Chapter 1879: Hundred Illusion Divine Son
The Zhenyu Ancient Clan was ruled by three great families: the Wang family, which primarily cultivated the Sword Dao; the Shi family, which studied talisman arts; and the Shen family, which specialized in formations.
The Zhenyu Ancient Clan was one of the eighteen ancient clans of the Kunlun Realm and also the guardians of the Nether Prison. They had once experienced an extremely glorious and brilliant era. Back then, divine-level formation inscriptions were arranged around the periphery of the ancient clan, making it impossible for any living being to break into the Sword Grave.
As the Kunlun Realm declined, the Zhenyu Ancient Clan declined along with it.
It was not until the Kunlun Realm began to revive that the Zhenyu Ancient Clan produced a few Saint King realm experts. The head of the Shen family, Shen Jia, was one of them.
When Zhang Ruochen and the others entered the Zhenyu Ancient Clan, it was Shen Jia who came out to greet them.
Shi Ren asked, "Uncle Shen, where is the clan leader?"
"The clan leader is at the Sword Tomb Palace. Come, let's go together." Shen Jia said with a beaming smile.
A flicker of doubt passed through Shi Ren's eyes. As he walked forward, he asked, "I heard that a large number of Undying Blood Clan members have rushed out of the Yin Burial Mountain Range. They are definitely plotting to seize the Nether King Sword Grave. Has nothing happened at the Sword Grave recently?"
"The Sword Grave is protected by inscriptions left from the Middle Ages. It's not that easy for the Undying Blood Clan to break in." Shen Jia said.
Shi Ren and Shen Jia walked ahead, conversing. Zhang Ruochen, who was walking behind, had a somewhat grave expression on his face, having noticed some details that were not quite right.
"The air isn't flowing. Fairy, do you know what's going on?" Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice to Ji Fanxin.
Ji Fanxin's spiritual power was much stronger than Zhang Ruochen's. If there was a phenomenon he couldn't see through, Ji Fanxin might be able to discern it.
Ji Fanxin kept her eyes forward, but a voice entered Zhang Ruochen's mind: "It's an illusion. Everything you see before you is an illusion."
Zhang Ruochen was secretly startled. "To turn an entire area of heaven and earth into an illusion, and to even fool a fifty-ninth-level spiritual power Saint King... Is there someone below the Great Saint realm whose illusionary arts have reached such an astonishing level?"
Ji Fanxin said, "The biggest flaw in setting up an illusion in the real world is the wind. Therefore, the illusionist who cast the spell here stopped the wind, and naturally, the air stopped flowing as well."
"Wouldn't that make the flaw even bigger?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Ji Fanxin said, "Perhaps that illusionist thought we were just young cultivators fresh out in the world. Or perhaps we arrived too suddenly, and he didn't have the chance to set up a more airtight method."
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the square outside the Sword Tomb Palace.
The Sword Tomb Palace was eight hundred meters tall, covering an area of dozens of miles in radius. It was built from giant boulders, resembling a pyramid.
"The clan leader is inside. Honored guests, please."
Shen Jia stood outside the gate of the Sword Tomb Palace, making a gesture of invitation, wanting Shi Ren, Zhang Ruochen, and the others to enter the palace gate first.
Shi Ren didn't take a step. Instead, he stared at Shen Jia with a puzzled look and said, "The Sword Tomb Palace is an important place for the Zhenyu Ancient Clan. There should be many clan members guarding it. Why can't I see a single clan member today?"
Shen Jia said, "Perhaps you don't know, sir, but the clan members of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan have all gone to the Sword Grave."
"Sir? Uncle Shen, don't you know that I am the young clan leader of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan?" Shi Ren said.
Shen Jia's eyelids twitched slightly, and he muttered, "Young clan leader..."
"Pfft."
Like a ghost, Murong Yue appeared behind Shen Jia and used the Green Light Blunt Moon Blade to pierce through his chest.
A muffled groan came from Shen Jia's mouth.
However, no blood flowed from Shen Jia's body. Instead, his expression became eerie, and his body slowly dissipated.
