Chapter 436: Arriving Again at the Sword God Holy Land
Having made his decision, Zhang Ruochen set off immediately, heading to the Sword God Holy Land.
The Sword God Holy Land was also located on the Golden Rainbow Continent of the Eastern Domain Sacred City. Although it was a great distance from the Seventh City District, with Zhang Ruochen’s current speed, it only took him half a day to arrive outside the mountain gate of the Sword God Holy Land.
There were eighteen spirit mountains, each with steep slopes and numerous cliffs and precipices, along with many deep valleys and secret chambers built within.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, he gazed into the holy land.
White mist swirled among the mountains, and the spiritual energy was vast and pure, like a secluded dwelling of immortals.
This was not Zhang Ruochen’s first time at the Sword God Holy Land. The disciples guarding the mountain gate had long received instructions from above: when they saw Zhang Ruochen, they must treat him with courtesy and regard him as an honored guest.
“Young Master Zhang, please wait here for a moment. I will now go report to the outer affairs elder of the holy land.” A disciple dressed in a dark black robe clasped his fists and bowed to Zhang Ruochen, then immediately hurried toward the summit of the spirit mountain.
A moment later, the laughter of a young girl rang out, growing closer and clearer.
Lu Xuan stepped lightly on the ground, as if riding the wind, and soon appeared within Zhang Ruochen’s sight. From a distance, she called out, “Zhang Ruochen, you’ve finally come to the Sword God Holy Land again. My brother has been waiting for you for days.”
As Lu Xuan approached, a faint, fragrant breeze wafted over.
Then, Lu Fantian descended from the sky with a loud crash, landing firmly on the ground. He stood imposingly opposite Zhang Ruochen, his gaze cold and proud, brimming with battle intent.
In his hand, he held a long sword inlaid with golden thread patterns, four feet in length, with a broad and thick blade. Even without infusing it with true qi, it emitted a dazzling golden light. It was an eleventh-rank True Martial Treasure-level war sword.
“Zhang Ruochen, draw your sword!”
Lu Fantian gripped the sword hilt, turned it in reverse, and drove the tip into the ground with a sharp explosion.
With that, he had already executed a starting stance called “Rooted in the Earth.”
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised and asked curiously, “Brother Lu, have I offended you in some way?”
Lu Fantian said nothing.
Lu Xuan stood to the side, her beautiful eyes twinkling as she smiled. “My brother is dissatisfied in his heart, so he’s challenging you.”
Zhang Ruochen was even more puzzled. “Why is he dissatisfied?”
Lu Xuan, looking mischievous, sighed and said, “The goddess in his heart, Shengshu Cainü, ranked you as one of the six kings of the new generation. But he, who calls himself ‘The Little Overlord Who Overturns Heaven and Earth, Undefeated in the Eastern Domain,’ was overlooked by Shengshu Cainü and didn’t make it into the ranks of the new kings. He’s definitely jealous, definitely unwilling, and definitely wants to find someone to prove his strength.”
Lu Fantian glared at Lu Xuan, his displeasure growing.
Lu Xuan was clearly his own sister, yet she always undermined him and sided with outsiders. Was this what a real sister did?
Zhang Ruochen showed a thoughtful expression and said, “Why challenge me? Why not challenge Bu Qianfan and Di Yi?”
Lu Xuan burst out laughing again. “My brother has already been to the Ministry of War’s camp and fought Bu Qianfan once. They battled for a whole day and night, and in the end, it was a draw.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “In that case, Brother Lu’s strength is indeed extraordinary, enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the new kings. Shengshu Cainü not including you among the new kings might be because she doesn’t know your true power.”
Lu Fantian’s expression turned somewhat unnatural.
“Haha!”
Lu Xuan laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. “Zhang Ruochen, you don’t know this, but at the time, my brother was at the Middle Extreme Position of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, while Bu Qianfan had just broken through to the Small Extreme Position of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. They only managed a draw—I find it embarrassing for him.”
