Chapter 2288: Battle Against Xu
Xu stood proudly atop the mountain peak, his aura influencing the world around him. The cold wind grew increasingly fierce, howling with a "woo woo" sound. The wind's force automatically transformed into wind blades, condensing into whirlwinds.
Unlike before, Xu was now completely serious, his aura as sharp as a heaven-cleaving sword.
"Rustle."
A black patterned line condensed before him, interweaving into a mysterious design. It resembled a rune, yet also seemed like ghostly markings.
"Abandoned Heaven Ghost Pattern," Zhang Ruochen murmured.
While reviewing Xu's information, Zhang Ruochen had come across records about the Abandoned Heaven Ghost Pattern. This pattern was created by the Ghost Lord, capable of communicating with heaven and earth through ghost patterns, commanding myriad ghosts, and stealing heavenly might. All nine sons of the Ghost Lord were exceptionally talented, but only the second son, Yuan, had successfully comprehended it.
There were rumors that Xu had also comprehended the Abandoned Heaven Ghost Pattern, but he had never formally used it. Alternatively, any cultivator who had witnessed him execute it had already died.
"Swoosh—"
The second pattern, the third...
In an instant, thirteen thousand five hundred Abandoned Heaven Ghost Patterns condensed, suspended in the void, emitting a dim, eerie light. Air, ghostly qi, and the rules of heaven and earth formed vortices centered around the ghost patterns.
The wind stopped, and the clouds halted.
At this moment, space and time seemed to freeze, leaving only Xu's hands continuously forming hand seals.
Within the concealment formation.
White Mad Lion's eyes narrowed sharply. "Xu has actually cultivated the Abandoned Heaven Ghost Pattern, and he can condense thirteen thousand five hundred of them at once. His spiritual power must have reached the sixty-fourth rank."
Four-Eyed Ghost Emperor sneered coldly. "In terms of spiritual power, Xu holds an overwhelming advantage. Even if Zhang Ruochen's combat strength can match Xu's, the gap in spiritual power will become a fatal flaw leading to his defeat."
"Heh, right from the start, Xu has revealed all his trump cards. It seems he intends to defeat Zhang Ruochen with overwhelming force," Wing Ghost Emperor said.
Night Changyou remarked softly, "Defeating an Eon-level genius is a glorious feat worthy of being recorded in the *Ghost Canon*. The battle footage will be preserved for eternity. If I were Xu, I would also aim for the cleanest and most decisive victory."
"Xu and Zhang Ruochen have already clashed three times. There's no need for further probing. This battle will determine victory and decide life and death," Yanhong Great Saint said.
The thirteen thousand five hundred Abandoned Heaven Ghost Patterns flew toward Zhang Ruochen at the center, continuously compressing the space around him. A corrosive force pressed down from all directions.
The ground beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet cracked, and his body was completely enveloped and swallowed.
"Boom."
The ten wings on his back unfurled, and ten beams of golden light tore through the darkness, shooting toward the ten directions of heaven and earth.
The five beams of golden light that struck the ground split the earth, forming five ravines that extended a thousand miles away. The continent, tens of thousands of miles long, shook violently, and thick, dusky yellow dust rose from the locations of the five ravines.
Such a shocking scene caused the cultivators watching the projection to feel a tingling numbness throughout their bodies. Zhang Ruochen's small frame could actually unleash such terrifying power.
The thirteen thousand five hundred Abandoned Heaven Ghost Patterns were shattered, turning into wisps of ghostly mist that dissipated into the air.
Xu's eyes sharpened, and he took a step back. "The Abandoned Heaven Ghost Pattern, capable of countering a combined force of early Thousand-Question Realm Great Saints, was broken just like that. Zhang Ruochen's ten golden wings have indeed changed, now containing the aura of an Ancestor."
Suddenly, Xu caught a flash of golden light within the rolling ghost clouds. The golden light was incredibly fast, arriving before him in the blink of an eye.
It was Zhang Ruochen.
The golden light came from the radiance of the ten wings on his back.
"Boom!"
The ten golden wings struck Xu's body, producing a earth-shaking collision sound.
At that moment, Xu formed a lotus seal with his hands. The sacred dao rules within his body manifested as a black ghost lotus, wrapping around him and clashing with Zhang Ruochen's golden wings.
Xu's reaction speed was astonishingly fast.
Unflustered, Xu stared directly at Zhang Ruochen from close range. "Your speed is impressive, and the power of your golden wings is formidable. But I am not White Mad Lion. If you want to contend with a top-ten ranked cultivator in the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection realm, this level of power is far from enough."
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen released the space rules within his body, forming a gravitational space that pressed down on Xu.
"Boom."
Xu's ghost body trembled slightly, the pressure increasing dramatically, and cracks appeared in the ghost lotus he had formed.
At that moment, vines from the Devouring Saint Flower surged from Zhang Ruochen's back, like thousands of threads cascading down toward the northern cliff of the mountain.
