The Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame, supremely yin and malevolent, combined with a finger technique Saint Art cultivated by Emperor Yu, condensed its power, multiplying its explosive force.
Its penetrating power was so immense that even stars could not withstand it.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
…
The fist and palm shadows continuously shattered, only to reform, advancing like waves of water, layer upon layer.
One layer, two layers, three layers…
Up to eleven layers of shock force.
When the final layer of shock force erupted, even Emperor Yu, with her Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackle Realm cultivation, was forced to retreat more than ten zhang to withstand it.
Landing on the ground, she looked puzzled and asked, “What Saint Intent did you just use?”
“The Yin-Yang Five Elements Saint Intent,” Zhang Ruochen replied.
“Nonsense, where’s the Five Elements Saint Intent? At most, it contains the Water Path Saint Intent, and it seems to carry the charm of both fist and palm techniques.”
With her profound cultivation, Emperor Yu’s insight was sharp, having already discerned much of Zhang Ruochen’s technique.
Zhang Ruochen said, “It’s just a name, why care so much?”
Emperor Yu asked tentatively, “This is a fused Saint Intent, isn’t it? Has it reached the third grade?”
The surrounding cultivators were collectively stunned.
“A third-grade Saint Intent?”
Zhang Ruochen, merely at the Neverwither Realm, had not only fused a Saint Intent but cultivated it to the third grade?
Luo Ji gently bit her red lips, having noticed some clues, thinking to herself, “Those on the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackle Realm list only managed to fuse their Saint Intents and cultivate a third-grade Saint Intent after reaching that realm. Zhang Ruochen, truly a Yuan Epoch genius, has achieved this at the Neverwither Realm. I wonder if Yan Wushen could do the same?”
Many Great Saints linger at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackle Realm for a long time.
First, they repeatedly temper their Neverwither Saint Body to reach perfection.
Second, they aim to eliminate hidden flaws in their cultivation to avoid stagnation upon entering the Thousand Questions Realm or facing death tribulations in the Ten Thousand Deaths Realm.
Third, and most crucially, they strive to refine their Saint Intent to its strongest state.
Once they reach the Thousand Questions Realm, the Saint Intent solidifies, making further fusion or cultivation of new Saint Intents impossible.
Zhang Ruochen said, “You saw through it.”
A flash of surprise crossed Emperor Yu’s eyes, though she maintained her cold demeanor, snorting lightly, “If not for relying on a third-grade Saint Intent, how could you, with your cultivation, have blocked my earlier finger strike? Unfortunately, your use of the Saint Intent is still too unrefined and lacks cohesion. Otherwise, in that clash, I might have had to use my own Saint Intent to counter it.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded, saying, “You’re right, I still need a lot of time to familiarize myself and refine it. Ideally, I’d fight hundreds or thousands of battles to grasp the essence, variations, and subtleties of the Saint Intent.”
A Saint Intent is a tangible manifestation of the universe’s origin, far more complex than that single strike.
Though Zhang Ruochen had used the Saint Intent, he couldn’t unleash its full power. It felt like having immense strength but being unable to wield it effectively.
“Then let me show you how I wield my Saint Intent. See if you can withstand it.”
Emperor Yu unleashed her Blood Sea Saint Intent, instantly conjuring a vast blood sea, pulling Zhang Ruochen into its world, as if he stood atop an endless ocean of blood.
In that moment, Zhang Ruochen felt infinitely small.
Emperor Yu, merged with the blood sea, possessed boundless energy.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen had already used his full strength to counter her earlier finger strike. Now, with her deploying the Blood Sea Saint Intent, far stronger than before, he faced an even greater challenge.
“A Great Saint at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackle Realm is indeed extraordinary. Perhaps only by stacking the Truth Form, Spatial Domain, Void Time Domain, and Yin-Yang Five Elements Saint Intent can I break her Blood Sea Saint Intent,” Zhang Ruochen said.
He had the Truth Path, capable of instantly unleashing ten times his attack power, but didn’t Emperor Yu also have means to multiply her attack power?
This battle, Zhang Ruochen knew, would not be easy. He had to go all out.
Even if it was just a spar, as the leader of his tribe, he absolutely could not lose.
“Swish—”
A blade light suddenly tore through the blood sea from the northwest, like an aurora connecting heaven and earth, slashing toward Emperor Yu.
“Hm?”
Both Emperor Yu and Zhang Ruochen showed a trace of surprise, not expecting a third party to join the battlefield.
The blade light’s penetrating power was astonishing, even stronger than Emperor Yu’s earlier finger strike.
Emperor Yu quickly guessed the intruder’s identity. A hint of killing intent flashed in her eyes as she extended a jade-white hand, channeling the blood sea’s power, and pointed a finger.
The potent Nine Nether Soul-Devouring Flame merged with the blood sea, forming a blood river that collided with the blade light.
“Boom.”
The blood river and blade light shattered simultaneously.
“Haha, not bad! In just a century, you’ve progressed so much, able to block a full-force strike from this Saint. Quite an improvement!”
