“Remind me when an hour has passed.”
Zhang Ruochen’s form vanished into space, disappearing from sight.
In truth, he hadn’t left but had entered his spatial domain. The domain he cultivated wasn’t an ordinary one but a true domain.
A spatial true domain, while still within the scope of spatial domains, surpassed most others. It was akin to the difference between the Gate of True Self and the Gate of Destiny in the Path of Destiny.
When Zhang Ruochen unleashed his spatial true domain, his control over space increased dramatically, achieving absolute mastery over himself.
However, the spatial true domain he had formed only spanned a hundred zhang in diameter, limiting its effectiveness in Great Saint-level battles compared to a regular spatial domain.
Empress Feng stared at the spot where Zhang Ruochen had vanished, a flicker of doubt and contemplation in her eyes. She took a few steps forward.
“Hm?”
She noticed she seemed to be walking in place, the distance to where Zhang Ruochen had stood unchanged.
Taking a few more steps yielded the same result.
“Could it be the legendary spatial true domain?” Empress Feng murmured.
Only a spatial true domain could confound her so, leaving her stepping in place. A regular spatial domain lacked such profundity.
The spatial true domain was something only the most elite practitioners of the Path of Space could cultivate. With it, one could counter the Gate of Destiny of Path of Destiny cultivators or the Truth Realm Form of Path of Truth cultivators.
During his ten years inside the Dark Star, Zhang Ruochen’s number of spatial rules had increased significantly, elevating his spatial true domain to a new level.
Within the spatial true domain, Zhang Ruochen took out the purple-gold gourd and probed it with his mental power. He found that Saint Lord Zuo Mu had been completely refined, transformed into spatial purple rain, fully integrated with the gourd.
Previously, the gourd’s inner space had a diameter of about 20,000 li, capable of holding a planet.
Now, its spatial volume had grown several times larger.
“I must visit Haishi Star Fortress someday. If I can find enough of the other six types of spatial rain, the gourd’s inner space might expand to the size of a star. Then, containing heaven and earth would be effortless.”
From the gourd, Zhang Ruochen released Great Senluo Emperor.
Having had part of his soul devoured by the Ghost Head Whip, he remained unconscious.
Zhang Ruochen placed his hand on Great Senluo Emperor’s head, erasing his memories once more.
A Great Saint at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm could play a significant role in the hunting battlefield, so Zhang Ruochen was reluctant to take his life.
“Wake up!”
Zhang Ruochen tapped his forehead, sending a stream of cool sacred qi into his body.
Great Senluo Emperor shuddered, awakening with a splitting headache. Pressing his hands to the ground, he gasped heavily, saying in confusion, “Where is this? Who am I… ugh… and who are you?”
“Moyin, go tell him who he is,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Vines extended from Zhang Ruochen’s back, forming a seductive woman who grabbed Great Senluo Emperor and dragged him aside.
Zhang Ruochen took out fourteen king-grade sacred artifacts, war weapons seized by Saint Lord Zuo Mu from fourteen Ghost Clan Great Saints.
The fourteen Ghost Clan Great Saints had fled too quickly to retrieve their weapons, which Moyin had collected.
Most were second-grade king-grade sacred artifacts. Zhang Ruochen gave them a cursory glance and tossed them aside, uninterested.
Then, from the purple-gold gourd, he released the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron.
To him, this bronze cauldron was the greatest gain from the Dark Star.
The cauldron landed, sinking the ground, enveloped in black gaseous patterns, exuding mystery, antiquity, malevolence, and ferocity. Facing it, Zhang Ruochen felt as if he stood before an evil god, at risk of being devoured.
Releasing his Truth Realm Form and activating his Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent, Zhang Ruochen cautiously parted the gaseous patterns to examine the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron.
The cauldron was peculiar.
It lacked king-grade or supreme-grade inscriptions, instead bearing countless beast-shaped patterns: a golden bird spreading its wings, a red centipede coiling, a phoenix dancing in the heavens… The myriad beast patterns held an indescribable, wondrous charm that Zhang Ruochen couldn’t decipher.
“Could it be a divine artifact?”
Zhang Ruochen had encountered divine artifacts, like the Emperor’s Divine Ruler.
Yet his understanding of divine artifacts remained limited.
It was said that each divine artifact’s divine patterns were unique, formed by seizing the fortune of heaven and earth, incomprehensible even to gods.
Great Saints studying a divine artifact’s internal patterns could increase their chances of becoming gods.
“No, it shouldn’t be a divine artifact. Divine artifacts are exceedingly rare. Since Prajna knows the origin of the Six Directions Heavenly Venerable Cauldron, how could the gods not know? If they did, why wouldn’t they claim it?”
