Chapter 2457: A Single Sword, Moonlight Radiance
"Whether you can keep him or not is not for you to decide."
Gu Shejing's pale, paper-white face once again bloomed with a radiant smile. Even though she was at the end of her strength, utterly weakened, she still faced the oncoming star river like a winter plum blossom in the snow.
As a successor of the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm, how could she not have a trump card?
A scroll flew out from her sleeve.
The scroll was refined from the hide of a divine beast. Under the activation of Gu Shejing's deathly demonic qi, it slowly unfurled in the void.
The scroll depicted "Blazing Sun Illuminating the Nine Provinces."
"Whoosh!"
Gu Shejing held her hands up as if supporting something, her ten fingers transparent like ice crystals.
Instantly, fiery red light surged from the scroll, emitting dazzling divine radiance.
A blazing sun, like a star, rushed out from the divine radiance and rose slowly.
"Is that… the power of a false god?"
"Could it be that this battle scroll contains the terrifying energy of a false god's full-force strike?"
...
In the desert, the Great Saints who had caught up widened their eyes in shock and terror.
Only a false god could unleash the power of a star.
The mysterious white-robed figure shook his head, saying, "It's not that terrifying. If it were a real star, not only would the formation of the Jifeng Saint Mansion be destroyed, but even all the Dao locks, Great Saint inscriptions, and divine patterns in the entire Divine Maiden City would instantly melt and shatter. A false god's full-force strike could destroy an entire holy city. If a false god self-destructed, it would be like a star exploding, capable of destroying the entire Ice King Star."
The star that flew out from "Blazing Sun Illuminating the Nine Provinces" crashed into the star river and charged straight toward Bai Qinger.
The Great Saint cultivators behind Bai Qinger dared not approach and quickly fled far away, avoiding the star's light.
Among them, two Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints were too slow to evade and were struck by the beams emitted by the star. One had a basin-sized hole pierced through his back. The other had half his body melted away and vanished.
In the face of a Supreme Realm Great Saint like Gu Shejing, the lives of Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints were extremely fragile, no different from mortals.
"Have you even used your life-risking moves?"
Bai Qinger stared at the approaching star, her snow-white, crystalline face showing no emotion. Just as she was about to strike, she sensed something and withdrew half of the power she had gathered.
Behind her, a golden blade swung out.
The blade light, like a waterfall falling from the heavens, struck the star, splitting it apart. Countless flames, like disintegrated meteors, fell to various parts of the desert.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King was hit by a remnant flame from the shattered star and was instantly severely injured, vomiting blood profusely.
"Rip!"
The "Blazing Sun Illuminating the Nine Provinces" scroll was torn apart.
Even the hide of a divine beast could not withstand the blade qi of Wuma Jiuxing.
Below the scroll, the desert was torn open by the blade qi, forming a bottomless canyon. Yellow sand continuously slid into the canyon.
The formation that constituted the desert world was heavily damaged by this strike. Countless formation inscriptions shattered, becoming highly unstable, and the formation began to crack.
Xiao Hei had just broken through the last layer of formation inscriptions. His eyes widened with joy, and he grinned, "Done! The formation is broken!"
But Zhang Ruochen and Gu Shejing could not smile. Their gazes were fixed on Wuma Jiuxing, who was approaching from afar.
What did it matter if the formation was broken?
With Wuma Jiuxing here, they could not escape.
Wuma Jiuxing held the Zhoufan Bracelet, a hint of deep thought and recollection in his eyes. "Three hundred years ago, it was on this Ice King Star that I fought the Divine Son Yuqiu. At that time, he had just entered the Supreme Realm, while I was at the peak of the Supreme Realm, worthy of being called a demigod."
"He was full of vigor, sharp and brilliant, wielding the Destiny Temple, and no one in the entire Hell Realm dared to defy him. I, though higher in cultivation and renowned throughout the Dark World, was insignificant before his unparalleled brilliance."
"Back then, I was filled with ambition, wanting only to defeat the Divine Son of the Destiny Temple, to prove myself and make a name across the Heavenly Court and Hell."
"But unfortunately, although Divine Son Yuqiu had just entered the Supreme Realm, he already possessed invincible divine abilities. I gave it my all and could only fight him to a draw. I knew that within a few decades at most, I would surely lose to him. So I trained desperately, even venturing into ancient ruins that even gods considered forbidden grounds."
"Thirty years ago, my divine abilities reached perfection, and my blade Dao attained godhood. I emerged from seclusion full of confidence, determined to defeat all the strong in the Heavenly Court and Hell, to step into the divine realm with an invincible posture and become one of the representative figures of this eon."
