“One hundred eighty thousand divine stones.”
As soon as Blood Slaughter shouted this price, the auction hall erupted with a chorus of curses.
“This damned shill, stirring things up again.”
“Star Sea World’s greed is so blatant, aren’t they afraid the divine corpse will end up unsold?”
“Afraid of what? It’s just half a corpse; Star Sea World has plenty of ways to deal with it.”
A Corpse Clan Great Sage said, “Blood Slaughter may not be a shill. I think he’s just deliberately trying to humiliate Blade Prison Emperor. With the Blood Flame War God Seal, he’s probably aiming to step over Blade Prison Emperor to claim the title of the Undying Blood Clan’s top figure of this millennium.”
Most cultivators could tell the Corpse Clan Great Sage was intentionally stirring trouble.
But Blade Prison Emperor, already enraged by Blood Slaughter, was on the verge of losing his composure, finding the provocative words increasingly plausible.
Blood Slaughter was deliberately opposing him.
“Just breaking through to Great Sage, and he’s already this arrogant. Blood Slaughter doesn’t take you seriously, Big Brother. After the auction, I’ll challenge him to the martial arena and crush his arrogance,” said a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Sage from the Qi Tian Tribe, his voice low.
Blade Prison Emperor’s expression flickered, his clenched fists slowly relaxing as he exhaled deeply, stood, and said, “Let’s go.”
“Big Brother, you’re not bidding anymore? Just letting Blood Slaughter have it? I’m not reconciled,” the Hundred Shackles Great Sage said.
“Not reconciled? What can we do? The clan’s limit was one hundred seventy thousand divine stones. If I bid higher, who’ll cover the excess?” Blade Prison Emperor retorted.
Was he reconciled?
Even a thousand divine stones would drain his personal wealth. Where could he find tens of thousands to compete with Blood Slaughter?
Despite his hatred and anger, he could only note it silently, vowing to make Blood Slaughter pay doubly in the future.
All factions had precisely assessed the lower half of the divine corpse’s value at around one hundred sixty thousand divine stones.
Not everyone, like Zhang Ruochen, treated divine stones so carelessly.
“One hundred eighty thousand divine stones, sold.”
Great Sage Qiluo’s announcement rang out, marking the end of Star Sea World’s auction.
Blood Slaughter smiled and said to Zhang Ruochen, “Next, we should head to Star Sea Palace on this planet to pay the divine stones and collect the auction items.”
“Alright, you go first,” Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Blood Slaughter froze, saying, “Senior Brother, aren’t we going together?”
“I’ll go alone,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Slaughter’s heart sank, and he said, “Senior Brother, you can’t do this. I’ve offended a ton of cultivators at this auction. What if they come after me?”
“I’m also afraid they’ll come after me,” Zhang Ruochen said with a helpless tone.
Blood Slaughter realised Zhang Ruochen was distancing himself, unwilling to be seen with him or let others know he was behind Blood Slaughter’s actions.
He was leaving Blood Slaughter to take the blame alone.
Blood Slaughter suspected that a horde of cultivators was waiting for him outside the ring world auction hall.
Stepping out could mean death, or at least losing a layer of skin.
With a defiant look, Blood Slaughter said, “If they come for me, I won’t take the fall alone. I might spill everything.”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “You still owe me a Supreme Sacred Artifact, and now you dare threaten me? Do you really think I, Zhang Ruochen, am easy to bully?”
“You’re the one bullying me,” Blood Slaughter muttered inwardly.
Now an enemy to many Hell Realm cultivators, falling out with Zhang Ruochen would be disastrous. Consuming divine blood or using the Lotus of Divine Reflection was out of the question.
“A Great Sage must know when to yield,” Blood Slaughter sighed inwardly, not daring to confront Zhang Ruochen. He pleaded, “Senior Brother, you have to save me this time. From now on, if you say east, I won’t dare go west. But please, don’t leave me to face this alone. I’ll die miserably.”
Zhang Ruochen frowned, saying, “You’re a Great Sage; how can you be so cowardly? Those with the heart to become deities should be unyielding.”
Blood Slaughter shook his head, his eyes pitiful, saying, “Mindset can be honed slowly, but to become a deity, one must first survive.”
Zhang Ruochen sighed, taking out a spatial orb, saying, “You’re my junior brother; I won’t let you die. Since it’s come to this, I’ll bear the danger alone. Hide inside first.”
“Senior Brother…”
Blood Slaughter trembled, not expecting Zhang Ruochen, this ‘devil,’ to show such conscience.
“No dawdling, get in. And whatever happened at the auction, don’t breathe a word to anyone,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“Rest assured, Senior Brother treats me with such loyalty; how could I betray you? I swear to the heavens, if I leak a single word, may I die horribly.”
After Blood Slaughter entered the spatial orb, Zhang Ruochen used his Thirty-Six Transformations, morphing into Blood Slaughter’s appearance.
“Blood Slaughter, oh Blood Slaughter, you dug this pit yourself, and you’ll have to fill it.”
Muttering to himself, Zhang Ruochen pushed open the VIP room’s door and stepped out.
