Chapter 2488: Four Experts Fall
An eight-hundred-mile-long ghost ship of the dead sailed through the dark, boundless universe, emitting a dense, river-like surge of yin-fiend aura. It shook cosmic rocks as it flew toward the Aoyun Asteroid Belt.
After the ghost ship had traveled far away, Zhang Ruochen emerged from his hiding place and muttered to himself, "Even the Ghost Ship Alliance leader has come chasing after me? Is the allure of a divine artifact really this great?"
After killing Yunhuan Tiexue Wang, Zhang Ruochen did not rush to continue his journey. Instead, he restrained his aura and concealed himself.
In less than half a day, including the Ghost Ship Alliance leader, Zhang Ruochen had spotted four waves of cultivators heading toward the Aoyun Asteroid Belt.
Clearly, the matter of the space wormhole in the Aoyun Asteroid Belt was no longer a secret. The leaders of various factions had likely guessed that the cultivators from Paradise Realm, having seized the Celestial Pivot Needle, would escape through there.
The Light of Merit Armor was indeed very fast, but these Great Saints at the Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm and Supreme Realm were each more monstrous than the last. Some of them, relying solely on their own cultivation, could achieve ten thousand times the speed of sound.
The key point was that these Supreme Realm Great Saints could continuously borrow the power of heaven and earth, allowing them to fly without interruption.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen was inevitably caught up.
"The Aoyun Asteroid Belt has become a gathering place for powerful figures. I can't go there anymore!"
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up as an idea struck him. "Since all the strong ones are heading to the Aoyun Asteroid Belt, Ice King Star should be much safer now."
With this thought, Zhang Ruochen hesitated no longer. He concealed his form and took a detour back to Ice King Star.
On the return journey, there was no need to rush. Spending a bit more time was fine; the key was to avoid being discovered by other cultivators.
Ice King Star was to the west, but Zhang Ruochen deliberately detoured south.
He was hundreds of millions of miles away from Ice King Star, yet he could still see its disc-shaped outline. Therefore, no matter how he detoured, he wouldn't get lost in the universe.
After several days of travel, Zhang Ruochen arrived over a hundred million miles south of Ice King Star without encountering any cultivators intercepting him. He felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
It proved that his choice was correct.
Throughout the journey, Zhang Ruochen had been summarizing his battle with Yunhuan Tiexue Wang, continuously deducing in his mind, thinking of better solutions and the mistakes he had made.
"Even Yunhuan Tiexue Wang could suspect me. When I encounter other cultivators, what should I do to completely transform into another cultivator and avoid all suspicion?"
"Try not to expose the war implements on me, nor the power of time and space. It's best to hide the characteristics of both the Undying Blood Clan and the human race."
As for the trait of being a "man," Zhang Ruochen didn't want to hide it.
He had no desire to turn into a barbarian beast or a woman.
Using the Thirty-Six Transformations, Zhang Ruochen's bones, muscles, appearance, and aura rapidly changed.
Soon, he transformed into a tall, ugly-looking Rakshasa Great Saint with bone wings on his back. The battle armor he wore was also replaced with a Monarch Sacred Artifact suit he had seized from a Rakshasa cultivator.
"Ugly as it is, I'll change back once I leave Ice King Star," Zhang Ruochen said, touching his fist-sized nose. Surrounded by surging evil-fiend qi, he spread his bone wings and flew through the air.
Along the way, he encountered a dead, grayish-white planet orbiting in the universe.
Judging by its size, it was probably a second-class planet.
"Oh? There's an energy fluctuation at the Great Saint level."
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised. All the Great Saint-level experts on Ice King Star were locked in a fierce struggle over the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and the Celestial Pivot Needle. Why would a Great Saint be here?
He mobilized his sacred qi and Truth Rules, channeling them into his eyes, and looked across ten thousand miles.
He saw that the planet had been split by some sharp weapon, leaving a rift hundreds of miles long. Several figures were flying across the planet's surface at an inconceivably fast speed.
"The aura feels familiar."
Zhang Ruochen hesitated, wondering whether to investigate.
The top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and the Celestial Pivot Needle were both on him. He really didn't want to meddle or attract trouble, but his curiosity was piqued.
"Forget it. Better to mind my own business."
Zhang Ruochen restrained his aura, preparing to slip away quietly.
However, his earlier prying had been detected by a cultivator on the planet. Strands of white light materialized around him, condensing into a hand of light dozens of miles long that struck toward Zhang Ruochen.
The opponent had launched an attack from ten thousand miles away.
"Power of Light? A Great Saint from Paradise Realm?" Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened, and killing intent surged within him.
His conflict with Hell Realm had once been about opposing camps, and now it was about differing ideologies. But with Paradise Realm, the enmity ran deep. Whenever they met, blood would be shed.
Zhang Ruochen took out a Monarch Sacred Artifact-level war hammer and swung it, shattering the hand of light. Then, turning into a streak of evil-fiend light, he descended onto the grayish-white planet.
The planet's entire body was composed of a translucent, crystal-clear material, resembling spirit crystals. It was extremely hard, several times tougher than ordinary iron.
This had once been a mining planet, leaving behind many mine shafts.
War hammer in hand, Zhang Ruochen restrained his aura and headed toward the source of the battle fluctuations. Before long, amidst a collapsed crystal mountain, he discovered a bloody corpse.
The blood of a Great Saint had dyed the mountain red, presenting a strangely beautiful color.
The power of light enveloped the corpse, purifying the lingering soul.
