Chapter 855: The Demon Sect Arrives
In an instant, Wan Ji suppressed the Death Evil Qi, sealing it within his right arm, preventing it from invading his internal organs and Qi Sea. His right arm was stiff and immobile, yet the sacred energy radiating from his body remained formidable as he strode step by step toward Zhang Ruochen. Laughing in fury, he said, "Good lad, you truly are formidable. Even on the Ruins Realm battlefield, I never encountered such danger, yet I nearly fell at your hands."
Zhang Ruochen lifted his sword, slowly rose to his feet, and smiled. "So what? Haven't I still suffered a complete defeat?"
Wan Ji saw the smile on Zhang Ruochen's face and felt deeply displeased. Clearly, his cultivation far surpassed the other's, yet he couldn't intimidate him. Did Zhang Ruochen think that because his right arm was temporarily unusable, he had become a cripple? If so, Wan Ji had to wonder if Zhang Ruochen was overly arrogant.
With his level of cultivation, as long as he was careful and didn't repeat his mistake, he could easily deal with Zhang Ruochen using just one hand.
Han Qiu clenched her hands tightly, feeling regret for Zhang Ruochen. That had been a perfect opportunity—just a little more, and he could have killed that strongman from the Ministry of War. But the opponent's reaction speed was too fast; he had dodged the blow. Now, Zhang Ruochen was once again at a disadvantage, and he might not even have the strength to fight back. The opponent would certainly not make the same mistake again.
...
Outside the Divine Platform City, a white-haired old woman and a middle-aged man in a red robe stood atop a maple tree, gazing toward the city. The middle-aged man, around forty years old, had a gentle gaze but exuded an air of authority. "This child hasn't even reached the Half-Saint realm, yet he can fight Wan Ji to such a standstill—truly remarkable. However, he should have exhausted all his strength. If we don't intervene, he might die at Wan Ji's hands."
The white-haired old woman's eyes were deep and profound, and her voice was hoarse. "No rush. I see that young man's demeanor is quite composed; he likely has more tricks up his sleeve."
"More tricks?" The middle-aged man frowned. "Wan Ji is one of the commanders of the Leopard Army, a renowned figure even in the Ministry of War. Even if that boy has more tricks, can he turn defeat into victory?"
"Let's wait and see, wait and see," the old woman said with a smile.
Below the old woman and the middle-aged man lay an unconscious man—Cao Gu, one of Wan Ji's two capable generals. Beside Cao Gu was an Earth Martial Saint Light Cannon. These two were truly formidable, able to silently take down a Half-Saint without even Wan Ji, a strongman, noticing. It was curious—who were they?
Inside Divine Platform City.
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head and sighed. "The gap in cultivation is too great. I have no choice but to admit defeat."
"If you had realized this earlier and surrendered, I wouldn't have been determined to kill you. But now, it's too late for regrets." Wan Ji no longer concealed his killing intent, and his voice carried a sharp chill.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "I don't regret it. I'm just a bit disappointed that I have to rely on an outsider to deal with you. If only my cultivation had broken through to the Half-Saint realm."
Hearing this, Wan Ji was momentarily stunned.
Just then, he saw a scroll fly out from between Zhang Ruochen's brows, hovering in midair. A black ghostly cloud surged from the scroll, exuding a chilling aura. At the center of the ghostly cloud stood an extraordinarily beautiful woman, dressed in a long robe that outlined her proud figure. But her eyes were icy cold. Even Wan Ji trembled slightly when he met her gaze.
"Ghost King." Wan Ji's eyes widened, his face turning pale, and even his legs began to shake.
Zhang Ruochen sighed. "If it weren't absolutely necessary, I really wouldn't want to invite her out."
Zhang Ruochen spoke from the heart. Even though the Blood Moon Ghost King had sworn loyalty to him, he didn't like relying on her to solve every problem. Doing so would cause him to lose his ability to face danger. But his words sounded harsh to Wan Ji's ears. Wan Ji felt that Zhang Ruochen was toying with him—clearly having a Ghost King by his side, invincible, yet pretending to struggle in battle. What else could it be but mockery?
The Blood Moon Ghost King looked indifferent. "Zhang Ruochen, is this the person you want me to deal with? Isn't he a bit too weak?"
Wan Ji glanced at the Blood Moon Ghost King, his face flushing red. "Zhang Ruochen, consider yourself lucky. I'll let you off today. But don't think that having a Ghost King to protect you means you can run rampant." Wan Ji took out a scroll of a sacred edict and infused it with sacred energy.
"Whoosh!"
The power of the sacred edict enveloped Wan Ji, turning him into a streak of white light that shot out of Divine Platform City in an instant.
