# Chapter 1296: Clash
On the ground, blood-red patterns emerged, resembling tens of thousands of blood streams, covering an area of a hundred miles, dyeing the sky blood-red.
The Blood Saints of the Demon Heaven Tribe, Qi Heaven Tribe, and Seal Heaven Tribe all emerged from the blood streams. The three tribes combined had nearly twenty Blood Saints.
Among them, the leaders of the three tribes were all top-tier experts, their strength not inferior to Zhu Qingyi's.
Facing such a powerful lineup, Canglan Martial Saint's expression changed slightly. Instead of choosing a head-on confrontation, she immediately retreated, leading the White Feather Twelve Saints into the Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
"This Saint has long wanted to take a Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden as a concubine, and Canglan Martial Saint is a good choice, haha."
The leader of the Demon Heaven Tribe, named Miefeng Blood Saint, had a body three zhang tall and as thick as a millstone. Laughing loudly, he grabbed a silver-glowing war sword and chased after them, slashing at Canglan Martial Saint and the White Feather Twelve Saints to stop their escape.
The sword energy was like a river, several thousand meters long, sweeping downward. Every residual wave of sword energy that landed left a pit ten zhang in diameter on the ground.
Canglan Martial Saint snorted coldly, twisting her alluring body backward. The sacred sword on her back flew out of its sheath, turning into a white rainbow and clashing with the war sword swung by Miefeng Blood Saint.
"Boom."
White mist violently shook, countless sword energies surged, making a rustling sound.
In the end, Miefeng Blood Saint could not block the sword technique unleashed by Canglan Martial Saint. The sword energy fell on him like raindrops, clashing against his armor.
"As expected of a Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, her strength is indeed formidable."
Miefeng Blood Saint flew backward, his armor dented with pits, blood energy churning inside his body. If his defense were not strong enough, he would have been injured just now.
It must be known that Miefeng Blood Saint was a "Heaven-Passing Blood General."
Among the Undying Blood Clan, only the strongest batch of Heaven-Passing Realm Saints were qualified to receive the title of "Heaven-Passing Blood General," hailed as the most powerful beings below True Saints.
Each tribe had only three to five Heaven-Passing Blood Generals, all of whom were renowned figures. Using their trump cards, they could even exchange a few moves with True Saints.
"Repelling Miefeng Blood Saint with a single strike, her strength is not to be underestimated."
Zhu Qingyi's gaze turned even colder. Turning into streaks of black evil mist, she chased into the Immortal Mechanism Mountain. Her body exuded a sky-high killing intent, making it impossible for her to let Canglan Martial Saint and the White Feather Twelve Saints leave.
At the same time, the other three leaders and the Blood Saints of the four tribes turned into dozens of streaks of light, accompanied by sonic booms, chasing from different directions.
Moments later, deafening battle sounds erupted from the Immortal Mechanism Mountain, startling all the birds and beasts into fleeing—some escaping out of the mountain, others fleeing deeper into the Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, and Qing Mo walked out of the white mist, gazing in the direction of the battle sounds.
Their expressions were somewhat solemn. The appearance of large numbers of Saint Realm experts from both the Imperial Court and the Undying Blood Clan in the Immortal Mechanism Mountain was definitely not a good thing.
"They have the same goal as us—they are also looking for Gu Songzi." Huang Yanchen's beautiful eyes showed a hint of worry.
The Sacred Alchemy Master mentioned by the Wine Madman was named Gu Songzi.
Qing Mo said, "I heard them say that Gu Songzi obtained the recipe for the Transformation Saint Pill. The Transformation Saint Pill is a legendary sacred pill, like a Sacred Source. As long as a Half-Saint consumes the Transformation Saint Pill, they have a great chance of cultivating to become a Saint."
Zhang Ruochen naturally understood the value of the Transformation Saint Pill. It was said that during the Middle Ages, a Daoist alchemy sect could refine this pill, creating a glorious era. A single sect produced over a thousand Saints.
However, when prosperity reached its peak, decline followed.
Because the value of the Transformation Saint Pill was too great, countless people coveted it. That alchemy sect met with disaster and was destroyed by a mysterious force.
With the destruction of that alchemy sect, the recipe for the Transformation Saint Pill also disappeared.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I don't know where they got their information, but since the recipe for the Transformation Saint Pill has reappeared, all forces will surely move upon hearing the news. I must find Senior Gu Songzi before them."
Qing Mo was somewhat worried, saying, "But a large number of Saint Realm experts from the Undying Blood Clan have entered the Immortal Mechanism Mountain. If we run into them, won't we be walking to our deaths?"
"The Undying Blood Clan wants to kill me, but don't I also want to kill them? If I calculate the time, the Blood-Suppressing Talismans that the Shi family helped me refine should all be completed by now."
A killing intent flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Before entering the Yin-Yang Sea, Zhang Ruochen had sent ten million drops of Divine Blood to the Shi family, asking them to help refine Blood-Suppressing Talismans.
If this batch of Blood-Suppressing Talismans were all refined, Zhang Ruochen could completely block gods and kill Buddhas when fighting the Undying Blood Clan. Even an expert like Zhu Qingyi could be suppressed.
"Yanchen, go to the Nether King Sword Tomb and bring me that batch of Blood-Suppressing Talismans." Zhang Ruochen said.
