Chapter 2215: Yu Huang
Within the Hanhai Bieyuan, the sacred realm disciples of the Blood Absolute Family all had excitement shining in their eyes. Having a powerhouse from their own Blood Absolute Family serve as the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe was a tremendous honor.
Even if that person was Zhang Ruochen.
For the ordinary sacred realm disciples of the Blood Absolute Family, they couldn't care less whether Zhang Ruochen had once been a cultivator of the Heavenly Court Realm. They only cared that he was the Divine Son of the Blood Absolute Family, one of their own.
First, two new gods were born. Then, Blood Absolute War God was appointed as the Great Clan Chief of the Blood Heaven Tribe. Now, Zhang Ruochen had defeated Yi Xuan Great Saint and was set to become the leader for the Hunting Heaven Banquet.
The Blood Absolute Family was experiencing one joyous event after another, their prestige and power soaring.
The Blood Absolute Family had been silent for too long; finally, they were once again heading toward glory and prosperity.
After a long while, the residual ripples of the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Yi Xuan Great Saint completely dissipated into nothingness. Protected by divine patterns, their fierce fight had caused no damage to the Blood Absolute Family.
The violently surging aura within Yi Xuan Great Saint's body quickly calmed down. Though he had lost, he was not injured—to be precise, he had only lost by half a move.
"Zhang Ruochen, your strength truly caught me off guard. According to our agreement, I will no longer contend with you for the leader position," Yi Xuan Great Saint said without any anger or shame from his defeat.
He was merely a bit regretful. Bound by their agreement, he couldn't truly settle the victory or defeat with Zhang Ruochen.
As one of the "Three Peerless of Blood Heaven," Yi Xuan Great Saint naturally possessed many extraordinary means and a plethora of trump cards. His true strength was far greater than what he had shown.
Unfortunately, the words had already been spoken, and with so many cultivators as witnesses, he could not go back on his word.
Zhang Ruochen remained very calm and said, "Thank you for yielding."
To be honest, if he had not cultivated the thirteenth palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm to minor completion, it would not have been easy for him to withstand Yi Xuan Great Saint's Ice-Sealing Universe Palm.
The two sacred arts could be said to perfectly counter each other. Zhang Ruochen had the advantage of his abundant yang energy.
For anyone else, even a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint, few could control such overwhelming masculine energy. This was something Yi Xuan Great Saint had not anticipated.
Yi Xuan Great Saint returned to the floating island, still wearing a smile on his face, appearing extremely carefree.
All the cultivators present turned their gazes toward Zhang Ruochen in unison.
With even Yi Xuan Great Saint withdrawing from the competition, Zhang Ruochen could undoubtedly become the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe without any hindrance.
Thus, the next step would be to determine the candidates for the Hunting Heaven Banquet. The slightly weaker Great Saints and Saint Kings couldn't help but feel nervous.
The Hunting Heaven Banquet offered many benefits, and everyone wanted to attend, but many among them were destined to miss the opportunity.
Only the nearly twenty elites selected by the Blood Absolute Family were in high spirits, their pressure greatly reduced.
Just as some cultivators were about to congratulate Zhang Ruochen, Yu Huang, who had been the most indifferent toward the leader competition, suddenly stood up.
At this moment, Yu Huang's aura underwent a drastic change. She was no longer ethereal and otherworldly but became extremely cold, with an intangible chill spreading out.
Feeling this chill, some of the weaker cultivators couldn't help but shiver, as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
"Zhang Ruochen, just because Yi Xuan won't compete with you doesn't mean you can be the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe. At the very least, you have to get past me first," Yu Huang said in a cold voice.
Gu Chenzi also stood up and said indifferently, "You may have surpassed Yi Xuan by a hair, but that doesn't mean you can surpass me either. This leader position—I've suddenly changed my mind and want to compete for it again."
Hearing their words, many cultivators showed surprised expressions, unsure of what was going on.
After all, at the very beginning, Yu Huang had stated that she had no interest in being the leader. Gu Chenzi had also voluntarily given up the competition, intending to let Yi Xuan Great Saint take the position.
But now, both of them had changed their attitudes, wanting to prevent Zhang Ruochen from becoming the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe. It was truly unexpected.
Yi Xuan Great Saint's eyes sparkled with amusement as he drank alone, seemingly having anticipated this situation and enjoying the spectacle.
None of the cultivators present were fools. They all understood that anyone could be the leader—anyone except Zhang Ruochen.
Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi's targeting of him was all too obvious.
As for the reason, it was simply that Zhang Ruochen was an outsider, not a pure Undying Blood Clan member. Moreover, on the Merit Battlefield, he had a great enmity with the Undying Blood Clan.
Of course, there might also be deeper reasons.
For a being from the Heavenly Court Realm to establish a foothold in the Hell Realm without facing exclusion—how could that be easy?
