Chapter 2338: Immortal Breaker
Qifeng Island was the fifth largest island on this planet, home to nearly ten million Yama clan members.
The Yama clan were naturally born with formidable strength; even ordinary mortals could lift an elephant with one hand. Naturally, there were many cultivators among them.
Stepping onto this island, Zhang Ruochen found a tea stall at a simple dock. Using a coarse clay bowl, he drank bitter, slightly hot tea.
The tea was ordinary, mundane.
Yet, as it entered his mouth, it settled Zhang Ruochen's thoughts, reminding him of the original intention he had when he first embarked on the path of cultivation.
If there were not so many grudges, if there were not the constant pressures falling upon him, if he did not have the special birthright of "Sacred Bright Crown Prince" or "Ninth Prince," he could have lived a peaceful, good life in this lifetime.
Instead, like now, the purpose of coming to this planet was to seize, to kill—to kill a group of low-realm cultivators and mortals with whom he had no enmity.
These were things that had to be done, yet they were not what he most wanted to do in his heart.
He did not know when it had started, but he had become like this, seemingly running counter to his original intention. Where was the path he was to walk next?
Zhang Ruochen stared at the tea-yellow water surface in the bowl.
The reflection of himself in the water was so unfamiliar, as if he no longer recognized it.
"Gulp."
Finishing the bowl in one go, Zhang Ruochen gathered his emotions, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp.
The path ahead still had to be walked.
He had long since had no retreat; one step back would mean being shattered to pieces.
"Whoosh!"
A hundred points of spiritual power light flew out from Zhang Ruochen's body, instantly landing in various regions of Qifeng Island, transforming into a hundred spiritual power thought avatars.
Soon, in a small city, one of his spiritual power thoughts overheard a conversation between two Undying Realm Great Saints stationed on the island, which caught his attention.
"Buddhist light has appeared in the north, shining for a thousand miles. It seems the opportunity of our clan star has already manifested, and it will most likely be taken by Yan Wushen."
"The news this Saint received is that a Buddhist light rainbow bridge has appeared in the north, spanning across the glacial continent. Buddhist chanting is emerging from underground, like ten thousand Buddhas paying homage."
"Initially, Yan Huangtu speculated that the opportunity of our clan star might be a Buddha Emperor Relic. After all... that place has an incredibly dense and high-quality Buddhist aura, and images of the Buddha and phantom Bodhi trees have appeared."
"Don't you know? There's the latest news?"
"What latest news?"
That voice turned rather low and deep. "It is said that the Buddhist supreme treasure, the Bright Mirror Platform, might also be there."
...
Initially, Zhang Ruochen was listening carefully.
But upon hearing "Buddha Emperor Relic" and "Bright Mirror Platform," a smile appeared on his face, and he gently shook his head.
Since the birth of Buddhism, who knows how many hundreds of thousands of years have passed, yet only six have been able to be called "Buddha."
The last Buddha, revered by all Buddhist cultivators as the "Sixth Patriarch," passed away in the previous eon, before the establishment of the Heavenly Court.
Since then, there has been no Buddha in the world.
The Sixth Patriarch passed away, leaving behind eighty-four thousand relics, known as the Buddha Emperor Relics, supreme treasures of Buddhism. Bodhisattvas and Buddhas of Buddhism all wish to obtain one, to comprehend the wondrous method of reaching the Buddha realm.
However, of these eighty-four thousand relics, eighty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety transformed into the Bright Mirror Platform at the moment of their birth. Only ten Buddha Emperor Relics remained, stored in the ten sacred lands of Buddhism.
How could a treasure like the Buddha Emperor Relic possibly end up in the Hell Realm?
As for the Bright Mirror Platform, legend has it that it was not merely formed from eighty-three thousand nine hundred and ninety Buddha Emperor Relics. Later, someone, using unknown means, refined it into a Buddhist artifact.
As a war weapon, the Bright Mirror Platform's power rivals that of a divine artifact.
As a Buddhist treasure, it can aid all Buddhist cultivators in comprehending the Dao.
As a crystallization of Buddha Emperor Relics, it can enlighten civilization, give birth to wisdom in all beings, and awaken intelligence in all things.
It can be said that the Bright Mirror Platform is a treasure even more precious than a divine artifact.
"Buddha Emperor Relic, Bright Mirror Platform... It seems Yan Huangtu intends to use them as bait to lure me, Lan Ying, and Que to the northern glacial continent."
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his spiritual power thoughts, thinking this in his heart.
He recognized it as a trap, yet Zhang Ruochen could not suppress the agitation in his heart, his gaze involuntarily looking northward.
