Chapter 3419: Seizing the Divine Artifact, Stripping the Divine Garment
The Nether Ancestor's light shadow, like a human-shaped nebula in the cosmos, embodied the full cultivation of Red Eye Divine King. With a wave of his hand, he could destroy realms, and with a breath, he could stir the star sea.
But it collapsed!
That scene shook all living beings in the Phantom Extinction Star Sea.
On the extinguished stars, all divine-level beings trembled in fear, knowing that Infinite Realm powerhouses were clashing. They set aside past grudges and joined forces to form formations, determined to protect the star domain.
"The chaotic era has arrived; even the border universe cannot escape."
"The news has already reached the ancestors of the various clans. Some ancestors will surely come in person. I believe this conflict will not cause too much destruction to the Phantom Extinction Star Sea."
"The residual waves of Infinite Realm powerhouses clashing are also terrifying, enough to destroy many life-bearing planets."
...
The Four Symbols had reached perfection!
Zhang Ruochen clearly felt that he could fully control a region of heaven and earth. In this region, even the rules of heaven and earth obeyed his will.
He stood up, his figure tall and straight, and looked at Red Eye Divine King.
An invisible aura, like a heavenly sword, pierced straight into Red Eye Divine King's soul.
For some reason, even though the other party had just broken through to a new realm and was merely a young junior, Red Eye Divine King felt that his stable state of mind, cultivated over hundreds of thousands of years, was about to be shattered.
"This is a true young ancestor emerging into the world!"
Red Eye Divine King was very decisive. He turned and fled, charging towards the broken chaotic zone where the real world and the void world intersected.
It was indeed shameful. As an old-established Divine King in the middle stage of Qiankun Infinite, fleeing without a fight upon seeing a junior who had just broken through was unprecedented.
But Red Eye Divine King trusted his instincts.
If he fought with all his might, he might be able to contend with the junior, but there was simply no chance of victory. Instead, he might end up injured!
Zhang Ruochen's eyes also flashed with surprise. These old fellows from the Hell Realm, who had survived thirty thousand years of war against the Heavenly Court, truly knew how to preserve their lives.
Chi Xingtian recondensed his divine body and saw Red Eye Divine King fleeing, laughing, "Red Eye Divine King, we haven't even started fighting yet, why are you running? If you have the guts, stay and fight seven hundred rounds with your Grandpa Xingtian!"
Provoked by a Great God, Red Eye Divine King's heart grew cold. He flew to the edge of the broken chaotic zone, looked back at Chi Xingtian, and said, "There will be a chance. It won't take seven hundred rounds; a curse will be enough to grind away all your divine substance."
Suddenly, Red Eye Divine King's expression changed drastically.
"Is that so? What curse is so powerful?"
Zhang Ruochen appeared in the chaotic zone, less than a thousand miles from Red Eye Divine King.
For an Infinite Realm cultivator, such a distance was as close as an arm's length.
Red Eye Divine King never expected Zhang Ruochen to be so fast. A moment ago, he was outside a star domain, and he thought he was absolutely safe, so he paused briefly to respond to Chi Xingtian's provocation.
In just an instant, Zhang Ruochen had crossed the star domain and arrived.
Red Eye Divine King noticed the boots on Zhang Ruochen's feet and sensed the fluctuation of Ancestor power, but he did not panic. "Does Ruochen Divine Venerable intend to keep me here?"
"What, does Divine King think I lack the strength?" Zhang Ruochen floated in the void, his gaze deep and profound.
Red Eye Divine King said, "You don't really think I fled because I was afraid of you, do you? To be honest, if we truly fought, you might be a bit stronger. But if it were a life-and-death battle, you would have to be prepared to perish together with me. You have just broken through, and your future is limitless. Why take such a risk?"
Chi Xingtian also felt that keeping an old-established Divine King was unrealistic and would likely result in mutual injury. He suggested to Zhang Ruochen, "Let him leave the Kirin Fist Gloves and the Fire Dao Esoterica behind, and then let him go."
