# Chapter 2342: Slaying Hongfutu
Zhang Ruochen certainly did not wish to continue fighting. Yan Huangtu was simply too resilient; having been struck by the Purple Gold Gourd so many times, he had still not suffered any fundamental damage.
He estimated that only by using time power to erode his lifespan, or by slowly refining him with Purifying Divine Flame, would there be a chance to kill him.
However, the Nine Dragon Divine Patterns on the divine bones within Yan Huangtu's body could resist the erosion of time power. Even if Yan Huangtu stood still, Zhang Ruochen would need to expend a great deal of effort and time to kill him with time power—it was by no means an easy task.
As for using Purifying Divine Flame to refine him, that would require even more time.
In other words, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation level, he did not yet possess the ability to kill Yan Huangtu.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen had come to the Yama Clan's home planet to seize the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill. Continuing to fight Yan Huangtu would only harm him and bring no benefit.
"Rustle, rustle!"
The fragrance of flowers drifted into the bronze temple.
At the temple entrance, beneath Yan Zhexian's feet, one magnificent spiritual flower after another spread outward, quickly covering the entire bronze temple.
Not only were the spiritual flowers made of talisman patterns, but even the wisps of floral fragrance were talisman patterns.
"I cannot stay any longer. With the help of dozens of Great Saint Talisman Masters, Yan Huangtu is like a tiger with wings." Zhang Ruochen's gaze turned toward the Dragon Assembly bronze statue at the center of the temple.
The Buddhist light within the bronze temple emanated from a round ancient mirror on the chest of the Dragon Assembly statue.
The ancient mirror was only the size of a palm, its surface shimmering with flowing colors.
As a master of space, Zhang Ruochen had sensed a peculiar fluctuation of spatial power emanating from the ancient mirror the moment he stepped into the bronze temple. The space rules around the ancient mirror were twisted in form.
"I'll take my leave first. We'll fight another day."
Zhang Ruochen's figure flickered as he rushed toward the Buddhist light ancient mirror, his body rapidly shrinking.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Yan Huangtu shot forward, pursuing closely behind Zhang Ruochen. He raised his arm, and part of the Supreme Inscription Runes within the Tongtian Ruyi in his hand were activated, emitting a dazzling sacred radiance.
This strike was aimed at intercepting Zhang Ruochen.
If Zhang Ruochen stubbornly continued charging toward the Buddhist light ancient mirror, the manifested shadow of the Tongtian Ruyi would surely strike his body. Being hit by a Supreme Sacred Artifact, even if Zhang Ruochen did not die, he would be severely wounded.
Once Zhang Ruochen was forced back and fell into the sea of flower talisman patterns, Yan Huangtu would naturally have more means to deal with him.
It could be said that the angle and speed of this strike contained Yan Huangtu's lifelong learning—not a sacred art, yet more terrifying than one.
"If I wish to leave, you cannot stop me."
With a *shua* sound, a black light flew from Zhang Ruochen's hand, striking toward Yan Huangtu's heart.
That black light was a Second-Rank Monarch Sacred Artifact level black umbrella, which Zhang Ruochen had stored in his sleeve. Firing it now was like a sleeve sword, having an unexpected effect.
Yan Huangtu's thick brows furrowed as he quickly changed the direction of his attack. The Tongtian Ruyi struck the flying black umbrella with pinpoint precision.
The black umbrella exploded, scattering into pieces of iron cloth and metal fragments.
A Second-Rank Monarch Sacred Artifact was like tofu before a Supreme Sacred Artifact—utterly fragile and unable to withstand a single blow.
By the time Yan Huangtu looked up again, Zhang Ruochen's figure had already charged into the Buddhist light ancient mirror.
Entering the mirror's surface was like jumping into water.
Yan Zhexian stared at the bronze statue, speaking with considerable worry: "After Jique and Lanying, Zhang Ruochen has also barged in. Yan Wushen is alone; he might not be able to handle them. We..."
Yan Huangtu interrupted her, saying, "Zhang Ruochen and Lanying's main goal is to seize the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill. Under normal circumstances, they won't attack Yan Wushen."
"Moreover, with Yan Wushen's intelligence and strength, he will surely have countermeasures. We don't need to worry."
"On the contrary, if a large group of us goes in, Zhang Ruochen, Lanying, and Jique will sense danger and will definitely turn their spears to deal with the Yama Clan first. That would be worse."
Yan Zhexian felt that Yan Huangtu's analysis was quite reasonable. She nodded lightly and said, "In that case, let us set up even more powerful talisman patterns and formations here in the bronze temple. It would be best to seal all three of them inside until the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet ends."
Yan Zhexian and the other sixty-two Great Saint Talisman Masters, along with a large number of Yama Clan formation masters, gathered outside the bronze temple and began hastily inscribing one talisman pattern after another.
...
