Chapter 844: Battle of the Saints
On the surface of the bronze coffin, thousands of skull imprints emerged, spreading outwards to converge into a scene resembling a sinister hell.
Due to the vast disparity in their cultivation levels, under the suppression of the opponent's saintly might, the sacred Qi within Zhang Ruochen's body was completely unable to circulate. Naturally, he could not use Spatial Displacement to escape, relying only on his formidable physique to barely withstand the deterrence of the Saint-level ancestor from the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan.
Yin Xuanji stood beside the bronze coffin, sneering coldly: "Zhang Ruochen, Kongtong Saint of the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan is right before you. Why don't you kneel and kowtow?"
Zhang Ruochen clenched his teeth, staring at him with cold eyes.
Yin Xuanji had long wanted to deal with Zhang Ruochen and naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He took a step forward, intending to approach. But then, he saw an extremely beautiful woman appear behind Zhang Ruochen.
A powerful saintly might also erupted from this woman's body, shaking Yin Xuanji back repeatedly, preventing him from advancing even a single step.
This beauty was, of course, Blood Moon Ghost King.
Blood Moon Ghost King walked over, appearing beside Zhang Ruochen. She extended a slender, soft jade hand and gently patted his shoulder.
"Hua!"
A surging ghostly Qi surged from her palm.
The ghostly Qi enveloped Zhang Ruochen's body, and the immense pressure acting upon him vanished instantly.
Zhang Ruochen stepped back two paces, staring at the bronze coffin, his expression becoming extremely grave.
The Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan had actually sent a Saint-level ancestor. This made the situation highly unfavorable for them.
More importantly, Zhang Ruochen suspected that other Saints might be hidden nearby.
"How did a Ghost King appear?"
No one had expected a Ghost King to be guarding Zhang Ruochen. Even Yin Xuanji and Feng Yinchao were greatly surprised.
From within the bronze coffin, a hoarse voice sounded: "Zhang Ruochen, a mere Ghost King cannot save your life. Continue to resist, and you will only meet your death."
Although the voice was very low, it spread across the magma ocean, causing the entire space to tremble incessantly.
"That may not be the case."
Zhang Ruochen showed no fear. He extended his finger and touched the Space Ring. Immediately, a flash of sword light flew out from the ring, transforming into a jagged ancient sword that hovered before him and Blood Moon Ghost King.
An extremely powerful aura emanated from the sword's body, condensing into streaks of sword Qi that flew across the heavens and earth.
"Skyward Sword!"
The thousands of skull imprints on the surface of the bronze coffin violently trembled. From within, a roar of anger erupted: "Xuanji Sword Saint actually passed the Skyward Sword to you. How infuriating!"
The Skyward Sword ranked twenty-seventh on the "Thousand-Mark Sacred Artifact Ranking." The power it could unleash was naturally extraordinary.
When Xuanji Sword Saint wielded the Skyward Sword, a single strike could kill a Saint.
Blood Moon Ghost King continuously released the ghostly Qi within her body, channeling it into the Skyward Sword.
"Boom!"
The Skyward Sword trembled violently, unleashing ten times more sword Qi than before, condensing into an ocean of swords that completely engulfed Yin Xuanji and Feng Yinchao.
A black sacred Qi flew from the surface of the bronze coffin, sweeping them up and carrying them away. When they landed, they found themselves at the entrance of the Ghost Spirit Valley.
Blood Moon Ghost King also flicked her sleeve, sending Zhang Ruochen flying dozens of miles away.
Then, Blood Moon Ghost King's right hand reached forward, her five fingers clenching to grasp the Skyward Sword. The inscriptions on the sword's surface rapidly emerged.
Thousands of inscriptions, like thousands of sacred Qi rivers, radiated a devastating saintly might.
Even standing dozens of miles away, Zhang Ruochen felt immense pressure.
"Hua!"
A sword Qi connecting heaven and earth flew from Blood Moon Ghost King's hand, shattering this space into fragments.
At the same time, thousands of skeletons flew out from within the bronze coffin. But the moment they touched the sword Qi, all of them turned into white powder.
The bronze coffin was also a formidable sacred artifact, but it could not compare to the Skyward Sword.
"Crack!"
The coffin first dented, then cracks spread across it like porcelain on the verge of shattering.
"Die!"
Blood Moon Ghost King's long hair flew wildly, her eyes sharp. Holding the Skyward Sword, she seemed to transform into a female Sword Saint, exuding a domineering aura that looked down upon the world.
Just then, from another area within the Ghost Spirit Valley.
A patch of purple fire clouds rose from the ground, hurtling towards Blood Moon Ghost King.
Inside the fire clouds stood a man clad in purple-gold armor. His skin was pale as paper, and his eyes emitted terrifying lightning. Between his palms, a golden ring flew out, striking towards Blood Moon Ghost King's head.
Blood Moon Ghost King swung her sword backhandedly.
"Clang!"
The Skyward Sword struck the golden ring, sending it flying back.
The collision of the two sacred artifacts sent out circles of powerful sacred Dao force, dispersing the ghostly Qi within the Ghost Spirit Valley.
Standing dozens of miles away, Zhang Ruochen also suffered a considerable impact. He activated his Sword Domain and Space Domain, sliding backward for several hundred meters.
