Chapter 1875: Opportunity
Zhang Ruochen took out the Azure Sky Floating Tower, channeled sacred qi, and activated it, transforming it into a towering pagoda hundreds of feet high.
"Whoosh!"
The moment he stepped inside, a sharp blade light carrying the power of a Great Saint slashed toward him.
It was the blade from the Great Saint corpse.
Prepared, Zhang Ruochen opened the Space-Time Secret Scripture, manifesting multiple spatial layers, and used spatial power to trap the war blade.
"Clang!"
The blade's surface radiated silver light, emitting a piercing ring.
Even the sound waves from the blade's hum formed shockwaves strong enough to tear Saint-realm cultivators apart.
"Still acting reckless? Believe me, I'll burn you down," Zhang Ruochen said.
A silver centipede flew out from the blade, over thirty zhang long, its shell as if forged from silver. It coiled around the blade, crawling with a "sizzling" friction sound, sparks falling in abundance.
It was the blade spirit, having condensed a physical form.
The aura emanating from the silver centipede was not much weaker than a Domain Realm expert.
"Junior, I spent three years refining this physical form using Tribulation-Transcending True Fire. Can you really burn me?" the centipede said.
"What's so great about Tribulation-Transcending True Fire?"
Zhang Ruochen activated the power of the Blazing God Leg, unleashing a torrent of scorching flames from his leg, filling the interior of the Azure Sky Floating Tower with fire, turning it into a furnace.
The power and aura of the Blazing God terrified the centipede, making it stammer, "G-God... that's the power of a God..."
"Do you think I can refine you or not?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The silver centipede fell silent, no longer daring to challenge Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Hand over your consciousness spirit and submit to me."
After all, it was a blade, and the silver centipede also wanted to find a new master—one who could make it stronger.
The man before it, though not highly cultivated and incomparable to its original master, possessed a Supreme Sacred Artifact and could wield spatial power. His future was boundless.
Submitting to him wasn't a bad thing.
"I submit, I submit, Master."
The silver centipede spat out a silver pearl, slowly floating toward Zhang Ruochen. It was its consciousness spirit.
Zhang Ruochen took the silver pearl, inspected it, then stored it in his qi sea, using the power of the Qiankun Realm to suppress it.
Zhang Ruochen reached out into the void.
The silver war blade flew over on its own, landing in his hand.
Zhang Ruochen probed it with his spiritual power and found that the blade contained over one hundred thousand three hundred and forty inscriptions—truly a Ten-Yao Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact.
This blade could rival the Ten-Dragon Blade once used by the Ming Emperor.
"Good blade, but I don't practice the blade path."
Inside the blade was a chaotic space, storing a vast amount of Great Saint power.
It was by drawing on this Great Saint power that the silver centipede could match Domain Realm experts. In truth, its own strength wasn't that great.
If this blade were given to a blade path expert, its power would be even greater.
"Zhang Ruochen, how about giving this blade to me?" the evil spirit's voice came from the Yi Emperor Bone Staff.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and asked, "Do you practice the blade path?"
"Heh, I was once a Great Saint, proficient in a hundred paths. My skill in the blade path ranks among the top three of everything I've learned," the evil spirit said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I could give it to you."
The evil spirit's combat power had already reached the Domain level. With a Ten-Yao Ten-Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact-level blade, its strength would rise even further.
Then the evil spirit added, "The Great Saint relic you embedded in the bone staff is almost out of energy. You need to help me forge a physical body as soon as possible. Only with a body can I hope to reach the Great Saint realm again."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Can't you just switch to the ghost path?"
"Switching to the ghost path isn't that easy. Every time I break through a realm, I have to endure a ghost tribulation. If I fail, I'll be annihilated, body and soul. Besides, my skull and spine are still intact. If you go and beg Lady Moon God, she would surely be willing to help me rebuild my body."
Zhang Ruochen said, "You need Lady Moon God to act?"
"Rebuilding a body for a Great Saint is defying heaven. How could it be easy? Only an ancient great god like Lady Moon God has the means to reverse fate," the evil spirit said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I won't be returning to the Heavenly Court for now. Wait a bit longer. If the energy of the Buddha Emperor Relic runs out, I have a Great Saint Source here, or I could embed a Divine Stone for you."
As he spoke, he took out the rotting Great Saint corpse, preparing to use the Azure Sky Floating Tower to forcibly break through its indestructible sacred body and extract the Saint Source within.
"Wait," the evil spirit said.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What now?"
The evil spirit let out a sinister laugh: "Since I can't forge my own body for now, I can borrow this corpse's body instead."
The Yi Emperor Bone Staff flew out of Zhang Ruochen's hand and landed on the Great Saint corpse. From the staff, a dense, ink-like evil qi surged out, forming a qi cocoon.
The qi cocoon slowly rose, floating in midair.
"Zhang Ruochen, help me out," the evil spirit said urgently.
