Chapter 1656: Half a Corpse of an Ancient Great Saint
Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi stepped forward, and the magnificent and sacred palace complex once again appeared before their eyes.
Activating the power of the twelve Buddha Emperor relics to conceal their auras, Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi cautiously walked through the purple-gold gate. Immediately, a stream of energy, more mysterious than the world's sacred qi, surged from the depths of the palace.
The energy stream was purple-azure, with countless bright specks of light floating within it.
Each speck of light was a Sacred Dao rule. As they touched Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi's skin, they immediately merged into their bodies.
"This is too exaggerated! In just a few breaths, the number of Sacred Dao rules in my body has increased by sixteen." Mu Lingxi was both delighted and somewhat uneasy.
Cultivation was advancing too easily. Just by touching a speck of light, a Sacred Dao rule would automatically form within her body. How could anything in the world be so simple?
"What exactly are these energy streams? How are these specks of Sacred Dao rule light condensed? If this place were truly a cultivation treasure land more wondrous than the Truth Temple, it would have been exploited long ago. How could it still be so desolate now?"
Zhang Ruochen held his heavy sword, remaining vigilant as he carefully advanced toward the source of the purple-azure energy stream.
"Look, who is that?"
Mu Lingxi's eyes fixed on an ancient sacred tree about twenty zhang away.
The grayish-brown trunk was so thick that even a dozen people might not be able to wrap their arms around it. The roots hanging down from the trunk were thicker than pillars. The branches were numerous, the leaves lush, and each leaf was breathing and exhaling.
They absorbed the purple-azure energy stream and the specks of Sacred Dao rule light, while exhaling ordinary world sacred qi.
On the tree hung several purple-azure sacred fruits, shaped like pears. Their surfaces sparkled brilliantly, as if countless specks of Sacred Dao rule light were nurtured within them.
There was no need to guess; those few purple-azure sacred fruits were undoubtedly priceless treasures. Swallowing one would surely elevate one's cultivation realm significantly.
But Mu Lingxi's attention was not on those purple-azure sacred fruits. Instead, she stared at three corpses nailed to the tree trunk.
They were a lion-headed, silver-eyed creature, a seven-tailed half-beastman, and a bird-headed being with nine-colored wings on its back. All three had been pierced through their bodies by a single sacred bone spear. Sacred blood was still dripping from their wounds, each drop containing immense energy, indicating that they must have been powerful Saint Kings in life.
"They died not long ago. They must be Saint King realm experts from the Heavenly Realm faction. They tried to pick the purple-azure sacred fruits from the ancient sacred tree but were instead killed. Who killed them?" Zhang Ruochen felt a chill run down his spine.
The three nailed creatures were clearly no ordinary Saint Kings. Their combat power must have been terrifying, yet they had all died here together in a gruesome manner.
Mu Lingxi felt a cold shiver down her back. "Could it be those ancient rotting corpses that were chasing us?"
"Although those rotting corpses are powerful, killing these three creatures wouldn't be easy. There is likely an even more fearsome ancient malevolent entity here."
Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power and Space Domain, then took out the Yi Emperor Bone Staff.
The evil spirit within the Yi Emperor Bone Staff had already devoured all the sacred souls of the Yin-Yang Hall heretical cultivators. Now, as long as it didn't encounter a cultivator above the Seventh-Step Saint King realm, it could hold its own. It was one of Zhang Ruochen's most important trump cards.
The fact that he had even taken out the Yi Emperor Bone Staff showed the immense pressure Zhang Ruochen was under.
If not for the need to find Xiang Chunan, Zhang Ruochen would have immediately left this place. It was too dangerous, not a place to be recklessly explored with his current cultivation.
Next, Zhang Ruochen took out three assassin puppets, positioning them to guard him and Mu Lingxi from three directions. Only after doing this did he feel a bit safer.
The ancient sacred tree bearing the purple-azure sacred fruits was not far away. It would be a lie to say Zhang Ruochen wasn't tempted.
Mu Lingxi grabbed Zhang Ruochen's wrist and shook her head. "Those three powerful Saint Kings died too strangely. Don't take the risk."
"I know what I'm doing."
Zhang Ruochen didn't go to pick the purple-azure sacred fruits himself. Instead, he sent out an assassin puppet, whose strength was comparable to a Third-Step Saint King.
The assassin puppet, clad in silver armor and only one meter tall, wielded twin blades. It moved as fast as a silver lightning bolt, reaching the base of the ancient sacred tree in an instant.
Its legs bent slightly as it prepared to leap onto the sacred tree.
"Shiiing!"
A sacred bone spear flew out from a clump of purple-azure mist in a corner of the palace, producing a deafening sound that shook the heavens and earth.
Just the sound waves alone caused blood to trickle from Zhang Ruochen's ears, his head to ache, his vision to go dark, and his body to sway unsteadily, nearly causing his legs to give way and collapse.
"Bang."
The sound of metal shattering rang out.
The sturdy assassin puppet was pierced through by the sacred bone spear and nailed to the trunk of the ancient sacred tree. Its metal body was nearly shattered, completely ruined.
Mu Lingxi collapsed beside Zhang Ruochen, blood flowing from her seven orifices, having sustained severe injuries.
Zhang Ruochen used his heavy sword to support himself, gradually recovering. He immediately checked his body and found numerous cracks and fissures in his internal organs, while his meridians and sacred veins ached as if they were about to tear apart.
