Chapter 2150: Might Overwhelms the World
Within the Heavenly Music Palace, the evil spirit released a surge of divine power, enveloping Gu Xin'ao's body. Immediately, a white token flew out, bearing ten sword patterns—it was the Ten Sword Token taken from Xue Wuye.
Then, the evil spirit turned its gaze to the Sword God Realm cultivators and said coldly, "You obstructed law enforcement and deserve punishment. All of you will go guard the city gates to atone for your faults."
Hearing these words, the Sword God Realm cultivators felt both indignation and a secret sigh of relief. Regardless, they had at least preserved their lives and avoided the same fate as Gu Xin'ao.
The evil spirit raised its head and spoke in an immensely deep voice, "Gu Xin'ao violated the realm rules and has now been executed. Let cultivators from all realms take this as a warning and not repeat the same mistake."
As the saying goes, a single stone can stir a thousand ripples. Once the evil spirit's voice spread, the entire imperial capital was immediately shaken, like a great storm.
Many cultivators felt their hearts tighten. Even the leader of the Sword God Realm had been slain. If they too violated the realm rules Zhang Ruochen had established, would they have any way out?
Without a doubt, the effect of killing the chicken to scare the monkey was evident, truly intimidating quite a number of people.
It was foreseeable that the news of Gu Xin'ao's death would spread to all realms at an astonishing speed, causing who knew what kind of uproar. Many deities would likely be unable to sit still.
On an ancient street, a burly man over ten feet tall suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze locked onto the blood-sealed sacred decree in the sky.
"Hmph, Zhang Ruochen really thinks he's above the heavens. With just a single sacred decree, he wants to bind all cultivators from myriad realms? Does he truly believe he's invincible under heaven?" The burly man snorted heavily.
As he spoke, the burly man's large hand transformed into a claw, and he suddenly swung it out.
"Crack."
Five claw marks, tens of thousands of feet long, appeared, tearing through space and instantly arriving at the location of the blood-sealed sacred decree.
"How dare you!"
The evil spirit let out a furious roar.
Just as it was about to intervene, a surge of spiritual power transmitted into its mind.
A dazzling sword light slashed out from the Violet Micro Imperial Palace, arriving after the fact but striking first, meeting the sharp claw marks.
"Crack."
At the moment of contact, the five claw marks shattered directly.
The sword light remained undamaged, splitting the void and slashing toward the source of the claw marks.
The burly man's pupils contracted. He quickly swung his claw to block the incoming sword light.
A vast number of sacred dao rules emerged, centering around him, as the rules and sacred qi of heaven and earth frantically converged.
The sword light was indestructible, cutting straight through all obstacles.
"Pfft."
The burly man's defense was broken, and fresh red blood sprayed out.
"So strong." The burly man was shocked.
On a lake over a hundred miles away from the burly man, a small boat floated quietly. Inside the boat sat a handsome man like a banished immortal, playing a jade zither.
Suddenly, the handsome man emitted a sharp aura. With a wave of his hand, a mysterious sound wave flew out.
The sound wave undulated, formless by nature, but at this moment, it transformed into a tangible fierce tiger, roaring as it pounced toward the blood-sealed sacred decree.
At the same time, by a clear river, an ordinary-looking man fishing flicked his fishing rod, releasing a fishing line thousands of feet long.
The line was extremely thin, nearly invisible to the naked eye, but it was incredibly sharp, cutting a long rift through space with unstoppable force.
A peerlessly elegant goddess also made her move. With a raise of her hand, a divine flame flew out, igniting the sacred qi of heaven and earth, turning a vast expanse of the sky fiery red, as if to burn everything.
...
...
Within the Violet Micro Imperial Palace, Zhang Ruochen stood before the Purple Chen Hall, his gaze fixed on the direction of the Heavenly Music Palace.
He had clearly sensed the auras of multiple top-tier powerhouses, all with the same target—they all wanted to destroy his blood-sealed sacred decree.
Clearly, these powerhouses did not recognize the realm rules he had established and sought to forcibly destroy them.
Every one of those who acted was a pinnacle expert at the first level below Great Saint, renowned in both the Heavenly Court Realm and the Hell Realm.
