Chapter 1113: The Corpse Emperor Descends
“A tiny little pearl, yet it contains the blood of a Corpse Emperor.”
Zhang Ruochen muttered softly, a look of confusion appearing in his eyes.
The Corpse Emperor blood within the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl was quite peculiar. Yin Xuanji had only absorbed a single drop, yet his power had surged dramatically, making him no weaker than a top-tier expert.
“Roar!”
A long howl erupted from Yin Xuanji’s mouth. He burst into motion once more, turning into a streak of white light that crashed toward Zhang Ruochen.
This time, Zhang Ruochen was prepared. He shifted his right foot back, widening his stance, and gripped his sword with both hands, achieving a state of unity between man and sword. He too transformed into a streak of light, flying forward.
*Bang!*
The tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword collided with Yin Xuanji’s chest.
It did not pierce his body; instead, it produced a sound like metal striking stone, as if the sword had hit an iron mountain.
Both figures were sent flying backward, once again opening a distance of several dozen zhang.
The burial cloth wrapped around Yin Xuanji’s body became covered in countless golden patterns as fine as ox hair, densely interwoven.
It was the burial cloth that had blocked the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
A hoarse voice emerged from Yin Xuanji’s mouth: “I have the burial cloth of the Heavenly Mandate Great Emperor to protect my body, and the Corpse Emperor’s blood to empower me. Today, you will surely die.”
“I’m afraid you don’t have that kind of ability,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Yin Xuanji raised both claws simultaneously. Behind him, a green corpse shadow materialized, exuding a domineering and sinister power.
Zhang Ruochen continuously infused the sacred qi within his body into the Abyssal Ancient Sword, activating two thousand inscriptions within the blade.
He swung the sword in battle.
The Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force was released together with the sword qi, sending the charging Yin Xuanji flying backward. He crashed into the city wall of the ancient city, dozens of miles away.
Even with the burial cloth protecting him, Yin Xuanji could barely withstand this strike. Blood seeped through the gaps in the burial cloth.
After Zhang Ruochen broke through to the Eighth-Step Half-Saint realm, the quality of the sacred qi within his body had greatly improved. Even after unleashing the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force multiple times, he did not have to worry about depleting his sacred qi.
Executing a Great Space Teleportation, Zhang Ruochen arrived above the city wall and once again triggered the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force.
“Whoosh—”
The Abyssal Ancient Sword turned into a streak of light, flying downward and landing amidst the ruins.
The sword qi was so terrifying, its penetrating power reaching an astonishing level, leaving a black hole three zhang in diameter on the ground, bottomless.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly, sensing that this strike had not hit Yin Xuanji.
“Return.”
Zhang Ruochen extended his five fingers and clenched them toward the void.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword flew out from the bottom of the black hole and returned to his hand.
About ten li away from Zhang Ruochen, Yin Xuanji burst out from underground. He raised both hands upward, and from his palms, an endless stream of sacred qi surged out, pouring into the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl.
On the surface of the pearl, countless blood-red inscriptions appeared, converging to form a ferocious ghost eye.
The ghost eye was closed, not yet open.
Even so, all living beings in the entire ancient city felt a suffocating power emanating from the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl.
“Such terrifying power fluctuations… it feels like a king of hell is about to descend upon the mortal world.”
“What’s happening? Has a sacred realm being come to the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm?”
…
All cultivators sensed an invisible pressure, as if the sky were about to collapse and the earth to sink, making their legs tremble uncontrollably.
Even Zhang Ruochen was shaken. He muttered, “Could it be that the green pearl seals a Corpse Emperor inside?”
Given Yin Xuanji’s cultivation level, supporting the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl seemed extremely difficult. His arms trembled incessantly, and a roar came from his mouth: “Open the eye!”
The ghost eye on the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl opened a crack, shooting out a blood-red beam of light aimed at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen did not meet it head-on. Instead, he executed a Spatial Displacement, dodging to the right.
Even so, the beam grazed his left shoulder, leaving a wound that bled profusely.
“Whoosh!”
A second beam of light shot out, once again targeting Zhang Ruochen.
“Space Distortion.”
Zhang Ruochen released his Space Domain, fully mobilizing the power of space to create a series of six layers of distorted space.
However, the power contained in the beam was terrifying. It was not significantly distorted, passing by the right side of Zhang Ruochen’s cheek and leaving a bloodstain.
He had come within a hair’s breadth of having his head pierced.
In truth, Yin Xuanji was also in great pain. With his current cultivation, he could not control the ghost eye at all and could only forcibly activate the power of the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl.
With each strike he made, an explosion sounded from his body, releasing clouds of blood mist.
The two continued to fight. Each time, Zhang Ruochen narrowly avoided the beam’s attack.
“Cut!”
Finally, Zhang Ruochen seized an opportunity to charge above Yin Xuanji’s head and slashed out a Space Rift.
“Pfft!”
One of Yin Xuanji’s left arms was severed, and a large amount of blood gushed out.
No matter how strong the burial cloth’s defense was, it could not withstand the power of space.
“I won’t accept this! Fight again!” Yin Xuanji roared.
Zhang Ruochen struck out with the Abyssal Ancient Sword, slashing it across his body.
A low, agonized scream came from Yin Xuanji’s mouth. He could no longer support the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl. Staggering backward a dozen steps, he fell to one knee.
