Dozens of talismans aligned into a wall of runes, igniting in midair. From the ground, they resembled a cascade of flaming stars, hurtling toward Bao Lie below.
“Courting death.”
Bao Lie’s muscles swelled, his physique growing even more robust. He exhaled a breath of dark red flame.
The flame’s temperature rivalled Zhang Ruochen’s Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire, and it carried a tremendous concussive force, shattering all the talismans into nothingness.
“So powerful—could he have reached the Heaven-Connecting realm?”
Shi Ren realised he’d underestimated Bao Lie’s strength. His eyes darted, and he sank back, retreating behind Zhang Ruochen once more, hoping to use him against Bao Lie.
But as he stepped back, a piercing chill struck him.
Zhang Ruochen glanced over his shoulder, his gaze sharp. “You’re not Shi Ren. Who are you?”
“You saw through my disguise so quickly!”
Shi Ren was caught off guard but reacted decisively.
From his qi sea surged 160,000 holy path rules, converging onto his right index finger. They swirled around it before coalescing into a powerful finger strike aimed at the back of Zhang Ruochen’s head.
Zhang Ruochen, prepared, blurred and vanished from the spot.
“Damn it, spatial power again,” Shi Ren cursed under his breath.
The finger strike pierced through Zhang Ruochen’s afterimage, streaking toward Bao Lie opposite him.
Simultaneously, the beams from Bao Lie’s pupils shot toward Shi Ren.
“Boom!”
The two forces collided, sending Shi Ren flying back like a paper doll, spitting holy blood in midair.
“How can he be this strong?”
Shi Ren had overestimated Bao Lie’s power, yet after just one exchange, he was gravely wounded—a blow to his pride.
“Storm Heaven Strike Fist.”
Bao Lie’s body crackled with energy as he unleashed a fist imprint through the air, accompanied by the roar of wind and thunder.
The fist imprint morphed into a charging divine leopard.
“Swish—”
Having witnessed Bao Lie’s might, Shi Ren dared not meet the blow head-on. A vortex appeared around him, and he merged into it, vanishing.
The fist missed its mark. Bao Lie’s eyes narrowed. “Illusion techniques?”
In the distance, Shi Qiankun frowned deeply, struggling to comprehend what he saw. Even he found his son unfamiliar—how had Shi Ren’s martial cultivation grown so formidable?
What was happening?
Only Zhang Ruochen understood. Using his spatial domain, which spanned hundreds of li, he pinpointed Shi Ren’s hiding spot and snorted, “Hundred Illusions Divine Son, show yourself!”
Zhang Ruochen’s hand clawed at the void.
“Rumble.”
Thirty li away, the void collapsed, forming a ten-zhang-wide spatial rift.
Shi Ren was forced to reappear, fleeing swiftly while letting out a laugh unlike Shi Ren’s voice. “Impressive, Zhang Ruochen, heir of spacetime.”
“You’re no slouch either. Worthy of a danger level seven Hundred Illusions Divine Son—I underestimated you before. Where’s Shi Ren? When did you take his form?” Zhang Ruochen demanded.
“Heh, since I’ve taken his form, he’s naturally been drained of blood and turned into a corpse.”
With his identity exposed, Hundred Illusions Divine Son dropped the pretence. His muscles and bones shifted, reverting to his true appearance. Silver wings sprouted from his back, and he hovered a dozen zhang above the ground.
Both Zhang Ruochen and Shi Qiankun burned with fury.
“Those who kill my friends and brothers never meet a good end.”
Zhang Ruochen’s holy qi surged, bursting from the seven apertures of his palms and pouring endlessly into the Azure Sky Pagoda. The tower grew massive, spinning as it rose.
Supreme power swept across a thousand li.
Crystals on the ground lifted, orbiting the Azure Sky Pagoda.
Though Hundred Illusions Divine Son wielded unpredictable techniques and myriad illusions, the sight of a supreme holy artefact stirred fear in his heart.
He’d reached the Torture Penalty Prison Realm and achieved his goal—there was no need to keep fighting Zhang Ruochen. Time to handle the real mission.
“Swish.”
His body disintegrated into thousands of blood-red particles, bursting forth at extreme speed like rays of light, streaking into the distance.
Flee.
“An Undying Blood Clan creature dares appear before this king and thinks to escape?”
Bao Lie had once fought alongside Emperor Ming against the Undying Blood Clan, losing countless comrades to their hands. His hatred for them ran deep.
He struck with both claws, forming two fiery clouds dozens of li away, engulfing all the blood-red particles and slamming them downward.
“Bang, bang.”
Many blood-red particles annihilated, dissipating into the air.
But some escaped, reforming into Hundred Illusions Divine Son’s body.
Dishevelled and weakened, he’d suffered significant injuries, yet he continued fleeing toward the horizon.
“Rumble.”
The Azure Sky Pagoda, wreathed in azure clouds, soared overhead, appearing above Hundred Illusions Divine Son.
“Not good.”
