Chapter 2289: Three Void Seal Technique
Five thousand miles of earth and smoke flew up, the terrain was destroyed, the rules of heaven and earth were chaotic, and the clouds above the Ghost Clan's home planet were blasted apart.
If not for the planet-protecting grand formation, the energy waves from the two of them would have definitely spread into the starry sky.
The cosmic space outside the Ghost Clan's home planet was six-colored, with star mists that were magnificent and beautiful. Some took the form of nine-petal sacred flowers, each with different colors; others were like conch shells, with swirling patterns of energy; still others resembled colorful rivers, connecting lands for billions of miles.
About fifty thousand miles away from the Ghost Clan's home planet, within a cluster of purple, cyan, and red star mist, led by Bore, three other Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints stood suspended in the void, like four divine beings.
Source Fei Great Saint sighed, "With Xu's strength, spending this much time and still not being able to take down Zhang Ruochen. Zhang Ruochen, having broken through to the Hundred Shackles realm, is truly extraordinary. He is already one of the top-tier experts below the Thousand Questions realm."
Da Senluo Huang's face was grim, his heart heavy.
Ever since Zhang Ruochen arrived in the Hell Realm, Da Senluo Huang had thought of nothing but killing him to avenge his brother. A few months ago, with his Hundred Shackles Great Perfection cultivation, how could he have ever taken Zhang Ruochen, who had just broken through to the Great Saint realm, seriously?
But now, Zhang Ruochen's combat power had already made him feel a sense of powerlessness.
At the very least, he had no confidence in fighting Xu to such an extent.
Zhang Ruochen could.
Another Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saint from the Death Clan, Fire Charm Yin Ji, stood shoulder to shoulder with them. Her slender and graceful body was covered in a layer of crimson flames, her face beautiful, her skin snow-white, exuding a special kind of allure.
She said, "Source Fei, you've fought Xu. How strong is he really? Spending this much time and still not being able to deal with Zhang Ruochen, who has only broken one shackle—could he be overrated?"
Source Fei Great Saint's expression was serious, and he shook his head, "Xu hasn't fused a Third-Rank Sacred Intent, yet he ranks seventh on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking, a position no one can shake. Do you really think he's an easy opponent?"
"I did fight Xu once, but I gave it my all and only managed a draw. I could feel that he still had strength in reserve."
"The reason it ended in a draw might be because he wanted to hide his true strength. Or perhaps he knew that even if he defeated me, he would have to pay a price, so he chose to stop."
Source Fei Great Saint was the number one expert of the Death Clan. Saying such conservative words made the other Great Saints think he was being modest. But only Source Fei Great Saint himself knew that there was indeed a gap between him and Xu.
His fight with Xu was just a spar.
Zhang Ruochen and Xu, however, were engaged in a life-and-death battle. Being able to fight for so long without showing signs of defeat had already shocked Source Fei Great Saint. Zhang Ruochen's combat power was probably not inferior to his own, ranking twelfth among the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints.
Fire Charm Yin Ji wore a seductive smile, but inwardly she was quite disdainful. No matter how strong Xu was, compared to Wujiang, he was still far behind.
Once Wujiang fused a Second-Rank Sacred Intent, so-called "Cosmic Divine Fetus," "Heaven-Born Imperial Dao Divine Bone," and "Eon-Level Geniuses" would all be trampled underfoot.
Whoever mastered a Second-Rank Sacred Intent would truly stand at the pinnacle of this era.
From beginning to end, Bore stared in the direction of the Ghost Clan's home planet, saying not a word.
Da Senluo Huang laughed, "Bore Dianxia's plan of using a borrowed knife to kill is brilliant. Without lifting a finger, you can kill Zhang Ruochen. In my opinion, we should take this opportunity to deal with Pink Skull as well."
"This is indeed a perfect opportunity!" Bore said, without showing any emotion.
A smile appeared on the faces of Source Fei Great Saint and Fire Charm Yin Ji.
In their minds, Zhang Ruochen was as good as dead. The opponent they now valued most had quietly become Yan Hong Great Saint.
...
Xu's palm strength was formidable, with chaotic light and yin-cold ghost energy constantly erupting, stirring up waves of energy tides.
After a hundred consecutive palm clashes, Zhang Ruochen's left arm had become numb with pain. Even with the strength of his demigod body and the marvels of his Undying Chaos Saintly Body, he found it difficult to hold on.
His right arm, having broken a shackle, could continuously release divine power, so it could still cope.
"If only the second shackle on my left arm were also broken, even if I fought Xu for a thousand palms, I wouldn't fall behind."
Zhang Ruochen knew he couldn't keep up the head-on clash, so he mobilized his saintly energy and released blood fiend qi, injecting it into the Thousand Ring Bracelet on his left wrist.
"Whoosh—"
The surface of the Thousand Ring Bracelet lit up with countless king-level inscriptions, its size expanding as it released powerful saintly force, flying toward Xu, who was striking again with his palm.
"Boom."
