A terrifying flame shot from Shang Ziqi’s fingertip, transforming into a fire dragon that roared as it lunged toward Zhang Ruochen.
Yet, facing the oncoming fire dragon, Zhang Ruochen didn’t dodge, as if his severe injuries had rendered him immobile.
“What a pity. Zhang Ruochen withstood that terrifying strike earlier, but he still can’t escape death.”
Many onlookers shook their heads and sighed.
Just as most believed Zhang Ruochen was doomed, about to be torn apart by the fire dragon, he finally moved.
Zhang Ruochen pointed his fingers like a sword, a sharp sword beam emerging from his fingertip.
“Swoosh.”
A razor-sharp sword beam shot from his fingertip.
“Crack.”
The ferocious fire dragon was sliced in half in an instant, its body shattering into sparks that faded into nothingness.
A glint of shock flashed in Shang Ziqi’s eyes as he stared intently at Zhang Ruochen.
The strike he had just unleashed, though seemingly casual, was a mid-tier holy technique of immense power. Given Zhang Ruochen’s current state, he shouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
“Zhang Ruochen still has the strength to fight back.”
The observing powerhouses were equally stunned, their faces filled with shock.
After staring at Zhang Ruochen for a moment, Shang Ziqi said gravely, “You… you’ve broken through to the Dao Domain Realm as well.”
Shang Ziqi hadn’t anticipated that, in such a perilous situation, Zhang Ruochen not only survived his attack but also miraculously broke through his cultivation in secret.
“If you can break through, why can’t I?” Zhang Ruochen replied calmly.
Despite his severe injuries, he showed no trace of weakness.
His rapid breakthrough was largely thanks to the Tongtian Holy Pill given by Gu Songzi. When he saw Shang Ziqi condense his Dao Domain, Zhang Ruochen discreetly swallowed the pill.
He had already reached the absolute peak of the Great Heaven of Rules, just a step away from condensing a Dao Domain.
The Tongtian Holy Pill allowed him to grasp the mysteries of the Dao Domain Realm.
During Shang Ziqi’s devastatingIS attack, in that dire moment, not only did the pill’s power erupt, but the medicinal strength of the Seven-Star Divine Ling’s “Sun” Leaf also surged forth.
Zhang Ruochen finally succeeded in condensing his Dao Domain, stepping into a new realm of cultivation.
Fortunately, he had condensed his Dao Domain just in time to mitigate part of the attack; otherwise, his injuries would have been even worse.
Zhang Ruochen had initially planned to conceal his breakthrough to buy time to heal, but Shang Ziqi’s keen perception saw through his ruse almost immediately.
This left him no choice but to reveal his true strength.
Shang Ziqi radiated terrifying killing intent. “Even if you’ve broken through, it changes nothing.”
He struck again, unleashing the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower.
He aimed to capitalize on Zhang Ruochen’s injuries, striking with thunderous force to kill him without giving him a chance to turn the tide.
“You underestimate me.”
Zhang Ruochen responded coldly.
As he spoke, he poured vast amounts of holy qi into the Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror hovering above, unleashing waves of powerful Supreme Power.
His earlier use of the Flame God’s Leg had indeed consumed much of his holy qi, but his breakthrough had accelerated his recovery rate.
Moreover, at the moment of his breakthrough, he consumed several holy pills—some for healing, others for consolidating his cultivation and restoring holy qi.
From battles at the Sword Tomb and Immortal Machine Mountain, he had acquired numerous treasures, including many types of holy pills, which now proved invaluable.
Additionally, the divine sun formed by the Seven-Star Divine Ling’s Sun Leaf in his Divine Light Qi Sea continuously released refined qi, aiding both healing and holy qi recovery.
Thus, in a short time, Zhang Ruochen’s injuries had healed considerably, and his holy qi was significantly replenished.
“Boom.”
The two waves of Supreme Power clashed fiercely, nearly tearing apart the stabilized space.
Shang Ziqi didn’t relent, relentlessly driving the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower while attacking with the Crimson Child Sword.
More crucially, extreme yin and yang forces surged from his body, clashing to produce strange phenomena.
Undoubtedly, Shang Ziqi intended to unleash that terrifying technique again, aiming to deliver a fatal blow to Zhang Ruochen.
The previous strike had already gravely injured Zhang Ruochen; another would surely claim his life.
