Chapter 1794: The Wrath of the Phoenix and the Vermilion Bird
Yinghuo did not recognize Zhang Ruochen. Holding the Ten Thousand Beasts Treasure Mirror, he manipulated tens of thousands of blood bats, surrounding Zhang Ruochen in an airtight formation.
"Rustle, rustle."
After a moment, the blood bats dispersed.
That cripple had vanished without a trace.
"Devoured clean?"
Yinghuo's two curved, dark eyebrows furrowed slightly, finding it somewhat unbelievable. That cripple had pursued Shi Kai; his own strength must have been considerable. How could he be so easily defeated?
Zhang Ruochen was already hundreds of miles away. To save people, he did not entangle himself with Yinghuo but used a Spatial Displacement to escape.
Now, holding the Abyssal Ancient Sword in one hand and the Eight Dragon Umbrella in the other, he had intercepted Shi Kai.
Shi Kai stopped, looking down at Zhang Ruochen, who was like an ant below, and said, "Being able to escape Luo City shows you have some skill. But why chase after me to court death?"
Zhang Ruochen stared at the iron chain in Shi Kai's hand, pondering his strategy. He thought to himself, "Only by cutting the chain and freeing the Black Phoenix and White Vermilion Bird can I deal with Shi Kai."
As if reading Zhang Ruochen's thoughts, Shi Kai laughed loudly, "Tian Mingzi, won't you all show yourselves?"
Zhang Ruochen sensed five powerful fluctuations of Saint Qi emerging from the night, and his heart sank heavily, realizing he had fallen into Shi Kai's trap.
Of course, this trap might not have been set for him; he had simply jumped right into it.
One after another, laughter echoed through the void.
Then, the Tianyuan Five walked out, appearing at five positions around Zhang Ruochen, surrounding him.
Seeing the Tianyuan Five, the Black Phoenix and White Vermilion Bird's faces turned pale. They exchanged glances, revealing bitter smiles. Today, they feared they would truly be unable to live or die as they wished.
Tian Mingzi stroked his green beard, smiling smugly, "Ah, cripple! Cripple! You meddle too much, and this calamity was destined for you."
Zhang Ruochen quickly regained his composure, saying, "You Tianyuan Six are well-known figures in the Tian Gui Realm. Collaborating with cultivators from the Hell Realm, aren't you afraid I'll report this to the Heavenly Court? When that happens, not only will you die, but your sects will face great disaster."
Tian Mingzi was unafraid, "Cripple, you've cultivated to the Saint King Realm, yet you're so naive? In this world, there are only eternal interests, not eternal enemies. So what if we cooperate with Shi Kai? As long as we kill you, who will know?"
"Then you'd better pray you can truly kill me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Shi Kai didn't want to linger here, saying, "I have captured the Black Phoenix and White Vermilion Bird and brought them here. Now, can you use the Saint Gu Worm to infect them first? These two women are extremely powerful. If you hadn't brought me into Luo City and placed me in the Void Saint Tower, I could never have approached them silently. Sneak-attacking them successfully would have been as hard as reaching the heavens."
The Black Phoenix and White Vermilion Bird finally understood why they had been ambushed, and they were furious, wishing they could tear the Tianyuan Five into pieces and grind their bones to dust.
Tian Mingzi put on a sanctimonious smile, "Don't worry. Once the Saint Gu Worm is planted, no matter how strong their Spiritual Will, they'll become two obedient little girls. Master Jie will surely love this gift, and our future cooperation will be even more frequent."
These people seemed to think Zhang Ruochen was as good as dead, daring to speak all their secrets in front of him.
"Tian Mingzi, do you dare to fight me?"
The Black Phoenix rose from the ground, her Phoenix eyes emitting sharp, cold light.
However, she was in a sorry state. Her black silk long dress was torn in many places, revealing snow-white skin stained with dust. Her long, slender legs were almost completely exposed, and even her lace undergarments were visible.
The Tianyuan Five stared at her tantalizing figure, all laughing. Among them, Tian Jinzi and Tian Juezi's eyes flickered with lecherous light, full of possessiveness.
"The Black Phoenix and White Vermilion Bird are the most famous proud daughters of heaven in the Tai Bai Realm. How about we enjoy them for a while before sending them to Master Jie?" Tian Jinzi said.
Tian Mingzi still wore a righteous expression but nodded slightly.
The Black Phoenix saw the look in the Tianyuan Five's eyes and knew exactly what they were thinking. She gritted her teeth and immediately charged at them.
"Bang."
Shi Kai pulled the chain, dragging the Black Phoenix back, her soft jade-like body falling to the ground again.
Tian Mingzi walked straight over, took out a porcelain bottle, and smiled, "You want to fight me? Fine. After I plant the Saint Gu Worm in you, we can fight for days."
The Black Phoenix's face was ashen. Unwilling to be humiliated, she wanted to self-destruct her Sacred Source.
But the iron chain in Shi Kai's hand sealed the Saint Qi within her body.
The White Vermilion Bird's face was pitiful. The iron chain around her fair neck made this noble proud daughter of heaven feel extremely humiliated, as if she were a dog on a leash. If the Saint Gu Worm were planted in her, she dared not imagine what she would become.
"Do you really think I don't exist?"
Zhang Ruochen's feet ignited with flames. He activated the inscriptions in the Abyssal Ancient Sword and shot out, charging at Shi Kai.
"Haha! Cripple, instead of thinking about how to escape, you dare to attack? A Saint King Realm cultivator as foolish as you, I've never met before."
