Nine Astra Skies

"Ye Chen, my boy, your body can't take it much longer. I have to stop or your body will be blown up from my power!" the Purple-fire Astra Lion yelled in panic from the Heavenly Astra Seal.

"Master Lion, wait for a hundred breaths!" Ye Chen replied. If Master Lion were to withdraw his power now, Ye Chen would be incapable of defeating Fu Yu!

"No, even if you defeat Fu Yu, your body would explode as it's unable to withstand this power. You'll die for sure!" the Purple-fire Astra Lion said. In truth, he had acted too rashly earlier in lending his power to Ye Chen. Ye Chen was currently just a beginner Heavenly Venerable expert. He could not withstand this sort of power at all!

"Master Lion, give me a hundred breaths' time!" Ye Chen endured the corrosive agony and snarled furiously. Like a massive lion, he launched up with a bang, sending a kick toward Fu Yu. "Die, you fool!"

When Fu Yu sensed Ye Chen's kick coming his way, he promptly blocked it with both hands. The muscles over his body bulged up in clear, golden definition. After reaching Godly Venerable Rank, his body strength was on par with solid metal.

Bang!

There was a loud crash. Fu Yu felt a colossal, overpowering impact hurtling toward his body. The Chi Construct Barrier around his body was smashed into pieces in an instant. After receiving that heavy blow, Fu Yu's body crashed back uncontrollably.

The present Ye Chen was like a lion that had gone berserk.

"What valiant strength!" Fu Yu was pale with alarm. He hurriedly mustered up his Celestial Chi. This kick had scrambled his blood and Chi, and his bones were nearly broken.

Secret technique – Immovable Golden Body!

Fu Yu's Celestial Chi surged from his body, enveloping him in the form of a dense golden armor.

Fu Yu was about to strike at Ye Chen but found that Ye Chen had vanished suddenly.

Ye Chen's body flashed and he appeared behind Fu Yu, driving his elbow in Fu Yu's back. This simple blow contained the force of eighteen thousand kilograms. If it had landed upon a mountain, the mountain would crumble immediately.

With a "bang", Fu Yu was sent flying again. He was about to turn back to retaliate when he felt something strange behind him. Ye Chen had appeared behind him once more. With a thundering thud, he was sent upward by Ye Chen's strike.

"What incredible speed!" Fu Yu's face was white with shock as his body suffered grave damage from consecutive attacks. Nonetheless, at the moment, any secret martial art technique was useless in the face of such absolute speed. He could not see where Ye Chen was at all!

"Secret technique – Celestial Golden Build!"

Fu Yu could only keep on increasing his defenses, even resorting to the Celestial Golden Build which had its side effects. This was his ultimate life-saving technique. His body would turn into Celestial Gold. As long as his head was not shattered, then no matter how seriously his body was injured, he could recover by relying upon Metal-type Celestial Chi.

"Bang bang bang!" Fu Yu was sent flying off again and again. Beams of scattered Celestial Chi crashed into the sea, instantly rousing up a towering tsunami.

In the distance, Little Wingsy was watching, stunned, at how Fu Yu could not even retaliate against Ye Chen.

"Since when did Big Brother Ye Chen become so formidable?" Little Wingsy murmured in astonishment. He knew how strong Fu Yu was for he had just been beaten up pitifully himself.

"That isn't his strength," Elder Tuntian looked into the distance as he spoke pensively. There was a quick creasing of worry in his brow.

Ye Chen ceaselessly sent Fu Yu flying. Under the vicious storm of attacks that Ye Chen rained down, even Fu Yu with his body as solid as steel was grievously harmed. Fortunately, his Celestial Chi was sufficiently powerful, protecting his vital points. Although he was being beaten up wretchedly, it was not fatal.

When Ye Chen was pummeling Fu Yu, he sensed that the power within his body was getting out of control. As he fought on, his strength was increasingly failing him and his body was corroded to a worsening extent. However, the few times he tried to kill Fu Yu, Fu Yu's vital points evaded him. Moreover, Fu Yu's body was extremely durable and Ye Chen was unable to break through his defenses.

A Godly Venerable Rank fighter was not so easily slain!

Ye Chen wanted to wield Palm Shattering the Milky Way for the second time but the berserk energy had broken free of his control. He could not utilize a refined, controlled martial art technique like Palm Shattering the Milky Way.

"Ye Chen, my boy, you can't go on like this. I must take back my strength. You'll die if you go on like this!" the Purple-fire Astra Lion growled softly.

