Chapter 2088: Space Annihilation
Inside the dim tunnel, the Star Radiance Sacred Chariot lay toppled over, its surface covered in cracks, its luster completely dimmed.
Not far from the Star Radiance Sacred Chariot, Zhang Ruochen sat leaning against the stone wall, his aura extremely weak, surrounded by a pool of blood.
The final attack launched by those divine power monsters was truly terrifying. Although he had used various means to defend himself, he had still suffered severe injuries.
If he were to take off the Flame God Armor, one would find that Zhang Ruochen's body was covered in wounds, and the power of four Eternal Paths was constantly eroding his physical body.
If it had been anyone else, they would have long since been unable to hold on, unable to preserve their physical body, and even their Sacred Soul would have perished.
Zhang Ruochen was different. He had cultivated three Eternal Paths—Time, Space, and Truth—and possessed the Five Elements Chaos Body, giving him extremely strong resistance.
"Chi."
As his cultivation technique circulated, using the three Eternal Paths, Zhang Ruochen was able to quickly expel the terrifying power that had invaded his body one by one.
Although the Divine Sun formed by the "Sun Leaf" of the Seven Star Divine Ling would continuously release essence to repair his injured body, Zhang Ruochen still swallowed a healing Sacred Pill to speed up his recovery.
Having eliminated many powerful enemies, Zhang Ruochen had obtained a great number of treasures, naturally including various high-grade Sacred Pills, with many Heaven-grade Sacred Pills among them.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was healing, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden walked out of the Star Radiance Sacred Chariot. Although she was also injured, she was clearly not as badly hurt as Zhang Ruochen.
At the final moment, although the Star Radiance Sacred Chariot was half-destroyed, it had still blocked most of the attacks.
"Shua."
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, his gaze locking onto the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, a hint of vigilance in his eyes.
"Zhang Ruochen, how are you?" the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden asked as she approached.
Zhang Ruochen slowly stood up, coughed lightly, and said, "Not bad. I won't die."
"It seems our luck isn't too bad. We've managed to avoid those monsters for now. I wonder what's inside here that makes those monsters afraid to come in," the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden said, a deep look of confusion in her eyes.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen did not show any joy. Instead, his expression became grave. Even the monsters dared not approach—the tunnel they were in was probably not a safe place.
But given the situation earlier, if they hadn't entered this tunnel, they would likely have been torn to pieces by those hundred-plus monsters.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Although they didn't come in, we haven't escaped either. This tunnel can only serve as a temporary refuge. When a large amount of divine power surges in from outside again, we might not be able to withstand it."
"Doesn't that mean no matter how hard we struggle, we'll end up dead?" the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden said.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were resolute. "While it's still relatively safe, we should improve our cultivation as much as possible. Every bit of strength we gain increases our chances of surviving and escaping danger. I will never give up hope."
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen took out many Sacred Pills and Sacred Medicines, all of the highest quality, each one enough to make a Saint King's eyes burn.
Finally, he also took out the Five Elements Emperor Flower, which had only one flower left.
In fact, the large pile of Sacred Pills and Sacred Medicines was meant to pave the way for refining the Five Elements Emperor Flower.
It couldn't be helped. Zhang Ruochen's Minor Dao rules were too few. If he added another five million Dao and Supreme Sacred Dao rules, the Minor Dao rules would account for less than twenty percent of the total, and the Heavenly River would inevitably collapse.
These Sacred Pills and Sacred Medicines mostly increased Minor Dao rules, along with a very small number of Dao rules. In the past, he naturally wouldn't have been willing to do this, as starting with Minor Dao rules would severely affect his cultivation speed and future achievements.
But now it was different. He urgently needed to increase some Minor Dao rules; otherwise, his cultivation wouldn't be able to advance.
"My cultivation has been stuck at the peak of the Dao Domain Realm for a while. I need to find a way to break through. Otherwise, the gap between me and this guy will only grow larger. I can't lose to him."
Inspired by Zhang Ruochen's "never give up" attitude, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden also took out a large pile of Sacred Pills and Sacred Medicines to enhance her cultivation.
As the Celestial Maiden of the Thousand Star Civilization, she naturally wouldn't lack treasures to improve her cultivation.
She hadn't used them before due to some concerns, but now that life and death were at stake, how could she care about that?
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, then flipped his hand and took out the Sundial. This item was a sharp tool for his cultivation, and now was undoubtedly the time for it to play its role.