Red Eye Divine King said, "If you want the divine artifact and the esoterica, then we fight to the death. If I join forces with White Venerable, do you really think you have a great chance of winning?"
Zhang Ruochen looked in another direction.
He saw that White Venerable had disappeared into the void, using some silent escape technique to leave. Clearly, she had no intention of advancing or retreating together with Red Eye Divine King.
But Zhang Ruochen felt that White Venerable might not have gone far, but was waiting for an opportunity.
Waiting for them to injure each other before coming out to clean up the mess.
Qiangu Nüdi did not pursue White Venerable. She stepped on a sea of time divine power and walked over from afar, blocking another escape route for Red Eye Divine King. "Both are Nether Clan Infinite Realm cultivators, yet you cannot unite. Red Eye Divine King, your popularity is truly terrible!"
"Hua!"
Red Eye Divine King shattered space, his body turning into a faint light and plunging into the void world.
Zhang Ruochen caught up to him in an instant, the two now truly close at hand. He struck out with the Immovable Wisdom King Fist, as if the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable had reappeared in the mortal world.
Red Eye Divine King also threw a punch. The divine artifact fist gloves on his hands manifested a Kirin light shadow, and divine power surged out mightily.
"Boom!"
An overwhelmingly powerful force pressed down. Even the divine artifact fist gloves could not block it. Red Eye Divine King felt his arm go numb with pain, as if his bones were about to break.
The Immovable Wisdom King Fist was too powerful, able to clash head-on with divine artifacts.
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
After a dozen consecutive exchanges of punches, the sub-divine-level supreme sacred artifact fist gloves on Zhang Ruochen's arms were shattered by the Kirin Fist Gloves.
But Zhang Ruochen's fists were harder than the sub-divine-level supreme sacred artifact fist gloves, and his strength was greater.
Blood had already begun to drip from Red Eye Divine King's arm. He immediately activated the power of esoterica, drawing in an endless stream of fire dao rules. His fist became as bright as a star, illuminating a large area of the void world.
"Do you think you're the only one with a divine artifact?"
A cauldron appeared in Zhang Ruochen's hand. He held it by one leg and smashed it downwards.
On the cauldron's body, shamanic inscriptions and scenes of the primordial mountains and rivers flickered. The source divine power it erupted made Red Eye Divine King's blood run cold.
What he feared most was the Earth Cauldron!
In terms of cultivation alone, he was a realm higher than Zhang Ruochen, on the verge of stepping into the peak of Qiankun Infinite. He was not afraid at all. Even if he could not win, he could protect himself.
But the Nine Cauldrons were too famous, hailed as the number one from ancient times to the present.
Red Eye Divine King wanted to withdraw his fist and dodge, but it was too late.
"Boom!"
The Earth Cauldron fell and collided with Red Eye Divine King's fist.
His arm snapped with a "crack," and the cauldron's body slammed heavily into Red Eye Divine King's chest. His divine garment was torn and tattered, and blood continuously seeped out.
The leaking divine blood was instantly decomposed by the Earth Cauldron's source power.
Red Eye Divine King realized something was wrong.
The Earth Cauldron was definitely a god-killing weapon. He immediately burned his divine blood, activating the "Blood Forbidden Nether Art," and erupted with extreme speed.
Once the Blood Forbidden Nether Art was unleashed, even an ordinary Great Unbound Infinite could not stop him.
But Zhang Ruochen, wearing the Ancestor Boots, caught up to Red Eye Divine King, who was executing the Blood Forbidden Nether Art, and smashed the Earth Cauldron down again.
Red Eye Divine King propped up the Nether Ancestor's light shadow and the Divine King's Nether Realm, but they could not block it at all. His divine body was half blown apart by the Earth Cauldron, and a vast amount of blood mist spread through the void world.
"Zhang Ruochen, do you really think White Venerable has fled?"
