Chapter 1151: Slaying Saints and Killing Enemies
"Sect Leader, we meet again!"
Princess Mo Ran's soft, melodious voice surged from beyond the planet, resounding through heaven and earth.
Standing on the ground and looking up, the entire sky was covered by demon clouds, with dozens of stars hanging above them, radiating awe-inspiring Sacred Dao auras.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly, took out the Azure Sky Bow and the Daylight Arrow, and drew the longbow. Instantly, the land around him churned with flying sand and stones, and the sounds of wind and thunder were unceasing.
"Whoosh!"
The white arrow shot up like a pillar of light, streaking toward one of the stars.
With a thunderous boom, that star shattered. An Eight-Dragon Martial Saint standing atop it was pierced through by the Daylight Arrow, a bowl-sized bloody hole torn in his chest.
That planet had no atmosphere, so the corpse plummeted directly from the sky.
There was nothing more to discuss—battle began immediately.
With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, encountering ordinary Lower Realm Saints or Eight-Dragon Martial Saints, he could kill them outright.
"Shi Shenghua!" Zhang Ruochen roared.
From his back, the silver roots of Shi Shenghua extended outward, burrowing into the Eight-Dragon Martial Saint's body to absorb the blood qi and essence from the saintly corpse.
This arrow from Zhang Ruochen indeed had a deterrent effect, causing the Martial Saints of the Azure Dragon Dynasty to steer their minor planets backward, pulling away from Zhang Ruochen.
Princess Mo Ran still wore a smile, unangered by the fall of one Martial Saint. She said, "The Sect Leader is truly a dragon among men. Having just reached the Ninth-Rank Half-Saint level, you can already slay a Saint. Your future achievements will be boundless."
Zhang Ruochen raised his voice, "Princess, the Azure Dragon Dynasty still has some embers left—it hasn't been completely extinguished. I advise you not to make an enemy of me, or those remaining embers will be snuffed out by my hand as well."
"If the Sect Leader were to cultivate for another ten years, this princess would indeed not dare to oppose you. But as for now, I'm afraid you lack that capability, don't you?" Princess Mo Ran laughed.
At this moment, the cultivators Princess Mo Ran had brought included not only Eight-Dragon Martial Saints but also five Nine-Dragon Martial Saints.
Including herself, that made six Nine-Dragon Martial Saints in total.
With such a formidable lineup, dealing with a Ninth-Rank Half-Saint was trivial, and even surrounding and killing a Middle Realm Saint would not be difficult.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You know I am a sect leader, but do you know which sect I lead?"
Princess Mo Ran didn't understand why he asked, but she still replied, "I do not."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Ming Sect."
Princess Mo Ran pondered for a moment, her delicate brows slightly furrowing as she shook her head gently. "This princess once went to the Kunlun Realm to study martial arts, training for thirty years in the Blood God Sect, one of the Seven Great Ancient Sects. I have some understanding of the Kunlun Realm, but I have never heard of any Ming Sect."
In the starry sky near the Kunlun Realm, there were tens of thousands of Ruins Realms. Some natives of those realms would secretly travel to the Kunlun Realm to learn top-tier techniques and martial skills, making themselves stronger.
It was not strange that Princess Mo Ran had been to the Kunlun Realm.
What surprised Zhang Ruochen was that she had trained in the Blood God Sect. Who was her master? How had he never heard of such a saintly figure from the Blood God Sect? Had she used an alias?
Zhang Ruochen remained composed and said, "It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of the Ming Sect, but you must not underestimate it. The Ming Sect also has a saintly figure. If she were to act, the people you've brought would be utterly insufficient."
Just before Princess Mo Ran and the saints of the Azure Dragon Dynasty arrived, Xiao Hei had sent a mental message to Zhang Ruochen, informing him that the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree had suppressed the World Spirit of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, allowing the Scroll World to be reopened.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen had communicated with Blood Moon Ghost King in the Scroll World, confirming that she could fight.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen remained very calm, not eager to flee. He wanted to lure the saints of the Azure Dragon Dynasty to the planet's surface, teach them a harsh lesson, and ideally wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
Princess Mo Ran smiled lightly, not believing that the Ming Sect had any formidable saintly figures.
After all, a sect with a single Saint was already a major power in the Kunlun Realm, and Princess Mo Ran could not have been completely unaware of it.
"Princess, you'd better think carefully. Don't bring a deadly calamity upon yourself," Zhang Ruochen warned again.
"Princess, why waste words with him? I'll go now and cut him down, reclaiming the World Spirit."
Wang Shizu channeled his saintly qi into his legs, kicking the two-hundred-meter-long minor planet beneath him, sending it hurtling down toward Zhang Ruochen.
The minor planet spun and burned as it fell, turning into a bright fireball.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes sharpened. He drew the Azure Sky Bow and shot the Daylight Arrow, striking the descending minor planet.
That minor planet was entirely composed of black iron. When the Daylight Arrow collided with it, it failed to shatter it.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed Huang Yanchen and used the Great Space Teleportation to escape the area.
"Boom!"
The minor planet crashed into the ground, violently shaking the entire planet. It sent up a wave of air hundreds of meters high, rolling thick dust in all directions.
Even though Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen had teleported over forty miles away, they were still significantly impacted. They were carried by the airflow for another tens of miles before finally landing.
"Is the power of a Nine-Dragon Martial Saint this terrifying? No wonder everyone says that once one reaches the Saint realm, cross-realm combat is impossible."
Zhang Ruochen panted heavily, releasing his spiritual power to probe the surroundings, not daring to let his guard down.
