After receiving the Sun-Moon Dragon Spring water from Zhang Ruochen, all the awakened ones immediately consumed it, eager to complete their baptism as quickly as possible.
Ao Xinyan approached Zhang Ruochen, hesitating as if she wanted to say something.
“What’s on your mind?” Zhang Ruochen asked with a smile.
Ao Xinyan’s eyes showed a trace of reluctance. “There are still many Hell Realm powerhouses on True Dragon Island. Are we just leaving like this?”
Though they had secured the critical Key to the World Gate, the Hell Realm forces lingered in the Dragon Clan’s sacred land, plundering its treasures—a situation Ao Xinyan found hard to accept.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. “Of course not. I’ll do everything I can to eliminate the Hell Realm forces. But at the same time, the Key must be taken off True Dragon Island as soon as possible. There are too many variables here, and I don’t want any issues.”
“How do you plan to handle the Key?” Ao Xinyan asked immediately.
The Key to the World Gate was a hot potato. If not handled properly, it could still attract the Hell Realm’s covetous eyes, making it hard to safeguard.
After a moment’s thought, Zhang Ruochen exhaled softly. “For now, we’ll place the Key on Silver Dragon Island. Once things here are resolved, we’ll make further arrangements.”
The Key was of utmost importance, unlike any other item, and Zhang Ruochen couldn’t think of a perfect solution immediately.
If the taboo figure in the Yin-Yang Sea hadn’t left, this wouldn’t even be a concern, and the Hell Realm army wouldn’t have dared invade.
Soon, the divine power eruption subsided, and True Dragon Island gradually returned to calm.
Taking advantage of this, the awakened ones nearly completed their baptisms, largely restoring their former strength and erasing the unique aura of their long slumber, making it nearly impossible for others to detect.
Scanning the awakened ones, Zhang Ruochen felt a stir in his heart. Those sealed in the Middle Ages were no ordinary figures, each possessing the exceptional talent to become peerless Great Saints or even deities.
Yet he couldn’t fathom why the Kunlun Realm’s giants sealed these top geniuses from various eras.
Even with his current cultivation, many things remained shrouded in mystery, making it hard to grasp the giants’ grand designs.
After serious discussion, most awakened ones, along with Dead Zen Ancestor and Destiny Corpse Emperor, chose to stay on True Dragon Island with Zhang Ruochen to confront the Hell Realm army.
Xiao Hei, Ao Xinyan, Crimson Gold King, and Thousand Severance Blade King were tasked with escorting the Key off the island first, eliminating any worries.
Originally, only Crimson Gold King and Thousand Severance Blade King were to accompany Xiao Hei, but for added security, Ao Xinyan was included, able to wield the Dragon Silver Armor if needed.
Having been baptised with enough Sun-Moon Dragon Spring water, Crimson Gold King and Thousand Severance Blade King had fully restored their strength, surpassing their previous peaks.
“Zhang Ruochen, rest assured. I’ve refined some holy spring water. If trouble arises, I can easily boost my cultivation to the Great Saint realm. No one will take the Key from me,” Xiao Hei said confidently.
It could now restore its cultivation to the Great Saint realm but refrained, as doing so would prevent it from staying in the Kunlun Realm.
Without further delay, the four set off with the Key, heading swiftly out of True Dragon Island.
Watching them leave, Zhang Ruochen and those remaining immediately began searching for Hell Realm forces.
The Hell Realm powerhouses had scattered, so Zhang Ruochen’s group split into several teams, each acting independently.
Though few in number, they were all top-tier powerhouses.
Riding the Dragon Fiend Emperor, Zhang Ruochen could go almost anywhere on True Dragon Island unhindered.
Soon, they spotted a Nether Clan team of dozens.
“It’s Zhang Ruochen and that monster!”
The team had no will to fight, thinking only of escape.
To survive, the Nether Clan members dispersed in different directions.
“Roar.”
The Dragon Fiend Emperor let out a roar.
Opening its mouth, a terrifying suction pulled all the Nether Clan powerhouses back.
Without pause, it carried Zhang Ruochen forward like a streak of light.
The Hell Realm had deployed many elite Nether and Bone Clan forces. If they were all wiped out, it would be a painful loss for both clans.
In a short time, Zhang Ruochen and the Dragon Fiend Emperor eliminated dozens of Hell Realm teams, totaling over a thousand—a one-sided slaughter.
Resistance or not, the outcome was inevitable.
