Gone was the appearance of the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord from when he was last seen. At that time, this elder’s disciple was full of high spirits, looking as if he stood above all others; but now, though the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord’s Daoist robe was still draped upon him, it was tattered and ragged. While it wasn't overtly soiled, his current destitution was clear… he hadn't even had time to change his clothes.

Seated cross-legged in the center of the vast, empty cavern, the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord was wreathed in swirling miasma, and toxic water had formed a pool around him—a dark, murky that looked repulsive enough to induce vomiting, not to mention the terrible stench. Fortunately, everyone present had their own methods to shield themselves from the odor.

Only Lü Bu furrowed his brow into a tight knot, his gaze upon the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord tinged with disgust.

“Serpent, your time has come!”

While others were still assessing the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord, Ye Wen was the fastest to act. The moment he spotted the figure, he immediately launched an attack. He and the Yamata no Orochi already held a deep-seated grudge; there was no need for pleasantries now. Seeing each other meant immediate combat, so before the others could fully react, Ye Wen had already summoned the Zixiao Sword. With a slight lift of his hand, the Zixiao Sword burst forth with dazzling radiance, shooting straight toward the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord.

The Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord was gravely wounded and ill-suited for movement, but that depended on the situation. With enemies attacking his doorstep, he naturally had to deal with the immediate threat first. It was only that his injuries had just begun to show signs of healing, and now the Shushan Sect Master had shown up again. This truly stoked the fire in his heart. Yet, the situation was beyond his control. Furthermore, he and the Shushan Sect Master truly were old enemies, so it was natural for the latter to seek trouble. All his pent-up rage had to be redirected toward others.

Turning his head, he saw Amaterasu, who, despite wearing a kimono, had a long sword belted at her waist, clearly indicating she was also here to cause trouble. Moreover, in this region, only Amaterasu knew the location of his lair. Therefore, Ye Wen finding this place could only mean she had led the way.

“Vile woman! I spared your life several times, yet today you lead others here to destroy me!”

This statement was mostly just rhetoric. The Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord’s true form, the Yamata no Orochi, had clashed with Amaterasu numerous times. While Amaterasu could never manage to defeat the ferocious beast, she always had means to preserve her own life. To suggest the Orochi had spared her was a stretch.

But what did the Yamata no Orochi care? In his view, if he hadn't killed her, he had spared her life. Besides, when he fought Amaterasu previously, he had noticed her beauty and certainly held back his blows, hoping to capture her, though he ultimately failed. Fortunately, while the Yamata no Orochi could be shameless, he hadn't reached the pinnacle of impudence; he dared not claim he had spared Ye Wen's life.

With a great roar completed, a ball of black energy materialized in his hand. This black energy was the essence of the toxic water surrounding the Yamata no Orochi, gathered together. It appeared unremarkable, but if a person accidentally touched even a speck, the result would be immediate bone calcification and flesh dissolution—truly vicious and overbearing.

The black energy burst forth from his hand as the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord reached out to grasp the Zixiao Sword. By now, he knew the Zixiao Sword was condensed power from Ye Wen, not an ordinary magical artifact. Even shattering it might not completely destroy it, so for safety, eradicating it completely was best.

As he reached out, it seemed his hand grasped empty air, but the black energy swirling around it suddenly swelled to cover several zhang in circumference, manifesting a huge, pitch-black hand that lunged for the Zixiao Sword.

This maneuver resembled some divine abilities found in Daoist or Buddhist traditions. Had this move been executed by an elder like Lao Jun or a venerable Buddhist master, it would undoubtedly have been straightforward and righteous, leaving no desire to resist. But when the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord used it with the power of the Yamata no Orochi, it carried a hint of malice, dominance, and strangeness. Especially since the black hand wavered indistinctly, making it hard to gauge its trajectory, diverging sharply from the upright and open methods of Daoism or Buddhism.

As soon as this move was unleashed, Ye Wen barely reacted, but Amaterasu suddenly drew the long sword from her waist. The moment the blade emerged, it unleashed a chilling blade aura that even scored deep marks on the ground where she stood, proving this sword was no ordinary item.

