Chapter 3765: One Against Three
For cultivators at the Great Unbound Infinite level, combat did not require close proximity. Even if separated by thousands or tens of thousands of miles, it was as if they were right next to each other.
When close-quarters combat truly occurred, it was inevitably at the most perilous moment, with most defensive measures rendered useless.
Thunder Ancestor and Feima Wang were still hundreds of thousands of miles away, but the divine power and rule divine patterns they released had already transformed into two clouds of energy crashing against Zhang Ruochen.
The energy clouds were like two heavenly divine walls, containing both Dao essence and destructive force, impossible to break through.
Zhang Ruochen could clearly sense that compared to when he had fought Zhao Gongming, Thunder Ancestor was stronger. Evidently, the injuries from Feng Tian cutting away half his divine body had fully healed.
Feima Wang's aura was no weaker than Thunder Ancestor's, and she emitted Indestructible Infinite demonic energy, not far from returning to her peak state.
"There must be a rare treasure in the Guixu, otherwise their cultivation wouldn't recover so quickly," Zhang Ruochen thought.
After all, in terms of realm, Zhang Ruochen was only at the middle stage of Great Unbound Infinite. Even with the support of heaven-defying methods like the Wuji Divine Dao and the Nine Cauldrons, he could at best fight to a draw with either Thunder Ancestor or Feima Wang alone.
Facing a pincer attack from three experts, he would likely be severely injured within ten exchanges.
Thunder Ancestor and Feima Wang had clearly recognized this. That was why, despite the massive threat of Feng Tian in the Guixu, they did not immediately flee but chose to deal with Zhang Ruochen, hoping to severely injure and capture him as quickly as possible.
In that split second, Zhang Ruochen rapidly assessed the situation and sought a way to break the deadlock.
Unfortunately, Feng Tian seemed to have encountered a major problem in the Guixu and had yet to chase out. Instead, Xu Qiong was heading into the Guixu.
Meanwhile, Xiu Chen Heavenly God was being held back by the Thunder Clan's gods, who were fighting desperately, making it impossible to come to Zhang Ruochen's aid in time.
Zhang Ruochen attempted a Great Space Teleportation, but it was suppressed by Thunder Punishment Heavenly Venerable's Thunder Dao dominant power and Thunder Ancestor's absolute control over this sea region, failing. He had no choice but to adopt a second strategy.
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Ruochen charged into the Time Divine Sea manifested by Zun Zunzhe. Countless golden sword energies flew out from Shaoyang Divine Mountain.
Among the three, Zun Zunzhe had the lowest cultivation, at the same realm as Zhang Ruochen—only the middle stage of Great Unbound Infinite.
Zhang Ruochen was absolutely confident he could defeat her within a few breaths.
Zun Zunzhe had prepared thoroughly this time, fueled by the deep hatred of having her head severed earlier. She directly burned divine substances within her body, forcibly elevating her combat power in a self-destructive manner, releasing an aura that rapidly approached the peak of Great Unbound Infinite.
She executed a divine ability, forming a tortoise-shell-shaped shield seal before her.
"Bang! Bang!"
The golden sword energies struck the tortoise-shell shield seal, forcing Zun Zunzhe to retreat step by step.
Zhang Ruochen held the Eternal Spear, circulating his divine energy throughout his body, and struck down heavily.
The spear tip was sharp, surging with Time Order power.
"Boom!"
Zun Zunzhe's proud defensive divine ability was pierced through by Zhang Ruochen's single strike, the tortoise-shell shield seal shattering into pieces.
"Roc Rides the Wind!"
"Eon Heavenly Slaughter!"
...
Zun Zunzhe, relying on her status as an ancient remnant soul returning, casually unleashed various divine abilities, all hurled at Zhang Ruochen in an attempt to block the Eternal Spear.
Zhang Ruochen knew well how tragic it would be to be jointly attacked by Thunder Ancestor and Feima Wang. He held nothing back. The four cauldrons flew out from around him in succession, breaking through the divine abilities Zun Zunzhe had manifested, smashing through her protective divine light and divine realm world.