At this moment, Red Eye Divine King truly understood why the Hall Master would rather give up the Starry Sky Defense Line to go to Lihentian to kill Zhang Ruochen. This child's threat was too great.
He had just broken through, and he could already push an old-established Divine King like him into a desperate situation, unable to escape even if he wanted to.
Red Eye Divine King threw the divine artifact "Kirin Fist Gloves" to Zhang Ruochen and said, "Ruochen Divine Venerable, I submit today. If you continue to pursue, it will only end in mutual destruction."
The Blood Forbidden Nether Art was still activated, and in an instant, Red Eye Divine King's half-destroyed divine body flew away.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Kirin Fist Gloves and looked again. Red Eye Divine King had already disappeared at the end of the darkness and void.
Zhang Ruochen did not continue the pursuit. He had to admit that Red Eye Divine King was very strong. His combat power was only half a step weaker than Taiqing Ancestor and Yuqing Ancestor before they broke through.
Before Zhang Ruochen took out the Earth Cauldron, within eighteen zhang, he could clash head-on with Zhang Ruochen more than ten times. Although he was injured, he ultimately held on!
If he self-detonated his divine source, Zhang Ruochen was not sure he could stop him.
If he could give up a divine artifact, then giving up his life was not far off!
More importantly, Zhang Ruochen had indeed sensed a change behind him.
...
Earlier, just as Zhang Ruochen pursued Red Eye Divine King into the void world, White Venerable immediately reappeared, casting the Nether Light Curse to trap Chi Xingtian and Yu Yao.
Two white strands of hair, spanning hundreds of thousands of miles, hooked the two trapped by the Nether Light Curse and pulled them away like fishing.
Clearly, Red Eye Divine King and White Venerable were both extremely shrewd. Everything before had been an act.
They had secretly formulated a strategy. White Venerable would first pretend to flee, luring Zhang Ruochen and Qiangu Nüdi away. Then White Venerable would reappear, capture Chi Xingtian and Yu Yao, and use their lives to restrain Zhang Ruochen and Qiangu Nüdi.
But Zhang Ruochen's combat power after breaking through far exceeded their expectations.
He didn't even need Qiangu Nüdi's help. He alone forced Red Eye Divine King to flee in panic, and even the Blood Forbidden Nether Art was useless. In the end, he lost half his divine body and a divine artifact before escaping.
White Venerable's side was not going smoothly.
Qiangu Nüdi used the Boundless Divine Sword to cut through space, directly crossing a stretch of void and appearing before her, swinging her sword to strike.
The two strands of hair binding Chi Xingtian and Yu Yao snapped.
White Venerable used the Seven Sorrows Nether Flower to clash with Qiangu Nüdi five times. Sensing Zhang Ruochen's return, she finally tore through space and charged into the void world.
Zhang Ruochen, wearing the Ancestor Boots, was incredibly fast. He grabbed White Venerable's back...
Very slippery!
It was her white divine garment, covered in talisman patterns, slippery and hard to hold.
Zhang Ruochen's fingers were strong. They slid from the center of her back to the edge of her garment, hooked the corner, and with a sudden burst of force, tore the white divine garment off. Unfortunately, White Venerable's true body emitted a blood light, activated the Blood Forbidden Nether Art, and charged into the void world.
In an instant, she was far away.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the white divine garment in his hand. Fearing further changes, he did not pursue.
After all, earlier, Qiangu Nüdi had sensed the aura of Nine Chi Divine King, but that old fellow had never appeared. No one knew if he was hiding in the shadows.
"Hua!"
"Hua!"
Qiangu Nüdi swung her sword, sending out two sword lights that cut through the Nether Light trapping Chi Xingtian and Yu Yao.
Yu Yao thanked Qiangu Nüdi, saying, "The Nether Clan's curses are sinister and hard to guard against. Encountering a Nether Clan Divine King or Divine Venerable makes escape extremely difficult!"
