Chapter 2278: Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill
After breaking through to the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection, Moluo War Emperor's combat power had risen to a level that pressed close to the top ten powerhouses on the rankings. With a full-powered axe strike from a Four-element Monarch Sacred Artifact, its might was enough to shatter stars.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen kick at the axe blade with his foot, cultivators across the Hell Realm watching the projection let out cries of shock.
Even those cultivators who knew Zhang Ruochen possessed a divine leg wore grave expressions, holding their breath, feeling his actions were too reckless. It was merely a divine leg, not a true god. Going head-to-head with a Great Saint of Moluo War Emperor's caliber could easily result in a heavy loss.
In that instant, the blood-colored war axe and the fiery divine cloud radiating from Zhang Ruochen's left leg collided violently.
"Boom."
The pitch-black void of the universe became dazzling and brilliant, like a divine flower of flames blooming.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen and Moluo War Emperor both shot backward like lightning, evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand.
He had actually... blocked it!
Countless cultivators drew in cold breaths, gaining a deeper understanding of Zhang Ruochen's power. They realized their earlier worry had been entirely unnecessary.
Moluo War Emperor wore an expression of disbelief. With his Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection cultivation, he couldn't even overcome Zhang Ruochen, who was at the Immortal Realm?
"Again, try my perfected Hundred Beasts War Body."
Behind Moluo War Emperor, a vast amount of lightning surged forth, gathering into a sea of thunder and lightning. Within it, phantom images of strange beast war souls appeared, each erupting with Great Saint-level aura.
"Crackle."
"Roar!"
The sounds of thunder and the roars of a hundred beasts resounded through heaven and earth.
In the past, before reaching the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection, Moluo War Emperor had relied on his minor-achieved Hundred Beasts War Body to fight to a draw with a Thousand Questions Realm initial stage Great Saint from the Di Shang Divine Kingdom.
With the minor-achieved Hundred Beasts War Body, each lightning beast emperor's combat power reached the Nine-Step Saint King level.
With the power of a hundred beasts backing him, Moluo War Emperor was unmatched at the same cultivation level.
Now, not only had his cultivation broken through, but his Hundred Beasts War Body had also reached major achievement, elevating his combat explosiveness to an extremely terrifying level.
Each lightning beast soul's power had reached the Immortal Realm Great Saint level.
It could be said that every strike he delivered carried the empowerment of a hundred Immortal Realm Great Saints. Even an ordinary Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint would be injured by a full-powered blow from him.
Before breaking through to the Hundred Shackles Realm, Zhang Ruochen had no intention of clashing head-on with a powerhouse of Moluo War Emperor's level. He waved the Purple Gold Gourd in his hand and said, "If you don't want to be expelled from the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, feel free to attack me."
Moluo War Emperor thought of something and looked toward the distant Fortune Black Robe High Priest. Grinding his teeth, he said, "Zhang Ruochen, are you a coward? If you have the guts, fight me fair and square."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head lightly, ignored him, and performed a Great Space Teleportation, leaving the area.
A battle with no benefit was a pure waste of energy.
Moluo War Emperor was not a mindless person; his schemes ran deep.
Just as before, when he pursued Luo Sha, he had secretly bribed her attendant. To deal with Zhang Ruochen, he had used Mu Lingxi's Space Bracelet to lure Zhang Ruochen onto the life-and-death battle platform.
Now, though he appeared to be challenging Zhang Ruochen, he was actually trying to seize the Purple Gold Gourd.
Moluo War Emperor's roar echoed across the entire cosmic space: "Once I accumulate enough five hundred thousand points, I will personally tear you limb from limb."
Yan Hong Great Saint's skin restored itself, smooth as jade, her features breathtakingly beautiful, but her eyes revealed a chilling, soul-stirring coldness.
Qiang Zun's war sword and Hei Yu Corpse Emperor's over three thousand Black Armor Corpse Kings had been taken by the Purple Gold Gourd. Naturally, they would not allow Zhang Ruochen to leave so easily and immediately gave chase.
In the Heaven Hunting Battle, losing weapons would severely diminish combat power.
The over three thousand Black Armor Corpse Kings were one of Hei Yu Corpse Emperor's most important trump cards, something he could not afford to lose.
After seventeen spatial displacements, Zhang Ruochen reached ten thousand li away. Sensing the two great powerhouses still pursuing him, he stopped.
"Both of you are so persistent in chasing me—could it be that you still want to seize my gourd?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"Please don't misunderstand, Ruochen Great Saint. The pill competition is over, and we naturally won't violate the rules by continuing to attack. However..."
