Chapter 556: Seizing the Saint Source
Zhang Ruochen steadied his legs, regaining his footing as a surge of cold energy rose from the soles of his feet, freezing the seawater into thick ice. Standing on the ice, he pressed a hand against his aching, splitting chest and stared up at Golden Huang King.
"What a formidable iron pillar—completely impossible to overpower. Just a single shake, releasing a wave of force, carried such terrifying power. If it were to topple down, even a Saint would likely be killed."
That earlier strike—a ripple of force emitted by the iron pillar—had pierced the defense of the Sarira, struck Zhang Ruochen, and worsened his injuries. Now, his clothes were soaked in blood, and even the tips of his hair dripped red.
Zhang Ruochen could tell that Golden Huang King didn't have full control over the iron pillar. The power it unleashed was indeed immense, but it required a vast amount of Saint Qi to activate. With Golden Huang King's cultivation, he could only barely draw out a fraction of the pillar's strength. Yet even that fraction had nearly crushed Zhang Ruochen.
Golden Huang King stood imposingly in midair, his body pitch-black like charcoal, and roared at Zhang Ruochen, "I wield the Calamity Sea Pillar! Even if ten Half-Saints came, they wouldn't be my match. You, a mere brat, dare to oppose me?"
Zhang Ruochen channeled the Buddhist Qi from the Sarira to temporarily suppress his injuries and replied fearlessly, "Golden Huang King, if the Death Evil Qi hadn't invaded your body, with your cultivation and rich battle experience, I wouldn't stand a chance even with the Buddha Emperor Relic. But now, with evil Qi corrupting you and your mind in chaos, you're just a puppet controlled by a sinister artifact. Defeating you is easy for me."
Golden Huang King laughed. "Ridiculous! Are you saying that now that I wield the Calamity Sea Pillar, I'm still inferior to you?"
"Exactly."
Zhang Ruochen's voice rang out with conviction.
He took out the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, held it in his left hand, and poured streams of golden Buddhist Qi into the scroll. On its surface, layers of Time-Space Inscriptions lit up, radiating white light. The image of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree at the scroll's center came to life—first a golden leaf extended, then a branch, and soon a golden sacred tree dozens of feet tall grew out from the scroll.
The Cosmic Divine Wood Map wasn't just a container for an inner space; it was a Time-Space treasure refined by Xumi Saint Monk, possessing formidable defensive and offensive power. Previously, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had been too weak to unleash its true potential.
"Useless! Before the Calamity Sea Pillar, any weapon you wield is nothing," Golden Huang King said.
With a bang, his palms struck the iron pillar. The pillar shook again, releasing a wave of force that surged like a tidal wave toward Zhang Ruochen. This attack seemed even more powerful than the last.
Zhang Ruochen gripped the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, controlling the dozens-of-feet-tall golden sacred tree, and swung it forward, dispersing the force wave with ease.
"How… how is this possible?" Golden Huang King's expression shifted.
"You can borrow the power of a sinister artifact; why can't I borrow the power of a divine tree?"
Zhang Ruochen executed the Divine Dragon Transformation, turning into a golden dragon dozens of feet long. Extending a dragon claw, he seized the golden sacred tree, pierced through layers of Death Evil Qi, and appeared above Golden Huang King.
"Whoosh!"
The golden sacred tree swept forward, scattering all the evil Qi from the iron pillar. At the same time, the golden dragon spat out a fist-sized dragon pearl. It shot forward like a golden shuttle, striking Golden Huang King and sending him flying.
The dragon pearl's power was immense. With a single blow, it caved in Golden Huang King's chest. He spat a mouthful of black blood and fell with a splash into the Western Mystic Sea.
"Roar!"
The golden dragon let out a mighty cry and plunged into the sea. It quickly found Golden Huang King, struck him with a claw, shattering his armor and leaving bloody cracks across his body.
The golden dragon shrank back into human form. Zhang Ruochen lunged forward, grabbed Golden Huang King by the neck, dragged him onto a small island, and used the golden sacred tree to suppress him.
Pressing his right hand on Golden Huang King's shoulder, Zhang Ruochen quickly extended his left hand, fingers forming a claw, and struck Golden Huang King's brow.
"Crack!"
Golden Huang King's Qi Sea split open under the attack, revealing a gap. Zhang Ruochen thrust his hand into Golden Huang King's brow, reached into the Qi Sea, seized the Black Tortoise Saint Source, and pulled it out.
