Chapter 1835: Pursuing Xie Canghai
In the Eastern Domain Sacred City, even the sea areas were covered with numerous inscriptions, which could control the destructive power of cultivators within a certain range, preventing a battle at the Nine-Step Saint King level from destroying the entire city.
Even so, when Xie Canghai struck with his axe, the sea within hundreds of miles surged with monstrous waves.
The blood-haired man remained calm as he stood up. His slender fingers pointed upward.
“Whoosh”
Tens of thousands of rules burst forth from his fingertips, forming an arc-shaped shield imprint with a diameter of a hundred zhang, like a giant mushroom growing on the sea surface.
The Xuantian Battle Axe struck the shield imprint, unleashing a terrifying storm of energy.
The surrounding seawater was compressed and rose up, forming a ring-shaped water mountain a thousand meters high.
Then, the ring-shaped water mountain surged in all directions, flooding one island after another.
Three hundred miles away, the small island where Zhang Ruochen was hiding was also affected.
The island shattered in an instant and sank into the sea.
Zhang Ruochen fell into the ocean, his entire body aching intensely, as if he had been struck from afar by a Dao Domain realm cultivator. Fortunately, his physical body was strong, or he would have been injured.
“Dao Domain realm cultivators are too terrifying. Even hundreds of miles away, the residual force of their battle nearly injured me.”
This battle made Zhang Ruochen realize that within a hundred miles of a Dao Domain realm cultivator’s battlefield was a death zone. Entering it would lead to unimaginable consequences.
For cultivators below the Saint realm, even within a thousand miles of a Dao Domain realm cultivator’s battlefield was a forbidden zone.
At this moment, Xie Canghai was extremely shocked.
He had struck with all his strength, yet his axe was effortlessly neutralized by his opponent. Below the Great Saint realm, Xie Canghai had never encountered such a terrifying figure, and a hint of retreat arose in his heart.
“It’s impolite not to return the favor. Take my sword strike as well.”
The blood-haired man did not draw his sword; he still stood on the small boat.
But from within his body, a dazzling sword light flew out.
If a Great Saint were nearby, they could see that the sword light was actually a rapidly flying human figure, identical in appearance to the blood-haired man.
However, beings below the Great Saint realm could hardly discern this.
Xie Canghai, after all, was an old monster at the Dao Domain realm and guessed the nature of the sword light, exclaiming, “Sword Soul! You’ve actually cultivated such a terrifying sword soul.”
That sword light was the blood-haired man’s sword soul.
Only by comprehending Sword Nine to a certain extent could one cultivate a sword soul.
The deeper the comprehension, the stronger the sword soul.
Xie Canghai activated a defensive mid-rank sacred art, and a layer of stone skin formed on his skin, wrapping his entire body. The stone skin grew thicker and thicker, turning into a hundred-zhang-tall stone mountain.
“Boom.”
The sword light collided with the stone mountain.
The stone mountain exploded.
The sword light entered Xie Canghai’s chest and passed through his body.
Xie Canghai’s body showed no wounds, but his sacred soul was severely injured by the blood-haired man’s sword soul. Not only did he suffer from splitting headaches, but he also lost control over the sacred qi and sacred dao rules within his body.
The sacred qi and sacred dao rules became chaotic.
On the other side, the small boat under the blood-haired man shot toward him like an arrow from a bowstring, his blood-red hair flowing, like a peerless banished immortal.
“Flee.”
Only this thought remained in Xie Canghai’s mind.
“Thousand-Mile Demon Trace.”
Xie Canghai pressed the Thousand-Mile Demon Trace Talisman between his two fingers against his chest.
The talisman melted and condensed into a layer of demon light, wrapping around Xie Canghai’s body.
The blood-haired man frowned deeply. With his left hand holding the bamboo scroll, he raised his right hand. Instantly, the seawater within hundreds of miles solidified, turning into countless sword-shaped white ice crystals, their tips pointing upward, radiating cold light.
What was once seawater was now a forest of swords.
The number of ice swords was in the tens of millions.
“Crack, crack.”
Countless ice swords flew up, like ten thousand swords paying homage to their sovereign, all shooting toward Xie Canghai.
“Go.”
Xie Canghai roared, transforming into a streak of light, bursting forth at a thousand times the speed of sound, breaking through layers of sword rain. Moments later, he had fled a thousand miles away.
The Thousand-Mile Demon Trace Talisman was Xie Canghai’s most important life-saving measure. Even against a Great Saint-level enemy, there was a slim chance of escape.
After all, even a Great Saint’s speed could not reach a thousand times the speed of sound.
“Impressive. It’s not that easy to reclaim the ‘Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram.’ I might as well go capture that mysterious little fellow first.”
The blood-haired man muttered to himself, then steered the small boat to the area near the small island where Zhang Ruochen had been hiding. Of course, the island had already sunk.
He had no deep friendship with Jiang Yunchong; it was merely a convenient opportunity to cooperate.
The blood-haired man not only wanted to reclaim the “Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram” but also to seize Zhang Ruochen’s hundred-thousand-year ancient sacred medicine and Taiyi Ancestral Stone, as well as capture Zhang Ruochen to interrogate him about the secrets of the God-Destroying Cross Shield.
“Truly alert. He’s already fled.”
The blood-haired man laughed self-deprecatingly. After all his efforts, he had gained nothing.