Zhang Ruochen stood quietly in midair, releasing the Heart of Truth and the Wuji Divine Dao to sense carefully.
Chi Xingtian, not understanding, saw him holding White Venerable's divine garment, motionless, as if savoring something. He couldn't help but say, "Ruochen Divine Venerable breaks through to Infinite, and in one battle, strips White Venerable of her garment. If this spreads in the divine world, it will surely become another romantic tale!"
Zhang Ruochen ignored Chi Xingtian and looked at Qiangu Nüdi, saying, "That one was indeed hiding in the shadows."
Qiangu Nüdi naturally knew that the "that one" Zhang Ruochen referred to was definitely Nine Chi Divine King. She was greatly shaken, and a thoughtful expression appeared in her eyes.
"He must have arrived after I broke through. He wanted to reap the benefits, so he never acted, but he didn't expect Red Eye Divine King and White Venerable to lose so quickly, missing the best opportunity to strike."
Zhang Ruochen added, "He has already retreated! He should know that, with his strength alone, he cannot deal with us."
"So, unity is strength."
Chi Xingtian said, "Neither the Heavenly Court nor the Hell Realm are united internally. They don't trust each other, all wanting to hide behind and pick up easy gains, letting others fight and die, ultimately missing opportunities. People like us, who value loyalty and are willing to risk our lives to help comrades break through, are too rare!"
Zhang Ruochen smiled, "Once I stabilize my realm, I will help you restore your foundation. Injured badly? Lost a lot of divine substance? I just collected half of Red Eye Divine King's blood energy. It's very active. I can refine it into Blood Energy Divine Pills to help you heal and restore your divine substance."
Chi Xingtian laughed heartily.
...
After hiding in the void world for a long time, confirming that Zhang Ruochen had not pursued, Red Eye Divine King and White Venerable returned to the real world.
This place was far from the previous battlefield, separated by a vast stretch of void.
But they remained cautious, concealing their auras, afraid of being sensed by Zhang Ruochen.
Both were in low spirits. As heroes among gods, able to command wind and rain in the Nether Clan and the Hell Realm, they had been defeated by a junior. Having just used the Blood Forbidden Nether Art, their bodies were also weak.
White Venerable wore a white scale-like inner armor soft mail. Her waist was as flexible and slender as a water snake, but her face was as white as porcelain, frighteningly pale, inspiring no fantasies. She said, "Heal first. There might still be a chance."
Red Eye Divine King knew what White Venerable was referring to. After all, they were not the only ones who wanted to kill Zhang Ruochen and Qiangu Nüdi. A temporary gain or loss was nothing. There would still be opportunities to turn things around in the future.
"Heh heh!"
A cold laugh echoed on this extinguished star, coming from all directions.
Nine Chi Divine King, with nine heads, appeared before Red Eye Divine King and White Venerable. He landed on the ground, his eyes full of contempt. "Look at the two of you, how pathetic you've become. One had half his body shattered and voluntarily handed over a divine artifact to save his life. The other had her divine garment stripped and fled in panic. You've disgraced the Hell Realm!"
Red Eye Divine King's divine body had recondensed, but he had lost half his blood energy, and his aura was even weaker than White Venerable's. He said coldly, "Nine Chi, so you were there earlier. Why didn't you act? If you had, with the three of us joining forces, even if we couldn't take down Zhang Ruochen, we could at least have suppressed Huaying Qingchan, seized the Boundless Divine Sword and three-tenths of the Time Esoterica."
White Venerable also cast a questioning glance. "We are allies. The gods of the Upper Three Clans are the strongest alliance. Standing by and watching the fire from the shore is one thing, but now you come to mock us. Isn't this splitting the alliance between the Nether Clan and the Death Clan?"
Nine Chi Divine King said, "I only arrived when Red Eye was severely injured by the Earth Cauldron. I intended to act, but you lost too quickly! Forget it, what's the point of saying this now? To deal with Zhang Ruochen and Huaying Qingchan, we still need to work together."