# Chapter 1084: Sword Duel
Through the previous exchange, White Li Princess had already roughly gauged the true strength of the human man before her. He was indeed powerful, but only on par with herself.
Even if he had some hidden methods he hadn't used, did White Li Princess not have her own?
If they truly fought, three days and three nights might not be enough to determine a victor.
Defeating her in seventeen sword strikes was undoubtedly a fool's dream.
"You are too arrogant!" White Li Princess said.
Zhang Ruochen said nothing more, pouring Saint Qi into the Abyssal Ancient Sword, activating all the force-type inscriptions within the blade, making the sword body incomparably heavy.
"First sword, Thunderfire Scorches the Wilderness."
The pitch-black ancient sword plunged into the ground, immediately summoning bolts of lightning from the sky to strike at White Li Princess.
The purple lightning, as thick as a bowl's opening, struck the ground, instantly melting the earth within ten zhang into a small lake of magma.
"Boom, boom."
Dozens of lightning bolts fell in succession, giving off an aura of world-destroying might.
In an instant, this patch of oasis had become scorched earth, utterly destroyed.
This technique came from the True One Thunderfire Sword Art, which Zhang Ruochen had long cultivated to great perfection, able to unleash power at the level of a Sacred Art.
White Li Princess appeared very composed, stepping with light footwork, constantly shifting her form, evading the descending lightning, leaving behind dozens of graceful afterimages.
"Is this all the strength you have?"
Her slender finger pointed forward, sending out a finger sword strike toward Zhang Ruochen's heart.
"Golden Cauldron Faces the Sun."
Zhang Ruochen struck out with another sword, the sword light flying out like a meteor, colliding with her finger sword.
Another Sacred Art-level sword technique.
This technique came from the Nine Lives Sword Art.
White Li Princess retreated again, somewhat surprised inwardly. This human man was so young, yet he mastered two types of Sacred Art-level sword techniques and had cultivated Sword Five from the *Wordless Sword Manual* to great perfection.
Where did he get so much energy?
She knew that many experts on the *Half-Saint Ranking* and *Half-Saint External Ranking* only mastered one famous Sacred Art to contend with heroes across the world.
She naturally didn't know that Zhang Ruochen had spent much effort cultivating sword techniques within the *Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram*. Although he had only fused two lifetimes of Sacred Dao insights, it was already extraordinary.
"Whoosh."
The battle between White Li Princess and Zhang Ruochen grew increasingly fierce, their speed exploding faster and faster, until finally they became nothing but human-shaped phantoms.
After ten sword strikes, White Li Princess had completely figured out Zhang Ruochen's sword technique patterns and dealt with them more calmly.
"Your attainments in the Sword Dao are indeed high, but you lack variation, destined never to surpass Xue Wuye. Not to mention seventeen moves, even with one thousand seven hundred moves, you cannot defeat me," White Li Princess said.
"Is that so?"
A strange smile flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He gripped the Abyssal Ancient Sword in his hand and once again executed Sword Five.
A rustling sound arose around the sword's edge.
Dense sword shadows appeared, transforming into a river of swords that struck toward White Li Princess.
White Li Princess lightly shook her head, standing calmly in place, her slender, snow-white fingers forming a sword seal.
However, at that moment, White Li Princess keenly sensed a power fluctuation from the center of the sword river that felt quite unfamiliar to her.
"That is... time..."
By the time White Li Princess became alert, the surrounding time had briefly paused.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen's sword was already pointed at her brow.
Cold sword light flickered at the sword's tip. If it pressed down just a little more, it would pierce through White Li Princess's skull.
"Fifteen moves," Zhang Ruochen said.
White Li Princess felt slightly dazed, then dispersed the sword seal she had formed. She didn't panic, lightly biting her pearly white teeth. "Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen. I haven't guessed your identity wrong, have I?"
"No," Zhang Ruochen said.
White Li Princess said, "You have deep schemes."
"In my view, that's called tactics," Zhang Ruochen said.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen and White Li Princess were indeed at the same cultivation level.
For Zhang Ruochen to win was no easy task.
To win within seventeen moves was even more impossible.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen could only win through strategy.
Zhang Ruochen had first used the True One Thunderfire Sword Art and Nine Lives Sword Art purely to lull White Li Princess into complacency, setting the stage for the final move—the Time Sword Art, "Eight Moments of Life and Death Change."
If he had used the Time Sword Art from the start, White Li Princess would have been in a state of high alert.
Even if Zhang Ruochen could wound her, he couldn't subdue her.
Once White Li Princess was on guard, Zhang Ruochen would find it as difficult as ascending to heaven to succeed.
White Li Princess stood straight, refusing to concede. "Let's fight another round. If you can defeat me, I will do my utmost to help you rescue those human cultivators captured by the Devouring Demon Dragon."
Even though her opponent was the Heir of Time and Space, wielding the power of time and space, White Li Princess still had confidence to contend with him.
The previous exchange was entirely due to momentary carelessness that she had lost.
