Chapter 2394: Fall

Que, number one on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking, Void Controller.

Yan Wushen, Saint King Realm Saint Dao Rule Great Perfection, Half-Buddha Body, Eon-level genius.

Chi Di, Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint.

These three experts were all beings that the world's living creatures looked up to, yet at this moment, the three of them joined forces and could only fight Zhang Ruochen to a standstill.

Was there anything more shocking than this?

"With this Sacred Intent, Zhang Ruochen's future cultivation path will surely go far," a deity murmured, falling into deep thought.

Deities all understood a truth: it wasn't that the longer one cultivated, the higher their cultivation would be.

During the Saint realm, whether the path chosen was broad enough, the foundation laid solid enough, and whether it could support one's continued progress and constant strengthening, was a crucial matter.

Even deities who had some grudges with Zhang Ruochen were now pondering whether to eliminate him at all costs or to use some means to proactively resolve the enmity.

After all, with Zhang Ruochen's talent, within a thousand years, he should be able to step into the Divine realm.

Once he became a god, he would be a strong one among deities.

A thousand years was too short.

They might emerge from seclusion once, and a thousand years would have passed. By then, Zhang Ruochen would already be a god.

Some matters had to be resolved promptly; the longer they were delayed, the more severe the consequences.

Zhang Ruochen's weight in the hearts of the gods had become somewhat different.

Xue Zhi Gushen and Luo Yan were still in Xue Jue War God's Divine Realm World. The two held wine cups, silent, lost in thought, immersed in a strange atmosphere.

Xue Hou stared intently in the direction of the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, her expression solemn, deeply worried.

Although on the surface, Zhang Ruochen was fighting three alone, majestic and imposing, it was actually extremely dangerous. Once the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent was broken, no one knew how tragic the outcome would be.

Life and death might be decided in a single thought.

The key was that even with her Divine realm cultivation, she could not calculate the outcome of victory or defeat.

...

After a brief shock, Yuan Fei Great Saint's gaze darkened. "Follow my lead and attack. Suppress him with the Void Character Seal."

Bore couldn't help but speak, "Don't..."

Yuan Fei Great Saint glared at her sternly. "What does Bore Highness mean?"

Bore's flustered heart quickly calmed. She said calmly, "The battle between the four of them is extremely dangerous right now, in a delicate balance. Once that balance is broken, all four will be in mortal danger."

"Are you so concerned about Que's safety? Bore Highness, don't forget, Que just ruined our plan. I don't care about the lives of Zhang Ruochen, Que, or Yan Wushen, as long as Chi Di is killed."

Yuan Fei Great Saint raised his hand, and countless characters flew up from the ground, imprisoning Bore.

Clearly, Bore bringing Que along, and Que ruining Yuan Fei Great Saint's plan, had greatly angered him, creating a rift between them.

"Void Character Seal."

Under Yuan Fei Great Saint's control, the massive "Void" character rapidly descended.

Seeing this, the deities behind Zhang Ruochen, Yan Wushen, and Que grew restless. If the three of them fell, it would be a huge loss for any side.

"No deity may interfere in the Heaven Hunting Battle. That is the rule," Fu Lu Shenzun's stern voice echoed through the Destiny Temple.

"Boom."

The "Void" character seal fell, striking the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent, creating a massive ripple.

The balance was broken. The Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram surrounding Zhang Ruochen could no longer hold, shattering. The surging force struck the four of them.

"Pfft."

All four spat blood, flying off in four directions.

Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen both had Supreme Sacred Artifacts protecting them, so their injuries were relatively minor. Que's body turned ethereal at the first moment, dissipating most of the impact, not harming his foundation.

Only Chi Di, who was already at the end of his rope, was the most severely injured. His physical body was almost completely destroyed, with large areas reduced to bones.

Even the life force within him was rapidly declining.

Anyone could see that Chi Di was truly finished, only needing one final blow to take his life. The life of this Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint had reached its end.

"Swish!"

Zhang Ruochen, Yan Wushen, and Que, ignoring their injuries, burst forth at maximum speed, charging toward Chi Di.

At such a close distance, their speed was faster than performing a Space Displacement. Performing a Space Displacement required time.

Yuan Fei Great Saint gritted his teeth, racing against time, controlling the "Void" character to attack and kill Chi Di.

Chi Di knew he would die today. He let out a bitter laugh, glaring at Zhang Ruochen, and roared, "Zhang Ruochen, you treacherous dog! Even if I, the Emperor, must die today, I'll drag you down with me!"

"Roar!"

He transformed back into his true form, a Chi beast, charging at Zhang Ruochen.

The Chi beast's huge eyes looked at Zhang Ruochen flying toward him. There was no sorrow, no fear. Dying at Zhang Ruochen's hands and helping the Empress accomplish her great cause was the best outcome.

"No."

Que, Yan Wushen, and Yuan Fei Great Saint all shouted almost simultaneously.