On the northern cliff, Man Sword Great Saint was pinned down by five ice pillars, sacred blood flowing profusely.
"Hiss."
The vines of the Devouring Saint Flower released Purifying Divine Flame, wrapping around the five ice pillars, attempting to refine them.
But as soon as the Purifying Divine Flame was released, the surface of the stone layer on the northern cliff lit up with densely packed Great Saint inscriptions. These inscriptions emitted dazzling light, condensing into cold energy that froze the Purifying Divine Flame until it extinguished.
The vines of the Devouring Saint Flower quickly retracted, leaving the northern cliff.
"Ah..."
Man Sword Great Saint gritted his teeth, but still let out agonizing sounds, enduring pain that even a Great Saint's spiritual will could barely withstand.
The Great Saint inscriptions on the northern cliff surged into Man Sword Great Saint's body, freezing him inch by inch.
Standing atop the peak within the ghost lotus, Xu laughed. "You think saving someone is that easy? Before you arrived, this mountain was inscribed with millions of Great Saint inscriptions."
The ten-thousand-meter-tall mountain suddenly emitted a dazzling light. All the Great Saint inscriptions were activated.
"Roar!"
"Growl!"
...
Countless ghost shadows surged from Xu's back—some in the form of lions and tigers, some human-shaped, some Rakshasa-shaped... A total of twelve million ghost shadows manifested, transforming this area into a sinister ghost realm.
These twelve million ghost shadows condensed into twelve Thousand-Question Realm Ghost Emperor soul bodies, each radiating immense power and sacred might, containing one-tenth of the strength of a Thousand-Question Realm Great Saint.
The power of these twelve Ghost Emperor soul bodies combined with Xu's own strength.
Xu struck out with his palm, hitting Zhang Ruochen's golden wings and sending him flying backward.
Seizing the advantage, Xu immediately followed up with a second palm, a third... a continuous barrage of palm strikes.
Like rolling thunder, fifty-seven palm explosions rang out in succession.
Zhang Ruochen flew backward for five thousand miles, using the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, along with three Thousand-Question Realm dragon souls and three Thousand-Question Realm elephant souls, to block all of Xu's palm strikes.
Wherever their palms clashed, the earth shattered, mountains turned to dust, and rivers became frozen bands of ice.
This was a collision of pure power—violent and domineering.
The entire Hell Realm, including the various Hunting Heaven Battlefields, was shaken at this moment.
Who could have imagined that Zhang Ruochen would go alone to the Ghost Clan's home star to fight Xu?
"Is Zhang Ruochen insane?"
Countless cultivators harbored this doubt.
No matter how powerful a cultivator was, they couldn't storm a clan's home star alone. Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had countless enemies in the Hell Realm, with many wanting him dead.
His current actions—what difference was there from seeking death?
Only the Heavenly Court cultivators on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield saw some clues. In the projection, they vaguely spotted Man Sword Great Saint pinned to the northern cliff.
"Zhang Ruochen went alone to the Ghost Clan's home star to save Man Sword Great Saint!" a cultivator from Guanghan Realm said excitedly.
"That must be it. Zhang Ruochen and Man Sword Great Saint have a deep bond. The Ghost Clan's Great Saint threatened Man Sword Great Saint's life, so Zhang Ruochen would definitely go to rescue him."
Cultivators who had once shared a close friendship with Zhang Ruochen, upon seeing this, worried for his safety but also felt an inexplicable relief. At least Zhang Ruochen's nature hadn't changed.
He was still the same—putting loyalty first and life second.
The battle projection appeared across the Hell Realm, and the most excited were the cultivators of the Blood Heaven Tribe World.
In previous Hunting Heaven Feasts, the Earth Evil Ghost City had always targeted the Blood Heaven Tribe, causing heavy losses and leaving them at the bottom of the ten tribes.
Not only did the Great Saints participating in the Hunting Heaven Battle feel humiliated, but the entire Blood Heaven Tribe was filled with anger, gnashing their teeth at the cultivators of Earth Evil Ghost City.
Xu of Earth Evil Ghost City had become the Ghost Clan's strongest. The Blood Heaven Tribe cultivators had already resigned themselves to another humiliation in this year's Hunting Heaven Battle.
What use was hatred?
What use was unwillingness?
The gap in strength was clear; they could only accept it.
But who would have thought that Zhang Ruochen would single-handedly charge into the Ghost Clan's home star to fight Xu, the Ghost Clan's strongest? Instantly, their blood boiled, and flames of passion ignited within them, as if they themselves were fighting Xu.
Of course, they didn't know that Zhang Ruochen had gone to the Ghost Clan's home star to save Man Sword Great Saint.
They only thought Zhang Ruochen had gone to seek revenge and redeem the Blood Heaven Tribe's honor by challenging Xu to a duel.