The Thousand Ring Bracelet transformed into a diameter of thirty-three zhang, shattering the ghost energy within Xu's palm print and sending him staggering backward.
The power of a Four-Element Monarch Sacred Artifact was not something Xu could block with his bare hands.
Zhang Ruochen stood at the center of the Thousand Ring Bracelet, releasing divine energy from his left hand and left leg into the ring.
Instantly, the Thousand Ring Bracelet radiated a brilliance of ten thousand zhang, spinning rapidly with a piercing metallic screech. Dense, feathered light marks flew out from it, unleashing a power even greater than before.
When divine power was used to drive a Monarch Sacred Artifact, its might was entirely different.
Seeing this, Bai Yu Crazy Lion felt a pang of anguish, stomping his feet in frustration. His own battle artifact, in someone else's hands, unleashing even greater power—how could he not be depressed?
"Using divine power to drive a Four-Element Monarch Sacred Artifact, every strike Zhang Ruochen unleashes is no weaker than a Thousand Questions-level high-rank sacred art. This kid is much harder to deal with than I imagined." Yan Hong Great Saint frowned, saying.
"Even without a battle artifact, I can still defeat you."
Xu's battle intent peaked, his Great Saint might sweeping across the entire planet. He landed on the ground, stomping his foot, and a thunderous roar echoed from beneath the earth.
The land for a hundred miles rose up, transforming into a grand altar, as majestic as a mountain.
Xu stood at the center of the altar, and the heavenly and earthly rules of the entire planet automatically converged toward him. His ghostly body grew, expanding to ninety-nine zhang, turning into a giant ghost. His jet-black hair flew wildly, ghostly light surged from his eyes, and his hands formed complex finger seals.
Having undergone the Chaotic Spring baptism, the "Chaotic Ghost Emperor Body" he had cultivated was now truly revealed.
"Whoosh! Crack!"
"Shriek! Ah!"
...
Tens of thousands of ghostly energies flew out from within the Chaotic Ghost Emperor Body, like icy demonic serpents, converging on his hands. At the same time, the ghost energy on the Ghost Clan's home planet was also affected, turning into hundreds of ghostly rivers, thousands or tens of thousands of miles long, rushing toward him.
The advantage of terrain was fully displayed.
"Sizzle, sizzle."
At the center of Xu's palms, a black mark began to take shape.
The black mark grew larger and larger, like a black hole capable of devouring everything.
"Three Void Seal Technique, Void Swamp Seal."
Xu shouted, unleashing the black mark.
The Three Void Seal Technique consisted of: Void Swamp Seal, Void Sea Seal, and Void Heaven Seal.
It was a very famous Thousand Questions-level high-rank sacred art from the Earth Fiend Ghost City. Void Swamp, Void Sea, and Void Heaven—each level was more powerful than the last. Legend had it that the power of the Void Swamp Seal was comparable to a full-force strike from a Thousand Questions realm initial stage Great Saint.
The Void Sea Seal was comparable to a full-force strike from a Thousand Questions realm middle stage Great Saint.
The Void Heaven Seal's power reached the level of a full-force strike from a Thousand Questions realm late stage Great Saint.
If executed by a Thousand Questions realm Great Saint, the power of the Three Void Seal Technique would be even stronger. With the Void Heaven Seal, one could fight a Thousand Questions realm peak Great Saint.
At this moment, the Void Swamp Seal Xu unleashed was empowered by the soul bodies of twelve ghost emperors, its strength more than double that of a Thousand Questions realm initial stage Great Saint.
"Boom, rumble."
The Thousand Ring Bracelet spun out, colliding with the Void Swamp Seal. The immense opposing force swept across the land like a world-clearing storm, causing the earth to collapse layer by layer.
With a "bang," the king-level inscriptions on the Thousand Ring Bracelet quickly dimmed, and it was sent flying, crashing into a stretch of land hundreds of miles away, plunging that area into darkness and chaos.
"Zhang Ruochen, battle artifacts are ultimately external objects. True strength comes from within. On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, without a series of Supreme Sacred Artifacts to use, your weaknesses are exposed. Today, I will surely suppress and kill you." Xu's profound sacred will spoke from the mouth of the ninety-nine-zhang-tall Chaotic Ghost Emperor Body.
The Void Swamp Seal continued flying toward Zhang Ruochen, the black mark absorbing heavenly and earthly rules, air, soil, and plants, its power increasing rather than diminishing.
"What a formidable seal technique, what immense power. No wonder he ranks above Yu Huang, who has cultivated a Third-Rank Sacred Intent. In terms of pure power, Yu Huang is far from his match."
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged as he channeled the blood fiend qi within him into his ten golden wings. Instantly, the blood patterns on the wings blazed with extraordinary brightness.
"Swish!"
Zhang Ruochen transformed into a streak of gold and red light, breaking free from the Void Swamp Seal's lock, and flew above Xu's head.
Xu let out a soft exclamation of surprise, finding it hard to believe.
Given the power of the Void Swamp Seal, once it locked onto a target, even a spatial displacement was difficult to execute. Yet Zhang Ruochen's golden wings had managed to break through the seal's domain lock.
