Chapter 1739: Formidable Zhang Ruochen
Ye Honglian, as if seeing a savior, her charming and delicate face showing joyful relief, transformed into a red shadow and flew swiftly behind Zhang Ruochen. Top site, fastest updates.
If it had been anyone else who came, even Wan Zhaoyi or Xue Wuye, they probably could not have changed the situation.
But Zhang Ruochen—perhaps he truly could contend with that terrifying blade-wielding man. At the very least, escaping with her should not be too difficult.
She had heard of all the legends surrounding Zhang Ruochen in the Truth Heaven Domain.
"These cultivators are all extremely powerful, especially the man leading them. At the same cultivation level, he is practically unmatched. We must head to the Space Teleportation Array to have any chance of escape," Ye Honglian transmitted to Zhang Ruochen.
However, Zhang Ruochen did not flee. A sharp aura gleamed in his eyes, and he faced the blade-wielding man with a confrontational edge, like needlepoint against a thorn.
Ye Honglian grew anxious inwardly and added, "The Tianluo Dojo is already destroyed—that is an unchangeable fact. The enemy outnumbers us and is formidable. There is no need to fight them head-on."
But what happened next shocked Ye Honglian. That inexplicably powerful blade-wielding man and the dozen or so black-robed cultivators all gathered together, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.
Wang Xu held the Xuyue Blade, releasing a vast amount of blade qi to form a blade domain, tightly wrapping his body. The other black-robed cultivators either took out Sacred Artifacts, held Sacred Staves, or clutched talismans.
What were they afraid of?
Afraid of Zhang Ruochen?
With the defensive layer of the blade domain, Wang Xu steadied himself slightly and said, "Zhang Ruochen, weren't you already expelled by that god from the Kunlun Realm? Why are you still appearing at the Kunlun Realm's dojo?"
Zhang Ruochen replied, "And why are you appearing at the Kunlun Realm's dojo? Don't you know that killing people in another major world's dojo, according to the rules of the Truth Divine Temple, requires paying with your life?"
"What proof do you have that we killed these people?" Wang Xu asked.
Zhang Ruochen pointed at Ye Honglian and said, "Right before you stands a witness. Collecting traces of battle as evidence is not a difficult task."
"Destroying another major world's dojo is already a grave crime, and on top of that, you broke in to kill people." Ye Honglian took out a scroll and unfurled it.
Immediately, a mirrored image was projected onto the scroll:
In the shattered Tianluo Dojo, with Wang Xu at the forefront, over a dozen strong cultivators from the Ruiya Realm stood opposite her, with several blood-soaked Sacred corpses on the ground.
"With this mirrored scroll, it is enough to convict you."
Ye Honglian paused, then added, "However, we can still negotiate. If you immediately withdraw from the Tianluo Dojo, this scroll can be handed over to you."
In truth, Ye Honglian was still deeply wary of that group of black-robed cultivators, fearing she might not escape today. Recording the mirrored image was purely a means of self-preservation.
Wang Xu only took Ye Honglian's words as a joke, sneering without reply. How could Zhang Ruochen possibly let them leave?
The sacred might emanating from the Ruiya Realm cultivators grew stronger and stronger as they all gathered their power.
In the night, an owl sacred beast flew over, its two claws gripping a strangely shaped creature.
"Bang."
Its claws loosened, and the creature was thrown to the ground.
Wang Xu's eyes narrowed sharply. "Yu Tu."
The strange creature called "Yu Tu" lay on the ground, gasping for breath, and said, "Young Master... that... that owl... is quite..."
Before it could finish speaking, the strange creature breathed its last, its body turning into a gaseous state.
Only a pile of black soil remained on the ground.
The owl sacred beast folded its wings, descended from midair, and landed beside Zhang Ruochen, speaking arrogantly, "A mere goblin—how could it escape this Emperor's eyes?"
"What exactly happened?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Xiao Hei said, "That creature was an extremely rare goblin. A goblin is formed when special soil or minerals underground gain intelligence and cultivate into a spirit."
"That goblin's cultivation was quite formidable, having reached the Saint King Realm. It could move at incredible speed through mountains and rivers, ignoring the formation inscriptions underground. Moreover, the aura it emitted was extremely faint; only someone with spiritual power close to a Great Saint could detect it."
"Meeting this Emperor was its misfortune. These eyes of mine are the Great Saint's Eyes; even if it hid thousands of meters deep underground, it could not escape my sight."
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, "The Kunlun Realm cultivators just left through the teleportation array, and then the Tianluo Dojo was attacked. It seems this goblin was hiding inside the dojo and passed the information to Wang Xu... Not good. The Kunlun Realm cultivators are likely about to step into the trap set by the Paradise Realm."
"Haha, tonight, the Kunlun Realm cultivators will surely be completely annihilated."
Wang Xu held the blade handle with both hands, and four layers of sacred power light waves appeared on the blade's edge as he swung it toward Zhang Ruochen.
The blade qi was not only exceptionally fierce but also incredibly fast.
Ye Honglian was forced to retreat repeatedly, only now realizing that the man had not been using his full strength earlier. This was his true power!
Was this still the power of a One-Step Saint King?
Zhang Ruochen showed no fear. The Fire God Arm Guard and Fire God Fist Gloves on his right arm emitted sparks.
"Boom."
