Chapter 390: Battlefield
Xu Qing ascended the forty-fifth step of the Heavenly Staircase at an extremely fast speed.
Gradually, his pace slowed down, taking nearly a breath of time to climb each subsequent step.
When he mustered his strength and reached the fiftieth step, he looked back and saw Zhang Ruochen chasing right behind him, having already arrived at the forty-eighth step.
A sly, triumphant smile appeared in Xu Qing's eyes as he looked upward.
The three heirs of the Saintly Clans, who had already reached the sixtieth step, seemed to sense something. Almost simultaneously, they turned around, met Xu Qing's gaze, and nodded in unison.
Their actions naturally did not escape Zhang Ruochen's notice. He thought to himself, "So there is a problem. They want to join forces against me?"
Zhang Ruochen felt no fear; instead, he was filled with battle intent. He fully activated the cultivation technique of the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*, frantically absorbing the Sacred Dragon power from the Dragon Pearl.
His realm had already reached the peak of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Middle Stage. He planned to use the pressure these people brought him to break through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Late Stage.
As Bu Qianfan had said, what Zhang Ruochen lacked most was the tempering that came from hovering on the edge of life and death.
Only at the boundary of life and death could one stimulate their potential, making it easier to break through to a higher realm.
Just as Zhang Ruochen stepped onto the fiftieth step of the Heavenly Staircase, the three heirs of the Saintly Clans, who had already reached above the sixtieth step, almost simultaneously swooped down and launched an attack on Zhang Ruochen.
"Thousand-Hand Vajra."
Xu Qing, standing to Zhang Ruochen's left, also struck immediately, throwing a heavy punch aimed viciously at Zhang Ruochen's head.
No one had expected such a turn of events. The four heirs of the Saintly Clans were actually attacking Zhang Ruochen simultaneously.
On the fiftieth step, martial artists bore immense pressure, which greatly reduced their mobility. Dodging their attacks was nearly impossible.
If they hit him, Zhang Ruochen would either be crippled or dead, even if he survived.
Even the students standing at the bottom of the Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase broke out in a cold sweat for Zhang Ruochen, imagining that in the next moment, he would surely fall from the staircase.
The question was whether he would still be breathing.
Facing the crisis, Zhang Ruochen remained exceptionally calm. He struck out with both hands simultaneously, unleashing ten Sword Waves toward the three attackers above.
The three heirs of the Saintly Clans were forced to twist their bodies and land back on the staircase.
But blocking one side left the other vulnerable.
"Whoosh!"
A powerful fist wind came from the left.
Xu Qing's heavy punch pierced through the protective Heavenly Gang and landed squarely on Zhang Ruochen's shoulder, sending him flying.
However, just as Xu Qing's fist struck, a golden radiance emanated from within Zhang Ruochen's body, forming a halo of light that blocked the force of the blow.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen only felt a sharp pain in his shoulder but suffered no serious injury.
It was the protective power of the Dragon Pearl that had blocked Xu Qing's attack.
"What is this? Are the people of your three Saintly Clans also going to attack me?"
Zhang Ruochen stared at the three standing above him, his anger ignited.
Fighting against the Xu Holy Clan could be blamed on Chang Qiqi and Duanmu Xingling's troublemaking, and Zhang Ruochen had felt somewhat in the wrong.
But what was this now? Were all the Saintly Clans joining forces to suppress the students of Demon Ridge? Were they trying to kill him?
Even the most good-natured person would get angry and want to fight to the bitter end.
The heir of the Shen Holy Clan stood on the fifty-third step, saying coldly, "Don't blame us for ganging up on you. It's only because you students of Demon Ridge are too arrogant."
This heir of the Shen Holy Clan was the burly man who had reached the sixty-sixth step, named Shen Yuntong. He was also at the peak of the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position, with strength comparable to Xu Qing.
"Why waste words with him? Cripple him first and be done with it," said the heir of the Xi Holy Clan.
The heir of the Xi Holy Clan was a rather beautiful woman with a curvaceous figure and cold eyes. Her ten slender fingers were exceptionally long, each one sharp as a finger sword.
There was also a man, the heir of the Zuo Holy Clan.
Including the Xu Holy Clan, there were four Saintly Clans in total.
These four Saintly Clans had always maintained good relations, frequently intermarrying, and could be said to act in complete unison.
The combined power of these four Saintly Clans held significant influence even across the entire Eastern Domain.
"Attack."
"Swish!"
The heir of the Xi Holy Clan transformed into a phantom. In an instant, twelve beautiful figures appeared on the Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase, almost completely surrounding Zhang Ruochen, continuously striking out with finger techniques.
Zhang Ruochen also countered repeatedly, defending against her attacks.
From another direction, the heir of the Shen Holy Clan unleashed a palm technique, creating an overwhelming momentum.
A roaring sound echoed.
From Shen Yuntong's palm, a massive True Qi palm print, seven meters long, flew out and struck toward Zhang Ruochen.
Shen Yuntong was born with divine strength. It was said that at the age of three, he could lift a bronze cauldron weighing three thousand jin. His physique was astonishingly powerful.
With a single palm strike, even an iron man would be flattened into an iron pancake.
Xu Qing's gaze shifted to the heir of the Zuo Holy Clan, Zuo Fenggu, and said, "Brother Zuo, Zhang Ruochen has powerful Spiritual Power. I hope you can suppress him in that regard."
The ancestor of the Zuo Holy Clan was a Spiritual Power Saint.
Coincidentally, Zuo Fenggu was also a natural Spiritual Power genius. Under the tutelage of that Spiritual Power Saint, at just thirty-four years old, his Spiritual Power had already reached the fortieth rank, making him a Spiritual Power Master.
