Chapter 1544: Chapter 1541: Subduing Ju Mang!

Hearing that Ju Mang actually dared to turn around and threaten him, Li Chen couldn’t help but let out a cold, derisive snort.

"I’m indeed not Emperor Zhuanxu, but that Emperor Zhuanxu you speak of would have to lower his head and bend his knees when he sees me!"

The way Li Chen said this was downright domineering; his dominance was so overwhelming that even the whole of Jupiter couldn’t hold it, starting to tremble violently.

Hearing Li Chen’s awe-inspiring words, Ju Mang was stunned at first, then couldn’t help bursting into loud laughter.

"Hahaha, arrogant and ignorant human, you really don’t know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is. Since you want to die, then stay here forever!"

After a bout of wild laughter, Ju Mang flapped his wings frantically, stirring up waves of Gang wind that swept straight toward Li Chen.

In response, Li Chen neither dodged nor evaded; his entire person stood as steady as Tai Mountain, unmoving, ready to confront Ju Mang head-on. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Seeing that the hurricane he unleashed had no effect on Li Chen, Ju Mang’s brows couldn’t help but knit slightly.

"You do have some skill. No wonder you dared to come up onto this Jupiter. However, human, if you think that with just this bit of ability you can act with impunity, then you’re gravely mistaken!"

Li Chen let out a string of cold laughs and replied, "My abilities are far more than just this little bit!"

Hearing Li Chen’s wild boast, Ju Mang no longer wasted a single extra word and instead began silently chanting an ancient incantation.

"All Things Revive!"

Under Ju Mang’s chant, the withered trees and weeds all around began to rapidly revive at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In the blink of an eye, the barren desert nearby had turned lush and verdant, giving off a strong sense of "canghai turned mulberry fields."

Immediately after, these flourishing flowers, grasses, and trees started fighting like invasive lifeforms, crazily competing for territory.

Very soon, flowers, grasses, and trees filled the space around Li Chen, and the room left for him to dodge and maneuver grew smaller and smaller.

Moreover, besides that, Li Chen also discovered that this was a completely sealed small world, entirely cut off from the great world outside.

Looks like Ju Mang planned to use this method to trap him!

Sensitively catching Ju Mang’s intent, the corner of Li Chen’s mouth couldn’t help but curl into a smug, feral grin.

"Hmph, just with this bit of Divine Skills, you think you can trap me?"

After a disdainful snort, Li Chen summoned out his well‑behaved daughter, strangulation.

Strangulation, the natural-born killer and absolute nemesis of all plant-type beings!

And Ju Mang was precisely a Tree Demon that had cultivated for who knows how many millions of years!

When he saw strangulation appear, his body couldn’t help but start trembling again.

"Strangulation? Th-this, didn’t this thing already go extinct back in the Ancient Era?"

Before Ju Mang’s startled cry had even finished, strangulation was already sweeping through like an autumn wind through fallen leaves, one by one strangling all the flowers, grasses, and trees spreading in from around them.

Very quickly, the luxuriant vegetation Ju Mang had conjured began shrinking back at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Seeing his unique trump card broken by strangulation, Ju Mang understood in his heart that his momentum had completely collapsed; if he continued entangling himself in this fight, defeat was inevitable.

With that in mind, he immediately made up his mind.

Run!

As long as he could escape, on this vast Jupiter, Li Chen trying to catch him would be no different from fishing a needle out of the sea.

However, Li Chen had already anticipated this, so how could he possibly give him a chance to flee for his life?

"Fire Phoenix, it’s your turn to take the stage!"

Hearing Li Chen’s command, the Fire Phoenix let out a long, piercing cry toward the sky, then shot out of the Beast Pet Space. Its flame-wreathed wings flared violently, whipping up wave after wave of flaming hurricanes that swept toward Ju Mang, cutting off his escape.

Ju Mang had dealt with the Fire Phoenix before and naturally knew the origin of the Fire Phoenix.

Thus, when he saw the Fire Phoenix, his face was instantly filled with shock.

What shocked him even more was that with the Fire Phoenix’s noble bloodline, it would actually recognize a mere human as its master—this was simply inconceivable!

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe.

"Fire Phoenix, you—?"

A Divine Beast like the Fire Phoenix, long since enlightened, had a mind no weaker than an ordinary human. From the horror in Ju Mang’s eyes, it already knew what the other wanted to say.

It steadied its heart and advised earnestly, "Ju Mang, this is our chance to leave this place. Are you really planning to stay here for the rest of your life?"

Ju Mang looked around and said somewhat resentfully, "This place is brimming with vitality, lush and green. What place out there could possibly be more suited to me than here?"

The Fire Phoenix let out a wry, speechless laugh and said, "Ju Mang, this is a barren planet without even land or water. It’s a Death Star. Where would ’brimming with vitality, lush and green’ come from?"

"All of that is nothing but illusions you created for yourself. You’re already immersed in your own illusion and can’t pull yourself out."

Hearing the Fire Phoenix’s words, Ju Mang’s entire body couldn’t help but tremble.

This was like someone full of hope suddenly being doused with a bucket of ice water—his spiritual pillar collapsed in an instant, shattered beyond repair.

"No, no, no, that’s impossible. It’s spring here all year round, the mountains are clear and the waters beautiful—how could it be an illusion? You must be colluding to deceive me!"

Hearing Ju Mang’s incoherent words, Li Chen knew in his heart that the other’s psychological defenses were already beginning to crumble.

As long as he added one more push, he could completely break Ju Mang’s mental defenses.

With that in mind, Li Chen’s face remained expressionless as he said coldly, "Whether it’s an illusion or not, you’ll know at a glance!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chen suddenly brandished the Chi Dragon Divine Spear and, with a whirlwind thrust, tore open a spatial rift.

Immediately after, they saw the boundless vitality here start draining away at a speed visible to the naked eye.

And the raging hurricanes within the spatial rift also swept in madly.

In just a few breaths, the idyllic paradise of springtime bloom and birdsong that Ju Mang had immersed himself in for a hundred thousand years completely ceased to exist.

Facts speak louder than words!

In the face of this ironclad reality, Ju Mang completely collapsed, hugging his head and sobbing like a child.

The Fire Phoenix hurried forward to comfort him.

Li Chen, on the other hand, hovered in the void with his hands clasped behind his back, just quietly watching.

No one knew how much time had passed before the Fire Phoenix’s comforting finally began to take effect.

Ju Mang was willing to follow Li Chen and leave, but unlike the Fire Phoenix, he did not acknowledge a master; he only agreed to provide assistance whenever Li Chen needed it.

Li Chen was quite satisfied with this outcome.

After all, Ju Mang’s situation was not quite the same as the Fire Phoenix’s.

Ju Mang’s Eden Garden had shattered; if Li Chen tried to threaten him the way he had threatened the Fire Phoenix, it would likely backfire.

After all, there is no greater sorrow than a dead heart. If he really pushed Ju Mang into a corner, Ju Mang might very well self‑destruct and drag him down along.

If that happened, Li Chen would suffer a huge loss, and his plan to set up the Five Elements Formation would end in the tragic outcome of "dying before the first battle is even won"...