Chapter 2667: The Strength of the Judgment Hall
A mistake was made in the previous chapter regarding a character's name. It is not "Yun Zhongjun," but "Yun Zhongsheng."
...
The formidable power surging from Yun Zhongsheng's corpse erupted like a violent storm, shattering Feng Yan's doppelganger into pieces.
At the same time, explosive sounds came from two other directions.
The other two Supreme Realm Great Saints of the Confucian Realm also had their physical bodies explode, turning into clouds of blood mist. The terrifying energy surged in all directions, causing the dense Dao chains on the island to fully manifest.
On the ground, three shocking, bloody craters were left behind.
These three Supreme Realm Great Saints had not self-detonated their Saint Sources; they were killed by a powerful cultivator using an ancient secret method. If they had self-detonated their Saint Sources, even Feng Yan, with his peak demigod cultivation, would likely have been severely injured, or even perished.
Only two Spiritual Power Great Saints at the early 69th rank managed to use a Spiritual Power escape technique to retreat to a distance and save their lives. However, they were both terrified, staring at Feng Yan with a mix of shock and anger.
They believed that Feng Yan had killed the three great sect leaders of the Confucian Realm.
"Yan Emperor, your methods are too ruthless! What enmity does the Confucian Realm have with you? You go too far!" one of the early 69th rank Spiritual Power Great Saints said with a ferocious expression.
The other 69th rank Spiritual Power Great Saint shed tears of sorrow and said with grief and indignation, "The Confucian Realm merely wanted to avenge Gongyang Mu. What crime is that?"
Feng Yan was stunned for a moment, then realized he had been set up.
"Be careful, retreat quickly!" Shu Qianchi's voice sounded from behind him.
Feng Yan sensed the aura of danger and tried to retreat, but white lights appeared in his six pupils.
Twenty-four Monarch Sacred Artifact war swords, empowered by Radiant Divine Power, flew in from twenty-four different directions.
"Swish! Swish! Swish..."
Each sword was at the Four-element Monarch Sacred Artifact level, forged from the same materials. The inscriptions carved on the sword bodies were all interconnected.
These twenty-four war swords were known as the "Twenty-Four Judgment Sword Formation."
They were wielded by twenty-four elders of the Judgment Hall, each of whom had a Supreme Realm cultivation base.
When the twenty-four war swords were activated simultaneously, the inscriptions on them dispersed, interlinking to form a sword net that combined the power of the swords.
The twenty-four Supreme Realm Great Saints shouted in unison, "Slay Feng Yan, avenge the Great Saints of the Confucian Realm!"
"Boom!"
As the twenty-four war swords flew forward, Feng Yan's purple-blue Chaos Sea Dao Domain was torn apart like paper, unable to withstand even a single moment.
Feng Yan swung all six arms simultaneously, either unleashing Sacred Artifacts or casting Sacred Arts to clash with the twenty-four war swords. However, he only managed to hold out for three breaths before his defensive protection was breached.
A war sword flew past the side of his left head, leaving a deep bloody gash. His head was nearly severed.
Blood vessels in his neck shattered, and blood gushed like a spring.
Another war sword struck his chest. Although it was blocked by layers of Saint Light, it still caused excruciating pain in Feng Yan's internal organs, forcing him to stagger back dozens of steps.
...
There were too many war swords, each driven by a Supreme Realm Great Saint.
The swords formed a sword formation, breaking through Dao Domains, exploiting weaknesses, slashing at physical bodies, and striking Saint Souls. Even with three heads and six arms, Feng Yan could not withstand the assault. He was repeatedly injured, his situation precarious.
Retreating back to the circle was even more impossible, as war swords had sealed off his escape route.
The twenty-four elders of the Judgment Hall flew in from all directions and landed outside the Green Pear Garden.
They were all dressed in white Saint robes, with aged faces full of wrinkles, their bodies glowing like jade. The youngest was over eight thousand years old, and the oldest was a staggering twenty-four thousand years old.
They formed sword fingers with their hands, controlling the Sacred Swords.