Zhang Ruochen collided with the mirror's surface, causing spatial ripples to appear. Then, his vision darkened, and his body was uncontrollably pulled into another space.
"Hua!"
When his vision returned, Zhang Ruochen found himself in a cyan-colored world.
All around were auspicious radiances. Ancient golden trees grew everywhere, as if forged from pure gold, extremely dazzling.
There were also lakes.
The water in the lakes was a deep, clear cyan.
"No, what is that?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. In the eastern sky stood an enormous cyan mountain range. Even from a thousand miles away, one could feel its towering majesty.
The average height of the mountain ridge probably exceeded one hundred thousand meters, and its beginning and end were nowhere in sight.
"Hoo!"
A deep, heavy breathing sound echoed across heaven and earth.
"Rustle, rustle."
The metal trees swayed violently in the wind, shedding large numbers of golden leaves.
At that moment, the cyan mountain range seemed to rise and fall as well, trembling slightly.
When the wind scattered the clouds and mist, Zhang Ruochen finally saw some details of the mountain range. He realized that the mountain body was covered with enormous scales.
It was not a mountain ridge at all—it was a cyan-colored giant beast.
However, its body was too massive, making it difficult to identify what creature it was.
Within Zhang Ruochen's left arm, three Thousand Questions Realm dragon souls let out restless, low growls, filled with panic and unease.
"What exactly has the Destiny Temple placed inside the ten home planets? Why do such terrifyingly powerful creatures always appear?"
Zhang Ruochen was not someone who would let opportunities and treasures cloud his judgment. Seeing that "mountain ridge" coiled here, he became even more certain that there was no so-called Bright Mirror Platform or Buddha Relic here. Thus, he began to retreat.
At that moment...
"Boom!"
A tremendous sound came from several hundred miles away.
Immediately after, a powerful nine-colored chaotic radiance erupted from the direction of the sound. The resulting shockwave swept away all the leaves from the golden trees near Zhang Ruochen.
The golden trees became completely bare.
"It's Lanying's aura."
Affected by the Dao Lock, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power could not probe several hundred miles away. He soared into the air, hovering near the cloud layer.
About five hundred miles away, Lanying, Hongfutu, Jique, and Yan Wushen were locked in a chaotic battle.
More precisely, Lanying, Hongfutu, and Yan Wushen had joined forces to besiege Jique.
"Leave the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill, and I will let you leave this place." Yan Wushen had transformed into a nine-zhang-six-foot golden body, valiant and fierce, with eighty-one Buddhist light divine rings surrounding him. He struck out palm after palm.
"Do you think you can seize the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill just with the three of you?"
Even under the suppression of the Dao Lock, Jique's movement technique remained fluid and seamless, his body appearing and disappearing at will.
"Hua!"
Suddenly, Jique flashed before Hongfutu and swung an invisible, traceless force.
Hongfutu's expression changed drastically. He quickly retreated while activating his lightning power at the fastest speed of his life. He crossed his arms in front of his body to block.
"Puchi!"
Hongfutu's arms were severed, and his body was sent flying hundreds of meters away, carving a long trench into the ground.
Hongfutu's entire body was wracked with excruciating pain. Besides his broken arms, a wound over a meter long had opened on the chest of his four-meter-tall body. Sacred blood gushed out like a spring.
Even more terrifying was that a power of nothingness had invaded the wound.
Centered on the wound, his body was slowly disappearing, gradually becoming nothingness.
It must be known that Hongfutu was a pure-blood divine beast, a "Zheng." His future achievements would at least reach the level of a False God.
As a young divine beast, Hongfutu had been able to kill opponents at the same cultivation level since childhood and could even kill Heavenly Court Realm cultivators several levels above him.
His combat power, if not unmatched, was certainly at the top tier.
Yet, under a siege, he had been severely wounded by Jique in a single strike. The blow to his morale was immense.
"Clatter, clatter."
Hongfutu gritted his teeth, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
After activating the ancestral divine power contained in his divine blood, he managed to resist the invading power of nothingness and slowly refined it. His severed arms grew back.
Just as Hongfutu stood up, ready to fight again...
Suddenly, an ice-cold hand silently gripped his neck from behind.
"Hua!"
Immediately after, a spatial sword severed his head.
Hongfutu's life force was powerful. Even with his head cut off, he still let out a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering roar: "Who? Who are you?"
Divine power and lightning surged from the stump of his neck.
"Shh! Keep your voice down."
Zhang Ruochen held the pagoda-shaped horn on top of Hongfutu's head. Purifying Divine Flame surged from his palm, condensing into a flaming divine flower that enveloped the head, including the divine power and lightning released from it.
From within the flaming divine flower came a series of curses and screams.
After a moment, Hongfutu's head was refined into ashes, scattering to the ground.
Only a fist-sized Sacred Source remained in Zhang Ruochen's palm.
The Sacred Source was quite peculiar, containing a large amount of divine substance and divine patterns, crystal clear and sparkling.
