Chapter 2357: Destroying the Altar
"Emperor Chi willingly became a Heavenly Slave, sacrificing himself to help the Empress accomplish that great undertaking."
Bore's captivatingly beautiful face showed no concealment of her admiration. Those who dared sacrifice themselves for a greater cause, to secure a better future for more people, deserved her respect.
Zhang Ruochen said, "For a cultivator to train from a mortal to the Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life realm is no easy feat. To sacrifice oneself just like that—is it worth it?"
"It is worth it."
"Even the Empress herself is not certain whether Tai Shang is still alive. Perhaps his sacrifice will have no value at all."
Bore's tone was resolute. "Even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance, it is worth it. If my death could help in rescuing Tai Shang, I would give my life without hesitation or regret."
"Just like when you gave yourself to Chi Yao?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Bore said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"It seems you really have lost quite a bit of your memories," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bore said, "I don't care which memories you want me to recall, but I know that the Empress is always right. She bears a heavy responsibility on her shoulders, and her heart is stronger than anyone else's. She can face all the honor and disgrace of this world with equanimity."
"Zhang Ruochen, you are not her equal. You are not as strong as her, nor as determined. Even now, you still don't know which path you should take in the future."
"Is that so?" Zhang Ruochen seemed to be asking himself.
"Do you have a dream?"
"Do you have a grand and lofty goal?"
"Have you ever thought about what kind of life you want to live in the future?"
"No, you haven't. You are just walking the path others want you to walk. The path the Sacred Bright Remnants want you to walk, the path the Moon God wants you to walk, the path Xue Hou wants you to walk, the path Xue Jue War God wants you to walk..."
"But I am different. I always know what I want to do, what I am doing, and what the meaning of my cultivation is."
Qi Yang, kneeling to the side, finally understood the meaning of "the more you know, the faster you die." His skin was trembling all over, feeling that his death was imminent.
What did these secrets have to do with him?
He didn't want to know any of this at all.
If he had known, he would rather have fought to the death than enter the Death Altar, let alone Bore's True Self World.
Now, even if he wanted to escape, he couldn't.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't trying to make a move on Bore at all. These two were clearly old acquaintances, perhaps even former lovers.
"Princess Bore, Great Saint Ruochen, you two are both figures with great divine abilities. How about erasing this segment of my memory? If that's not possible, just erase all my memories. That way, I won't know anything!" Qi Yang pleaded.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and remained silent.
Bore let out a long sigh. "Emperor Chi did not know that you and the Empress are cooperating. Before he became a Heavenly Slave, his mission was to die at my hands, to do his best to cooperate with me and secure first place in the Heaven Hunting Battle."
Zhang Ruochen finally opened his eyes, which blazed with scorching, fiery light. "Can you kill a Great Saint of the Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life realm?"
"With my cultivation alone, of course I cannot kill a Great Saint of the Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life realm. But I can use the Fate Heavenly Disk to control this Death Altar and combine the power of three hundred Death Clan Great Saints. That power is enough to kill anyone on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield." Bore exuded an aura of self-sacrifice, as firm as a mountain.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The divine thoughts of the gods are all watching the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. No matter how realistic your act is, some gods will surely see through it."
Bore said, "That is why this battle must take place on the Seventh Dark Star. The Seventh Dark Star contains immense energy, enough to block the Myriad Realm Divine Eye and also to conceal the perception and calculations of the gods."
"What if a god's spiritual power is strong enough?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Bore gently shook her head. "Impossible! The distance between the Heaven Hunting Battlefield and the Destiny Temple is already extremely vast, measured in billions of miles. The perception of the gods cannot reach it. Coupled with the influence of the Dark Star's energy, no matter how strong the spiritual power, it will lose its effect."
"It's not that simple. Let me handle this matter," Zhang Ruochen said.
Bore said, "Indeed, you should do it. All the points will go to you, and you will surely be first in the Heaven Hunting Battle. But you cannot do it alone. The Death Altar can help you."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was resolute as he shook his head. "I told you not to get involved, so don't get involved."
Bore's willow-leaf brows furrowed tightly. "You cannot possibly be his opponent. If you are stubborn, you will only end up dead. Since you are here, come with me. We will control the Death Altar together and march on the Seventh Dark Star. As long as you are with me, Emperor Chi will naturally understand your identity."