"Master Lion, hold on!" Ye Chen cried out anxiously. All the strength of his body surged into his right fist and the energy had nearly caused Ye Chen's right arm to explode. "Die!"

Rage Against the Horizon!

Ye Chen aimed this blow at Fu Yu's head. This fist contained incomparably brutal energy and the surrounding air erupted in an ear splitting sonic boom thanks to Ye Chen's strike.

This fist nearly tore space apart, encircled by purple flames of blazing luminance.

The world was overshadowed for an instant as if it was about to collapse.

When Fu Yu saw Ye Chen's mighty martial art technique, his face changed greatly. He could sense a fearsome energy pouncing upon him. This was an annihilative power. At this critical point of facing death, he exploded with his full potential as well. With an enraged shriek, he slammed both fists toward Ye Chen.

Celestial Golden Striking Demon Palm!

With a boom, both attacks clashed ferociously. With a chilling crackle, Fu Yu's arms were snapped by Ye Chen's attack as he unleashed a pitiful wail.

Ye Chen's fists were like a hot knife cutting through butter, aimed at Fu Yu's head.

Fu Yu hurriedly turned his head and Ye Chen's iron fist, burning with purple flames, brushed past his cheek. The force of this blow had caused waves of sonic booms as the resulting wind made severe cuts upon Fu Yu's face. What a powerful strike. His head was nearly blown apart by Ye Chen's fist! Fu Yu's soul dropped to the pit of his guts and he pathetically staggered backward for dozens of meters.

The blow had nearly landed! Ye Chen's heart roared in indignation as the power of his body was rapidly removed by the Purple-fire Astra Lion. Ye Chen instantly sensed his power draining swiftly and his body involuntarily fell from the sky.

Fu Yu was endlessly terrorized. He had very nearly died! The fractured parts of his arms sent waves of agony through him.

When he saw Ye Chen falling from the sky, he dared not give chase. That previous attack was too scary. His back was slick with cold sweat. He still had not recovered from the terror of near-death.

Had Ye Chen lost? His heart bubbled up with deep-rooted frustration. He had nearly killed Fu Yu!

Boom!

Ye Chen landed on the island, sending up a cloud of dirt. He forcefully braced himself and got up, his body containing only a trace of Celestial Chi flowing from the Flying Dagger. His entire dantian seemed to have been devastated by a hurricane, left barren and damaged.

Ye Chen looked up toward Fu Yu. In his current state, he could not contend against Fu Yu at all! His vision was blurry but Ye Chen gritted his teeth and forced his eyes open. He must not lose, he definitely must not!

In the air, Fu Yu paused for a moment. He could no longer detect that frightening energy. His gaze landed upon Ye Chen, whose skin was currently welling up with scorched blisters. Ye Chen was not much better off than Fu Yu.

"What's going on?" Fu Yu calmed down. He was a Godly Venerable Rank fighter, in any case, having encountered all sorts of situations. He had a flash of realization and a sinister smile crept over his lips. "I'd thought you were really that powerful. So, you're just exploiting someone else's strength and your strength is nothing more than this. This power must've been an immense burden to you! No matter what your background is, you've threatened me today, so you'll die here!" Due to the effects of the Celestial Golden Build, his broken arms were gradually healing.

Fu Yu suddenly sped up like an artillery shell, flying toward Ye Chen. His hands were formed into claws like a northern goshawk swooping down. If he did not kill Ye Chen now, there would be endless trouble in the future!

"Die!" Fu Yu's pupils narrowed furiously.

"Big Brother Ye Chen!" Little Wingsy cried out in panic and dashed into the sky, barreling toward Fu Yu.

Fu Yu flung out his left hand and a tyrannical blast of energy sent Little Wingsy flying back.

Ye Chen could not move any of his limbs. He was without a trace of strength. Otherwise, he would surely use the Celestial Chi Flying Dagger to break open the Heavenly Astra Seal. He closed his eyes. 'Am I about to die?' His heart let out a long sigh.

Although Ye Chen was unwilling to die, there was nothing he could do.

As Fu Yu's hand was about to claw into Ye Chen's head, Ye Chen could feel the grim reaper approaching. In the moment of his inevitable demise, there was a loud thud. There was a force between Ye Chen and Fu Yu as if a restrictive spell had emerged.

"Bang!" Fu Yu was caught off guard and bounced backward, landing more than ten meters away. He looked around in bewilderment.

Why could Fu Yu not kill Ye Chen? Was Ye Chen still concealing some power?

Fu Yu could sense that the power which separated him and Ye Chen was not insignificant. He stared at Ye Chen warily, not daring to act rashly.

