Chapter 2383: No Compromise
No one had expected that, when Zhang Ruochen seized the Seven Star Ghost Lotus from Yan Huangtu, Yan Zhexian, whose cultivation had been sealed, would tear apart the frozen space suppressing the Eight Life-Death Sons, allowing them to break free.
Before Zhang Ruochen could return to the tree, a sharp pain shot through his head.
The spiritual power avatar he had left beneath the tree was shattered by a single finger strike from Yan Zhexian.
That spiritual power avatar had been condensed from a thousand spiritual power thoughts by Zhang Ruochen. Although the destruction of a thousand spiritual power thoughts did not severely damage his spiritual power, it still inflicted a considerable injury.
From Yan Zhexian's fingertip, a web-like talisman pattern flew out, enveloping Yu Huang's body. Gazing at Zhang Ruochen in the distance, her voice was cold and clear: "You'd better not use your Space Dao to attack me. If my finger moves even slightly, her hard-reformed physical body will instantly turn into a mass of blood and flesh."
Beside her, the Eight Life-Death Sons swiftly formed the Indestructible Undying Grand Formation.
Four "Death Heavenly Books" and four "Life Heavenly Books" floated above their heads, emitting starlight-like dazzling radiance. Although their Great Saint blood had been severely drained, relying on their Great Perfection cultivation and the power of the formation, they still possessed the combat strength to sweep across the Heaven Hunting Battlefield.
Rage burned on the faces of the Eight Life-Death Sons. They itched to charge forward immediately and teach Zhang Ruochen a lesson, redeeming the dignity they had lost earlier.
This time, they would never give Zhang Ruochen another chance to defeat them one by one.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was fixed tightly on Yan Zhexian's tall and slender figure.
He saw that her body was overflowing with divine light, and the spiritual power fluctuations she emitted were overwhelmingly powerful, capable of distorting the vision of any cultivator who stared at her. Her form seemed both shadowy and illusory.
"Her spiritual power should have reached the peak of the sixty-fifth rank. A miscalculation! Inside the stone coffin, I gained tremendous benefits—not only did my Five Elements Chaos Undying Sacred Body undergo the greatest transformation, but my spiritual power also surged greatly. As the recipient of Blood Shadow Divine Mother's entire essence, divine power, and divine soul, Yan Zhexian must have gained even more."
"Although I sealed all one hundred and forty-four acupoints on her body, I failed to seal the divine fetus in her womb. By mobilizing the power emanating from the divine fetus, breaking through the seals inside her body doesn't seem difficult for her."
Regret was useless now.
Because of a momentary oversight, he had fallen into a passive position. Although frustrated, Zhang Ruochen remained calm, contemplating a way out of the predicament.
If he had been ruthless enough to kill Yan Zhexian and her fetus back then, how could this turn of events have occurred?
If he had been cold-blooded and heartless enough to disregard Yu Huang's life, he would not have been threatened by Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu. With the vast heavens and seas before him, who could have stopped him?
Unfortunately, it was precisely these ties and these weaknesses in his character that gave his enemies an opening.
Yet, it was also because of this that he felt he was still a living, breathing person, not a soulless pawn manipulated by others.
Seeing the situation was overwhelmingly favorable, Yan Huangtu wanted to let out a long laugh. But when he saw Yan Zhexian's protruding belly, he couldn't bring himself to laugh. He asked in a deep voice, "Xian'er, during this time on the Undying Blood Clan's home planet, Zhang Ruochen didn't mistreat you, did he?"
Yan Zhexian was utterly speechless.
Could this Fifth Uncle not ask such questions?
Could she even answer that?
It was essentially asking, "Did Zhang Ruochen force you to conceive this child, or was it voluntary?"
She had no idea whether to say yes or no.
Of course, Yan Zhexian understood that the secret of the Blood Shadow Divine Mother's reincarnated divine fetus must never be exposed. Even if the entire world misunderstood her, she could not explain.
The only option was to tacitly accept it.
