Chapter 2258: Crimson Enchanting Mist
Yan Wushen's invitation to Zhang Ruochen was no secret. The moment the Nine-Dragon Chariot entered Jiayin City District, the news spread among all major forces.
Everyone knew that Yan Wushen and Zhang Ruochen were the pinnacle heroes of this era, and a peak confrontation between them was inevitable. It could determine victory or defeat, or even life or death. Their meeting this time was thus intriguing.
At the same time, a spectacular battle erupted at the Ten Tribes Night Banquet hosted by the Huangtian Tribe. Yu Huang faced Yue Tinghai, a Hundred Shackles Great Perfection powerhouse from the Jingtian Tribe, defeating him with fierce and decisive methods, severing his right arm and avenging past humiliation.
Some suspected that Yu Huang had not only reached the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection but had also cultivated a Third-Rank Sacred Intent. Otherwise, Yue Tinghai could not have been defeated so miserably, with almost no ability to fight back.
With this, the position of the strongest in the Undying Blood Clan became a three-way struggle among Dao Yu Huang, Feng Hou, and Yu Huang. When the news spread, cultivators from all ten clans were shaken. The Undying Blood Clan's strength had officially surged to the forefront among the ten clans.
However, what puzzled countless cultivators was that Yu Huang, despite her formidable cultivation, was not the leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe. This drew even greater attention to Zhang Ruochen, who had gone to the Wushen Temple for his appointment.
Above the night sky, clouds surged, displaying six different colors. This was the light emitted by the Six-Color Star Mist of the Cosmic Forest.
"Boom."
With a deafening thunderclap, six-colored rain fell from the sky, pattering onto eaves and tiles like a beaded curtain, like heavenly tears.
Bore stood in a pavilion, her white robes like snow, her long black hair swaying in the wind. She extended a slender, jade-like hand to catch raindrops, her gaze fixed on the direction of Jiayin City District. Beside her stood a tall, flame-like figure; upon closer inspection, it was a woman. Her name was Huomei Yinji, belonging to the Death Clan.
"Are you placing too much importance on Zhang Ruochen?" Huomei Yinji asked, her expression showing confusion and disdain.
Bore's gaze was calm as still water. "It's not that I value him; it's that the Yama Clan values him. If the Yama Clan regards him as such a formidable opponent, why should we underestimate him? If Feng Hou gains his support, we must be on guard."
"Tap, tap."
Wujiang approached, holding a green paper umbrella. Under the lamplight, a long shadow stretched across the ground. "Whether Zhang Ruochen can leave the Wushen Temple is still uncertain."
Huomei Yinji looked at him, her eyes catching his handsome face, a hint of admiration flickering in her gaze. "I heard that Yan Wushen has embarked on a path of Buddhist cultivation. Using an ancient Sarira and borrowing the divine artifact, the Ten Thousand Buddha Illuminating Lamp, he has tempered his physical body to the extreme, achieving a half-Buddha body. For Zhang Ruochen to leave the Wushen Temple alive is harder than ascending to heaven."
"The rain is too heavy, the wind too cold. Let's go back first. Before Zhang Ruochen breaks his first shackle, he poses no threat."
Wujiang stepped past Huomei Yinji, walked to Bore's side, and raised the umbrella to shield her from the slanting wind and the rain falling into her palm. Bore frowned, a trace of displeasure deep in her eyes.
Just then, a shadowy figure appeared in the rain curtain, kneeling on one knee. "Reporting to Princess Bore, Zhang Ruochen has left the Wushen Temple."
A shimmer of light flickered in Bore's eyes, and a stunning smile appeared on her pale face. "On his own turf, Yan Wushen couldn't keep Zhang Ruochen. In this confrontation, Zhang Ruochen has already gained the upper hand. With Yu Huang and Zhang Ruochen, the Blood Heaven Tribe is full of surprises this time."
A cold gleam flashed in Wujiang's eyes. "I'll go meet him."
Before his voice faded, his figure had vanished from the pavilion.
Huomei Yinji held the green paper umbrella that Wujiang had been carrying. "The Hanye City District forbids fighting. Isn't he afraid of breaking the rules?"
"Don't worry. They all know how to fight within the bounds of the rules."