"Avenge our fellow Daoist Yun Zhongsheng!"
"Slay Feng Yan! Sect Leader Chen Tiantu cannot die in vain!"
"The Judgment Hall punishes evil!"
...
Being called evil by the other party ignited a nameless fury within Feng Yan. He felt utterly disillusioned with the Radiant Divine Temple. To twist right and wrong like this, framing and slandering him, was truly disgusting.
"Second Brother, I'll help you!"
Xiang Chunan rushed out of the circle, channeling an endless stream of Saint Qi from the palms of his hands, and activated the Metal Demon Crown.
The demon crown grew to the size of a cauldron, releasing a vast and mighty demonic might. As it spun, it created wave after wave of Supreme Power, crashing into the Twenty-Four Judgment Sword Formation.
"Radiant Power, purify the demonic Qi!" an elder of the Judgment Hall shouted.
"Swish! Swish!"
Half of the twenty-four war swords flew toward Xiang Chunan, clashing violently with the Metal Demon Crown.
The sound of metal collisions was like countless planets smashing together. If an ordinary Saint realm cultivator were on the island, the sound waves would shatter their bodies and crush their Saint Souls.
With a Supreme Sacred Artifact in the hands of a peak demigod powerhouse, its power was boundless. Xiang Chunan continuously blasted away the twelve war swords and regrouped with Feng Yan.
The night was illuminated by the Saint Light from the sea surface, making the bright moon in the sky appear faint and insubstantial.
Many cultivators who had come to participate in the Red Dust Assembly had gathered in the sea area near this island.
The alliance leader of the Northern Dominator World, the Ten Thousand Ruins Realm, was a mysterious figure sitting inside a sub-god-level warship, not showing his face. However, his two attendants, standing on the warship's deck, were both Great Saints under three thousand years old, having already reached the demigod level.
The Heavenly Son of the Witch God Civilization stood with his hands behind his back atop a black altar hundreds of feet tall. Behind him were countless figures, each exuding a powerful Saintly aura.
The Eastern Dominator World, the Pangu Realm, also had a large number of cultivators gathered in the nearby sea area to watch the battle. They stood on a Saint Mountain that rose from the sea, with wisps of mist drifting through it, creating a scene like a celestial painting.
Although some cultivators from the Pangu Realm had challenged the strong ones of the Heavenly Realm Faction, as a Dominator World, they could not get too deeply involved. Most cultivators watched the night's events from the perspective of bystanders.
...
"The Heavenly Realm is bullying too harshly. The Twenty-Four Judgment Sword Formation is said to be used to suppress Eon-level representatives. How can it be mobilized so easily?"
"The Heavenly Camp has already arrived. What's so strange about mobilizing the Twenty-Four Judgment Sword Formation?"
"Who are they showing off to? Trying to intimidate us?"
The two attendants of the Ten Thousand Ruins Realm alliance leader conversed on the warship. They understood the deeper meaning behind the Heavenly Realm's actions, their faces showing cold, mocking expressions.
...
Zhang Ruochen also stepped out of the circle but paid no attention to the twenty-four elders of the Judgment Hall. Instead, he went to collect the war weapons and Saint Sources left behind after the fall of the three Confucian Realm Supreme Realm Great Saints.
The war weapons of Supreme Realm Great Saints were naturally of high quality, each worth a fortune.
Inside the Green Pear Garden, the cultivators from the Dragon Realm and the Book Realm were worried about the safety of Feng Yan and Xiang Chunan. Seeing Shu Qianchi's actions, they were all stunned.
At a time like this, how could he still be thinking about collecting treasures?
Ao Xukong said, "Logically speaking, the Twenty-Four Judgment Sword Formation should be led by the Grand Hall Master of the Judgment Hall using the Judgment Sword to unleash its full power. Now, without the Judgment Sword or a peak demigod powerhouse to lead it, the formation's power must be greatly reduced. Perhaps we can use the power of the Divine Talisman to break it and help the Young Hall Master and Yan Emperor escape."
