# Chapter 1241: Entering the Island
The death of Yasha Saint filled the Death Knight with fury, but also with shock.
One had to know that Yasha Saint's strength was enough to rival a Xuanhuang Realm Saint. Yet, even going all out, he could not block a single sword strike from Zhang Ruochen.
Just how powerful was Zhang Ruochen's sword strike?
Even with his own formidable cultivation, if he were forced to receive it head-on, he might not be able to escape unscathed.
After unleashing Sword Seven, Zhang Ruochen was somewhat drained. As he was regathering his Saint Qi, the Death Knight hurled his long spear forward, trailing a tail dozens of meters long, striking toward Zhang Ruochen's chest.
The Death Knight had seized a perfect opportunity, leaving Zhang Ruochen no chance to perform a Spatial Displacement. He could only brace himself to receive the rapidly flying spear.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized what little Saint Qi remained, channeling it into both arms. Gripping the sword hilt with one hand and pressing against the blade with the other, he held the sword horizontally to block.
"Boom."
The spear's tip collided with the blade of the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
The immense impact sent Zhang Ruochen flying, all the way to dozens of miles away.
Even while wearing the Ten Saint Blood Armor, Zhang Ruochen's chest was covered in dense cracks. His five viscera and six organs were nearly all shattered, and half his body had collapsed inward.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen had already achieved a Saintly Physical Body, so he was only severely injured.
If it had been any other Lower Realm Saint who suffered this blow, their physical body would surely have turned into a bloody pulp, and their Saint Soul would have dissipated into smoke.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen could only rely on his powerful Spiritual Power to barely stay conscious and avoid fainting.
"What a terrifying strike. With my current cultivation, even if I used every trick I have, I probably wouldn't be a match for the Death Knight. Only by breaking through to the Middle Realm Saint realm can I contend with him."
Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth, struggling to support his heavily wounded body.
For a physical cultivator, every time their body was shattered, once the injuries healed, it would become even tougher and stronger.
"Zhang Ruochen, everything ends here."
The Death Knight gave Zhang Ruochen no chance to recover. Grabbing the spear, he delivered another strike aimed at Zhang Ruochen's brow.
At the last moment, Zhang Ruochen performed a Spatial Displacement, crossing through space to the edge of Dragon Fire Island.
Xiao Hei rushed over, transforming into a black giant cat dozens of meters tall. He caught Zhang Ruochen's body and charged toward Ao Xinyan's location.
At this moment, Ao Xinyan was also under tremendous pressure. Both hands holding the Gate Seal, her arms trembling, she lightly shouted: "Open! Gate of Flame."
The flame barrier enveloping Dragon Fire Island slowly opened a gap.
Xiao Hei, Zhang Ruochen, and Ao Xinyan turned into three beams of light, passing through the gap and rushing into Dragon Fire Island.
"Boom."
The moment they entered Dragon Fire Island, the attack the Death Knight had launched struck the flame barrier behind them, sending ripples spreading across its surface.
"He escaped again."
The Death Knight was nearly driven mad with rage. Zhang Ruochen had escaped from his grasp three times in a row.
What was most infuriating was that with each escape, Zhang Ruochen's strength grew by a significant margin.
The Death Knight was already starting to worry that the next time he faced Zhang Ruochen, he might not be able to suppress him.
The more he was thwarted, the braver he became. The more he fought, the stronger he grew.
An enemy like this was the most terrifying.
The Death Knight was extremely unwilling. He wanted to forcefully break into Dragon Fire Island and pursue, killing Zhang Ruochen at any cost.
However, even when he attacked with all his might against the flame barrier, he was sent flying back, sustaining some minor injuries instead.
The Death Knight dared not attack again. He could only remain at the periphery of Dragon Fire Island, staring at Zhang Ruochen standing on the island, and snorted coldly: "I don't believe you can hide on the island forever. When you come out, that will be your death."
