Chapter 2083: Sacrifice
Consuming their essence blood to power the Golden Crow Ancient Cauldron, the Golden Sun Twin Kings’ faces both turned somewhat pale, and their aura weakened.
At this moment, both stared unblinkingly at the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror in Zhang Ruochen’s hands, their eyes nearly splitting with rage.
Having gathered over a thousand experts here, they had thought they could easily kill Zhang Ruochen. But the result completely exceeded their expectations. Zhang Ruochen was too shrewd. After seeing through their trap, he had turned the tables and schemed against them instead.
Then, the Golden Sun Twin Kings turned their gaze to Dead Zen Ancestor, a flicker of wariness flashing in their eyes. A single person controlling hundreds of powerful battle corpses was truly terrifying.
If there was any flaw in this plan, it was undoubtedly involving Dead Zen Ancestor. Otherwise, things would never have ended up like this.
"Golden Sun Twin Kings, where do you think you can still escape to now?" Zhang Ruochen said, stepping forward with the Annihilation Golden Sun in his hand.
Xiao Hei’s body rapidly expanded, blazing Undying Divine Fire rising from him. Looking down at the Golden Sun Twin Kings with a fierce gleam in his eyes, he said, "This Emperor already spared you once, but you didn’t know how to cherish it. Surrender obediently now, or else this Emperor won’t just eat Eon Sacred Medicine—I’ll eat you two as well."
A mere hundred miles—a distance that could be crossed in an instant. They now held the absolute advantage, and there was no way they would let the Golden Sun Twin Kings escape.
The Golden Sun Twin Kings felt deeply frustrated. This defeat was truly unjust.
Thinking back, hiding in the jungle small world had been like weaving a cocoon around themselves, creating the perfect opportunity for Zhang Ruochen to catch them all in one net.
A resolute look appeared in Da Yang King’s eyes. His gaze swept over Zhang Ruochen and the other three in turn, and he said loudly, "Zhang Ruochen, Dead Zen Ancestor, you are indeed formidable. This King underestimated you. But there is no way we brothers will surrender without a fight."
As he spoke, Da Yang King formed hand seals at an astonishing speed. Numerous complex secret patterns appeared on his skin, and then his entire body burst forth with dazzling golden light. Golden flames emerged, and his whole being began to burn.
The next moment, Da Yang King’s form vanished, replaced by a brilliant golden sun that radiated an extremely terrifying aura as it slowly rose.
Under the intense heat, the surrounding rocks quickly melted, soon forming a massive pool of magma.
At the same time, Xiao Yang King put away the Golden Crow Ancient Cauldron and, without hesitation, chose to flee.
"Where do you think you’re going?" Xiao Hei shouted, immediately flapping his wings and pouncing forward at extreme speed.
Although Xiao Hei hadn’t unleashed the power of the Great Saint realm at this moment, his strength was still formidable, and his speed was incredibly fast.
He didn’t go after Da Yang King, who had transformed into a golden sun, but instead headed straight for Xiao Yang King.
Anyone could see that Da Yang King intended to stay behind and block the enemy, buying time for Xiao Yang King to escape.
The golden sun that Da Yang King had transformed into trembled, moving even faster than Xiao Hei. In an instant, it blocked Xiao Hei’s path, releasing a surge of vast golden sacred power, scorching hot, as if it could melt everything.
"Bam."
Xiao Hei charged into it without hesitation but was knocked back by the sacred force.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen had already made his move. He instantly activated the Annihilation Golden Sun, unleashing the domineering power within it, and hurled it at Da Yang King.
"Lay down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha." Dead Zen Ancestor appeared solemn and dignified, a look of compassion in his eyes.
"Roar."
The Divine Battle Corpse let out a roar, gathering the power of many battle corpses. It extended a divine hand, and vast divine power surged forth, forming a tidal wave of divine force that swept toward the fleeing Xiao Yang King.
