Chapter 3335: The Pain of Mingjianshen
Confucianism emphasizes self-cultivation and character refinement.
As a disciple of the Confucian Ancestor, Goddess Shenba's actions filled Lihen Ancient God, Huangdaozi, and the others with indignation. Just days ago, she had played her role too convincingly, showing not a trace of the uprightness and righteous spirit expected of a Confucian disciple.
On the other side, Mingjianshen's feathering mutation put Zhang Ruochen on high alert.
He sensed Beixi's aura on Mingjianshen.
The black feathers each contained immense power, as if a single brush could slice through a deity's divine body.
Strange light patterns flowed around the black feathers, containing power far surpassing that of a Grand Void Great God, though it was very thin.
"Shua!"
Mingjianshen's figure vanished.
The divine formation patterns here seemed to have no effect on him.
His speed was astonishingly fast.
Sensing the crisis, Zhang Ruochen took a step back, and the six swords flew out simultaneously, controlled by his will.
"Bang! Bang!"
In an instant, sword light erupted everywhere. Mingjianshen's black figure appeared like a phantom from time to time, each time blocked by the six swords.
Every clash was like a divine thunderclap, with energy storms spilling outward.
Countless feather marks filled the space.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands together, unleashing a surge of dense divine power. The Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram manifested, annihilating all the feather marks.
The mountain-like Shaoyang collided with the war sword swung by Mingjianshen.
With a "boom," Mingjianshen flew backward, disbelief in his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected that, with the Xi Tian Feather Robe's aid, he would still be repelled.
Zhang Ruochen pursued, trying to pull Mingjianshen back within eighteen zhang.
"Be careful. He's wearing a feather robe made from Beixi's divine feathers, with the power of the Heavens empowering him." Xiuchen Heavenly God caught up and warned.
Just as Zhang Ruochen's fingers locked onto Mingjianshen's wrist, strands of dark power, surpassing the level of a Great God, surged from the black feathers on Mingjianshen's arm, entangling him.
Mingjianshen's eyes showed a hint of glee. "Junior, I admit you're strong. Even Xuanyi, known as the number one under heaven, might not be your match. But you're too arrogant."
The dark power affected his divine soul. In an instant, Zhang Ruochen felt as if he had fallen into a dark lake, surrounded by coldness, suffocating, and his body gradually numbing.
"You could have risen swiftly and become the myth of this era. But all that ends today at my hands."
Mingjianshen raised his sword.
The sword blade ignited, dense inscriptions surfacing.
Xiuchen Heavenly God unleashed rivers of time, the water flowing gently, time imprint light points bright. But it was too late; Mingjianshen's sword had already descended.
Suddenly, Mingjianshen's body convulsed, as if struck by epilepsy, and the war sword in his hand became unsteady, falling from his grip.
"You... you are the Dark Lord..."
Zhang Ruochen's pupils had already regained their clarity. Using the Dark Esoterica, he continuously absorbed the dark energy surging from the feathers.
Moreover, with the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram's operation, this dark energy transformed into Zhang Ruochen's own divine aura.
The quality of his divine aura grew stronger.
It must be noted that due to his short cultivation time and lack of sedimentation, Zhang Ruochen's current divine aura quality could only compare to an ordinary Grand Void peak. It was incomparable to Great Gods who had achieved body stillness, soul stillness, and heart stillness.
That was why Zhang Ruochen always considered himself merely at the ordinary Grand Void peak level.
But the dark energy left in the feathers by Beixi was of sufficiently high quality.
Darkness inherently represented devouring.
As the Dark Lord, Zhang Ruochen encountering Beixi's dark energy was like finding the perfect tonic.
Mingjianshen was no ordinary figure. He quickly stabilized his convulsing body and tried to break free from Zhang Ruochen's grip on his wrist. Failing that, he simply charged straight at Zhang Ruochen.
Their bodies collided, and Zhang Ruochen's chest became bloody.
The black feathers were too sharp; even Zhang Ruochen's formidable physical body couldn't withstand them.
Moreover, with the black feather robe's enhancement, Mingjianshen's physical body had greatly strengthened, and his power was so immense that even Zhang Ruochen struggled to endure.
Mingjianshen had only recently acquired the black feather robe, and it was in this urgent moment that he triggered its deeper power.
After a careful inspection, Mingjianshen gained a preliminary understanding of his physical strength, and his confidence grew: "The power of the Heavens is indeed formidable. Junior, I'll send you on your way now."
Mingjianshen struck out with a sword finger, colliding with Zhang Ruochen's fist.
The immense divine power sent Zhang Ruochen staggering back.
Rivers of time flew toward him, but Mingjianshen was undaunted. He retrieved his fallen war sword. The black feathers on his body released dense Heavenly God patterns, weaving into a black net that scattered the rivers of time.
This dangerous moment of insight deepened Mingjianshen's understanding of the black feather robe, allowing him to use it more freely.
"Chaotic Time Lock Without Interval."
Xiuchen Heavenly God was furious, determined to suppress Mingjianshen this time and avenge past humiliations.
Her divine soul was now close to seventy percent of the Infinite level. When she unleashed this Infinite divine ability, it both locked space-time and launched a time attack.
Even the formidable Heavenly God patterns were now something she could restrain.
"That feather robe contains very thin Heavenly God patterns and divine aura. Suppress him for a moment."
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Earth Cauldron, activated it, and lifted it to smash down on Mingjianshen.
On the cauldron's body, the Origin Divine Light was dazzling, ancient patterns manifesting, clashing with the pitch-black net of Heavenly God patterns.
After a brief stalemate, the Heavenly God patterns were pierced.
The Earth Cauldron descended heavily, and Mingjianshen swung his sword to meet it.
