Chapter 1187: Prince Xia
Having reached the fiftieth level of spiritual power intensity, Zhang Ruochen could withstand a much greater influx of memories and sacred path insights, absorbing all the gains from his fourth life with ease.
After integrating the memories and sacred path insights of his fourth life, Zhang Ruochen immediately began fusing those of his fifth life.
Training within the "Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram" was itself a form of cultivation; the more one experienced, the more one comprehended.
Zhang Ruochen's sacred path insights continuously increased, and his understanding of sacred path rules grew clearer. This state was quite mysterious, intoxicating to experience.
Who knew how much time had passed before Zhang Ruochen finally fully absorbed the memories and sacred path insights of his fifth life, reaching a state of complete mastery.
"With my current state, I should be able to summon the tribulation clouds for my second quasi-saint tribulation."
The second quasi-saint tribulation, known as the "Eight-Nine Tribulation," required enduring seventy-two tribulation thunderbolts. Stacked together, it was several times more ferocious than the first quasi-saint tribulation, greatly increasing the danger.
One had to understand that once he underwent the tribulation, Zhang Ruochen would certainly be unable to maintain the perfect state of the Formless Formless Thirty-Six Transformations, and would likely reveal flaws. If that unfathomably powerful Sect Leader's Wife discovered his true identity, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Zhang Ruochen did not rashly undergo the tribulation. Instead, he temporarily suppressed his cultivation, planning to wait until he left Moyou Valley before crossing it.
Having fused the memories and sacred path insights of two lives in succession, Zhang Ruochen finally fully comprehended "Sword Six," reaching the state of Great Perfection.
Completing this step, Zhang Ruochen was now not far from the realm of a Sword Saint.
Next, he would begin to comprehend Sword Seven. Once he fully understood the ten levels of Sword Seven, Zhang Ruochen would soon become a true Sword Saint.
Throughout the entire Kunlun Realm, every Sword Saint was a figure of great renown, revered by sword cultivators across the world.
If a Sword Saint established a sect, they would immediately attract a large number of talented cultivators eager to become disciples. Such fame and glory were unmatched by ordinary saints.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen's most urgent task at this stage was to elevate his cultivation realm.
Only by training martial arts to the Saint Realm could he lay the foundation for using all martial techniques.
After fusing the memories of two lives, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power intensity had greatly improved, now only a step away from the fifty-first level.
Once spiritual power intensity reached the fiftieth level, the difficulty of improvement would increase dramatically. Each level was like a major realm, requiring a great deal of time for a chance to break through.
Just a few days ago, Zhang Ruochen had cultivated his spiritual power to the fiftieth level. Now, he had already reached the peak of the fiftieth level, on the verge of breaking through to the fifty-first.
Such a rate of improvement was enough to make all spiritual power saints in the world envious.
Just as Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power, he inadvertently detected the figure of Princess Mo Ran, who was walking toward his cultivation residence.
Zhang Ruochen knew that Princess Mo Ran was also a formidable figure, so he had always been very cautious when interacting with her.
"Whoosh—"
His vast spiritual power flowed back like a tide, entering Zhang Ruochen's sacred heart and concealing itself.
A moment later, Princess Mo Ran, holding a jade flute, pushed open the door and entered, smiling. "It seems the Divine Son's injuries have fully healed?"
"They've recovered about seventy or eighty percent."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, his gaze fixed on her, and asked, "Now, can you take me to see the Sect Leader's Wife?"
"Since the Divine Son's injuries have healed, it's only natural to meet the Master."
Princess Mo Ran's delicate body twisted slightly as she leaned close to Zhang Ruochen, extending a pair of soft, jade-like hands to take his arm.
Her body seemed boneless—light, soft, and warm. Even through layers of robes, it felt incredibly alluring.
Their posture was quite intimate as they walked through the peach grove, drawing many strange looks.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen sensed a strong killing intent and hostility. Curious, he thought, "Someone in Moyou Valley wants to kill me."
Zhang Ruochen did not turn his head but used his spiritual power to investigate.
The killing intent came from a somewhat aged middle-aged man. He was slightly stout, but his eyes were as sharp as a venomous snake's.
"What powerful cultivation."
Zhang Ruochen was secretly shocked. With his current spiritual power intensity, he could not even detect the other's cultivation level.
This showed that the man's cultivation had definitely surpassed the Upper Realm Saint level, reaching at least the fourth Saint realm, "Xuanhuang Realm," or even stronger.
Such a figure, in the Blood God Sect, could rival the Palace Masters of the Cross Heaven Palaces. He was a top-tier figure in the entire cultivation world.
"His killing intent is directed at me, but I've never seen him before. There's no enmity between us."
Zhang Ruochen showed a thoughtful expression, then glanced at Princess Mo Ran beside him.
