Chapter 3708: Within the Scheme
"The Fengxian Sect Leader was... was slain?"
A mid-level god from the Soul Realm exclaimed in a trembling voice.
Other deities swiftly fled into the distance.
First, because the residual waves emanating from Zhang Ruochen and the Pure Yang Divine Sword were too powerful, injuring some among them.
Second, they were intimidated by the murderous aura radiating from Zhang Ruochen, their divine souls unstable, feeling as if Zhang Ruochen intended to annihilate them all.
A god secretly transmitted a voice message: "Great Elder Ruochen, this minor god is willing to submit and can offer all life's savings to serve you."
"Great Elder, we were forced here by the Fengxian Sect Leader's tyranny and had no intention of offending you."
"I, Qi Feng, am willing to come forward and inform the Heavenly Palace of the truth. It was indeed the Order Palace Master who first attacked the Wind Clan Patriarch to seize the Pure Yang Divine Sword."
...
Facing an unparalleled existence like Zhang Ruochen, all the gods of the Soul Realm were terrified.
They feared Zhang Ruochen might think they were allies of the Fengxian Sect Leader and thus unleash a massacre.
Zhang Ruochen paid them no heed at all. In the first moment, he struck out with the Earth Cauldron.
The cauldron spun, radiating Origin Divine Light, manifesting a primordial world that enveloped the two halves of the Fengxian Sect Leader's divine body. Rule threads within the primordial world coiled around him, pulling him toward the cauldron.
"The Earth Cauldron!"
The Fengxian Sect Leader roared, releasing all his profound divine Qi.
His Divine Realm World manifested within the divine Qi, clashing against the rule threads and Origin Divine Power of the primordial world.
The thirteen skulls all flew back, crashing toward Zhang Ruochen to disrupt his control over the Earth Cauldron.
"Boom!"
The upper half of the Fengxian Sect Leader's divine body punched through the primordial world, escaping from the cauldron's mouth.
But the lower half, far weaker in power, was suppressed by the Earth Cauldron.
The primordial world contracted, dragging the blood-drenched divine body below the Sect Leader's waist into the cauldron.
Zhang Ruochen flew onto the cauldron's rim, using the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal to suppress the violently shaking cauldron. The earth below trembled incessantly, mountains collapsed, and fissures extended hundreds of thousands of miles without stopping.
It was as if the entire great world was about to shatter.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
...
From various yin cities, divine mountains, and corpse lakes of the Soul Realm, thick beams of light surged forth, forming array inscriptions.
This was the level of divine battle at the Great Unbound Infinite realm; ordinary great worlds could not withstand it.
Fortunately, the Soul Realm was special enough, a strong realm.
The Fengxian Sect Leader's divine source and Qi sea were both in the upper half of his divine body. He quickly condensed a complete physical form and fled far away.
Zhang Ruochen did not pursue, nor did he show disappointment.
In truth, achieving such a significant result—suppressing half of the Fengxian Sect Leader's divine body—was an unexpected boon.
The Fengxian Sect Leader's underestimation, the dominance of the Pure Yang Divine Sword, the absolute control of the Wuji Divine Dao in close combat, the might of the Earth Cauldron—all these conditions were indispensable. Missing any one, and Zhang Ruochen would have faced a hard battle to defeat the Fengxian Sect Leader.
How easy was it to kill a figure at the peak of Great Unbound Infinite?
Even cutting the Fengxian Sect Leader's divine body in two had not truly harmed his foundation.
At his level of cultivation, even if his physical body were beaten into a bloody pulp, he could instantly recover.
Only by suppressing that half of the divine body into the Earth Cauldron was the Fengxian Sect Leader truly gravely wounded.
With the Earth Cauldron, Zhang Ruochen could use the method of dismemberment to slowly wear down a god whose cultivation was close to his own.
After the Earth Cauldron was stabilized, Zhang Ruochen rode it soaring into the air and said, "Sect Leader, you have shaken the cosmos for a million years. Why flee in defeat? Why not grant me another bout?"
The Fengxian Sect Leader, having retreated into the Soul-Suppressing Palace, heard this and was so enraged he nearly spat out a mouthful of divine blood.
