Chapter 2517: The Enchantress Is Hard to Deal With
Shan Qiu said in a deep voice, "Don't come any closer! I have already sent a message to Lord Yuan Qianmo, and he will arrive immediately."
Gong Nanfeng was furious, saying, "You're suspecting me? Fine, fine, fine. With your cultivation levels, you can't see through the truth and falsehood. I, the Minister of Works, don't blame you. When Yuan Qianmo arrives, I'll explain everything to him."
Zhang Ruochen watched coldly from the sidelines. With Gong Nanfeng as an excellent witness, it was impossible for the cultivators of the Hell Realm to suspect him.
The Goddess Twelve Pavilions, however, was about to suffer.
The moment this thought crossed his mind, his expression suddenly changed slightly.
Bai Qinger, in order to cover up the truth, had not hesitated to hand over the Celestial Pivot Needle and join him in killing a god. With her shrewdness, how could she allow Gong Nanfeng to expose her identity?
"I hope I'm overthinking things. Perhaps after using the 'Sacrificing Oneself for the Dao' technique, she was too severely injured. Even if she wanted to eliminate Gong Nanfeng, she might lack the strength," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
In the dark depths of the universe, three streaks of light flew rapidly.
Apart from Yuan Qianmo, the other two were Yuanshu Zhenhuang and Lan Ying.
Shan Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Lord Yuan Qianmo is about to arrive. The Minister of Works' identity will soon be revealed. If I have offended you in any way, please... ah..."
Shan Qiu let out a miserable scream. Dense spatial cracks flew out from within his body, and his immortal sacred body exploded and shattered.
"Boom!"
On the other side, Lu Baitou died in the same manner.
Zhang Ruochen's face darkened, and he immediately looked toward Gong Nanfeng, but there was no trace of him to be seen.
Bai Qinger's voice sounded in Zhang Ruochen's mind: "Keep my secret, or else your collaboration with the Kunlun Realm cultivators to seize the Celestial Pivot Needle will also be exposed. I know you're not afraid of exposure, but you wouldn't want the Destiny Temple to learn of Kunlun Realm's plan to rescue Yunshen Daozhu, would you?"
Zhang Ruochen mobilized the power of the Heart of Truth to sense her, but found nothing. This could only mean that Bai Qinger's location was at least a hundred thousand miles away.
Yuan Qianmo's voice came from afar like divine waves and giant tides: "Killing a Great Saint of the Divine Temple right in front of me—Zhang Ruochen, aren't you being a bit too arrogant?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a bitter smile, realizing that Bai Qinger had set him up.
This enchantress was definitely taking revenge on him for taking advantage of her last time and seizing the Celestial Pivot Needle.
A woman's vengefulness was indeed strong.
In an instant, Yuan Qianmo, Yuanshu Zhenhuang, and Lan Ying crossed tens of thousands of miles and appeared before Zhang Ruochen. Each of them released powerful sacred might, locking onto Zhang Ruochen with their spiritual power, as if afraid he might escape.
Lan Ying laughed like a child: "Impressive, impressive. Ruochen Great Saint truly lives up to being the grandson of Xue Jue War God—killing people so cleanly and neatly. Lu Baitou, after all, was a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint of the Green Deer Divine Temple. Even gods can't kill him casually. I applaud you!"
As he spoke, he gave a thumbs-up, but his smile was far from innocent; it was instead sinister.
Yuanshu Zhenhuang said, "Zhang Ruochen, do you know that Lu Baitou was the divine envoy of the Death God Temple's Mo God? If you can't give a reasonable explanation, no one today can save your life."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Mo God? Mo Yunduan?"
"Do not speak a god's name directly," Yuanshu Zhenhuang said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "They weren't killed by me."
"There are still spatial fluctuations lingering in the space. Besides you, is there a second spatial cultivator here?" Yuan Qianmo said indifferently.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Someone in the distance used spatial power to kill them and frame me. Didn't you all just see the Minister of Works of the Destiny Temple? He was captured by the other party using spatial power."
"Aside from you, I didn't see anyone," Yuan Qianmo said.
"Ruochen Great Saint's adaptability is truly strong. In an instant, he's already made up a story. Enough nonsense. My Green Deer Divine Temple is not to be trifled with. A Great Saint cannot die in vain. Murder must be avenged."
