“Dealing with three Shang Ziqis at once is quite troublesome,” Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly.
All three Shang Ziqis were immensely powerful. Even for him, facing three at once was extremely difficult, and a single misstep could lead to a major loss.
“Zhang Ruochen, you’re making a futile struggle. This isn’t the Xumi Dojo; you have no external forces to rely on, nor should you expect anyone to come to your rescue. Tonight, you’re destined to perish here.”
The three Shang Ziqis spoke in unison, declaring Zhang Ruochen’s fate with a single sentence.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred. From Shang Ziqi’s words, it seemed that any top-tier powerhouses who might have helped him were likely already restrained.
Back in the Truth Heavenly Domain, when Shang Ziqi ambushed him, it was Zhen Yuan, Fairy Cihang, and the divine disciples of the Truth Temple who had intervened to save him.
This time, even if those people wanted to step in, they probably no longer had the means to do so.
The Paradise Realm faction wielded immense influence. Merely restraining the top-tier powerhouses allied with Zhang Ruochen was likely not a difficult task for them.
“Boom.”
Suddenly, a brilliant holy light appeared, piercing through the body of a Nine-Step Saint King.
In an instant, everyone present turned their gaze toward the southeast.
A stunningly beautiful figure slowly approached from the horizon, emanating specks of radiant rain. Above her head were nine skies, each interwoven with countless holy rules, exuding divine sanctity.
Seeing this figure, anyone would be involuntarily captivated. Her body seemed carved from celestial jade, translucent and radiant, emitting an enchanting fragrance. Combined with her perfect figure and exquisitely flawless face, she was enough to drive countless men mad.
“Who is she?”
Many cultivators couldn’t help but wonder about the identity and origin of this peerless divine maiden.
“Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady.”
A glint of recognition flashed in Shang Ziqi’s eyes as he instantly identified her.
During the battle at Xumi Dojo, he had seen the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady and had been deeply impressed by her.
In fact, had it not been for her intervention, the Kunlun Realm cultivators at Xumi Dojo might not have survived long enough for Zhang Ruochen to come to their rescue.
Zhang Ruochen also cast his gaze toward the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady. From the domineering aura she exuded, he could tell that the consciousness currently dominating her was likely that of Canglan Martial Saint.
In other words, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady’s presence at Peacock Manor was largely due to Canglan Martial Saint.
Zhang Ruochen knew full well that his limited connection with Canglan Martial Saint wasn’t enough to prompt her to take such a risk.
The real reason could only be that Canglan Martial Saint sought to avenge her brother, Wan Zhaoyi.
After all, during the battle at Xumi Dojo, many of the Paradise Realm faction’s executioners were present here.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen also believed that Saint Book Talent and Qing Mo surely wanted to help him.
Without Saint Book Talent orchestrating the effort, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady could not have united and come to Peacock Manor.
“Another one seeking death,” sneered an exceptionally ugly Nine-Step Saint King from the Paradise Realm faction.
This figure was short and stout, covered in pustules, resembling a toad.
In fact, his true form was indeed a toad.
However, he was no ordinary toad but a Demon Toad, an ancient relic species with an extremely powerful bloodline.
The Demon Toad’s eyes gleamed with ferocity as he moved to intercept the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady.
With a single gulp, he spewed a dense cloud of demonic poison mist, engulfing her.
A beam of holy light surged from the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady, transforming into the Confucian Ancestor’s Holy Book.
Hundreds of characters flew out from the book, forming a divine light shield that tightly protected her.
Simultaneously, scorching flames erupted from her body, her gaze sharp as a sword, like a goddess of war.
Chen Yan-level Purifying Divine Fire was unleashed, clashing with the demonic poison mist.
“Sizzle.”
A piercing sound rang out as the demonic poison mist and Purifying Divine Fire consumed each other, neither gaining the upper hand.
“Those who block me will die.”
Canglan Martial Saint’s voice rang out, brimming with killing intent.
“Swish.”
Qing Mo’s silver kitchen knife shot out, slicing through space with extreme sharpness.
“Hmm?”
The Demon Toad’s expression shifted slightly as he hurriedly deployed a bottle-shaped ancestral artifact.
The bottle was pitch-black, adorned with golden secret patterns. At that moment, it glowed intensely, its mouth releasing a terrifying suction force, attempting to absorb the silver kitchen knife.
“Clang.”
The silver kitchen knife erupted with a terrifying blade aura, striking the black demonic bottle.
Instantly, the bottle was sent flying, the golden secret patterns on its surface dimming.
The silver kitchen knife, a divine relic left by the God of Cuisine, was incomparably sharp, capable of cutting through almost anything.
“You’ve got some skill, but you’re far too weak to challenge me.”
The Demon Toad sneered.
He continuously infused his demonic qi into the black demonic bottle.
Immediately, the bottle grew enormous, exceeding ten zhang in height. The golden secret patterns on its surface became vivid, spewing thick poisonous mist outward.
The Demon Toad’s greatest strength was poison, its toxicity so potent that even an Immortal Great Saint, if careless, would find it troublesome.
The Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady defended with the Confucian Ancestor’s Holy Book, showing no hesitation as she launched continuous attacks.
For a moment, the two clashed fiercely, evenly matched.
Shortly after the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady’s arrival, another figure appeared, one Zhang Ruochen was most familiar with: Qing Xiao, the eldest disciple of Sword Saint Xuanji.
Qing Xiao had set out from the imperial city alongside the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady but was slightly slower.