Too hateful!
Losing to a Heavenly Venerable was one thing, but losing to a junior who had only risen for a few thousand years was utterly unbearable.
"All gods of the Soul Realm! All array spirits! Heed my command, activate all divine arrays!"
The Fengxian Sect Leader transmitted his divine voice, using his powerful spiritual will to subdue all array spirits.
But more than half of the Soul Realm's gods did not return to the Soul-Suppressing Palace. Instead, they fled the Soul Realm, darting into the void to leave this place of trouble.
"Whoosh!"
One by one, divine arrays manifested around the Soul-Suppressing Palace as its center.
...
Feng Jin and Lianxi stood by a wide, turbid corpse river, gazing at the light at the sky's edge. They could feel the rule divine patterns of Zhang Ruochen and the Fengxian Sect Leader filling the world.
Both cosmic-level powerhouses had used their Profound Meanings, mobilizing various heavenly and earthly rules for their own use.
Of course, they did not know that Zhang Ruochen was not using Profound Meaning but the Wuji Divine Dao.
A first-rank divine path could mobilize all heavenly and earthly rules and forces in the universe!
Lianxi bit her lip lightly, her heart racing, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moving light.
He had come!
He had actually come to the Soul Realm.
Lianxi had never imagined that Zhang Ruochen, an existence whose every move could influence the Heavenly Court's structure, would specifically come to the Soul Realm. How could her emotions remain calm?
"It seems the Fengxian Sect Leader has been defeated. His blood Qi fills the sky everywhere," Lianxi murmured.
Many yin souls in the Soul Realm were wailing, corroded by the blood Qi falling from the heavens, turning into wisps of green smoke.
At the Fengxian Sect Leader's level of cultivation, a single drop of blood could kill a false god.
"Yes! The Sect Leader was actually cut in two by his sword, and half his divine body was taken away. How is this possible? A figure like the Sect Leader is not weaker than a Heavenly Venerable," Feng Jin said, frowning, unable to describe his current mood in words.
Suddenly, he thought of something, and a look of excitement appeared in his eyes.
Feng Jin stared at Lianxi and said, "He came to the Soul Realm for you. This shows you hold great weight in his heart!"
If Lianxi were merely Zhang Ruochen's plaything, Feng Jin would naturally feel ashamed.
But if Zhang Ruochen truly cared about Lianxi, and his cultivation was this powerful—even stronger than the Fengxian Sect Leader—then this was entirely different!
...
Zhang Ruochen flew the Earth Cauldron and landed outside the Soul-Suppressing Palace.
"Boom!"
The Earth Cauldron hit the ground, forming a ring-shaped mountain range around it, dust flying.
He looked at the bright sea of arrays before him. Some of these divine arrays were extremely profound, left behind by ancient Tiangyuan Wuque cultivators.
With the Fengxian Sect Leader presiding over the arrays, even if a Heavenly Venerable came, breaking them would not be easy.
This must be the Soul-Suppressing Clan's foundational divine arrays!
Zhang Ruochen said, "Gods of the Soul Realm, why not retreat immediately? Do you dare to oppose me, the Great Elder?"
The gods of the Soul Realm, standing within various divine arrays, were intimidated by Zhang Ruochen's presence and exchanged uneasy glances.
The Fengxian Sect Leader held the Soul-Controlling Ghost Seal, his hair and beard flying wildly, and said coldly, "I hold the Soul-Controlling Ghost Seal, which can command all cultivators of the Soul Realm. Who dares to disobey? Once I deal with Zhang Ruochen, I will capture those fleeing gods one by one, refining their corpses and extracting their souls."
Zhang Ruochen immediately saw the advantage of ruthlessness!
With a million years of accumulated authority and his notorious reputation, the Fengxian Sect Leader caused the Soul Realm's gods to waver no more, instead fully powering the arrays.
The Fengxian Sect Leader said, "Zhang Ruochen, you are deeply scheming. You were never injured. Yan Wuque did not die from self-destructing his divine source, did he?"
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, "I am truly gravely wounded. It is only with the Pure Yang Divine Sword that I could severely injure you. If you don't believe me, come out of the array and fight me again!"
