# Chapter 2299: Shaking the World
The golden handprint, a thousand miles long, was like light and mist, sometimes solid and sometimes ethereal, continuously emitting a heart-shaking power fluctuation.
"Boom, rumble."
Beneath the palm print, the various Great Saints of the Ghost Clan exerted all their strength to resist, some striking out with ghost artifacts, others unleashing high-rank sacred arts. But it was already too late; the entire continent kept sinking, and the enormous home planet trembled violently.
Moments later, looking from the starry sky, one could see rolling smoke and dust on the distant planet, with chaotic energy.
A shocking five-fingered handprint crater was imprinted on the planet's surface.
Around the handprint crater were all golden cracks, with light and mist turning into waterfalls.
A brilliant golden speck of light hovered above the handprint crater.
The cultivators of the Upper Three Clans rapidly flew closer to the Ghost Clan's home planet, finally able to see clearly that the golden speck of light was actually a human figure.
"Zhang... Zhang Ruochen, he didn't die..." Bai Yu Feng Shi said tremblingly, his eyes full of shock.
Bore stood at the very front, a barely perceptible sharp gleam appearing in her cold, deep eyes.
"Whoosh."
Zhang Ruochen spread the ten wings on his back, his entire body blazing with golden light, like a heavenly god descending to earth. Slowly, he descended to the ground.
In the center of the thousand-mile-wide basin created by Zhang Ruochen's palm strike, a ghost city stood unshaken.
Within the ghost city, Xu and several Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints of the Ghost Clan held up the Seven Star Ghost Lotus, using its supreme power to block the palm print and protect the ghost city.
Standing on the pitch-black, towering city wall, the pink skeleton form of Yan Hong Great Saint watched Zhang Ruochen descending from the sky and uttered an incredulous voice: "How is this possible?"
"Is that really Zhang Ruochen?"
"Didn't you say he had already died underground?"
The two Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints of the Bone Clan, Man Yue Niu Huang and Tian Que Shen Gu, flew to the left and right sides of the pink skeleton.
At the same time, Xu, Yi Gui Huang, Si Mu Gui Di, and Ye Chang Zai also gathered from various parts of the city.
"Having the A Mo Curse Force invade his body, yet he completely resolved it in just three days... and his cultivation seems even stronger than before." Ye Chang Zai said in surprise.
Xu's expression was solemn, as if facing a great enemy. "It's not just stronger than before. Compared to three days ago, Zhang Ruochen has become far too powerful."
Just now, using the supreme sacred artifact to contend with Zhang Ruochen, Xu had felt tremendous pressure.
When he had fought Zhang Ruochen before, he had never felt this way.
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze over the Great Saint figures in the ghost city and raised his voice: "Xu, we haven't settled our victory or defeat yet. Do you dare to fight me again?"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Xu activated his ninety-nine-zhang-tall Chaos Ghost Emperor Body, holding the Seven Star Ghost Lotus as he flew out of the ghost city, confronting Zhang Ruochen directly.
He was the one who had invited Zhang Ruochen to fight on the Ghost Clan's home planet. If he cowered and refused to fight, wouldn't that make him a laughingstock to all cultivators in the Hell Realm?
Besides, even if Zhang Ruochen had grown stronger, how much stronger could he become in just a few days?
Even facing experts of the caliber of Wu Jiang and Luo Sheng Tian, Xu dared to fight head-on. Even if he couldn't win, he had confidence in escaping. Could Zhang Ruochen be stronger than Wu Jiang and Luo Sheng Tian?
"Very well."
Zhang Ruochen's speed was as fast as light, and in an instant, he collided with Xu.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen's fist clashed with the black light shield condensed by the Seven Star Ghost Lotus. The two powerful forces tore the ground beneath their feet, cracking it inch by inch.
"Boom, boom."
Zhang Ruochen executed the Luo Water Fist Art, his fist shadows falling like raindrops.
Without using sacred will, each punch contained divine power and over ten million fist path rules, with the power of Thousand Questions realm dragon souls and elephant souls reinforcing his fists.
The sound of punches was like the sea generating waves, waves striking hidden reefs.
"Fighting bare-handed against a supreme sacred artifact—is Zhang Ruochen's physical body that terrifying?" In the ghost city, a Great Saint felt his heart tremble.
Si Mu Gui Di's four eyes possessed extraordinary abilities, allowing him to discern some details. "Zhang Ruochen has broken at least ten more shackles in his body. The divine power of his half-god body is being continuously activated. He... he is becoming stronger. We might be in big trouble today. Everyone, prepare for battle."
Saying such words showed that Si Mu Gui Di no longer had as much confidence in Xu as before.
Yi Gui Huang was quite puzzled. "No, no. Breaking more than ten shackles in just three days, even with the help of Divine Travel Pills and time power, is impossible."
"Zhang Ruochen must have obtained some kind of opportunity underground."
The pink skeleton lightly stamped her foot and let out a soft snort.
