Apart from the divine stone, Zhang Ruochen only selected materials for setting up a spatial teleportation array, primarily spatial sacred jade.
The Hunting Sky Battlefield is too vast. If one could rely on a spatial teleportation array to freely shuttle through the starry sky, crossing various planets, they could seize the greatest initiative.
Back in the Mingxi Region, the leaders of the ten major tribes of the Undying Blood Clan, including Blade Hell Emperor, Wind Empress, Jin Kun Great Sage, Zhang Ruochen, and others, gathered to discuss plans for the Hunting Sky Battlefield.
Although the ten tribes are in competition with each other, their interests are closely intertwined.
Ultimately, the leaders of the ten tribes unanimously decided to head to their clan’s home planet first.
The situation on their clan’s home planet was still unclear. However, the Undying Blood Clan members there were targets of attack for both the Heavenly Slaves and cultivators from other clans attending the banquet.
If their clan’s home planet were destroyed, their total points would be halved, with unthinkable consequences.
Blade Hell Emperor’s gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen, saying, “Great Sage Ruochen is a master of space and time, so your speed must be unparalleled. How about this: we lead the Undying Blood Clan cultivators to our clan’s home planet at top speed to establish a battlefield base. You go raid the home planets of the other nine tribes?”
Jin Kun Great Sage showed interest, saying, “That’s a brilliant strategy! It’s best to raid the home planets of the most powerful tribes, like the Nether Clan, Yama Clan, Death Clan, and Asura Clan.”
If they could wipe out all living or undead beings on those planets before their cultivators arrived, it would be ideal for the Undying Blood Clan.
However, Zhang Ruochen was well aware that doing so would make him and the Blood Sky Tribe the target of all for the next hundred days.
Even cultivators who had no prior enmity with him would be provoked.
Blade Hell Emperor was setting a trap for him.
Zhang Ruochen said, “If we destroy the home planets of the Nether Clan, Yama Clan, Death Clan, and Asura Clan now, those four clans will surely see the Undying Blood Clan as a thorn in their side. How long could our clan’s home planet hold out?”
Wind Empress shook her head, saying, “I believe Great Sage Ruochen is right. There’s no need for the Undying Blood Clan to start a war and make enemies at this stage.”
An hour later.
Just as the Fuluo Black-Robed High Priest was about to announce the start of the Hunting Sky Feast, a demigod from the Yama Clan, holding a three-foot-tall alchemy furnace, flew in from beyond the heavens and landed on Destiny Divine Mountain.
The Fuluo Black-Robed High Priest clasped his fists, saying, “Why has Pill Servant arrived at the Divine Mountain so late?”
The demigod, known as Pill Servant, smiled and said, “To celebrate the hundredth Hunting Sky Feast, the Supreme One spent eight hundred years refining a furnace of Sacred Intent Pills to reward these juniors. Unfortunately, the furnace was opened a bit late, so I couldn’t make it to the main banquet.”
Upon hearing the name “Supreme One,” the Fuluo Black-Robed High Priest’s expression turned solemn. He glanced at the alchemy furnace in Pill Servant’s hands, his eyes showing both astonishment and envy.
How could Sacred Intent Pills refined by the Yama Clan’s Supreme Alchemist be ordinary?
Many gods had sought pills from him without success.
The cultivators attending the banquet in the Mingxi Region grew excited, as if joy had descended from the heavens.
“I was wondering why, when the Yama Divine Hall always provides the best feast food for the Hunting Sky Feast, there was nothing this year. So this was the reason.”
“Sacred Intent Pills personally refined by the Supreme One, what grade are they? Heavens, if I could consume one, I might have a chance to condense a fifth-grade Sacred Intent.”
…
For Great Sages in the Neverwither Realm and Hundred Shackle Realm, the most critical tasks are breaking the shackles and condensing Sacred Intent.
Among these, condensing Sacred Intent is paramount, as it determines future achievements.
Generally, pills that aid in condensing Sacred Intent are at most King Grade and are extremely rare. However, Sacred Intent Pills refined by a Supreme Alchemist would likely surpass King Grade.
Including Lan Ying, Yan Huangtu, Luo Shengtian, Wujiang, and Yan Wushen, all cultivators showed eager expressions.
Pill Servant announced loudly, “This furnace of Sacred Intent Pills refined by the Supreme One can be taken into the Hunting Sky Battlefield. It contains 100,000 top-tier Heaven Grade Sacred Intent Pills, 10,000 King Grade Sacred Intent Pills, 10 Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills, and one Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill.”