“This guy Zhang Ruochen is incredibly resilient. Not only did he survive that situation, but he also broke through. Perhaps there’s still a chance for a turnaround in this battle,” Thousand-Star Maiden said, visibly surprised.
For some reason, seeing Zhang Ruochen alive brought her an inexplicable sense of relief.
Her gaze shifted to where Qing Xiao and Bu Qianfan were, their situation looking dire.
The reason was Huan Ji, who had used her illusion arts to bewilder them, leaving them unable to distinguish reality from illusion, rendering them highly passive.
“Huan Ji, huh? You escaped last time, but now I’ll deal with you. Let’s see if you’ve improved,” Thousand-Star Maiden murmured.
Using her techniques, she completely altered her appearance, transforming into a refined young gentleman, clearly unwilling to be recognized.
Initially, she had no intention of intervening, but now she couldn’t hold back.
She decided to act on her impulses, treating it as a way to temper her resolve.
Zhang Ruochen had said her mindset was flawed, lacking unyielding resilience. She would show him her transformation.
Without further hesitation, Thousand-Star Maiden turned into a streak of light, heading straight for Huan Ji.
As a fellow master of illusion arts, she was eager to clash with Huan Ji again.
Meanwhile, behind Shang Ziqi, the massive ferocious beast and flame emperor rapidly took shape.
Compared to before, the aura emanating from these two figures was even more terrifying.
The beast and emperor opened their mouths simultaneously, releasing two opposing extreme forces that intertwined, blasting toward Zhang Ruochen like a cannonball.
Zhang Ruochen formed a fist seal, summoning a heavenly river that coiled around him, flowing endlessly.
“Bang.”
The intertwined extreme forces struck the heavenly river, causing it to tremble violently but failing to tear it apart, thus unable to reach Zhang Ruochen’s body.
Seeing this, Shang Ziqi’s expression darkened further. The beast and emperor behind him unleashed another wave of extreme destructive power.
The heavenly river around Zhang Ruochen suddenly transformed into a giant dragon, swallowing the incoming force entirely.
“Boom.”
The dragon shattered, splashing water that fell toward the scorching magma lake.
The lake’s temperature was so intense that the water evaporated instantly, turning into thick mist.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, using the Luo Water Fist to protect himself while silently circulating his techniques to heal and restore his holy qi.
The longer he could delay, the more advantageous it would be for him.
However, withstanding Shang Ziqi’s attacks was no easy feat. The combined power of two high-tier holy techniques, along with Supreme Sacred Artifacts and divine relics, meant that any lapse could spell disaster.
“Boom.”
The Crimson Child Sword unleashed terrifying divine power, slicing through the heavenly river.
“It’s over!”
A cruel glint appeared in Shang Ziqi’s eyes.
The beast and emperor’s powers converged to their peak, charging forward as ice and fire fused in a collision, unleashing unimaginable destructive might.
Sensing this terrifying aura, the battling powerhouses on both sides ceased fighting, focusing on defense.
Having learned from earlier, no one dared to be careless now.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes sharpened as he gripped the Abyss Ancient Sword, mobilizing all 750,000 sword dao rules and drawing in vast heaven and earth rules.
The purple divine stone embedded in the sword’s hilt glowed intensely, a surging secret force pouring into the blade.
“Break.”
Zhang Ruochen roared, slashing down with the Abyss Ancient Sword.
A crimson sword beam tinged with purple light shot forth, clashing with Shang Ziqi’s two high-tier holy techniques.
For this strike, Zhang Ruochen poured in everything, fully unleashing the Fire God Armor and purple divine stone’s power.
“Rumble.”
The purple-tinged crimson sword beam was unstoppable, slicing through Shang Ziqi’s two high-tier holy techniques like it was cleaving the heavens and earth.
Though the techniques were shattered, their terrifying power still erupted wildly, with Zhang Ruochen bearing the brunt.
At that moment, the purple divine stone released thick purple qi, forming a powerful barrier that enveloped Zhang Ruochen.
“Boom.”
Under the crushing force, the magma lake below erupted violently.
Thick magma pillars shot skyward.
Simultaneously, the purple-tinged crimson sword beam tore through the sky, heading straight for Shang Ziqi.
“What?”
Shang Ziqi’s expression changed as he hurriedly activated the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower to block.
“Bang.”
The tower was struck and sent flying, crashing into Shang Ziqi and knocking him back.
A sharp force pierced through the tower and Shang Ziqi’s three-colored treasure armor, striking his body.
“Pfft.”
