Chapter 2504: A Divine Being Appears
After much persuasion, along with testimony from Granny Haitang, Xiao Hei's doubts were finally dispelled, confirming that the Zhang Ruochen before him was not someone else in disguise.
The Heavenly Dao Arrow had failed to kill him.
Xiao Hei let out a hearty laugh, claiming he was overjoyed to see Zhang Ruochen alive. As for his earlier remarks—"From afar, a dog; up close, Zhang Ruochen"—and calling himself a "fool," he had completely forgotten.
Upon learning that Blood Lingxian and Bai Qinger had entered the Void Space for a decisive battle, Xiao Hei was overjoyed. He was the first to tear open the space and charge in, eager to watch the spectacle.
Zhang Ruochen activated his Space Domain to resist the erosion of the Void's power.
Back when he had just entered the Saint King Realm, he had ventured into the Void Space, barely able to withstand it for a moment with his Space Domain. Now, his cultivation was over a hundred times stronger, allowing him to move freely even in the Void Space.
Of course, he couldn't stay too long—half a day was the limit, and that was only if he didn't encounter a Void Storm.
The Void was filled with endless dangers. Even divine beings dared not linger, as a single misstep could lead to being devoured by the Void.
Zhang Ruochen pushed the Way of Truth to its extreme, finally able to clearly see the clash between Blood Lingxian and Bai Qinger.
It was a breathtaking battle. Though only two people were involved, the impact rivaled the confrontation between the Ten Dark Powers and dozens of Supreme Realm Great Saints from the Destiny Temple on Ice King Star in the past.
Bai Qinger was forced to reveal her true strength by Blood Lingxian, unable to maintain her "Ji Fanxin" form, and reverted to her original appearance.
Her face, capable of bringing chaos to all living beings, was enough to make any man who fought her hesitate, preventing them from unleashing their full power. Yet Blood Lingxian remained completely unaffected, his stone sword, the *Wordless Sword Manual*, radiating sharpness, as if he wished to tear Bai Qinger into pieces.
Blood Lingxian stood at the center of the Void, countless sword energies flying like ten thousand swords, forming a vortex-shaped sword nest.
Bai Qinger ignored the sky-full of sword energies, using the Way of Flowing Light to transform into streaks of meteor-like light paths, darting swiftly through the sword nest, unleashing one earth-shattering clash after another.
Even the power of the Void struggled to dissipate the aftermath of their battle, which spread to Zhang Ruochen's position before being blocked by Granny Haitang's spiritual power domain.
Xiao Hei muttered incessantly, "This emperor long knew that White Demoness was formidable, but I never imagined she was this strong. Still, compared to the Female Emperor of the past, she's far behind."
"Back then, Blood Lingxian, relying on his Undying Blood Silkworm Immortal Saint Body, challenged the Female Emperor, but she knocked him down in seven moves, and he couldn't get up."
"But now, Blood Lingxian seems a bit stronger than before."
……
Though aided by the Way of Truth, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation level was too low to see how many Sacred Dao Rules Blood Lingxian and Bai Qinger had cultivated. He only saw that the Sacred Dao Rules had formed a sea of rules, forcibly creating a small world within the Void.
The battle lasted half an hour without ending, growing fiercer. The two within the sea of rules unleashed all their life's techniques.
Other Supreme Realm Great Saints might spend their entire lives unable to master a single divine ability, yet these two wielded them effortlessly, one after another. As for how deeply they had cultivated these abilities, it was impossible to tell.
Blood Lingxian had once entered the Divine Realm and glimpsed its mysteries, so it was understandable that he could master several divine abilities.
But Bai Qinger, so young, was proficient in all kinds of divine techniques. It had to be said that her talent was extraordinary, her genius unparalleled. Though she might still fall short of an Eon-level genius, in future evaluations of this eon's Eon-level figures, she would undoubtedly rank among the foremost.
At first, Xiao Hei could still comment and laugh, but as the two revealed more and more trump cards, displaying the ultimate mysteries of the world, wielding the Sword Dao, the Way of Flowing Light, and the Way of Origin with unparalleled skill, his expression grew increasingly grim.
When Bai Qinger summoned the bronze chimes and formed the "Ten Thousand Sounds Heaven-Spinning Grand Formation," Xiao Hei fell completely silent.
He usually boasted of being invincible under heaven, capable of sweeping all below the Divine Realm, and unmatched in formation arts. Now, he was being outshone in every way.
He felt that heaven was unjust, favoring only the daughter of the Bai family.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but glance at Xiao Hei.
"What are you looking at? This emperor's Nine Heavens Ten Earths Demon-Slaying God-Slaying Grand Formation might not be weaker than her formation. But..." Xiao Hei's tone lacked confidence, "That set of bronze chimes of hers is strange, not ordinary. It resembles a legendary world-destroying artifact."