Lan Ying released a divine light that pierced the heavens, along with a blood-colored killing intent.
The killing intent and divine light converged above his head, forming a blood-colored killing sword with a radiance of ten thousand feet, which shot out as a sharp streak of light.
Where the killing blood sword passed, space split like paper, with countless cracks appearing.
"Clang!"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword flew out on its own. Under Zhang Ruochen's control, it shot forward, dragging a sword-path afterimage dozens of feet long.
"Boom!"
The tips of the two swords collided precisely.
Like the tip of a needle meeting a wheat stalk.
The killing blood sword, after all, was not a real sword. It instantly exploded, turning into tens of thousands of sword qi.
Most of this sword qi was blocked by Zhang Ruochen's space domain, but one strand still pierced through the space domain and flew past his neck, bringing a hint of chill.
Zhang Ruochen's figure remained motionless. He squinted his eyes and said, "Thousand Questions Realm!"
"It's the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm," Lan Ying said with a grin.
Lan Ying was a purer cultivator than Que. That purity lay in his absolute clarity about what he wanted and what his path was. He was not influenced by the outside world and always adhered to his own thoughts.
In his eyes, everyone was no different from prey.
Que, on the other hand, still cared about victory and defeat and was obsessed with gain and loss.
It was for this reason that Lan Ying surpassed Que. After reaching the Thousand Questions Realm, he directly stepped into the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm, with no distracting thoughts in his state of mind to hinder him.
Lan Ying said, "I didn't expect you to have also cultivated the sword path, and it seems you're not bad at it."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword flew back and landed in Zhang Ruochen's hand.
Zhang Ruochen gently swung the sword and said, "I've been busy cultivating sacred will for so long that I haven't really used a sword. How about you give me some pointers?"
"Sure! But if your sword path skill is too poor, you might die. I'm not joking."
Lan Ying grinned sinisterly, and a powerful sword intent erupted from within him, condensing into a solid form that resembled a terrifying Shura shadow.
This was his killing sword intent.
"Sword, come."
A cyan broadsword floated before him.
"This sword is called Qingkong."
Lan Ying did not hold the sword. With just a thought, the cyan broadsword slashed down through the air, and the Shura shadow swooped down with it.
The sword body automatically grew larger, reaching thirty-three miles in length.
A terrifying cold air was released from the sword's edge, freezing the space.
It truly froze the space, intended to prevent Zhang Ruochen from escaping.
"One Thought, One Flower Blooms!"
Unaffected by the frozen space, Zhang Ruochen raised the Abyssal Ancient Sword above his head. The space-time sword intent manifested, condensing into a strange white flower that wrapped around his body.
He swung the sword and struck it against the Qingkong sword.
The space-time sword intent also clashed fiercely with the killing sword intent.
A divine light flickered on Zhang Ruochen's body, dissolving all the power. In an instant, his figure vanished.
"Whoosh!"
He emerged from the space behind Lan Ying, slowly slashing his sword.
Though it seemed slow, time imprints continuously merged into the sword body, intertwining with the sword technique.
This sword strike was incredibly fast.
At least in Lan Ying's perception, it was extremely fast, giving him almost no time to react.
"Boom!"
Without turning around, a second sword flew out from within Lan Ying's body, slashing backward to break Zhang Ruochen's time sword art.
Then, a third sword flew out, transforming into a sword dragon.
The sword dragon was formed from a vast number of sword-path rules and sword qi, spinning as it flew, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. Tens of thousands of sword cries sounded simultaneously, like dragon roars.
Just as the sword dragon was about to strike Zhang Ruochen's chest, Zhang Ruochen blocked it horizontally with his sword. On the blade of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, four mysterious imprints appeared, unleashing the four different powers of wind, fire, water, and lightning.
"Rumble!"
Zhang Ruochen flew backward lightly like a falling leaf.
"Whoosh!"
Lan Ying and Zhang Ruochen charged at each other simultaneously, colliding fiercely. Their figures became chaotic, sword qi crisscrossed, and the sound of intense and dense collisions rang out like pearls falling onto a jade plate.
...
Yuanshu Zhenhuang, clad in imperial robes, with a high crown binding her hair, was pure and unparalleled in beauty. Watching the two fiercely fighting, she said, "Zhang Ruochen is not a reckless person. There is no reason for him to kill here. The deaths of Lu Baitou and Shan Qiu are quite suspicious."
