Chapter 473: Like a Clown
"Your strength has indeed improved… or is it something else?"
Right now, Ye Tian couldn't shake off a lingering sense of unease. After pondering for a moment, he finally considered a possibility—perhaps the Jade Emperor had used a secret art to temporarily enhance his current strength.
"You don't need to say anything more. In any case, Ye Tian, today I will make you pay!"
"Come on, even though your power has surged, I'm not afraid of you!"
At that moment, the Buddha Tathagata was deep in meditation. Yet through the clarity achieved in this state, he perceived everything that was unfolding.
"Hmph, let the two of you fight. Hopefully, you'll both lose. That way, the Buddhist realm will have two fewer enemies."
With that thought, the Buddha felt a surge of smug satisfaction. But then, catching himself, he quickly reined in his wandering mind. "How could I allow such distractions while meditating on the Dao?"
Compared to Tang Sanzang, he still lagged behind in his meditative progress. If he couldn't surpass Tang Sanzang soon, then the top spot on the Meditation and Enlightenment Ranking List would go to him.
And if that happened, it would be a disaster for himself.
Within a radius of hundreds of li surrounding Ye Tian, the land had become a complete wasteland. Their power was simply overwhelming—their battle had already raged across thousands of li, and this entire region was now engulfed in chaos.
"Jade Emperor, do you realize your actions are wrong? With what you're doing right now, you're not worthy to rule the Heavenly Court. I urge you to stop before it's too late. Otherwise, once you cross the line, you may not be able to pull back, no matter how much you want to."
"Stop? Ye Tian, are you mocking me? I finally found a good opportunity to take you down. There's no way I'll stop now!"
"You just want to stall me so I can't continue meditating, right? If that's the case, then fine. Let's settle this once and for all. But if we continue fighting here, it'll cause too much collateral damage. If innocent people get caught in the crossfire, that won't do. So I'll pick another place—if you have the guts, follow me."
"Who says I don't? Pick any place you like. Even if it's the ends of the earth, I'll chase you there!"
Ye Tian sneered. He was already mocking the Jade Emperor now. For him to say something like that—it could only mean he had no idea what Ye Tian's true strength was.
"Come on then!"
As Ye Tian flew off, he laughed toward the Jade Emperor.
"Did you say the ends of the earth? Then let me take you there!"
Indeed, the ends of the earth were unimaginably far. But that's exactly why Ye Tian chose that destination. Deep down, he suspected the Jade Emperor had taken some sort of medicine to boost his strength. If that were the case, it had to be temporary—so his goal now was to buy time.
As long as he could stall long enough, the Jade Emperor's enhanced power would fade.
The Jade Emperor, clearly unaware of Ye Tian's scheme, felt invincible with his current strength. So no matter where Ye Tian fled, he was determined to follow.
"Ye Tian, are you afraid now? Looks to me like you're a coward. If you're too scared to fight, just surrender already!"
"Oh? You're in such a rush. You must be hiding something, right? But even if you are, I doubt you'll tell me. So let me guess—you took some kind of elixir, didn't you?"
"Ye Tian, you—!"
"Judging by your expression, I must've guessed right. And let me guess again: the drug's effects are short-lived, which is why you're so anxious to settle this fast. What you didn't expect… is that I'd be taking my sweet time. Am I wrong?"
"Ye Tian, stop playing dirty! Don't you find it shameful to rely on these kinds of tricks?"
"Who's the disgrace—me, or you? If you don't think it's shameful, then why should I be ashamed?"
Ye Tian didn't stop. In fact, he sped up, forcing the Jade Emperor to burn through even more energy.
Once the Emperor's strength wore off—no matter how potent the drug had been—he'd no longer be a match for Ye Tian.
As Ye Tian flew, he glanced back at the Jade Emperor. The man now looked just like a clown. Barring any unexpected developments, Ye Tian was confident he had him right where he wanted.
"You still haven't stopped, Ye Tian? Don't think you can pull any tricks. No matter what you try, I'm going to defeat you today!"
"Then let's see you try."
After a long flight, Ye Tian finally came to a halt. Turning to face the Jade Emperor, he said, "Not bad—your speed isn't too shabby. This is the end of the world. Since we're already here, let's settle this once and for all. The space here is vast, so we won't cause any unnecessary damage."
"Ye Tian, prepare to die!"
The Jade Emperor charged in a blur, moving with astonishing speed and terrifying strength. In what felt like the blink of an eye, he was already upon Ye Tian.
"Hmph, your strength really is impressive. But if you think you can defeat me, you're dreaming. Even with your enhanced power, the gap between us is simply too great. Let me be clear—you're still no match for me. You'd be better off giving up."
Boom!
Their fists collided.
And in that instant—Ye Tian was sent flying backward.
"What?! Such overwhelming force!"
Ye Tian had assumed there was no way the Emperor could defeat him. But now, confronted with such staggering power, he was genuinely caught off guard. This level of strength—it was beyond anything he had expected.
Faced with this reality, Ye Tian realized he had no choice but to take this battle seriously.