Chapter 2453: Battle Against Yunheng Iron Blood King
Zhang Ruochen had heard rumors about Blood Absolute War God arranging marriages for him everywhere, so he was not surprised.
As for the marriage invitation being sent to the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, specifically naming Bai Qinger, Zhang Ruochen also believed it. Blood Absolute War God always acted on impulse—he could name the guardian spirit of the Seven Star Imperial Palace "Desolate Heaven," so making the Desolate Heaven Great God's daughter marry his own grandson seemed like a delightful affair.
Perhaps Blood Absolute War God was eagerly anticipating seeing the Desolate Heaven Great God fly into a rage.
Facing off against Yunheng Iron Blood King, a peak-level Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, Zhang Ruochen certainly would not do something so reckless as to court death.
He had a clear understanding of his own strength and would not be as arrogant and dismissive as Bai Qinger.
If a person loses self-awareness, they often become inflated.
If they become too inflated, no matter how clever, they will eventually die a miserable death.
Zhang Ruochen had experience fighting against Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saints. Back then, on Fate Divine Mountain, Third Hound Spirit Venerable had only needed to rely on his Dao Domain to force Zhang Ruochen to mobilize the world force of the Qiankun Realm just to withstand it.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen knew very well that with his current cultivation, without borrowing world force, not to mention fighting a peak-level Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, even contending with an initial-stage Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint would be extremely difficult to win.
The Hundred Shackles Realm and the Thousand Questions Realm spanned a major cultivation boundary.
The Thousand Questions Realm and the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm spanned another major cultivation boundary.
Back then, when Zhang Ruochen fought Yan Wushen to the death, he had indeed unleashed power close to that of a Supreme Realm Great Saint. But that was only achieved at the cost of nearly losing his own life.
Zhang Ruochen absolutely did not want to go through that again.
What if this time, luck was not on his side?
But Yunheng Iron Blood King was different. He was a peak-level Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint. Every strike he delivered could reach the strongest power below the Supreme Realm Great Saint level.
This was a battle that could not be won, and Zhang Ruochen understood that, as did Bai Qinger.
Yet, Zhang Ruochen had agreed to this bet.
A flicker of surprise passed through Bai Qinger's eyes. "Brother Ruochen is so confident in himself. Truly worthy of being Blood Absolute War God's descendant."
"It's not that I am confident in myself. I simply want to marry Miss Bai as a concubine. This is what the War God wishes me to accomplish, so naturally, I must give it my all." Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
The real reason Zhang Ruochen agreed to the bet was to buy as much time as possible.
As for marrying Bai Qinger?
Even if she threw herself at him, Zhang Ruochen would keep his distance.
Some women are not to be touched.
Bai Qinger smiled lightly, then walked toward the stone table, passing by Yunheng Iron Blood King. She waved her jade-like fingers and said, "To give Brother Ruochen a chance to win, how about this: use only one-tenth of your strength."
"I will seal off ninety percent of my cultivation."
Yunheng Iron Blood King formed a hand seal and pointed at nine major acupoints across his body. Instantly, most of the Sacred Dao Rules within him seemed to freeze, losing their activity and growing dim.
Even so, the number of Sacred Dao Rules he could mobilize still exceeded Zhang Ruochen's thirteen billion by more than ten times.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Bai Qinger. Seeing that she had no intention of swearing a blood oath for this bet, he became even more certain of his suspicions.
She had never taken this so-called bet seriously. Having Yunheng Iron Blood King make a move served only two purposes.
First, under the guise of battle, she wanted Zhang Ruochen to lower his guard, seeking an opportunity to instantly capture or kill him.
Second, she wanted to use Yunheng Iron Blood King to probe the secrets of Zhang Ruochen's cultivation.
She knew very well that some secrets could not be extracted even if Zhang Ruochen were captured. But when pushed to the brink of life and death, he would reveal them himself.
Zhang Ruochen's expression shifted. Suddenly, he said, "No, this place is too cramped. How can we fight properly? Why not move the battlefield to the cosmic void outside Ice King Star?"
"No need for such trouble. I will open a battlefield for you."
Bai Qinger sat by the stone table and sprinkled the half-drunk tea onto the ground.
Water droplets fell.
One drop became a lake.
Neither more nor less, fifty lakes appeared in the garden, subtly aligning with the Great Expansion number.
The world beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet silently expanded, stretching endlessly. The fifty lakes rippled with blue waves, spanning thousands of miles, filled with the fragrance of tea.
"Miss, why go through such trouble? I only need to unfold my Dao Domain to trap him to death."
Yunheng Iron Blood King shot a provocative glance at Zhang Ruochen. From within his body surged over a hundred billion Sacred Dao Rules, condensing into a Dao Domain. In an instant, a desolate, dark, and bloody battlefield manifested.