Zhang Ruochen had already taken a Fengchun Pill. Relying on the Ten Saint Blood Armor to support his heavily injured body, he remained standing upright. Though his face was pale, he still revealed a calm smile: "When I walk out of Dragon Fire Island, the one who dies will be you."
Afterward, Zhang Ruochen, Ao Xinyan, and Xiao Hei turned around and headed deeper into Dragon Fire Island.
At the center of Dragon Fire Island.
The Devouring Demon Dragon stood atop the volcano, gazing in the direction where Zhang Ruochen and the Death Knight had fought earlier, a puzzled expression on his face: "Two groups of people have broken into Yin-Yang Sea. Are they from the Human Race, or some Barbarian Beast race?"
Xuanwei Saint Beast stood to the right of the Devouring Demon Dragon, saying: "One of them must be the mysterious sword cultivator who killed Ye Yun Saint Dragon Envoy and Ye Hong Saint Dragon Envoy. Everyone heard that sword cry just now. One sword thrust, and the sword cry could be heard a thousand miles away. This shows that this person's Sword Dao attainment is quite profound. Even if he hasn't reached Sword Saint, he is not far from it."
Xuezhen Yaoji, with a human upper body and a snake tail, stood to the left of the Devouring Demon Dragon, saying: "The sword cultivator who killed the two Saint Dragon Envoys is not some peerless expert. How could he have such high Sword Dao attainment?"
"That means this person is a Sword Dao prodigy," Xuanwei Saint Beast said.
"Sword Dao prodigy?"
The Devouring Demon Dragon's eyes lit up, and he said: "Could it be the fourth-ranked Human Realm Son, Xue Wuye? Or... Zhang Ruochen?"
Thinking of this, the Devouring Demon Dragon could no longer remain calm.
Whether it was Xue Wuye or Zhang Ruochen, both were great enemies of the Human Race in his eyes. If he encountered them, he would surely eliminate them.
Suddenly, Xuanwei Saint Beast's eyes narrowed, and he said: "Someone has opened the Gate of Flame and broken into Dragon Fire Island."
"Excellent. I will go kill them now."
A powerful battle intent surged from within the Devouring Demon Dragon's body, his blood boiling.
Xuanwei Saint Beast quickly advised: "That person struggled even to kill the two Saint Dragon Envoys. He is definitely no expert. Why would Your Highness need to act personally? This Saint and Xuezhen Yaoji can go and capture him."
Xuezhen Yaoji smiled charmingly, a hint of seduction on her face, and said: "Your Highness, you should go and collect the Nuanling Dragon Fire. As for that mysterious sword cultivator, leave him to this Saint and Xuanwei Saint Beast."
The Devouring Demon Dragon pondered for a moment, then said: "Very well. I will go collect the Nuanling Dragon Fire first. Let me remind you: if that mysterious sword cultivator is the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, you must be extremely careful."
Xuanwei Saint Beast and Xuezhen Yaoji said simultaneously: "Your subordinate understands."
Although they said this, in their hearts, they did not take the Devouring Demon Dragon's words seriously. After all, not long ago, that Heir of Time and Space was still a Half-Saint. Even if he had grown stronger now, he would at most have reached the Lower Realm Saint realm.
With their cultivation, did they need to fear a Lower Realm Saint?
The Devouring Demon Dragon and the nine Saint Beasts of Ancestor Dragon Mountain leaped down the volcanic crater to collect the Nuanling Dragon Fire.
Xuanwei Saint Beast and Xuezhen Yaoji rushed toward the eastern side of Dragon Fire Island, searching for traces of the beings that had just broken in.
This time, Zhang Ruochen was severely injured. While circulating his technique to absorb the medicinal energy of the Fengchun Pill, he instructed Xiao Hei: "The battle between me and the Death Knight just now has surely alarmed the Saint Beasts of Ancestor Dragon Mountain who have already landed on Dragon Fire Island. They will find us soon."