It had to be said, the power of an Ancestral Divine Pattern was indeed beyond the comprehension of a Great Saint.
"Blazing God Leg."
Zhang Ruochen had already gathered his strength. His left leg manifested ten million divine rules, releasing a vast, boundless flame. At the same time, fire path rules and Purifying Divine Flame also emerged, condensing into a sea of fire beneath his feet.
The Purifying Divine Flame set the sky ablaze and turned the ground into scorched earth.
The altar beneath Xu's feet showed signs of melting, but he remained unfazed. His hands released a sea of sacred dao rules, like billions of threads, controlling the Void Swamp Seal and striking it upward.
The Void Swamp Seal had already grown to a hundred miles in length, spinning rapidly as it ascended.
Zhang Ruochen, descending from the sky, looked down. The Void Swamp Seal resembled a boundless ghostly black eye, ready to devour him.
Zhang Ruochen's mind was flawless, and he still pressed down without hesitation.
At times like this, one must not show fear.
Once fear took root in the heart, defeat was more than half certain.
"Boom."
The fire cloud formed by the Blazing God Leg collided with the Void Swamp Seal. The earth-shattering destructive force swept across this tens of thousands of miles long continent. Energy waves spread to several other continents, causing the ghosts on the Ghost Clan's home planet to tremble in fear.
The continent where the two were fighting had long been devoid of life, showing signs of fragmentation. Wide chasms had opened up, like a piece of ceramic about to shatter.
What was astonishing was that from the bottomless chasms, pitch-black ghost energy surged forth.
This ghost energy was thousands of times denser than the ghost energy floating above the Ghost Clan's home planet, something even a Ghost Emperor-level existence would find hard to produce.
In the starry sky, Bore gently shook her head, saying, "Something's wrong."
"What's wrong?" Fire Charm Yin Ji asked curiously.
Bore said, "Just now, the attack power Zhang Ruochen and Xu unleashed reached the level of a Thousand Questions realm Great Saint. The destructive force of their violent clash should have been enough to destroy ten Ghost Clan home planets. But as you all saw, the Ghost Clan's home planet only trembled slightly."
Fire Charm Yin Ji said, "Isn't that nothing strange? The Ghost Clan's home planet must have Great Saint inscriptions carved into it. Otherwise, Xu wouldn't have chosen the planet's surface as the battlefield."
Bore nodded slightly and said no more.
But her gaze was deep, still pondering. She felt that this matter was unusual. Perhaps the home planets of the ten clans were not as simple as they imagined.
The battlefields arranged by the gods might have deeper meanings.
Xu was already regretting his choice. Zhang Ruochen was harder to deal with than he had anticipated. If this stalemate continued, the Ghost Clan's home planet might be destroyed.
If that happened, he would become a sinner of the Ghost Clan.
"Let's end this battle. Void Sea Seal."
Xu stomped his foot hard on the altar. With a thunderous crash, the altar shattered into pieces, and all the rocks flew outward.
The rocks, originally of an earth attribute, instantly transformed into a water attribute.
"Rustle, rustle."
A sea, a thousand miles in radius, manifested beneath Xu's feet.
The sea continued to expand, as if this tens of thousands of miles long continent would transform into an ocean. This was a power that could change heaven and earth, shocking all the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints hiding on the continent.
"Xu has actually cultivated the Void Sea Seal." Yan Hong Great Saint's stunningly beautiful face showed a hint of surprise.
"If Zhang Ruochen has no other trump cards, this strike will decide the outcome. Being able to force Xu to use the Void Sea Seal, even if he loses, no one will question his title as an Eon-Level Genius." Ye Changzai said.
Executing the Void Sea Seal, Xu had clearly exhausted all his strength. The ninety-nine-zhang-tall Chaotic Ghost Emperor Body had even shrunk by several zhang.
The seal technique was unleashed, following the Void Swamp Seal that had been shattered by the Blazing God Leg, flying upward. In an instant, it enveloped Zhang Ruochen, leaving him no chance to escape using spatial displacement. Even less opportunity to activate the Truth Path's tenfold attack power.
Faced with this strike, capable of countering a Thousand Questions realm middle stage Great Saint, Zhang Ruochen remained calm. The Immovable Wisdom King Saintly Aspect and the divine-demon phantom derived from the Divine Demon Prison Suppression both manifested simultaneously.
"It's not just you who has cultivated a Thousand Questions-level high-rank sacred art."
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands together, his battle intent reaching its peak. The Immovable Wisdom King Saintly Aspect and the divine-demon phantom merged into one, becoming a thousand miles tall, taking on a form identical to Zhang Ruochen.
Standing in the starry sky, one could see half the body of the divine-demon-like "Zhang Ruochen," with nine layers of heavenly realms suspended above his head. The other half of his body was submerged beneath the black atmospheric layer.
This scene was like a god manifesting his true form.
The thousand-mile-tall figure of Zhang Ruochen stomped down on the Void Sea Seal unleashed by Xu.