# Chapter 1555: Great Increase in Power
Ling Feiyu saw Zhang Ruochen staring at her with a half-smile, and her heart grew even more uneasy.
It was a very strange feeling. She both hoped that Zhang Ruochen had already merged with his seventh life's memories, yet she also didn't know how to face him. After all, before entering the "Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram," there had been no romantic feelings between Ling Feiyu and Zhang Ruochen whatsoever.
After seven lifetimes of entanglement, their emotions had become extremely complicated.
At this moment, Ling Feiyu was just like when she had first emerged from the "Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram"—her heart surging with unprecedented intensity, yet she still had to pretend to be calm and composed. The man standing opposite her had been her guide, her master, her close friend, her lover, and even her husband with whom she had grown old.
Seven lives and seven deaths. Though everything was illusory, those memories and experiences were all clearly presented in her mind.
A look of resignation flashed in Ling Feiyu's eyes as she asked, "Have you already merged with the memories of the seventh life?"
Zhang Ruochen had been observing her. He smiled and said, "No."
Ling Feiyu's expression changed dramatically. First, she was slightly stunned, then gradually turned cold and icy, and finally, both regret and anger surfaced. She scolded, "Then why were you staring at me for so long?"
Zhang Ruochen rubbed the tip of his nose, feeling somewhat wronged. He had only looked at her a few more times, and he believed his gaze had been pure, without a trace of improper thoughts.
Was it really necessary to be so angry?
Ling Xiu transmitted his voice to them again: "Hurry up and come in."
Ling Feiyu glared at Zhang Ruochen, gave a light snort, and then walked toward the demon hall first.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile and immediately caught up.
The demon hall was quite majestic, like a prehistoric giant beast crouching there. Walking beneath the gates, one could feel an overwhelming pressure rushing toward them.
The two entered the hall.
At the center of the hall, a circular formation diagram was engraved.
The formation diagram was divided into five sections, corresponding to the five elements of heaven and earth.
The Water Element Origin and Metal Element Origin had transformed into a black river and a golden river, flowing between those two sections, constantly shuttling back and forth.
Within the black and golden rivers were countless blood threads as fine as hair, resembling the blood vessels inside a human body, emitting an immensely vast sacred aura.
"So they really have merged with divine blood," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Ling Xiu stood at the highest point of the demon hall and said, "Zhang Ruochen, are you willing to help Feiyu cultivate the Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body?"
"Of course I am."
"Think carefully. Don't enter the Five Elements Formation and then hesitate."
"I've thought it through very clearly."
Given the life-and-death bond Zhang Ruochen had formed with Ling Feiyu time and again, he had no reason to refuse.
A satisfied expression appeared on Ling Xiu's face. He smiled and said, "Good. Now, follow my instructions. First, enter the Five Elements Formation and use your Five Elements Chaos Body to activate the formation."
Zhang Ruochen leaped and landed at the center of the Five Elements Formation. All one hundred and forty-four acupoints on his body opened, and a massive amount of sacred qi surged out, pouring into the formation.
"Swoosh—"
The inscriptions within the Five Elements Formation all emitted sacred light.
Ling Xiu's voice entered Zhang Ruochen's ears: "Use the blood within your body to make the Five Elements Formation operate."
Zhang Ruochen directly cut open the wrists of both hands, and sacred blood spilled from his blood vessels, drop by drop falling into the formation and merging with those inscriptions.
The Five Elements Formation slowly began to operate. The power of the five elements filled the formation diagram, turning into a multicolored cloud of mist.
Ling Feiyu also stepped into the Five Elements Formation, arriving opposite Zhang Ruochen. She extended a pair of snow-white jade hands, palms facing Zhang Ruochen's, and the two slowly sat down cross-legged.
"Rustle."
Although sacred blood continuously spilled from Zhang Ruochen's wrists, the black river and golden river within the Five Elements Formation poured into Zhang Ruochen's body through his one hundred and forty-four acupoints without end.
The divine blood replenished the blood Zhang Ruochen had lost.
The Water Element Origin and Metal Element Origin circulated within Zhang Ruochen's body, continuously merging into his flesh. As they accumulated more and more, Zhang Ruochen could no longer bear it. He then mobilized the Water Element Origin and Metal Element Origin to surge out from the fourteen acupoints on his palms, striking into Ling Feiyu's hands.
Gradually, as the Water Element Origin and Metal Element Origin surged into Zhang Ruochen's body, they also formed a circulating cycle between him and Ling Feiyu.
As time passed, the golden river and black river within the Five Elements Formation grew thinner and thinner, until finally they completely merged into their bodies.
Zhang Ruochen's body radiated a five-colored light, as if carved from translucent multicolored stone.
Ling Feiyu's body was also five-colored, but the light she emitted was much dimmer.
A full day and night passed before Zhang Ruochen and Ling Feiyu completely absorbed the Water Element Origin, Metal Element Origin, and divine blood. Both of their physical constitutions underwent tremendous transformations.
Zhang Ruochen's transformation was mainly in the elevation of his physical realm. Every drop of blood in his body contained vast energy. Even a casual movement of his arm produced sounds of wind and thunder.
Ling Feiyu's transformation, however, was mainly in her constitution.
"Although I haven't cultivated the Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body, I am much stronger than before with my Four Spirit Treasure Body. After all, having already reached the Saint King realm, reshaping one's constitution is far too difficult," Ling Feiyu said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Your current constitution is already very close to the Pseudo Five Elements Chaos Body. Breaking through the final step is only a matter of time."
"And you? After absorbing so much divine blood, how much has your physical strength increased?" Ling Feiyu asked.
