“How could this be? This child… is truly as bizarre as the legends claim. He cannot be measured by common reasoning.” Xue Li felt no fear. His eyes blazed with fierce battle intent as he desperately sought a countermeasure.
Mu Tuo War God was the second strongest in the Dark Temple below the Immeasurable realm. Across the entire Hell Realm, he ranked among the foremost figures. His renown even surpassed the Ghost Lord’s. Naturally, a single divine corpse would not frighten him.
After recalling his war soul hammer, he charged forward in his true form.
To bear the title of war god meant rich combat experience, of course.
Thus, Mu Tuo War God did not clash head-on with the old corpse ghost. At roughly a thousand li away, his figure abruptly vanished. Having cultivated the path of darkness, his concealment arts were naturally profound.
Zhang Ruochen knew Mu Tuo War God’s target was himself. Facing such a powerhouse, he immediately grew cautious.
Whoosh!
The boundless Truth Realm Form of the universe unfolded, like a starry sea illuminating all directions.
Yet it still could not pierce Mu Tuo War God’s concealment divine art.
“Impressive. Worthy of a master who has perfected the path of darkness. Even with my current attainment in the Infinite Divine Way, I cannot locate his true body.”
Danger drew ever closer. Zhang Ruochen dared not let Mu Tuo War God approach. He had no choice but to take another risk, surging divine qi into the flame pillar to loosen part of the old corpse ghost’s seal.
The old corpse ghost’s eyes flared brightly. It detected Mu Tuo War God’s traces and reached out towards a point in the void.
The grasp seemed slow, yet space contracted from all sides, pressing towards Mu Tuo War God and forcing him to reveal his true form. He immediately fled backwards.
“Pfft!”
Zhang Ruochen suffered another backlash from the old corpse ghost’s spiritual consciousness. Blood sprayed from his mouth. His head ached as though splitting. He hurriedly withdrew his divine qi, resealing the old corpse ghost.
“Damn it! Is this old corpse ghost truly still alive? How can its consciousness be this powerful?”
Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth and endured, refining the spiritual force divine pills in his body while controlling the old corpse ghost to charge towards the next wormhole.
Boom!
Boom!
…
The old corpse ghost moved at extreme speed. Each step exceeded the distance of a divine stride. The erupting qi waves caused Kirin Star Domain to shake violently.
Mu Tuo War God held his soul-suppressing hammer but did not pursue immediately.
The old corpse ghost was too powerful, far beyond Great Void realm strength.
Earlier, had his combat experience not been vast, allowing timely escape, he would have suffered severe injury.
“Do not fear that divine corpse. It is controlled by Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual force. His spiritual force is already heavily depleted, and he suffers backlash from the corpse’s will. He cannot hold out much longer.” The Ghost Lord’s voice rang out.
The Ghost Lord, Master Qianqian, Li Yuantian God, and Xu Liao emerged from the wormhole one after another.
Under the combined urging of three Great Void great gods, the Earth Fiend Bell flew out, erupting with unprecedented divine artefact might. It crossed millions of li and struck the old corpse ghost heavily.
Boom!
Nebulae shattered. Space grew chaotic.
The old corpse ghost’s body plunged into the void world.
“This old ghost actually brought the Earth Fiend Bell!”
With the Earth Fiend Bell suppressing the divine corpse, Mu Tuo War God hesitated no longer. He swiftly stepped out with divine strides, pursuing.
Xue Li, Master Qianqian, the Ghost Lord, Li Yuantian God, and Xu Liao followed closely. Each radiated vast divine might. Their divine light outshone stars a hundredfold, causing Kirin Star Domain to boil.
From afar, Luo Yi looked once more at Heavenly Sound Goddess.
Such a powerful group of Great Void powerhouses, plus a divine artefact like the Earth Fiend Bell, was like an army marching to war against a god-king. No matter how much confidence Luo Yi had in Zhang Ruochen, worry filled her now.
“Do not act rashly. Battles of this level are beyond you.” Strands of destiny divine light flew from Heavenly Sound Goddess, fixing Luo Yi in place. She feared the girl would lose composure.
Luo Yi looked at Gu Shejing, asking with her eyes whether Earth Grandmother had arrived.
Gu Shejing shook her head gently, unclear whether it meant “I do not know” or “she has not come”.
Zhang Ruochen was, after all, Heavenly Grandmother’s divine envoy. How could Luo Ancestor Cloud Mountain Realm ignore him? Other gods of the Rakshasa could remain silent, but Earth Grandmother could not.
Boom!
In Kirin Star Domain, heaven and earth overturned. Stars shattered one by one.
Profound light surged, sweeping all directions. Even Great Void great gods dared not touch it.
The Earth Fiend Bell’s toll echoed through the stars, like a soul-calling demonic bell. Its power waves were intense. Each ripple could gravely wound a god.
Across trillions of li in Kirin Star Domain, all dark rules converged towards Mu Tuo War God, condensing into an Immeasurable-level divine art: Dark Heaven Source. Like a black hole birthing, it devoured light across a star domain.
The battle raged without cease. Torrential divine force struck from the real world into the void world.
Then from the void world back to Kirin Star Domain’s centre.
Wherever it passed, all was destroyed.
More and more gods arrived to watch. Zhang Ruochen’s combat strength repeatedly shattered their understanding. One man against a group of Great Void great gods.
Heavenly Sound Goddess remained calm throughout. “Do not worry so. Zhang Ruochen is breaking through. His spiritual force is about to achieve a major leap. Once successful, the battlefield will surely turn.”
Heavenly Sound Goddess could sense it. The attacking Great Void great gods naturally could too.
“Qianqian, shatter his spiritual force.” The Ghost Lord said.
