Chapter 2396: The Tragic Final Battle
"Swoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen crossed through a space wormhole mirror surface, instantly arriving two hundred thousand miles away, entering deep space.
He looked back. The White Jade Divine Tree, over ten thousand miles tall, had shrunk to the size of a millstone, its light still dazzling and brilliant.
Before Zhang Ruochen could breathe a sigh of relief, spatial fluctuations appeared nearby, and another space wormhole mirror surface manifested.
"Chasing this fast," Zhang Ruochen said.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, the cultivator who could open a space wormhole mirror surface like him needed no guess to identify.
"Roar!"
With a long howl, Yan Wushen, whose body was nine zhang and six chi tall, crossed the mirror surface and charged out, saying, "Zhang Ruochen, don't run. Fight me."
Zhang Ruochen ignored him, flicked his finger, opened another space wormhole mirror surface, and stepped into it.
"Swoosh!"
Yan Wushen caught up again, raising his voice, "Your internal injuries are severe. If you keep forcing yourself like this, you'll leave incurable hidden dangers. Why not stay and fight me? I'll give you a quarter-hour to heal your wounds."
"A quarter-hour is too short. How about a day?" Zhang Ruochen replied.
Yan Wushen let out a deep snort.
Zhang Ruochen didn't pause, continuing to cross space.
Now, the initiative was always in Zhang Ruochen's hands. Once he agreed to stop and fight Yan Wushen, the initiative would be seized by Yan Wushen.
Having consumed the White Cang Blood Soil, Zhang Ruochen was confident he could hold on, at least until the end of the Heaven Hunting Battle.
If he chose to keep fleeing, Yan Wushen, even with spatial mastery no less than his, wouldn't be able to catch up.
"You want to fight? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. But today, I only aim to claim first place among the ten clans, so I'll beg off."
Leaving these words, Zhang Ruochen had already stepped into the space wormhole mirror surface for the fourth time.
There wasn't much time left until the end of the Heaven Hunting Battle. Most cultivators had stopped fighting, quietly waiting for the Myriad Realms Divine Eye to teleport them back to Fate Divine Mountain.
But Yan Wushen hadn't given up, still pursuing relentlessly, "The Destiny Temple has rules: you can't take all your clansmen away from your home star. Zhang Ruochen has violated this. Even if the Undying Blood Clan ends up with the highest points, their ranking will be revoked."
"The Undying Blood Clan's home star no longer exists. Why should we still follow the rules?" Zhang Ruochen said.
...
Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen chased and fled, traveling a million miles, surrounded by six-colored divine mist and trembling space.
Although Que and Lan Ying had both studied the Way of Space, it wasn't enough to support them in opening space wormhole mirror surfaces. They simply couldn't keep up with these two space controllers, Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen.
Yan Wushen was always half a beat slower than Zhang Ruochen, unable to intercept him.
If this continued, the Yama Clan would surely lose.
With no other choice, Yan Wushen had to use his final tactic, "I'll give you one last chance. Stay and fight me. Let our victory or defeat decide the ranking between the Yama Clan and the Undying Blood Clan. Otherwise, Que and Lan Ying will both join the encirclement against you next. Those two will never miss this chance to kill you."
Having undergone ten years of cultivation on the Dark Star, refined the White Cang Blood Soil, and fused a sixth type of Sacred Will, Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen's cultivation and combat power had already diverged.
If Zhang Ruochen weren't so heavily injured, he wouldn't have minded fighting Yan Wushen and thoroughly defeating him.
But now, he couldn't.
Zhang Ruochen said nothing, continuing to flee.
Yan Wushen shook his head, no longer hesitating. He waved his hand, sending out two Message Light Talismans, transmitting his and Zhang Ruochen's spatial coordinates to Que and Lan Ying.
From then on, every time he crossed a space wormhole mirror surface, Yan Wushen would send out two Message Light Talismans.
He believed that the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill would be fatally attractive to Que and Lan Ying, and they would find a way to catch up.
After receiving the messages, Lan Ying and Que didn't act immediately, knowing that relying on flight alone couldn't catch up to Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen.
Soon, they received seven Message Light Talismans in a row.
Que raised a palm, and a vast starry sky appeared in his palm. The positions of seven spatial coordinates automatically manifested, forming an irregular line.
"Barring surprises, Zhang Ruochen's next appearance will be in this area."
Que pointed a finger at one of the regions.
Sure enough, Yan Wushen's eighth Message Light Talisman flew in, and the spatial coordinate position was very close to what Que had analyzed.
"Analyzing Zhang Ruochen's next spatial crossing point isn't enough. Because the universe is vast, the small area you've analyzed now could easily be thousands of miles wide. Even if we arrive there early, we might still be far from Zhang Ruochen, unable to stop him from crossing space again in time," Lan Ying said.
