Chapter 850: Stone Stele Suppresses the Corpse River
Seal the passage between the Underworld and the Kunlun Realm?
Everyone present was stunned, thinking they had misheard.
Cao Feng and Cao Gu, and even the soldiers of the Leopard Army, all showed expressions of disbelief. Some of them even let out mocking laughs, believing Zhang Ruochen was talking nonsense.
The saints of the Ministry of War, the Earth Divine Temple, the Confucian Path, and the Divine Works Department, and even the Minister of War and the Hall Master of the Earth Divine Temple, had personally come to the Fallen God Spirit Forest to inspect the Corpse River.
But even with their heaven-defying cultivation, they were helpless. Zhang Ruochen was only at the Fish-Dragon Realm, yet he dared to claim he could seal the Corpse River. Wasn't that just bragging?
"Haha! Zhang Ruochen, do you think you're the Qiangu Nüdi? With your cultivation, any Ghost King could crush you with a single move."
"How ridiculous. Even the Minister of War can't do it, yet this wet-behind-the-ears brat says he has such means."
...
No one believed Zhang Ruochen. Wan Ji, quite impatient, urged, "Cao Feng, Cao Gu, no need to waste words with him. Just take him down."
Cao Feng and Cao Gu's smiles faded. The armor on their bodies clattered as palm-sized iron plates covered their forms completely, leaving no gaps.
The two leaped down from the backs of their Earth Fire Dragon Leopards, sending out a stream of Saint Qi that rolled up the Saint-Binding Chains on the ground, heading straight for Zhang Ruochen.
Just then, two figures flashed out—Bu Qianfan and Shi Ren.
Bu Qianfan sank his legs, swinging his halberd horizontally to strike Cao Feng's chest.
With a bang, Cao Feng took a heavy blow, flying backward and crashing into the Leopard Army formation.
Shi Ren quickly fired three electric talismans, which landed on Cao Gu's armor. He pointed his finger forward and softly uttered a word: "Break."
The three electric talismans split open simultaneously, producing sounds like thunderclaps. Dozens of purple lightning bolts surged out, blasting Cao Gu into the ground.
However, Cao Feng and Cao Gu were both top-tier experts. They weren't seriously injured and quickly recovered.
"Bu Qianfan, what are you doing? Are you betraying the Ministry of War?" Wan Ji's voice came from the war chariot, clearly furious.
Bu Qianfan shook his arm, thrusting his halberd into the ground before him, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Lord Wan Ji, why so angry? I, Bu Qianfan, grew up in the military camp and would never betray the Ministry of War. But since Zhang Ruochen says he can seal the passage between the Underworld and the Kunlun Realm, we should give him a chance."
Cao Feng's heart burned with rage, his eyes seeming to spit fire. "A man who hasn't even cultivated a Saint Soul—does he have such power? Bu Qianfan, I think you're deliberately helping Zhang Ruochen, trying to let him escape."
Bu Qianfan's gaze was sharp as he met Cao Feng's eyes. "What if he succeeds?"
"Heh! If Zhang Ruochen can really seal the passage between the Underworld and the Kunlun Realm, I'll kneel on the ground and kowtow to him three times," Cao Feng sneered.
Bu Qianfan didn't know about the stone talisman left by the Qiangu Nüdi, but he knew Zhang Ruochen's character. Since Zhang Ruochen said it, he must be able to do it.
"Fine! Whoever doesn't kowtow is a grandson," Bu Qianfan said.
Even the Minister of War couldn't do it—could Zhang Ruochen?
Cao Feng naturally didn't believe it. He walked toward Wan Ji's chariot, bowed slightly, and transmitted his voice: "Lord, should we give Zhang Ruochen a chance? If he fails, we can take Bu Qianfan down too, and you'll have one less competitor in the Ministry of War."
After a moment, Wan Ji made his decision and ordered, "Very well, I'll give you one hour. If you fail to seal the passage, I'll suppress both you and Bu Qianfan."
The thirty thousand Leopard Army soldiers quickly formed a battle formation by the Corpse River, creating a Star-Moon Formation in a semi-encirclement, surrounding Zhang Ruochen, Bu Qianfan, Shi Ren, and Mu Lingxi to prevent their escape.
The Leopard Army soldiers were all elites, and among them were some Fish-Dragon Realm experts, making the formation's power immense, enough to suppress several Half-Saints.
"Thank you."
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Bu Qianfan and Shi Ren, expressing his sincere gratitude.
In such a situation, for them to trust him so much was truly rare. Since that was the case, Zhang Ruochen couldn't let them down.
Zhang Ruochen walked unhurriedly to the edge of the Corpse River, his Saint Qi rapidly circulating within him.
