Chapter 2389: Death Heart Curse
"Boom."
Space collapsed, forming a massive hole. Yan Huangtu, already at the end of his strength, was struck by Zhang Ruochen and sent into the Void Space.
Wu Jiang hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not intervene to block.
Yan Huangtu being expelled from the battlefield might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.
After devouring the Great Demon Shadow, Lan Ying's face suddenly changed. His childlike body swelled larger and larger, like a balloon being inflated.
"Not good. The soul power contained in the Great Demon Shadow is too strong, and it carries Yan Huangtu's powerful spiritual will."
Lan Ying's body radiated nine lights and eighteen colors, flickering dimly and brightly. He barely suppressed the swelling of his body, said something to Feng Hou through telepathic transmission, then fled into the Asura Sword.
Feng Hou was stunned, thinking to herself, Lan Ying truly knows no bounds. The Great Demon Shadow is so powerful, yet he dared to swallow it whole. Isn't he afraid of being overwhelmed?
It seemed that for the time being, Lan Ying would have to refine the Great Demon Shadow and would be unable to act.
However, Lan Ying's sneak attack had succeeded in eliminating Yan Huangtu, which was a great help to the Undying Blood Clan.
A few days ago, Feng Hou had been pursued by Yan Huangtu and the Pink Skeleton. She only escaped after encountering Lan Ying. Subsequently, she reached a secret agreement with Lan Ying, one clause of which was to jointly deal with the Yama Clan.
Feng Hou's gaze shifted to the Tongtian Ruyi floating in midair. A smile appeared on her exquisite face as she prepared to retrieve it.
"Whoosh—"
The Tongtian Ruyi transformed into a streak of white light, broke through the air, and flew into the hands of Yan Wushen, who stood in the distance.
Yan Wushen's figure was both elegant and cold. He toyed with the Tongtian Ruyi in his hand and said in a deep voice, "The supreme sacred artifact of the Yama Clan is not something you can take lightly. Xi, you rank thirteenth on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking. Dare you fight Feng Hou alone?"
Xi, clad in a black robe and holding a dark wooden staff, stepped out from among the hundreds of Yama Clan Great Saints. "On my home planet, I subdued two Nine-Life Blood Crows. I've long wanted to use a battle to move up a few spots on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking."
Two crows with blood-red feathers flew on Xi's left and right, letting out strange caws.
The cries were eerie, enough to unsettle even Great Saints who heard them.
It was well known that any Great Saint who could rank among the top eighteen on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking was extraordinary. They had at least fused a Fourth-Rank Sacred Intent and possessed the strength to cross realms and contend with Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints.
The two Nine-Life Blood Crows, which Xi had controlled using the Great Witch Heavenly Dao's soul-capturing technique, both had early Thousand Questions Realm cultivation. With the three of them acting together, they could even rival mid- or late-stage Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints.
Yan Wushen cautioned, "Beware of her Heavenly Fate Feathers."
"My Great Witch Heavenly Dao specializes in countering Heavenly Fate Feathers."
Xi stepped on the two Nine-Life Blood Crows, as if riding two blood wheels, unleashing unparalleled speed.
Even though he was still a thousand miles away from Feng Hou, the dark wooden staff in his hand had already emitted a dim light. He activated a witch Dao secret technique and launched an attack at Feng Hou.
Feng Hou's injuries had not fully healed, but she showed no fear of Xi.
She reached out with one hand, grasping the hilt of the blood-red Asura Sword. A look of strain appeared on her face. So, she extended her other hand, gripping the sword with both hands, and finally managed to lift this supreme sacred artifact-level killing sword.
The battle between Feng Hou and Xi was about to erupt.
"With Feng Hou tied up by Xi, the Undying Blood Clan is left with only Zhang Ruochen."
Yan Wushen's gaze shifted from the battlefield between Feng Hou and Xi to Zhang Ruochen. He instructed the Yama Clan Great Saints behind him, "Go and hunt the Heavenly Slaves immediately. Do your utmost to earn points."
