Chapter 486: Half-Saint Blood Pill
Pei Ji did not know that Zhang Ruochen had already released his Space Domain.
Within the Space Domain, every move Pei Ji made was under Zhang Ruochen's control.
Just as the Dragon-Scale Azure Water Sword was about to strike down on Zhang Ruochen's head, a sinister smile curled at the corner of Pei Ji's mouth. Everything was about to end!
But in the next moment, his smile froze.
Something inexplicable happened. The entire space seemed to freeze.
His movements came to a complete halt.
However, Zhang Ruochen was unaffected. He shifted to the right and quickly struck out with his palm, executing the sixth stance of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, the Dragon God's Tribulation.
From his palm surged dozens of bolts of lightning, and a dragon shadow flew out, striking Pei Ji's chest.
"Pfft!"
Pei Ji's chest caved in slightly as he spat blood and was sent flying backward.
This was how battles between experts worked. The slightest misstep could immediately decide victory or defeat.
Originally, with Pei Ji's strength, even if he was no match for Zhang Ruochen, he could at least hold his own for a hundred moves. Unfortunately, Zhang Ruochen had used a Space Freeze technique, causing Pei Ji's attack to pause for a brief moment.
That single instant was enough to seal Pei Ji's defeat.
Aside from Pei Ji, Orange Moon Star Envoy and the eight Colored Glaze knights had no idea Zhang Ruochen had used the power of space. They only saw Zhang Ruochen send Pei Ji flying with a single palm strike, severely wounding him once again.
A master ranked forty-first on the Heavenly Ranking was like a child before Zhang Ruochen, utterly incapable of matching him.
"Impossible, impossible. How can he be this strong..."
Pei Ji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart filled with unwillingness. He slammed his palm against the ground, using the rebound force to stand up again.
Even a top ten expert on the Heavenly Ranking would find it no easy task to defeat him. And yet, here was Zhang Ruochen?
Suddenly, his vision blurred. A sword light slashed toward his neck.
Startled, Pei Ji's hairs stood on end in an instant. He immediately activated the power of the Dragon-Pattern Azure Water Sword and swung it horizontally to block.
Zhang Ruochen struck with full force, while Pei Ji defended hastily. The difference was immediately clear.
"Bang!"
Pei Ji felt as if his vision was filled with sword qi. A tremendous force pressed down on him, forcing him to take a step back to neutralize the impact.
Then came Zhang Ruochen's second sword, third sword... One exquisite sword technique after another was unleashed, overwhelming Pei Ji and leaving him no room to counter.
Pei Ji's attainment in the Sword Dao was not particularly high to begin with. Forcing a sword duel against Zhang Ruochen was naturally a losing battle.
But if he didn't use the Dragon-Pattern Azure Water Sword, how could he block the Saint-level Abyssal Ancient Sword?
He would probably die even faster.
"After breaking through his cultivation realm, Zhang Ruochen is terrifying. If I don't break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm, I will never be his opponent. It seems I have no choice but to break through today as well."
Pei Ji's mind shifted, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
"Clang!"
At that moment, a piercing sword cry rang out. A dazzling sword light streaked through the air.
Pei Ji pressed both hands on his sword, holding the Dragon-Pattern Azure Water Sword horizontally. It collided with the tip of the Abyssal Ancient Sword. The Dragon-Pattern Azure Water Sword bent backward, forming a sword bow.
"Bang!"
The sword bow snapped back, sending Pei Ji flying at incredible speed, landing dozens of zhang away.
Pei Ji steadied himself, still feeling numbness in his arms. He quickly circulated his true qi to heal the damage.
"Zhang Ruochen, I have to admit you truly deserve the title of king among the younger generation. But if you think you can defeat me, that's impossible."
Pei Ji took out a pigeon-egg-sized crimson pill, holding it between two fingers. "This Half-Saint Blood Pill was originally meant to be taken when I encountered a bottleneck. But for your Dragon Pearl, it's worth using it now."
The Half-Saint Blood Pill was refined from the blood of a Half-Saint. It contained not only powerful blood qi but also a trace of a Half-Saint's sacred power. For members of the Undying Blood Clan, it was an unparalleled divine medicine.
Pei Ji planned to take the Half-Saint Blood Pill to break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Once he reached the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, his strength would skyrocket. He could then kill Zhang Ruochen with a flick of his hand and seize the Dragon Pearl from his body.
"No, I can't let him break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm."
Zhang Ruochen cast aside all hesitation. He immediately used Space Displacement, appearing before Pei Ji. He thrust his sword swiftly, aiming for Pei Ji's right hand to snatch the Half-Saint Blood Pill.
