Chapter 410: Subjugation
The power of a tenth-rank True Martial Treasure, when fully activated, was incredibly formidable.
The Black Water Cold Pool was completely covered by the electric sparks emitted from the Purple Lightning Sword. Every drop of water in the pool seemed to be filled with destructive power.
The Demon Ape was originally a water-attribute creature, making it susceptible to the suppression of lightning power.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's strength rise step by step, a look of wariness appeared in the Demon Ape's eyes, and it became cautious.
When Zhang Ruochen charged forward with his sword, the Demon Ape no longer relied solely on brute force. It gathered power in its abdomen, opened its massive mouth, and spat out a large cluster of ice spikes—dozens of them, sharp as black spears.
"Bang! Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen swung his sword repeatedly, shattering the ice spikes.
With a whoosh, he leaped into the air, flying to a position diagonally above the Demon Ape's head, and slashed diagonally downward.
A bolt of purple lightning, over ten meters long, shot out as a sword beam, crackling and popping as it struck toward the Demon Ape's head.
The Demon Ape swung its palm again, slapping fiercely in the direction of the incoming sword energy.
The palm and the war sword collided.
"Pfft!"
The war sword cut through the Demon Ape's defenses, and a large spray of blood erupted.
The Demon Ape's palm was torn open by the sword energy, leaving a long gash.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing the black pool water a sinister crimson.
Wounded and in pain, the Demon Ape quickly retreated, widening the distance between itself and Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was using physical attacks and fighting the Demon Ape in close combat, matching strength with strength. This was completely different from the attacks of other mages from the Five Elements Continent, and it made the Demon Ape feel a hint of fear.
Despite injuring the Demon Ape with a single strike, Zhang Ruochen was not optimistic.
That full-powered slash had only cut through the surface flesh of the Demon Ape's palm before being stopped by its bones. He had not managed to sever the hand.
If one looked closely through the wound, they would see that the Demon Ape's bones were pitch black, like crystal glass.
Strange patterns flowed within the bones.
This was the result of cultivating a Water Spirit Treasure Body—the bones had undergone a transformation, becoming harder than black iron.
"Roar!"
A layer of black, icy light appeared on the Demon Ape's body.
The black light flowed over the wound on its palm, and flesh immediately regrew, the injury healing rapidly.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen certainly wouldn't give it a chance to recover. He attacked again immediately.
The Demon Ape fixed its gaze on Zhang Ruochen, a cunning glint flashing in its huge eyes. Instead of engaging him, it pushed off the ground with both legs, bursting forth at top speed toward the water's surface.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the Demon Ape broke through the water, its massive body leaping over ten meters into the air.
Zhang Ruochen pursued closely behind the Demon Ape, about to break the surface himself.
Above the water, the Demon Ape twisted its body mid-air, turning back to punch downward at Zhang Ruochen, who was still in the water.
This time, the Demon Ape no longer underestimated its opponent. It mobilized the power of the water attribute, forming a black light sphere around its fist to block the impact of the sword energy.
"Its intelligence is this high?"
Zhang Ruochen had just emerged from the water and hadn't yet stabilized his stance when he was forced into a head-on collision with the Demon Ape's fist, losing his advantage and falling into a passive position.
Having underestimated its intelligence earlier, Zhang Ruochen immediately cast aside his contempt and began treating the Demon Ape as an enemy of equal intellect.
The Demon Ape's strength was unparalleled. Even with his Martial Soul enhancement, Zhang Ruochen was unwilling to match it in brute force.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen executed a Space Displacement, vanishing from beneath the Demon Ape's fist in an instant.
Using the power of space, Zhang Ruochen crossed a distance of twelve meters, appearing directly in front of the Demon Ape's massive face. The Demon Ape's body was enormous; even its face alone was several times larger than Zhang Ruochen's entire body.
"Boom!"
The Demon Ape's fist struck the water's surface, churning the cold pool and sending a wave over ten meters high splashing into the air.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen slashed his sword across the Demon Ape's neck, piercing its iron-hard fur and hide, leaving a long gash as wide as a palm.