"But unfortunately, the opponent I most wanted to defeat, Divine Son Yuqiu, failed in his tribulation and turned into a speck of dust in the nine heavens."
Wuma Jiuxing did not feel joy at Yuqiu's death. Instead, he fell into endless loss and regret.
The reason he had not crossed the tribulation to break into the divine realm in thirty years was that he had yet to encounter an opponent who could match Divine Son Yuqiu, unable to fill the void and imperfection in his heart.
Challenging Zhuo Yunong was an attempt to make up for that regret.
But unfortunately, Zhuo Yunong fell short and could not compare to the Yuqiu of old or the Fengchen Sword God. He was not the opponent Wuma Jiuxing had been seeking.
"I still remember the snow of that year, only for the green robe and white."
"Today, the snow is still here, chilling all under heaven."
Wuma Jiuxing gathered his complex emotions and turned his gaze back to Zhang Ruochen. "By rights, I should give you the chance to grow, to witness the combat power of an eon-level genius at the Supreme Realm. But unfortunately, I am not one to deliberately take risks. If I can kill you now, why wait until later?"
The cultivators present looked at each other in surprise. They had not expected that someone like Lord Wuma would personally take action to kill Zhang Ruochen, a Hundred Shackles Realm cultivator.
But soon, they understood.
Lord Wuma must be after the esoterica on Zhang Ruochen. By seizing those esoterica, his strength would surely reach a higher peak, making him a representative figure of this eon, recorded in the annals of the various divine temples, remembered for millennia.
Everyone's gaze toward Zhang Ruochen turned cold and emotionless.
What emotion was needed for a dead man?
Even Gu Shejing had that look in her eyes. She sighed, "I underestimated Wuma Jiuxing's boldness. Even injured, he dared to stay in such a conspicuous place as Divine Maiden City. This time, I've dragged you down. But on the road to death, you won't be lonely, since we'll accompany you."
Even the usually arrogant Xiao Hei could not say anything arrogant now.
There was no way around it. Wuma Jiuxing was too strong. Perhaps only the Empress at the Supreme Realm could defeat him. Any other Supreme Realm Great Saint who could withstand one of his strikes could already be called a peak expert below the divine realm.
Even if Divine Son Yuqiu were still alive, or if Fengchen Sword God had not broken through, they might not be able to defeat him.
Contrary to everyone's expectations, Zhang Ruochen showed no despair or surrender. Instead, he let out a long laugh, his battle intent surging. "Those who want to kill me are more than just you? Number One Under Heaven? So what? If it's a fight, then fight!"
Zhang Ruochen summoned the pitch-black Abyssal Ancient Sword, stepped onto the desert, and strode directly toward Wuma Jiuxing.
The aura of one who would never turn back shocked even the Great Saints present, whose cultivation far surpassed his and who considered themselves stronger than him. Would they have the courage to face Wuma Jiuxing?
No.
When Wuma Jiuxing stood before them, their battle intent, confidence, dignity, and will had already been shattered.
No wonder he was called an eon-level genius. He truly had extraordinary qualities.
"This guy…"
Gu Shejing wanted to stop Zhang Ruochen but was too late.
Xiao Hei had originally planned to take the chance to escape, but in the end, he abandoned that idea. Gritting his teeth, his hedgehog-like body burst open, releasing undying divine fire and revealing his true form as an Undying Bird, chasing after Zhang Ruochen.
After fighting side by side for so many years, how could he flee alone at the moment of life and death?
Wuma Jiuxing's sharply defined face showed joy. "Well done. You, an eon-level genius, have not disappointed me. But you are still too weak. To fight me, you would need to wait until you have shed the title of 'genius.' Only then would you be qualified. Unfortunately, you no longer have that chance."
As Zhang Ruochen stepped within a thousand zhang of Wuma Jiuxing, he immediately sensed danger. The ground beneath his feet turned into a mountain of blades, and the air became blade qi.
The rules of heaven and earth vanished, leaving only blade Dao rules.
Divine Maiden City was not a true holy city, so its suppression of saint-level cultivators was much weaker than that of West One Holy City. Thus, Wuma Jiuxing's absolute rule domain could extend beyond a thousand zhang.
Even if Wuma Jiuxing stood still, his absolute rule domain could kill ordinary Immortal and Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints.
Zhang Ruochen activated his Space True Domain, Virtual Time Domain, and Truth Realm Form, charging into Wuma Jiuxing's absolute rule domain.
