The magic dragon transformed into a massive rabbit, extending a claw wreathed in demonic qi to pin down Xue Liehongdong. It deliberately put on a ferocious glare and said, “Master Chen, I’ve taken him down. How should we deal with him?”
“Cough, cough.”
Xue Liehongdong’s internal organs were nearly shattered, his meridians and saint veins severely damaged.
He coughed and spat blood simultaneously.
The physical pain was secondary. What truly gnawed at him, filling him with frustration and rage, was that he, the esteemed young palace master of the Warhammer Palace, had been beaten down by a rabbit. If word got out, he’d become a laughingstock in the Warhammer Palace.
Of course, at this moment, his priority should be figuring out how to preserve his life.
With a gesture through the air, Zhang Ruochen seized the storage bracelet from Xue Liehongdong’s wrist. Probing it with his spiritual power, he found it packed with a wealth of precious refining materials.
Some of these materials were so rare they couldn’t be bought on the market.
“Kill him,” Zhang Ruochen said indifferently.
“No, Zhang Ruochen, you can’t kill me! I’m the young palace master of the Warhammer Palace. If you take me to the Warhammer Palace, you could trade me for a fortune in saint artefacts. I’m the great-grandson of the palace’s Grand Elder,” Xue Liehongdong pleaded.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Not interested. I just want you dead.”
The cultivators of the Divine Sword Sacred Land were the foundation of his sixth senior brother, Lu Yuanzhi, and loyal vassals of the Saintly Central Empire. Zhang Ruochen owed them an explanation.
“No, no…”
Xue Liehongdong’s face turned purple, his mind blank. He’d never imagined that one day he’d face death himself.
“When you kill other cultivators, you should be prepared to be killed in return. I am, and so should you,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
Boom.
A majestic aura of a Great Saint descended from beyond the heavens, shattering the clouds within a thousand miles.
Every saint-level cultivator on the ground paled, looking up towards the sky.
Above the ninth heaven, standing over ten thousand miles from Kunlun Realm’s surface, was a towering figure clad in silver armour. Only a Saint King’s saintly eyes could discern his form at such a distance.
“Greetings, Patrol Envoy.”
The saint-level cultivators on the ground bowed in respect to the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy.
Patrol Envoys were Great Saints dispatched by the Heavenly Palace to patrol and oversee the Merit Battlefield above Kunlun Realm.
If they discovered infighting among Heavenly Court cultivators resulting in casualties, the Patrol Envoy would intervene and punish the offenders.
Likewise, if a Great Saint from the Hell Realm appeared in Kunlun Realm, breaking the rules of the Merit War, the Patrol Envoy would either report it immediately or act to slay them.
A Patrol Envoy couldn’t descend to Kunlun Realm in their true form but could unleash the Power of Heavenly Punishment.
This was Zhang Ruochen’s first encounter with a Patrol Envoy. When he saw the three pairs of white wings on the silver-armoured man’s back, his expression darkened slightly.
“An angel—another from the Paradise Realm faction.”
The silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s voice reached the ground, carrying the oppressive might of a Great Saint, “Zhang Ruochen, the Merit War forbids infighting. You dare defy the Heavenly Palace’s laws by attempting to kill your comrade. Today, this envoy will deliver heavenly punishment and execute you.”
Unfazed by the Great Saint’s pressure, Zhang Ruochen showed no trace of deference and raised his voice, “If you want to pin a crime on me, why worry about finding an excuse?”
“Are you saying this envoy is framing you?” the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy retorted.
Patrol Envoys weren’t free to act with impunity. If reported or impeached, they’d face severe consequences.
After all, the Heavenly Palace housed several other factions—Pangu Realm, Ten Thousand Demon Realm, and more—eager to suppress the Paradise Realm faction and replace them with their own.
With numerous saint-level cultivators present, and Zhang Ruochen being the Moon Goddess’s envoy—a figure of no small significance—the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy didn’t dare rashly unleash heavenly punishment.
Zhang Ruochen inwardly sneered. Where was the Patrol Envoy when the Divine Sword Sacred Land was massacred? Where were they when the Eastern Domain Saint King Mansion faced a large-scale assault?
He had no interest in debating with them—reasoning was pointless.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Xue Liehongdong massacred Kunlun Realm cultivators in the Divine Sword Sacred Land within the Eastern Domain Holy City. He deserves death. The cultivators of the Divine Sword Sacred Land are my senior brother’s descendants, giving me every reason to avenge them. I haven’t even killed Xue Liehongdong yet, but if I did, it’d be justice on behalf of the heavens.”
“Insolence! Even if Xue Liehongdong broke the heavenly laws, only the Heavenly Palace can punish him. If you kill him, you’re disregarding the laws and deserve heavenly punishment,” the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy roared.
“The Heavenly Palace’s laws need some changes! Especially for its own members—they should be stricter,” Zhang Ruochen said, his gaze sharp.
“You…”
Dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, with countless bolts of lightning weaving through the heavens and earth.
The Patrol Envoy’s saintly might grew even more domineering, as if preparing to unleash a world-destroying force. The pressure bore down on the saint-level cultivators below, filling them with dread. Some even dropped to their knees.
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Azure Sky Pagoda, holding it in his palm and activating its supreme power, “Heavenly punishment isn’t something you can just casually dish out. I haven’t killed Xue Liehongdong yet, and you’re already trying to kill me. Doesn’t that violate the heavenly laws?”
