Chapter 2276: Moluo War Emperor Breaks Through to Great Perfection
By his own strength, seizing two Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills in a row, Zhang Ruochen had caused a massive commotion, becoming the focus of all cultivators' attention.
"Snatching food from the tiger's mouth! Even Wujiang's Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill was taken by him."
"Who would have thought Zhang Ruochen would become the biggest winner?"
"Actually, it's not that Zhang Ruochen is that powerful; it's mainly because the gourd in his hand is too suitable for collecting pills, giving him an advantage others don't have."
...
So far, the only cultivators who had successfully collected Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills were Lan Ying, Luo Shengtian, and Zhang Ruochen.
Lan Ying and Luo Shengtian went without saying—they were renowned in the Hell Realm, leading figures of this generation. But even they had only collected one Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill each.
Zhang Ruochen, at the Immortal Realm, had collected two in a row, naturally drawing envy.
One must know that even Yan Wushen, who was as famous as Zhang Ruochen, was still in a bitter struggle and had yet to secure a single Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill.
Soon, the cultivators noticed that Zhang Ruochen hadn't stopped; he had a new target. He charged toward a Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit, leaping through space at incredible speed.
The main force fighting the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit was the stunningly beautiful Yanhong Great Saint.
"What does this mean? After snatching from Xu and Wujiang, is he now setting his sights on Yanhong Great Saint?"
Through the Myriad Realm Divine Eye projection, the cultivators watching the pill-grabbing scene were all stunned, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was incredibly audacious.
Was it really a good idea to make enemies everywhere like this?
At first, everyone had speculated how Zhang Ruochen would evade the attacks of Wujiang, Xu, and Yanhong Great Saint on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. No one had expected Zhang Ruochen to take the initiative to strike.
Ten thousand miles away, Lan Ying gazed toward the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit's location and snorted lightly, "Zhang Ruochen's combat power is far from being number one. But his courage ranking first should be uncontroversial."
Hong Funtu stood beside Lan Ying, his muscles bulging and aura thick. "We only grabbed one Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Pill. Why not go for another? And teach this arrogant brat a lesson while we're at it."
Lan Ying waved his hand. "That Pink Skeleton is one of the three Goddess candidates after all, with a sharp mind. She won't make the same mistakes as Xu and Wujiang. Zhang Ruochen won't have it easy. Besides, what's just one Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Pill?"
Lan Ying turned around, his divine-light-emitting eyes fixed on the five Yama Clan Hundred Shackles Great Perfection powerhouses fighting the Divine Illumination Lotus Pill Spirit. A gleam of sharpness flashed in his eyes.
The Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill was his true target.
The battle weapon Yanhong Great Saint used was a Five-Yuan Monarch Sacred Artifact-level Purple Cauldron.
From the Purple Cauldron, hundreds of thousands of King-level Inscription Patterns surged out, forming a purple cloud covering hundreds of miles. The cloud churned continuously, summoning thirty-nine lightning bolts as thick as rivers, tightly binding the three branches of the Blood Cauliflower and suppressing them firmly.
The other two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints competing for the Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Pill dared not approach the purple cloud and retreated to the side.
"This Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill seems destined for Yanhong Great Saint. We'll have to settle for a few King Grade Sacred Intent Pills to make up for the loss."
The two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints sighed, turned into streaks of light, and flew away swiftly.
"Smart of you to back off... Hmm, it's him."
Yanhong Great Saint's fair face lost its smile as she unleashed even greater power to drive the Purple Cauldron, aiming to suppress the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit as quickly as possible.
Zhang Ruochen, carrying the Purple Gold Gourd, appeared behind Yanhong Great Saint. "The strongest of the Bone Clan, the top expert among the three Goddess candidates, and yet your battle weapon isn't even a Supreme Sacred Artifact."
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, creating a space rift dozens of miles long, slashing toward the area between Yanhong Great Saint and the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
"Sizzle."
The space was torn apart, and the connection between Yanhong Great Saint and the Purple Cauldron was instantly severed.
"Boom."
Without Yanhong Great Saint's control, the Purple Cauldron's power plummeted. The Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit broke free from its suppression, turned into a blood-red light, pierced through the thick purple mist, and fled rapidly toward the six-colored Non-Return Forest.
"Zhang Ruochen!"
Just as she was about to succeed, Zhang Ruochen ruined it. Even Yanhong Great Saint's calm mind couldn't suppress her anger. Her long hair fluttered like willow branches, growing longer and longer, flying through the air like blades.
Zhang Ruochen didn't dare underestimate her. He released his Space Domain and Virtual Time Domain, ready to activate the power of space and time at any moment.
"Actually, I'm curious. Under this skin, is your true body really pink?" Zhang Ruochen deliberately provoked Yanhong Great Saint, saying this.
