Chapter 2701: Sword Dao Deified
With the addition of Lan Ying and Yuan, the battlefield expanded even further, with surging airwaves and dark clouds blotting out the sky.
In one corner of the sea surface, a blood-colored Shura world manifested, with thousands of corpses lying on the ground, war banners fluttering amidst ruined cities, and a towering Asura Mountain standing at the center, connecting the sky and the sea.
This was the fierce killing intent emanating from Lan Ying, materialized into a strange spectacle.
In another corner, it was entirely covered by yin-cold ghostly energy, with ghost soldiers arrayed within, ghost souls flying through the sky above—this was the manifestation of Yuan's Dao Domain.
Opposing the yin energy and killing intent were the five-colored merit radiance on Shang Zihong's body and the golden Buddha light emitted by the Floating Sky Pagoda.
These four experts were all extraordinary, each born with exceptional talent and meticulously nurtured by divine realm giants. From childhood to adulthood, they had rarely encountered opponents, commanding countless saints who dared not disobey.
They were all overlords standing at the pinnacle of the Saint Realm, capable of fighting a group alone at the same cultivation level.
If Zhang Ruochen had not emerged so prominently, how could these four have joined forces to battle a single person?
"Boom! Boom!"
The sounds of sword clashing, roaring, and colliding merged into one.
Present here, a group of Great Saints from both the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court witnessed the most shocking and emotionally stirring sword duel of their lives.
Some sword cultivators were so moved they nearly knelt in worship.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the Sundial, suspended half a thousand zhang above the sea surface. Driven by the divine Qi within him, the power unleashed by the Sundial continuously attracted the Time Imprints from tens of thousands of miles of sea territory.
Even Yin Yuanzhen's Floating Sky Pagoda could not suppress the Sundial or overpower time.
"Shua!"
Shang Zihong merged with the Crimson Child Sword, transforming into a streak of blood-colored light, thrusting straight at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
Rolling blood mist surged forward with the sword light.
Zhang Ruochen raised the Abyssal Ancient Sword above his head, and the sacred Qi of heaven and earth rapidly converged toward him, transforming into hundreds of lightning bolts as thick as water buckets, gathering at the sword tip.
With a single slash, he repelled the Crimson Child Sword.
On his right, Lan Ying controlled six sacred swords, arranged in a formation of one, two, three, descending from midair.
Tens of thousands of Shura sword Qi surrounded the sword formation.
Zhang Ruochen swung his sword upward, and following the trajectory of the war blade, Time Imprints converged, forming a winding River of Time.
With the power of time, Zhang Ruochen broke through Lan Ying's sword formation.
Directly ahead, Yin Yuanzhen, wielding the Wu God Sword, attacked with a divine ability-level sword technique. As the sword technique unfolded, Zhang Ruochen's vision went pitch black, his sight lost.
He could only rely on instinct and the perception of his Heart of Truth to thrust out a sword.
The power of space and time converged, forming a strange flower.
"Boom!"
Yin Yuanzhen's cultivation was clearly a cut above Shang Zihong and Lan Ying's. He pierced through Zhang Ruochen's "One Thought, One Bloom," crossed the River of Time flowing around the Sundial, and struck Zhang Ruochen's chest with the Wu God Sword, colliding violently with the Flame God Armor.
Within the armor, Zhang Ruochen spat out a mouthful of blood, his body shrinking to the size of a firefly.
"Shua!"
With the power of time, Zhang Ruochen's speed became so fast that even Yin Yuanzhen could not react, like a flying spark or a drifting firefly.
The firefly slammed into Yin Yuanzhen's back.
Along with the firefly, the Abyssal Ancient Sword thrust out from space.
Yin Yuanzhen activated his Supreme Dharma Body, and the forty trillion Sacred Dao Rules within his body fully emerged, merging with his flesh and blood, surging toward his back to clash with the tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
With a "bang," Yin Yuanzhen was sent flying forward, a inch-long bloody gash appearing on his back.
Ignoring this minor injury, Yin Yuanzhen turned back and attacked again. Before him, Lan Ying and Shang Zihong had already swung their swords, giving Zhang Ruochen no chance to catch his breath.
All four used swords and had cultivated their sword Dao to a level of divine mastery.
Yin Yuanzhen's sword Dao was "strange and sinister." He combined the ancient Wu path and the secrets of the Floating Sky with sword Dao, making it bizarrely strange yet venomously ruthless.
Shang Zihong's sword Dao was "speed." He used the divine Light Flow Path to push the speed of his sword technique to its extreme.
Lan Ying's sword Dao was solely for "killing," each strike aimed at taking Zhang Ruochen's life.
And Zhang Ruochen, standing on the Sundial, faced the attacks of the three alone, walking a razor's edge where life and death were decided in an instant.
Yet, as if he had three heads and six arms, he repeatedly broke through their sword techniques, and with the aid of time power, he could even find openings to counterattack.
Such sword Dao could be called number one under heaven.
The sword cultivators present were all moved and shaken to their core.
"Zhang Ruochen's sword Dao is the true path of the sword. If only I could become his disciple," said a sword Dao Great Saint, gazing with utmost reverence at the figure standing on the Sundial.
Hua Chunqiu, while painting the "Red Dust World-Detaching Diagram," said excitedly, "Though Zhang Ruochen is not a god, he can be titled a Sword God. The first Sword God below the divine realm!"
To be titled a god without becoming one—other cultivators might dismiss it as a joke.
But the sword cultivators present took it seriously.