“The pill spirits of top-tier Heaven Grade Sacred Intent Pills have combat power comparable to a Nine-Step Sage King.”
“The pill spirits of King Grade Sacred Intent Pills, depending on their potency, have combat power ranging from the Neverwither Realm to the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm.”
“The ten Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills are extremely precious and can aid in fusing Sacred Intent. However, their pill spirits possess the combat power of an early Thousand-Ask Realm Great Sage. Great Sages in the Neverwither Realm should not attempt to collect or consume them, as it could be life-threatening.”
“The single Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill is the most extraordinary. Even the Supreme One didn’t expect it to form, as Sacred Intent Pills are not supposed to reach Emperor Grade. It’s an unexpected delight.”
“The pill spirit of this Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill has combat power comparable to a Supreme Realm Great Sage. Knowing you’re no match for it, the Supreme One sealed its power, so the pill spirit’s current combat power is roughly at the peak of the Thousand-Ask Realm.”
“Boom!”
The crowd erupted.
In the Divine Bone Jade Tower, the Great Sages in the Thousand-Ask Realm and Life-Death Realm were consumed with envy and jealousy.
If they had known the Supreme One was refining Sacred Intent Pills for the Hunting Sky Feast, they would have suppressed their breakthroughs.
With the aid of Sacred Intent Pills, they could surely condense higher-grade Sacred Intent.
Cultivators from the Celestial Court, like Lan Xi and Zhou Zhen, were stunned. Just one furnace of pills produced 100,000 Nine-Step Sage Kings and 10,000 Great Sages.
What kind of existence was this Supreme Alchemist?
One furnace of pills could match the strength of a powerful world.
Zhang Ruochen’s emotions were stirred, finally understanding what a Supreme One represented—an existence beyond the comprehension of ordinary cultivators, unfathomable even to Great Sages.
Of course, refining such a furnace of Sacred Intent Pills would require astronomical resources, likely exhausting the medicinal materials of several worlds.
Yi Xuan Great Sage quietly approached Emperor Yu, transmitting, “Emperor Yu, you’ve already fused a third-grade Sacred Intent, but I haven’t. Help me seize a Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill, and I’ll owe you a favour. In the future, whatever you ask, I’ll do.”
Emperor Yu knew that having fused a third-grade Sacred Intent, further pills would have little effect.
However, she didn’t immediately agree to Yi Xuan Great Sage’s request. She looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, “Need any help?”
Zhang Ruochen, aware that Yi Xuan Great Sage was seeking Emperor Yu’s aid, said, “Collecting pills isn’t that difficult. Go help Yi Xuan Great Sage.”
“Hmph! Arrogant guy, be careful you end up with nothing.”
Emperor Yu was annoyed, quite dissatisfied with Zhang Ruochen’s dismissive attitude.
Wind Empress, who hadn’t cultivated a third-grade Sacred Intent, was determined to get a Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill. This time, she didn’t approach Zhang Ruochen but instead contacted Blade Hell Emperor and White Jade Mad Lion.
Dozens of peak Hundred Shackle Realm powerhouses set their sights on the ten Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills. Only Lan Ying, Yan Huangtu, Luo Shengtian, and Wujiang were keenly interested in the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill.
Of course, only they dared to be interested.
A pill spirit at the peak of the Thousand-Ask Realm was enough to deter all other cultivators.
“An Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill is too abnormal. Tell me, if you consume it, could you condense a third-grade Sacred Intent for a single path?” Luo Shengtian asked.
Lan Ying, Yan Huangtu, and Wujiang all shared this speculation.
That’s why they were determined to seize it at all costs.
Condensing a third-grade Sacred Intent for a single path means that after becoming a god, one could gain 25% of the mysteries of that path.
They could become the main god of that path.
Lan Ying grinned wickedly, saying, “The pill spirit’s combat power is at the peak of the Thousand-Ask Realm. Can you handle it?”
Wujiang said, “How will we know without trying?”
“It seems the Nether Clan’s Supreme Sacred Artifact is in your hands,” Lan Ying said.
Wujiang replied, “Correct, it’s in my hands, and that Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill is mine!”
Luo Shengtian’s gaze turned to Yan Huangtu, saying, “The Supreme Alchemist of your Yama Clan refined such a treasure. Why didn’t he reserve it for you and Yan Wushen?”
Wujiang interjected, “A Supreme-level existence views all things equally. How could they have selfish motives?”
“Wrong!”
Yan Wushen stepped forward, standing beside Yan Huangtu, and said, “It’s because the Supreme One knows we’ll surely seize that Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill. How could it fall into outsiders’ hands?”
