# Chapter 1847: Should Stand Tall and Proud
The iron chains spun rapidly, emitting a whistling sound, wrapping around Si Han and Da Xi Wang as they soared into the sky, turning into a streak of light that broke through the atmosphere of the Eastern Domain Sacred City.
Mu Rong Feng Ye pursued them, turning into a black dot that disappeared into the clouds.
Shen Ya Xian Sheng's physical body was fragile, even inferior to many Half-Saint martial artists.
In the previous battle, he had been severely injured, half of his skull shattered, revealing the stark white cranium. His abdomen had been pierced by a Sacred Dao force, his organs broken, blood flowing profusely—indescribably miserable.
Most importantly, his Sacred Heart had suffered considerable damage, and his Spiritual Power was leaking out.
"Let's go, quickly withdraw from the Eastern Domain Sacred City."
Shen Ya Xian Sheng shouted loudly.
He took out a teleportation talisman and affixed it to his body, instantly exploding with a thousand times the speed of sound as he fled toward the outside of the Eastern Domain Sacred City.
Since even Si Han and Shen Ya Xian Sheng had fled, the other Sacred Realm cultivators who had attacked the Eastern Domain Sacred Prince Manor naturally scrambled to escape as well. Of course, some cultivators were shrewd enough to realize that escape would be difficult, so they used superior concealment techniques to hide within the city.
The Eastern Domain Sacred City was vast, with numerous cultivators, a mix of fish and dragons. As long as they hid well, finding them would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
"Want to escape? It's not that simple."
Zhang Ruochen threw the Yi Huang Bone Staff into the air, where it transformed into a hundred-zhang-tall black skeleton in midair.
After the evil spirit devoured the four Six-Calamity Ghost Souls, it had grown even stronger. Although it still couldn't compare to Dao Domain Realm cultivators, among the Nine-Step Saint Kings of the Rule Grand Heaven and Earth, it was already considered an expert.
"Bang."
The black skeleton punched out, striking through the air and hitting two Saint Kings of considerable cultivation, sending them crashing down.
After devouring the Sacred Souls of the two Saint Kings, the black skeleton rode the wind, breaking through the atmosphere of the Eastern Domain Sacred City to continue pursuing the fleeing Sacred Realm cultivators.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze looked into the distance, where he spotted Luo Yi's figure.
This cultivator claimed to be from the Shang Yuan Sect of Yuan Realm, but his attacks were decisive and ruthless. With each strike, a cultivator from the Heavenly Realm Faction fell. Moreover, he also pursued beyond the atmosphere, seemingly intent on wiping them all out.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.
The cultivators of Kunlun Realm hated the Heavenly Realm Faction and wanted to exterminate them because the Heavenly Realm Faction had spared no effort in suppressing Kunlun Realm, and the two sides had deep grudges.
Cultivators from the Shang Yuan Sect shouldn't have such deep hatred for the Heavenly Realm Faction.
"He really is a problematic figure."
Zhang Ruochen didn't dwell on it further, only silently reminding himself to be wary of this person in the future.
Not far from the Xin Huo Tower, Jue Yan Hu broke through the sword net formed by the Rain Silk Divine Sword, spitting Sacred Blood from his mouth. His injuries became even more severe, his entire body covered in fine sword marks.
Although he still maintained human form, where was any trace of his former handsome appearance?
Jue Yan Hu gritted his sharp teeth and glared fiercely at Tian Chu Xian Zi, speaking with extreme venom: "Luo Ji, you will pay a painful price for what you've done today. Once this young master's injuries heal, I will make you repay tenfold."
"Thousand Illusion Escape Art."
Jue Yan Hu executed a Mid-rank Sacred Art level escape technique, his body splitting into a thousand forms.
The sky was filled with Jue Yan Hu.
A thousand Jue Yan Hu flew in a thousand different directions.
For any other cultivator, it would be difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood, and Jue Yan Hu would have successfully escaped.
Unfortunately, his enemy was Tian Chu Xian Zi.
Tian Chu Xian Zi opened the vertical eye on her brow, instantly finding Jue Yan Hu's true body. Her snow-white wrist twisted slightly, and the Rain Silk Divine Sword flew out again, like a divine dragon swinging its tail, striking Jue Yan Hu's body.
One of Jue Yan Hu's left legs was severed, and a muffled sound escaped his lips.
"Ah..."
Jue Yan Hu continued to flee, his face becoming especially ferocious, roars escaping his throat—anger, pain, fury, all kinds of emotions intertwined.
One could imagine that if he managed to escape, he would surely seek mad revenge in the future.
Soon, Jue Yan Hu reached midair, about to break through the atmosphere of the Eastern Domain Sacred City. Joy rose in his heart: "As long as I break through the atmosphere, with my methods, no matter how strong the expert, they won't be able to keep me."
Above his head, the atmosphere suddenly ignited, turning into a crimson sea of fire.
A huge footprint appeared, erupting with surging, awe-inspiring divine might.
Jue Yan Hu's body, beneath that giant flaming foot, was like a tiny ant.
"No... no..."
Jue Yan Hu roared, his voice filled with intense unwillingness.
"Boom."
The giant flaming foot stepped on Jue Yan Hu, crushing him to the ground. The earth shook violently.
Flames turned into waves several zhang high, spreading in all directions, kicking up rolling dust.
When the flames dissipated, everyone saw that a thousand-zhang-long footprint had appeared there. The soil around the footprint had all bulged up, forming hundred-meter-tall hills.
That patch of earth had all melted into golden magma.
