Chapter 1666: Rolling Heads
The sacred banquet continued, while the leader of Heavenly Track Realm, Feng Jian, the leader of Black Demon Realm, Qiong Lin, and the four four-winged scarlet angels led a large group of beings from the Heavenly Realm Faction, advancing majestically through the free trade zone.
Any one of the six was a figure who could shake an entire region. Traveling together, their sacred might radiated outward, forcing cultivators from weaker realms to retreat far away.
"I knew the Heavenly Realm Faction would make a big move. Two world leaders and four four-winged scarlet angels are enough to crush those two reckless fools into pieces."
"Offending the Heavenly Realm Faction leads to a very miserable end."
...
Accompanying the six experts was also a faceless monk.
The faceless monk's combat power was not inferior to that of the four-winged scarlet angels. His name was Wu Xiang, and he had once entered the forbidden zone together with Xiang Chunan, Nie Zhan, and others, but had managed to escape.
It was precisely because he had escaped that Zhang Ruochen had not directly killed Nie Zhan and the others.
Cang Qing looked somewhat worried and said, "Those two seem to have a deep friendship with Feng Yan. If Feng Xi also interferes, this matter will be very difficult to handle."
Feng Jian said, "Why worry about that? Young Master Zi instructed that our main purpose this time is to ascertain the specific identities of those two and to gracefully bring back the ten saint kings. We still have to give face to the ten divine disciples of the Truth Divine Temple. If we can avoid a fight, we absolutely must not start one. Once we leave the God-Sealing Platform, how those two die will be entirely up to us. As for Feng Xi, Young Master Zi has other arrangements. She won't be able to stop us."
As he spoke, they had already arrived at the zone where the stalls were set up. The cultivators gathered in front automatically made way.
"Greetings to Lord Qiong Lin, Lord Feng Jian."
The cultivators of the Heavenly Realm Faction hurried forward, bowing to the two world leaders, Qiong Lin and Feng Jian.
Qiong Lin's gaze was stern as he asked, "What is the situation now?"
One of the beings at the Saint King realm pointed at Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan, grinding his teeth as he said, "Those two madmen have gone too far. They've been hawking their goods right there the whole time. My lords, you must tear them limb from limb and grind their bones to dust!"
The area around Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan's stall was empty for twenty zhang in every direction, with no living being daring to approach.
Seeing Nie Zhan kneeling on the stall, the four four-winged scarlet angels erupted with fierce killing intent. Above their heads, a thick blood-red cloud condensed.
"Don't act rashly. Have you forgotten Young Master Zi's instructions?"
Feng Jian stopped them, then walked forward together with Qiong Lin, appearing opposite Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan.
Xiang Chunan's eyes lit up, and he laughed, "Finally, someone's come to buy! Haha, which one have you two taken a liking to? This is our top item, a four-winged scarlet angel. The price is one hundred million sacred stones. Pretty fair, wouldn't you say?"
Xiang Chunan pointed his finger at Nie Zhan.
Kneeling on the ground, unable to move, Nie Zhan was so furious he wanted to vomit blood. He said, "Brother Feng Jian, Brother Qiong Lin, kill these two bastards immediately. Consider it a life-and-death favor I owe each of you."
A "life-and-death favor" meant a favor that would have to be repaid even at the cost of one's life.
The other kneeling four-winged beautiful angel, seeing Qiong Lin and Feng Jian, felt as if she had seen hope. Her pretty face twisted as she said, "Kill them, kill them. I want to extract their sacred souls, whip them day and night, and make them wish they were dead."
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
Xiang Chunan walked over and slapped each of them across the face, and they finally quieted down. However, their eyes became even more venomous.
Seeing Xiang Chunan's unbridled manner, Qiong Lin clenched his fists and said, "You two have gone too far, haven't you? The Truth Divine Temple is hosting the God-Sealing Platform Assembly, not only to give everyone an opportunity but also to allow cultivators from all realms to exchange their paths and progress together. Yet you two are fighting here, showing no regard for the Truth Divine Temple at all."
Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, opened his eyes and said, "Many cultivators saw that it was they who first tried to snatch my gourd sacred treasure and attempted to kill me, which led to their suppression. How does that become our fault? I didn't kill them precisely to abide by the rules of the Truth Divine Temple."
Xiang Chunan chimed in, "That's right! We're so law-abiding, so why are we always being slandered?"
Qiong Lin stood there without saying a word, but anyone could see that a world-destroying rage was brewing inside him.
Feng Jian sent a voice transmission to Qiong Lin, saying, "Why get angry at two dead men? First, rescue the ten saint kings. After the God-Sealing Platform Assembly ends, there will be plenty of time for them to cry."
Feng Jian took a few steps forward, cupped his hands toward Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan, and smiled, "I am Feng Jian of Heavenly Track Realm. May I ask how you two are called?"
"Your Grandpa Xiang here never changes his name, whether sitting or standing. I am Xiang Chunan." Xiang Chunan was very straightforward and gave his name.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged as he said, "Xiang Chubei."
Feng Jian frowned, finding these two names very unfamiliar. He continued to inquire, "Which realm do the two brothers Xiang come from?"
Xiang Chunan said, "Your Grandpa Xiang doesn't come from any realm. You're a strange one, asking so many questions. Are you buying or not?"
"Buying."
Feng Jian was very deep and restrained his emotions as he continued walking forward, saying, "However, I don't have that many sacred stones on me. Can I trade with sacred fruits and sacred medicines?"
"Of course you can," Xiang Chunan said.
Feng Jian took out a jade box and held it in his palm.
