Chapter 2492: Second Master
Fei Zhong's puppet clone was refined using the Great Saint blood of his true body, spiritual power thoughts, soul power, and the bones of a Supreme Realm dwarf, consuming countless resources in the process.
Before Fei Zhong broke through to the Supreme Realm, this puppet had been his greatest reliance.
At this moment, the puppet clone moved in sync with his aura, following closely behind him.
Fei Zhong's true body, separated by an immeasurably vast distance, spotted two black dots in the empty cosmos. As he flew closer, he could clearly make out that the two black dots were Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian.
They remained in place, not fleeing.
Fei Zhong's thick brows furrowed slightly as he asked, "Didn't you say they had already escaped?"
The puppet clone was startled and somewhat bewildered. "I'm not sure! Earlier, after that Rakshasa Clan Great Saint appeared, they did indeed flee! But now they're here, and that Rakshasa Clan Great Saint is nowhere to be seen. It might be a trap—Master should be cautious."
"What level of cultivation did that Rakshasa Clan Great Saint have?" Fei Zhong grew wary.
The puppet clone replied, "At the time, he only used physical strength and never revealed his cultivation realm."
"An anomaly means trouble—I must be careful. Stay here, and if anything changes, immediately come to my aid." Fei Zhong gave the order.
The puppet clone said, "Master's cultivation is enough to handle any unforeseen changes. Even if they are playing tricks, absolute power renders their schemes useless."
Fei Zhong flew alone toward Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian, spreading his Dao Domain.
When he was still ten thousand miles from the two Yans, his Dao Domain had already extended to their surroundings. In the void, countless black iron fragments appeared—some turning into intricate iron flowers, others forming rows of iron spikes, and still others becoming forests of iron trees.
Compared to the puppet clone's Dao Domain, Fei Zhong's was profoundly mysterious, displaying all manner of forms in the world, like an ever-changing metal realm.
Yan Huangtu sat cross-legged, calmly healing his injuries.
Yan Zhexian wore a spotless white robe, standing casually in the void with sacred flowers blooming beneath her feet, like a peerless celestial maiden, calmly watching the surging steel forest engulf them.
Seeing them like this, even Fei Zhong, with his deep cultivation, felt a twinge of unease.
Thus, he stopped several dozen miles away from them.
"Neither my spiritual power nor my Dao Domain has detected any other strong presences nearby. There should be no ambush. But why are they so calm?" Fei Zhong wondered.
A smile curled at the corner of Yan Zhexian's lips. "Fifth Uncle, I was right, wasn't I? Fei Zhong would definitely come to die."
Yan Huangtu opened his eyes and shook his head with a laugh.
Fei Zhong raised his battle axe and said loudly, "There's no need for you two to put on such a show. That old monk Dazheng has been severely wounded by me and won't come to save you! If you know what's good for you, surrender now. Once we start fighting, who knows if I might shatter Young Master Yan's imperial divine bones or harm the child in Miss Zhexian's belly?"
Both Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian's hearts sank.
Their greatest hope had been that Master Dazheng would come to their aid.
Since Fei Zhong's true body had appeared here, it likely meant that Master Dazheng had indeed met with misfortune.
Yan Zhexian's composure was already starting to crack.
Yan Huangtu stood up, his burly frame blocking Yan Zhexian so Fei Zhong couldn't see her expression change. He spread his arms and said, "Fei Zhong, you have quite the reputation, shaking the Heavenly Court and all realms. With your level of cultivation, why waste words with us juniors? Just come and capture us!"
Fei Zhong was a shrewd old hand. He channeled sacred Qi to his eyes and scanned the surroundings again.
Still nothing.
Fei Zhong laughed. "You know you can't escape, so you're setting up a false array to try and scare me?"
Yan Huangtu said, "Senior is a top-tier existence below the Divine Realm. Even a puppet clone of yours rivals a Supreme Realm Great Saint. I'm just a mere Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint, like a child—how would I dare try to scare you?"
"Whether you're setting up a false array or there really is an ambush, it doesn't matter."
Fei Zhong raised his left hand, and in an instant, the Dao Domain shifted. Countless sacred dao rules turned into a torrent, surging toward Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian.
The torrent of rules was like a divine river of heaven and earth, or billions of light swords.
Even before it reached the two Yans, it made their sacred souls tremble, and illusions appeared before their eyes, as if gods had manifested, trying to force them to their knees.
The gap in cultivation was too great. A single thought from Fei Zhong could trap them in his sacred might, robbing them of all power to resist.
"Fei Zhong's cultivation is terrifying to this extent."
Yan Huangtu activated his Nine Dragon Divine Mark, and a divine light burst from his body. But under the impact of the rule torrent, the divine mark shattered instantly, vanishing from his bones.
It was directly erased by Fei Zhong.
Yan Huangtu stopped resisting, placing all his hope on Zhang Ruochen.
"Boom!"
A mass of dark energy exploded out of nowhere, disrupting both space and time.
