Chapter 998: Slaying a Saint
“He actually blocked it?”
“Even the Empress’s power couldn’t destroy him?”
The entire Black Market was filled with heretical cultivators from various major sects. At this moment, they were all extremely astonished, and some cultivators were even trembling, whether from fear or excitement, it was unclear.
It was truly hard to imagine just how powerful Zhang Ruochen’s strength had to be to block the Realm Son Seal, which was empowered by the Empress’s might.
Kong Hongbi and Ghost Valley Saint General had not fled far. They were still in the Black Market, hiding in a stronghold of the Bright Hall, and had activated the defensive formation.
Standing inside the formation’s light barrier, Kong Hongbi inhaled a breath of cold air and said coldly, “Ouyang Huan actually possesses such a powerful killing move. Once he unleashes the Realm Son Seal, even the number one on the Half-Saint Ranking might not be able to block it.”
As the Young Hall Master of the Bright Hall, Kong Hongbi naturally had killing moves as well, but compared to the Realm Son Seal, they were somewhat inferior.
What was even more infuriating was that Zhang Ruochen possessed a Buddhist treasure that could push his cultivation to the Saint General level, which also gave him an edge over Kong Hongbi.
If this continued, wouldn’t his position as the number one expert below the Saint realm among the human race soon be lost?
Kong Hongbi made a secret decision: upon returning to the Bright Hall, he would definitely ask the Hall Master to take him to pay respects to the Holy Ancestor Empress. Only the Holy Ancestor Empress could provide a treasure comparable to the Realm Son Seal to help him contend against the nine Realm Sons.
Earlier, the sword qi chasm Zhang Ruochen had created with a single sword strike was slowly closing.
The Black Market city, split in two, and the two land plates were reconnecting into a whole.
Beneath Zhang Ruochen’s feet, black inscriptions emerged, like a net covering every street in the Black Market, while also connecting to the underground.
Someone had activated the foundational formation beneath the Black Market to prevent a Saint-level battle from causing irreparable damage to the market.
The imperial power radiating from the Realm Son Seal and the Buddhist light Zhang Ruochen had unleashed clashed against each other, forming a delicate balance.
Even a Half-Saint who approached within ten zhang would be sent flying backward by an invisible force.
“Only the Divine Son and Saints have the ability to fight Zhang Ruochen. Approaching him would be no different from seeking death.”
The cultivators of the Demon Sect, seeing Zhang Ruochen still standing, felt a sense of shock and immediately retreated, wanting to get as far away as possible.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen was far from relaxed. It felt as if he were being suppressed by a hundred thousand mountains, and he had to go all out just to hold up the Realm Son Seal.
If he let his guard down even slightly, he and Shi Meiren would be reduced to dust, with no place to be buried.
The Realm Son Seal emitted a mysterious force that suppressed the space, making the surrounding area exceptionally stable, as if frozen.
Originally, in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, space was like a piece of paper—he could tear it or pierce through it.
Now, space had become a layer of iron skin, making it impossible for Zhang Ruochen to use Spatial Displacement or Space Rift techniques, leaving him quite passive.
Earlier, when Ouyang Huan boasted that he could kill Zhang Ruochen with a single move, he was clearly preparing to use the Realm Son Seal.
Both Ouyang Huan and Zhang Ruochen were injured, and both were holding on, waiting to see who would collapse first.
Of course, Ouyang Huan was more severely injured. If the stalemate continued, he would fall within half an hour at most.
Controlling the Realm Son Seal was no easy task, and it was worsening Ouyang Huan’s injuries.
“Hall Master, if not now, then when?” Ouyang Huan gritted his teeth and glared at the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master.
“Divine Son, this Saint will assist you.”
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master recovered from his earlier shock, flew down to the ground, and appeared at the edge of the Realm Son Seal.
His hands, with fingers like metal, released ten strands of demonic qi threads that shot toward Zhang Ruochen, who was suppressed beneath the seal.
These ten demonic qi threads, condensed from Sacred Dao rules, represented the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s centuries of cultivation. They could cut through even Sacred artifacts, let alone a cultivator’s physical body.
The ten threads rapidly wove around Zhang Ruochen, completely enveloping him.
It was easy to imagine that with just a thought from the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master, Zhang Ruochen would be reduced to a pile of minced flesh.
“This Saint said it before: opposing the Demon Sect only leads to death,” the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master said with a low laugh.
Not far from Zhang Ruochen, Shi Meiren had fallen to the ground, tears streaming from her eyes as she shook her head helplessly.
At this moment, she was nothing like a Sword Saint; she was no different from an ordinary, weak woman. She felt utterly useless, unable to help Zhang Ruochen.
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master glanced at Shi Meiren and revealed a meaningful smile. “Who would have thought that the lofty Saintly Maiden Palace Master is also a useless woman. Farewell, Palace Master.”
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s ten fingers tightened, and the ten demonic qi threads made a rustling sound as they rapidly contracted, wrapping around Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, neck, waist, and legs, intending to cut him into dozens of pieces.
To his surprise, thousands of golden Buddhist characters appeared on the surface of Zhang Ruochen’s skin, blocking the demonic qi threads.
“How is this possible? How can his defense be so strong?”
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master was furious. He lowered his body, turned into a blur, and charged beneath the Realm Son Seal.
His hands formed a Sacred Art-level fist seal and struck at Zhang Ruochen’s chest.