In the northern sky, faint golden clouds were indeed visible.
If there was anything better than swallowing an Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill for comprehending a top-tier single-path sacred intent, it would surely be a Buddha Emperor Relic.
If there was anything better than swallowing a Quasi-Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill for aiding in fusing sacred intents, the Bright Mirror Platform was certainly one of them.
Yan Huangtu, seeing that cultivating and fusing sacred intents was the most important thing for Zhang Ruochen, Lan Ying, and Que at present, had released such news.
If they did not go, their minds would be unsettled, unable to enter a state of cultivation.
"Alright! To fuse a First-rank Sacred Intent, even if this news is only one ten-thousandth credible, I must go."
Zhang Ruochen was well aware of how difficult the path he was now walking was, so he could not afford to miss any opportunity.
He cut a blood wound on his right index finger, letting a drop of Great Saint blood fall into the tea bowl.
The water in the bowl boiled, turning into a mass of blood qi.
The blood qi condensed into another Zhang Ruochen.
The avatar soared into the sky, flying northward.
The two Undying Realm Great Saints stationed on Qifeng Island sensed something as the avatar flew over their heads. The two exchanged glances and were about to send a message to Yan Huangtu.
Suddenly.
"Boom, rumble."
The entire Qifeng Island, over a thousand miles long, was crushed by a terrifying spatial pressure, shattering mountains and rivers, sinking the land.
Mountains were flattened into plains, and all buildings were ground to dust.
In moments, the entire island sank into the seabed, burying countless Yama clan members. Even more terrifying was that they died without knowing where their enemy was.
"Heavens! This... what is happening?"
"Is the planet being destroyed?"
...
At the dock, Yama clan members who had been moving goods collapsed to the ground in fear.
They had just witnessed the sky and earth shattering before their eyes; apart from this dock, every other place had become part of the sea.
The tea brewer in the stall, weak all over, trembling, stared at Zhang Ruochen, who was still sitting on the bench.
This young man had remained calm and composed from start to finish.
Yet, he had seen with his own eyes that when this young man raised his palm and pressed it down, a vast expanse of land vanished before his eyes.
"It's... it's you... you demon... demon..." The tea brewer was terrified to the extreme, his lips trembling as he spoke.
Zhang Ruochen stood up, intending to pay and leave, but found he had no money or valuables on him. So, he pulled a hair from his head and placed it on the table. "This will count as the tea money."
He turned around, about to fly away.
The tea brewer gathered his courage and shouted angrily, "Why didn't you kill us along with them?"
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the sky, silent for a moment, then said, "Those I can see with my own eyes are still living people. Those I cannot see are already ants."
"Shua—"
A flash of golden light, and Zhang Ruochen was gone.
The tea brewer struggled to his feet from the ground, looking at the hair on the table.
"A hair as tea money... who does he think he is?"
The tea brewer's fingers touched Zhang Ruochen's hair, and instantly, a sacred power too immense for him to bear surged into his body.
"Crash!"
"Whoosh!"
The two Undying Realm Great Saints of the Yama clan flew up from the seabed, both severely injured.
"Hurry, send a message to Yan Huangtu! Qifeng Island has been sunk by Zhang Ruochen; he has headed north."
...
The north pole of the Yama clan's home star was originally a glacial continent, but now, most of the thousands-of-meters-thick ice layer had melted, revealing black soil and rock.
The air was cold and clear.
The sky was covered by patches of golden clouds, with beams of light shooting straight down from some gaps in the clouds.
Zhang Ruochen descended onto this continent, listening carefully. Indeed, he faintly heard Buddhist chanting coming from a distance.
There was more than one voice chanting.
"Such dense Buddhist qi! After breathing and circulating it, my spiritual power has noticeably increased. Such a treasure land could not have been created by Yan Wushen and Yan Huangtu. It seems the opportunity of the Yama clan's home star is indeed here."
"A place rich in Buddhist qi must have nurtured heavenly and earthly treasures. Swallowing them should enhance spiritual power."
As Zhang Ruochen moved forward, he released his spiritual power to probe.
The deeper he went into the continent, the denser the Buddhist qi became, reaching an astonishing level. If he did not know he was in the Hell Realm, Zhang Ruochen would have thought he had arrived at some Buddhist sacred land.
The rules of heaven and earth underwent a massive change.
With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he could only mobilize the sacred rules within his own body, unable to draw upon the rule power of heaven and earth.
Additionally, Dao Locks appeared in the space.
"Why are there Dao Locks? Have I entered the Divine Realm World of a Buddha?"