The child was Zhang Ruochen's.
As for whether it was forced or voluntary?
That was not for outsiders to know.
Zhang Ruochen barked, "If you're pregnant, you should take good care of yourself. Stop participating in the Heaven Hunting Battle. Withdraw from the battlefield immediately."
Yan Zhexian raised her eyelids. "You can't control me."
"Of course I can't control you, but I can control the child in your belly. Fists and feet have no eyes. When the battle starts, I might not hold back," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Zhexian gritted her teeth secretly. "Zhang Ruochen, the one who should withdraw from the battlefield is you."
Yan Huangtu's eyes sharpened. "Xian'er, are you sure you want to let him leave the battlefield?"
Yan Zhexian's attitude was crucial.
If she had been humiliated by Zhang Ruochen, then Yan Huangtu and the Yama Clan cultivators would certainly not allow Zhang Ruochen to leave the Heaven Hunting Battlefield alive.
If Yan Zhexian was willing to let Zhang Ruochen go... then that attitude was quite intriguing, inevitably sparking countless speculations.
Yan Zhexian was so furious she could spit blood. How could she have such a Fifth Uncle? What kind of questions was he asking?
Yan Zhexian said, "On the Yama Clan's home planet, Zhang Ruochen spared me once. This time, I'm repaying that debt."
In truth, although Yan Zhexian detested Zhang Ruochen, she did not want to kill him.
The reason she had destroyed his spiritual power avatar earlier was that, in the Heaven Hunting Battle, each fought for their own side. She had no choice but to do so. Just like Luo Sha, despite her deep affection for Zhang Ruochen, on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, she had to prioritize the Rakshasa Clan's interests.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, one no longer represented only oneself.
Personal feelings had to be set aside.
Zhang Ruochen killing Man Sword Great Saint was the same.
"Very well, Fifth Uncle respects your choice."
Yan Huangtu's eyes showed a look of "understanding." He took out a green blood jade flute and said, "Zhang Ruochen, you should recognize this flute, shouldn't you?"
Of course he did—it was Yu Huang's Soul-Stealing Flute.
A strange look flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He immediately examined the Seven Star Ghost Lotus in his hand, then let out a long sigh. "I never expected that Yan Huangtu, a cultivator of the Imperial Path, could be so cunning."
"The Imperial Path is inherently unpredictable," Yan Huangtu said.
Inside the Seven Star Ghost Lotus, there were only Yu Huang's one hundred thousand spiritual power thoughts, not her sacred soul.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is her sacred soul in the Soul-Stealing Flute?"
Yan Huangtu nodded. "My final strike sent the Seven Star Ghost Lotus flying in advance. She never had the chance to hide her sacred soul inside it. The Soul-Stealing Flute was always hanging on her body, becoming the vessel for her sacred soul. Now, you have nothing to say in defeat, do you?"
Zhang Ruochen was silent.
Yan Huangtu said, "If you want Xia Yu to live, withdraw from the Heaven Hunting Battle immediately. This is the best outcome for you."
Zhang Ruochen remained silent.
Yan Huangtu said, "I know that with your greatly increased cultivation, your battle spirit is at its peak, and you must be very unwilling. But it's useless. Look at this starry sky—the Bone Clan and Yama Clan have gathered a multitude of experts, while your Undying Blood Clan consists of either low-level Nine-Step Saint Kings or severely injured Infinite Realm Great Saints. This is the general trend. You alone cannot reverse it! I believe that even if you withdraw from the battlefield, the Undying Blood Clan's gods will not blame you."
Hundreds of Bone Clan Great Saints had gathered, each exuding overwhelming momentum.
Pink Skeleton stood within the repaired Space Teleportation Array, continuously calculating the spatial coordinates of the sixty-three Nine-Step Saint Kings of the Undying Blood Clan who had teleported away, while sending Bone Clan Great Saints one by one to pursue them, aiming to annihilate the Undying Blood Clan members they had taken.