Que said, "Thousands of miles? That's close enough. We just need to stop Zhang Ruochen from opening another space wormhole mirror surface. Even if we can only delay him for a single instant, Yan Wushen, chasing from behind, will be able to trap him completely."
Lan Ying and Que no longer waited, entering a Space Teleportation Array and teleporting away.
This Space Teleportation Array was the one repaired by Yan Hong Great Saint, always guarded by a Bone Clan Great Saint.
"Swoosh"
In the vast, silent void, a space wormhole mirror surface suddenly appeared.
Zhang Ruochen, pale-faced, rushed out from within.
His internal injuries had worsened again.
He knew well that with Que and Lan Ying's talent and wisdom, once they had the spatial coordinates, they would definitely catch up. Just like before, when Que's speed was unmatched, but he could never shake off Yan Huangtu and Lan Ying, who pursued him.
Every strong one who could cultivate to their level was no ordinary person.
Yan Wushen was pressing too closely. Zhang Ruochen didn't have much time to think, so he kept opening space wormhole mirror surfaces, fleeing farther to reduce the probability of Que and Lan Ying catching up.
"Swoosh!"
Just as Zhang Ruochen opened another space wormhole mirror surface, a blood-red light suddenly struck the mirror surface, causing it to ripple and become extremely unstable.
If he forced his way into the mirror surface, it would collapse instantly, which was very dangerous.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze traced the source of the blood light. Thousands of miles away, Lan Ying and Que stood together, both pouring their power into the Ashura Sword, causing its sword light to instantly impact the space wormhole mirror surface.
On the Yama Clan's home star, the two had been mortal enemies, bearing deep grudges.
But for common interests, they chose to cooperate at this moment.
In that instant, Yan Wushen caught up, shattering the space wormhole mirror surface Zhang Ruochen had opened with a punch from behind. Then, he released his Space True Domain, enveloping Zhang Ruochen to prevent him from using spatial techniques to escape again.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Yan Wushen, standing ten zhang away, and chose not to flee further.
Que and Lan Ying flew in from the other two directions, incredibly fast. In moments, they crossed a thousand miles and reached the edge of Yan Wushen's Space True Domain, completely sealing off Zhang Ruochen's escape routes.
Three powerful Sacred Dao auras squeezed Zhang Ruochen in the middle.
Yan Wushen said, "This isn't the outcome I wanted to see. It was your own choice."
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze over Yan Wushen, Que, and Lan Ying, his expression calm, "I have to admit, each of you is formidable."
Que said, "Zhang Ruochen, you've fought a series of battles today. You're already exhausted and wounded, not at your peak. If you were at your peak, the three of us would never have been able to corner you."
Lan Ying said, "That's why someone like him must be eliminated."
Que said, "Give me back the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill, and I'll leave immediately."
Compared to before, Que had lowered his conditions again, only wanting the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill back.
He didn't want to get too involved in the conflict between the Undying Blood Clan and the Yama Clan, as it would inevitably offend one clan. Why make enemies for no reason?
The Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill was originally his. Asking for it back now was only natural.
A cunning smile appeared in Lan Ying's eyes, "What a coincidence. I want the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill too. Zhang Ruochen, if you give it to me, I'll leave immediately as well."
Of course, Lan Ying would rather devour Zhang Ruochen, but he was too greedy to let go of the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill.
If Zhang Ruochen gave the pill to Que, it would be extremely difficult for Lan Ying to seize it later.
Once Que got the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill, he might truly leave the Heaven Hunting Battlefield immediately. But Lan Ying definitely wouldn't.
Devouring Zhang Ruochen and seizing all his Sacred Dao was Lan Ying's ultimate goal.
"This is troublesome. There's only one Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill. Who should I give it to?"
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen took out a square space box, four meters in length, width, and height, holding it in his hand. The space box was transparent, formed into a solid shape after space had been frozen.
Inside the space box was sealed a small yellow bronze cauldron.
The yellow bronze cauldron was wrapped in a layer of black gaseous patterns, extremely heavy, causing slight spatial distortion around it. Even light was drawn toward it.
Que and Lan Ying's gazes both converged on the yellow bronze cauldron.
"This cauldron... is very interesting..."
With so many treasures and war artifacts in the Hell Realm, they didn't recognize the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron. They only instinctively felt that this cauldron was extraordinary, far beyond a Monarch Sacred Artifact.
Using it to hold the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill seemed reasonable.
"The Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill is in this cauldron."
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, sending the four-meter-tall space box flying toward Lan Ying.
Seeing the space box flying toward him, a hint of surprise appeared in Lan Ying's eyes. Was the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill this easy to obtain?
Soon, he understood. Zhang Ruochen was trying to divert trouble, making him and Que fight first.
