Chapter 2158: Unresolved Outcome
The Yin-Yang Taiji pattern rotated slowly, releasing an extremely terrifying sword intent that enveloped the entire starry sky small world, tightly locking onto Yan Wushen's aura.
Zhang Ruochen's own momentum surged steadily as he infused his sword intent and a million Sword Dao rules into the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern, aiming to unleash the maximum power of the Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation.
Yin Yuanchen breathed a quiet sigh of relief and murmured, "So Brother Zhang still had such a trump card. Now that the spatial seal is broken, there is hope of keeping Yan Wushen here."
In his mind, the experts within the Imperial City must have already sensed the commotion here. No matter how strong Yan Wushen was, he could not possibly contend with the many powerful figures of the Heavenly Court faction.
"Is that Empress Chi Yao's Blood Drop Sword? A decent sword formation," Yan Wushen remarked, his gaze turning serious.
Zhang Ruochen's aura had completely merged with the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern, as if they had become one entity, allowing the sword formation to move according to his will.
Having cultivated Sword Ten, Zhang Ruochen's understanding of the Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation had deepened significantly. In particular, his comprehension of the sixth level enabled the sword formation to undergo indescribable transformations.
"Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword, seize life and death, seize creation."
Zhang Ruochen's hand pressed down sharply.
"Swish—"
The Yin-Yang Taiji pattern trembled violently as a sword light that seemed to split heaven and earth descended with overwhelming force.
Yan Wushen snorted lightly. The "Death Heavenly Scripture" above his head flipped open, releasing a vast amount of terrifying Profound Light that surged to meet the sword beams.
One sword beam shattered the Profound Light.
The sword light directly collided with the "Death Heavenly Scripture," sending Yan Wushen hurtling through the air and crashing to the ground.
Unfortunately, it failed to break through the scripture.
Yan Wushen let out a furious roar, activating his Supreme Sacred Artifact-level fist gloves and mobilizing a million Fist Dao rules to unleash an overwhelmingly domineering fist technique.
A massive fist imprint blasted forth, filling the entire world as if it could pierce through the entire starry river and universe, with no power capable of stopping it.
"Boom."
The fist imprint struck the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern directly, releasing its unmatched power without reservation.
Even though this space was still in a semi-sealed state, the space around the fist imprint shattered into countless fragments that danced wildly.
Yet no matter how it impacted, the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern remained incredibly stable, showing no signs of collapsing. Instead, it slowly ground away the power contained within the fist imprint.
Even the shattered space was suppressed and restored to its original state.
"Yan Wushen, is this all the power you have?" Zhang Ruochen spread his hands, one controlling time and the other grasping space, while the twin swords representing life and death circled around him.
"We're far from done."
A towering figure stepped out from the "Death Heavenly Scripture," radiating vast divine might. Life-Death Profound Light swirled behind them, coalescing into a wheel of black and white. The power of life and death transformed endlessly, with both forces firmly under control.
Both of them wielded life and death.
However, the figure that emerged from the "Death Heavenly Scripture" was not a true body, but merely a mark left by a deity from ages past, now manifesting.
That deity was immensely powerful, having once cultivated the Mixed Yuan Hell Yama Qi, dominating the world and leaving behind a fearsome reputation.
Though just a mark, it was lifelike, as if the true body had crossed the River of Time from an incredibly distant era to descend upon the present.
The towering figure's gaze was cold as it slowly raised a hand and pointed a finger.
A vast amount of life-and-death power gathered at the fingertip, striking the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern with casual precision.
Instantly, the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern trembled, and the operation of the sword formation showed signs of stagnation.
Zhang Ruochen's expression shifted slightly as his hands formed seals at an incredible speed, injecting a large number of Time Rules and Space Rules into the sword formation.
In an instant, the sword formation generated more variations. A Space Domain and a Time Domain manifested simultaneously, altering the form of space and the flow of time.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen summoned the "Space-Time Secret Scripture," forming a mysterious multi-layered space that enveloped the blood cloud where Chi Kunlun was located.
He was unsure what other trump cards Yan Wushen had, so to be safe, he decided to rescue Chi Kunlun first.
However, just as the "Space-Time Secret Scripture" was about to reach Chi Kunlun, he vanished without a trace, teleported instantly to Yan Wushen's side.
Trapping Chi Kunlun within his own Space Domain, Yan Wushen said, "Zhang Ruochen, if you want to rescue Chi Kunlun, wait until you truly defeat me."
As Yan Wushen's words fell, the starry sky small world suddenly contracted, turning into a blood-red sphere that fell into his hand.
Then, Yan Wushen manifested his Nine Zhang Six Golden Body and shot into the sky.
Behind him, countless Buddha shadows appeared, and the sound of sutra chanting echoed through the heavens, stirring the heart.
"Swish."
Yan Wushen transformed into a beam of golden light, moving at an unimaginable speed.
In an instant, tens of thousands of palm prints appeared, each one extremely fierce and domineering. Golden ripples spread throughout the world.
