Duan Lingfeng’s head reformed, alerting Zhang Ruochen.
Though spiritual cultivators had weak physical bodies, reaching the sixty-ninth tier granted them profound abilities. Even if their body was destroyed, they wouldn’t die, their vitality surpassing that of Supreme Realm Great Saints.
“Though Duan Lingfeng’s spiritual power is heavily depleted, he’s still beyond my ability to confront. I must escape immediately.”
Zhang Ruochen, disregarding the risk of exposing his identity, channelled holy qi to activate the supreme inscriptions of the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar, unleashing supreme power. Instantly, the pillar seemed to transform into a divine column piercing the heavens, darkening the surrounding space with countless flashes of lightning.
A terrifying energy erupted, instantly deflecting all the holy arrows shot by Tian Mu.
The arrows’ holy light dissipated, their bodies cracking extensively.
“Everyone, beware, it’s a supreme holy artifact,” Tian Mu shouted, his face pale with shock.
Zhang Ruochen wielded the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar, sweeping with mountain-uprooting force, sending seven Great Saints, including Shang Yue, flying like scarecrows.
Two Great Saints of lower cultivation couldn’t withstand the supreme artifact’s impact, their immortal holy bodies shattering, bones reduced to dust.
Apart from Shang Yue, the other four Great Saints were also gravely injured.
Shang Yue endured the supreme artifact due to her advanced cultivation and multiple protective treasures.
Even so, the appearance of a supreme artifact shocked her.
Since the opponent carried a supreme holy artifact, they were clearly prepared and had foreseen their plan.
Normally, only figures like the Destiny Temple’s high priests, first adjudicators, or first Fate Emperors, who held both supreme cultivation and high positions, could possess a supreme holy artifact. Even the leaders of the ten dark forces might not control one.
Of the three directions, Yue Lin Blood Emperor and Yun Huan Iron Blood King were at the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, while Shang Yue was only at the mid-stage. Naturally, Zhang Ruochen chose to break through her side.
“Take another strike.”
Zhang Ruochen roared, gripping the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar with both hands, churning the cosmic space before swinging down.
Shang Yue, just stabilizing herself, felt the space collapsing and sinking, her body uncontrollably plummeting. Looking up, she saw a black-gold sky in the cosmos, a beam of light carrying boundless battle intent crashing down.
Locked by the supreme holy artifact, she couldn’t dodge.
Shang Yue’s holy robe fluttered like vibrant petals in the fierce wind. Her body ignited with raging flames, the petals turning into a fiery rose, forming a Nether Flame Hell-like domain.
Simultaneously, a Monarch Holy Artifact-grade holy sword flew from her body, emitting a piercing sword cry.
A sword like a white rainbow shot upward.
*Boom!*
The Black Gold War Heaven Pillar crushed down, shattering her domain layer by layer.
It clashed with the holy sword.
Supreme power shattered all sword qi, cracking the sword’s body, which then exploded into countless fragments, flying back.
Some fragments struck Shang Yue, leaving bloody wounds.
Though a congenital fire spirit, she had cultivated a physical body.
*Spurt!*
Shang Yue coughed blood, her body falling downward.
The sword fragments caused minor injuries; the true damage came from the supreme power of the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar, harming both her body and holy soul.
Zhang Ruochen grabbed her shoulder, binding her with holy chains, and flung her out.
Instinctively, Shang Yue tried to abandon her body, reverting to a fire spirit to escape the chains. But as the thought formed, white patterns emerged on the chains, releasing a strange force that struck her holy soul.
She couldn’t even abandon her body, let alone break the chains.
*Boom!*
Shang Yue crashed onto the surface, bound tightly, rolling twice before stopping.
It wasn’t ground but the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar.
At that moment, the pillar had grown larger than a mountain, flying swiftly like a ship. Its speed was so great that even Shang Yue, a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, couldn’t keep up.
Yun Huan Iron Blood King, Yue Lin Blood Emperor, and the other Great Saints were left far behind.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the pillar, his expression still tense, showing no sign of relief.
*Boom!*
A blast echoed in the cosmos above.
Invisibly, strands of death qi materialized, like clouds, mist, or dragons and snakes formed from mist, swiftly coiling and emitting dark red and purple-black light.
A thousand miles away.
Duan Lingfeng, his eyes venomous, raised the Crimson Gold Black Tortoise Staff overhead, shouting through gritted teeth, “Death Storm.”
This was a spiritual holy technique!
From the death qi cloud, sounds of clashing weapons, dragon roars, and tiger howls emerged. Then, doomsday chariots, undead knights, bone dragons, and corpse tigers surged from the cloud, charging toward the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar.
Shang Yue, lying on the ground, laughed. “You can’t escape. This is my martial uncle’s spiritual attack, capable of killing you from a thousand miles away.”
“What’s so funny? If this move can kill me, it can kill you too. Your martial uncle seems to care little for your life,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Yue’s face turned cold, and she fell silent.
Zhang Ruochen retrieved a stack of talismans from his spatial ring, scattering them into the sky.
*Boom! Boom!*
The talismans exploded, some forming light screens, others shields, and some ancient cities, colliding with the chariots, knights, dragons, and tigers in the death storm.
These protective talismans were either seized from other cultivators or gifts from various factions during his engagement to Luo Ji.
Though not top-tier, their sheer quantity was impressive.
Shang Yue watched Zhang Ruochen scatter handfuls of talismans, her eyelids twitching, her heart filled with uncertainty. Each talisman was priceless; how could he have so many?
Was he the heir of a talisman master?
On the Black Tortoise shell, Duan Lingfeng raged, unable to hold on. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, and he collapsed, fainting.