Inside the jade box was a bright red fruit, shaped like a strawberry but several times larger, emitting ten layers of sacred light.
"This Ten-Heart Vermilion Fruit can enhance a cultivator's spiritual power and strengthen their sacred soul. It could sell for at least twenty million sacred stones outside. I want to use it to trade for Prisoner Blue Saint King."
As he spoke, Feng Jian had already reached the edge of the space illusion array, less than ten zhang away from Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan.
In the distance, Feng Yan was about to warn Zhang Ruochen when he heard Zhang Ruochen say first, "Brother Feng, stop. You can't come any further."
"Why should I stop? Aren't we going to trade?"
Feng Jian wore a smile, one hand holding the jade box, the other behind his back forming a sword finger seal. A layer of terrifying sword path profound energy pulsed at his fingertips, ready to strike.
Zhang Ruochen warned again, "You can't go any further. It will be very dangerous."
"Since we're trading, it's better to talk up close."
Unaware that he had already stepped into the space illusion array, Feng Jian felt that everything was under his control.
When he was only five steps away from Prisoner Blue Saint King, Feng Jian struck like lightning. His arm moved like a swimming dragon, and the sword path profound energy at his fingertips stretched out seven zhang long, slashing toward the ten Binding Saint Chains.
Now was not the time to kill; the priority was to rescue the ten saint kings.
"Whoosh!"
The sword path profound energy descended, but instead of striking the Binding Saint Chains, it landed above the heads of the ten saint kings.
"Pfft!"
"Pfft!"
...
Instantly, heads rolled, and sacred blood splattered, staining the three-zhang-long cloth mat.
The ten saint kings, who had been intact moments before, were all decapitated.
Their vitality was strong, so they did not die immediately. However, ten heads and ten pairs of eyes were all fixed on Feng Jian, wondering why he had killed them.
The cultivators all around trembled. Feng Jian's sword strike had shocked them.
"Feng Jian, what are you doing?" Qiong Lin roared deeply.
"Clap, clap!"
Zhang Ruochen clapped his hands in applause and said, "Excellent sword technique! Decisive strike, graceful movement. To be able to extend sword profound energy seven zhang long shows that you have cultivated Sword Eight to great perfection and are probably already comprehending Sword Nine? Brother Feng Jian's strike caught even me by surprise."
Xiang Chunan laughed loudly, "Everyone saw it. This has nothing to do with us. These ten saint kings were all killed by this gentleman. Don't try to frame us again later."
Feng Jian was completely stunned. It took him a long time to come back to his senses. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "There was a spatial fluctuation! Who used space power to change the trajectory of my sword strike?"
Xiang Chunan said angrily, "A thousand eyes saw it. You killed them, and now you want to blame us?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Brother Feng Jian, we only wanted to trade with you for that Ten-Heart Vermilion Fruit. We never expected you to suddenly attack. We didn't ask you to compensate for the goods, yet you're the one trying to shift the blame... Was this your pre-arranged strategy from the start?"
"You're asking for death!"
Even Feng Jian's deep composure was driven mad by rage. His hair stood on end, and he let out a long roar. Dense sword qi, numbering in the hundreds, condensed into a rain of swords and attacked Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan.
Xiang Chunan said, "All the divine disciples and first-class disciples present have seen it. He attacked us first. Even if we fight back, it's self-defense."
Then Xiang Chunan took out his large iron hammer and smashed his way forward, shattering the sword qi as he gradually closed in on Feng Jian.
Zhang Ruochen remained sitting cross-legged, but the sword qi flying toward him automatically reversed direction, forming a torrent of sword qi that attacked Feng Jian.
"Space power! Space power again! You are definitely a space cultivator..."
Feng Jian extended a palm, forming a huge vortex that absorbed the incoming torrent of sword qi into his hand. Then, with a wave of his hand, hundreds of sword qi flew out from his palm, colliding with the large iron hammer swung by Xiang Chunan.
"Bang! Bang!"
The large iron hammer, seemingly weighing billions of jin, shattered the sword qi one by one.
Feng Jian, as the leader of a major world, was naturally quite powerful. However, the hammer strike from Xiang Chunan put considerable pressure on him.
In other words, his opponent was at least on the same level as him.
Feng Jian no longer underestimated this dark, stubborn man. He brought his hands together, and his arms became covered with dazzling sword path profound energy, preparing to use the great perfection level of Sword Eight.
Zhang Ruochen flicked his finger imperceptibly, sending a time imprint flying toward Feng Jian.
Immediately, an unprecedented feeling of weakness washed over Feng Jian. His legs went limp, and the sword path profound energy on his arms could no longer maintain its form, scattering into streams of sword qi.
"Boom!"
Xiang Chunan's hammer strike shattered Feng Jian's arms, leaving them bloody and hanging limp.
Fortunately, Feng Jian had a protective talisman on him, which saved his life. Otherwise, the leader of Heavenly Track Realm would have been crushed into a pulp on the spot.
"How dare you! What do you think you're doing? Are you trying to kill the leader of a major world?"
Qiong Lin, Wu Xiang, and the four four-winged scarlet angels all changed expression drastically and charged toward Zhang Ruochen and Xiang Chunan. They felt that these two were simply too audacious, capable of anything, and had to be stopped.
A faint, imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Ruochen's mouth as he said, "Let everyone bear witness. They attacked first. We are merely defending ourselves."
As the six experts charged into the space illusion array, Zhang Ruochen immediately shot out the eighteen formation flags, planting them in eighteen directions, preparing to capture them all in one net.