# Chapter 1355: Half-Step Xuanhuang
After hearing Ling Feiyu's words, Zhang Ruochen showed a thoughtful expression.
A Sword Saint cultivates not only the Sword Dao but also the state of mind. If the state of mind cannot be elevated, one can never become a Sword Saint.
Ling Feiyu took the initiative to ask: "How many lifetimes of memories and sacred dao insights have you fused?"
"Six lifetimes," Zhang Ruochen said.
Ling Feiyu appeared very calm, merely nodding and saying: "Not bad. Having such an experience will bring you countless benefits for your future cultivation."
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a long time, but eventually spoke: "In the sixth lifetime, we spent three hundred years together, with many unforgettable memories. Do you still remember?"
A trace of tenderness flashed through Ling Feiyu's eyes, but moments later, they became extremely sharp again. She said: "Inside the 'Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram,' everything was illusory. What meaning does it have?"
"Did you develop feelings for me?"
Zhang Ruochen stared into her eyes. Ling Feiyu immediately looked away, fixing her gaze once more on the plum blossoms and snow on the tree, and asked: "Why ask such a question?"
"I developed feelings."
Zhang Ruochen did not want to go against his true emotions and said it directly.
Ling Feiyu's fingers involuntarily clenched tighter, and even her breathing became disordered. Clearly, her emotional fluctuations were quite intense.
Zhang Ruochen continued: "I dare not fuse the memories of the seventh lifetime. I have been restraining myself. Can you tell me, in the seventh lifetime, what kind of experience did we share?"
"Then never fuse them. It has no meaning."
The light in Ling Feiyu's eyes could no longer remain sharp, as if she was being pulled back into the "Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram," with past memories surging in like a tidal wave.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of blood spilled from her lips.
Only then did Zhang Ruochen realize that Ling Feiyu was severely injured. He quickly wrapped his arm around her slender waist, took out a Fengchun Pill, and fed it into her mouth.
Feeling the warmth transmitted from Zhang Ruochen's palm, Ling Feiyu glared coldly at him with her beautiful eyes, but in the end, she did not break free nor attack Zhang Ruochen.
If it had been any other man who dared to touch her waist, his head would have already fallen to the ground.
"Injured from fighting with the Ling King Saint Ancestor?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"He struck me with his nurtured Four Calamities Ghost King, but the Four Calamities Ghost King was already beaten by me until its soul scattered, and the Ling King Saint Ancestor was also heavily wounded by my sword. All things considered, I am still a bit stronger than him."
Ling Feiyu had a very strong-willed personality. Even if both sides were battered, she still had to calculate who had gained more and who had lost worse.
Ling Feiyu had been injured because she was protecting Lin Fei. No matter how domineering she was, Zhang Ruochen still felt some heartache. He said: "Ling King Saint Ancestor, right? Tonight, I will go and slay him."
"Don't be impulsive. He has already lost the Four Calamities Ghost King. Once my injuries heal, how could he still be a match for me?"
Only by reaching the Saint King realm does one understand how enormous the gap is between a Saint and a Saint King. It is not something that can be overcome by relying on a powerful physique or battle weapons.
Ling Feiyu was worried that Zhang Ruochen's desire for revenge would cloud his judgment and cause him to do something irrational.
"With the medicinal power of the Fengchun Pill, my injuries will heal in at most three days. By then, we will join forces and wipe out all the forces of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan in the Central Imperial City," Ling Feiyu said.
The Fengchun Pill was indeed a sacred healing pill, but for cultivators of higher cultivation levels, its healing effects gradually diminished.
If a Saint was injured, taking a Fengchun Pill would allow any severe injury to heal within an hour. However, for a figure at the Saint King realm, it would take much longer.
"Alright, let them live a few more days then," Zhang Ruochen said.
Relying on the Saint Talisman, Zhang Ruochen was confident he could defeat the injured Ling King Saint Ancestor, but he could not prevent him from escaping.