The silver-armoured Patrol Envoy faltered slightly, realising he’d acted too hastily.
If cultivators from the Pangu Realm or Ten Thousand Demon Realm factions were present and used this as grounds to impeach him, his position might not hold. Worse, if the Moon Goddess stormed the Heavenly Palace, his life could be forfeit.
Moreover, his mission wasn’t just to deal with Zhang Ruochen but also to save someone.
Better to rescue the target first and deal with Zhang Ruochen later.
The silver-armoured Patrol Envoy dispersed the lightning, condensing a projection that descended to Kunlun Realm, hovering a hundred zhang (about 330 feet) above the ground.
Though only a projection, its aura remained overwhelmingly powerful, enough to crush an ordinary Saint King.
“You claim Xue Liehongdong slaughtered Kunlun Realm cultivators in the Eastern Domain Holy City. Where’s your proof? Without evidence, this envoy can cripple you now and drag you back to the Heavenly Palace for severe punishment,” the Patrol Envoy’s projection declared.
“Of course I have evidence.”
While Zhang Ruochen didn’t fear the Patrol Envoy, he had no desire to openly defy the Heavenly Palace.
He produced a scroll.
The scroll bore an imprint of Xue Liehongdong’s rampant slaughter in the Divine Sword Sacred Land—irrefutable evidence.
The Patrol Envoy’s eyes narrowed, “This Xue Liehongdong really courted death. Wanting to seize the *Records of Heavenly Craftsmanship* is one thing, but doing it so brazenly?”
With this scroll as evidence, even if Xue Liehongdong were handed over to the Heavenly Palace, he’d likely face a death sentence.
“Zhang Ruochen, as the Moon Goddess’s envoy, you should understand that the heavenly laws cannot be violated. Even with evidence, if you kill Xue Liehongdong, you’re still signing your own death warrant,” the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s projection said.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression flickered as he weighed his options.
Handing Xue Liehongdong over to this Patrol Envoy was out of the question. If the Warhammer Palace pulled strings behind the scenes to save him, how would Zhang Ruochen explain that to the cultivators of the Divine Sword Sacred Land?
After a long pause, he said, “Thank you for the reminder, Envoy.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen relent, the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy nodded in satisfaction before sternly adding, “This envoy has received word that Tianchen, the Scarlet Envoy of the Blood War Temple, was captured by you. Is this true?”
“No.”
Zhang Ruochen continued, “Tianchen’s cultivation is so formidable—how could I possibly be his match? Are you joking, Envoy?”
“Joking?”
The silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s voice transmitted directly into Zhang Ruochen’s mind, “Zhang Ruochen, name your terms. What will it take for you to release Tianchen?”
“For a Patrol Envoy to negotiate with me, the Paradise Realm must really value me highly,” Zhang Ruochen thought with a silent laugh.
More accurately, the Paradise Realm placed immense value on Tianchen.
After all, Tianchen had a strong chance of reaching the Great Saint realm.
Zhang Ruochen replied via transmission, “Bring Master Shenya to me bound, or hand over Da Xi Wang.”
A chilling aura radiated from the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy, freezing the ground within hundreds of miles in a layer of ice, “Outrageous.”
“You asked me to name my terms. These are my terms,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Patrol Envoy threatened, “As a Patrol Envoy, I have many ways to kill you without resorting to heavenly punishment. If you obediently hand over Tianchen, you might live a bit longer.”
“I’ve seen the Paradise Realm’s tactics before, yet here I am, still alive and well. Go tell Shang Ziyan that if he wants to save Tianchen, he can come fight me himself. If he wins, I’ll hand Tianchen over. If he loses, I’ll take his life,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
The silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s gaze darkened, “Are you declaring war?”
“Yes, it’s a declaration of war. It’s long overdue for us to settle this once and for all.”
Among his peers, the only one Zhang Ruochen considered a true rival was Shang Ziyan. Now, having stepped into the Eight-Step Saint King realm, he finally had the strength to avenge his senior brothers and sisters. He was eager for a decisive battle with Shang Ziyan.
A fight to the death.
Zhang Ruochen began walking step by step towards Xue Liehongdong.
Sensing his intent, the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s projection darted forward, reaching to grab Xue Liehongdong.
“Spatial Rift.”
Zhang Ruochen slashed with his finger, sending a spatial rift flying out, forcing the Patrol Envoy’s projection back.
Swish.
In the next instant, Zhang Ruochen appeared beside Xue Liehongdong, raising a palm to strike.
“Zhang Ruochen, you dare!”
The Patrol Envoy’s projection roared in fury, extending an arm into the void. A white saint sword flew from beyond the heavens, landing in her hand.
The sword streaked like a meteor, piercing through the air towards Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s descending palm didn’t land. Instead, he shifted it into a claw, seizing Xue Liehongdong by the right shoulder, lifting him up, and pulling him back as a shield.
Pfft.
The white saint sword in the Patrol Envoy’s projection’s hand pierced through Xue Liehongdong’s forehead.
Being just a projection, not the Great Saint’s true body, its reaction speed couldn’t match Zhang Ruochen’s current prowess.
Seeing that she had killed Xue Liehongdong herself, a flash of shock crossed the silver-armoured Patrol Envoy’s eyes.
