Chapter 1471: Retreat
After the nine Mysterious Maidens merged into one, her entire body radiated particles of light like rain, unleashing power far exceeding that of an ordinary Saint King. Lingquan Shaohun was utterly astonished, having never encountered such a bizarre phenomenon nor such a formidable opponent. A single strike had repelled him, despite his possession of the Supreme Perfection Physique.
Opposite him, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden’s body seemed forged from immortal jade, crystalline and translucent, exuding an enchanting fragrance. She possessed a peerless countenance and the most perfect physique, while her aura shifted unpredictably—now gentle and refined, now domineering, now fragile, now mysterious...
She resembled a true goddess, with nine skies manifesting above her head, each interwoven with countless Sacred Dao Rules, radiating immense sanctity.
Even Zhang Ruochen was taken aback, involuntarily gazing at the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.
“No wonder Qing Mo could sense their location and even detect their weakening aura... it seems the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens truly share an extraordinary connection. What kind of heaven-defying technique did Chi Yao impart to them?” Zhang Ruochen wondered, deeply puzzled.
Empowered by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden’s strength, the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book radiated waves of power to an extreme degree. Pages of text surged like waves within the temple, scattering the evil aura that had enveloped it.
Not only that, but the temple itself underwent a dramatic transformation. Beams of divine light surged from its depths, striking the First-Class Marquises and forcing them to divert their attention to defense.
“I refuse to believe this!” Lingquan Shaohun exclaimed.
Dense divine patterns emerged on his skin, and his aura intensified. The purple stone, driven by the evil aura, grew larger and larger until it finally transformed into a massive purple divine mountain.
“This stone was forged by a Sacred Master Artificer of the Rakshasa Clan, using a purple star harvested from beyond the universe near a black hole. It can both stabilize space and annihilate heaven and earth.”
The purple divine mountain was immensely heavy. Even with Lingquan Shaohun’s cultivation, he had to exert his full strength just to lift it. He hurled it toward the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, shattering countless characters into mist.
“Temple, retract!”
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden retreated swiftly, her brow radiating starlike brilliance. Extending her slender jade arms, she unleashed a vast surge of sacred power, retracting the temple beneath her feet.
The temple rose into the air, shrinking significantly but still standing over a hundred zhang tall. Mysterious patterns crawled across its surface, releasing an ancient power.
The temple crashed forward, colliding violently with the purple divine mountain.
In the next instant, beams of divine light burst forth across the swamp, extinguishing both the cold and the flames.
Shi Shenghua extended tens of thousands of roots and vines, battling hundreds of Rakshasa Marquises. The divine light blast destroyed more than half of her vines.
At the same time, many Rakshasa Marquises were killed, collapsing into pools of blood.
The clash between the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden and Lingquan Shaohun was astonishing, its power far surpassing the Saint realm, resembling a battle between two Saint Kings.
Their weapons—the temple and the purple divine mountain—were extraordinary, surpassing ordinary Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts and greatly amplifying their combat strength.
Lingquan Shaohun clutched his chest, retreating over ten miles through the swamp. The earlier collision had inflicted considerable injuries.
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden was not unscathed either. Cracks like ceramic fractures appeared on her fingers, oozing blood. However, after circulating her sacred power through one cycle, the cracks healed completely.
The eight First-Class Marquises all withdrew, standing in a line behind Lingquan Shaohun, watching the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden warily.
Zhang Ruochen also observed her, seeing traces of Shengshu Cainü, Canglan Wusheng, Qing Mo, Siming Shennü, and the other Mysterious Maidens within her. It was not just their bodies that had merged, but their sacred souls as well.
“Lingquan Shaohun clearly possesses the Supreme Perfection Physique and has reached the peak of the Supreme Saint realm, yet he’s at a disadvantage against her. The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden’s strength is too heaven-defying. Could she be Chi Yao’s ultimate trump card?”
Zhang Ruochen calculated silently. With his current cultivation, even using the power of time and space, his chances of defeating the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden were less than thirty percent—unless he broke through to the Supreme Saint realm.
If it were just the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, Lingquan Shaohun would not be afraid. With the nine First-Class Marquises, he could suppress her. But with Zhang Ruochen also present, the situation became troublesome.
“Boom!”
In the distance, a vast wave of spiritual power surged outward, churning the swamp.
Everyone turned to look. At the center of the spiritual power wave, Chu Siyuan, who had been suppressed by Xianling Hou, now radiated sacred light from every pore. His hair and beard stood on end like steel needles.
