# Chapter 1031: Between Life and Death
Zhang Ruochen retrieved the Cosmic Divine Wood Map and released Grand Minister of Works and Second Minister of Works.
The two monks stood on Zhang Ruochen's left and right sides, palms pressed together, dignified and solemn, their bodies radiating dazzling Buddhist light.
In an instant, the entire Governor's Mansion was filled with vast and profound Buddhist chants, startling all the ghosts within the Four Extremes Ghost King Formation, forcing them to retreat backward.
Grand Minister of Works's voice was deep and resonant, full of vigor: "These undead ghost fiends are too low in rank. A single scroll of the *Rebirth Sutra* is enough to liberate you all."
Second Minister of Works shook his head, saying: "The *Rebirth Sutra* can only be used to liberate the souls of ordinary mortals. It has little effect on the refined ghost soldiers and generals."
Grand Minister of Works wore an expression of complete understanding, speaking with ease and laughter: "Then one scroll of the *Infinite Life Sutra* will be enough to return them to dust, return them to earth. Amitabha!"
"The *Infinite Life Sutra* possesses immense merit and boundless power. Master said it is used to liberate ghost kings," Second Minister of Works said.
...
Grand Minister of Works and Second Minister of Works appeared extremely sacred, very much like two accomplished eminent monks.
Even Feng Yinchang showed a worried expression.
Because the Ten Thousand Buddha Path possessed several ancient scriptures that could indeed liberate the ghost soldiers and generals refined by the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan.
Qing Yichan was also slightly moved. He had never expected Zhang Ruochen to actually invite two eminent Buddhist monks.
If the ghost soldiers and generals brought by Feng Yinchang were liberated, the current advantageous situation would be reversed.
Zhang Ruochen urged them: "Why don't you immediately recite the scriptures and liberate them?"
"We don't know how to recite them," Grand Minister of Works said very frankly.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly stunned for a moment, then a large patch of black lines appeared on his forehead, giving birth to an urge to curse.
If you don't know how to recite them, why did you speak so arrogantly? Why did you speak so smugly?
Feng Yinchang and Qing Yichan also breathed a slight sigh of relief, no longer having any scruples, launching a full-scale attack.
"This humble monk's Buddhist Dharma is profound. Even if I don't know how to recite liberation scriptures, relying on a pair of fists, I can still subdue ghosts and slay demons."
Grand Minister of Works widened his eyes, clenching his fists. The next moment, a white tiger phantom over ten meters long appeared behind him.
He suddenly charged out, alone facing the two black and white Wuchang Kings.
"Roar!"
Grand Minister of Works struck out with both fists simultaneously, producing a sound like a tiger roaring in the mountains, actually shaking the two Wuchang Kings back over ten zhang.
Feng Yinchang felt extremely shocked. Two Wuchang Kings joining forces couldn't even block a single monk?
"Could he be an expert from the *Half-Saint Ranking* or the *Half-Saint External Ranking*?"
Feng Yinchang had no time to think carefully before Grand Minister of Works attacked again, once more sending the two Wuchang Kings flying, forcing them to retreat in defeat.
Within the Four Extremes Ghost King Formation, Second Minister of Works sat cross-legged on the ground, taking out a scripture scroll from his bosom and beginning to recite the scriptures.
From his mouth, golden Buddhist characters emerged, flying outward in all directions.
The Buddhist characters landed on the ghost soldiers' undead bodies, instantly purifying the fiendish aura they carried. Subsequently, the ghost soldiers turned into specks of light, falling downward and sinking into the earth.
Grand Minister of Works didn't know how to recite scriptures to liberate the dead, but Second Minister of Works did, and his attainments in this area were extremely high, surpassing even some saintly Buddhas.
The disciple of the Buddha Emperor was not living on reputation alone.
At this moment, Second Minister of Works was reciting a scroll of the *Earth Treasury Sutra*, which could liberate all yin fiends below the level of ghost kings.
