Chapter 1190: Physical Body Achieving Sainthood
Shi Shenghua had completely brought this upon herself. She actually dared to rebel when Zhang Ruochen was at his weakest, attempting to drain her own master. No one could tolerate such an act. Even if he didn't destroy her, he had to teach her a profound lesson.
Zhang Ruochen ignored Shi Shenghua's pleas for mercy and silently circulated the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*, channeling sacred energy through his body in a cyclical path.
Having crossed the second quasi-saint tribulation, a vast surge of life force erupted from within Zhang Ruochen, rapidly healing his shattered body.
The lightning within his meridians, blood vessels, and sacred veins merged into his flesh and blood, becoming part of Zhang Ruochen's body.
Before long, at the bottom of the magma, Zhang Ruochen's physical form was fully restored, stronger than ever before. Every inch of his skin shimmered with sacred light, and every drop of blood contained explosive power.
"Having crossed the second quasi-saint tribulation, my body has been further strengthened. Now is the time to break through the final aperture."
A fierce determination arose in Zhang Ruochen's heart. He clenched his fists, mobilized all the blood energy in his body, and injected it into his ten blood spirit veins.
"Boom, rumble."
The ten blood spirit veins transformed into ten surging, mighty rivers, emitting earth-shaking sounds as they charged straight toward the Shen Ting aperture in his head.
Zhang Ruochen's entire body trembled. Ten blood-red channels could be clearly seen following ten mysterious paths, converging at his head.
Once the final aperture was broken, he would achieve physical sainthood.
...
...
Princess Mo Ran stood hundreds of miles away, watching the tribulation clouds in the sky gradually dissipate. She let out a long breath.
This entire stretch of land had turned into scorched earth. The once layered and undulating primeval forest was now unrecognizable, with flames burning in many places and thick smoke rising.
"Seventy-two tribulation lightning bolts all fell. Could it be that Gu Linfeng has crossed the second quasi-saint tribulation?" Princess Mo Ran muttered to herself.
This was an incredibly astonishing thought. The lightning tribulation just now had been so ferocious that even she would have struggled to withstand it. Yet, Gu Linfeng had held on until the very end.
With a puzzled mind, Princess Mo Ran took a step and moved toward the central area of the scorched earth.
However, she had only advanced a few dozen miles when golden light appeared in the sky, condensing into a patch of golden clouds.
The golden clouds looked as if they were formed by countless rivers converging, constantly shifting shapes in the sky, appearing exceptionally magnificent.
Yet, it was this very cloud that made Princess Mo Ran feel an extreme danger, seemingly even more terrifying than the previous tribulation clouds.
"What's happening? Has another tribulation cloud formed? A golden one?"
Princess Mo Ran turned into a blur and rapidly retreated, once again pulling back from that area. Her heart was filled with doubt and uncertainty, unsure of what was happening.
It wasn't just the golden tribulation clouds forming in the sky.
The earth for a thousand miles around also began to tremble gently.
The earth veins hidden deep underground changed direction, converging toward the center of the tribulation clouds.
"Swoosh—"
A pillar of red blood energy shot up from afar, rushing straight into the golden tribulation clouds.
Immediately, the golden tribulation clouds began to churn violently. The next moment, a golden waterfall fell from the clouds, plummeting toward the ground.
"Boom, rumble."
The earth shook even more violently. Dense black smoke rose into the sky, plunging everything into darkness.
Princess Mo Ran naturally didn't know that, just moments ago, Zhang Ruochen had broken through the final aperture at the top of his head, opening all one hundred and forty-four apertures in his body. If he could withstand the test of the tribulation lightning, he would achieve physical sainthood.
Cultivators who achieved physical sainthood didn't need to cross three quasi-saint tribulations. However, they had to endure both the heavenly tribulation and the earthly tribulation simultaneously.
The heavenly tribulation referred to the golden tribulation clouds in the sky.
The earthly tribulation referred to the terrain impact formed by the converging earth veins. This impact could melt rock, tear apart continental plates, and generate tens of thousands of times the gravitational pressure.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen was enduring the dual assault of the heavenly and earthly tribulations. Crackling sounds echoed from within his body, and even his bones felt as if they were about to shatter.
"Hold on. I must hold on."
Zhang Ruochen was well aware that while the heavenly and earthly tribulations sought to destroy him, this process was also a form of tempering for his body.
Only by enduring such pain could he truly achieve physical sainthood.
The difference between a physical cultivator who had sanctified one hundred and forty-three apertures and a saint who had achieved physical sainthood was like the difference between the ground and the sky.
As a saint, Princess Mo Ran had a broad knowledge base and quickly figured out what was happening. "Crossing the heavenly tribulation and triggering the earthly tribulation. Could it be that Gu Linfeng is about to achieve physical sainthood?"
She knew that cultivators who achieved physical sainthood were synonymous with invincibility at the same cultivation level, even half a step stronger than sword saints.
The several crown princes of the Undying Blood Clan were all prodigies with innate advantages, yet they had encountered tremendous difficulties in training their physical bodies.
Was Gu Linfeng so easily able to cultivate his body to the saint realm?
