Chapter 1606: Two Blade Dao Supremes
Once trapped, they would surely be obliterated by the Warp and Weft Heavenly Net Formation.
Just as the four Song siblings positioned themselves around Zhang Ruochen, locking down the space, the ten formation towers within the Yin-Yang Hall erupted with dazzling light. The Warp and Weft Heavenly Net Formation was once again gathering its attack power, releasing a terrifying aura that caused even the heretical cultivators in the hall to change expression. They quickly distanced themselves from the Song siblings and Zhang Ruochen, fearing they might be caught in the formation's residual force and killed.
Zhang Ruochen, naturally, was not about to sit idly by. He grabbed the Abyssal Ancient Sword, its blade surging with sword light, and swung it diagonally toward Song Xing, who was guarding the east.
"Whoosh."
A piercing sword howl rang out.
"Well met. I was just wanting to test the number one on the Sacred Merit Ranking." Song Xing snorted lightly, extremely arrogant, and raised his silver-white Starry Halberd to meet Zhang Ruochen's attack.
He believed that with the space locked down, he no longer needed to fear Zhang Ruochen.
But the moment the two weapons clashed, Song Xing's expression shifted violently.
The power transmitted from the Abyssal Ancient Sword was not only heavy but also unending, far beyond what he could withstand. With a thunderous "boom," Song Xing was sent flying backward like a scarecrow.
"Third Brother!"
"Third Brother!"
Song Yang, Song Yue, and Song Chen were all stunned. How could they have expected Zhang Ruochen to be so ferocious, sending Song Xing flying with a single exchange?
Song Xing felt as though his internal organs had been displaced, pain wracking his body. A sweet taste rose in his throat as a torrent of sacred blood surged from his abdomen into his mouth.
What terrified Song Xing even more was that his retreat had created a gap in the Sun-Moon-Star Combined Attack Formation. Once Zhang Ruochen broke free from the spatial suppression, it would be like a trapped dragon escaping into the sea or an eagle soaring into the heavens—who could still restrain him?
Zhang Ruochen was indeed thinking along these lines.
He mobilized his time power, preparing to unleash a Time Sword Art to break out of the Sun-Moon-Star Combined Attack Formation as quickly as possible and kill Song Xing.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a dark figure streaked over, moving at an inconceivable speed.
"Wang Xu!"
Sensing the danger, Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to halt his Time Sword Art. He swung his sword backward in a reverse strike.
The sword light, like a layer of black water, passed over Zhang Ruochen's head and surged behind him.
"Bang."
Blade met sword.
If Zhang Ruochen had been even a fraction slower in changing his move, his head would have been severed by Wang Xu.
"Still so alert. Trying to ambush you is harder than ambushing a Saint King."
Wang Xu's laughter came from behind Zhang Ruochen.
Then, an even more formidable power surged from the Void Moon Blade in Wang Xu's hand.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze hardened. He forcibly twisted his body, his legs conjuring phantom images of dragons and phoenixes as he took fourteen steps to the right, dodging the blade's force.
But Wang Xu followed like a shadow, continuing to pour sacred qi into the Void Moon Blade, quickly activating its first-level perfected power.
More inscriptions emerged on the blade's surface, as if he were trying to activate its second-level perfected power.
Wang Xu locked eyes with Zhang Ruochen, a wild grin appearing beneath his mask. "Zhang Ruochen, last time I didn't bring any power-amplifying treasures when we fought, and I suffered for it. But this time, it's different!"
The power of the Void Moon Blade grew stronger, turning into a demonic moon pressing down above Zhang Ruochen's head. The blade's light cast flickering shadows across Zhang Ruochen's face.
"Heh. My strength hasn't been standing still either."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze turned icy. He also channeled sacred qi into the Abyssal Ancient Sword, activating the inscriptions within the blade.
Song Xing, who had been blasted away, finally stabilized himself. He quickly swallowed a healing sacred pill and, without fully suppressing his injuries, transformed into a streak of light and flew back.
