# Chapter 2071: Counter-Ambush
"Whoosh."
The long spear embedded at the bottom of the deep pit flew up and landed in Ye Ming Wuyou's hand.
Just moments ago, that spear had been a hair's breadth away from striking Zhang Ruochen. Even though he wore the Flame God Armor, which could not be pierced, the terrifying force carried by the spear would still have inflicted unimaginable damage upon him.
"Zhang Ruochen, Dead Zen Ancestor, you were lucky to escape earlier. You should have fled far away. Instead, you were foolish enough to try and obstruct the great affairs of the Hell Realm. Truly, you are like mantises trying to stop a chariot—utterly ignorant of death."
Behind Blood Se Lianyi, her scorpion tail swayed, and a bloodthirsty gleam appeared in her eyes.
For the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall, allowing Zhang Ruochen and Dead Zen Ancestor to escape repeatedly was a tremendous stain on their record. Thus, even if it meant temporarily setting aside their treasure-seizing mission, they had to eliminate these two first.
Of course, the main reason was that they considered Zhang Ruochen and Dead Zen Ancestor troublesome figures. If left unchecked, they might cause unnecessary complications later. This was their way of nipping the threat in the bud.
Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred, and he secretly transmitted a message to Xiao Hei: "Find an opportunity to set up the formation. This is a rare chance."
"As long as you can lure them over, leave everything else to this Emperor. Hmph, daring to look down on this Emperor—I'll make them regret it deeply." Xiao Hei replied via telepathic transmission.
During their previous seclusion, they had specifically refined a set of formations targeting the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall. They hadn't expected to have a chance to use it so soon.
Subsequently, Zhang Ruochen secretly communicated with Ao Xinyan, Dead Zen Ancestor, and the Heavenly Corpse Emperor, quickly finalizing their plan.
In a sense, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall were now isolated. There was no better opportunity to eliminate them.
"Finish this quickly. We cannot afford to waste time here." Xuan Ming Wushang said in a deep voice.
Instantly, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall all erupted with extremely powerful auras, like mountains collapsing and seas overturning, pressing down upon Zhang Ruochen and his five companions.
"Scorching summer sun, Golden Crow burning the heavens—kill!"
Si Buxiu roared, unleashing a torrent of killing intent from within.
He swung his war blade, manifesting a vast world where Golden Crows soared, releasing sky-burning golden flames that withered the world and annihilated all life.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze sharpened. He quickly retrieved the Abyssal Ancient Sword, using his sword soul to control it as he executed Sword Ten.
A fiercely sharp sword light slashed out in an instant, splitting space apart to meet Si Buxiu's summer blade technique.
"Boom."
The sword light Zhang Ruochen had slashed out shattered instantly, failing to break through the world Si Buxiu had manifested.
"The complete Seven Absolute Killing Formation truly amplifies Si Buxiu's power." Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred.
Earlier, only Si Buxiu, Ye Ming Wuyou, and Blood Se Lianyi had formed the formation. The power amplification was far inferior to when all seven joined forces.
Based on Zhang Ruochen's perception, the combined strength of the seven was more than three times that of the three alone—truly terrifying.
Seeing the blade-intent world bearing down on him, Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to strike again with his sword, doing his utmost to resist.
For now, the others could not act yet. He had to rely on himself to defuse the crisis.
"Bang."
The blade-intent world was finally shattered by Zhang Ruochen, but he himself suffered a tremendous impact. His body rapidly retreated, a muffled groan escaping his throat. The blood and Qi within him churned violently, nearly causing injury.
On the other side, Blood Se Lianyi's scorpion tail extended at lightning speed, striking toward Dead Zen Ancestor. At the same time, terrifying poisonous mist was released from her body, forming ripples of blood-colored light.
Dead Zen Ancestor chanted a Buddhist invocation. Vast Dead Zen Buddhist power surged from within him, pouring into the Ten Thousand Treasures Kasaya.
Instantly, the ten thousand treasures on the kasaya were all activated, radiating incomparably brilliant light. Various colors interwove to form seven layers of defensive light shields.
At this moment, Dead Zen Ancestor appeared solemn and majestic, with lowered brows and a compassionate expression, as if a Bodhisattva had descended to save the world from suffering.
"Liberation Great Hand Seal."
Dead Zen Ancestor murmured softly, forming a strange hand seal.
Vast Dead Zen Buddhist power surged, condensing into a giant hand a thousand zhang in size, which directly slapped toward Blood Se Lianyi.
