Chapter 2699: Eight Techniques of Heavenly Desolation
Shang Zihong's limit speed was as fast as a rainbow light.
Before the spectators could react, his sword had already struck Zhang Ruochen.
However, although Zhang Ruochen was injured, his reaction speed was still top-tier. He horizontally blocked with his sword, neutralizing most of the power unleashed by the Red Child Sword, and his body explosively retreated backward.
Shang Zihong pursued closely.
"Bang! Bang!"
Shang Zihong and Zhang Ruochen struck with their swords like lightning, each strike faster than the last.
Their figures moved, sword light filling the sky.
On the sea surface, hundreds of humanoid afterimages appeared, along with tens of thousands of sword lights and millions of sword qi.
The Red Child Sword in Shang Zihong's hand was forged from an exotic demon iron. It delighted in devouring blood, and to be refined to the level of a Supreme Sacred Artifact, it needed to absorb the blood of eight hundred eighty-eight million, eight hundred eighty-eight thousand newborn infants.
The term "Red Child" referred to infants.
For this reason, the Red Child Sword contained a bizarre power that could pull, absorb, and vibrate the blood within an opponent's body.
If it were an ordinary Great Saint, Shang Zihong wouldn't even need to draw his sword. He could simply activate the Red Child Sword's Supreme Inscription Rune to drain all the blood from their body.
At this moment, with Zhang Ruochen's wounds unhealed, fighting Shang Zihong naturally meant being severely affected by the Red Child Sword, causing his injuries to worsen.
Shang Zihong was no weakling. Even among the Eon-level representatives, he was considered relatively strong. For Yin Yuanchun and Que to defeat him was no easy task.
With Zhang Ruochen heavily injured, yet still matching Shang Zihong in speed, Que, who was watching from the side, was secretly astonished.
In another direction, Southern Saint opened his mouth and spat out an ancient green jade talisman.
This ancient talisman was actually personally inscribed and refined by Southern Saint. However, the material used was ancient material nurtured for many years, giving it an antique charm and divine qi that rippled through the air.
"Dark light for ten thousand miles, sacred soul utterly annihilated."
Southern Saint's fingertip flew out a drop of blood, landing on the ancient green jade talisman.
The talisman's light surged wildly, and divine texts and strange diagrams flew out from within, covering a region ten thousand miles wide. In the sea area where the four experts were fighting, the air instantly solidified, and the seawater turned black.
"What? Southern Saint has refined a Divine Talisman?" a Rune Path Earth Master from the Heavenly Court side exclaimed in shock.
Because only Divine Talismans possessed divine texts and strange diagrams combined with Rune Path inscription runes, capable of destroying sacred cities, killing all living beings, and being unstoppable below the God realm.
The Ten Realms Battle clearly had various rules. It was impossible for cultivators to carry battle treasures of the Divine Talisman level, nor could they carry more than one percent of their Esoterica. Otherwise, the meaning of the battle would be lost.
However, talismans refined by a cultivator's own power could be used.
"A Divine Talisman? Doesn't that mean Southern Saint has the strength to suppress an Eon-level genius at the Supreme Realm?"
"Divine Talismans once appeared on Ice King Star and destroyed a Divine Maiden City. At that time, countless Saint realm experts gathered but couldn't resist. If a Divine Talisman accurately strikes, an Eon-level genius would surely be reduced to ashes."
A Rune Path Heavenly Master shook his head and said, "It's not a Divine Talisman! With spiritual power below the seventieth rank, how could one possibly refine a Divine Talisman? However, Southern Saint's Rune Path attainment is indeed formidable, reaching the pinnacle below the God realm. This Dark Light Death Soul Talisman can be considered half a Divine Talisman! Zhang Ruochen, besieged by three supreme experts, is already doomed."
Zhang Ruochen sensed the aura of the Dark Light Death Soul Talisman in the distance, and his sense of crisis greatly increased.
But just as he was distracted for a moment, Shang Zihong's sword barely grazed past his neck. The light radiating from the sword's edge rubbed against the Flame God Armor, leaving a long trail of sparks.