"Do you still have the qualifications to negotiate terms with me now?" Zhang Ruochen said.
White Li Princess snorted coldly, glancing sidelong at Shi Shenghua. She noticed that the fat cat had somehow used some method to seal Shi Shenghua within a formation.
"How infuriating. It seems I underestimated that fat cat."
Knowing the situation was lost, White Li Princess prepared to retreat. She moved her foot back, executing the Infinite Steps Step Technique.
The earth behind her seemed to rapidly contract.
A distance of one hundred li became only one chi long.
Zhang Ruochen had long known that the White Li Cat Clan possessed such an innate Sacred Art, so he had never relaxed his vigilance.
The moment White Li Princess moved her foot, Zhang Ruochen immediately executed Great Space Teleportation, catching up to her. He pointed a finger, striking her Heavenly Heart Meridian on her back.
"Whoosh—"
A ring of white light surged from White Li Princess's back, sealing ninety percent of the Saint Qi within her body, causing her to involuntarily fall downward.
Zhang Ruochen extended an arm, catching her slender waist, supporting her.
White Li Princess's jade waist was extremely slender and full of elasticity. She immediately flipped upward, her sharp fingers striking toward Zhang Ruochen.
"If you don't want to die, it's best to behave."
Zhang Ruochen flew midair, appearing utterly ruthless. One hand supported her waist while the other held the Abyssal Ancient Sword against her neck.
The sharp blade left a crimson blood mark on her crystalline, fair neck.
White Li Princess glared at Zhang Ruochen with some anger, retracting her fingers, then turned her delicate, exquisite face to the side. "You really are a human I find even more detestable than Xue Wuye."
"Is that so?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"At least Xue Wuye would never draw his sword to wound a woman," White Li Princess said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, he is Xue Wuye, and I am Zhang Ruochen."
That patch of oasis was completely destroyed, now ragged and broken. Aside from Shi Shenghua, not a single green plant could be seen.
That sacred tree had also withered, its leaves all fallen, adding a touch of desolation to this land.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen flew down and set White Li Princess on the ground.
He immediately pressed eighteen finger seals on White Li Princess's body, completely sealing the Saint Qi within her.
Then, Zhang Ruochen sheathed the Abyssal Ancient Sword and walked toward Xiao Hei, ignoring her.
Xiao Hei stood beneath the withered sacred tree, controlling the formation to imprison Shi Shenghua.
Shi Shenghua had grown into a towering ancient vine. Its root was only as thick as a bowl's opening, covered in scales like dragon scales, emitting a metallic sheen.
At the top of Shi Shenghua, the flower bud was as large as a washbasin, yet to bloom, but radiating a brilliant luster, with rings of sacred light ripples spreading outward.
Shi Shenghua had already developed intelligence and wisdom. Knowing White Li Princess had been captured, it was attacking fiercely, constantly colliding with the formation Xiao Hei had set up.
"Boom."
Even before blooming, the power Shi Shenghua unleashed was extraordinary, breaking some of the formation inscriptions.
Soon, it should break through the formation.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Life and Death Mirror, preparing to activate the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force to destroy Shi Shenghua before it broke through the formation.
Xiao Hei controlled the formation while speaking, "Shi Shenghua is an extraordinary combat-type plant, rarely seen throughout history. This emperor believes you should subdue it and plant it in your Qi Sea. That way, your combat power will greatly increase."
Zhang Ruochen frowned. "Are you trying to harm me?"
Shi Shenghua could drain a Saint's sacred power completely clean, yet Xiao Hei wanted him to plant it in his Qi Sea.
Wasn't that asking for death?
White Li Princess stood to the side, revealing a strange smile. She also felt Xiao Hei was trying to harm Zhang Ruochen.
She knew Shi Shenghua's power better than anyone.
If Zhang Ruochen truly planted Shi Shenghua into his Qi Sea, he would undoubtedly become its nourishment, soon drained into a dried corpse.
Xiao Hei immediately shook his head. "If you can subdue Shi Shenghua and feed it well, it will naturally stop absorbing your Saint Qi and instead become your offensive weapon. A blooming Shi Shenghua would make even the Devouring Demon Dragon quite wary. Aren't you tempted?"
White Li Princess chuckled lightly. "Shi Shenghua is not something you can subdue."
In truth, White Li Princess only had a cooperative relationship with Shi Shenghua, not a master-servant one.
Xiao Hei glanced at White Li Princess and said, "Others cannot subdue it, but the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree can."
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was the lord of all plants under heaven. Any plant would feel reverence upon seeing it.
Now, Shi Shenghua was merely a seedling. If the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree intervened, it could subdue it.
Zhang Ruochen pondered carefully, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he took out the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, intending to first communicate with the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree before making a decision.
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree had already developed some faint intelligence. Only Zhang Ruochen could briefly communicate with it.
"Sky-Connecting Divine Tree?"
White Li Princess's beautiful eyes showed extreme shock. She stared at the Cosmic Divine Wood Map in Zhang Ruochen's hand. Could it be...