Sword and cauldron clashed like two metal mountains colliding.
Enduring such immense force, Mingjianshen held his ground, his physical strength reaching the pinnacle below the Infinite level.
But the sub-divine-rank Supreme Sacred Artifact war sword couldn't withstand it. With a "crack," it developed fissures.
Mingjianshen mobilized the power of the black feather wings and struck out with his other palm, hitting the cauldron.
"Boom!"
The Earth Cauldron was sent flying.
"So this is all the famed Nine Cauldrons amount to?"
Suddenly alert, Mingjianshen caught a glimpse of Zhang Ruochen at his side. His divine realm world kept expanding but was continuously crushed under Zhang Ruochen's feet.
Zhang Ruochen swung his divine sword, landing heavily on Mingjianshen's right shoulder.
The black feathers flashed with divine light, and the sword couldn't cut through.
But Mingjianshen's internal organs were shattered, divine blood spilling from his mouth, and his body plummeted rapidly.
Xiuchen Heavenly God wouldn't miss such an opportunity. She drove the Sundial forward, crashing into Mingjianshen's chest.
The sound of bones breaking echoed as Mingjianshen's chest caved inward.
"Severance Art!"
From the Sundial, beams of light spikes flew out, stabbing into Mingjianshen's body.
Xiuchen Heavenly God finally displayed the strength befitting a Heavenly God, using a supreme secret art to slowly extract the black feather robe embedded in Mingjianshen's flesh.
Mingjianshen tried to break free, but under Xiuchen Heavenly God's divine soul attack, his consciousness struggled to coalesce.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen, stepping on the Earth Cauldron, descended from the sky, suppressing Mingjianshen from above. The ancient world on the cauldron's body detached, manifesting as a world shadow, pressing down on Mingjianshen, making it hard for him to move.
Origin power turned into shockwaves, continuously striking Mingjianshen, attacking his body and will.
"Stop dealing with Lihen Ancient God for now. Help me suppress Mingjianshen's spiritual will." Zhang Ruochen, fearing Mingjianshen might self-detonate his divine source, sent a telepathic message to Goddess Shenba.
Refining and killing a Grand Void Ancient God was no easy feat and couldn't be done quickly.
Goddess Shenba temporarily suppressed Lihen Ancient God, who had turned into a ball of blood mist, then flew to the top of the ancient world shadow, using her spiritual power to suppress Mingjianshen's spiritual will.
Mingjianshen's entire body was bleeding, and he let out an unwilling roar.
With the Xi Tian Feather Robe, he could have been invincible below the Infinite level. Yet, in his first battle, he encountered several freakish opponents.
One was a former Heavenly God with a divine soul nearing the Infinite level, another was a prodigy who had cultivated a first-rank divine path, and even the weakest was a spiritual power peak at the eighty-fourth level.
The black feathers on his body were pulled out by Xiuchen Heavenly God's secret art, each one bloody.
"Junior, now you see the methods of this Heavenly God, don't you?"
Xiuchen Heavenly God collected the dense black feathers, suppressing them in the Sundial, and struck out with her snow-white, crystalline five fingers, shattering Mingjianshen's divine body, reducing him to a skeletal form.
Xiuchen Heavenly God continued her assault, unleashing one divine ability after another.
Deprived of the black feather robe and severely wounded, Mingjianshen was no match for Xiuchen Heavenly God. After a few blows, his war sword completely shattered.
"Weren't you arrogant in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain? Is this all you've got?"
"Can the so-called number one swordsman below the Infinite level withstand my peerless divine ability?"
"Too slow. It seems the real Mingjianshen fell the moment he lost his divine sword and Sword Dao Esoterica."
Every time Xiuchen Heavenly God struck Mingjianshen, she delivered a soul-searing question, causing great harm and even greater humiliation.
Zhang Ruochen had long put away the Earth Cauldron and stood aside watching, frowning slightly. He felt that Xiuchen Heavenly God had a strong vengeful streak. If she ever broke free from his control, she might turn against him.
One could imagine how stifled Mingjianshen felt at that moment. The physical pain was bad enough, but the wounds in his heart were being torn open by Xiuchen Heavenly God time and again.
In the area of the Yecha Ancestor God Temple, the battle had ended. Huangdaozi and the Soul Realm Lord had both been suppressed.
Yuling Shen, Xu Wenzhi, and Li Mo Master came to Zhang Ruochen's side, each slightly bowing in salute.
Previously, although Zhang Ruochen was the master of Xinghuantian, in their eyes, he was ultimately a junior. But the combat power he had just displayed was astonishing—even Mingjianshen, wielding the power of the Heavens, couldn't withstand him.
This was truly the number one below the Infinite level!
"Xiuchen's displayed strength is already very close to those Divine Kings and Divine Venerables who have just entered the Infinite level. Mingjianshen had no chance to fight back in her hands," Xu Wenzhi said.
Zhang Ruochen caught the warning in his words, advising him to be wary of Xiuchen.
After a while, Mingjianshen was beaten into a pile of blood mist and broken bones by Xiuchen Heavenly God and handed over to Zhang Ruochen.
"Mingjianshen's cultivation is very strong. If I can absorb his divine soul, I can soon truly return to the Infinite level," Xiuchen Heavenly God said with anticipation.
Mingjianshen's blood mist and broken bones tried to reform his divine body, but Zhang Ruochen suppressed them beneath the Shaoyang Divine Mountain.
Zhang Ruochen directly ignored Xiuchen Heavenly God and looked at Goddess Shenba. "Let's go to Wen Tianjun's secret treasury now? Rest assured, everyone here is trustworthy."
Goddess Shenba nodded and flew out first.