Chapter 524: Overcoming the Strong with the Weak

Xu Hai had only one sacred artifact on him, one of the Xu Holy Clan's treasures, specifically intended to deal with Zhang Ruochen. (Please search for the most complete and fastest updated content.) Naturally, this sacred artifact could not be bestowed upon Xu Konglin and Xu Chen.

However, Zhang Ruochen possessed quite a few sacred artifacts.

If they killed Zhang Ruochen, wouldn't those sacred artifacts belong to the Xu Holy Clan?

At that point, even if Xu Hai rewarded one sacred artifact, it wouldn't be a big deal.

The two Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators standing behind Xu Hai, Xu Konglin and Xu Chen, heard the words "sacred artifact," and their eyes immediately burned with fervor.

Although Xu Konglin and Xu Chen were elders of the Xu Holy Clan, with profound cultivation, high status, and great power within the clan, the weapons they used were still only eleventh-rank True Martial Treasures.

An eleventh-rank True Martial Treasure was indeed a formidable weapon, worth over a million spirit crystals. If taken out, it could trigger a frenzy of competition among countless Fish-Dragon Realm martial artists.

But how could an eleventh-rank True Martial Treasure compare to a sacred artifact?

An ordinary Fish-Dragon Realm cultivator wielding a sacred artifact could cross one realm to kill an enemy and even cross two realms to defeat an opponent.

If they could obtain a sacred artifact, their strength would undoubtedly reach a new height, giving them greater influence in the Xu Holy Clan's council of elders.

Even if it was just for a sacred artifact, they had to kill Zhang Ruochen!

"Shua!"

Xu Konglin and Xu Chen leaped off the ship, landing on the water's surface, and attacked Zhang Ruochen from both the left and right directions.

Xu Konglin was at the Third Change of Fish-Dragon realm, but his strength had reached the peak of the Third Change, far surpassing Xu Qianling, who had died at Zhang Ruochen's hands earlier. In the Xu Holy Clan's internal competition, Xu Konglin had made Xu Qianling vomit blood in just seven moves.

Though both were at the Third Change of Fish-Dragon, Xu Konglin and Xu Qianling were not on the same level.

The other elder, Xu Chen, had even more terrifying cultivation, having broken through from the Third Change of Fish-Dragon, "Bone Transformation to Jade," to the Fourth Change of Fish-Dragon, "Yinqiao Saint Meridian."

The Fourth Change and Third Change of Fish-Dragon might seem like just one realm apart, but their strength difference was like the distance between heaven and earth. Even if Xu Konglin and Xu Qianling joined forces, Xu Chen could handle them in three moves with just one hand.

With Xu Chen's strength and Xu Konglin's relative weakness, they adopted a tactic of one attacking and the other harassing.

The powerful Xu Chen engaged Zhang Ruochen head-on, while the slightly weaker Xu Konglin stood at a distance, throwing flying knives to disrupt Zhang Ruochen.

Xu Chen's strength was indeed formidable. Even with the support of his martial soul, Zhang Ruochen was suppressed and forced into a completely defensive position, constantly retreating and daring not to clash directly with Xu Chen.

Xu Chen, over seventy years old, was a veteran figure of the Xu Holy Clan and had been a talented genius in his youth. He wielded an eleventh-rank True Martial Treasure-level Tiger-Splitting Blade, his blade technique refined to perfection. The three-thousand-jin heavy blade in his hand could unleash the power to split cliffs and shatter steles with every casual strike.

Xu Chen's long hair flew wildly, his strength boundless as he overwhelmed Zhang Ruochen head-on.

"Boom!"

...

Every slash of his blade carried a bone-piercing cold aura.

When he delivered the ninth slash, the sea area for dozens of miles around had completely frozen into thick ice.

"Zhang Ruochen, I have already opened the Yinqiao Saint Meridian and can convert the true qi in my body into saint qi, unleashing the full power of my martial techniques. How can you fight me? Surrender now! You have no chance left!" Xu Chen sneered.

He slashed out with his blade, and a sharp, cold blade qi flew past Zhang Ruochen's neck, cutting off a strand of hair.

Only a hair's breadth away, that slash would have severed Zhang Ruochen's neck.

Zhang Ruochen kicked off with both feet, his body rapidly retreating, landing five miles away. He paused briefly to steady himself, preparing to gather strength for a counterattack.

"Shua!"

From a distance, Xu Konglin seized the opportunity. With his index and middle fingers, he clamped a one-foot-long bronze flying knife and launched it at Zhang Ruochen's back.

The bronze flying knife, a sixth-rank True Martial Treasure, was activated by Xu Konglin's true qi. The inscriptions within the knife were awakened, emitting a two-meter-diameter cloud of flame.

The flying knife spun rapidly, flying at four times the speed of sound, trailing a long tail of fire.

As it flew, the knife violently shook the air, producing a thunderous roar like a heavenly drum.

Of course, the knife's speed far surpassed the speed of sound. By the time the sound reached, the knife had already pierced through the protective heavenly firmament and reached Zhang Ruochen's back, about to penetrate his body.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Zhang Ruochen swung his sword backward, colliding with the flying knife.

"Bang!"

The flying knife snapped in two, flying off and falling into the water.

