Chapter 327: Blood God Shadow
The Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists from the Black Market surged out of the Red Spider Giant Ship, all following behind Zhang Tian'gui as they charged toward the Eight Directions Separation and Union Formation. There were over six hundred of them.
These individuals were the true main force of the Black Market. The prisoners who had been captured earlier were merely tools for scouting the path.
After passing through the formation, some of the Black Market martial artists stopped and did not enter the Life Gate.
Each of them took out a cyan-green pill from their bosom, swallowed it, and immediately began to refine it.
That was a fifth-grade pill, the Divine Pool Pill.
It could help Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
The selected martial artists were all at the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection cultivation level, and their mental strength had reached the twentieth rank or above. There were eighty-four of them in total.
Many of them had been stuck at the Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection for over ten years, only lacking an opportunity to break through their realm and become a martial arts myth.
A burly man who looked to be in his forties suddenly had specks of light emerge from his brow. The Divine Martial Mark appeared, frantically absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy.
"Boom!"
He was the first to break through the realm, reaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
"Haha! I've finally broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm. From now on, I too can be considered a myth in martial arts, stepping into the ranks of the top figures of the Demon Ridge."
That burly man was extremely excited, waving his arms and dancing.
But soon, he suppressed the ecstasy in his heart, walked to the entrance of the Life Gate, and began to guard it.
As long as someone was guarding it, even if the position of the Life Gate shifted, others could easily find its location.
In just a short time, one after another broke through their realm, reaching the initial stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
In the end, a total of twenty-six people successfully broke through their realm.
As for the other fifty-eight, although their cultivation was also profound, their mental strength had reached the twentieth rank or above, and they had the aid of pills, they still failed.
It could be said that without an extraordinary opportunity, those fifty-eight would never reach the Heavenly Extreme Realm even if they cultivated for a lifetime.
The Earth Extreme Realm to the Heavenly Extreme Realm was originally a huge threshold. Out of ten Earth Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists, perhaps only one could break through the realm.
Those eighty-six people were already the ones most likely to break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, carefully selected by the Black Market. Each of them was given a Divine Pool Pill, yet still less than a third succeeded.
Thus, having cultivation resources does not necessarily guarantee becoming a martial arts powerhouse; one's own potential also matters.
Apart from the twenty-six martial artists who broke through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm, the other Black Market martial artists all passed through the Life Gate, entered the Dragon Palace, and began searching for the Dragon Relic and treasures within the Dragon Palace.
Di Yi had already promised them that aside from the Dragon Relic, whatever treasures they found in the Dragon Palace would belong to them.
Although failing to break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm left them quite disappointed, entering the Dragon Palace offered hope of finding precious spiritual medicines that could help them defy fate and break through the shackles of the Earth Extreme Realm.
Even if there was only a sliver of a chance, they had to fight for it.
The remaining twenty-six martial artists who had broken through to the initial stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm all stayed behind to guard the Life Gate, preventing outsiders from entering the Dragon Palace.
Soon, a warship approached swiftly from afar, stopping outside the Eight Directions Separation and Union Formation.
On the warship were Qin Ya, Duanmu Xingling, Zhang Ruochen, and the martial artists of the Duanmu Clan.
"The Young Master has just entered the Dragon Palace. We cannot let them in. Set up the formation and block them."
The four great experts of the Demon Ridge Black Market—the Shadow Image Sect Master, the Underworld Gate Lord, the Poison Spider Merchant Guild Chief, and the Vermilion Bird Tower Lord—each took out a piece of jade.
They infused their true qi into the jade, and thirty-six inscription patterns emerged from each piece.
The inscription patterns flew out of the jade, turning into beams of light shooting upward.
One hundred and eight inscription patterns converged to form a Zhou Tian Grand Formation.
On the periphery of the formation, the massive phantom images of one hundred and eight savage beasts appeared. Each phantom was eighteen meters tall, vivid and lifelike, exuding a fierce aura, and emitting roars that stirred the underwater currents.
"Beast Hundred Grand Formation."
Qin Ya stared at the formation blocking their path, retracting her seductive expression, a cold glint appearing in her eyes.
The Shadow Image Sect, the Underworld Gate, the Poison Spider Merchant Guild, and the Vermilion Bird Tower were the four most powerful forces of the Demon Ridge Black Market. As the leaders of these four forces, they were naturally top-tier experts.
Not to mention the four joining forces; even if any one of them acted alone, the destructive power they could unleash was unimaginable.
"Let this old man break the formation."
From above the water surface came a long, resonant cry.
A burly man, built like an iron tower, broke through the waves, his momentum like a rainbow. In an instant, he hovered above the Beast Hundred Grand Formation.
He wore a loose silver robe, appearing to be around fifty years old, but in reality, he was ninety-four years of age.
It was none other than the Silver Robe Elder Pavilion's Pavilion Master, Lei Jing.
"It's the Pavilion Master!" Chang Qiqi said joyfully.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands and bowed to Lei Jing. "Greetings, Master."
Lei Jing nodded. "The Palace Master and the inner palace disciples of the Martial Market Academy will arrive shortly. I came ahead to break their Beast Hundred Grand Formation first."
The Poison Spider Merchant Guild Chief stood within the formation, sneering. "Lei Jing, you're too arrogant. The Beast Hundred Grand Formation set up by the four of us is not something you can break just because you say so."
"Whether it's arrogance or not, you'll find out once you try."
Lei Jing's true qi surged rapidly within his body, and blood-red patterns appeared on his skin, spreading like a spider web, densely covering his entire body.
"Whoosh!"
Behind Lei Jing, a nine-zhang-tall blood-red phantom of an ox-headed giant god materialized. A majestic and overwhelming aura erupted, enveloping a hundred-li radius of the water.