"If you want to fight, this King will fight with you to the fullest!" Da Yang King’s deep voice rang out, tinged with a hint of madness.
An even more violent power burst forth from the golden sun that Da Yang King had become, shattering all the surrounding space into fragments.
Thus, the ripples of divine power released by the Divine Battle Corpse were directly cut off and swallowed by the dark void space.
"Bam."
The Annihilation Golden Sun was also blocked and sent flying back, its surface luster dimming considerably.
Xiao Hei, being the closest, bore the brunt and was sent flying by the violent force.
"What’s going on? How did he become so powerful?" Xiao Hei asked with a strange expression.
At this moment, Da Yang King alone displayed power even greater than when he and Xiao Yang King fought together. Without the Golden Crow Ancient Cauldron, he could still match the Annihilation Golden Sun head-on. This was clearly abnormal.
"Could it be the Golden Sun Self-Sacrifice Art? Is Da Yang King trying to destroy everything together?"
On the hill shrouded in illusion, Qianxing Tiannü’s expression suddenly changed.
The Qianxing Civilization and the Blazing Sun Civilization were allies, so they were very familiar with some of the Blazing Sun Civilization’s secret techniques.
The Great Sun Self-Sacrifice Art was a forbidden secret art of the Blazing Sun Civilization. It was extremely difficult to cultivate, and very few could master it.
Once the Great Sun Self-Sacrifice Art was used, at the very least, one would suffer severe damage to their vitality and cultivation. At worst, they would die directly. No one would use it unless absolutely necessary, because it was essentially a life-for-life gamble.
Qianxing Tiannü had never expected that Da Yang King would be forced to use such a forbidden art. Was he truly willing to throw away his life?
"Zhang Ruochen has already killed the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son. If Da Yang King also dies because of him, the old Heavenly Lord of the Blazing Sun Civilization will be furious beyond measure. He will surely come to demand an accounting. That will be a huge trouble," an elder of the Qianxing Civilization said, shaking his head.
The Golden Sun Twin Kings possessed the ability of different bodies sharing one life, which was a very secret matter. Even within the Blazing Sun Civilization, very few knew about it.
So, under these circumstances, anyone would think Da Yang King was doomed.
Qianxing Tiannü’s brow furrowed slightly. Things had developed to this point in a way she had never anticipated. Now, she could no longer intervene.
"Why must it be this way?" Qianxing Tiannü sighed softly.
The Blazing Sun Civilization had completely fallen this time. The Heavenly Son was dead, and a large number of experts were suppressed. When word got out, they would surely be ridiculed by all sides.
Seeing that Xiao Yang King was about to disappear from sight, Zhang Ruochen made another move. He mobilized the space rules within him, condensing the power of space into a peerless sharp edge.
"Shiiing."
The peerless sharp edge slashed out, and a massive rift immediately appeared in the space ahead, unstoppable.
Even with vast sacred power blocking it, the peerless sharp edge still struck the golden sun that Da Yang King had become.
Immediately, the radiance of that golden sun dimmed considerably, and the powerful aura it emitted also weakened.
"Let this Emperor suppress you!" Xiao Hei stepped forward, gathering terrifying Undying Divine Fire to suppress the golden sun.
But at that moment, the golden sun once again burst forth with brilliant light, and its aura surged.
"Bam."
Before Xiao Hei could react, he was sent flying.
"No one can suppress this King! All of you, die!" Da Yang King’s cold voice rang out.
The golden sun spun rapidly, releasing a devastating power that could destroy heaven and earth, as if a Supreme Sacred Artifact had awakened.
"Boom, rumble."
A large area of surrounding space was once again shattered into pieces, unable to reform for a long time.
Then, like a meteor, the golden sun streaked across the sky, hurtling at extreme speed toward Zhang Ruochen and the others.
A terrifying aura of destruction emanated from the golden sun, making one’s scalp tingle.
