Chapter 1040: Divine Son?
Huang Yanchen was not very familiar with the name Chi Zhongshan.
Still, she was quite concerned about the ship tickets for the Ruins Realm vessel, so she asked, "Commander Chi, how are you selling those tickets of yours?"
"Selling?"
Chi Zhongshan shook his head with a composed demeanor, took out two crystal cards, and handed them to Huang Yanchen, saying, "Two tickets, not a single spirit crystal required, given as gifts to two beauties. It just so happens that I, the Commander, am also heading to the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. May I invite the two beauties to travel together?"
Huang Yanchen did not take the tickets from Chi Zhongshan's hand. Instead, she cast a tender, affectionate gaze at Zhang Ruochen, as if seeking his opinion.
Chi Zhongshan had only produced two tickets, intending to use them to lure the two beauties into his trap.
Those were not just two tickets; they represented the many treasures of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.
Moreover, with Chi Zhongshan's status as a commander of the Azure Dragon Army and his cultivation at the ninth-step Half-Saint level, traveling with him to the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm meant having the protection of a top-tier expert.
With such tempting conditions, which woman would not be moved?
Chi Zhongshan was also confident in himself. After all, in his view, Zhang Ruochen was just a nobody, unworthy of competing with him.
If there were any truly formidable figures in Saint Bright City that he could not afford to provoke, wouldn't Chi Zhongshan know about them?
The surrounding cultivators all looked at Zhang Ruochen with pity.
An innocent man may have a treasure, but that treasure becomes a crime. That young man had no strong background, yet dared to travel with two peerless beauties. From the start, it was an act inviting humiliation.
Of course, some cultivators were envious, feeling that Chi Zhongshan's methods were too despicable—first warning his opponent with status and cultivation, then tempting the two beauties with tickets. Truly a beast.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Huang Yanchen and furrowed his brow slightly.
He had never expected Huang Yanchen to show such an expression. Was she not deliberately causing trouble for him?
With just that one look, if Zhang Ruochen did not take strong measures to resolve the current problem, he would surely be ridiculed by all the cultivators present.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of trouble. He had already sentenced the ten commanders of the Azure Dragon Army to death and was just looking for an opportunity to strike. Chi Zhongshan had willingly walked into the line of fire.
Why would Zhang Ruochen be polite?
Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, moving in front of Huang Yanchen, and faced Chi Zhongshan directly, saying, "Commander Chi, if you really have extra tickets, how about giving me one too?"
A cold gleam appeared in Chi Zhongshan's eyes. That nobody actually dared to step forward—he had some guts.
"Sorry, I only have three tickets. The last one is for myself," Chi Zhongshan said.
"Since you have three tickets, I'll take them all."
Zhang Ruochen extended a hand, his expression unchanged, directly demanding them from Chi Zhongshan.
Chi Zhongshan's face darkened. "Did you not hear what I just said?"
"Did you not hear what I just said? Hand over the three tickets, and I might still consider forgiving your earlier offense against me."
Zhang Ruochen's attitude was very strong, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
Dozens of Azure Dragon Army soldiers in armor rushed over, surrounding Zhang Ruochen and the other two. Yet Zhang Ruochen still showed no fear, his eyes gleaming with cold light.
The cultivators not far away all wore smiles, whispering among themselves.
"That young man has some nerve, daring to challenge Chi Zhongshan right in the Azure Dragon Army camp."
"There are only two possibilities: either he has a powerful backer, or he has a problem with his head. I think it's probably the latter. Heh!"
Chi Zhongshan gave Zhang Ruochen a cold, disdainful look. "This man is a remnant of the former dynasty. Arrest him and throw him into the death cell."
Dozens of Azure Dragon Army soldiers immediately raised their spears and charged at Zhang Ruochen.
"How dare you."
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly, releasing a blood-red aura that sent the dozens of Azure Dragon Army soldiers flying in all directions, scattering them across the ground.
Each soldier bore bloodstains, clearly severely injured and unable to get up.
"He does have some skill."
Chi Zhongshan stepped forward with a dragon's stride and a tiger's step, causing the ground to sink slightly. "Let me, the Commander, see what gives you the audacity to oppose the Azure Dragon Army."
A powerful sacred aura erupted, forming ripples that surged toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, raising his palm and channeling sacred energy into the Seven Kill Fist Gloves. A dazzling blood light enveloped his arm entirely.
The cultivators present could all testify that Chi Zhongshan had provoked him first and tried to arrest him as a remnant of the former dynasty.
As the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect, how could he swallow his pride?
Even if Zhang Ruochen killed Chi Zhongshan, the Azure Dragon Army probably could not do much to him. After all, the Blood God Sect was no pushover—who would dare to mess with it lightly?
Just as the two were about to clash in a great battle, an aged voice rang out.
"Stop."
A blood-robed old man, about sixty years old, rushed out from behind Zhang Ruochen, turning into a blood shadow that collided with Chi Zhongshan.