Shang Ziqi spat out a large mouthful of blood, with more streaming from under his armor.
Though the armor remained intact, a gruesome, bone-deep wound appeared on Shang Ziqi’s chest, nearly cleaving him in two.
Without the three-colored armor, Shang Ziqi’s injuries would have been far worse.
On the other side, as the destructive force dissipated, Zhang Ruochen’s figure reappeared.
Though blood stained his lips, his condition was clearly better than Shang Ziqi’s.
“How is this possible? Zhang Ruochen injured Shang Ziqi with a single strike.”
“He was so gravely wounded earlier—how did he recover so quickly?”
“If Zhang Ruochen’s injuries have truly healed, Shang Ziqi’s in trouble. To think Zhang Ruochen could turn the tables in such a situation—is he truly an undefeatable war god?”
“Not necessarily. Zhang Ruochen might be at his limit, merely holding on. His opponent is Shang Ziqi—flipping the tide won’t be easy.”
“No need to argue. Given the current situation, they’ll likely settle this soon. Let’s just watch.”
…
The onlookers were stunned, the battle’s twists and turns leaving no one able to predict who would emerge victorious.
“How can this be? Zhang Ruochen was gravely injured. Even with a breakthrough, his strength should be diminished. How is he still so strong?” Si Han’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Recalling their confrontation in the Eastern Domain, Zhang Ruochen had been far from his match. Yet now, Zhang Ruochen surpassed him, capable of crushing him with ease.
Such a stark contrast was hard for Si Han to accept.
King Da Xi’s gaze grew complex. The stronger Zhang Ruochen became, the harder it was for her to reclaim her stolen treasures.
Her hesitation to act stemmed largely from her fear of Zhang Ruochen suddenly activating the flame insects dormant in her body.
Thus, she could only hope Shang Ziqi would suppress or kill Zhang Ruochen, allowing her to retrieve her treasures and eliminate the threat.
But given the current situation, the outcome was uncertain.
Holding the Abyss Ancient Sword, Zhang Ruochen gazed coldly at Shang Ziqi. “Shang Ziqi, you were right—it’s time to end this. If you have no more tricks, then die.”
Before his words faded, Zhang Ruochen charged forward with his sword.
Perhaps due to condensing his Dao Domain, the purple divine stone’s power was further unleashed, its might growing with additional uses.
“Zhang Ruochen, don’t get cocky. The only one dying today is you,” Shang Ziqi’s eyes flashed with madness.
His Origin Corpse emerged, flashing to the Five-Colored Merit Stele and activating it, unleashing five-colored merit divine light toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t pause. The Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror enlarged, its surface shimmering with hundreds of thousands of Supreme Inscriptions, eerie demonic light flowing to block the divine light.
The next moment, the five-colored merit divine light was reflected back, striking Shang Ziqi’s Origin Corpse with amplified power and speed.
“Bang.”
Before the Origin Corpse could react, it was hit, soaring into the sky.
Taking the blow, the Origin Corpse spat blood, its body nearly shattering, sustaining grievous injuries.
But Shang Ziqi had no time to care. His Flame Corpse and Cold Corpse merged, fully unleashing both high-tier holy techniques.
Simultaneously, Shang Ziqi drove the Crimson Child Sword and Ten Thousand Refinements Tower with full force, while removing three red feathers from his crown, infusing them with vast holy qi to form three hundred-zhang-long flame monster birds.
Each bird exuded a powerful aura, comparable to a Nine-Step Saint King.
“You can’t stop me.”
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly.
“Swoosh.”
With a swing of the Abyss Ancient Sword, a purple-tinged crimson sword beam slashed forth.
“Boom.”
The three flame monster birds shattered instantly, reverting to three red feathers, which then burned fiercely.
Though fire-attributed treasures, the feathers couldn’t withstand the divine fire from the Fire God Armor, turning to ash in moments.
“Bang.”
The Abyss Ancient Sword clashed with the Ten Thousand Refinements Tower, sending it flying.
Though inferior in grade, the Abyss Ancient Sword, forged from Creation Divine Iron, feared no Supreme Sacred Artifact in a clash.
“Clang.”
Next, the Abyss Ancient Sword met the Crimson Child Sword, both erupting in blazing flames, purple secret force contending with sinister divine power, rippling the space violently.
A terrifying secret force surged from the Abyss Ancient Sword, causing Shang Ziqi’s expression to change drastically as the Crimson Child Sword slipped from his grasp.
