Chapter 2449: The World-Shocking Blade
A twelve-zhang-tall Yinglong pulled a silver war chariot, rolling in from afar with a thunderous approach.
The Yinglong, a purebred divine beast bloodline, was very close to adulthood. Only the final transformation remained for it to reach the Demigod level and unleash a stellar-level destructive force.
Although the destructive aura emitted by this Yinglong had not yet reached the stellar level, the divine light radiating from its body could still burn the heavens and boil the seas, startling the Saint realm cultivators in the city into fleeing far away.
Cultivators who could enter a Saint City had at least surpassed the four realms of martial arts and undergone a complete transformation.
"It's a Yinglong! It's the Silver Radiant Cloud War Chariot! Wuma Jiuxing has entered the city!"
"Such terrifying aura! A single dragon breath could probably cause Immortal Realm and Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints to suffer divine form annihilation. With the Yinglong here, Ice King Star is bound to be turned upside down."
"As expected of the number one powerhouse among the Ten Dark Powers. Even his mount is already invincible."
...
A Saint City differed from ordinary cities. It was densely covered with Great Saint inscriptions, divine patterns, and Dao locks, serving as a residence for Saint realm cultivators.
Because of this, once inside the city, all cultivators' cultivation bases and combat power were suppressed.
This was to prevent conflicts between cultivators from destroying the Saint City.
The higher one's cultivation, the stronger the suppression.
Even a Supreme Realm Great Saint could not destroy a Saint City.
Yet, the aura emitted by the Yinglong gave the impression that even the Dao locks were trembling.
The war chariot seemed capable of crushing the Saint City.
Zhang Ruochen held his breath, his expression extremely serious.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
Space trembled, and the rules of heaven and earth became chaotic.
In Zhang Ruochen's eyes, it was not a Yinglong pulling a war chariot approaching, but rather an infinitely massive star rolling forward, intent on destroying everything in its path, even crushing planets.
"Is this the power of being invincible below the Divine realm? No, this is just the aura of his mount. His mount is already nearly invincible below the Divine realm." Zhang Ruochen was deeply shaken.
Xiao Hei couldn't help but raise his head, his spines becoming even sharper.
The Yinglong was heading straight for the building they were in, covering ten zhang with each step, closing in rapidly.
All the cultivators in the building had already fled.
Within a ten-li radius of Zhang Ruochen and Guye Jing, fewer than ten cultivators remained.
Those who dared to stay were all renowned figures in the Hell Realm, Saint realm overlords capable of standing on their own.
"Let's go. This spectacle is not worth watching."
Zhang Ruochen's brows were tightly knitted into a "chuan" shape, unwilling to attract too much attention.
Guye Jing shook her head and said, "Don't worry. The sturdiness of a Saint City far exceeds your imagination. The West First Saint City is densely covered with Dao locks. Even if Wuma Jiuxing is truly the number one below the Divine realm, the destruction he can cause is within controllable limits. Look, the cultivators of Ice Imperial Palace have arrived."
One by one, cultivators clad in ice crystal armor descended from the sky, appearing on the rooftops of buildings in this city district.
"Whoosh!"
They fully activated and energized the Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns in the city, intertwining them with the Dao locks.
Ice Imperial Palace was the true master of Ice King Star.
Any force, including the Ten Dark Powers, cultivators from the ten clans of the Hell Realm, and even cultivators from the Destiny Temple, had to abide by the rules of Ice Imperial Palace once they arrived on Ice King Star.
The appearance of the Profound Ice Divine Armored Warriors signified that Ice Imperial Palace had tacitly approved of the confrontation between Wuma Jiuxing and Zhuo Yunong within West First Saint City.
Other Great Saints did not have such privilege.
"Rumble."
The sound of the Yinglong's breathing was like thunderclaps.
Wherever the war chariot passed, the rules of heaven and earth were pushed aside, leaving only Blade Dao rules within a hundred-zhang radius.
The buildings on both sides of the street instantly turned metallic.
"Is this also an Absolute Rule Domain?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing nodded. "Within the domain, only one's own rules remain. No other rules, including the rules of heaven and earth, can exist. Wuma Jiuxing is indeed very strong. Even under the triple suppression of Dao locks, Great Saint inscriptions, and divine patterns, his Absolute Rule Domain can still cover a hundred zhang. His Blade Dao has reached the pinnacle, capable of severing all Dao in the world."
Although the Dao of the world were divided into Eternal, Supreme, Great, and Minor paths, the ultimate strength did not depend on the Dao itself.
It depended on the person.
For example, a person wielding an iron blade could kill someone using a fine steel blade. Or even just a wooden blade would suffice.
The person themselves was always the key to determining victory or defeat.
Although Wuma Jiuxing did not cultivate an Eternal Dao, he had immersed himself in the Blade Dao to its peak. With a single slash, he could separate light and darkness, and break through space and time.