Only they dared to challenge Zhang Ruochen's authority at this moment.
"Come then."
A gleam flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He raised his hand, and nearly a million space rules all emerged, merging into the space.
Instantly, above the blood-sealed sacred decree, a massive hand appeared, halfway between reality and illusion, carrying the power to crush everything, pressing down from the sky.
No matter how powerful those attacks were, they were all forced back.
"How is this possible?"
Those who had acted all showed expressions of shock.
Involuntarily, they no longer held back, releasing their sacred qi to the utmost, pushing their attacks to their peak.
The space hand Zhang Ruochen had condensed aligned with the blood-sealed sacred decree, fully controlling a vast expanse of space.
"Boom."
With the blood-sealed sacred decree at the center, a space several thousand feet in radius collapsed instantly, returning to annihilation.
The fierce tiger formed from the zither's sound exploded into pieces.
The fishing line snapped inch by inch.
The sea of divine flames also extinguished rapidly.
...
With Zhang Ruochen's current mastery of the Way of Space, executing the second level of "Space Annihilation," its power was enough to make even Immortal Great Saints retreat.
Not only that, the powerful destructive force, transmitted through space, struck all the powerhouses who had acted.
"Pfft."
Under this impact, nearly half of the powerhouses were injured, spitting out large mouthfuls of blood, with a hint of terror appearing in their eyes.
"Compared to the Luo Water battle, Zhang Ruochen's strength has actually increased tremendously. What's going on? Could it be that even Yan Wushen has been left behind by him?"
Originally, they had thought that Zhang Ruochen's victory over Yan Wushen at Luo Water meant his strength had reached its limit. They never expected he could still improve.
As fellow pinnacle experts at the first level below Great Saint, the gap in strength was so vast—it was truly hard to accept.
Within the Violet Micro Imperial Palace, Zhang Ruochen manifested the Immovable Wisdom King Saintly Form, towering a thousand miles high, standing tall between heaven and earth like a god descending, overlooking the entire imperial capital.
"If anyone is dissatisfied, they may make a move, but bear the consequences." Zhang Ruochen's voice rang out, echoing through the imperial capital and clearly reaching everyone's ears.
Anyone could hear the strong threat in his words.
The first-level powerhouses had all been defeated, unable to destroy the sacred decree, and even injured in the long-range clash.
Who would still dare to act?
For a moment, the entire world fell silent, devoid of sound.
At this time, Gai Tianjiao and the others looked at Zhang Ruochen with completely different eyes. In their view, Zhang Ruochen's figure had become immensely majestic, something to be looked up to.
Once, they had been the most top-tier geniuses of their era, but now, they had been left far behind by Zhang Ruochen.
The achievements Zhang Ruochen had reached in the Saint King Realm were something they could never hope to attain, even if they spent another thousand years.
Chi Wansui's expression was the most complex. He shared a blood feud of clan annihilation with Zhang Ruochen and had once desperately wanted to kill him, even manipulating Chi Kunlun and Chi Kongle to act.
Even now, he had not forgotten the hatred, but he understood that revenge was no longer possible. The gap between him and Zhang Ruochen was like heaven and earth.
At the same time, Chi Wansui knew very well Zhang Ruochen's immense significance to the Kunlun Realm.
Back then, when the Kunlun Realm attacked the Xumi Dojo, they fell into a trap set by the Paradise Realm and nearly suffered total annihilation. It was all thanks to Zhang Ruochen turning the tide.
And now, with internal and external troubles in the Kunlun Realm, it was again Zhang Ruochen holding up the scene, using his own strength to suppress the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms and the Hell Realm.
For the current Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen was like a stabilizing pillar, absolutely indispensable.
"This is Zhang Ruochen's true strength."
Zhou Zhen's heart sank to the bottom.
He was right below the blood-sealed sacred decree and had the most genuine perception of the power clash just now.
The overwhelming strength Zhang Ruochen displayed made him feel suffocated, almost robbing him of the courage to resist.
"Whoosh."
A massive ancient demon flood dragon suddenly appeared outside the Violet Micro Imperial Palace, emitting extremely powerful demonic aura.
