Chapter 2674: Battle Against Yuan Chen
"Not good, Uncle Master has been trapped in Yin Yuan Chen's palm. Let's go, we can't wait any longer. We need to help Uncle Master." Second Minister of Works was anxious, charging out of the Green Pear Garden.
"Wait a moment."
First Minister of Works grabbed him.
"What are we waiting for? That Yin Yuan Chen's cultivation has already reached heaven-defying levels. Uncle Master is no match for him right now," said Second Minister of Works.
"If even Uncle Master can't defeat him, how many blows can we withstand if we charge in?"
First Minister of Works had sharp eyes, staring at the battlefield where Xiang Chunan and Feng Yan were fighting. "Those two have very strong cultivation. Let's first help them defeat their opponents, then join forces to deal with Yin Yuan Chen. That way, our chances are greater!"
"But..."
"Don't worry, Uncle Master has many tricks up his sleeve. When it truly comes to life and death, he will definitely stop hiding his identity. Just releasing Shi Shenghua alone would make it impossible for Yin Yuan Chen to easily handle him."
First Minister of Works knew that over this millennium, Shi Shenghua had nearly drained all the treasures Zhang Ruochen carried, reaching a terrifying level of cultivation.
As a parasitic plant, it took a share of every opportunity Zhang Ruochen obtained.
Every Dao Zhang Ruochen cultivated, it could cultivate alongside him.
A parasitic plant was like a cultivator's doppelganger, only stronger than a doppelganger, capable of reaching a level surpassing the true body.
Just like the "Undying Blood God" cultivated by Xue Jue War God, possessing combat power no weaker than the true body.
"Roar!"
Second Minister of Works let out a long roar, emitting a dragon's cry, transforming into a black dragon and flying out.
First Minister of Works turned into a white tiger, chasing after the black dragon.
The number one expert of the Talisman Spirit Realm, "Yuzhen Shangshi," was leading a sword formation composed of twenty-four elders from the Judgment Hall, besieging Xiang Chunan and Feng Yan. Sensing the two monks charging out of the Green Pear Garden, a cold, calculating smile appeared in his eyes.
Within that smile lurked killing intent.
Of course he recognized First and Second Ministers of Works, knowing they were demigods of the Kunlun Realm.
Shang Zihong had once met with him in secret, discussing strategies to deal with the top experts of the Kunlun Realm, promising him benefits he had long dreamed of. Thus, he had agreed.
Now that the opportunity was right before him, how could he let it pass?
As the fourth-ranked expert in the Red Dust, Yuzhen Shangshi was naturally full of confidence. So, he used his powerful spiritual power to condense two light hands and two talisman brushes in the void.
The light hands held the brushes, drawing talismans in the void.
Two sacred talismans were sketched out in an instant, attacking the black dragon and white tiger.
The black dragon and white tiger exchanged a glance. Black light and white radiance surged from their bodies, and a massive chessboard appeared beneath their feet.
On the chessboard, black and white pieces were arranged.
Although the chessboard was only a phantom, it emitted a divine might that shook heaven and earth, shattering the two sacred talismans and slamming into Yuzhen Shangshi.
Horror flashed in Yuzhen Shangshi's eyes as the protective talisman patterns on his body exploded with crackling sounds. His body flew out like a cannonball, crashing into a pile of rubble.
At that moment, Yunshen Daozhu, seated in the Colorful Cloud Villa, cast a profound gaze toward the heavens.
Perhaps only if Zhang Ruochen were here would he understand how meaningful that gaze was. After all, First and Second Ministers of Works were two pieces of the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, key to investigating the disappearance of the Second Confucian Ancestor.
Just now, when First and Second Ministers of Works struck, they had manifested the phantom of the Heaven-Earth Chessboard, triggering the divine might of a divine artifact.
If the Second Confucian Ancestor had already been killed, the Heaven-Earth Chessboard must have fallen into the hands of the murderer.
The appearance of the two chessboard pieces might very well lure out the killer.
Unfortunately, after Yunshen Daozhu looked toward the heavens, disappointment filled his expression. He didn't detect any of the few figures he had suspected secretly watching from the shadows.
...
"Peach Blossom is actually Yin Yuan Chen."
"Yin Yuan Chen's cultivation is too terrifying. We can't just sit and wait. Perhaps only divine talismans can threaten him."
"Let's go, save Book Master."
Ao Xukong, Hua Chunqiu, and Linglong Xianzi were filled with urgency. They no longer waited, mobilizing the power of divine talismans to lift the entire Green Pear Garden from the ground, turning it into a floating island that flew toward Yin Yuan Chen.
"Boom!"
Guna Xianzi manipulated the supreme sacred artifact war bow of the Elf Clan, shooting an arrow of light condensed from sacred dao rules, heavily striking the Green Pear Garden.
A light barrier emerged on the surface of the Green Pear Garden.
Inside the barrier, countless great saint patterns and formation inscriptions interwove, blocking the light arrow.
"Boom!"