Tian Juezi's voice was wild. He took out a battle axe and swung it horizontally at Zhang Ruochen, saying confidently, "No one else interfere. I want to avenge Junior Brother Tian Yuzi myself and break the cripple's other leg."
The battle axe was as huge as a door panel, instantly unleashing the power of Fivefold Great Perfection.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes narrowed. His body spun like a top, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword clashed repeatedly with the battle axe.
"Bang, bang."
Finally, as if unable to withstand Tian Juezi's power, Zhang Ruochen's body was sent flying into the distance.
"I am an Eight-Step Saint King. Cripple, you're far from my level."
Tian Juezi leaped up, pressing his advantage, holding the battle axe with both hands and slashing down fiercely at Zhang Ruochen.
Before the axe fell, the Saint Force radiating from it had already torn a crack dozens of feet long in the ground. If it landed, even a thousand-foot peak would be split in two.
Tian Juezi's face wore a ferocious smile, as if he wanted to torture Zhang Ruochen to death. Thus, this axe was aimed at Zhang Ruochen's right leg.
A flicker of mockery flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
If it were a pure contest of strength, with his Five-Step Saint King cultivation, Zhang Ruochen might not be a match for Tian Juezi.
But Zhang Ruochen was not only a martial artist; he was also a master of time and space.
"Whoosh."
Tian Juezi's vision blurred. That cripple had vanished.
Not good.
Tian Juezi reacted quickly. He slapped his waist, immediately activating a talisman hidden in his belt, forming a defensive barrier.
Zhang Ruochen did not attack Tian Juezi. Instead, he teleported to a spot not far from Tian Mingzi and the Black Phoenix, rushing toward them.
Tian Mingzi was about to plant the Gu Worm when his eyes slanted sideways. "Damn it, can't Tian Juezi even handle a cripple?"
Tian Mingzi's cultivation had reached the Nine-Step Saint King Realm. He pressed his five fingers into the void, and over seventy thousand Palm Dao rules surfaced on his palm. As his palm pushed forward, a surging, overwhelming force blasted out.
Zhang Ruochen's vision was completely covered by a handprint.
That handprint seemed infinitely huge. Five fingers stretched into the sky, while the palm itself flew like a piece of earth.
The Black Phoenix knew the cripple could not withstand this palm and closed her eyes, unable to watch. But the cripple's willingness to risk his life to save her was etched into her heart.
In the past, even the most famous heroes of the Heavenly Court who sought her hand were rejected with the excuse, "No Dao companion until I become a Great Saint."
But at this moment, she thought that if she could survive today's ordeal, even if the cripple was disabled and ugly, she would give him a chance.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, a crisp sound reached her ears.
"Crack."
The iron chain around her neck was severed by a Sword Dao Profound Qi. Instantly, thick Saint Qi surged through her entire body.
The Black Phoenix suddenly opened her beautiful, star-like eyes. The cripple was standing right beside her. How had he dodged Tian Mingzi's palm just now?
At this moment, a strange emotion arose in the Black Phoenix. How tall and majestic, how awe-inspiring this cripple seemed!
"Attack," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Black Phoenix nodded. Her eyes emitted a cold, sword-like light. From her crystal-clear, jade-like body surged a sea of black flames, instantly turning the surrounding hundred miles into a fire domain.
"Her cultivation is this powerful?"
Zhang Ruochen was knocked back dozens of feet by the force of those flames.
"Just now, you insulted me. Now, you will bear the wrath you deserve."
Behind the Black Phoenix, a pair of enormous black Phoenix wings unfurled. The wings, like black heavenly blades, slashed toward Tian Mingzi.
In her enraged state, the Black Phoenix was even stronger than usual, sending the still-stunned Tian Mingzi flying several miles away.
Tian Mingzi was not injured. He steadied himself, first staring at the Black Phoenix, then at Zhang Ruochen, muttering under his breath, "Space power. The cripple is a space cultivator."
Seeing the Black Phoenix free, Shi Kai and the other four of the Tianyuan Five changed expressions. They immediately rushed toward her, intending to suppress her again.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen used Spatial Displacement again, appearing beside Shi Kai. With lightning speed, he struck and severed the iron chain around the White Vermilion Bird's neck.
Instantly, a sharp, piercing sound erupted from the White Vermilion Bird's mouth.
The sound waves were so powerful that they could be faintly heard even thousands of miles away.
The White Vermilion Bird was no longer as gentle as usual. Her fury blazed. Her long hair flew wildly as she soared into the sky, turning the entire sky white.
"You will bear the wrath of the Vermilion Bird."
The White Vermilion Bird directly used her strongest trump card. Holding the White Moon, she descended from the sky, attacking Shi Kai with full fury.
The White Moon was a fragment of a Supreme Sacred Artifact, about the size of a palm, white as jade, crystal clear and translucent.
"Hiss, hiss."
Dense Supreme Inscription Runes interwove on the White Moon, radiating strands of Supreme power.
Shi Kai clearly knew the power of the White Moon. He let out a loud roar. Great Saint Inscription Runes appeared on both his palms as he unleashed a Mid-rank Sacred Art level palm technique to clash with the White Vermilion Bird's attack.
"Boom."
The White Moon, like a pillar of white light, shattered Shi Kai's right palm, piercing through the back of his hand. It then struck Shi Kai's right foot. With a "bang," the foot was blasted into stone fragments.
The residual power of the White Moon's eruption shook the ground beneath everyone's feet, causing it to sink and form a large depression.