"Don't underestimate the gods of the Hell Realm. It's better for you and me not to have too close a relationship. Being enemies is better for everyone."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the white rain falling from the sky. "Let me out. I need to go. If I don't leave now, those watching the Myriad Realm Divine Eye will probably think I've really done something to you."
"Oh, and I will think carefully about those questions you asked me."
...
The Death Altar was built from over 1.7 million saint corpses, majestic and towering, with saintly light shooting into the sky. Even before it was activated, its unleashed might made the saint souls of Great Saints feel uneasy and tremble.
The number one expert of the Death Clan, Great Saint Yuan Fei, was a rather refined-looking young man.
He stood at the base of the Death Altar, his expression full of pride. "Only on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield can such a magnificent altar be built. Anywhere else, one would have to slaughter all the beings of an entire world to construct it. From today onward, we, the Death Clan, will dominate the Heaven Hunting Battlefield."
A purple-haired girl holding a cyan-gold staff came to Yuan Fei's side and reported excitedly, "The Death Altar is complete. A total of 1.79 billion secret patterns have been inscribed. It can absorb the dark energy released by the Dark Star and convert it into attack power and defense. Now we can enter the dark space and fight the Heavenly Slaves."
Around the altar, the Death Clan Great Saints were ecstatic, their faces full of anticipation.
Today, the Death Clan would shake the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, and all cultivators in the Hell Realm would regard them with awe.
Next, they could use the power of the Death Altar to deal with the Undying Blood Clan and confront the Yama Clan. In the end, the Heaven Hunting Battle would be won by the Death Clan.
Yuan Fei asked, "Is Princess Bore inside the altar?"
"Yes!"
After a moment's thought, the purple-haired girl added, "Yuan Mo and Qi Yang are also inside."
"What are those two doing in there?" Yuan Fei asked, puzzled.
Inside the altar, it was filled with Sacred Dao rules and death secret patterns. Cultivators unfamiliar with the altar could be in great danger.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar came from within the altar.
The ground shook. The rocky asteroid beneath the feet of the Upper Three Clans' cultivators was jolted off its orbit, and cracks began to appear on its surface.
Yuan Fei's expression changed, and he was about to rush into the gray, hazy light gate at the base of the altar.
"Bang!"
The light gate shattered.
Dense spatial cracks, like inch-long flying blades, shot through the gate and struck Yuan Fei.
Too fast!
Yuan Fei couldn't dodge. Five bloody holes were punched into his body.
Fortunately, he quickly unfurled the Monarch Sacred Artifact, "Virtual and Real Word Scroll," to avoid being hit by more spatial cracks.
But the purple-haired girl standing not far from him was not so lucky. Dozens of spatial cracks struck her slender body, riddling it like a sieve and flinging her over ten miles away.
Yuan Fei glanced at the purple-haired girl, his face covered in bulging veins as he roared, "Spatial power! It's Zhang Ruochen's aura! Quick, quick, activate the Death Altar immediately!"
"Boom!"
Another loud crash.
The altar, built from over 1.7 million saint corpses, shattered with a roar. The corpses, like rubble, were hurled into the sky.
The 1.79 billion death secret patterns snapped and broke before they could even function.
A powerful spatial storm, like a tsunami, erupted from the center of the altar, slamming into nearly three hundred Death Clan Great Saints and sending them all flying.
Some had their muscles and bones cut by spatial cracks, while others had their bodies crushed and deformed by the chaotic spatial forces.
"Crack, crack!"
This rocky asteroid could not withstand such a powerful impact. Cracks spread across it, and it shattered.
Not only the Death Clan Great Saints were dumbfounded.
The Underworld Clan and Stone Clan Great Saints were also at a loss, not knowing what had happened, thrown into chaos.
Zhang Ruochen, carrying a corpse in his hand, shot up from the collapsed Death Altar and hovered ten thousand zhang above Yuan Fei. He declared, "Last time, you Upper Three Clans plotted against me, trying to kill me. Today, I'm repaying the favor."
With that, he threw the corpse toward Yuan Fei.
The corpse, wrapped in Purifying Divine Flame, landed before Yuan Fei, burned down to a pile of Great Saint bones.
Yuan Fei could sense the aura on the corpse—it belonged to Qi Yang.
Yuan Fei, usually of profound mental cultivation, was now burning with rage. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Where is Yuan Mo?"
Zhang Ruochen did not answer. He spread his ten golden wings and flew straight into the sky.
