# Chapter 2001: Deduction
Two sword beams with completely opposite auras collided with a thunderous impact.
Space trembled violently, ripples spreading outward, forming terrifying anomalies.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen was possessed by the mysterious Sword God who created the "Wordless Sword Manual," while Shang Zihong was possessed by the evil god who forged the Chizi Sword. Their battle seemed like a clash between that mysterious Sword God and the evil god.
"Boom, rumble."
With Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong at the center, the earth for hundreds of miles rapidly sank, while mountains directly collapsed, unable to withstand the terrifying power released by their battle.
Sensing that Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong's power was too fearsome, the others couldn't help but distance themselves from them.
Although neither of them had the highest cultivation realm here—after all, they had yet to condense a Dao Domain—their combat power was too terrifying. Even ordinary Lintao Realm experts couldn't compare, and no one wanted to be caught in the shockwaves of their battle.
"Rip."
Several massive Space Rifts appeared one after another, like ancient giant beasts opening their blood-filled maws.
Seeing these Space Rifts, those nearby retreated even further.
If struck by a Space Rift, even an Immortal Great Saint would be torn apart.
"Are these two really only at the peak of Rule Grand Heaven cultivation? Why does it feel like two Immortal Great Saints are fighting?"
"As expected of the Heir of Time and Space, his spatial techniques are too terrifying. With a raise of his hand, he can tear space apart. An Immortal Great Saint caught off guard could fall into his trap."
"What use are spatial techniques against Shang Zihong? The three-colored divine armor he wears is completely immune to spatial techniques."
"Although Shang Zihong is not a master of an Eternal Dao, he possesses means to counter Eternal Daos. Even though Zhang Ruochen is a master of time and space, facing Shang Zihong, he has lost all advantages. One Shang Zihong is already no weaker than Zhang Ruochen; with three Shang Zihongs joining forces, Zhang Ruochen's chances of victory are slim."
"Shang Zihong is the offspring of a deity from Paradise Realm, possessing a Supreme Perfect Physique. He entered the Merit Divine Temple and became a personal disciple of the Flame God, cultivating the 'Three Corpses Refining Dao' from the 'Taiyi Divine Art Ranking'—a technique few have successfully mastered. He is an unprecedented genius who has never lost in battles at the same cultivation level."
"If Zhang Ruochen's strength is limited to this, then this battle will likely conclude soon."
......
Many cultivators were watching the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong. Most believed Shang Zihong had a clear advantage and that suppressing Zhang Ruochen was only a matter of time.
Recently, Zhang Ruochen had been unstoppable, defeating even the strongest opponents.
But this time, most no longer favored him, as he had encountered Shang Zihong, who was even more outstanding.
"Things don't look good. Could Zhang Ruochen actually lose to Shang Zihong?"
Watching the distant battle, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden couldn't help but frown.
Though unwilling to admit it, the situation was indeed unfavorable for Zhang Ruochen.
Facing the fierce assault of three Shang Zihongs, Zhang Ruochen struggled to take the initiative and appeared very passive.
In such a dangerous battle, a single misstep could be fatal.
At the start, Zhang Ruochen might have been able to cope, but as time passed and he grew physically and mentally exhausted, Shang Zihong would likely seize an opportunity.
From another direction, the Rakshasa Clan princess Luo Sha was also watching the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong without blinking.
"Zhang Ruochen, as the man destined for this princess, you must live up to expectations and not lose to Shang Zihong."
Although Luo Sha had always wanted to suppress Zhang Ruochen and bring him back to Hell Realm, she didn't want him to lose to Shang Zihong.
To be precise, she didn't want Zhang Ruochen to lose to anyone. Her destined man had to be flawless and invincible.
On a cliff not far from Peacock Manor, the mysterious Yama Clan man who had taken Shang Zihong's top-grade Flowing Light Merit Armor was still sitting before the fire, with Chi Kunlun beside him.
No one knew what technique he had used, but no one could detect their presence.
"The Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, and the Merit Divine Temple leader, Shang Zihong—they're actually fighting. How interesting." The mysterious man chuckled.
He extended a hand, and Hell Yama Qi surged. His palm quickly transformed into a world, each palm line becoming mountain ranges and rivers, looking very real.
"Let me see just how strong these two are." The mysterious man muttered.
As he spoke, he used some unknown technique to extract two auras out of thin air, evolving phantom images of Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong in the world within his palm. The phantoms were lifelike, as if their true bodies had been captured into his palm world.
In an instant, the phantoms of Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong clashed fiercely, just like their true bodies outside Peacock Manor.
Shang Zihong's phantom split into three, each with equal aura, surrounding Zhang Ruochen's phantom.
The mysterious man watched like an observer.
After a while, he condensed his own aura into a beam, casting it into the palm world to form his own phantom, engaging in a chaotic battle with the phantoms of Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong.
The battle within the palm world was extremely intense, almost tearing that world apart.
Chi Kunlun came to his senses and looked at the mysterious man's palm world, watching the flickering phantoms within, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
"What are you doing?"
The mysterious man looked up and grinned at Chi Kunlun. "I want to see how much gap there is between Zhang Ruochen, Shang Zihong, and myself at the peak of Rule Grand Heaven. I'll also deduce who will win this battle."