A Nine-Dragon Martial Saint of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm was roughly equivalent to a Middle Realm Saint. Some particularly powerful Nine-Dragon Martial Saints could even touch the edge of Upper Realm Saints.
Wang Shizu, who had just kicked the minor planet, had only recently broken through to the Nine-Dragon Martial Saint level, making him one of the weakest among Middle Realm Saints. There was a significant gap between him and Princess Mo Ran, who was also a Nine-Dragon Martial Saint.
Even so, his casual strike was something Zhang Ruochen could not withstand.
"No wonder you escaped from Princess Mo Ran's hands—you can wield the power of space."
Wang Shizu rode nine golden dragon shadows, flying out from behind the black dust, and threw a iron fist toward Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen below.
"Use the Realm Son Seal. Chen Ge, help me!"
Huang Yanchen rapidly circulated the saintly qi in her body, unleashing the Realm Son Seal. It expanded to the size of a small city, radiating dazzling brilliance.
Zhang Ruochen pushed his hands forward, channeling a steady stream of saintly qi from his palms, striking the Heavenly Heart Meridian on Huang Yanchen's back.
In the Kunlun Realm, fearing that it might shatter space, they could not unleash the true power of the Realm Son Seal.
Now, with Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen jointly controlling the Realm Son Seal, the imperial aura within it surged forth, colliding with Wang Shizu's fist imprint.
"Boom!"
It blocked it! The power unleashed by the Realm Son Seal not only stopped Wang Shizu's attack but also sent him staggering backward.
This was the true might of the Realm Son Seal!
Wang Shizu looked at his aching, splitting fist, then at the Realm Son Seal hovering in midair. He saw the imperial aura intertwining, forming a majestic, sacred phantom of an empress.
Just one glance at that empress phantom made his heart tremble, his legs involuntarily bending, nearly forcing him to his knees.
It was a spiritual oppression so intense that even a saintly figure could barely withstand it.
Princess Mo Ran's face lit up with delight. "The Realm Son Seal! That woman is one of the nine Realm Sons of the Kunlun Realm."
The other Martial Saints were also excited. One rather aged Nine-Dragon Martial Saint said, "The Realm Son Seal is a treasure bestowed by the Great Virtuous and Mighty Female Saint Emperor. It is undoubtedly a supreme artifact. If we seize it, we can surely establish another dynasty."
From the sky, Princess Mo Ran and the other four Nine-Dragon Martial Saints descended like meteors, creating five powerful waves of saintly qi.
Wang Shizu summoned his nine dragon shadows and attacked again, hoping to suppress Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen before the other Martial Saints arrived.
That way, the credit would be his.
"Rumble!"
The power of the Realm Son Seal seemed inexhaustible. In an instant, all nine dragon shadows were shattered, and Wang Shizu was forced back again.
With his cultivation, he could not withstand the Realm Son Seal's power.
Princess Mo Ran and the other four Nine-Dragon Martial Saints landed on the ground, positioning themselves at five points, surrounding Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen.
Ku Yan Martial Saint sneered, "Wang Shizu, at your level, you can't even handle two Half-Saints. You've disgraced the Azure Dragon Dynasty."
Wang Shizu, both ashamed and furious, retorted, "They used the Realm Son Seal, channeling a sliver of the Great Virtuous and Mighty Female Saint Emperor's power. Who could withstand that? Without the Realm Son Seal, I would have already blasted them into oblivion."
"If your strength is lacking, it's lacking. Why make excuses?" Ku Yan Martial Saint said.
Then, Ku Yan Martial Saint charged forward, both palms striking out simultaneously, forming two clouds of palm force. Purple lightning crackled between the clouds, producing a deafening roar.
Ku Yan Martial Saint's cultivation was more than twice as powerful as Wang Shizu's.
The two palm clouds sent the Realm Son Seal, Zhang Ruochen, and Huang Yanchen all flying backward, displaying an unstoppable, world-sweeping momentum.
Seeing this, Wang Shizu fell silent, forced to admit that Ku Yan Martial Saint was indeed formidable, a true veteran Nine-Dragon Martial Saint.
Ku Yan Martial Saint flicked his sleeves and walked forward, snorting, "A couple of wet-behind-the-ears Half-Saints dare to contend with a Nine-Dragon Martial Saint? You don't know your place."
Zhang Ruochen sighed softly, "The gap in realm is indeed hard to bridge."
"You realize that too late!"
Ku Yan Martial Saint gave Zhang Ruochen no chance, turning into a blur of afterimages as he charged straight ahead.
From Zhang Ruochen's position, looking forward, all he saw was a sweeping tide of saintly qi, rolling forward with overwhelming force. An ordinary Half-Saint would have been terrified and collapsed at the sight.
A cruel smile appeared on Princess Mo Ran's beautiful face, followed by a soft sigh. "What a pity—a peerless genius. If only he could be used by me, how wonderful would that be?"
Princess Mo Ran knew very well that Zhang Ruochen was not someone she could control. Every man who had seen her had fallen under her spell, losing all reason.
Zhang Ruochen was the exception.
Such a man had an indomitable will, making him her nemesis. He had to be eliminated.
But what Princess Mo Ran expected did not happen.
"My saint... soul..."
Ku Yan Martial Saint let out a miserable scream, kneeling before Zhang Ruochen. His body trembled, growing increasingly withered until he finally lost all sound.
In contrast, Zhang Ruochen was shrouded in a mass of ghostly qi as black as ink, surging into a giant ghost shadow dozens of meters tall.
It was that mass of ghostly qi that had killed Ku Yan Martial Saint.