Yuan Fei and the Death Clan Great Saints all struck out at once, unleashing various killing sacred arts.
But Zhang Ruochen was too fast. By the time the sacred arts flew out, he had already vanished.
Bore, pale-faced with blood at the corner of her mouth, flew out of the ruined Death Altar, so weak she nearly collapsed. "Zhang Ruochen's Formless Thirty-Six Transformations are too formidable. He transformed into the appearance of Divine Son Yuan Mo and returned with Qi Yang, fooling my eyes. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let my guard down. I never imagined Zhang Ruochen would be so bold as to storm the gathering place of our Upper Three Clans alone."
The Stone Clan and Underworld Clan Great Saints rushed over, staring at the destroyed Death Altar, all of them dazed.
Yuan Fei suppressed the killing intent in his heart and comforted her, "You can't be blamed. The Yama Clan is full of experts, and even they suffered greatly from Zhang Ruochen's transformation technique. Besides, Qi Yang was leading the way."
"Qi Yang must have known that Divine Son Yuan Mo was Zhang Ruochen in disguise. He caused all the hard work of our Death Clan Great Saints to go to waste. He deserved to die."
A Death Clan Great Saint gnashed his teeth, wishing he could whip the pile of Great Saint bones on the ground.
Que Fei, clad in dark divine armor, said, "Zhang Ruochen destroyed the Death Altar because he was afraid we would use it against the Undying Blood Clan in the future."
"Since Zhang Ruochen appeared here, it means the battle on the Second Dark Star is over. The Undying Blood Clan must have set their sights on the Seventh Dark Star next. We can't delay any longer. We must act immediately."
A Stone Clan Great Saint said, "Without the Death Altar, what do we do if we encounter Emperor Chi?"
Yuan Fei said, "As long as our Upper Three Clans can pull together ten Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints to activate the 'Virtual and Real Word Scroll' with me, we can trap Emperor Chi for a while. There's no need to worry too much."
Que Fei said, "I just received word that Wujiang has emerged from the depths of the Underworld Clan's home star. His injuries are fully healed, and he is heading for the Seventh Dark Star. He will join us soon."
Upon hearing that Wujiang was on his way, the Upper Three Clans' cultivators, whose morale had been dampened by the recent setback, were reinvigorated.
"Wujiang's injuries healed so quickly. Perhaps he gained some opportunity from the home star."
"Excellent! With Wujiang's strong will, he will surely fight Zhang Ruochen again and avenge his previous defeat."
"As long as Wujiang is here, even if we encounter Emperor Chi, someone can hold him off."
A top-tier expert represents not just a powerful combat force but also a spiritual pillar for countless cultivators.
Just as Zhang Ruochen is to the Undying Blood Clan, and Luo Sheng Tian is to the Rakshasa Clan, as long as they are present, the cultivators of their clan are filled with confidence and fighting spirit.
...
Leaving the shattered rocky asteroid, Zhang Ruochen went to rendezvous with Dao Yu Huang.
After flying for a while, Zhang Ruochen found Dao Yu Huang in a patch of crimson star mist.
Dao Yu Huang had silver hair and a tall, upright figure, exuding a dignified aura. He asked, "Great Saint Ruochen, back so soon? How did it go? Is the Death Altar destroyed?"
"Mm!"
Zhang Ruochen was still lost in his own thoughts and answered casually.
Suddenly sensing something amiss, his gaze sharpened as he glared at Dao Yu Huang. "How do you know about the Death Altar? Who are you?"
"Shua!"
With a flicker, Zhang Ruochen crossed a dozen zhang in an instant and grabbed Dao Yu Huang by the neck.
The Upper Three Clans had been operating in secret. Before Zhang Ruochen went to the rocky asteroid, he had no idea they were building a Death Altar.
Dao Yu Huang couldn't possibly have known either.
"Bang!"
Dao Yu Huang's body exploded, turning into a cloud of crimson gas.
From the gas, a long strand of hair fluttered down.
"It was a fake."
Zhang Ruochen was quite surprised. Although he had been distracted by Bore's words, the fact that a single strand of hair could fool him showed that the caster was a highly skilled individual.
Zhang Ruochen immediately released his spiritual power to probe the surroundings. Finding no ambush, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Picking up the strand of hair, Zhang Ruochen's eyes filled with Truth Rule patterns as he looked around. "So it's you. Your Thousand Illusion Technique has become even more refined. Come out!"