Chapter 1837: Twelve-Foot Golden Body
Crackling and popping sounds echoed.
Chen Yuhua's skin, flesh, and meridians all turned golden, his body expanding into a twelve-foot-tall golden giant.
This technique was one of the thirty-six supreme skills recorded in the *Four-Nine Profound Art*:
The Twelve-Foot Golden Body Method.
All thirty-six supreme skills were ghostly and godlike means beyond mortal comprehension.
However, most of these skills had been lost over time, with only a scant few preserved. Among the Chen Clan, geniuses capable of successfully cultivating even one such skill were few and far between.
Chen Yuhua had spent over a thousand years cultivating the Twelve-Foot Golden Body Method, reaching a level of mastery that was pure and refined.
Xie Canghai sensed the danger and struck first. Lifting his Xuantian Battle Axe, he unleashed his full power, bringing it down upon Chen Yuhua's head with a single word: "Die."
The Xuantian Battle Axe cleaved into Chen Yuhua's crown, producing a deafening clash of metal and stone.
"How is this possible?"
Xie Canghai's pupils dilated, his face filled with shock.
Could a mortal body of flesh and blood truly withstand the blow of a Xuantian Battle Axe?
"Whoosh—"
A ripple of golden light spread outward from Chen Yuhua's head.
Xie Canghai was sent flying backward by an immense force, crashing down at the foot of Spirit Mountain. He stumbled back, utterly disheveled, nearly falling to the ground.
The arm holding the battle axe throbbed with numbing pain, as if it were about to snap, trembling uncontrollably.
In contrast, Chen Yuhua stood completely unharmed.
"How could there possibly be such a terrifying martial sacred art in this world?"
At this moment, the fear in Xie Canghai's heart was even greater than when he had fought the blood-haired man.
If he hadn't known that Chen Yuhua's time was short and that he couldn't maintain this state indefinitely, he would have already fled.
Chen Yuhua let out a long roar, leaped down from Spirit Mountain, and drove a fist toward Xie Canghai, the force of the punch overwhelmingly fierce and domineering.
Xie Canghai's expression shifted in alarm as he once again raised the Xuantian Battle Axe to meet the attack.
"Bang."
Like a scarecrow, Xie Canghai was sent flying, his hands drenched in blood.
As for the Xuantian Battle Axe, it flew out of his grip, crashed to the ground, and shattered a large area of earth.
"So terrifying... I must obtain the *Four-Nine Profound Art*. Even if I only learn one of its skills, my combat power will increase by a significant margin," Xie Canghai thought to himself.
The golden light on Chen Yuhua's body dimmed slightly, as if he could no longer sustain it.
It must be remembered that Chen Yuhua's lifespan was nearly exhausted, and he was on the verge of dying from old age, with his blood energy in severe decline. The Twelve-Foot Golden Body Method, being a fierce and domineering sacred art, inflicted tremendous damage on his body and sacred meridians just by using it.
Moreover, Chen Yuhua had already been injured earlier.
"Those who invade Kunlun shall die."
Chen Yuhua, like a final burst of light before death, once again radiated dazzling golden brilliance, striking Xie Canghai with a punch.
Knowing he couldn't withstand it, Xie Canghai used a life-saving talisman, forming nine layers of light shields to block the blow.
"Bang, bang."
Three layers of the light shields shattered, leaving six remaining.
On the shields, countless inscriptions interwove, each layer comparable to a defensive grand formation.
Xie Canghai's heart ached deeply. The Thousand-Mile Demon Trace Talisman, the Heavenly Grade Healing Sacred Pill, and this talisman were all his life-saving trump cards, which he would not use unless absolutely necessary.
Today's two battles had been utterly frustrating, forcing him to expend all his life-saving cards.
"Those who covet the Eastern Domain shall die."
Chen Yuhua roared to the heavens, his golden hair flying wildly. With a second punch, three more layers of the light shields shattered into specks of light.
Xie Canghai was knocked backward, spitting blood from his mouth.
"Those who lust after the Chen Clan shall die."
Chen Yuhua was driven to the brink of madness. His fist, the size of a water vat, smashed through the remaining three layers of light shields on Xie Canghai.
The fist landed solidly on Xie Canghai's body.
Xie Canghai, knowing full well how terrifying Chen Yuhua was in his twelve-foot golden form, was scared half to death. In his mind, he envisioned his body being torn apart into pieces.
"Bang."
Xie Canghai's body slammed into Spirit Mountain.
Falling into a pit of bloody mud, Xie Canghai looked at his chest, which was a bloody mess, gasped heavily, and then burst into loud laughter.
Though severely injured, he was not dead.
In the final moment, Chen Yuhua's explosive power had sharply declined. The golden light on his body vanished, his form shrank, and he returned to his original, aged, and lifeless appearance.
"Heaven's... will... it's all heaven's will... cough, cough..."
Chen Yuhua's figure became hunched, his gaze hollow and lost, as sacred blood continuously flowed from his mouth, staining the robes on his chest red.
Xie Canghai stood up, approaching with the arrogant posture of a victor, and said, "That's right, it's heaven's will. Heaven wants the Chen Clan to fall, so the Chen Clan must fall. Heaven wants Kunlun Realm to be destroyed, so Kunlun Realm cannot avoid destruction. Kunlun Realm once had its glory, but it ended a hundred thousand years ago. Now, it can only be trampled and plundered by us."
"A hundred thousand years ago, our Black Demon Realm's ancestors came to Kunlun Realm to study the Dao. What did they learn? Only copied diagrams. Your ancestors hid the true scriptures away, refusing to let outsiders read them. How narrow-minded they were."