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden looked at the patterns on the Sundial and felt its ancient aura. A look of doubt appeared in her eyes, and then, as if realizing something, her beautiful eyes widened. "Eh? Is this the legendary... time treasure, the Sundial?"
Zhang Ruochen wasn't surprised that the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden recognized the Sundial. After all, Xumi Saint Monk had a deep friendship with the Thousand Star Civilization. Even if the Thousand Star Civilization didn't have a replica, they would certainly have a picture of the Sundial.
The next moment, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden showed a look of sudden understanding and smiled softly. "No wonder your cultivation and strength have advanced by leaps and bounds since you returned to the Kunlun Realm. So you got the Sundial. You dare to reveal this treasure in front of me. Aren't you afraid I'll take it?"
"Then why don't you think about how long you have left to live? If I kill you here, even if the Heavenly Lord of the Thousand Star Civilization has divine powers, he won't be able to deduce that I did it, right?" Zhang Ruochen said coldly.
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's face instantly turned pale, but then she smiled again. "If you wanted to kill me, why did you save me earlier? Could it be that you've fallen in love with me but are too shy to admit it? I've been wondering why you forced me to write that marriage contract. Is it because you want to marry me but can't say it directly, so you use such a lowly method?"
"You're too narcissistic. Even the fairies on the 'Nine Immortal Beauties Painting' might not catch my eye," Zhang Ruochen said.
Hearing this, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden was quite annoyed. "What do you mean by that? It feels like you're implying something. Am I inferior to them? Zhang Ruochen, you'd better make yourself clear. In terms of beauty, cultivation, status, and intelligence, which point am I lacking compared to them?"
"You're being unreasonable."
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to argue with her. Experience had taught him that arguing with a woman was a waste of time. He embedded a Divine Stone into the Sundial, activating the time power within it.
Then, without further delay, he grabbed a handful of Earth-grade Sacred Pills and fed them into his mouth like candy beans.
Seeing this, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's eyes widened. She had never seen anyone swallow pills like Zhang Ruochen. Those were Earth-grade Sacred Pills, with powerful medicinal properties that were not easy to refine.
"What a monster."
Muttering softly, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden also took a Sacred Pill.
Her physical body wasn't as strong as Zhang Ruochen's, so she had to proceed step by step, slowly refining and absorbing.
The Sundial covered an area of two hundred zhang, and it was clear that the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden was also benefiting from the time power. Zhang Ruochen only wanted to improve his strength as quickly as possible and didn't mind her taking advantage.
The tunnel was extremely quiet, and no more divine power surged in from outside, providing an excellent cultivation environment for Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden.
The "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" circulated, and pills were quickly refined. The powerful medicinal properties mostly merged into the Heavenly River, giving rise to Sacred Dao rules, while a small part integrated into his flesh, bones, and tendons, strengthening his physical body.
To meet the requirements for refining the Five Elements Emperor Flower, Zhang Ruochen refined hundreds of Earth-grade and Heaven-grade Sacred Pills, along with a large pile of high-grade Sacred Medicines.
As a result, the Minor Dao rules in the Heavenly River increased by over six hundred thousand, bringing the total to more than seven million.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Ruochen put all five petals of the Five Elements Emperor Flower into his mouth.
In comparison, refining the Five Elements Emperor Flower was much easier and carried no risk.
Poor Five Elements Saint King—he didn't even have a single flower left and had been reduced to his original form. Without a great opportunity, it would take him hundreds or even thousands of years to recover.
Zhang Ruochen felt no pity for him. He had only taken the petals, not refined the entire flower, which was already very merciful.
"Rumble."
Powerful blood energy surged out of Zhang Ruochen's body, manifesting astonishing phenomena.
As his cultivation improved, his injuries also healed, and his spirit, energy, and mind reached a new peak.
The Heavenly River expanded further, containing thirty-five million seven hundred thousand Sacred Dao rules, each one solid and real, like orderly chains.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly feel that his strength had increased significantly.
In terms of the number of Sacred Dao rules, he indeed couldn't compare to many top-tier experts at the Approach Dao Realm, but in terms of quality, few could surpass him.
Twenty-eight million Sacred Dao rules cultivated from Enlightenment Dao, Supreme Sacred Dao, and Eternal Paths—this was an astonishing number. Many top experts with a total of sixty to seventy million Sacred Dao rules couldn't compare.
After all, as cultivation progressed, the proportion of Minor Dao rules would only increase, rarely falling below fifty percent.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen felt a powerful aura erupt beside him. He opened his eyes and turned to look at the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden.
