Chapter 1278: Die Without Retreating
One of Black Li Prince's claws had been pierced through earlier by the Abyssal Ancient Sword and was still dripping blood.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen charging toward him, Black Li Prince's eyes revealed a terrified expression. Even White Li Prince had failed to suppress Zhang Ruochen; with his own cultivation, how many strikes could he withstand?
Black Li Prince immediately retreated backward, but his speed was extremely slow, like a snail crawling.
"Die."
Zhang Ruochen's fingers emitted sword light, striking toward Black Li Prince's brow.
From within Black Li Prince's body, a burst of cyan light surged forth, causing his body to become like jade—translucent and crystalline, completely different from before.
The finger collided with the cyan light covering his body, producing a crisp sound, like metal striking stone.
Black Li Prince flew backward, crashing into a pillar on the left side of the stone bridge. Particles of cyan light scattered from his body.
"Your body indeed contains a remarkable protective treasure," Zhang Ruochen said.
Back when Black Li Prince had failed to subdue the Nanling Dragon Fire but hadn't died, Zhang Ruochen had suspected he had a protective treasure within him. Now, this was confirmed.
Black Li Prince said, "This prince has the ancestral artifact of the Black Li Clan protecting me. You cannot kill me."
Using his Heavenly Eye, Zhang Ruochen saw a cyan jade thumb ring at the position of Black Li Prince's heart. It was the light radiating from that ring that had blocked his attack.
"An ancestral artifact cannot protect you."
Zhang Ruochen spread his five fingers, condensing a large handprint in the air that descended and pressed down on Black Li Prince.
Black Li Prince was confident in the power of the ancestral artifact. "It's useless. Even the Nanling Dragon Fire couldn't burn me to death. You certainly can't... What... what kind of flame is this..."
"Sizzle."
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Purifying Divine Flame, channeling it from his palm, pressing downward, breaking through the cyan light, and grasping Black Li Prince's body.
Moments later, Black Li Prince was burned to ashes. Only the cyan jade thumb ring remained in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
Within the Purifying Divine Flame, the cyan jade thumb ring did not melt; instead, it emitted an even more brilliant radiance. It was undoubtedly a top-tier protective treasure. Zhang Ruochen put it away, planning to study it later.
"Zhang Ruochen, you have angered me!"
White Li Prince's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes turned cold and fierce. He raised both hands, and a white steel ring hovered above his palms.
The white steel ring spun rapidly, producing a piercing sound, then transformed into a beam of white light, flying toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Shen Sword."
The Shen Sword was a defensive technique from the Twelve Hour Sword Art, wielding not only the power of the sword but also the power of time.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Abyssal Ancient Sword, held it with both hands, and thrust it downward. The sword tip struck the stone bridge.
"Boom."
Countless sword energies surged from the sword tip, forming a vortex of sword energy.
When the white steel ring approached the vortex, its speed, which had been as fast as a light shuttle, suddenly became motionless.
It was time freeze.
With Zhang Ruochen's current mastery over time, he could only achieve a single instant of time freeze.
In that instant, tens of thousands of sword energies struck the white steel ring, sending it flying back toward White Li Prince. White Li Prince's eyes narrowed, and he had to shift his steps to dodge to the side.
"Pfft."
"Puff."
...
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Ruochen used his fastest speed and killed three more Saint-level beings in succession.
Additionally, Demon Heaven Prince was struck by Zhang Ruochen's sword. Although he wore the Ten Saint Blood Armor, he still spat blood and flew sideways, about to fall off the stone bridge to his death.
"Clatter."
A blood-red chain condensed in midair, wrapping around Demon Heaven Prince and dragging him back to the stone bridge, pulling him out of the Time Domain.
That chain was formed solely by Yinghuo using his Spiritual Power.
Yinghuo had been at the edge of the Time Domain, so he was the first to escape and had also saved Qi Sheng. Now, he saved Demon Heaven Prince.
Demon Heaven Prince drank a bottle of Sacred Blood, and his severed legs regrew. He let out a furious roar. "Zhang Ruochen, you cut off my legs, so I'll make your fiancée turn to ashes!"
Demon Heaven Prince was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy. He had cultivated his physical body to the Saint realm and wielded the Emperor-Slaying Demon Sword. If not for Qi Sheng's sudden rise, he would have been the number one prodigy of the Undying Blood Clan. Yet just now, he had nearly been killed. The rage within him burned, causing his body to blaze.
"Swoosh—"
The Emperor-Slaying Demon Sword left its sheath, circled around Demon Heaven Prince's body, and then flew toward the iceberg sealing Huang Yanchen and Qing Mo.
If the iceberg shattered, their bodies would also be destroyed.
Shi Shenghua was coiled around the iceberg. Seeing the incoming Emperor-Slaying Demon Sword, dozens of tendrils grew from its vines. Each tendril was as thick as an arm. All the tendrils intertwined and collided with the Emperor-Slaying Demon Sword.
"Not bad. Even Shi Shenghua can block the Emperor-Slaying Demon Sword," Qi Sheng said with a smile. Then, he grabbed the God-Exterminating Cross Shield, and a patch of blood-red clouds surged forth, rumbling as the entire Five-Colored Ice Cave shook violently.
The God-Exterminating Cross Shield flew out, striking toward the iceberg.