“Zhang Ruochen, slaughtering so many of our Hell Realm powerhouses will bring you no good end. Someone will come for your life soon,” a Nine-Step Saint King from the Nether Clan roared venomously, seeing no escape.
Zhang Ruochen said calmly, “If they want to kill me, let them come. I’ll kill as many as they send.”
With that, he swung the Ancient Abyss Sword, unleashing a razor-sharp sword beam.
“Pfft.”
The beam pierced the Nether Clan powerhouse’s head, shattering its holy soul, leaving only a wisp.
Killing these Hell Realm forces yielded substantial merit points, and Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t waste them.
Sweeping True Dragon Island, the holy souls he collected would be considerable.
After they left, another team emerged from a distance, belonging to the Radiant Civilization.
Though Zhang Ruochen had suppressed over a thousand of their forces, not all were caught, with some still scattered in the Dragon God Hall ruins.
“Zhang Ruochen dares to kill His Highness and make an enemy of our Radiant Civilization. Damn him.”
“He’s too strong. Even the Twin Kings were suppressed, and the Child of Darkness fell to him. Even if we gathered all our forces, we couldn’t touch him.”
“True Dragon Island is too perilous. We should leave and report everything to the Old Heavenly Lord for judgment.”
The Radiant Civilization powerhouses were filled with resentment but felt helpless against Zhang Ruochen’s might.
Not just them—powerhouses from the Heavenly Dragon Realm, Thousand Stars Civilization, Giant Spirit Civilization, and Beidou Civilization also feared Zhang Ruochen.
As they, too, sought the Key, being seen as enemies by him would be troublesome.
“Bang.”
The Dragon Fiend Emperor shattered a low hill, stopping to block four powerhouses.
They were none other than Ao Xukong, Xing Wuji, Nether Tiger True Lord, and Giant Spirit King—all top-tier powerhouses below Great Saint.
Facing the fearsome Dragon Fiend Emperor, the four felt a faint unease.
They could sense that, in just a few hours, the Dragon Fiend Emperor’s aura had grown stronger, making it even more dangerous than when it consumed the Child of Darkness.
“Swoosh.”
Zhang Ruochen leapt from its head, appearing before the four.
“What’s the meaning of this, Zhang Ruochen?” Nether Tiger True Lord frowned.
Being forcibly blocked was displeasing, and had it been anyone else, he might have attacked.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze swept over them, getting straight to the point. “I hope you’ll gather your forces and leave True Dragon Island.”
Their expressions shifted. They were astute and instantly understood Zhang Ruochen’s intent—he was driving them out.
With his growing strength and the Dragon Fiend Emperor under his command, he was confident enough to prevent anyone from coveting the Key or the Dragon God Hall’s treasures.
Seeing their silence, Zhang Ruochen continued, “Everything on True Dragon Island belongs to the Kunlun Realm. Next, I’ll clear out all outsiders.”
They felt an unyielding will in him.
“Roar.”
The Dragon Fiend Emperor roared, exuding a terrifying aura, as if to suppress the heavens and earth.
Nether Tiger True Lord was about to speak but swallowed his words under the Dragon Fiend Emperor’s overwhelming presence.
Ao Xukong smiled. “The Heavenly Dragon Realm sent forces to the Yin-Yang Sea to help the Kunlun Realm against the Hell Realm army and protect the Key. Now that you’ve crushed their forces, Brother Zhang, our army has no reason to stay.”
“If you need help, just say so.”
Zhang Ruochen already had a good impression of Ao Xukong, and these words deepened it.
“I’m grateful for your support, Brother Ao,” Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
Ao Xukong replied, “Making a friend like you makes this trip to the Kunlun Realm worthwhile. When this is over, we must share a few drinks.”
“I’ll bring out the finest wine to host you,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Their exchange drew them closer, like old friends.
Seeing this, Xing Wuji, Nether Tiger True Lord, and Giant Spirit King frowned.
They felt Zhang Ruochen’s dominance. There was no room for negotiation, and refusal might prompt him to act.
Zhang Ruochen had always acted without restraint, even provoking the Heavenly Realm, one of the four dominant realms.
“The Thousand Stars Civilization’s forces will withdraw soon. I wish you success in securing the Key, Brother Zhang,” Xing Wuji said with a faint smile.
Giant Spirit King added, “With the Hell Realm threat neutralized, our forces should also leave.”
Seeing Ao Xukong, Xing Wuji, and Giant Spirit King concede, Nether Tiger True Lord, though reluctant, said coldly, “The Beidou Civilization will withdraw too.”
