In the palace, Zhang Ruochen activated the Sundial and began his seclusion. With only three days until the Hell Realm’s assault on True Dragon Island, time was critically short, and not a moment could be wasted.
Fortunately, during his previous seclusion, he hadn’t used all the divine stones he’d collected, or he’d be in real trouble now.
With a thought, Zhang Ruochen manifested his Time Saint Aspect and Space Saint Aspect simultaneously. These two aspects were unique, invisible to others except himself.
Next, they would work with Little Black to combine time and spatial arrays with a ninth-grade array, forming a formidable trump card.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ruochen prepared to refine the Five Elements divine objects—a highly challenging task.
Even for many Lin Dao Realm powerhouses, refining top-tier Five Elements divine objects was extremely difficult, let alone within a mere three years.
But Zhang Ruochen had no other options. To rapidly boost his strength, he had to resort to extraordinary measures.
With a thought, five sealed brocade boxes appeared before him, gifts from Emperor Jiemie. Each contained a top-tier Five Elements divine object.
With a wave, the boxes opened, releasing vibrant divine lights and dense Five Elements energy, so浓厚 it seemed tangible. In the outside world, this would have caused a spectacular phenomenon.
Seeing the five divine objects, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes lit up. Had he not captured Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng, extorting the Paradise Realm faction, he wouldn’t have acquired even one of these, let alone all five.
Each top-tier divine object was immensely precious, coveted even by gods, rarely bestowed on others.
The two Five Elements divine objects he’d obtained from Cang Long were ordinary, incomparable to these top-tier ones.
For a Saint King to ascend to Great Saint, forging an Immortal Saint Body was key. The materials used directly affected the body’s strength and future cultivation potential.
Everyone desired the best materials, but they were hard to obtain. Few could use even ordinary divine objects for their Immortal Saint Body, most settling for superior saint artifacts.
“Primordial Water, Merit Primordial Stone… rare divine objects. I hope they bring surprises,” Zhang Ruochen said, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
At the Merit Exchange of the Merit General Station, he’d seen the Merit Primordial Stone, priced at 50 billion merit points.
To acquire all five through the Merit Temple would require 250 billion merit points—an near-impossible feat.
Even the top-ranked Saint King on the Merit List had only a few dozen billion points.
“I’ll start with Primordial Water,” Zhang Ruochen murmured.
Reaching out, he grasped a fist-sized mass of Primordial Water from its box. It resembled mercury, small in volume but extraordinarily heavy, over 100,000 jin.
Primordial Water was relatively gentle, nourishing flesh and blood, making it the least dangerous. Refining it would enhance his body’s adaptability, easing the refinement of the other objects.
Circulating the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*, Zhang Ruochen cleared his mind, focusing solely on refining.
Though Primordial Water seemed mild, it was domineering, exceeding his expectations. Even with his current physical strength, he struggled. As he absorbed a small amount, his flesh, muscles, and bones were damaged.
Reluctantly, he slowed the process—haste was unwise here.
“It’s tough, but I can manage. This time, I don’t need to fully refine all five. Even a partial refinement will greatly enhance my Five Elements Chaos Body,” Zhang Ruochen thought.
Fully refining enough divine objects for an Immortal Saint Body in one go was impossible. It required gradual accumulation, much like cultivating his Five Elements Chaos Body.
Little Black observed for a while, confirming Zhang Ruochen was stable, then focused on combining time, spatial, and its ninth-grade arrays.
Before Little Black stood thirty-six array flags, each inscribed with countless intricate array patterns.
These flags were Little Black’s labor of love, capable of forming complex ninth-grade arrays that could slaughter Saint Kings like chickens and contend with powerhouses like Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng.
But against the Seven Absolute Killing Gods, they fell short. Their power needed a significant boost.
“Each flag has 12 million array patterns. To trap the Seven Absolute Killing Gods, I need to double that and integrate time and spatial patterns. This is a massive project—it’s killing me,” Little Black grumbled, head aching.
With only three years, Little Black wasn’t sure it could succeed, but it had to try.
Even if the flags were upgraded, challenges remained. Stronger arrays required more energy and were harder to control.
True ninth-grade arrays often used divine stones, supplemented by vast saint stones, and required a Great Saint-level array spirit, as they were designed to combat Great Saints.
“Focus on refining the flags. Zhang Ruochen can handle the rest,” Little Black muttered, shaking its head and diving into inscribing patterns.
If the flags couldn’t transform, planning further was pointless.
As Zhang Ruochen and Little Black secluded themselves, the Yin-Yang Sea surged with activity. More Hell Realm cultivators poured through the spatial rift.
Unlike other merit battlefields, the Yin-Yang Sea drew only Saint King-level powerhouses, including many Nine-Step Saint Kings.
The sea was nearly fully blockaded by the Hell Realm’s army, making entry or exit difficult.
In a hidden sea region near True Dragon Island, five colossal warships anchored, quietly observing the island.
Strangely, despite heavy Hell Realm patrols, these warships remained undetected, expertly concealed.
“The Son of Darkness is here. What terrifying dark aura—completely different from typical dark cultivators,” the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden said, her Origin Divine Eyes peering at a Hell Realm warship, her expression grave.
Seven massive Hell Realm warships were stationed around True Dragon Island, each guarded by top-tier powerhouses, some with multiple.
The one she observed, the largest, was shrouded in dense dark energy, impenetrable even to her eyes.
Da Zun frowned. “The Son of Darkness is a once-in-a-millennium prodigy of the Dark Temple. He survived the Abyss of Darkness, gaining immense opportunities and fusing with alien dark matter. He also inherited an ancient titan’s legacy. No one knows his full arsenal.”
“Below Great Saint in the Hell Realm, he ranks in the top three. The Dark Temple sent him—they’re determined to seize the Key to the World Gate.”