Bore's hand remained open in the rain, feeling the cold droplets. Her palm shimmered with six colors, like a splashed ink painting. The raindrops began in the sky and ended in her hand, completing their journey. This was their destiny.
"Them?"
A look of surprise appeared on Huomei Yinji's face. The word "them" could not possibly refer only to Wujiang and Zhang Ruochen. Were other forces also preparing to move against Zhang Ruochen?
...
Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen had shared three cups before he rose to leave. Dragging Xueqi Dasheng out of the spatial trap, Zhang Ruochen stepped out of the Wushen Temple first. His entire body was ablaze with flames, emitting the fragrance of flowers and wine. His hair was a blazing gold, and a sizzling sound came from under his feet.
As soon as he exited the temple, strange flowers sprouted from the ground in the garden, and petals drifted through the air. The cultivators guarding the Wushen Temple retreated in shock.
Xueqi Dasheng was both frustrated and intensely curious. Had Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen fought? Who had won or lost? He wanted to ask, but seeing Zhang Ruochen's abnormal state, he held back.
"Back to the Hanhai Manor."
Entering the Nine-Dragon Chariot, Zhang Ruochen gave this order. With a long dragon roar, the chariot rushed out of the Hanye City District and onto the streets.
Inside the chariot, Lianxi had already gotten off the bed. Dressed in purple, with a willow-like waist and flowing hair, she sniffed lightly, looking at Zhang Ruochen, who seemed to be in great pain. "Did you drink extremely strong wine?"
"Twelve Flowers Blooming."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands together, fully activating the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture" to refine the potency of the Twelve Flowers Blooming wine. Although Yan Wushen was testing his depth, the Twelve Flowers Blooming was a rare treasure, exceptionally effective for tempering the body and breaking shackles. Yan Wushen's willingness to share this wine showed he was not a petty or narrow-minded person. Chi Kunlun staying by his side might not be a bad thing.
Lianxi frowned. "You know your body has huge hidden dangers. Whether it's the million-fold masculine energy or the Blazing God Leg, Three Dragons, and Three Elephants, they all backfire on you. How dare you drink a fire-attribute wine?"
"Are you worried about me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Lianxi said, "I'm just afraid you'll come torment me again. Or that you'll die from the backlash, and I'll lose the best refuge I have in the Hell Realm."
Zhang Ruochen looked at her with a strange expression. "It seems you've thought it through clearly and understand your situation. That's a good thing."
"I only hope you'll promise that if you go to the Merit Battlefield in the future, you'll let me go," Lianxi said.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Do you still want to return to the Heavenly Court? Can you go back?"
"That's none of your concern. If you promise me, I'll promise you that from now on in the Hell Realm, I'll obey you and be your most obedient maidservant," Lianxi said.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes. "Fine. A woman whose heart isn't with me is useless to keep. Whenever you want to leave, I'll let you go."
With this promise from Zhang Ruochen, Lianxi felt completely at ease. Seeing his blood seemingly boiling, she asked, "How can I help you?"
"With your cultivation, how can you help me?" Zhang Ruochen retorted.
Lianxi showed a hesitant, delicate expression and moved closer. Just as she was about to act, Zhang Ruochen pushed her away. "The power of the Twelve Flowers Blooming, I need to digest it with my own body, using its strength to refine the shackles within. I'll remember your kindness."
"Rustle."
Xueqi Dasheng sat outside the chariot, looking at the empty street. A strong suspicion arose in his heart, and he became alert. In the Hell Realm, day and night made little difference; it was always lively. Even in the rain, it shouldn't be so quiet.
Suddenly, the Nine-Dragon Chariot stopped.
Lianxi's jade hand lifted the curtain. "What's going on..."
She was shocked to find that Xueqi Dasheng, who had broken seventy-two shackles, was no longer on the chariot. He had vanished without a sound. Ahead on the street, a layer of pink mist appeared.
With her strong spiritual power, she could feel the space within the pink mist stretching. The mist grew thicker, surging toward the Nine-Dragon Chariot, swallowing the surrounding buildings and streets. Finally, Lianxi's vision turned completely pink.
A sense of unease rose in her heart.
From within the mist came a mocking laugh: "The Shadowless Fairy from the Heavenly Court's 'Nine Beauties Painting' has come to the Hell Realm and become Zhang Ruochen's maidservant. Is there anything more absurd in the world?"