Regardless of whether the cauldron really contained the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill, since it was right in front of him, with Lan Ying's greedy nature, how could he not take it? Besides, just the cauldron itself made Lan Ying feel it was extremely rare and of extraordinary value.
Of course, Que understood that the cauldron might not contain the pill, but the surface of the cauldron indeed had the flowing dan qi of an Emperor Grade Sacred Pill. So, he couldn't bear to let Lan Ying have it.
"Clang!"
The Shadow Dan Sword flew out, slashing at the space box.
With a bang, the space box sealing the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron exploded, fully exposing the yellow bronze cauldron, which emitted an even richer dan fragrance.
If Que and Lan Ying had taken the time to savor it, they would have noticed that this dan fragrance, though rich, was different from the Emperor Grade Sacred Will Pill. But in their rush to seize the yellow bronze cauldron, when did they have time to ponder?
"Bang, bang."
Que flew over while controlling his sword from a distance. The Shadow Dan Sword slashed repeatedly, preventing Lan Ying from getting close to the yellow bronze cauldron.
After devouring the Great Demon Shadow, Lan Ying's cultivation had improved again. Coupled with Que's injuries, the balance shifted, and Que couldn't drive Lan Ying back in a short time.
On the other side, the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen was extremely brutal.
At first, Zhang Ruochen unleashed a drop of Dark Time-Space Substance, detonating it, hoping to use this opportunity to escape.
But Yan Wushen, as if unafraid of death, forcibly crossed the forbidden zone created by the explosion of the Dark Time-Space Substance, relying on his Golden Body and the Tongtian Ruyi to protect himself, enduring the chaotic forces of darkness, space, and time.
Zhang Ruochen's escape plan failed, but Yan Wushen also paid a heavy price.
The destructive power of the Dark Time-Space Substance was astonishing. In such a narrow area, even with full preparation, Yan Wushen couldn't fully defend himself. His body was full of bloody holes.
They were torn open by spatial power.
As for the damage caused by dark and time power, it couldn't be seen with the naked eye.
"Boom!"
The Seven Star Ghost Lotus and the Tongtian Ruyi clashed together. Two beams of light, one bright and one dark, like water waves, struck Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen in reverse.
Yan Wushen's already precarious Golden Body shattered with a crack.
Zhang Ruochen spat out a large mouthful of blood, flying backward like a broken kite, crashing into a cosmic rock, shattering the iron-hard rock into pieces.
"Again!"
"Yama Hell."
"Boom!"
...
Beneath Yan Wushen's feet, a magnificent picture of a hell world manifested, constantly evolving various scenes. First, the heavens and earth opened, then myriad beings were born, and finally, the star river extinguished... These scenes repeated cyclically.
"River of Time."
Standing within his Truth Realm Form, Zhang Ruochen struck out with both hands.
"Rustle."
A river formed from Time Imprints, like a flying dragon, charged into the Yama Hell, striking Yan Wushen's body.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen was hit in the chest by a bone hand manifested from the Yama Hell. His chest cavity exploded directly. Apart from his heart, all four other organs and six viscera were shattered, turning into bloody mud.
The two were thrown apart again.
Struck by the River of Time, Yan Wushen's lifespan was instantly cut by several thousand years. His body became extremely weak, and strands of white hair appeared on his head.
He raised his arms and let out a long roar, "I can still fight."
Fighting Zhang Ruochen always stirred Yan Wushen's wild nature.
The Great Saint blood within Yan Wushen's body burned, and his weakened body gradually regained strength. The shattered Yama Hell reappeared, zhang by zhang, beneath his feet.
Within Zhang Ruochen's body, the power of Sacred Wills was in chaos. The killing qi constantly battered his physical body, and the million-fold masculine qi rushed straight to his brain, destroying his rationality, making him somewhat frenzied as well.
Zhang Ruochen, who had been lying in the void, barely alive, also began to burn his Great Saint blood, slowly standing up. Strands of long hair bathed and swayed in the divine flames.
The blood and flesh scattered in the void automatically flew toward his chest.
"Myriad Forms Formless."
"Space Sword Dance."
"Boom."
They clashed again. Yan Wushen's legs were severed by Zhang Ruochen's Space Sword.
As for Zhang Ruochen, he was struck on the left side of his body by Yan Wushen's Myriad Forms Formless. Even though he avoided the heart's vital point, his left arm broke off from the collarbone, tearing off a large piece of flesh.
At his neck, the wound that had just healed reappeared, forming a ring of red blood line.
The old injury relapsed, as if his head and body were about to separate again.
This tragic battle moved all cultivators watching through the Myriad Realms Divine Eye.
This was no longer a simple fight. It was a contest of victory and defeat between two clans, a struggle for honor and interests, and even more, a clash of spiritual will between the two most outstanding cultivators of this era, Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen.