# Chapter 2000: Battle Against Shang Zihong Again
"Having to deal with three Shang Zis at once is truly troublesome." Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brows slightly.
All three Shang Zis were extremely powerful. Even for him, facing three opponents alone was very difficult. With the slightest carelessness, he could suffer a great loss.
"Zhang Ruochen, you are struggling in vain. This is not the Xumi Dojo. You have no external forces to borrow, and don't expect anyone to come to your rescue. Tonight, you are destined to be buried here."
The three Shang Zis spoke simultaneously, pronouncing Zhang Ruochen's fate in one sentence.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. From Shang Zi's words, it seemed that those top-tier experts who might have helped him had all been restrained.
Back when he was ambushed by Shang Zi in the Truth Heaven Domain, it was Zhen Yuan, Compassionate Boat Immortal, and the Truth Divine Temple's divine inheritance disciples who had come to his rescue.
But this time, even if those people still wanted to intervene, they likely could not.
The Heavenly Realm Faction had enormous influence. Simply restraining those top-tier experts who were friendly with Zhang Ruochen was probably not difficult.
"Boom."
Quite abruptly, a brilliant sacred light appeared, piercing through the body of a Nine-Step Saint King.
Instantly, everyone present turned their heads to look southeast.
A stunningly beautiful figure slowly walked over from the horizon, radiating specks of light rain. Above her head were nine skies, each interwoven with a vast number of sacred dao rules, appearing extremely sacred.
Seeing this figure, anyone would be involuntarily drawn to her. Her body seemed forged from immortal jade, crystalline and translucent, emitting an enchanting fragrance. Combined with her perfect figure and exquisitely refined features, she could drive countless men wild.
"Who is she?"
For a moment, many cultivators were extremely curious about the identity and origin of this peerless goddess.
"Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden."
A strange light flashed in Shang Zi's eyes as he immediately recognized the newcomer.
During the battle at the Xumi Dojo, he had seen the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden and had a deep impression of her.
In fact, if not for the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden's obstruction during that battle, the Kunlun Realm cultivators probably would not have lasted until Zhang Ruochen arrived to rescue them.
Zhang Ruochen also turned his gaze toward the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden. From the domineering aura she exuded, he could determine that the consciousness currently dominating her belonged to Canglan Wu Sheng.
In other words, the reason the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden had rushed to the Peacock Manor was largely because of Canglan Wu Sheng.
Zhang Ruochen knew very well that his friendship with Canglan Wu Sheng was not deep enough for her to risk coming here.
The real reason could only be that Canglan Wu Sheng wanted to avenge her elder brother, Wan Zhaoyi.
After all, during the battle at the Xumi Dojo, many of the Heavenly Realm Faction's executioners were present here.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen also believed that Shengshu Cainü and Qing Mo definitely wanted to help him.
Without Shengshu Cainü orchestrating this, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden could not have merged into one and rushed to the Peacock Manor.
"Another one coming to die." A Nine-Step Saint King from the Heavenly Realm Faction, who was extremely ugly, sneered.
This man appeared very short and fat, with many pustules on his body. His appearance resembled that of a toad.
In fact, his true form was indeed a toad.
Of course, he was no ordinary toad but a demonic toad, a primordial descendant with extremely powerful bloodline.
The demonic toad's eyes flashed with a fierce light. His figure flickered as he blocked the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.
Opening his mouth, he released thick demonic poison mist, flooding toward the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.
A sacred light burst forth from within the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden's body, manifesting as the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book.
Hundreds of characters flew out from the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book, forming a sacred light barrier that tightly protected the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.
At the same time, scorching flames surged from within the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden's body. Her eyes were as sharp as swords, like a female war god.
A minister-level Purifying Divine Flame was released, colliding with the demonic poison mist.
"Sizzle, sizzle."
Harsh sounds rang out as the demonic poison mist and Purifying Divine Flame consumed each other, neither gaining any advantage.
"Anyone who blocks me dies."
Canglan Wu Sheng's voice rang out, filled with murderous intent.
"Whoosh."
Qing Mo's silver kitchen knife flew out, tearing through space with extreme sharpness.
"Oh?"
The demonic toad's expression changed slightly. He quickly offered up a bottle-shaped ancestral artifact.
The bottle was pitch black, with some golden secret patterns traced on its surface. Now, the black light blazed brightly, and the bottle's mouth released a terrifying suction force, attempting to absorb the silver kitchen knife.
"Clang."
The silver kitchen knife erupted with terrifying blade light, hacking down on the black demonic bottle.
Instantly, the demonic bottle was sent flying backward, and the golden secret patterns on its surface became somewhat dim.
The silver kitchen knife was a divine relic left behind by the former Food God, extremely sharp, capable of cutting through almost anything.
"You have some skill, but trying to fight me is still far from enough."
The demonic toad sneered.
He continuously infused his demonic qi into the black demonic bottle.
Immediately, the bottle grew enormous, over ten zhang tall. The golden secret patterns on its surface became clearly visible as it frantically spewed thick poisonous mist.
The demonic toad's greatest strength was using poison. His toxicity was extremely terrifying. Even an Immortal Great Saint, if caught off guard, would be in serious trouble.
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden used the Confucian Ancestor Sacred Book for defense, having no concerns as she launched continuous attacks.
For a time, the two engaged in fierce combat, unable to determine a victor.
Shortly after the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden arrived, another person appeared. Zhang Ruochen was most familiar with this person—it was Qing Xiao, the senior disciple of Xuanji Sword Saint.
Qing Xiao had originally come from the imperial capital together with the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, but he was slightly slower.
