Chapter 2040: Nether Yang Divine Wheel
Thunder God Venerable stood behind Zhang Ruochen, holding the Golden Radiance Thunder Pearl, continuously executing thunder techniques.
In fact, with Zhang Ruochen's current spiritual power, combined with the Golden Radiance Thunder Pearl, any thunder-type spell he casually cast would have astonishing power, far beyond what ordinary Saint Kings could withstand.
Countless thunderbolts rained down, primarily silver lightning but interspersed with more powerful golden bolts capable of threatening Nine-Step Saint Kings.
In the blink of an eye, over three hundred Black Demon Realm Saint Kings were struck severely injured by lightning, then captured by Du Mosheng, Pei Linhu, and the others.
Inevitably, the remaining nearly eight hundred Black Demon Realm Saint Kings gathered together, releasing surging demonic qi to form a formidable demonic qi barrier that blocked the descending thunderbolts.
The thirty-six Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription diagrams shared an extremely miraculous connection. Anyone who cultivated the demonic techniques inscribed on them could have their powers merge, making them highly suitable for practicing combined attack formations.
The initial surprise had thrown the Black Demon Realm Saint Kings into disarray, but now that they had recovered their composure, they quickly formed a battle formation.
Individually, their strength was unremarkable, but united, the demonic qi barrier they formed could withstand Zhang Ruochen's domineering thunder techniques.
However, as thunderbolts continued to strike relentlessly, the demonic qi barrier began to destabilize, clearly unable to hold out much longer.
Just as the demonic qi barrier was about to be breached, an Eight-Step Saint King from the Black Demon Realm sacrificed a black demonic umbrella barely an inch long.
Driven by demonic qi, the black umbrella opened and instantly expanded, its canopy covering a radius of a hundred miles.
Golden secret patterns could be clearly seen on the umbrella's surface, moving slowly like golden snakes.
The umbrella's defense was astonishing, not only blocking the descending thunderbolts but also devouring their power.
Even when Zhang Ruochen condensed massive thunderballs of immense power, he could not break through the umbrella's defense.
"That's quite a fine treasure."
Seeing his thunder techniques neutralized, a flicker of surprise passed through Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Changing his strategy, Zhang Ruochen released his formidable spiritual power, mobilizing the forces of heaven and earth to rapidly condense a silver thunder sea that enveloped the area covered by the demonic mountains.
Even if he couldn't annihilate this group of Black Demon Realm Saint Kings, he would trap them and prevent them from making a move.
On the other side, Han Xue and Mo Sheng were locked in fierce combat, exchanging hundreds of blows in a short time, shattering the very space around them.
Han Xue wielded the Void Sword, executing her sword techniques to perfection. She had held the upper hand from the start and was now suppressing Mo Sheng completely.
Mo Sheng's face darkened with fury, unable to maintain his composure.
He had already suffered a loss at Zhang Ruochen's hands, and now being suppressed by Zhang Ruochen's disciple was a blow to his pride.
"If I weren't severely injured, how could I be reduced to being suppressed by a little girl?"
Though unwilling to admit it, Mo Sheng had to acknowledge that this woman's combat prowess was formidable and her sword techniques powerful. Even if she hadn't yet crossed into the second tier below Great Saint, she was likely close.
Both master and disciple were at the Dao Domain realm, yet each was more astonishing than the last, capable of battling the finest talents of a realm. If word got out, few would believe it.
Although Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue relied on Supreme Sacred Artifacts to achieve such power, no one would criticize them for it, as war tools were inherently part of a cultivator's strength.
"Shiiik."
The Void Sword flashed with cold light, directly piercing through the void, instantly crossing dozens of miles and slashing across Mo Sheng's cheek like lightning, leaving a long sword mark from which sacred blood flowed.
At the same time, Han Xue activated her Thousand Bone power. Her seemingly delicate body emitted earth-shaking sounds, as if ten thousand divine thunders were hidden within, as she struck out fiercely with her palm.
Mo Sheng was sent flying backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
Despite his intense focus on physical cultivation and wearing the Radiant Merit Armor, being struck solidly by Han Xue's Thousand Bone Void-Shattering Palm inflicted severe injuries, shattering countless bones within his body.
"It's time to end this," Han Xue murmured, her gaze turning exceptionally sharp as she swung her sword to cut down Mo Sheng.
Suppressing or killing Mo Sheng was the key to the battle against the Black Demon Realm.
Without Mo Sheng, the remaining Black Demon Realm experts would pose little threat.
In an instant, Han Xue appeared before Mo Sheng with the Void Sword, its tip aimed at his brow.
Just as the Void Sword was about to pierce his brow, a sudden change occurred.
A dark divine light burst from Mo Sheng's brow, freezing the Void Sword in place, preventing it from advancing a single inch.
"What is this...?"
Han Xue's expression shifted as she sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from Mo Sheng.
Without hesitation, she withdrew the Void Sword with all her strength and rapidly retreated, putting distance between them.
Blood trickled down Mo Sheng's cheek, but a cruel smile spread across his face, making him look hideous and chilling.
