“Rumble.”
The force erupting from the leopard claw struck like a meteor plummeting from the heavens, crashing into Zhang Ruochen. His body shuddered, and he was propelled backward uncontrollably at high speed.
After retreating over six hundred zhang, Zhang Ruochen lowered his centre of gravity, stabilising himself.
The massive leopard claw, hundreds of metres long, gradually dissipated, transforming into a gust of air that rushed toward the ground and merged into a towering figure.
This towering figure stood at the centre of the flame lake. Humanoid in shape, it reached a height of two and a half to two and six metres. The flames obscured its form, making it appear hazy and distorted, its features unclear.
At the lake’s edge, Bao Xinghun saw Zhang Ruochen forced back and grinned with delight, shouting, “Father, kill him!”
The towering figure stepped out of the flame lake, revealing its true appearance.
Yet instead of attacking, it seemed overcome with emotion. Staring at Zhang Ruochen, it asked, “How long have you been imprisoned in the Nether Dungeon? Where did you learn the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm?”
Hearing his father pose such a bizarre question, Bao Xinghun froze slightly.
Zhang Ruochen, now seeing the towering figure’s face clearly, felt a surge of indescribable excitement, like a roiling sea. This man… this man was indeed Senior Brother Bao Lie.
“Senior…”
Just as Zhang Ruochen began to speak, a blood-red storm surged from behind the flame lake. In an instant, the world darkened ominously, drowned in a sea of crimson before his eyes.
A strange force began to affect Zhang Ruochen’s state of mind.
His calm heart grew faintly restless.
Zhang Ruochen’s mental fortitude was exceptional among those below the Great Saint realm, yet even he was influenced. Bao Xinghun, a mere Five-Step Saint King, fared far worse.
Swept into the blood-red storm, Bao Xinghun’s pupils turned crimson, his mind descending into chaos. A pained roar escaped his lips.
“Roar!”
In the next moment, he reverted to his true form—a hundred-zhang-tall Nebula Leopard—exuding a wild, frenzied aura.
“What’s happening?”
The blood-red storm had come too suddenly, too eerily, filling Zhang Ruochen with a profound sense of danger.
“Damn it, it’s happening again!”
A flash of anger crossed Bao Lie’s eyes. In a blur, he appeared beside Bao Xinghun, summoning a dragon-tailed hooked spear and warily eyeing the churning blood-red storm.
Seeing Bao Lie’s cautious stance, Zhang Ruochen grew even more certain that the storm harboured immense peril.
“Swish—”
Zhang Ruochen immediately deployed his spatial domain.
The domain had barely expanded four zhang when a ferocious spiritual storm erupted from the blood-red tempest. Composed of countless spiritual blades, it formed a towering wave dozens of zhang high.
An unknown entity was launching a spiritual assault against him.
Fortunately, the spatial domain provided a buffer, buying him time.
Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual strength was formidable now, and he felt no fear. He unleashed the six Void Illusion Pearls, arranging them in a circle to form a shield imprint that clashed with the spiritual storm.
On the other side, Bao Lie also faced the spiritual storm.
Unfazed, he planted his spear into the ground, raising his Dao Domain to confront the onslaught.
Perhaps because Zhang Ruochen wielded the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm, Bao Lie—despite meeting him for the first time—harboured little hostility. He warned, “Be careful. That monster isn’t just skilled in spiritual attacks.”
“What monster?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“Chitter-chitter.”
A strange sound emanated from the blood-red storm.
White threads shot out, each thousands of zhang long. One grazed Zhang Ruochen’s right arm, clashing with his Fire God Gauntlet and sparking tiny embers.
They were razor-sharp!
Had they struck his flesh, even with his robust physical defences, Zhang Ruochen would likely have been injured.
Unwilling to tangle with the white threads, he relied on his spatial domain’s power to evade, dodging their strikes. But the threads were numerous, and despite his spatial abilities, he found himself in constant peril, narrowly escaping several hits.
“What kind of monster is this?”
Zhang Ruochen unleashed the Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire, forming a divine fire qilin that charged toward the source of the white threads.
Even the Ministerial-level Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire couldn’t melt the threads. Instead, intricate red runes flew from their core, striking the fire qilin and shattering it into pieces.
“Those are… runes. That monster can inscribe runes of such terrifying power.” Zhang Ruochen found it hard to believe.
The few red runes that had just emerged each carried the might to slay a Nine-Step Saint King—undeniably formidable.
Zhang Ruochen prepared to summon the Evil Spirit to confront the creature.
On the other side, a long howl rang out. Bao Lie, standing beside Bao Xinghun, swung his spear through the air.
An ancient, sacred power surged from the spear, radiating golden light that dispersed the blood-red storm.
From the centre of the white threads, more red runes flew out.
A hundred runes wove together, forming a mysterious seal that collided with the spear.
“Boom!”
The two forces were evenly matched, locked in a stalemate, neither able to overpower the other.
