Chapter 2562: The Flawless Southern Saint
"Undying Ink Sun."
Southern Saint called out softly, releasing powerful spiritual power that condensed into a pitch-black ink sun.
The ink sun merged with his head.
The bright moon carried by the Abyssal Ancient Sword clashed with the ink sun, forming two arcs of light—one white, one black. Then, violent energy surged forth from the moon and sun.
The sword's edge could never touch Southern Saint's scalp.
"Crash."
The ruins beneath Southern Saint's feet shattered, and his body sank a great deal.
The energy surging from the ground blasted the surrounding broken walls and debris away, clearing a vast, flat area. Not far off, an ancient, damaged formation was triggered, sending out a dense swarm of sharp sword energy.
Before the sword energy could approach Zhang Ruochen and Southern Saint, it was shattered by the powerful force radiating from the two of them.
Before long, the light points of the Time Imprint dimmed and faded.
Seizing this opportunity, Southern Saint mobilized the three hundred billion Sacred Dao Rules within his Dao Domain, transforming them into destructive power that surged from all directions to engulf Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen had only cultivated a little over ten billion Sacred Dao Rules. How could he withstand an attack from three hundred billion Sacred Dao Rules?
"Whoosh!"
He used Space Teleportation again to escape.
Southern Saint seized the momentary flaw when Zhang Ruochen performed the Space Teleportation, sending his talisman fan flying from his hand. It spun rapidly, slashing through Zhang Ruochen's afterimage as he departed.
A hundred zhang away, Zhang Ruochen reappeared.
On his white robe, a three-inch-long tear had appeared.
It had been extremely perilous. Because of the vast gap in cultivation, Zhang Ruochen absolutely could not be hit by Southern Saint. If he were struck, he would be severely injured.
This was a figure who had cultivated seven trillion Sacred Dao Rules, not someone like Yun Heng Iron Blood King, who had cultivated over a trillion and was at the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm.
"Such fast reaction speed. Even Space Essence combined with Time Sword Art can't do anything to him," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Southern Saint had long since abandoned his contempt, thinking, "Impressive, Zhang Ruochen. He almost got me just now. With only the Hundred Shackles Realm cultivation, he's more threatening to me than some Supreme Realm Great Saints."
The distant figures hadn't expected the clash between Southern Saint and Zhang Ruochen to be so intense, rather than a one-sided massacre.
In particular, Zhang Ruochen could move freely within Southern Saint's Dao Domain, overturning their previous understanding and giving them a deeper appreciation of the power of the Way of Space.
Southern Saint mobilized three trillion Sacred Dao Rules to condense a rapidly spinning black giant bell, enveloping his body.
Then, he mobilized the remaining four trillion Sacred Dao Rules in his Dao Domain to form forty light blades, attacking Zhang Ruochen from various directions.
No matter how profound your Way of Space, with the giant bell protecting his body, he could remain undefeated.
No matter how fast you fled, the moment you used Space Teleportation, a flaw would appear. Any one of the forty light blades could seize that flaw and strike you, severely wounding you.
Zhang Ruochen summoned sixty-seven million Burial Gold Rule Divine Marks, merging them with the Abyssal Ancient Sword. It radiated ten thousand zhang of golden light, knocking away the incoming light blades one by one.
Southern Saint chuckled lightly, charging out from behind the light blades while riding the black giant bell, slamming heavily into Zhang Ruochen.
"Sword Eleven."
Zhang Ruochen had anticipated this. Unflustered, he swung his sword in a horizontal slash, dragging out a straight sword light. This sword merged with the Way of Truth, unleashing thirty times the attack power, striking the black giant bell.
This was the perfected Sword Eleven!
"Clang!"
The bell's sound exploded.
Where the black giant bell was struck, the Sacred Dao Rules scattered, and a long crack split open.
Southern Saint's expression shifted slightly. Zhang Ruochen had inherited the Burial Gold White Tiger's Rule Divine Marks, which were formidable. All his power was concentrated in a single line, allowing him to break through Southern Saint's rule defense with that heaven-defying sword.
Southern Saint immediately mobilized the Golden Blazing Divine Flame, forming a golden shield seal that slammed into the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
"Boom!"
Having broken through the black giant bell, the Abyssal Ancient Sword's power was spent. Struck by the golden shield seal, a massive force surged back, sending Zhang Ruochen flying again.
Zhang Ruochen retreated to the base of a broken wall, steadying himself, his eyes fixed on Southern Saint.
He had to admit that Southern Saint was also a completely flawless powerhouse. Whether in attack, defense, or combat reaction speed, he was top-tier.
At the same cultivation level, Zhang Ruochen could certainly crush him with raw power.
But in this situation, finding a weakness in Southern Saint to seek a chance of victory was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
If the battle dragged on, Zhang Ruochen would surely lose, because Southern Saint was also searching for his flaws.
Low cultivation was Zhang Ruochen's greatest flaw.
The black giant bell reformed, and Southern Saint stood inside it, saying, "I've long heard that your Way of Truth is extremely formidable. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. But that sword just now should have exhausted the Blood Fiend Qi in your body, right?"
"Do you think I can't break your defense?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Southern Saint said, "I've heard that you have a great world inside your body, allowing you to mobilize World Power, bringing your strength close to that of a Supreme Realm Great Saint. Aren't you going to use that power?"
Zhang Ruochen's battle with Yan Wushen had many spectators.
That Zhang Ruochen possessed a great world was no secret among the high-ranking cultivators of the Hell Realm.