His gaze sweeping over Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi, Zhang Ruochen showed no fear and said calmly, "I originally had no interest in the leader position. But since I've already entered the competition, I naturally intend to take it. Since you two have objections, there's no need to make things complicated. Let's settle it with combat strength and decide the leader. What do you think?"
Gu Chenzi snorted lightly, "You do have some guts. Then let me first test what other tricks you have up your sleeve."
"Gu Chenzi, your combat strength is about the same as Yi Xuan's. It won't be easy for you to defeat him. Why not let me handle it?" Yu Huang said.
Gu Chenzi replied, "That's not necessarily true. Whether it was my fight with Yi Xuan or Zhang Ruochen's fight with Yi Xuan, they were both tentative exchanges. No one used their true methods. If we really fight to the heavens and earth overturning, do you think a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint would lose to a Great Saint who has just entered the Immortal Realm?"
...
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head and said, "You two don't need to argue. Why not both come at me together?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the Hanhai Bieyuan fell into dead silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
The cultivators present looked at Zhang Ruochen as if he were a monster.
Challenge both Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi at the same time? How insane was that?
Saying something like that was nothing short of provocation, easily angering Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi. It was asking for trouble.
Not to mention in the Blood Heaven Tribe, even within the entire Undying Blood Clan, few among the same generation dared to say they would challenge both Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi simultaneously.
"Is Zhang Ruochen too arrogant? He dares to challenge both Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi at once. Does he really think he's invincible under heaven?"
"If Yi Xuan Great Saint had gone all out, where would Zhang Ruochen have had the chance to be so arrogant?"
"Provoking the 'Three Peerless of Blood Heaven' is truly a foolish act."
"Don't rush. Zhang Ruochen will soon pay the price for his arrogance."
...
Zhang Ruochen's expression was calm, showing no sign of arrogance.
The reason he proposed letting Yu Huang and Gu Chenzi attack together was naturally based on his considerations. His identity was very special. In the Hell Realm, no matter what he did, he would inevitably face doubts, exclusion, and isolation.
To change all this, he had to display overwhelming strength.
In the end, strength was the foundation for standing firm.
Since he had come to the Hell Realm, Zhang Ruochen naturally had various plans and many things to accomplish. So, he first needed to establish a foothold.
Win with one battle and establish his authority.
From then on, no matter where he went in the Hell Realm, no one would dare to underestimate him. They must revere him just as they revered Yan Wushen.
This included competing for the position of Blood Heaven Tribe leader. It was not only Xue Hou's wish but also something Zhang Ruochen himself wanted to do. He didn't want to remain under Xue Hou's protection forever, nor did he want Xue Hou to be isolated because of him.
As long as he became the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe with absolute strength and then defeated the strong from various clans at the Hunting Heaven Banquet, who would dare to say anything in the future?
By then, no matter what he wanted to do, it would be much easier.
Zhang Ruochen's original intention in entering the Hell Realm was to rescue Chi Kongle and Chi Kunlun.
But now, he had more ideas.
He realized that the cultivators of the Heavenly Court Realm had too narrow an understanding of the Hell Realm. Few people knew what the Hell Realm was really like, including himself.
It was only after personally entering the Hell Realm that Zhang Ruochen discovered it was vastly different from what he had imagined. Here, there were also ancient and brilliant civilizations, as well as warmth and coldness in human relationships.
For this reason, Zhang Ruochen wanted to explore the Hell Realm thoroughly and resolve the confusion in his heart.
"You defeated Yan Wushen, so you must have exceptional qualities. There's no need for a joint attack. Let me test this so-called once-in-an-eon prodigy."
Yu Huang walked out from the floating island. Though the distance was vast, she reached Zhang Ruochen in a single step.
Gu Chenzi remained on the floating island, not stepping forward. With his pride, he naturally didn't want to join forces with Yu Huang to deal with Zhang Ruochen.
Yu Huang's eyes were icy cold, and a fierce killing intent radiated from her.
The feeling she gave was not that she wanted to spar with Zhang Ruochen but that she wanted to kill him.
"Ruochen Biaoge, you must be careful. Yu Huang harbors extreme hatred for Heavenly Court Realm cultivators. If she gets the chance, she will not show you any mercy."
Xue Ningxiao's voice sounded in Zhang Ruochen's ear.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is that so?"
"Yu Huang is also a pitiful person. When she was young, her parents died on the Merit Battlefield. Later, her only brother was killed by Heavenly Court Realm cultivators while saving her. Yu Huang trained so desperately to avenge them," Xue Ningxiao replied.
After a pause, Xue Ningxiao continued, "The clan Yu Huang once belonged to was also a major divine clan of the Blood Heaven Tribe, very powerful. Unfortunately, later, that god was killed in the starry sky by a Heavenly Court Realm god, and Yu Huang's clan gradually declined."
"Yu Huang's heart is filled with hatred. She wishes she could kill all Heavenly Court Realm cultivators and completely end the war."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. The cultivators of the Heavenly Court Realm and the Hell Realm regarded each other as enemies, both wanting to exterminate the other. What was the root of all this?