Second Minister of Works suppressed the Four Extremes Ghost King Formation, and the pressure on Zhang Ruochen immediately relaxed. He fixed his gaze on Feng Yinchang, saying: "Now, it's time for our confrontation."
"Even relying solely on my own strength as commander, it's enough to suppress you."
Feng Yinchang let out a cold snort, channeling the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, striking downward to suppress Zhang Ruochen below.
The Ice Soul Divine Cauldron was as large as a palace, emitting a dazzling cyan radiance, completely locking onto Zhang Ruochen, making it impossible for him to dodge.
"Break for me."
Zhang Ruochen struck out with a spatial rift dozens of meters long, meeting the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron head-on.
"Whoosh!"
The Ice Soul Divine Cauldron shook violently, its body fluctuating between large and small, its flight path shifting left and right, unpredictable, actually evading the spatial rift and falling toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
Unable to strike out a second spatial rift, Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to summon the Abyssal Ancient Sword and execute a move of the Nine Life Sword Technique, meeting it head-on.
After a hard clash, Zhang Ruochen suffered some minor injuries, retreating backward, leaving deep footprints on the ground.
"Fighting from a distance, I simply cannot leverage the advantages of sword path, time, and space. I'm definitely no match for her. Only by closing the distance can I gain the upper hand and suppress her."
Having realized this, Zhang Ruochen immediately charged forward.
"Swish, swish."
Executing three spatial displacements in succession, Zhang Ruochen changed positions three times, leaving behind four afterimages, appearing within three zhang of Qing Yichan.
Qing Yichan sensed something was wrong and immediately struck out with sacred qi, preparing to recall the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron to block Zhang Ruochen's attack.
"Thunder and Lightning Flash."
Zhang Ruochen executed a move of the True One Thunderfire Sword Technique, and immediately, the Abyssal Ancient Sword's blade released hundreds of sword qi. The dense sword qi completely enveloped Qing Yichan.
The True One Thunderfire Sword Technique was a sacred art-level sword technique of the Skyward Sword Lineage, capable of summoning the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and the Earth's True Fire, unpredictable and infinitely powerful.
As Zhang Ruochen thrust out his sword, within dozens of zhang, dozens of bowl-thick lightning bolts condensed, simultaneously striking Qing Yichan's body.
"Crackle!"
Even though Qing Yichan's cultivation was profound, the lightning still broke through her defenses, charring her entire body black, emitting wisps of green smoke.
At the critical moment, the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron flew back.
Qing Yichan held the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, finally blocking the tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
Qing Yichan steadied herself, roaring loudly: "Zhang Ruochen, this commander possesses the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, able to attack and defend. What can you do to me?"
"Even among thousand-mark sacred artifacts, there are superior and inferior ones."
Zhang Ruochen attacked again, continuously executing the True One Thunderfire Sword Technique, striking at the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron.
In this space, not only did lightning condense, but earth fire also emerged, forcing Qing Yichan into a purely defensive position.
Even with the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, Qing Yichan still suffered injuries. Her armor shattered, and blood seeped from her skin.
The sacred qi within Zhang Ruochen's body seemed inexhaustible. He continuously struck out with sacred arts without showing any signs of depletion.
After dozens of exchanges, Zhang Ruochen seized an opportunity, executing a move of the Time Mark Sword Technique, passing through the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron and slashing across Qing Yichan's neck.
"Pfft."
Qing Yichan's throat was severed. The Abyssal Ancient Sword left a long bloody line on her neck.
For ordinary martial arts cultivators, suffering such an injury would mean certain death. But Qing Yichan did not die. She only retreated backward, then immediately sealed the blood vessels in her neck.
Second Minister of Works had already broken the Four Extremes Ghost King Formation, sending the four high-rank half-saints flying, severely injuring them until they lay on the ground.
Feng Yinchang had also been defeated by Grand Minister of Works and fled the Governor's Mansion with the two Wuchang Kings.
