The Trial Divine Emissary had refined the star soul of a god left behind after a true god’s fall. That was how he gained the ability to mobilise the divine power within the heavenly star soul divine throne for his own use.
Such pseudo-gods faced immense limitations. Yet in the future, they could condense their own divine source and achieve the position of true god.
Unlike other pseudo-gods who refined a divine source to reach the divine realm, where the divine source had already been fixed, dooming them to remain at the pseudo-god level forever.
One could say that pseudo-gods like the Trial Divine Emissary were merely a transition from Great Sage to true god. In essence, they remained Great Sages. They had simply cultivated a divine soul.
Such pseudo-gods could comprehend the secrets of becoming a god through their god’s divine soul. They could use divine power to temper their fleshly body and saintly Dao rules. The probability of achieving true godhood in the future far surpassed that of other Great Sages. It could be called a near certainty.
However, intact god star souls were exceedingly rare to preserve. Not everyone could encounter such an opportunity.
Zhang Ruchen had also refined god star souls before. But they were all incomplete, mere remnants of soul power. Moreover, the true gods had fallen too long ago. The divine power in the star soul divine thrones had already depleted. Thus, he had not become a pseudo-god. Nor had he tempered his saintly soul to the divine soul level.
In his possession, only the star soul of the God Hunter was intact. It could be used to cultivate a pseudo-god.
Precisely because the star soul divine throne did not inherently belong to the Trial Divine Emissary, and was not something he had cultivated himself, Zhang Ruchen could use his Wuji Sacred Intent to sever his connection to the star soul divine throne.
And the reason Zhang Ruchen could mobilise the power of the heavenly star soul divine throne was also through the Wuji Sacred Intent.
The Wuji Sacred Intent permeated the entire cosmic space. It stood on equal footing with the heavenly dao. It could be called omnipotent.
The observing cultivators of the Red Dust Archipelago, watching Zhang Ruchen stand beneath the fifteen divine throne planets, bathed in divine light, were all dumbfounded.
“Severing the Trial Divine Emissary’s connection to the star soul divine throne was one thing! How could he even seize control of the star soul divine throne? Unless Shu Qianchi’s mental power has already achieved divinity, it is utterly impossible.”
Mi Jia Le stomped heavily on the Lamp Tower. The tower shook violently in response.
The events unfolding before his eyes were unacceptable to him.
“If Shu Qianchi’s mental power had already achieved divinity, how could the Red Dust Absolute Beauty Tower’s tower master allow him to slaughter so freely? One must admit, this Shu Qianchi is too terrifying!” A Great Sage from the Paradise Realm factions said, his mood heavy.
Not only were the Paradise Realm faction cultivators unable to comprehend it. Even the three pseudo-gods in the Trickster Divine Palace discussed it among themselves. With their experience, they had never witnessed such a bizarre occurrence.
“Could Shu Qianchi have used some array to control the Trial Divine Emissary’s divine soul, thereby gaining control of the star soul divine throne?” The red-robed divine general speculated thus.
The black-robed divine general’s eyes emitted divine light. He stared fixedly at Zhang Ruchen and shook his head. “There are no array inscriptions around his body. Yet standing there, he forms his own celestial and terrestrial momentum.”
“Never mind Shu Qianchi for now. Hurry and repair the divine patterns on the island. These two are no ordinary figures. Ensure their battle’s aftershocks do not impact the other islands.”
The Trickster Divine General spoke once. Then he walked out of the divine palace and pressed a palm towards the void.
From his palm flew dense divine patterns. They surged towards the space where Zhang Ruchen and Yin Yuanchen were.
The black-robed divine general flew to mid-air. He pressed the index and middle fingers of both hands together. Then his divine body split into four. Each flew to a different direction on the island to arrange divine patterns.
Though the black-robed divine general was a pseudo-god, he had cultivated for over fifty thousand years. In terms of divine body and divine soul strength, in terms of divine abilities and war methods, he surpassed those newborn pseudo-gods.
