Chapter 1985: Charging into Ming Emperor City
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Yan Kaixuan and the others, then raised his head to look at Yan Ba, saying, "Alright, I agree."
"Truly loyal and righteous—no wonder these Sacred Bright remnants are all willing to lay down their lives for you." A brilliant smile immediately spread across Yan Ba's face.
As long as Zhang Ruochen took the bait, everything would be easy to handle.
Seeing this smug expression, Shou Shu grew quite displeased and said, "Yan Ba, you're truly shameless. For all your status as a top-tier expert of the Yin Yang Realm, you've completely disgraced the Yin Yang Realm's reputation."
Hearing this, Yan Ba's smile vanished instantly, his face turning dark. "Once I suppress Zhang Ruochen, I'll deal with you right away."
"Pah, you old fool, what do you have to be proud of? Even if Dusty doesn't use time or space techniques, he'll still knock you flat," Shou Shu cursed loudly.
At this moment, he had to support Zhang Ruochen no matter what—at least in terms of momentum, he couldn't afford to lose to Yan Ba.
Yan Ba could barely contain his rage, feeling a strong urge to kill Shou Shu first.
Zhang Ruochen raised the Abyssal Ancient Sword, pointing it forward as countless sword qi automatically condensed to form a sword domain. He said in a deep voice, "Yan Ba, make your move."
"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." Yan Ba withdrew his gaze from Shou Shu and faced Zhang Ruochen squarely.
"Boom."
Nine terrifying flames surged from Yan Ba's body, spreading in all directions to quickly construct a fire domain. The temperature inside and outside Sacred Bright City rose sharply, as if it would evaporate all moisture.
Among these nine flames, one was most familiar to Zhang Ruochen—the Purifying Divine Flame at the servant flame level.
This technique was strikingly similar to what Yan Wang had once used.
"Watch my palm."
Yan Ba shouted lowly, forming a massive hand seal with the nine flames and striking out fiercely.
"That's the Yin Yang Realm's most famous Tongxuan-level mid-rank sacred art—the Nine Flames Incinerating God Palm. As expected of Yan Ba, to have cultivated such a palm technique to perfection."
Seeing Yan Ba make his move, some cultivators couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must flee!"
Yan Kaixuan roared desperately, filled with anxiety.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was sharp, his spirit, energy, and mind merging with the Abyssal Ancient Sword. Fifty percent of the heaven and earth rules within three thousand miles were mobilized by the purple divine stone, converging rapidly.
"Sword Ten."
A white sword light flew from the Abyssal Ancient Sword, rising like a crescent moon into the sky.
Compared to when he had faced the Azure Dragon earlier, the Sword Ten Zhang Ruochen now executed was undoubtedly more refined and terrifying.
Sword techniques needed to be honed in actual combat; only through execution could more variations emerge, allowing one to truly grasp their essence.
"Bang."
The massive hand seal formed from the nine flames shattered, breaking apart back into nine separate flames.
Zhang Ruochen's figure also retreated several steps before fully dissipating the impact of the Nine Flames Incinerating God Palm.
Yan Ba frowned slightly, unsatisfied with this result.
The conditions he had set earlier seemed too few; he should have added a prohibition against using sword techniques.
"Again."
Yan Ba struck once more, again using the Nine Flames Incinerating God Palm.
This time, however, the palm technique incorporated many more variations. The nine flames surged wildly from his body, forming a sea of fire that flooded toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Roar."
The nine flames coalesced into fiery dragons, lifelike and roaring as they lunged at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen activated the Flowing Light Merit Armor and retreated rapidly.
As for Mu Lingxi and Shou Shu, they had already retreated far away to avoid being caught up in the battle.
"Zhang Ruochen, if you retreat any further, I'll kill them all immediately," Yan Ba threatened coldly.
Zhang Ruochen halted, putting away the Abyssal Ancient Sword. Sacred qi surged endlessly from his body into both palms, unleashing a dragon shadow and an elephant shadow.
In an instant, fifty percent of the heaven and earth rules within two thousand five hundred miles were mobilized, merging into the dragon and elephant shadows.
As his cultivation improved, the range of heaven and earth rules he could mobilize when executing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm expanded further.
The dragon and elephant shadows grew immensely large, nearly filling the entire sky. Even from a great distance, the astonishing phenomenon was visible.
"All Heavens Dragon-Elephant."
"Boom."
The sea of fire shattered, and all the fiery dragons exploded.
"Stomp, stomp, stomp."
Zhang Ruochen staggered backward, clearly suffering a powerful impact.
"Who would have thought that even without using time or space techniques, Zhang Ruochen could still contend with Yan Ba? His achievements in the sword and palm paths are simply too high."
Watching Zhang Ruochen withstand two of Yan Ba's strikes, many observing cultivators were deeply shocked.
Yan Ba's brow furrowed tightly. Finally, he leaped down from the city tower and rapidly closed in on Zhang Ruochen.