Xie Canghai’s injuries were severe, and the sacred qi in his body grew increasingly chaotic.
“Although my fight with the blood-haired man was brief, the residual force of the battle was immense. With Divine Cliff Master’s spiritual power, he must have sensed it. Why didn’t he act to suppress that blood-haired man?” Xie Canghai was deeply puzzled.
He did not know that Jiang Yunchong had already set up measures at Tianjue Pavilion and Tianjue Island to block Divine Cliff Master’s perception.
At this moment, Jiang Yunchong was chatting and laughing with Divine Cliff Master, probing each other.
“No, I can’t return to Tianjue Island…”
Xie Canghai stopped, his expression shifting.
That blood-haired man would surely wait for him near Tianjue Island.
Before Xie Canghai could even see Divine Cliff Master and the others, he would be intercepted. In his current state, did he have another chance to escape?
Xie Canghai sent a message light talisman to Divine Cliff Master, then dove into the seabed to focus on healing.
However, the message light talisman he sent was struck down by an invisible force before it could reach Tianjue Island, turning into powder scattered in the seawater.
“Xie Canghai is severely injured. Now is the best time to eliminate him and reclaim the ‘Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram.’”
Zhang Ruochen continuously used Great Space Teleportation, following the residual aura left by Xie Canghai to track his whereabouts.
At his peak, Zhang Ruochen was no match for Xie Canghai. But with the Azure Sky Floating Pagoda, Zhang Ruochen was somewhat confident in subduing the severely injured Xie Canghai.
After performing nine Great Space Teleportations in a row, Zhang Ruochen chased nearly a thousand miles.
Suddenly, Xie Canghai’s aura vanished.
After searching for half an hour, Zhang Ruochen used every method he had, but still found nothing. Clearly, Xie Canghai also possessed treasures to conceal his aura and hide his tracks.
No wonder the blood-haired man hadn’t pursued him; he had probably anticipated this.
Zhang Ruochen was unwilling to give up. If he missed this opportunity, Xie Canghai might send the “Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram” back to the Black Demon Realm, and Kunlun Realm’s supreme inheritance would truly be lost.
“Chunan, come and meet me.”
Zhang Ruochen sent a message light talisman, summoning Xiang Chunan back.
Another half hour passed, and Xiang Chunan returned, asking, “Big Brother, has the situation changed?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and asked, “Is your thousand-mile eye reliable or not?”
Xiang Chunan immediately became confident, patting his chest to guarantee, “My thousand-mile eye can’t see the past or future, but there’s nothing I can’t see, discern, or see through. I’m confident in that.”
“I’ll give you one hour to find Xie Canghai for me,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The time to attack the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor was drawing near, and Zhang Ruochen had little time left.
“Leave it to me. If I can’t find that old bastard, I’ll gouge out my own eyes.”
“Divine Ability, Activate: Thousand-Mile Void Gaze.”
Xiang Chunan flew a thousand zhang above the sea surface, standing atop a cloud. Twin beams of light shot from his pupils as he surveyed the surroundings.
Next, Xiang Chunan and Zhang Ruochen searched area by area, time ticking away.
An hour later, Xiang Chunan still hadn’t found Xie Canghai.
Xiang Chunan was going a bit mad. Using his thousand-mile eye for too long caused blood to flow from his pupils. But he knew the importance of finding Xie Canghai and gritted his teeth to persevere.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart was no longer as calm as before, but he didn’t put pressure on Xiang Chunan.
Another half hour passed, and Zhang Ruochen said, “Chunan, forget it. Time’s up. We need to head to the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor first.”
“Found him!”
Xiang Chunan laughed wildly, pointing south, “Xie Canghai is heading toward the Sixth District of Golden Rainbow Continent. There’s a branch of the Saint King Manor there; that’s likely his target…”
After saying this, Xiang Chunan closed his eyes and fell straight down.
Zhang Ruochen caught him, finding that using the thousand-mile eye for too long had drained all the sacred qi from Xiang Chunan’s body. Moreover, two streams of blood hung beneath his eyelids.
“Thank you, brother. Leave the rest to me.”
Zhang Ruochen sent Xiang Chunan into the Qiankun Realm, then flew rapidly toward the Sixth District.
The main city of the Eastern Domain Saint King Manor was located in the center of Golden Rainbow Continent, in the First District.
The Saint King Manor in the Sixth District was the closest branch to the main city, forming a pincer formation with it, and its importance was self-evident. Xie Canghai, still severely injured, was heading there, meaning he must have an extremely important mission.
“Could there be something special about the Saint King Manor in the Sixth District?”
Zhang Ruochen arrived outside the Saint King Manor and found the mansion brightly lit, with soldiers patrolling and maids walking along the paths. Everything was calm and peaceful, with no signs of the massacre he had imagined.
“Could it be that Xie Canghai never came to this branch of the Saint King Manor?”
Zhang Ruochen stood by the edge of a pond, gently stroking his chin, considering retreating to head to the main Eastern Domain Saint King Manor in the First District.
That was the main battlefield tonight.
Just then, from deep within the Saint King Manor, a vast and boundless sacred dao aura erupted, suppressing all cultivators inside, forcing them to prostrate on the ground.
“There really is a problem.”
Zhang Ruochen moved like a ghost, cautiously sneaking deeper into the Saint King Manor.