Outside the city walls... a stretch of brilliant yellow, the fields of grain showing distinct signs of ripening.

Moments later, Xu Tianguo emerged from the fortress wall, his face etched with anxiety, hurrying to Ye Chen's side. "That great army is approaching, heading toward the south side of Wuhan City!"

Ye Chen drew his gaze back from the distance, nodded once, and commanded, "Go!" His figure moved, taking the lead as he swept southward.

Xu Tianguo quickly relayed the order. Instantly, several thousand figures shot out from within the base city, like falling rain, following closely behind Xu Tianguo as they charged south. Among them were 1,500 Rank 100 powerhouses from the base city, 1,000 Xuan-Yuan Clan powerhouses, as well as the Isle Lord of Ziyun, the old man in the white robe, and other formidable figures!

In total, six of the nine Divine-Grade powerhouses were deployed; the remaining three remained to guard the base city and did not move out.

Ye Chen soared onward. Below him stretched limitless rice paddies, exquisitely beautiful. A gentle breeze swept through, causing the grains to bow slightly, undulating like waves on a sea, a truly breathtaking sight. Along the narrow field paths, many members of the Production Department, clad in matching work uniforms, were tending to the crops—weeding and fertilizing.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Ye Chen’s mind. With this much grain, supplemented by the vast quantities of preserved monster meat, he wondered if the Guangming Base City could endure the Ice Age.

If he were eating alone, sustenance would be ample, but the population of Guangming Base City numbered over a million; this volume of food would be consumed at an alarming rate.

At Ye Chen’s speed, it took little time to reach the border of Wuhan City. He flew past the grain cultivation zones and arrived at the outskirts of a desolate urban area. Standing atop a dilapidated skyscraper, he gazed intently toward the distant horizon, immediately spotting a dense, dark mass surging forward, kicking up clouds of dust and grit.

Ye Chen’s expression was cold and distant as he waited calmly.

A moment later, Xu Tianguo arrived at the rear, leading the army. Over two thousand figures descended simultaneously onto an open area. The sound of clanking armor was crisp and rhythmic as they arrayed themselves with perfect order, forming neat squares, their formation completely unbroken.

Swish! Swish! Swish...

The old man in the white robe and others descended onto the rooftop, clustering around Ye Chen, awaiting his command at any moment.

Ye Chen addressed the Isle Lord of Ziyun and the others: "In a moment, you will handle the monster army. As for their leader, he is a Ghost God Realm powerhouse; that will be my responsibility!"

"Yes!" The Isle Lord of Ziyun nodded gravely, looking up toward the distance, his eyes alight with surging fighting spirit.

By this time, the distant army was drawing near, soon arriving at the city's edge. Their previously relentless forward momentum began to slow significantly upon spotting Ye Chen and his group far off. Finally, they halted along a stretch of barren street. The entire monster host stood remarkably aligned, led at the front by several Dragon-Headed Horses. In the center of the formation were numerous colossal monsters, all exceedingly powerful entities.

Liii—

Perched atop a great black-feathered bird at the very front sat a man clad in black, his eyes proud and defiant, a hint of savagery in his brow. He lazily glanced down at the thousands of powerhouses standing rigidly below him, then raised his gaze, casually meeting Ye Chen’s eyes. Instantly, his gaze locked onto Ye Chen’s face, lingering for a few seconds, before he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"Amusing, truly amusing. I thought I would have to expend tremendous effort to locate you, yet you deliver yourself right to my doorstep! Hahaha! Judging by your demeanor, if you just call me 'Ancestor' three times, I might permit you to beg for mercy!" the man in black declared with arrogance.

Ye Chen’s reply was cold: "Waste no more breath. Attack."

The man in black narrowed his eyes, then let his smile drop, speaking slowly and deliberately: "A year ago, I heard you snatched a treasure my Master had guarded for ages. Back then, if not for the barrier between our two realms, I would have crushed you with a single finger. At that time, your combat power was perhaps only a few thousand—a mere speck of dust. Do you truly believe your wings have hardened now?"

Ye Chen fixed him with a steady gaze and replied flatly, "If your Master expended all his energy to send you here merely to spout nonsense at me, then I must admit I have been suffocated by the stench."

"You!" The man in black exploded in fury, his face turning ashen. "You don't know what's good for you! Daring to provoke this King! Later, I will make you taste the utmost tortures. I hope your mouth remains so stubborn then! Hmph. One word: return my Master's treasure, or else..."

Ye Chen found no point in further chatter. With a wave of his hand, his power coalesced into three sharp beams of light that shot out, aimed directly at the black-clad man’s face. Unexpectedly, the man did not dodge at all, merely sneering. The few streaks of fire passed clean through his body, as if striking a mere projection, having no effect whatsoever.

"Hmph, did you think this could..." The man in black’s words were abruptly cut short by a sharp shriek. Annoyed, he slapped down, startling the monstrous bird beneath him into frightened immobility. He turned his head and saw the streaks of fire had landed on the strange bird’s wing, igniting it and scorching a patch of flesh.

"Damn you!" The man in black roared. Striking his mount was tantamount to a personal insult; how could he tolerate it? He immediately surged forward, hurtling toward Ye Chen, malice glinting in his eyes. He drew a weapon from his hand and brought it down in a crushing strike toward Ye Chen's head.

