Chapter 2361: Hidden Dragon in the Abyss and Soaring Dragon in the Sky
Within the eerie and terrifying sea of corpses, death qi and ghost fires drifted, with unceasing roars.
Zhang Ruochen's body felt as if it had fallen into a frozen abyss, so cold that his bones seemed about to freeze.
His eyes, interwoven with Truth Rule patterns, swept across the various forms of sacred corpses, trying to penetrate the bodies, even time and space, to find the source of danger.
But that killing intent flickered and vanished.
It disappeared without a trace.
Luo Sha's alluring figure, exuding a captivating fragrance, approached Zhang Ruochen and asked cautiously, "What's wrong?"
"It's already gone. Hurry and collect the sacred corpses; we must leave immediately."
The expression on Zhang Ruochen's face remained heavy and unyielding.
He was certain that the dangerous feeling just now was no illusion. There must have been a top-tier, world-shaking expert hidden in the sea of corpses, intending to ambush and kill him.
Unfortunately, that person hadn't anticipated that Zhang Ruochen possessed the Heart of Truth and had extraordinary perception.
Once detected by Zhang Ruochen, they immediately fled into the distance.
Luo Sha was both shocked and puzzled.
She had never seen Zhang Ruochen so tense. Had there really been some formidable expert hidden nearby?
Yet, with her Spiritual Power at the sixty-fifth level, she hadn't sensed anything. She had even released her Space True Domain without detecting any fluctuations.
How powerful would that person have to be to achieve such silence?
Luo Sha had always believed that with her Spiritual Power mastery and the hidden trump card she held, she could fear no expert on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield.
Only now did she realize that there was always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond people. If she didn't elevate her cultivation to the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, she still had a long way to go.
"Whoosh—"
Without further delay, under Luo Sha's urging, the Yin Spirit Lotus unfurled, radiating divine light.
The entire sea of corpses was absorbed into the black lotus.
A seductive flush appeared on Luo Sha's snow-white, jade-like face, clearly the result of her exerting all her strength.
The space here became dark, hollow, and silent once more.
"Let's go."
Zhang Ruochen and Luo Sha concealed their forms within the dark space and swiftly flew away.
"Rustle."
A Styx River meandered and surged forward, its waters alternating between dark and bright.
Bore's stunningly beautiful figure stood within the Styx waters, like an immaculate spiritual flower, exuding an aura of pure elegance. The pitch-black, boundless world brightened instantly with her arrival.
Her gaze turned toward the direction Zhang Ruochen and Luo Sha had fled, and her slender brows furrowed slightly.
The death army had been taken, and the Upper Three Clans' plan to conquer the Seventh Dark Star without shedding blood had been thwarted once again.
Remnants of death qi still drifted in the air.
Suddenly, Bore sensed something. Her calm, lake-like face turned cold. "Who's there?"
A tall, thin black shadow materialized silently at the front of the Styx River.
Strangely, his body seemed to devour the light emitted by the Styx, making it impossible for Bore to discern his form or features.
But she immediately identified him, her expression shifting. "Que!"
"Princess Bore is sharper than I imagined. I only revealed the slightest flaw, and you found me. In time, once you cultivate to the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, you will surely astonish the world." Que's voice was ethereal and elusive.
Bore said, "Did you come looking for me deliberately?"
"Actually, I came for Chi Di and Zhang Ruochen. Chi Di is my greatest challenge on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. Zhang Ruochen is a target I must kill at all costs," Que said.
Bore's mind stirred. "Then why didn't you strike just now?"
"I was about to, but Zhang Ruochen is more formidable than I thought. The moment I stirred a hint of killing intent, he sensed it and left me no chance to ambush him," Que said.
Bore was even more shaken. As the top-ranked powerhouse on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection List, Que's cultivation was unfathomably profound. Yet he was still willing to set aside his status to ambush and kill his opponent.
With that mindset, who couldn't he kill?
Bore said, "With your cultivation, why bother with ambushes? Even in a direct confrontation, Zhang Ruochen is no match for you."
"Zhang Ruochen is not as simple as you think. In a direct fight, I could defeat him, but killing him would be very difficult. And once he knows I've come to the Seventh Dark Star, it will be much harder to kill him," Que said.
Bore said, "So, you're giving up this opportunity for a better one?"