The next moment, the supreme sacred artifact of the Order Hall, the "Order Diagram," also attacked, colliding with the Green Pear Garden.
Saxi manipulated the scroll as he spoke, "Leave the cultivators in the Green Pear Garden to us. Kill Shu Qianchi first. Once Shu Qianchi is dead, dealing with these people will be easy."
...
Inside Yin Yuan Chen's palm world, a hundred-zhang-tall Witch God phantom appeared, clad in black armor, holding a cauldron engraved with patterns of "Wind," "Rain," "Fire," and "Thunder" in both hands, smashing it down toward Zhang Ruochen.
Before the cauldron even fell, four powerful forces—wind, rain, fire, and thunder—had already descended upon Zhang Ruochen.
Even more terrifying was the countless talisman patterns covering the water surface beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet.
It was a binding talisman!
Zhang Ruochen stood on the binding talisman, as if trapped in a swamp, unable to move his legs, becoming a living target for the Witch God phantom's attacks.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen swung the Golden Moon Wheel, clashing with the descending cauldron.
Zhang Ruochen's blood qi surged violently. He was certain this cauldron was hundreds or thousands of times heavier than an ordinary planet. Only his powerful physical body could withstand it. If it were any other Supreme Realm Great Saint, they would have been blasted into a mist of blood.
"Boom!"
Soon, the Witch God phantom struck a second time, once again colliding with the Golden Moon Wheel.
Zhang Ruochen's body suffered severe damage, blood flowing from his mouth.
"This Witch God phantom is a manifestation of Yin Yuan Chen's entire witch Dao power. My current cultivation can't withstand it. I must break free immediately."
Zhang Ruochen's body sank a bit more as the binding talisman's power tightened around him.
"Don't struggle. My talisman Dao attainment has already reached the Heavenly Master level. You should feel honored to die by my hand," Yin Yuan Chen's voice boomed down from the heavens, like a god speaking to a mortal.
"Is that so? Do you really think a talisman Dao Heavenly Master can trap me?" Zhang Ruochen laughed.
Just as the Witch God phantom raised the cauldron to strike again, Zhang Ruochen's Wuji Sacred Intent summoned the power of heaven and earth. His body transformed into a streak of light, shooting upward, breaking through the celestial and terrestrial momentum Yin Yuan Chen had formed, and flying out of his palm.
Yin Yuan Chen let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
Because the power that broke his talisman patterns and the momentum of heaven and earth hadn't emanated from within Shu Qianchi's body but from outside the palm world.
In other words, even bound by talisman patterns and trapped by the momentum of heaven and earth, with even the rules of heaven and earth altered, it still couldn't trap Shu Qianchi. Shu Qianchi could still mobilize the power of heaven and earth for his own use.
How could Yin Yuan Chen not be surprised?
With such means from Shu Qianchi, what power below the divine realm could still trap him?
"Dealing with him will be a bit troublesome. He's a tough opponent."
Yin Yuan Chen smiled, waving his hand and slapping out a palm. A five-fingered palm imprint of heaven and earth directly pressed toward the direction Zhang Ruochen had fled.
The might of this palm imprint was so terrifying that cultivators of the Heavenly Realm Faction fled far away.
The divine patterns and Dao locks on the island continuously shattered, and the entire island began to show signs of splitting apart.
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen rushed before the Judgment Divine Envoy, striking thirteen consecutive palms, each stronger than the last, slamming him to the ground.
"In the end... I still couldn't match him..." The Judgment Divine Envoy gritted his teeth, filled with unwillingness.
"I spared your life, and now you finally come in handy."
Zhang Ruochen stepped on the Judgment Divine Envoy's face, sinking his head into the ground. Then, Zhang Ruochen looked up. The dark clouds above parted, revealing fifteen Divine Throne Stars.
What shocked the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm Faction was about to happen.
They saw Shu Qianchi stepping on the Judgment Divine Envoy with one foot while pointing at the sky with one hand. Instantly, the divine power from the fifteen Divine Throne Stars poured into his body.
Zhang Ruochen struck out with a palm, unleashing a five-fingered divine imprint blazing with divine light, clashing with the five-fingered palm imprint of heaven and earth that Yin Yuan Chen had unleashed.
"Boom, boom, boom."
Two hands, each larger than a mountain, collided on the island.
The entire heaven and earth trembled violently. Surging air currents swept outward, sending large numbers of Heavenly Realm Faction cultivators flying. Dust flew, divine patterns snapped, and the island was torn in two, seawater pouring into the rift.
Zhang Ruochen and Yin Yuan Chen stood across a sea trench more than ten zhang wide, their eyes locked, each pushing their momentum to its peak.
Countless cultivators were dumbfounded, completely unable to understand how Shu Qianchi had taken control of the Judgment Divine Envoy's Star Soul Divine Throne.
"This is a huge problem. Shu Qianchi has seized the power that should have belonged to the Judgment Divine Envoy," Guna Xianzi said, her eyes filled with shock and doubt.