A Ghost Clan Great Saint whose entire body was burning with ghost fire said, "How strange. Why isn't Xu using the power of the supreme sacred artifact to counterattack? I don't believe Zhang Ruochen's power can reach the level of suppressing a supreme sacred artifact."
"Of course Zhang Ruochen can't fight a supreme sacred artifact bare-handed. But he can use his power and speed to suppress Xu's ability to activate the supreme power of the sacred artifact. Hundred Shackles Great Saints need time to activate the power of a supreme sacred artifact, and Zhang Ruochen didn't give Xu that time." The pink skeleton said.
Yi Gui Huang's expression turned stern, and he said coldly, "I think we need to act now, combining all our power to kill Zhang Ruochen. This so-called one-on-one fight will only give Zhang Ruochen the chance to pick us off one by one."
The pink skeleton transmitted a message to the Ghost Lord's Eighth Son, "": "Is Man Jian Great Saint still alive? Bring him here."
"Boom, boom!"
Xu held the Seven Star Ghost Lotus with both hands, using its supreme power to support a black light shield.
The black light shield was struck by Zhang Ruochen's fist force, sometimes dimming, sometimes denting.
Only part of the supreme inscription runes on the Seven Star Ghost Lotus could emerge, unable to fully awaken, its power suppressed.
"Damn it, how has Zhang Ruochen's power become so strong?"
Xu stepped back step by step, gritting his teeth, using all his strength to circulate ghost qi.
In the past, even without using the supreme sacred artifact, Xu could suppress Zhang Ruochen in terms of power. Now, the situation had completely reversed.
"Yan Gui Zhi Ji."
Xu released powerful spiritual power, mobilizing the ghost qi on the Ghost Clan's home planet to condense a black halberd.
"Go die."
The black halberd was shaped like a snake, releasing a bone-chilling cold mist, tracing a winding arc as it struck toward Zhang Ruochen's back.
With a spiritual power intensity reaching the sixty-fourth rank, this was the biggest reason he could surpass Yan Hong Great Saint, Dao Yu Huang, and others to rank seventh. Otherwise, relying solely on sacred path cultivation, there would be no gap between him and Yan Hong Great Saint or Dao Yu Huang.
Zhang Ruochen didn't look at the black halberd flying from behind. While throwing his punches, he also released spiritual power, condensing a light shield behind him.
"Boom, rumble."
The black halberd and the light shield clashed violently.
The light shield didn't shatter with one blow as Xu had expected. Instead, it blocked his Yan Gui Zhi Ji, forming circles of energy tides.
"Your spiritual power... damn it, you've been hiding your spiritual power intensity all along."
How could Xu have imagined that Zhang Ruochen could increase his spiritual power intensity by two ranks in just three days?
Such an improvement was equivalent to centuries of bitter cultivation for other Great Saints.
"Boom."
One of the golden wings on Zhang Ruochen's back slashed out, sending the black halberd flying.
Taking advantage of the gap when Xu's emotions were violently fluctuating, Zhang Ruochen released his Truth Realm Form, transforming the area ten thousand miles around into a brilliant, dazzling sea of stars, gorgeous and beautiful.
He formed hand seals with both hands, with dragon and elephant phantom shadows rushing out from his left and right arms.
Xu was very clear that Zhang Ruochen was going to integrate the Way of Truth into his palm technique, activating ten times the attack power. So, he spat out a mouthful of origin ghost qi, pouring it into the Seven Star Ghost Lotus.
"Whoosh."
The supreme inscription runes in the Seven Star Ghost Lotus quickly activated, releasing a massive amount of supreme power.
The supreme power condensed into seven black lotuses. On the black lotuses burned ghost fire even hotter than ordinary imperial flame Purifying Divine Flame, the space being burned until it twisted.
"Dragon-Elephant World Destruction."
Zhang Ruochen struck out the thirteenth palm of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, with the blessing of Truth Rules, unleashing ten times the attack power, violently clashing with the seven black lotuses.
"Boom."
Violent destructive force surged in all directions.
In the ghost city, all the Great Saints changed color simultaneously. They quickly joined forces, linking a series of ghost artifacts and monarch sacred artifacts together, finally managing to withstand the impact of the supreme power and palm force.
The ground beneath Zhang Ruochen and Xu's feet quickly melted, turning into red-hot magma.
To be precise, the entire continent was melting, unable to withstand the aftermath of the battle between two unparalleled Great Saints.
Xu's Chaos Ghost Emperor Body caught fire, and he continuously let out long howls, using all his strength to support himself. After a while, he felt Zhang Ruochen's palm power rapidly weakening.
"Haha! Holding the Seven Star Ghost Lotus, I can kill Thousand Questions realm Great Saints and threaten Ten Thousand Deaths One Life realm Great Saints. And Zhang Ruochen dares to fight a supreme sacred artifact bare-handed? Does he really think the ten times attack power of the Way of Truth makes him invincible under heaven?"
Xu spat out another mouthful of origin ghost qi, spraying it onto the Seven Star Ghost Lotus. "Today, I will refine you to death here."