Following this, Dead Zen Ancestor poured Buddhist power into the Divine War Corpse's body, driving it with all his might using Dead Zen Buddhist techniques.
"Roar."
The Divine War Corpse raised its head and let out repeated roars. Vast divine power and corpse Qi surged from within, layering upon each other and concentrating into a single fist, which then blasted outward violently.
As the fist moved, space within a thousand li rippled intensely. Heavenly and earthly rules and power converged in a surging tide.
For a moment, the Divine War Corpse's fist blazed brilliantly, like a comet, crashing fiercely toward the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
Comparatively, the Divine War Corpse's power far exceeded that of Dead Zen Ancestor himself.
Seeing the Divine War Corpse throw its punch, Zhang Ruochen, Ao Xinyan, and the Heavenly Corpse Emperor all showed expressions of surprise. It was too powerful—this single punch could shatter stars beyond the domain and severely wound an Immortal Great Saint.
Yet the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall remained extremely calm, as if they didn't even consider the Divine War Corpse a threat.
"An ant trying to shake a tree—overestimating yourself."
The Nether Lotus spun, emitting a highly condensed dark divine light that was launched after the fact but arrived first.
"Bang."
The dark divine light carried the force of ten thousand qing, unstoppable. Not only did it instantly break through the Divine War Corpse's attack, but it also sent the Divine War Corpse flying backward.
The Divine War Corpse flew back several hundred li before finally stopping.
A hideous wound could be seen on the Divine War Corpse's body, with dark force eroding. Even with the Divine War Corpse's regenerative abilities, it could not heal immediately.
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen and the others' expressions all shifted slightly. The Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall truly lived up to their reputation.
With such terrifying power, it was no wonder they could dominate all those below the Great Saint realm. Even top-tier experts at the pinnacle below Great Saint had to give them a wide berth.
"Zhang Ruochen, take this blade from me."
Si Buxiu struck again with his blade, this time unleashing four blades simultaneously.
Four worlds symbolizing spring, summer, autumn, and winter manifested at the same time, tightly interwoven together. They perfectly embodied the essence of the four seasons, forming a terrifying vortex that sought to envelop Zhang Ruochen.
Streams of dark divine light plunged into the vortex, making its aura even more fearsome, as if it could destroy everything in the world.
Zhang Ruochen's expression became extremely grave. He swung his sword with incredible speed, unleashing his Space-Time Sword Intent without reservation.
Intangible fluctuations of time and space appeared, causing the space-time within several hundred zhang to become chaotic.
A crystalline sword-intent flower emerged, slowly blooming, releasing countless space-time sword Qi from within.
"One Thought Blooms, All Things Turn to Void."
A sharp gleam flashed through Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
This self-created space-time sword technique was becoming more refined with each use.
The creation of any sacred art required repeated validation; it was not achieved overnight.
"Boom."
The sword-intent flower shattered, transforming into streams of the sharpest sword Qi that blasted into the terrifying vortex bearing down on them.
The vortex spun violently, then exploded with a thunderous roar. A violent and extreme destructive force was released from within, sweeping in all directions.
This was no longer just Si Buxiu's personal attack. It was a lethal strike condensing the power of all Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall—a blow that even a true Immortal Great Saint might not be able to withstand.
"Boom, rumble."
The earth within a hundred li shattered, dust flying everywhere. Zhang Ruochen and his five companions were all engulfed by this terrifying force.
At the same time, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall converged toward the center, shrinking the range covered by the Seven Absolute Killing Formation, trying to seal off Zhang Ruochen and the others' escape routes.
"It's over. The so-called War God of the Kunlun Realm is nothing but a chicken or a dog before our Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall." Si Buxiu said disdainfully.
The others also showed sneers on their faces. Eliminating a prodigious figure from the Kunlun Realm was an extremely satisfying matter for them.
Moments later, the violent force gradually dissipated, revealing a massive pit a hundred li in diameter before the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
"Hmm?"
Si Buxiu's brow furrowed slightly.
At the bottom of the pit, nineteen figures now stood. Zhang Ruochen and his five companions were all among them, completely unharmed.
Not only had that attack failed to kill Zhang Ruochen and the other five, but fourteen more people had appeared out of nowhere. What was going on?
Just then, Xuan Ming Wushang's expression changed. Behind them, a formation had appeared, enveloping them all.
