Chapter 1142: Heaven and Earth Sword Formation
The Azure Dragon Dynasty indeed had many experts and also held the advantage of terrain, yet they still could not withstand the assault of a group of top-tier powerhouses. They were forced to retreat step by step, suffering countless casualties.
Some of those Eight-Dragon Martial Saints had fallen in battle, others were severely wounded. Only four Eight-Dragon Martial Saints could still maintain their combat strength, leading a group of Seven-Dragon Martial Venerables and Six-Dragon Martial Kings to continue fighting.
The top-tier powerhouses of the Undying Blood Clan were the first to charge to the mountaintop, arriving at the edge of the altar and seizing a favorable position on the southern side of the Holy Mountain.
The ancient remnant species of the various beast clans all transformed into human form, ascended the Holy Mountain, and arrived at the edge of the cliff on the western side.
Now, only the eastern and northern sides of the Holy Mountain remained unoccupied.
Zhang Ruochen stood halfway up the mountain, glanced upward, and said, "Let's go take the eastern side of the Holy Mountain."
"I'll clear the way."
Grand Minister of Works gripped a gleaming golden staff, letting out explosive roars like a booming bell as he charged at the forefront, sending all the native cultivators guarding the eastern slope flying.
"Cultivators of the Azure Dragon Dynasty, listen up! Your princess has already submitted to the Ming Sect. As long as you lay down your arms, we will not harm the innocent."
Sun Dadi shouted to the Azure Dragon Dynasty cultivators as he charged upward.
Both Grand Minister of Works and Sun Dadi possessed formidable combat power. Even Six-Dragon Martial Kings could not withstand a single blow from them; only Seven-Dragon Martial Venerable-level native cultivators could exchange a few rounds with them.
The princess had submitted to the foreign demons?
All the cultivators of the Azure Dragon Dynasty were puzzled. When the Emperor had left the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, hadn't he taken all the princesses and princes with him? How had another princess appeared?
"Nonsense! The Azure Dragon Dynasty's thirteen princesses left this world long ago. If you want to demoralize us, at least come up with a better excuse!"
A Seven-Dragon Martial King clad in dragon armor charged down from the mountaintop, wielding a war halberd that tore through the air with a rumbling sound.
Nearly a thousand inscriptions surfaced on the halberd's surface, releasing an icy power as it struck toward Sun Dadi's chest with swift momentum.
"The Azure Dragon Dynasty's Seventh Princess has already submitted to the Ming Sect's Sect Master. Why won't you believe it?"
Sun Dadi gripped his iron staff with both hands, channeling all his strength into a horizontal swing that collided with the war halberd.
The Seven-Dragon Martial King's body trembled violently as he was sent flying dozens of zhang to the right, nearly tumbling off the cliff.
However, this man had cultivated seven dragon shadows, so he was no ordinary figure. He possessed the strength to fight on par with a top-tier powerhouse. He quickly regained his balance and attacked Sun Dadi again.
At the mountaintop.
The four Martial Saints of the Azure Dragon Dynasty stood at the edge of the black altar, exuding a formidable aura like four divine beings perched atop the peak, confronting the powerhouses of the Undying Blood Clan and the beast clans.
The four were: an old man with crane-white hair and a youthful face, a middle-aged couple, and a young man in his twenties.
They were the strongest remaining cultivators of the Azure Dragon Dynasty in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. Each was surrounded by eight massive dragon shadows, radiating a power fluctuation that made one's heart tremble.
"The Seventh Princess?"
The four Martial Saints sensed that the foreign demon's cultivation was profound and didn't seem to be lying, so they looked down the mountain to understand the reason.
When their eyes locked onto Princess Moran, they all froze, finding it hard to believe.
"Isn't that... How did she fall into the hands of foreign demons?"
The four Martial Saints exchanged glances and quickly communicated using spiritual power, eventually reaching a decision.
The young Martial Saint in his twenties, named Wang Huanzhen, exuded a sharp aura. "I'll go rescue her. You three hold the mountaintop."
Wang Huanzhen was the youngest, but his status and position surpassed the other three Martial Saints.
He was the World Son selected by the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. Both his physical constitution and innate talent were top-tier. In the same realm, no cultivator had ever been able to withstand three of his moves.
"No, the World Son's status is too precious to risk any loss. Dealing with a few insignificant foreign demons is nothing. My wife and I can handle rescuing her."
Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint were truly a divine couple in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. Even in one-on-one combat, neither was weaker than any seasoned Eight-Dragon Martial Saint.
Moreover, the couple was proficient in a combined attack sword formation. Once unleashed, its power was unmatched.
Zhang Ruochen sensed two powerful surges of sacred qi rushing down from the mountaintop. His heart tightened as he looked up.
He saw two beams of dazzling sword light descending upon him, each containing a figure—a man and a woman—Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint.
Without a word, the two Martial Saints struck directly, attacking Zhang Ruochen and Grand Minister of Works respectively.
Xuántiān Martial Saint wielded a seven-foot-long blue sacred sword, its blade as wide as a palm. He swung it, dragging a sword light over a hundred meters long as it slashed toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
"A formidable opponent, even stronger than that Eight-Dragon Martial Saint in the treasury."
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, raising his arm as the Abyssal Ancient Sword materialized and swung upward.