On the head of the ancient demon flood dragon stood a refined middle-aged man, wearing a five-element dao robe, with a daoist topknot, holding a whisk, and exuding the aura of daoist non-action.
He was none other than Lu Baiming, the most outstanding formation genius of the Five Elements Temple in the current era.
"Senior Brother Lu, long time no see."
Zhang Ruochen appeared out of thin air, greeting Lu Baiming with a smile.
From their encounter in the Northern Domain, Zhang Ruochen had a very good impression of Lu Baiming and greatly admired his formation skills.
Lu Baiming's spiritual power was extremely strong. Even with Zhang Ruochen using the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler to refine his own spiritual power to the utmost, he still couldn't see through him.
Among those Zhang Ruochen had met, perhaps only the Flower Fairy Ji Fanxin could compare to Lu Baiming in spiritual power at the same level.
With such powerful spiritual power, Zhang Ruochen wondered if Lu Baiming had already reached the second level of Formation Earth Master.
Generally speaking, becoming a Mountain and River Master was already the limit for the Saint King Realm, but as a formation genius rarely seen in ten thousand years, Lu Baiming might break this barrier and become a Sea and Land King.
Lu Baiming showed a warm smile and said, "Since our parting in the Northern Domain, in such a short time, Brother Zhang has grown to this level, truly surprising me. The Heir of Time and Space truly cannot be judged by common standards."
"Senior Brother Lu flatters me. You didn't come here just to offer a few compliments, did you?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen so direct, Lu Baiming didn't waste words and said, "I came to ask you to show leniency toward Zhou Zhen. Don't touch him at this time."
"Why?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lu Baiming moved and appeared before Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Zhou Zhen is the object of the Formation Destruction Palace's full cultivation, with the potential to become a Formation Heavenly Master. As the sacred land of the formation master lineage, the Formation Destruction Palace has immense power, and few are willing to provoke it."
"Of course, you might not care about that, but Zhou Zhen came this time on orders from the Heavenly Palace. If you kill him, it would be equivalent to opposing the Heavenly Palace. The consequences of that are unbearable even for gods."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. Zhou Zhen had been so close to Gu Xin'ao. Even if he wasn't a member of the Paradise Realm faction, he must have deep ties with them. Zhang Ruochen had indeed considered taking the opportunity to eliminate him.
But hearing what Lu Baiming said, Zhou Zhen was indeed a troublesome figure.
"Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother Lu. I know my limits."
Zhang Ruochen understood that Lu Baiming must have recognized the seriousness of the matter and feared he might kill Zhou Zhen to establish his authority, so he had personally come to the Violet Micro Imperial Palace.
This was likely also the stance of the Five Elements Temple.
Zhang Ruochen's sacred decree had too great an influence. Even the upper echelons were probably unable to sit still, afraid he might be too radical and trigger unforeseen consequences.
Lu Baiming said, "A law enforcement team from the Heavenly Palace has already arrived in the imperial capital, led by 'Heavenly Fiend Young Master' Jin Hong. You should be careful and try not to conflict with them."
"As long as they don't come looking for trouble, I naturally won't provoke them." Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
So what if it was a Heavenly Palace law enforcement team?
It wasn't enough to intimidate him.
Lu Baiming knew Zhang Ruochen was also a smart person, not reckless, so he didn't say more.
"Senior Brother Lu, you must have just arrived in the Central Imperial Capital, right? Let me call a few friends to welcome you." Zhang Ruochen said.
Lu Baiming waved his hand and said, "No need to trouble yourself. I've already made an appointment with several Formation Earth Masters to discuss ways to deal with the ten Formation Earth Masters from the Hell Realm. I can't afford to delay."
"Besides, I want to meet those formation geniuses from the Hell Realm who are invincible in attack sooner."
Clearly, Lu Baiming was excited by the challenge. With his formation skills, only those few from the Hell Realm at the same level could spark his interest.
After chatting a bit more, Lu Baiming took his leave, appearing quite eager.
In the Heavenly Music Palace, Zhou Zhen appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was in turmoil. Gu Xin'ao had died right before his eyes, and he didn't know what his own fate would be.
He had done his utmost to push the ninth-rank formation to its limit, protecting himself, but he knew in his heart that if Zhang Ruochen truly wanted to deal with him, no formation would be of use.
