Chapter 2575: Altar Blade Light
Above, waves of saintly might pressed down upon heaven and earth, while various strange Dao-domain phenomena manifested.
Above the head of a Death God Temple Great Saint, three black islands emerged, sinking and floating within space.
A Supreme Realm cultivator, resembling a twin-headed serpent, was surrounded by a five-colored river, its waters roaring deafeningly.
Clouds of death qi shrouded the entire stone altar, with lightning bolts as thick as buckets weaving through them.
Night Travel Master, Seven Hands Old Man, and Blood Butcher all changed expressions in alarm.
It wasn't that they had never seen Supreme Realm Great Saints before, but with over ten Supreme Realms simultaneously arraying themselves in formation—this was a sight that could shake heaven and move earth. In the mortal world, aside from powerhouses of Wuma Jiuxing and Bai Qinger's caliber who could stand firm and clash head-on, which other cultivator wouldn't tremble in fear?
Zhang Ruochen knew that once he began ascending the stone altar, his traces would inevitably be exposed, so he wasn't overly flustered.
The crowd only felt a flash of light before their eyes, and after a slight loss of weight, they found themselves inside the Seven Star Emperor Palace. The palace's protective grand formation, Great Saint inscriptions, and divine patterns all manifested, forming layer upon layer of defense.
This steadied them somewhat, after all, the Seven Star Emperor Palace was refined by Xue Jue War God, with Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns personally inscribed by him. Moreover, none of them were weaklings, so they could use this palace to contend against the Death God Temple for a while.
"Hua!"
Seven Hands Old Man sat cross-legged at the center of the hall, pressing one palm against the ground, releasing all of his sixty-ninth-level spiritual power.
Instantly, the patterns on the surface of the Seven Star Emperor Palace grew even brighter. Wisps of divine mist surged from the seven palaces, forming misty rivers that guarded the imperial palace.
The stronger the cultivator stationed within the Seven Star Emperor Palace, the greater the defensive power it could unleash.
Zhang Ruochen could tell that Seven Hands Old Man was now genuinely loyal to the Blood Absolute Family, and a look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
Yuan Benji snorted coldly, "Do you really think a mere Seven Star Emperor Palace can protect you?"
Zhang Ruochen stood outside the palace gate, looking upward, and said, "I know the Death God Temple is full of experts, but breaking through the Seven Star Emperor Palace and suppressing us won't be that easy either."
"Perhaps it won't be so difficult."
Yuan Qianmo took out a one-foot-two-inch-long black metallic brush. Huan Zhen, standing nearby, immediately produced a purple ink block and inkstone, grinding out a purple-red ink.
Yuan Qianmo dipped the brush in the ink and began tracing in the air.
Night Travel Master stared intently at Yuan Qianmo above, his eyelids twitching, and said, "Not good, that's the Wusui Divine Brush and Nine-Corrupted Corpse Ink."
"A divine artifact?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Not a divine artifact, but the Wusui Divine Brush is extremely famous, one of the Death God Temple's strange artifacts. Every one of its past owners later attained the title of king or venerable in the divine realm. A brush nurtured by generations of Death God Temple divine kings and venerables—its mysteries are beyond our imagination."
"As for the Nine-Corrupted Corpse Ink, it's the ninth type of corrosive substance refined from rotting corpses, and also the strongest. It's said that ten thousand rotting corpses are needed to produce a single grain the size of a mung bean. This corrosive substance specializes in breaking Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns."
"Use spatial power to escape from here!"
Just as Night Travel Master finished speaking.
Yuan Qianmo laughed, "You can't escape."
The secret patterns he traced were eerie and ferocious, like vengeful spirits dancing wildly, flying toward the Seven Star Emperor Palace and pressing down.
The powerful corrosive force seeped through the Great Saint inscriptions, divine patterns, and defensive formations, spreading into the Seven Star Emperor Palace. Zhang Ruochen's skin instantly turned gray-black.
If it was this terrifying before even landing, once the Great Saint inscriptions and divine patterns of the Seven Star Emperor Palace were corroded, and the corrosive force surged in directly, wouldn't they all die inside?