The death storm dissipated instantly.
“This Emperor and Yun Huan Iron Blood King will pursue him. You look after Duan,” Yue Lin Blood Emperor said.
Yue Lin Blood Emperor and Yun Huan Iron Blood King, moving at maximum speed, turned into two beams of light, chasing the Black Gold War Heaven Pillar.
Initially, the two used holy artifacts for long-range attacks.
But after their artifacts were inexplicably seized by the opponent, they dared not attack recklessly.
As time passed, their distance from the pillar grew, rendering attacks futile. They could only hope to keep up and not lose track.
Three hours later.
The Black Gold War Heaven Pillar was two hundred thousand miles ahead.
Zhang Ruochen sighed in relief, muttering, “Three hours of relentless pursuit, their holy qi must be nearly exhausted. They won’t catch me anytime soon.”
Constantly activating a supreme holy artifact, Zhang Ruochen’s holy qi consumption was ten times greater than that of Yun Huan Iron Blood King and Yue Lin Blood Emperor.
However, he sustained himself by absorbing divine stones and consuming holy medicines.
Both Yun Huan Iron Blood King and Yue Lin Blood Emperor were at the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm. Without revealing his identity, Zhang Ruochen knew he wasn’t their match.
Moreover, with the stakes of seizing a divine artifact, Zhang Ruochen doubted Bai Qing’er would entrust everything to Duan Lingfeng.
The artifact’s allure was too great; what if Duan Lingfeng kept it for himself?
He speculated that either Bai Qing’er was on her way or she had sent other powerhouses.
Thus, with the artifact in hand, there was no need to prolong the fight.
Zhang Ruochen consumed a hundred-thousand-year-old holy medicine, feeling his holy qi recover significantly, and decided to shake off Yue Lin Blood Emperor and Yun Huan Iron Blood King completely before resting.
Grabbing the chains binding Shang Yue, he reached into the void.
The Black Gold War Heaven Pillar shrank into a staff, landing in his hand.
In the next instant, he activated the Radiant Merit Armor, bursting forth at ten thousand times the speed of sound.
Each second, he covered nearly ten thousand miles.
The armor consumed holy qi immensely. After flying five million miles, Zhang Ruochen could no longer sustain it, his holy qi nearly depleted.
Stopping, he glanced back. Even with the Eye of Truth, he could barely see Yun Huan Iron Blood King and Yue Lin Blood Emperor.
He had completely escaped.
Finding a mountain-sized cosmic rock, Zhang Ruochen carved out a cave and hid inside with Shang Yue.
The universe was full of such rocks, and hiding within one prevented detection by Great Saints’ eyes from thousands of miles away.
Zhang Ruochen split off a strand of spiritual consciousness to control the rock, moving it toward the southern Aoyun Asteroid Belt at a hundred miles per second. He then prepared to absorb divine stones to restore his severely depleted holy qi.
Shang Yue, sitting nearby, snorted coldly. “So, the so-called Master Xunmu is Zhang Ruochen.”
“You recognized me?” Zhang Ruochen said, slightly surprised.
He knew Shang Yue wasn’t certain, merely probing. But it didn’t matter; with her in his grasp, she had no chance of escape.
Shang Yue said, “With such low cultivation, yet wielding a supreme holy artifact, scattering talismans like paper, and consuming hundred-thousand-year holy medicines as if they were common. Who else but Zhang Ruochen could do this?”
“Are you saying I rely on external tools and have no real skill?” Zhang Ruochen’s withered, aged body reverted to a youthful, handsome appearance.
Shang Yue’s heart leapt, though her expression remained unchanged. “Exactly. You, the so-called epochal genius, are just propped up by supreme artifacts and external items, nothing remarkable. If you release me and fight me barehanded, you wouldn’t last ten moves.”
Zhang Ruochen crouched before her, studying her closely, as if hesitating.
Shang Yue grew nervous, fearing he wouldn’t take the bait.
Zhang Ruochen said, “You’re at the mid-stage of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm?”
“Correct. What, scared? An epochal genius should defeat opponents two realms above to live up to the title,” Shang Yue taunted.
Zhang Ruochen said, “You’re a congenital fire spirit?”
“My true form is the Essence of Li Fire, cultivated for endless ages. My master enlightened me, passing down techniques, allowing me to form a physical body and gain my own life. Zhang Ruochen, do you dare fight me?” Shang Yue challenged.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Essence of Li Fire, perfect for refining my Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire.”
Shang Yue’s face paled, her beauty fading in panic. “What kind of epochal genius are you, lacking even the courage to fight me?”
“Why should I prove my cultivation or strength to you? You’re merely my captive. No, from now on, you’re just material for refining my Pure Extinguishing Divine Fire,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
Shang Yue trembled, her emotions in turmoil.
Her cultivation journey had been arduous, from gaining sentience to forming a physical body, then reaching the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm. Now, so close to divinity, she was desperate not to die.
Zhang Ruochen made a tsking sound, sighing. “My life is nearly flawless, with no weaknesses. But there’s one flaw: I can’t bring myself to harm beautiful women.”
Hearing this, Shang Yue felt like a drowning person grasping a lifeline.
She considered herself stunning, no less than any fairy or saintess.
Zhang Ruochen’s reputation for lust was well-known in the Hell Realm, so Shang Yue had no doubts.
Zhang Ruochen said, “I’ll ask you a few questions, and you must answer truthfully. I like obedient, compliant women. If you’re not obedient enough, no matter how beautiful, I’ll have to destroy the flower with a ruthless hand. Also, your junior sister Shang Xia is in my hands. After questioning you, I’ll verify with her. If you lie, I’ll be very angry, and then my actions might have no limits.”