Just as Zhou Zhen was growing anxious, a giant hand tens of thousands of feet long suddenly appeared above the Heavenly Music Palace, reaching down directly.
"Not good."
Zhou Zhen's mind shook violently. He immediately activated the formation to resist, disregarding everything.
But his resistance was futile. The giant hand easily pierced through the formation and grabbed him.
Seeing this, the cultivators gathered around the Heavenly Music Palace all showed shock.
They all knew this was Zhang Ruochen making his move.
"Zhang Ruochen has actually taken Zhou Zhen away. What does he intend to do?"
"Zhou Zhen is a Formation Earth Master cultivated by the Formation Destruction Palace, with a very special status. Does Zhang Ruochen dare to lay a hand on him?"
"Is there anything Zhang Ruochen doesn't dare to do? He killed the leader of the Space Divine Temple, the leader of the Merit Divine Temple, the Son of Heaven of the Blazing Sun Civilization, and just now, the leader of the Sword God Realm. Zhou Zhen is likely in danger this time!"
...
In many people's view, since Zhou Zhen had been taken by Zhang Ruochen, his life was probably in jeopardy.
"Bang."
In the Violet Micro Imperial Palace, Zhou Zhen fell from the sky, landing quite awkwardly on the ground.
"Zhang... Zhang Ruochen."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, Zhou Zhen's pupils involuntarily contracted.
At this moment, the person he least wanted to face was undoubtedly Zhang Ruochen.
After all, few who fell into Zhang Ruochen's hands had a good ending.
Zhang Ruochen stood before Zhou Zhen and said calmly, "Someone came to me just now, asking me to spare your life. What do you think—should I spare you or not?"
Hearing this, Zhou Zhen's expression shifted slightly, secretly wondering who had intervened.
At the same time, Zhou Zhen was shocked. Zhang Ruochen had truly intended to kill him, showing no restraint at all.
"You should know why Gu Xin'ao was killed, right?"
"Tell me, what was Gu Xin'ao's real purpose in targeting Xue Wuye? I don't believe it was just for a mere sword attendant, or just to kill a realm son of the Kunlun Realm. As the leader of the Sword God Realm, would he do something so beneath his status?"
Zhang Ruochen looked straight at Zhou Zhen, speaking unhurriedly.
As he spoke, an invisible pressure was released, enveloping Zhou Zhen.
Zhou Zhen's mind trembled, as if a divine mountain was pressing down on him. His knees bent slightly, almost involuntarily dropping to the ground.
This was not just a suppression of sacred power but an assault on his spiritual will.
As a Formation Earth Master, Zhou Zhen's spiritual will was already extremely strong, surpassing even many Immortal Great Saints.
But compared to Zhang Ruochen, it was still lacking.
Gritting his teeth against the immense pressure, Zhou Zhen thought to himself, "It seems Zhang Ruochen doesn't yet know the special nature of the Kunlun Realm realm sons. These realm sons have all eaten the peaches from the peach tree, which are true divine fruits. With their current strength, they can't fully refine them. Their sacred blood still contains the aura of the peach tree, which can be used to locate the tree's approximate position."
"After this incident, obtaining the realm sons' sacred blood will become very difficult. I must not let Zhang Ruochen know this secret."
Because this matter was so important, Gu Xin'ao had acted personally, even using the seizure of the Ten Sword Token as a cover.
But no one expected Zhang Ruochen to intervene, costing Gu Xin'ao his life for nothing.
His thoughts racing, Zhou Zhen spoke with difficulty, "I don't know exactly what Gu Xin'ao intended. I only heard him say he was very interested in the 'Wordless Sword Manual' and wanted to glimpse its mysteries through the 'Flying Immortal Sword Art' of the Ten Thousand Fragrance City."
Zhang Ruochen took three steps forward, closing in on Zhou Zhen, and said, "Do you think I'm easy to fool? Two paths lie before you now: one to life, one to death. If you want to live, answer my questions honestly, with no concealment. If you want to die, I can grant that wish right now."
Hearing this, Zhou Zhen involuntarily stepped back. Of course, he wanted to live, but there were some things he absolutely could not tell Zhang Ruochen.
...()
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