When facing a Hundred Shackles Great Perfection powerhouse, if he could first break her composure and make her lose her rhythm, her combat power would be greatly reduced.
"If you have the skill, you'll naturally see. But I'm afraid it might shock you."
Yanhong Great Saint's face was exquisite, as if carved from immortal crystal and divine jade. Her pupils emitted specks of spiritual light. Although everyone knew her true form was a skeleton, cultivators across the world were still captivated by her appearance.
Just as their battle was about to erupt, Yanhong Great Saint and Zhang Ruochen simultaneously sensed that the two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints who had just left had returned, circling around them to chase after the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
"Hmph! Once I seize the Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill and condense a Third-Rank Sacred Intent, I'll deal with you slowly."
Yanhong Great Saint turned into a pink streak of light, landed on the Purple Cauldron, and drove it to chase the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
The Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Pill was extremely important to her; she couldn't afford to lose it.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized Space Rules, intending to perform a Great Space Teleportation, when suddenly a brilliant arrow light cut through the dark universe and flew toward him.
"Great Forest Emperor!"
Sensing the aura of the Divine Wood Arrow, Zhang Ruochen identified his attacker. With a "whoosh," his figure vanished from the spot and teleported a hundred miles away, dodging the Divine Wood Arrow.
Eight thousand miles away, the Great Forest Emperor stood in midair, holding the Ice Wood Divine Bow, and sneered coldly, "With me here, don't even think about collecting any more Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Pills."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Aren't you Upper Three Clans supporting Bore? Helping Yanhong Great Saint like this—aren't you afraid of attracting criticism?"
"Do I need to explain my actions to you?"
The Great Forest Emperor drew the Ice Wood Divine Bow again, nocking another Divine Wood Arrow onto the frost-formed bowstring. The arrow body turned crystalline and transparent. "Ten Thousand Arrows Simultaneous Release."
"Twang!"
The bowstring snapped with a thunderous sound.
The Divine Wood Arrow shot out at over five thousand times the speed of sound. In midair, it split into two, then four, then eight... finally turning into a rain of arrows flying toward Zhang Ruochen.
The speed was too fast; even from eight thousand miles away, it arrived instantly.
Zhang Ruochen's hands drew circles, and dense Space Rules flowed from his fingertips, twisting the space in front of him by 180 degrees.
The arrow rain flying toward him reversed direction and shot back.
"Instead of wasting time attacking me, you'd be better off collecting more Sacred Intent Pills."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head lightly, unwilling to be entangled with the Great Forest Emperor. He immediately left that space, teleporting three times in succession to catch up with Yanhong Great Saint.
"And me!"
A hundred-zhang-wide axe shadow descended from above, carrying a fierce gust of wind.
The wave of power locked onto Zhang Ruochen, forcing him to freeze the space above his head, forming a Space Shield Seal to block the axe's attack.
"Boom!"
The axe shadow clashed with the Space Shield Seal, creating ripples of energy.
With a "crack," the Space Shield Seal was shattered by a blood-red battle axe. Just as the axe was about to land on Zhang Ruochen, he raised the gourd's mouth and struck the axe blade heavily.
A piercing metallic clash echoed across the vast space.
Zhang Ruochen's body plummeted rapidly. He spread his ten golden wings to stabilize himself and looked up. There, a thousand-zhang-tall Rakshasa Battle Soul stood in the starry sky, looking down at him.
Below the Rakshasa Battle Soul, on a cloud of evil Rakshasa Qi, stood a four-meter-tall, burly figure.
It was the strongest of the Di Shang Divine Kingdom, one of the seven divine kingdoms of the Rakshasa Clan—Moluo War Emperor.
Moluo War Emperor wielded a millstone-sized blood axe, his fierce eyes glaring. "Zhang Ruochen, we meet again."
Yanhong Great Saint noticed that it was Moluo War Emperor attacking Zhang Ruochen. She was slightly surprised, then a smile appeared on her lips. She didn't linger and continued chasing the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
Zhang Ruochen glanced in the direction Yanhong Great Saint had left, frowning in frustration. "Am I really that hateful? Even you, a powerhouse from the Lower Three Clans, and the Great Forest Emperor from the Upper Three Clans, would rather help Yanhong Great Saint than deal with me? If Yanhong Great Saint gets that Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill and advances further, causing Wind Empress and Bore to fail in their Goddess competition, it'll be your fault."
Moluo War Emperor hated Zhang Ruochen to the bone. "Do you even need to ask if you're hateful? Today, I will fight you again and wash away the humiliation from the Life-and-Death Battle Platform."
Zhang Ruochen didn't want to fight Moluo War Emperor. He looked toward the direction of the Fulu Black Robe High Priest. "High Priest, the Heaven Hunting Battle has begun. Attacking a Hell Realm cultivator deducts five thousand points, right?"