Pei Ji immediately activated the Residual Shadow Nine Star Step, turning his body into a blur of afterimages. Nine phantom figures appeared as he rapidly retreated backward.
After changing positions nine times, Pei Ji thought he had shaken off Zhang Ruochen and was about to swallow the Half-Saint Blood Pill.
"Shiiing!"
A blood-drenched sword pierced through the back of his neck, emerging from his mouth.
"Urgh..."
The Half-Saint Blood Pill was already at Pei Ji's lips, but in the end, he couldn't swallow it. Pei Ji cast a final glance at the sword protruding from his mouth, his entire body trembling.
So close... so close...
On the verge of death, Pei Ji gathered all his remaining strength and wildly struck a palm behind him, hoping to take Zhang Ruochen down with him.
"Boom!"
Pei Ji's palm strike left a crater over ten meters in diameter on the ground behind him. The surrounding earth was also shattered and cracked.
But Zhang Ruochen had used Flying Sword Art for that strike, piercing Pei Ji's neck from a distance. He wasn't standing behind Pei Ji, so Pei Ji's dying blow didn't harm him at all.
Zhang Ruochen flicked his sleeve, brushing away the dust that surged toward him.
"Whoosh!"
He extended his arm, and the Abyssal Ancient Sword flew back into his hand.
"I... won't... accept this..."
Pei Ji watched Zhang Ruochen approach step by step, his eyes bulging. He wanted to launch one more attack, but his strength was completely spent. Even with the Undying Blood Clan's powerful vitality, he could no longer hold on.
"Thud!"
Pei Ji took only one step forward before his body tilted and he collapsed to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen used his spiritual power to confirm that Pei Ji was truly dead. Then he crouched down and took the Half-Saint Blood Pill from Pei Ji's hand.
Zhang Ruochen examined the pill. On its surface were countless pill inscriptions. It contained not only the blood of a Half-Saint but also the blood qi of numerous ordinary martial artists.
"Indeed, it's the Undying Blood Clan's method of refining blood pills. It seems they have truly returned."
Zhang Ruochen had some understanding of the Undying Blood Clan. He knew they not only drank the blood of the living but also used it as a medicinal ingredient to refine blood pills.
The blood of a Half-Saint was the main ingredient.
The blood of other martial artists served as auxiliary ingredients.
They would kill tens of thousands of humans, gathering their blood into a lake.
Eventually, that blood lake would be refined into a furnace of blood pills.
A furnace of blood pills would yield only a few or a dozen pills at most, each containing an extraordinarily vast amount of blood qi.
Zhang Ruochen put away the Half-Saint Blood Pill and searched Pei Ji's body. He found no other blood pills but discovered three more True Martial Treasures: one ninth-rank and two tenth-rank.
He collected them all, intending to let the Abyssal Ancient Sword refine them.
Then, Zhang Ruochen picked up the Saint Sword, the Dragon-Pattern Azure Water Sword, and turned back to clean up the battlefield.
Since he had already exposed his spatial power, Zhang Ruochen left no survivors. He killed all eight Colored Glaze knights and stored their eight intact Colored Glaze armor sets in his Space Ring.
Each set of Colored Glaze armor was worth a fortune. Even if he didn't sell them, giving them to Si Xingkong and Chang Qiqi would greatly boost their strength and help them protect themselves in the Holy Academy.
As for the eight dragon-bone spears, they were all refined by the Abyssal Ancient Sword, transforming into eight basic inscriptions.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen searched the bodies of the eleven Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection martial artists sent by the three Saintly Gate Clans. He found some True Martial Treasures and handed them all to the Abyssal Ancient Sword for refinement.
After absorbing all the True Martial Treasures, the number of basic inscriptions in the Abyssal Ancient Sword increased by several dozen, reaching a total of two hundred and forty-one.
Not only did the sword's edge become sharper, but its weight also increased significantly.
After finishing all this, Zhang Ruochen walked toward Xiao Hei and Orange Moon Star Envoy.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen kill Pei Ji, Orange Moon Star Envoy frowned deeply and let out a long sigh.
How could Zhang Ruochen be this strong?
Perhaps only Huang Yi Star Envoy, ranked first on the Heavenly Ranking, would have a ten out of ten chance of defeating him if he came.
But Huang Yi Star Envoy was still in the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, attempting to achieve the Supreme Extreme Realm of the Heavenly Extreme Realm. There was no way he could come to the Wood Essence Ruins Realm.
It seemed that escaping was now just a fantasy.
She wondered how Zhang Ruochen would deal with her.
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