The second cauldron sent Zun Zunzhe spitting blood.
The third cauldron left her divine body covered in cracks, most of her bones broken.
The fourth cauldron struck, shattering Zun Zunzhe into pieces, severely wounding her.
Logically, at this moment, the four cauldrons could easily suppress Zun Zunzhe's remnant body, capturing the former Hall Master of the Space Divine Temple alive.
But would Thunder Ancestor and Feima Wang give him that chance?
"Reincarnation Demon Wheel."
With Feima Wang's sharp cry, a rapidly spinning millstone-like demon wheel, with irresistible force, pierced through the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram Seal, heading straight for Zhang Ruochen's true body.
Zhang Ruochen realized that the brief delay caused by Zun Zunzhe had cost him his last chance to escape.
"We meet again! Feima Wang, I awakened you, so I will be the one to seal you again."
Though Zhang Ruochen knew he had no chance of victory, he could not show any weakness in his aura. He had to make his opponents understand that dealing with him, Zhang Ruochen, would come at a significant cost.
Weighing the pros and cons, this might make Thunder Ancestor and Feima Wang back off.
Zhang Ruochen thrust out the Eternal Spear.
The spear tip rolled up residual clouds, swallowed the vast sea, and precisely struck the center of the Reincarnation Demon Wheel.
An indescribably terrifying demonic power crushed the time power released by the Eternal Spear, transmitting to Zhang Ruochen's body.
Zhang Ruochen felt as if heaven and earth were spinning, caught between the grinding stones of the world. Even as he fought with all his might, his body twisted bit by bit.
"Boom!"
Beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet, a divine soil was released, stabilizing the spinning world.
The four cauldrons combined with the four symbols, colliding heavily with the Reincarnation Demon Wheel.
The next moment, Feima Wang and Zhang Ruochen both retreated backward, opening a distance of a thousand miles.
The water in the divine sea churned violently behind them.
Feima Wang's flowing blood-red hair fluttered in the wind. She was astonished, saying, "I thought your battle with Murong Tailai was, as the rumors say, borrowing Hao Tian's divine power. Now it seems the world has underestimated you, Zhang Ruochen. This is true Heavenly Venerable-level combat power!"
"Seeing the power Xiu Chen Heavenly God unleashed, it's clear the Sundial can now support Great Unbound Infinite gods in cultivation. It's not hard to understand how he reached the peak of Great Unbound Infinite in such a short time."
Thunder Ancestor naturally assumed Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had reached the peak of Great Unbound Infinite, as no Ancestor could withstand Feima Wang's earlier strike at the middle stage of Great Unbound Infinite.
Nor could anyone at the same realm shatter Zun Zunzhe's divine body into pieces in an instant.
No one had that strength!
Zhang Ruochen was now completely surrounded. On the other side, Zun Zunzhe had already re-formed her divine body.
Unfazed, Zhang Ruochen said, "Feng Tian might chase out at any moment. Instead of fleeing immediately, you come to deal with me. Are you this foolish?"
Thunder Ancestor laughed, "Do you think we fled the Guixu because we were being chased by Feng Tian? You're wrong. We simply wanted to avoid the Indestructible Infinite-level battle. Others don't know how much Feng Caiyi cares about you, but I do. Capturing you will surely throw her into chaos, and she won't be able to show off anymore."
With a single casual remark, Zhang Ruochen had probed the situation in the Guixu, and he couldn't help but be curious.
What kind of figure could actually contend with Feng Tian?
Thunder Ancestor, thinking Zhang Ruochen was unsettled by his words, seized this rare opportunity. Transforming into a river of lightning, he shattered Zhang Ruochen's rule and Dao defense, reaching him in an instant.
His five fingers formed a claw, reaching straight for Zhang Ruochen's Mysterious Fetus below his abdomen.
Feima Wang executed the strongest divine ability created by the Great Demon God, "Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend." The demonic energy condensed into chains, flying toward Zhang Ruochen from all directions, including the soul and spirit, across multiple dimensions.
