# Chapter 2304: This One Sword
One hour of escape time was the last chance for Man Sword Great Saint to survive.
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew that if he did not kill Man Sword Great Saint, his own position in the Hell Realm would become extremely unfavorable. Yet, deep down, he could not bring himself to be completely heartless and devoid of emotion, which was why he intended to give him this final opportunity.
Man Sword Great Saint clearly understood Zhang Ruochen. After finishing the wine in his flask, he walked over, slapped Zhang Ruochen on the shoulder, and laughed heartily: "I won't run anymore. Where could I run to? My Sacred Source has been dug out, my cultivation is almost completely crippled. Any Great Saint could kill me. Dying at the hands of some petty scoundrels in the Hell Realm—how could that compare to dying at the hands of my own brother?"
Zhang Ruochen gazed at him and smiled bitterly: "This is too much! You're satisfied, but what about me? Where do I find satisfaction? How about I give you three hours? Maybe you could escape from me?"
Man Sword Great Saint shook his head and said: "Do you know why Xu was able to find me so quickly? Because he left a ghost mark inside my body. Any cultivator from the Ghost Clan can track our location. So no matter how I run, I'm dead. If you don't kill me, are you going to force me to commit suicide?"
When he spoke the words "commit suicide," there was a hint of profound meaning in Man Sword Great Saint's tone.
Zhang Ruochen understood very well that Man Sword Great Saint was not unwilling to kill himself. He knew that suicide would only make him seem more pathetic, but it would do nothing to help Zhang Ruochen.
For Zhang Ruochen to establish himself in the Hell Realm, what he needed was Man Sword Great Saint's life.
Man Sword Great Saint stared at Zhang Ruochen for a long while, seeing that he still did not act, and finally shouted: "I have considerable skill in the Sword Dao. Try receiving one sword strike from me!"
Although Man Sword Great Saint's Sacred Source had been dug out, his Great Saint blood and undying sacred body still contained powerful sacred power.
He formed a sword with his fingers, and sword intent spread out, drawing upon the star mist in the void.
Strands of six-colored star mist condensed into tens of thousands of illusory swords, following Man Sword Great Saint's finger as they tore through the void and thrust straight toward Zhang Ruochen.
The sword shadows entered within a hundred zhang.
Zhang Ruochen stood still.
They entered within ten zhang.
Zhang Ruochen still did not move.
They entered within five zhang, three zhang, one zhang...
Just as the sky full of sword shadows was about to pierce Zhang Ruochen's brow, his pupils were filled with sword shadows.
Heaving a sigh, Zhang Ruochen slowly closed his eyes. Golden light emerged on the surface of his body, transforming him into a golden sword that flew out.
"Boom!"
The sky full of sword shadows was shattered by the golden sword.
The golden sword pierced through Man Sword Great Saint's body, flying out from his back and rushing dozens of miles away before transforming back into Zhang Ruochen's form.
Zhang Ruochen stood in the void, not turning around.
"Rumble."
Behind him, Man Sword Great Saint's body exploded, turning into a cloud of blood mist that scattered entirely onto the Ghost Clan's home planet below.
Blood rain fell from the sky, both tragic and brilliant.
The gods, including the Ten Thousand Realm Divine Eye, were surely watching. Zhang Ruochen did not play any clever tricks. This one sword directly killed Man Sword Great Saint completely, including his sacred soul and spiritual will.
Playing clever tricks before the gods was the most foolish behavior.
Either do not kill, or kill without fail.
Zhang Ruochen was a man of extraordinary mental fortitude. Though a flash of pain had appeared in his eyes at first, it was quickly covered by determination and ruthlessness. Once again becoming cold and merciless, he took a step spanning a thousand miles, not looking back, and strode straight away.
The members of the Upper Three Clans hiding within the "Volume of Void and Reality" saw Zhang Ruochen suddenly strike, killing Man Sword Great Saint with such decisiveness and swiftness. They were all stunned into silence.
Huo Mei Yin Ji sucked in a cold breath and said: "Who said Zhang Ruochen came to save that Great Saint from Guanghan Realm? This guy is simply a cold-blooded ruthless person. To achieve his goals, he can kill anyone."
"Isn't that exactly the kind of person the Hell Realm needs?" Bore said.
Great Sen Luo Huang furrowed his thick black brows and said: "Don't you think Zhang Ruochen is acting too deliberately?"
Yuan Fei Great Saint said: "Does it matter whether it's deliberate or not? The gods only want a result. What Zhang Ruochen gave them was a result—he has completely chosen his stance and demonstrated his resolve. I have to say, he is ruthless enough, a formidable figure."
Huo Mei Yin Ji sneered coldly: "No matter how formidable, he still has to die today! The truly formidable are those who can laugh last."
The image of Zhang Ruochen killing Man Sword Great Saint with one sword was frozen in the projection in the sky, lingering for a long time before dispersing.
Many cultivators from the Kunlun Realm and Guanghan Realm stared at this scene in disbelief.
Everyone had thought Zhang Ruochen was going to save Man Sword Great Saint, but in the end, Man Sword Great Saint died by his sword.
Too unexpected!
In King Mountain, Xiao Hei started shouting again: "See that? See that? What did this emperor say? That dog thief Zhang Ruochen is no longer the person you once knew. His heart is cold, his hand is ruthless. Even this emperor, the Emperor Who Slays Heaven and Destroys Earth, feels inferior. No, no, this emperor must set off immediately. I'll tie him up or bind him if I have to, but I have to bring him back."