As the Heavenly King of the Ministry of War, Qing Xiao had received the imperial court's generous nurturing. Although his cultivation talent was not as good as Zhang Ruochen's, he had still cultivated to the Nine-Step Saint King realm.
"Junior brother, your senior brother has come to assist you." Qing Xiao let out a long roar.
Before he even arrived, Qing Xiao had already struck out with a terrifying fist seal.
The fist seal transformed into thousands of troops and horses, with murderous aura soaring to the heavens, as if about to sweep across the entire battlefield.
What Qing Xiao had unleashed was the Ministry of War's strongest Military Heavenly King Fist, created specifically for slaughter.
The Military Heavenly King Fist had a total of ten moves, each more powerful than the last. It was unknown how many moves Qing Xiao had mastered.
Following Qing Xiao, another person also executed the Military Heavenly King Fist, with an aura not much weaker than Qing Xiao's.
Zhang Ruochen was also very familiar with this person. He was another key cultivation target of the imperial court's Ministry of War—Bu Qianfan, who owed Zhang Ruochen multiple favors.
Bu Qianfan had inherited Di Yi's Heartless Demon Body, possessing an undying body and extremely high cultivation talent. He had also reached the Nine-Step Saint King realm.
Clearly, Bu Qianfan had come to repay the favors he owed.
However, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, Qing Xiao, and Bu Qianfan were all blocked outside by the Heavenly Realm Faction's experts, unable to even enter the main battle zone.
"Zhang Ruochen, I didn't expect so many people to come and help you. But I must say, they are all foolish. Standing up at a time like this is simply seeking death." Shang Zi said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his gaze and looked back at Shang Zi, speaking calmly: "Shang Zi, with your selfishness, if you were in such a predicament, I believe absolutely no one would come to help you. Everyone would only want to kill you as quickly as possible. So, you are truly pitiful."
"Is that so? Unfortunately, such a day will never come. Eliminate you, and both Kunlun Realm and Guanghan Realm will have their hopes cut off." Shang Zi said.
The Crimson Child Sword vibrated, and various intricate patterns emerged, spewing forth a patch of crimson heavenly fire along with faint divine power.
The heavenly fire combined with divine power, instantly transforming into tens of thousands of infant silhouettes.
These infant silhouettes all let out piercing cries, their faces twisted with ferocity as they pounced toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brows slightly. His sacred soul was subtly affected by the crying sounds, causing him to feel somewhat dizzy.
"What an uncanny sword."
Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen formed a fist seal. A vast heavenly river appeared around him, coiling like a true dragon.
"Luo Water Transforms into Sword."
The heavenly river flowed rapidly, instantly transforming into a giant sword that slashed toward the charging infant silhouettes.
"Bang."
The giant sword formed from the heavenly river shattered, reverting into a rolling heavenly river.
And the tens of thousands of infant silhouettes also shattered and dissipated one after another, their piercing cries abruptly ceasing.
But before Zhang Ruochen could catch his breath, the Shang Zi wielding the Ten Thousand Refining Tower had already attacked, with terrifying cold energy continuously surging from his body.
That cold energy transformed into ferocious ice dragons, baring their fangs and brandishing claws as they pounced toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen reacted extremely quickly. He immediately mobilized the divine rules contained in his left leg, executing Divine Stomp Nine Heavens.
One hundred thousand crimson rules emerged, releasing scorching power that made Zhang Ruochen's left leg resemble a red-hot iron pillar.
"Bang."
With several consecutive stomps, all the ice dragons shattered, turning into ice crystals filling the sky as the temperature plummeted.
Zhang Ruochen had only used part of the Blazing God Leg's power, not its full force.
Using full force would certainly be powerful, but afterward, the sacred qi in his body would be completely consumed, leaving him very weak.
This move could deal with ordinary opponents, but it clearly would not work against Shang Zi.
"So your left leg has incorporated Master's divine leg. Fine, after I kill you, I can retrieve the divine leg for Master." Shang Zi said indifferently.
He had long heard from Da Xi Wang that Zhang Ruochen's left leg was unusual and could use the power belonging to the Blazing God.
Now that he had personally seen Zhang Ruochen using his left leg, how could Shang Zi not understand what was going on?
Zhang Ruochen casually swung his left leg and said: "The Blazing God's divine leg is not bad. I'm quite used to using it. It's a pity that the Moon God didn't cut off the Blazing God's other leg as well. If I had two divine legs, they would probably be more flexible to use."
"Zhang Ruochen, you dare blaspheme against a deity. That is a capital offense." A terrible killing intent surged in Shang Zi's eyes.
The Shang Zi wielding the Five-Colored Merit Divine Stele turned into flowing light, erupting with astonishing extreme speed. He treated the Five-Colored Merit Divine Stele as a divine seal, smashing it heavily toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen's hands formed seals with incredible speed. The Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image manifested, solid and condensed, full of majesty.
The Immovable Wisdom King Sacred Image wielded the Eight Dragon Umbrella, treating it as a sharp sword as it stabbed lightning-fast toward the smashing Five-Colored Merit Divine Stele.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen offered up the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, blasting it toward the Shang Zi wielding the Ten Thousand Refining Tower who was flashing in from the side.
Zhang Ruochen himself swung the Abyssal Ancient Sword, meeting the Shang Zi wielding the Crimson Child Sword who was charging head-on.
"Sword Ten."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword vibrated, slashing out a crescent-shaped sword light that ignored spatial barriers, arriving later but striking first.
"Extinguish Spirit."
Shang Zi shouted in a low voice, activating the stronger divine power contained within the Crimson Child Sword.
This divine power was eerie and strange, filled with destructive force, as if it wanted to annihilate all spiritual things in the world.