Few below Great Saint in either realm could disregard the Son of Darkness.
“The Son of Darkness, the Seven Absolute Killing Gods, the Bone Clan’s Three Emperors and Twelve Venerables—they’re all tough. Seizing the Key from them will be a brutal fight. Some of us may perish on True Dragon Island,” the North Star Emperor said gravely.
For the Key, the Hell Realm had spared no expense, deploying nearly all the Nether and Bone Clans’ elite.
Normally, the Son of Darkness, the Seven Absolute Killing Gods, and the Three Emperors and Twelve Venerables wouldn’t appear together. Any one could dominate a merit battlefield.
“No need to be so tense. Even if we don’t get the Key, we lose nothing. The Kunlun Realm should be the one worrying,” the Radiant Emperor said with a light laugh, unpressured.
“Afterward, we can attack Golden and Silver Dragon Islands, homes of the Five-Clawed Golden and Silver Dragons. The Dragon God Clan’s treasures must be there—a huge gain if we succeed.”
Clearly, he’d targeted those islands from the start, determined not to leave empty-handed.
If the Kunlun Realm was truly doomed, it was better to seize opportunities than let the Hell Realm benefit.
Fairy Linglong glanced at him. “Golden and Silver Dragon Islands aren’t as simple as you think. The Kunlun Realm’s Dragon God Clan, both Golden and Silver Dragons, produced overlord-level powerhouses. Don’t tread their lands lightly, or you may court disaster.”
As a dragon, she understood the Kunlun Realm’s dragons best.
Before leaving the Heavenly Dragon Realm, her elders had warned against setting foot on any Yin-Yang Sea islands except True Dragon Island.
What was an overlord-level powerhouse? A god among gods, wielding Mysteries.
Gods with Mysteries were vastly stronger than those without.
When Moon Goddess had only half her divine power, her Mysteries allowed her to easily defeat Yan God, who lacked them.
Typically, only gods with Mysteries could slay other gods.
The Radiant Emperor’s heart stirred, but he remained casual. “Overlord-level powerhouses are strong, but they’re long dead. How many tricks could they leave? No need for such caution, Fairy.”
Fairy Linglong said no more—words were wasted on the unconvinced.
“Strange. The Hell Realm is about to assault True Dragon Island, yet Zhang Ruochen hasn’t shown. Has he left the Yin-Yang Sea? Where are the other Kunlun Realm powerhouses?” the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden wondered.
The Radiant Emperor chuckled. “Fleeing the Yin-Yang Sea early was wise. In this situation, Zhang Ruochen’s involvement changes nothing and risks his life. This so-called Kunlun Realm war god is a joke against the Son of Darkness and the Seven Absolute Killing Gods.”
His disdain for Zhang Ruochen was clear.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden’s eyes flashed with mockery. *Such shallow insight for an ancient civilization’s emperor. Zhang Ruochen returned to the Kunlun Realm, fighting relentlessly, his ferocity renowned. He defeated countless famed masters and even shattered a patrol envoy’s avatar. Yet this man dares underestimate him. If the Radiant Emperor becomes Celestial Lord, the Radiant Civilization may decline.*
“Prepare. The day-night transition is near. Once the Hell Realm breaches True Dragon Island, we move at full speed to the island’s center, the Dragon God Temple, where the Key to the World Gate lies,” the North Star Emperor said solemnly.
Though seizing the Key was daunting, their combined forces—four ancient civilizations and the Heavenly Dragon Realm—were formidable, capable of contending with the Hell Realm.
The Heavenly Dragon Realm was the strongest, an eternal hegemon, ranking top ten among all realms, just below the four dominant worlds. Ten thousand years ago, even the Western Universe’s giants—Paradise Realm, Kunlun Realm, and Western Heavenly Buddha Realm—might not have bested it, despite the Kunlun Realm’s titans like Saint Monk Xumi, the Ten Tribulations Heavenly Monarch, and Dragon Lord Jiwang.
Later, the Sundial’s activation gave the Kunlun Realm a “one day in heaven, one year on earth” era, skyrocketing its strength, outpacing Paradise, Buddha, and Dragon Realms, with ambitions to reshape the cosmic order. Yet it fell short, leaving only ruins after its glory.
Today, the Heavenly Dragon Realm’s power was likely even more terrifying, far surpassing the current Kunlun Realm.
The Thousand Star, Radiant, North Star, and Witch God Civilizations, ancient cosmic giants, had deep foundations and the clout to negotiate with the Heavenly Palace.
With these five mighty forces converging, their ambitions were grand.
…
In Silver Dragon Palace, Ao Xinyan, the Destiny Corpse Emperor, the Dead Zen Patriarch, and over a dozen powerful figures gathered, including Saint King Zixin of the Three-Eyed Ancient Clan.
These dozen figures, equal to Ao Xinyan and the others, exuded dragon-like or phoenix-like auras, steady and robust, with ancient charm, as if stepped from history’s pages. Saint King Zixin sat at the lowest rank among them.
“Why hasn’t the Leader emerged? The day-night transition is almost here. If we don’t reach True Dragon Island soon, we’ll miss the chance to save Ancestral Dragon Mountain’s dragons and stop the Hell Realm from taking the Key,” Ao Xinyan said, anxious.
The Destiny Corpse Emperor said, “We can’t delay. Let’s go first.”
The Dead Zen Patriarch, seated on a four-unlike beast, chanted a Buddhist verse. “No need to rush. Benefactor Zhang is here.”
Before his words faded, Zhang Ruochen and Little Black appeared.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m ready and can depart anytime,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Destiny Corpse Emperor gave him a deep look, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. In just three days, Zhang Ruochen seemed transformed—not outwardly, but intrinsically, as if reborn.
