# Chapter 548: Battle Against a Half-Saint
"Boom! Boom!"
The man and the flood dragon exchanged more than a dozen moves before separating once again.
"Black Bone Flood Dragon King is a sixth-rank savage beast. Even though I have reached the supreme extreme realm of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, I am still no match for him."
A trace of blood flowed from the corner of Zhang Ruochen's mouth.
Zhang Ruochen decided to change his tactics. He would first lure the Black Bone Flood Dragon King deeper into the seabed, where the water pressure would be stronger and suppress the Flood Dragon King's power even further.
With this thought, Zhang Ruochen turned around and immediately rushed toward the seabed.
"Trying to escape? Do you think you can get away?"
A mocking smile appeared in the Black Bone Flood Dragon King's eyes. His legs transformed into a red flood dragon tail, swinging rapidly as his speed multiplied several times over. In an instant, he caught up to within three zhang of Zhang Ruochen.
He took out the Blazing Flame War Hammer, gripped it in his hand, and used sacred qi to activate the inscription patterns within the hammer.
The Blazing Flame War Hammer was a hundred-mark sacred artifact, once the battle weapon of the Green Robe Star Envoy. After the Green Robe Star Envoy was killed by the Black Bone Flood Dragon King, this sacred artifact fell into the Flood Dragon King's hands.
"Boom!"
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King swung his arm, sending the Blazing Flame War Hammer flying toward Zhang Ruochen's back.
The war hammer erupted with a powerful surge of energy, pushing the water waves outward rapidly, forming a huge arc that slammed into Zhang Ruochen's back.
"He caught up so quickly!"
Zhang Ruochen glanced back, startled, and immediately executed a spatial displacement. His figure flickered, vanishing from beneath the war hammer.
When he reappeared, he was already thirty zhang away.
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King let out a soft exclamation of surprise, staring at Zhang Ruochen thirty zhang away with some astonishment. "You can manipulate the power of space?"
As a sixth-rank savage beast, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King had a very keen perception of space. Even the slightest spatial fluctuation could not escape his notice.
Sensing that Zhang Ruochen could control space, the Flood Dragon King immediately understood what was happening. He muttered to himself, "So that's it. No wonder a mere Heavenly Extreme Realm human can actually contend with me."
"Since he can control space, the water pressure of the sea has no effect on him. If I let him continue diving deeper, it will only become more disadvantageous for me."
Realizing this, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King's expression gradually turned serious. He began to take this "weak" opponent seriously.
"Damn it! That foreign human can perform spatial displacement. In the seabed, I simply cannot catch up to him."
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King chased Zhang Ruochen three times in succession, but each time, Zhang Ruochen escaped using spatial displacement. He simply could not stop him.
After diving another three thousand meters, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King could clearly sense that his power had weakened further.
Suddenly, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King's gaze fell upon a Ruins Realm warrior at the fifth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm not far away. An idea struck him, and a smile appeared on his face.
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King gave up chasing Zhang Ruochen. He sidestepped, rushed over, and grabbed the neck of that Fish-Dragon fifth transformation Ruins Realm warrior, holding him in his hand. Looking down at Zhang Ruochen, he said in a deep voice, "Human boy, if you keep running, do you believe I will kill him right now?"
Zhang Ruochen stopped and looked up. His brow furrowed slightly. "Black Bone Flood Dragon King, you are considered a regional overlord. Using such tactics to threaten a Heavenly Extreme Realm human—aren't you afraid your flood dragon descendants will laugh at you?"
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King sneered. "As long as I can kill you, the method doesn't matter."
The Ruins Realm warrior captured by the Black Bone Flood Dragon King was one of the evil path cultivators from the Black Market, named Wang Hanwu.
Originally, Wang Hanwu was also a feared evil path expert, but before the Black Bone Flood Dragon King, he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, completely powerless to resist.
Wang Hanwu had witnessed the Black Bone Flood Dragon King kill the Green Robe Star Envoy, so he was terrified of the Flood Dragon King.
His entire body trembled uncontrollably. Abandoning all pretense of dignity, he immediately begged, "Zhang Ruochen, I was wrong before. I shouldn't have joined the Green Robe Star Envoy to deal with you. But please, seeing as we are both humans, you have to save me."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Wang Hanwu, a look of contempt appearing in his eyes.
If Wang Hanwu had shown some backbone, Zhang Ruochen might have respected him as a real man and saved him.
But now, Zhang Ruochen was deeply disappointed. He said flatly, "Black Bone Flood Dragon King, did you hear that? He is my enemy. Do you think I would save him? If you help me get rid of him, I might even thank you."
"Is that so? Then I won't hold back."
"Smack!"
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King snorted, tightened his five fingers, and snapped Wang Hanwu's neck, tossing his corpse aside.
In truth, when Zhang Ruochen said that, he was using reverse psychology, hoping to some extent to save Wang Hanwu's life.
After all, a human life was at stake. How could he just watch him die at the hands of a foreign race?
However, Zhang Ruochen had not expected the Black Bone Flood Dragon King to be so cruel and bloodthirsty. Even knowing that Wang Hanwu was Zhang Ruochen's enemy, he still killed him. It was truly unpredictable.