From another direction, Huang Yanchen, Qing Mo, Grand Minister of Works, Xiao Hei, and Zhao Shiqi finally broke through the large corpse formation.
With the formation gone, the cultivators of the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan could no longer suppress them.
Huang Yanchen’s gaze was icy cold. She swung her sacred sword, and with each strike, a cultivator from the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan fell into a pool of blood.
Earlier, in the formation, Grand Minister of Works had suffered considerable injuries.
Now, his anger blazed. Holding his staff, he smashed the battle corpses into pieces, turning them to dust.
As an orthodox Buddhist cultivator, Grand Minister of Works did not indulge in mass slaughter; otherwise, he would have killed several Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan cultivators.
Seeing Yin Xuanji severely wounded by Zhang Ruochen, the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan cultivators lost all will to fight and could no longer organize any formation attacks.
The situation turned one-sided, and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan cultivators began to rout.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze fixed on the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl. Knowing it must be a supreme treasure of the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan, he reached out with his hand to seize it.
But the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl trembled violently, breaking free from the sacred qi Zhang Ruochen had sent out, and flew high into the air.
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft exclamation of surprise, an incredulous expression on his face.
The Green-Eyed Blood Pearl hovered in midair. From within it, a young man’s voice emerged: “Truly unexpected. In this era, there is still such an extraordinary talent like you. It is truly remarkable.”
The voice sounded very young, yet it carried an ancient charm and a sense of vicissitude.
Immediately after, a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, draped in a black robe, stepped out from the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl.
The young man was exceptionally handsome, his features even more delicate than a woman’s. His arms were clasped behind his back, and he exuded a majestic aura that seemed to command the world.
The Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan cultivators and battle corpses all knelt on the ground, saying in unison, “We pay homage to the Corpse Emperor!”
Not only that, but the corpses of the natives rose from the ground like walking dead, kneeling and bowing to the young man standing in midair.
All corpses paid homage.
The Corpse Emperor?
“How is that possible? If a Corpse Emperor-level figure steps into the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, the entire world would shatter.”
Zhao Shiqi felt a chill run down his spine, his legs going weak, almost causing him to kneel.
Xiao Hei’s fur stood on end. He said, “It might indeed be a Corpse Emperor. However, it should only be a form condensed from a wisp of the Corpse Emperor’s corpse qi, not his true body. The Corpse Emperor’s true body is likely still inside the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl, unable to descend into the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.”
“If that’s the case, why fear him? Let’s destroy him directly!” Grand Minister of Works roared.
Xiao Hei shot him a glance. “Even if it’s just a wisp of the Corpse Emperor’s corpse qi, it’s not something we can withstand.”
Huang Yanchen immediately rushed forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Zhang Ruochen.
A faint smile appeared on the Corpse Emperor’s face. “Seventy thousand years ago, I had already died. I thought I would be eternally extinguished. But unexpectedly, nurtured by the Green-Eyed Blood Pearl, my corpse gave birth to a new consciousness, granting me a chance to live another life.”
“Seventy thousand years ago…”
Zhang Ruochen squinted, calculating for a moment. Suddenly, his expression shook, and he guessed the Corpse Emperor’s identity.
A great figure who died seventy thousand years ago… it could only be that person.
“Whoosh—”
The Corpse Emperor flew down from midair, charging into Yin Xuanji’s body and merging with him.
A miserable scream echoed from within Yin Xuanji’s body.
“Why is the Corpse Emperor devouring my sacred soul?”
“From the moment you were born, you were destined to be my vessel. Only by devouring your sacred soul and borrowing your flesh can I live another life.”
“So, the reason you passed down the ‘Crimson Blood Scripture’ to me was for this day.” Yin Xuanji roared in fury.
“Originally, your previous body was the optimal vessel for rebirth. But you were too weak and abandoned it in the underworld. This current body can only be considered barely usable.”
…
Yin Xuanji’s roars grew weaker and weaker until they vanished completely.
Then, the severed left arm of Yin Xuanji regrew. The burial cloth around his body was torn apart by a powerful force, shattering like white butterflies and falling to the ground.
A young man of seventeen or eighteen stood at the center of the torn cloth. He was exceptionally handsome, with a waterfall of black hair swaying in the wind. His figure was tall and straight, his skin as clear as jade, and his pupils emitted a green light. There was not a trace of corpse qi on him; instead, he exuded a lively, spiritual aura.
“Finally, I have returned.”
The Corpse Emperor looked at his own hands, softly murmuring, a warm, jade-like smile on his face.
Grand Minister of Works, Zhao Shiqi, and the others also guessed the Corpse Emperor’s identity. Fear appeared in their eyes, and they could no longer remain calm.
Legend had it that an ancient emperor who had established a central empire, dead for seventy thousand years, had now descended upon the world once more to live a second life.
The Corpse Emperor was not in his prime; he was a newborn entity, not yet having reached the sacred realm.
Yet, just standing there silently, he exerted immense pressure on everyone present, crushing their will to fight.
Perhaps only Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen could still maintain their fighting spirit, ready for battle at any moment.
…
(Xiao Yu won’t ask for monthly votes, but I’d like to ask for recommendation votes! I hope everyone can cast their recommendation votes for “Ancient Godly Emperor.” Thank you.)