Chu Siyuan’s eyes snapped open, and two beams of light shot from his pupils, piercing Xianling Hou’s shoulders. Her graceful body was flung backward, blood dripping from her wounds.
Chu Siyuan touched his fingers to the blood and drew a blood-red horizontal line in the air. The line trembled, transforming into a blood sword that shot toward Xianling Hou’s heart at a hundred times the speed of sound.
Xianling Hou formed hand seals, unleashing thirteen layers of light seals to meet the blood sword.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The blood sword pierced through all thirteen layers, striking Xianling Hou’s chest. Her body arched backward as she spat out a mouthful of blood.
“That stubborn old man, under Xianling Hou’s pressure, has broken through to the fifty-fifth level of spiritual power, becoming a Spiritual Power Saint King.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head slightly, unsurprised. Given Chu Siyuan’s accumulated experience, he should have reached this level long ago.
Seeing this, Lingquan Shaohun leaped forward, catching Xianling Hou’s waist with one arm. “Retreat!” he shouted.
In the next instant, the black wings on Lingquan Shaohun’s back unfurled, transforming him into a ball of lightning that shot into the dense forest. The eight First-Class Marquises spread their wings and followed closely.
Although Chu Siyuan’s spiritual power had broken through to the fifty-fifth level, his injuries were severe, preventing him from pursuing Lingquan Shaohun and the others.
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden was in a similar state. Aside from Qing Mo, all were heavily wounded. Even after merging, they could not sustain a prolonged battle.
Moreover, Lingquan Shaohun and the nine First-Class Marquises were no weaklings. In a life-or-death struggle, it was uncertain who would emerge victorious.
Thus, they could only watch helplessly as Lingquan Shaohun retreated.
Aside from the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden and Chu Siyuan, only four Confucian Saints remained alive. Their losses were severe. If Zhang Ruochen had not arrived, they might have been completely annihilated.
This battle had also given them a profound understanding of the Rakshasa Clan’s ferocity.
Zhang Ruochen, however, remained calm. He took out a precious bottle, flew above the swamp, and collected wisps of Rakshasa remnant souls. After finishing, he beckoned to Shi Shenghua. “Let’s go.”
“Zhang Ruochen, are you just leaving like that?” Chu Siyuan’s voice rang out.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “What? Has your spiritual power breakthrough to the fifty-fifth level inflated your confidence, making you want to detain me?”
Chu Siyuan sat cross-legged, his expression complex. “Thanks to your timely arrival, we turned the tide and drove off those Rakshasa elites. For that, I am grateful.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression remained unchanged. “Getting a word of thanks from Sect Leader Chu is no easy feat.”
Chu Siyuan’s eyes widened in anger. “I always distinguish between gratitude and grievance. I thank when due and curse when due...”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.” Zhang Ruochen shrugged, looking indifferent.
“Wait!”
Chu Siyuan called out, suppressing his emotions. “You should realize how formidable those Rakshasa Marquises are. Their target seems to be you and that girl Nalan. Since they failed this time, they will surely strike again. Alone, you cannot possibly defeat them. Why not join forces with us? Together, we can eliminate them.”
“No interest.”
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the forest at the swamp’s edge, leaving only a faint silhouette.
It was not that Zhang Ruochen was unwilling to deal with Lingquan Shaohun and his group, but he did not want to become too deeply entangled with the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm, especially those close to the Empress.
If not for his friendship with Shengshu Cainü, he would not have come this time.
Entering the dense forest, Zhang Ruochen found a secluded spot and stopped to consider how to counter Lingquan Shaohun and his Rakshasa Marquises if they attacked again.
Alone, he could not sweep through all enemies.
With Shi Shenghua’s current strength, she could at most handle one First-Class Marquis. He would need to find other allies.
“Master, my second fruit has ripened. Once I merge with it, my power will increase significantly,” Shi Shenghua’s voice came from the vines.
Zhang Ruochen asked, “If I recall, your second fruit is the physical body, right?”
“Correct. After merging with the second fruit, I will gain a human form,” Shi Shenghua replied.
“How long will it take to fully merge the physical body with your true form?”
“About a month.”
“Good. Enter the inner space of the Space Crystal and cultivate. Focus on manifesting your human form as quickly as possible.”
Zhang Ruochen stored Shi Shenghua into the Space Crystal, then picked up the Abyssal Ancient Sword and ventured alone into the forest, beginning a hunt.