In an elegant Saint Mansion, Cihang Fairy suddenly looked up toward the distant sky, surprise flickering in her eyes. "Nine Zhang Six Golden Body and Mituo Palm? Who is that?"
As a leading figure of the Buddhist sect, Cihang Fairy was naturally very familiar with Buddhist techniques.
Both the Nine Zhang Six Golden Body and the Mituo Palm were closely guarded secrets of Buddhism, extremely difficult to cultivate. In the current Western Buddha Realm, no one below the Great Saint realm had mastered the Nine Zhang Six Golden Body, and those who had mastered the Mituo Palm could be counted on one hand.
Yet now, Cihang Fairy saw someone who had mastered both the Nine Zhang Six Golden Body and the Mituo Palm. Even with her calm temperament, she couldn't help but feel a stir.
Cihang Fairy left the Saint Mansion and headed toward the site of the battle.
Not only Cihang Fairy, but other top experts in the Imperial City also began to move, wanting to find out what was happening.
"That's... Yan Wushen! He dares to enter the Imperial City?"
An expert who recognized the attacker let out a cry of surprise.
This statement immediately caused a huge uproar, shaking the entire Imperial City.
"What? Yan Wushen is in the Imperial City? Is he crazy?"
"Daring to infiltrate the Imperial City, Yan Wushen clearly doesn't take us Heavenly Court cultivators seriously. We cannot let him leave."
"If we can kill Yan Wushen, the Heavenly Palace will surely reward us handsomely. This is a golden opportunity. We can't let Zhang Ruochen take all the credit."
...
Even though Yan Wushen had a fearsome reputation, this was the Imperial City, the stronghold of the Heavenly Court faction. So, few were afraid. Instead, many wanted to capture or even kill Yan Wushen to achieve a great merit.
Especially when they saw Zhang Ruochen fighting Yan Wushen, many cultivators became even more eager to act, unwilling to see Zhang Ruochen's fame rise even higher.
"How did Yan Wushen obtain our Buddhist sect's secret teachings?" Cihang Fairy frowned.
The Buddhist sect's secret teachings falling into the hands of the Hell Realm was not a good thing.
"Boom."
Thousands of palm prints struck out in succession, shaking the Yin-Yang Taiji pattern and inevitably revealing subtle flaws.
Relying on his Origin Divine Eye, Yan Wushen clearly captured these flaws. His true body moved, delivering a straightforward punch to a weak point in the sword formation.
"Whoosh—"
The Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation was torn open, creating a small gap. Yan Wushen grabbed the "Death Heavenly Scripture" and escaped in an instant.
Standing above the Central Imperial City, Yan Wushen's eyes showed a hint of regret. "It seems this battle cannot continue."
He very much wanted to settle the score with Zhang Ruochen, even to the death, but under these circumstances, it was nearly impossible.
"Zhang Ruochen, once I have fully merged, I will fight you again. If you still have only this level of strength by then, you will undoubtedly lose," Yan Wushen said coldly.
With those words, Yan Wushen did not linger and immediately tore through space to leave the Imperial City.
"Yan Wushen, don't go!"
At that moment, several top experts attacked Yan Wushen from different directions.
With such a rare opportunity to deal with Yan Wushen, no one wanted to miss it.
In an instant, palm prints, fist imprints, and sword beams struck from afar. A pagoda and a divine hall descended from the sky, releasing vast divine might as if they could suppress everything in the world.
Yan Wushen snorted. "A rabble. Do you think you're worthy of fighting me?"
Even before he had merged good and evil, he wouldn't have taken these people seriously, let alone now.
Ten thousand zhang of golden light burst from Yan Wushen's body, forming tidal golden ripples that spread in all directions.
"Boom."
Wherever the golden ripples passed, all sacred techniques were destroyed. The pagoda and divine hall were also sent flying.
Without exception, everyone who attacked was affected by the golden ripples and suffered varying degrees of injury.
"How can he be this strong? Is he really still in the Saint King realm?"
Several experts were shocked.
They were all top-tier experts below the Great Saint realm. Attacking together, not only did they fail to harm Yan Wushen, but they were also injured. This was a significant blow to their pride.
The gap between those at the same level below the Great Saint realm was too great.
A broken ancient talisman appeared in Yan Wushen's hand. After activating it, it released a very mysterious power that forcibly pierced through the space ahead, forming a pitch-black passage.
Incredibly, this passage broke through the Imperial City's formation and led directly outside the city.
Yan Wushen withdrew his Nine Zhang Six Golden Body, returning to his original form. He took Chi Kunlun and turned into a streak of light, entering the pitch-black passage.
"Boom."
Many experts arrived and attacked, bombarding the pitch-black passage with various sacred techniques and artifacts.
Unfortunately, they were too late. The passage collapsed on its own, blocking all attacks.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Zhang Ruochen no time to act again. Of course, he was also hesitant, afraid of hurting Chi Kunlun.
Moreover, since Yan Wushen dared to enter the Imperial City, he must have had a way to escape. The possibility of keeping him there was almost negligible.