Drawing the blade, she immediately raised it high above her head, then stepped forward with her left foot, stomping hard onto the ground. The sword held aloft followed this momentum, slashing forward in an exceptionally graceful arc, unleashing a massive blade aura tinged with white but imbued with a potent killing intent. This aura resembled the sun or the moon as it rolled forward, reaching the black hand in the blink of an eye.

Originally, Ye Wen’s Zixiao Sword had moved first, but this blade aura was unexpectedly faster, demonstrating how swift this cut was. Ye Wen couldn't help but sigh: “Truly fast, ruthless, and precise!”

He then watched as the swirling blade aura plunged into the black hand, causing it to churn violently. But that was all. After a brief tumble, the black hand regained its composure and snapped its grip toward Ye Wen’s Zixiao Sword.

“What?”

Ye Wen wasn't overly concerned; he had already employed his Glazed Pupils (Liuli Tong) and discerned that although Amaterasu’s strike was fast, ruthless, and accurate, it definitely couldn't harm that terrifying black hand, so he had already anticipated this outcome. However, Amaterasu was astonished.

She had believed that by bringing forth her younger brother Susanoo’s Ten Fist Sword, along with the Yata no Kagami and the Yasakani no Magatama, even if she couldn't slay the Yamata no Orochi, she could provide powerful support with Ye Wen leading the charge. She never expected that the single strike she unleashed would be useless against the mere technique the Yamata no Orochi casually employed?

Her attack having failed, though surprised, Amaterasu was not one to give up easily. Seeing that ranged combat was proving ineffective, she gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and rushed forward, preparing to close the distance with the long sword to engage the Yamata no Orochi in close-quarters combat.

But the Yamata no Orochi opposite her gave her no such chance. As soon as the black hand was launched, its body instantly swelled, restoring its original form in a flash. Seven of the eight massive heads looked drowsy, suggesting the others had been sleeping during his recovery period.

Seeing the Yamata no Orochi return to its original state, occupying nearly half the vast cave, Ye Wen laughed, “In that state, are you afraid we won’t be able to hit you?”

While taunting, his movements did not slow. The Zixiao Sword in the air suddenly swerved, tracing a strange arc that bypassed the black hand. It then accelerated sharply, emitting a grating, piercing sound—the Zixiao Sword had scraped across one of the huge heads for a significant distance, sounding like two pieces of iron grinding against each other.

Although this blow didn't injure the Yamata no Orochi, it certainly made it wince in pain. Especially the tongue that was struck; it had been sluggish but was now fully awake, erupting in a terrifying roar. Opening its massive maw, it roared furiously at Ye Wen: “I will devour you!”

However, before its eyes could even focus on Ye Wen’s location, it perceived a small shadow close by—it was Ye Wen who had closed the distance. Spotting the serpent head, he swung his hand and delivered an Iron Palm strike.

The Iron Palm Ye Wen used now was nothing like the light touch of his past. This strike, even against real steel, would turn it into mud. His hand showed no outward manifestation or any swirling aura of energy; it was just an ordinary palm strike that landed squarely on the serpent head.

A tremendous booming sound echoed, making one think two of the Yamata no Orochi’s heads had collided. In reality, it was the might of Ye Wen’s single palm strike. The head struck by Ye Wen jerked violently downward, followed by another crash as the serpent head slammed into the ground, gouging out a deep pit.

Ye Wen was relentless. One moment he was airborne, the next he had pursued downward, reappearing near the serpent head. This time, the head could not maintain its arrogance. Its entire mass was slumped in the pit on the ground, unable to lift, and its gaze toward Ye Wen was clearly laced with terror.

Yet, no matter how much the head feared Ye Wen, the Sect Master would show no mercy. For Ye Wen always adhered to the principle: If an enemy is not killed, they will surely return to cause trouble. This was why he had journeyed a thousand li to hunt down the Yamata no Orochi, and now that he had the chance, there was no thought of stopping.

He struck out with another palm, still without any visible phenomena or energy auras, still seemingly ordinary. However, this palm lacked the momentum of the previous Iron Palm. When it connected with the serpent head, there was no massive explosion, but the head instantly collapsed like withered refuse. Its eyes remained wide open, but there was no sign of life.

