# Chapter 1219: Crossing the Life-Death Tribulation
Watching the corpse of Qingyi Saint fall, Yao Sheng, Wanxin Saint, and Yashe Saint all felt their hearts pound with terror.
Sword cultivators, at the same cultivation level, were considered the strongest.
But Qingyi Saint, who possessed Sword Saint qualifications, had been killed by Zhang Ruochen with a single sword strike. How could they not be shocked? How could they not be afraid?
"Zhang Ruochen has already cultivated Sword Six to Great Perfection. It probably won't be long before he comprehends Sword Seven and becomes a new generation Sword Saint."
"It's said that Zhang Ruochen's Abyssal Ancient Sword and the Empress's Blood-Drop Sword were forged from the same material. I originally thought it was just a legend, but now it seems there might be some truth to it."
"The Abyssal Ancient Sword is even sharper than legend claims. With a single strike, it severed a Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact level sacred sword. It's simply unstoppable."
By killing Qingyi Saint with one sword strike, Zhang Ruochen displayed peerless elegance, like a white-robed Sword Saint emerging into the world.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword had refined Qingyi Saint's Thousand-Mark Sacred Sword, and its blade blazed with surging light.
It traced a graceful arc, flew back, and hovered above Zhang Ruochen's head, manifesting tens of thousands of sword shadows.
Yao Sheng, Wanxin Saint, and Yashe Saint all fixed their sacred eyes on the Abyssal Ancient Sword in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
They also believed that Zhang Ruochen had only been able to kill Qingyi Saint because of the Abyssal Ancient Sword. Otherwise, with Qingyi Saint's cultivation, he would certainly have been able to withstand his attack.
"The Abyssal Ancient Sword must be a divine weapon. Not only can it sever Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifacts, but it can also refine them to upgrade its own grade. We must seize it and bring it back to offer to Lord Blood Emperor."
Wanxin Saint thought this in his heart, but he did not act rashly, unwilling to follow in the footsteps of Kongyu Saint and Qingyi Saint.
Wanxin Saint's gaze shifted to the Death Knight and Yashe Saint, hoping the two of them would take the lead.
The Death Knight and Yashe Saint both had cultivations far exceeding Upper Realm Saints. As long as either of them made a move, Zhang Ruochen would have no chance to cause any more trouble.
Yashe Saint stepped forward, holding the bronze disc in one hand, and said in a deep voice: "Heir of Time and Space, this elder indeed underestimated you earlier, allowing you to kill Kongyu Saint and Qingyi Saint by surprise. You will have no more opportunities now."
"Whoosh——"
Under Yashe Saint's spiritual power, the bronze disc spun rapidly, and from its center flew a blood-red light pillar.
It was condensed from spiritual power, specifically attacking a cultivator's spiritual will and sacred soul. Ordinary defensive measures could not block it.
Zhang Ruochen once again used Spatial Displacement, crossing dozens of zhang of spatial distance, appearing above Yashe Saint's head, and thrust his sword downward.
A black sword beam shot out from the sword tip.
Yashe Saint was not flustered. A hint of mockery flashed in his aged eyes. He shifted his left foot slightly and sidestepped.
Behind Yashe Saint, the Death Knight, also wearing the Ten Saint Blood Armor, appeared, gripping a long spear and striking it out fiercely.
The spear clashed against the war sword.
"Sizzle sizzle."
A series of sparks burst from the spear.
The energy generated by the collision of the two forces caused the space to tremble slightly.
Zhang Ruochen flew sideways to the right, crashing into a six-story building, penetrating the wall, and with a crash, fell to the ground.
"Such powerful force."
Zhang Ruochen supported himself with one hand on the ground and held his sword with the other, his eyes fixed intently on the Death Knight not far away.
The Death Knight's voice was icy: "If I weren't severely injured, that strike just now would have been enough to kill you."
Yao Sheng appeared to Zhang Ruochen's left, saying: "Before coming to Taiyin Ancient City, I was also heavily injured. Otherwise, in our earlier confrontation, you would not have gained the upper hand."
Wanxin Saint arrived behind Zhang Ruochen, silent, his hands crossed, two index fingers emitting brilliant sacred light, gathering finger force.
Yashe Saint stepped on the void and appeared to Zhang Ruochen's right.
The bronze disc in Yashe Saint's hand flew up, flipped over, becoming as large as a winnowing basket, spinning continuously. At the disc's center, a mass of crimson energy was brewing.
All four directions around Zhang Ruochen were sealed off. It could be said there was no way to heaven and no door to earth.
"Zhang Ruochen, killing Kongyu Saint and Qingyi Saint is already quite remarkable. But it should end here. You will have no more chances from now on," Yashe Saint said.
Zhang Ruochen straightened his body, appearing quite carefree, and laughed: "If I want to leave, even if you join forces, you cannot stop me."
"You want to escape using spatial power? I can tell you clearly, you cannot leave today."
The Death Knight raised the blood-red spear, struck it against the ground, and let out a long roar: "Death God's Light."
A blood-red halo, a hundred li in diameter, manifested, enveloping the entire Taiyin Ancient City, also sealing the space, preventing Zhang Ruochen from using Spatial Displacement to escape.
"Now, do you still think you can leave?"
The Death Knight's voice was very cold and oppressive, believing he had secured victory and held Zhang Ruochen's life and death in his hands.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized spatial power, attempting Spatial Displacement, but found the space had become extremely stable, making it impossible to shuttle through it.
