Chapter 1312: Unreasonable
“So you are Zhang Ruochen, the Heir of Time and Space... No wonder, haha, no wonder the techniques you used were so strange. It was the power of space...”
Zhu Qingyi let out a laugh of sudden realization. Only at this moment did she finally know who her opponent was.
The world believed Zhang Ruochen had become a cripple. Who could have imagined that even with his three meridians completely ruined, he was still not someone anyone could easily handle.
“You shouldn’t have come to the Northern Domain. This is the home ground of the Undying Blood Clan. There are countless members of the Undying Blood Clan who want to kill you. The moment your identity is exposed will be your death sentence,” Zhu Qingyi said.
“Killing me is not an easy thing,” Zhang Ruochen said. Mobilizing his spiritual power, he extended an index finger and tapped it against Zhu Qingyi’s brow. Immediately, her entire body went limp, and she collapsed unconscious to the ground.
“I can’t let her speak anymore.”
Zhang Ruochen stared at Zhu Qingyi lying on the ground, a grave expression on his face.
He was well aware that once his identity was exposed, not only would the Undying Blood Clan come to kill him, but even some greedy forces among the human race would certainly try every means to deal with him and seize the treasures on his person.
Qing Mo handed the silver kitchen knife to Zhang Ruochen and asked, “How about... you cut out her tongue?”
“How can you be so cruel?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Qing Mo widened her eyes and said seriously, “Our situation is too dangerous. We need to be more careful. If we get captured, it will definitely be more than just having our tongues cut off.”
“Having a sense of crisis is also a kind of progress, but your method of doing things is a bit too simple and crude. With the Undying Blood Clan’s powerful vitality, even if the tongue is cut off, it can grow back.”
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head, feeling that Qing Mo was just a little girl who needed his guidance in everything. He couldn’t let her be too timid, nor could he let her be too extreme.
“Boom.”
Wuyuan Island shook slightly.
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the direction from which the loud noise came. Above the Flower Illusion Forest, layers of formation inscriptions appeared, condensing into one hundred and eight thick chains that stretched from the ground all the way to the sky.
Between the chains, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth transformed into lightning, emitting a “crackling” sound.
The space where Wuyuan Island was located seemed to solidify. A terrifying pressure fell upon every living being on the island, suffocating and filling them with immense fear.
“Someone else has set foot on Wuyuan Island and triggered a key formation eye of the Great Saint remnant formation, fully activating it. Wuyuan Island has become even more dangerous.”
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the medicine garden. He saw blood-red light shuttles flying out from the soil. Each light shuttle was like a blood blade, extremely sharp, capable of easily cutting through the physical bodies of Saint-level beings.
Those light shuttles were also part of the Great Saint remnant formation.
Vaguely, Zhang Ruochen heard Gu Songzi’s strange cries coming from the medicine garden. Clearly, the power of the Great Saint remnant formation was also causing him great trouble.
Before long, the entire medicine garden was shrouded in blood-red mist. Within the mist, light shuttles wove into a net.
The once calm medicine garden had become extremely dangerous.
“That hateful old man isn’t going to die in there, is he?”
Qing Mo was a bit worried. After all, Zhang Ruochen’s three meridians had not yet been reconnected. No matter how annoying Gu Songzi was, he couldn’t die now.
“Gu Songzi was able to stay alone in a dangerous place like Xianji Mountain for several hundred years. His means of survival are no less than Jiu Fengzi’s. Don’t worry about him.”
Zhang Ruochen instructed Qing Mo to wait outside the medicine garden, then returned alone to the Flower Illusion Forest to investigate who had broken into Wuyuan Island.
Not long after entering the Flower Illusion Forest, Zhang Ruochen saw Xue Sheng’s figure.
“How dare you mock me, a Saint? Go to hell.”
Xue Sheng seemed to have been poisoned by the illusion toxin. His hair was disheveled, and he let out a loud roar, wielding a sacred sword and slashing wildly in all directions.
In fact, being able to cultivate to the Saint realm before the age of one hundred made Xue Sheng quite outstanding, worthy of being called a talent. Although he had clashed with Zhang Ruochen earlier due to a misunderstanding, Zhang Ruochen didn’t take it to heart.
Zhang Ruochen had once trained at the Martial Market Bank, so there was some connection between them. He didn’t want the conflict between them to escalate further.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen used the Thunder Movement Technique, rushing toward Xue Sheng, intending to subdue him and take him out of the Flower Illusion Forest.
“Who? Who dares to ambush me, a Saint? I’ll make sure you die without a burial place.”
Xue Sheng suddenly turned around. His eyeballs were covered in dense blood vessels, full of ferocity. Gripping the sword hilt with both hands, he slashed out with all his might, creating a brilliant waterfall of sword energy.
Zhang Ruochen was slightly startled. He hadn’t expected Xue Sheng to suddenly strike with this sword.
You see, Zhang Ruochen could only use spiritual power now and couldn’t engage in close combat. At such a close distance, he had no choice but to release all his spiritual power, condensing it into a huge lightning shield for defense.
Xue Sheng’s sword strike collided with the lightning shield. Immediately, ripples spread across the shield’s surface, and dense bolts of lightning flew out in all directions.
