“Ally?”
Master Shenya froze, his gaze shifting towards Zhang Ruochen and Fairy Tianchu.
He suddenly realised that Ji Fanxin’s arrival might not be as simple as it seemed.
Zhang Ruochen wore a smile and spoke loudly, “Master Shenya, with your prestigious reputation, why do you always resort to shady dealings? The Hundred Flower Fairy is my confidante, and our bond runs deep. You’d best not set your sights on her.”
Master Shenya’s expression grew cold and stern as he said, “The Fairy should know how to read the situation and wouldn’t choose to oppose me, would she?”
Ji Fanxin shot Zhang Ruochen a glance before replying, “If you leave the Battle Soul Star now, Master, we naturally won’t be enemies.”
“And if I insist on taking Zhang Ruochen and the Tianchu Goddess with me?”
Master Shenya smirked coldly, his spiritual power surging forth, swirling above his head and forming a cloud shaped like an array.
A powerful force generated an intimidating pressure that enveloped the area, as if warning Ji Fanxin. Should she dare interfere, she would face a thunderous assault.
“Then we are enemies,” Ji Fanxin replied, unflinched.
“Very well, Fairy, you’ve got guts. I hope you don’t regret this decision later.”
Master Shenya said no more, raising both hands upwards.
“Rumble.”
The ground shook violently as nine hills, each over six hundred metres tall, erupted from the earth, encircling Zhang Ruochen, Ji Fanxin, and the cultivators of the Tianchu Civilisation.
Blinding light radiated from the peaks of the nine hills.
Lines of light interconnected, forming array inscriptions.
“To set up an array so quickly—Master Shenya’s mastery of arrays has truly reached the level of reshaping heaven and earth.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression grew solemn. He felt a twinge of doubt about Ji Fanxin’s ability to counter Master Shenya. Thus, he opened the gate to the Qiankun Realm and summoned Zhenmiao Little Taoist.
Zhenmiao Little Taoist was highly skilled in arrays and might be able to restrain Master Shenya to some extent.
Upon seeing the nine hills rising from the ground, both Zhenmiao Little Taoist and Ji Fanxin recognised them simultaneously, saying, “The Mountain and Sea Heart-Filling Array.”
Master Shenya rose into the air, standing within the array cloud in midair, looking down with evident pride. “It’s not too late for the Fairy to regret her choice.”
Ji Fanxin remained calm as still water, saying, “While the Mountain and Sea Heart-Filling Array is powerful, it relies on spiritual power to activate. Suppress your spiritual power, and this array loses its strength.”
Master Shenya laughed, “Does the Fairy think a Holy Array Master’s spiritual power is weak? Apart from a Great Saint of Spiritual Power, no one can suppress me in that regard. Unfortunately, there are no Great Saints of Spiritual Power in the Kunlun Realm.”
“Let me give it a try.”
Ji Fanxin rode a cascade of flower petals into the air, a lotus imprint appearing on her forehead.
The radiance from the lotus imprint illuminated the entire Battle Soul Star with formidable might, shaking the array cloud beneath Master Shenya’s feet incessantly.
At first, a faint smile lingered on Master Shenya’s face.
Gradually, that smile faded, replaced by a grave expression. He had to focus entirely on countering Ji Fanxin’s spiritual assault, leaving him no energy to maintain control over the Mountain and Sea Heart-Filling Array.
It was the first time Zhang Ruochen had seen Ji Fanxin go all out—her spiritual power was terrifyingly potent.
Dai Zi burst into laughter, saying, “The Hundred Flower Fairy lives up to her reputation as the Nether Ancient Illuminating Lotus, able to stand toe-to-toe with Master Shenya. Should we strike now and eliminate this great enemy?”
“What are we waiting for? Let’s do it.”
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Chenyuan Ancient Sword, infusing it with the intent of Sword Eight.
The Chenyuan Ancient Sword then transformed into a black beam, slashing towards Master Shenya in midair.
“Insolence.”
Laiwang Ren intervened, wielding a wheel-shaped holy artefact that clashed with the Chenyuan Ancient Sword.
“Bang.”
The Chenyuan Ancient Sword, now at the rank of a Seven-Yao Wanwen Holy Artefact, was peerlessly sharp. With a single slash, it cracked the wheel-shaped artefact, nearly splitting it in two.
Laiwang Ren’s expression shifted as he hurriedly unleashed five more holy artefacts, each of considerable rank.
While Zhang Ruochen duelled with Laiwang Ren, the Blood Bee Asura King emerged from the blood mist, surrounded by nearly a thousand Blood Emperor Bees.
Additionally, there were four figures.
Those four were none other than Crown Prince Dizu, Yue Gongming, the Fourteenth Prince, and Shiqing Shenzi—all of whom had failed to escape.
Dozens of Blood Emperor Bees crawled over each of their bodies.
The Blood Bee Asura King had clearly recognised Ji Fanxin’s formidable spiritual power. If she and Zhang Ruochen’s group killed Master Shenya, he would find himself at a disadvantage.
In this three-way struggle, balance was paramount.
Within that balance, he would seek the opportunity to eliminate the other two factions entirely.
“Luo Ji, if you want them to live, have Zhang Ruochen hand over the Supreme Holy Artefact,” the Blood Bee Asura King demanded.
Crown Prince Dizu, the Fourteenth Prince, and Shiqing Shenzi, all gravely injured and in disarray, looked to Fairy Tianchu with pleading eyes.
