Chapter 2306: Dark Divine Armor
The remaining seven Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves survived, but each had suffered severe injuries. Divine Flame had melted their skin, seeping into their flesh and bone marrow, burning continuously and causing them unbearable pain.
"They're yours. Leave no survivors."
Zhang Ruochen instructed the Sacred Flower of Erosion, and as the space around him trembled slightly, his figure vanished from where he stood.
From the moment he had resolved to participate in the Heaven Hunting Battle and seize first place, Zhang Ruochen had buried all compassion deep within himself, becoming merciless and cold-blooded.
One word: kill.
Soft-heartedness born of womanly benevolence would not only harm himself but also prevent him from achieving his goal.
Twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves represented millions of points.
According to Gu Chenzi's initial calculations, the Blood Heaven Tribe only needed to obtain six million points in the Heaven Hunting Battle to reach a moderate level and fulfill the tasks assigned by the Blood Heaven Tribe's gods.
Slaying all twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves would nearly gather enough points.
If he had to take another approach—searching for twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves hidden in different locations across the vast Heaven Hunting Battlefield, and then killing them all while they fled with all their might—
One hundred days would never be enough.
Thus, an opportunity like today's was something that could be encountered but not sought after.
For this very reason, even though Zhang Ruochen was severely injured, he insisted on killing them, unwilling to let this perfect chance slip away.
"Rest assured, Master. I will devour every single one of them... hehe..."
Mo Yin's delicate, charming face broke into a captivating smile. Without needing Zhang Ruochen's instructions, killing Heaven Slaves and devouring them was something she eagerly desired.
"Crackle."
The vines severed by the silver battle axe absorbed the Saint Qi, blood energy, Saint Source, and fragments of Saint Souls from the three dead Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves. Immediately, purple leaves and tendrils regrew.
Over four hundred purple vines all extended to a thousand miles in length.
Not only the main vines but also numerous branch vines had grown.
Lightning and Purifying Divine Flame surged across the vines and leaves, forming an ocean of electric fire that trapped all seven Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints within, leaving them no way to escape.
"A mere Sacred Flower of Erosion—how can it be this terrifying? With our Hundred Shackles Realm cultivation, we can't even defeat it?"
"As a plant lifeform, it is unafraid of lightning and flame, and can even control them. It must be Zhang Ruochen's parasitic plant. Whatever Zhang Ruochen excels at, it gains the same abilities."
...
The seven Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints were both furious and utterly despairing.
They placed their hopes on the dwarf Zhishang, but when they turned their gaze toward him, they saw a blinding golden light erupt from the distant void.
The dwarf Zhishang was hurled out of the golden light, a bowl-sized bloody hole punched through his chest. The fluctuations of Saint Qi around his body rapidly weakened.
Standing within the golden light, Zhang Ruochen pursued him. The five golden wings on the left side of his back slashed down in succession, breaking through the defenses of the Undying Saintly Body and cleaving the dwarf Zhishang in half at the waist.
Yet the dwarf Zhishang still did not die.
Zhang Ruochen waved his sleeve, conjuring a spatial storm that blew the two halves of the dwarf Zhishang's Saintly Body over the ocean of thunder and fire woven by the Sacred Flower of Erosion's vines.
"Thank you for the gift, Master."
Mo Yin smiled seductively, blinking her bright eyes. She extended two vines to coil around the dwarf Zhishang's two halves, continuously absorbing his blood energy and Saint Qi.
Bore, Yuan Fei Great Saint, Huomei Yinji, Great Senluo Emperor, and White Jade Mad Lion, riding the "Scroll of Void and Reality," arrived at this star region. Seeing the Sacred Flower of Erosion's vines covering a thousand miles, they were all deeply shaken.
"Twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves, and they're this useless? They can't even handle a severely injured Zhang Ruochen?" White Jade Mad Lion said, deeply disappointed.
Great Senluo Emperor sneered disdainfully, "Aside from the five Thousand Questions Realm Heaven Slaves and the Chi Emperor, the other Heaven Slaves are nothing but chickens and dogs—mere prey. What a pity, letting Zhang Ruochen take them. Killing them will earn him a massive amount of points."
Huomei Yinji cast a meaningful glance at Bore and said, "Zhang Ruochen earned these points far too easily, don't you think?"
Her words carried a tone of accusation.
Bore remained unfazed, replying, "Easily? Twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints, including one at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm. Dare I ask, what would be the outcome if you faced them all at once?"
"I did miscalculate, but who could have predicted that Zhang Ruochen, having just broken through to the Hundred Shackles Realm, would possess such formidable combat power?"