Satisfied with their responses, Zhang Ruochen smiled. Unless necessary, he didn’t want to make enemies of everyone.
He cupped his hands. “Thank you all. Until we meet again.”
With that, he returned to the Dragon Fiend Emperor’s head.
Using spatial techniques, the Dragon Fiend Emperor vanished, reappearing hundreds of miles away.
“What a Zhang Ruochen, driving everyone out so soon. He wants to dominate True Dragon Island,” Nether Tiger True Lord said, annoyed.
Giant Spirit King said, “If we had his strength, we’d do the same. True Dragon Island isn’t as treasure-filled as we thought—it’s full of dangers. Leaving early isn’t necessarily bad.”
Ao Xukong, Xing Wuji, and Nether Tiger True Lord’s hearts tightened, thinking of the Dragon Fiend Emperor, a terrifying creature born on the island. Encountering it would be disastrous.
And Mu Zu’s sinister “children” posed a massive threat, causing heavy losses.
Just earlier, the four had seen Radiant Civilization powerhouses attacked by sinister children, transformed by horrific mental assaults, with no way to revert.
Beyond the Dragon Fiend Emperor and Mu Zu, other dangerous beings might lurk on the island, spelling catastrophe if encountered.
Without hesitation, the four used special means to summon their forces.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ruochen and the Dragon Fiend Emperor continued their sweep, routing the Hell Realm army.
“Run! Zhang Ruochen’s coming!”
Terrified, Hell Realm powerhouses fled desperately toward the island’s edge.
After a long chase, Zhang Ruochen spotted big targets—the Bone Clan’s eight Venerables.
They had reached the island’s edge, about to relax, when a terrifying sense of danger descended.
The Eight-Armed Venerable roared, “Damn it, how did Zhang Ruochen catch up?”
“The space is sealed—our speed’s slowed!”
The eight Venerables grew anxious.
Less than a hundred miles from the sea, a distance they could cross in a blink, it now seemed unreachable.
The Eight-Armed Venerable swung the black-gold staff, gritting his teeth. “Break through with full force. Once we leave True Dragon Island, Zhang Ruochen can’t touch us.”
Outside the island, patrol angels would detect everything, and the Dragon Fiend Emperor would be obliterated if it stepped out.
Facing only Zhang Ruochen, the eight Venerables were confident in their defense.
They formed a battle array, channeling power to the Eight-Armed Venerable, fully activating the staff to unleash supreme forces, aiming to tear through the sealed space.
“No one escapes.”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes were cold as he deployed the Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror.
As he and the Dragon Fiend Emperor infused it with power, the mirror trembled, releasing torrents of demonic energy that formed towering demonic mountains, suppressing the Venerables.
“Bang.”
Despite their efforts with the staff, the Venerables couldn’t withstand the mountains, and their array collapsed instantly.
“Crack.”
Under the mountains’ pressure, even their Great Saint bone bodies began to break.
“Rumble.”
Three powerful forces struck the mountains, shattering them.
Zhang Ruochen looked to the sea, where three tall bone figures stood, exuding potent auras—the Bone Clan’s Three Emperors, inheritors of diamond power.
His heart tightened, recognizing their strength.
He wondered how they compared to the Heavenly Palace’s Four Heavenly Kings.
With the Dragon Fiend Emperor as his mount, Zhang Ruochen feared no one, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
The eight Venerables seized the chance to flee.
The Three Emperors continued attacking to hinder Zhang Ruochen and the Dragon Fiend Emperor.
“Roar.”
The Dragon Fiend Emperor roared, its wings flapping, unleashing vast divine power as a storm swept out.
The Three Emperors, cautious, combined their diamond power into a barrier to block it.
“Hmph.”
Zhang Ruochen snorted, fully mobilizing spatial laws, pressing forward.
“Boom.”
A vast area of space shattered, annihilation energy spreading.
Screams rang out as the eight Venerables were engulfed by the annihilation force.
Their Great Saint bone bodies couldn’t withstand it, breaking apart.
“Buzz.”
The Three Emperors, focused on the Dragon Fiend Emperor, couldn’t intervene, each deploying a bronze seal.
The seals merged, releasing potent diamond divine power, shattering the annihilation force.
Five Venerables, including the Eight-Armed, escaped under the seals’ protection.
The other three weren’t so lucky, their bone bodies heavily damaged and near death, instantly sucked into the Hidden Mountain Demonic Mirror.