The Black Tortoise Saint Source was crystalline, like an emerald gem, radiating a dazzling light. But upon closer inspection, faint black lines covered its surface, hinting at a Death Evil Qi that was unsettling.
As Zhang Ruochen held the Saint Source in his palm, a surge of negative emotions—bloodlust, greed, treachery—washed over him. His eyes instantly turned gray, flickering with various expressions: somber, greedy, murderous.
"Zhang Ruochen… you're about to fall into the evil path… wake up now…"
A stern, cold voice pierced Zhang Ruochen's mind like a thunderous blow, making his whole body shudder. Then, he felt a surge of Saint Qi flow from his back, rushing through his meridians into his Qi Sea, driving out the negative thoughts.
"Whoosh!"
A wisp of black Qi flew from the top of his head.
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen snapped back to clarity and immediately threw the Saint Source to the ground.
"Hiss!"
The ground sizzled as the soil of most of the small island turned black in moments.
Zhang Ruochen looked at his palm—a faint black mark remained at its center. A chill ran through him, and he exhaled in lingering fear. "Such terrifying evil Qi… it nearly made me lose consciousness."
"I've endured countless life-and-death battles on the Ruins Realm battlefield, forging a will as firm as rock. Yet even I, with my Half-Saint cultivation and iron-blooded war heart, couldn't withstand the evil Qi on the Black Tortoise Saint Source and was controlled by it. What about you, a fledgling junior?"
A weak voice came from behind.
Zhang Ruochen turned to see Golden Huang King standing there, a trace of Saint blood at the corner of his mouth, clearly badly injured.
Zhang Ruochen bowed deeply. "Thank you, senior, for saving me. If not for you, I'd likely have become an evil slave by now."
After Zhang Ruochen removed the Black Tortoise Saint Source from Golden Huang King's Qi Sea, his will had suppressed the evil Qi again, and he had regained clarity. It was he who had awakened Zhang Ruochen.
"You're a discerning young man, knowing gratitude and enmity. No wonder you're the Buddha Emperor's heir—far better than those spoiled brats from Saintly clans," Golden Huang King said, looking at Zhang Ruochen with approval and a faint smile. "You don't need to thank me. If anything, I should thank you. If not for you, junior, my hard-earned reputation would have been ruined today."
Golden Huang King had fought for humanity on the Ruins Realm battlefield for a century, earning countless military merits and expanding the vast Ruins Realm territories—a dedicated general of his generation. If he had truly been corrupted by evil Qi and turned into an evil slave, it would have destroyed his reputation and even implicated his family. Regardless, Zhang Ruochen had saved him, and Golden Huang King owed him a great debt.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the Saint Source on the ground and quickly asked, "Senior, why does the Black Tortoise Saint Source hold such evil power?"
Golden Huang King's gaze also fell on the Saint Source. His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head with a sigh. "The Black Tortoise Saint Source itself has no evil power, but the Calamity Sea Pillar is a sinister artifact brimming with evil Qi. It pinned the Black Tortoise's body underwater for who knows how many years, naturally corrupting the Saint Source. When I obtained it, I didn't know it had been tainted. After refining it, my mind was affected. Later, driven by growing greed, I tried to claim the Calamity Sea Pillar, which only deepened the evil Qi within me, leading me down an irreversible path."
Golden Huang King asked, "Kid, you already have the Buddha Emperor Relic. Why were you so greedy, risking your life to seize the Saint Source?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I need it to save someone. I just hope it's not too late."
Golden Huang King frowned. "By rights, I discovered this Black Tortoise Saint Source and obtained it first, so it's mine. But since you saved my life, I can give it to you."
"Senior, are you trying to repay that debt so quickly?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Golden Huang King looked a bit awkward but maintained a stern tone. "That's how it should be. I saved your life first, and now I'm giving you the Saint Source. That should clear any debt, right?"
At any other time, Zhang Ruochen might have argued with Golden Huang King, refusing to let him off so easily. After all, Zhang Ruochen had had the chance to kill him earlier but had only taken the Saint Source without harming him. But now, he had no time for such debates—more important matters awaited.
Zhang Ruochen held the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, crouched down, wrapped the Black Tortoise Saint Source inside the scroll, then gently spread it flat on the ground.
"Whoosh!"
Sitting cross-legged, he mobilized Buddhist Qi, forming a golden Buddhist pillar with his hands and injecting it into the Cosmic Divine Wood Map. Using the map's special power, he began refining the evil Qi from the Saint Source. Only after purifying the evil Qi could he give the Black Tortoise Saint Source to Huang Yanchen.
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