Zhang Ruochen dragged Jue Yan Hu out of the footprint pit, standing atop the hill. His gaze swept in all directions as he declared loudly: "From now on, I, Zhang Ruochen, am the King of the Eastern Domain. The Eastern Domain is mine to command. Whoever dares to break the rules I establish will die."
"Puchi."
Zhang Ruochen swung his sword, severing Jue Yan Hu's head. The head flew up.
"Bang." Zhang Ruochen struck out with a palm through the air, shattering the head into four or five pieces, turning it into a mist of blood.
In front of all the cultivators, beheading a Dao Domain Realm expert—such a deterrent was enough to make everyone present remember it for a lifetime.
"Greetings to the Eastern Domain King."
"Greetings to the Eastern Domain King."
...
Radiating outward from the Eastern Domain Sacred Prince Manor, the cultivators of Kunlun Realm knelt on one knee, bowing to Zhang Ruochen.
Not only because of Zhang Ruochen's recent display of power, but also because in their eyes, only Zhang Ruochen was worthy of being the Eastern Domain King, only he had the ability to protect them from the bullying and slaughter of foreign cultivators.
Power.
They believed that power was the foundation for fighting for the right to survive, so they worshipped the strong.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen saw Tian Chu Xian Zi's departing figure. Her white clothes fluttered, like a celestial maiden of the mortal world walking amidst the flames of war, gradually fading into a blur.
"Not even a single word to say to me. Does she think that helping me repel Shen Ya Xian Sheng and the others is enough to repay the favor, that we're now even?"
Zhang Ruochen's heart felt slightly lost.
Dai Zi smiled and cupped his hands toward Zhang Ruochen, then hoisted the unconscious Tu Fu onto his shoulder and followed Tian Chu Xian Zi's steps.
"If you like her, go after her. If she didn't have feelings for you, she wouldn't have risked her life to help you. You have to understand, earlier we weren't at much of an advantage; we could have been completely wiped out."
Jiang Yun Chong's voice sounded beside Zhang Ruochen.
He looked with admiring eyes at Tian Chu Xian Zi's graceful and moving figure.
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat tempted, but when he tried to take that step, he gently shook his head instead. "It can't be forced. Our feelings for each other haven't reached that point yet—just a little short."
"Never mind. After all, you're never short of beautiful women." Jiang Yun Chong laughed.
Although Jiang Yun Chong had known Zhang Ruochen for less than a day, he seemed to understand him quite well.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Who exactly are you?"
"Jiang Yun Chong, of the Jiang Clan of Kunlun Realm." Jiang Yun Chong said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Your age doesn't exceed a hundred years."
"That's right." Jiang Yun Chong said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "But Kunlun Realm only began to awaken in the last two years. Before that, the Heavenly Dao rules of Kunlun Realm were incomplete, and becoming a Saint within a hundred years was extremely difficult. It's simply impossible to have cultivated to your level in less than a hundred years."
"What are you trying to say?"
Jiang Yun Chong clasped his hands behind his back, speaking calmly.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You don't belong to this era."
Jiang Yun Chong was silent for a moment, then said, "That's right, I don't belong to this era, but this secret absolutely cannot be exposed now."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why?"
"Because the outside world doesn't know the true strength of Kunlun Realm. Letting them underestimate Kunlun Realm, letting them look down on Kunlun Realm—that's how Kunlun Realm can gain the greatest benefits in this chaotic great era."
"But if they knew that Kunlun Realm still has a group of cultivators awakening, it would surely make some people feel fear and terror. At that time, what awaits Kunlun Realm won't be a merit battle, but a war of destruction."
Jiang Yun Chong let out a long sigh. "Right now, on the surface, Kunlun Realm must be supported by you. I know this is somewhat unfair to you. But none of us have a choice. Before us is not a glorious and prosperous Kunlun, but a declining one. If we choose to escape, that would be handing over our beautiful rivers and mountains to others. I can't accept that."
Zhang Ruochen was silent for a long moment, then asked, "How many cultivators like you, who have awakened from slumber, are there?"
"I don't know."
Jiang Yun Chong shook his head. "We sleep in different places. However, I can roughly deduce that I should be one of the earliest to awaken. Only when Kunlun Realm fully recovers can all the sleepers awaken completely. Waking up from slumber isn't easy; many cultivators may have already died in their sleep."
"Of course, Zhang Ruochen, you're not alone. In this era, there are also some heroes who have been chosen as Heaven-Selected Talents to fight alongside you."
"Heaven-Selected Talents?"
Zhang Ruochen thought of Mu Rong Yue. Was she one of them?
Jiang Yun Chong said, "There are some beings in Kunlun Realm who have lived from the Middle Ages all the way to this era."
"They aren't human; their lifespans are long."
"It is they who selected the Heaven-Selected Sons capable of bearing the Mandate of Heaven, sending them ahead of time into special secret lands, using the assistance of time power for the best cultivation, obtaining the inheritances of Great Saints or even gods. When they emerge into the world, they will be your best comrades-in-arms."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Unfortunately, I am no longer a cultivator of Kunlun Realm."
"Now, haven't you returned?" Jiang Yun Chong smiled.
Both fell silent.
After a long while, Jiang Yun Chong patted Zhang Ruochen's shoulder and said, "Fleeing Kunlun Realm, refusing to return to Kunlun Realm—that is the act of a coward. A true man should come back, revive Kunlun Realm, and accomplish feats that even Empress Chi Yao could not achieve. When the day comes that you push Empress Chi Yao off that throne and take control of Kunlun Realm, that will be true ability. Born a man, one should stand tall and proud."