Attacked by a surge of mental force, Yue Tinghai felt a sharp pain in his brain. Instantly, his strength waned, his body trembled, and his knees buckled uncontrollably.
“Roar!”
Yue Tinghai let out an unwilling, furious roar from his mouth, “Zhang Ruochen, a Great Saint cannot be humiliated… From now on… no end until death…”
The space around Yue Tinghai shook violently.
Suppressed by that spatial force, Yue Tinghai could no longer hold himself up. He fell heavily to his knees, pressing the ground beneath him into a deep crater.
Centred on Yue Tinghai’s body, the space within a ten-mile radius froze.
The world fell eerily silent.
“Swoosh!”
Feng Hou’s stunning figure landed on the city wall, her almond-shaped eyes wide with shock. She said, “This isn’t right, this isn’t right at all.”
“What’s not right?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Feng Hou replied, “A Great Saint can be killed, but not humiliated. Especially someone like Yue Tinghai, a heaven’s chosen, a seed of divinity. Suffering such a grave insult, not only he, but the forces behind him, even the entire Jingtian Tribe, will see you as an enemy.”
“Yue Tinghai doesn’t have that much influence. A failure, in the Hell Realm, holds no glory. The cultivators of the Jingtian Tribe revere the Great Saint Yue Tinghai, who reached the perfect Hundred-Shackle Realm, not a kneeling Yue Tinghai,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Hou sighed softly, “Perhaps, you’re right. If we truly lead the Immortal Vampires to claim the top spot among the ten tribes, then all the cultivators of the Immortal Vampires will see us as their pride, worshipping us as gods.”
Twenty-three beams of holy light flew in from the distance, landing below Yun City.
They were the twenty-three Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe.
Seeing Yue Tinghai suppressed and kneeling on the ground, some were terrified, some enraged, some rushed forward to rescue him, only to be blocked by the frozen space.
“Zhang Ruochen, by doing this, you’re humiliating the entire Jingtian Tribe. We may not be your match, but when the Huntian War ends, the gods of the Jingtian Tribe will not let you go,” a young female Great Saint, appearing in her twenties, shouted angrily. She unfurled six blood wings and slashed her sword at the frozen space.
“Crack!”
With a thought from Zhang Ruochen’s mental force, a dragon-snake-shaped bolt of lightning descended from the clouds, striking her and sending her flying, her body charred and severely injured.
“Yue Tinghai did wrong and must reflect on it. In the Huntian Battlefield, the gods of the Jingtian Tribe have no authority over him. I’ll discipline him on behalf of the gods,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“Who are you to judge the Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe?”
“Whether Yue Tinghai did wrong isn’t for you to decide with a single word!”
Seven or eight Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe channelled their blood-fiend energy, preparing to attack Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen’s voice turned icy, “Yue Tinghai is alive because he could withstand one of my punches, and he still has some use. But any of you who dare to defy me, I, Zhang Ruochen, will kill without mercy.”
Hearing this, the Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe felt as if doused with cold water, sobering up.
They were facing Zhang Ruochen!
This man, fearless of heaven and earth, had already killed countless divine sons and daughters in the Hell Realm. Even the Ghost Lord’s seventh son, Xi, died by his hand. What wouldn’t he dare to do?
Feng Hou, fearing Zhang Ruochen might start a massacre, quickly said, “Last night, Yue Tinghai manipulated a tsunami, attempting to kill thirty million Immortal Vampire clansmen on Xuetian Continent. I can bear witness to this. Such a grave crime, fortunately committed in the Huntian Battlefield, or the Immortal Temple would have already taken him for soul-stripping and skinning. You didn’t participate in last night’s events, did you?”
In the Hell Realm, strength indeed reigned supreme, and the strong could decide the fate of the weak.
But no tribe would allow a powerhouse to slaughter its own clansmen. Such a person would end up like Zuo Mu Saint Lord.
The Immortal Vampires’ punishments were even harsher.
Not only the twenty-three Immortal Realm Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe but even Yue Tinghai, kneeling on the ground, paled slightly.
In the Huntian Battlefield, even killing thirty million clansmen wouldn’t be a big deal for a Great Saint at the perfect Hundred-Shackle Realm. After all, his value far exceeded that of thirty million clansmen.
If last night’s attack had succeeded, the gods of the Jingtian Tribe would surely have protected him, and the Immortal Temple would have been powerless against him.
But the attack failed, exposed by Zhang Ruochen and Feng Hou, and now he had lost so much face. Would the gods of the Jingtian Tribe, disappointed in him, still protect him?
“No… no, we had no idea what happened last night.”
“Did Yue Tinghai really commit such a heinous crime?”
“I swear, I knew nothing of last night’s events, and they have nothing to do with me.”
…
The Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe sensed something was amiss and became more subdued.
