Chapter 2756: Great Omen
Dark, cold, vast water surface, above was endless void.
Below was a river filled with bones.
Ghastly green ghost fire, like clouds, floated atop corpse mountains on the water surface, burning eternally unchanged.
"Splash!"
The water surface was broken open.
A black yin ship sailed past a thousand-meter-tall corpse mountain, its hull long and flat, like a square iron coffin, with over two hundred meters exposed above the water.
Within the layers of black formation light curtains of the yin ship, Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back at the bow, gazing ahead.
This ferry boat was borrowed by Wen Chu through the Dark Abyss Yan Clan's connections from a great god of Wuchang Ghost City. The helmsman was a Supreme Realm Great Saint named Nu Lan, a top-tier figure in the mortal world of Wuchang Ghost City.
Crossing the river tonight, traveling through Wuchang Ghost City's space wormhole, they would reach the Dark Abyss by tomorrow morning at the earliest.
Xue Tu stood beside Zhang Ruochen, his excitement hard to contain, and said, "Senior Brother truly is a mortal world legend, making even the Yama Clan value you so much that they sent a true god to escort you. Even I, Xue Tu, who has worshipped a god venerable as master, never received such treatment."
The moment he saw Wen Chu, Xue Tu's admiration for Zhang Ruochen reached an unparalleled level.
When had the Yama Clan ever valued a Saint realm cultivator so much?
This further proved that going to the Dark Abyss was to handle major matters.
Major matters brought great opportunities.
And Zhang Ruochen was willing to bring him along, showing that this senior brother truly valued their bond and considered him one of his own.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was solemn, and he said, "Go invite True God Wen Chu over."
"Alright, I'll go right away."
Xue Tu turned around and happened to see Bore Goddess walking over. Suddenly, his flesh tightened, and he lowered his head, hurrying along the edge of the yin ship.
Seeing that Bore Goddess showed no anger, didn't call him back, and didn't even look at him.
Xue Tu was quite surprised and couldn't help but secretly wonder if the nonsense he had spouted during the day was actually true?
He dared not think too much or say too much.
After all, Bore Goddess had broken through to become a god, while he, Xue Tu, had yet to cross the divine tribulation. The gap in cultivation was right before his eyes, so he had no choice but to back down.
"I used the Path of Fate to calculate; tonight brings three separations of calamity, a great omen."
Bore's voice came from behind.
Zhang Ruochen had ultimately been unable to stop Bore and Xiao Hei from boarding the yin ship together, sticking close to him, and they had also learned that his destination was the Dark Abyss.
Zhang Ruochen narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "I calculated too; tonight holds no auspiciousness. It seems the news has still leaked. I just wonder where the danger comes from? If we retreat to Qiyuan Saint City now, is it too late?"
Although Zhang Ruochen possessed the Wuji Sacred Intent, compared to Bore, a god skilled in divination, he was still far behind.
Bore gently shook her head, her gaze sharp and cold, and said, "On this yin ship, there are four true gods. No matter how great the danger, we can still brave it. Retreating only avoids the storm for a time; the storm remains, and won't disappear because you retreat. Only by advancing can we ride the wind and break the waves."
A strange light flickered in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Tonight's Bore showed not a trace of weakness. That fearless bearing was enough to win over any cultivator in the world.
Footsteps sounded.
Wen Chu walked over and asked, "What happened?"
With him was Nu Lan.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The cultivators on this yin ship are unreliable."
Wen Chu was startled.
Nu Lan, both a Supreme Realm Great Saint and a Nine Calamity Ghost Emperor, said coldly, "What does Young Master Ruochen mean? Are you suspecting that the cultivators under my command have ulterior motives?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "There are three hundred and seventy-five Saint realm cultivators on this yin ship. Can you guarantee that every single one of them is trustworthy?"
"Every one of them is utterly loyal to me."
Nu Lan was very displeased and bowed to the two gods, Bore and Wen Chu, saying, "Rest assured, two true gods, I, Nu Lan, guarantee that no cultivator on this ship has leaked any information. If any accident occurs, I, Nu Lan, will have no face to face you and will burn myself to death on the Santu River."
Wen Chu naturally trusted Nu Lan and was about to ask Zhang Ruochen what had happened.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's face turned deathly pale, his skin rapidly shriveling, and his body caved inward.
"It's the power of a curse, the Blood Devouring Curse!"
Wen Chu roared in fury, and without a second thought, he erupted with vast divine Qi from his body, enveloping Zhang Ruochen, trying to block the mysterious and eerie curse power.
But the Blood Devouring Curse was too powerful; even the divine patterns and formations of the yin ship couldn't stop it.
Wen Chu tried to protect Zhang Ruochen, but found that in just an instant, Zhang Ruochen had become as thin as a skeleton, with a massive loss of blood in his body, as if he were about to turn into a charred, withered corpse.
Bore acted even faster than Wen Chu, raising the Gate of True Self.
Nu Lan, who didn't know what was happening, was blasted away by the divine power erupting from Wen Chu and Bore, crashing into a corner of the yin ship, unable to stand.
"Roar!"
Golden divine light surged on Zhang Ruochen's body.
A heaven-shaking tiger roar erupted from within him, scattering the invisible curse power coming from an unknown direction.
Even true gods like Bore and Wen Chu felt their divine souls tremble and their vision briefly darken from the tiger roar.
