# Chapter 2196: Fusion
Below the spatial rift, Zhang Ruochen's body, which had nearly become a skeleton, lay quietly on the shattered ground, already devoid of any sign of life.
However, even in death, Zhang Ruochen still tightly gripped the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler, refusing to give up until the very last moment.
He had ultimately fallen, powerless to continue fighting.
In his dim pupils, deep unwillingness and sorrow could be seen. In the end, he still could not save Chi Kongle.
Zhang Ruochen could be considered the most legendary figure of this era, with brilliant achievements and a name that shook the myriad realms of the heavens. Now, having just become a Great Saint, he fell like a shooting star, rapidly declining.
Once the news spread, it would likely alarm many deities.
At this moment, many powerful figures from the Hell Realm side had already stepped forward, gathering around Zhang Ruochen, their eyes all shining with scorching light.
As everyone knew, Zhang Ruochen possessed many extraordinary treasures: the Flame God Armor, the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, the Annihilating Golden Sun, and so on, each one extremely precious.
Now, in his hand, he was even holding a peerless divine artifact listed in the "Tai Bai Divine Artifact Chapter."
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen's body contained an entire world, whose value was even more incalculable.
Even deities would be tempted by so many treasures and would not be able to resist reaching out to seize them.
"Whoosh."
The Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler suddenly burst forth with brilliant jade-like radiance, breaking free from Zhang Ruochen's grasp on its own.
Before the Hell Realm powerhouses could act to stop it, the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler tore through the air and flew away.
Although the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler currently had no artifact spirit, it still contained an artifact spirit imprint within. Ordinary people could not control it, let alone forcibly seize it.
Seeing this, all the powerhouses could not help but feel regret, yet there was nothing they could do.
Everyone understood in their hearts that to collect a completely intact divine artifact, only a deity would be capable of doing so.
Fortunately, only the Imperial Emperor Divine Ruler had flown away; the other treasures were still on Zhang Ruochen.
"Zhang Ruochen has many treasures on him. After we search them all out, we can consider how to distribute them," Ming Mo suggested.
Hearing this, the assembled powerhouses all nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Ming Mo's proposal, not wanting to conflict over the treasures.
Immediately, Ming Mo stepped forward, preparing to inventory all the treasures on Zhang Ruochen one by one.
"Shua."
At that moment, the space twisted slightly, and a very tall figure appeared out of thin air, standing right before Zhang Ruochen.
The one who had arrived was none other than Yan Wushen, who had vanished without a trace after coming out of the Void Space.
Glancing at Zhang Ruochen, who had long since lost any sign of life, Yan Wushen extended a hand and lifted him up.
"Yan Wushen, what do you think you're doing?" Ming Mo asked in a deep voice.
Yan Wushen turned around, casting his gaze at Ming Mo, and said indifferently, "I am taking Zhang Ruochen's corpse. Do you have any objections?"
Leaving these words behind, Yan Wushen paid no attention to what Ming Mo and the others thought. Carrying Zhang Ruochen, he took a single step and vanished from the spot.
"You—"
Ming Mo was furious and wanted to say something, but the words reached his lips and then were swallowed back down.
The other powerhouses present also frowned, not expecting Yan Wushen to appear at this moment and so domineeringly take away Zhang Ruochen's corpse.
If it had been anyone else, they would have surely lost their temper long ago. But this person was Yan Wushen, which truly left them feeling helpless.
After all, if Yan Wushen were truly angered, he would not show face to anyone.
But many could not understand why Yan Wushen wanted to take Zhang Ruochen's corpse.
"Let's go. Kill our way back and teach the Heavenly Court a painful lesson," Ming Mo said in a low voice.
He was now filled with pent-up anger and needed to find someone to vent it on.
The Heavenly Court side still did not know that Zhang Ruochen had fallen. The great battle continued, growing increasingly fierce.
Of course, even if the news spread, this great battle would absolutely not end hastily.
This great battle between the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm had been brewing for a long time and was unavoidable. Zhang Ruochen's charge into the Hell Realm camp had simply become the fuse that ignited the war.
However, no matter how this great battle ultimately evolved, it would no longer have anything to do with Zhang Ruochen.
Ten thousand miles away from the spatial rift, on a low mountain peak, Yan Wushen stopped.
Across from him stood two people, a man and a woman, who were none other than Blood Demon and Qiu Yichi.
Strangely enough, Yan Wushen did not attack Blood Demon and Qiu Yichi. Instead, he handed Zhang Ruochen over to them.
After handing Zhang Ruochen over, Yan Wushen's body suddenly burst forth with eerie blood light, and then he transformed into a small statue, only three inches tall, carved from some unknown blood-colored crystal, its surface covered with complex divine patterns.
Qiu Yichi waved her hand and put away the statue, while carefully examining Zhang Ruochen's condition.
"Master calculated that the Crown Prince would face a calamity, so she specially refined a fake Yan Wushen to lead him out of danger. But in his current state, I don't know if he can still be saved," Qiu Yichi said, her expression grave.