"Exactly."
Que continued, "For the next opportunity, I'll need Princess Bore's help to create it."
"Why should I help you?" Bore asked.
"Zhang Ruochen's cultivation is advancing too quickly, reaching an unprecedented level. Now that his strength is among the top tier, there are only a handful on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield qualified to kill him. And I am the most qualified among them."
Que's tone was calm but carried an air of supreme authority. He went on, "Princess Bore wants to claim the position of Goddess. Your greatest threat is not the Pink Skeleton but Feng Hou. Therefore, you must kill Zhang Ruochen."
"Once Zhang Ruochen dies, the Undying Blood Clan will be destroyed, and Feng Hou will be cast into an abyss from which she can never recover."
"You cannot allow Zhang Ruochen to continue cultivating. Otherwise, when he reaches his peak, no one will be able to control him."
Receiving such high praise from the top-ranked powerhouse on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection List showed that Que indeed felt a great threat from Zhang Ruochen and was eager to eliminate him.
Bore's thoughts churned, but her expression remained calm. "You're right. Zhang Ruochen is our common enemy. Because of him, the Upper Three Clans have suffered heavy losses. Tell me, how do you want me to create the opportunity?"
"Whoosh!"
Across from her, the tall, thin shadow devoured all the surrounding darkness, condensing into a man in black armor.
He had ordinary features and a sallow complexion.
It would be hard for anyone to connect him with the invincible Que.
Whether this appearance was his true face was also unknown.
Que stepped into the Styx and stood beside Bore's peerless figure, speaking in a low tone. "From now on, I am one of your Great Saint-level guardians. When the battle erupts, I will find the best moment to strike unexpectedly and deliver a fatal blow to Zhang Ruochen and Chi Di."
Bore scrutinized the man before her. "Mr. Que's qi-concealment technique is flawless as far as I can see. But it may not fool an expert of Zhang Ruochen's caliber."
"As long as Princess Bore's True Self Gate can block Zhang Ruochen's Truth Path detection, he won't notice anything amiss," Que said.
Bore's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, she sighed. Que was too dangerous. Even with an absolute advantage, he still resorted to any means necessary.
If he set his mind on killing someone, that person was likely doomed.
"With Mr. Que's support, the position of Goddess is within easy reach for me."
Bore smiled, her beauty both holy and mysterious, with a captivating charm that could enchant all beings.
But Que's will was formidable. Standing so close to her, he remained unaffected by her beauty and aura, as if no external force could move him.
Only such a strong will could condense a Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
Even if the Sacred Intent was incomplete.
"Crackle!"
A bolt of lightning tore through the darkness, approaching from afar.
The lightning flew before Bore and condensed into Wujiang's handsome, extraordinary figure.
He radiated dark light, and the violent, heavy power within him surged outward like a tide, exuding a daunting aura capable of slaying gods and demons.
This was a sign that his cultivation had achieved a major breakthrough, but he couldn't perfectly control the newfound power.
Both Bore and Que turned their gazes toward him.
The number of Sacred Dao Rules within Wujiang's body had increased dramatically, breaking through the ten billion mark. The nearly fatal injuries he had sustained in his battle with Zhang Ruochen had also fully healed.
Wujiang took a deep breath, his eyes blazing with fervent, sinister light. "It's Zhang Ruochen's aura. He was here."
"He was indeed here. He destroyed the Death Altar and took the Heavenly Slave Sacred Corpses," Bore said.
Wujiang said, "Now that I'm here, he will pay a heavy price for everything he's done. I'll repay the humiliation from last time with interest."
Que, standing nearby, glanced at Wujiang with an indifferent expression.
Wujiang sensed it and immediately locked onto him.
Bore knew that Wujiang's Spiritual Power had reached the sixty-sixth level, nearly unmatched on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, and feared he might discover Que's true identity.
"Who are you?" Wujiang's tone carried hostility.
Because he had never seen Bore alone with another man, and standing so close.
What right did this person have to enter Bore's Styx River?
The Styx was Bore's defensive power; only those she absolutely trusted could enter.
Que remained silent.
Bore said, "He is a hidden expert I invited. He can play a crucial role in attacking the Seventh Dark Star."
"Almost all the experts on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield are listed on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection List. What hidden expert could there be?"