Even more fearsome was that his mental power intensity had reached the seventy-first阶. Though still far from a true god, his combat power ranked among the pseudo-gods.
His divine body split into four. The divine might erupting from each was no weaker than the Trial Divine Emissary at full strength.
Among pseudo-gods, those who could cultivate mental power to above the seventieth阶 were ultimately few. But after cultivating for tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years, reaching the seventieth阶 was not difficult.
Under the augmentation of the three divine generals, the shattered island recombined.
Dense divine patterns appeared in the space.
Dao locks flew out from the Red Dust Absolute Beauty Tower in the sky. Like invisible chains, they intertwined over the island. Suppressing the destructive force caused by Zhang Ruchen and Yin Yuanchen’s clash.
Yin Yuanchen’s eyes grew solemn. He inserted the ancient divine relic war sword in his hand into the ground.
“Whoosh,”
Greyish, murky Nether Ancient Absolute Extinction Death Power surged out. It covered half the small island, transforming it into a kingdom of death.
The majority of Paradise Realm faction cultivators retreated to the mountain peaks at the island’s edge. Only the profoundly cultivated Supreme Realm Great Sages remained at the kingdom of death’s periphery. Ready at any moment to deliver a fatal strike to Zhang Ruchen.
In the kingdom of death, a majestic altar manifested. It resembled a mountain piled from giant stones.
On the altar stood full of statues. Stars and moons floated. Ancient witch power intersected and flowed.
Yin Yuanchen stood at the altar’s apex. With a wave of his arm.
A hundred-zhang-tall witch god phantom charged out. It held a great cauldron, drawing in the four different powers of wind, rain, fire, and thunder. It assaulted Zhang Ruchen.
In an instant, a second witch god phantom condensed on the altar.
…
In less than a quarter of an hour, nine witch god phantoms emerged successively. Each possessed incomparable combat power.
They held great cauldrons. The cauldrons were heavier than stars.
These were phantoms of the Force Witch Gods from the Nether Ancient Witch Clan.
Force Witches cultivated pure power. They could move mountains and shift seas, overturn rivers and topple oceans.
“Compared to a thousand years ago, Yin Yuanchen has now cultivated the witch dao to a realm of exquisite perfection.”
Zhang Ruchen drew in the divine power from the fifteen divine throne planets. Transforming it into fist strength. He struck out punch after punch. Clashing against the nine witch god phantoms. Divine light surged in the exchanges.
Nine witch god phantoms would suffice to suppress an epochal representative figure.
But Yin Yuanchen had not expected them to suppress Zhang Ruchen at this moment. Thus, seated at the altar’s centre, he executed the killing divine ability “Peach Flower Tribulation”.
The Peach Flower Tribulation was a divine ability akin to a curse. Utterly bizarre. It could kill from a thousand li away.
The Peach Flower Tribulation secret art acted on Zhang Ruchen’s body. At once, his skin cracked. His body shattered like ceramic. Blood seeped outwards.
But in merely an instant, Zhang Ruchen refined the bizarre power of the Peach Flower Tribulation within his body. His body recombined.
“He refined the Peach Flower Tribulation so quickly?” Yin Yuanchen’s brows furrowed tightly.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruchen used divine power to urge the supreme sacred artifact Vajra Moon Wheel. He smashed one witch god phantom along with the giant cauldron in its hand into explosion. It dissipated into formlessness.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
…
The witch god phantoms could not withstand Zhang Ruchen’s assaults. They shattered successively. Exploding like bubbles.
“You too, try withstanding one strike from me.” Zhang Ruchen roared loudly.
The Vajra Moon Wheel flew out. Supreme power surged turbulently. Golden lustre illuminated heaven and earth. It struck the altar at the kingdom of death’s centre.
The altar beneath Yin Yuanchen’s feet and the kingdom of death were condensed from the Nether Ancient Sacred Qi in his body and over four hundred trillion saintly Dao rules. Under the fierce clash, the kingdom of death tore open like paper.
The altar shook violently. It emitted dazzling dark light.