Moluo War Emperor, who had raised his battle axe, immediately stopped, feeling uneasy, afraid of being expelled from the Heaven Hunting Battlefield.
Fulu Black Robe High Priest said lightly, "Maliciously attacking one's own side deducts five thousand points. Right now, you're competing for Sacred Intent Pills, so you can attack each other. It doesn't count as a violation."
"The High Priest speaks wisely."
Moluo War Emperor bared his white teeth, sneered coldly, and swung his axe down again.
When he had blocked that axe strike earlier, Zhang Ruochen noticed that Moluo War Emperor's combat power had increased several times compared to when they fought on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform. He must have broken his last shackle and reached the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection.
It wasn't surprising. At the Star Sea World Auction, Moluo War Emperor had spent a sky-high price of eleven thousand Divine Stones to buy a cauldron of Divine Travel Pills.
With the power of the Divine Travel Pills, it was entirely possible for him to break through.
The bone wings on Moluo War Emperor's back had grown from the original eight to ten.
Even the battle axe in his hand was no longer the Two-Yuan Monarch Sacred Artifact-level Xin Battle Axe but a Four-Yuan Monarch Sacred Artifact-level Divine Relic Ancient Artifact, the axe head containing immense divine power.
Zhang Ruochen didn't clash head-on with Moluo War Emperor. Using Great Space Teleportation, he kept leaping through space, charging toward the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
"Where do you think you're going, Zhang Ruochen? Today, I must take revenge and wash away my shame!"
Moluo War Emperor spread his ten wings, and his speed was not much slower than Zhang Ruochen's Great Space Teleportation. In an instant, he caught up to the vicinity of the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit.
"Cloud-Splitting Heaven-Breaker."
The blood-red battle axe descended with the force of splitting heaven and earth.
"Why are they fighting here?"
"Such powerful strength! Moluo War Emperor has broken through to Hundred Shackles Great Perfection."
The two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints who were suppressing the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit immediately dodged, not daring to lightly touch Moluo War Emperor's battle axe.
One must know that when he had broken ninety-nine shackles, Moluo War Emperor had fought a Thousand Questions Realm Initial Stage Great Saint to a draw. Now, with his breakthrough, his combat power had skyrocketed. In the Rakshasa Clan, only Luo Shengtian could suppress him.
Even ordinary Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints had to avoid his edge.
"Boom."
Moluo War Emperor's axe strike landed at the edge of the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit, injuring the pill spirit's Dao Body. Tens of thousands of light-rain petals flew from the wound.
One could imagine how terrifying the power of that axe was.
"He's become this strong. Moluo War Emperor is truly a fierce man who learns from shame and strives hard. I should have dug out his Great Saint Heart and sold it back on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform. Then he wouldn't have recovered to his peak so easily, let alone broken through to Great Perfection before the Heaven Hunting Banquet."
Zhang Ruochen felt a bit of regret, but with a powerful Great Saint like Moluo War Emperor causing chaos, if used well, it could actually help him collect the Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill.
Thinking this, Zhang Ruochen flapped his ten golden wings and flew toward Yanhong Great Saint.
"Dodging and hiding—what kind of skill is that? Last time, I was careless and lost to you. Now that I've cultivated to Hundred Shackles Great Perfection, I can suppress you with just one hand."
Moluo War Emperor once again raised his thousand-zhang-tall Rakshasa Battle Soul, his gaze following Zhang Ruochen's flight path.
"It seems you haven't learned your lesson. You're still so arrogant. If you really try to fight me with one hand, you'll only end up kneeling on the ground again, suppressed by me." Zhang Ruochen said.
Thinking of the humiliation of being forced to kneel publicly on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform, Moluo War Emperor's eyes turned blood-red. He roared and swung his axe horizontally.
This strike not only targeted Zhang Ruochen but also locked onto Yanhong Great Saint.
Yanhong Great Saint frowned. Forced to, she had to control the Purple Cauldron to defend in front of her.
"Whoosh."
Zhang Ruochen took a step back, stepping into ripples of space. His body sank into them.
When he reappeared, he was above the Blood Cauliflower Pill Spirit. He took out the Purple Gold Gourd and activated the Space Inscription Patterns at the gourd's mouth.
"Watch out for Zhang Ruochen."
"Attack together! Don't let him take the Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill."
The two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints who had been watching sensed Zhang Ruochen's move. One unleashed a Monarch Sacred Artifact battle sword, while the other spat out Corpse Qi, transforming it into thousands of Black-Armored Corpse Kings that surrounded Zhang Ruochen.
But they were too late. The Space Inscription Patterns at the gourd's mouth were fully activated.
The flying Monarch Sacred Artifact battle sword and the dense swarm of Black-Armored Corpse Kings were all trapped in the Space Grand Formation.