“Not good.”
The two Great Saints at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm, fearing being sucked into the Purple Gold Gourd, disregarded the battle sword and the Black Armored Corpse King. They unleashed two powerful clouds of death, using the recoil force from the clouds’ explosion to propel their bodies backward like cannonballs.
“Boom.”
In the area covered by the spatial array, Xue Caiwei’s Dan Spirit, the Kingly Sacred Weapon Battle Sword, and over three thousand Black Armored Corpse Kings were all drawn into the Purple Gold Gourd.
“That cauldron…”
In the reflection of Zhang Ruochen’s pupils, Yanhong Great Saint’s purple cauldron rapidly approached, yet its size did not shrink.
With a “bang,” the purple cauldron heavily struck the mouth of the Purple Gold Gourd.
Simultaneously, a surge of lightning, like dragons and snakes, poured from the cauldron’s body, coursing over the gourd’s surface and striking Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s reaction was lightning-fast. In an instant, the ten golden wings on his back curved forward, enveloping his entire body, folding over each other, transforming his form into a golden sphere.
The Purple Gold Gourd and the golden sphere were sent flying by dozens of lightning bolts.
Yanhong Great Saint’s graceful figure, like a ghostly sprite, emerged from behind the purple cauldron. Her slender, beautiful legs landed on the cauldron’s edge, the red jade rings on her ankles clinking together, producing a crisp, melodious “ding-ding” sound.
“Trying to steal my things? It’s not that easy.”
The sky full of electric light emanating from the purple cauldron turned a hundred-mile radius into a forbidden zone, casting Yanhong Great Saint’s figure in a light that was both beautiful and bewitchingly strange.
Suddenly, her eyes blazed with fervent light, spotting the Purple Gold Gourd in the dark space. A look of delight crossed her face, and she immediately extended a snow-white jade hand, reaching out from afar.
Over eighty miles away, the white hand’s shadow arrived in an instant.
“Boom.”
Just as it was about to seize the Purple Gold Gourd, Mo Luo War Emperor slashed down with an axe, severing her hand’s shadow.
Seeing Mo Luo War Emperor approach and rapidly close in on the Purple Gold Gourd, Yanhong Great Saint let out a cold snort. With a light kick of her jade foot, the purple cauldron flew out to collide with him.
On the other side, the two Great Saints at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm, one from the Corpse Clan and one from the Stone Clan, had retreated far away. Their gazes fell on the Purple Gold Gourd, filled with immense joy, and they immediately activated secret techniques, flying toward it at top speed.
That gourd was a supreme treasure in itself, not to mention it had absorbed three Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pills.
Whoever could seize the gourd would be the greatest victor in this pill scramble.
After all, countless gods and billions of cultivators in the Infernal Realm were watching. Those who shone brightest would gain higher status and fame in the Infernal Realm.
“Blood Drop Becomes Corpse Emperor.”
The Corpse Clan’s Great Saint at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm slit his right wrist, letting a large amount of corpse blood flow out, condensing into a seven-zhang-tall Black Armored Corpse Emperor, exuding the aura of an Immortal Realm Great Saint.
“You dare not compete with me! That gourd of Zhang Ruochen’s, I, Black Feather Corpse Emperor, claim it!”
The true body of Black Feather Corpse Emperor shifted to the right, intercepting the Stone Clan’s Great Saint at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm, “Qiang Zun.” A palm strike imbued with corrosive power slammed down.
Meanwhile, the Black Armored Corpse Emperor, formed from corpse blood, swiftly flew toward the Purple Gold Gourd.
Other cultivators of the Infernal Realm had not anticipated such a turn of events. After a moment of shock, they all erupted into action.
“Quick, seize Zhang Ruochen’s gourd! That’s the true supreme treasure.”
“Seizing the gourd means seizing three Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pills.”
“Zhang Ruochen has lost both his wife and his soldiers this time. What use is it to have collected three Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pills, only to make a wedding dress for someone else?”
The Purple Gold Gourd’s value was immense, and nearby cultivators rushed toward it.
The Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill that Yu Huang and Yi Xuan Great Saint were fighting over, with a Dan Spirit resembling a peony but dark green in color, stretching over three thousand meters like a cloud of flowers, was on the verge of being claimed.
But Wu Jiang intervened, snatching it away.
With the peony Dan Spirit in his palm, Wu Jiang stood tall and handsome, laughing smugly, “I know you’re not convinced, but don’t blame me. Blame Zhang Ruochen for taking the Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill that was rightfully mine. You must bear this cost.”
Yi Xuan Great Saint and Yu Huang watched Wu Jiang disappear into the dark cosmic space, their hearts filled with rage. However, bound by the rules of the Hunt for Heaven, they restrained themselves from acting.
“Wu Jiang is too powerful. Even our combined strength might not match him,” Yi Xuan Great Saint sighed, deeply disappointed, adding, “I will still honor the promise I made to you.”
