Chapter 1198: Three Great Experts
The Azure Sky Bow and White Sun Arrow were treasures of the Azure Sky Tribe, naturally extremely powerful. The more Saint Qi infused into them, the stronger the explosive force of the bow and arrow.
In the extremely distant past, a monarch of the Azure Sky Tribe had once used it to shoot down an outer realm star.
Zhang Ruochen combined his physical strength with Saint Qi, and immediately, azure light radiated from the bow’s bones, covering a vast area, resembling a patch of azure sky.
The long arrow flowed with rings of white radiance, like a bright white sun.
The scene of an azure sky and white sun manifested.
“Whoosh——”
The white sun flew out, shooting toward the sky, quickly catching up to the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter ahead.
“White Sun Arrow… Zhang Ruochen…”
The Huang Tian Imperial Daughter glanced back, then activated all her protective treasures at the fastest speed, forming a series of twelve light shields to guard herself.
“Bam, bam.”
The White Sun Arrow’s penetrating power was astonishing. The defensive light shields, which could withstand a full-force strike from a Saint, were pierced through like layers of paper.
The White Sun Arrow struck the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter, unleashing a shocking wave of energy.
She was sent off course and, with a thunderous crash, fell into a wilderness outside the city. Whether she was alive or dead was unknown.
Seeing this, the Undying Blood Clan of the Huang Tian Tribe erupted in fury.
After all, the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter was the future Blood Queen of the Huang Tian Tribe. If she were killed, it would be their failure in protection. The Huang Tian Blood Emperor would surely place the blame on them, and everyone would have to be buried with the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter.
“You seek death!”
Prince Xia had not expected such an outcome either. Golden flames surged from his pupils, and he swung his large hand, striking at Zhang Ruochen atop the tall tower.
Zhang Ruochen was extremely cautious. After firing the White Sun Arrow, he immediately used Great Space Teleportation, fleeing dozens of miles away.
The moment he steadied himself, a boom echoed from dozens of miles away.
The thirteen-story black tower was crushed by Prince Xia’s palm force, and even the surrounding buildings collapsed, raising thick clouds of dust.
All the defensive formations beneath the Black Market headquarters were activated, yet they still struggled to withstand Prince Xia’s power. That single strike killed at least several hundred evil path cultivators, with countless more injured.
Prince Xia locked onto Zhang Ruochen’s position, pointed a finger, and launched a second attack.
This time, Prince Xia’s striking speed surpassed Zhang Ruochen’s escape speed, determined to crush him.
“Prince Xia, let me, this official, test your skills.”
On a street in the Black Market headquarters, a middle-aged man in an official robe embroidered with a peacock pattern stepped out of a simple carriage.
This man stood upright, exuding a refined and scholarly aura. He was the governor of Tiantai Prefecture, Yue Shuzi.
Having received the message from Huang Yanchen, Yue Shuzi led the court and Confucian path experts, quietly infiltrating the Black Market headquarters, waiting for this very moment.
Yue Shuzi, appearing to be in his fifties, was full of spirit. He extended two fingers and drew a mysterious pattern in the void.
The pattern flew out, shattered Prince Xia’s finger force, hovered above Prince Xia’s head, and pressed down.
Yue Shuzi’s appearance sent the evil path cultivators of the Black Market headquarters into an uproar.
The number one expert of the Tiantai Prefecture court and the number one expert of the evil path appeared simultaneously. Under normal circumstances, they would have engaged in a cataclysmic battle.
But today, they were preparing to join forces against Prince Xia of the Huang Tian Tribe.
At this moment, Prince Xia also felt considerable pressure.
Yue Shuzi and the Big Steward were both on his level. Fighting one of them, even if he couldn’t win, Prince Xia was confident he could retreat calmly.
But facing two top experts at once, he now risked falling in battle.
“Rumble.”
The battle among the three experts erupted instantly, engulfing that entire district.
All the evil path cultivators fled outward, terrified that if they were even a step too slow, they would die under the battle force of the three experts.
Prince Xia fought while retreating, trying to break free and escape.
“That Prince Xia probably won’t be able to get away today,” Zhang Ruochen said.
If three martial saints of comparable strength clashed, and two besieged the third, it was still quite possible for the siege to fail.
But Yue Shuzi and the Big Steward both had means to prevent an opponent’s escape—one with terrifyingly high spiritual power, the other skilled in Heavenly Profound Force.
Escaping from the hands of such two individuals was no easy feat.
Zhu Hongtao looked toward Star Cloud Prefecture and said, “The other Undying Blood Clan saints of the Huang Tian Tribe are trying to break out. Let’s charge in and cut down as many as we can.”