The dense dark energy formed a cloud, blocking the rule torrent.
"Such dense dark energy—who is it?"
Fei Zhong's expression shifted, his eyes narrowing.
Within the dark cloud, space and time were chaotic, and a towering figure emerged. It was a young man with handsome features and a noble aura, his eyes seeming to contain billions of stars, unfathomably deep.
Seeing this young man, Fei Zhong reacted like a startled porcupine, his eyes wide as he rapidly retreated, putting more distance between them.
"Whoosh!"
All the sacred dao rules within him surged out, putting him in peak combat state.
His Dao Domain became even more unpredictable, his sacred might growing stronger. Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian felt immense pressure, as if needles were piercing them and mountains were pressing on their shoulders, yet they still had to maintain a calm and composed demeanor.
"What? Fei Zhong, do you dare fight me?" the young man coldly rebuked.
Fei Zhong's gaze was like lightning as he pushed his battle axe to its limit, his palms drenched in cold sweat. "I wouldn't dare! Second Master Yan, known as the Half-God of Gods, the number one below the Divine Realm in the Yama Clan—I, Fei Zhong, know my limits. I wouldn't seek death."
Second Master Yan naturally referred to Yan Huangtu's second brother, Yan Yu.
Fei Zhong addressed Yan Huangtu merely as "Fifth Young Master Yan," but for Yan Yu, he used "Second Master Yan," showing his deep reverence.
Fei Zhong secretly rejoiced that he had been cautious earlier and hadn't approached recklessly. Otherwise, he wouldn't even have a chance to escape today.
This "Yan Yu" was, of course, Zhang Ruochen in disguise.
The pure dark energy beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet was formed using the last two drops of Dark Time-Space Substance.
Yan Yu's primary cultivation path was the Way of Darkness.
Zhang Ruochen appeared relaxed and at ease, but in truth, he wasn't much better off than Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian. His half-divine body was squeezed taut by Fei Zhong's Dao Domain, making even breathing difficult.
But he absolutely couldn't show any weakness.
Zhang Ruochen snorted lightly. "You wounded my fifth brother and tried to capture my eldest brother's daughter. If I don't cut you down today, where will the dignity of my Yan family stand?"
Fei Zhong felt even more pressure, as if thorns were at his back, his hair soaked with sweat. "With Second Master's cultivation, I admit I'm no match. But if I choose to flee, Second Master might not be able to stop me, right?"
Fei Zhong naturally had no reason to doubt Yan Yu's identity.
First, he had used his spiritual power and Dao Domain to probe earlier and hadn't sensed anyone hiding. Aside from the supremely skilled Yan Yu, who else could do that?
Second, Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian had clearly escaped—why had they suddenly returned here?
Obviously, Yan Yu had used them as bait to lure him here.
Third, Zhang Ruochen's transformation technique had reached an unparalleled level, nearly impossible to see through below the Divine Realm.
Zhang Ruochen gave a slightly mocking smile, unconcerned. "Go ahead and try to escape. If you manage to get away today, I, Yan Yu, will no longer bear the Yan name."
Yan Zhexian shot Zhang Ruochen a sidelong glance, inwardly exasperated. He was getting too into character, boasting like that. What if Fei Zhong really turned and ran? Wouldn't the whole act fall apart?
Did he really think he was the Half-God of Gods?
Fei Zhong knew well how formidable Yan Yu was. If he let himself be scared into fleeing, his Dao Domain and momentum would collapse, and he'd have no chance to fight back.
In that case, he might really lose his life here.
Realizing this, Fei Zhong hardened his stance. "Yan Yu, you've made a serious mistake—using those two to lure me here."
"Oh? Is that so?"
"At our current distance, if I self-destruct my sacred source, you won't be able to stop it, will you?"
"Indeed, I can't stop it, but I can escape unscathed." Zhang Ruochen said.
Fei Zhong said, "You might save yourself, but Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian will surely die. I may die, but they'll be buried with me. Don't you think that's a serious mistake?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned cold.
Fei Zhong, believing he had found Yan Yu's weakness, said, "Second Master, I came to the Hell Realm to kill Zhang Ruochen. I never intended to oppose the Yama Clan, much less you. Capturing Fifth Young Master Yan and Miss Zhexian was only to secure a chance to leave Ice King Star. I never meant to harm them."
Yan Zhexian hadn't expected Fei Zhong to be so afraid of her second uncle that he'd be cowed like this. She blinked and said, "You're lying! You clearly wanted to capture me to curry favor with some big shot in the Paradise Realm."
"I have no such intention," Fei Zhong insisted.
"Your puppet clone said so himself," Yan Zhexian countered.
Fei Zhong said, "Miss Zhexian may not know this, but that beast has developed its own independent personality and thoughts. It likely acted on its own."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If that's the case, then kill it."
"What?"
Fei Zhong gritted his teeth, glaring at "Yan Yu."
Refining that puppet clone had cost him countless resources, including his own Great Saint blood and soul power. Destroying it with his own hands was absolutely unthinkable.