He summoned a shield-shaped protective treasure, suspending it above him.
The tower didn’t crash down. Instead, a single beam of supreme power pierced the shield, striking Hundred Illusions Divine Son. Half his body turned to mangled flesh, his form nearly shattered.
“If I escape and release Lord Nether King, I’ll deal with Zhang Ruochen and that Bao Lie first—drain their holy blood dry.”
Rage twisted Hundred Illusions Divine Son’s face into a grimace.
He drew an illusion gem, casting a spell that made him vanish once more.
But Zhang Ruochen’s spatial domain saw through the trick effortlessly, locating him again.
“Pfft.”
Another beam of supreme power struck, hitting Hundred Illusions Divine Son’s back and piercing through, slamming him to the ground.
“This ends now!”
Zhang Ruochen remotely controlled the Azure Sky Pagoda, pressing it down toward Hundred Illusions Divine Son.
“If I die, your friend dies too.”
Hundred Illusions Divine Son pulled out a blood diagram, releasing Shi Ren from within.
Shi Ren’s face was pallid, his gaze dazed, his vitality severely depleted—but he was alive.
Hundred Illusions Divine Son seized Shi Ren’s head, his sharp fingers piercing the scalp like thorns, crimson blood gushing forth.
He hadn’t killed Shi Ren, keeping him as a trump card.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed. He halted the Azure Sky Pagoda midair, refraining from crushing down.
“Release Shi Ren, and I’ll spare your life,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Hundred Illusions Divine Son laughed. “Do you think I’m a fool? If I let him go, your supreme holy artefact will crush me in an instant.”
Shi Qiankun, frantic with worry, flew to Zhang Ruochen’s side. Before he could speak, Zhang Ruochen’s voice reached his ears: “Clan Leader, rest assured. Shi Ren is my friend—I’ll do everything I can to save him.”
Shi Qiankun cast a grateful look.
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on Hundred Illusions Divine Son. “Name your terms. We can negotiate slowly.”
Hundred Illusions Divine Son grinned. “If I demand that supreme holy artefact in your hands, would you trade it for your friend?”
“Yes, no problem.”
Zhang Ruochen agreed almost without hesitation.
Hundred Illusions Divine Son, Shi Qiankun, and even Bao Lie in the distance were stunned by his words.
Someone would willingly trade a supreme holy artefact for a friend’s life?
Hundred Illusions Divine Son laughed. “Straightforward! I didn’t expect Zhang Ruochen, heir of spacetime, to be so sentimental. I like dealing with people like you. But don’t try any tricks—my mind needs only a thought, and your friend’s head will burst.”
“Relax. Compared to a supreme holy artefact, my friend’s life matters more,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Hundred Illusions Divine Son was elated. Whether Zhang Ruochen was sincere or not, this was his chance to claim a supreme holy artefact.
Without it, Zhang Ruochen would be a tiger stripped of claws and fangs.
With it, Hundred Illusions Divine Son would gain wings, capable of turning the tables on Zhang Ruochen and Bao Lie—snatching victory from defeat. Perhaps he could even use it to free Lord Nether King, earning immense merit.
Zhang Ruochen recalled the Azure Sky Pagoda, shrinking it to nine inches and holding it in his palm as he approached Hundred Illusions Divine Son.
“Stop.”
Wary, Hundred Illusions Divine Son said, “Hand that supreme holy artefact to Clan Leader Shi. Let him bring it to me.”
Shi Qiankun, desperate to save his son but clear-headed, shook his head. “No. I’m just a 57th-tier spiritual cultivator—far from your match. What if you take the Azure Sky Pagoda and don’t release Ren’er?”
“You don’t have room to bargain.”
Hundred Illusions Divine Son chuckled, tightening his grip. His fingers dug deeper into Shi Ren’s scalp, deforming his skull as if it might shatter any moment.
Shi Ren awoke, screaming in agony.
Zhang Ruochen thrust the Azure Sky Pagoda into Shi Qiankun’s hands. “Clan Leader, give it to him. If he dares go back on his word, the Torture Penalty Prison Realm will be his grave.”
With Zhang Ruochen’s insistence and no other options, Shi Qiankun, eager to save his son, carried the Azure Sky Pagoda toward Hundred Illusions Divine Son.
Hundred Illusions Divine Son took the tower from Shi Qiankun, his eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. His grip on Shi Ren’s head loosened slightly, almost involuntarily.
In that instant, Zhang Ruochen used spatial shift, appearing before Hundred Illusions Divine Son.
“Want to get your friend killed?”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen so close, Hundred Illusions Divine Son’s expression darkened. He tightened his fingers, aiming to use Shi Ren’s life as leverage once more.
But his arm went numb.
Looking down, he saw the arm holding Shi Ren’s head had been severed by a spatial rift, detached from his body.
At the same moment, Zhang Ruochen’s flaming palm struck Hundred Illusions Divine Son’s forehead with full force, shattering his head into a mist of blood.
“Anyone who harms my friends meets a bad end.”