Why did two different starry skies erupt into a protracted war?
Why must they fight to the death?
What exactly caused all this?
Zhang Ruochen could fully understand Yu Huang's thoughts because he had once been the same, wanting only to kill all Hell Realm cultivators.
In the eyes of Heavenly Court Realm cultivators, the Hell Realm was utterly evil, knowing only destruction. To survive, they had to resist.
Similarly, in the eyes of Hell Realm cultivators, the Heavenly Court Realm was also a huge threat. If they didn't take the initiative to strike and allowed the Heavenly Court Realm to grow stronger and surpass them, then in the future, perhaps the Heavenly Court Realm would annihilate them.
Over the long accumulation of time, the contradictions between the two had almost reached an irreconcilable point.
Once hatred was born, letting it go became extremely difficult.
Involuntarily, Zhang Ruochen thought of the void realms that the Kunlun Realm had attacked. In the eyes of the beings in those void realms, the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm were probably just as evil as the Hell Realm cultivators.
In many cases, the boundaries between right and wrong, good and evil, could no longer be clearly distinguished.
"Ever since I stepped onto the Merit Battlefield, I have killed countless Hell Realm cultivators. Their relatives and friends must hate me to the bone," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
But he had done nothing wrong. Everything he did was to protect his homeland.
Zhang Ruochen never thought that what he did necessarily represented justice, but at least he had to have a clear conscience.
"Please enlighten me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yu Huang did not speak. Her body shook, and eight enormous silver fleshy wings emerged, frantically absorbing the sacred energy of heaven and earth.
As Yu Huang flapped her wings, a fierce wind rose up, enveloping Zhang Ruochen. Within the gale were countless invisible wind blades, each extremely sharp, capable of cutting through everything.
Zhang Ruochen immediately used his spatial abilities, forming a Space True Domain to isolate all the wind blades.
However, the wind grew stronger and stronger. The wind dao rules of heaven and earth gathered together, evolving into a terrifying great storm that seemed to sweep across the world.
"Crack."
Large areas of space shattered, revealing pitch-black cracks like a spiderweb.
Anyone could see that Yu Huang was showing no mercy. She struck with full force from the start, as if she wanted to severely injure or even kill Zhang Ruochen in one blow.
At the same time, Yu Huang's hands formed seals at an incredible speed, releasing a cyan-green flame that merged into the storm.
Wind fueled the fire.
The moment it combined with the storm, the cyan-green flame surged, forming a heaven-burning momentum.
"Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame."
Seeing the cyan-green flame, many cultivators showed fear.
There was no helping it. The reputation of the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame was too great. Few could not be wary of it.
This flame did not exist naturally but was condensed using secret methods.
To refine the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame, one had to go to places of extreme yin, gather various yin and evil forces, and fuse them together.
During the refining process, one had to endure immense pain, accompanied by great risks. A single mistake could cost one's life.
Therefore, although many cultivators knew the method to refine the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame, few dared to attempt it. Those who succeeded were even rarer.
"Yu Huang has been so silent in the last hundred years. It turns out she was refining the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame. To have refined it to this extent, how much effort did she put into it?"
The hearts of many cultivators present were shaken.
They also understood that Yu Huang's desperate drive to become stronger was nothing more than to revive her clan and avenge her dead relatives.
Sometimes, the power of hatred was truly terrifying, driving people to madness.
"Zhang Ruochen is in trouble."
This thought arose in the minds of many cultivators.
Yu Huang's combination of wind and fire techniques was virtually invincible. For Zhang Ruochen, it would be a problem just to escape unscathed, let alone win.
Once the "Three Peerless of Blood Heaven" got serious, who could withstand them?
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen was completely enveloped by the flame storm, as if trapped in a great furnace, his body and mind being refined.
The invisible wind blades were too sharp, cutting open cracks in the Space True Domain, allowing the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame to seep in.
The Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame was different from ordinary flames. It was not hot but extremely cold, capable of freezing everything.
Most importantly, the Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame directly targeted the sacred soul. Once contaminated, it would cling like a bone-gnawing maggot, difficult to eliminate.
Zhang Ruochen showed no panic. He raised his hand, and the Emperor Flame-level Purifying Divine Flame surged out from his body.
Originally, his Purifying Divine Flame was pure white, but now it was tinged with a hint of gold.
With the improvement in his cultivation and the fusion with heaven and earth rules during the Dao Fusion Tribulation, the Purifying Divine Flame had undergone a great transformation, becoming more powerful in essence.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his wood dao rules and fire dao rules, simultaneously unleashing his Great Saint power to the fullest, pushing the Purifying Divine Flame to its extreme.
Flame against flame. Zhang Ruochen wanted to see whether Yu Huang's Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame was stronger or his Purifying Divine Flame was superior.