Zhang Ruochen felt both a hint of anticipation and a stronger sense of vigilance.
Anticipation, because such an extraordinary Buddhist realm would surely contain Buddhist supreme treasures.
Vigilance, because since Dao Locks existed, this continent must have been set up by the Yama clan as a heaven-encompassing net, making the path ahead fraught with danger.
The so-called "Dao Locks" were heavenly Dao shackles.
Like the shackles within cultivators, heavenly Dao shackles would bind a cultivator's power—some binding the physical body, some the sacred soul, some spiritual power...
The more Dao Locks, the greater the suppression on the cultivator.
Generally, within a god's Divine Realm World, there were many Dao Locks. These were Dao Locks formed by the god's own Dao.
Ahead, a towering mountain appeared.
The mountain's shape resembled a giant sleeping Buddha, hundreds of miles long.
Above the mountain, golden clouds were brilliant.
Standing five hundred miles away, Zhang Ruochen felt a sense of awe looking at the sleeping Buddha, an inexplicable reverence rising within him. He was even more certain that this place was extraordinary and must hold great opportunities.
"Zhang Ruochen, I have been waiting for you here for a long time."
Ahead, a slender figure emerged from behind a snowy hill.
It was a young woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in white, very beautiful, with long black hair, holding a three-foot-long brush in her hand.
She looked very elegant overall, with a scholarly aura.
Her temperament was quite similar to Shengshu Cainü's.
However, she carried a bit more heroism and coldness.
Although this woman had not reached the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, having only broken ninety-nine shackles, Zhang Ruochen sensed a dangerous aura from her.
At this point in the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, there were fewer than ten people who could still give him a sense of danger.
"Who are you?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Yama clan, Yan Zhe Xian." She said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have seen information about you. It is said that you are the most talented spiritual power genius of this generation in the Yama clan, having once received guidance from Tai Shang."
"Is that all you know about me?" Yan Zhe Xian said.
Zhang Ruochen observed her carefully. "You are less than three hundred years old. You should be proficient in the Rune Path, right? Your spiritual power intensity has just reached the sixty-fifth level. I guess you obtained an opportunity here, which allowed your spiritual power to break through."
"It seems you do have some discernment. It is not without reason that Yan Wushen regards you as his number one enemy."
Yan Zhe Xian continued, "Unfortunately, you should not have come alone to the Yama clan's home star, and you should not have gone on a killing spree. You must know that in history, all those who acted as recklessly as you have ended up dead without a burial place. You will be no exception."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Just you alone can make me die without a burial place?"
Yan Zhe Xian raised the brush in her hand, pointing it at Zhang Ruochen. "Just me."
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen stood still, and dense spatial cracks flew out from his body, like dozens of blades dancing, slashing toward Yan Zhe Xian.
Affected by the Dao Locks, even a Great Saint could not unleash earth-shattering destructive power here.
Yan Zhe Xian twisted her wrist, the brush moving like a dragon, quickly drawing a circular rune.
Instantly, dense light patterns enveloped her body.
"Bang, bang."
The spatial rifts struck the light patterns and dissipated into nothingness.
"Heavenly Halberd!"
Yan Zhe Xian's slender figure floated up, and she swept the brush toward Zhang Ruochen.
The brushstroke transformed into a war halberd, shooting out like a meteor.
With a bang, Zhang Ruochen's body was pierced by the halberd, turning into a wisp of blood qi that dissipated into the air.
Yan Zhe Xian's eyes were cold, and she raised her voice. "Zhang Ruochen, I know your true body is nearby. Why not show yourself?"
"Indeed, the Yama clan is full of experts and hidden dragons and crouching tigers, stronger than I imagined."
Zhang Ruochen's body materialized out of thin air, hands clasped behind his back, walking toward Yan Zhe Xian. "But, sending only you to deal with me—isn't that underestimating me too much?"
"Of course, it won't be just me. But if you cannot even defeat me, then there is no need for them to appear." Yan Zhe Xian's starry eyes were full of confidence, her beautiful figure exuding a more captivating aura.
Facing a powerhouse like Zhang Ruochen, she showed no fear but rather a hint of delight.
Joy, hidden in her heart.
"Seal One Realm Talisman."
Yan Zhe Xian held the brush in her jade hand, writing the character "Realm" in the air, which flew toward Zhang Ruochen.
To outsiders, it was the character "Realm," but in Zhang Ruochen's eyes, a magnificent and vast world was pressing down on him. This world was incredibly real, bringing him a tangible sense of oppression, not at all like an illusion.