Zhu Hongtao and Wan Ke rushed out, joining the saints of the Black Market and the court in encircling and killing the Undying Blood Clan saints.
The combined number of saints from the Black Market and the court was already ten times that of the Undying Blood Clan saints. No matter how formidable the Undying Blood Clan saints were, they would be completely annihilated today, with almost no chance of escape.
Zhang Ruochen, meanwhile, rushed toward the outskirts of the city to check on the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter’s life or death.
In the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter’s strength had placed her among the top-tier experts, showing how terrifying her potential was. Once she became a saint, she would surely be a great enemy of humanity.
Killing the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter held more significance than killing ten Undying Blood Clan saints.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen charged into a forest and found where the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter had fallen.
There, a corner of a dark green mountain had collapsed. For dozens of feet around, everything was scorched earth, with scattered rocks and chaotic Saint Qi surging.
“Whoosh——”
A white streak of light flew up from underground, landing in Zhang Ruochen’s hand, transforming into a crystalline long arrow.
The White Sun Arrow.
The arrowhead was stained with blood.
“So she wasn’t killed.”
Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power but found no trace of the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter underground.
Though disappointed, he quickly let it go.
As the imperial daughter of a tribe, she surely had many protective treasures, plus Prince Xia’s saintly power enhancement. It was normal that one arrow hadn’t killed her.
Huang Yanchen caught up and asked, “Escaped?”
“She won’t get away.”
Zhang Ruochen fully released his spiritual power, turning it into billions of light points that flew outward. Those points merged with the world’s spiritual energy, spreading continuously—a hundred miles, two hundred miles…
After a moment, Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual power probed up to a thousand miles away.
Nothing within the spiritual power’s range could escape his perception. Even the scene of two ants fighting in their nest was clearly presented in his mind.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly opened his eyes, staring in one direction. “She fled quite fast, already two thousand three hundred miles away. She must have used a sacred edict’s power. I’ll chase her first and cut her down.”
With that, a patch of fire clouds appeared beneath Zhang Ruochen’s feet, revealing the phantom images of a luan and a phoenix, and he shot forward first.
Having achieved physical sainthood, even his running speed was astonishing.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen combined the Luan-Phoenix Divine Mark Speed with his physical strength. With each step, he crushed a large area of the ground while covering dozens of miles.
And while traveling, whenever he gathered enough spatial power, he would use Great Space Teleportation.
Each teleportation covered over a hundred miles.
Zhang Ruochen pushed his speed to the limit, not wasting a single moment. At this frantic pace, he could already rival a Tongtian realm saint.
The distance between Zhang Ruochen and the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter was shrinking.
When it reached within a thousand miles, Zhang Ruochen drew the Azure Sky Bow again and shot an arrow.
The Huang Tian Imperial Daughter was severely injured, her back armor shattered, blood flowing continuously.
Sensing the force of the White Sun Arrow from behind, a look of despair appeared on her face.
Even so, she didn’t give up her will to survive, sharply diving downward.
“Pfft.”
The White Sun Arrow struck her right shoulder, tearing off her right arm and part of her body, sending a spray of blood across the void, brilliant and vivid.
The Huang Tian Imperial Daughter fell to the ground, writhing in agony.
The White Sun Arrow not only wounded her but also sent a destructive force invading her body, continuously devouring her life essence.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen caught up, descending from the sky and appearing not far from her.
He retrieved the White Sun Arrow, then walked over step by step, without any unnecessary words, preparing to strike her dead with a palm.
The Huang Tian Imperial Daughter knew Zhang Ruochen well, aware that he was extremely formidable and decisive in killing. Today, she was likely doomed.
“You are an opponent who even frightens me, this imperial daughter. If you don’t die, you will surely become a great emperor among humanity. Dying by your hand is a kind of honor for me,” she said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was indifferent as he struck a palm toward the top of her head.
Just then, he sensed something and looked toward a large river not far away. The surging river was rising into the air.
The torrential water rushed toward Zhang Ruochen.
“Sizzle.”
The dozens-of-feet-wide river twisted into the shape of a spear in midair, condensing into white ice crystals.
“Imperial Daughter, Lord Mu Qian sent me, this saint, to receive you.”
On the opposite bank of the river, a man in a blood robe could be faintly seen, holding a staff and pointing it at Zhang Ruochen’s brow.
If Zhang Ruochen continued to strike his palm down, he would certainly kill the Huang Tian Imperial Daughter, but he himself would be hit by the ice crystal spear. Even if he didn’t die, he would be severely injured.
Zhang Ruochen twisted his wrist, and a dragon’s roar sounded from his arm.
“Roar!”
Flames surged from his palm, changing its trajectory, and collided with the incoming ice crystal spear.
(Chapter End)