The dark divine light at his brow grew denser, as if something was about to emerge from within.
"Buzz."
Space trembled, becoming unstable and on the verge of collapse.
Finally, a mass of brilliant dark divine light flew from Mo Sheng's brow, and countless phenomena erupted across heaven and earth—winds howled, clouds surged, thunder and lightning flashed, and the world dimmed.
The mass of dark divine light soared into the sky, transforming into a sun that emitted a grayish light, illuminating tens of thousands of miles.
This grayish light carried no warmth; instead, it was intensely cold, as if one had entered the underworld, sending chills down the spine.
"What is that thing? How can it be so terrifying? My sacred soul is trembling, about to be sucked away."
"Mo Sheng actually had such a treasure within him? Why hasn't he used it before?"
"Notice it? Any area covered by that grayish light is rapidly losing its vitality. What a sinister artifact."
"Quickly guard your essence, energy, and spirit. Once they're sucked away, we'll be in trouble."
The cultivators watching from all sides grew panicked.
Some weaker cultivators couldn't withstand the strange power of the artifact hanging in the sky, their vitality drained in an instant, dying on the spot.
Others, though not killed, inexplicably lost a great deal of life essence.
Such a situation would terrify anyone.
Mo Sheng stood directly beneath the strange sun, appearing noticeably thinner, clearly having lost a significant amount of essence.
"Hahaha, I've finally succeeded in synchronizing with the Nether Yang Divine Wheel. Zhang Ruochen, I really have to thank you and your disciple." Mo Sheng couldn't help but laugh uproariously.
The Nether Yang Divine Wheel was an ancient divine relic he had obtained long ago, but he had been unable to synchronize with it. Though suppressed in his qi sea, he couldn't use it.
In that critical moment just now, the Nether Yang Divine Wheel had miraculously synchronized with him, finally becoming usable.
Mo Sheng activated his demonic technique, releasing demonic qi from his body that poured into the Nether Yang Divine Wheel.
The Nether Yang Divine Wheel vibrated, shooting a beam of dark divine light straight at Han Xue.
Seeing this, Han Xue's gaze condensed. She swiftly swung the Void Sword, delivering an incredibly fast slash.
A white sword light flew out, incredibly sharp, slicing through space and creating a massive rift.
"Crash."
The dark divine light was split by the sword light and shattered.
Yet Han Xue did not relax. Instead, her expression grew more solemn.
From that brief clash, she could clearly feel that the Nether Yang Divine Wheel contained immense divine power, within which lurked a strange force of death and decay. Being touched by it would have dire consequences.
From a distance, Xiao Hei stared intently at the Nether Yang Divine Wheel hanging in the sky, his eyes also condensed with gravity. "It's the Nether Yang Divine Wheel left by Lingyang Nether Lord. How did this thing end up in Mo Sheng's hands? And how did he manage to synchronize with it?"
Xiao Hei was genuinely puzzled by this turn of events, as he believed it should have been impossible.
Lingyang Nether Lord was a deity of the Nether Clan in the Hell Realm, once renowned, but he had fallen during the medieval period.
His war tool was the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, which had reaped countless lives.
After Lingyang Nether Lord's death, the Nether Yang Divine Wheel had vanished. Over a hundred thousand years later, it had unexpectedly fallen into Mo Sheng's hands.
Any ancient divine relic possessed extraordinary power, some on par with or even surpassing Supreme Sacred Artifacts.
After all, some ancient divine relics were themselves Supreme Sacred Artifacts, like the Annihilation God Cross Shield in Xia Wenxin's hands.
Mo Sheng was already extremely powerful, and now that he had awakened the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, it was like a tiger gaining wings.
After devouring a vast amount of vitality, the Nether Yang Divine Wheel fed some essence back to Mo Sheng, restoring his flesh and blood, his aura rising steadily as he quickly returned to his peak state.
"Zhang Ruochen, hand over all the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions, and I'll grant you a quick death."
Mo Sheng stepped forward, his eyes cold as he stared at Zhang Ruochen.
He had already activated the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, sealing this area with divine power. Even if Zhang Ruochen was the Heir of Time and Space, he couldn't escape using spatial techniques.
Zhang Ruochen's expression was somewhat condensed, but he showed no fear. "Mo Sheng, even if you've obtained an ancient divine relic, that doesn't mean you're invincible. At the very least, my disciple and I are not afraid to fight you."
During the brief time Han Xue had held Mo Sheng at bay, Zhang Ruochen had recovered fifty percent of his sacred qi, giving him the strength to fight.
He could continue to recover sacred qi while battling.
As long as he didn't fully unleash the Blazing God Leg, relying on the divine sun within his Divine Light Qi Sea, Zhang Ruochen's sacred qi would be nearly inexhaustible.
"Mo Yin, go help Lingxi."
Zhang Ruochen secretly instructed Mo Yin.
Without hesitation, Mo Yin immediately flashed toward Mu Lingxi's position.
In the current situation, her presence here wouldn't help much, so it was better to go to another battlefield and play a greater role.
Mo Sheng paid no attention to Mo Yin, his gaze locked on Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue.
