The Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror trembled violently, its surface rippling with countless intricate demonic runes, unleashing an even stronger suction force, greedily devouring the vast divine blood qi like an ocean.
Zhang Ruochen showed a hint of surprise. He had intended to retract the mirror, not expecting such a reaction.
He could sense that the mirror’s spirit had awakened on its own, craving the divine blood qi intensely.
With a flicker of thought, Zhang Ruochen surmised that the mirror likely sought to absorb the divine blood qi to repair its own damage.
With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the Rebellious God Stele, turning his attention back to the divine envoy staff.
The clash of the three divine wills, though occurring within the staff, still had a significant impact on the surroundings.
Centered on the staff, a terrifying mental storm formed within a hundred-zhang radius, capable of shredding the mental will of even a Great Saint.
Dragon Fiend Emperor had already retreated far enough with Zhang Ruochen to avoid being caught in it, its eyes filled with wariness. It had narrowly escaped disaster moments ago.
On the other side, Sword Emperor’s shattered body reformed, appearing unharmed but noticeably weaker in aura.
Unlike ordinary beings, Sword Emperor’s essence was the lingering sword intent of an ancient sword god, condensed with various energies to form a body that could disperse and reform, similar to Dragon Fiend Emperor’s, nearly indistinguishable from a Great Saint’s body.
As long as the core sword intent remained intact, Sword Emperor could reconstruct his body, though it required re-refining to regain its former strength.
Clearly, Sword Emperor had suffered significant damage, or he wouldn’t have taken so long to reform.
In contrast, Stone Emperor fared better, his mysterious yellow stone body greatly mitigating the attacks of divine blood qi and mental will.
At that moment, both Stone Emperor and Sword Emperor fixed their gazes on the divine envoy staff, their expressions slightly grave.
After tense observation for half an hour, the staff gradually calmed, and the mental storm subsided.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t approach rashly. Instead, he released a wisp of mental energy to probe the staff.
“Hm? The Inferno Realm god’s mental will wasn’t eradicated but has merged into the staff,” Zhang Ruochen said, his expression shifting.
With a gesture, he summoned the staff into his hand.
He could clearly sense that the staff had changed, faintly exuding an eerie aura.
The Inferno Realm god’s mental will was so powerful that the Moon God and Tree God’s wills within the staff could only balance it, neutralizing each other, leaving only their fundamental forces to merge.
For Zhang Ruochen, this was the best possible outcome, resolving a major threat.
The staff now held immense mental power but was tinged with malevolence. A faint demonic god mark appeared on its surface, as if alive, devouring any mental energy that approached.
As the staff’s master, even Zhang Ruochen’s probing mental energy was devoured several times, preventing him from accurately assessing its internal state.
After studying the staff for a moment, a thought struck him. He murmured, “If I refine Muzu’s true form into the staff, it might become a powerful mental sacred artifact.”
Mental sacred artifacts were extremely rare, high-tier ones even more so. Despite defeating numerous foes, Zhang Ruochen had acquired few high-tier mental artifacts, with only the Golden Radiance Thunder Pearl being usable.
With his formidable mental strength, a top-tier mental sacred artifact could allow him to slay top Saint Kings with mental power alone.
“Trouble. Muzu’s earlier outburst was too strong, triggering the incomplete divine array in the Dragon God Temple,” Stone Emperor suddenly said gravely.
Zhang Ruochen reacted instantly, his gaze shifting to the main structure of the Dragon God Temple nearby, where a faint divine light erupted, and a terrifying aura spread.
Intricate array runes emerged from the ground, spreading in all directions.
The divine array was immensely powerful. Even the ancient divine war had only damaged it, not destroyed it.
Dormant for a hundred thousand years, the impact of the Inferno Realm god’s power had reactivated it.
Dragon Fiend Emperor urgently said, “Master, the divine array’s awakening will cause massive upheaval on True Dragon Island, potentially annihilating everything. We must leave immediately.”
Even an incomplete divine array could kill most Great Saints and even harm gods.