Ye Chen had been waiting for this very moment. His eyes turned icy, and he slowly clenched his fist. A tremor of power shook his entire body as a vast, sacred aura radiated from every pore, gathering and transforming into a stark white flame, burning fiercely. His entire form seemed bathed in fire, and then, as the great light gradually receded... a magnificent, platinum-gold suit of armor materialized. Its design was striking, with sharp spurs extending long from both shoulders, and a water-blue protective mirror set into the chest that appeared to ripple with layers of flowing water—truly magnificent to behold.

After a long period of refinement, this first installment of the Guangming Divine Armor was finally forged! The Guangming Divine Armor consisted of three parts, and though the Holy Flame Armor was only the first section, its might was still boundless, rivaling the top-tier Ghost Artifacts!

Ye Chen’s gaze remained sharp. Facing the fierce sword descending upon his head, he made no move to evade, meeting the attack head-on.

Crack!

The longsword struck the Holy Flame King’s Crown atop Ye Chen's head, causing a small chip to break off the blade's edge.

The man in black’s eyes widened in shock. In that moment of stunned surprise, Ye Chen raised his fist. His five fingers were encased in a special metal, armored to the hilt, and he drove it forward. A sharp spike suddenly sprang from the tip of the fist, making the power of this punch comparable to that of a weapon.

Having fought countless battles, the man in black snapped out of his momentary lapse and immediately recognized something was amiss. He tried to retreat rapidly backward.

Ye Chen would not allow him to escape. He stepped forward with his left foot, leaning his body into the motion. His fist shot out like a meteor, empowered by the Meteor Profundity, doubling its force, and slammed heavily into the area of the man in black’s forearm bone.

Not good! The man in black’s pupils contracted. He hastily activated his Ghost God Mode. Just as a sliver of relief washed over him, a searing pain shot through his arm, causing half his body to feel numb. Shocked and terrified, he instantly used the momentum to recoil a hundred yards. Looking at his arm, he saw that it was completely bent backward by Ye Chen’s single punch, pierced by a bloody hole that had driven right through the bone!

"How is this possible!" The man in black looked up in disbelief at Ye Chen, who was encased in the imposing armor. "My Master said this was just a speck of dust with a combat power of a few thousand! How could he injure me?!"

Before the man in black could process this, a tearing pain ripped through his arm, like being burned by fierce fire. Alarmed, he quickly looked down, an instant that almost shattered his soul. His entire arm, from the inside out, was engulfed in eerie white flames!

"Fire!"

"I am in Ghost God Mode—my entire flesh and blood has transformed into ghost energy! How can it burn? What kind of fire is this?!" The man in black’s face contorted with profound terror. In his long career fighting countless enemies, he had never encountered anything so bizarre. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he quickly checked his state, letting out a scream as he frantically shook his arm. "Ghost energy! My ghost energy is rapidly decreasing! Ah, ah... this accursed flame is devouring my ghost energy!!"

Under this flame, he realized his ghost energy was dissipating at an alarming rate, causing his spirit to tremble, enveloped by intense fear.

The ghost energy diminished bit by bit. Once it fell below a certain threshold, he would be unable to return to his flesh-and-blood form, and his memories would be damaged, turning him into an unconscious "Specter."

Ye Chen looked at the terrified man in black, a thoughtful expression on his face. He glanced at the armor he wore, feeling satisfied. It was worthy of the Guangming Divine Armor; even this first installment rivaled a top-tier Ghost Artifact, fully capable of instantly killing an ordinary Ghost God Realm powerhouse!

Any Ghost God Realm expert struck by it would be engulfed by the Holy Flame. Unless that part of the body was severed, all their ghost energy would be completely burned away!

In terms of rank...

The Guangming Divine Armor was more formidable than the Xuan-Yuan Divine Sword! This set of armor was said to have been personally constructed by the Light God, a supreme powerhouse who participated in sealing the Dark Realm!

During his previous retreat for cultivation, Ye Chen had utilized the residual body of the Dark Prince to complete the forging of the Divine Armor. Now, even without the Xuan-Yuan Divine Sword, he could contend with Ghost God Realm powerhouses solely based on the Guangming Divine Armor!

"Invincible in the Ghost God Realm!" Ye Chen clenched his fist, his gaze chilling as he looked at the man in black. Having tested its power, he knew the opponent had completely lost his value. Based on that single punch, he could tell this man was only a first-stage Ghost God Realm being, far inferior to the Dark Prince. Relying on his inherent strength, amplified by the Meteor Profundity, he could easily kill him!

The man in black saw the killing intent in Ye Chen’s eyes and his heart lurched. He inwardly lamented, Master, you have killed me! You called him a speck of dust with a combat power of a few thousand—this is clearly a powerhouse with millions in combat strength! What were you thinking, Master? Waaah...

Mentally cursing his Master’s entire ancestry, a sudden thought struck him. He reached out and tore open a spatial folding bag, grasping a black insect from within. It was soft, bulbous, and covered in wriggling tentacles.

Ye Chen’s body froze upon seeing the black insect, and his expression rapidly darkened.

Xu Tianguo and the others nearby also recognized it, letting out startled cries.

"Xiao Hei!"

"What is happening? Why is Xiao Hei in your hands!"

The man in black, hearing their angry exclamations, felt a slight measure of relief. He gave a cold laugh, fixing his gaze on Ye Chen. "Don't come any closer if you don't want it to die. If I simply crush it, its little life will be over!"