Sensing Wuma Jiuxing's Absolute Rule Domain, Zhang Ruochen thought of his own Absolute Self Time Imprint. Unfortunately, with his current cultivation, he could only condense a few at a time. Compared to Wuma Jiuxing's transformation of his Saint Dao rules into an Absolute Rule Domain, it was like the difference between a few drops of water and a vast ocean.
The Yinglong and the war chariot grew closer, stopping precisely a hundred zhang away.
Below the building, it turned into a forest of blades.
The air vanished.
The qi in the space became blade qi.
Each strand of blade qi could extinguish a cultivator's life force, containing the power of death.
Pressed by the aura of the Yinglong and Wuma Jiuxing in the war chariot, the few cultivators still remaining in this area quietly retreated.
Zhang Ruochen also wanted to leave, but it was too late. Wuma Jiuxing's Blade Dao rules hung like a peerless divine blade before him. If he moved, that divine blade would strike.
With his current cultivation, receiving a single slash from Wuma Jiuxing was almost an impossible fantasy.
Guye Jing, to Zhang Ruochen's surprise, remained remarkably calm. She still sat across from him, holding her teacup between her jade-like fingers, her eyes fixed on the Silver Radiant Cloud War Chariot.
"Creak."
On the third floor across the street, Zhuo Yunong pushed open the door and stepped out. His upper body was that of a stunningly handsome, almost demonic human male, while his lower body was a centipede form. His arms were entwined with two azure and crimson serpent-like creatures.
Facing the Yinglong's aura, these two creatures showed no fear or retreat. Instead, they raised their ferocious heads, flicking their tongues and baring their fangs.
"Zhuo Yunong, take my blade!"
Wuma Jiuxing's voice came from within the Silver Radiant Cloud War Chariot.
Within a hundred-zhang radius, all blade qi and Blade Dao rules converged above the war chariot, condensing into a single point.
The hundred-zhang space was drained into a vacuum.
The point formed by the convergence of blade qi and Blade Dao rules was like a cosmic singularity. Every ray of light it emitted possessed the sharp power to split heaven and earth, yet it contained the energy of the entire universe.
Zhuo Yunong's aura instantly surged to its peak.
A Gate of Destiny manifested behind him, its radiance overwhelmingly powerful. Bathed in its light, Zhang Ruochen, who was too close, felt as if his cultivation was suppressed to that of a mere mortal.
"As expected of the current number one powerhouse of the Destiny Temple. So strong! Once he raises his Gate of Destiny, all laws are lost. I would be no different from a mortal, unable to even use the power of time and space, unable to escape even if I wanted to."
Zhang Ruochen deeply realized the gap between himself and the top-tier experts below the Divine realm. He silently calculated what cultivation level he would need to reach to have the strength to escape from someone like Zhuo Yunong.
Far!
Still far too far!
Guye Jing's expression was no longer as composed as before. "It seems the world has underestimated Zhuo Yunong. This Divine Domain Enforcement Arbiter is much stronger than everyone imagined. Let's go. This place can no longer be stayed in."
If it were a one-sided duel, a single move would decide the outcome, and staying to watch would be fine.
But if this duel could not be decided in one move, it would be a battle between equals.
Whether one could withstand a single move was the dividing line between experts.
"Boom!"
Wuma Jiuxing's world-shocking blade descended. At the same time, Zhuo Yunong's Arbiter Axe swung out. The collision shook heaven and earth.
Zhang Ruochen and Guye Jing had already retreated, unable to witness the clash between the two peerless experts.
However, Zhang Ruochen used his Heart of Truth to sense that after the first collision, the spatial tremors did not end. Instead, they evolved into even more powerful destructive force.
This showed that Zhuo Yunong had blocked Wuma Jiuxing's first slash.
The duel lasted only half a breath before stopping.
The cultivators of Ice Imperial Palace responsible for activating the Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns were all sent flying, crashing to the ground in disarray, bleeding from their seven orifices, severely injured.
Within a several-hundred-zhang radius of the city, Dao locks were severed, Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns were completely destroyed, and all buildings were reduced to dust.
The building beneath Zhuo Yunong had become ruins.
He stood upright, holding the zhang-long Arbiter Axe, his aura and battle might undiminished.
"Pfft."
A crack appeared in his holy armor at his chest, and blood gushed out like a spring.
"Zhuo Yunong... worthy of being Zhuo Yunong."
Wuma Jiuxing's voice came from the Silver Radiant Cloud War Chariot. Then, the Yinglong pulled the chariot, soaring into the sky and disappearing beyond the horizon.
Wuyue Minghuang sat on a street not far from the battlefield. The moment the battle ended, he stood up abruptly. But seeing the dimming Gate of Destiny behind Zhuo Yunong, he sat back down.
To eliminate Wuma Jiuxing, he and Zhuo Yunong would have to join forces for even a sliver of a chance.
Although the Destiny Temple had internal conflicts, they would naturally unite against external enemies.
Unfortunately, Zhuo Yunong was too severely injured to continue fighting. Alone, Wuyue Minghuang could not stop Wuma Jiuxing even if he acted, so he could only watch him leave.
