The Heavenly Gate

A vast and mighty pressure descended from the heavens. Donghuang Taiyi stepped out into the void, followed by Bai Ze, Ji Meng, Nine Infants, and ten other Demon Sages.

"East Prince, how dare you kill my Heavenly Court's divine generals! Hand over Chen Xuan immediately, or I will wash Purple Mansion in blood today!"

Donghuang Taiyi stood proudly in the clouds, his furious roar shaking the nine heavens.

The terrifying might caused even Great Luo Golden Immortals to change color, and countless cultivators trembled.

This War God of the Heavenly Court wielded the Chaos Bell, his power capable of shattering the heavens and earth.

He alone was enough to ** Purple Mansion, let alone with the many Demon Sages backing him.

"It was your Heavenly Court's divine general who coveted Chen Xuan's treasure! He was outmatched and killed in return. Stop twisting the truth here!"

The East Prince refused to back down.

"If Chen Xuan is handed over now, all hearts will be lost. At that time, the Heavenly Court won't need to act; Purple Mansion will collapse from within."

"Then do not blame this Emperor for being ruthless!"

Donghuang Taiyi raised his hand and unleashed his supreme Spiritual Power.

The True Sun Fire that filled the sky transformed into a burning purgatory, pouring down and instantly turning tens of thousands of cultivators into ashes.

The Immortals of Purple Mansion were all terrified.

"You dare!"

The East Prince's hair bristled with rage as he unleashed his Spiritual Power to meet the attack.

"We swear to protect the Immortal Venerable to the death!"

"Eastern Emperor, do not be so arrogant!"

Dozens of Quasi-Saints roared in unison, each unleashing their Spiritual Power to join the fray.

In an instant, the sky and earth cracked, immortal light and killing intent intertwined, and the entire firmament trembled.

Demon Sage Ji Meng sneered and shook his head:

"A mantis trying to stop a chariot!"

"Compared to the elites of the Heavenly Court, these cultivators of Purple Mansion are worlds apart in strength."

"His Majesty the Eastern Emperor personally came to hold you accountable, yet the East Prince not only refused to admit guilt and submit, but dared to resist. This is truly self-destruction."

Afterward, Ji Meng plunged into the battle, followed by Nine Infants, Bai Ze, and a host of other powerful demons.

The East Prince's expression changed drastically.

With Donghuang Taiyi's terrifying cultivation, even he and the many Quasi-Saints combined felt it difficult to resist. Now, with the addition of so many Demon Sages, he felt a profound sense of crisis.

At this very moment, Donghuang Taiyi did not hesitate to unleash the supreme treasure, the Chaos Bell.

In an instant, a power capable of tearing space-time swept across the eight directions.

The bell's chime shook the universe, and heaven and earth dimmed.

Endless pocket dimensions shattered, and the cosmos trembled.

The East Prince and the Quasi-Saints of Purple Mansion Continent all changed color. After only a moment of resistance, their forms and spirits were annihilated.

The East Prince, reborn from his essence and blood in the distance, had a deathly pale face and felt an overwhelming gloom in his heart.

I once heard that Donghuang Taiyi was honored as the strongest below a Saint. Today, I finally know it was no mere rumor.

"East Prince, if you surrender now, your life can be spared. I am willing to appoint you as a Great Demon General. If you persist in your folly, I will surely turn Purple Mansion Continent to dust!"

Donghuang Taiyi's voice was like thunder, resounding through all the heavens and myriad worlds.

For a time, all beings were shaken and looked on from afar.

On the immortal islands of the East Sea, many Great Powers probed the battle with their divine senses.

Is the Demon Race truly going to annihilate Purple Mansion Continent?

With Donghuang Taiyi's personal arrival, the East Prince is bound to lose. Purple Mansion Continent is in danger.

This battle may shake the Great Desolation.

After discussing, the Great Powers immediately sealed their cave dwellings and withdrew from the world.

Such a fierce battle between Quasi-Saints was extremely dangerous. With the slightest carelessness, innocents could be implicated, so it was best to stay far away from such troubles.

"Donghuang Taiyi, stop dreaming!"

The East Prince's face was like cold iron, unmoved.

"I am the leader of male immortals personally appointed by the Dao Ancestor. How could I bow to you?"

"Since that is the case, do not blame this Emperor for being ruthless!"

Donghuang Taiyi let out a cold laugh.

With a flick of his sleeve, the Chaos Bell once again displayed its divine might.

Brilliant golden light filled heaven and earth. The supreme pressure of this Innate Supreme Treasure enveloped the entire Penglai Immortal Island, bearing down on the East Prince.

Before the might even arrived, a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers had already turned to dust.

Myriad cultivators on Purple Mansion Continent turned pale, falling into boundless panic.

The East Prince's expression changed drastically. If this Chaos Bell were to descend, it would surely annihilate his soul.

At the critical moment, a mountain and river seal broke through the void and fiercely collided with the Chaos Bell.

Clang—

Amidst the earth-shattering roar, the Chaos Bell flew backward in response.

Ripples spread across the void as Lin Fan appeared, holding the Kongtong Seal.

