Zhang Chen's comment about a pet infuriated Zhao Lie so much that the three spirit gods within him erupted in rage, leaving Xie Xuan stunned.
Just as Xie Xuan was about to ask further questions, Zhao Lie roared furiously and struck out: "Boy, today let's settle both old and new grudges!"
Zhao Lie grasped his hand in the void, compressing sound waves into an invisible long blade, slicing towards Zhang Chen.
"Be careful, that's Zhao Lie's innate Divine Technique, Tiger Roar, transforming into sound wave techniques. Invisible and intangible, yet capable of cutting gold and jade. Absolutely avoid contact with it," Xie Xuan warned Zhang Chen.
Ignoring Xie Xuan's words, Zhang Chen extended his Immortal left hand, a 'Forbidden' symbol in his palm flashing with Golden Light. He shook it towards Zhao Lie, and then Zhao Lie's figure wavered, seemingly frozen in place as if under a Body-Stabilizing Technique.
"Wretch, surrender quickly! How dare you act so wildly before me?" Zhang Chen's voice brimmed with pride, looking down at the Demon King Zhao Lie, voice full of arrogance.
"Ah~"
Zhao Lie let out a shriek, clutching his head in agony: "Boy, what is this technique? What have you done to me!"
Zhang Chen chuckled, "Little kitty, do you really think my Dragon Tendons are so easily devoured?"
After these words, Zhang Chen waved his Immortal left hand again, and the Golden Light flickered. Zhao Lie's figure wavered, and his hands transformed into tiger claws.
"Wretch, reveal your original form swiftly!" Zhang Chen shouted, and with another wave of his hand, Zhao Lie's head transformed into an adorable little tiger head.
"Roar~"
A tiger's roar burst out, Zhao Lie's legs twisted, starting to morph into tiger claws.
"Excellent technique!" Xie Xuan exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief at Zhang Chen's Divine Techniques; even the Great Demon King Zhao Lie of the Demon Race, a supreme being, could not resist Zhang Chen, reverting to his original form.
As Zhao Lie was about to be subdued by Zhang Chen, suddenly far away, a blade aura swept across, slicing towards Zhang Chen on the Ice Ship.
The blade aura was a hundred zhang long, exuding a bone-chilling chill, moving shockingly fast, causing Zhang Chen to panic, his figure faltering as he released the 'Forbidden' hand sign, summoning river waters to block the incoming blade aura. The blade aura cleaved the waters, aiming to penetrate Zhang Chen's water wall to kill him. However, Zhang Chen's thoughts transformed the flowing water into an ice wall, blocking in front of the blade aura, but the blade's sharpness was too overwhelming, even a twenty-meter thick ice wall couldn't fully stop it.
The ice wall was split open by ten meters in an instant, nearing Zhang Chen. Unfazed, Zhang Chen watched calmly as the ice wall transformed into Weak Water, where the vast blade light sank into Weak Water, directly swallowed by its power.
This brief delay allowed Demon King Zhao Lie to leap into the water and disappear without a trace.
Zhang Chen paid no heed to Zhao Lie, knowing he had the upper hand; even if Zhao Lie escaped, what could he do? They would surely meet again someday. But, the immediate crisis was about his own life and death.
Gazing towards the origin of the blade aura, he saw a Rhino Spirit, moonlight flickering around it. The recent slash was condensed from moonlight, explaining its formidable might.
Noticing Zhang Chen's gaze, the Rhino Spirit hurriedly fled into the water in fear, knowing even its own ancestor suffered greatly at Zhang Chen's hands, daring not oppose him.
With the Rhino Spirit gone, Zhang Chen and Xie Xuan refrained from pursuit. Just as Xie Xuan wanted to speak, divine light shimmered on the horizon, and three figures glowing with divine radiance surrounded Zhang Chen and Xie Xuan.
They were three deities exuding Ninth Rank Qi Mechanism, one whom Zhang Chen recognized as Gu Mingyue of the Yellow Heaven Dao.
"I never expected the Yellow Heaven Dao to dispatch three Celestial Masters to hunt me down!" Xie Xuan remarked, recognizing their origins.
"Xie Xuan, the Prince offers you a chance. If you are willing to surrender to the Prince's Mansion, you can turn back now, and the Prince's previous promises remain unchanged," Gu Mingyue addressed Xie Xuan.
"The fate of Prince Pingbian is exhausted, the Northern Land's fortune severely diminished. Binding yourselves to Prince Pingbian's chariot will only lead to misery. If you can change loyalties and submit to the court, I can vouch that the past will be forgiven," Xie Xuan retorted, trying to sway their minds.
Gu Mingyue ignored Xie Xuan, knowing it's impossible to jump off Prince Pingbian's chariot once aboard.
Thus, Gu Mingyue focused on Zhang Chen: "Zhang Chen, you are my Yellow Heaven Dao disciple. Why mingle with the Inspection and Supervision Department? Hurry over."
These three from Yellow Heaven Dao hadn't witnessed Zhang Chen's handling of Hu Li the Immortal, or else they might not dare speak so boldly to him.
Faced with Gu Mingyue's reprimand, Zhang Chen sighed softly: "If you have the skill, feel free to act. Why waste words here? Do you think I'm unaware of Yellow Heaven Dao's dealings with Prince Pingbian's Mansion? If you have the ability, kill me; if not, then return from where you came. Bragging is not the conduct of a true expert. Such empty posturing only invites disdain."