In the ghost city.
Seeing Xu gradually gaining the upper hand, the Ghost Clan Great Saints who had been planning to join forces to surround and kill Zhang Ruochen all breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces.
Only the pink skeleton, in her deep-socketed eye holes, had two flames flickering. She sensed an unusual power fluctuation. "Not good, Zhang Ruochen has activated the power of his sacred will."
Those Ghost Clan Great Saints didn't take it seriously. So what if he activated his sacred will?
Could sacred will contend with a supreme sacred artifact?
At the same cultivation level, whoever wielded a supreme sacred artifact was invincible.
"Boom."
Powerful energy erupted from Zhang Ruochen's body, piercing through the defensive light shield condensed by the Seven Star Ghost Lotus.
In an instant, all seven black lotuses shattered.
Under Xu's shocked gaze, Zhang Ruochen struck his palm onto Xu's chest. Layer upon layer of palm force, like mountains toppling and seas overturning, pierced through the ninety-nine-zhang-tall Chaos Ghost Emperor Body, creating a huge hole.
Xu flew backward like a scarecrow, heavily crashing into the formation barrier of the ghost city.
"Boom."
The brilliance of the formation barrier dimmed for a moment, almost shattered by his impact.
Xu suffered unprecedented severe injuries, with multiple forces rampaging inside his body. He fell to the ground, unable to stand, only able to watch helplessly as Zhang Ruochen approached step by step.
Zhang Ruochen's body emitted a five-colored chaotic light, and above his head appeared a mysterious phenomenon of water and fire blending, with a heavenly river flowing around a blood-red sun.
"Your sacred will... second rank?"
Xu's ten fingers clawed at the ground, desperately trying to stand up again.
Zhang Ruochen stepped on his back, pressing him back down. "As a loser, you don't deserve to know."
Beside them, the Seven Star Ghost Lotus, under the control of its artifact spirit, flew toward Zhang Ruochen's chest.
The Purple Gold Gourd hanging at his waist automatically flew up, instantly becoming as large as a palace, directly absorbing the Seven Star Ghost Lotus flying toward Zhang Ruochen.
Suddenly, heaven and earth became extremely quiet.
All the Ghost Clan Great Saints couldn't believe what they were seeing. The Ghost Clan's number one expert, Xu, while wielding a supreme sacred artifact, had been utterly defeated by Zhang Ruochen, trampled under his foot.
Zhang Ruochen's long hair was disheveled. He slowly raised his head, staring at those standing on the city wall, and said in a commanding tone: "Release the person."
...
In the starry sky.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's invincible, world-dominating heroic posture, Da Sen Luo Huang, Huo Mei Yin Ji, and others all felt suffocated.
In their hearts, they compared Zhang Ruochen to Wu Jiang.
Could Wu Jiang defeat Xu in such a crushing manner?
"How can his sacred will be so powerful? Could it be... could he have used a quasi-emperor grade sacred will pill to fuse a second-rank sacred will?" Yuan Fei Great Saint said with a trembling voice.
Although Yuan Fei Great Saint was the number one expert of the Death Clan, the sacred will he had fused was only fourth rank.
He knew very well how difficult it was to fuse a third-rank sacred will.
Fusing a second-rank sacred will was an unimaginable achievement. Even a thousand years ago, the peerless Feng Chen Sword God had failed, falling just slightly short of a second-rank sacred will.
"This is getting even more interesting! Zhang Ruochen in this state can now contend with the experts of the Middle Three Clans. It will most likely result in mutual destruction, and our opportunity has come!" Bore said with a bright-eyed, white-toothed smile.
Cultivators from all sides watching through the Myriad Realms Divine Eye projection were already in an uproar.
Xu was famous both in the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court Realm, a fearsome evil spirit. Zhang Ruochen's defeat of Xu shattered the faith of countless Ghost Clan cultivators, while also shocking cultivators from all realms of the Heavenly Court.
No one had imagined that in such a short time after entering the Hell Realm, Zhang Ruochen could become so powerful.
In the Merit Divine Hall, Shang Zi's eyes were bloodshot as he roared in anger, his heart filled with extreme unwillingness.
His heart was full of hatred.
Not only did he hate Zhang Ruochen, but he also hated the Paradise Realm titan who had revived him. Wouldn't dying have been a release? Why did they have to bring him back to life?
Facing an enemy like Zhang Ruochen, Shang Zi felt utter despair in his heart.
Lian Xi, who had remained in the Mingxi River Basin, looked at the projection above her head. In her beautiful, pearl-like eyes appeared an extremely complex light. There was hatred, yet her heart kept pounding, and an indescribable feeling of joy could not be suppressed.
Why did she feel joy when she saw Zhang Ruochen becoming stronger?
Shouldn't it be fear and terror?
Of course, the most intense reaction was within the Destiny Temple. After all, other cultivators only saw the surface, but the gods saw something far more profound.
...
Today still only one chapter of 4000 words.