They dared to defy Zhang Ruochen’s orders because they knew Feng Hou and Dao Prison Emperor would never submit to him and would stand against him.
But Feng Hou had sided with Zhang Ruochen, and with Yu Huang, Yi Xuan Great Saint, and Gu Chenzi, they formed a force that the other eight tribes combined could hardly resist.
“They’re here!”
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the blood-cloud-covered sky, sensing powerful holy auras.
The Great Saints of the ten tribes were arriving from all corners of the planet.
Yue Tinghai’s suppression and kneeling served as a warning signal.
The cultivators of the other seven tribes, fearing a similar fate, who would dare wait for Zhang Ruochen to personally summon them?
“Yao Bing of the Fengtian Tribe, leading seventeen Great Saints of our tribe, comes to pay respects to Great Saint Ruochen.”
Eighteen beams of blood light descended outside Yun City.
“Yihui Saint Lord of the Motian Tribe, leading twenty-four Great Saints of our tribe, comes to pay respects to Great Saint Ruochen.”
…
One after another, blood-coloured figures landed outside Yun City.
Those staying behind at their tribe’s planets were one or two Hundred-Shackle Realm powerhouses, while the rest were newly ascended Immortal Realm Great Saints.
Moments later, over a hundred Great Saints gathered outside Yun City.
Except for the Qitian Tribe, all the tribes’ cultivators had arrived.
Zhang Ruochen gave a light hum and ordered, “Yu Huang, go to Qitian Continent yourself and bring all the Great Saints of the Qitian Tribe to me. Make sure to invite Dao Prison Emperor.”
Yu Huang’s delicate brows furrowed, “Is Dao Prison Emperor at his tribe’s planet?”
“Even if his true body isn’t there, a mental force clone surely is,” Zhang Ruochen said meaningfully.
In the distance, a dense blood cloud approached, rolling like a sea of blood.
A deep, domineering voice resounded from the blood cloud, “No need to trouble Yu Huang. This Emperor and the Great Saints of the Qitian Tribe have arrived!”
The blood cloud cascaded like a waterfall, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar.
The blood aura instantly enveloped a thousand miles, and when it dissipated, the figures of Dao Prison Emperor and a dozen Qitian Tribe Great Saints appeared outside the city gate.
It wasn’t Dao Prison Emperor’s mental force clone, but his true body.
Seeing Dao Prison Emperor, the cultivators of the tribes that followed the Qitian Tribe’s lead breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes gleaming with excitement, as if they had found their backbone, no longer fearing Zhang Ruochen’s ferocity.
Without Dao Prison Emperor, they wouldn’t dare challenge Zhang Ruochen.
Group after group aligned themselves with Dao Prison Emperor, ready to confront Zhang Ruochen.
The female Great Saint of the Jingtian Tribe, charred by Zhang Ruochen’s lightning, approached Dao Prison Emperor weakly, saying, “Zhang Ruochen acts arbitrarily, stirring internal strife and humiliating the Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe. Please, Dao Prison Emperor, uphold justice.”
“Yue Tinghai could never harm the Immortal Vampires. It’s all Zhang Ruochen’s deliberate framing, thinking his strength makes him above the law,” another cultivator said.
The remaining Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe stood behind Dao Prison Emperor.
Their powerful holy auras radiated, brimming with battle intent.
Dao Prison Emperor glanced faintly at the kneeling Yue Tinghai and snorted, “What kind of people are Great Saint Ruochen and Feng Hou? Would they resort to framing? Stop your nonsense.”
The Great Saints of the Jingtian Tribe were stunned.
The Great Saints of the other tribes exchanged bewildered looks, unsure of Dao Prison Emperor’s intentions.
Dao Prison Emperor stood tall, speaking righteously, “This Emperor believes that Yue Tinghai, having done wrong, deserves punishment. The Immortal Vampires are in a prime position now. We should unite and fight outward to achieve greater results in the Huntian War, living up to the expectations of the gods and all the Immortal Vampire clansmen.”
“At this moment, whoever stirs internal strife, this Emperor will be the first to deal with them.”
“Let Yue Tinghai kneel for now. Kneeling in the Huntian Battlefield is better than being sent to the Immortal Temple for soul-stripping and skinning. The young cultivators of the Hell Realm today lack reverence. This will temper his character.”
As he spoke the last sentence, Dao Prison Emperor’s gaze, sharp as a blade, fixed on Yue Tinghai, carrying a threatening undertone.
Yue Tinghai, already consumed by humiliation, had hoped Dao Prison Emperor’s true body returning to the tribe’s planet would change his situation. He never expected Dao Prison Emperor to abandon him, pinning everything on him.
No, this shouldn’t be.
Dao Prison Emperor, so proud, how could he so easily give up resistance? He couldn’t possibly submit to Zhang Ruochen willingly.
Why?
Why?
Yue Tinghai’s heart was filled with grievance, confusion, resentment, and bewilderment.