“Exactly,” Yan Huangtu said with a smile.
Wujiang’s expression darkened, and he fell silent.
The Yama Clan was full of experts, with eleven peak Hundred Shackle Realm powerhouses, two to three times more than other clans. More importantly, the Yama Clan was unified, with no internal factions or disputes.
If they wanted the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill, no one could compete.
Seeing Yan Wushen and Yan Huangtu’s bold words, even Lan Ying grew thoughtful, weighing her options.
Yan Wushen said, “You should focus on the ten Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills. Don’t you want to fuse a second-grade Sacred Intent? Competing with the Yama Clan for the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill is just a waste of time.”
Zhang Ruochen had been listening to their conversation, as their decisions would significantly impact the competition for the pills.
“It seems Lan Ying, Luo Shengtian, and Wujiang will all withdraw from the fight for the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill and turn to the Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills,” Zhang Ruochen sighed.
He, too, wanted to compete for the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill, to try condensing a single path to the third grade.
Unfortunately, even with the full strength of the Blood Sky Tribe, his chances of defeating the Yama Clan were slim.
The Yama Clan was too powerful!
“Yan Wushen, Yan Wushen, I’ll leave the chance to fuse a single third-grade Sacred Intent to you. Don’t let me down.”
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the purple-gold gourd hanging at his waist, thinking that seizing Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills to fuse his Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent to the first grade was the priority.
In fact, Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills also broke the conventional grades of Sacred Intent Pills, likely the only ten in the universe, crafted by the Supreme Alchemist.
His Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent had fused four intents, with three more to go.
He was somewhat confident in fusing the fifth.
However, according to the Divine Tree of Heaven, no being had ever fused more than five Sacred Intents. Fusing the sixth and seventh would be immensely difficult, and Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills would greatly increase his chances.
“I need at least two.”
Zhang Ruochen’s ambitions were grand, thanks to his purple-gold gourd. He looked up at Pill Servant, his eyes gleaming with sharp determination.
All the cultivators were raring to go, their bodies erupting with powerful auras—ghostly mists soaring, blood seas forming, or deathly clouds coalescing.
This competition, in a sense, would determine their futures.
The Fuluo Black-Robed High Priest released a wave of ghostly mist, enveloping the 10,000 Hell Realm cultivators attending the banquet. He swept them up, flying through a spatial gate, leaving the Destiny Divine Realm, and arriving above the Six-Coloured Wuwei Forest.
Pill Servant stood side by side with him at the forefront.
The ghostly cloud halted, carrying everyone, hovering in the dark, cold, vast, and silent universe.
Below lay the starfield of the Hunting Sky Battlefield.
It seemed close, but it was still 40,000 to 50,000 li away.
The Ten Thousand Realms Divine Eye also flew out from the Destiny Divine Realm, hovering above the Hunting Sky Battlefield.
Whoosh—
Under the eager gazes of the cultivators, Pill Servant opened the lid of the alchemy furnace, instantly releasing a dazzling array of purple and red lights, illuminating the tens of thousands of li of space, transforming it into a dreamlike realm.
The pill fragrance spread instantly for ten thousand li, forming a vast river of pill energy stretching toward the Hunting Sky Battlefield.
In the river of pill energy floated countless Sacred Intent Pills, over 100,000 in number.
The pill spirits of these Sacred Intent Pills manifested, vibrant and multicoloured, astonishingly taking the forms of various sacred flowers.
The pill spirits of the ten Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pills were massive and striking, including a thousand-metre-tall “Emperor Sunflower,” a cloud-sized “Blood Violet,” a sun-and-moon-like “Yin-Yang Mallow,” and a crimson “Immortal Finger”…
The pill spirit of the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill was the largest, like a small planet, charging ahead, already 20,000 li away.
To Zhang Ruochen’s surprise, the pill spirit of the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill took the form of a “God-Illuminating Lotus.”
The Fuluo Black-Robed High Priest announced, “The Hunting Sky Battle begins now.”
Pill Servant said, “All 110,011 Sacred Intent Pills have been released. How many you can seize depends on your skill. I look forward to your performance.”
Whoosh, whoosh.
Like a swarm of bees leaving the hive, the 10,000 Hell Realm cultivators, unable to contain their excitement, surged along the river of pill energy, racing forward at top speed.
The higher the grade of the Sacred Intent Pill, the farther it fled.
Those with greater speed had a better chance of seizing high-grade Sacred Intent Pills.