In the pink mist, a carriage materialized out of thin air, just over ten zhang from the Nine-Dragon Chariot. The driver was a humanoid skeleton, with flesh only on its face. The laughter came from inside the carriage.
Lianxi's gaze fixed on the skeleton driver, and she gasped. The intact face of that driver was exactly like Xueqi Dasheng's. Had Xueqi Dasheng been silently killed and turned into a skeleton in that instant?
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and released his spiritual power. But as soon as it touched the pink mist, it was corroded, unable to probe the enemy's reality.
Just then, a ghostly mist appeared behind the Nine-Dragon Chariot, and a black carriage stopped there. A hearty laugh came from within: "Being Zhang Ruochen's maidservant—isn't that humiliating? Shadowless Fairy, this has nothing to do with you. Leave quickly."
Three carriages were parked in a straight line, with the Nine-Dragon Chariot trapped in the middle. Lianxi knew that if she left Zhang Ruochen, she would only become the prisoner of the next Hell Realm cultivator, and her situation would be even worse.
"Who are you? Don't you know that fighting and killing are forbidden in the Hanye City District?" Lianxi said.
Zhang Ruochen sat inside the chariot. "Their backgrounds are quite remarkable. One is one of the three candidate divine maidens of the Destiny Temple, Yanhong Dasheng. The other is the Seventh Son of the Ghost Lord, Xu. Both are among the top ten in the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection realm."
Lianxi's face instantly turned pale. She had long known that Zhang Ruochen had countless enemies in the Hell Realm. But having two such terrifying foes appear at once was unexpected. How could they break this deadlock? Since they had killed Xueqi Dasheng, it meant they weren't here just to test or intimidate.
From the carriage blocking the front, Yanhong Dasheng's voice rang out: "Covered by my Enchanting Mist and losing spiritual perception, yet you can still identify me instantly. Zhang Ruochen, it seems you haven't just been frolicking with the Shadowless Fairy at the Hanhai Manor."
From the rear carriage, Xu said, "You've never seen me, yet you recognize me. How?"
"Because you've always been enemies I take very seriously. I've memorized everything about you."
As Zhang Ruochen said this, he uttered a single word: "Break."
Purifying Divine Flame surged from the Nine-Dragon Chariot, spreading like white clouds, burning away the pink Enchanting Mist and breaking the illusion. The skeleton driver's face was no longer Xueqi Dasheng's; instead, he wore a bamboo hat, his features unclear.
"So it was all an illusion. Yanhong Dasheng's purpose was to make us afraid." Lianxi breathed a sigh of relief.
At that moment, the real Xueqi Dasheng was entangled by strands of pink mist like silk threads, wrapped in a blood cocoon, unable to break free. If Yanhong Dasheng dared to kill Xueqi Dasheng openly in the Hanye City District, she would surely provoke the wrath of Xue Jue War God, and even the Destiny Temple couldn't protect her.
As the Purifying Divine Flame burned over, the pink mist threads scattered, and Xueqi Dasheng broke free, quickly retreating to the side of the Nine-Dragon Chariot. His heart was filled with frustration. He had thought that breaking seventy-two shackles had elevated him to the level of a top Hundred Shackles expert, but accompanying Zhang Ruochen to a banquet had brought two crushing blows. The gap with Hundred Shackles Great Perfection powerhouses was enormous.
"Clatter."
"Clatter."
The wheels of the two carriages slowly turned, moving toward the Nine-Dragon Chariot. With every zhang they advanced, the space compressed by one layer. Space from both directions turned into invisible walls, slowly pressing in. The Nine-Dragon Chariot was pinned in place, unable to move, and the stone slabs on the street all cracked.
"Bang, bang."
Nine explosive sounds rang out as the nine dragon souls pulling the chariot couldn't withstand the spatial pressure and burst apart, retreating back into the chariot. But Xueqi Dasheng and Lianxi couldn't retreat; they had to rely on their own cultivation to endure the impact of the spatial compression.
The Nine-Dragon Chariot, after being reforged, was very close to a Monarch Sacred Artifact. Yet, as the two carriages approached within ten zhang, the chariot emitted creaking sounds, and cracks appeared in some places.