“Come, follow this Emperor into the city to discuss major plans with Great Saint Ruochen.”
Dao Prison Emperor waved his hand and strode through the city gate.
On the city wall, Feng Hou and Yu Huang exchanged peculiar looks.
Zhang Ruochen, new to the Hell Realm, didn’t know Dao Prison Emperor well, but they had dealt with him multiple times and knew exactly what kind of person he was. His words just now were far from normal.
Yu Huang, puzzled, murmured, “What is Dao Prison Emperor plotting?”
Zhang Ruochen seemed unconcerned. If Dao Prison Emperor was willing to submit, that was good.
If not, he’d simply beat him into submission.
Feng Hou said, “Dao Prison Emperor is, after all, a top-ten powerhouse on the Hundred-Shackle Realm perfect list. Since he’s showing goodwill, we should reciprocate.”
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly and, with Feng Hou and Yu Huang, descended the city wall to greet Dao Prison Emperor.
From afar, Dao Prison Emperor bowed with clasped hands, laughing heartily, “Great Saint Ruochen, truly the prodigy of the Xuejue Family. After the Huntian War, your name will surely resound across the world. This Emperor admires you.”
Zhang Ruochen replied calmly, “I haven’t even reached the perfect Hundred-Shackle Realm. What’s there for Dao Prison Emperor to admire?”
Dao Prison Emperor said earnestly, “Not having reached the perfect Hundred-Shackle Realm, yet defeating Wujiang, who has, shows true skill. Luo Shengtian couldn’t do it, Yan Huangtu couldn’t do it, and Lan Ying couldn’t either.”
Yu Huang and Feng Hou suddenly understood, their faces breaking into gentle smiles.
The Great Saints following Dao Prison Emperor hadn’t yet heard that Zhang Ruochen had defeated Wujiang. Hearing Dao Prison Emperor’s words, they paled in shock.
Instantly, they understood why Dao Prison Emperor adopted such an attitude toward Zhang Ruochen.
If Zhang Ruochen had only defeated Xi and Yan Hong Great Saint, Dao Prison Emperor, even if not his match, could still rally the support of the other tribes to challenge him.
As long as they waited for Wujiang and Lan Ying to free up, Zhang Ruochen would likely meet his end, no longer a threat.
But just earlier, Dao Prison Emperor received news that Zhang Ruochen had defeated Wujiang, instantly dispelling all other thoughts. If Zhang Ruochen could defeat Wujiang, he wouldn’t fear Lan Ying either.
In the entire Huntian Battlefield, who could still threaten him?
Perhaps Que could.
But Que and Zhang Ruochen had no major grudges and wouldn’t easily make an enemy of him.
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Dao Prison Emperor’s mind. In an instant, he considered the gods of the Immortal Vampires. Now, with the Immortal Vampires brimming with talent, they could rival the Yanluo Tribe and the Asura Tribe.
In such a promising situation, the gods of the Immortal Vampires surely hoped they could achieve greater results.
Second, or even first place.
If Dao Prison Emperor caused trouble now, Zhang Ruochen wouldn’t spare him, and the gods of the Immortal Vampires would be furious.
With these considerations, Dao Prison Emperor rushed back to the tribe’s planet to discuss major plans with Zhang Ruochen. Only then could he claim a share of the future glory.
Jin Kun Great Saint of the Qingtian Tribe, using his mental force clone, transmitted a message to Dao Prison Emperor, asking, “Did Zhang Ruochen really defeat Wujiang?”
Dao Prison Emperor replied, “Don’t entertain other thoughts. Zhang Ruochen not only defeated Wujiang but also killed Zuo Mu Saint Lord and cultivated a Second-Grade Saint Intent, wielding two Supreme Saint Artifacts. It’s said even his parasitic plant, the Saint Devourer Flower, has combat strength in the top ten of the Hundred-Shackle Realm perfect list. With such power, in the Huntian Battlefield, those who dare challenge him can be counted on one hand.”
Jin Kun Great Saint’s expression grew grave, “So, in terms of top-tier strength, our Immortal Vampires have surpassed the Asura Tribe and can compete with the Yanluo Tribe?”
Dao Prison Emperor’s gaze deepened, and he nodded heavily, “This is indeed something unimaginable before. Even the gods of the Immortal Vampires must be surprised.”
“The gods must have great expectations of us. After all, the Yanluo Tribe always takes first in the Huntian War. If we can surpass them this time, all our names will be recorded in the Immortal Temple’s annals.”
“Rewards are secondary. The significance behind this, even the gods care deeply about.”
“To defeat the supreme tribe as one of the lower three tribes is what the gods of the Immortal Vampires desire most. At this moment, whoever falters will face consequences after the Huntian War.”
“Zhang Ruochen summoned us here, likely for this purpose.”