Aside from Yan Huangtu, Yan Zhexian, and the Eight Life-Death Sons, all the Yama Clan formation masters, led by six Formation Earth Masters, had formed three Ninth-Rank Grand Formations, condensing into three giant beasts resembling centipedes.
All the Yama Clan talisman masters had sketched a Complete Heaven Grand Talisman, manifesting a circular city wall that sealed off this space.
The Undying Blood Clan cultivators, inspired by Zhang Ruochen's emergence from seclusion, were brimming with battle spirit despite their low cultivation levels.
But now, with the reversal of the situation and Zhang Ruochen firmly in the grip of Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian, they were all dejected, as if they too felt the general trend was lost.
"Zhang Ruochen is indeed strong, but one hand cannot clap. The Yama Clan is destined to be the supreme clan; no clan can challenge them."
"My heart aches. We had a chance to take first place in the Heaven Hunting Battle."
"Yao Chong Great Saint died in vain!"
...
As a cultivator of the Imperial Path, Yan Huangtu was very satisfied with the current atmosphere. Facing any enemy by overwhelming them with the general trend was exhilarating. If he could force even Zhang Ruochen to withdraw from the battlefield, his momentum would surely rise to another level, giving him a chance to fuse a Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
As a sovereign, one did not necessarily have to defeat enemies personally.
Borrowing momentum was the true Imperial Path.
Yan Huangtu said, "Your Space and Time powers are indeed mysterious. Perhaps you could snatch Yu Huang's physical body from Xian'er's hands, or perhaps seize the Soul-Stealing Flute from me. But achieving both simultaneously is absolutely impossible."
"Yu Huang, after all, is a Great Saint who fused a Third-Rank Sacred Intent and the number one beauty of your Blood Heaven Tribe. Are you willing to see her wither and fall? Instead of struggling desperately, why not take a step back and win the beauty?"
"I can promise you that if you voluntarily withdraw from the battlefield, I will not annihilate all the Undying Blood Clan members and will leave the second-place position in the Heaven Hunting Battle for the Undying Blood Clan."
Yan Huangtu's words were highly seductive, making the Undying Blood Clan cultivators' eyes light up, their battle spirit further waning.
Second place in the Heaven Hunting Battle seemed like a very good result, far exceeding the initial expectations of the Undying Blood Clan's gods.
But Zhang Ruochen remained silent.
Yan Huangtu's eyes turned cold, as if losing patience. He waved his sleeve and said, "Go and capture all fourteen Undying Blood Clan Great Saints carrying clansmen."
Immediately, a squad of Yama Clan formation masters manipulated the three-hundred-mile-long formation centipede, flying toward the Blood Shadow Divine Mother's Jade Tree.
The fourteen Undying Blood Clan Great Saints standing near the Jade Tree carried seventy-seven million clansmen. Panic showed on their faces as their gazes turned to Zhang Ruochen.
The formation centipede emitted an aura comparable to a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint, far beyond their ability to resist.
Among the Undying Blood Clan, there were also those unwilling to accept defeat, eager to seize the top spot among the ten clans. Despite their severe injuries, they charged toward the fourteen Great Saints, trying to cover their escape.
"It's already the last day—how can we just give up? Fight! Fight the Yama Clan to the end!"
"Retreat quickly! As long as the Undying Blood Clan members aren't completely wiped out, we still have a chance."
They knew they were merely a mantis trying to stop a chariot, so their eyes all turned to Zhang Ruochen. Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen seemed to have chosen to compromise with Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian, showing no intention of acting.
The three-hundred-mile-long formation centipede charged straight over, unleashing a majestic and awe-inspiring momentum. Even the Great Saints could not stand steady before its might, like lonely boats on the sea.
"Fight!"
"I'll self-destruct my sacred source and destroy it!"
A Great Saint from the Qitian Tribe showed a look of determination in his eyes, spreading his blood wings and flying straight toward the formation centipede.