"It seems this danger has been very beneficial to her. Her state of mind has improved a lot, and she was able to break through the bottleneck in one go."
Zhang Ruochen stared at the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's jade-like face. Every inch of her skin was like immortal crystal and divine stone, her features delicate and beautiful, without any flaws.
He had to admit that she indeed had the qualifications to compete with the nine fairies on the "Nine Immortal Beauties Painting." Coupled with her status as a Source Controller, she even surpassed those fairies.
Unfortunately, the flaw in her state of mind would be her greatest challenge.
In his mind, he couldn't help but think of the marriage contract. Zhang Ruochen suddenly felt that what he had done might indeed have been inappropriate. He shouldn't have threatened her in that way.
Thinking carefully, aside from the irreconcilable conflict over the Truth Esoterica, there was no enmity between him and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden. In fact, she had helped him more.
Under immense pressure, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden finally broke through her cultivation and successfully entered the Heaven-Connecting Realm, able to draw in the primordial energy of heaven and earth to prepare for forging an immortal sacred body.
Not long after, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden stabilized her cultivation.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly. "Congratulations on reaching the Heaven-Connecting Realm."
In other circumstances, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden would have been very happy, but now she couldn't smile at all. She rolled her eyes. "What good is the Heaven-Connecting Realm? I still can't beat those monsters."
"Be optimistic. At least we're still alive, right?" Zhang Ruochen comforted her.
Hearing this, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden couldn't help but look deeply at Zhang Ruochen. Many times, she felt she couldn't see through him at all.
For some reason, hearing Zhang Ruochen's words made her heart feel more settled, giving her an inexplicable sense of security.
"Yu Chenjing, what are you thinking? If it weren't for this annoying guy, you wouldn't be in such a miserable state. Yes, it's all his fault," the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden thought to herself.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Let's continue cultivating. While it's calm, we can refine the divine power crystals we've collected."
Those divine power crystals were deeply connected to this place. Refining them might yield unexpected gains.
A glint flashed in the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's eyes, and she immediately reacted. She had nearly two hundred pieces of Source Divine Power Crystals on her.
If she refined them all, her Source Path would surely improve greatly.
And as her understanding of the Source Path deepened, she might find a way out.
Whether it would work or not, she had to try.
Immediately, both of them took out the divine power crystals they had obtained and began to refine them.
Zhang Ruochen had relatively fewer divine power crystals, but he had one very special one, obtained from killing a divine power monster. Its effect should be better.
Refining divine power crystals wasn't too difficult, but extracting the essence of the Eternal Paths from them was no easy task.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden were controllers of Eternal Paths and both possessed the Truth Esoterica, which gave them a huge advantage.
As time passed, their understanding of the Eternal Paths deepened, and they cultivated more rules of the Eternal Paths.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly feel that using divine power crystals to comprehend the Way of Space was more effective than using the divine power left by Xumi Saint Monk in the Space-Time Secret Scripture.
The reason was that the divine power left by Xumi Saint Monk contained the Ways of Space and Time, which were too profound, while the Way of Space contained in the divine power crystals was much simpler.
However, divine power crystals were consumables, and each one used was one less.
Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen had only obtained Space Divine Power Crystals, not Time Divine Power Crystals, so he couldn't improve both simultaneously.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening. "The space vibrations are getting stronger. Soon, a large amount of divine power will surge in from outside again."
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden immediately opened her eyes and pondered. "If all the remaining divine power from outside can be absorbed in, perhaps the seals here will automatically disappear, and we'll have a chance to escape."
"That's a good idea, but the prerequisite is that we can withstand the repeated impacts of divine power. There are no monsters in this tunnel, but it's the one that receives the most divine power. Get ready to tough it out." Zhang Ruochen's expression grew more serious.
Now, they had two choices: either endure the divine power impacts or go out and fight those monsters again.
Although both of them had improved significantly in cultivation and strength, if they went out, the result probably wouldn't be good.
"You are the controller of Time and Space, and I am the Source Controller. The divine power gathered here covers three attributes, leaving only Dark Divine Power. If we join forces, we might be able to withstand it," the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden said.
In this situation, only sincere cooperation could give them a chance to survive.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Ruochen put away the Sundial and took out the Space-Time Secret Scripture, summoning the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror.
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, in turn, took out the Source Pearl. This item could be used for both defense and attack, with functions similar to the Space-Time Secret Scripture.
Feeling the increasingly intense space vibrations, the two pressed themselves against the wall, placing themselves within a multi-dimensional space.
"Rumble."