A Yama Clan Hundred Shackles Great Saint asked, "Why not go and besiege Chi Di first? Chi Di is worth thirty million points."
Yan Wushen stared at him.
Immediately, that Hundred Shackles Great Saint dared not speak further and flew off in various directions with the other Yama Clan cultivators.
Yan Wushen shook his head lightly, took out the rhomboid mirror, and looked at the rankings.
Undying Blood Clan first, eighty-nine million points.
Yama Clan second, eighty-three million points.
The Undying Blood Clan's points had dropped again because most of the sixty-three Nine-Step Saint Kings who had teleported away with six thousand three hundred clansmen had been caught up by Bone Clan Great Saints, resulting in the deaths of many clansmen.
If Zhang Ruochen had not killed a large number of Great Saint Heavenly Slaves earlier, the Undying Blood Clan's points would have been even worse.
Of course, the Yama Clan had also lost some points for attacking Undying Blood Clan cultivators.
Yan Wushen muttered to himself, "Only a difference of six million points. As long as I keep Zhang Ruochen occupied, even if I don't kill Chi Di, the Yama Clan can close this gap by hunting other Heavenly Slaves."
Besieging Chi Di was too risky. Even if it could be done, a large number of Yama Clan Great Saints would fall.
For these various reasons, even though Yan Wushen knew that Yuan Fei Great Saint was leading a large group of Death Clan cultivators to hunt Chi Di, he was not tempted at all. Not to mention whether Yuan Fei Great Saint could kill Chi Di, even if he did, it would be a great help to the Yama Clan.
Of course, Yan Wushen did not believe Yuan Fei Great Saint had the ability to kill Chi Di.
Chi Di could only die by his hand.
"First secure the absolute victory in the Heaven Hunting Battle, then deal with Chi Di."
Yan Wushen had to admit that in all previous Heaven Hunting Battles, the Yama Clan had never been pushed into such a tight spot. Without a doubt, the Undying Blood Clan cultivators led by Zhang Ruochen this time were indeed very strong.
He very much wanted to have a fair and just battle with Zhang Ruochen on the Heaven Hunting battlefield, to settle victory and defeat—or even life and death—in a thrilling manner.
But now, he absolutely could not do that. He needed to first ensure the Yama Clan secured first place in the Heaven Hunting Battle. Against a powerful challenger like Zhang Ruochen, one had to use every means available.
In the face of a clan's interests, personal feelings had to be set aside.
...
Zhang Ruochen had no interest in fighting Wu Jiang. He knew very well that hunting Great Saint Heavenly Slaves was the most important thing to do right now.
But Wu Jiang pursued relentlessly, continuously activating the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead to cast curses on him.
Wu Jiang said, "Zhang Ruochen, it's useless. These Great Saint Heavenly Slaves are destined to be divided among the Underworld Clan, Stone Clan, Bone Clan, and Yama Clan. It's only a matter of time before the Undying Blood Clan's points are overtaken by the Yama Clan."
"Once Yuan Fei Great Saint and the Death Clan cultivators kill the Undying Blood Clan clansmen hiding in the jade tree, the Undying Blood Clan's points will not only be overtaken by the Yama Clan but also by the Rakshasa Clan, Underworld Clan, and Death Clan, completely reverting to their original state. All your efforts will come to nothing."
"Falling from the clouds to the mud must be painful for you, right? But you can't change anything."
"Instead of struggling like this, why not stay and have a fair fight with me?"
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen, who had been flying, stopped. His gaze turned cold and sharp as he stared at Wu Jiang. "Fine, as you wish."
Wu Jiang's curse attacks were impossible to guard against. With Zhang Ruochen unwilling to fight, he had suffered a few minor setbacks.
Since he couldn't shake Wu Jiang, Zhang Ruochen changed his strategy, deciding to finish him off quickly.
"Brother Wu Jiang, Wu Shen is here to back you up."
Yan Wushen crossed space and appeared three hundred miles behind Zhang Ruochen, a smile on his face, showing no intention of joining the fight.