"Little friend Lin!"

The East Prince was overjoyed and lost all composure, his demeanor as an immortal unable to be maintained after escaping death.

Seeing this, the immortals of Purple Mansion shouted one after another, "Immortal Lin has arrived, we are saved!"

Above the clouds, Donghuang Taiyi's face was grim. Ji Meng and Bai Ze's eyes spewed fire. They remembered how this person had once broken through the Demon Emperor's palace and plundered the Solar Star, how could they not hate him?

"You're going to interfere with the grudges between Purple Mansion Continent and the Demon Race?" Donghuang Taiyi questioned sternly.

"That's right."

Lin Fan stood with his hands behind his back, his voice resounding, "I will protect Purple Mansion Continent."

Donghuang Taiyi laughed in rage, "Then it's perfect timing to use this 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones' technique to take your life!"

"Whelp, die!"

Ji Meng and Bai Ze roared in unison, forming a killing formation with the other Demon Saints and surrounding him.

But then, golden light of merit flowed around Lin Fan, his Sacred Emperor Golden Body shining brilliantly, like the scorching sun hanging in the sky.

Afterimages flickered through the cracks in the void, his figure darting like lightning, the entire sea area becoming his domain.

The Dao Charm of shattered heavens and earth coiled around him. With every punch, even the starry sky twisted and trembled.

Every time he raised his arm and threw a punch, a Demon Saint's Dharma Image would disintegrate into a bloody mist.

The battle was one-sided.

Donghuang Taiyi led the Demon Saints in a full-force encirclement, but not only could they not subdue Lin Fan, they were instead forced to retreat step by step by his fist force.

On the peak of Shouyang Mountain, Nuwa's gaze, which had been fixed on the battle in Penglai, suddenly froze.

A tempestuous wave surged in her eyes.

In just a little over a month, this young man had actually grown to the point of being able to contend with the Demon Emperor with his bare hands.

Frost suddenly descended upon the peak of Kunlun Mountain.

Laozi's gaze pierced through the miles of clouds. When he saw the figure clearly, his entire face instantly turned as dark as ink.

"How dare this whelp reappear in the Great Desolation!"

Restrained by Nuwa's pressure, Laozi forcibly suppressed his killing intent within the clouds, only his knuckles turning white from clenching.

Above the Penglai Sea.

Lin Fan stood with his feet treading on shattered void, exuding a pressure that made the stars dim.

The bodies of Bai Ze and the other Demon Saints, which had been reshaped several times, were now covered in cracks. As they stumbled backward, their pupils trembled violently.

Donghuang Taiyi, for the first time, shed his condescending demeanor. The face beneath the bell hood was a mixture of emotions.

The East Prince's jade staff cracked the ground.

"The leader of the Human Religion... is actually crushing Quasi-Saints with his physical body?"

The formidable enemy he could barely resist with the full power of Purple Mansion Continent half an hour ago was now struggling under the fists of that Grand Unity Realm youth.

The observing immortals craned their necks stiffly upwards, feeling as though the legends of all the gods and Buddhas had been...

Golden light pierced the sky, and the bell's chime shook the nine heavens.

Donghuang Taiyi's eyes turned crimson, the Eastern Emperor Bell in his palm erupting with immense divine light. Three Dao bodies simultaneously formed seals, and the sky actually showed an anomaly of the Milky Way inverting.

Purple lightning streaked across three thousand miles. Lin Fan's robes remained still, yet thousands of purple sword qi poured down like a torrential rain. Where they passed, the void was riddled with cracks, and two Dao bodies instantly shattered into a sky full of golden powder.

Pfft—

The true body of Taiyi retreated a hundred zhang, his blood dyeing the clouds. Three cracks appeared on the bell.

The observing immortals were horrified.

That was an Innate Supreme Treasure forged from Chaos Essence Iron!

As the green robe fluttered, Chen Xuan's fingertips picked up a wisp of residual Dao Charm. The Taiqing aura clung to it like a persistent scar. He suddenly let out a soft laugh: Laojun is really willing to pay the price.

Before the words fell, the earth veins of the Purple Mansion Continent suddenly trembled violently. Innumerable innate spiritual veins were as if drawn out by an invisible hand, and vast amounts of spiritual energy madly converged around Chen Xuan.

He's draining the spiritual veins of the East Heavenly Gate!

Someone exclaimed in horror.

The Chaos Bell let out a mournful tremor, and Taiyi suddenly realized he couldn't mobilize even half a point of the world's elemental energy. The seemingly casual figure opposite him was now like a black hole, devouring all the energy within a radius of ten thousand miles.

As the Hunyuan-level pressure descended, the glazed tiles of the Thirty-Third Heaven shattered simultaneously.

Even though Donghuang Taiyi wielded the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell, it was of no avail at this moment.

Such terrifying combat power truly struck all beings with fear.

Chen Xuan stood in mid-air, the pressure around him surging like a stormy sea, sweeping in all directions.

Ji Meng, Bai Ze, and other Demon Sages all felt immense pressure bearing down on them, their spines chilling.