Just as Night Travel Master's knees began to tremble, a circular formation rose within the Seven Star Emperor Palace. Countless heavenly flames flew out from the formation, clashing with the secret patterns Yuan Qianmo had traced.
"Boom, rumble."
After a fierce collision, the corrosive secret patterns were burned clean away by the heavenly flames.
"What formation is so powerful?"
One by one, the Death God Temple Great Saints showed expressions of astonishment.
Yuan Qianmo narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the formation floating above the Seven Star Emperor Palace, and said, "No wonder you're so composed. It turns out there's a World Hand in the Seven Star Emperor Palace."
A Le, Kailuo Dishi, and Blood Wolf walked out of the palace gate, appearing beside Zhang Ruochen.
Their identities were special and not convenient to be seen, so they had been staying inside the Seven Star Emperor Palace.
Yuan Benji shouted loudly, "Zhang Ruochen, you have some nerve, colluding with the Paradise Realm!"
"Yuan Benji, are your brains filled with rocks? My senior brother colluding with the Paradise Realm? Go tell the Destiny Temple and see if they believe it," Blood Butcher said.
Yuan Benji thought carefully and found himself speechless.
Indeed, if Zhang Ruochen were colluding with cultivators from the Paradise Realm, not only would the Destiny Temple not believe it, even the cultivators of the Paradise Realm themselves wouldn't.
What ability did this kid Zhang Ruochen have to simultaneously win over old-timers like Kailuo Dishi, Night Travel Master, and Seven Hands Old Man, who were far stronger than him?
Guye Jing giggled, "Brother Qianmo should think carefully. If it really comes to a fight, the Death God Temple might not come out on top."
"Miss Guye, why must you be so close to Zhang Ruochen? Why not be a friend of the Death God Temple? Together, we'll kill Zhang Ruochen, and you can take first pick of the treasures on him. How about that?" Yuan Qianmo said.
"This proposal is quite tempting." Guye Jing's eyes curved like crescent moons.
Blood Butcher's expression changed, "Sister-in-law, don't fall for his trick. He's trying to drive a wedge between us."
"Who asked you to be clever?"
Guye Jing scolded him, then looked at Yuan Qianmo, "I am indeed very interested in the treasures on Zhang Ruochen. But if killing him would let me have them, I've had plenty of chances to kill him."
Yuan Qianmo nodded, "That's true. In other words, even if we kill Zhang Ruochen, we still won't get the treasures on him?"
"Exactly. So, I've been thinking, maybe he'll take the initiative to give them to me?" Guye Jing's gaze fell on Zhang Ruochen.
The situation became quite delicate.
Guye Jing seemed to have rejected Yuan Qianmo's alliance, yet also seemed to be threatening Zhang Ruochen, with a hint of ambiguity in the threat.
No one could guess her true intentions.
Seven Hands Old Man transmitted to Zhang Ruochen, "Guye Jing definitely wouldn't dare cooperate with the Death God Temple to eliminate us. Give her whatever treasure she wants for now, stabilize her, and only then will we have the strength to contend with the Death God Temple."
Zhang Ruochen knew Guye Jing wanted the Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription, but he had no intention of compromising and giving it to her, saying, "Yuan Qianmo, if we keep entangled here, we'll only benefit other cultivators. Are you sure killing me is more important than seizing the supreme treasures in the Origin Divine Temple?"
A flicker of doubt crossed Yuan Qianmo's face.
Yuan Benji looked around and said darkly, "Zhang Ruochen, stop trying to set up a false front. Where are these other cultivators?"
"But the fact is, someone has already ascended the stone altar before us."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Can't you see that these giant stones once had spatial inscriptions separating each one, but the lowest ones have already been broken through by someone."
"Your Death God Temple's Origin Controller, only at the Half-Saint level, could sense it. Can't a Great Saint-level Origin Controller sense it?"
The Death God Temple cultivators looked at each other, then released their spiritual power to probe outward.
Yuan Qianmo's expression changed slightly. He turned to look upward, and with the Wusui Divine Brush in hand, he pointed through the air like a short spear.
From the tip of the brush, a beam of death qi half a meter in diameter surged out, piercing through layer after layer of divine pattern light barriers.
"Roar!"
The moment Yuan Qianmo struck, a high-pitched dragon roar sounded from the right.