But the airborne white threads bypassed Bao Lie, slashing toward Bao Xinghun behind him.
“Not good!”
Bao Lie’s expression shifted. He prepared to retract his spear and deploy a defensive technique.
Doing so would put him at a disadvantage, but he had no choice—he couldn’t stand by and watch his son be killed by the monster.
“Huh?”
Turning back, Bao Lie saw that Bao Xinghun had been moved a hundred li away.
Beside Bao Xinghun stood a figure—the same young human who had wielded the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm.
“He’s a spatial cultivator.”
Bao Lie sensed the spatial fluctuations. Clearly, the human had used spatial power to whisk Bao Xinghun to safety.
With his worries alleviated, Bao Lie refocused, hurling himself fully into the attack against the monster.
Having clashed with it several times since arriving in the Torture Penalty Prison Realm, Bao Lie knew its weakness. Lifting his spear, he transformed into a beam of light, plunging into the dense web of white threads.
The monster feared close combat most of all.
“Rumble, rumble.”
After a series of explosions, the monster let out a shriek and fled rapidly into the distance.
It was defeated!
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Bao Lie raised his left hand, his palm morphing into a sharp claw. He struck through the air, aiming to seize the monster and drag it back.
The creature, fully enveloped in white threads, emitted a piercing sonic wave from within.
Even a hundred li away, Zhang Ruochen’s eardrums ruptured instantly, blood trickling out. His body slid backward, the world spinning darkly before his eyes as he teetered on the brink of collapse.
He quickly circulated his technique to shield himself.
After an unknown stretch of time, Zhang Ruochen regained his senses and opened his eyes.
The monster had vanished.
Bao Lie’s tall, imposing figure stood opposite him, staring with a puzzled expression. Nearby, Bao Xinghun, reverted to his true form, lay on the ground, covered in bloody wounds—grievously injured.
Bao Lie didn’t tend to his son. Instead, he raised his spear, pointing it at Zhang Ruochen’s forehead. Gritting his teeth, he demanded coldly, “You cultivate the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*. Where did you steal it from?”
Zhang Ruochen met Bao Lie’s bell-like eyes, his own growing moist. Forcing a faint smile, he said, “Third Senior Brother, it’s me, Ruochen… It’s been a long time.”
“Ruochen?”
The spear in Bao Lie’s hand trembled slightly.
Zhang Ruochen knew convincing Bao Lie wouldn’t be easy.
He drew the Chenyuan Ancient Sword and offered it forward.
Bao Lie recognised the blade forged from Creation Divine Iron. “Chenyuan! How is Chenyuan in your hands? It was Little Junior Brother’s sword! No, no—Little Junior Brother was killed by Princess Chi Yao. You’re not him. You must be sent by the Azure Emperor and Princess Chi Yao. What’s your purpose?”
Initially, Bao Lie had borne little enmity toward Zhang Ruochen. But now, seeing this youth dare to impersonate his deceased junior brother, how could he not be furious?
Seeing Bao Lie’s agitation, Zhang Ruochen racked his memory, preparing to recount tales from eight hundred years ago.
At that moment, Shi Ren and Shi Qiankun arrived in the Torture Penalty Prison Realm, landing not far from Zhang Ruochen and Bao Lie.
Bao Lie’s gaze flicked sideways, wary. “And who are you?”
Shi Ren saw Bao Lie’s spear aimed at Zhang Ruochen’s forehead and tensed. He immediately drew three talismans and hurled them at Bao Lie.
“Stop!” Zhang Ruochen shouted.
Too late!
Two crimson beams shot from Bao Lie’s pupils, piercing the three talismans.
The beams’ power undiminished, they surged toward Shi Ren.
With Shi Ren’s cultivation, how could he withstand Bao Lie’s assault?
What Bao Lie unleashed wasn’t a mere glance—it was a holy technique, one even Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t dare face head-on.
With no time to explain, Zhang Ruochen used spatial shift to appear before Shi Ren. Summoning the Azure Sky Pagoda, he activated its supreme power to block the crimson beams from Bao Lie’s eyes.
Seeing the Azure Sky Pagoda seemed to confirm Bao Lie’s suspicions. His rage erupted, and he roared, “So you *are* sent by the Azure Emperor and Princess Chi Yao! Die!”
“Third Senior Brother, can’t you hear me out just once?” Zhang Ruochen pleaded, defending himself.
In his subconscious, Bao Lie wanted to believe this was his little junior brother. After a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Fine. I’ll give you one chance to speak. If you dare deceive me, I’ll tear you to pieces.”
Behind Zhang Ruochen, a strange glint flashed in Shi Ren’s eyes, as if he had no intention of letting Zhang Ruochen and Bao Lie talk things out. His hands retrieved dozens of talismans from his robe and flung them at Bao Lie simultaneously.
“Beast, die!” Shi Ren snarled.