For the Destiny Temple, this day was already one of disgrace.
If Wuyue Minghuang struck now and could kill Wuma Jiuxing, it would be fine. But if he failed, it would only bring more shame and humiliation to the Destiny Temple.
"Wuma Jiuxing is already the number one in the world. From today on, the mortal world of the Hell Realm will be under his rule. How unwilling (bugan)!" Wuyue Minghuang let out a long sigh.
No one knew better than him how powerful Zhuo Yunong was. Even Zhuo Yunong was defeated in seven moves. Who below the Divine realm in the Hell Realm could defeat him?
Guye Jing and Zhang Ruochen appeared outside the city, watching the Silver Radiant Cloud War Chariot fly away.
"Wuma Jiuxing just left like that?" Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised.
Guye Jing said, "If the fight continued, there was at least a thirty percent chance of mutual destruction. That was not the outcome Wuma Jiuxing wanted."
Zhang Ruochen understood Guye Jing's meaning. Since Zhuo Yunong could block Wuma Jiuxing's first slash, he had a chance to buy time to self-detonate his Saint Source.
If Zhuo Yunong self-detonated his Saint Source, even Wuma Jiuxing would surely die.
Wuma Jiuxing might indeed be the number one below the Divine realm, but that did not mean no one could counter him.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The dignified Divine Domain Enforcement Arbiter, the number one below the Divine realm in the Destiny Temple, could only block seven slashes from Wuma Jiuxing. The Destiny Temple has taken a heavy fall. Only when Que grows up can he avenge this humiliation for the Destiny Temple."
"You actually know that Zhuo Yunong blocked seven slashes from Wuma Jiuxing?" Surprise flickered in Guye Jing's eyes.
In her view, even some Supreme Realm Great Saints might not be able to clearly see the clash between the two experts.
Zhang Ruochen was only at the Hundred Shackles Realm. How could he do it?
"An Eon-level genius is not just empty talk. I have abilities that ordinary cultivators cannot fathom." Zhang Ruochen smiled.
Guye Jing stared at Zhang Ruochen, thinking to herself, once the news of Wuma Jiuxing defeating Zhuo Yunong spreads, it will surely cause a huge uproar in the Hell Realm. To deal with the crises that may arise in the next thousand years, major forces will undoubtedly heavily support geniuses who can oppose Wuma Jiuxing. Zhang Ruochen will definitely be one of them.
The Destiny Temple's Divine Son had just died, and the Divine Maiden had not yet grown. It was a time of transition between old and new leaders.
With the Destiny Temple losing its power to lead the Hell Realm and Wuma Jiuxing being invincible in the mortal world, the next thousand years would be a time for the Qiankun Yiqi Hall to expand aggressively. Who knows how many territories and interests of various forces would be encroached upon.
Who could stop the turmoil Wuma Jiuxing would bring to the Hell Realm?
Zhang Ruochen said, "Bai Qinger was able to invite someone as invincible as Wuma Jiuxing. I think we should shelve our previous plan for now. Provoking that enchantress would be very disadvantageous for us."
Guye Jing said, "Are you afraid of Wuma Jiuxing?"
"Can you defeat him?" Zhang Ruochen countered.
Guye Jing pondered for a moment, then said, "In the duel just now, although Wuma Jiuxing severely wounded Zhuo Yunong, he himself was probably injured too. He will hide away to heal for a short time."
"How can you be sure?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Guye Jing said, "Because Zhuo Yunong did not die, and Wuma Jiuxing did not challenge Wuyue Minghuang."
"Perhaps Wuma Jiuxing was just worried about Zhuo Yunong self-detonating his Saint Source, or afraid of retaliation from the Destiny Temple, so he did not deliver a killing blow." Zhang Ruochen said.
Guye Jing shook her head. "The Ten Dark Powers are frequently purged by the Destiny Temple. How could they be afraid of retaliation? Besides, Wuma Jiuxing and Zhuo Yunong had a one-on-one duel. No matter who dies, the other cannot be blamed."
"In my view, Wuma Jiuxing did not challenge Zhuo Yunong just to stand up for Bai Qinger. He had deeper motives. First, to suppress the prestige of the Destiny Temple and tell the major forces of the Hell Realm that the Destiny Temple is not so terrifying, not invincible. Once this seed is planted, many forces in the Hell Realm that do not believe in fate will become restless. For example, the Yama Clan, Fengdu Ghost City, and the Darkness Temple."
"If that's the case, taking the risk to kill Zhuo Yunong, or defeating both Zhuo Yunong and Wuyue Minghuang at the same time, would have a greater impact, wouldn't it?"
"But he didn't do that."
"Thus, he must be injured. Someone like him, once injured, will definitely hide away to recuperate, just like you, unable to see the light. If exposed, countless enemies will come. Those enemies will swarm like wolves, never giving him a chance to fully recover."
"And now, precisely now, is the best time for us to probe Bai Qinger."