Originally, the Void Character Seal Yuan Fei Great Saint had condensed was closest to Chi Di, seemingly about to kill him first. Who would have thought that Chi Di, at the moment of death, would want to die together with Zhang Ruochen?

The victory that was within reach slipped away again.

Once Chi Di succeeded and died together with Zhang Ruochen, his thirty million points would be credited to the Undying Blood Clan.

Chi Di was already self-destructing his Saint Source. Using Spiritual Power to suppress it was too late.

Yan Wushen and Que forced themselves to stop, casting a deep glance at Zhang Ruochen, then quickly fled far away, not wanting to die under Chi Di's self-destruction.

Zhang Ruochen merely exchanged a glance with Chi Di and understood all his emotions. Then, he roared, "Want to self-destruct in front of me? How could it be that easy?"

"Void Time Domain."

The Void Time Domain enveloped the Chi beast's massive body. Within the domain, the flow of time slowed rapidly, nearly stopping, buying Zhang Ruochen a moment.

"Space Sword Dance."

Thirty-six Space Swords condensed around Zhang Ruochen, wrapping around him. They struck Chi Di's brow and pierced through.

"Bang, bang."

Zhang Ruochen and the thirty-six Space Swords rushed from the Chi beast's head to its tail, flying out covered in blood, clutching a crystalline Saint Source in his hand.

In the end, it couldn't self-destruct.

The Chi beast let out a mournful cry, its massive body falling downward, its life force completely gone.

At this moment, the entire world fell silent. All eyes were on Zhang Ruochen.

Bore wanted to cry out loud, but she held back, knowing that Chi Di had not died in vain. Everything was worth it. If it were her, dying under Zhang Ruochen's sword, she would not feel sorrow.

...

In the cosmic starry sky outside the White Jade Divine Tree, the battle still raged. Great Saints from various clans were hunting down the scattered Heavenly Slaves. Fewer than a hundred Great Saint Heavenly Slaves remained.

The Undying Blood Clan's Great Saint army had returned, joining the battle.

"Rip."

Blood Butcher used five Monarch Sacred Artifacts to kill an Immortal Realm Great Saint Heavenly Slave. First, he collected its Saint Source. Then, he cut out the Great Saint's heart, lungs, kidneys... In short, all the valuable parts of the Great Saint's body were carefully sorted and packed away.

Finally, he collected every drop of Great Saint blood from the corpse into a jade bottle, then nodded with satisfaction.

Out of habit, he took out the rhombus mirror piece to check his score.

"One hundred seventy-seven thousand. Not bad, not bad. My performance in this Heaven Hunting Battle has been outstanding, better than some Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saints. I'm sure to get key training. The key is that I've captured several Monarch Sacred Artifacts and collected a lot of Saint Sources, Saint Blood, Saint Hearts, Saint Kidneys... They should sell for a good price, enough to support my cultivation until Hundred Shackles Great Perfection. Too bad..."

Thinking about how Zhang Ruochen had taken eight Monarch Sacred Artifacts from him, Blood Butcher felt extremely pained.

How could there be such a shameless person in the world?

"Isn't it just owing him a Supreme Sacred Artifact, and one he took from me? Does he have to chase me for the debt all the time? When I reach Hundred Shackles Great Perfection, I'll get my revenge. Want the debt? Beat me first. Eh..."

Suddenly, Blood Butcher's eyes widened. He stared at the rhombus mirror piece in shock, as if he had seen a ghost.

How had the Undying Blood Clan's points suddenly increased by thirty million?

Reaching one hundred twenty million.

"Chi Di! Chi Di must have been killed. That was a Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint. Who could kill him?"

Blood Butcher's mind flashed with Zhang Ruochen's figure. He quickly checked Zhang Ruochen's points.

A moment later, he was stunned again.

"Indeed! Indeed... Impressive. He actually killed a Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint. How can he be so monstrously strong?" After saying this, Blood Butcher patted his chest lightly and muttered to himself, "I was getting too cocky. I need to stay low-key, definitely low-key."

Then, he immediately hid all five Monarch Sacred Artifacts.

Gradually.

Cultivators from the Undying Blood Clan, Bone Clan, Underworld Clan, Yama Clan... all ten clans saw the change in points. Some were overjoyed, some remained silent, some shook their heads and sighed.

"The Yama Clan... has ultimately been defeated..."

"We are all sinners. We have lost the honor of the supreme clan."

The Yama Clan Great Saints charging toward the White Jade Divine Tree were at their lowest morale, as if the Heaven Hunting Battle had ended early. Even if they killed all the remaining Great Saint Heavenly Slaves, they couldn't surpass the Undying Blood Clan.

The defeat was certain.

After killing Chi Di, the injuries Zhang Ruochen had suppressed finally erupted. Cracks appeared all over his body, as if it were about to shatter.

The power contained in the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent rampaged within him, shattering his blood vessels, meridians, and Saint Meridians.