Divine power began to surge in from outside, and as before, most of it flowed into the tunnel where Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden were.
Zhang Ruochen was responsible for using Time and Space techniques to guide the Time Divine Power and Space Divine Power.
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, meanwhile, used Source Secret Arts to repel the Source Divine Power.
As for the Dark Divine Power, they had to deal with it together, as they couldn't be immune to it.
"Source Separation."
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden pointed a finger, and an invisible Source power surged out, penetrating a large mass of Dark Divine Power.
"Buzz."
That mass of Dark Divine Power immediately vibrated and was instantly split into dozens of smaller masses of Dark Divine Power.
After all, this Dark Divine Power was left over from the battles of gods a hundred thousand years ago. It lacked agility, and its power had diminished to less than a tenth. As long as one could see through its essence, there was a way to break it.
Clearly, after refining a large number of Source Divine Power Crystals, the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's mastery of the Source Path had become increasingly profound and unfathomable. Even her Source Divine Eye had become more mysterious, allowing her to see the source of all things.
"Space Annihilation."
Zhang Ruochen extended one hand and suddenly clenched it.
"Rumble."
Several zhang of space shattered, then completely annihilated, turning into nothingness.
The dozens of Dark Divine Powers that had just been dismantled by the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden also vanished along with it, leaving no trace.
Space Annihilation was an extremely profound and mysterious Space Secret Art, usually only cultivatable by Space cultivators at the Great Saint Realm. It was divided into three levels. Zhang Ruochen had only just cultivated the first level, but the power it could unleash was terrifying.
Due to the strong space suppression here, it wasn't very apparent, but if used outside, this technique could easily annihilate space for a hundred li, turning everything to ash.
Top experts at the level of Mo Sheng or Zhou Yu would be severely injured if hit by this move.
Time was too short. Zhang Ruochen had only refined a little over twenty divine power crystals, but the benefits he gained were enormous. His Space Rules increased by over ten thousand, and more importantly, he had gained a deep understanding of the Way of Space.
Without this, he wouldn't have been able to cultivate the first level of Space Annihilation so quickly.
If he could refine more divine power crystals, his understanding of the Way of Space would deepen further, and the first level of Space Annihilation might reach great perfection. When used then, even top-tier experts below the Great Saint level would find it hard to bear.
Both Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden were highly intelligent. Their techniques complemented each other, and their powers amplified each other. As time passed, their cooperation became more and more tacit, without the need for words to understand each other's intentions, as if they could communicate telepathically.
Even they found this state quite strange. After all, they were enemies, not friends, yet they could fully trust each other and cooperate so seamlessly.
If someone who didn't know them were to take out the marriage contract and show it to a random cultivator, that cultivator would absolutely believe in their relationship.
Relying on their tacit cooperation, they avoided many terrifying divine power impacts, allowing their tense minds to relax a little.
"Maybe we really do have a chance to walk out of here alive," the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden suddenly thought.
She couldn't help but turn her head to look at the figure beside her. That guy was still calm and composed, like a peerless grandmaster. Yet, his body exuded an unyielding and domineering aura, as if it contained the will of an emperor.
"Zhang Ruochen has truly grown up. In terms of cultivation, state of mind, and willpower, perhaps a man like him can be called a pillar of heaven and earth."
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden thought of the things Zhang Ruochen had done since returning to the Kunlun Realm. On the surface, he seemed to be fighting on all fronts and killing countless enemies, but who knew the dangers involved? He was desperately propping up a great world that was destined to be destroyed, fighting against fate. If that wasn't being a pillar of heaven and earth, what was?
"What are you looking at?" Zhang Ruochen turned his gaze and met her eyes.
The Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's heartbeat inexplicably quickened. She avoided his gaze as if dodging, quickly adjusting her emotions.
"Roar."
Just then, a deafening beast roar came from the depths of the tunnel.
"Not good. There are monsters in here too."
Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden's expressions changed simultaneously.
The next moment, a terrifying suction force appeared from the depths of the tunnel, directly pulling the two of them.
This force was too powerful. The two were completely unable to resist, and their bodies involuntarily flew toward the depths of the tunnel.
Not only Zhang Ruochen and the Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, but even some of the divine power monsters guarding outside the tunnel were in trouble. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen divine power monsters were sucked into the tunnel, struggling in vain.
...
Another chapter of nearly six thousand words. Now, writing the old book and the new book every day, I'm almost in tears. Please give some votes and also support the new book "The Legend of the Heavenly Emperor."
(Chapter End)