Chapter 1692: Six Radiances
“To think she repelled Flame King and Lamenting Queen all by herself.”
Zhang Ruochen realized he had underestimated the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden. She was too powerful. A proud daughter of heaven like her would make those old fellows who had lived for thousands of years feel so ashamed they wouldn’t dare show their faces.
Thinking it over, it made sense. The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden, the Great Venerable, and the Wu God Heavenly Son—the three of them together had dared to face a half-realm Great Saint ancient malevolent creature head-on. Her cultivation naturally had to be extraordinary.
Zhang Ruochen’s cultivation time was far shorter than the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s, so there was naturally a considerable gap between them.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s voice was light but carried a hint of coldness: “I held back just now. If you don’t retreat now, you’ll bear the consequences of life or death.”
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s strength far exceeded Flame King and Lamenting Queen’s expectations. These two leaders, who had dominated the Yin-Yang Realm unchallenged, finally felt that there were always people stronger than them, and skies beyond their sky.
The always alluring and seductive Lamenting Queen now had sweat droplets rolling down her fair face.
But giving up the Imperial Saint Jade and the hundred-thousand-year ancient sacred medicine was absolutely impossible for them.
“Go all out. Activate the strongest form of the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation.”
Flame King chanted a line: “Heaven and Earth divide into Yin and Yang.”
Lamenting Queen moved her steps, each one following a pattern, tracing a seven-star path on the ground. Then she stood opposite Flame King and chanted a line: “All things divide into life and death.”
Eight divine bones rose from the ground, slowly rotating around their bodies.
From within Flame King and Lamenting Queen surged a vast, masculine energy and an extremely yin-cold airflow, respectively. Instantly, the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation transformed into two Yin-Yang fish.
For dozens of miles around, the ground alternated between icy snowfields and blazing prairies.
Through the formation, Flame King and Lamenting Queen’s cultivations merged together.
Additionally, the formation drew out the rules within the divine bones, gathering the Yin and Yang energies of heaven and earth. Compared to before, the aura emitted by Flame King and Lamenting Queen was more than twice as powerful.
“So this is the true form of the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation. Flame King and Lamenting Queen have become the two formation eyes, borrowing power from the divine bones,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
This technique was similar to Yuwen Jing’s Twelve Palace Divine Formation—both were ancient secret arts, and this one was even more formidable.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden clearly took it seriously. The curtain of the sacred carriage was lifted by a surge of sacred light.
Her holy and beautiful figure sat cross-legged inside the carriage. A ring on her finger transformed into the Rain Silk Divine Sword, taking the form of white light threads, and flew out again.
The white light threads were covered with Sword Dao Profound Gang.
“Whoosh—”
Wherever the white light threads touched the ground, they left behind bottomless cracks.
“Shush, shush.”
The white light threads multiplied, winding and twisting into a sword net that tightly enveloped the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation.
“Rise.”
Flame King roared.
The Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation spun like a millstone, releasing an extremely overbearing power that collided with the Rain Silk Divine Sword, producing a series of explosions.
The formation couldn’t break through the sword net, but it slowly moved toward the White Feather Peacock Sacred Carriage.
The Rain Silk Divine Sword was indeed formidable—indestructible and all-penetrating—but the eight divine bones surrounding the formation defended it airtight.
Zhang Ruochen held his breath, pondering what method he could use to break Flame King and Lamenting Queen’s move.
But he was shocked to find that once the formation activated, it made space extremely stable. Breaking space to destroy the formation was too difficult.
Unless his cultivation reached the Fourth Step Saint King Realm.
And even then, it would have to be outside the Sealing God Mountain. The spatial structure of the Sealing God Platform was inherently stable; without sufficient cultivation, one couldn’t unleash much power.
Perhaps only in the mortal realm would Zhang Ruochen find it easier to fight them.
If he didn’t use spatial power and relied on other forces, resisting the Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation would be as hard as reaching the heavens. Only someone like Su Jing, the overlord of the Guanghan Realm who could contend with Nine-Step Saint Kings, might withstand it.
Inside the sacred carriage, the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden remained unfazed. She even withdrew the Rain Silk Divine Sword. “I underestimated you two earlier. Your Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation is quite strong. Those eight divine bones—are they the eight skull bones of a god?”
“A god’s cranium contains its own heaven and earth. A god’s skull bones are heaven and earth.”
As she spoke these words, layers of sacred power light waves emerged on the sacred carriage, quickly reaching five layers and unleashing the power of Five Radiances Great Perfection.
Zhang Ruochen quickly retreated, putting a safe distance between himself and the sacred carriage.
With his current cultivation, even activating Four Radiances Great Perfection was incredibly difficult, and even if he did, unleashing one move would drain all the sacred Qi in his body.
How powerful would Five Radiances Great Perfection be?
“Whoosh—”
A sixth layer of sacred power light waves appeared on the sacred carriage.
However, this layer was slightly dim, falling just short of Six Radiances Great Perfection.
Even so, seeing the sixth layer appear, Flame King and Lamenting Queen were greatly alarmed. They each spat out a mouthful of sacred blood, spraying it onto the eight divine bones.
