Chapter 526: Fierce Battle for a Thousand Miles
Both the inner and outer layers of the Saint Skin Soft Armor were inscribed with numerous runes and incorporated various other precious refining materials, such as dragon scales, flood dragon skin, phoenix feathers, and so on. Therefore, the defensive power of the Saint Skin Soft Armor was more than ten times stronger than the skin of a Saint. After all, it was a sacred artifact.
Ordinary Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifacts simply could not break through the Saint Skin Soft Armor; only a Thousand-Pattern Sacred Artifact could pierce it.
Xu Hai was quite proud and laughed, "Zhang Ruochen, now you should know my trump card, right? Wearing the Saint Skin Soft Armor, my maximum speed can reach seven times the speed of sound. Even a cultivator at the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm might not be able to catch me. Moreover, the sacred power contained in the soft armor can enhance my strength. That palm strike just now wasn't easy to endure, was it?"
Xu Hai was already a top-tier expert. By activating the runes and sacred power of the Saint Skin Soft Armor, his strength became even greater. Even though Zhang Ruochen had the Dragon Pearl to protect his body, taking that palm strike directly had inflicted considerable injuries.
Suddenly, Xu Hai's expression turned serious, his gaze sharp. "However, you have also brought me quite a surprise, being able to use the power of space. If I weren't wearing the Saint Skin Soft Armor, I might have already died by your sword just now."
Zhang Ruochen smiled, appearing as if he were unharmed, and said calmly, "The defense of the Saint Skin Soft Armor is not necessarily unbreakable."
Hearing this, Xu Hai was first stunned, then burst into laughter. "Zhang Ruochen, that sacred sword of yours is only a Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact. No matter how powerful it is, it cannot break through the Saint Skin Soft Armor."
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly, "A Hundred-Pattern Sacred Artifact indeed cannot break through the Saint Skin Soft Armor, but there are always places on your body that the soft armor cannot defend. For example, your eyes."
The Saint Skin Soft Armor was refined from the skin of a Saint, so it certainly could not defend the eyes.
Xu Hai snorted coldly. "Even if my eyes are a weakness, so what? Will I stand still and let you attack them?"
Zhang Ruochen still wore a smile on his face. He took out the six golden sacred swords from his Space Ring. Under the control of his Sword Heart Illumination, the six sacred swords floated up, hovering in six directions around his body.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen so calm and composed, a sense of unease arose in Xu Hai's heart. "Zhang Ruochen's sword path has reached the realm of Sword Heart Illumination. I must be cautious."
Thus, Xu Hai closed his eyes.
In this way, he no longer had to worry about Zhang Ruochen attacking his eyes.
In fact, for a cultivator at Xu Hai's level, closing his eyes made no difference from keeping them open, because his martial soul and spiritual power's perception of the outside world was even stronger than his eyesight.
Seeing Xu Hai close his eyes, Zhang Ruochen knew that he was already somewhat afraid. Even wearing the Saint Skin Soft Armor, he still lacked sufficient confidence in himself.
This was not surprising. After all, Zhang Ruochen had killed two elders of the Xu Holy Clan without shedding a drop of blood and had trapped another elder in the Ruyi Treasure Vase.
It was precisely because of this that Xu Hai had developed a psychological shadow, feeling that Zhang Ruochen's methods were too strange and impossible to guard against. With the slightest carelessness, he might die by Zhang Ruochen's sword.
Perhaps even Xu Hai himself did not realize that his psychological defenses had already been shattered by Zhang Ruochen.
Once a person becomes afraid, no matter how strong their strength, they cannot escape death.
The weakness of the Saint Skin Soft Armor was indeed the eyes.
But Zhang Ruochen had never intended to attack Xu Hai's eyes.
The reason was simple: the eyes were located at the front of a person and were the most heavily protected area. In a evenly matched battle, it was almost impossible to attack the opponent's eyes.
Moreover, Xu Hai's strength was originally above Zhang Ruochen's.
For Zhang Ruochen to break through his defense head-on and thrust a sword into his eyes was an impossible task.
If he tried that, Zhang Ruochen would surely die, not Xu Hai.
Therefore, what Zhang Ruochen truly intended to use was the power of space. Only by using spatial power could he possibly kill Xu Hai.
Of course, Xu Hai, wearing the Saint Skin Soft Armor, was terrifyingly fast. If Zhang Ruochen recklessly used "Space Rift" or "Space Collapse," Xu Hai might escape. If he escaped once, launching a second spatial attack would be even less likely to harm him.
"Shua shua!"
A slight smile curved at the corner of Zhang Ruochen's mouth. He pointed his finger forward, activating the Sword Control Art. The six golden sacred swords flew out simultaneously.
Seeing the six golden sacred swords flying toward him, Xu Hai's first thought was that Zhang Ruochen must be trying to attack his eyes. So, Xu Hai quickly formed palm seals to guard his face, continuously knocking the six flying sacred swords away.
But the six sacred swords spun around in the void and attacked him again.
"My strength is clearly greater than Zhang Ruochen's, and I'm wearing the Saint Skin Soft Armor. Why am I only on the defensive? No, I must take the initiative to attack."