Could it be related to her?
Suddenly, a thought struck Zhang Ruochen, as if he had remembered something. A smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Could it be the Azure Dragon Emperor?"
Thinking this, Zhang Ruochen decided to test it.
So, he deliberately extended a hand and took the initiative to wrap it around Princess Mo Ran's slender waist.
Sure enough, the killing intent grew even stronger.
A cold wind blew through the peach grove, scattering petals everywhere.
The person hiding in the shadows did not attack, and the killing intent quickly dissipated.
"It really is the Azure Dragon Emperor."
Zhang Ruochen sighed softly. He had gained another enemy for no reason, and a formidable one at that.
To be honest, Zhang Ruochen felt a bit guilty. After all, Princess Mo Ran was the Azure Dragon Emperor's consort, yet now she was held in his arms.
Just thinking about it, one could imagine how devastated the Azure Dragon Emperor's heart must be.
Zhang Ruochen was not naive enough to think the Azure Dragon Emperor dared not kill him. He suspected that behind the Azure Dragon Emperor, there was an even more powerful figure applying pressure.
The Sect Leader's Wife.
"That Sect Leader's Wife is no simple character," Zhang Ruochen mused.
Just as Zhang Ruochen and Princess Mo Ran were heading to pay respects to the Sect Leader's Wife, two major figures from the Yellow Heaven Tribe, one of the ten great tribes of the Undying Blood Clan, arrived at Tiantai Prefecture.
In fact, the vast majority of Undying Blood Clan members lurking in the Blood God Sect were from the Yellow Heaven Tribe.
The Yellow Heaven Tribe had begun laying the groundwork in the Blood God Sect centuries ago, aiming to take over the sect at minimal cost and control this ancient sect.
Now, the time was ripe for them to seize control of the Blood God Sect and attack the Central Domain.
At this moment, in a mansion in the City of Evil, soldiers clad in iron armor stood in formation. Their pupils were all blood-red, exuding a bloodthirsty aura that created a somber atmosphere.
"Boom!"
Elder Yuan Gui smashed through a wall, flying out of a room and crashing onto the hard stone floor, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.
On his face was a red, swollen mark, clearly from being slapped.
Elder Yuan Gui was one of the six great sacred elders. How noble was his status and identity? His cultivation was also unfathomable. Who would dare strike him like this?
"You worthless piece of trash! The Yellow Heaven Tribe spent centuries laying the groundwork in the Blood God Sect, investing countless manpower and resources to reach today's situation. And you? In just a few days, you've squandered more than half of the Yellow Heaven Tribe's efforts. How dare you still show your face before this Prince?"
Prince Xia walked out of the room, clad in a golden python robe, looking spirited. His skin emitted a golden radiance, and every move he made carried a powerful energy fluctuation.
Following him, the Yellow Heaven Princess also emerged, standing beside Prince Xia, staring at Elder Yuan Gui with a cold, indifferent gaze.
Elder Yuan Gui climbed to his feet and knelt on the ground, devoid of any saintly dignity, pleading, "Spare me, Prince! Spare me, Princess! Even if I have no merit, I have toiled. Although the Yellow Heaven Tribe's losses are severe, we still have a chance to take control of the Blood God Sect. Only I know of that opportunity."
The Yellow Heaven Princess's eyes flickered as she walked toward Elder Yuan Gui. "The saints and half-saints of the Yellow Heaven Tribe lurking in the Blood God Sect have mostly been purged. What opportunity? What chance remains?"
"Besides the Yellow Heaven Tribe, another mysterious Undying Blood Clan force is also lurking in the Blood God Sect. However, I still don't know which tribe they specifically belong to," Elder Yuan Gui continued. "If our two forces join hands, taking control of the Blood God Sect shouldn't be difficult."
"Another tribe has also sent a large force to lurk in the Blood God Sect?"
The Yellow Heaven Princess frowned, deep in thought. Then, she patted Elder Yuan Gui's shoulder and said, "Get up. Tell us more about this matter."
Elder Yuan Gui let out a long breath, as if pardoned, and said, "I suspect that the Sect Leader's Wife of the Blood God Sect might be an agent planted by a certain tribe. I discovered this secret by chance and contacted her once, reaching some secret agreements."
"What does the Sect Leader's Wife look like? How high is her cultivation?" Prince Xia asked.
He wanted to deduce the Sect Leader's Wife's identity within the Undying Blood Clan based on Elder Yuan Gui's description.
Elder Yuan Gui shook his head. "I couldn't see her face clearly, nor could I discern her cultivation. Looking at her felt like gazing at the sea or the starry sky—unfathomable."
...
(I'm having severe writer's block today, writing extremely slowly. I'll organize my thoughts tomorrow and try to write more smoothly.)