But his Space Domain had already spread out, covering a vast expanse of the starry sky, clearly intending to prevent Zhang Ruochen from escaping and trap him on the battlefield.
Of course, this also meant trapping Wu Jiang here.
"Thank you, Brother Wu Shen."
Wu Jiang, well aware of the strangeness of space and time, let a trace of dark light emerge from his body, forming a three-zhang-wide black hole. His body disappeared into it.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head and glanced at Yan Wushen. "Are you going to join forces with him?"
Yan Wushen shook his head. "I already promised my brother Wu Jiang that I would give him a chance to avenge his shame. So, before you two settle the score, I will not make a move."
"I still trust your word, Yan Wushen."
Zhang Ruochen nodded, paid him no further attention, and flickered, disappearing from his spot. When he reappeared, he had already entered the thousand-zhang range of the black hole. He then released his Space True Domain.
"Space Freeze."
Within a thousand zhang, space became solid.
Only the space near the black hole, influenced by the dark force, instantly shattered a large area of the frozen space.
"Purple Star Gourd."
"Immovable Bright King Saint Form."
"Demon God Prison Suppression."
"Truth Realm Form."
Zhang Ruochen held the Purple Gold Gourd with both hands, activating its supreme power, and condensed a crimson light pillar that shot straight toward the black hole.
Wherever the light pillar passed, the void ignited.
The Immovable Bright King Saint Form and Demon God Prison Suppression merged into one, forming an enormous body that conjured a cloud-sized hand seal, pressing down from above.
Within the Truth Realm Form, each cluster of star light shot out a beam, forming a river of starlight that, together with the crimson light pillar, struck the black hole.
Yan Wushen's gaze sharpened. He could see that Zhang Ruochen intended to decide the battle with a single strike, eliminating Wu Jiang in the shortest possible time.
"To control these several powerful forces, Zhang Ruochen must be exerting all his strength, with his spirit highly concentrated. If I were to strike him from behind now, he would have no power to resist and would be defeated instantly."
Yan Wushen was conflicted. He had already decided to use any means necessary to secure first place for the Yama Clan against Zhang Ruochen.
But now...
The opportunity was right before him, yet he couldn't bring himself to act.
The words "I still trust your word, Yan Wushen" might not have mattered if spoken by another cultivator. But coming from Zhang Ruochen, they had a significant impact on Yan Wushen's state of mind.
"Zhang Ruochen must have said that deliberately to affect my heart. If I were to ambush him from behind now, even if I defeated or even killed him, I would feel guilty. In the future, in the Thousand Questions Realm and the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, it would form a huge mental block."
In the end, Yan Wushen smiled bitterly in resignation and did not act.
Wu Jiang was also formidable. With his sixty-sixth-level spiritual power, he activated the Ten Thousand Eyes Divine Illusion, summoned the Nether God Ancestor's phantom, released the Nether Realm Nation, and even activated the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead, unleashing thirteen types of curses in succession.
"Boom, rumble."
The two clashed fiercely, each using their own techniques.
After about three breaths, the Nether God Ancestor was shattered again, and the three-zhang-wide black hole was broken by the flame light pillar and the starlight river.
"Pfft."
Wu Jiang spat blood and was sent flying.
Strangely enough, although the Nether God Ancestor and the black hole were destroyed, the Nether Realm Nation he had condensed only suffered some damage. Thanks to the defense of the Nether Realm Nation, even though he was hit by the supreme power, Wu Jiang only spat out a mouthful of sacred blood.
Any other cultivator would have been reduced to ashes.
Zhang Ruochen suffered some injuries from the curse attacks on his spirit, physical body, and sacred soul, but none were severe.
His current physical body seemed to have a strong resistance to curses.
"Whoosh—"
As Wu Jiang flew out and before he could stabilize himself, Zhang Ruochen emerged from the void. The Purple Gold Gourd in his hand came crashing down on Wu Jiang's head.