"It was just an illusionary body."
Murong Yue withdrew the Green Light Blunt Moon Blade and cautiously scanned her surroundings.
"Shatter."
Zhang Ruochen raised his left foot and stomped heavily on the ground.
Instantly, rolling flames surged out, burning away the illusion.
The real world was revealed.
They were still in the square outside the Sword Tomb Palace, but the square was now full of cracks and pits, with broken walls and bloodstains everywhere.
The Sword Tomb Palace had vanished from the ground, replaced by a three-hundred-zhang-tall giant beast.
That giant beast had a ferocious face, covered in blood-red scales, with sharp teeth. It exhaled a thick, bloody aura from its mouth. It was lying right in front of Zhang Ruochen and the others. If they had walked into the "Sword Tomb Palace" earlier, they would probably have been swallowed whole by this blood beast.
The aura emanating from the giant beast was powerful, sending chills down one's spine.
Zhang Ruochen immediately released his Saint Qi, enveloping everyone, and rapidly retreated backward.
"Boom."
The moment they retreated, a blood-colored claw slammed down on the spot where they had just been standing, causing the ground to sink and sending a large amount of earth and stone flying into the distance.
Retreating to the edge of the square, Zhang Ruochen and the others stopped and looked at the giant beast.
"It's a Blood Camel Nether Beast, one of the war beasts raised by the Undying Blood Clan." Ji Fanxin said.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fell on the head of the Blood Camel Nether Beast. A pointy-eared man, two meters tall, stood there, holding a sparkling gem in his hand.
The surrounding heaven and earth were illuminated by the light from the gem, casting dreamlike images.
A vast, ethereal voice came from the pointy-eared man's mouth: "So you're a group of experts. I underestimated you earlier."
Shi Ren said in a deep voice, "Who are you? Where are the clan members of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan?"
"Haha."
The pointy-eared man let out a long laugh and said slowly, "Young clan leader, you've come back too late. The clan members of the Zhenyu Ancient Clan have all been eaten by my mount."
"How is that possible... No... You're asking for death."
Shi Ren clenched his teeth, his anger soaring to the sky. Bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes as he charged at the pointy-eared man, throwing twelve talismans in quick succession.
Each talisman was like a beam of white light, flying at an extremely fast speed.
The pointy-eared man didn't bother to block the incoming talismans. He just stood on the head of the Blood Camel Nether Beast, looking down at Shi Ren with contempt.
"Bang, bang."
The talismans landed on the Blood Camel Nether Beast and the pointy-eared man, then shattered, releasing a large amount of lightning that enveloped them.
After years of cultivation, Shi Ren's spiritual power had reached the fifty-eighth level. The attack talismans he crafted posed a certain threat even to Nine-Step Saint Kings.
The twelve talismans exploded, tearing the Blood Camel Nether Beast and the pointy-eared man into pieces, turning them into black calamity ash.
"Is it really that easy to kill?" Shi Ren was puzzled.
"Haha."
The Blood Camel Nether Beast and the pointy-eared man appeared in another location, speaking in a mocking tone: "You can't even find my true body, and you still want revenge?"
Shi Ren was completely enraged by the pointy-eared man. He threw more talismans and continued his attack.
Zhang Ruochen took out the "Ten Clans of Hell Myriad Evils Record" and found a picture on one of the pages. The person in the picture looked exactly like the pointy-eared man.
"Hundred Illusion Divine Son, danger level seven. He is the thirty-seventh son of the Undying Blood Clan's Qingtian Tribe's Blood God, Ji Wu..."
After reading the information on the Hundred Illusion Divine Son, Zhang Ruochen put away the "Ten Clans of Hell Myriad Evils Record" and his expression turned serious. "Everyone, be careful. This person is a danger level seven expert named Hundred Illusion Divine Son. His mount, the Blood Camel Nether Beast, has combat power comparable to a Dao Domain realm expert. He is a formidable enemy."
Murong Yue, Xie Chengzi, Xiang Chunan, and Luo Yi all shot out, each taking out their most powerful sacred artifacts, ready to strike at any moment.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen unfolded his Space Domain and located the true body of the Hundred Illusion Divine Son.