"Boom."
The two sacred swords clashed, sending countless specks of light flying from the point of impact.
Those specks turned into sword qi as they shot out, striking the Holy Mountain's body and carving long, sword-shaped cracks.
Xuántiān Martial Saint was pushed back, a look of surprise on his face. He had to reassess the seemingly young foreign demon before him.
The opponent's sword movements were fluid and natural, clearly indicating a mastery of the Sword Dao that had reached an extremely high level—perhaps even surpassing his own.
Standing behind Zhang Ruochen, Princess Moran's eyes widened in shock. She found it hard to believe.
A Ninth-Step Half-Saint had actually repelled a powerhouse like Xuántiān Martial Saint?
"It seems I've encountered a formidable foreign demon. I wonder what noble status he holds in the Kunlun Realm?" Princess Moran's beautiful eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen's back, a charming smile curling at the corners of her lips.
At the mountaintop, the Azure Dragon Dynasty's World Son Wang Huanzhen, Crown Prince Qitian, Devouring Demon Dragon, and others were also watching the battle halfway up the mountain.
"Those two Martial Saints of the Azure Dragon Dynasty are quite powerful. They should be able to force Zhang Ruochen to use his time and space powers," Crown Prince Qitian thought to himself.
What Crown Prince Qitian feared most was Zhang Ruochen's time-space power. If he could witness Zhang Ruochen using those two mysterious abilities, he was confident he could devise a countermeasure in advance.
That would give him a greater chance of victory when facing Zhang Ruochen.
Xuántiān Martial Saint called Ningjing Martial Saint back. They maintained a distance of three zhang between them, and the dragon shadows swirling around them intertwined, forming a massive white dragon.
"A combined attack sword formation?"
Zhang Ruochen finally showed some concern and had to take it seriously.
The two were already stronger than Wang Shidao, and with the combined attack sword formation, their combat power would undoubtedly rise to a terrifying level.
"Heaven and Earth Sword Formation."
Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint positioned themselves at the head and belly of the white dragon, one above the other, and attacked Zhang Ruochen.
Xuántiān Martial Saint swung his sword again. The power of the sacred sword doubled, causing the air to crackle as if it were about to ignite.
Zhang Ruochen did not dodge. He stood straight, activating the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force and slashing toward Xuántiān Martial Saint.
"Boom."
The two sword forces collided violently.
This time, Zhang Ruochen was at a disadvantage, retreating four steps in a row. His clothes were marked with fine sword-cut openings.
"Even the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force can't block it?"
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly, considering whether to activate the three thousand inscriptions of the Abyssal Ancient Sword and unleash his strongest sword power.
"Die!"
The aura emanating from Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint grew even stronger. Outside their bodies, the white dragon emitted a blinding light that spread for hundreds of miles.
The entire Holy Mountain shook as if it were about to collapse.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes narrowed. He slowly raised the Abyssal Ancient Sword above his head. A green dragon shadow appeared on his arm, and dragon scales began to emerge from his skin.
"Sizzle."
The three thousand inscriptions on the Abyssal Ancient Sword fully surfaced. Black light surged outward, suppressing even the radiance of the white dragon.
"Sword Five!"
Zhang Ruochen merged with the black sword light, vanishing from his spot. With a whoosh, he shot forward, charging into the white dragon's mouth and piercing straight through its body.
The black sword light launched twelve consecutive strikes, leaving twelve black sword trails in the air.
Finally, Zhang Ruochen broke through the defenses of Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint. With a bang, the white dragon's body shattered into a mass of white sacred qi.
The two Martial Saints flew backward like scarecrows.
Blood dripped from the corners of their mouths, their faces pale as paper.
"How is this possible... No one has ever broken our Heaven and Earth Sword Formation... How high is his Sword Dao attainment?"
Xuántiān Martial Saint and Ningjing Martial Saint were not lightly injured, but they hadn't completely lost their combat ability. They still gripped their sacred swords, standing upright on the mountainside.
Yet, their eyes were filled with complex emotions. They found it hard to believe that their proud sword formation had been broken by a Ninth-Step Half-Saint, who had also wounded them.
Was the gap between the Sword Dao of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm and that of the Kunlun Realm truly so vast?
"I underestimated Zhang Ruochen. Even without using time and space powers, he's still this strong." Crown Prince Qitian's eyes narrowed as he let out a soft sigh, feeling considerable pressure.
"So strong."
Princess Moran found it hard to believe. She had to reassess Zhang Ruochen's strength.
"Rumble."
Suddenly, the Holy Mountain shook violently. In the royal capital, fine cracks appeared like a spiderweb, tearing apart the formation structures beneath the city.
In the cosmos, Shangguan Xianyan, Cai Jinglun, and others stood aboard a ruins realm ship flying toward the Chaotic Myriad Realm Mountain, gazing in the direction of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. They witnessed an extremely shocking scene.
A massive world, like a shattered egg, was rapidly collapsing. Parts of the continental plates broke apart, turning into meteorites and planets. Other plates were directly swallowed by the shattered space, turning into nothingness.
In the starry sky, all planets and meteorites within a hundred million li of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm trembled.
A superior ruins realm that had existed for twelve million, nine hundred and sixty thousand years was finally heading toward destruction, destined to become dust in the vast cosmos. (To be continued.)