As a blinding silver light shone forth, a war chariot rushed out from the silver mist. Pulling it was a twelve-zhang-tall Yinglong, exuding a thick divine might, rolling in like a blazing sun.
"Silver Radiance Cloud Chariot! Everyone be careful, it's Wuma Jiuxing."
"When did Wuma Jiuxing hide himself here?"
...
Three Death God Temple Supreme Realm Great Saints charged forward to intercept, but were all sent flying by the Yinglong's dragon claws, crashing down below the stone altar.
This Yinglong was a pure-blood divine beast, Wuma Jiuxing's mount, only one final transformation away from reaching the Demigod level. Naturally, ordinary Supreme Realms couldn't stop it.
Yuanshu Zhenhuang shifted her form, blocking the Yinglong's path, and pressed out a palm.
Behind her, a ten-zhang-tall Death God shadow rose, also pressing out a palm, striking the Yinglong's head and forcing the Silver Radiance Cloud Chariot to a halt.
Suddenly, Yuanshu Zhenhuang sensed countless blade Dao rules gathering around her. Her hair was severed, her crown was cut off, and her saint armor was slashed.
She looked up.
Above her hung a light blade condensed from blade Dao rules.
The terrifying blade momentum suppressed her, making her unable to move, as if locked by the eyes of the God of Death.
"What a formidable Wuma Jiuxing."
Yuanshu Zhenhuang knew she absolutely couldn't withstand this strike, nor did she have time to use a life-risking forbidden technique. She could only slowly close her eyes.
"Boom."
Just as she thought she was doomed, a thunderous explosion came from above her head.
The light blade was shattered by the Wusui Divine Brush.
The next moment, she felt her delicate body lighten. Opening her eyes, she saw Yuan Qianmo's sharply defined, handsome face. By the time her feet touched the ground, she had already put a long distance between herself and the Silver Radiance Cloud Chariot.
Yuan Qianmo released his arm from her waist, catching the returning Wusui Divine Brush, and said, "Wuma Jiuxing, your opponent is me."
From within the Silver Radiance Cloud Chariot came a deep, hoarse voice: "What a pity. If she hadn't blocked me for that instant, with the element of surprise, my first strike should have been able to wound you somewhat."
Yuan Qianmo said, "I thought you, Wuma Jiuxing, were one of the few people of this era qualified to face me head-on. But I didn't expect your spirit to be so lacking. Striking from behind—before the strike even lands, your momentum is already weak."
"I would also like to fight you honorably, but over the years, aside from Yuqiu, I've only encountered groups of cultivators ganging up on me alone. Like on Ice King Star, I defeated a Zhuo Yunong, only to draw the entire Destiny Temple's hostility. With so many Death God Temple powerhouses gathered here, you want me to strike head-on—isn't that asking too much?"
Wuma Jiuxing, with fiery red hair, walked out of the chariot and landed on the Yinglong's head, exuding a yang and domineering aura.
Blood Butcher shouted, "You just fight Yuan Qianmo. We'll handle the other Death God Temple Great Saints."
"One is number one on the Divine Reserve Scroll, the other is number one among the dark powers. Who is the true number one? Today, the clash of these two contemporary pinnacles will surely be spectacular," Night Travel Master said.
Blood Butcher said, "Perhaps today we will witness a historic moment—the battle for the number one in the Hell Realm. How exciting!"
"Fight! Fight until heaven and earth are overturned. Who is the supreme being below the divine realm?" Night Travel Master said.
...
The two of them went back and forth, their battle intent and momentum seeming even stronger than Yuan Qianmo's and Wuma Jiuxing's.
Zhang Ruochen understood that Blood Butcher and Night Travel Master were trying to provoke Yuan Qianmo and Wuma Jiuxing into fighting. Only if these two clashed would they have a chance to exploit the situation. But Yuan Qianmo and Wuma Jiuxing were no ordinary men, and this approach would likely backfire. He was about to stop them.
But Yuan Qianmo's voice rang out, "How about we kill them first, then settle the score between us?"
Blood Butcher and Night Travel Master's expressions changed drastically. Regret filled their hearts, and they immediately shut their mouths.
There will be another chapter tonight.