Inside the formation centipede, a slightly plump Yama Clan Formation Earth Master chuckled lightly. "Just an Infinite Realm Great Saint—even self-destruction can't destroy my Pan Tian Xuan Wu Formation!"
"Hua! Hua! Hua!"
He raised his sacred staff, and instantly, ten layers of defensive light rings surged from the surface of the three-hundred-mile-long centipede's body.
The other formation masters inside the centipede also raised their sacred staffs.
The ten layers of defensive light became even brighter.
They were not afraid of an Infinite Realm Great Saint's self-destruction.
Only a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint's self-destruction could threaten their formation, demonstrating the formidable defensive power of the formation they had set up.
However...
The three-hundred-mile-long formation centipede shook violently, and tens of thousands of formation inscriptions shattered from its back.
"How is that possible... he hasn't self-destructed yet..."
Over twenty Yama Clan formation masters looked up.
They saw a sea of fire piercing through the ten layers of defensive light, breaking through the Pan Tian Xuan Wu Formation, and surging straight toward them.
Within the sea of fire was a towering figure.
Who else could it be but Zhang Ruochen?
"Boom."
The formation centipede's body exploded, turning into a cloud of divine flames.
All twenty-plus Yama Clan formation masters were sent flying. Most suffered severe injuries, their bodies charred black, letting out miserable screams.
"It's Purifying Divine Flame... it's invaded my physical body..."
"It's not just Purifying Divine Flame—there's another divine flame refining my sacred soul..."
The next moment, the twenty-plus Yama Clan formation masters were pulled back by spatial forces, all crushed under Zhang Ruochen's feet.
Divine flames still burned on their bodies; some were burned down to bones.
Zhang Ruochen said in a deep voice, "Sorry! Since I've stepped onto the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, I represent the entire Undying Blood Clan. No threat can make me yield. Release them!"
The Undying Blood Clan cultivators watching through the Myriad Realm Divine Eye projection all breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhang Ruochen had not let them down. Although he was somewhat romantic and sentimental, when it came to major matters, he could decisively set aside personal feelings and cut off all ties.
To achieve great things, one needed such boldness and resolution.
The Undying Blood Clan Great Saint who had been about to self-destruct was stunned, then a wild joy appeared on his face as he stopped activating the blood fiend qi within him. As long as Zhang Ruochen was willing to fight, it would be as difficult as ascending to heaven for the Yama Clan to annihilate all the Undying Blood Clan members.
Because Zhang Ruochen was extremely powerful, one of the top few strongmen on the battlefield.
After a series of battles, many Undying Blood Clan cultivators had set aside their prejudices, regarding Zhang Ruochen as an idol and worshipping him.
Yan Huangtu, Yan Zhexian, the Eight Life-Death Sons, and all the Yama Clan cultivators were about to act simultaneously.
"Crack, crack."
As soon as they moved, cracking sounds came from beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet.
The bones of some Yama Clan formation masters were shattered.
"Zhang Ruochen, do you think I can be threatened?" Yan Huangtu's eyes were cold, showing no intention of compromising.
The twenty-plus formation masters, including two Formation Earth Masters, were indeed very precious. Many major worlds did not even have a single Formation Earth Master. But in Yan Huangtu's eyes, the Yama Clan's face and dignity were more important, the status of the supreme clan was more important, and a strong and unwavering heart was more important.
Last time on the home planet, the one who compromised was Yan Wushen.
He, Yan Huangtu, would never compromise.
If Zhang Ruochen dared to kill those twenty-plus formation masters, he would face endless pursuit from the Yama Clan.
Yan Huangtu stared fixedly at Zhang Ruochen. "Kill them! If you kill them, I will make Xia Yu's soul scatter right now. I mean what I say. Next, all the Undying Blood Clan here, including you, will face the Yama Clan's most ruthless revenge."
No cultivator doubted Yan Huangtu's will.
Zhang Ruochen had long known that Yan Huangtu was such an iron-blooded and ruthless person, unthreatened by anything. So he had prepared a second strategy.