An aged voice rang out as a ragged old man, wielding a divine-patterned朴刀, landed on the blood sea. His disheveled white hair, face, arms, and legs were caked with dirt, giving him a scruffy appearance.
Zhang Ruochen keenly sensed that the old man’s cultivation surpassed the Hundred Shackle Realm, reaching the Thousand Questions Realm.
Among Great Saints, the Neverwither and Hundred Shackle Realms have the most cultivators.
Reaching the Thousand Questions Realm places one among the upper echelons of Great Saints.
For example, in the vast Guanghan Realm, with its billions of beings, there are likely only about ten Great Saints above the Thousand Questions Realm.
Even in the Blood Sky Tribe, such powerhouses are limited in number, each wielding significant influence.
Emperor Yu completely ignored Zhang Ruochen, locking her gaze on the ragged old man, saying coldly, “Shen Nansheng.”
“Well, well, little girl, you haven’t forgotten this Saint’s name. Seems that blade from a century ago left a deep impression,” Shen Nansheng said with a grin, showing his yellowed teeth.
Emperor Yu’s anger intensified, blood veins appearing on her crystalline face. Her pupils shot out two cyan light beams, as if she had transformed into a divine demon, charging at Shen Nansheng.
Zhang Ruochen felt the ground give way beneath him, his body uncontrollably leaving the blood sea and reappearing in Hanhai Manor.
Great Saint Qingsheng, who had appeared in the manor at some point, waved his sleeve, sending the battling Emperor Yu and Shen Nansheng into the desert battlefield Zhang Ruochen had previously created.
Undoubtedly, Zhang Ruochen had been forcibly pulled out by him.
“Today, I’ve truly witnessed the might of a Supreme Realm Great Saint,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Great Saint Qingsheng’s move seemed simple, but effortlessly sending a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint and a Great Perfection Hundred Shackle Realm Great Saint into another space was a feat Zhang Ruochen could only marvel at with his current cultivation.
Great Saint Qingsheng, with a stern expression, approached Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Uncle, this Shen Nansheng was arranged by you as Emperor Yu’s opponent, wasn’t he? They seem to have a deep grudge, immediately unleashing all their trump cards upon clashing.”
“Shen Nansheng is one of the four strongest Great Saints of the Qianche Temple. The Xia Clan, to which Xia Yu belongs, neighbors the Qianche Temple, both located in the Southern Ridge of the Blood Sky Tribe World. After the Xia Ancestor fell, the Xia Clan lost its divine backing, unable to hold onto much of its interests and territory, which were annexed by the Qianche Temple.”
“About a century ago, during their conflicts, Shen Nansheng struck from thirty thousand miles away, aiming a blade at Haishi Saint City, one of the Xia Clan’s seven great saint cities.”
“At the time, Emperor Yu blocked that blade, but her Neverwither Saint Body was severed, leaving her gravely injured. Their enmity began then.”
Hearing Great Saint Qingsheng’s account, Zhang Ruochen asked curiously, “With such intense conflict between two major forces, doesn’t the Blood Sky Tribe’s Grand Patriarch intervene?”
Great Saint Qingsheng replied, “How could they? If your strength is lacking but you hold vast resources, conflict is inevitable. It’s beyond control. The law of the jungle, survival of the fittest, is the rule.”
“To change the situation, you can only cultivate relentlessly to become stronger. Hoping for others to uphold justice for you requires you to have that value.”
“The Grand Patriarch can only try to manage the situation, not forcibly stop it. If the Blood Absolute Family didn’t have a War God, many forces would surely covet it.”
“Let’s not talk about this. Let’s discuss your matter!”
Zhang Ruochen, watching the two fighting in the desert battlefield, understood what Great Saint Qingsheng meant and said, “Is it difficult to find those four mystery seals?”
Great Saint Qingsheng said coldly, “You know that’s not what I mean. Since you call me Uncle, I can’t watch you stray down the wrong path.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “This path, I must take.”
Great Saint Qingsheng, completely different from his usual demeanor, said sternly, “Fusing the Palm Path, Fist Path, and Five Elements is delusional, a dead end. What about your main paths—Sword Path, Time Path, Space Path? Are you abandoning them?”
“Of course not,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Great Saint Qingsheng continued, “Your talent is indeed exceptional, possibly rivaling the War God, capable of cultivating nine Saint Intents. But only nine. Do you think you’re different from other cultivators, able to cultivate ten or eleven?”
“Since ancient times, countless prodigies, many as confident and talented as you, have tried and failed. Many promising cultivators took the risk and ended up mediocre, achieving nothing.”
“Don’t think you’re unique or that you can defy the heavens and break the limits of the rules. Otherwise, you’ll face the heavens’ punishment, plunging you into an abyss of no return.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Paths are forged by those who walk them. The first being to become a Great Saint, the first to comprehend a Saint Intent, the first to reach the Divine Realm… they didn’t know if they could succeed, but they pressed forward unwaveringly, carving out their Saint Paths.”
“Isn’t cultivation itself a defiance of the heavens? A constant breaking of the limits of rules?”