However, Southern Saint also knew that when Zhang Ruochen mobilized World Power close to that of a Supreme Realm Great Saint, he had nearly died from being unable to bear it. So, he wasn't afraid of this trump card. He simply wanted to see how much of his own strength Zhang Ruochen could force him to reveal when going all out.
He had always been curious about Eon-level geniuses.
Grand Minister of Works and Second Minister of Works both showed worried expressions. This Southern Saint was abnormally strong. Their uncle had already used all his trump cards, yet he couldn't do anything to him and had nearly been in danger.
Zhang Ruochen calculated in his mind. To defeat a powerhouse like Southern Saint, his own cultivation would need to reach at least the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm to do so relatively easily.
After all, for Zhang Ruochen at present, the Hundred Shackles Realm cultivation contributed less than ten percent of his combat power. The power of his half-divine body and Profound Meaning accounted for ninety percent.
Even if he broke through to the Thousand Questions Realm, the increase in combat power would be minimal.
Only when he reached the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm, with enough accumulated Sacred Dao Rules and sufficient Saint Qi and Blood Fiend Qi in his body, could his combat power truly form.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Fighting like this is indeed pointless. It seems I'll have to rely on external force to defeat you."
"Try taking another sword from me."
"Shua! Shua! Shua..."
Zhang Ruochen performed Space Teleportation seven times in succession, dodging the rule light blades one by one. In an instant, he reached the top of Southern Saint's head, raising his sword with both hands and slashing straight down.
On the sword's body, the light emitted by the purple divine stone was as bright as a star.
At the same time, the World Power of the Qiankun Realm surged like a roaring river into Zhang Ruochen's arms, causing the four tribulation marks—"Wind," "Fire," "Water," and "Thunder"—on the Abyssal Ancient Sword to emerge.
Southern Saint looked up at the descending war sword, feeling a trace of invisible pressure.
"Sizzle."
The forty light blades all dispersed, turning into four trillion Sacred Dao Rules that surged into the black giant bell, making it larger, thicker, and seemingly solid.
"Boom!"
The Abyssal Ancient Sword struck the black giant bell. The earth-shaking bell sound spread out, sending Grand Minister of Works and Second Minister of Works, who were nearby, flying like scarecrows.
Southern Saint's legs trembled slightly. He gritted his teeth and pushed upward with all his strength.
"This is... power close to the Supreme Realm... It's clearly surpassed some Supreme Realm Great Saints..."
"Crash."
The Abyssal Ancient Sword broke through the black giant bell, slashing into Southern Saint's right shoulder.
Half of Southern Saint's body was pressed into the ground, blood gushing from his shoulder, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
But Zhang Ruochen was slightly stunned.
This sword could split the black giant bell, yet it couldn't cut through Southern Saint's body?
Zhang Ruochen saw that, besides the thirty-six beast diagrams emerging on Southern Saint's skin, there were also layers of blood-red talisman inscriptions appearing. He had carved the talismans onto his body.
Southern Saint, with only half his body exposed above ground, slowly raised his head, revealing a sinister smile. "You forced me to use the Body-Attaching Blood Talisman. I'm taking that great world inside you!"
"Whoosh—"
The blood-red talisman inscriptions on Southern Saint's body flared brightly, condensing into a blood-red talisman hand that struck at Zhang Ruochen.
This blood-red talisman hand was three meters long, erupting with powerful divine force.
Zhang Ruochen quickly withdrew his sword to block, then slapped out with his palm, shattering the blood-red talisman hand into wisps of blood energy.
Seizing this opportunity, Southern Saint flew straight up from the ground, retreating to a distance. He opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the blood energy from the shattered talisman hand.
Southern Saint said, "Continuing to fight you like this is indeed a bit beneath the reputation of Tiannan."
"It seems you're going to use your true skills," Zhang Ruochen said fearlessly, calmly.
Southern Saint said, "You should know that for the Death Clan, the most powerful and mysterious means is Death Thought Power. And Tiannan teaches not the Sacred Dao, but the method of cultivating Spiritual Power and Death Thought Power. The Sacred Dao and the physical body are merely supplementary cultivation paths to me."
"The power of Tiannan has always been described as mysterious and bizarre. I've long wanted to experience it," Zhang Ruochen said.
"As you wish."
Southern Saint's pupils turned dark red. Strange death clouds gathered in the water, covering the visible ruins of this temple area, then surged madly toward Zhang Ruochen.
These were clouds condensed from Death Thought Power!
The Great Saints in the distance, just touched by a wisp of the death cloud, saw their bodies rapidly wither and their life force quickly dissipate. Alarmed, they fled in retreat.
"Death Thought Power is the innate power of the Death Clan. Unleashed with Southern Saint's Spiritual Power intensity, it could instantly annihilate all life on a planet. Fortunately, the formations and Divine Marks in the Origin Divine Temple block the spread of Death Thought Power."
"Just how strong is Southern Saint's Spiritual Power? His Death Thought Power is the strongest I've ever seen."
"As a disciple of the Seven Great Ones, at Tiannan, Southern Saint must have cultivated an exquisite method for controlling Death Thought Power."
...
Southern Saint's eyes were gloomy. His body involuntarily floated up in the water, and he said, "Zhang Ruochen, I've heard your Spiritual Power is strong. I wonder if you can withstand my Death Thought Power?"
...
An advance explanation: Regarding the purple divine stone, this is not a bug. It was both a planet refined from near a black hole and an important part of a Stone Clan god's body, because that Stone Clan god's divine body was far larger than a planet.
Additionally, there will be another chapter tonight.