This Dao Domain battlefield contained ruined cities, mountains ablaze with beacon fires, ghostly banners fluttering in the wind, and corpses and bones scattered everywhere.
The moment the Dao Domain battlefield enveloped Zhang Ruochen, he sensed a power even more terrifying than when Third Hound Spirit Venerable's nine ghost cities had pressed down on him. Countless rules in heaven and earth seemed to want to invade his body, corroding his flesh and blood.
Even with ninety percent of his cultivation sealed, Yunheng Iron Blood King still surpassed Third Hound Spirit Venerable.
Almost instantly, Zhang Ruochen borrowed the world force of the Qiankun Realm, dispersing the Dao Domain rules pressing down on him. A radiance of merit appeared on his body.
The Flowing Light Merit Armor clad him.
"Shua!"
He retreated explosively, crossing dozens of miles in an instant.
"Boom."
The spot where Zhang Ruochen had just stood was shattered by a battle qi spat from Iron Blood King's mouth.
In that area, Dao locks, Great Saint inscriptions, and divine patterns emerged one after another, neutralizing the shockwaves of the battle, preventing them from spreading further.
Shang Yue exclaimed softly, "It's the ten-thousand-fold sound speed ultimate merit armor. Zhang Ruochen actually possesses such a rare treasure."
"What's so strange about that? In the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen killed countless talents from the Paradise Realm. The treasures he obtained are far more than just the ten-thousand-fold sound speed merit armor." Shang Xia stared at Zhang Ruochen in the battlefield, his eyes gleaming as if he were looking at a human-shaped treasure vault.
Shang Yue said, "Master, I'm very curious. Zhang Ruochen is only at the Hundred Shackles Realm. Why not just capture him directly? With your cultivation, since you can turn water into lakes, Zhang Ruochen and Yunheng Iron Blood King are merely playthings in your cup."
Bai Qinger did not answer. Her almond-shaped eyes fixed on the battlefield where the two were fighting.
Shang Xia's expression was cold. "Shang Yue, you underestimate Zhang Ruochen too much. Although he is only at the Hundred Shackles Realm, behind him stands the Blood Absolute Family. How could Blood Absolute War God and Xue Hou not leave him with life-saving measures? Zhang Ruochen dared to come alone to Jifeng Saint Mansion, which means he has a way to leave."
Shang Yue sneered disdainfully. "With Master's cultivation, even if Zhang Ruochen has life-saving measures, they are insignificant. Unless Blood Absolute War God and Xue Hou descend in person, but unfortunately, the two of them have already gone to the Jade Desolate Realm."
Shang Xia said, "If Zhang Ruochen were so easy to capture, he would have died long ago. He wouldn't have survived until now. Yunheng Iron Blood King should be able to force out the secrets on him."
From the mist of the garden, one powerful figure after another emerged. Some were white-haired old crones, some were ghostly spirits shrouded in gloom, and there were mysterious Great Saints whose auras were no weaker than Yunheng Iron Blood King's.
Without exception, each had profound cultivation, their breath turning into clouds, their strength fierce and domineering.
Who would have thought that such a small saint mansion could hide so many Great Saint-level experts? Even an ancient clan would find it hard to compare.
A crone with a face full of wrinkles spoke in a hoarse voice, "Miss, what exactly are you trying to test? Why haven't you made a move yet? Could it be that you think Zhang Ruochen really has the strength to defeat Yunheng Iron Blood King? Even if Iron Blood King only uses one-tenth of his power, he cannot be defeated by a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint."
Though the crone's body was aged, even somewhat decayed, her eyes remained bright. Sun, moon, and stars revolved in her pupils, tracing mysterious trajectories.
A mysterious Great Saint in white robes said, "Zhang Ruochen possesses thirty ten-thousandths of the Fate Esoterica. If Miss kills him and absorbs his esoterica, your strength will surely advance further."
"I think Zhang Ruochen not only has Fate Esoterica but also Truth Esoterica." A sinister voice came from a mass of ghost fire.
Bai Qinger, who had been silent and contemplative, finally spoke. "You are all too shallow. You only see the surface. What I want to understand is the most fundamental secret of Zhang Ruochen's cultivation. He cultivated a Second-Rank Sacred Intent too easily. That is abnormal. Even Blood Absolute War God and Desolate Heaven did not find it so easy when they cultivated their Second-Rank Sacred Intents."
"Besides that, I have a few more questions. Why is Zhang Ruochen's injury recovery so fast?"
"Why, as a non-disciple of the Truth Divine Temple, can he cultivate the Star Ocean Shoreless Truth Realm Form? What exactly did he obtain after crossing the tenth level of the Truth Sea?"
