# Chapter 1721: Crushing Defeat
Chi Kunlun's comprehension was extremely high, instantly grasping the meaning behind Zhang Ruochen's words.
"Crack, crack, crack."
All the bones in his body began to sound, from the soles of his feet, through his calves, thighs, waist, abdomen, chest, and back. In an instant, he mobilized all the power in his body, surging forth from both palms.
At that moment, Chi Kunlun actually stopped retreating, his body tensing like a bow, forcefully blocking Zhang Ruochen's palm force.
Just as he was overjoyed, a vortex condensed in the center of Zhang Ruochen's palm, generating a powerful suction force. He pulled forward, and Chi Kunlun's body tilted forward, losing his center of gravity, and was flung away by Zhang Ruochen.
From start to finish, Zhang Ruochen had only used one hand, keeping the other behind his back. He said, "If I had used my other hand just now, you would already be dead. Your strength is not bad, but your application of power is far from adequate. Against a true expert, you would be utterly vulnerable."
Hearing the words "utterly vulnerable," Chi Kunlun let out a long roar, summoned his Sacred Sword, and executed the Chi Clan's ultimate technique.
"Return to One Sword Art."
The sword aura was like a rainbow, transforming into a beam of white light, stabbing straight toward Zhang Ruochen's brow.
The Return to One Sword Art was a sword technique created by Emperor Qing when he became a Great Saint, summarizing his life's achievements and fusing thousands of martial arts. Even Sword Emperor Xue Hongchen had once said that the Return to One Sword Art had no counter.
The sword art had no counter because the one using it was Emperor Qing.
Although Chi Kunlun executed the Return to One Sword Art, in Zhang Ruochen's eyes, it had several flaws.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed at the void, condensing a white Sacred Qi long sword in the center of his palm.
The toughness of the white Sacred Qi long sword was far inferior to the Sacred Sword in Chi Kunlun's hand, so Zhang Ruochen did not use a head-on collision. Instead, he used a subtle sword technique, striking a flaw in the sword art.
"Pfft."
The Sacred Qi long sword pierced through the sword aura layer, its tip pressing against Chi Kunlun's neck.
Chi Kunlun only felt a chill, freezing his neck stiff, not daring to make the slightest move.
"Don't kill my brother."
Chi Kongle stepped with a mysterious and unparalleled footwork, constantly shifting positions, appearing to Zhang Ruochen's right side, swinging her sword in a slash. Strands of Purifying Divine Flame surged from the center of her palm, enveloping the Sacred Sword.
"Slap."
Zhang Ruochen's Sacred Qi long sword was severed by her sword, dissolving into a mass of Sacred Qi.
Immediately afterward, Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle struck simultaneously, forming a sword formation, attacking Zhang Ruochen.
"Sword Cuts the Cosmos."
"Shattering Star River."
The two coordinated together, their combat power increasing significantly, forcing Zhang Ruochen to retreat repeatedly, having to use his second hand.
Figures interwove, sword aura chaotic.
Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle grew stronger as they fought, the sword formation they formed like a true dragon and a divine phoenix roaming heaven and earth.
"Time Disturbance."
"Space Fissure."
Chi Kunlun executed space power, Chi Kongle executed time power, both merging with their sword techniques, attacking Zhang Ruochen simultaneously.
However, their cultivation levels were still too low. In the Heavenly Court Realm, executing space and time power could not cause much destructive force. The time flow only became slightly disturbed, and space only cracked with tiny fissures.
Even so, with the empowerment of time and space power, their sword formation became even more terrifying. One space fissure actually cut into the corner of Zhang Ruochen's robe, leaving a small tear.
Zhenmiao Xiaodaoren watched with wide eyes, saying, "These two little ones are actually this formidable. At the same cultivation level, they can suppress Zhang Ruochen."
Xiao Hei chuckled lightly, "The two little ones are indeed formidable, but their combat experience and understanding of the Sacred Dao are still far off. Zhang Ruochen is someone who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, having experienced countless life-and-death battles. Dealing with them is just a trivial matter. However, Zhang Ruochen seems to be testing their limit combat power, never using his full strength."
Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle, while using sword techniques and mobilizing space and time power, consumed Sacred Qi heavily. Their faces grew increasingly flushed, sweat droplets continuously rolling down.
Zhang Ruochen saw that they had reached their limit and no longer held back, saying, "It's over."
"Clang!"
The sound of a sword ringing echoed.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword flew out, landing in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
Zhang Ruochen twisted his wrist, sending out a circular arc of sword aura, sending Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle flying like scarecrows. Their Sacred Swords fell to the ground.
"Thud, thud."
Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle crashed to the ground, their palms covered in fine bloody cuts, blood dripping. However, those cuts were very shallow, not damaging their meridians or bones.
Zhang Ruochen said coldly, "Since you withstood ten of my strikes, I will spare your lives today. Next time, you had better think carefully before coming to seek revenge. You only have one life; cherish it."
Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle climbed up from the ground, retrieved their Sacred Swords, and immediately withdrew from the Moon God Dojo.
After they left the Heavenly Capital Sacred Market, Chi Kunlun's expression turned ugly, his teeth clenched tightly, his eyes filled with unwillingness. He said, "Zhang Ruochen was toying with us the whole time. How could his strength be… this strong? At the same cultivation level, I couldn't contend with him at all. Could it be that all those people I fought before were holding back, never using their full power? I am not as strong as I thought I was."
