# Chapter 1521: The Power of Divine Artifacts
In the western part of the battlefield, the sun had disappeared below the horizon, leaving behind only a stretch of crimson clouds, burning like flames.
Night fell silently.
The saints of the Holy Bright Central Empire had recovered fifty to sixty percent of their injuries. They gathered around Zhang Ruochen, wanting to fight alongside him.
"Three hours remain until the end of the Saint Merit War. Yet these three hours are enough to annihilate all the saints of the Seven Realms of Shatuo."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on the land ahead, dyed crimson by the evening glow. He sensed the auras of dozens of First-Class Marquises, and even the fluctuations of sacred power emanating from several Saint Kings. They were rushing over at great speed.
"By order of the Princess, seize Zhang Ruochen."
Lingquan Shaojun charged at the front, his eyes extremely cold, killing intent surging.
Clearly, he had no intention of merely capturing Zhang Ruochen. He planned to take this opportunity to kill him and eliminate the threat once and for all.
A Le, Han Qiu, Princess Bai Li, and the others immediately activated the Buddha Emperor Relic. Tens of thousands of Buddha shadows appeared, turning the surrounding dozens of miles into a brilliant golden expanse.
"Your Highness, you are their target. Leave this place first. We will hold them off," Murong Yue said.
Old Lady Bai Su's expression was stern. "Even if we cannot defeat them, we can delay them for a while."
Facing dozens of First-Class Marquises, everyone had accepted the possibility of death. But even in death, they would fight to carve out a path of survival for Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen, of course, did not leave. He simply looked calmly ahead.
It was not just dozens of First-Class Marquises. There were also large numbers of Second-Class and Third-Class Marquises. Wings grew from their backs, and more than half of them flew in the sky. The auras they emitted were at least at the Supreme Saint level.
Faced with such a situation, even the saints drew in cold breaths, fear spreading through their hearts.
On a distant battlefield, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden glanced toward Zhang Ruochen's position, feeling somewhat worried. But she had no way to go to his aid, as she too was surrounded by a large number of Rakshasa clan experts.
"Zhang Ruochen is in big trouble."
Wu Hao led a large group of saints from the Guanghan Realm, wanting to assist Zhang Ruochen and protect the Merit Record Wall. However, after losing hundreds of saints, they still could not break through.
At this moment, the saints of the Seven Realms of Shatuo were all being besieged by more than twice their number of enemies. They struggled like trapped beasts. How could they possibly spare any strength to help Zhang Ruochen?
Fang Yi, the Realm Son of the Blade Prison Realm, revealed a gloating expression. "Zhang Ruochen, oh Zhang Ruochen, you'd better hold on for a while. Keep the Rakshasa clan's large number of experts occupied. Don't get yourself killed too quickly."
...
Among the Rakshasa clan, a Saint King-level expert stepped forward. A single horn grew from his head, and the pair of black wings on his back stretched over ten zhang long. The aura emanating from him was even stronger than that of Blood Nether Python.
The One-Horned Saint King's blood-red eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen. "Zhang Ruochen, facing so many of us, do you still intend to fight?"
"If I don't fight, should I just surrender?" Zhang Ruochen replied.
The One-Horned Saint King's voice was deep. "The Princess thinks highly of you. If you surrender, there might still be a path to survival. But if you remain obstinate and continue to oppose the Rakshasa clan, not only you, but all the saints behind you will die. Why not think it over carefully?"
"No need to think. I fight."
Zhang Ruochen took a sacred sword from his Space Ring, channeled his sacred Qi into it, and shattered the seal on its surface.
Instantly, dense divine patterns emerged on the sword's surface.
A vast divine might surged from within the sacred sword.
"Not good! That's a divine artifact."
The dozens of First-Class Marquises opposite were all greatly alarmed. They immediately employed their ultimate defensive measures and rapidly retreated, fleeing into the Evil Fiend Yin Cloud.
Some Rakshasa Marquises also activated the power of Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts, hurling them at Zhang Ruochen to stop him.
There were three Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts in total: a blood sword, a bronze ancient arrow, and a flame palace hall. They unleashed their full power, striking at Zhang Ruochen from three different directions.
The bronze ancient arrow was the first to enter within ten zhang of Zhang Ruochen. The inscriptions on its arrowhead were as dense as a spiderweb, piercing through the defensive light of the Buddha Emperor Relic. It seemed about to strike Zhang Ruochen's brow.
But Zhang Ruochen remained calm. The sacred sword in his hand grew brighter and brighter. With a slight tremor of the blade, the bronze ancient arrow, which had reached his brow, was sent flying back.
"One sword cuts all things."
Zhang Ruochen slowly raised the sacred sword above his head.
"Whoosh—"
He swung the sword, dragging a white sword light behind it.
The material of the sword could not withstand the power of a god. As Zhang Ruochen swung it, the blade shattered inch by inch, turning into fragments that flew forward along with the divine power.
The blood sword and the flame palace hall were sent flying backward. Wherever the divine power passed, everything was destroyed.
"Boom, boom."
The Rakshasa Marquises flying in the sky had their bodies explode one after another, turning into clouds of blood mist. Even the protective talismans they carried could not withstand the force.