Yu Huang stared in the direction Wu Jiang had gone, saying, “The Ten Thousand Laws Saint Intent Wu Jiang unleashed earlier should be a Third-Grade Top-Tier Saint Intent. Otherwise, he couldn’t have subdued the peony Dan Spirit with a single strike, even though we had already suppressed it.”
“Are you worried that with the Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill, he might fuse a Second-Grade Saint Intent?” Yi Xuan Great Saint asked.
Yu Huang replied, “A Second-Grade Saint Intent is as difficult as ascending to the heavens, but Wu Jiang’s talent, in any other era, would make him invincible. With the aid of a Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill, his chances are greatly increased.”
Facing a figure like Wu Jiang, even Yu Huang, who held herself in high regard, had to admit she was significantly outmatched.
“Don’t worry. Zhang Ruochen has already seized two Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pills. Once he reaches the Hundred Shackle Realm, he will surely counter Wu Jiang,” Yi Xuan Great Saint said.
“Something’s wrong.”
In the depths of cosmic space, Yu Huang saw Zhang Ruochen and the Purple Gold Gourd being blasted away by Yanhong Great Saint, her expression turning grim.
Following her gaze, Yi Xuan Great Saint said, “Our Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill has been taken, and we can’t reclaim it. Zhang Ruochen’s Purple Gold Gourd has likely absorbed the third Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill. It must not be taken.”
“Let’s go.”
Yu Huang grew even more anxious, knowing that the Purple Gold Gourd was the Blood Clan’s only Supreme Sacred Artifact. If it were seized at the start of the Hunt for Heaven, the entire Blood Clan would become a laughingstock in the Infernal Realm.
“Zhang Ruochen, doesn’t he know when to stop? Why did he go after Yanhong Great Saint’s pill? Now he’s in big trouble!” Yu Huang was utterly exasperated, her ten wings unfurling as she burst forth at maximum speed.
“Besides Yu Huang, the Blood Sky Tribe has another Great Saint at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm? When did Yi Xuan Great Saint break through?”
“Unbelievable! Yu Huang, Yi Xuan Great Saint, Zhang Ruochen—a single Blood Sky Tribe has three top-tier powerhouses. Among the Blood Clan’s ten tribes, who can rival them?”
“If the Ghost City of Earth continues to oppose the Blood Sky Tribe this year, they’ll suffer greatly.”
…
The revelation of Yi Xuan Great Saint’s cultivation caused a stir among all factions.
Forces with conflicts of interest with the Blood Sky Tribe felt immense pressure.
Xu’s ghostly eyes fixed on Yu Huang and Yi Xuan Great Saint rushing to aid Zhang Ruochen, muttering to himself, “Hidden so deeply. It seems the Blood Sky Tribe’s ambitions for this year’s Hunt for Heaven are extraordinary.”
Spreading one palm, he held up the Seven-Star Ghost Lotus and struck toward Yu Huang and Yi Xuan Great Saint.
Even if he couldn’t seize a Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pill, he would block Zhang Ruochen’s reinforcements, leaving him isolated and aiding Yanhong Great Saint in seizing the Purple Gold Gourd.
Black Feather Corpse Emperor’s Black Armored Corpse Emperor, formed from corpse blood, was the first to reach out for the Purple Gold Gourd.
Before the black corpse hand could touch the gourd, a wave of crimson-gold flames surged from it, carrying destructive, scorching power.
“Sizzle.”
Even the Corpse Emperor’s power couldn’t withstand it, melting under the flames and reverting to a pool of black corpse blood.
The crimson-gold flames were the Purple Gold Gourd’s artifact spirit, unleashing its power.
It must be noted that the artifact spirit’s combat strength was comparable to a Great Saint at the Hundred Shackle Realm.
Thirty miles away, Zhang Ruochen’s true form emerged from the golden sphere, reaching out to summon the Purple Gold Gourd. But it had only flown a short distance before stopping.
Strands of hair wrapped around the gourd, tightly holding it back, preventing Zhang Ruochen from retrieving it.
It was Yanhong Great Saint’s hair.
Each strand was like a sacred chain, incredibly tough, imbued with the rules of the Saint Path.
Zhang Ruochen frowned, taking a step forward into a spatial gate, performing a spatial shift to appear directly beside the Purple Gold Gourd.
Yanhong Great Saint, with her masterful techniques, quickly shook off Mo Luo War Emperor. Her hands emitted a pink mist, continuously channeling it into the purple cauldron from afar.
The purple cauldron flew above the Purple Gold Gourd, slowly rotating.
On its first rotation, it stirred up fierce gales, forming a massive purple tornado.
On the second rotation, the gales grew even more terrifying, causing the space to tremble.
By the third rotation…
The cauldron’s speed increased, forcing Zhang Ruochen, who was performing a spatial shift, out of space and sending him sliding through the void.
The power erupting from the purple cauldron was astonishing, sweeping through heaven and earth. Wind blades and lightning shuttled within the tornado, which rose thousands of miles high, its core becoming a forbidden zone of death.
Even a Great Saint at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm wouldn’t dare approach lightly.
“Yanhong Great Saint’s methods are indeed impressive.” Having suffered at her hands twice, Zhang Ruochen reassessed her.
