Chapter 1281: Powerful Experts Arrive
Chi Wansui, Siming Shennü, Suihan, Wan Huayu, Bu Qianfan… the court saints appeared one after another, totaling over twenty people with almost no casualties, making them the most powerful faction.
Chi Wansui’s gaze swept over Qi Sheng and the others, and he chuckled, “The Undying Blood Clan, Dragon Nest Mountain, and Jiuli Palace—how come only a few of you are left? Such heavy losses. What exactly did you encounter?”
Qi Sheng’s eyes darkened, then he forced a smile, “Why are you so smug? Even if we suffered heavy losses, it was because of Zhang Ruochen, not because of your court. In my view, the entire human court’s saints are useless—all of them together can’t match a single Zhang Ruochen.”
Demon Heaven Prince added, “Chi Wansui, for all your lofty status as a Realm Son and the so-called number one among the imperial clan’s young saints, in my eyes, you’re not even fit to hold Zhang Ruochen’s shoes.”
Clearly, the Undying Blood Clan was well aware of the conflict between the court and Zhang Ruochen, hence their sarcastic remarks. If the court saints and Zhang Ruochen clashed first, that would be ideal.
Within the court’s camp, a younger War Saint eager to curry favor with Chi Wansui snorted, “Zhang Ruochen is nothing but a fugitive of the court, a stray dog. How could he compare to His Highness Tai Sui?”
Chi Wansui’s eyes narrowed, and he shot a cold glare at that War Saint.
The War Saint’s heart skipped a beat, realizing he had misspoken. He quickly shut his mouth and stepped back.
Qi Sheng looked toward Zhang Ruochen and laughed, “Did you hear that? In the eyes of human saints, you’re just a stray dog. They don’t even consider you part of humanity. In the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, in the Blood God Sect, in the Yin-Yang Sea—what was the point of fighting for humanity?”
Devouring Demon Dragon and Mang Shisi also burst into loud laughter, deliberately showing pity, as if Zhang Ruochen were pitiable.
Yinghuo’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she blinked, smiling sweetly, “Zhang Ruochen, why not defect to the Undying Blood Clan and work for us? All past grievances can be wiped clean.”
Wan Huayu and Bu Qianfan looked worried, concerned that Zhang Ruochen might be swayed by the Undying Blood Clan’s instigation and start a war with the court right then.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, offering a faint smile as he silently nursed his injuries, ignoring the verbal sparring.
Huang Yanchen snorted in displeasure, “This is a perfect opportunity to eliminate the top talents of the Undying Blood Clan, Dragon Nest Mountain, and Jiuli Palace. Why doesn’t the court strike and kill them now? Do you have to wait until they grow into beings like the Underworld King and Blood Queen before acting?”
Qi Sheng and Yinghuo exchanged a strange glance, realizing that Zhang Ruochen’s fiancée was no simple character. If the court saints attacked them first, Zhang Ruochen could stand by and reap the benefits.
Chi Wansui was decisive enough and gave an order: “Fight! Annihilate the Undying Blood Clan first.”
The court saints all drew their sacred artifacts, channeling sacred qi into them, triggering countless Thousand Ripple Annihilation Forces that filled the sky above the glacier continent.
Inside the ice cavern, both Zhang Ruochen and Qi Sheng’s group had been injured by the fiery red strange bird’s cry, making them no match for the court saints.
Qi Sheng remained unflustered, composed, and laughed, “You don’t think the Undying Blood Clan only sent these young saints into the Yin-Yang Sea, do you?”
“Boom.”
Over twenty sacred artifacts rose into the void, forming a cloud of Thousand Ripple Annihilation Forces. Within the cloud, lightning bolts a meter thick crackled and wove into nets, while heavenly fire burned, condensing into lotus shapes.
The cloud, covering hundreds of miles, pressed downward, causing the entire sky and earth to crackle, as if the world were collapsing.
Just then, a golden light sphere appeared above Qi Sheng, Yinghuo, Demon Heaven Prince, and the others. Inside, a towering figure could be faintly seen.
That figure merely extended a palm and pressed downward, forming a hundred-mile-wide handprint.
The twenty-plus sacred artifacts collided with the handprint like raindrops hitting a stone slab, producing only a series of roars.
Then, the handprint flipped, and all the sacred artifacts were sent flying back.
The court saints were startled and hastily communicated with their artifact spirits, scrambling to regain control. A few saints, caught off guard, were severely injured and collapsed to the ground.
“What formidable skill.”
Zhang Ruochen, standing aside, felt a surging force sweeping through the world. He led Huang Yanchen and the others back, avoiding the attention of that powerful Undying Blood Clan figure.
Inside the golden light sphere, the figure wore a gold-threaded python robe, broad-shouldered and robust, with skin the color of gold. Even standing still in midair, waves of immense power radiated outward.
Over twenty saints had launched their sacred artifacts, only to have them repelled with a single flip of his hand. Clearly, this person was a True Saint, possibly even a Supreme Saint.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the figure and muttered three words, “Prince Xia.”