Three of those lightning bolts struck Xue Sheng, sending him flying backward with blood spraying from his mouth.
“Boom.”
When Xue Sheng stepped back for the thirteenth time, he stepped onto a formation inscription of the Great Saint remnant formation. Instantly, his sacred body was torn apart by an invisible force.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his spiritual power, and the lightning shield immediately dissipated. Looking at the forest stained with sacred blood, he let out a soft sigh: “What a pity.”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen felt a strong killing intent. He turned his head and looked to the left. He saw Qiu Lanshan, the Ninth Academy Master of the Northern Domain Saint Academy, standing under an illusion tree, glaring at him with rage.
“How can you be so ruthless? Earlier, Xue Sheng only questioned you, and you killed him. We are all human saints. How could you bring yourself to do this?”
Qiu Lanshan bared his white teeth, as if he wanted to devour Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen couldn’t be bothered to explain to Qiu Lanshan. Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t believe it. So, he sneered, “Do you have the right to call me ruthless? When you tried to kill me, did you ever think that I am also a human saint?”
“How dare you.”
The anger on Qiu Lanshan’s body grew even stronger. He summoned the Nether Serpent Sword, which floated before him. As the sword trembled violently, countless sword-shaped sword energies flew out.
Qiu Lanshan had the cultivation of the Tongtian realm and was the Academy Master of the Northern Domain Saint Academy, making him a formidable figure.
Given Zhang Ruochen’s current state, he was no match for him.
“Swish.”
Zhang Ruochen used the Thunder Movement Technique, rushing out of the Flower Illusion Forest at top speed, intending to regroup with Qing Mo.
“You can’t escape. Today, you will die.”
Qiu Lanshan was even faster. In an instant, he caught up to Zhang Ruochen. The sword energies from the Nether Serpent Sword formed dozens of light shuttles, twisting together and striking Zhang Ruochen’s back, piercing through the lightning defense shield.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes darkened. He turned around quickly and pressed his hands forward, sending out two streams of spiritual power. He was about to use the power of space distortion to neutralize Qiu Lanshan’s attack.
“Swish, swish.”
Suddenly, a series of sword sounds rang out.
Six sacred swords flew out from the forest and inserted themselves in front of Zhang Ruochen, forming a sword formation that blocked Qiu Lanshan’s attack.
Qiu Lanshan roared deeply, “Who dares to stop me from killing him?”
Liu Li Female Saint, clad in a suit of white armor, walked out from the forest and scolded, “Qiu Lanshan, how dare you! Right now, all human cultivators are united against the Undying Blood Clan. Yet you dare to kill a human saint. Aren’t you afraid of being condemned by all human cultivators in the world?”
Then, the other five female saints also walked out and stood beside Zhang Ruochen.
Qiu Lanshan naturally recognized the identities of the six female saints. The anger in his eyes subsided a bit. He slightly bowed and said, “You six female saints may not know this, but he killed Xue Sheng first. I am merely avenging the saint of the Martial Market Bank.”
“Xue Sheng is dead?”
The six female saints all showed expressions of surprise. They hadn’t expected this to be the case.
“Young Master, what exactly happened?”
Liu Li Female Saint’s eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen. Although she was asking, her tone was full of affection and very soft.
Zhang Ruochen briefly explained what had just happened to them.
But Qiu Lanshan didn’t believe it. He said firmly, “Impossible. I don’t believe your words. Trying to shirk responsibility? It’s not that easy.”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe it, so I didn’t bother explaining to you,” Zhang Ruochen said indifferently.
“I believe you.”
Liu Li Female Saint continued, “The Young Master cannot be a narrow-minded person, and he is definitely someone who dares to take responsibility. If he really killed Xue Sheng, he would never deny it.”
The other five female saints also nodded, trusting Zhang Ruochen’s character.
Qiu Lanshan could see that the six female saints had a connection with Zhang Ruochen. However, given his status and position, he naturally wouldn’t back down so easily. He said, “The Martial Market Bank is not so easy to bully. The fall of a Saint-level prodigy is enough to alarm Lord Wuzun. How about this: everyone takes a step back? If you hand over Zhu Qingyi to me, I will no longer pursue this matter.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “Is this a transaction of interests?”
Zhu Qingyi’s value was enormous. Using her head, one could exchange for a large amount of cultivation resources from the imperial court. Moreover, with this merit, obtaining a princely title would be a simple matter.
Qiu Lanshan naturally wouldn’t admit this. He said solemnly, “I want to kill her with my own hands to avenge my senior brother.”
“Sorry, I can’t hand her over to you,” Zhang Ruochen shook his head.
“Junior, you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Today, even if the six female saints are here, they can’t protect you.”
Qiu Lanshan had a reason to kill Zhang Ruochen, so he wasn’t afraid of the six female saints.
The Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force within the Nether Serpent Sword was activated. In the forest, thousands of sword energies condensed, flying at high speed, emitting piercing sword sounds.
“Form the formation.”
Liu Li Female Saint shouted.
Immediately, the six female saints quickly stepped into formation, forming a sword array. Their six powers combined, and from their bodies, a sacred aura erupted that was no weaker than Qiu Lanshan’s, meeting his attack head-on.