Chapter 277

Ji Qingyou hadn’t expected that this second-stage Void Refinement junior before her had reached the Ninth Realm of the Sword! She had been shocked earlier by his ability to comprehend the Sword Domain, marveling at this junior’s swordsmanship talent, but that was just comprehension.

She had merely thought he might have some affinity with the Sword Domain’s master, their sword intents aligning, allowing him to grasp this place’s Sword Domain. But she never imagined that this young junior had already reached the Ninth Realm of the Sword.

No wonder he could wield such combat strength with just second-stage Void Refinement cultivation.

Ji Qingyou’s beautiful eyes flickered, and then she said: “Kid, you must have heard of my name! Today, if you let me have the true immortal blood, I’ll owe you a favor. Whatever condition you name in the future, I’ll agree to it—how about that?”

Hearing this, Yang Chen raised an eyebrow.

A playful glint appeared in his eyes.

“Is Senior Empress trying to tempt me?”

“Indeed, you can take it that way!” Ji Qingyou said in a deep voice: “The true immortal blood is too important to me. In the future, even if you want the Destiny Dynasty, I can give it to you!”

“Is that so? But I don’t have much interest in the Destiny Dynasty! I’m far more interested in you, Senior Empress!”

…

These words from Yang Chen caused Ji Qingyou’s beautiful eyes to turn cold.

“Senior Empress, although I only saw the phantom of your primordial spirit earlier, I was utterly astonished. How about you come in your true primordial spirit form to discuss matters with me? Although this current body of yours is also quite attractive, it pales in comparison to the peerless elegance you displayed earlier! Moreover, while this body is tall, its frame is somewhat slender and far less voluptuous and captivating than your true form just now!”

Yang Chen spoke without any hesitation, his gaze roaming over Ji Qingyou’s body, sizing her up and commenting freely.

Ji Qingyou’s expression darkened, a flicker of killing intent flashing in her eyes.

This damned junior dared to speak so frivolously to her! Did he think that just because he could momentarily hold her off, he could act with such reckless abandon? She, the Empress Destiny, had dominated the Central Continent for thousands of years.

Even those great powers of the Dao Integration Realm or the lords of sacred dynasties never dared to speak to her in such a manner. This ignorant fool, unaware of the heights of heaven and earth, was truly courting death.

At this moment, Empress Yan, taking advantage of the confrontation between the two, arrived above the magma lake. She sat cross-legged, her hands forming seals. From her palms, blood dripped and fell into the magma lake below.

Instantly, the magma, which had been like raging flames, began to calm. The magma throughout the entire valley gradually transformed into bright red blood. Red immortal light brewed within it, each drop of blood resembling a ruby. Radiant and crystalline, surrounded by an aura of immortality.

A hint of delight flashed through Empress Yan’s beautiful eyes. As expected, the rivers and lakes of magma here were all formed from the body of her Yan Clan’s True Immortal ancestor. Now, sensing the arrival of her, a descendant, the wild and violent energy dissipated, and the magma turned into immortal blood.

Empress Yan gently raised her palm, and the crimson immortal blood below immediately surged into two pillars of blood, beginning to flow into her body.

“Not good!” Seeing this, a flash of anger crossed Ji Qingyou’s face. She directly struck out with a palm toward Empress Yan, intending to interrupt her absorption of the valley’s True Immortal blood. But her palm strike was shattered by a single slash from Yang Chen’s sword. And with righteous indignation, he said: “Senior Empress, the True Immortal who fell here was originally a sage of the Yan Clan! As a friend, you disregard past sentiments—that’s one thing—but to attempt to seize an opportunity that rightfully belongs to another, isn’t that too unjustifiable? The grand Empress Destiny, awe-inspiring across the Central Continent, doing something so despicable—aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed?”

“Damnable junior! Today, this Empress swears to kill you!” Killing intent surged in Ji Qingyou’s beautiful eyes.

In the past thousand years, since her cultivation reached the Tribulation Realm and she became the foremost of the Four Sovereigns, she had been universally revered. Never had she been as furious as she was today, with such a desire to kill someone.

This damned junior had first insulted her with his words and now disrupted her plans, truly reigniting the killing intent she had sealed away for a millennium.

The aura of imperial authority erupted from Ji Qingyou, as if she were an empress ruling over the heavens.

Phantoms of dragons and phoenixes began to take shape. Golden dragons roared, divine phoenixes screeched. They surged toward Yang Chen. Intent on tearing him to shreds.

Yang Chen swung his blood sword, its sword light transforming into rivers of blood.

As the blood rivers roared, despite the overwhelming might of the golden dragons and divine phoenixes, they were still strangled one by one by the deathly, murderous sword intent within the blood rivers, reduced to nothingness.

The two clashed dozens of times in the sky above the valley.

Ji Qingyou’s expression grew increasingly frigid. Originally, she had thought this junior, Yang Chen, could only barely hold her off.

But after dozens of exchanges, with her attacking at full strength and employing divine techniques only masters of the Dao Integration Realm could wield, this junior showed no signs of defeat—instead, he grew fiercer with each clash.

The sword intent of the Ninth Realm, paired with the blood sword in his hand, seemed capable of countering all her attacks. The sword intent Yang Chen had comprehended formed a strange resonance with the blood sword.

The sword intent could unleash the True Immortal power contained within the blood sword, while the blood sword refined Yang Chen’s sword intent. Together, the blood rivers seemed capable of cutting through anything.

Though Ji Qingyou was at the ninth stage of the Void Refinement Realm and unleashed a variety of terrifying divine abilities, they were all neutralized by him one by one.

At that moment. Ji Qingyou’s hands suddenly formed seals, an immortal aura enveloping the valley. She intended to once again summon the power of her primordial spirit to forcefully erase Yang Chen. But a sudden thunderclap exploded in the sky, causing her to abandon the attempt instantly. The laws of this place did not permit powers beyond the Void Refinement Realm to manifest.

If she revealed her primordial spirit’s power again, it would inevitably trigger the tribulation lightning of this realm. At that point, forget killing this damned junior—she’d be lucky to preserve her primordial spirit.

“Damn it!” Ji Qingyou gritted her silver teeth. Her heart seethed with hatred. She, the grand Empress Destiny, was powerless against a mere second-stage Void Refinement junior. Her gaze shifted to Empress Yan above the magma lake in the distance, where two pillars of True Immortal blood were continuously pouring into her body.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Empress Yan absorbed all the True Immortal blood in the valley.

“No, the True Immortal blood must all belong to this Empress! Not only do I need it to overcome my final tribulation and ascend to True Immortal, but Xiao Fan also relies on this True Immortal blood to perfect his constitution!”

Ji Qingyou’s gaze turned to Yang Chen again, a flash of ruthlessness and resolve in her eyes.