Chapter 2049: Interception
After the phantom of the Moon God disappeared, Zhang Ruochen fell into silence. The situation had become increasingly complex and would be very troublesome to handle.
The arrival of six Patrol Envoys would not be easy to deal with, especially the one from the Hell Realm. That one would likely investigate thoroughly and try every means to uncover the secrets of the Blood God Sect.
And once these secrets were uncovered, it would likely be very detrimental to the entire Kunlun Realm.
For now, Zhang Ruochen had not yet thought of a countermeasure, so he had to collect his thoughts and prepare to do something else first.
Since the Moon God had already reached an agreement with the Heavenly Realm Faction, Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng would definitely have to be released. Before that, he needed to obtain the Truth Esoterica that Zhou Yu possessed.
After sealing Zhou Yu's Saint Qi, Zhang Ruochen took out the Space Spirit Orb and entered it with Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu's eyes gleamed with ferocity as he growled, "Zhang Ruochen, if you want my Truth Esoterica, it depends on whether you have the ability."
Mo Sheng's defeat at Zhang Ruochen's hands had indeed put pressure on Zhou Yu, but he was extremely confident in his physical body. Since the divine oath had been made, there was no backing out now. He could only fight with all his might.
If he could leave the Blood God Sect on his own, it would undoubtedly salvage some of his dignity, and there would be plenty of opportunities to settle the score later.
With that thought, Zhou Yu struck without holding back. As his blood and Qi surged, a large amount of Saint Light burst forth from the acupoints all over his body.
Illuminated by the Saint Light, Zhou Yu's body appeared pure and flawless, nearly perfect. His arms, legs, and the area around his heart all emitted a strong aura of immortality.
"Radiant Divine Fist."
Zhou Yu shouted, and his immortalized fist punched directly at Zhang Ruochen.
Before the fist arrived, an invisible force had already reached Zhang Ruochen.
The Radiant Divine Fist was a high-rank sacred art of the Radiant Divine Temple. With Zhou Yu's powerful physical body, even without relying on Saint Qi and Sacred Dao Rules, the mere technique could unleash terrifying power—a single punch capable of shattering a sacred mountain.
Zhang Ruochen did not dare to be careless. He immediately executed the Luo Water Fist Art and met the attack.
Around him, a faint heavenly river seemed to manifest.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly see that Zhou Yu's physical body was stronger than Mo Sheng's, and his power was more domineering. A single misstep could result in a heavy loss at his hands.
"Boom."
Several dozen feet apart, Zhang Ruochen and Zhou Yu's fists stopped. Between them, invisible forces collided violently.
As a master of time and space, Zhang Ruochen had long integrated the power of time and space into his body. With one punch, even time and space seemed to warp slightly.
Zhou Yu, as a master of light, had also infused light power into his very bones. Even against warped time and space, his power could still forcefully penetrate.
Both were masters of eternal paths, each wielding unimaginable power, making it difficult to judge who was stronger.
Relying on their powerful bodies, Zhang Ruochen and Zhou Yu pushed their speed to the extreme, unleashing their physical strength to the fullest.
"Boom, boom, boom."
With successive collisions, the space inside the Space Spirit Orb began to crack, on the verge of shattering.
Their speed was too fast, and each collision erupted with dazzling light, making it impossible to see their movements clearly.
"Whoosh."
After hundreds of exchanges, neither could gain the upper hand. Zhang Ruochen and Zhou Yu tacitly separated for a moment.
Zhang Ruochen was secretly shocked. Zhou Yu's strength exceeded his expectations. He had gone all out but still couldn't gain any advantage.
At this moment, Zhou Yu was also surprised. He had already cultivated to the Lin Dao Realm, tempered his body with the power of heaven and earth, and immortalized his arms, legs, and heart area. Yet he still couldn't overpower Zhang Ruochen.
If Zhang Ruochen reached his level of cultivation and partially immortalized his body, wouldn't his physical strength far surpass his?
With that thought, Zhou Yu's expression turned serious. He activated his body-tempering secret technique, causing even more intense Saint Light to burst from his acupoints, fully unleashing the potential of his Radiant Body.
The Saint Light condensed into a solid form, like a suit of armor draped over Zhou Yu, making him appear majestic, like a descending god.
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen did not hesitate. His body shook, and a large amount of Chaos Qi and five-colored radiance surged from within, mixing with rolling blood Qi to rush into the sky.
In an instant, based on the Chaos Qi, a strange, multicolored sky rapidly evolved above Zhang Ruochen's head.
