# Chapter 535: Hell Blood Refinement
"Junior Sister... you... you are so cruel..."
Yin Wuchang stared wide-eyed, looking in shock at the Orange Moon Star Envoy opposite him. Then, his gaze gradually moved downward, fixing on the position of his heart.
Cultivators at the Fish-Dragon Realm had already transcended the mundane; even if their heart was shattered, they would not die immediately.
Orange Moon Star Envoy withdrew her palm, flicked the bloodstains from her fingertips, and said indifferently: "In the end, everyone must die. Senior Brother, you are merely dying a little before me."
Yin Wuchang's gray pupils flashed with a cold light, his teeth clenched tightly. "In that case... let us perish together."
"Hellfire, burn my body."
Yin Wuchang brought his hands together, using all the remaining strength in his body to execute a forbidden martial technique.
The blood within him burned wildly, transforming into wisps of green flames.
The wandering soul ghost children floating in midair immediately flew toward him, like moths diving into a flame, colliding with the green fire and producing a sizzling sound.
The flames on Yin Wuchang's body burned even brighter.
"Such powerful vitality. His heart has been shattered, yet he can still live this long."
Huang Yanchen watched Yin Wuchang standing in the flames, becoming alert. She began secretly circulating her true qi, ready to strike at any moment.
The power fluctuations around Yin Wuchang's body were extremely intense, making it impossible to approach. Even an expert like Orange Moon Star Envoy was forced back.
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned grave. "If I'm not mistaken, Yin Wuchang must have executed a forbidden martial technique from the Nine Death Cave—the Hell Blood Refinement."
"If he were still alive, executing Hell Blood Refinement would allow him to unleash power far beyond his cultivation level in a short time. However, it comes at a tremendous cost. Each time it's used, half of the blood in his body burns away, and his lifespan is reduced by ten years."
Huang Yanchen said: "But he's already dead now!"
Zhang Ruochen said: "He can first refine himself into a wandering soul ghost child, then execute Hell Blood Refinement. In that way, he becomes even more terrifying."
"Wandering soul ghost child."
Huang Yanchen's expression turned somewhat ugly. "Does that mean... he no longer has consciousness now? He's just a ghost child, not a living person?"
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath. "No, he still has one thought—that thought is to perish together with us."
Ao Xinyan took two steps back. "Captain, what do we do now?"
"His power is strong, but it will burn out quickly and cannot last long. Let's retreat into the Scroll World first."
Zhang Ruochen unfurled the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, pressing his palm against the scroll. With a whoosh, a spatial gate opened, suspended in midair.
At that moment, Yin Wuchang in the distance let out a sharp cry. He struck out with a palm, heavily injuring Orange Moon Star Envoy, who fell from the sky with a plop into the sea.
Whoosh!
Orange Moon Star Envoy flew out of the water. Her thin clothes were completely stained blood-red, and blood continuously spilled from her mouth.
Just then, Yin Wuchang attacked her again.
Orange Moon Star Envoy glanced toward the ship and saw Zhang Ruochen opening the spatial gate, with Huang Yanchen and Ao Xinyan already retreating into the Scroll World.
"Young Master, save me..."
Seeing Yin Wuchang's ferocious appearance, fear arose in Orange Moon Star Envoy's heart. She was terrified that Zhang Ruochen would enter the Scroll World alone, abandoning her outside.
If that happened, she would surely die.
Yin Wuchang's entire body was wrapped in green flames. The skin on his arms had long since split open, revealing flesh and bone.
Boom!
Yin Wuchang threw a punch, striking Orange Moon Star Envoy's left cheek, shattering her cheekbone. Her originally flawless face immediately turned bruised and swollen, with blood seeping out.
Plop!
She was sent flying again, falling into the sea.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the ship, calmly watching this scene.
To be honest, he didn't like this woman, Orange Moon Star Envoy. Keeping her by his side was like having a time bomb—it could explode at any moment.
If he could use Yin Wuchang's hand to eliminate her, that wouldn't be so bad either.
Xiao Hei's voice came from the Cosmic Divine Wood Map: "Zhang Ruochen, save her. She will really be useful in the future."
Zhang Ruochen said: "This woman could kill her own senior brother without hesitation. Her heart is truly too cold. It's somewhat detestable."
"Isn't that exactly what you want?"
Xiao Hei continued: "Or would you rather she had joined forces with Yin Wuchang to deal with you? Zhang Ruochen, why do you dislike her so much? Is there some other secret hidden in your heart?"
Zhang Ruochen's brow furrowed tightly. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.
Why did he dislike Orange Moon Star Envoy?
Actually, it was because Zhang Ruochen saw Chi Yao's shadow in Orange Moon Star Envoy.
Orange Moon Star Envoy had deceived Bu Qianfan's feelings, just as Chi Yao had once deceived Zhang Ruochen's feelings.
Orange Moon Star Envoy had killed her senior brother Yin Wuchang, just as Chi Yao had killed Zhang Ruochen back then—equally devoid of human warmth, equally cold, equally detestable.