“Though the cauldron’s beast patterns are profound, they likely don’t reach the level of divine artifact inscriptions.”
Zhang Ruochen sent a strand of mental power to communicate with the cauldron’s spirit but received no response.
The cauldron contained an independent inner space, shrouded in mist with flashes of light, likely where the spirit resided.
Zhang Ruochen dared not probe with his mental power. If the cauldron had a dormant spirit, awakening it could lead to unpredictable consequences.
If the spirit was too powerful, the cauldron might break free of his control and flee.
“I’ll wait until I leave the battlefield and let Mother handle it for safety.”
His gaze shifted to the cauldron’s lid, debating whether to open it and see what pill was being refined inside.
Ultimately, he restrained himself.
When a beam of pill qi had escaped, it had sent him flying. If the pill inside was an Emperor-grade Sacred Pill, opening the lid would be suicidal, as he’d be consumed by it.
Generally, an Emperor-grade Sacred Pill’s combat power could reach the level of a Supreme Realm Great Saint.
The Yanluo Clan’s Supreme-crafted Emperor-grade Sacred Intent Pill also had Supreme Realm Great Saint-level power, though most of its strength was sealed, making it equivalent to a peak Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint.
“Spatial Solidification.”
Zhang Ruochen spread his hands, releasing spatial rules to freeze the space around the cauldron, forming a four-meter-high sealed spatial box.
He stored it back in the purple-gold gourd for safekeeping.
“An hour has passed!” Emperor Yu’s voice reached Zhang Ruochen’s ears.
Zhang Ruochen retracted his spatial true domain, reappearing in the courtyard, and asked, “How many have arrived?”
Emperor Yu said, “Aside from Empress Feng and the Huangtian Clan’s cultivators, not a single one. In fact, during this hour, several Great Saints left the ancestral star, claiming to hunt heavenly slaves.”
“It seems they still don’t take us seriously,” Zhang Ruochen said.
A cold glint flashed in Emperor Yu’s eyes as she said, “In the eyes of the ten clans’ cultivators, only veteran powerhouses like Emperor Blade Prison and Empress Feng are true powerhouses. The Qitian and Huangtian Clans are the top clans. Only Emperor Blade Prison and Empress Feng have real influence.”
“Though we’ve risen in recent days, many refuse to accept this reality and won’t obey.”
Empress Feng hadn’t expected this outcome and said, “I’ll summon them…”
“No,” Zhang Ruochen said meaningfully, “I’ll go invite them myself.”
Before his words faded, he transformed into a golden beam, soaring into the sky.
Empress Feng, not believing Zhang Ruochen’s current strength would lead him to personally invite weaker cultivators, quickly sent mental messages to cultivators from clans allied with her.
Jingtian Continent.
In a Blood Clan city, Emperor Blade Prison’s mental clone was secretly conferring with Yue Tinghai.
Dense blood aura enveloped the room, blocking sound from escaping.
Emperor Blade Prison spoke in a reproachful tone, “What happened? With your cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, you failed to attack Blood Heaven Continent? You’ve disappointed me greatly.”
Yue Tinghai was in a foul mood, saying coldly, “You think Blood Heaven Continent has no strong defenders? Last night, another Great Saint at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm appeared from the Blood Heaven Clan.”
“Who?”
“Gu Chenzi.”
Emperor Blade Prison fell silent, pacing back and forth, saying, “How is this possible? How could the Blood Heaven Clan suddenly produce so many Great Saints at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm? Could it be related to the Divine Roaming Pill Xue Tu bought? No, even with the pill’s aid, Yi Xuan and Gu Chenzi would need at least a century of hard cultivation to reach that level.”
Yue Tinghai said, “You’d better return quickly. Just now, Zhang Ruochen sent word for all ten clans’ cultivators to go to Blood Heaven Continent to pay respects to him. It seems the leadership of the Blood Heaven Clan isn’t enough for him; he wants to be the leader of the entire Undying Blood Clan.”
Emperor Blade Prison laughed, “Zhang Ruochen is too young. One big victory, and he’s gotten carried away. The other nine clans’ cultivators won’t listen to him. I’d like to see how he handles this.”
Yue Tinghai also smirked, saying, “From what I know, aside from Empress Feng, no cultivators from the other eight clans have gone.”
Emperor Blade Prison snorted, “Empress Feng is shortsighted, betting on Zhang Ruochen, doomed to lose everything. The Blood Heaven Clan seems unstoppable now, but once Wuxiang and Lan Ying make their move, they’ll be the first to be dealt with. Zhang Ruochen won’t last long.”