Yin Yuanchen on the altar stood unsteadily. His face paled somewhat.
Though he had once assassinated a pseudo-god, that had been under advantageous circumstances of time and place. A surprise attack that luckily succeeded.
A saint realm cultivator, no matter how strong, wanting to contend head-on against a pseudo-god was as difficult as ascending to heaven.
The Vajra Moon Wheel rotated once and flew back above Zhang Ruchen’s head.
“Withstand another strike from me.”
Fifteen divine qi light pillars flew out from the fifteen divine throne planets. They draped down onto Zhang Ruchen and the Trial Divine Emissary’s bodies. Then they transformed into a divine light river. Rushing into the Vajra Moon Wheel.
The moon wheel’s golden radiance surged greatly. Supreme inscriptions wriggled like dragons and snakes. Its might reached an unprecedented intensity.
“Swoosh swoosh.”
As the Vajra Moon Wheel flew out again, the courtyards on the ground were all swept up. Circling around it in flight.
“Boom!”
The Vajra Moon Wheel struck the altar. Half the altar exploded into fragments.
Yin Yuanchen withdrew all his saintly Dao rules into his body. Executing incomparable speed, he soared to the heavens. Evading the Vajra Moon Wheel. From the firmament above, he assaulted Zhang Ruchen.
He swung his war sword. Chopping down a sword beam over ten li long.
Evidently, Yin Yuanchen knew Zhang Ruchen’s weakness. He could borrow the star soul divine throne’s power to erupt with pseudo-god level combat strength. But the divine power conversion speed was slow. That gave him an opening to exploit.
Zhang Ruchen seized a war sword. Drawing in divine power. He swung and chopped out.
This sword infused sword dao mysteries. It seemed simple and plain. Yet the sword momentum was sharp. Stirring the sword dao rules between heaven and earth.
“Bang!”
The two sword lights formed a cross-shaped light shadow. They collided in mid-air.
Countless sword qi transformed into sword rain. Some rushed upwards. Some flew towards the ground.
Immediately after, Yin Yuanchen chopped out a second sword.
The sword in his hand had been inherited from the Nether Ancient era. It had been wielded by multiple gods. It was said that before being refined into a sword, it had been a witch clan priest’s sceptre.
Precisely for that reason, the sword contained ancient witch power. Not only was its might peerless, it could also awe the heart and soul.
“Bang! Bang! Bang…”
Though Zhang Ruchen’s speed was somewhat slower, the power he erupted with was even stronger.
After dozens of sword clashes, Yin Yuanchen’s supreme dharma body ultimately could not endure the god-level combat. Blood spurted from his mouth. His face turned ashen as paper. He retreated rapidly into the distance.
“Whoosh!”
Zhang Ruchen swung his sword. Severing the head from the Trial Divine Emissary beneath his feet.
“Where do you flee? Leave it to this Sovereign.”
Zhang Ruchen held the bloody head in one hand. The war sword in the other. The Vajra Moon Wheel hovered above his head. He pursued and killed towards Yin Yuanchen.
There was no choice. Zhang Ruchen had to borrow the divine soul in the Trial Divine Emissary’s head to suppress Yin Yuanchen.
The Trial Divine Emissary’s vitality was powerful. He had not died. His eyes glared in fury. He roared from his mouth, “Shu Qianchi, may you die a wretched death. If you have the skill, do not use secret arts. Let us fight fairly and justly.”
“Shut your noise!”
Zhang Ruchen glanced at the head in his hand. He felt out a block of sacred source and stuffed it into the Trial Divine Emissary’s mouth.
In the distance, the Trial Divine Emissary’s headless corpse climbed up from the ground. A large mouth grew from his abdomen. He roared, “This Divine Emissary will never yield. Fight. Today, let us perish together!”
“Are you done being annoying?”
The Vajra Moon Wheel above Zhang Ruchen’s head flew out. It smashed the Trial Divine Emissary’s headless body into explosion. Transforming it into a swath of scarlet blood mist.
