Chapter 1822: The Change at the Divine Sword Sacred Land
The Divine Sword Sacred Land had eighteen spirit mountains, their vegetation as green as jade. White mist drifted among the peaks, waterfalls cascaded from the heavens, strange rocks resembled ghostly monsters, and auspicious light shimmered everywhere. At the height of the Divine Sword Sacred Land's prosperity, over ten thousand disciples and followers lived among these mountains.
Now, the sky above the Divine Sword Sacred Land was covered in dark clouds, sunless and gloomy. The eighteen spirit mountains were stained red by blood, and floating corpses drifted in the streams and spirit lakes. Some mountains had been struck by terrifying power, their defensive formations shattered and their bodies collapsing. Others burned with raging heavenly fire, black smoke billowing from the halls and pavilions.
More than half of the disciples and followers of the Divine Sword Sacred Land had died. The survivors were all captured and brought to the Jade Saint Spirit Mountain.
The Jade Saint Spirit Mountain was the foremost among the spirit mountains of the Divine Sword Sacred Land. At its summit lay a square paved with white stone. The thousands of surviving disciples and followers of the Divine Sword Sacred Land, wounded and dying, were forced to their knees by a powerful sacred might. Even the most resolute saints had their legs broken and were forced to lie prostrate on the ground.
The Young Palace Master of the War Hammer Palace, Blood Hunter Hongdong, clad in a suit of dark star heavy armor and a deep red cloak, stood imposingly on the high steps. His nearly five-meter height made him appear exceptionally robust, exuding an oppressive aura. Below him stood nearly a hundred sacred realm cultivators of the War Hammer Palace, each as towering as giants.
The master of the Divine Sword Sacred Land, Lu Huaiyu, was nailed to a purple-black stone tablet, blood continuously flowing from his body.
"This is the two hundred and third. If you still won't speak, the next will be the two hundred and fourth," Blood Hunter Hongdong said coldly.
Lu Huaiyu coughed up blood as he laughed, "Dream... on..."
Blood Hunter Hongdong's eyes narrowed sharply, his hands clenching until his knuckles cracked audibly.
The ninth-rank elder of the War Hammer Palace, Fu Yan, said coldly, "Young Palace Master, I think there's no need to waste words with him. Let's directly use the power of the Soul Suppressing Stele to erase his spiritual will and seize his memory. I refuse to believe we can't find the 'Heavenly Craft Compendium.'"
The purple-black stone tablet was the Soul Suppressing Stele, a spiritual treasure forged by the War Hammer Palace. The Soul Suppressing Stele could not only suppress a cultivator's spiritual will but also forcibly seize their memories and prevent them from self-destructing their sacred source. Of course, if a Great Saint or a god had placed restrictive measures within the cultivator's body, even the Soul Suppressing Stele could not extract useful memories or information.
Blood Hunter Hongdong was well aware that the Soul Suppressing Stele was not omnipotent. If a cultivator's spiritual will was too strong, their sacred soul would shatter, leaving no memories behind.
The "Heavenly Craft Compendium" was of great importance, his primary mission upon arriving in the Kunlun Realm. There could be no mistakes.
Now, it seemed there was no other choice. Blood Hunter Hongdong nodded and said, "Activate the Soul Suppressing Stele and search his memory. We must find the 'Heavenly Craft Compendium.'"
The ninth-rank elder Fu Yan let out a dry laugh. With his withered hands, he struck out with powerful sacred energy from a distance, channeling it into the Soul Suppressing Stele.
"Whoosh!"
Instantly, dense patterns emerged on the Soul Suppressing Stele. Like iron threads, they pierced into Lu Huaiyu's skull. Some patterns also stabbed into his body.
Blood Hunter Hongdong was nervous, fearing the soul search might fail. The War Hammer Palace was renowned across many great worlds for artifact forging, but compared to the top-tier forging sects, it still fell short. The "Heavenly Craft Compendium" was a renowned forging manual even in the medieval era. If the War Hammer Palace could obtain it, their forging skills would surely advance further. This matter was crucial to securing his position as Young Palace Master; failure was not an option.
"Ah..."
Lu Huaiyu's spirit and sacred soul endured inhuman torment, his screams heart-wrenching.
The disciples and followers of the Divine Sword Sacred Land were filled with indignation.
"We, the Divine Sword Sacred Land, have no grievances with you. Why attack us?"
"The Divine Sword Sacred Land doesn't have the 'Heavenly Craft Compendium.' Spare us, release the Jade Saint, and we can negotiate."
"Release the Jade Saint! If you want to take it out on someone, take it out on me!"
"Fight them!"
"Pfft."
Any cultivator who tried to resist was crushed into bloody pulp by the heavy war hammers of the War Hammer Palace's sacred realm cultivators.
A sixth-rank elder of the War Hammer Palace looked at the kneeling cultivators like ants and laughed, "Who told you that killing requires grievances? Where there are people, there is conflict. Where there is profit, there is war and conquest."
Then, the sixth-rank elder walked up to a saint of the Divine Sword Sacred Land, placed a hand on his head, and began extracting his memory. Extracting a saint's memory was naturally easier. The saint struggled and screamed, but like a ragdoll, he couldn't escape the elder's grasp. Although a saint's forging knowledge was limited, there was always something worth learning. Absorbing his memory would be a form of self-improvement.
"Pfft."