Huang Yanchen also understood the current situation. After thinking for a moment, she said, "I'll go to the Nether King Sword Tomb alone. Qing Mo will stay to protect you. Given your current physical condition, don't push yourself if you encounter danger."
"Don't worry, I'm not an irrational person." Zhang Ruochen smiled slightly.
Huang Yanchen turned around, preparing to leave.
"Yanchen."
Zhang Ruochen called out to her, then walked over, reached out a hand to caress her snow-white cheek, and gently kissed her, their lips meeting.
Huang Yanchen's face flushed red. She was somewhat nervous, her breath stopping, her long eyelashes trembling. Their eyes kept staring at each other, filled with deep affection.
A moment later, their lips parted.
"You be careful too. The Kunlun Realm is now filled with war everywhere, and nowhere is safe." Zhang Ruochen advised.
After Huang Yanchen left, Zhang Ruochen and Qing Mo also entered the Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
The Immortal Mechanism Mountain was not just a single mountain but a cluster of mountains standing tall, stretching continuously, occupying a vast territory. Even Saint Realm beings found it difficult to reach the depths of the Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
The sounds of battle in the mountain were scattered in several directions. Clearly, the battle between the Blood Saints of the four Undying Blood Clan tribes and the White Feather Twelve Saints led by Canglan Martial Saint had split into several battlefields.
Perhaps one side was trying to break through in different directions.
Zhang Ruochen did not want to get involved in their battle. Dressed in white robes like a frail scholar, he traveled unhurriedly.
Qing Mo followed behind Zhang Ruochen, without any aura of a Saint Realm expert, no different from a little maid.
Hearing the sounds of battle, Qing Mo appeared quite anxious, her eyes constantly shifting, her lips moving repeatedly. Finally, she could not help but say, "Young Master, Canglan Martial Saint and the White Feather Twelve Saints are definitely no match for the Undying Blood Clan. Shouldn't we help them?"
"I have no connection with them. Why should I take such a big risk to help them?" Zhang Ruochen did not turn around, only asking in return.
Although Canglan Martial Saint and the White Feather Twelve Saints were close guards of Chi Yao, Zhang Ruochen did not transfer his hatred for Chi Yao onto them.
Just as he bore no hatred for the Shengshu Cainü, one of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens, instead regarding her as a close confidante.
The reason he did not want to act was that he was already seriously injured, like a clay Buddha crossing a river—unable to protect himself. He could not afford to meddle in other people's affairs and invite unnecessary trouble.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Right now, finding Gu Songzi as quickly as possible and restoring my three meridians is the most important thing."
Qing Mo wanted to persuade Zhang Ruochen and continued, "But if the female Saints of the human race fall into the hands of the Undying Blood Clan, they will surely be humiliated. Especially Canglan Martial Saint, one of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens. If she is captured, it will definitely affect the morale of the entire human army. If Zhilin Pass is breached and the Undying Blood Clan captures Hongchuan Prefecture, how many humans will die? How many humans will become blood livestock raised by the Undying Blood Clan?"
"Young Master, you have always been someone who cares about the common people of the world. You are not as cold as you appear on the surface. Can you bear to watch the Undying Blood Clan bully humans?"
Zhang Ruochen stopped, turned around, and stared into Qing Mo's eyes.
Qing Mo quickly lowered her head, not daring to meet Zhang Ruochen's gaze.
"Who taught you to say this? Yanchen?"
Zhang Ruochen did not believe that a little girl like Qing Mo could come up with such reasoning, not only analyzing things thoroughly but also putting a "caring for the common people" crown on his head.
Qing Mo remained silent.
"Boom."
Ahead, a powerful sacred aura swept across the entire mountain ridge. A black sickle flew over Zhang Ruochen and Qing Mo's heads, followed by a woman's scream.
Drops of Sacred Blood fell from above.
With a bang, a female Saint in white battle armor fell into the forest not far from Zhang Ruochen and Qing Mo. That patch of forest collapsed downward, turning into a wasteland.
That female Saint was severely injured, both hands covering her lower abdomen, where there was a long bloody wound. It was unclear what sharp weapon had struck her.
Black evil energy continuously surged out of the wound, enveloping her delicate body. Her face turned pale, her expression full of pain.
"Whoosh—"
Another female Saint in white armor, flapping a pair of wings and holding a sacred sword, flew down from midair, quickly helping the injured female Saint up, saying, "Yuan Su, I'll take you away."
"Still trying to leave?"
A cold, deep laugh sounded.
Immediately, a Blood Saint with a fierce face, holding a blood-stained sickle and flapping a pair of blood wings, rushed out of the white mist, blocking the two female Saints' path.
Another bald Blood Saint also rushed out, his eyes full of possessiveness, laughing lewdly, "I heard you are called the Seventy-Two Palace Female Saints, stationed in the Purple Micro Palace, the closest female officials to the Empress. Usually, you are high and mighty, and even Commandery Princes and Domain Kings of the Imperial Court have to show you respect. If we catch one and train her as a female slave, I wonder what those human cultivators who see you as fairies will think? Heh."
Soon after, three more Blood Saints arrived.
A total of five Blood Saints surrounded the two female Saints, all letting out lewd laughter, as if they had already pronounced their fate.