If Ling Feiyu's injuries healed, with the two of them working together, they would have a great chance of completely killing the Ling King Saint Ancestor.
Dealing with a Saint King was a major event. If they could kill the Ling King Saint Ancestor, it would shake the world and make all the saints under heaven reconsider the weight of the name "Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen had Bai Li Princess closely monitor the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa. If the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan or the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan made any major moves, or if the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor appeared, she had to notify him immediately.
Spending three days, Zhang Ruochen refined a second sacred medicine, and his cultivation reached the peak of the Upper Realm Saint. His body felt as if it was filled with inexhaustible power.
Continuing his efforts, Zhang Ruochen took out the Xuanhuang Pill and swallowed it, beginning to assault the Xuanhuang Realm.
Only by comprehending the essence of Xuanhuang Qi and then converting all the sacred qi within his body into Xuanhuang Qi could one be considered to have reached the Xuanhuang Realm.
Xuanhuang Qi, also known as "Xuanhuang Sacred Qi," is a type of sacred qi, but its quality is higher than ordinary sacred qi.
After swallowing the Xuanhuang Pill, Zhang Ruochen did not need to comprehend the essence of Xuanhuang Sacred Qi at all. The sacred dao rules surging from the pill were the very essence of Xuanhuang Sacred Qi, directly merging with Zhang Ruochen's own sacred dao rules.
The Xuanhuang Pill was condensed by a Spiritual Power Great Saint. In other words, Zhang Ruochen was currently receiving the initiation of a Spiritual Power Great Saint.
Having comprehended the essence of Xuanhuang Sacred Qi, soon, the first wisp of Xuanhuang Sacred Qi condensed within Zhang Ruochen's body.
Then came the second wisp, the third wisp...
The Xuanhuang Sacred Qi within Zhang Ruochen's body grew more and more abundant. Of course, completely converting all his sacred qi into Xuanhuang Sacred Qi was not something that could be accomplished in one go; it required a longer period of time.
"I can now be considered to have half a foot in the Xuanhuang Realm," Zhang Ruochen said with a knowing smile.
The sacred qi within Zhang Ruochen's body, having been tempered by the Purifying Divine Flame, was already not much inferior to Xuanhuang Sacred Qi. It could be said that although his realm had not yet broken through, Zhang Ruochen's strength was already at the Xuanhuang Realm level.
Since he could not yet reach the Xuanhuang Realm, Zhang Ruochen chose to end his seclusion. He brought Xueyue Ghost King, Guo Guo, Demon Ape, Huang Yanchen, and Qing Mo out of the Qiankun Realm.
Everyone gathered together to discuss strategies for dealing with the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan.
Zhang Ruochen's plan was to take action tonight.
...
...
At the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa, Feng Yinying had long wanted to make a move but was stopped by the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor.
The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor had returned two days ago, but instead of helping Feng Yinying, he had prevented her from going to the Jiezi Mansion. The longer she waited, the stronger the anger in Feng Yinying's heart grew.
"If you won't act, don't stop me from acting."
Feng Yinying did not want to wait any longer. She gathered all the experts of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan, preparing to launch their strongest offensive tonight.
"I stopped you from going because I didn't want you to go to your death." The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor finally spoke, ceasing his cultivation and opening a pair of clear eyes.
He still looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old, young and handsome, with eyes like two green gems, skin as white as jade, and a body full of spiritual nature. An ordinary person could not detect any corpse aura from him at all.
"Why?" Feng Yinying asked.
The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor's eyes were somewhat deep, and he said: "If I am not mistaken, Zhang Ruochen should have already arrived at the Central Imperial City."
Feng Yinying's expression shook greatly, and she said: "The mysterious expert who injured Elder Li Sheng and Elder Ling Gu was him? No, how do you know he has come to the Central Imperial City?"