However, Zhang Ruochen was not panicked. He smiled lightly: "The methods of the Undying Divine Temple are indeed extraordinary. But do you think my trump cards are only spatial power?"
"No matter what methods you have, you cannot change the outcome of your inevitable death today," Yashe Saint said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen was very clear that with his current cultivation, even with the empowerment of the Dragon Spirit Mad Cow Wine, he still had a considerable gap with the Death Knight and Yashe Saint.
Since that was the case, there was no need to fight them head-on.
Today, being able to kill two Upper Realm Saints was already a great victory.
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen's fingers touched inside his sleeve, and between two fingers appeared a talisman. He raised it in the air and said: "Sir, you are a Silver Robe Elder of the Undying Divine Temple, with extensive knowledge. You must recognize this talisman, right?"
Yashe Saint's gaze locked onto the talisman. After careful observation, he quickly recognized it: "One Calamity, Two Calamities, Three Calamities, Four Calamities... Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman. Retreat quickly! Don't get near him!"
Yashe Saint was extremely terrified. He was the first to flee backward, not stopping until he had rushed out of Taiyin Ancient City.
Yao Sheng and Wanxin Saint also knew the power of the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman and fled out of Taiyin Ancient City, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and Zhang Ruochen.
Only the Death Knight remained standing in place, calm and composed, saying: "I don't believe you dare to activate the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman, unless you want to kill all the human cultivators in Taiyin Ancient City."
The Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman indeed had terrifying power, capable of annihilating saints. But if used in Taiyin Ancient City, all the cultivators in the city would likely be reduced to ashes.
Seeing this, the Death Knight was not at all afraid of the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman.
Qingfeng Saint, however, could not relax his vigilance. His nerves were taut, afraid that Zhang Ruochen would actually activate the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman, in which case hundreds of thousands of human cultivators would become burial objects for the Death Knight.
"Zhang Ruochen, do not activate the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman. Stay calm. Important figures from the Liangyi Sect will arrive soon. When they do, none of the Blood Clan saints will escape," Qingfeng Saint said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and sighed. He had originally planned to use the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman to scare the saints of the Undying Blood Clan, but now it seemed this trick would not work at all.
There was no choice. He would have to fight head-on.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman and said: "Fine! Then I won't use the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman."
Yashe Saint, Yao Sheng, and Wanxin Saint knew that Zhang Ruochen dared not use the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman in Taiyin Ancient City, so they charged back into the city.
"Even if you possess the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman, you still only have one path to death," Yao Sheng's female body emitted a sinister laugh.
"Why do you force me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Force you? So what? Do you dare to use the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman?" Wanxin Saint, believing he had grasped Zhang Ruochen's weakness, laughed recklessly.
Zhang Ruochen ignored them. He simply looked up toward the sky.
"What is he looking at?"
The saints of the Undying Blood Clan and the cultivators of Taiyin Ancient City all looked up. Above Taiyin Ancient City, a dark mass of thunderclouds had appeared, covering the starry sky and the bright moon.
The thunderclouds grew thicker and thicker, the aura they emitted growing stronger and stronger, making the sky seem lower and lower.
"Crackle."
In the black clouds, lightning as thick as a water bucket shot through, the sound of it shaking Taiyin Ancient City slightly.
"I am about to undergo my third Quasi-Saint Tribulation. All Quasi-Saints and Saints beneath the tribulation clouds will be locked on. Now, will you flee or not?"
Even when about to undergo tribulation, Zhang Ruochen remained very calm.
Who could have predicted that at such a dangerous moment, Zhang Ruochen would still dare to undergo a life-death tribulation?
Was he not afraid of death?
"He's truly a madman..."
Yao Sheng gnashed his teeth in hatred and looked toward the Death Knight, wanting to know what decision he would make.
"Zhang Ruochen wants to turn the tables. If we withdraw from Taiyin Ancient City, he will immediately use the Five Calamities Saint-Suppressing Talisman. Now, we have only one path: before the lightning tribulation descends, go all out and kill Zhang Ruochen."
The Death Knight's will was extremely firm. He stomped his right foot on the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow from a bowstring, the spear in his hand thrusting toward Zhang Ruochen's chest and abdomen.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized all his sacred qi, continuously pouring it into the Abyssal Ancient Sword. On the sword body, three thousand inscriptions appeared in succession.
"Boom."
Destructive sword qi surged forth, slashing toward the Death Knight.
The Death Knight was severely injured, while Zhang Ruochen had the empowerment of the Dragon Star Mad Cow Wine. With this give and take, Zhang Ruochen was able to contend with the Death Knight for several exchanges.
The Death Knight failed to kill Zhang Ruochen, but the lightning in the tribulation clouds descended, striking not only Zhang Ruochen but also all Quasi-Saints and Saints in Taiyin Ancient City.
"Flee Taiyin Ancient City quickly, or we will die in the lightning tribulation."
Wanxin Saint could no longer laugh. After blocking the first bolt of lightning, he spread the pair of blood wings on his back and flew at full speed toward the city outskirts, trying to escape the area covered by the tribulation clouds.
"Trying to flee now? Too late."
In the tribulation clouds, Zhang Ruochen appeared full of vitality. Using his full speed, he quickly caught up to Wanxin Saint.
(Chapter End)