Phoenix Dance Palace, was a behemoth of a force, enough to be compared to some ancient families, other forces wanting to take it under their control, was definitely something as difficult as climbing into the sky.
Only, eight hundred years ago, the power of the Imperial Zhang Clan had gradually infiltrated into the Phoenix Dance Palace, and had very deep roots.
Later on, the Twelfth Master had used many tactics before he was able to control a large portion of the Phoenix Dance Palace’s power without even realizing it.
As for the Phoenix Dance Palace headquarters in Sacred Brightness City, it was completely under the Twelfth Master’s control.
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen was definitely very safe when he stayed in Phoenix Dance Palace.
When he returned to Phoenix Dance Palace, Zhang Ruochen entered the Scroll World and began to heal his wounds.
Even without swallowing the Withered Wood Pill, Zhang Ruochen’s injuries still recovered very quickly, and before long, he once again reached his peak state.
At the same time, his cultivation realm had also increased to a certain extent.
This time, Zhang Ruochen did not immediately leave the gate.
In the battle with the Green Winged Cicada, Zhang Ruochen had both gained a lot and discovered some shortcomings.
The biggest deficiency was naturally the cultivation realm.
Fifth Order Half-Saint and Ninth Order Half-Saint was originally the gap between the earth and the heavens, and apart from an anomaly like Zhang Ruochen, even the Nine Great Realm Sons were unable to cross it.
The gap between Ninth Order Half-Saints was also a heavenly difference.
Guo Lu, who was at the early stage of the Ninth Order Half-Saint, and Yan Honglie and the Green Winged Cicada, who were at the late stage of the Ninth Order Half-Saint, were simply not on the same level.
Without utilizing the Time Force and Space Force, Zhang Ruochen would be in a very passive situation when he fought with the late Ninth Order Half-Saint cultivators.
“The dark wounds on my body have almost healed, it’s time to start impacting the seventh aperture of the Seven Aperture Blood Underworld Palm.”
“By successfully cultivating the Seventh Orifice Blood Underworld Palm, I will have one more card to play, so that I won’t be forced to reveal my identity as a Time Successor every time I fight a strong enemy.”
At this stage, Zhang Ruochen’s attainments above time and space were still very low, and he was also tied to a felon of the court, so exposing his identity as a Time and Space Successor would undoubtedly be a rather unfavorable thing to do.
It was best not to utilize the power of time and space if one was able to do so, and once one did, one would also have to kill the opponent.
“There are seven orifices in each of the two palms, and I have already flushed open six orifices each, leaving only the Laogong acupoint in the center of the palm.”
The seventh orifice, the largest orifice in the center of the palm, as long as it was flushed open, both palms would be able to form a small circumference of their own, and a random palm strike would easily erupt with thirty times the attack power.
Zhang Ruochen stood underneath the Heaven Receiving Divine Wood and began to cultivate his palms according to the recipe above the Seven Orifices Blood Underworld Palm secret book.
“Boom boom.”
With each palm strike, the blood in his entire body was like a heavenly river flowing, rushing straight into his palm. In front of the palm, a cloud of blood qi tens of meters in diameter would emerge.
For a whole month, Zhang Ruochen was immersed in palm cultivation, as if he was mesmerized, traveling in the clouds and flowing in the water, falling into a wonderful state of mind.
With the Heaven Receiving Divine Wood as the center, tens of miles around, it was completely enveloped by a cloud of blood qi, and one could only hear the sound of a palm print, resounding one after another.
Impacting the seventh aperture was not only extremely difficult, but also, there was a great danger.
Sharpening the palm technique and refining the state of mind could make that kind of danger, minimized.
Reaching a certain moment, the blood in Zhang Ruochen’s entire body became very hot and boiled violently, and began to surge wildly towards the palms of both palms.
In the center of the palms, was the seventh orifice, the Laogong Acupuncture Orifice.
“Boom!”