This Gentle Palm technique was considered one of Ye Wen's signature moves. From the very beginning, shortly after the Shushan Sect was established, he practiced this set of palm strikes to compete against others. Now in the Immortal Realm, Ye Wen had not discarded this technique. Instead, as his cultivation realm increased, the power it displayed became even more formidable.

The Iron Palm struck the serpent head, only causing it confusion and dizziness, failing to even scratch the scales. But this Gentle Palm completely ignored the serpent’s tough scales, driving potent inner force directly inside, turning the head’s interior into a pulp, rendering it utterly lifeless.

All this occurred in the flash of an eye. Most observers merely blinked; Amaterasu herself had slowed slightly due to the immense power unleashed when the great serpent reverted to its true form. Who would have thought that in such a short time, Ye Wen, with two swift movements and two palms, had taken the life of one of the serpent’s heads? Everyone present was awestruck.

It wasn't that Ye Wen’s power had improved significantly since his time at Shushan. In fact, it was because the Yamata no Orochi, despite possessing eight heads, each with its own will, had seven heads usually deep in slumber—the one transformed into the Heavenly Fire Dragon Lord being the exception. When they awoke, their minds were naturally hazy. Ye Wen had noticed this during their last encounter, but the circumstances did not allow him to launch a surprise attack. This time was different; Ye Wen could not let such a golden opportunity pass. Furthermore, the Yamata no Orochi was already severely injured, having lost no less than forty percent of its terrifying strength. Ye Wen, however, had conserved his energy, determined to eliminate this menace, while the Orochi had just been recuperating. Given this imbalance, Ye Wen’s successful sneak attack was not so strange.

The black hand, however, did cause some trouble. Lü Bu and Xue Rengui charged forward together. The moment their two halberds struck the black hand, two streaks of dazzling light flashed out. The power emanating from the hand nearly destroyed their weapons. Fortunately, the two reacted quickly and retreated in time. Simultaneously, Xue Rengui quickly retrieved the White Tiger Whip and smashed it viciously into the black hand, forcing it back half a step, preventing serious injury to them.

Lü Bu retreated furiously, his handsome face flushed crimson. He had never felt so stifled in his life; even when besieged by Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei back then, he hadn't been forced back in a single exchange. Annoyed by this frustration, he erupted with even more terrifying power, even incorporating an unknown element into his divine strength.

With a successful strike, Ye Wen dodged and weaved. The remaining seven serpent heads had regained their senses and, realizing one of their ‘brothers’ was dead, became enraged, unleashing all manner of techniques to surround Ye Wen. Fortunately, since cultivating the Profound Universe, Ye Wen’s localized evasive maneuvers had improved immeasurably from his past. His figure flickered left, then right, sometimes above, sometimes below—impossible to track. The seven massive heads thrashed about in agitation but couldn't touch a hair on him, only increasing their fury.

Sect Master Ye even had time to glance at the others. He noticed Lü Bu, in his rage, unleashing greater combat power. Lü Bu swung his halberd and brought it down sharply, successfully severing one of the black hand's fingers. Then, instead of dissipating, the black energy was absorbed by Lü Bu’s halberd and transferred into his body, causing Lü Bu’s aura to surge even stronger!

“It seems Lü Bu has also benefited from the Investiture of the Gods list somehow, though I don't know precisely what…”

Ye Wen was not mistaken. In truth, Lü Bu himself was unaware. Because certain individuals had mythologized him into a god-like entity and hailed him as the God of War, the Investiture of the Gods list indeed granted him potent abilities upon his ennoblement as a God General—specifically, the capacity to unleash greater combat strength while enraged, alongside the terrifying power to absorb the enemy’s strength for his own use. Moreover, this power was indiscriminate; whatever force was used against him, if he managed to seize it, it became his. Though he could only absorb a minuscule amount with each successful connection, accumulation yields results! If used skillfully, it was not impossible for Lü Bu to become the Heavenly Court's foremost God General. However, now that Lü Bu was only newly ascended, his power was limited, and such grand prospects seemed distant, not requiring thought at this moment.