"If Zhang Ruochen knew someone was trying to capture his mother, how could he not come to the Central Imperial City? There has been no news of him in the Northern Domain, which means he must have already left the Northern Domain. Isn't the answer very clear?" the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor said.
Feng Yinying said: "Since Zhang Ruochen has come to the Central Imperial City, he should have taken his mother and fled immediately. Why did he stay at the Jiezi Mansion?"
"Naturally, he wants to deal with us," the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor said.
"Just him? He dares to challenge two ancient clans?"
Feng Yinying let out a laugh, a mocking expression appearing on her face, and said: "If I were him, I would choose to endure and immediately flee the Central Imperial City. That might still save my life."
"Perhaps he has already taken the pill inside the Jiezi Mansion, waiting for you to take the bait," the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor said.
Feng Yinying calmed down, feeling that the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor's words made sense. If Zhang Ruochen had really come to the Central Imperial City and set up a large number of formations inside the Jiezi Mansion, rushing in rashly would indeed put her at a great disadvantage.
Feng Yinying said: "So, what we need to do now is to wait by the tree for the rabbit, making Zhang Ruochen take the initiative to charge into the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa. That way, we will have the home-field advantage. Right?"
"Exactly. Now it's a matter of who has more patience, who can hold their nerve better," the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor said calmly.
Feng Yinying smiled darkly and said: "I don't have that much patience like you. Tonight, I will spread the news that he has come to the Central Imperial City, forcing him to make the first move."
"Foolish. Doing that will only scare him away. It would be better to ally with some aristocratic families with Ministry of War backgrounds and take the initiative to attack the Jiezi Mansion," the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor said.
Feng Yinying said: "Ally with them? Even if we capture Zhang Ruochen, the vast majority of the treasures will be taken by them, and Zhang Ruochen will definitely be locked up in the Heavenly Prison. Wouldn't we lose both the person and the wealth? Don't you want to seize Zhang Ruochen's Five Elements Chaos Body and Divine Fate?"
"So, that is the middle strategy. The true superior strategy is to wait at ease for the weary, letting Zhang Ruochen lose his composure first and take the initiative to attack us. Calculating the time, Ling Feiyu's injuries should have healed by now. There is a high chance that tonight will be when they make their move."
The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor's eyes were very deep, making it impossible to guess his thoughts. It was as if he could see through everything in the world, and nothing could hide from him.
Feng Yinying's expression changed, and she said: "The Ling King Saint Ancestor's injuries have not healed yet. I'm afraid he won't be able to stop Ling Feiyu..."
"What are you panicking about? Do you think the formations in the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa are just decorations? With this emperor's formation mastery, even if a Saint King breaks in, they may not be able to leave unscathed. Moreover, this emperor still has another trump card. As long as they dare to come, I will make sure they never return." The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor was confident, speaking with full assurance.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen had also prepared a comprehensive strategy. First, he sent a Message Light Talisman, informing Canglan Martial Saint that the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor was hiding in the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa.
Huang Yanchen frowned, feeling that this was somewhat inappropriate, and said: "Although Canglan Martial Saint has a friendship with you, she is still a member of the imperial court and loyal to the Empress. Are you sure she will help you deal with the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor?"
"Canglan Martial Saint and Wan Zhaoyi belong to the same faction. She definitely wants to eliminate the threat of the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor as soon as possible. She only needs to lead the army to destroy the formations of the Bright Mirror Mountain Villa; she doesn't need to personally deal with the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor. Such a small favor, I think she will help," Zhang Ruochen said.
Huang Yanchen said: "What if, when we are both battered, she makes a move against both you and the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor?"
"I have already considered that. Someone will restrain her at the appropriate time."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back, looking at the horizon, and said: "Now, we only wait for nightfall. Tonight will be a bloody and stormy night."
Playing a game of chess against a figure of the Great Emperor level, Zhang Ruochen naturally had to be extremely careful, mobilizing all the forces he could.
Man proposes, heaven disposes.
Now, it was a matter of who would make the superior move.