Chi Kongle grabbed Chi Kunlun's arm, saying, "Brother, it's not that your strength is insufficient, but that Zhang Ruochen is too strong. We are still very young now; in the future, we will definitely surpass him."
Chi Kunlun's heart could not calm down. He had never lost since childhood, but today, he was defeated by his enemy, and it was a crushing defeat. One could imagine the immense impact this defeat had on his mindset.
A tall, imposing figure stood atop a small hill, hands behind his back, wearing a cyan dragon armor, waiting for them.
This person was the foremost hero of the Chi Clan, one of the Nine Realm Sons, Chi Wansui.
Chi Wansui had cultivated in the Heavenly Wheel Seal for nearly a hundred years, no longer young. His eyes held a sense of vicissitude, and his entire body exuded a powerful aura of authority without anger. That was the might of a Saint King.
"Greetings, Uncle."
Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle cupped their hands in salute.
Chi Wansui glanced at them and asked, "So, you fought Zhang Ruochen?"
"Mm." Chi Kunlun gritted his teeth in response.
"And the result?" Chi Wansui asked.
Chi Kunlun gritted his teeth even harder, saying nothing.
Chi Wansui understood that they must have failed and sighed lightly, "Even the two of you cannot defeat Zhang Ruochen at the same cultivation level. Just how powerful has his strength reached?"
Chi Kongle's eyes were filled with doubt, and she asked, "Uncle, I don't understand. Since Zhang Ruochen's strength is so great, why did you send us to kill him? And how did you know that Zhang Ruochen would agree to fight us at the same cultivation level? What if he didn't agree to fight us at the same cultivation level? Wouldn't we be going to our deaths? Also… what does Zhang Ruochen's true appearance actually look like?"
Chi Wansui stared deeply at Chi Kongle and said, "You possess Emperor Wen's Saint Appearance Talisman. If you want to escape, Zhang Ruochen cannot stop you. Moreover, avenging the elders of the Chi Clan who died is a matter of course. You don't need to ask so many questions."
"But…" Chi Kongle said.
"No buts. Would the Empress and I deceive you? Zhang Ruochen is a rebel from the previous dynasty, your enemy. Killing him is something you must do with all your might." Chi Wansui said sternly.
Chi Kongle did not ask further, but her mind was still thinking.
She suspected that Zhang Ruochen had not used a transformation technique, and that was his true appearance. But why did he look so much like her?
"You two return to the dojo and continue cultivating, comprehending the Truth Rules, and strive to cross the first sea of the Truth Ocean as soon as possible." Chi Wansui said.
After Chi Kongle and Chi Kunlun left, Chi Wansui's gaze swept the surroundings, and he said in a deep voice, "Come out! I know you are nearby."
In the void, Zhang Ruochen's ethereal voice sounded, carrying a hint of coldness, "Knowing I am here, and you still don't flee?"
"Why should I flee? I have been in seclusion cultivating for nearly a hundred years just to find you and avenge the blood debt of Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor." Chi Wansui summoned a Qilin Long Lance, holding it in his hand, his entire body radiating ten thousand zhang of golden light.
Zhang Ruochen's voice sounded again, "Was it you who sent them to the Moon God Dojo to kill me?"
"That's right." Chi Wansui said.
"Chi Wansui, I used to respect you as a hero who distinguished between gratitude and resentment. But this time, you have misapplied your schemes."
In the sky, a broad river condensed, emitting a deafening sound of flowing water. The Sacred Qi of this heaven and earth continuously gathered, merging with the river.
"Boom."
A fist imprint as huge as a small mountain and a river dozens of miles long descended from the sky simultaneously.
Chi Wansui's eyes darkened. He activated the inscriptions in the Qilin Long Lance, unleashing a four-direction perfect power, swinging it upward.
After a hundred years of cultivation, Chi Wansui's cultivation realm had surged, reaching the level of a Five-Step Saint King.
Suddenly, the fist imprint descending from the sky increased its attack power several times over, exceeding Chi Wansui's endurance limit, sending him sinking into the ground.
Zhang Ruochen appeared, lifted Chi Wansui, and threw him away.
Immediately afterward, fists rained down like raindrops, striking Chi Wansui's body, causing him to continuously spit blood, finally collapsing heavily and limply on the ground.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen stepped on his chest, pressing his body into the ground, his eyes cold and deep, saying, "If you want revenge, be more direct. Using two children who know nothing is asking for death."
Chi Wansui was somewhat dejected, letting out a laugh, "After a hundred years of cultivation, I am still utterly vulnerable before you. Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen, I don't know whether to admire you or pity you. Your own children regard you as their enemy. Tragic, truly tragic."
"Pfft."
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Abyssal Ancient Sword, thrusting it down, piercing through Chi Wansui's heart, pinning him to the ground. His gaze was extremely fierce as he asked, "Speak, how do you want to die?"
Chi Wansui trembled in pain, his face pale as paper. The Sacred Blood from his heart continuously surged out along the Abyssal Ancient Sword, soaking the surrounding soil.
"Spare his life."
Two figures flew rapidly from the horizon, forming two strings of afterimages.
In an instant, the two figures rushed before Zhang Ruochen, condensing into the forms of Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden and Qingxiao.