"Fortunately, the cultivators of Black Demon Realm were self-reliant. Even by cultivating from copied diagrams, they managed to rise successfully."
"Times have changed."
"Now, we cultivators of Black Demon Realm have returned to Kunlun Realm to take what rightfully belongs to us. Chen Yuhua, is the *Four-Nine Profound Art* on you?"
Chen Yuhua let out a hoarse laugh: "The Black Demon Realm is truly insatiably greedy. Kunlun Realm passed down the Dao to you, hoping you would grow strong. After your realm was found by the Hell Realm, you would have the ability to protect yourselves. Yet, who would have thought that Kunlun Realm's ancestors had raised a pack of ungrateful wolves? Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."
Chen Yuhua was undoubtedly the Chen Clan's number one expert, and Xie Canghai suspected that the *Four-Nine Profound Art* was on him.
Just as Xie Canghai was about to strike and subdue Chen Yuhua, the aura of Supreme Sacred Artifact power came from afar, causing the entire world to tremble.
Both Xie Canghai and Chen Yuhua were startled.
"Bang."
A several-hundred-foot-tall azure ancient pagoda fell from midair, smashing the horned beast that Xie Canghai had released from his battle diagram into pieces, turning it into a cloud of soul mist.
That horned beast's combat power was comparable to a Nine-Step Saint King of the Rule Grand Heaven.
"A Supreme Sacred Artifact."
Xie Canghai was both surprised and excited.
"The Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda."
Chen Yuhua's entire body trembled, a glimmer of joy appearing in his ashen eyes. He knew that a top-tier expert from Kunlun Realm had arrived. If they could prevent the otherworldly being from controlling the ancient pagoda, he would have no regrets even in death.
Amidst the rolling dust, Zhang Ruochen's imposing figure emerged.
Zhang Ruochen raised his right hand, supporting it above his head.
Above his palm, the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda, as massive as a mountain, slowly rotated. Streams of Supreme Sacred Artifact power, like azure mist dragons, coiled around the pagoda's body.
Xie Canghai had initially paid Zhang Ruochen no mind, treating him like an ant. But now, the fact that the other party wielded a Supreme Sacred Artifact forced him to be cautious.
"Youngster, who exactly are you?"
"Someone who will kill you."
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly, then added, "Are all cultivators of Black Demon Realm this shameless? Why should Kunlun Realm show you its true scriptures and texts?"
Xie Canghai's eyes narrowed. "Are you a cultivator of Kunlun Realm?"
"You're not worthy of knowing."
Although Zhang Ruochen had left Kunlun Realm, hearing Xie Canghai's words still filled him with rage.
He channeled all his sacred Qi into the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda, then launched it at Xie Canghai. The overwhelming power of the Supreme Sacred Artifact erupted, causing the sacred Qi of heaven and earth in this small space to become extremely chaotic.
"Shura God Slayer."
Xie Canghai's palm Dao rules surged out as he struck with both palms, executing a profound-level mid-rank sacred art.
The Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda pressed down on him from above. Xie Canghai gritted his teeth and used all his strength to hold it up. However, his injuries were severe, and sacred blood continuously gushed from the wound on his chest.
"Die!"
Zhang Ruochen charged forward like lightning, striking Xie Canghai's chest wound with a palm, causing his body to cave in.
Purifying Divine Flame surged from his palm, invading Xie Canghai's body and setting him ablaze.
"Roar."
Xie Canghai roared in fury.
Using some secret technique, his power multiplied severalfold in an instant, sending the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda flying upward.
Then, Xie Canghai formed a palm seal, with tens of thousands of rules weaving through his fingers, and struck at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen's battle intent surged, fearless as he also struck out with two palms. Thirteen dragon souls and thirteen elephant souls materialized, clashing with Xie Canghai.
"Bang, bang."
The two exchanged palm strikes, causing a series of explosions in the surrounding air.
"Courting death."
Xie Canghai continued to exert force, channeling all his demonic Qi into his hands.
Both palms turned black.
"The one dying is you."
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his Truth rules, unleashing sixfold power, sending Xie Canghai flying hundreds of meters away. Xie Canghai fell to one knee, his sacred body covered in numerous cracks, like porcelain about to shatter.
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda and walked over with cold eyes.
Xie Canghai knew he had suffered a major setback today. Continuing to fight risked falling in battle.
"If I weren't severely injured, even with a Supreme Sacred Artifact in your hands, you'd still be dead," Xie Canghai said, even as he pondered ways to escape.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Hand over the *Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram*, and I'll give you a quick death."
"Fine, take it."
Xie Canghai took something from his storage vessel and hurled it at Zhang Ruochen, then transformed into a streak of demonic light, rushing into the night.
What flew toward Zhang Ruochen was not the *Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram*, but a ten-thousand-pattern sacred artifact-level iron seal.
"Bang."
A layer of light surged from the surface of the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda, shattering the iron seal into pieces.
At the same time, Xie Canghai, who was fleeing, stopped in his tracks, staring ahead in shock. "You... you are a space cultivator..."
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, blocking his path.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Zhang Ruochen pointed a finger at the Azure Heaven Floating Pagoda.
The several-hundred-foot-tall azure pagoda descended from the sky, crashing down on Xie Canghai, shattering his body into pieces, turning all his bones into powder.
Only a pool of bloody mud remained on the ground.
Zhang Ruochen retrieved a sacred source and a space ring from the bloody mud.
Immersing his spiritual power into the space ring, he found the *Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram*, along with a large number of sacred artifacts, sacred medicines, and other treasures. A smile finally appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face.