The omnipresent blade Dao rules, like real sacred blades, sliced through the three layers of domains Zhang Ruochen had erected, continuously striking the Flow Merit Divine Armor on his body, producing a series of booming sounds.
Even though Zhang Ruochen was fast, covering hundreds of zhang in an instant, he was still struck tens of thousands of times by the rule blades.
The rule blades could not cut through the divine armor, but shockwaves penetrated the armor and struck Zhang Ruochen's physical body. Tens of thousands of blade-force impacts landed on him, turning his body beneath the armor into a bloody mess.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
...
Zhang Ruochen unleashed drops of dark time-space matter, using the powers of darkness, time, and space to destroy the blade Dao rules, forcibly carving a path.
He advanced another three hundred zhang, now less than a hundred zhang from Wuma Jiuxing.
From the moment Zhang Ruochen entered the absolute rule domain to reaching Wuma Jiuxing, only an instant had passed, his speed astonishing.
"Zhang Ruochen actually has the strength to cross the absolute rule domain and reach Lord Wuma's side. This child is truly remarkable," the white-haired old woman said with a hint of fear.
Shang Yue snorted, "He's just relying on external forces. Nothing impressive. Besides, he only made it to Lord Wuma's side and is already severely injured. Where does he have the strength to strike? I think he's just smashing an egg against a rock, utterly foolish."
"Clang!"
A piercing sword cry rang out.
Zhang Ruochen raised his arm, holding the Abyssal Ancient Sword level, instantly entering a state of unity between man and sword, and thrust forward.
A brilliant flower bloomed around him.
The petals were composed of space rules, with time imprint light spots flickering on them.
This was the space-time sword intent Zhang Ruochen had cultivated.
In that moment, space and time seemed to freeze and stop, leaving only the dazzling sword light, cutting through Wuma Jiuxing's absolute rule domain and heading straight for his chest.
Wuma Jiuxing kept his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the foot-long red sword mark on the Abyssal Ancient Sword. He said calmly, "A true god's sword qi. Is this the life-saving measure given to you by the gods of the Blood Absolute Family?"
Zhang Ruochen had not expected that his carefully hidden true intention and final trump card would be seen through at a glance by Wuma Jiuxing. His heart wavered slightly.
This man was not only invincible in cultivation and combat power but also possessed a top-tier mind.
No one could remain calm when facing such an enemy.
"Gods are not supposed to interfere in the mortal world. That's just a high-sounding statement," Wuma Jiuxing said, shaking his head lightly. Then he added, "But even if you have a true god's sword qi, it's useless because you can't hit me. A true god's sword qi can only unleash its power in the hands of a true god. You are far from that—like a child wielding a great blade. You can barely lift it, but you can't strike anyone."
Wuma Jiuxing had no intention of taking the risk of receiving a true god's sword qi, so he took a step back.
Just one step, but it took him a thousand zhang away, nullifying all of Zhang Ruochen's previous efforts.
Zhang Ruochen had already been severely wounded by the rule blades. How could he possibly cross another thousand zhang of absolute rule domain?
"I am the heir of time and space, a master of space. Everything in space should be under my control. Is a thousand zhang far? No, it's not far. To me, it's right at my fingertips."
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, his pupils blazing with sharp light.
In that instant, his space attainment reached another level. A strange power surged from the Time-Space Divine Martial Mark on his brow, very similar to Truth Esoterica and Fate Esoterica.
It was… Space Esoterica.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen naturally had no time to ponder how Space Esoterica had been hidden in the Time-Space Divine Martial Mark.
"Zhang Ruochen, come with me. You are no match for Wuma Jiuxing now."
Xiao Hei, who had caught up, reached out a claw to forcibly take Zhang Ruochen away.
The claw clearly grabbed Zhang Ruochen, but when he retracted it, he found nothing in his grasp.
"Where did he go? This emperor's cultivation is so high, yet I couldn't hold him?"
Xiao Hei was stunned. He looked up.
There, directly in front of Wuma Jiuxing, a bright, clear moon appeared. Zhang Ruochen, somehow and by some method, stood at the center of the moon, thrusting his sword toward Wuma Jiuxing's chest.
"The fifth layer of the Time Sword Art, Moonlight Song. He… he has reached great perfection!" Xiao Hei was both shocked and delighted.
Bai Qinger and Gu Shejing, both top-tier experts below the divine realm, showed a hint of surprise in their eyes.
Obtaining a true god's sword qi was not a skill.