Xu Hai continuously infused true qi into the Saint Skin Soft Armor, and the power fluctuations on his body grew stronger and stronger. A burst of sacred power erupted from the soft armor, forming a ring of energy ripples that scattered the six sacred swords, sending them flying in all directions.
"Kun Peng Birth and Destruction Fist."
Xu Hai erupted at seven times the speed of sound, turning into a streak of light. In an instant, he reached Zhang Ruochen and unleashed a domineering fist technique.
The Kun Peng Birth and Destruction Fist was a Ghost-level mid-grade fist technique martial skill. Xu Hai had cultivated it for five years but had only mastered two of its moves.
Relying solely on these two moves, Xu Hai had once killed a fifth-rank mid-level savage beast, the "Blood-Tailed Qilin," with two punches. It was that battle that earned him the recognition of the Xu Holy Clan's higher-ups, making him the heir to the future clan leader.
The Xu Holy Clan had a great connection with the ancient divine beast "Kun Peng," so the direct descendants of the Xu Holy Clan all had the blood of the divine beast Kun Peng flowing in their veins.
The Kun Peng Birth and Destruction Fist was a supreme technique that a Saint of the Xu Holy Clan had comprehended from the "Kun Peng Martial Codex," integrating thirty-two forms of the Kun Peng into martial arts and evolving them into thirty-two destructive fist techniques.
Having just begun the fight, Xu Hai immediately used his strongest technique, showing how seriously he regarded Zhang Ruochen.
As the fist technique was unleashed, a layer of light appeared on the surface of Xu Hai's body, taking on the form of a Kun Peng. The phantom of the Kun Peng was over seventy meters tall, like an ancient Kun Peng hovering over the sea, emitting a chilling aura of a primordial divine beast.
"Boom!"
A massive fist shadow flew out, seeming to flip the entire sea surface, causing the water to roll up.
"This is... a Ghost-level mid-grade fist technique martial skill..."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the phantom of the Kun Peng and the oncoming fist force, drawing in a cold breath as he continuously retreated.
In such a situation, only by activating "Divine Dragon Transformation" could he face Xu Hai head-on.
But Zhang Ruochen could only activate the Divine Dragon Transformation by continuously using the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, and the probability was quite low, entirely dependent on luck.
The situation was extremely critical now, not allowing Zhang Ruochen to test his luck. So, instead of fighting Xu Hai head-on, he immediately used Spatial Displacement and rushed toward the bottom of the water.
"Boom!"
Xu Hai's fist struck the water surface, sinking the entire sea level and raising waves as tall as mountains.
"Heh heh! Zhang Ruochen, don't you know that the Kun Peng is the overlord of the water?"
Xu Hai laughed wildly and immediately plunged into the water, chasing after Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Hai had the Saint Skin Soft Armor, and Zhang Ruochen could also use Spatial Displacement. So, although Xu Hai's speed was astonishing, he could never catch up.
The two chased and fled in the water.
The sacred qi and Kun Peng aura emanating from Xu Hai terrified the savage beasts in the water. They thought they had encountered the supreme ruler of the water and all retreated, not daring to approach.
Zhang Ruochen used the Sword Control Art to continuously send the six golden sacred swords flying out.
At the same time, he used his spiritual power to mobilize lightning power, attacking from behind and constantly causing trouble for Xu Hai.
"Zhang Ruochen can indeed control spatial power. Each spatial jump covers thirty zhang. At this rate, I won't be able to catch him."
Xu Hai felt frustrated and grew increasingly irritable.
The two chased each other for over a thousand li when a reef island over ten meters high appeared ahead.
Xu Hai stretched out both arms simultaneously, forming two true qi hands dozens of meters long in the water, lifting the island reef.
"Boom!"
With a swing of his arms, the island reef flew out, striking toward Zhang Ruochen ahead.
Zhang Ruochen looked back and saw a black hill flying toward him, casting a huge shadow on the sea surface.
Zhang Ruochen stopped, gathered his strength, and infused true qi into the Abyssal Ancient Sword.
A white sword light shot out from the tip, and surging sword qi emanated from the blade.
"Break!"
Zhang Ruochen swung the Abyssal Ancient Sword, colliding with the island reef.
The island reef split in two, flying to the left and right before falling into the sea.
Xu Hai rushed out from behind the island reef, reaching Zhang Ruochen in an instant and throwing a punch.
"Birth and Destruction Without Delusion."
Xu Hai's arm emitted cracking sounds, and patches of cyan scales appeared on the surface of his skin. Each finger radiated a deadly light.
One could imagine that the power of this punch would be earth-shattering. If it hit, even a small mountain would be shattered into pieces.
On the surface, it seemed that Xu Hai had fully controlled the situation and would kill Zhang Ruochen in moments. But for Zhang Ruochen, his opportunity had also arrived.
It was now.
Would Zhang Ruochen die, or would Xu Hai perish?
Zhang Ruochen watched Xu Hai getting closer, his gaze growing more resolute. He secretly mobilized the power of space, gathering it at the fingertip of his right hand.
His arm shot out like lightning, and his finger pointed forward.