He threw a punch.
From a distance, it looked like a blazing star had condensed before Zhang Ruochen.
Wang Xu's full-force slash was completely neutralized, and he himself was forced to retreat rapidly to avoid the oncoming wave of fire.
"How has Zhang Ruochen become this powerful?"
Wang Xu roared, "What are you all standing there for? Attack together!"
The dozen or so black-robed cultivators from the Ruiya Realm launched their attacks simultaneously. Some struck with Sacred Artifacts, others unleashed sacred arts and techniques, and a few threw talismans.
The sheer momentum was like divine punishment.
The entire sky above the Tianluo Dojo was covered by the radiance of sacred arts and techniques.
Zhang Ruochen did not retreat. He shook his head slightly and used Spatial Displacement to charge toward them instead.
"Zhang Ruochen!"
Ye Honglian called out, preparing to use illusion arts to assist him.
After all, if Zhang Ruochen died in battle, she would not escape either.
Xiao Hei stopped her, chuckling, "No need to worry about him. They're just small fry. Zhang Ruochen can handle them alone."
"Small fry?"
Ye Honglian thought Xiao Hei was being too arrogant. Just that blade-wielding man alone was definitely no small fry; it would be hard to find anyone in the entire Kunlun Realm who could match him at the same cultivation level.
But what happened next left Ye Honglian with an unforgettable sight.
She saw Zhang Ruochen, like a god of slaughter, charge into the midst of the dozen or so black-robed cultivators. He threw a punch, and a blinding burst of flame erupted, sending them all flying.
Those who had not reached the Saint King Realm had their sacred bodies shattered like mud by the fist force, turning into sparks.
Even those who had reached the Saint King Realm were not spared. Even with their defensive measures, they were sent spitting blood, like a dozen or so scarecrows, crashing to the ground in disarray.
Only two or three could still stand.
This was only because their own cultivation was strong—at least at the Five-Step Saint King level—so they managed to endure.
Knowing time was pressing, Zhang Ruochen acted decisively. He used Spatial Displacement to appear before a Five-Step Saint King and struck him with a palm.
The Five-Step Saint King's pupils dilated as the flaming palm print grew larger and larger.
"Bang."
The palm landed, and before the Five-Step Saint King could retreat, he was crushed into a bloody pulp.
Zhang Ruochen then attacked a Six-Step Saint King. Realizing the vast gap between them, the man, in a moment of crisis, unexpectedly blurted out, "Zhang Ruochen, this is the Kunlun Realm's dojo—you cannot kill this king..."
Zhang Ruochen's fist shattered the Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifact-level armor, piercing straight through his body. The physical wound alone was not fatal, but this punch shattered his sacred soul.
As the Six-Step Saint King's corpse slowly fell to the ground, the remaining Five-Step Saint King was so terrified his face turned pale, and his legs trembled uncontrollably.
His gaze fixed on Wang Xu.
Now, his only hope was that Wang Xu could hold Zhang Ruochen off for a moment, giving him a chance to escape.
Ye Honglian was already too stunned to close her mouth. The group of black-robed experts who had seemed like death incarnate moments ago were now more fragile than children before Zhang Ruochen.
Since arriving in the Truth Heaven Domain, she had heard many legends about Zhang Ruochen, knowing he was incredibly powerful, but she never imagined he could be this strong.
When Ye Honglian first met Zhang Ruochen, she had only regarded him as a talented young prodigy, not even thinking he was better than her.
Now, Ye Honglian had achieved her wish and become a fearsome overlord of the evil path, while that young prodigy from back then had reached a height she could only look up to.
One mountain is always higher than another.
Xiao Hei chuckled, "See? At the same cultivation level, there are very few cultivators qualified to be Zhang Ruochen's opponent. Only a world leader like Wang Xu can take a few moves from him."
"Zhang Ruochen has made up for his shortcomings in the Way of Truth. At the same cultivation level, I am no longer his match."
Wang Xu's mood was extremely bitter, filled with a strong sense of defeat.
However, he did not flee. He remained quite composed, holding the Xuyue Blade in one hand and a talisman hidden in the palm of the other, and said loudly, "Zhang Ruochen, we have fought twice before, and both times I suffered a crushing defeat at your hands. This time, I will not lose again."
Zhang Ruochen walked toward him and said, "With your strength, being able to withstand five of my moves would already be impressive. To defeat me, you would need another trump card."
Wang Xu mobilized the rules of flowing light, channeling them into his legs.
"Whoosh."
His figure turned into a beam of light, instantly charging above Zhang Ruochen's head, and he threw the talisman hidden in his palm.
Wang Xu formed a hand seal and pointed downward. The flying talisman released a demonic blade, erupting with unparalleled momentum, tearing through the air and slashing toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
"This Blade Emperor Talisman unleashes enough power to kill a Seven-Step Saint King in one strike. Not to mention your cultivation is suppressed to the One-Step Saint King realm—even at your peak, you would only end up dead." A hint of a smile appeared in Wang Xu's cold eyes, as he felt he had secured victory.
After being severely wounded by Zhang Ruochen's Hundred-Step No-Life Talisman at the Yin-Yang Hall last time, Wang Xu had held a grudge.
Thus, he had spent nearly half his savings to buy this Blade Emperor Talisman, specifically to deal with Zhang Ruochen.