"Thud!"
A sound like metal striking metal came from the Demon Ape's neck.
This strike still hadn't severed the Demon Ape's neck. It was once again stopped by the bones beneath the flesh, only inflicting a minor injury, not a critical wound.
"Having cultivated the Water Spirit Treasure Body, its bone defense is this astonishing. Even if I strike with full force, I would need to slash the same spot dozens of times to break its bones."
The Purple Lightning Sword was already a tenth-rank True Martial Treasure. Both its sharpness and the power unleashed by its inscriptions were extraordinary.
Based on Zhang Ruochen's estimation, only by using a twelfth-rank True Martial Treasure and unleashing its full power could he easily sever the Demon Ape's bones with a single strike.
How expensive was a twelfth-rank True Martial Treasure? It was far beyond what Zhang Ruochen could currently afford.
If the Water Spirit Treasure Body was already this formidable, how terrifying would the physical defenses of those Saint Bodies from the Eastern Domain be once they stepped into the Fish-Dragon Realm and achieved Minor Saint Body Completion?
Entering the Fish-Dragon Realm meant Minor Saint Body Completion.
Cultivating to the Saint realm meant Major Saint Body Completion.
The Demon Ape let out a long roar and attacked Zhang Ruochen again.
Zhang Ruochen's reaction was just a fraction of a second too slow, and he was struck by the Demon Ape's fist. His body flew backward, crashing with a bang into the stone wall of the valley.
Having been injured twice in a row by a mere human junior, the Demon Ape was burning with rage. Its furious roars echoed through the valley.
It opened its blood-filled maw, revealing two rows of sharp teeth, and lunged downward, trying to bite Zhang Ruochen and tear his body apart.
Zhang Ruochen channeled his true qi into the meridians of his arms, using his pair of golden dragon claws to grip the Demon Ape's upper and lower incisors tightly, holding its mouth open.
The power of a Sacred Dragon circulated through Zhang Ruochen's body, providing a continuous stream of strength.
It was only because he possessed the power of a Sacred Dragon that Zhang Ruochen could briefly match the Demon Ape in strength. Otherwise, with his cultivation at the late stage of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, how could he possibly contend with the Demon Ape using just his physical body?
"Sword Heart Illumination, Sword Control."
The pressure on Zhang Ruochen grew heavier and heavier, forcing him to use the power of Sword Heart Illumination.
The Sword Intent Heart between his brows flickered, controlling the Purple Lightning Sword. It transformed into a streak of light, flying into the Demon Ape's throat and entering its internal organs.
What does your strength matter? What does your hard bone defense matter?
As long as I destroy your internal organs, you will still die.
Just as the Purple Lightning Sword flew into the Demon Ape's body, the Demon Ape quickly responded. It released its Beast Soul, sending it into its own body, trying to use its Beast Soul to seize control of the Purple Lightning Sword.
It had to be said, the Demon Ape's intelligence was very high, far surpassing that of other savage beasts.
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly. He pulled his arms back sharply, then, gathering all his true qi, thrust his palms forward again.
"Dragon God's Tribulation."
The immense power from his palms knocked out two of the Demon Ape's incisors. At the same time, the powerful impact sent the Demon Ape flying backward.
Zhang Ruochen pushed off with his feet, flying backward ten zhang to land on a protruding rock on the cliff face. He pressed his index and middle fingers together tightly, fully mobilizing the Purple Lightning Sword to execute his sword technique.
"Pfft!"
The Purple Lightning Sword flew rapidly inside the Demon Ape's body, severing over a dozen blood vessels and piercing through its lung lobe, continuing its advance toward the Demon Ape's heart.
If it pierced the heart, the Demon Ape would surely die.
At the critical moment, the Demon Ape's Beast Soul flew into its body, taking the form of a black ape.
The Beast Soul hovered above the heart, struck out with a palm, and sent the Purple Lightning Sword flying away.