Zhang Ruochen frowned and looked at the Blood Moon Ghost King. "Why didn't you stop him?"
The Blood Moon Ghost King said calmly, "I've already scared him off. What more do you want?" Seeing her expression—"What, you gonna bite me?"—Zhang Ruochen was speechless. Clearly, the Blood Moon Ghost King was still dissatisfied with how he had coerced and bribed her into submission. Fortunately, they still had mutual uses for each other, maintaining a delicate relationship. Unless Zhang Ruochen's cultivation surpassed hers, he probably couldn't make her fully submit.
The Blood Moon Ghost King didn't dare to offend Zhang Ruochen too much, so she added, "Besides, that sacred edict he held contained immense sacred power. When activated, its speed surpassed even mine. Even if I had acted, I'd only have had a fifty percent chance of stopping him."
Sacred edicts written by cultivators of different realms naturally had different levels of power. The one Wan Ji held was written by a Saint stronger than the Blood Moon Ghost King. If he wanted to escape, even she couldn't easily stop him.
Just then, Wan Ji's scream echoed from outside Divine Platform City.
"What's happening?" Zhang Ruochen was surprised. Hadn't Wan Ji already fled? Why was he still nearby?
The Blood Moon Ghost King's eyes fixed on the area outside the city, her expression turning serious. "Someone intercepted him."
"Whoosh, whoosh."
The Blood Moon Ghost King and Zhang Ruochen rushed out one after another, quickly leaving the city and arriving at a forest covered in fallen leaves.
At that moment, Wan Ji was kneeling on the ground, trembling, staring in terror at the white-haired old woman before him. Beside him lay a torn sacred edict.
Wan Ji kowtowed repeatedly, muttering, "I'm sorry, I was wrong. I shouldn't have offended you, elder. Please, have mercy and spare me... from now on..."
The white-haired old woman didn't even look at him. She simply extended a finger and tapped his forehead.
"Crack!"
With a crisp sound, Wan Ji's body shattered like porcelain, breaking into crystalline fragments that scattered on the ground.
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen felt a chill. Who was this white-haired old woman, that she could make Wan Ji kneel and beg for mercy? Even when facing the Blood Moon Ghost King, Wan Ji hadn't been so terrified. Moreover, her method of killing was bizarre—in the instant of death, she had refined his body into energy crystals. The crystalline fragments on the ground contained sacred energy comparable to sacred stones.
"Eight Desolations and Six Directions Skill—are you from the Demon Sect?" Zhang Ruochen's gaze turned serious.
The Eight Desolations and Six Directions Skill was a top-tier technique of the Demon Sect. When cultivated to a high level, it could turn all matter into crystals. Once a living being turned to crystal, it meant death.
The Blood Moon Ghost King stood beside Zhang Ruochen, her gaze sharp as she stared at the white-haired old woman and the middle-aged man. The old woman, in particular, gave her an unfathomable feeling—definitely a dangerous figure.
The white-haired old woman collected the crystalline fragments, scrutinized Zhang Ruochen, and nodded. Her voice hoarse, she said, "You know the Eight Desolations and Six Directions Skill? Xingling must have told you, right?"
The old woman was extremely aged, every strand of hair like white crystal, but her eyes were like two black holes, absorbing all light and heat around her.
Mu Lingxi and Han Qiu also rushed out of the city, arriving quickly. When Mu Lingxi saw the white-haired old woman and the middle-aged man, her body trembled slightly. She immediately lowered her head and walked over cautiously, bowing to them. "Greetings, Master. Greetings... Father."
The middle-aged man was Mu Lingxi's father, Yun Zheng. Yun Zheng's gaze fell on Mu Lingxi, his expression extremely stern. "Kneel down immediately."
Mu Lingxi bit her lip, a stubborn look in her eyes. She didn't even lift her head to look at the middle-aged man. "I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I kneel?"
Mu Lingxi's demeanor now was a stark contrast to her usual cheerful and smiling self. Zhang Ruochen guessed that her relationship with her father might not be harmonious.
Yun Zheng snorted coldly. "You dare say you haven't done anything wrong? What did you do at the Realm Son Banquet? The Divine Son personally wrote a letter and gave it to me, telling me to discipline you properly."
Mu Lingxi's gaze sharpened. "If he has the guts, let him report me to the Dark Night Palace and have the Dark Night Envoys judge me."
"The Divine Son didn't report you to the Dark Night Palace out of consideration for the Mu family's face, and you still don't appreciate it?" Yun Zheng's eyes widened, his body trembling with anger as he raised an arm to slap Mu Lingxi.
...
(Note: Mu Lingxi not sharing her father's surname is not a bug; it will be explained later.) (To be continued.)