Though he had been condensing Sacred Intent, Zhang Ruochen wasn’t oblivious to the outside world. How could he not know Blood Slaughter had tried to set him up?
However, Blood Slaughter’s actions, though misguided, worked out. Buying seven Divine Wanderer Pills cost a few thousand extra divine stones.
But during the Lotus bidding, everyone thought he was a shill and hesitated to raise, letting Zhang Ruochen win it for one hundred thousand divine stones, saving a fortune.
Otherwise, competing with deities would likely have cost over one hundred fifty thousand divine stones to secure the Lotus.
As Zhang Ruochen, in Blood Slaughter’s guise, exited the VIP room, hostile gazes filled with killing intent locked onto him.
“You dare make a move in the auction hall? You’d better restrain yourselves. I’m a major buyer of Star Sea World. Until I’ve paid my divine stones, they’ll protect me.”
Mimicking Blood Slaughter’s demeanor, Zhang Ruochen sneered, flew out of the ring world, and headed to Star Sea Palace.
“Too arrogant. Just reaching Immortal Realm Great Sage, and he’s already lawless.”
“Just a shill, acting like a big shot.”
“Blade Prison Emperor vowed to take his arm. Let’s see how he leaves Star Sea World intact.”
…
At Star Sea Palace, Zhang Ruochen dealt with a spiritual clone of Great Sage Qiluo.
Though the Nether Sun Divine Wheel fetched three hundred thousand divine stones, after Star Sea World’s three percent commission, only two hundred ninety-one thousand remained.
Eight Monarch Sacred Artifacts sold for three hundred two divine stones.
Blood Slaughter’s planetary fief sold for ninety-six divine stones.
Per Great Sage Qiluo, as a major client, no commission was taken on the eight Monarch Sacred Artifacts or the planetary fief.
Purchasing the Lotus, spiritual pills, artifact pills, Divine Wanderer Pills, divine corpse, etc., totaled two hundred ninety thousand three hundred seventy-seven divine stones.
Thus, after payment, Zhang Ruochen was left with one thousand twenty-one divine stones.
Bidding one hundred eighty thousand for the divine corpse was a calculated decision by Zhang Ruochen, ensuring he didn’t need to sell other treasures to cover the difference.
Zhang Ruochen stored the divine corpse, Divine Wanderer Pills, and Lotus, asking, “Star Sea World can guarantee client confidentiality, right?”
“Of course, Great Sage Ruochen is now a Purple Gold-tier client. Star Sea World will never disclose your information to any faction.”
Great Sage Qiluo handed Zhang Ruochen a Purple Gold token, adding, “Next time Great Sage Ruochen consigns items for auction, only a one percent fee will apply. And you’ll receive discounts on all purchases at Star Sea World.”
Zhang Ruochen took the token, saying, “No need to wait. Take me to see top-tier talismans.”
At Star Sea World, Zhang Ruochen spent three hundred divine stones on three Dark Prison Realm talismans before leaving Star Sea Palace.
Though expensive, their power was formidable.
Per Great Sage Qiluo, each Dark Prison Realm talisman could trap a Thousand Questions Realm Great Sage. Even a Ten Thousand Deaths Realm Great Sage would struggle to break it with one strike.
Blood Slaughter was right: “To become a deity, one must first survive.”
Zhang Ruochen had wanted even more powerful talismans, capable of killing Thousand Questions Realm Great Sages, but their prices were astronomical.
Moreover, with his Immortal Realm cultivation, controlling such talismans’ explosive power risked harming himself.
Thus, he gave up.
Still in Blood Slaughter’s guise, Zhang Ruochen boarded a sacred ship arranged by Star Sea World, sailing across a lake toward Han Ye City Domain to study the divine corpse.
A sacred vessel with ten blood-red wings cut through the waves, massive as a mountain, radiating immense sacred might, blocking Zhang Ruochen’s ship.
Blade Prison Emperor stood imposingly on the deck, clad in gleaming blood armor, with rolling blood clouds overhead forming a dozens-of-zhang-tall giant shadow behind him.
An overwhelming, crushing aura surged toward Zhang Ruochen.
Three other Hundred Shackles Realm Great Sages from the Qi Tian Tribe stood at Blade Prison Emperor’s sides.
Great Sage Cang Ye, who had broken ninety-nine shackles and was second only to Blade Prison Emperor in the Qi Tian Tribe, said coldly, “Blood Slaughter, you stole the spotlight at the auction, constantly opposing my Big Brother. Who gave you such nerve?”
Zhang Ruochen ignored him, locking eyes with Blade Prison Emperor, saying, “Auction battles are about wealth. If you lose, blame your own poverty, not the winner.”
Many cultivators from the auction, still lingering in Star Sea World, watched from various sacred vessels.
“Facing Blade Prison Emperor, Blood Slaughter remains unfazed, calm and composed. His mentality is impressive.”
“With such a cultivation gap, what use is his composure? Blade Prison Emperor’s notoriously petty; he won’t let him off.”
…
On one sacred vessel, Luo Ji and Luo Sheng Tian stood side by side, gazing ahead.