"Is that man in purple-gold armor a battle corpse of Kongtong Saint, or another Saint from the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan?" Zhang Ruochen gazed at the patch of purple fire clouds above the sky.
Either scenario was highly unfavorable.
With the Skyward Sword, Blood Moon Ghost King could hold off one Saint, but she absolutely could not withstand two.
"What should I do now?" Zhang Ruochen's mind raced, searching for a countermeasure.
The shattered bronze coffin flew backward.
From within the coffin emerged a stooped old man. His white hair cascaded down from his head, revealing only half of a wrinkled face.
This man was Kongtong Saint, an antique who had lived for nearly five hundred years. Even within the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan, he was one of the figures with the highest seniority.
Kongtong Saint's eye sockets were two pitch-black holes, as if he had no eyeballs. He said: "The Skyward Sword is indeed formidable. If that old bastard Xuanji were still alive, I fear this Saint could not withstand a single strike from him. However, with a Ghost King wielding the Skyward Sword, its power is likely greatly diminished."
Above the sky, the man in purple-gold armor said: "Seize the Skyward Sword, and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan will gain another clan-guarding sacred artifact."
With that, the man formed hand seals, sending the golden ring flying out again.
The golden ring spun rapidly, growing larger and larger until its diameter reached several miles, hovering above Blood Moon Ghost King's head.
At the same time, Kongtong Saint pressed his hands toward the ground. A powerful tearing force split the earth apart, extending left and right.
A massive fissure stretched all the way to Blood Moon Ghost King's feet.
A crescent-shaped mark appeared on Blood Moon Ghost King's forehead. Her snow-white, flawless ghostly body emitted a radiant moonlight, and her power seemed to increase further.
"Rumble!"
She fought against two Saints simultaneously, holding her ground.
On the contrary, Kongtong Saint, due to his advanced age, had declining blood Qi and could not sustain a prolonged battle. His power was rapidly weakening. If the battle continued, Blood Moon Ghost King might actually be able to drive back both Saints.
"Pfft!"
Kongtong Saint flew backward. A foot-long sword wound appeared on his chest. Drops of sacred blood flowed from the wound, spilling to the ground.
Sacred blood contained extremely powerful energy. Each drop that fell created a large crater in the ground.
Soon after, the man in purple-gold armor was also driven back. His golden ring had clashed with the Skyward Sword dozens of times and now bore a crack. If the collisions continued, this sacred artifact might be completely destroyed.
Kongtong Saint's gaze turned icy. He let out a fierce roar: "Shiva, aren't you going to make a move yet? The methods of your Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan can counter the undead. Dealing with a Ghost King shouldn't be difficult for you, should it?"
On the eastern side of the Ghost Spirit Valley, an old crone appeared, holding a withered wooden staff. Standing at the edge of the magma ocean, she smiled: "Dealing with a Ghost King is certainly not difficult. But if this Saint takes care of her, how should the subsequent benefits be divided?"
A third Saint had appeared.
This was Shiva Saint of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan, another old monster who had lived for centuries. With her lifespan nearing its end, she had come to the Underworld in search of divine medicine to prolong her life.
Kongtong Saint's expression darkened: "What do you mean?"
Shiva Saint smiled slightly, the wrinkles on her face seeming to lessen by a few. She said: "The Divine Stubborn Fruit, the Skyward Sword, and Zhang Ruochen—all belong to the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan. The treasures in the magma ocean will be split equally between our two clans. How about that?"
In Shiva Saint's eyes, "Zhang Ruochen" was also a tremendous wealth. His value might even surpass that of the Divine Stubborn Fruit and the Skyward Sword.
This kid was a treasure trove himself.
The Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan and the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan had intermarried for generations and were closely allied. However, when it came to fundamental interests, they would still fight tooth and nail.
Kongtong Saint snorted coldly: "Shiva, your appetite is too great! Can you stomach it all?"
"Are you unwilling?" Shiva Saint laughed.
Kongtong Saint was naturally very unwilling. The Divine Stubborn Fruit, in particular, could extend one's lifespan by a hundred years and was a matter of life and death for him. How could he let it go to someone else?
However, he now needed Shiva Saint's power to deal with that Ghost King, so he had to temporarily yield.
"Fine! This Saint agrees to your terms. Let's deal with that Ghost King first, to avoid any unforeseen complications," Kongtong Saint said.
Shiva Saint was also well aware that several other forces were lurking nearby, watching this place with covetous eyes.
It was only because the power of the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan was too great that those hidden cultivators dared not act rashly.
Now, they truly should eliminate Blood Moon Ghost King and quickly take control of Zhang Ruochen and the treasures in the magma ocean.
A black clay pot flew from Shiva Saint's brow, rising into the air and hovering above her head.
The moment the clay pot emerged, Blood Moon Ghost King felt a strong sense of unease. She immediately swung the Skyward Sword, slashing toward the black clay pot.
The pot's lid opened, emitting a patch of black dark clouds.
From within the pot came the howling of ten thousand ghosts, as if it contained an entire hell.
Hearing that sound, Blood Moon Ghost King became agitated and restless. Intense pain wracked her entire body, and she let out a scream. Her ghostly body rapidly decomposed, turning into wisps of ghostly Qi that flew into the clay pot.
"Bang!" The Skyward Sword fell from midair, crashing to the ground.