The heavenly and earthly tribulations lasted for about an hour before slowly receding.
The sky cleared again, and the earth returned to calm.
"It's finally over."
Princess Mo Ran was eager to know the result. She activated her movement technique and rushed toward the epicenter of the heavenly and earthly tribulations. There, she saw that the central area had completely turned into a lake of magma. The mountains and trees had long since vanished.
Princess Mo Ran wrapped herself in sacred energy, hovering above the magma lake, and couldn't help but gasp in shock.
Under the assault of the second quasi-saint tribulation, the heavenly tribulation, and the earthly tribulation, such terrifying destructive power had been unleashed, enough to horrify even a saint.
"There's no life fluctuation. Gu Linfeng must have failed to cross the final heavenly and earthly tribulations."
Princess Mo Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief. If Gu Linfeng had truly survived both tribulations and achieved physical sainthood, then even she might not be his match.
But thinking about it carefully, this was only natural. Since ancient times, countless geniuses had died under tribulation lightning, some even more outstanding than Gu Linfeng.
After careful consideration, Princess Mo Ran decided to first send a message to the Sect Leader's wife.
After all, Gu Linfeng's death was no small matter. It had disrupted the Sect Leader's wife's plans and arrangements.
"Splash!"
Suddenly, a whirlpool appeared in the magma lake beneath Princess Mo Ran, growing larger and larger. Powerful energy fluctuations surged from the center of the whirlpool.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen flew out from the bottom of the whirlpool, charging straight at Princess Mo Ran.
Princess Mo Ran felt a powerful gust of wind rushing toward her face. Instinctively, she extended her arms and struck forward.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen's physical body was extremely formidable. He collided with Princess Mo Ran, sending her flying backward.
Princess Mo Ran felt as if all her bones were about to scatter. She mobilized all the sacred energy in her body to neutralize the impact.
Her feet stepped more than a dozen times on the surface of the magma lake before she finally stopped. Her chest heaved with anger. "Gu Linfeng, what are you doing?"
"Killing you."
Zhang Ruochen's words were direct. He charged forward again.
Since they were already very close, with Zhang Ruochen's current speed, he reached Princess Mo Ran in an instant.
"Bam, bam."
Zhang Ruochen's entire body radiated golden sacred light. Without using any sacred artifacts, he relied solely on his physical strength, striking out palm after palm.
The force emanating from his palms carried an overwhelming momentum, forcing Princess Mo Ran, an upper-level saint, to retreat, unable to withstand the assault.
Back in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, Princess Mo Ran and Zhang Ruochen had already formed a grudge. Now that he had achieved physical sainthood and had the chance to kill her, why would he let her go?
Moreover, Princess Mo Ran was working for the Undying Blood Clan, which alone made her deserving of death.
After sixty-three consecutive clashes, Princess Mo Ran could no longer withstand Zhang Ruochen's palm strikes. She spat out a mouthful of sacred blood and was sent flying backward. Her hair bun came undone, and her long hair scattered.
Princess Mo Ran was both shocked and furious. She never imagined that Gu Linfeng had become so powerful, nor did she expect him to dare strike her so ruthlessly.
"Gu Linfeng, you're far too bold. What exactly are you trying to do?" Princess Mo Ran wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and spoke coldly.
Zhang Ruochen raised his hands, feeling the immense power after achieving physical sainthood. With a slight movement of his palm, the air cracked and popped.
"What am I doing? Didn't I already say so?"
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to waste more words with Princess Mo Ran. He channeled sacred energy into the blood-red belt at his waist, and the belt transformed into the Ten Saint Blood Armor, covering his entire body.
"Seven-Aperture Blood Nether Palm."
The seven apertures in Zhang Ruochen's palm fully opened, and a vast blood cloud condensed. Immediately, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became turbulent.
The phantom of the Nether King manifested behind Zhang Ruochen, resembling a demon god.
After achieving physical sainthood, executing the Seven-Aperture Blood Nether Palm again, the power of the palm technique reached a terrifying level. Even before he struck, it already gave Princess Mo Ran an immense sense of pressure.
Princess Mo Ran was certain that Gu Linfeng truly intended to kill her.
What she couldn't understand was, why?
Even if Gu Linfeng didn't want to join the Undying Blood Clan, there was no need to kill her.
Wasn't he a man who coveted beauty? How could he bear to kill a woman like her?
There was only one possibility: Gu Linfeng had been pretending all along. This man wasn't greedy for beauty, nor was he arrogant. Instead, he had been feigning weakness and biding his time.
Realizing this, Princess Mo Ran no longer underestimated Gu Linfeng. She took out a square bronze seal, held it between her hands, mobilized all her sacred energy, and poured it inside.
This bronze seal was one of the treasures of the Azure Dragon Dynasty. On its surface was carved a lifelike azure dragon.
"Roar!"
Dragon roars echoed from within the bronze seal.
Princess Mo Ran swung her arm, and the bronze seal flew up, growing larger and larger until it was over four hundred meters tall, wide, and long. It emitted vast, billowing green mist. Within the mist, a massive dragon shadow materialized, tightly coiling around the enormous bronze seal.