"What happened?" Ye Chen found that he was not dead and opened his eyes to see Fu Yu being bounced away. He was flabbergasted too.

Ye Chen could sense that he was covered in a restrictive spell. This spell contained a familiar energy and it was made of Water-type Celestial Chi. Ye Chen immediately thought, 'It's her!'

The entire region of the North Sea was Tantai Ling's territory. After this intense battle here between two Godly Venerable Rank forces of astonishing might, there was no reason Tantai Ling would not be aware of this. It seemed like, at the final crucial moment, Tantai Ling had saved him!

Fu Yu noticed an unusual energy and frowned, snorting coldly. "Who's there?"

As soon as Fu Yu spoke, a cool, crystal voice sounded from all directions. "Mr. Fu has been in my North Sea world for so long. Surely you must know how I am?"

Upon hearing this voice, Fu Yu's face changed greatly. "The North Sea Ruler, Tantai Ling!" He inwardly bemoaned his ill luck. He knew about the mighty reputation of the North Sea Ruler Tantai Ling. He heard that Tantai Ling was the Chief of the Mermaid Sea Demon Clan and her abilities had reached the legendary Grand Supreme Attainment Level. He could not fathom why Tantai Ling would save Ye Chen. If she were to seize the Celestial Martial Chi for herself, he would not stand a chance.

"Mr. Fu, you came to my North Sea and have already killed off six sea creatures in a row. There are ten billion sea creatures in the first place, so it doesn't matter if a few died. I won't be bothered to pick a bone over this. However, Mr. Fu, you've been lingering here in my North Sea for so long. What are you trying to do?" Tantai Ling harrumphed coldly, unhappily. "The Exclusion Zone was a place borrowed by the Tribunal Council from my Sea Clan ancestors dozens of millennia ago. But someone nurtured a dark spirit within the Exclusion Zone. I'll have to ask the Tribunal Council to explain themselves."

Fu Yu had heard of some things about the Exclusion Zone before but as for the nurturing of dark spirits and the like, someone of his status would not know anything. The North Sea Ruler Tantai Ling was among the ten foremost powerhouses in the Great Eastern Continent, a character on par with the three tribunal leaders of the Tribunal Council's head council as well as a few Grand Supreme Elders!

The most terrifying thing was, the number one powerhouse of the Great Eastern Continent, Bi Mie the Beast Emperor, was a wooer of Tantai Ling. Although he was ignored by Tantai Ling every time, this was enough to make anyone apprehensive.

"Sea Ruler, you misunderstand me. I've stayed in the North Sea without harboring any ill intentions toward you, Sea Ruler!" Fu Yu hastened to explain. Previously, he had slain a few sea creatures but these were low-level sea monsters. Naturally, he knew that this was Tantai Ling's territory. If he killed too many sea creatures and caught Tantai Ling's notice, he would be in trouble.

At the start, Fu Yu did not try to kill Ye Chen and Little Wingsy for this reason. After all, he was a newcomer here and did not know the backgrounds of Ye Chen and Little Wingsy. He dared not attack brashly and only wished to obtain the Celestial Martial Chi then leave. However, after being incited by Lin Qiu, he decided to teach Ye Chen a lesson. Nonetheless, he had never expected Ye Chen would be this stubborn and unwilling to give in. Ye Chen activated some mysterious power and almost killed him. Only then did he decide to kill Ye Chen but that had caused Tantai Ling to get involved.

Could Ye Chen be someone from a Sea Clan?

Since Tantai Ling had gotten involved, he had no choice but to weigh his pros and cons.

"Mr. Fu, just by saying that you harbor no ill intentions, do you think you'll shirk everything you've done? Then how do you explain injuring two friends of my Sea Clan in the North Sea?" Tantai Ling's icy voice rang out.

From this conversation, Ye Chen guessed that there was a tangled and complicated relationship between the Sea Clan and the Tribunal Council. Not even Tantai Ling could afford to turn hostile against the Tribunal Council that easily.

Fu Yu frowned and glanced at Ye Chen and Little Wingsy who had fallen into the distant sea. Two friends of the Sea Clan? Since that was the case, he could not attack Ye Chen and Little Wingsy anymore. Angering Tantai Ling would bring unimaginable consequences.

"I didn't know that these two were friends of the Sea Clan. Since the Sea Ruler has shown up, of course, I will not trouble them any further," as Fu Yu spoke, he flew up into the air and approached the Celestial Martial Chi. Tantai Ling would not seize the Celestial Martial Chi as well, right?