With a bang, blood gushed from Wu Jiang's head.
Immediately after, Zhang Ruochen struck Wu Jiang's heart with another palm.
...
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Ruochen launched twelve consecutive attacks. Wu Jiang's skull was shattered, his chest was caved in, and his legs were crushed into bloody pulp.
Every move was aimed at killing Wu Jiang.
Over a hundred Underworld Clan Great Saints caught up and witnessed this scene, their hearts pounding with shock.
Was Zhang Ruochen so bold as to try to kill Wu Jiang? Did he know Wu Jiang's identity? Did he know who Wu Jiang's master was?
"Stop."
"Form a formation. Attack together. Use curses on Zhang Ruochen."
The one hundred and thirty-two Underworld Clan Great Saints who had arrived each formed a unique hand seal with both hands and chanted incantations.
Streams of curse power flowed among them, growing stronger and stronger.
The starry sky for a thousand miles was shrouded in deathly aura.
Yan Wushen, who was watching from the side, felt his heart suddenly stop beating. His entire body turned cold, and all warmth vanished in an instant. The temperature continued to drop.
"Death Heart Curse."
Yan Wushen's expression changed slightly. Golden Buddha light bloomed from within his body, expelling the curse power that had invaded him. He quickly used a space teleportation to retreat far away.
With over a hundred Underworld Clan Great Saints casting curses simultaneously, the layers of stacking were enough to easily curse a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint to death.
Zhang Ruochen's heart stopped beating. His hand, which was about to strike Wu Jiang, slowed for an instant.
In that instant, Wu Jiang, who had been completely unable to fight back, had his body automatically explode into a cloud of black mist.
"Hiss, hiss."
At the center of the one hundred and thirty-two Underworld Clan Great Saints, the black mist reappeared, condensing into Wu Jiang's body. His flesh was still bloody and even somewhat deformed, with who knew how many bones broken throughout his body.
Fortunately, his spiritual power was far stronger than Zhang Ruochen's, protecting his sacred soul.
Otherwise, after suffering twelve consecutive heavy blows from Zhang Ruochen, even if his physical body hadn't been destroyed, his sacred soul would have been extinguished.
"Good. Use the Death Heart Curse. I'll control it and curse Zhang Ruochen to death."
Wu Jiang realized that his strength was indeed far inferior to Zhang Ruochen's and gave up on fighting him one-on-one. Although his body was immobilized, his spiritual power could still activate the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead, which floated above his head.
He began to chant incantations.
The curse power from Wu Jiang and the one hundred and thirty-two Underworld Clan Great Saints all converged toward the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead.
"Zhang Ruochen, this Death Heart Curse was originally intended to curse Chi Di to death, but I didn't expect to use it on you first. Over a hundred Underworld Clan Great Saints are seeing you off together. Even in death, you die gloriously."
As Wu Jiang's voice rang out, the entire starry sky grew dark, brewing a terrifying killing intent.
Yan Wushen retreated another thousand miles, clearly extremely wary of the Death Heart Curse. For the first time, he felt worried for Zhang Ruochen. "With the enhancement of the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead, the Death Heart Curse can already threaten the life of a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint. Zhang Ruochen definitely won't be able to withstand it. Could he really die at Wu Jiang's hands?"
Although Yan Wushen regarded Zhang Ruochen as his only rival in this generation and didn't want him to die at the hands of another cultivator, he had no reason to save him at this moment.
So, he stood by, wanting to see if Zhang Ruochen had the ability to break the curse and turn the deadly situation around.
...
The Heaven Hunting Battle has been going on for a while. I'll try to wrap it up in about five or six chapters.
www.00ks.com
There are always readers saying, "End it in two chapters" or something. Sigh, what I meant at the time was that after two chapters, the final battle would begin.
Some readers are also asking about the plot development after the Heaven Hunting Battle. Actually, some foreshadowing has already been laid, and everyone should be able to guess some of it. But I've also thought of some things that will definitely surprise everyone. I'll present them slowly!