"What kind of ancient malevolent entity is this? Just the sound waves and energy released from throwing that bone spear have inflicted such heavy injuries on me."
Zhang Ruochen dared not imagine what would have happened if that bone spear had been aimed at him.
Mu Lingxi was severely injured, her internal sacred qi in chaos. Zhang Ruochen fed her a healing sacred pill, then immediately picked her up, preparing to help her refine the pill.
From the purple-azure mist in the corner of the palace, a heavy footstep sounded.
The footstep was light, but when the sound reached them, it caused the ground to tremble slightly. With Zhang Ruochen's cultivation level, he couldn't even keep his footing.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen's internal organs ached violently, as if they were about to be shattered by that force.
Half a corpse emerged from the purple-azure mist.
Its body had been severed by some sharp weapon, leaving only two legs, a right hand, and no head or left half of its body.
Yet, this half-corpse alone exerted an immense pressure on Zhang Ruochen. His heart contracted, his body went numb, and he couldn't move.
The half-corpse radiated a dazzling white sacred light. Its body showed no signs of decay. The sacred might it emitted was countless times stronger than Zhang Ruochen's. It could probably kill him with just a flick of its finger.
However, the Buddha Emperor relics on Zhang Ruochen's body played their role, completely concealing his aura. The half-corpse seemed unable to detect him at all.
"It has no eyes, so it can't see me." Zhang Ruochen breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Then, an even stranger scene unfolded before Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Beneath the ancient sacred tree, rotting corpses appeared out of thin air. At first, there were only a dozen or so, then dozens, then hundreds... Blue flames burned in their eye sockets, and an ancient yin energy emanated from their bodies.
One of the rotting corpses noticed Zhang Ruochen. Its blue-flame eyes stared at him, and it let out a roar.
Zhang Ruochen was about to grab Mu Lingxi and flee when he saw dozens of rotting corpses blocking the exit. Each one was powerful, comparable to a Saint King. There was no way to break through.
The half-corpse, which showed no signs of decay, also sensed Zhang Ruochen's presence. It moved, turning to face him.
"Brother Ruochen, over here! The Daoist temple in the southeast corner—they dare not enter." Xiang Chunan's voice came from the southeast.
Without a second thought, Zhang Ruochen burst into his fastest speed and charged forward. Behind him, a sacred bone spear chased after him, about to strike his back.
Zhang Ruochen slammed open the temple door and stepped inside.
"Boom."
The sacred bone spear reached the temple entrance, but a purple light surged from within the temple, blocking it. Only after the power of the sacred bone spear was completely exhausted did it fall to the ground with a clatter.
"Whoosh."
Zhang Ruochen let out a long breath and looked back.
He saw a large number of rotting corpses gathered outside the temple, constantly roaring but not daring to enter, as if they were afraid of something. The half-corpse was no exception.
Xiang Chunan, carrying his large iron hammer, came forward and sighed. "Brother Ruochen, why did you come to this deadly place too?"
"I came to find you. How could I leave alone?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Good brother, loyal! Haha!"
Xiang Chunan slapped Zhang Ruochen on the shoulder, then said apologetically, "I was busy dealing with those guys earlier and didn't know you were here. Otherwise, I would have warned you earlier, and you wouldn't have stirred up that half-ancient-great-saint malevolent entity."
Zhang Ruochen had already guessed that the half-corpse was an ancient Great Saint, so he wasn't surprised.
Led by Xiang Chunan, Zhang Ruochen carried Mu Lingxi deeper into the temple. There, they saw five powerful Saint Kings being suppressed under a black metal crown exuding demonic qi.
The five Saint Kings were all formidable, with the weakest at the Third-Step Saint King realm, and two even reaching the Fourth-Step Saint King realm.
But that metal crown pressed down on them relentlessly. Their faces were flushed red as they exerted all their strength just to hold it up and avoid being crushed to death.
Xiang Chunan looked a bit annoyed. "These guys came out of nowhere. The moment they met me, they tried to kill me. Luckily, I quickly took out my master's iron hat to suppress them. But two others were quite powerful and escaped early. One had two pairs of scarlet wings on his back, and the other looked funny—he had no face."
Xiang Chunan said this casually, but to the five Saint Kings under the black metal crown, it was infuriating. An iron hat? This was clearly a Supreme Sacred Artifact!
Among the five Saint Kings was an angelic female Saint King at the peak of the Third-Step Saint King realm. She was incredibly beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin, a true beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
Her hands held a sacred pearl as she resisted the demonic, murderous Supreme Sacred Artifact above her. Her delicate body trembled as she used a charm technique, speaking softly, "There must be a misunderstanding. Please, sir, retract this demon crown and give us a chance to explain."
This female Saint King was confident in her beauty and her profound charm arts. She believed she could win over this dark, simpleton who might never have even touched a woman's hand.
"Slap!"
Xiang Chunan showed no mercy. He slapped her, causing blood to gush from her mouth. "Misunderstanding my ass! Do you think I, your Grandpa Xiang, am stupid? You're ugly enough as it is, and now you're making eyes at me? Are you trying to disgust me to death? Ugh, the more I look at you, the uglier you get. I can't stand it! Brother, do you want to deal with her?"
The angelic female Saint King's face turned green with rage, her chest heaving violently. She felt she had suffered the greatest humiliation since her birth.