The second phase of refining the Mercury Gourd focused on merging it with the Golden Sun of Destruction.
The Golden Sun of Destruction, a Supreme Sacred Artifact of the Yanyang Civilization, was forged from the core essence of a star. If successfully combined with the Mercury Gourd, it would undoubtedly become a more formidable weapon.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Golden Sun of Destruction, channeling saintly energy into it, causing it to expand and contract while carefully sensing its fluctuating power.
“Before merging, I must first fully subdue the artifact spirit of the Golden Sun of Destruction.”
The artifact spirit of the Golden Sun of Destruction had reached the Great Saint level.
When Yanyang Heavenly Sovereign brought it to the Kunlun Realm’s merit battlefield, the artifact spirit was sealed with a layer of divine power by Heavenly Lord Yanyang.
Both Yanyang Heavenly Sovereign and Zhang Ruochen, having refined the blood and soul of an ancient Golden Crow, could communicate with the Golden Sun of Destruction, unleashing part of its Supreme Sacred Artifact power.
Zhang Ruochen released his Pure Extinction Divine Fire, condensing it into nine fire dragons to continuously refine the divine power layer within the Golden Sun of Destruction. Yet, after half a month, the divine barrier remained unyielding, showing no change.
“Just a layer of divine power, and with my Great Saint cultivation, I can’t refine it.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Great Saint Qingsheng.
“What?”
Great Saint Qingsheng grew wary, fearing another trap.
Zhang Ruochen said thoughtfully, “I’m curious about the gap between a Supreme Realm Great Saint and a divine being.”
The question struck a chord with Great Saint Qingsheng.
His eyes grew distant as he sighed, “It’s both a step away and a world apart. Why do you ask?”
“I want to know if a Supreme Realm Great Saint can refine a divine power barrier placed by a god in a Supreme Sacred Artifact,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Great Saint Qingsheng looked at the Golden Sun of Destruction, instantly understanding Zhang Ruochen’s intent.
After all that, he just wanted help refining it.
“Hand it over. A mere divine power barrier is nothing to me,” Great Saint Qingsheng said, aware of Zhang Ruochen’s talent and the importance the Blood Absolute Clan’s three gods placed on him.
What mattered more to him was fostering Zhang Ruochen’s sense of belonging to the Blood Absolute Clan.
Helping with small favors was no issue.
Great Saint Qingsheng cradled the Golden Sun of Destruction in his hands, releasing streams of blood energy that surged into it.
“It’s indeed a divine power seal set by Heavenly Lord Yanyang himself. Refining it is no easy task,” he said, though a broad smile spread across his face.
After half a day of refining, the divine power barrier weakened, and the Golden Sun of Destruction trembled violently, emitting loud, resonant cries.
The sound was deafening, causing the air to quiver.
Great Saint Qingsheng glanced at Zhang Ruochen. “The artifact spirit of the Golden Sun of Destruction is unleashing power at the Hundred-Shackle Realm. Can you subdue it?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
“Good.”
With a rumble, the divine power barrier shattered completely.
Simultaneously, Great Saint Qingsheng withdrew his hands and swiftly retreated, reappearing a thousand miles away in the blink of an eye.
The Golden Sun of Destruction emitted blinding light, each ray like a golden arrow. Any being below the Saint King level who merely glanced at it would have their eyes burn and go blind instantly.
“Caw!”
With a deafening cry, a three-legged Golden Crow flew out from the Golden Sun of Destruction.
Its golden wings spanned tens of thousands of zhang, its eyes gleaming with ferocity. Speaking human words, it declared, “I am a Supreme Sacred Artifact under Heavenly Lord Yanyang. Quickly dismantle the divine patterns sealing this space and let me return to the Yanyang Civilization. Otherwise, when the Heavenly Lord arrives, you’ll all perish.”
“It seems you were sealed in divine power and don’t even know where you are,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Unwilling to waste words, his Fire God Armor blazed, and he raised his right hand, his palm growing increasingly massive until it dwarfed the Golden Crow’s body several times over.
With a flip of his hand, he struck downward.
*Boom.*
The blow dimmed the Golden Crow’s radiance slightly.
Realizing the human before it was a Great Saint and not to be trifled with, the Golden Crow swiftly retreated into the Golden Sun of Destruction, unleashing the full might of the Supreme Sacred Artifact.
*Rumble.*
Patterns of light emerged on the Golden Sun of Destruction.
Its size expanded rapidly, reaching ten li, then a hundred li in diameter…
Though not as massive as a star, it grew to the size of a planet, glowing brilliantly gold, its supreme power and flames warping the surrounding space.
