# Chapter 795: Legend of the Underworld King
A flicker of surprise flashed in Tianxue Sheng's eyes. Then, he struck the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell with his palm, controlling the massive bell body to clash with the seal technique unleashed by Qingxiao Saint.
"Boom!"
The powerful seal technique, resembling a blazing mountain of fire, sent the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell flying once again, forcing Tianxue Sheng to retreat several miles backward.
The Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell was a battle artifact listed in the *Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact Catalog* and served as the supreme treasure of the Thunder Sound Sect. Naturally, it possessed earth-shaking power.
However, the seal technique Qingxiao Saint unleashed was an extremely powerful sacred art called "Breaking Kill Nine Seals." Even within the Ministry of War, it was renowned, having repelled countless challengers.
"Swish, swish."
Two figures flashed rapidly. Tianxue Sheng and Dixue Sheng converged, simultaneously channeling a stream of sacred qi into the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell, intending to combine their strength to kill Qingxiao Saint.
With both saints jointly controlling the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell, the power of this thousand-mark sacred artifact became even more terrifying.
The purple bell body hung in the sky, expanding several times larger. Blood-red characters began to emerge from the bell's surface.
"Senior Brother, use the Sky-Soaring Sword."
Zhang Ruochen raised the Sky-Soaring Sword, ready to strike at Qingxiao Saint.
The power of a thousand-mark sacred artifact was absolutely extraordinary. Even a saint who dared to clash head-on with it would be courting death. Now, with Tianxue Sheng and Dixue Sheng of the Undying Blood Clan acting together, they had unleashed the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell's full potential. It was clear how devastating the resulting destruction would be.
Qingxiao Saint's gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen's direction. "Why would I need the Sky-Soaring Sword to deal with them? I was only using half my strength just now. Little Junior Brother, step back first. I'm about to use my full power, and I'm afraid I won't be able to look after you."
With a flick of his sleeve, Qingxiao Saint sent a stream of sacred qi toward Zhang Ruochen.
That powerful force swept Zhang Ruochen hundreds of miles away.
A battle between saints inherently possessed extraordinary destructive power. Even with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, appearing within a hundred miles could easily result in being killed by the battle's shockwaves.
Earlier, Qingxiao Saint had only used half his strength, so he could spare some power to shield Zhang Ruochen from the battle's aftermath. But with the two saints of the Undying Blood Clan jointly controlling the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell, they put considerable pressure on Qingxiao Saint, forcing him to go all out.
Standing a hundred miles away, Zhang Ruochen could still clearly see the purple giant bell suspended in the sky. Huge bolts of lightning circled the bell's body, turning the entire sky into an ocean of thunder and lightning.
On the ground, the area ahead was completely covered in blood qi, transformed into a vast sea of blood.
"Giant Dragon Seal."
A deep, heavy roar echoed from within the thick blood qi.
Then, Qingxiao Saint, clad in black armor, expanded his body dozens of times, transforming into a towering giant seventy or eighty meters tall. He extended an arm, piercing through the blood-clouded mist.
The massive seal technique actively struck toward the purple giant bell. It was clearly visible that four giant dragons were coiled around his arm.
With a thunderous boom, the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell was sent flying, crashing into a great river. It smashed the riverbed into a depression, forming a pit several hundred meters in diameter.
The rushing river water immediately poured into the pit. As the water level rose, it quickly turned into a small lake.
"This man's combat power is truly terrifying."
"Let's go!"
Sensing the unfavorable situation, Tianxue Sheng and Dixue Sheng immediately retrieved the Thunder Sound Heavenly Bell from the lake bottom and transformed into two streaks of light, fleeing into the sky.
Qingxiao Saint did not recklessly pursue them, fearing he might fall for the Undying Blood Clan's diversionary tactic. After all, no one knew exactly how many saints of the Undying Blood Clan were hidden in the Fallen God Mountain Range.
"Huff!"
Qingxiao Saint exhaled a breath. His massive body rapidly shrank, returning to a normal human height.
Any cultivator who had reached the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, the "Crystal Treasure Body," could enlarge or shrink their body tenfold at will. Moreover, Qingxiao Saint's cultivation was countless times stronger than a ninth-transformation Fish-Dragon cultivator, so his control over his body reached an even more profound level.
Qingxiao Saint approached Zhang Ruochen and asked with concern, "Little Junior Brother, how are your injuries?"
Earlier, he had noticed that Zhang Ruochen seemed severely injured, but at that time, he was dealing with Feng Han and hadn't had a chance to inquire.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and shook his head. "I've already taken a Withered Wood Pill. I should recover soon."
Qingxiao Saint naturally knew the powerful medicinal properties of the Withered Wood Pill, so he felt relieved. Then, he snorted coldly. "It's a pity I couldn't kill that traitor Feng Han. If I had known earlier, I would have punched him to death right then, to honor our master's spirit in heaven."