The palms of both hands, as if they had transformed into two bronze bells, were struck, emitting a deafening sound.
In reality, the Laogong Acupuncture Orifice was even stronger than a copper bell, and trying to punch it open was as difficult as water trying to drip through iron.
The blood qi had rammed into it more than 800 times in a row, but it still failed to open the Laogong Acupuncture Orifice, instead, it shocked Zhang Ruochen’s arms and cracked a blood line.
A drop of blood, seeped out from the blood line and slid down the fingertips.
Knowing that Zhang Ruochen had already cultivated into the Five Elements Chaotic Body, and refined the Dragon Soul and Elephant Soul of the Saint realm in both arms, he still couldn’t withstand that kind of impact.
If it were any other human cultivator, he would have been afraid that his arms would be ruined after just the first impact.
After a series of more than 3,600 impulses, Zhang Ruochen finally stopped, declaring that the first impact on the seventh aperture had failed.
There was no way around it, Zhang Ruochen’s arms, which were already bloody, would be extremely dangerous if he continued to charge.
Waiting for the injuries on his arms to heal, Zhang Ruochen began to reflect and summarize.
Immediately afterward, Zhang Ruochen began to impact the seventh orifice for the second time, spending nine whole days and punching it more than 4,200 times.
Once again, it failed.
Zhang Ruochen was not discouraged because, being able to feel that the Laogong acupoint had loosened up a bit, he finally saw the hope of success.
Continuing with the third impact.
This time, Zhang Ruochen mobilized his blood qi and impacted the Laogong acupoint more than 4,900 times in a row.
The Laogong Acupuncture Orifice was getting looser and looser and was about to break open.
“Boom.”
Just as it was nearing five thousand impulses, Zhang Ruochen’s palms of his hands, suddenly, emitted a burning sensation.
Immediately afterward, the holy qi within his body was actually connected to the heaven and earth aura.
“Success!”
Zhang Ruochen revealed a joyful expression as he spread his palms out, and seven blood qi vortexes immediately appeared in his palms. The vortexes grew larger and larger, as if they were trying to absorb the entire heaven and earth.
At the same time, the seven orifices of the palm, however, had also formed a small circumference of their own, with a powerful Qi flowing between them.
With a palm strike, it was unknown what kind of powerful force would erupt?
“According to the secret book above, cultivating the Seven Orifices Blood Underworld Palm to its grand completion can erupt sixty-four times the attack power.”
Currently, Zhang Ruochen had only flushed open the seventh orifice and had not cultivated the palm to its grand completion.
According to his prediction, with full power, he should be able to strike out close to forty times the attack power. That kind of power far surpassed ordinary Saint Arts.
Of course, he also already possessed, the foundation to cultivate the Seven Orifices Blood Underworld Palm to its grand completion, and it was only a matter of time before he could exert sixty-four times the attack power.
“The next step is to refine the divine blood and sanctify the seventh aperture, making the palm power even stronger.”
Zhang Ruochen took out a drop of divine blood and held it between his hands as he began to absorb the divine power and blood qi from the divine blood. Immediately after, he mobilized that powerful and sacred energy and surged it towards the seventh orifice in his palm.
Forty drops of divine blood were refined in a row before the seventh orifice of both palms were completely sanctified.
Now, Zhang Ruochen’s hands each had seven brilliant points of light, as if he was holding seven stars in his hands, giving off a divine and unfathomable feeling.
“Wow–”
Zhang Ruochen lifted his right palm up, and instantly, the seven orifices after sanctification became incomparably bright, and the air in a hundred-mile radius trembled violently.
“My hands, should have already transformed into a pair of holy hands, even if I don’t use the Dragon Elephant Prajna Palm and the Seven Orifices Blood Underworld Palm, a casual strike should be able to erupt with power at the level of a holy art.”
In the human body, there were a total of one hundred and forty-four orifices, and with all of them sanctified, one could become a saint in the flesh.