"Hahaha, now that you've fallen into this Emperor's ninth-rank formation, let's see how you can still act so arrogantly." Xiao Hei couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.
Now that the formation had been successfully set up and had trapped the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall, there was no need to hold back any longer.
Si Buxiu snorted coldly: "A mere ninth-rank formation—do you think it can do anything to us, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall? How foolish. No matter what schemes you have, they are futile in the face of absolute power."
Although the situation before them was somewhat unexpected, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall had absolute confidence in their own strength and feared no tricks from Zhang Ruochen and his group.
"Daring to look down on this Emperor's ninth-rank formation—you'll be crying soon enough. What a load of crap about the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall—none of you are getting away." Xiao Hei said aggressively.
Xiao Hei was full of confidence in this newly refined set of formation flags. With fourteen powerful Awakened Ones assisting, he refused to believe they couldn't deal with the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
Using the power of the ninth-rank formation, Zhang Ruochen and the others instantly vanished from the pit, breaking free from the encirclement of the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
Immediately, the fourteen Awakened Ones acted in perfect coordination, pouring their sacred Qi continuously into the Divine Dragon Silver Armor on Ao Xinyan's body.
Instantly, the Divine Dragon Silver Armor radiated brilliant silver-white divine light, releasing vast divine dragon power.
"Roar."
Accompanied by a high-pitched dragon's cry, the Divine Dragon Silver Armor transformed into a five-clawed silver dragon several thousand li long, emitting an awe-inspiring dragon might that seemed capable of crushing the heavens.
This Divine Dragon Silver Armor was originally made from the dragon skin and scales of a fallen five-clawed silver dragon, containing immensely powerful divine dragon force within. If fully unleashed, even a top-tier Great Saint might not be able to withstand it.
With the combined power of fourteen Awakened Ones and Ao Xinyan's own strength, the divine dragon force they unleashed was extremely astonishing, enough to crush an ordinary Immortal Great Saint.
The five-clawed silver dragon was incredibly domineering. A massive dragon claw reached out, carrying vast divine dragon power, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen also acted, sacrificing the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror and communicating with its artifact spirit to unleash powerful supreme force.
As Zhang Ruochen's own cultivation and strength improved, he was now able to make the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror unleash even greater power.
For a moment, the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror transformed into a towering ancient demon mountain, with black demonic Qi surging as it pressed down from above.
The Heavenly Corpse Emperor and Dead Zen Ancestor naturally did not stand idly by. The Heavenly Corpse Emperor sacrificed the Heavenly Mandate Talisman, unleashing the Great Saint power contained within, as if trying to transform into the supreme emperor of a past life.
Dead Zen Ancestor, meanwhile, released the Divine War Corpse and drove it with Dead Zen Buddhist techniques, striking out with an extremely rough palm that caused space to tremble violently.
The only one who did not act was Xiao Hei. His most important task was to control the ninth-rank formation and trap the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
With so many powerful experts attacking, there was no need to rush to unleash the ninth-rank formation's offensive capabilities.
Seeing various attacks coming at them, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall's expressions all tightened. Without any hesitation, they quickly moved to defend.
The power of the seven strongmen combined, evolving into a massive dark vortex over a thousand zhang in diameter, like a black hole deep in the universe, releasing a terrifying suction force that sought to devour everything.
"Crack."
Around the dark vortex, space continuously shattered and collapsed, revealing the dark void space.
Clearly, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall felt threatened, so they no longer held back, unleashing the true killing move of the Seven Absolute Killing Formation.
At this moment, the Nether Lotus, which served as the formation's core, had fully materialized and become extremely massive. The Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall all entered it, their powers combining even more tightly into a single entity.
For the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall to fight in such a state was extremely rare.
"Boom."
The dragon claw extended by the five-clawed silver dragon, carrying vast divine dragon power, made contact with the dark vortex. In an instant, it caused the vortex to stall, unable to continue rotating.
And when Zhang Ruochen, Dead Zen Ancestor, and the Heavenly Corpse Emperor's attacks arrived, the dark vortex could no longer withstand the pressure. It exploded with a thunderous roar, releasing surging dark power.
"Where did these people come from? How can they possess such powerful strength?"
For a moment, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall's minds were all shaken.
People with such formidable strength should not be unknown.
But the problem was that they had no intelligence about any of these people. It felt as if they had appeared out of thin air.
