In the Heavenly Court and Hell Realms, countless powerhouses exist below Great Saint.
The strongest are Yan Wushen of Hell Realm and the Heavenly Palace’s Four Heavenly Kings, able to manipulate heaven and earth rules within a 9,000-mile radius, possessing the terrifying ability to kill Immortal Great Saints. Their status is unmatched, and other Near-Path Realm powerhouses pale at their mention.
Below them are figures like Xuanyuan Liekong and Yuanmo Divine Son, who control rules within an 8,000-mile radius, capable of defeating Immortal Great Saints.
Further down are Bi Yunhai and Xuetu Divine Son, manipulating rules within a 7,000-mile radius, matching or slightly surpassing Immortal Great Saints.
Reaching any of these three tiers ensures fame across the myriad realms, becoming legendary.
Strength depends on many factors—physique, techniques, saint arts, and sacred artifacts—not just the range of rule manipulation.
While controlling rules within a 5,000-mile radius marks Immortal Great Saint level, it only grants the ability to contend with them briefly.
Even the weakest Immortal Great Saint wields fundamentally different power, not easily challenged, let alone defeated or killed.
Feng Gudao, Chi Sheng, Zi Linglong, and Gu Tianyin, each with 60-70 million saint path rules, can manipulate rules within a 5,000-6,000-mile radius. Their strength is formidable, and further growth could propel them toward those coveted top tiers.
This is why they looked down on Cang Long and Yandba, who were beneath their level.
Shang Ziyan promised them great rewards for capturing Zhang Ruochen and eliminating his allies, offering a chance to reach their dreamed-of tiers.
No one would refuse such an opportunity.
“Zhang Ruochen, why struggle? This is just a trapped beast’s futile fight,” Gu Tianyin sneered.
He was toying with Zhang Ruochen, aiming to drive him to despair and make him kneel, savoring the thrill.
Zhang Ruochen, silent, maintained the vacuum zone while fiercely circulating the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*, drawing in heaven and earth saintly energy.
“Hm? How is external saintly energy entering this area?” Zi Linglong suddenly noticed.
Her sensitivity to energy flows was acute.
Alerted, Feng Gudao and Chi Sheng sensed it too.
Feng Gudao glanced at Zhang Ruochen, shrouded in evil energy, and ordered nearby Dao Domain and Heaven-Connecting Realm powerhouses, “Take control of the array flags and seal this area completely.”
The powerhouses sprang into action, managing the flags around the saint mountain.
In Saint Ming City, drawn by some force, wisps of purple qi emerged, gathering above the city.
This purple qi, distinct from Zi Linglong’s, was nobler, inspiring awe and reverence.
“Something’s off,” Feng Gudao, Chi Sheng, Zi Linglong, and Gu Tianyin looked up at the thickening purple qi, unease stirring.
Outside the city, spectators noticed the anomaly.
“What’s happening? Why is so much purple qi appearing? What does it signify?”
“Is Zi Linglong using a Purple Heaven Hall secret technique?”
“No, the qi covers the entire city and beyond, spanning over ten thousand miles. Even Zi Linglong couldn’t produce such a phenomenon.”
“Could this be tied to Zhang Ruochen?”
…
Monks buzzed with speculation, itching to investigate.
Atop the ancient tree, Lingyan Demon Consort stared at the intensifying purple qi, surprise in her eyes.
“Emperor Purple Qi—Zhang Ruochen’s trump card?” she murmured, realization dawning.
As a consort of a Demon Emperor in Great Demon Ten Directions Realm, she knew Emperor Purple Qi well.
It was the fortune amassed by a Great Saint’s vast empire, intangible but potent.
With imperial fortune, one could act with unmatched success, avert calamities, and even ascend to godhood.
The Saint Ming Central Empire had been mighty, its fortune thriving.
As its capital, Saint Ming City was the nexus of this imperial fortune.
No one expected that, 800 years after the empire’s fall, this fortune would persist.
Only past Bright Emperors or Zhang Ruochen, Saint Ming’s crown prince, could summon it.
With the Bright Emperor missing, Zhang Ruochen was destiny’s chosen.
“With such potent imperial fortune, if Zhang Ruochen fully harnesses it, he might turn the tide,” Lingyan Demon Consort’s eyes gleamed.