In the blink of an eye, seven layers of vast sky had formed above Zhang Ruochen, as if they were real.
Above these seven layers, two more layers faintly existed, but they were too ethereal to manifest.
"One move decides the outcome."
A sharp light flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He reached out a hand, like five ancient divine mountains, pressing down toward Zhou Yu.
The seven layers of vast sky descended, overlapping with Zhang Ruochen's palm.
"Boom."
Fist met palm. Zhou Yu's Saint Light armor shattered instantly. His entire body was firmly suppressed by the seven layers of vast sky, completely unable to move.
"Hum."
The Space Spirit Orb vibrated violently, its internal space becoming extremely unstable, on the verge of collapse.
A collision of power at this level would be too much even for a star to withstand.
"Zhou Yu, you lost. Hand over the Truth Esoterica." Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
Zhou Yu stared intently at Zhang Ruochen, unwilling in his heart but helpless.
He had never imagined that Zhang Ruochen's physical body could evolve such a terrifying phenomenon, capable of overwhelming him.
Such power might already rival an ordinary immortal sacred body.
Bound by the divine oath, Zhou Yu had no choice but to voluntarily hand over the Truth Esoterica.
"Good Zhou Yu, he actually possessed ten ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica."
Receiving the Truth Esoterica from Zhou Yu, Zhang Ruochen was pleasantly surprised.
Now, he possessed thirty-nine ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica, which would greatly benefit his future cultivation.
With thirty-nine ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica, he could also activate the Flame God Armor more effectively, unleashing its power to a greater extent.
The Flame God Armor was different from ordinary armor. Apart from the Flame God and Wu Tong Qiuyu, others could only activate it by relying on esoterica.
"Mastering one percent of the Truth Esoterica would make one a Truth Envoy, capable of contending with gods. Unfortunately, that's too difficult." Zhang Ruochen shook his head and sighed.
Becoming a Truth Envoy was certainly appealing to Zhang Ruochen, but the difficulty was immense. Where would he find the remaining sixty-one ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica?
To become a Truth Envoy, one usually had to plunder others' Truth Esoterica, but that was no easy task either.
Those who possessed Truth Esoterica were never mediocre. They often had significant backgrounds and were not easy to deal with.
Pushing aside these thoughts, Zhang Ruochen brought Zhou Yu out of the Space Spirit Orb and re-imprisoned him on the Blood God Altar.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Ruochen released his spiritual power, allowing it to penetrate the Blood God Altar.
"Blood Spirit Immortal, six Patrol Envoys will arrive soon to inspect the Blood God Altar. I have some methods, but they may not be enough to stop them. Do you have a solution?"
To ensure nothing went wrong, Zhang Ruochen could only consult Blood Spirit Immortal for a plan.
But after waiting for a long time, Blood Spirit Immortal made no response. That sacred thought seemed to have fallen into slumber.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly. Blood Spirit Immortal's attitude left him at a loss.
It seemed Blood Spirit Immortal could not be relied upon. He would have to come up with a foolproof plan himself.
...
At the edge of the Yin Burial Mountain Range, in the town of Anning.
Yan Wushen had just raised his wine glass when a strange light appeared in his eyes. "Someone has set their sights on me. Interesting."
"Who? The Four Heavenly Kings?" Chi Kunlun asked curiously.
After spending some time together, Chi Kunlun had learned that Yan Wushen had been dragging him around to avoid the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Palace.
As the saying goes, two fists are no match for four hands. Yan Wushen was indeed invincible, but the Four Heavenly Kings were no slouches either. No one had ever been able to withstand their combined assault.
Yan Wushen drank the wine in his cup and shook his head. "No, but they are formidable characters. I'm quite interested in playing with them."
As long as it wasn't the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Palace pursuing him, Yan Wushen had nothing to fear. He wanted to see what these people wanted by seeking him out.
Setting down the cup, Yan Wushen didn't bother asking Bore. He simply took Chi Kunlun and left the small tavern.
Bore cast a glance toward the southeast of the town, a flicker of strange light passing through her eyes. Then, with a movement, she vanished from the street.
On a mountain peak several thousand miles from Anning Town, the figures of Yan Wushen and Chi Kunlun appeared out of thin air.
This area was already within the Yin Burial Mountain Range. Yin Sha Qi filled the air. Even under the blazing sun, a chilling cold could be felt. Those too weak to tread here would have their souls frozen.
"Caw."
A large flock of crows flew across the sky, emitting piercing cries.