Zhang Ruochen was his primary target; killing him would wash away his humiliation.
Han Xue, too, could not be let go, as she was the key to finding clues about Qiangu Nüdi.
"Zhang Ruochen, die."
Mo Sheng roared, his killing intent exploding.
He had suffered a great loss at Zhang Ruochen's hands, publicly stripped of two Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions. How could he not be furious?
The Nether Yang Divine Wheel vibrated, descending like a falling star, hurtling toward Zhang Ruochen at tremendous speed.
Zhang Ruochen dared not be careless. He quickly activated the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, unleashing waves of powerful Supreme power that shattered space.
At the same time, Han Xue struck, activating the Void Sword. Supreme power mixed with sharp sword qi slashed out together.
"Boom."
The Nether Yang Divine Wheel was overwhelmingly domineering, crushing the power of the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror and the Void Sword.
A vast divine force surged toward Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue.
Though they resisted with all their might, they were still pushed back.
Thanks to the Flame God Armor's formidable defensive capabilities, Zhang Ruochen was not seriously injured.
Han Xue, facing a relatively smaller impact, used the strange resonance of her thousand bones to dissipate all the impact force.
The Thousand Bone Sacred Body was indeed the most mysterious and powerful constitution among humans, possessing countless incredible abilities.
Mo Sheng did not stop his assault. He continued to drive the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, unleashing even greater divine power in a frenzied attack.
He had been too suppressed earlier; now he would release it all.
The surface of the Nether Yang Divine Wheel burned with gray-white flames. This flame was extremely strange—once it touched someone, it would directly invade the sacred soul, killing without a trace.
With each attack, the Nether Yang Divine Wheel released massive amounts of gray-white flames, forcing Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue to deal with them cautiously.
In an instant, the battle situation reversed dramatically. Relying on the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, Mo Sheng could hold his own against two opponents and even gain the upper hand. There was no helping it—Mo Sheng's cultivation was far above theirs.
Without the advantage of war tools, it was too difficult for the two Dao Domain cultivators to contend with Mo Sheng, unless Zhang Ruochen fully recovered and used his space and time powers to their fullest.
"A pity it's Han Xue. If only..." Zhang Ruochen sighed softly.
If he had a sword dao expert who could execute the "Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation" with him, they might be able to defeat Mo Sheng again.
"Zhang Ruochen, retreat into the Blood God Sect first. With three ninth-rank formations in place, the Black Demon Realm people won't break in so easily."
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Xiao Hei secretly transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred, and he immediately sent a message to all his allies: "Retreat into the Blood God Sect."
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen could clearly see the situation. With Mo Sheng now controlling the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, his might was overwhelming. Even some Immortal Realm Great Saints would have to steer clear of him.
Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue could withstand the Nether Yang Divine Wheel's attacks, but if it affected others, the consequences would be dire.
With the Nether Yang Divine Wheel's terror, even ordinary Nine-Step Saint Kings struck by its power would face certain death.
Upon receiving the message, Mu Lingxi, Bao Lie, and others did not hesitate. They immediately broke away from their opponents at top speed and converged toward the Blood God Sect.
"Oh? Trying to escape."
Mo Sheng immediately noticed Mu Lingxi and the others' movements, a cold smile appearing in his eyes.
Surges of demonic qi poured into the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, causing it to spin rapidly, releasing a vast divine power and gray-white strange flames that swept across the entire battlefield.
Zhang Ruochen's expression was condensed. His sacred thought communicated with the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror's artifact spirit, fully awakening it.
Han Xue also instantly entered a state of unity between man and sword. The Void Sword trembled violently, its surface covered with countless Supreme inscription runes, emitting waves of Supreme power, each one incredibly sharp, shattering the surrounding space.
Towering demonic mountains appeared, forming a barrier to block the spreading divine power and gray-white flames.
"Shiiik."
Han Xue swung her sword, delivering her strongest strike.
A snow-white sword light shone across the nine heavens, like a white comet dragging a long tail, slashing toward the Nether Yang Divine Wheel.
"Boom."
The demonic mountains shattered one after another, unable to withstand the vast divine power released by the Nether Yang Divine Wheel.
But they managed to block the divine power for a moment, buying time for Mu Lingxi and the others to retreat.
Han Xue's sword light struck the Nether Yang Divine Wheel, sending it flying back hundreds of feet, temporarily halting its release of divine power.
"Die."
Mo Sheng roared, unleashing Yin-Yang Profound Light with all his might, blasting toward Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed the Void Sword's hilt, mobilizing the one hundred thousand space rules he had cultivated, and slashed toward the Blood God Sect's direction.
"Crash."
Space split open, forming a several-zhang-wide spatial rift.
"Go."
Zhang Ruochen grabbed Han Xue, riding the Void Sword, and instantly vanished into the spatial rift.
Before the Blood God Sect's protective formation, a spatial rift appeared. Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue flashed out from within and quickly entered the Blood God Sect.
"Boom."
The Yin-Yang Profound Light arrived in an instant, but it was too late, only striking the protective formation.
(End of Chapter)