"Let them come. This Emperor can wipe them out with just one claw," Xiao Hei said disdainfully.
Ao Xinyan said: "Every one of those Saint Beasts from Ancestor Dragon Mountain is no weaker than you or Zhang Ruochen. If one comes, you might be able to handle it. But if two come, Zhang Ruochen and I will probably die here."
Zhang Ruochen said: "Buy me half an hour. Once my injuries heal, if one Saint Beast comes, I'll kill one. If two come, I'll kill a pair."
Xiao Hei had only been boasting earlier. In truth, he was not underestimating the enemy at all. So he took out Saint Stones and Spirit Crystals, burying them in the soil to begin setting up a formation.
Dragon Fire Island was not small; on the contrary, it was quite vast, dotted with rocky peaks of various sizes. In some places, the rock had melted, forming lakes of magma.
Beyond that, Dragon Fire Island also had some dangerous areas where terrifying beings had been born.
Xuanwei Saint Beast and Xuezhen Yaoji advanced cautiously, not daring to rush in recklessly. If they alarmed the powerful beings on Dragon Fire Island, they too would die without a burial place.
Xuanwei Saint Beast had a keen sense of smell. Detecting a faint human scent in the air, he said: "They are nearby."
Xuezhen Yaoji's seductive eyes scanned the surroundings, and she let out a silver-bell-like laugh: "Since they are hiding in the shadows and won't come out, this Saint will use the Ancestral Artifact to destroy everything here."
Xuezhen Yaoji opened her mouth and spat out an exquisite jade mirror.
The jade mirror was initially the size of a fingernail, but as it rose into the air, it grew larger and larger. Finally, like a bright full moon, it hung a hundred zhang high in the sky.
Xuezhen Yaoji was the Barbarian Beast Queen of the Yuanlong Mountain Range. She had become a Saint five hundred years ago, and her cultivation was extremely profound. The Saintly Might she emitted secretly startled Xiao Hei, who was hiding within the formation.
"Girl, do you know who she is?"
Xiao Hei was somewhat worried because, with his current strength, he was still slightly weaker than Xuezhen Yaoji. At best, he could only hold her back.
But who would deal with Xuanwei Saint Beast?
With Xuanwei Saint Beast's strength, he could easily kill Ao Xinyan and the severely injured Zhang Ruochen.
Ao Xinyan quickly told Xiao Hei who Xuezhen Yaoji was.
After hearing this, Xiao Hei chuckled, rushed out of the formation, and called out from a distance: "Queen Xuezhen, please put away the Ancestral Artifact first. This Saint is from the Jiuli Cat Clan and means you no harm."
Seeing a cat emerge from a pile of rubble, Xuezhen Yaoji was somewhat surprised. She did not activate the Ancestral Artifact and asked suspiciously: "Are you really a Saint Beast from the Jiuli Cat Clan? Why have you broken into Yin-Yang Sea?"
In the Primordial Secret Realm, Jiuli Palace was one of the few powerful forces that could rival Ancestor Dragon Mountain. Therefore, Xuezhen Yaoji did not dare to underestimate Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei wanted to buy time, so he sighed deeply: "Allow this Saint to slowly explain to you what happened. This is a long story..."
Xuanwei Saint Beast suspected Xiao Hei's identity, interrupting him, and said coldly: "This Saint clearly smells a human scent, indicating that a human expert is hiding nearby."
Exposed so quickly, Xiao Hei felt quite defeated, but he maintained his composure and said: "You guessed right! This Saint did capture two humans, originally intending to keep them for myself. Since you've discovered them, let's share them together. What do you think?"
Xuanwei Saint Beast and Xuezhen Yaoji were both old monsters who had lived for nearly a thousand years. How could they believe Xiao Hei's nonsense?
"Kill him."
They exchanged a glance, then, almost simultaneously, launched their attacks, bearing down on Xiao Hei.