Zhang Ruochen consoled him. "Senior Brother values the bond between fellow disciples. Without certainty, you naturally wouldn't kill your own junior brother easily. In truth, even though Feng Han was rescued by the two saints of the Undying Blood Clan, there will still be many opportunities to deal with him in the future. Our master's revenge must be exacted."
Qingxiao Saint nodded. Suddenly, a puzzled expression appeared in his eyes. "Little Junior Brother, there's one thing I find very confusing. Back then, Wan Zhaoyi claimed you had been killed by Jiuyou Sword Saint. How did you survive?"
"Master saved me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Then, Zhang Ruochen recounted the entire sequence of events to Qingxiao Saint.
After hearing it, Qingxiao Saint let out a long sigh and patted Zhang Ruochen's shoulder meaningfully. "Among all the disciples, Master loved you the most, seeing you as his sole heir. Little Junior Brother, you must never disappoint Master. In the future, you must cultivate to become a sword saint and defeat Jiuyou Sword Saint."
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Then, from the Cosmic Divine Wood Map, Zhang Ruochen retrieved Xuanji Sword Saint's remains and laid them flat on the ground.
Staring at the remains on the ground, Zhang Ruochen bowed deeply. "Before the sword debate competition, Master met with me alone and made arrangements for his affairs. He told me that if he unfortunately fell, I must take his remains and the Sky-Soaring Sword to the Underworld King Sword Grave in the Central Domain."
Zhang Ruochen trusted his senior brother completely, so he concealed nothing.
Qingxiao Saint furrowed his brow, seemingly deep in thought. "How strange. Master never mentioned the secret of the Sky-Soaring Sword to me. He must have told only you. Where did Feng Han learn of it?"
"I find it strange too, but the whole matter seems to be connected to the legendary Underworld King."
"The Underworld King."
Even with Qingxiao Saint's state of mind, he was greatly shocked. Turbulent waves surged within his heart, clearly showing how taboo this name was.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and continued, "Earlier, I overheard a conversation between Feng Han and several half-saints of the Undying Blood Clan. The Sky-Soaring Sword should have an extraordinary connection to the Underworld King. But I find it very strange—legend says the Underworld King was a figure from ten thousand years ago. How could he still be alive?"
Qingxiao Saint's expression was extremely solemn. He shook his head. "I'm not so sure. The Underworld King is a legendary figure of the Undying Blood Clan. Although many years have passed, records of him exist in the ancient texts of various major sects."
"It is said that this man's cultivation realm was heaven-reaching and earth-shattering. He was the person most likely to become a god after the Middle Ages. Even the current Empress Chi Yao might not necessarily be stronger than him."
"You must understand, once a cultivator reaches the Great Saint realm, they have at least three thousand years of lifespan. For figures like the Underworld King and Empress Chi Yao, living five or six thousand years should not be difficult."
Ordinary people only had a lifespan of sixty or seventy years, while a Great Saint had three thousand years. Even at a thousand years old, they would be no different from an ordinary person at twenty.
Thus, once a cultivator achieved sainthood, they became a different form of life, and could no longer be viewed with the same perspective as ordinary people.
Qingxiao Saint continued, "The Undying Blood Clan's lifespan far exceeds that of humans. Even an ordinary blood clansman can live two hundred years, as long as they absorb enough blood."
"A human half-saint's lifespan is only about two hundred years. The longest-lived half-saint lived to two hundred and eighty-seven. But a half-saint of the blood clan, if they can absorb the sacred blood of a saint, living a thousand years is not strange."
"Therefore, the Undying Blood Clan's lifespan is roughly three to five times that of human cultivators. Given the legendary Underworld King's realm, it's entirely possible he has lived from ancient times until now."
"This matter is far too significant. I must immediately report it to the Ministry of War. Whether the Underworld King is alive or dead, we must stop the Undying Blood Clan. If the Underworld King emerges, then the martial arts golden age the Empress has painstakingly built over several hundred years might be destroyed in an instant."
Qingxiao Saint immediately took out a Message Light Talisman, carved a passage of text onto it, and then sent it flying.
The light talisman transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the night.
Qingxiao Saint's gaze fell once more on Xuanji Half-Saint's remains on the ground. He let out a long breath. "Little Junior Brother, when do you plan to take Master's remains to the Central Domain?"
"I still have some matters to attend to in the Eastern Domain. Once everything is settled, I will depart immediately, so Master can be laid to rest as soon as possible."
Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh and was about to gather his master's remains again.
Suddenly, a brilliant, dazzling light surged from the ground, stinging Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He immediately stepped back.
"Shoom—"
A ball of white light flew out from within Xuanji Sword Saint's body, hovering three feet above the ground, emitting an immensely vast sacred qi.
Because the sacred qi in the air was too dense, it condensed into drops of sacred liquid, falling from midair like rain.
The surrounding flowers, grass, ancient trees, and shrubs... nourished by the sacred liquid rain, grew wildly with a rustling sound. Even ordinary weeds transformed into spiritual herbs.