Xue Hou's methods were extraordinary. She had once created a fake Chi Kunlun that had fooled Zhang Ruochen.
Now, the Yan Wushen she had created was also lifelike, and the Hell Realm powerhouses had not seen through it. After all, their eyesight was not sharper than Zhang Ruochen's.
Of course, the main reason was that the real Yan Wushen was not present. Otherwise, even a perfectly crafted fake would have been meaningless.
Blood Demon's eyes gleamed with sharp light. "His physical body has become a Great Saint, forging the 'Five Elements Chaos Immortal Sacred Body,' possessing the Time-Space Divine Martial Mark, and cultivating to the Great Perfection realm in the Saint King Realm. Truly a perfect body."
He had always coveted Zhang Ruochen's previous life's body, but now he was even more interested in Zhang Ruochen's current life's body.
After all, although Xue Hou had nurtured Zhang Ruochen's previous life's body well, it had never been cultivated. It was only powerful in essence.
But Zhang Ruochen's current life's body was flawless in every aspect, something even deities longed to possess.
Blood Demon suppressed the thoughts in his heart and dared not act rashly.
Now, Xue Hou was a deity, capable of killing him with a flick of her finger.
Qiu Yichi took out a blood-colored jade coffin and carefully placed Zhang Ruochen inside.
This jade coffin was personally refined by Xue Hou and contained incredible and mysterious abilities.
Inside the jade coffin was an amber-colored nectar, emitting a refreshing fragrance, refined from various precious substances.
Just breathing in the fragrance could refresh one's mind and spirit.
Relying on the jade coffin and the nectar within, Zhang Ruochen's condition could be prevented from worsening and even tend toward improvement.
"Hurry back to the Endless Abyss."
Qiu Yichi put away the jade coffin and set off immediately without a moment's delay.
The sooner they returned to the Endless Abyss, the greater the hope of saving Zhang Ruochen.
Although Zhang Ruochen's soul had already scattered, theoretically making it impossible for him to come back to life, with the means of a deity, there might still be hope for resurrection.
Otherwise, Xue Hou would not have gone to so much trouble to prepare.
At the entrance to the second gradient of the Endless Abyss, Xue Hou was already waiting.
"Master, this disciple has brought back the Crown Prince, but his condition is very bad."
Qiu Yichi waved her hand and took out the blood-colored jade coffin.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, who had nearly become a skeleton inside the jade coffin, even though she had mentally prepared herself, Xue Hou's heart still trembled violently.
Xue Hou opened the jade coffin, reached out to gently stroke Zhang Ruochen's pale face, and at the same time, sent a stream of divine power into Zhang Ruochen's body.
The only part of Zhang Ruochen's body that remained intact was his left leg.
Because this was a divine leg, containing vast divine power, it was not easily damaged.
Before the spatial rift, the attacks Zhang Ruochen had suffered were too terrifying. All the divine patterns that the Moon God had inscribed on his body had been completely worn away, leaving not a trace.
If not for the protection of the Flame God Armor, his body might have been completely destroyed except for his left leg.
"How did Chen'er end up like this?"
Xue Hou was both angry and heartbroken.
Her eyes had already become moist, tears threatening to spill.
Although she was a deity, she also had emotions. How could she not feel heartache seeing her son in such a state?
Xue Hou had indeed calculated that Zhang Ruochen would face this calamity, but she could not possibly know everything in advance.
Qiu Yichi said, "The Crown Prince did this to save Chi Kongle. He tried to forcibly break into the Hell Realm through the spatial rift and ended up like this."
"What happened to Kongle?" Xue Hou pressed.
Qiu Yichi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Chi Kongle was captured by a disciple of a Hell Realm deity, seemingly to be used as a vessel for that deity's possession. The Crown Prince, knowing this, disregarded everything to rescue her."
Hearing this, a terrifying cold light flashed in Xue Hou's eyes.
Capturing her granddaughter and reducing her son to such a state—this was a crime deserving of death ten thousand times over.
But in the next moment, Xue Hou calmed down again. Now was not the time to think about these things. The top priority was to save Zhang Ruochen.
"Chen'er's Immortal Sacred Body is collapsing. His one hundred and forty-four acupoints are also half-shattered. With his current body, he can no longer sustain his Qi Sea, let alone the world within it," Xue Hou said, her brow deeply furrowed.
Zhang Ruochen's Divine Light Qi Sea was extremely vast. The six sacred manifestations, the Celestial River, and the Qiankun Realm were all within it. Once the physical body was too severely damaged, the Divine Light Qi Sea would not be able to hold out for long and would soon shatter.
At that point, the six sacred manifestations and the Celestial River would dissipate into the world, and the Qiankun Realm would manifest in the outside world.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation foundation would be completely destroyed.
The Divine Marks of the Gods, the Divine Fate, the Six Sacred Manifestations... all of it would cease to exist, including the Time-Space Divine Martial Mark he possessed.