"Zhang Ruochen, I truly underestimated you. But this ends here." Yan Ba's eyes turned fiercely sharp, his killing intent thick.
"Boom."
Nine flames abruptly burst from the ground, instantly forming a fiery cage that trapped Zhang Ruochen inside.
Upon closer inspection, countless flame rules were interwoven on the cage, releasing a god-incinerating power that engulfed Zhang Ruochen.
Seeing this, Yan Ba revealed a cruel smile. No matter how troublesome Zhang Ruochen was, he had ultimately fallen into his hands.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince! Roar..."
Inside Sacred Bright City, all the captured Sacred Bright remnants roared in fury.
"Sigh, Zhang Ruochen was too impulsive," Ling Yan Mo Fei couldn't help but sigh from the ancient towering tree.
"Yan Ba, you shameless bastard! If you've got the guts, fight Dusty fair and square!" Shou Shu shouted loudly.
Mu Lingxi remained silent, her gaze fixed on the fiery cage. She refused to believe Zhang Ruochen would fall so easily into Yan Ba's hands.
Just as everyone's attention was locked on the fiery cage, a figure silently appeared behind Yan Ba—it was Mo Yin.
The Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror was now in Mo Yin's hands, its surface shimmering with hundreds of thousands of supreme inscription runes. A powerful supreme force condensed into a brilliant demonic light.
"Boom."
The demonic light struck Yan Ba's body directly, piercing through it and leaving a massive bloody hole.
Yan Ba's focus had been entirely on Zhang Ruochen; he never expected Zhang Ruochen to have planted Mo Yin as a trump card.
Completely off guard, taking a hit from a supreme sacred artifact left Yan Ba, though not dead, suffering unimaginable severe injuries.
"Zhang Ruochen, you... pfft."
Yan Ba tried to speak but spat out a mouthful of blood.
Mo Yin released numerous roots, plunging them into Yan Ba's body to frantically devour his essence.
"Bang."
The fiery cage shattered, revealing Zhang Ruochen.
After enduring the flames' scorching, Zhang Ruochen's entire body was red-hot, like tempered divine iron.
If he hadn't tempered his physique inside the Life-and-Death Bronze Furnace, he might have been injured this time. But now, he was completely unharmed, not even a single strand of hair singed.
Zhang Ruochen paid no heed to Yan Ba's fate. He immediately used a spatial displacement and appeared inside the city.
A Space Exquisite Sphere appeared in his hand. As he activated it, tens of thousands of Sacred Bright remnants were all absorbed into the sphere.
If he hadn't lured Yan Ba away, it would have been difficult to rescue these Sacred Bright remnants.
From the moment Yan Ba dared to threaten Zhang Ruochen with so many Sacred Bright remnants' lives, his fate had been sealed.
"Hiss."
Seeing Yan Ba quickly drained dry by Mo Yin, the observing cultivators couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.
Only now did they realize that Yan Ba had been completely led by the nose by Zhang Ruochen. The so-called retreat was entirely a feint to lure the enemy.
Once Yan Ba was far from the city gate, Zhang Ruochen unleashed his killing move, defeating the enemy in one blow while rescuing all the Sacred Bright remnants.
"Zhang Ruochen is too terrifying, with endless tricks up his sleeve. One must never become his enemy."
In an instant, many cultivators harbored such a thought.
"Bang."
Mo Yin lightly shook her roots, and Yan Ba's withered corpse shattered into dust.
"If I could devour a few more powerful Lintao Realm experts, my cultivation would quickly break through to Jietian Realm," Mo Yin thought joyfully.
For the Devouring Saint Flower, improving cultivation and strength only required continuously devouring cultivators' essence.
Mo Yin was currently at the Daoyu Realm, but her strength rivaled that of the Jietian Realm, even capable of exchanging a few moves with ordinary Lintao Realm experts.
Otherwise, even with the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, she wouldn't have been able to severely wound Yan Ba in one strike.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must go save the prince! He's in danger," Yan Kaixuan said urgently from within the Space Exquisite Sphere.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Ruochen released Yan Kaixuan and scattered dozens of drops of Life Spring over him, each drop dazzling like starlight.
The Life Spring landed on Yan Kaixuan, quickly seeping into his skin and blood.
Soon, Yan Kaixuan's injuries mostly healed, and he continued, "Your Highness, earlier, the prince broke through to the southeast and charged out, but experts from the Heavenly Realm Faction have gone to pursue him. We must rescue him quickly. Otherwise... if we're too late, the prince may be in grave danger."
Having followed Ming Jiang Wang for centuries, he naturally didn't want to see him come to harm.
Earlier, he had urged Zhang Ruochen to leave quickly because he feared he couldn't match the Heavenly Realm Faction's experts.
But now, Zhang Ruochen had slain two of the Heavenly Realm Faction's top experts in succession, displaying strength like a descending god, invincible in battle. This filled him and the Sacred Bright cultivators present with immense confidence and excitement.