Although Zuo Fenggu was thirty-four, he looked no older than twenty, with a tall, lean figure. Dressed in a alchemist's robe, he appeared spirited and energetic.
"How old is Zhang Ruochen? Do you really think, as Bu Qianfan said, that his Spiritual Power has reached the fortieth rank?"
A faint smile appeared on Zuo Fenggu's face as he gently shook his head.
As a Spiritual Power Master, Zuo Fenggu knew better than anyone how difficult it was to cultivate Spiritual Power to the fortieth rank.
Even he, a Spiritual Power genius under the strict guidance of a Spiritual Power Saint, had endured many hardships to achieve his current level.
Zhang Ruochen was far younger than him; there was no way his Spiritual Power had reached the fortieth rank.
Xu Qing dared not act arrogantly in front of Zuo Fenggu, knowing that Zuo Fenggu's strength far surpassed his own. He said with a flattering smile, "Brother Zuo, if Zhang Ruochen's Spiritual Power really has reached the fortieth rank, then in this Sacred Academy assessment, you won't be too lonely. At least you'll have one more opponent."
Zuo Fenggu chuckled and said, "Zhang Ruochen is nothing special. You deal with him first. If you can't suppress him, I'll step in."
"That works too," Xu Qing said.
In truth, any one of the heirs of the Saintly Clans was not much weaker than Zhang Ruochen. With just two of them joining forces, they would have ample confidence to defeat him.
At this moment, facing the attacks of Shen Yuntong and the heir of the Xi Holy Clan, Zhang Ruochen could only defend passively, struggling to keep up. If not for the protection of the Dragon Pearl, he would likely have been severely injured by now.
"Cloud-Breaking Finger."
The heir of the Xi Holy Clan extended a slender, jade-white finger. Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, she struck rapidly, aiming for Zhang Ruochen's brow, intending to pierce his Qi Sea and cripple his cultivation.
But she did not know that Zhang Ruochen's Qi Sea was guarded by the shadows of the gods. Not even a Fish-Dragon Realm martial artist could break through it.
"Swoosh!"
A mass of cyan light radiated from Zhang Ruochen's brow, repelling the heir of the Xi Holy Clan.
Even so, the strike had inflicted considerable damage, causing the True Qi within Zhang Ruochen's body to become chaotic, violently surging through his meridians.
"Very well, then I'll start breaking through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Late Stage."
As Zhang Ruochen exchanged palm strikes with the divinely strong Shen Yuntong, he simultaneously activated his cultivation technique to impact the next realm. Just then, a surge of fist power came from behind.
Someone else was attacking him.
"Zhang Ruochen, die!"
Zi Hansha stood on the forty-eighth step, channeling True Qi and gathering power. From behind, he punched toward the back of Zhang Ruochen's head.
Although Zi Hansha's talent was not as great as that of the heirs of the Saintly Clans, his cultivation was still considerable, having reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm Small Extreme Position.
In a one-on-one fight, Zhang Ruochen had no fear of him. But now, with Zhang Ruochen engaged with three heirs of the Saintly Clans, Zi Hansha seized the perfect opportunity to strike from behind.
"Get lost!"
Zhang Ruochen roared, forcibly twisting his body. He unleashed eighty-one palm prints in rapid succession, executing nine moves of "Elephant Force Ninefold Stack," all of which slammed into Zi Hansha, piercing through the defense of his protective treasure.
The palm prints fell like raindrops onto Zi Hansha's chest.
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
Zi Hansha's internal organs seemed to shatter. His chest caved in, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
With a loud crash, Zi Hansha fell from the Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase, hitting the ground hard, covered in blood.
Suffering such severe injuries, he clearly could not get up from the ground. It was uncertain whether he could still participate in the second round of the Sacred Academy assessment.
Although Zhang Ruochen had sent Zi Hansha flying, he also suffered attacks from Shen Yuntong, Xu Qing, and the heir of the Xi Holy Clan. Over twenty palm strikes landed on his back, breaking through the Dragon Pearl's defense. The force sent Zhang Ruochen's blood and Qi churning, and he pitched forward, landing on the forty-fourth step.
"Pfft!"
Zhang Ruochen knelt on one knee, supporting himself with his hand on the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the staircase red.
"The people of the Xu Holy Clan are too shameless. Knowing they can't beat Zhang Ruochen, they actually allied with other Saintly Clans to deal with him."
Huang Yanchen was furious seeing Zhang Ruochen injured. She quickly took two steps and soon reached the fortieth step, preparing to help him.
"Junior Sister Huang, this is a conflict between the Saintly Clans and the students of Demon Ridge. I hope you won't interfere," said a talented student from the Xi Holy Clan, stepping forward to block Huang Yanchen.
"Move aside," Huang Yanchen said coldly.
The talented student from the Xi Holy Clan replied calmly, "I'm only warning you for your own good. If you insist on fighting, I'm not afraid of you."
At the same time, other experts stepped forward to block Luo Shuihan, Duanmu Xingling, Si Xingkong, and the others. Among these people were members of Half-Saint families and experts from the Saintly Clans.
Although their strength was somewhat inferior to the direct heirs of the Saintly Clans, they had the advantage of numbers.
In an instant, the Pilgrimage Heavenly Staircase turned into a battlefield, with the situation heavily unfavorable for the students of Demon Ridge.
It was also a clash between the children of Saintly Clans and those from humble backgrounds, but the power disparity was immense, with the Saintly Clan disciples holding an absolute advantage.