"Does it matter?" Yuan Qianmo said.
Yes, it didn't matter at all.
What mattered was that there was now a reason to put Zhang Ruochen to death.
Some cultivators, sensing the battle fluctuations, flew nearby and watched the two fighting, discussing among themselves.
"I heard that Lan Ying's cultivation has reached the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm. He has successively challenged several powerful Great Saints of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, and none could withstand a single sword from him. Zhang Ruochen is only in the Hundred Shackles Realm, so how can he contend with him?"
"Lan Ying probably hasn't used his full strength at all. He's just toying with Zhang Ruochen. After all, on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, when Lan Ying was still in the Hundred Shackles Realm, he could cut off Zhang Ruochen's head."
"In the past thousand years, Lan Ying has ultimately walked ahead of everyone else. As expected of a Cosmic Divine Fetus, a person recognized by the Asura Sword."
A Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm said coldly, "What do you know? Can't you see that Zhang Ruochen has already reached the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm?"
"So what if he's at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm? He's still a whole major realm behind Lan Ying!"
"At the same realm, Lan Ying is not much weaker than Zhang Ruochen. Now, the two are on completely different levels. The gap has widened."
That Great Saint of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm said, "There is indeed a gap between Zhang Ruochen's realm and Lan Ying's. However, Zhang Ruochen possesses a demigod body. Once he reaches the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, the power of his demigod body can be fully unleashed. With his demigod body, he can make up for the difference in strength. Unless Lan Ying can surpass him in the sword path, he won't be able to do anything to him."
Yuanshu Zhenhuang communicated with Yuan Qianmo through voice transmission. She said, "Who do you think will win this battle?"
Yuan Qianmo said, "Although Zhang Ruochen's demigod body is strong, Lan Ying is a Cosmic Divine Fetus and also the sword spirit of the Asura Sword."
"You mean that Lan Ying has no physical form, so no matter how strong Zhang Ruochen's physical power is, he won't gain any advantage?" Yuanshu Zhenhuang said.
Yuan Qianmo said, "In terms of pure power, Lan Ying is not inferior to Zhang Ruochen either."
"So, you think Lan Ying will win?"
"Not just win, but he can kill Zhang Ruochen. Moreover, he is the only one who can kill Zhang Ruochen. No one else can do it, including you and me."
Yuanshu Zhenhuang understood the meaning of this sentence.
Because Zangjin Baihu was guarding Zhang Ruochen. If the two of them made a move, Zangjin Baihu would likely appear to stop them.
But Lan Ying was different. If he killed Zhang Ruochen, Zangjin Baihu would definitely not intervene.
Just as when Zhang Ruochen killed Yan Wushen, the Swastika Azure Dragon did not stop him either.
Luo Shengtian and a group of experts from the Tianluo Divine Kingdom arrived. Seeing the two in fierce battle, they inquired from the onlookers and learned that Zhang Ruochen had killed Great Saints from the Death God Temple and the Green Deer Divine Temple.
Feng Qingli was astonished and sneered, "Zhang Ruochen really doesn't know how to restrain himself. Doesn't he realize he's at the center of the storm right now? Doing something like this, it would be strange if the Death God Temple and the Green Deer Divine Temple let him off easily."
"The prince consort shouldn't have done something like this. Perhaps it's a setup by the Green Deer Divine Temple and the Death God Temple," Yan Hanyi said.
Luo Shengtian said, "Then I'll trouble the teacher to separate them first."
"Alright!"
Yan Hanyi responded and flew out as a streak of light.
Yuan Qianmo's gaze shifted slightly. He shook his head with a smile and reached out with his right hand, drawing a vortex in the air. His sleeve fluttered in the vortex.
Yan Hanyi, who was flying hundreds of miles away, suddenly felt his body spin uncontrollably. By the time the spinning force disappeared, Yan Hanyi found himself standing in front of Yuan Qianmo.
"Lord Qianmo's 'Heaven and Earth Flowing Cloud Sleeve' divine technique is exquisite and unparalleled. I am in awe."
Yan Hanyi smiled bitterly. He himself was a strong figure in the Supreme Realm, a demigod, yet Yuan Qianmo had effortlessly brought him to his front with a single gesture. His methods were terrifyingly brilliant.