Zhang Ruochen’s hands, which had a total of fourteen orifices, had all been sanctified, taking a huge step forward in the pursuit of physical body sainthood.
Next, were the twenty-two orifices of the arms, the thirty-six orifices of the legs and feet, the thirty-six orifices of the chest, abdomen and internal organs, and the thirty-six orifices of the head.
Obviously, the orifices of the human body’s limbs were easier to cultivate, and the orifices of the head were the most difficult.
Therefore, Zhang Ruochen made the decision to refine the arms, feet, and legs first, then the chest, abdomen, and internal organs, and finally the thirty-six orifices of the head.
“Refining forty drops of divine blood will allow my cultivation, too, to break through to the late stage of the Fifth Order Half-Saint.”
“With my current cultivation and palm power, even if I just use palm techniques and fight the Green Winged Cicada hard, I won’t fall below. Coupled with the assistance of time power and space power, it will never be a difficult task to kill her.”
With his cultivation greatly improved, Zhang Ruochen did not continue his seclusion and stepped out of the Scroll World.
……
…………
In Sacred Ming City, a goose feather snow fell, causing a vermilion building and red pavilion to be covered in a layer of silver frost.
Today’s Sacred Brightness City was exceptionally lively, every household was decorated with lights and colors, and every person’s face was covered with a festive smile, even the cultivators were no exception.
Tonight, it was New Year’s Eve, about to usher in a new year.
Cultivators, after all, were also human beings, and even if they were out in the field, they would try to rush back to their families to have New Year’s Eve dinner together, and instruct the juniors in their families, giving out some treasure weapons and pills.
For everyone, New Year’s Eve was a very happy time, longing to reunite with their families.
Zhang Ruochen was draped in a silver-gray tunic as he walked alone on top of the snow-filled streets, leaving behind a lonely footprint.
A familiar city, but there were no familiar people anymore.
Granny Baisu had already told Zhang Ruochen that it was Ming Tang who had spread the rumor. It was because of Ming Tang, his identity as the Holy Ming Imperial Prince, that the rumor had become known all over the city.
In the future, Zhang Ruochen’s path would be even more difficult.
On the New Year’s Eve of the year he turned sixteen, the entire Sacred Ming City was ablaze with lights, what a hustle and bustle.
Today, still very lively, still very noisy, but Zhang Ruochen could not feel a trace of warmth, only boundless and endless loneliness and loss.
Before walking out of the Phoenix Dance Palace, Granny Baisu and Qin Yutong specially told him that they had prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner, hoping that he would be able to rush back earlier and get together.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen, however, did not have a trace of mood, only wanting to come out for a walk and be alone.
“Zhang Ruochen!”
A familiar female voice came from the front.
Zhang Ruochen stopped his steps, raised his head, and looked towards the front of the street, a strange light appearing in his eyes as he said, “How were you …… able to find me?”
Draped in a head of long, treasured blue hair, like a lotus flower out of the water, Huang Yichen appeared to be as clear and elegant as the dust as she stood in the center of the street ten feet away, locking eyes with Zhang Ruochen.
Her figure was tall, her skin glistening white, and the icy cold aura on her body was like an ice mountain, completely blending in with the falling snowflakes.
“I know that you’re in Sacred Brightness City, so I’ve specially rushed to find you before New Year’s Eve. Zhang Ruochen, long time no see.”Huang Yichen’s voice was cold, yet he still revealed a shallow smile.
“It has indeed been a long time.”Zhang Ruochen also revealed a smile.
Being able to see Huang Yichen on this particular day, Zhang Ruochen’s heart regained a trace of warmth.
As for why Huang Yichen was able to find him, Zhang Ruochen didn’t think much about it, perhaps, that was fate in the underworld.
People who did not have destiny could not come together in any way.
People with destiny, even if they were no longer suitable, in the end, they would be able to stay together for the rest of their lives.