But being able to land a sword strike on Wuma Jiuxing—that was when Zhang Ruochen truly demonstrated his ability, not disgracing the Underworld King and his sword.
Wuma Jiuxing's expression turned serious, because he felt locked in place by powerful space and time forces. Additionally, an unparalleled sword intent, like a stabilizing pillar, pierced into his body, preventing him from moving his feet.
"Unexpectedly, I still have to receive this sword."
Wuma Jiuxing's eyes blazed with sharp light, and he pressed both hands forward.
"Swish, swish."
In the absolute rule domain, countless billions of blade Dao rules transformed into endless golden blades, like an unending river of blades, surging toward Zhang Ruochen's thrusting sword.
"Boom, rumble!"
No one could see what was happening at the point where blade and sword clashed.
The light there was so bright it could blind a Great Saint's eyes.
Space collapsed on a large scale, and countless Dao locks, Great Saint inscriptions, and divine patterns were destroyed.
Bai Qinger acted to protect all the Great Saints in the garden; otherwise, even if they were not killed by the chaotic blade qi, they would fall into the void space.
When space finally stabilized, the top-tier Great Saints could finally make out the figures of Zhang Ruochen and Wuma Jiuxing.
They saw that the blade Dao rules Wuma Jiuxing had summoned were all shattered by the sword qi the Underworld King had left for Zhang Ruochen. The tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword had directly pierced into Wuma Jiuxing's chest and was continuing to drive deeper.
It seemed intent on killing him with one strike.
Wuma Jiuxing's palms pressed against the blade of the Abyssal Ancient Sword. Suddenly, strands of fiery red hair stood on end like steel needles. His aura surged another notch, and he roared, "The true god's sword qi is exhausted. You cannot kill me after all."
He withdrew his palms, and a powerful force erupted from within his body. His right hand transformed into a blade, slashing toward Zhang Ruochen.
"This emperor will test you!"
Xiao Hei, in his owl-like form, was covered in undying divine fire. His massive claw struck out fiercely, and the ancient sound of an Undying Bird echoed from within his body.
The claw met Wuma Jiuxing's right hand blade, and the desert formation world completely collapsed, as if the entire heaven and earth were destroyed.
Xiao Hei was sent flying backward, but his other claw grabbed Zhang Ruochen and took him away.
Wuma Jiuxing's figure swayed, and he took a step back. He looked at the rapidly fleeing owl, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Although he had been severely wounded by the Underworld King's sword qi and had aggravated his old injuries, the palm blade he had just struck was far from his full power. Yet this owl had become the only one since his cultivation reached great success to force him back a step. And judging by how energetically it fled, it seemed completely unharmed.
"Interesting. An Undying Bird that has undergone nine deaths and rebirth."
Just as Wuma Jiuxing was about to give chase, his expression suddenly stiffened, and he stopped in place. Letting the blood flow from the sword wound on his chest, he took out a rust-covered bronze ancient blade.
This was the first time he had used a battle weapon since his cultivation reached great success.
So much so that his beloved blade had grown rust.
It had been a long time since he had used it to kill.
"The Death God Palace, the Ten Shura of the Dead, all dispatched. The Destiny Temple truly values me. I don't know whether to be happy or troubled." Wuma Jiuxing stood with his blade, his gaze indescribably cold and proud.
Where his gaze swept, ten shadows of different outlines were approaching from ten different directions, drawing nearer.
Earlier, when Zhang Ruochen had activated the three Supreme Sacred Artifacts, the battle in the Jifeng Saint Mansion had already alarmed the entire Divine Maiden City, and the news had spread at lightning speed across the seventeen domains of Ice King Star.
"After your fight with Zhuo Yunong, you should have hidden away and healed your injuries. You shouldn't have stayed in a dangerous place like Divine Maiden City. Now that you've been severely wounded again by a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint, it seems fate has decreed that you will fall here today," said one of the Shura, stepping out from the shadows.
He was an angel with twelve white wings.
Only an angel god could have twelve wings.
His name was "Feather Shura." He was the corpse of a fallen angel false god from the Paradise Realm, reborn through cultivation. He was both a Supreme Realm Great Saint corpse cultivator and retained part of the false god's divine soul, even having half a divine source within him.
"No one has ever made the Death God Palace activate all Ten Shura at once. You are the only one," said Gold Shura, also stepping out from the shadows. He looked like a Buddha, his body shining with golden light, with one hundred and eight thousand Buddhist texts floating beneath his feet, representing the one hundred and eight thousand techniques he had cultivated.