Qiang Zun's stone-like, rigid face showed difficulty, and he said, "We actually wanted to discuss something with Ruochen Great Saint."
Zhang Ruochen held the gourd in his hand and said, "You want the war sword and Black Armor Corpse Kings that were taken into the gourd?"
Hei Yu Corpse Emperor let out a hoarse voice, saying, "We fought because of the quasi-emperor grade Sacred Will Pills. In truth, we have no deep enmity with Ruochen Great Saint. If Ruochen Great Saint is willing to return my Black Armor Corpse Kings, I swear that during this Heaven Hunting Battle, I will not participate in any action against you."
Qiang Zun said, "I mean the same."
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen did not respond immediately, Hei Yu Corpse Emperor added, "Ruochen Great Saint has many enemies, with foes in every clan. If you add me and Qiang Zun to that list, your situation will become even more difficult."
Qiang Zun said, "If Ruochen Great Saint does not return the war sword and Black Armor Corpse Kings, I'm afraid we will have no choice but to keep following you. Then, no matter what Ruochen Great Saint does, you will be constrained."
"Are you threatening me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Hei Yu Corpse Emperor said, "No! I just don't like beating around the bush. Let's make things clear directly. On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, there are no eternal allies or eternal enemies—only interests between cultivators."
Zhang Ruochen said, "In that case, I won't mince words either. Qiang Zun, that war sword of yours is a Four-element Monarch Sacred Artifact, right? Hei Yu Corpse Emperor, your three thousand six hundred sixty-nine Black Armor Corpse Kings each have combat power close to the Saint King Realm, correct?"
"Without them, your combat power would surely drop to the bottom of the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection rankings."
Qiang Zun and Hei Yu Corpse Emperor did not deny it.
Zhang Ruochen said, "To be honest, I have no interest in a Four-element Monarch Sacred Artifact. As for the Black Armor Corpse Kings, even if there were ten thousand of them, I couldn't control them, so they hold no value for me. Returning them to you is no big deal."
Joy flickered across the faces of Qiang Zun and Hei Yu Corpse Emperor.
Zhang Ruochen's tone shifted, "However, if you want them back, you must agree to two conditions."
"Name them," Qiang Zun said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "First, during the Heaven Hunting Battle, you must not participate in any action against me or the Blood Heaven Tribe."
"Naturally."
Qiang Zun and Hei Yu Corpse Emperor agreed without hesitation.
"Second, during the Heaven Hunting Battle, you must do one thing for me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Qiang Zun and Hei Yu Corpse Emperor exchanged glances, hesitating.
Zhang Ruochen knew what they were worried about and said, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything that harms your own clan's interests. Both of you are Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection powerhouses, first-tier figures in the Heaven Hunting Battle. What is there to fear?"
"Fine, as long as it doesn't harm the Stone Clan's interests, I can agree to do one thing for you," Qiang Zun said.
Hei Yu Corpse Emperor nodded, also agreeing.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Swear an oath first."
Hei Yu Corpse Emperor frowned, saying, "We are all Great Saint-level powerhouses, and every cultivator in the Hell Realm is watching through the Myriad Realm Divine Eye. How could we possibly break our word?"
Zhang Ruochen insisted, "No, you must swear in the name of your clan's gods. If you break the oath, may all the gods of the Stone Clan and Corpse Clan die horribly."
Hearing this, Hei Yu Corpse Emperor and Qiang Zun felt a chill run down their spines. They glanced warily toward the direction of the Fate Divine Domain, cursing Zhang Ruochen inwardly for daring to say such things, unafraid of being struck by divine punishment.
"If you don't dare to swear, don't waste my time."
Zhang Ruochen made as if to leave.
"Wait."
Hei Yu Corpse Emperor and Qiang Zun ultimately swore an oath, though they did not dare to say anything like "may all the gods of the Stone Clan and Corpse Clan die horribly." Instead, they invoked their clan's gods as witnesses, swearing that if they broke the oath, they themselves would die horribly.
Zhang Ruochen released the war sword and Black Armor Corpse Kings from the Purple Gold Gourd and returned them.
At the same time, he roughly counted what was in the gourd: a total of three quasi-emperor grade Sacred Will Pills, thirty-seven king grade Sacred Will Pills, and four hundred fifty-eight top-tier heaven grade Sacred Will Pills.
The king grade and top-tier heaven grade Sacred Will Pills were collected when Zhang Ruochen, after taking the first quasi-emperor grade pill, flew over the pill qi river and casually activated the Purple Gold Gourd once.
Some were also accidentally collected while taking the quasi-emperor grade pills.
After all, the spatial formation at the gourd's mouth covered a very wide area when activated.
