# Chapter 480: Remnant Sun Nine Star Step
Pei Ji's "Blood Demon Dharma Form" was three zhang tall, appearing extremely ferocious, like a massive blood-colored ghostly shadow overlapping with his body.
Pei Ji leaped up, crossing the distance to Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan in an instant. Channeling his true qi, he struck out with full force in a palm attack.
Driven by Pei Ji's power, the Blood Demon Dharma Form also struck out with a palm, forming a huge blood-qi handprint.
From Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan's perspective, the Blood Demon Dharma Form's palm print was like a five-fingered blood-red cloud descending from midair.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen and Ao Xinyan were both sent flying backward.
"Ah!" Ao Xinyan spat blood from her mouth as she crashed to the ground in the distance, suffering not insignificant injuries.
Zhang Ruochen's strength was a cut above Ao Xinyan's, allowing him to remain standing and land steadily on the ground, though he too had sustained some minor injuries.
"Biluo Ascends to Heaven."
Suppressing her injuries, Ao Xinyan kicked off the ground, soaring more than ten zhang high. Gripping her sword with both hands, she broke through the air, thrusting toward Pei Ji.
"Come back."
Zhang Ruochen shouted.
How could Ao Xinyan be a match for Pei Ji? Charging in to fight him was no different from seeking death.
But Ao Xinyan's sword strike had already been unleashed, impossible to withdraw.
Pei Ji let out a sinister laugh and strode forward.
At some point, five black iron rings had appeared on the fingers of his right hand.
These rings were called "Blood Hand Golden Rings," forged from extreme cold black gold.
A single Blood Hand Golden Ring was a tenth-rank True Martial Treasure.
Five Blood Hand Golden Rings formed a set.
When the inscriptions within all five rings were simultaneously activated, they could unleash power comparable to an eleventh-rank True Martial Treasure.
Although Ao Xinyan wielded a Sacred Sword, her cultivation was too low to truly unleash the sword's power.
Pei Ji shifted his foot to the left, easily dodging the Sacred Sword thrust by Ao Xinyan. Then, activating the inscriptions of the five Blood Hand Golden Rings, he suddenly punched toward Ao Xinyan's chest.
Ao Xinyan hurriedly channeled her true qi into the crystal bracelet on her wrist, activating a protective force.
"Boom!"
The power of the five Blood Hand Golden Rings shattered that protective layer, turning it into specks of light.
Pei Ji's fist struck solidly against Ao Xinyan's chest.
"Crack, crack!"
Bones breaking sounded from within Ao Xinyan's body. Her delicate frame trembled, and she was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.
Her chest had been pierced by the five Blood Hand Golden Rings, leaving five massive bloody holes. Not only had three ribs been broken, but her internal organs had also suffered severe damage.
Her entire body was nearly half-crippled.
"Only by reaching the Fish-Dragon Realm can one truly unleash the power of a Sacred Sword. For a mere Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist to wield a Sacred Sword is nothing but a waste."
Pei Ji picked up the Dragon Pattern Emerald Water Sword, stroking its jade-like crystalline blade, and let out an admiring sigh. "What a fine sword."
Pei Ji swung his arm, and the Dragon Pattern Emerald Water Sword emitted a dragon's roar.
A single Sacred Sword was enough to make countless Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators fight desperately over it, enough to trigger a clan-destroying calamity. For a cultivator, a Sacred Sword was the most precious treasure.
Thus, Pei Ji's mood was extremely excited upon obtaining the Dragon Pattern Emerald Water Sword.
Then, his gaze darkened. He swung the Sacred Sword, slashing toward Ao Xinyan's neck to finish her off completely.
But Zhang Ruochen arrived first, thrusting out the Abyssal Ancient Sword, lifting it upward to clash with the Dragon Pattern Emerald Water Sword, blocking Pei Ji's killing blow.
Pei Ji, holding the Dragon Pattern Emerald Water Sword, took a step back and sneered, "If I were you, I would have used the chance while I was killing her to immediately flee for my life."
Zhang Ruochen stood sideways with his sword, his body straight as an arrow, revealing a faint, leisurely smile. "If I wanted to leave, I could do so at any time. You couldn't stop me."
"Is that so? You're that confident in your own strength?" Pei Ji laughed.
Zhang Ruochen glanced sideways at Xiao Hei not far away and said, "Xiao Hei, take her away first."
"Whoosh!"
Xiao Hei's form flickered, rushing to Ao Xinyan's side. He looked at her and muttered, "What a troublesome one."
With that, he grabbed Ao Xinyan's clothes, holding her with both claws, and swiftly dashed into the distance.
"Want to escape? You'll have to ask if I agree first."
Pei Ji snorted coldly. He stepped forward, executing a high-level movement technique, covering ten zhang with each step as he chased after Xiao Hei.
Both Ao Xinyan and Zhang Ruochen had extraordinary identities.
If Ao Xinyan escaped back to the Holy Academy, then even if Pei Ji obtained the Dragon Pearl, he would have to live in hiding from then on, perhaps never daring to return to the Kunlun Realm.
Thus, he had to eliminate the roots, killing both Ao Xinyan and Zhang Ruochen in the Wood Essence Ruins Realm.
Pei Ji's speed was undeniably fast. In almost an instant, he caught up to within ten steps behind Xiao Hei.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen executed Spatial Displacement. With just a flicker of his form, he appeared before Pei Ji, thrusting his sword toward Pei Ji's neck.