Zhang Ruochen channeled sacred qi into his left leg, activating the Blazing God Leg's power, summoning raging flames toward the qi cocoon to refine the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and the Great Saint corpse together.
A full day and night passed. Zhang Ruochen lost count of how many times his sacred qi had been depleted.
Finally, the Yi Emperor Bone Staff and the Great Saint corpse merged into one, becoming a living corpse.
The Great Saint corpse opened its eyes. There were no eyeballs, only two clusters of evil flames burning. It looked at its arms and let out a hoarse laugh: "Finally, I have a body again—and an indestructible sacred body at that. Good, very good."
The indestructible sacred body's defense was nearly unmatched below the Saint King realm.
The evil spirit clenched its fists, circulating evil qi throughout its body. Instantly, dense Great Saint patterns appeared on its skin, causing the heaven and earth rules around it to spin around it.
A Great Saint corpse was like a mysterious war artifact.
The evil spirit was continuously unlocking the secrets within the corpse. Once it mastered them all, its combat power would skyrocket. In the future, it could even go head-to-head with experts of Blood Bee Shura King's caliber.
Zhang Ruochen gave it some Life Spring water. After swallowing it, the rotting parts of the corpse regrew flesh and skin, no longer as horrifying as before.
"Controlling a Great Saint servant is quite dangerous," Ji Fanxin's voice came from the forest.
With a faint floral fragrance reaching his nose, Ji Fanxin's exquisite figure appeared before Zhang Ruochen. Her temperament was light and ethereal, as if she could merge with the surrounding plants.
The evil spirit's malevolence was heavy. A large amount of evil qi surged from its back as it glared coldly at Ji Fanxin.
Ji Fanxin cast a glance at it, releasing a powerful spiritual pressure that intimidated the evil spirit.
After all, the evil spirit wasn't a true Great Saint. Encountering a spiritual power expert like Ji Fanxin was like meeting its natural enemy, making it very wary.
"Stand down," Zhang Ruochen ordered.
The evil spirit dared not disobey Zhang Ruochen's command and retreated.
Zhang Ruochen gazed at Ji Fanxin and said, "Fairy, it seems you've broken through a major realm?"
"That's right," Ji Fanxin said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Congratulations. With your current strength, even using only martial arts, you could probably suppress some Domain Realm experts."
"And your improvement speed is even faster, isn't it? You've already broken through to the Eight-Step Saint King realm."
Ji Fanxin was actually quite astonished. She guessed that Zhang Ruochen must possess some kind of time treasure. Only a time treasure could allow him to advance so quickly.
She continued, "With your current strength, you can even contend with Domain Realm experts. Can we set out to retrieve the main body of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree?"
"Since the Fairy is so eager to obtain the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, we can leave now," Zhang Ruochen said.
The main body of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was also very important to Zhang Ruochen.
It wasn't just a divine corpse; it had other uses.
For example, alchemy and artifact forging.
The sapling of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree had once said that inside the main body, there was an incredibly mysterious treasure, formed over billions of years, that could help cultivators comprehend the Dao, grant immortality, and even hide the secrets of becoming a god.
Ji Fanxin said, "The Divine Stones you wanted have been delivered by cultivators from the Thousand Petal Realm to Qianshui Royal City. We can pick them up on the way."
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin went together to bid farewell to the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden was sitting by the bank of the third Tongtian River, her long hair trailing into the water, her skin as delicate as mutton-fat jade. Her injuries had healed, and her cultivation had also made significant breakthroughs.
Everyone who survived the trip to War Soul Star had gained tremendous benefits.
Learning of Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin's intentions, a strange look flashed in the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden's phoenix eyes. "You're leaving?"
Before Zhang Ruochen could speak, Ji Fanxin spoke first. "There's an important matter that Zhang Ruochen and I have been planning for a long time. We must go to the Northern Domain. If Your Highness is interested, you could join us. You might even gain a great opportunity."
Zhang Ruochen felt that Ji Fanxin was just stirring up trouble. How could she invite the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden to the Northern Domain?
Having one fairy from the Nine Beauties Painting travel with him was already enough to make the world's cultivators envious and hostile.
If two fairies traveled with him, and the news got out, it would cause an uproar. Countless cultivators would be so jealous their eyes would turn red, seeing him as a thorn in their side.
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden didn't immediately reject Ji Fanxin's invitation. Instead, she fell into thought, then said, "I'd like to speak with Zhang Ruochen alone for a moment. Could the Fairy excuse us?"
Ji Fanxin retreated into the distance, casting a meaningful smile at Zhang Ruochen as she left.
Zhang Ruochen stood quietly behind the Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden. Seeing her remain silent, he broke the stillness himself. "Actually, the Hundred Flowers Fairy and I are just allies. Our relationship isn't as close as Your Highness might think."
"You two... are actually quite good together."
The Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden slowly stood up, her black hair swaying against her white robes, pure and ethereal. Gazing at the divine river before her, she said, "There's no need to go to the Northern Domain. I have an opportunity I can give you right now."