# Chapter 1749: Shang Zihong's Sword
The eyes of the Heavenly Realm kings all turned toward Shang Zihong, wanting to know what decision he would make.
The white-robed youth and the palace-dressed woman who had just appeared were clearly not easy opponents to deal with. Even if they had numerical superiority, a battle would likely come at a heavy cost.
Every Heavenly Realm cultivator present was a dragon among men, all with hopes of charging toward the Great Saint realm. Who wouldn't cherish their life?
Shang Zihong could read their thoughts, knowing that some Heavenly Realm cultivators were already having second thoughts. His gaze locked onto the dwarf at the Seven-Step Saint King realm. "Zhuo Man, you pick an opponent first?"
Zhuo Man hefted a battle axe, licked his thick lips, and stared at the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor, grinning. "I'll take that corpse cultivator!"
With that, the dwarf named Zhuo Man charged forward, swinging his axe down at the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor.
The axe light cascaded from the sky to the ground, forming a waterfall of light. The sacred qi of the entire heaven and earth trembled violently.
From within the temple, a Saint from the Kunlun Realm cried out in shock: "Seven Radiance Perfect Power!"
Generally speaking, only Nine-Step Saint Kings could draw forth Seven Radiance Perfect Power.
Although this axe strike had been accumulated by Zhuo Man for a long time before being unleashed, it was still shocking. This showed that he was undoubtedly a peerless prodigy, with combat power far exceeding cultivators of the same realm.
The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor's brow furrowed deeply. Instead of meeting Zhuo Man's strike head-on, he executed a marvelous footwork, leaping tens of miles away.
"Boom!"
The battle axe struck the ground, causing the entire island to shake violently.
The earth split in two, and two thick clouds of dust surged in opposite directions from the fissure.
Tens of miles away.
The Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor clasped his hands together. From the Azure Dragon Treasure Armor on his body, a cyan dragon surged forth, colliding with the residual force of the battle axe that rolled toward him.
The heaven and earth shook again, and then the cyan dragon and the residual axe force dissipated simultaneously.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor had blocked the residual force of the axe. Otherwise, the mark left on the ground by Zhuo Man's strike would have been far more than ten miles long. The ground a hundred miles away might have been split apart.
Below the Great Saint realm, there were already few beings who could cause such devastating destruction even in the Heavenly Court realm.
Seeing that Zhuo Man had held back the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor, Shang Zihong nodded slightly. "They will be held off by me and Zhuo Man. You all go deal with the Kunlun Realm cultivators. It must be done quickly. But be careful—there are still a few troublesome figures among the Kunlun Realm."
"Leave it to me. They won't cause any big waves," Gongzi Yan said with a contemptuous smile.
Shang Zihong smiled. "With you willing to act, it's naturally as good as done."
Shang Zihong's figure blurred, and the next moment, he appeared opposite the palace-dressed woman's carriage, standing straight. Even facing the terrifying saintly might of eight Nine-Step Saint Kings, he remained calm and composed.
"You're the Heart Demon ranked first on the Death God Temple's Bounty Ranking List?" Shang Zihong asked.
"What Heart Demon exists in this world? Only those with unsteady hearts fall into demonic possession."
The palace-dressed woman seemed somewhat languid. Her jade arm propped up slightly as she slowly sat upright on the carriage, her long legs gradually drawing together. Two thighs, as fair and smooth as egg whites, pressed tightly against each other.
Her movements were indescribably seductive. Even someone with Shang Zihong's temperament found his mind wandering after seeing them.
Shang Zihong said, "Now I somewhat understand why Feng Qiongqi, Lijiang Dragon King, Daoxu, and other senior masters became your servants. You truly are a woman who can steal souls and seize hearts. Unfortunately, your methods are useless against me."
The palace-dressed woman laughed. "You are indeed somewhat different. It's nearly impossible to control your heart. But can you alone block eight Nine-Step Saint Kings?"
"Not necessarily impossible," Shang Zihong said.
Just then, Gongzi Yan and Xunya, along with a large group of Heavenly Realm experts, charged into the temple, launching a fierce attack on the Kunlun Realm cultivators.
The palace-dressed woman's gaze flicked toward the temple. "Although I don't care about the lives and deaths of those Kunlun Realm cultivators, who can say that Zhang Ruochen cares?"
The carriage was set down. An old man with fleshy wings on his back and a middle-aged man with a dragon-horned head both rushed out simultaneously, heading toward the temple to block the Heavenly Realm kings.
Both were Nine-Step Saint Kings, incredibly fast. Ordinary Saint Kings couldn't even see their figures.
But Shang Zihong was even faster. With his hands behind his back, he blocked their path.
Both Nine-Step Saint Kings were startled. They immediately mobilized the sacred qi within their bodies to their limits, each unleashing a palm strike at the sacred art level.
"Junior, get out of the way!"
The treasure armor on Shang Zihong's body emitted three dazzling lights. His arms seemed to have three rivers flowing through them as he also struck out two palm prints, colliding with those of the two Nine-Step Saint Kings.