With this single swing of the sword, a thick layer of the earth was shaved off. Even a distant sacred mountain was cut in half at its waist. With a thunderous "boom," half of the mountain collapsed.
Countless Rakshasa Marquises died. Even among the First-Class Marquises, more than ten fell.
The other First-Class Marquises survived only because the Rakshasa Princess had unleashed a cyan feather that protected them.
That feather radiated divine light. Clearly, it was no ordinary object.
Inside the demon hall atop the sacred mountain, Ji Hua's expression was somewhat grim. The Rakshasa Princess's face also showed a subtle change.
There was no helping it. Zhang Ruochen's strike had killed thirteen First-Class Marquises, over fifty Second-Class Marquises, and more than a hundred Third-Class Marquises.
The number of wounded was incalculable.
A Third-Class Marquis was equivalent to a human Supreme Saint. In the Rakshasa clan, they were powerful figures with status and background, comparable to the leader of a major sect or the sacred master of a powerful clan.
One could imagine how enormous the Rakshasa clan's losses were.
When the divine envoys of the other six realms of Shatuo had used divine artifacts, the damage they inflicted on the Rakshasa clan had never reached this level.
Qiu Yu, dressed in white robes, with delicate features and a handsome bearing, walked in from outside the demon hall. His entire body emitted a radiant sacred light. He bowed to the Rakshasa Princess and Ji Hua.
"Your Highness, Holy Master, there is no need to be so angry. Now that Zhang Ruochen has used a divine artifact, he is like a tiger without claws. Capturing him now will be as easy as turning over one's hand."
Qiu Yu smiled faintly, appearing quite carefree and composed.
After receiving the inheritance of a Great Saint from the Wutong clan in the Phoenix Nest, Qiu Yu's cultivation had greatly increased. He had become one of the top experts below the Saint King realm, even possessing the strength to overpower a One-Step Saint King.
However, Qiu Yu could no longer return to the Kunlun Realm. He could only cling tightly to the Rakshasa Princess's leg, surrendering to the Rakshasa clan to carve out a path of survival and a different future.
"As easy as turning over one's hand? Capturing Zhang Ruochen might not be that easy, right?" The Rakshasa Princess knew that Qiu Yu and Zhang Ruochen were mortal enemies, so she deliberately said this.
Qiu Yu replied, "Zhang Ruochen also has weaknesses. You should not have attacked him directly. Instead, you should have attacked the saints behind him. Those saints are Zhang Ruochen's weakness. Moreover, I have received the inheritance of Patriarch Qiao, greatly increasing my cultivation. My combat power may not be inferior to Zhang Ruochen's."
The Rakshasa Princess showed an intrigued expression. "You mean you want to volunteer for battle?"
Qiu Yu clasped his hands and bowed deeply to the Rakshasa Princess. "Yes, I request that Your Highness give me this opportunity."
Qiu Yu naturally hoped to capture Zhang Ruochen with his own hands. This would be a tremendous merit. With this merit, his status in the Rakshasa clan would rise.
Moreover, he could take this chance to thoroughly humiliate Zhang Ruochen and reclaim the face he had lost in the past.
Imagining Zhang Ruochen becoming a prisoner kneeling before him, Qiu Yu trembled with excitement, his sacred power surging fiercely within him.
"Very well! As long as you can capture him, I will enfeoff you as a king and grant you a planet as your fiefdom," the Rakshasa Princess said with a smile.
Qiu Yu added, "I request that Your Highness's First-Class Marquises, Qianyu and Qianshu, be placed under my command to lead the Rakshasa Marquis army and assist me."
Both Qianyu and Qianshu were exceptionally beautiful Rakshasa women who cultivated the martial path.
They possessed perfect physiques. They were not only the Rakshasa Princess's personal guards but also her two most powerful combatants. Sometimes, they could even issue orders on her behalf.
It could be said that the status of Qianyu and Qianshu far exceeded that of other First-Class Marquises.
Qianyu and Qianshu were both exceptionally tall, wearing rather seductive battle armor. Their flat stomachs and snow-white jade legs were exposed outside the armor. They stood on the left and right sides of the demon hall.
Their gazes fell on Qiu Yu. Seeing that this man was handsome and carefree, completely different from Rakshasa men, their beautiful eyes sparkled with light, showing considerable interest in him.
Qianshu stepped forward with graceful steps. "Your Highness, Zhang Ruochen is a great enemy of our clan. He must be captured today. I request to join the battle."
"I also request to join the battle," Qianyu said.
The Rakshasa Princess's gaze then turned downward toward the foot of the sacred mountain. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed slightly. She saw that Zhang Ruochen had already reached the mountain's base, seemingly intending to climb it.
"What is this fellow trying to do? Does he intend to attack my demon hall?"
The Rakshasa Princess was somewhat annoyed. She felt that Zhang Ruochen was even more arrogant than she, a Rakshasa princess. He really needed to be taught a lesson, made to understand that when facing a noble princess, one must have reverence.
The Rakshasa Princess waved her jade hand. "Zhang Ruochen has already reached the foot of the sacred mountain. It seems he intends to storm it. Go. Capture him for me."
"What audacity!"
Qiu Yu snorted coldly. Then, he and the two Rakshasa women rushed out of the demon hall, heading down the mountain.
(End of chapter)