Zhang Ruochen used his spiritual power to examine himself and found that all one hundred and forty-four acupoints seemed to have turned into pools of power, storing immense strength.
However, it was difficult to judge exactly how strong his physical power had become.
"Can you take one punch from me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Ling Feiyu glared at him with some annoyance. This fellow actually wanted her to help test his physical strength. He was certainly dreaming big.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "What's the matter? Afraid?"
"An old-fashioned provocation," Ling Feiyu said.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "So, are you willing or not?"
Ling Feiyu stood up, her tall and graceful figure standing proudly, full of heroic spirit. She gave Zhang Ruochen a look that said, "Bring it on."
Zhang Ruochen moved his arms, and his bones emitted cracking sounds. His one hundred and forty-four sacred acupoints radiated brilliant light. Even before he struck, an aura like that of an ancient giant beast burst forth.
"His strength should not be weak."
Ling Feiyu made this judgment and became more cautious.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen spread his legs into a bow stance, let out a loud roar, and threw a full-power punch at Ling Feiyu.
"Indeed, very strong."
Ling Feiyu's eyes sharpened. She extended a palm, and a swirling wind force gathered in her palm as she met the attack.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen's punch seemed to strike an iron mountain. His body slid backward, not stopping until he reached the entrance of the demon hall.
Ling Feiyu's body swayed slightly, and she even retreated half a step.
An expression of disbelief appeared in Ling Feiyu's eyes. "Did you only use physical strength just now?"
"That's right."
"What a freak," Ling Feiyu said.
After all, Ling Feiyu's cultivation level was several realms higher than Zhang Ruochen's. Even without using a sword, she was a top-tier expert among Three-Step Saint Kings.
Although she hadn't used her full power just now, the fact that Zhang Ruochen could shake her back half a step using only physical strength was something that at least a Two-Step Saint King could accomplish.
If he also mobilized his sacred power and used sacred art-level palm techniques and fist techniques, the power he could unleash would be even greater.
At the Half-Step Saint King realm, to be this strong—wasn't that a freak?
Zhang Ruochen also had a rough idea of his own strength. He smiled and said, "It seems my physical realm has already surpassed my sacred path realm."
Ling Feiyu was worried that Zhang Ruochen might become arrogant, so she reminded him, "The universe is vast, and the Heavenly Court realm is filled with geniuses like clouds. Among the Half-Step Saint Kings on the Sacred Merit Ranking, there are certainly some with physical strength as formidable as yours."
Zhang Ruochen shrugged, looking unconcerned. As long as he cultivated each realm to its peak, leaving no weaknesses or flaws, what did it matter how strong others were?
"May I ask, Senior Ling Xiu, how many drops of divine blood did this junior absorb just now? And how many sacred stones would that be worth?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Ling Xiu smiled but didn't answer.
After all, Zhang Ruochen had also helped Ling Feiyu a great deal. How could Ling Xiu really take his sacred stones?
Ling Feiyu, however, was not polite at all. "Since you're so wealthy, it just so happens that I need a large number of sacred stones to buy five-element sacred medicines. How about this—give me five million sacred stones."
Zhang Ruochen stared at her deeply. "You really dare to ask. Do you think I'm some kind of fool?"
"You're the one who wants to be a fool. That has nothing to do with me."
Ling Feiyu paused, then continued, "Since Empress Chi Yao has already distributed the divine blood to Li Ku Sacred Domain, that divine blood now belongs to Li Ku Sacred Domain, not to her anymore. But you can't get past that hurdle in your own heart, so of course I'm going to take advantage of you."
That hurdle—how could it be so easy to overcome?
Just like back then, when Chi Yao couldn't get past Zhang Ruochen's hurdle and thus couldn't become a god.
Zhang Ruochen took out five million sacred stones and handed them to Ling Feiyu.
Having obtained five million sacred stones, Ling Feiyu showed no joy at all. Instead, she let out a soft sigh.
Next, Zhang Ruochen took out the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and the Buddha Emperor Relic. He told Ling Xiu about the idea in his mind, hoping to get Ling Xiu's help.
Ling Xiu took the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and the Buddha Emperor Relic, examined them carefully, and smiled. "This isn't difficult. The power of the Buddha Emperor Relic can precisely suppress evil spirits. Moreover, a person's brow has a Divine Martial Mark, which is originally the hub connecting the outside world with the Qi Sea. As long as it's embedded and some inscriptions are carved, it should work. Anyway, it seems quite simple."
For a Spiritual Power Great Saint, something so easy was as difficult as reaching the heavens for Zhang Ruochen. That was the gap.
It really did seem simple. In less than a quarter of an hour, Ling Xiu had embedded the Buddha Emperor Relic into the brow of the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and carved some extremely profound inscriptions onto the relic.
The patterns on the bone staff all turned golden, appearing both sacred and sinister. The two conflicting forces perfectly merged into one.
Zhang Ruochen grasped the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and smiled with satisfaction.
Having been taken for five million sacred stones by Ling Feiyu, Zhang Ruochen was still quite pained. So, he decided to ask Ling Xiu to help him with one more thing.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Abyssal Ancient Sword and the purple divine stone and said, "Senior Ling Xiu, could you help me embed this divine stone into the sword body?"
After all, the purple divine stone could greatly amplify a cultivator's power. Zhang Ruochen had long wanted to embed it into the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
Ling Feiyu couldn't bear to watch anymore. "Zhang Ruochen, do you have any sense of limits? Do you know how much it costs to hire a Spiritual Power Great Saint to do something? How about you add another five million sacred stones?"
"Oh?"
Ling Xiu showed a curious expression. He reached out his finger, picked up the purple divine stone in Zhang Ruochen's hand, and carefully examined it.