He could only rely on the life force from the Divine Wood Heart to constantly repair his body, but blood still seeped from his skin.

All Yama Clan cultivators had lost their will to fight, but Yan Wushen did not give up. He took out the rhombus mirror piece, looked at the points, then stared at Zhang Ruochen, saying, "No, the Yama Clan has not lost yet. There is still a chance."

Then, he raised his voice and asked, "Bore Highness, are the remaining Undying Blood Clan members all on Zhang Ruochen? Help me calculate once. Consider it a favor owed by the Yama Clan."

This favor was owed by the entire Yama Clan, not just Yan Wushen.

In other words, if she helped, the Yama Clan would support her in becoming the Fate Goddess at a critical moment.

Bore had no choice.

Her only remaining competitor was Feng Hou.

Defeating the Undying Blood Clan aligned with her interests.

If she refused, anyone could see she was favoring Zhang Ruochen and the Undying Blood Clan. If investigated, everything that happened on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield would be linked to her and Zhang Ruochen.

Bore activated her True Self Gate, mobilized the Fate Rules, and began to calculate.

Que's face was cold. "Zhang Ruochen, give me the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill and one Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill. I will withdraw from the Heaven Hunting Battlefield now and no longer interfere in the conflict between the Undying Blood Clan and the Yama Clan."

These words carried a strong threat.

Yuan Fei Great Saint said, "I want one Supreme Sacred Artifact and one Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill, plus one hundred thousand Divine Stones. If you agree to these conditions, the Death Clan will also withdraw and no longer interfere in your conflict. You can owe the one hundred thousand Divine Stones and pay them after the Heaven Hunting Battle, but you must swear in the name of Xue Jue War God and Xue Hou."

Even if the Undying Blood Clan's points were halved, the Death Clan could not surpass them.

Since that was the case, it was better to exploit the situation and seize some benefits.

Yuan Fei Great Saint believed that the severely injured Zhang Ruochen would choose to compromise and let them fleece him. Otherwise, with all the major forces joining hands, Zhang Ruochen would not leave alive.

Moreover, the Undying Blood Clan's points would be halved.

Yuan Fei Great Saint vaguely regretted asking for too little. He should have proposed harsher conditions.

Zhang Ruochen temporarily suppressed the chaotic Sacred Intent power within him, letting out a long laugh. "I am the Heir of Time and Space. Where in heaven and earth can I not go? Do you think you can fleece me?"

"Swish—"

Turning into a golden light, Zhang Ruochen suddenly charged out.

"Stay right there."

Yuan Fei Great Saint controlled the "Void" character seal to suppress Zhang Ruochen.

Zhang Ruochen did not want to be surrounded. He raised the Seven Star Ghost Lotus above his head. The lotus bloomed with a cold, piercing black light, manifesting the shadows of countless fierce ghosts, blocking the "Void" character seal for a moment.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang Ruochen, surprising everyone, flew toward the "Void-Real Scroll" and shouted, "You want a Supreme Sacred Artifact? I'll give you one right now!"

The Purple Gold Gourd appeared in Zhang Ruochen's hand.

"Quick, quick, activate the defensive inscriptions of the 'Void-Real Scroll' and form the Real Character Seal."

Seeing Zhang Ruochen flying closer and closer, Yuan Fei Great Saint thought he was about to activate the Supreme Sacred Artifact to attack. So, he immediately withdrew the power controlling the Void character seal and instead activated another power contained in the "Void-Real Scroll."

The Real Character Seal.

Turning attack into defense.

One by one, "Real" characters rose at the edges of the scroll, arranging themselves into a scripture.

But Zhang Ruochen's speed was so fast that, in the moment between void and real, he broke into the scroll. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Yuan Fei Great Saint.

"Bang, bang."

He struck thirteen times in a row.

He executed the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm from the first to the thirteenth palm, all landing on Yuan Fei Great Saint.

Yuan Fei Great Saint flew back thirteen times in succession. Almost all his bones were shattered, turning into a bloody pulp. It was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

"How dare you!"

Voices of Death Clan Great Saints rang out, furious. They all used Death Thought Power to try to erase Zhang Ruochen's Saint Soul and spirit.

But Zhang Ruochen had already escaped, flying dozens of miles away from the "Void-Real Scroll."

After Yuan Fei Great Saint was beaten down, the Real Character Seal of the "Void-Real Scroll" had dissipated, naturally unable to stop Zhang Ruochen from leaving. He came and went as he pleased.

A Death Clan Great Saint suddenly exclaimed, "Not good! Bore Highness has been captured by Zhang Ruochen!"

"She was taken into the Purple Gold Gourd. Zhang Ruochen, this beast, dares to kidnap someone at such a dangerous moment!"

"Chase him quickly, stop him! Don't forget Yan Zhexian he captured. Zhang Ruochen is capable of anything. Delay leads to change."