Chapter 3510: Life and Death Double Coffin
The Kirin Fist Gloves emitted an earth-shaking roar, countless bolts of lightning flying out alongside the fist's momentum, colliding with the surging Styx River.
The Styx River was split apart by the thunderous fist force, surging past Zhang Ruochen on both sides.
After roughly a breath of stalemate, Zhang Ruochen took a step back. Immediately, the sun "Phantom Extinction Star Sea" manifested behind him, like an endless, boundless starry sky, providing him with a continuous supply of divine qi and rule divine patterns.
Another three breaths passed, and Haizi Prison closed his arms together. The Styx River vanished without a trace.
He looked incredulously at Zhang Ruochen standing below, saying, "The Great Venerable's ultimate technique, the Immovable Wisdom King Fist?"
Zhang Ruochen dispersed his divine power, saying, "Correct, but unfortunately, I have yet to master even half its true essence."
In truth, during his time cultivating in the Past Divine Palace, Zhang Ruochen had made tremendous breakthroughs in the Immovable Wisdom King Fist, having already achieved the Great Perfection of the Nineteenth Layer Fist Intent.
Haizi Prison said, "Today, I have witnessed the brilliance of the foremost talent of this era. Your combat power is enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the titans of the various clans."
Where could Bai Zun have imagined that in just over a thousand years, Zhang Ruochen would reach a level where he could trade blows with the Second War God, only being slightly outmatched?
Although it was merely a probing exchange, and the Second War God was far from using his true strength, did Zhang Ruochen not have other trump cards as well?
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, sensing the commotion, rushed back and said, "Zhang Ruochen, why are you causing trouble again? Can't you just be quiet for a while? I thought Fei Ma Wang and Chang He had come to attack!"
"..." Zhang Ruochen said.
Haizi Prison and Bai Zun, seeing Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, immediately fell into contemplation.
Haizi Prison asked, "Is Feng Tian here?"
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree showed no kindness towards Haizi Prison and the others either, saying, "Zhang Ruochen is now one of Feng Tian's people. For you Underworld Clan to move against him, do you have no regard for Feng Tian at all?"
Haizi Prison responded calmly, "I have always respected Feng Tian. There is a misunderstanding here. Where is Feng Tian? I have important matters to discuss with her."
"Boom!"
Space trembled, the earth shook.
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed, and he immediately looked upstream along this tributary of the Santu River.
He saw, millions of miles away, a force like a mountain toppling and a sea overturning, spreading towards them at nearly the speed of light. And it was getting faster and faster!
A black storm covered the heavens and earth, and wherever it passed, river channels burst, the earth turned to dust, space shattered, and even the rules of heaven and earth were severed.
"Go, leave immediately!"
Zhang Ruochen was the first to rush out.
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree dared not speak further and followed closely behind Zhang Ruochen.
"Such intense ghostly qi!"
Haizi Prison and Bai Zun naturally sensed that powerful divine energy fluctuation, but their reactions were much slower. The black ghostly qi storm arrived swiftly, crossing millions of miles in an instant.
"You go first, I will assist Feng Tian."
Within that expanse of ghostly qi storm, Haizi Prison sensed Feng Tian's aura.
Feng Tian seemed to be pursuing something.
Haizi Prison raised his arms, and a million-mile Styx River, a star-sized Nether City, a towering Nether Ancestor silhouette, a boundless Nether Realm... various Nether Dharma phenomena manifested between heaven and earth, blocking the path of the black ghostly qi storm.
"Fight!"
Haizi Prison let out a long roar, and instead of retreating, he advanced, colliding with the ghostly qi storm.
Those vast Nether Dharma phenomena only blocked the ghostly qi storm for half a breath before being engulfed and vanishing without a trace.
Zhang Ruochen, who had fled to a distance, asked, "Has he always been this brave? He dares to intervene in a clash of their level?"
Bai Zun found these words grating, saying, "Prison War God at least dares to fight, his resolve firm, unlike some who, despite having great strength, only know how to flee. If we had joined forces just now, we surely could have blocked it."
"Do you know who is inside that ghostly qi storm?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Bai Zun said, "Whoever it is, it is no reason for you to fear."
Seeing that the ghostly qi storm was not pursuing them, Zhang Ruochen stopped. He spread his hands wide, and a Truth Light Mirror floated before him.
On the mirror, black ghostly qi spread.
Gradually, the ghostly qi was peeled away layer by layer, revealing a strangely shaped coffin.
The coffin was not square, but cylindrical, with a skull at both ends, wrapped in countless chains. Haizi Prison was currently bound by these chains, unable to break free, his divine body constantly shattering, as if being pulled into the coffin.
"Bang!"
The Truth Light Mirror exploded, as if a heavy punch had struck Zhang Ruochen's chest, causing intense pain in his five viscera.
"So domineering, you can't even look at it." Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Zun was not without knowledge, and exclaimed in shock, "Is it the legendary Life and Death Double Coffin of Yellow Spring Great Emperor?"
"Now do you understand? If the opponent were one of those Heavens who haven't reached Indestructible Infinite, we could try to join forces and block their escape. But that is the Yellow Spring Great Emperor, and inside the coffin is an Ancestor corpse! The Yellow Spring Great Emperor might have already lived a second life!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree, for once, agreed with Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Zhang Ruochen makes sense! I will send a message to inform Void Heaven. Bai Zun, you also send a message to inform Gong Tian."
Zhang Ruochen looked in the direction where Feng Tian's aura had disappeared, sighing inwardly. It seemed the women he encountered were bolder than the last, even daring to pursue an Ancestor. He had once thought Xiu Chen was the boldest, but now it seemed that was not so certain.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed something and immediately took off the Ancestor Divine Travel Cloak he was wearing.