Could it be that the Black Bone Flood Dragon King was so clever that he had seen through Zhang Ruochen's intention?
Although he had failed to change the final outcome, Zhang Ruochen had done his utmost for his enemy Wang Hanwu. He could not very well risk his own life fighting the Black Bone Flood Dragon King for his sake.
A smile appeared in the Black Bone Flood Dragon King's eyes. "Human boy, I am now going to kill all those human warriors. Let's see how long you can endure."
As the king of the flood dragon clan, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King was naturally quite intelligent.
He had been fighting foreign humans for years and knew very well that the greatest weakness of humans was their humanity.
Since this human boy had been willing to oppose the flood dragon clan and go on a killing spree for the sake of those Ruins Realm warriors earlier,
then as long as he continued killing Ruins Realm warriors, he would surely provoke the human boy again. Unless that human boy had no humanity at all.
Seeing the Black Bone Flood Dragon King charging toward another Ruins Realm warrior, Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened. He gave chase, saying, "Black Bone Flood Dragon King, if you want to kill, then kill. But remember this: for every Ruins Realm warrior you kill, I will kill ten Crimson Cloud Python Flood Dragons in revenge."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen catch up, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King revealed a smile. "Is that so? Then let's see who is more ruthless."
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King caught up to a Ruins Realm warrior trying to flee. He reached out with one hand and pressed it against the man's left shoulder.
With just a light touch, all the bones inside that Ruins Realm warrior's body shattered into powder, and his body went limp.
"Space Rift."
Zhang Ruochen caught up behind the Black Bone Flood Dragon King. He waved his finger, tearing open a three-zhang-long rift that slashed toward the Flood Dragon King's back.
Knowing that Zhang Ruochen could control space, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King was naturally on guard.
"Whoosh!" With a sound, the Black Bone Flood Dragon King sank his body, dropping below the space rift and dodging Zhang Ruochen's attack.
"Angry Flood Dragon Ascends to Heaven."
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King transformed into a half-flood dragon, half-human form, becoming over ten zhang long. He surged upward, crashing toward Zhang Ruochen's chest.
"Divine Dragon Tribulation."
Zhang Ruochen gathered power in both palms and struck out simultaneously, sending a ten-zhang-long divine dragon phantom forward.
"Boom!"
The flood dragon king and the dragon phantom collided.
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King extended his two claws, swiped forward, and tore the dragon phantom apart. He continued charging forward, slamming into Zhang Ruochen's body.
The massive flood dragon head sent Zhang Ruochen flying hundreds of meters before he finally stopped.
Zhang Ruochen's chest was in extreme pain. Blood seeped from between his ribs, and all his internal organs felt as if they had been shattered by that blow. The discomfort was unbearable.
"As expected of a sixth-rank savage beast. The gap between us is still so enormous. Unless I can break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm, he will kill me within ten moves."
Zhang Ruochen clutched his chest with one hand while taking out the Wish-Fulfilling Treasure Vase with the other. He swallowed another large mouthful of Wood Spirit Red Chan.
At his current level, breaking through to the Fish-Dragon Realm was neither difficult nor easy.
The key issue was that when he broke through, he would be extremely weak and absolutely could not be disturbed.
Clearly, the current situation did not allow him to break through.
What should he do?
The Black Bone Flood Dragon King reverted to human form and walked toward Zhang Ruochen step by step, laughing. "Human boy, to withstand one of my attacks and still survive, you are quite capable!"
Zhang Ruochen watched the approaching Black Bone Flood Dragon King. He took out the Sky-Connecting Divine Wood Map from his qi sea, holding it in his hand. "Xiao Hei, shouldn't you come out and lend me a hand?"
"Whoosh!"
A black speck of light flew out from the scroll.
That speck of light gradually grew larger, finally transforming into a half-meter-tall black fat cat.
Xiao Hei seemed to have just woken up. He stretched lazily and glanced casually at the Black Bone Flood Dragon King.
Sensing the immense aura emanating from the Black Bone Flood Dragon King, Xiao Hei was startled. All traces of sleepiness vanished. He took two steps back and exclaimed in shock, "A sixth-rank savage beast Crimson Cloud Python Flood Dragon! And we're enemies with it... Zhang Ruochen, you can't be serious, right?"
"Of course not."
Zhang Ruochen shoved the Cosmic Divine Wood Map into Xiao Hei's arms. "Hold this for me for a moment. I need to break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm."
Xiao Hei hugged the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, his round eyes wide open. He shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Are you kidding me? I'm no match for him."
"Don't worry. I will use my space domain and flying sword technique to help you. But you must ensure he doesn't touch my body," Zhang Ruochen said seriously.
Zhang Ruochen could actually enter the Scroll World to break through to the Fish-Dragon Realm. However, if he did that, Xiao Hei would have no assistance from the space domain and would never be able to hold off the Black Bone Flood Dragon King.
Only by having both of them stall the Flood Dragon King as much as possible could Huang Yanchen, Ao Xinyan, the Orange Moon Star Envoy, and the other Ruins Realm warriors escape to the bottom of the trench and avoid the Flood Dragon King's slaughter.
Suddenly, a golden speck of light appeared in the distance, as if something was rushing toward this direction.
"Amitabha!"
A resounding Buddhist chant echoed through the black seawater.