As the Heavenly King of the Ministry of War, Qing Xiao had received significant cultivation resources from the court. Though his talent was inferior to Zhang Ruochen’s, he had now reached the Nine-Step Saint King realm.
“Junior Brother, your Senior Brother is here to aid you,” Qing Xiao let out a long roar.
Before even arriving, Qing Xiao unleashed a terrifying fist imprint.
The fist imprint transformed into an army of thousands, its killing intent soaring, as if it could sweep the entire battlefield.
What Qing Xiao used was the Ministry of War’s strongest technique, the Military Heavenly King Fist, created specifically for slaughter.
The Military Heavenly King Fist consisted of ten moves, each more powerful than the last. It was unclear how many moves Qing Xiao had mastered.
Following closely behind Qing Xiao, another figure also unleashed the Military Heavenly King Fist, with an aura no weaker than Qing Xiao’s.
Zhang Ruochen was equally familiar with this person, another key figure nurtured by the Ministry of War: Bu Qianfan, who had owed Zhang Ruochen many favors.
Bu Qianfan had inherited Emperor Yi’s Heartless Demon Body, granting him an undying physique and exceptional cultivation talent. He, too, had reached the Nine-Step Saint King realm.
Clearly, Bu Qianfan had come to repay the favors he owed.
However, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady, Qing Xiao, and Bu Qianfan were all blocked by the Paradise Realm faction’s powerhouses, unable to even enter the main battle zone.
“Zhang Ruochen, I didn’t expect so many would come to your aid, but let me say this: they’re all fools. Standing up at a time like this is simply seeking death,” Shang Ziqi said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his gaze, turning back to Shang Ziqi, and said calmly, “Shang Ziqi, with your selfish nature, if you were in my position, I doubt anyone would come to your aid. Everyone would only want to kill you. So, you’re truly pitiful.”
“Is that so? Unfortunately, that day will never come. Once you’re eliminated, both Kunlun Realm and Guanghan Realm will lose all hope,” Shang Ziqi replied.
The Crimson Child Sword trembled, intricate patterns emerging, unleashing a sea of crimson heavenly fire laced with faint divine power.
The heavenly fire and divine power combined, forming tens of thousands of infant shadows.
These infant shadows emitted piercing wails, their faces twisted with ferocity, lunging toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen frowned slightly, his holy soul faintly affected by the wails, causing a slight dizziness.
“What an sinister sword.”
Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Immediately, he formed a fist imprint, and a majestic heavenly river appeared around him, coiling like a true dragon.
“Luoshui Sword Transformation.”
The river flowed rapidly, transforming into a giant sword that slashed at the oncoming infant shadows.
“Boom.”
The giant sword formed by the river shattered, reverting to a rolling heavenly river.
The tens of thousands of infant shadows also shattered and dissipated, their piercing wails abruptly ceasing.
Before Zhang Ruochen could catch his breath, Shang Ziqi, wielding the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower, struck. Terrifying cold qi surged endlessly from his body.
The cold qi formed ferocious ice dragons, clawing and lunging at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen reacted swiftly, mobilizing the divine rules within his left leg to perform the Nine Heavens Divine Step.
Ten thousand crimson rules appeared, releasing scorching power, making his left leg glow like a red-hot iron pillar.
“Boom.”
With a few consecutive stomps, all the ice dragons shattered into countless ice crystals, and the temperature plummeted.
Zhang Ruochen had only used a portion of the Flame God’s leg power, not unleashing it fully.
A full unleash would be immensely powerful but would deplete his holy qi entirely, leaving him extremely weakened.
This move might work against ordinary opponents, but it was clearly ineffective against Shang Ziqi.
“So, your left leg has fused with Master’s divine leg. Very well, once I kill you, I can retrieve the divine leg for Master,” Shang Ziqi said indifferently.
He had long heard from King Da Xi that Zhang Ruochen’s left leg was peculiar, capable of wielding the Flame God’s power.
Now, seeing Zhang Ruochen use his left leg, Shang Ziqi fully understood the situation.
Zhang Ruochen casually swung his left leg and said, “The Flame God’s divine leg is quite good. I’ve grown accustomed to it. It’s a pity Moon God didn’t sever the Flame God’s other leg as well. Having both divine legs would make things even more agile.”
“Zhang Ruochen, you dare blaspheme a god. That’s a death sentence,” Shang Ziqi’s eyes surged with terrifying killing intent.
The Shang Ziqi wielding the Five-Colored Merit Stele transformed into a streak of light, moving at astonishing speed, using the stele like a divine seal, smashing it toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s hands formed seals with incredible speed, summoning the Immovable Wisdom King’s Holy Aspect, solid and majestic.
The Immovable Wisdom King’s Holy Aspect wielded the Eight Dragons Umbrella, using it as a sharp sword, striking like lightning at the incoming Five-Colored Merit Stele.
Simultaneously, Zhang Ruochen deployed the Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror, blasting it toward the Shang Ziqi wielding the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower, who was darting in from the side.
Zhang Ruochen himself swung the Abyss Ancient Sword, meeting the Shang Ziqi wielding the Crimson Child Sword head-on.
“Sword Ten.”
The Abyss Ancient Sword trembled, unleashing a crescent-shaped sword beam, ignoring spatial barriers and striking first despite being launched later.
“Spirit Extinction.”
Shang Ziqi let out a low growl, channeling even stronger divine power from the Crimson Child Sword.
This divine power was profoundly sinister, brimming with destructiveness, as if it could annihilate all sentient beings in the world.