The body had been almost completely shattered, with only half of it remaining intact, barely enough to make out the face.
"Earth Demon Clan, Xuanwu Ji."
Zhang Ruochen recognized the deceased.
He had seen this person at the Divine Maiden Tower in the Fate Divine Domain. At the time, along with three other Earth Demon Clan Great Saints, he had been following Yan Huangtu. He was a Thousand Questions Realm peak Great Saint.
"For a Thousand Questions Realm peak Great Saint to be killed here without even being able to escape, the killer must be at least a Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm late-stage or peak Great Saint."
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the sacred light rising like a rosy sunset in the distance. His expression grew serious, and he felt the urge to retreat. He thought he had been too impulsive to set foot on this planet.
With the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and the Celestial Pivot Needle on him, he should have suppressed his curiosity and hatred.
He had been able to kill Yunhuan Tiexue Wang only because Yunhuan Tiexue Wang had never thought of fleeing and had been lured into the void space by Zhang Ruochen.
If Yunhuan Tiexue Wang had wanted to escape, even a Supreme Realm Great Saint would have found it difficult to kill him.
"Forget it. Since I'm already here..."
Zhang Ruochen quickly regained his composure and continued the pursuit.
When he caught up, the battle had shifted again, leaving only two corpses on the ground.
They were Xuanwu Tian and Xuanwu Ying of the Dark Demon Clan.
Xuanwu Tian was a Thousand Questions Realm mid-stage cultivator. His body had been shattered into bones, and his sacred soul had long since dissipated. Only his unique aura remained to identify him.
Xuanwu Ying was left as a headless corpse, standing on the battlefield amidst rolling magma. His head was nowhere to be found.
In the distance came the long howl of Kun Yunhuang, an elder of the Earth Demon Clan.
The sacred qi of heaven and earth turned into streams, rushing past rapidly. The power of the entire ore planet seemed to be drained away.
"Not good! He's going to self-destruct his sacred source."
Zhang Ruochen immediately took out the Purple Gold Gourd, flew into it, and then controlled the gourd to burrow deep into the planet's core.
Kun Yunhuang's cultivation had reached the Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm initial stage. If he self-destructed his sacred source, within a certain distance, the destructive force could threaten the life of even a Supreme Realm Great Saint.
The fact that Kun Yunhuang had been forced to self-destruct meant that the Paradise Realm cultivator was likely more than just a Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm peak cultivator.
The expected force capable of destroying a star never erupted.
After a while, Zhang Ruochen flew out of the ground and landed on the planet's surface, puzzled. "What happened? Could it be that Kun Yunhuang failed to self-destruct his sacred source?"
He released his spiritual power, covering the entire planet, and carefully and cautiously scanned it. Then, he flew about a thousand miles and landed beside Kun Yunhuang, who was sitting in a pool of blood.
He was still alive, but his life force had almost completely drained away. Only a final breath remained.
Seeing the Rakshasa Great Saint land beside him, Kun Yunhuang's dim eyes flickered with a glimmer of light. With a pleading look, he said, "I am Kun Yunhuang, an elder of the Night Demon Clan. I encountered a powerful enemy from Paradise Realm. I beg you, sir, to save the two young masters of the Yama Clan."
Based on the residual aura nearby, Zhang Ruochen had already formed a judgment. He said calmly, "Two young masters? Who? Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian?"
Kun Yunhuang said excitedly, "Sir, you know the two young masters?"
"Of course I do. Both are born nobles, with backgrounds few in all of Hell Realm can match. What happened? Who is the enemy?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Kun Yunhuang's face was filled with sorrow. Seeming to use all his remaining strength, he opened his mouth and said, "The enemy is very powerful. I used an ancient technique, pretending to self-destruct my sacred source, to scare him off and buy the two young masters a chance to escape. But I am too badly injured. Using the ancient technique has drained my life force... I can no longer protect them... I beg you, you must save them... The Yama Clan... the Yama Clan will reward you handsomely..."
With that, his head drooped, and his life force was extinguished.
His aged body remained seated on the ruined ground.
Zhang Ruochen could have saved him, but the cost would have been too great. Their relationship wasn't close enough to warrant such an expense.
"The Yama Clan is full of powerful experts. Are you kidding me? Asking me to save Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian?"
Zhang Ruochen was well aware of his own current strength. He didn't see himself as a savior, nor was everyone worth risking his life for. Once his identity was exposed, he would face mortal danger.
Shaking his head slightly, Zhang Ruochen determined the direction Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian had fled, then spread his bone wings and flew off in the completely opposite direction.
After flying about ten thousand miles, Zhang Ruochen stopped. His brows furrowed tightly together as he cursed inwardly, "I knew it on the Merit Battlefield. I shouldn't have gotten entangled in this karma. I should have decisively killed the child in her womb. Damn it!"
He turned around and chased after Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian.
Although the Paradise Realm Great Saint who had killed the four Earth Demon Clan experts was likely a Supreme Realm Great Saint, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, as long as he wanted to escape, there were few cultivators below the Divine level who could stop him.
That was why Zhang Ruochen dared to take the risk and pursue them.
...
Explanation:
Xiaoyu read the chapter comments on QQ Reading. Some readers questioned how Yunhuan Tiexue Wang could break through the void space.
In reality, the reason Supreme Realm Great Saints in the Fate Divine Domain found it difficult to tear open void space was because the spatial structure there was stable. The more stable the spatial structure, the harder it is to enter void space.
Moreover, being able to enter void space does not mean one can return from void space to the real world.
...
There will be another chapter in the early morning.