"Boom, boom."
In an instant, the dozens of tendrils Shi Shenghua had extended were all shattered by the God-Exterminating Cross Shield, turning into clouds of wood energy.
"Master, this battle artifact's power is too terrifying. I cannot block it," Shi Shenghua said.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He clasped his hands together and used the Sword Control Art. The Abyssal Ancient Sword transformed into a streak of light, flying out to block the God-Exterminating Cross Shield.
"Boom, boom."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword and the God-Exterminating Cross Shield clashed violently, producing deafening sounds.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was distracted by blocking the God-Exterminating Cross Shield, White Li Prince's claw mark struck Zhang Ruochen's left shoulder, colliding with the Ten Saint Blood Armor and sending sparks flying.
White Li Prince's cultivation was extremely profound. Under his strike, half of Zhang Ruochen's body went numb with pain. His Saint Qi was scattered, and he flew sideways like a scarecrow.
While flying through the air, Zhang Ruochen re-condensed his Saint Qi, stabilized his center of gravity, and landed on the iron chain connecting to the stone bridge. He rushed along the chain toward the iceberg.
He had to first store the iceberg in his Space Ring.
Qi Sheng and Demon Heaven Prince were using Huang Yanchen's remains to distract Zhang Ruochen, making him lose focus. Otherwise, how could White Li Prince have injured him?
"Zhang Ruochen is really going all out. He dares to leave the stone bridge. Doesn't he know that once he leaves the bridge, the Extreme Yin Dragon Qi in the five-colored light could freeze him into ice?"
"He has no choice. Otherwise, his fiancée's remains would be shattered."
Devouring Demon Dragon got up from the ground, a fierce look in his eyes. "Now Zhang Ruochen is a target hanging in midair, with nowhere to hide. Let's all attack together and completely obliterate him."
Devouring Demon Dragon struck first, unleashing the Ancestral Dragon Scale, slashing toward Zhang Ruochen, who was walking on the iron chain.
At the same time, the other Saint-level beings also launched their attacks, some aimed at Zhang Ruochen, others at the iceberg.
Zhang Ruochen stood alone with his sword in front of the iceberg, activating the Abyssal Ancient Sword's full power to block all incoming attacks.
"Puff."
The Ancestral Dragon Scale flew past Zhang Ruochen, breaking through the Ten Saint Blood Armor and cutting a foot-long gash in his body. He was nearly severed in two.
Moments later, a sword shadow pierced through Zhang Ruochen's body, leaving a bowl-sized bloody hole. A large amount of blood gushed from the wound.
No matter how severely he was injured, Zhang Ruochen's gaze remained unwavering. He did not dodge.
Because if he dodged, those attacks would land on the iceberg, and Huang Yanchen would truly be left with no remains.
No matter what others thought, Huang Yanchen was his wife. They had both the name and the reality of marriage. Even if she had died, Zhang Ruochen would still protect her, refusing to let her be harmed again.
Shi Shenghua urged, "Zhang Ruochen, run! You can't possibly take their remains. If you don't flee now, you really won't make it out. You'll die here."
Zhang Ruochen did not retreat. Instead, he summoned the Mercury Star Gourd, intending to take the iceberg.
However, as soon as the Mercury Star Gourd flew out, Qi Sheng noticed it and used the God-Exterminating Cross Shield to knock it away, preventing Zhang Ruochen from succeeding.
Devouring Demon Dragon laughed incessantly. "Zhang Ruochen, look at you now!"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He reached out with both hands toward the void, and ten Space Rifts appeared, slashing toward the stone bridge.
However, a mysterious force shrouded the stone bridge. As the ten Space Rifts approached, before they could land on the bridge, they closed up.
Yinghuo breathed a slight sigh of relief and smiled faintly. "This stone bridge was built by Divine Dragons. The space around it is extremely stable. As long as we stand on the bridge, your spatial attack methods are completely useless."
"What a pity. A future prodigy who could command the wind and rain will ultimately fall here."
Qi Sheng sighed softly, smiling as he stared at Zhang Ruochen, whose body was drenched in blood.
In this confrontation with Zhang Ruochen, he had finally gained the upper hand.
Suddenly, Qi Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the iceberg behind Zhang Ruochen, a look of surprise appearing on his face.
Inside the iceberg, Huang Yanchen's eyes had somehow opened, tears streaming down. Golden light surged from within her body, enveloping her scarred form.
"How can this be?"
The saints on the stone bridge were all stunned. They hadn't expected Huang Yanchen to still be alive.
Zhang Ruochen sensed something and turned around to look behind him. A smile appeared on his face, and his eyes grew moist.
As one of the Nine Realm Sons, bearing an extraordinary mission, Empress Chi Yao had naturally bestowed upon them some life-saving power. The golden light surging from Huang Yanchen's body was a strand of the Empress's Imperial Qi.
Within Qing Mo's body, flames surged forth, enveloping her form. It was the Boundless Sacred Fire nurtured within her. It seemed she had not died either.
Qi Sheng had a bad feeling. "Keep attacking! Don't let them leave the iceberg."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He took out the Kaiyuan Deer Cauldron and poured his Saint Qi into it continuously. Instantly, the golden ancient characters on the cauldron's body flew out, like countless stars suspended in the Five-Colored Ice Cave.
(Chapter End)