to wipe her out.

“Brother Chen!” Empress Yan hesitated for a moment.

“It’s fine. You go absorb the true immortal’s essence blood. I’ll hold her off! We’ve worked so hard to obtain this opportunity—we can’t let her take it so easily!” As Yang Chen finished speaking, he stepped forward. He thrust the blood sword ahead.

Clang!

A sword cry echoed through the valley. No sword light appeared. But an invisible sword intent erupted in an instant.

Bang!

Ji Qingyou formed seals with both hands, golden dragons and divine phoenixes swirling around her. Though she blocked the surging invisible sword intent, the gravity in her beautiful eyes only deepened.

“Sword Nine!”