"These secrets will only be exposed when he is pushed to the brink of life and death. Capturing him will not force them out."
After saying these words, Bai Qinger's voice entered the battlefield, echoing in the sky above it: "Zhang Ruochen, if you defeat Yunheng Iron Blood King at one-tenth of his power, our bet still stands. Then, if you want to leave, I will not stop you."
In the battlefield.
Yunheng Iron Blood King had already delivered one hundred and thirty-seven consecutive strikes, but each time, Zhang Ruochen evaded them with his speed.
Yunheng Iron Blood King was extremely furious. He had already suppressed Zhang Ruochen within his Dao Domain. If it were any other Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, they would have been at his mercy, with nowhere to escape. But Zhang Ruochen had the ten-thousand-fold sound speed merit armor, making it impossible for the Dao Domain to suppress him.
"All you know is running. How can you win?" Yunheng Iron Blood King said in a deep voice.
Zhang Ruochen landed in the center of a lake, standing on the water's surface, his body flickering with merit light. "You are a peak-level Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint. I am just a small fry at the Hundred Shackles Realm. Why shouldn't I run?"
Zhang Ruochen had never intended to fight. The reason he put on the merit armor was to delay as much time as possible.
"Fine! Then I will make it so you have nowhere to run."
Yunheng Iron Blood King's eyes turned cold and fierce. In his Dao Domain, which manifested as a battlefield, strands of Sacred Dao Rules lit up, intertwining into countless billions of chains.
"Clatter."
The rule chains closed in from far to near, continuously shrinking the range of their encirclement.
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, slashing out a space rift, striking the net of rule chains.
The net of rule chains tore open a huge hole, but in an instant, the hole re-merged.
Zhang Ruochen frowned deeply. Instead of using his Dao Domain to suppress him, Yunheng Iron Blood King was using Sacred Dao Rules to form a cage to trap him. This forced Zhang Ruochen to fight head-on.
"Why hasn't that demoness Gu Shejing arrived yet?"
Zhang Ruochen was speechless inside. He really did not want to reveal his strength, hoping the enemy would continue to underestimate him.
No choice. He had to fight.
Yunheng Iron Blood King summoned a bone spear. Divine patterns interwove on the spear, clearly forged from divine bones. With a casual swing, the bone spear surged with vast death qi, turning into a death cloud that covered the entire cage.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the lake's surface, unflustered. He continuously borrowed world force from the Qiankun Realm and infused it into the Divine Dragon White Bone Whip.
"Crack!"
The Divine Dragon White Bone Whip lashed out, accompanied by a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering dragon roar.
On the whip, dense Supreme Inscription Runes and King-level Inscription Runes simultaneously appeared, unleashing an incomparably terrifying power that shattered the death cloud, as if tearing the sky in two.
Yunheng Iron Blood King's expression changed slightly. He swung the bone spear to clash with the Divine Dragon White Bone Whip, and his figure was sent staggering backward.
The shockwaves from the battle caused all fifty lakes to surge with towering waves.
The powerful figures in the garden, including Bai Qinger's two disciples Shang Yue and Shang Xia, all showed expressions of shock.
Zhang Ruochen had driven back Yunheng Iron Blood King!
Unbelievable.
They had not personally witnessed the battle between Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen, so they did not believe those exaggerated rumors. But the fact unfolding before their eyes left them no choice but to believe.
"Is an Eon-level genius truly this terrifying? Can a Hundred Shackles Realm cultivator contend with a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm cultivator?"
A smile appeared on Bai Qinger's beautiful face. "At least it proves that the rumor about Zhang Ruochen carrying a great world within him is true, not a fabrication."
"That's right. Only by borrowing world force can Zhang Ruochen be this strong."
"Even if Zhang Ruochen has a half-divine body, he cannot bear the weight of a great world." Shang Yue said.
Shang Xia shook his head. "You all forgot Zhang Ruochen's most important identity: the Heir of Time and Space, the disciple of Xumi Saint Monk. If he possesses Space Esoterica, then bearing a great world becomes possible."
In the garden, sounds of sharp intakes of breath arose.
A single Great Saint might contain the esoterica of three Eternal Paths.
Countless eyes now burned with fervent desire, eager to charge into the battlefield, tear Zhang Ruochen apart, and seize his esoterica.
Shang Yue's eerie and radiant face showed an extremely tempted expression. She said excitedly, "Zhang Ruochen really is a divine-level treasure trove. If he falls, all of us can share in the spoils."
"Kill Zhang Ruochen, seize the esoterica."
"Kill Zhang Ruochen, seize the Supreme Sacred Artifact."
"Kill Zhang Ruochen, seize the Divine Stones."
...
Except for Bai Qinger, who remained as calm as an ancient well, every other cultivator in the garden entered a state of frenzy.