"This madman is actually going to self-destruct!" Xiao Hei exclaimed, his eyes wide.
The stronger one was, the more they cherished their life. Self-destructing one’s sacred source left no room for retreat. Not many people had such courage.
With Da Yang King’s strength, the power of his self-destructing sacred source would be something even a Great Saint might not be able to withstand.
Faced with Da Yang King’s madness, even Xiao Hei felt a chill.
"Let’s join forces and block him!" Zhang Ruochen said in a deep voice.
There was no time to suppress Da Yang King now. They had to find a way to block him, or else they would be in big trouble.
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen mobilized the space rules, unleashing a space storm to envelop the golden sun.
At the same time, massive space rifts appeared, trying to swallow the golden sun.
Xiao Hei immediately began to rearrange the formation, not to attack Da Yang King, but for defense.
Dead Zen Ancestor and the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor naturally didn’t stand idly by. One activated the Divine Battle Corpse to launch a fearsome attack, while the other activated the Heavenly Mandate Talisman.
But even with Zhang Ruochen and the other three using various powerful techniques, they still couldn’t stop Da Yang King from self-destructing.
When he was still ten miles away from them, the golden sun that Da Yang King had become swelled violently, bursting forth with blinding golden light, and exploded with a bang.
"Boom."
A terrifying force of destruction was released, forming a golden storm that swept across all directions.
Even though True Dragon Island was extremely extraordinary, under the impact of this destructive storm, the earth and rock within hundreds of miles quickly crumbled, and a large area of ground rapidly sank.
"So ruthless! Da Yang King actually chose to self-destruct his sacred source!" The six elders of the Qianxing Civilization couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
Fortunately, they were far from that area and weren’t affected. Otherwise, it would have been an undeserved disaster.
Qianxing Tiannü’s gaze turned to the direction where Xiao Yang King had fled. Even with her Origin Divine Eye, she could no longer see his figure.
Regardless, Da Yang King’s goal had been achieved. Zhang Ruochen and the others could no longer pursue Xiao Yang King.
But the price paid for this was far too great.
After a long time, the terrifying destructive storm gradually subsided.
Inside the formation, Zhang Ruochen and the other three were all safe.
Of course, this was because the Annihilation Golden Sun and the Heavenly Mandate Talisman had taken the brunt of the impact. Otherwise, even Xiao Hei’s ninth-rank formation might not have been able to withstand it.
Looking at the devastated scene around them, Zhang Ruochen and the others were all somewhat stunned. The self-destruction of a top-tier Saint King was indeed terrifying.
"One dead, one escaped. All that effort for nothing." Xiao Hei pouted.
He was clearly dissatisfied with this outcome. He had originally planned to suppress both Golden Sun Twin Kings and seize their Golden Crow Ancient Cauldron.
But now, Da Yang King had self-destructed and died, and Xiao Yang King had fled without a trace. The plan had fallen through.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Even I underestimated Da Yang King. This man is ruthless enough to choose mutual destruction rather than be suppressed. He is truly a fearsome opponent."
Suddenly, Xiao Hei thought of something and quickly said, "Hurry up and take out the Five Elements Emperor Flower. Let this Emperor have a taste. It’s been a long time since I’ve eaten one. This Emperor misses the flavor of Eon Sacred Medicine."
Hearing this, a gleam of light flickered in the eyes of Dead Zen Ancestor and the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor.
Especially Dead Zen Ancestor, who had previously refined a petal and knew best the value of the Five Elements Emperor Flower.
The successful suppression of so many experts from the Blazing Sun Civilization was the result of everyone’s efforts. Zhang Ruochen had no intention of keeping all the benefits for himself.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen injected his sacred Qi into the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, allowing it to penetrate into the jungle small world.
Under the suppression of the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, no matter how great the abilities of these Blazing Sun Civilization experts were, they couldn’t cause any more trouble.
