Chapter 1504: Time Sword Art, Certain Death with Every Strike
However, the one even more shocked was Jiuyou Sword Saint.
He had struck with full force, even drawing out Sword Dao Profound Qi, yet he was still blocked by Lingquan Shaojun. The Sword Dao Profound Qi had only pierced through the divine patterns on Lingquan Shaojun's palm, failing to inflict serious injury.
Such defensive power was terrifying.
"You must die."
The evil fiendish aura within Lingquan Shaojun surged like dozens of great rivers, emitting a rumbling sound. The light radiating from the divine patterns on his skin became even more dazzling.
His other hand clenched into a fist and struck toward Jiuyou Sword Saint's abdomen.
"Shua, shua."
From Jiuyou Sword Saint's brow, nine sacred swords flew out.
The nine swords displayed nine different colors, connecting into a nine-colored sword dragon that collided with Lingquan Shaojun's fist.
"Boom." The next moment, Jiuyou Sword Saint was sent flying backward.
The nine sacred swords also flew out, plunging into the sea surface and landing in nine positions around Jiuyou Sword Saint. Surging sword qi continued to pour out from the nine swords, representing the unceasing vitality of Jiuyou Sword Saint's sword intent.
A trace of sacred blood hung at the corner of Jiuyou Sword Saint's mouth, clearly indicating he had suffered considerable injury.
Both were at the Half-Saint King cultivation level, yet Lingquan Shaojun possessed a Supreme Perfect Physique—a fact Jiuyou Sword Saint could not match. Moreover, Lingquan Shaojun's body was reinforced by divine patterns, widening the gap between them even further. Even if Jiuyou Sword Saint had cultivated Sword Eight to Great Perfection, he could not bridge that difference.
Lingquan Shaojun raised his right hand, looking at the two-inch-long bloody wound on his palm. An intense pain came from the injury.
Earlier, Jiuyou Sword Saint's strike had not only destroyed the divine patterns on Lingquan Shaojun's palm but also left a sword qi within his body, making the wound difficult to heal.
That sword qi was even spreading toward his wrist and arm.
"Damn it," Lingquan Shaojun cursed under his breath.
Jiuyou Sword Saint wiped the blood from his mouth, a smile still on his face. "Not bad. Quite a bit of strength."
Lingquan Shaojun took out a bronze fist glove and put it on his hand, his gaze sweeping over Jiuyou Sword Saint and Zhang Ruochen. "Your strength is decent enough. Come at me together."
"There's no need for Zhang Ruochen to act. This old man alone can take you down," Jiuyou Sword Saint said.
Lingquan Shaojun sneered disdainfully. "Overestimating yourself. Your sword dao skill is indeed impressive, but you were just hit by my Chaos Six-Kill Fist technique. You're probably badly injured, aren't you? If we keep fighting, I'll beat you into a pulp."
Zhang Ruochen, however, saw that Jiuyou Sword Saint was not truly overestimating himself. Rather, by engaging such a formidable opponent, he sought to push himself to the limit, seeking an opportunity to break through to the Saint King realm.
Back then, Jiuyou Sword Saint had accepted Xuanji Sword Saint's challenge with the same purpose.
Unfortunately, that battle ended as soon as it began because Xuanji Sword Saint had been poisoned by Nether King's blood toxin and could not unleash his full power. That attempt to reach the Saint King realm had ended in failure.
Jiuyou Sword Saint naturally knew the gap between himself and Lingquan Shaojun was significant. If he kept fighting, the final outcome would likely be what Lingquan Shaojun said—beaten to death, reduced to a pool of blood and mud.
But Jiuyou Sword Saint had no choice. He could only fight to the death.
If he could not break through to the Saint King realm, he would still die.
Rather than waiting to die of old age, it was better to fight a glorious battle before the end.
Seeing Jiuyou Sword Saint's intent, Zhang Ruochen did not intervene. Instead, he quickly retreated, preparing to join forces with Mo Yin for a swift victory and seize the Merit Record Wall.
"Let's go."
In the distance, Dongliu Sword Venerable, Xue Lingfeng, and Limu glanced at the battlefield between Lingquan Shaojun and Jiuyou Sword Saint, then jointly activated a shuttle-shaped Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact.
The three flew onto the Dunyun Shuttle and broke through the encirclement at a hundred times the speed of sound, fleeing.
They fled not only because they were too heavily injured to continue but also for another, greater reason: they realized that continuing to fight the eight First-Class Marquises would only help Zhang Ruochen seize the Merit Record Wall.
Such a thankless task—they were all smart people and naturally would not do it.
The Merit Record Wall falling into Lingquan Shaojun's hands was better than falling into Zhang Ruochen's.
"Those three..."
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat helpless, but his gaze grew sharper.
With Dongliu Sword Venerable, Xue Lingfeng, and Limu gone, no one was left to hold back the eight First-Class Marquises. They formed an encirclement and charged toward the Merit Record Wall.
"Zhang Ruochen, all your companions have fled. Aren't you going to run?"