"You can deduce the result just by creating a few phantoms?" Chi Kunlun looked skeptical.
The mysterious man said, "What? You don't believe in my ability? Then watch closely."
As he spoke, he moved his palm in front of Chi Kunlun.
Filled with curiosity, Chi Kunlun stared intently at the flickering phantoms.
Under his gaze, the phantoms' battle speed grew faster and faster, almost blurring his vision.
At a certain moment, all the phantoms turned into wisps of aura and then dissipated into nothingness.
Then, the mysterious man's palm returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
"What was the result of your deduction?" Chi Kunlun quickly asked.
Though he had been watching, he hadn't seen the outcome.
The mysterious man pondered for a moment. "These two are indeed extraordinary. Compared to me in my younger days, they're not far off. Looking across Heavenly Court Realm and Hell Realm, they are among the top geniuses. It's a pity they were born too late and not in my era; otherwise, I wouldn't be so lonely."
"Actually, I didn't deduce a specific result. After all, these two have many techniques, and anything can happen during a battle."
"However, Shang Zihong has a slight advantage. The 'Three Corpses Refining Dao' is an extraordinary skill, and Shang Zihong possesses many treasures."
"Of course, Zhang Ruochen, the Heir of Time and Space, shouldn't be underestimated either. No one knows how many trump cards he has hidden. He might just have a card that can counter Shang Zihong."
Hearing this, Chi Kunlun's expression changed slightly. How could he not understand that the mysterious man was more optimistic about Shang Zihong, indicating that Zhang Ruochen's situation was very dangerous.
In fact, Chi Kunlun also knew that Shang Zihong was terrifyingly powerful. If he cultivated to the Lintao Realm, few below the Great Saint Realm would be his match.
Back in the Xumi Dao Field, he had fought Shang Zihong but lost miserably, only lasting twenty-some sword strikes against him.
Although that was because he was too young and inferior to Shang Zihong in many aspects, he had to admit that Shang Zihong was truly too strong.
The pressure he felt from Shang Zihong was no less than what he felt from Zhang Ruochen.
"Are you worried about Zhang Ruochen? Speaking of which, I've already helped Zhang Ruochen by taking Shang Zihong's top-grade Flowing Light Merit Armor. Otherwise, Zhang Ruochen would have even less chance." The mysterious man said.
Chi Kunlun suddenly looked up at the mysterious man. "If you can kill Shang Zihong and those butchers from the Paradise Realm faction, I'll agree to become your disciple."
To his surprise, the mysterious man shook his head. "Although killing them is easy for me, I can't do it. There are four annoying fellows chasing after me. If I make a move, they'll definitely detect it."
"I finally have a chance to rest. I don't want to ask for trouble, so give up on that idea."
Hearing this, Chi Kunlun showed a look of disappointment.
Seeming to notice Chi Kunlun's dejection, the mysterious man smiled. "I think you want to see how Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong's battle is going. I've lifted some of the seals here. Watch for yourself."
Upon hearing this, Chi Kunlun immediately stood up, walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked toward Peacock Manor.
With his powerful eyesight, Chi Kunlun quickly locked onto Zhang Ruochen's figure.
"By the way, it seems Zhang Ruochen came to Peacock Manor for you. He really cares about you, his son." The mysterious man said.
Hearing these words, Chi Kunlun's heart trembled, and his fists clenched tightly.
Although he still didn't want to admit it, deep down, he already believed what the mysterious man said. If Zhang Ruochen wasn't his biological father, why would he risk his life to save him time and again?
He just didn't understand—since Empress Chi Yao was his mother, why would she fabricate such lies to deceive him?
Of course, now was not the time to think about that. Zhang Ruochen's safety was the most important thing.
Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do now but watch from afar.
"Why am I so weak?"
Chi Kunlun clenched his fists, filled with self-blame.
If he hadn't been captured by the Paradise Realm faction's experts on the Merit Battlefield earlier, perhaps the situation would be very different now.
In front of Peacock Manor, the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Shang Zihong continued.
"What a Zhang Ruochen. Even with my three corpses joining forces, I can't gain much advantage. Master was right—Zhang Ruochen is indeed a major threat. He must be eliminated as soon as possible. If he cultivates to the Great Saint Realm, he'll be hard to deal with."
After several rounds of fierce fighting, Shang Zihong grew increasingly alarmed.
Originally, Shang Zihong thought that with his current strength and the "Three Corpses Refining Dao," defeating Zhang Ruochen wouldn't be difficult.
But now, he had clearly underestimated Zhang Ruochen.
Back in Truth Heaven Domain, there had been several opportunities to eliminate Zhang Ruochen, but mistakes had occurred, allowing him to escape time and again.
In just a few short years, Zhang Ruochen had fully grown. At least in terms of cultivation, there was no longer a significant gap between them.
"If I can't use you, then I'll have to destroy you completely."
A fierce light flashed in Shang Zihong's eyes as he made up his mind.
No matter how strong Zhang Ruochen was, he wouldn't leave this place alive tonight.
(Chapter End)