Granny Haitang said, "One chime rings, the world falls into chaos. Nine chimes ring, gods fall. Ninety-nine chimes ring, the sound of annihilation. In the ancient era, a powerhouse who overshadowed the heavens wielded a set of bronze chimes, playing an annihilation melody, destroying an eternal great world. Though its truth is uncertain, the legend of the annihilation chime has been passed down to this day."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Her set of bronze chimes shouldn't be that legendary world-destroying artifact."
To destroy an eternal great world, that set of bronze chimes must have been a divine artifact, and likely one ranked very high on the *Taibai Divine Artifact Chapter*.
But Zhang Ruochen had been able to break a corner of the formation formed by the bronze chimes, rescuing Xing Luo and the others. From this, it could be inferred that Bai Qinger's set couldn't possibly be a divine artifact.
Xiao Hei clenched his claws, grinning, "Blood Lingxian was too careless. Trapped in the White Demoness's formation, he's bound to lose. Now's our chance to suppress the White Demoness. The bronze chimes go to this emperor, the Celestial Pivot Needle goes to them, and the person goes to you, Zhang Ruochen—since you're into that sort of thing."
Before they even acted, he was already dividing the spoils.
"Not yet. Blood Lingxian initiated the battle with Bai Qinger. If we intervene midway, he'll surely blame us for meddling," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Hei snorted, "Blood Lingxian is indeed that kind of character. Back then, after being knocked down by the Female Emperor, someone tried to help him up, but he spat and claimed he could stand on his own. Just stubbornness. If he could stand, he wouldn't have lain on the ground for so long."
After watching for a while longer, Xiao Hei stared at the sixty-five bronze chimes, his eyes darting around anxiously. "The White Demoness is already a formation grandmaster. Once trapped in her formation, there's absolutely no way out. Only by attacking from outside can the formation be broken. If we don't act now, and Blood Lingxian is refined to death inside, what then?"
"Wait a little longer," Zhang Ruochen said.
Granny Haitang said, "Her formation is indeed formidable. Almost no one below the Divine Realm can break it from within. But controlling such a grand formation alone consumes immense spiritual power and sacred qi. Once Blood Lingxian holds out until she weakens, that will be the time to counterattack."
"In other words, it depends on whether Bai Qinger can kill Blood Lingxian in the formation before her spiritual power and sacred qi are exhausted?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Granny Haitang said, "She doesn't need to be completely exhausted. Once she's weakened to a certain point, she'll naturally lose control of the formation's operation. Huh..."
As if sensing something, Granny Haitang's gaze unconsciously turned toward a certain direction in the Void Space.
……
Blood Lingxian was surrounded by the sixty-five bronze chimes, heavily suppressed within the formation.
The deafening, world-shaking sounds continuously pounded against his body.
The stone sword, the *Wordless Sword Manual*, in his hand rapidly grew to the size of a mountain. On the mountain, dense golden characters emerged, peeling off to form golden swords, creating an impregnable sword domain to resist the formation.
The *Wordless Sword Manual* was not a divine artifact, but its mysteries were unmatched even by divine artifacts.
It was both a book and a sword.
It was the origin of the Sword Dao in the Kunlun Realm, influencing many great worlds.
……
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly, "Even if Blood Lingxian had never entered the Divine Realm, he could still be called an Eon-level figure. The experience and insights gained after entering the Divine Realm make him stronger than any Eon-level figure. No wonder he could kill the former divine maiden of the Destiny Temple with a single sword strike."
Xing Luo, trapped in the Ten Thousand Sounds Heaven-Spinning Grand Formation, had no means to resist and could only choose to self-destruct his sacred source, seeking mutual destruction.
But Blood Lingxian, wielding the *Wordless Sword Manual*, could contend with the formation.
The gap between them was evident.
Of course, part of it was due to the *Wordless Sword Manual* being stronger than the Extreme Fierce Blade and the Ghost Face Mask.
Granny Haitang said, "Ruochen, come to my side. If something happens, don't be reckless. Leave everything to me."
"Granny, why do you look so serious?"
Zhang Ruochen had been captivated by the duel between Blood Lingxian and Bai Qinger. Now, following Granny Haitang's gaze, he looked into the endless Void.
But he sensed nothing—the Void was eerily calm.
No, that wasn't right.
Zhang Ruochen's Heart of Truth picked up an extremely ominous feeling. In the seemingly empty Void, there was immense danger, as if being stared at by an abyss from which there was no escape.
Cold sweat broke out on Zhang Ruochen's back. He quickly averted his gaze and transmitted a message to Granny Haitang, "Someone is hiding in the shadows. I can't tell if they're friend or foe."
"They must be an enemy. If they were a friend, they would have shown themselves," Granny Haitang said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "They must be a top-tier expert. Otherwise, they couldn't have evaded my perception."
