Chapter 1358: Dust Returns to Dust, Ashes to Ashes
Feng Yinying stared at the wound on her chest, the coldness in her eyes intensifying. "I've long heard that your Abyssal Ancient Sword is forged from the same material as the Blood Drop Sword. Truly a peerless divine weapon. But today, I'm afraid this weapon will change hands."
Feng Yinying didn't believe Zhang Ruochen had the strength to defeat her, but with the power of the Abyssal Ancient Sword and the Buddha Emperor Relic, he could at least put up a fight. Thus, she set aside her contempt.
"Hiss."
At the wound, streams of yin-cold aura emanated, slowly beginning to heal.
Meanwhile, the sacred qi within Feng Yinying surged rapidly, the force and energy radiating from her growing stronger. "If you don't flee, I, the princess, will slay you within twenty moves."
"Then let's see who flees first today."
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his sacred qi, channeling it into the Buddha Emperor Relic. A radiant golden figure of the Buddha Emperor materialized, extending a massive palm like a Five-Finger Mountain, pressing down toward Feng Yinying.
Feng Yinying's long hair and robes fluttered without wind. She produced a small black pagoda, holding it in her palm, and cried out sharply, "Even if you wield an ancient Great Saint artifact, you can't sweep everything away. Yin Tower, open! Six ghosts, emerge!"
Six Ghost Kings flew out from the Yin Kong Tower, positioning themselves around her in six directions. Their ghostly bodies grew enormous, each reaching a hundred zhang in height, supporting the golden Buddha handprint.
The small black pagoda in Feng Yinying's hand was extremely sharp, resembling a conical spear, as she thrust it straight at Zhang Ruochen.
Purple inscription runes surfaced on the pagoda's exterior, and all seventy-two tower doors swung open, releasing dense ghostly qi.
"The Yin Kong Tower, ranked second on the Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact List."
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged. He once again summoned the sword intent of Sword Seven, transforming into a streak of light and colliding fiercely with the incoming Yin Kong Tower.
The tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword and the spire of the Yin Kong Tower each surged with immense power, sending the saints of the two ancient clans flying backward like scattered leaves.
Zhang Ruochen also retreated explosively, each step causing the ground to collapse in a large area.
Guoguo and the Demon Ape rushed forward, each unleashing a force that pressed against Zhang Ruochen's back, helping him neutralize the impact of the Yin Kong Tower.
Feng Yinying held the Yin Kong Tower, letting out a sinister laugh. "This is the true power of a True Saint!"
"What a formidable shrew. Master Chen, let Princess Baili deal with her!"
Guoguo's teeth chattered, afraid that Feng Yinying would attack again.
Although the clash of power had put him at a disadvantage, Zhang Ruochen, with his Innate Five Elements Chaos Body, withstood it without injury.
A five-colored light flickered across Zhang Ruochen's body, calming the surging blood qi within him and dispelling the pain in his arm. "Princess Baili and the others are tasked with preventing the cultivators of the two ancient clans from escaping. As for this eldest princess of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan, leave her to me. You two immediately go and slaughter the cultivators of the two clans."
"Understood."
The Demon Ape released a cloud of demonic black mist from within, leaping up from the ground and appearing above the heads of the saints from the two ancient clans in the next moment.
Feng Yinying was well aware of the Demon Ape's strength. If it charged into the midst of the saints, it would cause heavy casualties. So, she launched the Yin Kong Tower, sending it flying to strike the Demon Ape's head.
"Your opponent is me."
Zhang Ruochen swung his sword, blocking the Yin Kong Tower.
"You still dare to fight me? Today, I'll cripple you first."
Feng Yinying was filled with murderous intent. She formed her hands into claws and pressed them toward Zhang Ruochen's position. Sacred Dao rules surged from her palms, spreading out like two massive nets, making the surrounding space seem to solidify.
In a distant, abandoned manor, Qing Mo showed a look of surprise. "The Sacred Dao rules have manifested! True Saints are too terrifying, aren't they?"
Princess Baili stood behind Huang Yanchen and Qing Mo, saying, "To break through from the Tongtian Realm to the True Saint Realm, one must cultivate the Sacred Dao rules within the body from illusion to reality. At that stage, the body becomes a small world, and the power unleashed is beyond the imagination of cultivators below the True Saint level."
Qing Mo grew worried. "Isn't the young master in great danger?"
Princess Baili smiled. "Feng Yinying is a small world, but the sect master is a great world. If he mobilized the power of the Qiankun Realm, a single strike would kill Feng Yinying. However, he clearly doesn't want to use that power; instead, he's accumulating experience in fighting True Saints."
Zhang Ruochen watched the real Sacred Dao rules surging from Feng Yinying's hands, a slight curve forming at the corner of his mouth. He also extended his palms.
From his palms surged the Purifying Divine Flame.
"Hiss."
The real Sacred Dao rules were burned and melted. The forces from both sides fell into a stalemate, with neither able to overpower the other.
Behind Feng Yinying, a series of booming sounds and screams erupted.
The Demon Ape and Guoguo had charged into the cultivators of the two ancient clans. With their strength, it was like entering an empty space. One cultivator after another was crushed into bloody pulp, and ghostly fiends were obliterated, their souls scattered.