Because only those who practice the sword understand that cultivating sword Dao to Zhang Ruochen's level is harder than becoming a god. So why shouldn't he be called the first Sword God below the divine realm?
"Zheng! Zheng! Zheng..."
Que stood on the water, unflappable.
Yet, the Ying Dan Sword sensed his inner turmoil, automatically materializing and flying out of his body, eager to soar toward the direction of the four sword Dao experts' duel.
Que grabbed it and suppressed it.
Although Yuan was also a representative figure of the Eon level, she did not dare to intrude into the sword circle of Zhang Ruochen, Yin Yuanzhen, Shang Zihong, and Lan Ying. That area had become a life-and-death forbidden zone; any Eon-level representative who did not primarily cultivate physical body or martial arts risked falling if they approached.
"Zhang Ruochen intends to pressure himself, using the swords of Yin Yuanzhen, Shang Zihong, and Lan Ying to help him break through. We cannot let him succeed. We must suppress the time power of the Sundial. Without the boost of time, he will surely lose quickly."
Yuan stood high in the sky, with the Gate of Destiny floating on her back, ghost clouds swirling around her, as her hands continuously carved ghost patterns.
The power of the ghost patterns and the Gate of Destiny pressed down toward the Sundial's location.
As more and more ghost patterns filled the sky, the Sundial suffered a degree of suppression. Consequently, Zhang Ruochen was completely engulfed by the sword light of Yin Yuanzhen, Shang Zihong, and Lan Ying.
The Flame God Armor on Zhang Ruochen's body, having endured too many strikes, gradually dimmed.
Bore did not intervene, quietly watching the battle.
No one thought she was afraid to approach the sword circle. After all, Bore was extremely powerful in both martial arts and spiritual power. With the Fate Decision Staff, she had even fought to a draw with Yan Yu, who was known as the Half-God God.
Yet Yan Yu believed she was the strongest below the Eon-level geniuses.
Because she was younger and had more potential.
Of course, with the emergence of Zhen Yuan, without a battle, who dared to claim the title of number one below the Eon-level geniuses?
"Is he really that strong? Is he still in the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm?" Feng Qingli's emotions churned violently. She swore she would never forget the scene of these four sword Dao experts dueling for the rest of her life.
"Excellent!"
Luo Shengtian shouted loudly, having long forgotten Zhang Ruochen's heartless betrayal. His blood boiled, feeling that this brother-in-law was indeed a dragon among men, overshadowing all heroes under heaven, with soaring spirit.
He had countless times imagined himself possessing such earth-shattering combat power, single-handedly battling the strongest cultivators of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm.
In the end, any cultivator holds respect for the strong.
Or yearns to become like the strong.
Even the Divine Prince shouted "Excellent," and the long-suppressed Great Saints of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom naturally shouted along.
Luo Sha, however, remained rational, scolding the mighty male and alluring female Great Saints of the Rakshasa Clan, saying, "It's too early to cheer now."
A beautiful Rakshasa woman from an ancient clan said in a sweet voice, "What is the princess worried about? Even the Nether Light Death Soul Talisman couldn't kill the consort. Who below the divine realm can still harm him?"
"The consort must have already deified his sword Dao, right?"
"The consort, single-handedly battling several Eon-level figures, even if he loses today, is enough to look down on the world. When it truly comes to life and death, how could the Great Emperor not step in to save him?"
The vast majority of Great Saints still did not know that Zhang Ruochen was only in the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm.
In their eyes, Zhang Ruochen's current achievements were already extraordinary—a battle that would shake the world. When he was no longer able to hold on, he would surely retreat immediately.
If he truly fell into a deathly situation, the gods would certainly save him.
Yet Luo Sha understood that the gods could not intervene; otherwise, Bore would not have had to save Nan Sheng.
In this battle, even if Zhang Ruochen fell into a deathly situation, he would never retreat.
Because he came to the Ten Realms Battlefield seeking death.
If he were not seeking death, how could he have spoken so rudely to all the prodigies of the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm? Clearly, he wanted to stir everyone's emotions and draw out all the enemies who wished to kill him.
Enter death's realm, break through to the extreme realm.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen once again found himself at a critical juncture between life and death. The Flame God Armor on his body was shattered, and the swords of Yin Yuanzhen, Shang Zihong, and Lan Ying cut through the River of Time, continuously landing on him.
Even with the Abyssal Ancient Sword and various Supreme Sacred Artifacts, he could not block their assault.
The cultivators of the Tianluo Divine Kingdom, the Undying Blood Clan, and the sword cultivators—those who had been excited and noisy earlier—all fell silent, sensing something was terribly wrong.
Why hadn't the gods stepped in to save Zhang Ruochen yet?
Were they going to watch such a peerless prodigy fall in the Wuding Divine Sea?
Although Yin Yuanzhen, Shang Zihong, and Lan Ying had battered Zhang Ruochen's body nearly to pieces, there was not a trace of a smile on their faces. Instead, they were extremely grim, attacking with all their might.
Because they sensed that the Sacred Dao Rules within Zhang Ruochen's body were rapidly increasing, approaching two Eon numbers.
Closer and closer...
"We cannot let his Sacred Dao Rules break through that extreme number."
Shang Zihong's heart was frantic. A ten-thousand-zhang multicolored glow appeared above his head as he unleashed the Great Dao Heavenly Desolation Seal.
"World-Destroying Asura!"
Around Lan Ying's body, a nascent universe manifested as he struck with his strongest sword.