Chapter 1158: True Form Arrives
“As expected, there’s a backup plan—he actually summoned a Ghost King.”
The Blood God Sect Leader knew that with just a Saint Soul Doppelganger, he couldn’t defeat the Blood Moon Ghost King. So, he stepped into a movement technique and fled into the distance.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Zhang Ruochen drew the Abyssal Ancient Sword and executed Sword Five, condensing thousands of sword qi to block the Blood God Sect Leader’s escape route.
“Do you really think you can stop me, the Sect Leader?” The Blood God Sect Leader’s control over power had reached an exquisite level. He flicked his finger, striking the blade of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, using a subtle force of four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds, breaking Zhang Ruochen’s Sword Five.
Zhang Ruochen felt a surge of overwhelming power from the sword, as if it would shatter the bones in his hand.
“Impressive.”
Zhang Ruochen quickly stepped five paces to the side, barely neutralizing the force of the Blood God Sect Leader’s finger strike.
His right arm was numb and sore, the tiger’s mouth split open, blood dripping from his fingertips.
A powerhouse of the Blood God Sect Leader’s caliber was terrifying—his mastery of martial techniques and power had reached a level of divine skill.
“You don’t know your place. If we were on the ground, my Saint Soul Doppelganger could kill you with just one finger.”
The Blood God Sect Leader attacked again, aiming to kill Zhang Ruochen as quickly as possible and seize the Skyward Sword.
“Blood Shadow Scattering Hand.”
The Blood God Sect Leader’s hands glowed with blood light, forming thirty-six hand shadows. Each finger seemed elongated, striking at thirty-six different points around Zhang Ruochen, sealing off all his escape routes.
As the hand shadows shot out, a series of explosive sounds rang out.
He had to end this quickly. The Blood God Sect Leader used a profound martial technique, intending to capture Zhang Ruochen in a single move.
Zhang Ruochen fully mobilized the sacred qi in his body, drawing his sword at the fastest speed, conjuring a hundred and eight sword shadows that clashed with the hand shadows from the Blood God Sect Leader.
“Bang, bang.”
All thirty-six hand shadows were real hands, striking the Abyssal Ancient Sword and sending sparks flying in all directions.
“No wonder you’re the Heir of Time and Space—truly formidable.”
The Blood God Sect Leader swiftly changed his technique, turning his palm into a finger. His right index finger transformed into a streak of fire, aimed at Zhang Ruochen’s heart.
His change of technique was as fast as lightning, catching Zhang Ruochen off guard.
Zhang Ruochen gasped, unable to keep up with the Blood God Sect Leader’s speed. He could only block with his sword, adopting a defensive stance.
“Boom.”
The finger wreathed in flames struck the sword’s blade, bending the Abyssal Ancient Sword inward into a bow shape.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen flew backward like a cannonball, crashing into a hard stone wall and collapsing a large section of it.
Zhang Ruochen’s arms were covered in blood, and a sharp pain shot through his heart. Then, a sweetness rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
The blade of the Abyssal Ancient Sword had indeed blocked the Blood God Sect Leader’s finger.
But a trace of finger force had pierced through the sword, striking Zhang Ruochen’s heart and causing internal injuries.
“The gap between us is too great; the outcome was already decided. If you had handed over the Skyward Sword earlier, you wouldn’t have suffered this physical pain.”
The Blood God Sect Leader shook his head lightly, then soared up like a great black bird. He curled his five fingers into a claw and struck downward at Zhang Ruochen.
“Realm Son Seal.”
Huang Yanchen shouted, swinging her arm to throw the Realm Son Seal at the Blood God Sect Leader midair.
In the Endless Abyss, her cultivation was suppressed, unable to draw out much sacred qi, so she couldn’t unleash the Realm Son Seal’s true power.
The Blood God Sect Leader didn’t even glance at Huang Yanchen. He struck back with a palm, sending the Realm Son Seal flying back to hit Huang Yanchen’s chest.
At the last moment, Huang Yanchen crossed her arms in front of her chest to block the seal.
“Crack.”
The sound of bones breaking echoed.
Huang Yanchen was thrown back, crashing to the ground. The bones in both her arms were shattered, flesh and blood mangled, unable to lift them again.
The Blood God Sect Leader’s Saint Soul Doppelganger was too powerful; even blocking one of his strikes was no easy feat.
“Die.”
The Blood God Sect Leader’s black robe billowed fully, every flap like a blade, cutting through the air with a whistling sound.
Just as the Blood God Sect Leader’s claw was about to land on Zhang Ruochen’s head—
Suddenly, the Blood God Sect Leader’s speed grew slower and slower.
No.
It wasn’t that the Blood God Sect Leader’s attack speed was slowing, but that the flow of time around him and Zhang Ruochen was growing increasingly sluggish.
This scene was eerie. The Blood God Sect Leader’s claw was only a foot from Zhang Ruochen’s head; if it landed, it would pierce his skull.
Yet Zhang Ruochen stood still, unmoving.
The next instant, Zhang Ruochen swung his sword in a slash.
“Whoosh—”
Zhang Ruochen’s sword speed was so fast it was impossible to track with the naked eye. By the time he sheathed his sword, the Blood God Sect Leader’s Saint Soul Doppelganger had been cut in two.
“Perish.”
Still uneasy, Zhang Ruochen worried the Saint Soul Doppelganger might reform, so he struck two more palms, turning the two halves into clouds of blood mist.
“Thankfully, I just comprehended the third realm of Time Sword Art—the Twelve Hours Sword Art. Otherwise, today would have been dire.”
Pushed to the brink of life and death, Zhang Ruochen gained new insights into Time Sword Art, finally stepping into the threshold of the third realm.