The Ancestor Divine Travel Cloak flew into the air above the three of them, spinning to form an independent space, concealing all their auras.
"Shua!"
A patch of demonic cloud rushed out from the direction of the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone, flying into the starry sky.
Behind it, a patch of ghostly cloud pursued closely.
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree frowned deeply, saying, "What is this situation? Is that aura ahead Gai Mie? The one chasing behind should be Zhou Qi Ghost Emperor. Why are they in the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone?"
"You're asking me? How should I know?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Go after them quickly. Gai Mie belongs to Feng Tian; we can't let him escape."
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree nodded, saying, "We'll follow them first. Once Feng Tian has suppressed the Yellow Spring Great Emperor's Life and Death Double Coffin, we'll send her a message."
"Not 'we', it's 'you'!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree said, "Zhang Ruochen, are you really this cowardly? Just following them, as long as we keep a great enough distance, even if they discover us, we can escape. Aren't you the best at escaping?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, speaking seriously, "I have something very important to do, and I must do it now. You and Xu Qiong go after them immediately; if you delay, you won't catch up!"
"Pa la!"
Space split open, and Xu Qiong's massive body flew out from the Void World.
Ignoring Blood Leaf Parasol Tree's icy glare, Zhang Ruochen made a gesture of invitation.
"Just you wait; Feng Tian will deal with you."
Blood Leaf Parasol Tree knew there was no more time to waste. She flew down onto Xu Qiong's back and pursued the direction Gai Mie and Zhou Qi Ghost Emperor had gone.
Finding herself alone with Zhang Ruochen, Bai Zun sensed something was wrong and immediately transformed into a streak of white light, fleeing far away.
Zhang Ruochen pointed a finger, and a sheet of space folded back like a wave of water, slapping Bai Zun back to his side.
Bai Zun took out the Seven Sorrows Nether Flower, saying coldly, "Zhang Ruochen, I am not without the power to fight. In a deathmatch, I might be able to trade one for one."
"I need to go to White Clothes Valley and require a guide. You are a disciple of Yinsnow Heaven, born in White Clothes Valley; you should know the way, right?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Bai Zun asked suspiciously, "What are you going to White Clothes Valley for?"
"Why ask so many questions? Can't I visit relatives?"
Zhang Ruochen walked forward. Seeing Bai Zun hadn't followed, he turned back and said, "Do you think you can escape from the Time and Space Controller? If you're smart, follow along."
"Where to?"
"First, let's take a look at the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone."
...
Before long, Zhang Ruochen and Bai Zun entered the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone.
This forbidden zone, a restricted area even for some Boundless cultivators, had been shattered, half real and half void, with Feng Tian's divine power everywhere.
"This is the strength of an Indestructible Infinite; one person can trample an ancient forbidden zone." Bai Zun sighed, filled with longing.
Zhang Ruochen walked all over the forbidden zone, discovering many traces.
There were craters left by Jixiang Ruyi, and residual projections of Hell No Door.
Hell No Door was the strongest form of Feng Tian's Gate of Death.
All of this undoubtedly indicated that, aside from not using the Heaven Cauldron, Feng Tian had gone all out. An Ancestor? Even after dying in the Ancient Era, with a remnant soul returning to seize the Ancestor Ghost Corpse, they could immediately stand at the pinnacle of the universe.
Zhang Ruochen discovered traces of Gai Mie. He crouched down, grabbed a handful of blood-stained soil, and murmured, "What do you think really happened?"
Wu Yue, sitting beneath the Jade Tree Ink Moon, smiled and said, "This is indeed hard to deduce, but a rough outline can be seen. Gai Mie's escape must be related to the Yellow Spring Great Emperor."
"But the Hell Realm is full of experts. Even if he escaped Fengdu Ghost City, he would be captured again soon. Someone must have told him that this was a path to survival."
"So, after escaping Fengdu Ghost City, Gai Mie came to the Yellow Spring Forbidden Zone."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since the Yellow Spring Great Emperor has lived a second life, this place is a trap, not a path to survival at all. Gai Mie escaping here would undoubtedly become nourishment for the Yellow Spring Great Emperor."
Wu Yue said, "Feng Tian's arrival disrupted the Yellow Spring Great Emperor's plan, allowing Gai Mie to escape."
"That's probably the case, but the truth can only be confirmed once the Heavens of the Hell Realm suppress the Yellow Spring Great Emperor and recapture Gai Mie." Zhang Ruochen said.
Wu Yue said, "They may not be able to suppress him, nor recapture him. The Hell Realm is no longer at its peak from a thousand years ago. The Ghost Clan and the Rakshasa Clan have both been severely wounded. An invisible hand is deliberately weakening the Hell Realm's power. Moreover, the Starry Sky Defense Line, the Wuding Divine Sea, and the Abyss of Darkness require many strong individuals to guard. At most, one or two Heavens can come."
"The most important reason is whether the Yellow Spring Great Emperor living a second life is connected to Fengdu Dadi being exiled."
"Furthermore, among the three veteran Ghost Emperors currently in charge of Fengdu Ghost City, at least one is a person of the Yellow Spring Great Emperor. Whether it is Zhou Qi Ghost Emperor is unknown."
"Your analysis makes sense. It's better to leave these problems for the Heavens to solve."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, collected all the land stained with Gai Mie's blood, and stored it away.
Bai Zun flew down and asked, "Did you find something?"
"No, let's go. To White Clothes Valley." Zhang Ruochen said.
...
A quick note: I have something to do tomorrow, so there may not be an update.
(End of Chapter)