“The Kunlun Realm is now a merit battlefield. At this stage, Great Saint realm cultivators are forbidden. If you leave now, the Inferno Realm’s patrolling angels will likely strike you down with divine punishment. You must hide,” Zhang Ruochen said seriously.
Escaped Inferno Realm cultivators had likely spread news of Great Saints on True Dragon Island, and the patrolling angels would be watching closely.
Fortunately, True Dragon Island was isolated, beyond even divine perception, allowing Stone Emperor and the others to remain safe.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Secret Tome of Time and Space, intending to store them within, but paused, attempting to open the Qiankun Realm instead.
He was wary of the Inferno Realm god’s scrutiny, doubting the tome’s security.
Perhaps due to his enhanced mastery of the Way of Space and the island’s instability, he successfully opened the Qiankun Realm.
Dragon Fiend Emperor eagerly entered first.
Stone Emperor glanced at Sword Emperor. “Sword Emperor, let’s go. Staying on True Dragon Island offers little chance for breakthroughs. The vast worlds of the Inferno and Celestial Courts are where we can soar.”
Sword Emperor said nothing, gazing at the Dragon God Temple with reluctance, as it was his birthplace.
Then, he stepped forward, entering the spatial gate Zhang Ruochen had constructed with Stone Emperor, leaving their homeland, uncertain of when they might return.
Zhang Ruochen sealed the gate instantly, recalling the Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror, which had absorbed vast divine blood qi, and used spatial translocation to flee toward the island’s edge at top speed, unwilling to be trapped.
Ao Xinyan and the others had already left True Dragon Island, so he had no need to worry for them.
As time passed, more array runes emerged from the ground, spreading rapidly, heightening Zhang Ruochen’s sense of urgency.
Finally, he reached the island’s edge, where dense array runes wove into a net, the divine array nearly complete.
A glint flashed in his eyes as he merged with space, transforming into a streak of light, slipping through the gaps in the runes.
“Rumble.”
The sea around True Dragon Island erupted with intense energy fluctuations, radiating billions of divine lights, as if a divine artifact had emerged.
But moments later, the lights faded, and all fluctuations vanished, leaving only turbulent waves on the sea, unable to calm.
Standing ten thousand li away on the sea, Zhang Ruochen looked back but could no longer see True Dragon Island.
The activated incomplete divine array had resealed the island, isolating it from the world.
Perhaps only an Inferno Realm god could reopen it.
“The divine array seals True Dragon Island. Hopefully, it will deter both the Inferno and Celestial Courts from pursuing the Key to the World Gate,” Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Yet, he worried that since the Dark Temple had deduced the key’s emergence on True Dragon Island, they might also deduce it was no longer there.
With his current strength, as long as the Inferno Realm didn’t send cultivators above the Great Saint realm, he was confident in protecting the key.
Many cultivators lingered in the nearby seas, from both the Inferno and Celestial Courts, unwilling to abandon the key.
Though they had been expelled, none believed Zhang Ruochen would guard True Dragon Island forever, and the island’s Great Saint monsters weren’t unsolvable.
Now, however, the cultivators gaped, stunned that True Dragon Island had resealed, far stronger than before.
“What did Zhang Ruochen do? How was a divine array activated? Damn it!” Inferno Realm cultivators fumed.
The Seven Ultimate Killers of the Nether Temple and the Bone Clan’s Three Emperors and Five Venerables gathered, watching the island’s sealing, the atmosphere heavy.
Xuanming Wushang’s face darkened. “With the divine array, we can’t enter True Dragon Island. A single Zhang Ruochen has caused the Inferno Realm such a loss. He must not be spared.”
“Indeed, Zhang Ruochen must die,” Slaughter Spirit Emperor said coldly.
The five surviving Bone Clan Venerables, needless to say, harbored deep hatred, wishing to grind Zhang Ruochen to dust.
As Xuanming Wushang and the others prepared to act, a divine thought swept over, ordering an immediate retreat.
The reason: the Key to the World Gate in the Yin-Yang Sea was no longer a secret, and with forces converging, lingering risked greater trouble.