Suddenly, the blood aura in the room surged violently.
A resonant voice boomed above Yue Tinghai and Emperor Blade Prison, “Yue Tinghai, you manipulated a tsunami to slaughter Undying Blood Clan members. What crime do you deserve?”
“It’s Zhang Ruochen.”
Emperor Blade Prison muttered, looking at Yue Tinghai, saying, “Last night’s actions left no traces, right?”
Yue Tinghai’s expression remained steady as he shook his head.
“Then there’s nothing to fear. The divine eyes of the myriad realms are watching, and the entire hell realm is looking. Don’t let him make a fool of himself,” Emperor Blade Prison said as his mental clone dissipated.
Yue Tinghai stepped out of the room, looking up at Zhang Ruochen hovering in midair, and laughed, “Great Saint Ruochen, don’t make baseless accusations without evidence. The divine eyes of the myriad realms are watching, and the whole hell realm is looking. Don’t make yourself a laughingstock.”
Zhang Ruochen’s ten wings unfurled, golden light blazing behind him, turning the sky’s clouds golden as he said, “You think I’m here to reason or argue with you? I’m here to tell you my fist is harder, and you must obey me. If you don’t, I’ll kill you.”
“Boom.”
A towering sacred might erupted from Zhang Ruochen, the golden light intensifying, like a divine sun hanging in the sky.
In the city, all Undying Blood Clan cultivators were forced to their knees, trembling in fear.
Even the Great Saints of the Jingtian Clan felt as if mountains pressed down on them, their legs shaking, unable to control their knees.
Yue Tinghai also felt the pressure, his legs sinking into the ground, his heart filled with dread.
Zhang Ruochen’s strength was far greater than he had imagined.
But as a Great Saint at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, he couldn’t show fear before fighting, saying defiantly, “Zhang Ruochen, you’re too arrogant! I think you’re deliberately stirring internal conflict. The Blood Heaven Clan is indeed strong, but if you start a civil war, you’ll be the sinner of the Undying Blood Clan.”
“Tch, still not convinced?”
Zhang Ruochen’s cold laugh echoed as he transformed into a golden beam, diving down and throwing a punch at Yue Tinghai.
Yue Tinghai’s reaction was swift, but compared to Zhang Ruochen’s speed, it was far too slow. His palm had just extended when Zhang Ruochen’s fist struck his chest, snapping his arm’s bones.
“Bang.”
Yue Tinghai’s body bowed backward, lifted off the ground, and crashed through buildings in the city, flying dozens of li before slamming into the city wall, collapsing a large section.
“So… strong…”
Yue Tinghai, wracked with pain as if his body were falling apart, lay on the ground. He had just begun circulating his blood aura when Zhang Ruochen descended, landing beside him, grabbing his neck like lifting a chicken.
“Boom.”
He slammed Yue Tinghai into the ground, creating a crater dozens of meters wide.
The earth trembled, dust flying.
Yue Tinghai spat blood, his flesh tearing from his bones, his vision darkening as he nearly fainted from pain.
In the nearby city, the Jingtian Clan’s Great Saints were terrified. Zhang Ruochen, this great demon king, was too fearsome. Yue Tinghai, the Jingtian Clan’s top powerhouse, was powerless against him.
The city’s millions of Undying Blood Clan cultivators knelt even more uniformly, trembling and kowtowing.
“Still not dead? Your life is tough.”
Zhang Ruochen lifted Yue Tinghai, turning into a golden beam, and shortly after, returned to Yun City, the largest city on Blood Heaven Continent.
From midair, he threw Yue Tinghai down.
As a Great Saint at the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, Yue Tinghai was powerful and resilient, suppressing his injuries in a short time.
Flipping to land steadily, he gritted his bloodied teeth, roaring, “If you’ve got the guts, let’s fight again.”
Zhang Ruochen’s speed had been too fast earlier, catching him off guard, so he was naturally unyielding.
Yue Tinghai’s Great Saint blood burned, his power surging, willing to expend his potential to reclaim his dignity.
Standing on the city wall, Zhang Ruochen said indifferently, “You’re not worthy to fight me. Kneel and reflect. Stand when you’ve thought it through.”
“Rumble.”
Thunder roared in the sky.
Countless lightning bolts wove into a thousands-of-meters-long handprint, pressing down on Yue Tinghai. Yue Tinghai let out a long cry, mustering all his strength to hold the lightning handprint at bay.
“Kneel,” Zhang Ruochen roared.
His voice carried a mental shockwave.