A massive black sword flew from beyond the heavens, piercing the chest of the sixth-rank elder, who had reached the six-step Saint King realm. It carried his body all the way to a bronze pillar behind Blood Hunter Hongdong.
"Bang!"
The sixth-rank elder collided with the bronze pillar, then slid down, crashing to the ground as a corpse.
Blood Hunter Hongdong's face darkened as he watched the flying black sword, saying, "Such strong sword intent, it directly shattered Elder Xueqing's sacred soul."
"Who is it?"
The sacred realm cultivators of the War Hammer Palace, all elites, immediately entered combat readiness. Some activated the inscriptions on their sacred artifacts, others deployed defensive formation diagrams, and some opened heavenly eyes to search for the intruder's figure...
"Rustle."
The space above Blood Hunter Hongdong trembled.
Three figures flew out from the void, attacking Blood Hunter Hongdong and Elder Fu Yan respectively.
The one attacking Blood Hunter Hongdong was Zhang Ruochen, wearing a mask.
Zhang Ruochen used the Space Cage technique to trap Blood Hunter Hongdong, then stepped forward, activating the power of the Fire God Fist Gloves. Carrying a trace of divine power, he struck with a palm.
Zhang Ruochen knew his primary goal was to rescue people. To do so, he needed leverage. Thus, he had to capture the leader first.
But Blood Hunter Hongdong was no pushover. His reaction speed was extraordinary. He struck back instantly, exchanging a palm with Zhang Ruochen. The force sent Zhang Ruochen staggering back seven steps.
However, Blood Hunter Hongdong retreated even further—sixteen steps.
Zhang Ruochen felt a burning pain in his right arm. That palm strike felt like hitting a divine steel wall, his bones slightly misaligned. He had caught the opponent off guard, yet the result was only this. If the opponent had been fully prepared, Zhang Ruochen might not have held the advantage.
"His physical strength is no less than mine," Zhang Ruochen thought.
Fortunately, on the other battlefield, Murong Yue and Xie Chengzi joined forces, not only forcing back Elder Fu Yan but also rescuing Lu Huaiyu from the Soul Suppressing Stele.
Zhang Ruochen realized Blood Hunter Hongdong's strength exceeded his expectations; he couldn't easily subdue him. His eyes shifted to Elder Fu Yan, considering a change of target.
Blood Hunter Hongdong, though burly, was no fool as the Young Palace Master of the War Hammer Palace. He was shrewd. Seeing Zhang Ruochen's eyes move, he guessed his next plan and roared, "Elder Fu Yan, be careful!"
Blood Hunter Hongdong's judgment was correct, but he underestimated Zhang Ruochen's strength and speed.
Before the word "careful" left his mouth, Zhang Ruochen's Abyssal Ancient Sword was already pointed at Elder Fu Yan's brow.
Elder Fu Yan was terrified. As a nine-step Saint King, he hadn't even seen his opponent's shadow before being subdued. Could this newcomer have already cultivated a Dao Domain? But sensing the spatial fluctuations around him, he understood. No wonder it was so fast—this man had directly crossed space to appear before him.
Elder Fu Yan tried to stay calm, saying, "Have you come for the 'Heavenly Craft Compendium' too? I'm afraid you'll be disappointed; we haven't found it yet either."
Blood Hunter Hongdong said, "He's not here for the 'Heavenly Craft Compendium.' He's here to rescue people."
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but regard Blood Hunter Hongdong with newfound respect. This man was truly sharp; in such a short time, he had seen through his intentions. If given more time, wouldn't he guess Zhang Ruochen's identity?
"Since you know I'm here to rescue people, why not release them immediately?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Unfair."
Blood Hunter Hongdong shook his head. "I hold the lives of so many in my hands, while you hold only one. Who should I release?"
"Is the life of a nine-step Saint King so cheap to the War Hammer Palace?" Zhang Ruochen countered.
Zhang Ruochen had some understanding of the major forces in the Heavenly Court. Guessing they were from the War Hammer Palace wasn't difficult.
Blood Hunter Hongdong said, "If you kill a ninth-rank elder of the War Hammer Palace, do you know how severe the consequences will be? Need I remind you?"
"Threatening me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Hunter Hongdong said, "No, just reminding you to think twice before acting."
"Thank you."
A strange smile appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face. Then, a powerful sword intent erupted.
"Pfft."
To everyone's surprise, Zhang Ruochen acted decisively, piercing Elder Fu Yan's brow with his sword. The sword's edge burst with sword energy, shattering his head into a brilliant mist of blood.
Blood Hunter Hongdong's eyes widened in fury, flames of rage burning within him. He roared, "Kill!"
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's eyes emitted divine light, his aura surging like a supreme emperor. He spread his arms, releasing all the space rules within him, enveloping the square atop the Jade Saint Spirit Mountain. He bellowed, "Space Freeze."
Instantly, a layer of white light surged from Zhang Ruochen's body, and the power of space swept across heaven and earth. From a distance, everyone on the square seemed sealed within a massive piece of jade, frozen in place.
But under Zhang Ruochen's control, Murong Yue and Xie Chengzi were not bound by the space power. They launched attacks against the War Hammer Palace forces.
Murong Yue struck at Blood Hunter Hongdong.
Xie Chengzi released his battle corpses, madly reaping the lives of the War Hammer Palace's sacred realm cultivators. In an instant, a large number fell.