Feng Yinying, pinned down by Zhang Ruochen, ground her teeth in fury and issued an order: "Cultivators of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan, hear my command! Immediately withdraw from Mingjing Manor and head to the Battle Heaven King Mansion. Report to the Battle Heaven King that Zhang Ruochen is in the Central Imperial City, and have him come to arrest him."
The cultivators of the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan and the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan began to break through, fleeing Mingjing Manor.
Among them, a Saint Realm elder moved the fastest, unleashing his utmost speed. Even the Demon Ape couldn't catch him, and he charged straight into the darkness.
Seeing that elder escape, a sinister smile spread across Feng Yinying's face. "Zhang Ruochen, aren't you going to flee? Once the Battle Heaven King arrives, not even Ling Feiyu can protect you..."
"Ah!"
Suddenly, from the darkness came the elder's scream.
Princess Baili emerged from the darkness, dragging the elder's corpse. With a thud, she threw it to the ground. Then, her finger pointed in several other directions.
Those cultivators trying to flee all exploded into clouds of blood mist.
Feng Yinying witnessed this, bloodshot veins appearing in her eyes, her fury boiling over. "There's another strong one!"
Princess Baili radiated a soft white glow, speaking gently, "Sect Master, do you need my help?"
Before Zhang Ruochen could respond, Feng Yinying had already retreated, speeding away into the distance. Clearly, Princess Baili's appearance made her sense danger, stripping her of her earlier imposing demeanor and forcing her to flee.
"Come back."
Zhang Ruochen reached out with both hands into the void, using the method of Space Distortion to pull Feng Yinying, who had fled a hundred zhang away, back toward him.
"Space power."
Feng Yinying realized her body was getting closer to Zhang Ruochen, her expression shifting. She quickly recalled the Yin Kong Tower, pouring all her sacred qi into it.
Inscription runes interwove on the tower's surface, and the cold Thousand Ripple Annihilation Force burst outward.
Zhang Ruochen's battle intent was equally fierce. Gripping the hilt of the Abyssal Ancient Sword with both hands, he closed his eyes. The Time Domain and Space Domain manifested simultaneously.
"Zi Sword!"
"Chou Sword!"
"Yin Sword!"
His form split into three, as if three Zhang Ruochens charged forward, each executing a Time Sword Art.
"Whoosh."
Three swords struck from different angles, all landing on Feng Yinying, sending her flying. Sword wounds appeared on her neck, back, and leg.
The wound on her neck had cut halfway through.
The wound on her back nearly pierced through her body.
The wound on her leg severed her left leg entirely.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen was also hit by a residual force from the Yin Kong Tower, sustaining minor injuries, but far less severe than Feng Yinying's.
Feng Yinying trembled all over, realizing she had underestimated Zhang Ruochen's strength. Space and time powers were too bizarre, impossible to defend against.
"Six ghosts, return!"
Feng Yinying summoned the six Ghost Kings, driving them toward Zhang Ruochen.
Meanwhile, she flew in the opposite direction, her only thought being to escape immediately.
The six Ghost Kings each let out a long roar, their ghostly bodies merging together. A dazzling golden light radiated from them, and a power comparable to a Third Tribulation Ghost King erupted from within.
However, even among Third Tribulation Ghost Kings, strength varied greatly.
Some Third Tribulation Ghost Kings were as strong as True Saints, while others could slay Supreme Saints—a difference of more than tenfold.
The golden Ghost King formed from the six Ghost Kings emitted an aura roughly equal to Feng Yinying's, equivalent to an early-stage True Saint, far inferior to the Blood Moon Ghost King.
Zhang Ruochen held the Buddha Emperor Relic in both hands, activating its source power. A trace of Great Saint power burst forth, coalescing into a Buddha shadow and a golden divine dragon, which collided violently with the golden Ghost King.
The relic inherently suppressed yin soldiers and ghostly fiends, let alone with the source power of the Buddha Emperor and the golden dragon. A true Third Tribulation Ghost King might have withstood it, but the combined form of the six Ghost Kings could not.
"Boom."
The golden Ghost King's body was torn apart, reverting into six ghostly shadows.
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, sending a burst of Purifying Divine Flame that burned the six shadows into nothingness.
All six Ghost Kings were annihilated.
Feng Yinying hadn't managed to escape. She was intercepted by Princess Baili, who struck her with a palm, sending her flying back—straight into Zhang Ruochen, who was approaching.
"Abyssal."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword appeared between Zhang Ruochen's hands, spinning rapidly with a piercing sword hum. It flew out, and with a shriek, pierced through Feng Yinying's body.
Her body was sent flying toward Princess Baili again.
"Dust returns to dust, ashes to ashes."
Princess Baili formed a hand seal and struck, sending Feng Yinying crashing to the ground. Her body shattered, and even her sacred soul was extinguished.
Feng Yinying had reached the True Saint Realm and could have become the next clan leader of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan. But in the end, she couldn't escape her fate and fell here.
Princess Baili walked over to Feng Yinying's corpse, picked up the Yin Kong Tower, and revealed a beautiful smile. "Quite a formidable sacred artifact."
"Rumble."
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and a low roar came from deep underground.
A chilling corpse qi surged from the bottomless pit, ten zhang in diameter, forming a vortex that swept through the entire Mingjing Manor.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on the bottomless pit, a look of vigilance appearing. "The Heavenly Fate Corpse Emperor and the Blood Moon Ghost King must have settled their battle. But the corpse qi surging from underground doesn't seem like the Heavenly Fate Corpse Emperor's power."