Wujiang stared intently at Que, his eyes filled with disdain and provocation. He continued, "Now that I'm here, the mere Seventh Dark Star can be broken in an instant. Why rely on an outsider?"
Bore considered whether to reveal Que's identity.
Que shook his head at her and transmitted his voice, "If we can fool Wujiang, we can fool Zhang Ruochen and Chi Di."
Bore said, "Does Ten-Handed Great Saint have confidence in taking the Seventh Dark Star?"
"I have obtained half the opportunity from the Underworld Clan's home star. Not only have my injuries healed, but my cultivation has also reached a new level. I came to the Seventh Dark Star this time to devour Chi Di, break through to the Thousand Questions Realm in one go, and take the other half of the opportunity," Wujiang said.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, breaking through to the Thousand Questions Realm was not impossible.
The Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints hadn't broken through for three reasons:
First, they were suppressing their realms to fuse stronger Sacred Intents and accumulate more Sacred Dao Rules, achieving the best possible state.
Only then would breaking through to the Thousand Questions Realm yield greater benefits.
Second, not every Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint could break through to the Thousand Questions Realm. The realm's threshold was enough to block many cultivators who wanted to advance.
Third, and most importantly, every Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint needed to go into seclusion to assault the Thousand Questions Realm. Generally, even the shortest time required two or three years. The longest could take a hundred years.
The Heaven Hunting Battle only lasted a hundred days. How could there be enough time for seclusion to break through?
Wujiang knew he could never fuse a Second-Rank Sacred Intent and didn't want to waste more time. So he planned to break through immediately and then sweep the Heaven Hunting Battlefield to maximize his gains.
He had already accumulated a long time at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm and was only one step away from the Thousand Questions Realm.
If he could use the Path of Darkness to devour Chi Di, he might be able to break through instantly, saving years of seclusion.
"Half the opportunity?"
Que finally observed Wujiang seriously.
Wujiang showed displeasure. "Is this a place for you to speak?"
"Swish!"
Wujiang's right hand formed a claw, turning into a black light that shot toward Que like lightning.
He struck with one claw, manifesting a dense array of claw shadows, sealing off all of Que's escape routes. At the same time, the dark power from the claw print drained everything in the surrounding space.
But Wujiang's claw struck empty air.
Que's figure stood at the other end of the Styx. "Your cultivation has indeed improved, but wanting to devour a Great Saint at the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm is still impossible. Be careful not to choke yourself."
Wujiang's eyes showed disbelief as he stared blankly at Que.
After emerging from the Underworld Clan's home star, Wujiang had great confidence in himself. Even without breaking through to the Thousand Questions Realm, he believed he could be invincible on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. At the very least, Luo Shengtian and Yan Huangtu would be no match for him.
But now, an unknown nobody had evaded his claw strike.
Although that claw strike was far from his full power, merely a test of the opponent's depth.
"Again."
Unwilling to accept it, Wujiang gathered power to strike again.
"Stop!"
Bore stepped between them and advised, "Zhang Ruochen and Luo Sha appeared here together, indicating that the Undying Blood Clan and the Rakshasa Clan have already allied. Their armies may have already arrived at the Seventh Dark Star to snatch points. So, the top priority now is to destroy the Heavenly Slave."
Wujiang's gaze remained fixed on Que as he retracted his power. "I only used fifty percent of my speed just now. If I had gone all out, you might not have lasted a single move against me."
"Let's go. First, head to the Dark Star."
Wujiang took the lead and flew off alone. Moments later, he gathered with the Underworld Clan's Great Saints, standing in the sky tens of thousands of zhang above the Dark Star.
At this moment, Wujiang's momentum was soaring, with Underworld Qi surging around him.
Seeing his arrival, the morale of the Upper Three Clans' cultivators was stirred.
"Ten-Handed Great Saint is here!"
"Such terrifying power radiating from Ten-Handed Great Saint! His cultivation must have reached an incredible level."
"Finally, someone can counter Chi Di."
...
Wujiang took out the Supreme Sacred Artifact, the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Pearl, held it in his palm, and roared, "All Underworld Clan Great Saints, listen to my command. Together with me, activate the Heavenly Pearl, perform the Blood Devouring Curse, and curse all life on the Dark Star to death!"
...
The 2000-person group I built yesterday filled up instantly. My apologies to the readers who couldn't join.
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