The figure inside the golden light sphere was none other than Prince Xia of the Yellow Heaven Tribe.
Prince Xia had once arrived at Tiantai Prefecture with Princess Huang Tian, aiming to control the Blood God Sect, but was besieged by the Black Market and the court. In that battle, the Undying Blood Clan of the Yellow Heaven Tribe was wiped out, with only Prince Xia escaping severely wounded.
Seeing Prince Xia appear, the court saints all turned pale, looking toward Siming Shennü and Chi Wansui, waiting for orders to flee.
Clearly, the Undying Blood Clan was eager to kill Chi Wansui, Siming Shennü, Suihan, and the others. Prince Xia moved, and the golden light sphere grew larger, eventually reaching a diameter of five hundred meters. It rolled rapidly, crushing toward the court saints.
The glacier beneath trembled violently.
“Your Highness, this is Prince Xia of the Yellow Heaven Tribe. His cultivation is unmatched—we cannot withstand him. Please order a retreat immediately!” a human saint said, pale-faced, terrified by the overwhelming power Prince Xia unleashed, as if it could crush all life.
Siming Shennü said, “No need to fear. The court also has top experts in the Yin-Yang Sea.”
Just then, a bold voice came from afar: “Xia Tiansu, what’s the point of fighting with the court’s juniors? Let me, this prince, take you on.”
A white flood dragon sped across the glacier continent, its body over ten miles long, looking like a winding white river from afar.
Wan Zhaoyi stood atop the flood dragon’s head, clad in Azure Dragon Battle Armor. Charging forward, his human form suddenly transformed into an azure dragon, extending a massive dragon claw that tore apart the five-hundred-meter golden light sphere, sending Prince Xia flying back.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed, “The tenth palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, Dragon Soaring the Nine Heavens.”
Zhang Ruochen had also mastered the tenth palm, but could only unleash forty-two times the attack power. Wan Zhaoyi’s Dragon Soaring the Nine Heavens had just unleashed at least fifty times the attack power.
On the surface, the gap seemed small, but only those who truly cultivated the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm understood that increasing power by even one fold beyond forty-two times was incredibly difficult.
Clearly, Wan Zhaoyi’s palm technique mastery far surpassed Zhang Ruochen’s. With his current level, he could attempt to break through to the eleventh palm. He might have already mastered it.
“In recent years, Wan Zhaoyi’s cultivation has also advanced by leaps and bounds. After the change in heaven and earth rules, top talents’ cultivation speed is far greater than before,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Years ago, when Wan Zhaoyi went to the Eastern Domain Saint Prince Manor to capture Zhang Ruochen, he had clashed with Xuanji Sword Saint. Back then, Wan Zhaoyi couldn’t withstand even one sword strike from Xuanji Sword Saint.
Today, Wan Zhaoyi’s cultivation had increased more than tenfold.
Wan Zhaoyi’s appearance boosted the court’s morale, and everyone grew excited. This was the number one figure on the *Heroic Ode* list, with unfathomable cultivation—hadn’t they just seen Prince Xia repelled?
Wan Zhaoyi scanned the surroundings and laughed, “Everyone is here for the thing beneath the glacier continent. Since we’ve arrived, why not show yourselves?”
“Boom.”
The void shook violently, and a blood cloud emerged.
Inside the blood cloud floated a ninety-nine-zhang-tall bone altar. At its base stood sixteen dragon bones, like pillars supporting the altar’s frame.
Thousands upon thousands of human bones were arranged on the altar, densely packed and uncountable, some even being the remains of human saints.
Atop the altar was planted a war banner, embroidered with the words “Zhong Ying.”
Beneath the banner stood a seven-meter-tall man clad in Hundred Saint Blood Armor, his eyes radiating a domineering, world-dominating murderous aura. “The thing beneath the glacier continent belongs to the Undying Blood Clan. No one else should covet it. Otherwise, death.”
The moment the bone altar appeared, even saints felt oppressed, struggling to breathe, their sacred qi flowing sluggishly under an invisible force.
The man on the bone altar was like a demon god, instilling fear.
Zhang Ruochen frowned deeply, “I never thought King Zhong Ying would also come to the Yin-Yang Sea.”
King Zhong Ying was the foremost king of the Azure Heaven Tribe, second only to Azure Heaven Blood Emperor. He had clashed with Kong Lanyou at Sikong Meditation Courtyard and been severely wounded, nearly dying.
Only Wan Zhaoyi remained calm, facing King Zhong Ying, and said, “The First Central Empire is also determined to have that thing. No one should try to compete with us. Otherwise, death as well.”
“Just you?” King Zhong Ying said.
Wan Zhaoyi chuckled, “How could I, a junior, dare to fight a senior like King Zhong Ying? However, the court has two venerable Heavenly Kings who have long wanted to test your mettle.”
(Chapter End)