Chapter 618: Azure Cloud Sacred Body
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Beyond that, Zhang Ruochen taking out the Withered Wood Staff at this moment served another purpose: it could strike the opponent while boosting the morale of his own side. Truly, it was killing two birds with one stone.
The infamous Ice Demon had actually been killed by the Great Protector?
"Boom!"
The entire Quicksand Gorge erupted into chaos among the heretical cultivators.
"The Great Protector is truly a divine being! Even someone like Ice Demon was no match for you."
"The Great Protector lives up to his title; the rest of us can only look up in awe."
"Haha! Now that the Great Protector has arrived, who still dares to claim they will annihilate us?"
...
Originally, Red Desire Star Envoy's faction had suffered consecutive assassinations by the Hunter, followed by pursuits from Azure Garment Star Envoy and the Crystal Knight Commander, causing morale to plummet to its lowest point.
Zhang Ruochen's appearance not only rendered a squad of Snowman Warriors combat-ineffective but also slew the infamous Ice Demon, instantly igniting everyone with fervor.
Red Desire Star Envoy's beautiful eyes gazed at Zhang Ruochen above, and an indescribable ripple stirred within her heart.
There was no denying that Zhang Ruochen had now become the backbone of Red Desire Star Envoy's faction, capable of steadying the army's spirit and boosting morale. The moment he appeared, including Red Desire Star Envoy herself, all the heretical cultivators shed their defeatist attitude and burned with passion.
Although Azure Garment Star Envoy used her formidable sword cultivation to break through the electric fire vortex, the lightning's power still struck her hem, cuffs, and collar, causing black smoke to billow from her body, leaving her quite disheveled.
"A mere Spiritual Power Master cannot turn the tide of your defeat," Azure Garment Star Envoy said coldly.
Red Desire Star Envoy immediately warned Zhang Ruochen, "Be careful, there's an assassin."
The moment Zhang Ruochen appeared, the Hunter had vanished without a trace, concealing himself.
Azure Garment Star Envoy sneered disdainfully, "The Hunter's invisibility technique is exceptionally refined; no one can see his figure, not even a Spiritual Power Master's spiritual power can detect him. Hunter, kill this Great Protector."
Below, all the heretical cultivators knew the Hunter's terror, and thus they grew worried for Zhang Ruochen.
"In that case, let me test the legendary number one assassin of the Blood Cloud Sect."
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly.
Before the Hunter could strike, Zhang Ruochen had already located his hiding spot, extended a palm, and pushed forward. From his palm, a spherical lightning bolt shot out, striking the Hunter.
"Sizzle!"
The Hunter was hit by the spherical lightning, and his form was immediately revealed.
A flicker of shock appeared in the Hunter's eyes; he had never imagined anyone could see through his invisibility technique. Although the spherical lightning's power didn't severely wound him, it left him slightly paralyzed.
In that mere instant, Zhang Ruochen's Wind-Thunder Finger struck, hitting the Hunter's chest.
"Bang!"
A sound like metal striking metal rang out. The Hunter's chest caved in slightly from the impact of the Wind-Thunder Finger, and he flew backward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
With a crash, the Hunter's body slammed into the cliff wall behind him, leaving a rocky crater.
Zhang Ruochen looked at his finger, feeling a slight pain and numbness. That strike had felt like hitting a block of iron.
The Hunter must have had a heart-protecting mirror or similar treasure, which had blocked Zhang Ruochen's attack.
Seeing this, everyone present was stunned again, their jaws nearly dropping to the ground as they stared at Zhang Ruochen like he was a monster, finding it hard to believe.
How terrifying the Hunter was, everyone had witnessed earlier; he was like the Grim Reaper, utterly impossible to contend with.
The Hunter's assassination techniques had nearly driven Red Desire Star Envoy to collapse.
But Zhang Ruochen had sent the Hunter flying with just two moves—how could that not shock people?
No one believed their eyes, thinking they must have seen wrong.
"A Spiritual Power Master actually defeated a top assassin in close combat?"
Azure Garment Star Envoy's expression grew unprecedentedly grave, and her gaze toward Zhang Ruochen carried more wariness.
"The Hunter has hidden himself again."
Red Desire Star Envoy had been using her spiritual power to track the Hunter, and just now, the Hunter, who had been embedded in the cliff wall, suddenly vanished once more.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm and composed, showing no fear.
The Hunter possessed exceptional invisibility techniques and top-tier speed, making him a dreaded top assassin.
Unfortunately, he had encountered Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen had long released his Space Domain, rendering even the most formidable invisibility techniques utterly transparent.
As for speed... who among those below the Half-Saint could match Zhang Ruochen wearing the Meteor Invisibility Cloak?
"Whoosh!"
A blood-red sword silently thrust from behind Zhang Ruochen, aimed at his back.
Zhang Ruochen sidestepped to the left, easily evading the blade's edge, then struck forward with even greater speed.
Another Wind-Thunder Finger hit the Hunter's neck.
The Hunter was also skilled; he quickly executed a movement technique, lifting his body three feet into the air to avoid the fatal strike to his neck.
But Zhang Ruochen seemed to have already calculated his escape route, forming a second-level spell: Wrath of the Thunder General.
A three-zhang-tall lightning giant appeared above and behind the Hunter, unleashing a destructive force, striking down with a thunder hammer onto the Hunter's head.