"Distracted while fighting me?"
Shang Zihong's body split into three. Besides the true body standing in the middle, the Shang Zihong on the left was covered in blazing flames, causing the temperature of the surrounding world to rapidly rise.
The Shang Zihong on the right was dark and gloomy, releasing a Dao Domain that turned hundreds of miles of space into night.
Shang Zihong cultivated the technique "Three Corpses Refining the Dao" from the *Taiyi Divine Power Ranking*. Although his three corpses had all perished after being killed by Zhang Ruochen a thousand years ago, his cultivation and the foundation of his technique remained.
Relying on his marvelous technique and cultivation foundation, Shang Zihong had refined two powerful doppelgangers.
They were named: Fire Demon Emperor and Cold Night Heaven.
Fire Demon Emperor and Cold Night Heaven were two spirit bodies, born from the twelve spirit flower vines planted by Shang Zihong's third son, Yi Tianjun, in Shangqiu. Each possessed formidable combat power and was mentally connected to Shang Zihong.
Shang Zihong believed this was the best opportunity to kill Zhang Ruochen, with life and death hanging in this instant.
Therefore, the three Shang Zihongs, carrying boundless fury, attacked wildly.
The reason for his anger was that Shang Zihong thought, if Zhang Ruochen hadn't destroyed his three corpses, with his talent, he might have been able to challenge for the Eon-level genius title. Even if he couldn't become an Eon-level genius, with the power of his three corpses, he could have competed with Eon-level geniuses.
But now, the strength of Fire Demon Emperor and Cold Night Heaven, compared to his true body, was ultimately far inferior.
How could the power of doppelgangers compare to the three corpses?
"Netherworld Divine Palm!"
"Flame Emperor Art!"
Fire Demon Emperor and Cold Night Heaven each unleashed their ultimate sacred arts, attacking Zhang Ruochen from the left and right.
Shang Zihong's true body faced Zhang Ruochen head-on, but not using sword techniques. The Red Child Sword hovered above his head. Shang Zihong formed hand seals with both hands, and nearly thirty-five trillion Sacred Dao Rules flowed between his arms.
"Heavenly Desolation Great Seal!"
The void behind him revealed a patch of brilliant clouds and mist.
Within the clouds, a handprint, both illusory and real, extended outward.
At the center of the handprint were various palm lines, which merged with the rules of heaven and earth.
Not only were the saints of the Heavenly Court greatly alarmed, but even some gods were moved.
Someone, trembling, murmured: "Heavenly Desolation... Eight... Techniques..."
The Eight Techniques of Heavenly Desolation were the supreme arts of the Shang Ancestor. They were techniques created by the Shang Ancestor through comprehending heaven and earth and cultivating myriad paths, representing the essence of his lifelong cultivation.
Legend had it that three hundred thousand years ago, when the Shang Ancestor contended for the Heavenly Venerable position with the Dragon Lord, he used the strongest strike of the Eight Techniques of Heavenly Desolation, "Heavenly Desolation and Earthly Decay," which almost matched the Dragon Lord's "Ten Thousand Dragons Paying Homage," losing by only a slight margin.
The Heavenly Desolation Great Seal that Shang Zihong was now unleashing was one of the Eight Techniques of Heavenly Desolation.
This was a supreme divine ability that even gods longed to observe!
Any one of the Eight Techniques of Heavenly Desolation was extremely difficult to cultivate. Among the Shang Ancestor's descendants and disciples, there were even God realm titans, but only his third son, Yi Tianjun, could cultivate four of the techniques, becoming a first-rate God realm king in the Paradise Realm.
For Shang Zihong, at the Great Saint realm, to be able to unleash even the superficial form of the Heavenly Desolation Great Seal was already astonishingly impressive in terms of comprehension and talent.
For Zhang Ruochen, this was a situation of being besieged on all sides, extremely perilous.
Ahead was the Heavenly Desolation Great Seal, to the left was the Netherworld Divine Palm, to the right was the Flame Emperor Art, and even more terrifying was that the Dark Light Death Soul Talisman unleashed by Southern Saint had sealed off his retreat.