Qiu Yichi asked, "Is there still a way to save the Crown Prince?"
"On the surface, Chen'er's sacred soul has been completely annihilated. But within the world inside his body, a small amount of his sacred soul remains. This is the key to reversing life and death," Xue Hou said.
The Qiankun Realm could be considered a part of Zhang Ruochen himself. From very early on, he had been able to completely hide his sacred soul within the Qiankun Realm.
Even if he did not deliberately do so, the origin of the Qiankun Realm still retained a small amount of his sacred soul.
But even if this portion of the sacred soul returned to his body, it would be far from enough to revive Zhang Ruochen. A much stronger sacred soul would need to be condensed.
"Chen'er, your mother will not let anything happen to you."
Xue Hou murmured, taking the jade coffin and vanishing from the spot.
The next moment, Xue Hou appeared before a magnificent dark red mountain peak, atop which burned fierce blood flames, and terrifying lightning existed.
This was the place where Xue Hou nurtured Zhang Ruochen's previous life's body. The massive corpse of Blood Phoenix still coiled at the mountain's summit.
Inside the mountain, Zhang Ruochen's previous life's body was wrapped in crimson blood, its life force growing stronger, as if it might awaken at any moment.
Such a powerful physical body—if Xue Hou had not applied special measures, a new soul might have already been born.
Looking at the body wrapped in crimson blood, Xue Hou murmured, "Chen'er, your mother knows you are unwilling to fuse with this body. But now, your mother has no choice but to do this. Only by doing so can your cultivation foundation be preserved."
Zhang Ruochen's previous life's body was full of vitality and powerful in essence, fully capable of solving the various problems Zhang Ruochen currently faced.
And by merging the two bodies, Xue Hou would also have a better chance of reviving Zhang Ruochen.
Time was pressing. Xue Hou did not delay. She gently waved her hand, and Zhang Ruochen's half-wasted body flew out of the jade coffin, heading toward the mass of crimson blood.
After entering the crimson blood, Xue Hou released her divine power and began to fuse the two bodies.
For a deity, this was not a difficult task.
It was like when the Moon God had fused the Blazing God's leg into Zhang Ruochen's body.
Both being of Chaos attribute, Zhang Ruochen's previous life body and current life body should theoretically not reject each other and could easily merge into one.
However, when Xue Hou actually began to do this, she encountered trouble.
Perhaps out of instinct, Zhang Ruochen's current life body strongly rejected his previous life body.
If forced to merge, it would cause Zhang Ruochen's current life body to collapse further.
"Chen'er, as long as you stop resisting, your mother promises you that she will definitely rescue Kongle," Xue Hou said, anxiety in her eyes, speaking with great seriousness.
As if hearing Xue Hou's words, after a brief stalemate, the rejection gradually weakened until it completely disappeared.
With no further obstacles, it did not take long for Xue Hou to successfully fuse Zhang Ruochen's two life bodies together.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen's condition stabilized, and his cultivation foundation was preserved.
But this was only the first step in saving Zhang Ruochen. His sacred soul still needed to be reconstituted, and that was the most difficult step.
The sacred soul preserved in the Qiankun Realm was only an extremely small amount, not even enough to wake Zhang Ruochen.
Relying on this bit of sacred soul to restore Zhang Ruochen was simply unrealistic.
At present, there were two methods to save Zhang Ruochen.
The first was to use spiritual power to perform soul-summoning, reconstituting the scattered soul.
The second was to use a secret method to communicate with the elusive Heavenly Soul.
In theory, a Spiritual Power Great Saint possessed the ability to summon souls.
However, in the process of soul-summoning, one would suffer a terrifying backlash from the rules of heaven and earth. In over ninety percent of cases, the Spiritual Power Great Saint would pay with their life.
Even if a deity performed the act, they would pay a great price, and unexpected situations could arise.
For this reason, the geniuses of the Heavenly Realm Faction that Zhang Ruochen had killed had almost no chance of being resurrected. Even if their bodies were preserved intact, the Heavenly Realm Faction would not sacrifice a Spiritual Power Great Saint to summon their souls, let alone have a deity do it.
As for the second method, it required secret techniques mastered by ancient Qi refiners, which had long been lost.
Although Xuanji Old Man had been revived by the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree back then, it was actually more due to that piece of Sky-Connecting Divine Tree crystal.
That crystal was extraordinary, containing immensely vast life force. Even a dying deity who obtained it could recover.
Xue Hou's gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen in the crimson blood, her eyes full of tenderness. "Chen'er, no matter the cost, your mother will definitely save you."
Parents in this world are all the same. They can give everything for their children, including their lives.
Zhang Ruochen was like this for Chi Kongle, and Xue Hou was like this for him. That love was no different.
Xue Hou was still only a new deity, having become a deity not too long ago. If she performed the soul-summoning secret technique, the danger would be much greater. Yet she still resolutely went to do it, all because Zhang Ruochen was her son.