They weren’t afraid of death, but they were unwilling to perish on the Battle Soul Star like this.
Their talents were exceptional, each with the potential to become a Great Saint, their futures boundless and bright.
Fairy Tianchu’s delicate brows furrowed deeply as she replied, “Blood Bee Asura King, you’ve misunderstood something. I am me, and Zhang Ruochen is Zhang Ruochen. If you want the Supreme Holy Artefact, come take it with your own strength. Expecting me to fetch it for you is out of the question.”
“Out of the question, is it?”
The Blood Bee Asura King snapped his fingers.
“Ah…”
The Fourteenth Prince’s agonised scream rang out as dozens of Blood Emperor Bees burrowed into his body, draining his blood.
His mental will, suppressed by the Blood Bee Asura King’s spiritual power, couldn’t even trigger a self-detonation of his holy source.
Before the eyes of Fairy Tianchu and the others, the Fourteenth Prince’s body became riddled with holes, growing increasingly shrivelled.
In the end, even his holy source and saint soul were devoured by a Blood Emperor Bee.
Even proud figures like Crown Prince Dizu and Shiqing Shenzi trembled at the sight, their faces turning pale.
Zhang Ruochen, controlling the Chenyuan Ancient Sword in his clash with Laiwang Ren, turned to glare at the Blood Bee Asura King.
Though he held no fondness for the Fourteenth Prince, seeing a once commanding and triumphant Heavenly Realm prince die so abruptly stirred something in him.
“Blood Bee Asura King, with your strength, if you want the Supreme Holy Artefact, why resort to such despicable tactics? Aren’t you afraid of tarnishing your reputation?” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Blood Bee Asura King didn’t fear Zhang Ruochen and the others—in truth, he didn’t take them seriously at all.
What he feared was that killing Zhang Ruochen, Fairy Tianchu, and their group would disrupt the balance among the three factions. If that happened, Master Shenya and Ji Fanxin might call a truce early to deal with him first.
Thus, for now, the Blood Bee Asura King only needed to keep Zhang Ruochen and Fairy Tianchu in check, waiting until Master Shenya and Ji Fanxin settled their fight—ideally, leaving both sides gravely weakened.
Ignoring Zhang Ruochen, the Blood Bee Asura King pointed at Crown Prince Dizu and said, “Kneel and submit to me, or you’ll end up like the Fourteenth Prince.”
“You… this Crown Prince…”
Crown Prince Dizu gritted his teeth, his pride refusing to let him bow to any being.
“Kneel!”
The Blood Bee Asura King roared, the sound nearly shattering Crown Prince Dizu’s holy soul.
He felt a Blood Emperor Bee crawling at his forehead, followed by the piercing pain of its bite.
“Thud!”
Crown Prince Dizu dropped to his knees, drenched in cold sweat.
The unwillingness in his heart, coupled with his fear of death, crushed his pride.
“Spare me… a way out… I can… I can submit to you…” Crown Prince Dizu stammered.
The Blood Bee Asura King nodded in satisfaction before using the same method to force Shiqing Shenzi and Yue Gongming to kneel at his feet.
A look of disappointment flickered in Fairy Tianchu’s eyes as she shook her head lightly.
The Butcher spat forcefully on the ground. “Spineless worms like you dared to pursue Her Highness the Goddess? Thinking about it now makes me sick.”
Dai Zi added, “They’re not even worthy to be Her Highness’s attendants.”
“Brilliant, truly brilliant! This monk will etch this scene into memory, haha!”
Zhenmiao Little Taoist clapped and laughed, pulling out a scroll. With his spiritual power, he imprinted the image of Crown Prince Dizu, Yue Gongming, and Shiqing Shenzi kneeling before the Blood Bee Asura King onto it.
Crown Prince Dizu and the others felt both humiliated and enraged beyond measure.
The Blood Bee Asura King, however, seemed indifferent. “In the Heavenly Realm, you’re all top-tier figures. You should know full well the consequences if they spread word of today’s events. Now, I command you—go kill them.”
Crown Prince Dizu, Shiqing Shenzi, and Yue Gongming rose slowly, hesitating.
Initially, they had knelt to the Blood Bee Asura King with the thought, “A true man can bend and stretch,” planning to bide their time and seek revenge once their cultivation advanced.
But as the Blood Bee Asura King said, if the cultivators of the Tianchu Civilisation weren’t silenced and word got out, the consequences would be dire.
The Blood Bee Asura King’s gaze darkened as he continued, “Don’t you all want Fairy Tianchu? Whoever captures her, I’ll grant her to him. Rest assured, once they’re all dead, no one will know you knelt to me. You’ll remain princes and divine sons, your futures as bright as ever.”
No longer wavering, Crown Prince Dizu, Shiqing Shenzi, and Yue Gongming charged towards Zhang Ruochen, Fairy Tianchu, and the others alongside a swarm of Blood Emperor Bees.
The Blood Bee Asura King didn’t fully trust them—dozens of Blood Emperor Bees still crawled over their bodies, ready to end their lives at any moment.
“Interesting, truly interesting.”
The Blood Bee Asura King stood aside like a spectator, a stiff smile on his face.
The last trace of disappointment vanished from Fairy Tianchu’s eyes, replaced by a calm, still gaze. “Let’s act. Kill without mercy.”