“Let Zhang Ruochen live a bit longer. When I enter the Kunlun Realm’s merit battlefield, I’ll kill him,” Xuanming Wushang said, unwilling but unable to defy a god’s command, retreating swiftly.
In another sea region, four massive warships hid in the mist, belonging to Thousand-Star Civilization, Giant Spirit Civilization, Beidou Civilization, and Heavenly Dragon Realm.
“Zhang Ruochen is formidable, activating a divine array to cut off all hopes,” Giant Spirit King said, eyes narrowed.
Nether Tiger True Monarch sighed, “Who could’ve thought Zhang Ruochen could sweep True Dragon Island alone? He’s the biggest winner. Did he obtain the Key to the World Gate?”
Thousand-Star Maiden’s heart stirred. She had told Zhang Ruochen that the short, thin elder might know the key’s location, but with the elder’s slipperiness and subsequent events, could Zhang Ruochen have caught him?
“Perhaps keeping the Key to the World Gate sealed on True Dragon Island is the best outcome,” she thought.
Ao Xukong smiled. “As long as the Inferno Realm didn’t gain an advantage, it’s a win. With True Dragon Island resealed, there’s no point staying. Let’s go.”
Many cultivators gave wry smiles, unprepared for this outcome.
As Heavenly Dragon Realm’s warship set sail, Thousand-Star, Giant Spirit, and Beidou Civilizations followed, their warships departing.
Noticing the hidden cultivators retreating, Zhang Ruochen headed toward Silver Dragon Island’s sea region.
“Hm?”
Suddenly, he stopped, gazing at the misty sea ahead.
Despite the fog, he clearly saw a small boat approaching from a thousand li away.
On it stood two figures, a man and a woman.
The woman, youthful and breathtakingly beautiful, wore white robes, her black hair cascading like a waterfall, her delicate frame radiating bright, deep eyes and an ethereal divine glow. Her refined, scholarly aura gave her the air of a goddess descended from the heavens.
Zhang Ruochen knew her well: Nalan Danqing, the Saintly Scholar of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens.
Her eyes lit up. He sensed her transformation, a mysterious scholarly aura imbued with millennia of knowledge and cultivation—elegant, natural, and unfathomable. Had the Sacred Confucian Tome fully merged with her?
With her current Confucian cultivation, even Shangguan Que might not surpass her.
The man, shrouded in black mist, his face obscured, wore a striking blood-red robe.
“Night North Slays All Kings, Night Black Slays All Men,” Zhang Ruochen thought, locking onto the blood-robed man.
The robe confirmed his identity: Slaughter King, the Court’s Military Department’s top assassin.
Zhang Ruochen vividly remembered the blood robe. In the Yin-Yang Sea, a mere glance had chilled him to the bone.
He recalled how Bu Qianfan, Wanhua Yu, and others had shown deep fear upon seeing Slaughter King.
In one night, he had slaughtered nineteen counties in the Southern Domain, leaving no survivors—a terrifying feat.
To the Kunlun Realm’s billions, Slaughter King embodied fear, a deterrent ensuring the Court’s stability.
No one in the Kunlun Realm matched his kill count.
Among those Zhang Ruochen had met, none surpassed Slaughter King’s killing aura.
Facing him, those with weak mental will could easily succumb to fear.
Before the Kunlun Realm’s revival, Slaughter King was already a top Saint King. Now, he was unfathomable, having slain countless Asura Clan members in the Southern Domain.
Gazing at Nalan Danqing and Slaughter King, Zhang Ruochen guessed their purpose in the Yin-Yang Sea.
“Swish.”
Suddenly, Slaughter King shot from the boat, unleashing a terrifying killing aura, striking at Zhang Ruochen with a punch.
A chilling fist mark appeared, carrying the wails of countless beings, a fist technique laced with mental will.
Seeing Slaughter King attack, Zhang Ruochen let out a heavy snort, countering with a punch.
A divine and ghostly shadow appeared side by side, the sea trembling, raising waves ten thousand zhang high.
Having refined a supreme water-element divine object in the Yin-Yang Sea, Zhang Ruochen’s Luoshui Fist Technique was exponentially stronger.
