# Chapter 1171: Vice Palace Master
Six spiritual mountains stood tall at six directions around the Hidden Dragon Hall, like six heaven-supporting pillars piercing into the clouds, appearing majestic and grand.
Beneath the night sky, a black treasure robe was spread flat, suspended between the six spiritual mountains, emitting strands of black dark light that hung straight down, enveloping the entire Hidden Dragon Hall.
Other cultivators in the Blood God Sect could not detect the changes occurring within the Hidden Dragon Hall at all.
"Divine Son, Your Highness, this person is the Vice Palace Master of the Chaos Word Heavenly Palace, Liao Teng. Not long ago, his cultivation broke through to the Middle Stage Saint realm, far surpassing Saint Hongyuan in power."
Zhao Shiqi transmitted a stream of spiritual power, revealing the opponent's background to Zhang Ruochen.
Liao Teng's five senses were sharp; he detected the spiritual power fluctuation and glanced toward Zhao Shiqi's hiding place, letting out a cold snort.
"Pfft."
Zhao Shiqi appeared from the top of a tower, blood flowing from his seven orifices. He slid down the glazed tiles and crashed heavily to the ground, severely injured, unable to get back up.
The cold snort Liao Teng had just released carried Saintly force, something Zhao Shiqi simply could not withstand.
Before a Middle Stage Saint, beings who had not entered the Saint realm were indeed like ants. With just a single word or a breath, Liao Teng could kill a quasi-Saint level being.
Of course, there were exceptions.
For instance, Zhang Ruochen sat steadily on the stone bench from start to finish, appearing calm and unruffled.
Liao Teng was also somewhat surprised inwardly. "A mere First Tribulation quasi-Saint can actually neutralize my Saintly might without a trace. No wonder you could kill Saint Hongyuan—you do have some skill. However, before me, you are still no different from a child who has just learned to walk."
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen wore a faint smile, his fingers playing with a luminous cup on the stone table, appearing completely unconcerned.
Qing Mo stood in the shadows, asking Zhang Ruochen via mental transmission whether she should act and capture Liao Teng.
Zhang Ruochen told her not to act for now—he wanted to personally test Liao Teng's strength.
Liao Teng had only recently broken through to the Middle Stage Saint realm, and Zhang Ruochen had just crossed his first quasi-Saint tribulation.
Zhang Ruochen very much wanted to know whether his current strength could contend with a Middle Stage Saint.
Liao Teng's gaze locked onto the Saint Source, speculating that Gu Linfeng must have even more precious treasures on him. If he killed him, his wealth would skyrocket.
"Die."
Liao Teng pinched two fingers together in the void, appearing extremely elegant, using Saint Qi to condense a blood-red leaf and strike it down toward Gu Linfeng below.
The leaf spun rapidly, turning into a beam of light, producing a series of explosive sounds.
Zhang Ruochen's five fingers tightened. With a crack, the luminous cup shattered into over a dozen fragments, flying upward like a meteor shower.
One of the fragments collided with the blood-red leaf, and both annihilated simultaneously.
The other fragments continued flying upward, striking toward Liao Teng.
Liao Teng let out a soft exclamation of surprise. He had thought a single leaf would be enough to kill Gu Linfeng, but it seemed he had underestimated him.
Liao Teng spread his right palm and pressed downward, shattering all the fragments of the luminous cup.
The palm print grew larger and larger, becoming several hundred meters long, pressing downward. Every palm line was clearly visible, as if it intended to flatten the entire Hidden Dragon Hall.
Zhang Ruochen rose from the ground, raised his left arm, and pressed upward. A blood-red dragon shadow emerged from his arm, emitting a dragon roar.
The two palm forces collided, briefly locked in stalemate.
Zhang Ruochen felt a mountain-toppling, sea-overturning force coming from his left arm, as if heaven and earth were pressing down on him, forcing him to descend continuously.
Liao Teng snorted coldly. "You actually want to exchange palm strikes with me? Are you seeking death?"
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his Saint Qi, injecting it into the Seven Kill Fist Gloves, activating the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force. At the same time, he unleashed his physical strength, causing all one hundred and thirty-two acupoints on his body to flare with bright light, interweaving into a mysterious star chart.
Zhang Ruochen's palm power surged dramatically, erupting violently, tearing apart the several-hundred-meter-long giant handprint and counterattacking toward Liao Teng.
Although Liao Teng was surprised, his reaction speed was not slow. His true body charged forward and clashed palm-to-palm with Zhang Ruochen.
Even with the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force activated, Zhang Ruochen could not withstand it. He was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall of a spiritual mountain.
The geological structure of the spiritual mountain was extremely stable, far surpassing ordinary mountains. Thus, enduring such an impact, only a small section collapsed, and the mountain did not topple.
"Again."
Zhang Ruochen was not injured. He shot out from the mountain body, rapidly forming dozens of hand seals, attacking Liao Teng.
"Bang, bang."
The two figures collided rapidly, producing a series of loud sounds.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen could not withstand Liao Teng's attacks. He plummeted rapidly from midair, landing on the ground, shattering the jade-paved courtyard, half his body sinking into the earth.
The entire courtyard was covered in cracks, and even the defensive formations on the ground were broken.