“This is the true power of the Golden Sun of Destruction. Even under the artifact spirit’s control, a single strike could shatter stars and obliterate void realms.”
“Even any one of the Blood Heaven Trio would flee immediately upon encountering it.”
Great Saint Qingsheng grew concerned, doubting Zhang Ruochen’s ability to subdue it with his current cultivation.
Far from intimidated, Zhang Ruochen was thrilled. With the artifact spirit fully unleashed, the Golden Sun of Destruction was truly a Supreme Sacred Artifact. In his hands, it could hold its own against peak Hundred-Shackle Realm powerhouses.
“Truth Realm Form.”
Zhang Ruochen spread his hands, and countless starry specks appeared around him, forming a vast starry sky.
The starry expanse stretched a thousand miles, giving Great Saint Qingsheng a subtle sensation, as if touching the essence of truth, unraveling cultivation mysteries he’d previously found perplexing.
It was the power of the Heart of Truth.
*Rumble.*
From a distance, Zhang Ruochen’s Truth Realm Form became a thousand-mile starry sky, clashing fiercely with a thousand-mile-wide golden fireball, unleashing a tidal wave of energy.
Above the Heaven and Earth Divine Furnace, fire spirits roared like dragons and lions, eager to join the fray, but Great Saint Qingsheng restrained them.
Zhang Ruochen mobilized truth rules, striking with both palms, executing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm.
Tenfold attack power fused with his palm force.
*Boom.*
The double-palm strike collided with the Golden Sun of Destruction, sending it reeling backward with a violent shudder.
Its radiance dimmed further.
While the artifact spirit could unleash formidable power with a Supreme Sacred Artifact, it couldn’t sustain it. Once the artifact’s internal energy was depleted, it lost its offensive capability.
Zhang Ruochen unleashed dozens of palm strikes, each with tenfold attack power. The Golden Sun of Destruction shrank, reduced to the size of a house, and tried to flee.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Zhang Ruochen pointed a finger.
The space before the Golden Sun of Destruction twisted, forming a massive vortex.
After plunging into the vortex, it reappeared above Zhang Ruochen’s palm, trembling and spinning rapidly.
“Since you’re so loyal to Heavenly Lord Yanyang, I’ll have to erase your consciousness,” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Golden Crow’s voice emerged from the Golden Sun of Destruction, pleading, “No! Master, master, please spare me! I’m just the spirit of a Supreme Sacred Artifact, having served countless masters. Whoever subdues me with absolute power, I serve. Master, master, do you hear me?”
“…” Zhang Ruochen was speechless, stunned for a moment.
A Great Saint-level artifact spirit, reduced to such cowardice.
Did it have any shred of dignity left?
Unconvinced of the Golden Crow’s sincerity, Zhang Ruochen extracted half its saintly soul, storing it in his Divine Light Sea of Qi.
Next, he flew to the edge of the Heaven and Earth Divine Furnace’s mouth, holding the Mercury Gourd in one hand and the Golden Sun of Destruction in the other, ready to begin the formal fusion.
“With the Golden Sun of Destruction’s artifact spirit fully unleashed, its power is far greater than before. The Mercury Gourd’s water attribute may not withstand it.”
“I’ll need to prepare more water and yin-cold attribute treasures to balance them.”
Zhang Ruochen lacked no materials.
Soon, he retrieved a purple crystal stone over seventy meters long from his spatial ring.
The purple crystal emitted a glow as dazzling as the Golden Sun of Destruction’s golden light, but its aura was chillingly cold.
Even sitting beside the Heaven and Earth Divine Furnace, Zhang Ruochen felt his skin sting from the cold.
In the distance, Great Saint Qingsheng’s composure faltered, trembling with excitement. “It’s Cosmic Cold Ice Stone… No, Cosmic Cold Ice Stone is divine material for Supreme Sacred Artifacts. Even a small piece is priceless. How could there be a piece as massive as a mountain?”
The purple crystal beside Zhang Ruochen was no different from a small stone mountain.
Cosmic Cold Ice Stone, formed in the universe’s coldest regions, was one of the ten divine-grade substances known as the “Five Elements Extreme Materials.”
It was available in the Hell Realm, but sold by the gram.
Great Saint Qingsheng’s heart grew increasingly unbalanced, tempted to crash into the Cosmic Cold Ice Stone and end it all. As a Supreme Realm Great Saint, standing at the pinnacle of the saintly path, he felt utterly outdone by Zhang Ruochen, an Immortal Realm Great Saint.
Compared to Zhang Ruochen, he was a pauper.
The treasures Zhang Ruochen casually produced—the Mercury Gourd, the Golden Sun of Destruction, the Cosmic Cold Ice Stone—were things Great Saint Qingsheng could only dream of acquiring after a lifetime of effort.