Sword qi emanated from the blade, transforming into dozens of sword shadows, as if dozens of swords were thrusting simultaneously.
"So fast. Could he have cultivated a Ghost-level movement technique?"
Just now, Pei Ji had been focusing all his attention on Xiao Hei and Ao Xinyan, so he hadn't noticed the subtle fluctuations in space. He didn't realize Zhang Ruochen had used Spatial Displacement, thinking instead that Zhang Ruochen had employed a movement technique.
Pei Ji's combat experience was rich. Unflustered and unperturbed, facing Zhang Ruochen's unexpected sword strike, he quickly twisted his body, creating swirling waves of true qi, and dodged past it.
However, one of the sword qi streams still passed through his neck, leaving a shallow bloody mark.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Pei Ji, inwardly alarmed. "No wonder he's ranked among the top fifty on the Heavenly Ranking. Such quick reaction speed, surpassing even many Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators. Even if I used Space Rift, I might not be able to injure him."
Let alone Pei Ji, even those martial artists who could enter the top thousand of the Heavenly Ranking were all peerless geniuses, one in ten thousand.
Someone like Pei Ji not only had exceptional natural talent but also possessed unwavering willpower, having weathered countless storms.
It was impossible for anyone to ambush him with a surprise move.
In that single instant, Xiao Hei had already vanished without a trace, carrying Ao Xinyan away.
Pei Ji touched the blood mark on his neck and snorted coldly. "The realm of Sword Heart Illumination is indeed remarkable, actually able to injure me. Unfortunately, the gap between us is too great. Today, you have no chance at all."
"They've already left. It's time for me to go too."
Knowing he was no match for Pei Ji, Zhang Ruochen didn't linger in battle. He immediately executed the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow movement technique, stepping nine times, covering one li with each step. After nine steps, he stood nine li away.
But Pei Ji's speed was no slower.
He stepped with the Nine Star Step, closely pursuing Zhang Ruochen. After nine steps, he had actually caught up.
"Remnant Sun Nine Star Step."
Zhang Ruochen glanced back, recognizing the movement technique Pei Ji was using.
The Remnant Sun Nine Star Step was also a Spirit-grade top-tier movement technique, almost on par with the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow that Zhang Ruochen had cultivated. It was a signature technique of the Central Domain Confucian Path. The Confucian Path was one of the Three Paths, standing alongside the Ten Thousand Buddha Path and the Taiji Path, all passed down from ancient times, with disciples spread throughout the world.
All martial arts under heaven come from the Three Paths; the nine schools and hundred schools spread across the world.
The Remnant Sun Nine Star Step's status as a signature technique of the Confucian Path demonstrated its power. Among Ghost-level movement techniques and below, none surpassed it. Even the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow was merely its equal.
As for Ghost-level and above movement techniques, those were nearly heaven-defying divine arts that only Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators could execute.
"Pei Ji is actually proficient in Confucian Path signature techniques, but his way of doing things doesn't resemble a Confucian Path disciple at all." Zhang Ruochen felt some doubt in his heart.
Although the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow was as renowned as the Remnant Sun Nine Star Step, Pei Ji's cultivation was deeper than Zhang Ruochen's. Thus, the distance between them grew increasingly closer.
Zhang Ruochen could already feel the intense blood qi radiating from Pei Ji's body.
"Zhang Ruochen, you can't escape!"
Pei Ji activated the inscriptions of the five Blood Hand Golden Rings. He kicked off the ground with both legs, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, his speed surging as he punched toward Zhang Ruochen's back.
"Space Domain."
Zhang Ruochen released his Space Domain and executed "Space Distortion."
Just as Pei Ji's fist was about to strike Zhang Ruochen's back, space suddenly seemed to turn liquid, twisting and sucking Pei Ji's fist inside.
What was happening?
Pei Ji's expression changed as he sensed something was wrong.
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen sidestepped, appearing three steps to Pei Ji's left.
Since he had already decided to use spatial power, he would continue attacking, aiming to catch Pei Ji off guard and kill him with one strike before he could react.
"Space Rift."
Zhang Ruochen extended his index finger and quickly drew it across the space before Pei Ji.
Space, like a curtain of water, was sliced open by Zhang Ruochen's finger, revealing a massive crack two zhang long.
Pei Ji felt a threat of death. His entire body contracted like an electric shock, rapidly shrinking. From his original height of one meter eight, he instantly shrank tenfold, becoming a tiny figure.
His feet stamped in midair, and like a rubber ball, he bounced away.
"Whoosh!"
Landing ten zhang away, Pei Ji's body emitted a "pop, pop" sound as it expanded again, returning to its original size.
But his left shoulder had still been struck by the Space Rift, leaving a clean wound from which blood flowed.
If his reaction had been even a moment slower, his entire left arm would have been devoured by the Space Rift.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Pei Ji, shock in his eyes. "Who exactly are you?"
In the martial arts world, there was indeed a technique called Bone Shrinking Art.
But no matter how skilled a martial artist, they couldn't shrink their body tenfold.
If a martial artist cultivated to the Fish-Dragon Ninth Transformation, "Crystal Treasure Body," they could indeed increase or decrease their body size tenfold. But Pei Ji's cultivation was far from reaching the level of "Crystal Treasure Body."