All the Sacred Will Pills in the pill qi river had been taken.
The ten quasi-emperor grade Sacred Will Pills also had owners.
Besides the three Zhang Ruochen had taken, Wu Jiang, Yan Wushen, Feng Hou, Luo Shengtian, and Lan Ying had each taken one.
Two others had been taken by someone Zhang Ruochen hadn't noticed.
Now, only the five Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection powerhouses of the Yama Clan, led by Yan Huangtu, were still fighting the emperor grade Sacred Will Pill's Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit.
Although the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit was sealed, it still possessed peak Thousand Questions Realm combat power. Even with Yan Huangtu's abilities and the aid of a supreme sacred artifact, he could only keep it entangled, preventing it from escaping.
The other four Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saints were all injured.
Other Yama Clan Great Saints were rushing to the battlefield as fast as possible. Barring accidents, given the Yama Clan's strength, collecting the emperor grade Sacred Will Pill was only a matter of time.
Zhang Ruochen looked into the distance and saw that the battlefield between Yan Huangtu and the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit had moved into the Wugui Forest, entering a six-colored starry sky.
In the starry sky floated countless cosmic dust and star fragments, displaying six different colors.
Yu Huang and Yi Xuan Great Saint rendezvoused with Zhang Ruochen.
Yi Xuan Great Saint looked somewhat guilty, saying, "Sorry, we were held up by Xu and couldn't reach you in time."
"I saw it all," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yu Huang's pretty face was frosty, her gaze sharp, "Originally, I and Yi Xuan Great Saint could have taken a quasi-emperor grade Sacred Will Pill, but Wu Jiang snatched it away. Zhang Ruochen, be careful when you meet him next time. The Sacred Will he has cultivated is likely top-tier third grade."
Recalling his encounter with Wu Jiang, Zhang Ruochen's eyes showed a contemplative look, and he nodded.
When Wu Jiang had fought him, he hadn't used his Sacred Will at all.
Yi Xuan Great Saint noticed Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on the battle in the six-colored starry sky, saying, "All the Yama Clan's experts have arrived. The emperor grade Sacred Will Pill is already in their grasp. How enviable."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yi Xuan Great Saint was startled, "Is there anyone who dares to contend with the Yama Clan?"
"Why not? The Heaven Hunting Battle is a contest between all clans. Where is the 'dare not'? Look, Wu Jiang, Luo Shengtian, Xu, Yan Hong Great Saint... all the top powerhouses on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection rankings haven't left. They're gathering toward the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit. Do you think they're just watching the excitement?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Yi Xuan Great Saint licked his lips, "That is indeed interesting. Should we go over and take a look? There might be an opportunity."
Yu Huang was also quite tempted, a sharp gleam flashing in her eyes.
"Since you're interested, let's go join the fun. However..."
Zhang Ruochen squinted his eyes, reached out, and pinched his fingers in the void.
Instantly, the space around the three of them twisted severely, their figures vanishing as if they had turned invisible.
Although twisting space to hide couldn't fool a spiritual power Great Saint's detection, the battlefield between the Yama Clan and the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit spanned ten thousand li.
Ten thousand li was vast. Even if a person stood in the cosmic void without hiding, they would be like a speck of dust, hard to spot.
After turning invisible, unless a spiritual power Great Saint conducted a close-range, careful search, they wouldn't be discovered.
The three silently entered the battlefield and landed on a yellow-brown star fragment.
This star fragment was two hundred seventy li long, shaped like a rocky mountain range, jagged and uneven, with peaks standing tall. The rock was extremely hard, partially metalized.
At the center of the battlefield, the Yama Clan's eleven Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection powerhouses and Yan Wushen were simultaneously activating a jade ruyi-shaped supreme sacred artifact, suppressing the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit and gradually refining its will.
Unlike Zhang Ruochen, who could use a gourd to collect the pill first and refine it later, they had to refine the Zhao Shen Lian pill spirit's spiritual will before they could take it away.
Other Yama Clan cultivators surrounded them in layers, protecting them from sneak attacks. Their cultivations were formidable—nearly a thousand Great Saints, with over three hundred at the Hundred Shackles Realm.
Even powerhouses like Wu Jiang and Luo Shengtian, if they dared to approach, would be blasted into dust by the thousand Great Saints in an instant.
After careful observation, Zhang Ruochen showed a contemplative expression, "No, something's wrong."
"What's wrong?" Yu Huang asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Logically, given the allure of an emperor grade Sacred Will Pill, the one most likely to act should be Lan Ying. Why is it that Wu Jiang, Luo Shengtian, and others are all nearby, but Lan Ying is nowhere to be seen?"