He poured sacred qi into the Starry Halberd and, together with Song Yang, Song Yue, and Song Chen, reformed the Sun-Moon-Star Combined Attack Formation, locking down the space to prevent Zhang Ruochen from escaping.
"Now's the time. Cut him in half at the waist."
Zhan Yu, ranked high on the Sacred Merit Ranking, held his Dragon-Patterned Golden Blade. Transforming into a dragon shadow, he charged into the combined formation and swung his blade horizontally from behind Zhang Ruochen.
Both Wang Xu and Zhan Yu used blades, but their blade daos were vastly different.
Wang Xu was elusive and unpredictable, winning with speed.
Zhan Yu was domineering and fierce, winning with power.
Both were top-tier experts at the Saint level. It was nearly impossible for any being below the Saint King realm to withstand their combined pincer attack.
When they saw Zhan Yu strike, many cultivators outside the Yin-Yang Hall couldn't help but hold their breath. In their eyes, Zhan Yu's slash might very well cut Zhang Ruochen in two.
Zhang Ruochen was caught between two foes: the Divine Son Wang Xu suppressing him from the front and Zhan Yu's brutal slash from behind. He was sure to be severely wounded.
"Abyssal."
Zhang Ruochen roared at the sword.
The sword spirit of the Abyssal Ancient Sword materialized, standing on the blade's edge. It summoned nine Truth Rules and converged them onto the sword body.
Instantly, the Abyssal Ancient Sword emitted an intensely bright sword light, its power doubling, forcing Wang Xu back.
A thunderous elephant roar echoed from Zhang Ruochen's arm. He spun his body rapidly, swinging the sword in a half-circle arc to clash with Zhan Yu from behind.
The power of a hundred saints and the elephant soul, combined with Zhang Ruochen's own strength, erupted fully.
"Boom!"
In this clash, the residual force of blade and sword surged outward violently, filling the air with countless sword and blade shadows.
Even with all his might, Zhang Ruochen's power was still slightly inferior to Zhan Yu's. He was forced back half a step before fully neutralizing the Dragon-Patterned Golden Blade's force.
Zhang Ruochen had read the information on Zhan Yu, knowing he possessed a Supreme Perfection Body and was proficient in an ancient body-tempering art. As a pure-blood descendant of a divine dragon, he had refined countless dragon souls, divine dragon blood, and divine dragon bones into his body, making his physical form monstrously powerful.
In terms of raw strength alone, Zhan Yu could dominate all realms at the same cultivation level.
While Zhang Ruochen was shocked, Zhan Yu was even more astonished. He had never imagined that any cultivator at the same level could match him in strength.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had first repelled Wang Xu before dealing with him.
That meant, in a direct confrontation, Zhang Ruochen's power was likely even greater than what he had just displayed.
Wang Xu stared at the Abyssal Ancient Sword in Zhang Ruochen's hand, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "Your sword spirit has actually comprehended Truth Rules. This sword of yours is truly a treasure."
Truth Rules could indeed amplify the power of sacred arts, but mobilizing them took time. In a true expert duel, even a single instant could decide victory, defeat, life, or death.
For example, if Zhang Ruochen spent an instant mobilizing Truth Rules, Wang Xu could use his terrifying speed to cleave Zhang Ruochen's body in two in that same instant.
A sword spirit that could automatically mobilize Truth Rules would give Zhang Ruochen a significant advantage in combat.
Zhan Yu turned to Wang Xu and said, "Zhang Ruochen's speed is no less than yours. His strength is no less than mine. He has virtually no weaknesses. We must join forces to severely wound him."
"I hate working with others, but for Zhang Ruochen today, I'll make an exception."
Facing Zhang Ruochen alone, Wang Xu wasn't very confident. He had noticed that compared to last time, Zhang Ruochen's strength had increased significantly.
What was even more annoying was that even a sword could mobilize Truth Rules.
"Roar."