"Boom!"
The palm force of the three formed rippling patterns, spreading outward.
The sacred robes of the two veteran Nine-Step Saint Kings bulged like two enormous balloons as they flew backward, landing back near the carriage.
Three-colored light patterns flowed across their faces, and they were completely unable to move.
After a long while, they finally dispelled the three-colored light patterns and recovered.
Shang Zihong's silver-white hair fluttered in the wind as he strolled leisurely toward the carriage. "A woman as beautiful and transcendent as you shouldn't be my enemy. Wouldn't it be better for us to be friends?"
The palace-dressed woman's expression was no longer as seductive and calm as before.
Clearly, the strength Shang Zihong had just displayed had truly shocked her.
At only the Seven-Step Saint King realm, he could repel two Nine-Step Saint Kings.
Although Shang Zihong had mobilized Truth Rules, it was still quite remarkable. Any veteran expert witnessing this scene would surely feel that the younger generation was formidable.
The palace-dressed woman took out an ancient mirror and moved her lips toward it, as if saying something.
Then, aside from the two Nine-Step Saint Kings protecting her, the other six Nine-Step Saint Kings charged out simultaneously, attacking Shang Zihong.
Two of the Nine-Step Saint Kings each took out a Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact, continuously infusing sacred qi into them. Layer after layer of sacred power light waves appeared on the artifacts' surfaces.
Clearly, they intended to activate the Seven Radiance Perfect Power to kill Shang Zihong.
Of course, even for Nine-Step Saint Kings, activating Seven Radiance Perfect Power was no easy task and required some time.
The other four Nine-Step Saint Kings who attacked were buying time for them.
The attacks they unleashed were all Mid-rank Sacred Arts, and they had already cultivated them to the profound level.
One claw mark they struck out became dozens of feet long, drawing forth countless thunderbolts.
The palm force they unleashed pressed the clouds in the sky downward, filling the earth with the sound of wind.
...
Facing the assault of four Nine-Step Saint Kings, Shang Zihong was extremely calm. He plucked the three red feathers from his crown.
With a wave of his arm, the three red feathers flew out.
Then came three piercing cries that shook the clouds. The three red feathers transformed into three flame birds dozens of feet long, charging toward the four Nine-Step Saint Kings, blocking all their attacks.
"Whoosh—"
Shang Zihong rose from the ground. A crimson sword appeared in his right hand, dense golden light patterns emerging on the sword's body, releasing a vast and heavy power fluctuation. He slashed down at the two Nine-Step Saint Kings who were activating their Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifacts.
Before the sword arrived, a towering wave of fire had already swept before them.
Both Nine-Step Saint Kings' faces changed drastically. They each spat out a mouthful of sacred blood, spraying it onto their Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifacts. The seventh layer of sacred power light waves then appeared on the artifacts' surfaces.
Both were overjoyed, using all their strength to activate the Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifacts to strike at Shang Zihong, who was flying in midair.
"Boom rumble."
The two powerful forces collided, and the residual sacred qi spread a hundred miles away. The illusion array covering this heaven and earth seemed about to shatter.
"Pfft!"
The two Nine-Step Saint Kings spat blood, flying backward like scarecrows.
Their arms were mangled, revealing white bone, and countless sword marks covered their bodies. The two Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifacts they wielded had become dim and lusterless.
Shang Zihong carried the crimson sword, walking through the dusty earth, step by step approaching the palace-dressed woman. "Now it's your turn to choose. Those who follow me live; those who oppose me die."
The palace-dressed woman stood up, looking at Shang Zihong with an incredulous expression. But soon, a smile appeared on her face. "It's not yet time for you to decide my life or death."
The palace-dressed woman swung the ancient mirror in her hand. A dense blood mist flew out from the mirror, surging into the bodies of the two Nine-Step Saint Kings who had just activated their Seven Radiance Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifacts.
Immediately, their arms regrew flesh and blood, their injuries healed, and they stood up again.
"Boom rumble."
In the distance, the four Nine-Step Saint Kings blasted the three flame birds apart, reducing them to three red feathers that floated to the ground. The four of them rapidly retreated, appearing behind Shang Zihong in a semi-encircling formation.
Shang Zihong glanced behind him, frowning slightly. "Truly troublesome. But even if you tie me down here, it's useless. My target was never you. In a little while, all the Kunlun Realm cultivators will be dead."
"Such big talk. This poor Daoist doesn't believe it today!"
At the horizon, a vast surge of purple qi rolled in.
The voice just now had come from within the purple qi.
A fist-sized purple-robed little Daoist appeared, carrying a giant humanoid body over one hundred and thirty meters tall, flying rapidly toward the temple.
Shang Zihong could see clearly that the giant held by the little Daoist was Kun of the Giant Eye Calamity Race.
Kun had been captured?
Zhenmiao Little Daoist threw Kun out with a crash, landing on the ground with a thunderous sound. He was arrogantly unbridled, roaring: "Heavenly Realm juniors, come out and receive your death! This poor Daoist will annihilate you all today, stepping over your bones to shake the world!"