Xie Baihou let out a loud laugh and, in an instant, closed in to within a hundred zhang of Zhang Ruochen. The other seven First-Class Marquises clearly regarded Zhang Ruochen as their primary enemy and all surrounded him.
Zhang Ruochen was happy to see this. As long as he could keep all eight First-Class Marquises here, Mo Yin should soon be able to take the Merit Record Wall.
"Do you think you lot can force me to flee?"
Zhang Ruochen stood still, stepping on a branch of parasol tree, motionless as an ancient pine.
Qian Yuhou was a Rakshasa woman who cultivated martial arts. She wore a white feathered robe, and feathers like sword blades flowed beneath her feet, forming a river of feathers.
The sound of feathers flying was like sword cries.
Qian Yuhou said, "Dongliu Sword Venerable, Xue Lingfeng, and Limu—three top experts—were no match for us. Do you think you alone can last half a quarter-hour against us?"
"Three breaths, and we'll knock him down," Xue Yuhou said.
The eight First-Class Marquises simultaneously activated their sacred qi. Some unleashed sacred arts, others activated sacred artifacts.
But Zhang Ruochen struck first, targeting the strongest among the eight—Xie Baihou.
"So fast."
Xie Baihou only saw a blur before Zhang Ruochen stood within five zhang of him, the black heavy sword in his hand descending with the sound of wind and thunder.
Xie Baihou had no choice but to raise the shield forged from a Great Saint's bone to block the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
"Bang."
Xie Baihou felt as if an iron mountain had slammed into his shield. The fingers of both hands seemed about to break, and his body uncontrollably flew backward.
After delivering that strike, Zhang Ruochen glanced behind him.
He saw Xue Yuhou, trying to rescue Xie Baihou, had already closed to within twenty zhang.
"This distance."
The time imprints around Zhang Ruochen's body all trembled, gathering toward him like countless points of light.
"Zi Sword."
This was one of the moves from the third level of Time Sword Art, the Twelve Hour Sword Technique.
In that instant, time stopped.
Zhang Ruochen struck out with his sword. Before Xue Yuhou could react, the Abyssal Ancient Sword had pierced through his body. At the same time, a surge of Purifying Divine Flame flowed from Zhang Ruochen's palm, along the sword, into Xue Yuhou's body.
"Ah... is this the Time Sword Art..."
Xue Yuhou's face twisted as he let out a roar.
Zhang Ruochen did not answer him. What was there to say to a dead man?
"Bang."
Countless sword qi burst from the Abyssal Ancient Sword, tearing Xue Yuhou's body apart.
Moments later, the remnants were burned to ash by the Purifying Divine Flame.
A First-Class Marquis's vitality was indeed formidable, but against the Purifying Divine Flame, no amount of vitality could save him.
The remaining seven First-Class Marquises all drew in sharp breaths, clearly intimidated by the Time Sword Art.
They were all First-Class Marquises. Xue Yuhou's fate could easily become theirs. The Time Sword Art and Purifying Divine Flame were too terrifying. Without divine patterns to protect their bodies, how could they resist?
Standing at the center of the seven First-Class Marquises, Zhang Ruochen said coldly, "Who wants to be the next to die under my sword?"
Xie Baihou's expression was grim, but he remained relatively calm. "Everyone, don't be afraid. Even the Time Sword Art takes time to execute. And the Purifying Divine Flame is not completely unblockable. Earlier, Chengxuan Hou survived it, didn't he? If all seven of us strike together, even one move each, we can kill him."
Zhang Ruochen took out the Buddha Emperor Relic, activated its source power, and hurled it at Xie Baihou.
Xie Baihou pressed both hands against the Great Saint bone shield, activating a trace of Great Saint power within it. A Great Saint's phantom image burst forth from the shield.
"Boom."
The relic shattered the Great Saint phantom and collided with the Great Saint bone shield, sending Xie Baihou flying once more. This time, blood spilled from his mouth, and cracks split open on both his arms.
The other six First-Class Marquises all unleashed sacred arts and sacred artifacts, launching an overwhelming attack on Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen acted decisively, ignoring the six. Transforming into a sword light, he executed Sword Seven and struck at Xie Baihou again.
"Bang."
After this collision, the Great Saint bone shield flew from Xie Baihou's hands, and both his arms were nearly crippled.
Terrified out of his wits, Xie Baihou abandoned all else and activated an escape technique, bursting forth at double his usual speed, fleeing as far from Zhang Ruochen as possible.
"Wu Sword."
Before Xie Baihou could escape twenty zhang, time stopped again.
"Puchi."
A sword light pierced through Xie Baihou's back, leaving a blood hole as large as a washbasin. At the edges of the hole, traces of Purifying Divine Flame spread outward, burning Xie Baihou's body.
Enduring immense pain, Xie Baihou roared, "Zhang Ruochen, this marquis will take you down with me..."
"Bang."
Just as Xie Baihou was about to self-destruct his sacred source, Zhang Ruochen struck again with a Time Sword Art move, piercing his qi sea first and sending his sacred source flying out of his body.
Another First-Class Marquis had fallen.