Ji Meng's voice was hoarse, filled with indignation: "Your Majesty, the Eastern Emperor, what should we do?"

Donghuang Taiyi gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

With Chen Xuan blocking their path, the attack on the Purple Mansion Continent today was doomed to be futile.

This Purple Mansion Continent was, after all, within the grasp of the Demon Race. It would be better to retreat for now and wait for another opportunity.

"Chen Xuan, this humiliation today will be repaid in the future!"

The Eastern Emperor angrily flicked his sleeves, and along with the Demon Sages, transformed into streams of light and fled towards the Heavenly Court.

The Demon Race has finally retreated!

Immortal Lord Chen Xuan is the benefactor of our Purple Mansion Continent!

The Immortals and Gods, having survived the calamity, exhaled heavily.

Just now, the pressure from the Chaos Bell had covered them all, and everyone thought they were doomed, but who would have thought that a glimmer of hope would appear.

At this moment, their gazes towards Chen Xuan were filled with deep gratitude.

Meanwhile, the Quasi-Saint Great Powers of the Purple Mansion Continent stared blankly at the figure in the void, their minds deeply shaken.

The situation was clear—

Donghuang Taiyi's retreat was purely due to his fear of Chen Xuan's immense power.

The East Prince was even more horrified beyond words.

It had only been a short time since Chen Xuan wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Court, yet his strength had become increasingly unfathomable.

To directly contend with an Innate Supreme Treasure with his physical body alone, such power was completely beyond his comprehension.

He could be considered invincible below the Saint realm.

In the past, he respected Chen Xuan, partly out of consideration for Nuwa's face; now, he bowed his head purely out of reverence for absolute strength.

After a long period of stunned silence, the East Prince finally tidied his robes and solemnly bowed towards the void.

"Thank you for saving my life, Fellow Daoist Chen."

If Chen Xuan hadn't intervened in time, he would have already perished under Donghuang Taiyi's palm. His words were filled with sincere gratitude.

"It was just a small effort, no need to mention it."

Chen Xuan understood the East Prince's change in attitude but merely smiled faintly.

"It was just a coincidence."

"Since the Demon Race has retreated, if there is nothing else, I shall take my leave."

He understood that after this battle, Donghuang Taiyi would certainly be wary.

The Demon Race would not attack the Purple Mansion Continent again in the short term.

"Fellow Daoist, please stay."

Seeing Chen Xuan turn to leave, the East Prince hurriedly called out to stop him.

"This time, Fellow Daoist saved my life."

"You have also bestowed a great favor upon the Purple Mansion Continent. Please come to the Immortal Palace and be seated for a while, allowing me to host a banquet in your honor. I also have a generous gift to offer."

He knew very well that although Donghuang Taiyi had been temporarily repelled, the Purple Mansion Continent and the Demon Race had already formed a deadly enmity, and this matter was far from over.

If one day Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi came together.

The Purple Mansion Continent would surely face annihilation.

Chen Xuan, at this moment, had clearly become the only glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Chen Xuan was well aware of the East Prince's predicament. Upon hearing this, he merely smiled faintly and did not refuse, stepping directly into the Immortal Palace.

The two sat opposite each other, drinking tea. The East Prince brought up the past again:

Friend, have you thought clearly about serving as the Supreme Guest Elder of Purple Mansion Continent?

He originally relied on the title of the foremost male immortal personally bestowed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, harboring a sliver of hope that the Demon Race would show some restraint.

But after personally experiencing the terrifying power of Donghuang Taiyi today, he finally recognized reality.

Donghuang Taiyi alone was difficult to contend with; if Dijun were to lead an army of billions of demons to invade in the future.

Purple Mansion Continent would surely be annihilated.

His own fate could be imagined.

Therefore, he was eager to use Lin Fan's name to seek the protection of a Saint.

Lin Fan had already seen through the other's intentions and simply stated:

I already said last time, I have no interest in this.

Your persistent invitation is merely because you see that the Demon Race is determined to win.

In your fear and anxiety, you wish to borrow the influence of the Human Religion and use my Senior Sister's name to intimidate the Demon Race.

You want to borrow the might of a Saint to preserve Purple Mansion Continent.

His intentions exposed so directly, East Prince's face showed embarrassment.

Lin Fan's words struck right to the heart, precisely his entire plan.

As a top-tier Innate Divine Spirit, he had always been extremely proud and unwilling to be silenced like this.

Although Dijun claimed to rule the Heavenly Court, his subordinates were all mere scaled and horned demons.

I am the foremost male immortal of the Great Desolation, personally appointed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, leading all orthodox cultivators in the world. The two are naturally worlds apart.

My birth carried destiny, and the establishment of Purple Mansion Continent was to unify the Great Desolation. Apart from the orthodox lineages of a few Saints, all beings in the world should submit to this.

Even with the current critical situation, this obsession remained in his heart, which is why he wanted to use the might of the Human Religion to intimidate the Heavenly Court.

Little friend, you see things quite clearly.

East Prince nodded frankly, which instead earned Lin Fan a bit of admiration.