She yearned to enter the city and witness the outcome.
In the city, Zhang Ruochen pushed the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture* to its limit, manifesting the Immovable Bright King Saint Aspect to channel the Emperor Purple Qi.
This aspect, unique to the scripture, symbolized the Zhang Clan’s legitimacy.
Staring at the qi, Zi Linglong realized, her face shifting, “It’s Emperor Purple Qi. Zhang Ruochen’s summoning Saint Ming’s remnant imperial fortune. Gu Tianyin, stop delaying—suppress him now.”
At “imperial fortune,” Feng Gudao, Chi Sheng, and Gu Tianyin’s expressions changed.
“Zhang Ruochen, you surprise me, summoning imperial fortune. But this ends here,” Gu Tianyin’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness.
He thrust out a hand, 100,000 claw path rules surging with vast evil energy, forming a sinister claw.
The claw, razor-sharp, seemed capable of tearing the sky.
“Rip.”
Zhang Ruochen’s vacuum zone was torn apart.
All dragon and elephant shadows vanished.
Unrestrained evil energy flooded toward Zhang Ruochen.
The surge disrupted his summoning of imperial fortune.
At the critical moment, Zhang Ruochen summoned the Evil Spirit.
Though not top-tier, the Evil Spirit’s divine body could withstand evil energy and endure attacks.
“A divine corpse to block me?” Gu Tianyin scoffed.
More evil energy poured from him, merging with tens of millions of saint path rules, forming a towering figure like an evil god descending.
“Bang.”
The figure’s fist struck the Evil Spirit, sending it crashing into the saint mountain.
One blow loosened the Evil Spirit’s bond with the divine corpse, threatening separation.
“Zhang Ruochen, his attacks are too strong. I can’t withstand many,” the Evil Spirit transmitted urgently.
Zhang Ruochen’s face was grave, replying, “Hold on a bit longer. Buy me time.”
He was shocked—Gu Tianyin’s single punch instilled fear in the Evil Spirit.
No wonder these four were so confident; they far surpassed Cang Long and Yandba.
His only chance was to harness the imperial fortune for the strength to fight them.
His current power, not yet at Immortal Great Saint level, was vastly outmatched.
“Ancestors of the Zhang Clan, protect Saint Ming. Bestow the imperial fortune upon me to slay our foes,” Zhang Ruochen roared skyward.
As if sensed by ancestral spirits, the Emperor Purple Qi surged fiercely, breaking through the array’s seal, pouring into him.
“Stop him,” Feng Gudao commanded.
Unsure how strong the fortune would make Zhang Ruochen, they couldn’t risk variables.
Feng Gudao acted, waving his sleeve. Dozens of Nine-Step Saint Kings appeared, forming an array to trap Zhang Ruochen and cut off the purple qi.
Zi Linglong struck, releasing potent purple qi from her *Purple Emperor Scripture*, clashing with the imperial fortune.
Her Purple Emperor Qi, powerful enough to shatter high-tier Thousand-Inscription Sacred Artifacts, formed a barrier sealing the sky, blocking the descending fortune.
“Roar.”
The Immovable Bright King Saint Aspect bellowed, punching upward.
“Bang.”
The Purple Emperor Qi barrier held firm.
But as the aspect touched it, strands of Emperor Purple Qi seeped through, merging with the aspect.
“Gu Tianyin, can you handle this? Let me suppress him,” Chi Sheng roared, charging into the array.
Black patterns on Chi Sheng’s skin glowed, writhing like living snakes.
His body grew, muscles and bones crackling, reaching ten feet tall, burly and muscular, brimming with power.
“Tyrant King Fist.”
His fist glowed with eerie light, capable of destroying all.
“Bang.”
The fist struck the Evil Spirit’s head.
Had the Evil Spirit not shifted, it would’ve hit Zhang Ruochen.
Even so, the impact jolted Zhang Ruochen, his blood churning despite the Radiant Merit Armour.
The Evil Spirit plummeted, crashing into a massive pit.
Simultaneously, Gu Tianyin’s towering evil figure clawed at Zhang Ruochen atop the Evil Spirit.
“Boom.”
The Evil Spirit sank deeper, dust clouding the air.