Twelve dragon souls, all at the Saint King level, burst forth from Zhan Yu's back. His skin emitted a blinding divine light as a faint divine power surged, merging with the Dragon-Patterned Golden Blade.
Facing Wang Xu and Zhan Yu, Zhang Ruochen didn't dare be careless. He took a gulp of Dragon Spirit Mad Bull Wine, and the sacred qi and blood within his body immediately began to churn wildly.
This time, Wang Xu had also brought a power-amplifying treasure—a ruby thumb ring worn on his right thumb. The arm holding the blade now possessed more than double its original strength.
After only a brief pause, Wang Xu, Zhang Ruochen, and Zhan Yu clashed again, locked in a chaotic battle.
The fight was so intense that no other cultivator could intervene.
A Half-Saint King who considered himself powerful saw that Wang Xu and Zhan Yu were struggling to gain the upper hand and wanted to join in to help.
But the moment he entered the Sun-Moon-Star Combined Attack Formation, before he could even strike, he was hit by three sword qi and five blade qi, instantly suffering severe injuries. Terrified out of his wits, he fled the formation immediately.
Qingliao Ya, who possessed similar strength, could have joined the fight, but he noticed that the owl that had come with Zhang Ruochen was studying the Warp and Weft Heavenly Net Formation. This startled him.
If that owl gained control of the formation, the consequences would be disastrous.
So Qingliao Ya led over a dozen heretical experts to surround the owl, intending to capture it.
But the owl was incredibly cunning, its speed sometimes fast, sometimes slow, its body sometimes enormous, sometimes as small as a mosquito. It was extremely hard to catch, and instead, it left them covered in dust and utterly embarrassed.
The owl's mouth was filthy. As it fled, it cursed loudly, a stream of profanities, even "greeting" the ancestors of the heretical cultivators chasing it for eighteen generations. This infuriated Qingliao Ya and the others, who wished they could roast and eat it.
The battle between Zhang Ruochen, Wang Xu, and Zhan Yu continued unabated, evenly matched. They exchanged over a thousand moves, using all their trump cards and techniques, yet still no victor emerged.
Above Zhang Ruochen's head, the Warp and Weft Heavenly Net Formation condensed a devastating light sphere. If it fell, it would reduce him to ashes.
But the cultivators controlling the formation dared not act rashly, fearing they might accidentally kill Wang Xu and Zhan Yu.
Outside the Yin-Yang Hall, the saint-level elites from various worlds were all stunned.
"Zhang Ruochen's strength is terrifying. Even Wang Xu and Zhan Yu together can't take him down," said a relatively young Half-Saint King, swallowing hard in shock.
Although Wang Xu wore a mask, many cultivators recognized the Void Moon Blade and his blade techniques, guessing his identity.
A holy maiden from an ancient sect, her beautiful eyes shimmering with strange light, said, "A peerless divine grandson from my realm once fought Wang Xu. But Wang Xu cut off that divine grandson's right arm with a single slash. If Wang Xu hadn't wanted to offend a god, he might have taken more than just an arm."
"Half a year ago on the Merit Battlefield, I saw with my own eyes Zhan Yu kill a Second-Step Saint King from the Hell Realm with one slash. Just one slash."
...
In truth, everyone believed that Wang Xu and Zhan Yu joining forces would be more than enough to take down Zhang Ruochen.
Qiong Lin thought so too.
Thus, Qiong Lin had not acted, instead guarding the edge of the Sun-Moon-Star Combined Attack Formation to prevent Zhang Ruochen from escaping. If Zhang Ruochen tried to break the formation, he would blast him back.
But as time passed, Qiong Lin grew increasingly disappointed with Wang Xu and Zhan Yu.
So Qiong Lin turned his gaze to a couple among the heretical cultivators. "Mr. Mu, Mrs. Mu, I'm afraid we'll need the two of you to step in for a quick resolution."
Mr. Mu and Mrs. Mu had both reached the Fifth-Step Saint King realm. Of course, their cultivation had been suppressed to the Half-Saint King level, limiting the power they could unleash.