Inside the Sacred Source was also the soul shadow of a Blood Zheng Divine Beast.
"The Sacred Source of a pure-blood divine beast is indeed extraordinary, already quite close to a Divine Source. This is a fine treasure. If a Great Saint refines it, they might even achieve the status of a False God. At the very least, becoming a Demigod is possible."
Zhang Ruochen nodded with satisfaction and put away the Sacred Source.
Hongfutu's headless body still possessed a powerful spiritual will. It swung a fist at Zhang Ruochen, divine light surging from the fist.
Even if Hongfutu were at his peak, Zhang Ruochen would not fear him, let alone now that his head had been severed.
With a wave of his hand, Hongfutu was sent flying like a scarecrow.
"Shua, shua."
Several spatial rifts cut his body into seven segments.
Hongfutu was finally dead. Just as his body was about to revert to its young divine beast form, Zhang Ruochen quickly stored the remains into the Purple Gold Gourd.
Zhang Ruochen had killed Hongfutu within his Space True Domain. From the outside, nothing was visible—everything was silent and traceless.
However, Hongfutu's original body was several hundred miles long—an absolute behemoth.
That was why Zhang Ruochen had to collect his corpse before it reverted to its original form, preventing Jique, Lanying, and Yan Wushen from discovering that he was hiding nearby.
This time, he also wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, then play the role of the oriole behind the mantis.
Because of Xiu Chen Heavenly God, both Hongfutu and Lanying, including the Green Deer Divine Temple, were Zhang Ruochen's great enemies. Although on the surface Zhang Ruochen had sought an alliance with Lanying, each harbored their own schemes. When the opportunity to kill the other arose, how could they show mercy?
Facing enemies that threatened his life, Zhang Ruochen was always decisive.
As for why he had not killed Yan Zhexian earlier, it was because Zhang Ruochen already had enough enemies in the Hell Realm and did not want to form an irreconcilable hatred with the Yama Clan.
Killing Yama Clan members on their home planet in the Heaven Hunting Battlefield would not create too great a grudge.
After all, among a hundred million or several hundred million Yama Clan members, it was unlikely that even one ordinary Great Saint would be born. Their value was extremely limited.
But Yan Zhexian was different. She was both a direct descendant of the Yama Clan and possessed extraordinary talent, with boundless prospects.
Killing her would certainly anger the Yama Clan gods behind her, bringing Zhang Ruochen nothing but harm.
At some point, Zhang Ruochen had learned to consider his actions from the perspective of benefit. Unlike before, when he considered right and wrong, good and evil.
Perhaps this was the price of growth, a helpless necessity for survival in a harsh environment.
But it had cost him part of his original heart and true nature.
Inner demons do not appear without reason.
After clearing away all traces, Zhang Ruochen carefully observed the battle between the three not far away.
Under normal circumstances, even if Zhang Ruochen hid in the Space True Domain, he could not escape the perception of Jique, Lanying, and Yan Wushen. But they were currently engaged in an extreme battle, their spirits highly focused. How could they have the spare energy to pay attention to anything else?
"Yan Wushen's cultivation has increased so much. He has broken at least twenty shackles. How did he do it?" Zhang Ruochen was extremely shocked.
It must be known that Zhang Ruochen had managed to break thirty shackles only by swallowing nine Evolution Sacred Fruits and a large number of Divine Travel Pills, as well as cultivating inside the Dark Star for ten years.
For Yan Wushen to break so many shackles, he must have obtained a tremendous opportunity.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the distant cyan "mountain ridge" and muttered to himself, "Could it be related to that creature?"
To become an Eon-level genius required not only talent and hard work but also great inheritances and immense luck. All conditions had to reach their peak.
Clearly, Yan Wushen's luck was not much inferior to Zhang Ruochen's.
Jique's cultivation of the Path of Nothingness was indeed bizarre and unpredictable, able to change and vanish without a trace. However, Lanying and Yan Wushen were no pushovers either.
Lanying released over thirteen billion Sacred Dao Rules from his body, evolving a nine-colored embryonic universe. He also used killing aura to evolve a Shura World, suppressing Jique's power of nothingness.
Yan Wushen, on the other hand, activated "Origin Light" and "Space True Domain," forcing Jique to reveal his true form, unable to transform into nothingness and escape.
"Lanying has cultivated over 13.7 billion Sacred Dao Rules. Wujiang only had 9.7 billion, and Yan Huangtu just barely broke 10 billion. No wonder he is a cosmic divine fetus nurtured by divine qi and killing aura for three eons."
"It is said that in previous Heaven Hunting Battles, only occasionally would a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saint with over eight billion Sacred Dao Rules appear. Sometimes, for thousands of years, not a single Great Saint at the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection with over eight billion Sacred Dao Rules would be born."
Zhang Ruochen became even more certain that killing Hongfutu was the right decision. Killing him was equivalent to cutting off one of Lanying's arms.