Chapter 1690: Battle Against Yan Wang and Lian Hou
A piece of Sacred Jade, by absorbing the world's sacred qi, the essence of the sun and moon, and consuming large amounts of sacred medicine, had actually reached the Great Saint realm, yet possessed almost no combat power. This was truly hard to believe.
"In the Dao Garden, there are always some ancient relics left behind, like fragments of tortoise shells. Could it be that this Emperor Sacred Jade couldn't comprehend a cultivation technique from them?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren was somewhat smug, "Do you think every naturally born spirit is as intelligent as I am? In truth, most of them are incredibly stupid."
"Boom."
At the center of the eight divine bones, the white jade rabbit charged in all directions, trying to break through and escape.
Its speed was terrifying; even with Zhang Ruochen's eyesight, he could only see a blur.
The white jade rabbit slammed into the formation formed by the eight divine bones, causing them to tremble violently. Yan Wang and Lian Hou were forced backward.
However, apart from charging, the white jade rabbit seemed to have no other moves. It couldn't break the formation, and the eight divine bones were slowly contracting, leaving the rabbit with less and less room to move.
Yan Wang and Lian Hou both showed delighted expressions.
As long as they suppressed this Emperor Sacred Jade, they had plenty of ways to completely subdue it. Once they passed it a cultivation technique and sacred arts, they would become its master, effectively gaining a Great Saint-level enforcer.
Of course, even if they couldn't subdue it, the Emperor Sacred Jade was an invaluable material for refining a Supreme Sacred Artifact.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren said, "Zhang Ruochen, we must seize this Emperor Sacred Jade. We can't let them have it."
How could Zhang Ruochen not be tempted by something that even Great Saints coveted?
But Yan Wang and Lian Hou's cultivation levels were unfathomable. Even with a sneak attack, severely injuring them would be as difficult as reaching the heavens. Moreover, even if the sneak attack succeeded, subduing the white jade rabbit wouldn't be easy.
Its speed was too fast. Once it escaped the suppression of the eight divine bones, no one present could catch it.
Zhang Ruochen was pondering the best approach when Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren rushed out from behind the broken wall first, shouting at Yan Wang and Lian Hou, "Let that rabbit go!"
Zhang Ruochen was momentarily stunned, then cursed inwardly.
He had been planning to use the power of space to launch a sneak attack on Yan Wang and Lian Hou. If he could severely injure one of them, dealing with the other would be much easier.
Who would have thought Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren would be so reckless?
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren made a "leave it to me" gesture to Zhang Ruochen and transmitted a sound wave, "Don't worry, I've seen through their cultivation levels. Both are at the peak of the Six-Step Saint King realm, or early Seven-Step Saint King. Nothing to fear. You just need to seize control of the eight divine bones. I'll deal with these two and then find a way to subdue the Emperor Sacred Jade. Leave it all to me. Just do as I say."
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren was brimming with confidence, exuding an air of having everything under control as he strode toward Yan Wang and Lian Hou.
Yan Wang's pupils were like two fireballs. Recognizing Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's true form, a smile appeared on his face. "A hundred-thousand-year-old ancient sacred medicine, quite rare. If I swallow and refine it, my cultivation should instantly break through the bottleneck and reach the Seven-Step Saint King realm. In the short term, reaching the Eight-Step Saint King realm isn't impossible."
"You control the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation. I'll go suppress it."
Lian Hou's beautiful eyes swept across the ruins, and she warned, "Be careful. Earlier, Yu Wenjing shouted for help. A mere hundred-thousand-year-old ancient sacred medicine couldn't have forced Yu Wenjing to flee without escape. There might be other experts hidden nearby."
Yan Wang nodded solemnly, then his three-meter-tall, robust body shot toward Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren, intending to finish the fight quickly.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren gritted his teeth, angered. "How dare you look down on me! You're dead! Neither heaven nor earth can save you now..."
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's voice abruptly stopped, and a look of shock appeared on his face.
Because the charging Yan Wang had unleashed nine types of overwhelmingly powerful flames from his body, turning the area into a sea of fire. Walking out from the flames, Yan Wang resembled a world-destroying demon god, his aura terrifyingly strong.
Although Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's cultivation was higher, he felt suppressed.
"Boom."
In that moment of distraction, Yan Wang's massive hand seal descended from the sky, pressing down on Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's head.
"Mountain-Shifting Seal."
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren quickly executed a mid-rank sacred art palm technique, striking upward with both hands to clash with Yan Wang's hand seal.
"Boom."
Beneath the fiery hand seal, the ground cracked open, and dust flew outward.
Yan Wang was slightly surprised. "You actually know a refined mid-rank sacred art and blocked my palm. Interesting."