They seemed to be the spirits of the dead who had fallen on this battlefield, their cries mournful as they circled the Yin Burial Mountain Range day and night, sending chills down one's spine.
Yan Wushen glanced deep into the Yin Burial Mountain Range, a hint of seriousness appearing in his eyes. This place was filled with strangeness, even making him feel a trace of threat. Unless necessary, he would not easily set foot inside.
"Whoosh."
Three streaks of light flew from the horizon, landing on a mountain peak several hundred miles away. They transformed into three figures, staring at Yan Wushen from a distance.
"Two very special Undying Blood Clan members and a strange physical cultivator. Interesting."
Yan Wushen was very familiar with the Undying Blood Clan, so he could tell at a glance that these two Undying Blood Clan members were somewhat different. But he couldn't quite put his finger on what made them unique.
The three who appeared were none other than Blood Demon, Yan Liren, and Qiu Yichi, sent by Xue Hou to rescue Chi Kunlun.
Qiu Yichi's gaze fell on Chi Kunlun. After carefully examining him and confirming he was safe, she breathed a sigh of relief.
If anything happened to Chi Kunlun, she wouldn't know how to explain it to Xue Hou.
Feeling Qiu Yichi's gaze, Chi Kunlun's heart stirred. He had previously felt that Bore had come for him. Could these three also be after him?
But why? He didn't remember having any connection with these people.
Turning his gaze, Chi Kunlun looked at the leading Blood Demon. His mind trembled. This man gave him an immense sense of pressure. Looking at him was like staring at a vast sea of blood, with towering blood waves surging toward him.
If not for his strong will, he might have collapsed to the ground by now.
Yan Wushen was also sizing up Blood Demon. He asked loudly, "Who are you? I've never heard of such a figure among the Undying Blood Clan."
Yan Wushen was very familiar with the strong members of the Undying Blood Clan. The most famous were the five great experts, including Xue Tu.
Blood Demon was not among them, but the feeling he gave Yan Wushen was stronger than any of the five.
If such a strong person had been born in the Hell Realm, he couldn't have remained unknown.
That left only one possibility: Blood Demon was not an Undying Blood Clan member born in the Hell Realm.
At this moment, Blood Demon was also observing Yan Wushen. His eyes grew increasingly fervent, and a strong battle intent surged from his body.
"Xue Hou didn't lie to me. Yan Wushen is indeed worthy of being my opponent." Blood Demon couldn't help but rub his fists, looking very excited.
Strong people always yearned to meet powerful opponents, and Blood Demon, a battle maniac, was no exception.
A life without opponents was a lonely one.
In his excitement, Blood Demon spoke in a deep voice, "I am Blood Demon."
Hearing this, Yan Wushen's heart stirred. Someone bold enough to call himself Blood Demon, with such formidable strength, could only be the one from a thousand years ago.
With that thought, Yan Wushen smiled. "So it's the legendary figure who simultaneously cultivated nine Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions a thousand years ago. They say you died, but it seems rumors can't be trusted."
"Many times, even what you see with your own eyes isn't real, let alone what you hear." Blood Demon said calmly.
Yan Wushen nodded. "Well said. So, what brings you to me?"
"I've been dormant for a thousand years and have emerged again. I heard that the strongest below Great Saint in the Hell Realm has appeared in the Kunlun Realm. I can't resist the urge to spar with you."
Blood Demon's eyes gleamed with light.
At this moment, his mind was filled only with Yan Wushen, a formidable opponent. Everything else was temporarily set aside.
Yan Wushen laughed heartily. "Excellent. I also want to know what kind of strength a cultivator who simultaneously trained in nine Heavenly Demon Stone Inscriptions possesses. Aside from the Four Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Palace, you are the only one who has sparked my battle intent."
"Very good, very good." Blood Demon said.
As they spoke, Blood Demon and Yan Wushen's gazes collided. Invisible forces clashed, causing ripples in the space around them.
At the point where their gazes met, space warped. A large number of Heaven and Earth Rules manifested, becoming extremely chaotic. A vortex seemed to form, madly devouring the power of heaven and earth.
The Yin Sha Qi gathered in this area surged violently. The black earth cracked open, and countless bones buried underground flew up, all drawn into the terrifying vortex.
"Boom."
The vortex seemed unable to withstand the immense power and exploded, annihilating everything it had drawn in, including the gazes of Blood Demon and Yan Wushen.
The shockwave from this force split the ground, creating a massive chasm hundreds of miles long. Looking into it, one could see nothing but layers of white bones, a sight both shocking and horrifying.