Great Saint Qingsheng said, “You’re too arrogant. Cultivating Saint Intents isn’t as simple as you think. Listen to your uncle’s advice: focus on the Time Path, Space Path, and Sword Path, then pursue the Five Elements.”
“Ideally, choose the one you excel at most among Time, Space, and Sword Paths, and fuse it into a second-grade Saint Intent. Then, you’ll be invincible in your realm. If you reach the Divine Realm, you’ll have a chance to touch its pinnacle.”
“Fusing your three main paths into a second-grade Saint Intent is what you should strive for.”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze remained resolute, saying, “Cultivating the Yin-Yang Five Elements doesn’t mean I can’t achieve a second-grade Saint Intent.”
“You can’t achieve a second-grade Saint Intent with non-primary paths,” Great Saint Qingsheng said.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “Not necessarily.”
“If you can cultivate the Yin-Yang Five Elements into a second-grade Saint Intent, I’ll write my name backward,” Great Saint Qingsheng said angrily, exasperated by Zhang Ruochen’s stubbornness.
Zhang Ruochen hadn’t expected Great Saint Qingsheng to care so deeply about this. After a moment of thought, he said, “Uncle, have you asked the War God?”
“Not even the War God would allow this, nor would your mother. You’re trying to ruin yourself,” Great Saint Qingsheng said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “If you haven’t asked the War God, how do you know his thoughts? Perhaps only a prodigy of his caliber can understand my decision. What he didn’t or dared not do back then, I want to try.”
Great Saint Qingsheng was stunned, not expecting Zhang Ruochen’s resolve to be so firm.
It seemed only reporting to the War God or Blood Empress could change his mind.
At that moment, Emperor Yu and Shen Nansheng, battling in the desert battlefield, had reached a conclusion.
Emperor Yu first trapped Shen Nansheng in a ninth-grade myriad spirit array, then used the Soul-Seizing Flute, playing the “Soul-Sacrifice Melody” to numb his five senses, and finally pierced his chest with a finger strike.
The hundred-mile desert battlefield was stained red with saint blood.
“A ninth-grade myriad spirit array, Great Kun Tun Finger, Divine Thorn Armor—she’s still hiding such trump cards. Xia Yu’s combat strength has reached the level of the early Thousand Questions Realm.”
Great Saint Qingsheng muttered to himself, reaching into the void to pull the injured Shen Nansheng out of the battlefield, bringing him to his side.
Shen Nansheng looked dejected, sighing, “I’m getting old, my blood vitality has plummeted, no longer the hero of my youth. The Xia Clan has produced such a formidable young Great Saint; its revival is imminent.”
Emperor Yu chased after, still brimming with killing intent, saying, “Great Saint Qingsheng, please don’t interfere. This is a personal grudge between him and me.”
“I arranged for him to test your strength, so I must ensure his safe departure.”
Then, Great Saint Qingsheng secretly transmitted a message to Emperor Yu, saying something.
After hearing it, Emperor Yu asked, “Really?”
“Absolutely true. You can go test it.”
Great Saint Qingsheng nodded with a smile and left Hanhai Manor with Shen Nansheng.
Emperor Yu’s gaze shifted to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s brows furrowed deeply, glancing at Great Saint Qingsheng’s departing figure, thinking to himself, “What did he say to Emperor Yu? Why is she focusing on me now? Did he set me up to take the fall for Shen Nansheng?”
…
When Great Saint Qingsheng reported, the Blood Absolute War God and Blood Radiance Divine Lord were playing a chess game under a tree, a match that had lasted a thousand years.
The Blood Absolute War God’s expression grew serious, pausing for a long time, seemingly in deep thought.
Blood Radiance Divine Lord, with a half-smile, watched him, clearly curious about how the War God would handle this dilemma.
After a long while, the Blood Absolute War God asked, “Did you explain the consequences to him clearly?”
Great Saint Qingsheng said, “I explained it thoroughly, but he wouldn’t listen. He even said… he said you’d understand him, that what you didn’t achieve or dared not do back then, he wants to try.”
The Blood Absolute War God fell into reminiscence, chuckling involuntarily, “Good, very good. It seems I underestimated him before. He’s cutting off all his retreats, forcing himself forward with a do-or-die resolve.”
“Back then, I pondered this matter for nine years and ultimately didn’t take that step. He made up his mind in less than a day. Sometimes, thinking too much can be a bad thing.”
Blood Radiance Divine Lord said, “Back then, you bore the responsibility of reviving the Blood Absolute Family. Countless eyes were on you; you couldn’t afford a single misstep. Of course, you couldn’t decide as recklessly as he does.”
The Blood Absolute War God looked at Great Saint Qingsheng, saying, “Tell him the four mystery seals will be delivered within three days. Also, don’t tell Qingyin about this. I’ll seal the heavens to keep her unaware. If she finds out… heh heh…”
Great Saint Qingsheng left, sighing as he walked.
“Why would the War God agree to let Zhang Ruochen act so recklessly? Is it because my talent is too low to understand them? I’m a Supreme Realm Great Saint with the potential to become a god.”