Lu Fantian scolded, “What do you know? Bu Qianfan reached the Unrivaled Extreme Realm of the Yellow Extreme Realm, so he naturally has one more realm than ordinary people. That battle between him and me was merely a contest at the same cultivation level.”
“Tch!”
Lu Xuan was completely unafraid of Lu Fantian and continued to tear him down. “Bu Qianfan could cultivate to the Unrivaled Extreme Realm of the Yellow Extreme Realm because his talent is high, his perseverance is deep, he can endure hardship, and he’s willing to bleed. That’s how he got an extra realm. How you say it, that’s the reward for his hard work.”
“Brother, I’m not trying to put you down, but you really are far behind Bu Qianfan. At least you haven’t managed to cultivate a single Unrivaled Extreme Realm.”
Lu Fantian clenched his fingers tightly, producing cracking sounds as he struggled to suppress his anger. “Do you think the Unrivaled Extreme Realm is so easy to cultivate? I was only a hair’s breadth away from it in the Yellow Extreme Realm, Mysterious Extreme Realm, and Earth Extreme Realm.”
“A hair’s breadth away is still a miss,” Lu Xuan said.
Lu Fantian said, “I’ve already broken through to the Great Extreme Position of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. If we fight again, I can defeat Bu Qianfan within ten moves.”
Lu Xuan said, “You’re improving, but so is everyone else. From what I’ve heard, recently, various sacred clans and noble houses have been competing for control of the Five Elements Ruins Realm. In the end, the Bu Sacred Clan won and became the masters of the Five Elements Ruins Realm.”
“It’s said that the Bu Sacred Clan obtained several types of Five Elements Origin Spirit Treasures in the Five Elements Ruins Realm. If Bu Qianfan refines those origin spirit treasures, his martial cultivation will surely increase a lot. He might have even forged some kind of precious body.”
Zhang Ruochen really couldn’t stand the bickering between these two siblings. “Brother Lu, Miss Lu, I still have important matters to attend to and need to meet with the outer affairs elder of the Sword God Holy Land. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Whoosh!”
Lu Fantian sidestepped and stood in front of Zhang Ruochen. “Zhang Ruochen, today you must fight me. Don’t try to find an excuse to leave.”
Zhang Ruochen frowned. “Is it absolutely necessary to fight?”
“Of course,” Lu Fantian said.
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment and said, “Since we must fight, I’m happy to oblige, but not now. The time and place must be chosen by me.”
Lu Fantian was straightforward. “Name them.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Three days from now, in the Seventh City District, at the Martial Market Bank’s Heavenly-Level Battle Platform. We’ll have a fair and just duel in front of all the martial artists under heaven.”
Lu Fantian finally understood Zhang Ruochen’s intent and laughed. “Before breaking through to the Great Extreme Position of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, I was ranked after the three hundred thousandth place on the Heavenly Ranking, with seventy-four thousand eight hundred military merit points. If you can defeat me on the Heavenly-Level Battle Platform, you’ll take my ranking, and your military merit points will also reach seventy-four thousand eight hundred. That’s your goal, isn’t it?”
“Exactly.”
Zhang Ruochen said frankly, “If there were no purpose, why would I waste my energy fighting you?”
“Good! I’m very much looking forward to defeating you on the Heavenly-Level Battle Platform. This battle is settled!” Lu Fantian said.
In the ruins realm battlefield, killing enemies to accumulate military merit points was not the only way to enter the Heavenly Ranking.
Any Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist who won ten consecutive matches on the Martial Market Bank’s Heavenly Extreme Battle Platform could gain ten thousand military merit points and become a Heavenly Ranking martial artist.
Of course, lower-ranked Heavenly Ranking martial artists could also challenge higher-ranked ones on the Heavenly-Level Battle Platform. If they won, they would take the opponent’s ranking and military merit points.