“Boom.”
The Yin-Yang Life-Death Formation spun even more violently, colliding with the rapidly charging White Feather Peacock Sacred Carriage.
In an instant, the entire world turned pitch black, freezing cold.
The violent power spread outward, slamming into Zhang Ruochen. He had to erect a Sword Dao Domain to block the escaping energy.
“Who won?”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze locked onto the center of the power storm.
Gradually, the darkness faded, and white sacred light filled Zhang Ruochen’s vision.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden remained seated cross-legged in the sacred carriage, her jet-black hair swaying in the wind. The wind chimes on the carriage tinkled melodiously.
Opposite her, the ground for miles around was pitted and scarred, a scene of devastation.
Flame King knelt on one knee, blood trickling from his mouth, seriously injured.
Lamenting Queen stood behind him, her delicate hand pressed to her lower abdomen, her face as pale as paper. If not for the defensively powerful Flame King shielding her from the attack, she would have been even more severely hurt.
A mix of jealousy and resentment flashed in Lamenting Queen’s eyes. “The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden truly lives up to her reputation. I’ve seen it for myself today. Let’s go.”
Lamenting Queen grabbed Flame King’s shoulder, and a river of Yin energy appeared beneath her feet. In the blink of an eye, they vanished from Zhang Ruochen’s sight.
“Impressive. She didn’t even leave the carriage and still defeated Flame King and Lamenting Queen. This Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden, like Ji Fanxin, is no vase—she’s a queen bee. No wonder so many proud sons of heaven are desperately pursuing them. It’s easy to imagine that marrying any one of them would be like gaining a massive boost—both from their personal strength and the forces behind them.”
Zhang Ruochen walked toward the White Feather Peacock Sacred Carriage and slightly cupped his hands. “Thank you, Celestial Maiden, for saving me.”
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden gave him a deep look. “That book you used to take the Imperial Saint Jade—what treasure is it?”
“Imperial Saint Jade? What Imperial Saint Jade?” Zhang Ruochen feigned ignorance.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s expression was hidden behind her veil. “If not for the Imperial Saint Jade, a supreme treasure, why would Flame King and Lamenting Queen fight me to the death? Don’t worry, I won’t seize the Imperial Saint Jade. I’m just very interested in that book that could seal it.”
This was their first meeting, with no prior connection, so Zhang Ruochen naturally didn’t trust her.
Imperial Saint Jade was material used to forge Supreme Sacred Artifacts. Even Great Saints would be tempted. Wouldn’t she want to take it?
But Zhang Ruochen knew she still needed his spatial power to obtain the divine spring, so she probably wouldn’t forcibly take the Imperial Saint Jade for now.
So Zhang Ruochen denied it outright. “Celestial Maiden, are you referring to that white jade rabbit? Actually, it’s only a Saint Jade Venerable, not yet at the Imperial Saint Jade level. Taking it wasn’t difficult.”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen noticed a faint trail of blood at the corner of the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s mouth.
“Celestial Maiden, are you injured?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden coughed lightly twice, then laughed. “Flame King and Lamenting Queen are both renowned figures across the myriad heavens. Especially when they join forces—even without being injured, subduing them wouldn’t be easy.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “So you were already injured before fighting them?”
“Earlier, when I explored this ancient mountain, I was struck by an ancient divine inscription and sustained some injuries,” the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden said.
Zhang Ruochen finally understood why she hadn’t left the carriage to fight Flame King and Lamenting Queen. She was already wounded and couldn’t get out.
Those “some injuries” were probably quite severe.
“The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden is probably worried I might take the chance to attack her, so she’s downplaying her injuries,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Caution was necessary.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden and Zhang Ruochen were the same kind of person.
Zhang Ruochen wasn’t one to take advantage of someone’s misfortune. “Then, Celestial Maiden, please heal first. I’ll stand guard.”
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden nodded slightly and drew the carriage curtain closed.
Zhang Ruochen began to think carefully. “The Imperial Saint Jade’s existence is definitely known to the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden now. But before obtaining the divine spring, she probably won’t try to seize it.”
“Besides, she doesn’t know my true identity. Even if she knows about the Imperial Saint Jade, it’s no threat to me. Once I change my appearance, how would she know who I am? The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden probably won’t tell her my identity either.”
After figuring out how to deal with the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden and how to extricate himself, Zhang Ruochen calmed down, confident in his plan.
Flame King and Lamenting Queen definitely wouldn’t let things go. First, he’d use the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden’s power to deter them.
He also needed her strength to more easily obtain the divine spring.
Of course, the most urgent task now was to break through to the Fourth Step Saint King Realm as soon as possible. Then, when facing experts like Flame King and Lamenting Queen, he’d have some ability to fight back.
While the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden healed, Zhang Ruochen took out sacred medicines and sacred fruits that could enhance his cultivation, swallowed them one by one, and began refining and absorbing them.
…
(Guess who will bear Zhang Ruochen’s child? Today, the public account released a photo of a beauty—she might be the mother of Zhang Ruochen’s child. The photo is very beautiful. Take a look and see what score you’d give? Search WeChat for “Feitian Yu” or “feitianyu5” and follow.)