The Fengxian Sect Leader was so angry his teeth itched. This junior was too hateful, completely mocking him.
"I came to the Soul Realm to take Feng Yan and Lianxi away. If the Sect Leader dares not fight, I will take my leave!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen really intended to leave, the Fengxian Sect Leader laughed loudly: "Zhang Ruochen, you don't think I am the only one who came to the Soul Realm, do you? To tell you the truth, even if you are not injured and are only feigning weakness, today you can only die."
The sky suddenly darkened.
Nine yin moons, like nine chess pieces, shifted positions in the heavens.
Following this, the entire Soul Realm seemed to turn into a chessboard. Heavenly and earthly rules became chaotic, hurricanes swept the land, lightning formed nets, and the moons transformed into blazing suns.
The gods who had fled the Soul Realm earlier were entangled by rivers of rule light and locked onto the nine yin moons.
"Nine Radiance Power, Sun, Moon, Rahu, Jidu, Five Elements."
Zhang Ruochen watched the various changes of the nine yin moons beyond the sky, feigning surprise, and said, "The number one figure of Tianquan Great World, Xun Yangzi. Senior, why wade into this muddy water?"
Xun Yangzi stood on a yin moon that had turned into a blazing sun, looking down, his voice seeming to come from the nine heavens: "Zhang Ruochen, no need to be so polite. I am here to kill you. The Order Palace Master died by your hand, and you have committed a heinous crime."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Kunlun Realm and Tianquan Great World have been on good terms for many eons. Senior, why seek your own death?"
Xun Yangzi was silent for a moment, clearly not expecting Zhang Ruochen to be so defiant even now.
"Enough, wasting time with you in hypocrisy is truly pointless," Zhang Ruochen said. "Nine Radiance Divine Lord was originally your senior brother. Not only did you kill him, but you also took his divine consort and slaughtered his entire clan. Since you have come to the Soul Realm, I will send you on your way, as repayment for Nine Radiance Divine Lord's aid to the Kunlun Realm back then."
Xun Yangzi's eyes narrowed, his gaze fierce, and he directly activated the blazing sun beneath his feet.
The Sun Divine Power surged forth, turning into a fierce crimson beam that shot toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen crossed space, riding the cauldron and teleporting away.
"Boom!"
A territory of a hundred thousand miles melted under the light pillar, turning into golden magma.
The sky turned gray-black, filled with all kinds of dust.
The Sun Divine Power spread outward, causing yin souls within millions of miles to turn into fireballs, all utterly destroyed.
Zhang Ruochen had not been certain that Xun Yangzi had killed Nine Radiance Divine Lord; he was only testing him. But he never expected the old fellow to fly into a rage, not even offering a defense, and directly attacking, as if wanting to silence him.
Zhang Ruochen understood. Xun Yangzi must have thought he had obtained solid evidence from the Hell Realm.
After all, Zhang Ruochen had delicate relationships with several Heavenly Venerables of the Hell Realm.
There were too many self-serving individuals like Xun Yangzi in the Heavenly Court, who, to achieve their goals, would not hesitate to secretly ally with the Hell Realm to kill their own side's strong ones. No wonder Hao Tian had the idea of sweeping cleanly and purging these people.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm and said, "Just the two of you want to kill me? I'm afraid that's not enough! Who else? Come out!"
From the distant void, Yu Dongxuan's voice sounded: "Zhang Ruochen, I truly did not expect you to be foolish enough to come to the Soul Realm for a woman. Someone like you cannot achieve great things. Your flaws are too obvious. What qualifications do you have to become the master of the Sword Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen's pupils turned into two starry skies, looking toward the direction of the voice.
At a distance of tens of millions of miles, by the bank of a wide corpse river, he saw Yu Dongxuan.
He radiated the divine radiance of light, purifying the corpse river into clarity and the blood-soaked earth into a holy land. He was like a banished immortal of the mortal world, an incarnation of light and justice, inspiring reverence and worship.
Feng Jin and Lianxi were captivated by his soul, influenced by the Profound Meaning of Light, and knelt piously on one knee.
They regarded Yu Dongxuan as the faith of light!
(Chapter End)