Chapter 1191: Battle Against an Upper Realm Saint
The Seven Orifices Blood Nether Palm and the Bronze Seal exploded in a massive collision, causing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to violently tremble. The booming sound was so intense it felt like eardrums would shatter. Within a radius of a thousand miles, all clouds shattered and dissipated into nothingness.
This clash turned out to be evenly matched.
"How is this possible? The Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force couldn't even break his physical body?"
Mo Ran Princess Consort's peerlessly beautiful face turned somewhat pale as she retreated again, putting distance between herself and Gu Linfeng standing across from her.
In the dust, Gu Linfeng's figure remained perfectly upright, his entire body radiating golden light.
The Bronze Seal was called the "Azure Dragon Emperor Seal."
Just now, Mo Ran Princess Consort had activated three thousand inscription patterns within the Azure Dragon Emperor Seal, unleashing a powerful Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force, yet Gu Linfeng had repelled it with a mere palm strike of his physical body. How could she not be shocked?
Gu Linfeng had only just achieved physical sainthood—was he already able to contend with an Upper Realm Saint?
Were those who achieved physical sainthood truly this terrifying?
Zhang Ruochen stamped his foot on the void, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring. A series of sonic booms echoed through the air behind him, leaving a long trail of thunder and fire that extended all the way to where Mo Ran Princess Consort stood.
Zhang Ruochen struck out with his palm. The twelve-winged Nether King phantom appeared once more, accompanied by a vast, boundless surge of blood qi.
Mo Ran Princess Consort felt as though all the scenery around her had vanished, and she was trapped within a massive vortex of blood qi.
Suddenly, a colossal demon god phantom manifested, striking down toward the top of her head.
"Not good."
Mo Ran Princess Consort raised the Azure Dragon Emperor Seal and struck forward.
"Boom!"
Mo Ran Princess Consort couldn't withstand that force. Her body plummeted downward, crashing into the ground and creating a deep depression, with cracked patterns spreading in all directions.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained indifferent. He showed no mercy despite Mo Ran Princess Consort's stunning beauty. As long as someone was an enemy, he harbored the conviction to kill without hesitation or softness of heart.
After all, Mo Ran Princess Consort was an Upper Realm Saint with considerable cultivation. She wasn't dead. She flew up from underground and landed across from Zhang Ruochen.
Her hair and clothes were unusually disheveled, with sacred blood flowing in some places and mud stains clinging to others.
Since becoming a saint, Mo Ran Princess Consort had never been so humiliated—especially when fighting male cultivators. A single glance from her was usually enough to make them fall at her feet. Why would she need to conquer them through battle?
"Hateful! Gu Linfeng, you dare try to kill me? You dare betray the Lady? Aren't you afraid she will annihilate you?" Mo Ran Princess Consort bared a mouthful of snow-white teeth, her gaze exceptionally sharp.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I never pledged allegiance to her, so how can you speak of betrayal? For anyone working for the Undying Blood Clan, I have only one word: kill."
"Even if you've achieved physical sainthood, so what? Once the Lady learns of your disloyalty, even from a hundred thousand miles away, she can destroy you. You can never imagine how powerful the Lady truly is."
Mo Ran Princess Consort knew very well that even if she exerted all her strength, she could at best fight Gu Linfeng to a draw. She couldn't kill him.
But if she let Gu Linfeng leave, her identity and that of the Sect Leader's Lady would be exposed, making them targets for all human cultivators to hunt down.
So, with a thought, Mo Ran Princess Consort flicked her finger and launched a Message Light Talisman.
With the speed of a Message Light Talisman, the message could reach Mo You Valley in an instant.
Once the Sect Leader's Lady learned of this, she would surely use extraordinary means to suppress and kill Gu Linfeng across the void.
If it had been anyone else, they definitely couldn't have intercepted the Message Light Talisman, whose speed could reach that of light.
Zhang Ruochen had been on guard for this all along. The moment Mo Ran Princess Consort launched the Message Light Talisman, he vanished from his spot, traversing space to appear over a dozen miles away, grabbing the flying talisman.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen crushed the Message Light Talisman, letting grains of white jade powder slip through his fingers.
"Space... Great Space Teleportation... You are... you are the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen..." Mo Ran Princess Consort's beautiful eyes widened as she felt her entire world turning upside down.
Mo Ran Princess Consort had never imagined that the person she had been searching for had been right by her side all along.
Zhang Ruochen stood in midair, looking calm and composed, a faint smile on his face: "Princess Consort, we parted ways in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm. Who would have thought we'd meet again so soon?"
"Excellent, excellent. Since it's you, hand over the World Spirit of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm immediately!" Mo Ran Princess Consort said coldly.
"Why should I hand it over? Do you have the strength to take it back?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"It seems I'll have to show you my true power as a saint, so you understand that the combat strength of an Upper Realm Saint is not something a junior who has just entered the Saint Realm can match."
Blood-red sacred qi surged beneath Mo Ran Princess Consort's feet, forming a cloud covering hundreds of miles. A massive sacred image rose from the cloud, standing behind her.
By activating her sacred image, the aura radiating from Mo Ran Princess Consort became far more powerful than before.
"Whoosh!"
The Azure Dragon Emperor Seal rose again, with layers of azure inscription patterns emerging.
The Azure Dragon Emperor Seal was an extremely powerful Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact, with over eight thousand inscription patterns carved inside. Once fully activated, its unleashed power could easily suppress and kill saints.