“The Kunlun Realm is indeed a treasure trove. Why haven’t Xue Chen and Xiao Xiao gained anything? Are they hiding their finds?”
“No, I’ve served the clan for over ten thousand years, yet my wealth pales compared to an Immortal Realm Great Saint. I must report to the War God and demand better treatment for the clan leader, or let someone else take the role. I’ll go to the merit battlefield and make my fortune.”
“I lost three hundred years of lifespan testing the gourd’s power. Shouldn’t Zhang Ruochen compensate me, perhaps with a piece of the Cosmic Cold Ice Stone?”
“I helped him refine Heavenly Lord Yanyang’s divine power barrier, a significant favor. I should charge something for it.”
Great Saint Qingsheng’s mind swirled with thoughts.
But his status as a Supreme Realm Great Saint and acting clan leader held him back, his pride making him hesitate.
…
While Zhang Ruochen immersed himself in refining, the various forces of the Hell Realm’s ten clans were preparing for the Hunting Heaven Banquet. Even cultivators on the merit battlefield, receiving invitations, were returning one after another.
The Asura Clan had twenty-four divine halls, representing its most powerful factions, along with peripheral families, nations, and planets, encompassing over seventy percent of the clan’s cultivators.
Among them, the Green Deer Divine Hall ranked second, surpassed only by the Asura Divine Hall.
The Asura Divine Hall represented the clan’s oldest legacy, its soul and banner, so its top rank was unquestionable.
However, since the Middle Ages, in the ninety-nine Hunting Heaven Banquets, the Green Deer Divine Hall had surpassed the Asura Divine Hall seven times, claiming first among the twenty-four halls.
With only four eons of history, the Green Deer Divine Hall’s meteoric rise and growing prestige were inseparable from its founder, the Green Deer Divine King.
At this moment, the Green Deer Divine King and the Xiu Chen Heavenly God sat side by side at the top of the divine hall.
The Green Deer Divine King’s form was shrouded in chaos, manifesting only as a green deer. His voice carried a distant tone. “Xiu Chen, had you joined our Green Deer Divine Hall earlier, how could you have suffered humiliation at the hands of Blood Absolute War God?”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s face twisted with ferocity. “Had I not been injured by Moon God’s divine artifact and been at a critical moment of body possession, how could that upstart Blood Absolute have humiliated me?”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God didn’t belong to any of the twenty-four divine halls. In the previous eon, at the peak of his power, he had nearly established the Xiu Chen Divine Hall as the twenty-fifth.
Unfortunately, after severe injuries in a divine war, the Xiu Chen Divine Hall declined.
The Green Deer Divine King had once invited Xiu Chen Heavenly God to join, but was politely declined.
Back then, Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s combat strength slightly surpassed the Green Deer Divine King’s. How could he accept being subordinate?
After the battle with Blood Absolute War God, Xiu Chen Heavenly God suffered unprecedented humiliation, awakening to the reality that times had changed. He was no longer the Xiu Chen Heavenly God who could spar with Saint Monk Xumi.
Thus, fueled by intense hatred, he decided to join the Green Deer Divine Hall.
“I have no other conditions. At this Hunting Heaven Banquet, the Green Deer Divine Hall must spare no effort to humiliate the Blood Heaven Tribe. Every member of the Blood Absolute Clan must die. As for Zhang Ruochen, I want his soul scattered and reduced to ashes.”
Xiu Chen Heavenly God’s tone was icy, his divine aura erupting uncontrollably, causing lightning to flash above the Green Deer Divine Hall.
The Green Deer Divine King said, “The Hunting Heaven Banquet is watched by all gods. How can we kill indiscriminately? It’s explicitly forbidden by the Temple of Destiny and the Yama Divine Hall.”
“Which Hunting Heaven Banquet hasn’t seen accidental deaths?” Xiu Chen Heavenly God retorted.
The Green Deer Divine King fell silent, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he spoke, “Killing all the outstanding Saint Kings and Great Saints of the Blood Absolute Clan in this millennium is unrealistic and impossible. But killing just Zhang Ruochen? That’s feasible.”
Immediately, the Green Deer Divine King released two divine thoughts, summoning two top Great Saints under a thousand years old, cultivated by the Green Deer Divine Hall.
One was a four-meter-tall humanoid with no skin, exposing blood-red muscles, and a pagoda-shaped antenna on his bald head.
His name was Hong Futu, having broken ninety-eight shackles.
The other was a childlike figure, appearing eight or nine years old, carrying six saintly swords, his body radiating silver light as if forged from white silver.
His name was Lan Ying, only three hundred years old, already at the peak of the Hundred-Shackle Realm.