Whether Zhang Ruochen won or lost, such a bold act alone made people want to roar out loud.
In the Blood Heaven Tribe World, a teenage boy pointed at the sky. "If Zhang Ruochen can defeat Xu and bring glory to the Blood Heaven Tribe, anyone who dares speak ill of him from now on, I'll make them bleed ten steps away."
Not far away, a blood-haired girl's beautiful eyes shone with excitement. "If Zhang Ruochen can defeat Xu, I'll admit he's worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as my idol, Yan Wushen."
This battle between Zhang Ruochen and Xu stirred the emotions of the Blood Heaven Tribe cultivators to the fullest.
For the Blood Heaven Tribe, this battle was no small matter.
For Zhang Ruochen, this battle would have far-reaching consequences. If he won, his prestige in the Blood Heaven Tribe would reach its peak.
With the support of the entire Blood Heaven Tribe, he could firmly establish himself in the Hell Realm.
In the Destiny Temple, the gods were also watching the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Xu.
Unlike the cultivators who only sought excitement, the gods cared more about the outcome.
But even with their divine wisdom and extensive knowledge of Xu and Zhang Ruochen, they couldn't give a definitive answer.
The Ghost Lord's booming voice echoed in the temple: "Having broken just one shackle, Zhang Ruochen dares to storm the Ghost Clan's home star. Truly young and reckless. What a pity, what a pity. Xue Jue, it seems your grandson will disappoint your expectations."
Xue Jue War God remained composed, sitting in his divine realm world, ignoring the Ghost Lord.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God's divine shadow appeared in the temple, smiling. "Ghost Lord, in your opinion, what will be the outcome of this battle between Zhang Ruochen and Xu?"
No one knew how many gods had gathered in the Destiny Temple, as they all sat in their own divine realm worlds, only revealing their divine shadows when communicating.
The Ghost Lord said, "Zhang Ruochen is naturally gifted, and at the same cultivation level, Xu is certainly no match for him. But now, one has just broken one shackle, while the other has reached Great Perfection—a difference of ninety-nine realms. The outcome is self-evident. If Zhang Ruochen had broken thirty or forty more shackles, he might have a chance to win."
Underworld King's divine shadow appeared, handsome and imposing, letting out a long laugh. "What ninety-nine realms? White Mad Lion, with his Hundred Shackles Great Perfection cultivation, was still crushed by Zhang Ruochen. Ghost Lord, it's best not to be so absolute. Be careful—you might not be able to take back your words."
Green Deer God King's divine shadow appeared. "Let me make a prediction. Zhang Ruochen's cultivation in the ways of time, space, and truth is commendable. Now, with the awakening of the Blood Absolute Ancestor's bloodline and the partial release of his demigod body's power, he has a chance to win this battle. But it won't exceed twenty percent."
The Ghost Lord's voice turned cold. "I think you all underestimate the top-tier geniuses of the Hell Realm. A difference of ninety-nine realms is an absolute gap. Xu has been ranked in the top ten of the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection list by both the Star Sea World and the Myriad Realms Divine Eye. His strength is far more than what he has shown on the surface."
"Zhang Ruochen's greatest reliance has always been his countless powerful battle artifacts, using external forces to overcome impossible opponents. But now, in the Hunting Heaven Battlefield, he only carries a single gourd."
"A single gourd?" Underworld King chuckled.
The Ghost Lord said, "Don't think I don't know. That gourd of Zhang Ruochen's is the Blood Heaven Tribe's supreme sacred artifact. But what difference does it make?"
"The strongest of the Ghost Clan, Bone Clan, and Corpse Clan, along with their three supreme sacred artifacts, are all near the Ghost Clan's home star."
"Even if Zhang Ruochen, against a one-in-ten-thousand chance, defeats Xu, he will still end up dead. Xue Jue, have you prepared a coffin for Zhang Ruochen?"
Seeing that Xue Jue War God remained silent, the Ghost Lord laughed again. "In fact, Zhang Ruochen has another major weakness. That weakness is Man Sword Great Saint of Guanghan Realm. Now that Man Sword Great Saint is in Xu's hands, Zhang Ruochen's state of mind will surely be affected."
"When two top-tier experts clash, a troubled mind will inevitably lead to a predictable outcome."
Underworld King's heart sank deeply.
Because the Ghost Lord had hit on many key points.
No matter how you looked at it, the gap in cultivation and spiritual power between Zhang Ruochen and Xu was too great. Moreover, Xu held the advantage in environment and state of mind.
This battle was extremely unfavorable for Zhang Ruochen.
Underworld King was well aware of Zhang Ruochen's trump cards. After calculation, even if Zhang Ruochen could overcome the mental pressure, his chance of defeating Xu was only thirty to forty percent.
Unless Zhang Ruochen broke ten shackles, doubling the power of his undying sacred body, he could defeat Xu more easily.