The Demon Ape's Beast Soul mobilized the world's spiritual energy, forming a vortex that enveloped the Purple Lightning Sword and forcibly expelled it from the body.
With a crackling sound, the Purple Lightning Sword, trailing electric sparks, flew out from beneath the Demon Ape's second rib on its chest.
"Bang!"
The Purple Lightning Sword, no longer under Zhang Ruochen's control, embedded itself into a massive boulder weighing ten thousand jin in the distance.
"What a formidable Beast Soul. In that case, let's see if your Beast Soul is stronger, or my Martial Soul."
Zhang Ruochen's Martial Soul hovered above his head. He raised his hand, and the Sword Intent Heart, which had been floating in his Qi Sea, flew out and landed in the Martial Soul's grasp.
The Sword Intent Heart transformed into a white sword.
The Martial Soul, wielding the Sword Intent Heart, left behind a shadowy trail and charged directly into the Demon Ape's body.
The Martial Soul and the Beast Soul clashed, using the Demon Ape's body as their battlefield.
Zhang Ruochen's Martial Soul was clearly stronger. It continuously struck with the Sword Intent Heart, and after just over a dozen strikes, it severely wounded the Demon Ape's Beast Soul.
The Demon Ape let out a miserable roar and immediately tried to withdraw its Beast Soul.
Zhang Ruochen naturally wouldn't allow it. His Martial Soul pursued, plunging the Sword Intent Heart into the Beast Soul's back, pinning it in place.
The Demon Ape's physical body felt an intense pain, as if its soul were about to shatter.
Zhang Ruochen pointed his right index finger toward the sky, concentrating the power of his spiritual energy. The world's spiritual energy trembled violently, and a current of air converged toward his fingertip.
In the sky above, a thick bolt of lightning immediately condensed and struck the Demon Ape.
"Boom!"
Struck by the lightning, a crater dozens of meters in diameter appeared on the ground.
The Demon Ape's body collapsed into the huge pit, charred black all over by the lightning, barely clinging to life.
Trails of electric fire flickered across its body, and even the ground around the pit crackled with sparks, emitting black smoke.
Zhang Ruochen flew down, landing at the edge of the pit. He controlled the Purple Lightning Sword to hover above the Demon Ape's body, its tip pointing downward, ready to strike at any moment.
He said in a deep voice, "Submit, or die?"
The Demon Ape's Beast Soul was still pinned by the Sword Intent Heart and dared not harbor any thoughts of resistance.
The Demon Ape was actually quite frustrated. Its strength was clearly far greater than that human's. If it hadn't been for the contest of Beast Soul versus Martial Soul, it would surely have been able to defeat him.
Savage beasts, no matter how intelligent, placed more faith in physical brute force.
Martial techniques, sword arts, and spiritual power—to them, were just flashy tricks, useless in real combat.
Of course, the Demon Ape had never expected that the human's Martial Soul would be so terrifyingly powerful, suppressing its Beast Soul in an instant.
Was this human really that strong?
"I... am willing to submit..."
The Demon Ape's Beast Soul sent out a mental message.
The Demon Ape was naturally extremely unwilling, but its life was in Zhang Ruochen's hands, leaving it no choice but to submit.
Zhang Ruochen said, "In that case, leave your Beast Soul with me, to prevent you from harboring rebellious thoughts in the future."
Without waiting for the Demon Ape's consent, Zhang Ruochen waved his hand, drawing the Demon Ape's Beast Soul into the Cosmic Divine Wood Map within his Qi Sea.
According to the rules set by the Heavenly Ranking, killing a native at the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm would earn one thousand military merit points.
If Zhang Ruochen killed the Demon Ape, he would gain those one thousand points.
However, Zhang Ruochen chose not to do so. Instead, he spared the Demon Ape's life for the time being, taking it under his control. With the Demon Ape's combat power, it would be a powerful ally for Zhang Ruochen in the Five Elements Ruins Realm.