Han Qiu, dressed in a dark black robe, her eyes like two pools of clear water, smiled and said: "I think the current Zhang Ruochen is even more captivating. As a man who wants to accomplish great things, he must be decisive in killing. Man Sword Great Saint was a Heavenly Slave and was bound to die. Dying at Zhang Ruochen's hands at least spared him some torture."
"Cold-blooded."
Xiao Hei widened his cat eyes and bared his teeth.
Han Xue was stunned for a long time. Watching Xiao Hei walk out of King Mountain, she chased after him and said: "I'll go to the Hell Realm with you. I'm more familiar with that place, and I also need to pay respects to the Empress."
"What? The Empress? Are you serious?"
Xiao Hei originally did not want Han Xue to come along, but upon hearing this, the entire cat-owl was ecstatic. This little girl had finally revealed useful information. It seemed the Empress was indeed still alive.
His desire to go to the Hell Realm became even more urgent.
The cultivators of Guanghan Realm had once regarded Zhang Ruochen as a star of hope. Countless young cultivators had worshipped him as an idol. But now, those who hated him wished they could strip his skin, eat his flesh, and see him as the most despicable traitor.
A large number of cultivators rushed to Moon God Mountain, kneeling before the Moon God and petitioning, hoping she would take action to kill Zhang Ruochen and avenge Man Sword Great Saint.
But Moon God Mountain was eerily calm.
The Moon God claimed she was in seclusion preparing to cross the Eon Calamity and refused to see any petitioners.
Instead, the cultivators of the Paradise Realm were extremely active, as if afraid the world would not know. They spread the news of Zhang Ruochen killing Man Sword Great Saint throughout the Heavenly Court, mocking the Moon God for her poor judgment of character.
This storm was even more violent than when Desolate Heaven had betrayed the Heavenly Court.
The cultivators of the Hell Realm, on the other hand, showed little emotional fluctuation. They felt Zhang Ruochen had done nothing wrong—it was a very normal act. Since he had joined the Hell Realm, he should cut off all ties with his former associates.
As for Zhou Zhen, Shen Tu Yun Kong, and Hong, who had been captured by Zhang Ruochen and brought to the Hell Realm, they were terrified after seeing the images. Even Man Sword Great Saint was killed without hesitation by Zhang Ruochen—what about them?
The three looked at each other, no longer having any thought of resistance. They decided to faithfully follow Zhang Ruochen from now on.
In the Divine Realm World of Xue Jue War God.
Xue Jue War God, the Underworld King, and Xue Hou all breathed a slight sigh of relief. The thing they had worried about most had not happened.
Whether Zhang Ruochen was using any means to achieve his goal or was forced into it, as long as he killed Man Sword Great Saint, it would temporarily silence the critics. No one could use his identity against him anymore.
The Underworld King nodded and said: "This one sword not only took Man Sword Great Saint's life but also marked an unprecedented transformation in his state of mind. From now on, nothing will be able to hinder him."
Xue Hou, however, was worried: "He is doing something he doesn't want to do. Entering the Thousand Questions Realm and the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm will likely bring even greater trouble."
"Everyone must go through tribulations. Everyone's heart must be tempered a thousand times before it becomes unyielding. As long as he has strong willpower, I believe no trouble can stop him."
Having said this, the Underworld King looked at Xue Jue War God and said: "Zhang Ruochen has decisively chosen his stance and drawn a line with the Heavenly Court. The first hurdle is passed! But if... I mean if Zhang Ruochen has some other purpose in entering the Hell Realm, how far would the Blood God Temple and the Destiny Temple tolerate him?"
The entire Divine Realm World fell silent.
The question the Underworld King had asked was too sensitive and too direct.
"Regardless of his purpose, he is my grandson. No one can touch his life—that is my bottom line," Xue Jue War God said.
Then he added: "Of course, even if Zhang Ruochen were not my grandson, with his talent, the Blood God Temple and the Destiny Temple would not kill him."
"Just as Zhang Ruochen did not kill those cultivators from the Paradise Realm, even knowing they had ulterior motives, he simply didn't take them to heart. As long as they could be useful, that was enough."
"A person dies for only two reasons."
"First, they have no value. Second, their death brings greater value."
"As long as he still has value, he won't die."
"Many old fellows want to forge Zhang Ruochen into a blade, to sharpen the hearts of those Great Saints in the Hell Realm and put pressure on them."
"Now, this blade called Zhang Ruochen is becoming sharper and sharper. I believe they should be quite satisfied."
"Since he has this special value, you don't need to worry about his life. Let him stir things up. He's just a Great Saint—can he really poke a hole in the sky? If he does poke a hole in the sky, it will only make me look at him with even more admiration."
Every word Xue Jue War God spoke was calm, but in his heart, he was eagerly anticipating even more brilliant radiance from Zhang Ruochen.
If the sky was poked through, he could hold it up.
If Zhang Ruochen became mediocre, that would be truly disappointing.
"Ghost Lord is so calm. That old fellow must be furious. In this Heaven Hunting Battle, the Ghost Clan has lost its competitiveness and is essentially out of the game early," the Underworld King said with a smile.
Xue Hou, however, could not smile. Her gaze turned toward the direction of the Heaven Hunting Battlefield.
Zhang Ruochen was so badly injured, yet the road ahead was not easy. Layer upon layer of killing intent awaited him. Xue Hou worried that Zhang Ruochen was still immersed in the pain of killing Man Sword Great Saint, unaware that danger was quietly approaching.