In his view, Zhang Ruochen was fully occupied with holding up the Realm Son Seal and had no ability to fight back.
Using a Sacred Art-level fist seal to deliver a punch, even if Zhang Ruochen’s defense was strong, he would likely lose half his life.
The black fist seal grew closer and closer to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master and quickly calculated in his mind, “I can’t dodge this punch.”
If he took this punch and continued to be suppressed by the Realm Son Seal, he would surely die.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen would not sit idly by. He took a deep breath, and veins bulged on the surface of his body.
Then, he let out a long roar, sending out waves of sound that shook the Realm Son Seal violently.
His sacred qi surged like a mighty river, producing a rumbling sound.
“Boom, boom.”
Zhang Ruochen struck out nine palms in succession, each one sending out a dragon shadow, each palm stronger than the last.
With the final palm strike, the Realm Son Seal, the size of a small city, was sent flying.
In the distance, Ouyang Huan spat out a mouthful of blood mist.
His face pale, he staggered backward, looking unsteady.
At the same time, the Sacred Art-level fist seal from the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master struck Zhang Ruochen’s body with a loud bang, sending him flying.
Zhang Ruochen had prepared for this, concentrating all his Buddhist qi at his chest to absorb most of the force.
“Boom, boom.”
The sound of breaking echoed continuously.
Zhang Ruochen crashed through building after building, flying backward for over ten li before finally slamming into the Black Market’s city wall, embedding himself into it, causing the dozens-of-zhang-high wall to tremble slightly.
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master continuously withdrew his demonic qi, gathering it into his right hand, and stared at Shi Meiren, who was lying on the ground. “Having taken my True Demon Fist, Zhang Ruochen should be crippled by now. Next, it’s your turn.”
“You dare to attack me?”
Shi Meiren’s eyes fixed on the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master, and some spark of life returned to them.
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master was startled, thinking Shi Meiren had recovered.
After all, Shi Meiren’s true identity was one of the nine Palace Masters of the Demon Sect, a peerless Sword Saint.
In the past, if the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master had gone to the main altar and seen her, he would have had to pay his respects respectfully, let alone dare to offend her.
However, upon closer inspection, the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master noticed that Shi Meiren lacked the spirit and energy of a Sword Saint.
Her earlier words were likely just a result of her unwillingness to accept her fate.
“Heh. So what if I attack you? Do you think you’re still the Saintly Maiden Supreme Ling Feiyu?”
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s eyes turned cold, filled with malice and an indescribable excitement.
Being able to personally kill a Sword Saint was an exhilarating thing in itself.
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master raised his pitch-black arm and pressed his palm down toward Ling Feiyu’s head.
But a sword light flew out first.
With a splat, the black ancient sword pierced through the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s Saint Soul domain, the tip of the sword entering his chest, inch by inch.
The impact from the sword carried the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master backward.
Bright red Saint blood flowed from his chest, spilling onto the ground.
“Zhang Ruochen… you can still use sword techniques…”
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master clasped his hands together, blocking the Abyssal Ancient Sword, trying to break Zhang Ruochen’s sword technique.
“Boom.”
Zhang Ruochen, with his long hair disheveled and golden light flickering all over his body, flew down from above and struck a large hand seal, slamming it onto the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s head.
The Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s head was driven directly into his neck, and he collapsed to the ground.
A Saint’s life force was strong, not so easy to kill.
Then, Zhang Ruochen struck out dozens more palms. The palm prints, like raindrops, fell continuously on the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master’s body.
Only after beating the Pearl Light Pavilion Hall Master into a pool of blood and flesh did Zhang Ruochen stop, his hands covered in bright red Saint blood.
The entire Black Market fell into dead silence.
In the darkness, countless people revealed terrified expressions.
“Zhang Ruochen, you dare to kill a Saint of the Moon-Worshipping Cult?”
Ouyang Huan’s eyes were icy cold, and he was truly enraged. He controlled the Realm Son Seal, intending to suppress Zhang Ruochen again.
But before the seal could fall, Zhang Ruochen used Spatial Displacement and vanished from his spot.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen appeared to Ouyang Huan’s right and swung his sword, slashing at his legs.
A flash of sword light.
The Abyssal Ancient Sword traced a sword arc, cutting across Ouyang Huan’s knees and appearing behind him.
Because Zhang Ruochen’s sword strike was too fast, Ouyang Huan’s body and legs were still connected when he withdrew his sword.
“Boom.”
Zhang Ruochen struck out a palm, hitting Ouyang Huan’s chest.
Ouyang Huan’s chest completely caved in, his back bulging outward, and all his sacred qi dispersed. He flew backward, drawing a bloody arc in the air before crashing to the ground.
On the ground, only two bloody calves remained, still standing upright.
…
(Advance notice: I have to return to my hometown tomorrow, so the update will be very late.
Also, I apologize to everyone. Some time ago, I promised to update two chapters at midnight, but I ultimately found that I couldn’t complete it. That was my mistake, and I won’t make such promises in the future.
I will try my best to maintain two chapters per day, and I will release them as soon as they are written.
Still, I can only say I’ll try my best; I can’t guarantee two chapters every day. Sigh, there’s a lot to say, but I hope everyone can understand. If you can’t understand, I accept that too. After all, like all of you, I am also a reader, and I understand your feelings. Once again, I’m sorry.)