Luo Sheng Tian chuckled, “This Blood Slaughter is tougher than I thought, daring to challenge Blade Prison Emperor and the Qi Tian Tribe alone. He’s got guts.”
Luo Ji’s almond eyes glinted with an unusual light.
Having dual-cultivated spiritually with Zhang Ruochen, she shared a unique connection, seeing through his disguise.
“So it’s him. No wonder he was so bold and unrestrained at the auction,” Luo Ji’s lips curved into a slight smile.
Soon, worry crept into her heart.
Blade Prison Emperor was a top-tier Hundred Shackles Realm Great Sage. Having vowed to take his arm, he’d likely follow through.
“Brother, how strong is Blade Prison Emperor? What are your odds against him?” Luo Ji asked.
Luo Sheng Tian said, “As a Saint King, Blade Prison Emperor mastered blade rules to perfection. As an Immortal Realm Great Sage, he’s even more formidable, cultivating two sixth-grade Sacred Intents and a fourth-grade Blade Sacred Intent, three in total.”
“Most Great Sages can’t even condense two Sacred Intents, yet he has three,” Luo Ji’s heart sank, growing more worried for Zhang Ruochen.
Luo Sheng Tian laughed, “If that were all, Blade Prison Emperor wouldn’t rank among the top ten Hundred Shackles Great Sages. His greatest feat is merging a sixth-grade Forbidden Path Sacred Intent with a fourth-grade Blade Sacred Intent into the Blade Prison Sacred Intent, reaching third grade.”
“He fused Sacred Intents?” Luo Ji was even more shocked.
Luo Sheng Tian said, “Yes. In this millennium, fewer than a hundred Great Sages in Hell Realm have fused Sacred Intents. His inclusion speaks to his terrifying strength. If not for his poor temperament, he’d rank higher than ninth among Hundred Shackles Realm peak Great Sages.”
Fusing a third-grade Sacred Intent greatly increased the chance of godhood and the potential to master Mysteries, becoming a powerhouse among deities.
Luo Ji, puzzled, said, “Blade Prison Emperor, capable of fusing Sacred Intents, isn’t ordinary. His temperament can’t be that bad. Brother, could he be feigning pettiness to make others underestimate him?”
“It’s possible.”
Luo Sheng Tian pondered, then added, “If Blade Prison Emperor has such cunning and depth, he’ll be a formidable foe at the Heavenly Hunt Feast.”
…
Zhang Ruochen, growing impatient, said, “You’re blocking my ship. Are you so humiliated you’d shamelessly rob me? With so many cultivators watching, Blade Prison Emperor, don’t you feel embarrassed? Losing both the bid and your dignity.”
Great Sage Cang Ye, standing beside Blade Prison Emperor, said coldly, “Blood Slaughter, dare you join me on the martial arena for a duel? If I lose, I’ll cut off my arm. If you lose, you do the same. How about it?”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “I don’t gamble with my limbs. Besides, with your cultivation, you’re not qualified to challenge me.”
“What did you say?”
Great Sage Cang Ye, already fed up with Blood Slaughter, was incensed by such arrogant words from an Immortal Realm Great Sage. If he didn’t teach him a lesson, countless Great Sages would mock him with “you’re not qualified to challenge me.”
“Boom.”
Great Sage Cang Ye shot up from the sacred vessel’s deck, radiating ten thousand zhang of blood light, his vast blood煞气 forming a palace-sized handprint, pressing down on Zhang Ruochen.
Despite the suppression of world rules, Cang Ye’s palm force sank the water beneath Zhang Ruochen’s feet, forming a massive liquid basin.
Zhang Ruochen stood calmly on the ship.
Stone Emperor emerged, his massive form appearing behind him, swinging a stone palm like a five-fingered mountain, shattering the blood煞气 handprint and striking Cang Ye’s sacred body.
“Pfft.”
Cang Ye spat blood, flying out like a swatted fly, exiting Star Sea World’s space.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the blood light’s parabolic arc, saying, “Like an ant.”
Unbeknownst to him, this scene petrified countless cultivators.
A Great Sage who broke ninety-nine shackles, swatted away like that? And called an ant by Blood Slaughter?
The Qi Tian Tribe’s cultivators were furious.
“So you’re backed by a Stone Clan Great Sage, no wonder you’re so cocky. Let’s see if this Stone Clan Great Sage can withstand my blade.”
Blade Prison Emperor had barely spoken when Zhang Ruochen unleashed a Dark Prison Realm talisman.
“Whoosh.”
A Dark Prison Realm enveloped Blade Prison Emperor’s ten-winged sacred vessel, trapping all Qi Tian Tribe Great Sages inside, unable to break the talisman’s confinement despite their attacks.
“Today, I won’t bother with you, but a warning: don’t provoke me again. The consequences are beyond what you can bear.”
Amid their curses, Zhang Ruochen left these light words, piloted his sacred ship around the ten-winged vessel, and leisurely departed Star Sea World.
Watching his departing figure, the onlookers exchanged bewildered glances.
“The Blood Heaven Tribe has produced a remarkable young Great Sage,” a passing demigod remarked.
That day, Blood Slaughter’s fame shook the entire Destiny Divine Domain.