It was a powerhouse nearly on par with a Supreme Realm Great Saint.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Kill it, and I'll spare your life today."
Fei Zhong's fingers clenched so tightly they nearly drew blood.
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "I'll give you three counts to decide. One!"
"Two!"
...
"Wait."
Fei Zhong was drenched in sweat, trembling all over. "Will Second Master keep his word?"
Zhang Ruochen said disdainfully, "I, Yan Yu, am called the Half-God of Gods not just because of my deep cultivation, but because my word is as good as gold. I never go back on it."
Fei Zhong said, "Fine! In the Hell Realm, Second Master Yan's word is trustworthy."
Fei Zhong's teeth ground together, his heart bleeding, but he still took out a soul tablet. With a press of his finger—
Crack!
The soul tablet shattered.
In the distance, the puppet clone let out a scream, its soul extinguished, and it collapsed into the void.
Yan Zhexian watched with great satisfaction, secretly laughing inside. Zhang Ruochen's trick was too vicious. If Fei Zhong ever learned the truth, he'd probably spit blood from rage.
Zhang Ruochen reached out and grabbed the puppet clone from afar, examining it. "I didn't expect the Dwarf Clan to produce such a remarkable figure—so tough, decisive, and sharp. You have a promising future as a god. Go now. We'll surely meet again in the Divine Realm."
Being praised like this by Yan Yu eased some of Fei Zhong's pain and frustration.
At the same time, he grew wary. "I didn't expect Yan Yu's mastery of the Way of Space to be so profound. The intelligence reports never mentioned this. When I return to Paradise, I must report this."
Fei Zhong prepared to leave but then thought of something. He clasped his hands and said, "Second Master, there's a huge misunderstanding between us. Zhang Ruochen's corpse was not taken by the Paradise Realm. You are a man of great wisdom—don't fall for that woman's poison scheme."
"I will investigate this thoroughly."
Zhang Ruochen nodded, inwardly amused. It was probably the strand of Shang Xia's hair he had left behind that had done the trick.
Not only had it sown discord between the Paradise Realm and Bai Qinger, but it had also set the Yama Clan and Paradise Realm against each other.
An unexpected gain.
Now that the deed was done, Zhang Ruochen just wanted Fei Zhong to leave quickly before anything went wrong.
Suddenly, the entire cosmic space was filled with dense leaden clouds, raining down droplets like sulfuric acid.
In the clouds, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and heavenly fire flickered, the atmosphere deadly serious.
"Roar!"
A dragon's cry echoed across the star sea.
A massive dragon shadow flew through the clouds, and even a single scale or claw revealed was enough to blot out the sky and earth, a truly shocking sight.
Yan Huangtu opened his palm to catch a raindrop, and a sizzling sound of corrosion came from his palm.
"Corpse rain, black dragon—it's him!"
Fei Zhong guessed who it was and grew tense again.
Facing this person was even more pressure than facing Yan Yu.
Not because this newcomer was stronger than Yan Yu, but because this one was born for slaughter. Yan Yu at least had principles and rules, and would still fear him self-destructing his sacred source.
From the oppressive leaden clouds, a half-dragon, half-human figure appeared, looking down at Fei Zhong. "Who is the woman you spoke of?"
His voice rolled down like a waterfall of sound waves.
Fei Zhong faced off against the half-dragon, half-human figure, his sacred might rising step by step, but he was still suppressed by the layers of leaden clouds, weaker in momentum.
Yan Huangtu muttered to himself, "I didn't expect someone from the Destiny Temple to come."
Zhang Ruochen frowned deeply. Who would have thought that one of the Ten Corpses of the Underworld, "Black Corpse Fiend," would appear here?
Black Corpse Fiend's arrival could certainly suppress Fei Zhong and completely resolve their crisis.
But the Celestial Pivot Needle was on him. Once Black Corpse Fiend dealt with Fei Zhong, Zhang Ruochen would have no excuse not to return the Celestial Pivot Needle to Gong Nanfeng.
"Leave! We must leave before Black Corpse Fiend learns the truth."
Zhang Ruochen immediately sent a telepathic message to Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu, telling them this was the best time to slip away.
Gong Nanfeng, who had been hiding, saw Black Corpse Fiend arrive and immediately jumped out, overjoyed. He grabbed Zhang Ruochen's hand and said excitedly, "Brother Ruochen, the Destiny Temple's experts are here! We're saved! No need to keep up the act! This is great—we can finally return safely to Ice King Star."
The two who had been locked in confrontation, Fei Zhong and Black Corpse Fiend, both turned their gazes there.
The difference was that Black Corpse Fiend looked at Minister Gong Nanfeng, while Fei Zhong stared at Zhang Ruochen, as if guessing something. His arm twitched, and he couldn't help but glance at the shattered soul tablet, his expression a masterpiece of emotion.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Gong Nanfeng, who was gripping his arm tightly, and his own expression was even more brilliant than Fei Zhong's.