"Wretched creature, how dare you speak to me like this?" Gu Mingyue was furious upon hearing this. In an era where decorum was highly valued, Zhang Chen dared to challenge him in this manner, leaving him disgraced, akin to a True Dragon struck on its Reverse Scale.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen sneered, displaying his contempt. Gu Mingyue was even more enraged and said to the two Daoists beside him, "Esteemed brothers, quickly eliminate Xie Xuan and capture that little beast."
Then, the three of them unleashed divine light and fiercely attacked Xie Xuan.
"You deities are born of the Acquired, how can you compare to a cultivator like me who comprehends the transformations of Heaven and Earth and grasps the Pure Yang Dao? You three wish to kill me? Utterly nonsensical." Xie Xuan leaped from the Ice Ship, armed with a stick, actively confronting the three in the distance. His stick swirled with the aura of wind and thunder, enveloping Xie Xuan as if he were a divine spirit emerging from the tempest.
However, only two True Men of Yellow Heaven Dao approached Xie Xuan. Gu Mingyue bypassed Xie Xuan, holding a duster, advancing towards Zhang Chen and Xie Lingyun.
"This is troubling! I've become a burden." Xie Lingyun gazed at the approaching Gu Mingyue, a trace of anxiety in her eyes.
Yet Zhang Chen stood unmoving like a mountain, calmly watching Gu Mingyue's approach. With a thought, the mighty river transformed into a Water Dragon, its claws reaching for Gu Mingyue.
Gu Mingyue halted, staring at the incoming Water Dragon, full of astonishment, "Such skill! But alas, in front of a Ninth Rank divine being, it's still useless."
As the Water Dragon charged, Gu Mingyue merely flickered and dodged its assault. His ethereal figure continued to press towards Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen observed Gu Mingyue's movements, then pointed his finger at the Ice Ship beneath him. In the next instant, within a three hundred meter radius centered on Zhang Chen, all the water transformed into Weak Water.
Gu Mingyue, with his evasive movements, landed on the Weak Water and immediately sank. Zhang Chen then manipulated the water's power to shred Gu Mingyue in the water, aiming to destroy his physical form.
Yet Gu Mingyue, not to be underestimated, circulated his divine power, repelling the Weak Water and standing on the riverbed, glaring at Zhang Chen, "Boy, you've surprised me again. I didn't expect you would have such means."
Zhang Chen, witnessing Gu Mingyue's techniques, was also astonished, "To be honest, you've surprised me too. I never thought my Water Control Technique would have such a flaw."
A Ninth Rank Yang God is nigh a Celestial Immortal; Zhang Chen truly cannot contend.
"Don't lose heart. Weak Water shouldn't be capable of being dispelled, yet Gu Mingyue managed it, indicating he carries a Water Treasure." At this moment, the voice of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon rang in Zhang Chen's ear.
Zhang Chen's pupils contracted upon hearing this, "Water Treasure? I was wondering how Weak Water could be easily dispelled."
Yet he remained composed, knowing his mastery of the Water Control Technique was potent beyond imagination, capable of converting all river water in his grasp into Weak Water. However, such a method was overly severe, potentially trapping even fish and shrimp to perish, so he dared not use it recklessly to avoid unnecessary slaughter.
"Boy, once I capture you, let's see if Xie Xuan chooses the prince's command or your lives." Gu Mingyue wielded a Wu Hook, which shimmered with blue light. He drew the Wu Hook across the Weak Water, creating a path revealing the riverbed, and strode towards Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen watched Gu Mingyue on the riverbed, unflinching, directly activating the Earth Control Technique. Sharp earth spikes protruded, aiming to pierce and kill Gu Mingyue.
"You possess Divine Techniques too?" Gu Mingyue was utterly shocked, circulating his divine power, sweeping the duster to clear all the spikes. But at this moment, Zhang Chen's second Divine Technique arrived, as the earth transformed into a huge hand, grasping at Gu Mingyue, intending to crush him.
Seeing the ten-meter earthen hand, Gu Mingyue dared not confront it directly, transforming into a stream of light and fleeing to avoid the grasp.
Watching Gu Mingyue ascend into the sky, Zhang Chen considered using the Golden Scissors but glanced at the shadows watching from all directions and abandoned the idea. Not only the Golden Scissors, but even the Buzhou Seal was hidden.
"Open for me!" Gu Mingyue, airborne, pointed at the ground, causing it to split with a crack a kilometer long and hundreds of meters deep, molten lava spewing forth, consuming the descending water flow.
The Ice Ship Zhang Chen maneuvered also plummeted, heading towards the lava.
"Zhang Chen!" Xie Lingyun changed color dramatically, staring at the erupting lava with terror. In such a situation, no one could remain calm.
Despite this, Zhang Chen remained unfazed, shouting to Xie Xuan in the distance, "Old man, I'll take Lingyun away! Take care of yourself."
Then Zhang Chen brought out the Fire Extinguishing Pearl, enveloping both in red light, and they plunged into the lava.
If not now, when? The Yang God True Man wielded heavenly power, splitting the earth effortlessly. Zhang Chen now realized the gulf between himself and a Ninth Rank master. If no one was watching, he might employ the Golden Scissors to contend, but under everyone's gaze, it's better not. If the Golden Scissors were coveted, it would be more trouble than it's worth.
Can't provoke, time to flee!