Although Gu Linfeng had lost, Ji Shui was still shocked. "This kid is too formidable! He has only just crossed his first quasi-Saint tribulation, yet he can already fight a Middle Stage Saint."
Of course, no matter how powerful he was, there was still a huge gap between him and a Middle Stage Saint. He would surely die tonight.
Liao Teng flew down, stopping several zhang above the ground, like a divine being, looking down at the people below. He said meaningfully, "No wonder Saint Hongyuan died by your hand—you have already cultivated your physical body to such a level. Even I would need to expend some effort to kill you."
Zhang Ruochen used Saint Qi to envelop his entire body, flew up, landed on the ground, and flicked the dust off his sleeves. "A newly breakthrough Middle Stage Saint is actually this powerful. It seems I will have to use my true strength to contend."
"What are you saying? You haven't used your full power yet?"
Liao Teng did not believe Gu Linfeng had any more powerful methods, thinking he was just bluffing.
Zhang Ruochen's fingers quickly swept across his Space Ring, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword immediately appeared in his hand. In an instant, his entire aura changed, becoming incredibly sharp.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of sword light—a Saint Art-level sword strike—slashed across, as fast as lightning, sweeping past Liao Teng's neck, cutting off a strand of hair.
Liao Teng was somewhat alarmed. He had not expected Gu Linfeng to be a sword dao expert. If he had been half a beat slower in reacting, he might have been injured.
Zhang Ruochen activated the True One Thunder Fire Sword Technique, causing Saint Qi and heaven and earth spiritual energy to automatically condense into thunder and lightning, merging with the sword strike.
Liao Teng did not recognize the Abyssal Ancient Sword, but he could sense that the sword was extremely dangerous. Therefore, he did not dare touch it with his hands and could only dodge continuously.
After dodging dozens of sword strikes, Liao Teng felt stifled. As a Middle Stage Saint, dodging the attacks of a quasi-Saint—what kind of dignity was that?
"Blood Calamity Finger."
Liao Teng extended his middle finger, which took on a metallic luster, striking the side of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, sending Zhang Ruochen flying backward.
Then, Liao Teng fully activated the Saint Qi within his body, condensing a vast, surging blood cloud that shook all six spiritual mountains.
At this moment, Liao Teng's power rose step by step, reaching a terrifying height.
"Gu Linfeng, you have forced me to use my full power. Even if you go down to the Yellow Spring, you can be proud of yourself."
Liao Teng's arms rotated, causing the blood cloud to churn violently. Two streams of Saintly force twisted together, forming a half-solid, half-illusory long spear that struck toward Zhang Ruochen's heart.
A full-power strike from a Middle Stage Saint was absolutely no small matter.
Zhang Ruochen did not dare underestimate his opponent. He also used his full power, first activating the Hundred Saint Blood Armor, wrapping his entire body, condensing ten Saint shadows at ten positions around him.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen continuously poured Saint Qi into the Abyssal Ancient Sword, activating three thousand inscription patterns. The vast sword aura enveloped all six spiritual mountains.
Zhang Ruochen slashed downward with his sword, possessing the terrifying power to split heaven and earth, tearing apart the half-solid, half-illusory long spear and landing on Liao Teng's head.
"Pfft."
Liao Teng could not block this sword strike. A terrifying three-foot-long bloody wound appeared from his right shoulder to his abdomen, with a row of ribs severed. He was nearly split in two.
Liao Teng let out a scream, rapidly flying toward the ground, taking out a bottle of Saint blood and pouring it into his mouth.
After drinking the Saint blood, the sword wound on his chest healed at a visible rate.
"You are not Gu Linfeng. Who are you?"
Liao Teng was extremely furious. He had never suffered such a great loss, nearly dying. Even now, thinking about it sent chills down his spine.
Ji Shui was also greatly shocked. The sword strike Gu Linfeng had just unleashed was terrifying to the extreme, as if it could separate heaven and earth. Fortunately, the Hidden Dragon Hall was protected by a mysterious force that blocked the sword aura, preventing damage.
"Wait... that sword..."
Ji Shui recognized the sword in Gu Linfeng's hand. It was too familiar, causing an image of an outstanding, handsome figure to emerge in her mind.
Not long ago, in Ying Sha City of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, Ji Shui and the human cultivators had fought until they were exhausted, thinking they would surely die.
Then that man appeared, single-handedly changing the entire battle situation, saving a city full of human elites, clashing with over a dozen beast kings, like a war god. At that time, even Ji Shui's cold heart began to beat rapidly, giving rise to a trace of admiration and worship.
However, Ji Shui was well aware that that man was like a young emperor, destined to become a legend of the human race, someone she could never hope to approach.
After all, Ji Shui was also a woman. How could she not feel admiration upon meeting an extraordinary genius like the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen?
How could the sword of the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, appear in Gu Linfeng's hands?
Ji Shui looked more and more, feeling something was off. The Gu Linfeng before her now was too similar to that man she had once admired—not in appearance, but in the aura he carried: sharp, proud, transcendent, like a peerless sword saint.
"Could it be... that's impossible..."
A bold guess surfaced in Ji Shui's mind, yet she found it hard to believe.