Although Yin Yuanchun hadn't moved, he was the one suppressing Zhang Ruochen the most. He controlled the Floating Sky Pagoda, stabilizing space and suppressing the Ten Thousand Ages Return to One Dao Domain.
Moreover, he was a top-tier assassin. No one knew when he might deliver a fatal strike to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen's wounds were not yet healed, and he didn't want to clash head-on with the Heavenly Desolation Great Seal. So, he chose to break through to the left. His left hand flipped, and he pressed out a palm strike, colliding with the Netherworld Divine Palm unleashed by Cold Night Heaven.
"Boom!"
Cold Night Heaven was sent flying like a cannonball by Zhang Ruochen's Supreme Pure Cloud-Pushing Hand.
However, Zhang Ruochen had clearly underestimated the mystery of the Heavenly Desolation Great Seal and also underestimated Southern Saint's spiritual power tracking methods. He charged to the left but found he couldn't avoid the Heavenly Desolation Great Seal.
That hand extending from the clouds and mist, though seemingly only a few dozen meters long, felt boundless in size.
No matter which direction Zhang Ruochen charged, it continued to press down on him as before.
"Fight!"
Zhang Ruochen stopped retreating, stabilizing his form on the sea surface. The Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, the Diamond Moon Wheel, and the Black Gold Heaven-Supporting Pillar—three Supreme Sacred Artifacts—all flew out, striking the oncoming handprint.
"Boom!"
The Heavenly Desolation Great Seal slowed slightly but still moved toward Zhang Ruochen.
Shang Zihong gritted his teeth and roared, channeling all his power into his arms. On his skin, various stele inscriptions appeared.
Even the stele inscriptions were forced out, showing that Shang Zihong was now going all out.
Zhang Ruochen continuously retreated, sinking into the water.
Fire Demon Emperor charged at Zhang Ruochen, forming a fist and unleashing a mountain-sized fist imprint with temperatures reaching hundreds of thousands of degrees. But it was sent flying by a vine that shot out from Zhang Ruochen's back.
Behind him, the power of the Dark Light Death Soul Talisman condensed into a black hole dozens of feet in diameter, getting closer and closer to Zhang Ruochen.
Ten miles, nine miles...
Shang Zihong grinned fiercely: "Zhang Ruochen, your time of death has come!"
He naturally knew that Zhang Ruochen still had the trump card of the Devouring Saint Flower, but he didn't think the Devouring Saint Flower could block half a Divine Talisman.
Five miles, four miles...
As the Dark Light Death Soul Talisman approached, not only Zhang Ruochen, who was closer, but even Shang Zihong felt as if his sacred soul was about to be sucked away and crushed.
Luo Sha, who had been quietly watching, suddenly stood up. Her figure was enchanting and tall, and a struggle appeared in her beautiful eyes.
She had long wanted to intervene, after all, a fiancée helping her fiancé in battle was only natural. But she knew she absolutely couldn't act.
In this battle, Zhang Ruochen intended to push himself into a deathly situation to break through the extreme realm of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life realm.
If she acted, she would undoubtedly ruin Zhang Ruochen's plan.
But now...
Beside her, Feng Qingli said: "Zhang Ruochen, fighting three experts alone and forcing them to unleash their strongest trump cards, even if he falls, he will leave his name in history."
Feng Qingli was Luo Sha's close friend and had always looked down on Zhang Ruochen. But today's battle deeply shocked her, and her impression of Zhang Ruochen changed somewhat.
Being this strong was enough to earn the awe and respect of any cultivator.
At least, one had to respect his power.
Luo Shengtian glanced at Luo Sha, only to see her slowly sit back down.
Luo Sha's extremely beautiful face lacked its usual smile. It was deadly serious, and her jade fingers were tightly clenched. She muttered to herself: "I should choose to believe in him."
Luo Sha sat down, but Lan Ying and Yuan, who had been waiting for an opportunity, soared into the air.
The two each erected a Gate of Destiny, drawing upon the light of fate to suppress Zhang Ruochen. They too saw this as the perfect moment to kill him.