Master Qianqian replied. “The corpse’s death qi is too dense. My spiritual force divine arts cannot reach him.”
In a region far from the battlefield, Pu Chuanqi’s shattered bones slowly gathered, forming a vortex that condensed into a body, growing flesh anew. Discovering his profound meanings lost entirely, he howled in fury.
The howl issued from his throat.
Suddenly, his divine sense fell on the Blood-Coloured Divine Centipede Ship, also far from the battlefield.
Little Black sensed Pu Chuanqi’s menacing gaze. His heart tightened. “This old fellow would not go mad from anger and take it out on us, would he? Has he no shame?”
“Repeated blows. If it were me, I would go mad too. Once someone loses reason to rage, they will do anything.” Blood Slaughter said.
Banyo’s expression grew grave. Supporting her wounded body, she stood. “He does intend to strike us, but not to kill. To distract Ruochen, creating openings for the Ghost Lord and Mu Tuo War God.”
“You are right.”
Pu Chuanqi appeared instantly on the Blood-Coloured Divine Centipede Ship. His palm struck out a beam of witch light.
The witch light like myriad sharp spikes struck Banyo, sending her flying. Blood sprayed from her body. The witch light devoured it. Her form rapidly withered. Her hair turned from black to white.
“Seeking death!”
Zhang Ruochen roared in fury. Divine light blazed from him. Sword cries echoed through Kirin Star Domain.
Wrath Sword flew from his body.
Sensing Wrath Sword’s terror, even Xue Li and Li Yuantian God immediately retreated, daring not meet it head-on.
Sword light pierced the limits of space-time, as though crossing it. With a puff, it pierced Pu Chuanqi’s body billions of li away.
Pu Chuanqi’s body deflated like a punctured ball. Divine light faded. He glanced at the unhealing blood hole in his chest. Weakened beyond recognition as a Great Void great god, Little Black slapped him to the ground with one claw.
“Dare kill a god of my Destiny Temple.”
Blood Slaughter pounced, biting open Pu Chuanqi’s neck and drinking great god blood.
Wrath Sword’s strike had nearly shattered Pu Chuanqi’s divine soul. His consciousness blurred. Pinned beneath Blood Slaughter, he had no strength to resist, only to be drained.
Though the Ghost Lord found Pu Chuanqi’s attack on Banyo improper, it was a rare chance. He immediately cooperated with Master Qianqian. One used a divine artefact to breach death qi. The other assaulted Zhang Ruochen’s divine heart with spiritual force.
But someone struck first.
A radiant divine arrow flew from the void world, shattering space. It struck Zhang Ruochen, shooting him from the old corpse ghost. Vast divine blood sprayed.
A powerhouse lurked in the dark.
…
Destiny Divine Mountain.
Xu Tian sat by the Fate Stream.
Gentle breeze blew. Five-coloured petals danced in the air, fragrant and pleasant.
In the water, the battle in Kirin Star Domain appeared.
Xu Tian fumed, beard and eyes glaring. “A group of gods who have lived hundreds of thousands of years, struggling so against one youth. Hell Realm grows weaker generation by generation. Fortunately, your generation produced talents. Otherwise, when we old fellows die, relying on them, hmph, Heaven Court would march straight to Destiny Divine Mountain and pry open my coffin lid.”
Que stood beside him. Though shocked at Zhang Ruochen’s formidable strength, he remained rational. “We cannot fully blame them. That divine corpse is extraordinary. Zhang Ruochen’s own strength is already immense, but relying too much on external forces may not be good for him.”
Xu Tian nodded. “What do you mean may not? He has clearly taken a wrong path, ruining his supreme talent. If Xumi were alive, he would long since have flung away that nonsense Sword Ancestor soul sword, that divine corpse, as far as possible.”
“With the Sword Ancestor soul sword, will he diligently cultivate his own soul sword? With the divine corpse, will he diligently cultivate his own divine arts? With a divine sword, will he diligently refine the natal sword most suited to him? Take this as a warning.”
Que said. “We cannot fully blame him. After all, he lacks what I have: an outstanding master.”
Xu Tian pondered, then sighed regretfully. “Xumi only gave birth, never raised. He lacks a proper master to guide him. Xing Huantian, that old drunkard, is merely a spiritual force cultivator after all.”
Xu Tian cherished talent deeply.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen straying further on a self-destructive path was like watching fine jade shatter piece by piece, potential dwindling. How could his heart not ache?
“Does Master wish to take him as disciple?” Que asked.
Xu Tian glared. He snorted. “Xumi’s hand-me-down? I have no interest. If he continues ruining himself, with even slight effort from you, your future achievements will surely surpass his.”
“This disciple will strive hard.”
Then Que added. “Gods from the various divine palaces are gathering, wishing to avenge Master by intercepting and killing Zhang Ruochen. Shall we stop them?”
“They seek vengeance for me. Why stop them?” Xu Tian said.
Que’s lips moved.
Xu Tian said. “If you have something to say, say it.”
Que said. “Zhang Ruochen set out under the banner of exterminating the Huo Ze family, clearly to lure Destiny Temple gods to intercept him. Yet he brought Banyo and Blood Slaughter, whose statuses in Destiny Temple are sensitive. This is intriguing.”
“What is intriguing?” Xu Tian smiled.
Que said. “If Destiny Temple gods rush over, with Phoenix Heaven and Fury Heaven God Venerable’s face to consider, they could never directly kill Zhang Ruochen. They would capture him.”
“This is clearly Zhang Ruochen using Destiny Temple gods to deal with those truly intent on killing him, thereby borrowing Destiny Temple’s power to reach Destiny Temple.”
“Master surely sees through Zhang Ruochen’s aim, yet allows Destiny Temple gods to…”