With Mo Ran Princess Consort's cultivation, even exerting her full strength, she could only activate four thousand inscription patterns, unable to unleash its complete power.
Of course, even four thousand inscription patterns were already terrifying. Other Upper Realm Saints without an equally powerful Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact simply couldn't withstand such a fearsome attack.
It was worth noting that Mo Ran Princess Consort had only recently broken through to the Upper Realm Saint level, making her one of the weaker Upper Realm Saints. Yet, with the Azure Dragon Emperor Seal's enhancement, she could rank among the stronger ones.
Earlier, when Mo Ran Princess Consort clashed with Zhang Ruochen, she had only activated three thousand inscription patterns.
"Boom."
As four thousand inscription patterns emerged, the Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force transformed into azure flames, dyeing both sky and earth in blue.
Affected by that Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force, the ten sacred shadows flying around Zhang Ruochen all shattered. An invisible force shook Zhang Ruochen so much that he couldn't stand steady and had to retreat backward.
For other saints, being invincible at the same cultivation level was already an impressive feat. Zhang Ruochen, however, was fighting across two realms. Even with his physical sainthood, he was struggling to hold his ground.
"Die!"
Mo Ran Princess Consort's hair flew wildly, a fierce look in her eyes as she hurled the Azure Dragon Emperor Seal forward.
From Zhang Ruochen's position, looking ahead, he saw an azure dragon charging straight at him, exuding a terrifying power that made his heart tremble. The ground beneath his feet shook, and the continental plates seemed to be sinking.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was sharp, showing no fear. Instead of dodging, he charged straight forward.
Seeing this, Mo Ran Princess Consort's face showed a disdainful expression. "The Azure Dragon Emperor Seal has already activated four thousand inscription patterns. Even an Upper Realm Saint would have to retreat. And he dares to meet it head-on? He's truly seeking death."
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to collide with the Azure Dragon Emperor Seal, he vanished again, using the power of space to bypass the seal and appear before Mo Ran Princess Consort.
"Sword Six."
Zhang Ruochen formed a sword technique with two fingers, unleashing Sword Six with devastating force, piercing through all of Mo Ran Princess Consort's defenses.
"Pfft!"
Tens of thousands of sword qi converged into a single sword pillar, penetrating Mo Ran Princess Consort's sacred body.
A bowl-sized bloody hole appeared in Mo Ran Princess Consort's chest. Even her ribs and internal organs were shattered, and the wound pierced through to her back.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his two fingers, transforming them into a palm strike that hit her again.
"Boom."
Mo Ran Princess Consort's sacred soul was nearly knocked out of her body. Her physical form cracked with dozens of bloody lines as she flew dozens of miles away, crashing into a lava lake.
Zhang Ruochen pursued, ready to deliver the final blow and kill her completely.
But just as he flew to the edge of the lava lake, a wave of heat dozens of times hotter than the lava surged up from the bottom.
"Not good."
Zhang Ruochen's heart jolted. He immediately mobilized his space power, preparing to retreat.
But it was too late.
Mo Ran Princess Consort moved at extreme speed, her body ablaze with flames, and struck Zhang Ruochen with her palm.
Zhang Ruochen's body flew backward like a ray of light.
Mo Ran Princess Consort had used a divine technique, paying a tremendous price to temporarily unleash power ten times greater than her own cultivation.
This kind of divine technique, which burned her own blood, energy, and spirit as the cost, was something every saint knew for survival. Of course, the price was too great, and it was only used as a last resort.
Zhang Ruochen crashed into a mountain ablaze with flames. With a loud rumble, large amounts of crushed stone (sui shi) rolled down, burying his body.
Beneath the rubble, Zhang Ruochen coughed up mouthfuls of blood, seriously injured.
"Boom."
Mo Ran Princess Consort descended like a beautiful goddess of death, stomping the ground with a violent tremor as she appeared before Zhang Ruochen.
Blood flowed from her chest and the corner of her mouth. Her gaze was icy as she walked step by step toward Zhang Ruochen. "Trying to contend with an Upper Realm Saint? You're still too green."
Mo Ran Princess Consort's five fingers curled into a claw, growing sharp talons as she charged forward, aiming for the top of Zhang Ruochen's head, intending to crush his skull and shatter his qi sea.
Suddenly, a Blood Suppression Talisman appeared between Zhang Ruochen's two fingers, and he hurled it at her.
"Whoosh—"
The Blood Suppression Talisman flew before Mo Ran Princess Consort and exploded, transforming into white chains that covered her body, sealing all the blood qi within her.
Seizing this opportunity, Zhang Ruochen flew out from beneath the rubble, descending from above, and used the Abyssal Ancient Sword to stab into Mo Ran Princess Consort's head, piercing through her body.
Only when Mo Ran Princess Consort's life force had completely drained away did Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh of relief. He slowly pulled out the Abyssal Ancient Sword. "An Upper Realm Saint is indeed formidable. It took my only saint-level Blood Suppression Talisman to finally kill her."
Mo Ran Princess Consort's body was somewhat strange. She was clearly human, yet she had some characteristics of the Undying Blood Clan.
Could there be some secret technique that allowed humans to transform into Undying Blood Clan members?
Unable to figure it out, Zhang Ruochen set the matter aside for now.
Zhang Ruochen approached Mo Ran Princess Consort's corpse and found that her sacred soul had not yet dissipated. He pondered whether he should refine her sacred soul into the Devouring Saint Flower, to replace the flower's illusory body.