This was an extremely formidable woman!
As a candidate for the Goddess of the Temple of Fate, none were simple figures.
The purple cauldron’s power fully erupted, its energy ripples surging outward like a tidal wave. Everyone knew Yanhong Great Saint was seizing the Purple Gold Gourd.
If she succeeded, they would be bound by the rules and unable to compete further.
Yanhong Great Saint stood at the edge of the purple lightning storm, her hair swaying in the void, her robes fluttering, beautiful as a celestial being. The occasional lightning flashing past illuminated her features sharply, giving her a demonic allure.
“Boom.”
In the arena, Mo Luo War Emperor, with strength rivaling the top ten Great Saints at the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm, swung his blood-red battle axe fiercely toward the purple cauldron.
The axe, once stained with the blood of a Blood Clan god, carried potent divine power.
“Such immense power.”
Even Yanhong Great Saint felt a trace of apprehension, striking the purple cauldron with a palm, channeling dozens of bucket-thick lightning bolts that wove into a pillar of electricity, clashing with the blood-red battle axe.
“Rumble.”
The blood-red battle axe was a Four-Yuan Kingly Sacred Weapon, while the purple cauldron was a Five-Yuan Kingly Sacred Weapon.
Their clash unleashed a force that shook the void for thousands of miles, turning the heavens and earth upside down.
Mo Luo War Emperor’s strike was repelled.
“Mo Luo War Emperor, if you help me seize the gourd, I can share one of the Quasi-Emperor Grade Saint Intent Pills inside,” Yanhong Great Saint said.
Seizing the gourd required time.
But with enemies all around, eyeing the gourd, she could only ally with others to succeed.
“I want two pills,” Mo Luo War Emperor replied.
“Aren’t you being too greedy?”
Yanhong Great Saint was furious. If not for Mo Luo War Emperor’s cultivation reaching the peak of the Hundred Shackle Realm, with his combat strength surging several times, making him a top-tier force, he wouldn’t have been worthy of being her ally in the past.
“More cultivators are arriving. If you don’t agree to my terms, you might not get a single pill,” Mo Luo War Emperor said with a smile, brimming with confidence that Yanhong Great Saint would yield.
“That’s my gourd. Since when do you get to decide how to divide it?”
Zhang Ruochen spread his hands, summoning a vast starry sky, fully manifesting the Truth Form of “Star Sea Without Shores,” enveloping the purple cauldron, the Purple Gold Gourd, Yanhong Great Saint, Mo Luo War Emperor, and all the Infernal Realm cultivators in this void.
Unbound by spatial limitations, the Truth Form was perfectly displayed.
In the form, every planet was immense, weaving patterns of mountains and rivers, exuding powerful aura fluctuations.
Zhang Ruochen’s outstretched hands suddenly clapped together.
“God-Demon Prison.”
A massive god-demon shadow appeared behind Zhang Ruochen, merging with the Truth Form, radiating an aura that was sometimes holy and grand, sometimes sinister and eerie.
Zhang Ruochen struck with a palm, and the god-demon shadow followed suit.
Rules of Truth flew out from the Truth Form, merging into the god-demon shadow, causing its aura to climb steadily. By the time the palm struck the purple lightning storm, its power had increased tenfold.
“Rumble.”
The purple lightning storm was pierced, and the god-demon shadow’s palm collided with the purple cauldron.
On the other side, Yanhong Great Saint also struck with a palm, fully activating the kingly inscriptions in the purple cauldron, unleashing its maximum power.
Unfortunately, she had no time to summon the Gate of Fate and could only rely on her own strength to counter the tenfold power of the Thousand-Question Grade High-Tier Saint Technique “God-Demon Prison.”
“Clang!”
Like a divine bell tolling, the purple cauldron shook violently, crashing into Yanhong Great Saint, sending both her and the cauldron flying far away.
Without the Gate of Fate’s weakening effect, even Yanhong Great Saint, as powerful as she was, was vastly outmatched by the tenfold power of “God-Demon Prison.”
Blood spurted from Yanhong Great Saint’s mouth, and cracks appeared on her flawless body.
From the cracks, intense pink light poured out, as if her body was about to shatter.
This beautiful form was nearly destroyed.
Though he had sent Yanhong Great Saint flying, Zhang Ruochen felt no relief. A loud shout came from above, “Zhang Ruochen, take my axe!”
A battle axe imbued with powerful divine energy slashed down.
Blood-red light rained from the axe’s edge, locking onto Zhang Ruochen below.
The axe’s power compressed the space, making it incredibly stable and difficult to break.
Instead of using spatial powers to escape, Zhang Ruochen grabbed the Purple Gold Gourd, flipped his body, and ignited his left leg, which glowed with ten million crimson rules of divinity.
He stomped forward, transforming into a cloud of divine fire, clashing with the blood-red battle axe’s edge.
After unlocking the third seal of the Flame God Leg, Zhang Ruochen had fully refined ten million rules of divinity, unleashing far greater power than before.