The next moment, a flash of light appeared at his brow, and the Cosmic Divine Wood Map flew out, hovering above the Corpse River and slowly unfurling.
Then, a vast amount of Saint Qi surged out from the scroll, forming a mass of cyan clouds.
From within the clouds, a cyan stone stele slowly emerged and fell into the Corpse River.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a deafening sound rang out. The water of the entire Corpse River seemed to boil, churning violently and forming waves over ten zhang high.
At the center of the waves, the surface of the cyan stone stele revealed ancient characters. The stele's size rapidly increased, soon reaching several hundred zhang in height, standing like a stone cliff in the middle of the Corpse River.
"Bang, bang."
The undead spirits in the Corpse River all let out screams, their souls scattering in an instant, turning into wisps of ghostly Qi.
On the shore, including Bu Qianfan and Shi Ren, everyone was shocked beyond words.
Cao Feng's face turned extremely ugly. He never expected Zhang Ruochen to have such means. Could that cyan stone stele really suppress the Corpse River and cut off the connection between the Underworld and the Kunlun Realm?
If Zhang Ruochen succeeded, it would be a great merit. If the imperial court continued to arrest him, it would surely face public criticism.
Gradually, the space here calmed down completely.
Standing on the shore, everyone could clearly see that the undead spirits from the Underworld had all retreated, unable to step into the Corpse River.
"Heavens! Zhang Ruochen actually suppressed the Corpse River. How did he do it?"
"Excellent! As long as the undead spirits from the Underworld can't enter the Kunlun Realm, the Ministry of War should be able to quickly suppress the chaos in the Eastern Domain."
"That cyan stone stele is a powerful stone talisman, likely a treasure forged by some human Great Emperor, specifically used to suppress the undead spirits of the Underworld."
...
As everyone discussed, Mu Lingxi's eyes turned toward Cao Feng, and she said with a chuckle, "I remember someone said they admired Zhang Ruochen so much they'd kowtow three times?"
Cao Feng gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead. He felt extremely humiliated, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Bu Qianfan said coldly, "Lord Cao Feng is a lower-rank Domain King, commanding a hundred thousand Leopard Army soldiers. Naturally, his word is law."
In the distance, Wan Ji stepped out of the war chariot, hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were deep, and his entire body exuded a thick battle intent and killing aura. He said, "Cao Feng, Cao Gu, what are you waiting for? Immediately seize the imperial criminal Zhang Ruochen."
Cao Feng knew Wan Ji was trying to save him face, so he breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze turned cold, and he unleashed all his power, charging at Zhang Ruochen.
"Wind Fury Slash."
He swung his arm, and Saint Qi flew from his palm, turning into thousands of wind blades.
But before Wan Ji gave the order, Zhang Ruochen had already taken Mu Lingxi, Xiao Hei, and the Divine Demon Rat and rushed toward the Corpse River, disappearing into the bewildering ghostly Qi.
"Kill Order."
Wan Ji pressed his palms together, and thick Saint Qi enveloped a hundred zhang radius, sending Bu Qianfan and Shi Ren flying backward.
Between his hands, a golden sacred order flew out, turning into a streak of light that struck toward the Corpse River.
"Boom!"
The Kill Order landed, causing the Corpse River's water to slightly dip, and the black ghostly mist on the surface scattered.
But Zhang Ruochen's figure had already vanished without a trace. Although the Kill Order was extremely powerful, it didn't harm him.
"Damn it."
Wan Ji curled his five fingers, retrieving the sacred order, and angrily flicked his sleeve.
Zhang Ruochen had escaped right under his nose, infuriating him.
"So powerful! Wan Ji's cultivation is terrifying."
Bu Qianfan knelt on one knee, clutching his aching chest, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Shi Ren was also hit by Wan Ji's Saint Qi impact, injured even more severely than Bu Qianfan. But he immediately stuck two talismans on his legs, riding the wind, and quickly fled the area.
Wan Ji didn't bother with Bu Qianfan and Shi Ren. He gave another order: "All troops, follow the Corpse River and search for Zhang Ruochen's trail. Once found, report to me immediately. Anyone who provides useful information will be rewarded with a million spirit crystals."
The thirty thousand Leopard Army soldiers split into two groups, heading upstream and downstream along the Corpse River to search for Zhang Ruochen's trail.
The Corpse River's course was extremely long, stretching for countless miles.
Upstream, about twelve hundred miles from the previous location, Zhang Ruochen and Mu Lingxi climbed ashore again. Without any delay, they immediately left the Fallen God Spirit Forest and headed toward the Liangyi Sect.
(One more chapter before midnight.)