"No need to guess. It's a divine being. The aura is decaying and cold—definitely a god from the Hell Realm."
Granny Haitang's spiritual power was far stronger than Zhang Ruochen's, so her perception was naturally sharper.
"Damn, this is bad."
Zhang Ruochen's heart sank.
If a god from the Hell Realm discovered him walking so closely with cultivators from the Kunlun Realm, it would be a damning piece of evidence.
Who would have thought that Bai Qinger's actions would be so audacious as to actually attract a divine being?
Granny Haitang said, "The fact that I can sense them means they're not a true god, but a false god. They haven't acted yet because they're waiting for Bai Qinger and Blood Lingxian to wear each other down, ideally both injured, so they can take them all out in one go."
Zhang Ruochen had seen false gods in action—they were astonishingly powerful, beyond the reach of Saint Realm cultivators.
Not everyone was like Qiangu Nüdi, who could kill a god while still in the Saint Realm. And even then, she killed only false gods.
No one could kill a true god while in the Saint Realm. Even the weakest true god was ten times stronger than a false god.
In the Saint Realm, only Eon-level representatives could contend with false gods. Even then, it was just a fight—when faced with one, they would definitely flee.
Because even if an Eon-level representative possessed power comparable to a star, they couldn't sustain it. Their supreme dharma bodies couldn't withstand such immense force.
Prolonged battle would lead to self-destruction.
Only a false god's divine body could endure it.
Moreover, false gods varied in strength.
When facing a powerful false god, even the likes of Xue Jue, Huang Tian, and Qiangu Nüdi in their Supreme Realm would choose to retreat.
A powerful false god could match several false gods.
It was like mortals of equal strength—those with combat skills could fight one against several, or even ten.
"Once that false god makes a move, Ruochen, you must immediately withdraw from the Void Space and flee as far as you can. Leave this to us," Granny Haitang said with concern.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Is there a way to kill a false god?"
Granny Haitang was shocked that Zhang Ruochen would have such a crazy idea. "To a true god, a false god is nothing. But to us, they are as immovable as an eternal divine mountain. Perhaps only Blood Lingxian can contend with them for a while. Killing a false god is impossible."
"Didn't the Female Emperor once suppress and kill a false god?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Granny Haitang replied, "The Female Emperor's grandfather was the Formation Tai Shang. She had countless trump cards—who in the world could compare? Even so, she lost her Void Sword in the process. Moreover, the Female Emperor defeated Blood Lingxian in seven moves—how formidable was her combat power? Who among us here can match that?"
Zhang Ruochen fell silent, racking his brain for a solution.
He couldn't use the War God Belt. Was he just supposed to wait for death?
No.
There had to be a way.
Though the Female Emperor was strong, she had been alone at the time, with no one to help.
Bai Qinger and Blood Lingxian, still locked in combat, seemed to have sensed something. They stopped fighting as fiercely and instead took out divine stones to recover their depleted sacred qi.
"Haha!"
A sinister laugh echoed through the Void Space.
The laughter seemed to ring directly in their minds.
A cloud of deathly divine qi appeared in the Void, flying toward the location of the sixty-five bronze chimes.
Within the divine cloud stood a gaunt, skeletal figure, wearing a white bone crown inlaid with gold, carrying two large banners on his back. His face was twisted and terrifying. He laughed, "This lord came only to seize the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, but I didn't expect to find such an unexpected surprise. Who would have thought that a little girl from the Goddess Twelve Pavilions could possess such combat power? Who would have thought that the grandson of the Blood Absolute War God was still so close to the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm?"
Granny Haitang signaled Zhang Ruochen to flee immediately.
But Zhang Ruochen didn't run. Displaying astonishing courage, he flew toward the false god. "Mo Yunduan, a false god of the Death God Temple. As a divine being, meddling in mortal affairs—aren't you afraid of bringing death upon yourself?"
He was buying time for Blood Lingxian and Bai Qinger to recover their sacred artifacts.
After all, they were all in the same boat now. Bai Qinger should understand how severe the consequences of her identity being exposed would be. Only by joining forces with Bai Qinger could they possibly kill a god today.
"Zhang Ruochen, you little brat. The one who should worry about death is you."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen dare to approach him, Mo Yunduan was slightly startled, wondering what incredible trump card this kid might have. Suddenly, he thought of Zangjin Baihu, and unease crept into his heart.
Just how strong could Zangjin Baihu be, that Zhang Ruochen, a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint, dared to challenge a god?
……
Today, I returned from the writers' annual meeting and spent the whole day traveling. The update is late—my apologies.
This busy period is temporarily over. Starting tomorrow, I plan to try updating two chapters a day. Let's see how it goes. For now, one chapter is 4000 words. If I update two chapters, that'll be 6000 words.