"Silent Night!"
Zun Zunzhe chanted, executing a time divine ability, making time around Zhang Ruochen nearly freeze, locking his mobility.
Thunder Ancestor's speed nearly surpassed Zhang Ruochen's thought time.
But Zhang Ruochen's combat awareness had long reached the level of preemptive insight. He said, "You've fallen for it! If you dare enter within eighteen zhang of me, even with Heavenly Venerable-level combat power, you won't escape unscathed."
Though Zhang Ruochen had not yet cultivated an Indestructible Dharma Body, his physical body could definitely rival Thunder Ancestor's.
Unlike their cultivation realms, the gap was too vast.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed Thunder Ancestor's wrist, ignoring the lightning tribulation power erupting from him.
The power of Time Order leaked from the Eternal Spear, limiting Thunder Ancestor's speed.
The moment Thunder Ancestor's wrist was seized, he sensed something was wrong. He felt his body bound by multiple forces, as if thousands of shackles had fallen upon him.
"Boom!"
The Eternal Spear struck Thunder Ancestor's brow.
But Thunder Ancestor was extremely formidable. With his profound cultivation, he channeled all his divine energy and rule divine patterns from his brow, barely blocking the Eternal Spear and neutralizing Zhang Ruochen's killing blow.
Thunder Ancestor's brow was pierced only half an inch deep.
Zhang Ruochen inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. That strike could have severely wounded Thunder Ancestor, cutting off part of his lifespan and dropping his combat power from its peak.
Now, it was only a minor injury, not harming his foundation.
Struck in an instant, Thunder Ancestor was both shocked and furious, feeling he had lost immense face.
"What?"
Thunder Ancestor found that Zhang Ruochen, ignoring the Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend Feima Wang had unleashed, attacked him again.
Unable to defend in time, Thunder Ancestor was pierced through the chest by the Eternal Spear.
At the same time, the Thousand Spirit Blood Fiend fell upon Zhang Ruochen. Though protected by the four cauldrons, Zhang Ruochen still spat blood, flying backward together with Thunder Ancestor.
As they flew, Thunder Ancestor and Zhang Ruochen clashed, countless lightning and time imprint light points intertwining.
"Boom!"
After a long moment, Thunder Ancestor was sent flying, his chest shattered, white hair appearing on his head.
His lifespan had been greatly reduced by Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was also not lightly injured, his flesh and blood charred black, blood flowing from all seven orifices, one arm reduced to a skeleton.
Thunder Ancestor's lightning power still lingered on Zhang Ruochen's arm bones, unable to be refined in a short time.
Would Feima Wang let this opportunity slip?
She certainly wouldn't give Zhang Ruochen time to heal.
Drawing upon the Water Dao and Demon Dao Profound Meanings she had seized from somewhere, she joined Zun Zunzhe in attacking Zhang Ruochen from both sides.
"Boom!"
A five-colored divine cloud descended from the sky, sending Feima Wang and Zun Zunzhe flying.
Feima Wang's demonic energy was scattered by the Five Elements divine power, forcing her to retreat in disarray.
After widening the distance, she saw a fat Daoist appear beside Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen healed his injuries as he spoke, "Daoist, didn't you leave?"
"Nonsense, how could I, a poor Daoist, be a coward who fears death? This is a strategy. If I didn't hide and show weakness, how could I lure them out of the Guixu?" Jing Daoren said with perfect enunciation, looking as if he had everything under control.
Zhang Ruochen's physical body quickly recovered, robust and intact, as good as new. He said, "Let's move. Finish this quickly. There might be bigger fish hiding in the Guixu."
Just then, the Sword Dao rules swirling around Zhang Ruochen began to boil.
From the distant heavens, a sword cry that seemed to echo across the universe entered Zhang Ruochen's sea of consciousness.
"Finally making a move."
Zhang Ruochen tensed up, knowing that Xu Tian had finally unleashed the earth-shattering sword strike he had been preparing.
This strike was crucial.