This was the number one figure on the Divine Reserve Scroll's A-grade list, someone beyond reach.
Yuan Qianmo smiled courteously and said, "Zhang Ruochen killed Shan Qiu of the Death God Temple and Lu Baitou of the Green Deer Divine Temple. This grudge must be avenged by our two Divine Temples. I ask Mr. Yan not to interfere."
Just as Yan Hanyi was about to speak, he felt an immense pressure fall upon him, rendering his entire body immobile.
Yuan Qianmo still smiled, saying, "So many eyes are watching. If we cannot kill Zhang Ruochen with our own hands, where will the face of our two Divine Temples go? A life for a life. Even if this matter reaches Emperor Luo Yan, reason is on our side."
His tone was low, and his smile was warm, as if he were discussing with Yan Hanyi.
But Yan Hanyi felt the pressure on him growing even stronger. He could barely force out a smile, but inside he was furious. Unfortunately, the gap in cultivation was too great, and he couldn't erupt.
Luo Shengtian noticed something was wrong and couldn't help clenching his fists, wanting to charge out himself.
Feng Qingli pulled him back, saying, "What are you doing?"
"Lan Ying has already reached the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm. Zhang Ruochen is no match for him. They want to kill him. Before we figure out what exactly happened, we have to stop them," Luo Shengtian said.
Feng Qingli said, "Who can you stop? Yuan Qianmo, or Lan Ying? You can't stop either of them!"
The veins on Luo Shengtian's face bulged. At this moment, he finally understood the words Emperor Luo Yan had said when he took away the Quasi-Emperor Sacred Intent Pill from him: his personality indeed had a major flaw.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have fallen behind Lan Ying and Que in the Thousand Questions Realm.
He was at the initial stage of the Thousand Questions Realm, while Lan Ying was at the peak.
Whether in cultivation or combat power, the gap was quite significant.
"No matter what, Zhang Ruochen is still the prince consort of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom. We can't just watch like this. Today, I'm determined to fight," Luo Shengtian said.
Feng Qingli enveloped him with her spiritual power domain and said, "Zhang Ruochen brought this on himself. He doesn't deserve sympathy. Have you thought about it? With so many major forces gathered here, why is no one willing to stand up for him except you? He has nothing but enemies in the Hell Realm. Everyone wants to see him killed!"
Yuan Qianmo looked from afar in the direction of Luo Shengtian. He raised his voice, spreading it across this starry sky: "Zhang Ruochen killed my Death God Temple's Great Saint Shan Qiu and also killed the Green Deer Divine Temple's Great Saint Lu Baitou. This is a personal grudge. I ask all cultivators of the various forces to give me, Yuan Qianmo, some face and not interfere. Otherwise... you will be making enemies of the Death God Temple and the Green Deer Divine Temple."
The last sentence was especially cold and harsh, carrying powerful sacred might, intimidating all the cultivators present into silence, not daring to speak.
Feng Qingli said in a low voice, "See? Yuan Qianmo is warning you, and also warning everyone else. Master Yan is being suppressed by his sacred might and can't move. With him standing there alone, no one can save Zhang Ruochen."
Just then, a rather cold voice came from afar: "The Death God Temple and the Green Deer Divine Temple sure have a lot of deterrence. Since it's a personal grudge, I wonder if I can interfere?"
Someone actually dared to challenge Yuan Qianmo?
Someone actually dared to ignore the Death God Temple and the Green Deer Divine Temple?
A white deer radiating divine light pulled a luxurious sacred chariot, driving through the empty universe. The chariot bore the unique patterns of the "Blood Absolute" family, and an overwhelming sacred might poured out like a tide.
"What powerful sacred might! Who is coming?"
"Can't you recognize that pure-blood divine beast?"
"What? That's a divine beast?"
"That was the betrothal gift Xue Jue War God gave to the Yixuan clan, when Yixuan was still the goddess of the Shura Divine Temple."
"The Great Lady of the Blood Absolute family has arrived. This is going to be interesting!"
...
There have been some matters these past two days. To avoid breaking the update streak, I can only do one chapter a day.
In short, if a chapter is over 4000 words, it's likely the only chapter for that day. If a chapter is only 3000 words, there will probably be two chapters.