Even with Chi Zhongshan's cultivation, he was sent flying back over ten zhang, his arms numb with pain.
The blood-robed old man stood motionless, his sharp gaze showing no regard for Chi Zhongshan.
Chi Zhongshan was secretly shocked. With his early ninth-step Half-Saint cultivation, being repelled so easily—just how high was the other party's cultivation?
The blood-robed old man snorted coldly, "Chi Zhongshan, do you think that becoming a commander of the Azure Dragon Army means you can act lawlessly? How dare you offend the Divine Son of our Blood God Sect?"
The Divine Son of the Blood God Sect?
The cultivators present all widened their eyes, staring at Zhang Ruochen in disbelief.
They finally understood why that young man dared to challenge Chi Zhongshan. He was indeed no ordinary person.
After all, the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect had once dared to clash with Kong Hongbi, the young master of the Bright Hall, over a beauty. Would he be afraid of a Chi Zhongshan?
"The Divine Son of the Blood God Sect truly lives up to his reputation—a romantic figure, always accompanied by beauties wherever he goes."
A low murmur arose from the crowd.
The blood-robed old man cupped his hands and bowed to Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Greetings to the Divine Son."
Although the blood-robed old man had appeared in time to help Zhang Ruochen out of trouble, Zhang Ruochen felt a sense of loss, having missed a good opportunity to deal with Chi Zhongshan.
Behind him, a series of footsteps sounded.
Soon, a group of cultivators approached, quickly entering the Azure Dragon Army camp.
Leading the group were Shangguan Xianyan, the Holy Maiden of the Blood God Sect, and Cai Jinglun of the Cai Clan. There were hundreds of cultivators, including both young and white-haired elders, all at the Half-Saint realm.
The appearance of hundreds of Half-Saints at once, even though the Azure Dragon Army camp had gathered tens of thousands of human elites, created a tremendous shock.
Most of those Half-Saints came from the Cai Clan.
They included both members of the Cai Clan and experts attached to it.
Moreover, the Half-Saints who came to the Azure Dragon Army camp were not all of the Cai Clan's Half-Saints; some would remain in the Kunlun Realm and not go to the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.
Zhang Ruochen was secretly amazed, muttering to himself, "Just how vast is the foundation of a medieval aristocratic clan?"
Shangguan Xianyan had nine circles of sacred light around her, making her appear exceptionally holy. Yet she was a demoness, every smile and frown exuding extreme seductiveness. She laughed, "The entire Blood God Sect is searching for traces of the Divine Son, but here you are, enjoying yourself in Saint Bright City. Which beauty have you set your sights on this time?"
Her voice was incredibly soft and alluring, making the bones of the cultivators present feel weak. Coupled with her snow-white, delicate skin, full chest and hips, and graceful curves, it was truly intoxicating and hard to resist.
Shangguan Xianyan walked straight to Zhang Ruochen's side, scrutinizing Huang Yanchen with a critical gaze. "Not a bad figure, but I wonder how her face looks?"
Without warning, Shangguan Xianyan extended a slender jade hand, forming dozens of afterimages as she attacked, aiming to remove the Illusion Gold Mask from Huang Yanchen's face.
"Whoosh."
Huang Yanchen's figure flickered, turning into a residual shadow as she sidestepped, easily evading Shangguan Xianyan's attack.
After all, Huang Yanchen had cultivated in the Heavenly Wheel Seal for fifteen years and consumed countless heavenly treasures, already reaching the eighth-step Half-Saint realm.
With her current cultivation, though still not matching the experts on the Half-Saint List or the Half-Saint Outer List, she was not far off.
How could Shangguan Xianyan touch even a corner of her clothes?
Shangguan Xianyan's pupils contracted, a strange light flashing in her eyes as she looked at Zhang Ruochen and laughed, "Your little lover's cultivation is not bad. What's her background?"
Zhang Ruochen was truly troubled. He had not expected to run into Shangguan Xianyan and the Blood God Sect cultivators, which added unpredictable variables.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Why ask so many questions? Let's first go to the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain and handle the important matters. But before that, I, the Divine Son, still have one more thing to do."
Several other commanders of the Azure Dragon Army had already arrived. Killing Chi Zhongshan was no longer possible.
However, as the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect, letting Chi Zhongshan off easily would disgrace the sect. Even if Zhang Ruochen did not act personally, other Blood God Sect cultivators would not swallow the insult.
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on Chi Zhongshan. "Kneel and apologize to me, the Divine Son, and I will spare your life."
"What did you say?"
Chi Zhongshan was furious, clenching his fists.
As a commander of the Azure Dragon Army and a mid-level domain king of the imperial court, even if his status was not as noble as the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect, he could not be humiliated like this.
"Don't be ungrateful. I, the Divine Son, have given you a chance. Cherish it." Zhang Ruochen's face was cold, like a terrifying demon baring its fangs.
Since he was now the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect, he naturally had to maintain the dignity of a Divine Son.