Because the knife carried flames, it boiled the surrounding seawater upon impact.

"Shua!"

Xu Konglin's fingers rapidly flicked, launching a second, third, and fourth flying knife, each flying at four times the speed of sound, targeting all the vital points on Zhang Ruochen's body.

Zhang Ruochen's sword technique was so exquisite that those flying knives couldn't harm him, but they caused considerable disruption, preventing him from focusing entirely on the more powerful Xu Chen's attacks.

In a duel between experts, one absolutely cannot be distracted. The slightest carelessness could lead to utter ruin.

Remember, Zhang Ruochen's opponent was Xu Chen of the Fourth Change of Fish-Dragon, a top-tier expert in his own right, putting immense pressure on Zhang Ruochen.

Xu Konglin's harassment from a distance was deliberately meant to distract Zhang Ruochen, creating an opportunity for Xu Chen to kill him.

It could be said that both Xu Konglin and Xu Chen were very clever, their coordination flawless.

Zhang Ruochen adopted a relatively conservative strategy, planning to first eliminate the weaker Xu Konglin before slowly dealing with the stronger Xu Chen.

Ignoring Xu Chen, Zhang Ruochen activated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow movement technique, pushing his speed to the limit as he charged toward Xu Konglin.

"Trying to kill me?"

Xu Konglin's lips curled into a mocking smile.

He didn't engage Zhang Ruochen head-on. Instead, he quickly turned and fled into the distance, always maintaining a distance of ten zhang from Zhang Ruochen.

After all, he only needed to disrupt Zhang Ruochen. Why risk his life? If Zhang Ruochen unleashed his sword technique, "Instant Without Trace," he might not be able to block it.

The movement technique Xu Konglin used was the Xu Holy Clan's ultimate art, the Kunpeng Double Flying Wings.

The Kunpeng Double Flying Wings was a Ghost-grade lower-rank martial technique.

Only cultivators who reached the Fish-Dragon Realm could cultivate Ghost-grade movement techniques, because only Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators had enough true qi stored in their bodies to sustain the consumption of such techniques.

Thus, even though Zhang Ruochen had reached the peak of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, he could only use Spirit-grade upper-rank movement techniques.

Xu Konglin continuously infused true qi into the meridians on his back. With a "whoosh," a massive phantom of Kunpeng wings appeared on his back, increasing his movement speed several times over, leaving Zhang Ruochen far behind.

As Xu Konglin flew over the sea surface, he left a deep water trail, splitting the sea in two.

Seeing Zhang Ruochen fall farther and farther behind, Xu Konglin felt exhilarated, as if a cat was toying with a mouse, having Zhang Ruochen completely under his control.

Xu Konglin paused slightly and laughed, "Zhang Ruochen, no matter how brilliant your sword technique is, you can only threaten me within three zhang. Unfortunately, you can't even get within three zhang of me. I cultivate a Ghost-grade lower-rank movement technique, while you only cultivate a Spirit-grade upper-rank one. There's no comparison; your speed is far too inferior to mine."

"Really?" Zhang Ruochen said.

Xu Konglin grinned, a playful look in his eyes, "Stop struggling. To me, you're like a turtle in a jar. If you surrender now, you might even get a whole corpse."

Zhang Ruochen's expression remained calm, unprovoked.

He quickly gave chase, soon reaching a distance of twenty zhang from Xu Konglin. At that moment, Zhang Ruochen secretly circulated his true qi, channeling it into the Dragon-Locking Chain on his wrist.

The surface of the Dragon-Locking Chain emitted streaks of electric light, flying off his wrist and transforming into a massive iron chain as thick as a bowl. It spun across the sea surface, hurtling toward the distant Xu Konglin.

"This is... the sacred artifact of Orange Moon Star Envoy... the Dragon-Locking Chain..."

Xu Konglin's face changed color. He once again activated the Kunpeng Double Flying Wings movement technique, leaping into the air to escape.

But it was too late!

"Whoosh!"

The Dragon-Locking Chain coiled around Xu Konglin's waist, layer by layer. Streaks of electric light burst from the chain, like knives, striking into Xu Konglin's body with crackling sounds.

Zhang Ruochen controlled the Dragon-Locking Chain, shaking his arm, sending Xu Konglin spinning through the air.

Xu Konglin screamed in agony.

In moments, his entire body was charred black by the electric fire of the Dragon-Locking Chain. His clothes and hair turned to black ash, his skin split open, and blood continuously flowed out. He looked as if he had been roasted over a furnace, with wisps of black smoke rising from his body.

"Pfft!"

Under Zhang Ruochen's control, the Abyssal Ancient Sword flew out, piercing Xu Konglin's body and leaving a massive bloody hole in his chest.

Blood gushed endlessly from the hole.

Another Fish-Dragon Realm elder had died under Zhang Ruochen's sword.

Xu Chen, chasing from behind, saw this scene. His old face twisted in fury, and he roared coldly, "Brat, you're asking for death!"

He leaped up, gripping the hilt of his Tiger-Splitting Blade with both hands, and slashed down at Zhang Ruochen.

"Perfect timing!"

A faint, ambiguous smile appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He took out the Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase from his storage ring, holding it in his hand as he poured his true qi into it continuously.