Meanwhile, Artemis had not been standing idly by. The moment the massive hand attacked, she had drawn her Wrath of the Stars. Just as Lü Bu’s furious strike cleaved off one of the fingers, she followed suit, drawing her longbow and instantly condensing a sphere of azure light.

It was indeed a sphere of light, not a magical arrow, as Artemis utilized the unique properties of the Wrath of the Stars to create a new move: the "Chain Comet Shot!" The light flashed brilliantly, and then azure, comet-like magical projectiles flew out one after another as if they were free (which, indeed, they were!). The projectiles nearly chased each other, forming a continuous blue line. Coupled with the powerful explosions upon impact of each arrow, the result was a continuous barrage of booming sounds that stirred up thick clouds of dust. All the while, Artemis’s hands did not cease; her longbow was barely visible between her hands, only a large mass of blue radiance, from which arrow after arrow shot forth, resembling a mounted machine gun.

Under this relentless assault, the enraged Orochi could only evade its sharpest edge and retreat to the side, watching Artemis stand with her head held high, looking relaxed and casual. For some unknown reason, its massive body involuntarily shuffled sideways, moving slightly further away from Artemis.

On the other side, Xue Rengui had also drawn his Heaven-Shaking Bow and nocked a Cloud-Piercing Arrow, preparing to fire, when he saw that the "foreign goddess" was far more potent than him. It seemed his turn wouldn't come after all?

Artemis shot until she had her fill before finally stopping. Her right hand still gripped the Wrath of the Stars, the fine bowstring flowing with azure light. Her left hand remained held level at her shoulder, the posture of someone who had just loosed a single arrow. Looking over where the battle raged, the dust and scattering light made it impossible to see anything clearly. When the dust finally settled, not a trace of the black hand remained; the entire structure had been shot into nothingness by Artemis’s barrage of chained arrows.

Only then did Artemis slightly lower her longbow and smile with satisfaction. Seeing this, Lü Bu, who was furious, took another step sideways away from her.

While the fighting was heated on that side, Ye Wen’s engagement was hardly dull.

Amaterasu, sword in hand, had charged in and was now entangled with one of the serpent heads. Ye Wen, facing six heads, weaved and dodged while launching sporadic surprise attacks—a jab to the left, a tap to the right—enraging the heads but leaving them unable to touch him. In their extreme frustration, the icy breath spat by one head struck another, nearly causing an internal conflict within the Yamata no Orochi. Ye Wen continued to harass them for a while. Seeing that while the heads remained fierce in their lunges, their attacks were less sharp than before, and their spitting of toxic water and miasma was less frequent, he knew the Yamata no Orochi was nearing exhaustion—now was the time to execute the beast.

With a flash of movement, he evaded a blast of chilling energy and instantly appeared beside Amaterasu, grabbing the collar of her kimono at the nape of her neck: “Retreat quickly!” He didn't wait for her reaction, simply tossing her backward… However, halfway through the motion, as he flung Amaterasu far away, he felt a lightness in his hand before he could release his grip.

Glancing sideways, he found the orange-red kimono fabric clutched in his hand, but Amaterasu was gone. He understood instantly what had happened, but he had no time to dwell on such trivialities. Since Amaterasu had ‘retreated,’ he no longer needed to hold back.

“To borrow a phrase you often use… all things return to nothingness!”

Casually tossing the kimono aside, Ye Wen raised his right hand high above his head, his arm slightly bent, his right hand clenched into a fist with only the index finger extended. A dazzling point of light shone at his fingertip. Though only the size of a fingertip, this light was impossible for anyone in the cavern to ignore, like the sun in the heavens.

Ye Wen concentrated all his power into his fingertip, his inner cosmos spinning rapidly, even stirring forth that trace of Primordial Violet Qi. At this moment, the Yamata no Orochi felt that familiar sense of oppressive pressure and, in a panic, attempted to flee. Unfortunately, Ye Wen’s previous entanglement had already exhausted most of its already limited stamina. Even as Ye Wen took this moment to channel his power, the Yamata no Orochi lacked the strength to escape! This momentary delay was all it took. Ye Wen finally finished mobilizing the inner force and unleashed his newly comprehended ultimate move.

“Ten Thousand Swords Return to One!”

For more novels, visit storyread.net.