While their minds were shaken, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall did not forget to defend. They once again executed their combined attack secret technique, condensing all their power into Ye Ming Wuyou's long spear, which met the grasping dragon claw.
This long spear was a Supreme Sacred Artifact, made of extraordinary materials with the property of being indestructible.
"Clang."
The tip of the long spear pressed against the dragon claw. Supreme force and divine dragon power clashed violently, tearing apart large swaths of space.
A powerful storm erupted, sweeping in all directions with irresistible force.
In an instant, all the mountain peaks within several hundred li were shattered and leveled to the ground.
One must know that this was True Dragon Island. The spatial structure was extremely stable, and the earth was indestructible. Causing damage here was extremely difficult.
An ordinary Saint King, even attacking a small hill, would find it hard to break it.
"Attack together—annihilate the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall."
Zhang Ruochen shouted in a low voice, pouring his sacred Qi into the five-clawed silver dragon's body.
Hearing this, the Heavenly Corpse Emperor and Dead Zen Ancestor did not hesitate either, unreservedly outputting their sacred Qi.
At such a time, concentrating power to launch attacks would undoubtedly be more effective.
Now that they had the upper hand, there was no need to drag things out. They had to strike with all their might, beating the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall until they had no strength to fight back.
"Bang."
The long spear could not withstand the dragon claw's power and was sent flying directly.
A vast force pressed down, causing the bodies of the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall to tremble violently.
"Pfft."
Almost simultaneously, black blood sprayed from the mouths of all Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
Within the Seven Absolute Killing Formation, they shared honor and disgrace, gain and loss. None could escape unscathed.
"Damn it! How can the Kunlun Realm have so many top-tier experts?" Si Buxiu's expression twisted, his heart filled with indignation.
Originally, they had been lying in ambush, waiting to ambush Zhang Ruochen and Dead Zen Ancestor, eliminating two potential threats. But in the blink of an eye, they had become the ones being ambushed, trapped by Zhang Ruochen and his group with a formation.
Ye Ming Wuyou said in a deep voice: "Big Brother, this five-clawed silver dragon's attack power is too strong. If we continue fighting, we'll suffer heavy losses. We need to retreat as soon as possible."
With the combined power of eighteen top-tier experts driving the Divine Dragon Silver Armor, it was also a form of combined attack, but its power surpassed the Seven Absolute Killing Formation by a considerable margin.
"Retreat for now. We'll deal with them later." Xuan Ming Wushang made the decision immediately.
As he spoke, the Nether Lotus released vast dark power, condensing into a dark lightning ball a hundred zhang in size, perfectly combining dark force with lightning force, releasing an extremely terrifying aura of destruction.
The dark lightning ball flew out, crashing into the five-clawed silver dragon's claw.
At the same time, Si Buxiu acted, swinging all four arms simultaneously, slashing out four sharp and domineering blade lights that struck the ninth-rank formation sealing the surroundings.
"Boom, rumble."
The dark lightning ball exploded on its own, releasing power violent to the extreme, forming a massive energy storm that engulfed the entire five-clawed silver dragon.
The blade lights Si Buxiu had slashed out could easily cut through even the most top-tier ten-thousand-pattern sacred artifacts. But when they struck the ninth-rank formation, they only caused ripples on its surface, without causing any damage.
"How is this possible?"
Si Buxiu's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.
With the amplification of the Seven Absolute Killing Formation, his full-powered Four Seasons Blade Technique could make even an Immortal Great Saint retreat. Yet it couldn't break through a mere ninth-rank formation.
"Hahaha, now you know this Emperor's power, don't you? You want to break this Emperor's ninth-rank formation? You're still far from it." Xiao Hei couldn't help but laugh triumphantly.
This ninth-rank formation of his used an evil spirit as its formation spirit, drawing power from the divine force within the python corpse the evil spirit had occupied. It was even more effective than divine stones.
Divine stones' contained power could be exhausted, but the python corpse could continuously derive divine power by absorbing the world's primordial Qi.
"Watch this Emperor's Time Blade."
Xiao Hei shouted loudly.
The ninth-rank formation rotated, and an intangible force of time erupted, like a blade, striking the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall.
Even with the Nether Lotus's protection, the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall were still wounded by the Time Blade, having at least a hundred years of their lifespan severed in an instant.
Involuntarily, the auras of the Seven Absolute Killers of the Nether Hall all became much weaker. The power within their bodies circulated poorly, and flaws appeared in their formation. The Nether Lotus beneath them nearly shattered.