"Who could have foreseen that Zhang Ruochen would obtain a great opportunity beneath the Ghost Clan's home planet, causing his cultivation to skyrocket?"
"We also went to the depths beneath the Ghost Clan's home planet just now. You all personally experienced the terror of the golden gas. Even a Supreme Sacred Artifact cannot fully block it. For Zhang Ruochen to obtain that opportunity, he must have mastered some secret."
"Moreover, Zhang Ruochen is already severely injured. The reason he could deal with the twelve Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves is because of the Sacred Flower of Erosion. This is another variable we failed to anticipate."
Yuan Fei Great Saint said, "This Sacred Flower of Erosion's combat power is indeed terrifying. If I didn't have a Supreme Sacred Artifact, I might not be able to subdue it."
Hearing this, the others all showed expressions of shock.
Yuan Fei Great Saint was the number one powerhouse of the Death Clan, ranked twelfth on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Ranking. Even without using a Supreme Sacred Artifact, most early-stage Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints were no match for him.
Did that mean the Sacred Flower of Erosion was a powerhouse at the Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint level?
Yuan Fei Great Saint continued, "Seven Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints are suppressed by it without any ability to resist. An ordinary early-stage Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint couldn't achieve that."
"While the Sacred Flower of Erosion is still dealing with the Heaven Slaves, let's strike immediately and kill Zhang Ruochen first. Once Zhang Ruochen is dead, the Sacred Flower of Erosion, as his parasitic plant, will naturally die as well." A cold smile appeared in Huomei Yinji's eyes.
Bore said, "Everyone must be wary of the Thousand Questions Realm Heaven Slave who has yet to show himself. Be careful not to suffer a great loss."
"Princess Bore, what time is it now, and you're still hesitating? The so-called Thousand Questions Realm Heaven Slave has been nothing but your speculation from the start. If he had really come, would he have stood by and watched the Hundred Shackles Realm Heaven Slaves being killed one by one? In my opinion, there is no Thousand Questions Realm Heaven Slave at all."
Huomei Yinji added, "If we continue to be as conservative as you, the plan to kill Zhang Ruochen will likely fail."
Conflict always existed between women, especially beautiful ones.
Bore ignored Huomei Yinji. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she said, "Where is Zhang Ruochen?"
Just moments ago, Zhang Ruochen had vanished from their sight.
"He must have used spatial power to teleport elsewhere. Could he have sensed us hiding nearby?"
Each of them employed their own methods, searching everywhere for traces of Zhang Ruochen.
Que Fei, hidden within a mass of white star mist, also showed surprise. He quickly pressed both hands to his temples and silently chanted, "Eye of Darkness."
His pupils dilated, filling the whites of his eyes, turning both eyes completely pitch-black.
"Darkness Force, no wonder he can hide so well."
Behind Que Fei, Zhang Ruochen's voice rang out, sounding as if it were right next to his ear.
Que Fei's face instantly turned deathly pale. In this moment of extreme danger, he clasped his hands together, and in an instant, his skin split open.
From beneath the skin, black metal fragments surged out, forming a suit of armor.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen's right palm, carrying the power of three Thousand Questions Realm elephant souls, struck heavily against Que Fei's back.
"Darkness Light, devour all things." Que Fei shouted.
A strange thing happened. Zhang Ruochen's palm, which could punch through the dwarf Zhishang's Undying Saintly Body, felt as if it had struck empty air when it hit Que Fei's back.
Not only that, but a powerful, rotating force pulled his hand forward.
Zhang Ruochen's vision went dark, as if he had fallen into an abyss of darkness. An intense feeling of weightlessness made him extremely uncomfortable.
"Dark Divine Armor."
The thought flashed through Zhang Ruochen's mind.
The so-called Dark Divine Armor was forged by the Darkness Temple using one of the ten great materials of the universe—Darkness Matter. It was imbued with the power of darkness.
Wearing this armor not only granted astonishing defensive capabilities but also allowed the wearer to absorb the Saint Qi energy radiating from enemies, converting it into their own power. It even had some effect on time and space.
Que Fei had not brought any war weapons into the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, only the Dark Divine Armor.
Zhang Ruochen's palm force, the Purifying Divine Flame surging from his hand, and even the palm path rules were all continuously absorbed by the Dark Divine Armor.
From his arm, the three Thousand Questions Realm elephant souls let out roars. Even they were being pulled by the darkness force, detaching from Zhang Ruochen's arm and rushing into the armor.
"Zhang Ruochen, I came prepared to deal with you. The power of darkness—doesn't feel good, does it?" Que Fei laughed.
"I don't believe a mere Dark Divine Armor can devour everything."