“Bang.”
Slaughter King’s fist mark disintegrated instantly.
The divine and ghostly shadows pressed forward, surging toward Slaughter King.
“Swish.”
Unfazed, Slaughter King drew a sacred blade from his back.
The blood-red blade, steeped in boundless killing intent, was razor-sharp.
This blade had an extraordinary origin. During Slaughter King’s massacre of the Southern Domain’s nineteen counties, a celestial phenomenon occurred, with blood-red lightning splitting a tomb, from which the blade emerged, choosing him as its master.
Legend held that the blade belonged to a supreme Great Saint from tens of thousands of years ago, a “Human Butcher” who had slain billions, forged with endless blood and killing aura, uncontrollable by most.
Though only a kingly weapon, its attack power rivaled ordinary supreme sacred artifacts.
In Slaughter King’s hands, it unleashed power surpassing typical supreme artifacts.
Wielding the blood-red blade, he slashed with lightning speed.
A ten-thousand-zhang blade beam cleaved through, unstoppable, slicing the waves and shattering the divine and ghostly shadows.
The beam fragmented, eroded by the Luoshui Fist Technique’s soft fist intent.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Slaughter King, thinking, “He’s indeed inherited the Human Butcher’s legacy. His slaughter blade technique, unified with the blade, is impressive, nearly matching a Bone Clan Venerable.”
The path of slaughter grew stronger with each kill.
The Kunlun Realm’s merit battlefield had perfected Slaughter King.
With swift thoughts, Zhang Ruochen shifted his fist style, channeling water and fist-path rules, raising even fiercer waves that formed a giant sword, slashing down.
Slaughter King adjusted his blade style, slashing upward to block the watery sword.
“Rumble.”
Before the sword fell, the sea split, forming a thousand-li-long chasm.
Slaughter King’s blade beam shattered, the giant sword pressing down irresistibly.
“Roar.”
Slaughter King let out a long howl, raising the blood-red blade overhead.
Unleashing his full killing aura, he dyed the heavens blood-red, standing atop billions of corpses as the world’s master.
Yet, as the sword struck, the killing aura’s vision collapsed.
Despite his efforts, Slaughter King sank, fully submerged in the sea’s chasm.
“Show mercy.”
As Slaughter King faltered, Nalan Danqing’s voice rang out.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at her, retracting his fist intent, letting the sword dissipate.
“Bang.”
Slaughter King broke through the water, soaring back to the boat.
Nalan Danqing sighed in relief, steering the boat quickly toward Zhang Ruochen.
“I didn’t expect your strength to reach such heights. It seems the Child of Darkness truly fell to you,” Slaughter King said gravely.
Clearly, he had heard of True Dragon Island’s events and attacked to test Zhang Ruochen’s strength.
Zhang Ruochen said coldly, “Don’t attack me again, or no matter who you are, I won’t show mercy.”
He had no interest in tests. Anyone who attacked him was an enemy, and he never spared enemies.
Sensing his anger, Nalan Danqing quickly said, “Zhang Ruochen, don’t be upset. Slaughter King meant no harm.”
Pausing, she continued, “The Court learned of the Inferno Realm’s plot and sent us immediately, but we arrived too late.”
“The Inferno Realm deployed the Child of Darkness, the Nether Temple’s Seven Ultimate Killers, the Bone Clan’s Three Emperors and Twelve Venerables, and tens of thousands of Saint Kings. The Court sending just you two, early or late, makes no difference,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Nalan Danqing sighed. “Facing the Inferno Realm’s onslaught, the Court’s forces are stretched thin, unable to spare many for the Yin-Yang Sea.”
“The Kunlun Realm’s revival is recent. Though Saints and Saint Kings have increased, top-tier cultivators are scarce, and fewer heed the Court. Without Lord Drip Blood, the Court’s situation would be even worse.”
The Court was strong, but compared to the Inferno Realm, it was negligible, surviving thus far with great difficulty.
If not for the Key to the World Gate’s importance, the Court wouldn’t have recalled Slaughter King from the Southern Domain’s merit battlefield to the Yin-Yang Sea.