Of course, he couldn't reveal this secret.
Xiao Hei said: "Zhang Ruochen, you need someone this ruthless by your side—someone to do the things you're unwilling to do, or find inconvenient to do."
"No need to say more. I understand."
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, forcing himself to adjust his emotions. He looked toward the sea again, seeing that Yin Wuchang had already pulled Orange Moon Star Envoy out of the water. One hand gripped her collar, while the other formed a sharp bone claw, pressing down toward the top of her head.
Orange Moon Star Envoy had never feared death. But when she saw Yin Wuchang's claw about to descend, an unprecedented terror arose in her heart.
What she feared was not death, but karmic retribution.
She had never believed in retribution, but at this moment, she was terrified that retribution would befall her.
Orange Moon Star Envoy thought to herself: If Zhang Ruochen saves me now, I swear I will never betray him in the future. I will truly regard him as my master, obey his commands, and even if he wants me to serve him in bed, I will not resist.
At this moment, she truly didn't want to die—at least not at Yin Wuchang's hands.
Whoosh!
The chain links spun and flew out, passing through the void and wrapping around Orange Moon Star Envoy's waist three times.
Zhang Ruochen pulled hard, dragging Orange Moon Star Envoy back. He reached out with his left hand, grabbing her waist, then immediately rushed toward the spatial gate.
Yin Wuchang's claw struck empty air, naturally enraged. He struck a palm toward the ship.
The palm force condensed into a huge green fire handprint, striking above the ship.
Boom!
The thirty-meter-long ship exploded in an instant, shattering into pieces of broken iron plates and wood shavings.
By the time Yin Wuchang struck his palm, the spatial gate had already closed, and Zhang Ruochen was unharmed.
Back in the Scroll World, Zhang Ruochen set Orange Moon Star Envoy down.
Orange Moon Star Envoy was covered in wounds, like someone just pulled from a pool of blood. She looked extremely weak. She stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen and said: "Thank you."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at her. "Aren't you unafraid of death? Then why did I feel your body trembling uncontrollably earlier?"
Orange Moon Star Envoy's hair was disheveled, looking very bedraggled, but she revealed a faint smile. "Young Master, not fearing death and not being afraid are two different things. Even someone like you must have people you fear, things you fear. Isn't that right?"
Having said this, Orange Moon Star Envoy immediately walked away, swallowed a Wood Spirit Red Chan pill, and began healing.
Zhang Ruochen stood in silence, pondering for a long time. He nodded slightly, glancing at Orange Moon Star Envoy's retreating back, and muttered to himself: "Well said. Indeed, everyone has weaknesses."
When Zhang Ruochen emerged from the Scroll World again, only some broken wooden planks, fine wood shavings, and a black skeleton remained on the sea surface.
Because he had activated the forbidden technique of "Hell Blood Refinement," Yin Wuchang's flesh and blood had completely burned away, leaving only bones.
After all, Yin Wuchang's cultivation had surpassed the "Bone Refining to Jade" realm. His bones were extremely hard and wouldn't be easily burned away.
What intrigued Zhang Ruochen was how a set of hard bones could float on the water surface?
Zhang Ruochen walked across the water, stepping on the surface, and approached. Between two ribs, he spotted a black bottle.
After a brief recollection, he remembered—this black bottle was the vessel Yin Wuchang had used to contain the three thousand wandering soul ghost children.
The ghost children in the bottle had long since dissipated completely.
"It's actually a hundred-mark sacred artifact. I can refine it into another sacred artifact-level Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase."
Zhang Ruochen examined the bottle, then put it away.
Next, he released his spiritual power and soon located the medium-sized ship six hundred miles away.
Perhaps because their battle with Yin Wuchang had alarmed the void world warriors on that medium-sized ship, they had already set sail, even though dawn had not yet broken.
Zhang Ruochen followed behind that medium-sized ship, continuing toward Divine Turtle Island.
The next day, around noon, the medium-sized ship finally arrived at Divine Turtle Island.
By now, city walls had been built on the island, and a city-protecting grand formation had been arranged, making it resemble a military fortress. Many void world warriors had gathered in the city—both elite troops from the Ministry of War and cultivators from various sects and clans.
Everyone gathered on Divine Turtle Island wanted to go to the Blood Spring Sea Trench to obtain the Black Tortoise inheritance.
However, the Blood Spring Sea Trench was too dangerous, so no one dared to act rashly. They hoped the Ministry of War's experts would scout ahead first.
Orange Moon Star Envoy had recuperated in the Scroll World for several days, and her injuries had fully healed. She followed behind Zhang Ruochen, arriving at the waters near Divine Turtle Island.
Orange Moon Star Envoy glanced at Zhang Ruochen. "Young Master, there are definitely many people on Divine Turtle Island who want to deal with you. Are you sure we should go ashore?"
"Of course." Zhang Ruochen nodded.