Linglong Fairy shook her head and said, "No, Mr. Shu said our greatest threat is the Peach Blossom. The Divine Talisman cannot be used lightly."
"Mr. Shu..."
Ao Xukong looked toward Shu Qianchi, and his eyelids twitched in shock.
He saw that after collecting the treasures left by the three Confucian Realm Supreme Realm Great Saints, Shu Qianchi suddenly attacked the two Confucian Realm 69th rank Spiritual Power Great Saints.
The two Confucian Realm Spiritual Power Great Saints never expected Shu Qianchi to be so bold. Caught off guard, before they could even mount a counterattack, they were already caught in Shu Qianchi's grasp.
He forcibly took their Spiritual Power Sacred Artifacts and then dragged them back toward the Green Pear Garden.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen was still a hundred zhang away from the Green Pear Garden when a figure suddenly descended from the sky, crashing into the ground and cracking the earth with countless fissures.
At the center of the cracks stood a handsome man in white robes, tall and lean, with white hair.
Beneath his feet, ripples of Divine Marks spread out. Above his head, a Star Soul Divine Throne composed of fifteen planets was faintly visible. The Divine Qi emanating from the Star Soul Divine Throne crossed the nine heavens, falling upon him, and a divine might that shook the hearts of cultivators surged toward Zhang Ruochen.
"A god? No, a false god."
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious, but he did not panic. He threw the two Confucian Realm Spiritual Power Great Saints he was holding into the air.
It wasn't just cultivators who had refined Divine Sources and transformed into Divine Bodies who were called "false gods."
Another type of false god was a Great Saint with a powerful physique who had refined a complete Divine Star Soul, transforming their Saint Soul into a Divine Soul and mastering a complete Star Soul Divine Throne. They could draw upon the divine power of the Star Soul Divine Throne for their own use.
Although they were Great Saints, in the starry sky near the Star Soul Divine Throne, they could unleash combat power at the false god level.
"I am a Judgment Divine Envoy of the Judgment Hall. By my status, I shouldn't have to act against you. But since you dared to capture the Grand Hall Master of my Judgment Hall and provoke the authority of the Radiant Divine Temple, I must slay you today, no matter what." The Judgment Divine Envoy's voice was as sharp as a blade, cold and resolute.
Zhang Ruochen was not intimidated by the other party's divine might. He said, "Divine Envoy, you misunderstand. I did not capture the Grand Hall Master; I merely invited her to the Green Pear Garden as a guest."
"If that's the case, then let her come out. The cultivators of the Judgment Hall are very worried about her safety." The Judgment Divine Envoy walked step by step toward Zhang Ruochen, the Divine Qi beneath his feet turning into an ocean.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the surging ocean of Divine Qi, shrugged, and said, "She is the Grand Hall Master of the Judgment Hall. Why would she listen to me? Why don't you try calling out to her?"
"Forget it. I don't want to hear any more of your quibbling. I'll just slay you first, then raze the Green Pear Garden to the ground. Naturally, I'll be able to rescue the Grand Hall Master." The Judgment Divine Envoy's tone was elegant and calm, but the killing intent in his eyes surged.
Zhang Ruochen quickly retreated, saying, "A god interfering in mortal affairs—aren't you afraid of the Heavenly Law's punishment?"
"I am not interfering in mortal affairs; I am merely trying to rescue the Grand Hall Master. Besides, I suspect you are also a false god. I need to test your strength."
The Judgment Divine Envoy activated the divine power of the Star Soul Divine Throne, extended his right hand, and made a grasping motion in the air.
A divine hand dozens of zhang long appeared above Zhang Ruochen's head, freezing space and suppressing the rules of heaven and earth. Its might was no less than an attack from a false god.
(Do you think the Judgment Hall is too powerful? In the setting, this is only part of the Judgment Hall's strength. Just like the Death Divine Palace, one of the twelve palaces of the Destiny Temple, can easily deploy ten demigods. This is not the full strength of the Death Divine Palace either.)