Soon, a five-colored sacred light flew out from the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, transforming into the Five Elements Saint King.
At this moment, the Five Elements Saint King’s power was completely sealed, and he had no strength to resist.
"What do you want to do?" The Five Elements Saint King’s eyes were full of vigilance.
Xiao Hei chuckled, "Eon Sacred Medicine, be obedient. Otherwise, this Emperor might accidentally eat your roots along with everything else."
Hearing this, the Five Elements Saint King showed a terrified expression. "You... you people are simply insane..."
Losing one or two petals wouldn’t have much of an impact.
But if all the petals were plucked, the Five Elements Saint King would revert to his original form, and it would take a hundred or a thousand years to recover.
Zhang Ruochen showed no pity in his eyes. He used his abilities to force the Five Elements Saint King back into his original form.
Seeing the beautiful Five Elements Emperor Flower before them, everyone’s eyes sparkled with brilliance.
This was an Eon Sacred Medicine. A single petal could increase one’s sacred dao rules by a million. If all the petals were refined, that would be twenty-five million sacred dao rules.
With that many sacred dao rules, a first-step Saint King could directly become a top-tier expert at the Heaven-Connecting Realm.
If it were a nine-step Saint King at the Rule Small World realm, they could leap to the Proximate Dao realm.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Ruochen plucked two flowers—one complete, and one missing a petal.
"Dead Zen, Corpse Emperor, thank you for your help this time. This is what you deserve."
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen handed out the two Five Elements Emperor Flowers.
The one missing a petal was given to Dead Zen Ancestor.
Dead Zen Ancestor said nothing and simply took it. The situation had been very dangerous this time, and they had nearly been ambushed by the Blazing Sun Civilization. He naturally couldn’t make more demands.
Having received the Five Elements Emperor Flowers, Dead Zen Ancestor and the Heavenly Mandate Corpse Emperor didn’t linger. They clearly wanted to find a place to refine them.
"Zhang Ruochen, what about mine?" Xiao Hei asked eagerly.
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "You don’t even need the Five Elements Emperor Flower. Refining it would just be a waste."
Hearing this, Xiao Hei became anxious. "No way! This Emperor fought tooth and nail. I must taste the Eon Sacred Medicine!"
Seeing Xiao Hei’s serious expression, Zhang Ruochen plucked a petal. "Here."
"Just one?" Xiao Hei was clearly unhappy.
Zhang Ruochen said irritably, "If you don’t want it, give it back."
Hearing this, Xiao Hei immediately stuffed the petal into his mouth, afraid that Zhang Ruochen would take it back.
Ignoring Xiao Hei, Zhang Ruochen looked at the remaining three Five Elements Emperor Flowers. There were fourteen leaves in total, which could increase his sacred dao rules by fourteen million. That was enough for him to break through to the Proximate Dao realm.
True Dragon Island was full of dangers, and there were too many powerful enemies to face. It was necessary to increase his strength a bit.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen plucked a petal and put it directly into his mouth. At the same time, he activated the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture* and began to refine it.
The medicinal effect of the Five Elements Emperor Flower was very gentle, making it easy to refine.
Just like Dead Zen Ancestor earlier, he had smoothly refined a petal in a very short time.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen completely refined the petal. The Heavenly River expanded further, and the sacred dao rules within it increased by a full million.
"As expected of an Eon Sacred Medicine. Now the sacred dao rules in the Heavenly River have reached twenty-two million. As long as I refine eight more petals, I can break through to the Proximate Dao realm." A look of eager anticipation appeared in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes.
Without hesitation, Zhang Ruochen plucked eight petals and swallowed them in one go.
His physical body was strong enough to withstand the medicinal effect of eight petals.
"Xiao Hei, guard me."
Leaving these words, Zhang Ruochen sat down cross-legged.
He would now devote himself entirely to cultivation, hoping to break through to the Proximate Dao realm in one go.
(End of this chapter)