Qing Yichan's eyes were filled with cold fury, her voice hoarse: "Zhang Ruochen, this commander miscalculated this time. Next time, I will definitely suppress and kill you, giving you no more opportunities."
As she spoke, more blood gushed from her neck.
"Whoosh——"
A pair of cyan cicada wings grew from Qing Yichan's back, turning her into a streak of cyan light as she rushed out of the Governor's Mansion, fleeing into the distance.
"Where do you think you're going?"
On the ground, a crisp shout rang out.
Faintly visible, a slender figure could be seen holding an ancient mirror, reflecting upward.
A blood-red beam of light shot straight up, striking at Qing Yichan who was trying to escape.
The beam carried the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force, turning even the sky behind Qing Yichan blood-red.
Forced into a corner, Qing Yichan had to mobilize all her sacred qi, injecting it into the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, also activating the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force to resist the power of the Life and Death Mirror.
"Kill."
A cold light flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He pointed his finger, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword flew out, turning into a black light, piercing through layer after layer of Qing Yichan's defenses. With a "pfft" sound, it penetrated her physical body.
Qing Yichan let out a miserable scream, falling straight down from midair.
Zhang Ruochen retrieved the Abyssal Ancient Sword and charged toward Qing Yichan, intending to take advantage of her severe injury to completely obliterate her.
"Junior, how dare you!"
At the horizon, a vast and majestic saintly might surged over like a tidal wave, covering the sky with dark clouds and stirring up fierce cold winds.
The lord of the Azure Dragon Army had not yet arrived, but across a stretch of void, he hurled a long spear.
The spear, like a meteor tearing through the sky's curtain, emitted a "rumbling" sound as it struck toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was very decisive. With one sword stroke, he cut off Qing Yichan's head, took the Ice Soul Divine Cauldron, then executed a spatial displacement and fled at top speed.
The long spear pierced through Zhang Ruochen's afterimage, embedding itself in the ground, erupting with a deafening巨响.
In an instant, centered on the long spear, the ground shattered outward while also sinking downward. The entire Twenty-Fourth City Domain trembled.
Struck by that force, over a thousand light pillars shot up from within the city domain, and hundreds of defensive formations simultaneously emerged.
By the time the dust settled, it was discovered that the Governor's Mansion had become a pitch-black pit. At the bottom of the pit, only a single long spear stood, emitting wisps of flame power.
When the Azure Dragon Army's lord arrived, Zhang Ruochen had already taken Grand Minister of Works and Second Minister of Works back into the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, wrapped Qin Yutong in the Meteor Invisibility Cloak, and fled at top speed, once again losing all trace.
Only the Azure Dragon Army lord's roar of fury remained in the night sky.
Arriving at an uninhabited area, Zhang Ruochen finally stopped, kneeling on one knee as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Your Highness."
Qin Yutong showed a worried expression, helping Zhang Ruochen to his feet.
Her hands felt a warm, wet sensation, quickly stained red with blood.
It could be seen that on Zhang Ruochen's chest was a half-foot-long bloody gash, deep enough to reveal bone, sending chills down one's spine.
The long spear thrown by the Azure Dragon Army lord had come within a hair's breadth of piercing through his chest.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged on the ground, circulating his sacred qi through a full cycle, dissolving the residual force of the spear. The wound stopped bleeding.
He let out a long breath, glanced at Qin Yutong, and said: "I still have one more matter to attend to. You should return to Phoenix Dance Palace first."
Qin Yutong furrowed her delicate brows, saying: "But Your Highness has suffered severe injuries. You should immediately return to heal."
"Don't worry. I won't do anything without certainty before my injuries have healed. After I finish that matter, I will immediately return."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, his posture straight and tall, exuding a temperament of excellence, freedom, and confidence.
Then, using the Meteor Invisibility Cloak to wrap his body, he unfolded his movement technique, charging out and disappearing into the night.