Nu Lan, lying on the ground in the distance, fainted, blood flowing from his seven orifices.
Even a Nine Calamity Ghost Emperor couldn't withstand a single roar from Zangjin Baihu.
"Clatter!"
In the air, strands of blood patterns finer than hair appeared, weaving into a net and flowing toward Zhang Ruochen's body.
Moments later, Zhang Ruochen's shriveled, withered flesh, like an inflated balloon, restored itself, his skin glowing with holy light, the curse power swept away.
In the far distance.
Amidst the darkness and void, a surprised murmur sounded: "How is that possible? How can the blood of a cultivator struck by the Blood Devouring Curse return to the body? That's absolutely impossible!"
The Blood Devouring Curse was one of the six most terrifying curses of the Underworld Clan, capable of silently draining the blood from a living being.
The most eerie part was that even the caster of the curse didn't know where the blood had flowed.
Zhang Ruochen had been hit by the Blood Devouring Curse, his blood drained away, yet it could return to his body. Even the gods of the Underworld Clan were shocked, developing a desire to study Zhang Ruochen's physique, perhaps to uncover the secret of the Blood Devouring Curse.
"How dare you! I, the Emperor, am here. What demon or monster dares not come out and die?"
Xiao Hei flew above the yin ship, releasing his divine thought to probe in all directions.
Gu She Huanhuan's beautiful figure appeared at the stern of the yin ship, the demonic light in her pupils turning into visible beams of light, peering into the boundless waters.
Suddenly.
She saw, in an extremely distant place, a mountain shaped like a human head, crackling with lightning.
The lightning mountain floated on the water, and the lightning bolts it emitted spread for a thousand miles, striking the yin ship. But the yin ship's defenses were strong and unaffected.
"I see you!"
Xiao Hei's long, slender hand extended from the sleeve of his black robe, and he flicked a finger.
A bright divine fire finger force flew from his fingertip.
The divine fire finger force carried unparalleled destructive aura, illuminating the water surface, turning night into day, its temperature higher than a star nearing the ground.
"Whoosh!"
One hundred and eight stone swords flew from the distant lightning mountain, shattering the divine fire finger force.
One of the swords descended from above, slashing at Xiao Hei suspended in midair.
"Boom!"
Xiao Hei raised the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions Grand Formation to block, the formation turning into a sky full of stars, with divine-level formation inscriptions intertwining.
But it lasted only an instant before the sky full of stars was split open by the stone sword. Xiao Hei fell heavily, the hood on his head shattering, revealing a round, furry cat head.
The stone sword slashed into Xiao Hei's left shoulder, embedding half a foot deep.
On the sword body, eerie patterns emerged, transforming into demonic Qi, invading Xiao Hei's divine body.
All the still-conscious cultivators on the ship were horrified.
Xiao Hei's cat head was indeed very eye-catching—a triangular mouth, long whiskers, soft ears—instantly ruining his usual cool demeanor.
But at this moment, no cultivator cared whether he had a human head or a cat head; they were all shocked by the hidden, peerless enemy.
Too terrifying!
Xiao Hei's cultivation was undeniably strong.
The defensive power of the Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions Grand Formation was at the divine formation level.
Yet it couldn't even block a single sword strike from the opponent!
And now, one hundred and eight swords were flying.
"God King Talisman!"
Wen Chu took out a white talisman, lifted it, and struck it out.
On the talisman, one powerful talisman inscription after another emerged, turning into a sky-covering seal that enveloped the yin ship, blocking the attacks of the one hundred and seven stone swords.
This God King Talisman was given to Wen Chu by Wuqingzong before he left.
The stone sword embedded in Xiao Hei's body trembled violently.
Xiao Hei's arms were covered with dense divine rule patterns and flame light threads. He grabbed the sword hilt and forcefully pulled it out. But he couldn't suppress it.
Holding the sword with both hands, Xiao Hei swung it uncontrollably on the yin ship, like a drunkard.
Xue Tu was terrified and fled far away.
But Xiao Hei kept chasing him.
"Cat God, what have I, Xue, done to offend you, that you want to kill me?" Xue Tu used all his skills to dodge Xiao Hei's slashes.
Yet several times, he was nearly cut in half.
Divine blood flowed endlessly within Xiao Hei's body, and he was extremely frustrated, roaring, "This stone sword is too strong; I can't suppress it. Someone help! Zhang Ruochen, give me a hand!"
Zhang Ruochen retreated far away, not daring to approach.
Are you kidding? Even a true god couldn't suppress it; how could he help?
But Zhang Ruochen noticed some clues, staring intently at the demonic patterns on the stone sword, sensing a familiar aura from it.
"Slap!"
Above, the God King Talisman held up by Wen Chu tore open a gap.
Wen Chu's face changed drastically, and he said, "Damn it! If I'm not mistaken, it must be Wen Tong's true form arriving, using the power of the Execution Heaven Cauldron. Even a God King Talisman can't hold out for long."
"Who? Wen Tong? Could it be Wen Tong the Great God of the Nether Hall?"
Xue Tu's face turned as pale as a dead man's.
A being called "Great God"—how could a few new gods who hadn't even cultivated a divine realm world stand against them?
Before a great god, the lives of Saint realm cultivators were cheaper than grass. What did it matter if one was a disciple of a god venerable or a mortal world legend? A single breath could blow them to ashes.