"Boom!"
The Hunter's face was covered in blood, his head nearly sinking into his neck, as he plummeted rapidly to the ground, crashing into the bottom of Quicksand Gorge and creating a crater five zhang in diameter.
Blood Cloud Sect Leader Xu Hong immediately rushed into the crater to check the Hunter's injuries, finding him severely wounded and unconscious, but not dead.
Cultivators at the Ninth Change of the Fish-Dragon Realm had already cultivated a Crystal Treasure Body, granting them extremely strong physical defenses, so they wouldn't die so easily.
Xu Hong looked at Red Desire Star Envoy with a pleading expression, "Star Envoy, the Hunter has been severely wounded by the Great Protector and has lost his combat ability. Can you spare his life?"
The Hunter had assassinated many of Red Desire Star Envoy's top experts—how could she let him go?
However, Xu Hong was one of her key generals. If she ordered the Hunter's death, it might drive Xu Hong to rebellion. How should she handle the Hunter?
Zhang Ruochen said, "I think we can imprison the Hunter for now. Once Di Yi is killed and Star Envoy becomes the new Young Master, the situation will be settled. By then, the Hunter will naturally no longer oppose Star Envoy."
Xu Hong shot Zhang Ruochen a grateful look, "Thank you, Great Protector. From now on, all past grievances between the Great Protector and the Blood Cloud Sect are wiped clean."
Whether the Hunter lived or died had little impact on Zhang Ruochen, so why not do him a favor?
Since Zhang Ruochen had spoken, Red Desire Star Envoy suppressed her killing intent for now, "Since the Great Protector says so, I will spare his life for now."
The Hunter's severe injury was another blow to Azure Garment Star Envoy and the Crystal Knight Commander.
The once-overlooked Great Protector had now become their primary threat.
"As expected of the Great Protector, you have considerable skill. I underestimated you before."
Azure Garment Star Envoy's eyes turned cold as she executed a Ghost-level lower-grade movement technique. With each step, she crossed dozens of zhang, as if walking on air, flying upward.
She would personally test Zhang Ruochen.
"Great Protector, let me assist you!"
Shi Buchou's body radiated Crystal Treasure light. He kicked off the ground, surging upward, clenching his fist into a punch: Bright Light Cloud-Soaring Fist.
Bright Light Cloud-Soaring Fist was a Ghost-level lower-grade fist technique.
Shi Buchou's cultivation had reached the Ninth Change of the Fish-Dragon Realm, making him the second-strongest under Red Desire Star Envoy, second only to Xu Hong.
As the fist technique was unleashed, Shi Buchou's fist blazed with brilliant light, forming a mountain-sized fist shadow, like a blazing sun rising into the sky.
Azure Garment Star Envoy glanced at Shi Buchou and snorted coldly. The sacred qi within her four sacred meridians surged at full power.
"Whoosh!"
Thick sacred qi flowed endlessly from Azure Garment Star Envoy's meridians, condensing into a patch of azure sacred cloud.
The azure sacred cloud covered a vast area of space, each strand of sacred qi within it weighing ten thousand jin, directly suppressing Shi Buchou and forcing him downward.
With a bang, Shi Buchou fell back to the ground, half his body sinking into the earth.
The azure sacred cloud pressed down, descending upon Red Desire Star Envoy and the group of heretical cultivators. Even with their combined attack formation, over a dozen heretical cultivators couldn't withstand the pressure, spitting blood and collapsing.
Even Red Desire Star Envoy and the heretical overlords above the Seventh Change of the Fish-Dragon Realm felt immense pressure, struggling to breathe.
This was the special power unleashed by a Minor Achievement Sacred Body, incredibly formidable, practically invincible at the same cultivation level.
"You think you can contend with a Sacred Body with your strength? How delusional."
Azure Garment Star Envoy snorted, then transformed into a streak of azure light, charging upward, swinging her sacred sword to slash at Zhang Ruochen above.
As Azure Garment Star Envoy flew away, the azure sacred cloud followed her upward, pressing toward Zhang Ruochen. Only then did the heretical martial artists below feel the pressure ease.
"Not good! Azure Garment Star Envoy has activated the power of her Minor Achievement Sacred Body. The Great Protector can't possibly be her match." Red Desire Star Envoy's expression turned grim, worry creeping in for Zhang Ruochen.
From above Quicksand Gorge, a woman's laughter rang out: "I've long heard that Azure Garment Star Envoy possesses the Azure Cloud Sacred Body. Today, let me test just how strong the legendary Azure Cloud Sacred Body really is."
Mu Lingxi, wearing an azure long dress and also a mask, flew vertically down from the left cliff wall, wielding a white sacred sword, striking at Azure Garment Star Envoy.
Zhang Ruochen stood still, making no move to intervene.
In truth, he was quite curious about how strong Mu Lingxi really was. So far, even he couldn't fully see through her.
"Daring to challenge a Sacred Body, she must have some real skill. She probably won't be much weaker than Azure Garment Star Envoy," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
[The 515 Fan Festival is coming soon! I hope to keep pushing for the 515 Red Packet Leaderboard. By May 15th, the red packet rain will reward readers and promote the work. Even a little support means a lot—I'll definitely keep writing well!]