In his mind, twelve figures formed a circle, dancing with swords, each with different sword techniques representing the twelve hours of a day.
If not for more pressing matters, Zhang Ruochen would have immediately entered the Scroll World to meditate on the sword art.
A sharp pain shot through his heart, making him convulse.
Zhang Ruochen clutched his chest, coughing twice, spitting out more blood. Then, he activated his technique to forcibly suppress the injury.
He rushed to Huang Yanchen to check her wounds.
Not only were the bones in both her arms broken, but her internal organs were also damaged to varying degrees, filling Zhang Ruochen with pain.
She had been injured saving him.
“You’re badly hurt. Enter the Scroll World to heal first.”
Zhang Ruochen supported her neck and waist, lifting her from the ground and sending her into the Scroll World.
When Zhang Ruochen emerged from the Scroll World again, the Blood Moon Ghost King had already slain the Winged Dragon Blood Beast, extracted its beast soul, and refined it into a soul pill.
No wonder the Blood Moon Ghost King had been so eager—it was indeed for the soul pill.
The Blood Moon Ghost King pocketed the soul pill, glanced at the massive dragon corpse on the ground, and said, “This Winged Dragon was quite peculiar—its physical strength and defense far exceeded those of ordinary Winged Dragons.”
Zhang Ruochen dug out the sacred source from the Winged Dragon Blood Beast’s body and stored it in his Space Ring. “I destroyed the Blood God Sect Leader’s Saint Soul Doppelganger. His true form must have sensed it and is likely heading to the Endless Abyss.”
The Blood Moon Ghost King said flatly, “At my current level, I’m no match for the Blood God Sect Leader. I suggest you flee quickly.”
Then, the Blood Moon Ghost King entered the Scroll World, unwilling to intervene further.
…
Zhang Ruochen had severely underestimated the connection between a Saint Soul Doppelganger and its true form. In fact, everything the doppelganger saw and heard was instantly perceived by the true form.
By the time Zhang Ruochen summoned the Blood Moon Ghost King, the Blood God Sect Leader’s true form had already been alerted.
He slowly opened his eyes, gazing toward the Endless Abyss, muttering to himself, “The Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, and a Ghost King—they’ve reached the Endless Abyss through a Space Teleportation Array. They must not discover the secrets of the Endless Abyss. They must be eliminated.”
“Whoosh!”
The Blood God Sect Leader transformed into a streak of blood light, soaring into the sky and flying toward the Ancient Snow Mountains, heading for the Endless Abyss.
At the first gradient of the Endless Abyss.
Zhang Ruochen took out a light-attribute spirit crystal, holding it in his hand to illuminate the surroundings. He looked toward the location of the Space Teleportation Array, intending to escape through it.
But he found that during his fight with the Blood God Sect Leader’s Saint Soul Doppelganger, Xiao Hei had already dug up the Space Teleportation Array and stored it in his Space Bracelet.
“What are you doing?” Zhang Ruochen demanded.
Xiao Hei tightly covered his Space Bracelet, afraid Zhang Ruochen would take it, and said, “This Space Teleportation Array can lead to Ghost Gate Pass. It must not be damaged. I’ll keep it safe for now.”
“Take it out immediately. We need to escape through it now.”
Zhang Ruochen shouted, growing anxious because the Blood God Sect Leader could arrive at any moment.
Xiao Hei sneered, “Trying to trick me into handing over the Space Teleportation Array? I’m far too clever to fall for that.”
Just then, Zhang Ruochen felt a terrifying sacred might pressing down from above, causing the air and ground to tremble.
“Damn it…”
Zhang Ruochen’s face turned grim. He looked up to see a mass of dark red clouds rapidly descending from the pitch-black sky, soon hovering directly above him and Xiao Hei.
The blood mist slowly rotated, emitting a rumbling thunder.
Without a doubt, it was the true form of the Blood God Sect Leader arriving. He had come too fast—even if Xiao Hei hadn’t wasted time, Zhang Ruochen likely wouldn’t have escaped.
Xiao Hei looked up, also stunned, and gasped, “Zhang Ruochen, you… you should have warned me earlier. Maybe we could have escaped.”
Zhang Ruochen rolled his eyes. The blame-shifting was way too fast.
“Zhang Ruochen, where is that Ghost King?”
A deep, resonant voice came from the blood cloud.
The sacred might emanating from the Blood God Sect Leader was so overwhelming that Zhang Ruochen couldn’t stay standing. He could only kneel on one knee, using his hands to support himself against the ground to avoid collapsing.
Their cultivation levels were worlds apart, like a god looking down on a mortal.
Just as Zhang Ruochen thought he wouldn’t escape today, the pressure on him suddenly lifted.
What’s happening?
Zhang Ruochen looked up and forward.
An old man in gray robes emerged unhurriedly from the darkness, walking to Zhang Ruochen’s side.
The gray-robed old man’s aura formed a light shield, protecting Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei, blocking the Blood God Sect Leader’s sacred might.
“It’s him.”
Zhang Ruochen recognized the gray-robed old man—the Supreme Elder of the Blood God Sect, stationed atop Qian Yuan Mountain, guarding the Blood God Diagram.
Zhang Ruochen had met him once while meditating on the Blood God Diagram.
How had he come to the Endless Abyss?
The gray-robed old man smiled and nodded slightly at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was startled, wondering if the old man had recognized him. Or perhaps, when Zhang Ruochen meditated on the Blood God Diagram at Qian Yuan Mountain, he hadn’t fooled him at all.
The gray-robed old man looked up at the blood cloud, his spirit and energy sharpening, becoming fierce and aggressive. He called out, “Lin Yuan, will you continue down this wrong path?”
…
(Minor Fish asks for support again. Thank you.) (To be continued. If you like this work, your support is my greatest motivation.)