"Scale Birth Dragon Transformation."
Zhang Ruochen's form transformed into a golden dragon, soaring into the air. He struck out a dragon claw the size of a house, smashing it down towards a certain void in the air.
In the void, the true bodies of the Hundred Illusion Divine Son and the Blood Camel Nether Beast appeared.
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son's expression changed slightly. He was clearly quite surprised that someone could see through his illusion. However, his reaction speed was not slow. He immediately raised the gem in his hand, condensing a layer of translucent crystal wall.
"Boom."
The dragon claw and the crystal wall collided, and a powerful storm of energy surged out in all directions.
With a crack, the crystal wall shattered.
The power of the dragon claw did not diminish and continued to press down.
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son's eyes narrowed. He lightly stomped his foot, and the Blood Camel Nether Beast beneath him extended a blood-colored claw, meeting the dragon claw.
The Blood Camel Nether Beast let out a roar, its massive body shaken backward by the dragon claw's force.
Having refined the beast-shaped sacred medicine and obtained a great opportunity in the Divine Gate, Zhang Ruochen's strength had increased severalfold. Even against a danger level seven creature, he could hold his own.
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son said, "You have some skill. Who are you? State your name."
"If you can walk out of the Nether King Sword Grave alive, you will naturally know who I am."
Zhang Ruochen transformed back into human form and struck out the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm again, infusing it with Truth Rules to unleash a sevenfold attack power.
"Bang."
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son's form was shattered, turning into a cloud of blood mist.
The palm force landed on the Blood Camel Nether Beast, piercing through its scales and creating a bloody crater.
The Blood Camel Nether Beast let out a miserable cry and heavily collapsed to the ground.
"Human, you have thoroughly angered this Divine Son."
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son was not dead. He appeared above Zhang Ruochen's head, spreading his arms wide, manifesting over a thousand figures, all attacking Zhang Ruochen simultaneously.
Each figure seemed to have a real body, possessing the power to kill Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen dared not let any of these figures get close. He had to mobilize his Saint Qi and channel it into his left leg.
"Blazing God Leg."
Zhang Ruochen raised his left leg, and the colors of heaven and earth changed instantly.
The sky turned crimson, with fiery clouds rolling.
From the ground, countless magma erupted, scorching hot like a furnace.
"Boom, rumble."
He stomped down, and a powerful divine force surged out.
All the figures attacking Zhang Ruochen were shattered, turning into grains of sand.
The true body of the Hundred Illusion Divine Son was revealed. He was hit by the wave of flames and sent flying backward, landing dozens of miles away. He looked at Zhang Ruochen standing in the center of the flames, as if looking at a god of fire, his eyes filled with shock.
"Is that leg of his a divine leg?"
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son thought highly of himself and had never taken any cultivator from the Heavenly Court realm seriously.
At this moment, his mindset finally changed.
It seemed the Heavenly Court realm also had formidable experts.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen walk out of the flames step by step, the Hundred Illusion Divine Son's eyes darted around rapidly. He glanced at Ji Fanxin and the others, a bad feeling rising in his heart. This group seemed hard to deal with.
Just one person had already made things difficult for him.
Who knew if there were even more powerful beings among that group?
Now, with the enemy outnumbering him, the situation was very unfavorable.
The Hundred Illusion Divine Son was quite decisive. He didn't bother to save the Blood Camel Nether Beast. He turned and rushed into the distance, quickly disappearing over the horizon.
Zhang Ruochen watched the direction the Hundred Illusion Divine Son had fled. He took out the Azure Sky Bow and the Daylight Arrow, drawing the bow to a full moon.
With Zhang Ruochen's current sacred path cultivation and physical strength, his arm strength had increased by who knows how many times. The power unleashed by the Azure Sky Bow and the Daylight Arrow was naturally far greater than before.
The moment he drew the bow, the sky for a thousand miles turned azure, while the ground emitted a dazzling white light.
...
I'm home, finally I can write properly. There will be another chapter tonight.
(Chapter End)