Waving his hand, Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation. The Abyssal Ancient Sword and the Blood Drop Sword flew back to his side.
The fact that Yan Wushen could enter the Imperial City undetected was a very bad sign. Could there be other Hell Realm experts in the city?
No matter how he thought about it, Zhang Ruochen didn't believe Yan Wushen had entered the Imperial City just to fight him.
Additionally, Yan Wushen's current merger of good and evil, which had greatly increased his strength, put real pressure on Zhang Ruochen.
He had always been invincible at the same level.
Yan Wushen was the only exception.
It was worth noting that Yan Wushen's merger was still preliminary and unstable, not yet at its peak. Once he settled, his strength would undoubtedly increase further.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was thinking, Cihang Fairy approached and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, how much do you know about Yan Wushen's situation?"
Zhang Ruochen knew what Cihang Fairy wanted to know and replied, "Yan Wushen obtained the inheritance of an ancient Saint Buddha from the Buddhist sect, comprehended the method of good and evil, and divided himself into good and evil bodies. Now, he has finally achieved perfection."
Although it was a very brief explanation, Cihang Fairy immediately understood many things, and her mind became clear.
"So it was..."
Cihang Fairy had guessed the identity of that Saint Buddha and knew the forbidden Buddhist technique he had created.
That kind of technique was rarely attempted even within the Buddhist sect.
She never expected that Yan Wushen not only dared to cultivate it but also went a step further, completely separating good and evil. It was hard to imagine how strong his will must be.
Cihang Fairy rarely admired anyone, but she had to admire Yan Wushen.
A truly unparalleled figure.
If not for Zhang Ruochen appearing in this era, Yan Wushen, with his merged good and evil, might have single-handedly overturned the entire Merit Battlefield. Who could stop him?
The Four Heavenly Kings could no longer suppress him.
As for other top-tier experts, no matter how many there were, if they couldn't lock down space and surround him, they would likely be picked off one by one and killed by Yan Wushen.
Just like the Ten Calamities Questioning Heavenly Lord, who once fought against the gods of the Hell Realm alone, staining the starry sky with divine blood.
Aside from that ancient Saint Buddha, Yan Wushen was probably the only one to have mastered the forbidden Buddhist technique, the Nine Zhang Six Golden Body, and the Mituo Palm.
Yin Yuanchen came to Zhang Ruochen's side, shaking his head and sighing. "It's a pity we couldn't keep Yan Wushen."
Zhang Ruochen turned his gaze to Yin Yuanchen and said, "Yan Wushen came for me. This time, I've implicated Brother Yin."
"It's just a minor injury. It's nothing. Being able to fight Yan Wushen has fulfilled one of my wishes," Yin Yuanchen said.
Although he had been thoroughly defeated, he had at least faced Yan Wushen head-on. This was an experience many top-tier experts below the Great Saint realm would desire.
"Zhang Ruochen, what exactly is going on here?"
At that moment, a cold voice sounded.
The speaker was a gaunt man in black armor, less than six feet tall, with a face as sharp as a knife and eyes as cold as blades. A faint evil aura emanated from him, making it clear he was not a good person.
Hearing this voice, Zhang Ruochen turned his head and locked eyes with the gaunt man, recognizing him as Blood Heaven Evil Lord, a leader of the Huan Realm.
Speaking of which, in Saint Bright City, Zhang Ruochen had killed many cultivators from the Huan Realm, including Gu Tianyin, whose strength was close to the third tier below the Great Saint realm.
The Huan Realm was a holy land of evil ways, home to many ancient evil cults that practiced mysterious and unpredictable evil arts, making them very troublesome.
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "Isn't everything obvious enough?"
"Why did Yan Wushen appear here?" Blood Heaven Evil Lord questioned.
Zhang Ruochen replied, "You should ask Yan Wushen that."
"When Yan Wushen fled, why didn't you intercept him? Could it be that you have some unspeakable secret with Yan Wushen, afraid he would be captured and expose it?" Blood Heaven Evil Lord pressed on.
Yao Tian Gongzi also stepped forward and said, "Zhang Ruochen, I think you should explain everything clearly to avoid misunderstandings."
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of experts had gathered, mostly leaders of major worlds, all staring at Zhang Ruochen with unknown intentions.
Zhang Ruochen found it amusing. If it were Yan Wushen standing here, would they dare to question him like this?
"You are not qualified to speak to me in such a tone."
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen flicked his finger, causing the surrounding space to tremble violently. The hundreds of world leaders present felt unsteady on their feet, as if the sky were falling and the earth were sinking, their bodies involuntarily retreating.
Under countless gazes, Zhang Ruochen walked straight out of the Central Imperial City.
Yan Wushen had openly entered the Central Imperial City, coming and going as he pleased, displaying extreme arrogance and recklessness. Today, the morale of the Kunlun Realm and Heavenly Court army had undoubtedly been severely damaged, leaving everyone in fear.
Naturally, Zhang Ruochen had to go and reclaim the upper hand.
Let's see how many in the Hell Realm could withstand his sword.
...
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