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren strained to push upward with both arms, unable to move, as if holding up a collapsing sky. He was speechless. This so-called "Wang" hadn't even reached the Seven-Step Saint King realm, yet his combat power was monstrous.
"Refine him."
From Yan Wang's palm, nine types of flames surged out, including the minister-level Purifying Divine Flame.
This level of Purifying Divine Flame made even Zhang Ruochen extremely wary, as his own Purifying Divine Flame was still at the commoner level.
"No wonder he's the leader of this generation in the Yin-Yang Realm. His combat power is indeed formidable. Even with Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's cultivation at the Seven-Step Saint King realm, he was suppressed in one move." Zhang Ruochen shook his head inwardly.
Of course, Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's physique and cultivation technique were special, and he wasn't mediocre. His strength wasn't actually inferior to Yan Wang's. The reason he was suppressed in one move was mainly due to his lack of combat experience.
Yan Wang, on the other hand, had reached his current position by stepping over the corpses of countless experts.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren had compared the Emperor Sacred Jade to a tiger without teeth, claws, or fighting spirit. But he himself, even with teeth, claws, and fighting spirit, had never hunted before. Facing a true expert, he could only passively take a beating.
"Save me... He's going to refine me into medicine juice..." Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren shouted.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Azure Sky Bow and the Daylight Arrow, aiming at Yan Wang.
Yan Wang sensed the killing intent and looked toward the distant broken wall.
"Bang."
A white light shot out from behind the broken wall, producing a series of sonic booms as it flew straight toward Yan Wang's brow.
Yan Wang extended an arm as thick as a bucket, spreading his five fingers. A white flame surged from his palm, blocking the Daylight Arrow. With a flick of his arm, the arrow flew diagonally and crashed into the ruins with a bang.
"What a formidable Yan Wang. He easily blocked the Daylight Arrow. It seems the gap between us is indeed significant." Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly.
"Your arrow isn't even worthy of scratching an itch for me. If you don't show yourself, do you want me to personally invite you out?"
Just as he finished speaking, a sudden, intense weakness spread through Yan Wang's body. His sacred qi circulation became sluggish, his power couldn't be unleashed, and even his legs felt weak.
The Daylight Arrow was inscribed with three Time Imprints, originally crafted by Zhang Ruochen to kill the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden.
Although Yan Wang had easily blocked that arrow, one of the three Time Imprints had landed on him, cutting away nearly a hundred years of his lifespan.
Feeling the pressure above him lessen, Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren immediately roared, "Heaven-Overturning Seal."
A large number of palm dao rules merged with the palm technique, striking Yan Wang's hand and sending him flying backward. Sacred blood even flowed from Yan Wang's arm.
"Whoosh."
A purple vine shot out from Lian Hou's wrist, wrapping around Yan Wang's waist and pulling him back to her side. She asked, "What happened?"
"Saint soul depletion, spirit withering, sacred blood drying up."
Yan Wang, battle-hardened and shrewd, guessed the problem. "That arrow is strange. Don't let it get close."
Behind the broken wall, Zhang Ruochen had already drawn the Azure Sky Bow again, aiming at Lian Hou.
"Twang."
The bowstring sounded.
The Daylight Arrow turned into a streak of light, instantly reaching Yan Wang and Lian Hou.
Lian Hou abandoned controlling the eight divine bones, grabbed Yan Wang's arm, and used her movement technique to dodge the Daylight Arrow.
"Boom."
Taking advantage of this, the trapped white jade rabbit slammed into one of the divine bones, tearing a gap in the formation.
"No good, stop it!" Yan Wang shouted.
Lian Hou immediately flew over.
But she was too slow. A white light shot out of the formation, stirring up a gust of wind as it flashed past her.
The white jade rabbit had escaped!
Zhang Ruochen roared, "Now!"
"Don't rush. Hold those two experts off for a moment. I have plenty of ways to easily subdue the Emperor Sacred Jade."
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren pressed his hand to the ground, and dense purple light threads surged forth. He chanted, "Heaven Net Earth Trap, rise."
Another refined mid-rank sacred art, with over ten thousand rules integrated into it.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren raised both hands, and a purple net rose from the ground, ensnaring the white jade rabbit trying to flee.
"Haha, see that? This is my true strength." Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren glanced at Zhang Ruochen.
"Dare to steal what this king has his eyes on? You're asking for death."
Yan Wang circulated his technique through one cycle and recovered. Turning into a streak of fire, he formed a fist seal and attacked Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren.
This punch, infused with Truth Rules, was several times more powerful than his previous palm strike.
Before the fist seal even landed on Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren, he let out a scream and was sent flying by the fist force. Cracks even appeared on his small body.
Without using Truth Rules, Yan Wang could easily defeat Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren. With them, the gap was even greater.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren's eyes were tightly shut, the purple light on his body dim. It was unclear whether he was alive or dead.
(End of this chapter)