Zhang Ruochen let out a cold shout, mobilizing all the space rules within his Qi Sea and channeling them into his right palm. As the space rules burst forth from his palm, they transformed into spatial power, forming wave after wave of spatial shockwaves.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
With each spatial shockwave striking Que Fei's back, his expression changed slightly. Clearly, the Dark Divine Armor could not fully absorb spatial power.
Some spatial shockwaves penetrated the Dark Divine Armor and struck Que Fei's Undying Saintly Body.
"Pfft."
In the end, Que Fei could no longer withstand it. He spat out three mouthfuls of Saint blood, and his body shot forward like a cannonball, sent flying by Zhang Ruochen's palm strike.
Although he had injured Que Fei, Zhang Ruochen had also suffered greatly. Blood streamed from his mouth, and his right hand was corroded by the Dark Divine Armor's power until it was a bloody mess, with the bones of his five fingers exposed.
His entire arm was covered in dark patterns.
The darkness force was eroding his physical body. His right arm went numb, unable to muster even a shred of strength.
"No wonder darkness is one of the nine eternal paths. Cultivated to a high level, its power is truly terrifying."
Zhang Ruochen mobilized the Purifying Divine Flame and the life essence of the Divine Wood Heart to refine the darkness force, while simultaneously transforming into a golden flash. Using his ten golden wings, he slashed toward Que Fei.
"The darkness force can't fully devour spatial power—no wonder it's one of the nine eternal paths."
Que Fei glanced back, his expression changing again. He immediately turned into a black streak of light and shot forward.
Que Fei's speed exceeded Zhang Ruochen's expectations. Pink Skeleton and Xu, ranked higher than Que Fei on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Ranking, were far slower than him in terms of speed.
Below the Thousand Questions Realm, only Que could reliably outpace Que Fei.
Lan Ying and Yan Huangtu were also fast, but whether they could surpass Que Fei was uncertain.
A black and a golden streak of light chased each other through the colorful starry sky. Wherever they passed, cosmic rocks shattered into dust.
"Que Fei has been exposed. Chase him!"
Yuan Fei Great Saint drove the "Scroll of Void and Reality," activating its supreme power, carrying Bore, White Jade Mad Lion, Great Senluo Emperor, and Huomei Yinji as they rapidly pursued the black and golden beams of light.
Zhang Ruochen, chasing from behind, took out the Ghost Head Whip and lashed it toward Que Fei.
"Clone."
Que Fei's figure split into a hundred.
A hundred Que Feis flew simultaneously, their forms chaotic and illusory.
"Boom, boom."
The Ghost Head Whip shattered dozens of Que Fei's clones, but never struck his true body.
Zhang Ruochen used his Truth Eye to discern the truth, only to find that Que Fei's true body was constantly shifting positions among the illusions. Any one of the illusions could become the true body in the next moment.
In other words, he had no fixed true body.
"Such a superb clone technique?"
Zhang Ruochen activated his spatial power again. While flying at extreme speed, he performed a Great Space Teleportation, appearing in front of Que Fei. Turning around, he struck out with a palm.
"Zhang Ruochen, you're already so badly injured, yet you still chase after me. Do you really think I'm a soft persimmon to be squeezed?"
Que Fei gritted his teeth, mobilizing the darkness force to condense a dark longsword in his hand.
He thrust the sword forward, aiming for Zhang Ruochen's palm.
If Zhang Ruochen were still at full strength, Que Fei might have been wary of him. But now, Zhang Ruochen was nothing more than a sick tiger, barely holding on.
Zhang Ruochen had no intention of directly touching Que Fei, who was clad in the Dark Divine Armor. Therefore, what he struck out from his palm was not palm force, but spatial shockwaves.
Que Fei had suffered from the spatial shockwaves before. Unlike Ye Chang, who was unprepared, he sensed the spatial fluctuations. The dark longsword in his hand immediately swung and slashed, cleaving the spatial shockwaves apart.
"Take this strike—Nightfall."
The dark longsword in Que Fei's hand came slashing straight down.
Zhang Ruochen's Ghost Head Whip contracted to only five feet in length. Under the infusion of Saint Qi, it became hard and straight, like a ghostly, eerie sword.
"Let's see if your sword is as fast as your speed."
When it came to swordsmanship, Zhang Ruochen feared no one.
"Sword Ten."
Using the Ghost Head Whip, Zhang Ruochen drew a circle around his body.
Within the circle, sword energy crisscrossed. Tens of thousands of sword shadows emerged, merging with Zhang Ruochen's form. The next moment, Zhang Ruochen shot upward, thrusting the whip like a sword toward Que Fei.
From diagonally above,
Que Fei swung his sword downward, and in an instant, the starry sky turned pitch black, as if night had fallen.
No one could see where the sword was. The sword had already merged with the darkness.