Any savage beast that sensed this aura was terrified, fainted, and sank to the bottom.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Lei Jing, his eyes lighting up. He murmured, "Blood God Shadow."
Lei Jing had originally cultivated the ghost-grade lower-tier technique "Blood Cloud Scripture," but Zhang Ruochen had given him a more advanced ghost-grade upper-tier martial technique, the "Blood God Sutra."
The fact that Lei Jing could manifest the "Blood God Shadow" meant he had already completed the technique conversion, elevating his martial cultivation to a higher level.
"What terrifying momentum! When did Lei Jing's cultivation become so formidable?"
The Four Directions Commandery Prince, standing in the distance, changed his expression drastically. He immediately led Jin Chuan, Guo Shisan, and the other ten-plus Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artists of the Four Directions Commandery to retreat far away.
That was a battle beyond the Heavenly Extreme Realm, even beyond the realm of mortals.
Even martial artists known as "martial arts myths" at the Heavenly Extreme Realm would face certain death if they got too close.
"Impressive, Lei Jing. No wonder he was once someone who could enter the Holy Academy."
Qin Ya also showed a hint of surprise on her face as she sensed the powerful aura emanating from Lei Jing.
"Boom!"
Lei Jing let out a great roar, clasped his hands together, and struck fiercely at the Beast Hundred Grand Formation.
As Lei Jing's fists punched out, the ox-headed giant god behind him also clasped its hands and struck downward.
"Bang!"
The beast phantoms held for only a moment before shattering, dispersing into wisps of true qi.
The four great experts of the Black Market simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward in four directions, severely injured.
The four experts joining forces were utterly powerless.
"Run! That old man Lei Jing's cultivation must have broken through again. We are no match for him."
The Vermilion Bird Tower Lord activated a movement technique, his body wrapped in the phantom of a vermilion bird, fleeing swiftly.
The other three were also injured, not daring to continue fighting Lei Jing, and fled in three separate directions.
After the four Black Market experts fled, Lei Jing withdrew the Blood God Shadow and landed on the warship.
Qin Ya's expression remained unchanged as she immediately stepped forward, smiling. "Greetings, Pavilion Master Lei."
Lei Jing glanced at Qin Ya. "I've seen you before. When Duanmu Half-Saint visited the Martial Market Academy, you were by his side."
Qin Ya respectfully said, "The Pavilion Master has a good memory."
Lei Jing looked at the Earth Extreme Realm martial artists on the warship and said coldly, "The Duanmu Clan seems quite ambitious, secretly deploying so many experts in the Demon Ridge. Could it be that the Duanmu Clan intends to unify the thirty-six commanderies and turn the Demon Ridge into a superior commandery?"
Qin Ya smiled. "Everything is part of the ancestor's plan. We are merely following orders. If the Pavilion Master has any doubts, you can ask the ancestor directly."
Although Lei Jing was quite dissatisfied with the Duanmu Clan's actions, the Duanmu Clan's power was immense, with numerous experts and a half-saint-level ancestor sitting in charge. It wasn't worth offending them over such a trivial matter.
Lei Jing's gaze turned to Zhang Ruochen, his expression softening. "Zhang Ruochen, the Dragon Palace is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you want to enter?"
Lei Jing was very concerned about the safety of this disciple of his, because he was too outstanding, and his future achievements would be limitless.
If he were to fall in the Dragon Palace, it would be too great a loss.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The path of cultivation is inherently full of danger. A martial artist must constantly challenge and overcome those dangers."
"Very well, then go and fight. The Black Market experts outside the Dragon Palace have been driven back by me. Once you enter the Dragon Palace, everything will depend on you alone," Lei Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was firm. He nodded, lifted the Abyssal Ancient Sword, and, clad in the Flying Fish Armor, charged toward the Eight Directions Separation and Union Formation.
Following him, Si Xingkong, Chang Qiqi, Duanmu Xingling, Huang Yanchen, Chen Xier, and the hundreds of Earth Extreme Realm martial artists of the Duanmu Clan rushed out of the warship, closely pursuing Zhang Ruochen's steps.
The Red Desire Star Envoy and the Orange Moon Star Envoy were both heirs of saints, so even when Lei Jing unleashed his powerful force, they did not flee.
They both possessed sacred artifacts. Even if their strength was inferior to Lei Jing's, they were confident they could retreat unscathed from his hands.
The martial artists of the Four Directions Commandery did not flee far. They stopped behind the two Star Envoys.
Jin Chuan looked back and saw Zhang Ruochen charging into the Eight Directions Separation and Union Formation. His face twisted with rage, and he said coldly, "That damned Zhang Ruochen, his luck is too good."
The Four Directions Commandery Prince patted Jin Chuan on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Twenty-six Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artists are guarding the outside of the Dragon Palace. No matter how strong Zhang Ruochen's cultivation is, he won't get past them."
"I only regret not being able to kill Zhang Ruochen with my own hands," Jin Chuan said.
The Four Directions Commandery Prince's eyes also held a look of hatred. "Zhang Ruochen caused the destruction of our Four Directions Commandery. I won't let him off so easily. Once the Young Master obtains the Dragon Relic, I will definitely go to the Yunwu Commandery and slaughter Zhang Ruochen's entire clan."
"Count me in," Jin Chuan said through gritted teeth.
Hearing the words of the Four Directions Commandery Prince and Jin Chuan, the Red Desire Star Envoy, standing in front, revealed a faint, mocking smile. She thought to herself, "A bunch of overconfident fools. What kind of person is Zhang Ruochen? How could trash like you compare to him? Inside the Dragon Palace, Zhang Ruochen will definitely break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm. Once he does, even if all the Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artists of your Four Directions Commandery attack together, they won't be his match."