“Boom!”
“Boom!”
…
Zhang Ruochen lifted the stele aloft. With every step he took, the ground and even the entire space violently trembled.
The space that the Great Elder of Space had frozen using spiritual power could not hold. It was dissolved by a strange and uncanny force. Billions of sword-shaped sword qi regained their freedom. The sword gleams were as countless as scales glittering on water, both endless and dazzlingly beautiful.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen held the stele in one hand while seizing a divine sword that hung in the void with the other. With a flick of his wrist, space shattered like ice.
The divine sword thrust straight forward.
“Whoosh!”
Billions of sword-shaped sword qi surged after the divine sword like a rushing river.
The Great Elder of Space had never encountered anything so bizarre. As the divine sword drew nearer, a trace of panic finally appeared on his calm and composed face. He immediately formed hand seals, intending to tear the space in front of him and drag Zhang Ruochen into the void.
Various strange lights emerged on the broken stele in Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
The moment a hair-thin crack appeared in space, it instantly healed, flawless and unblemished, as though it were an indestructible.
“How is this possible? Below the Immeasurable Realm, someone can actually fix space in front of this elder.” Shock thickened on the Great Elder’s face as the divine sword Zhang Ruochen thrust forward was already within arm’s reach.
Sword light blazed. Everything ahead was a sheet of golden brilliance.
“Swoosh!”
A gorgeous stream of light brushed past the Great Elder of Space.
Heavenly Wasteland Flowing Light Finger!
“Bang!”
Xuan Yi’s finger, white as divine jade, tapped the tip of the divine sword.
Mighty finger force and sword qi burst outward in all directions.
The billions of sword-shaped sword qi turned to mist and dispersed into the sky.
The Lord of the Soul Realm, standing behind Xuan Yi, swayed slightly. His eyes were filled with astonishment. He was stunned both that Zhang Ruochen could break the Great Elder’s spatial technique and that Xuan Yi could meet a divine sword bare-handed.
The Great Elder’s gaze turned icy. A crystalline staff resembling a tree appeared in his hand. As he swung it, the spatial rules of heaven and earth continuously streamed toward him.
As the Great Elder of the Temple of Space, revered by cultivators across the world, he had actually been forced to dodge Zhang Ruochen’s earlier sword strike. The pride in his heart instantly turned to rage.
“Go!”
The staff struck the ground. Spatial rules transformed into a vast and majestic tidal surge that rolled toward Zhang Ruochen.
No matter how powerful that strange force was, he believed that with enough spatial rules and sufficient spatial power, he could still break it.
With a thunderous boom, the spatial power slammed into Zhang Ruochen and sent him flying backwards.
Joy appeared on the Great Elder’s face. “This elder thought you were invincible. It turns out you are only so-so.”
Xuan Yi withdrew his finger, appearing utterly calm. He felt no anger that the Great Elder had interfered in his duel with Zhang Ruochen. To an assassin, killing the enemy was all that mattered.
Reputation and face meant nothing.
Seizing the opportunity, the Lord of the Soul Realm summoned a gigantic ghostly shadow behind him. Its five fingers formed a claw and reached toward Zhang Ruochen. “Great Soul Absorption Technique!”
A faint silhouette emerged on the surface of Zhang Ruochen’s body.
His divine soul was on the verge of being extracted.
At last, Zhang Ruochen recovered from the impact of the spatial power. Gritting his teeth, seven successive soul swords flew out from the profound embryo in his abdomen, each one stronger than the last.
Whether due to the blessing of Empress Tianmu’s divine power or not, even without extreme emotion, the might of the soul swords had greatly increased.
More precisely, the stronger Zhang Ruochen became, the more powerful the soul swords grew.
“Pfft! Pfft! Pfft…”
Seven consecutive swords pierced through all of the Lord of the Soul Realm’s defences and passed clean through his body.
Despite the formidable soul of the Lord of the Soul Realm, being struck by seven successive slashes forced him back seven steps. He fell to one knee, his face deathly pale.
Zhang Ruochen landed steadily. He did not press the attack immediately. Blood and qi churned in his chest. Had it not been for the protection of the Buddha’s sarira and the continuous healing from Empress Tianmu’s divine power, he would already have suffered severe injury.
These opponents, all top-tier great gods, were truly difficult to handle.
Especially Xuan Yi!
Blocking a divine sword with his bare hand. He was practically immune to all techniques.
The Great Elder of Space said, “Little Ruochen, you have indeed made this elder see you in a new light. However, my strike just now must have hurt, yes?”
With a boom, Zhang Ruochen set the broken stele on the ground. “To be able to stop peerless experts like you outside Goddess City, victory or defeat no longer matters, nor does the pain.”
Behind him, in the massive crater, Famous Sword God, covered in blood, climbed to his feet. His figure remained tall and proud.
The gods watching from afar were so shocked their eyes nearly fell out.
Today, Zhang Ruochen displayed an aura of invincibility throughout the world. He had first slain the three elders of the Array Annihilation Palace, then overwhelmed Jia Tianxia and Famous Sword God. Now, facing Xuan Yi, the Great Elder of the Temple of Space, and the Lord of the Soul Realm alone, he faintly held his own.
How could he still be called a mere millennial ant?
His prestige was so great that he could be crowned king.
Mandala Flower Goddess had been holding her breath. Only now did she exhale deeply and sigh. “After today, no one will ever again treat Zhang Ruochen as a mere junior.”
Xuan Yi remained perfectly calm. “This broken stele is the Reverse God Stele, isn’t it?”
With those words alone, Famous Sword God, the Lord of the Soul Realm, the Great Elder of Space, Mandala Flower Goddess, and the distant gods of the Heavenly Court all stirred. Countless divine eyes fixed upon the broken stele before Zhang Ruochen.
“Has the Reverse God Stele reappeared?”
“It really is the Reverse God Stele!”
“No wonder he could break the Great Elder’s spatial technique. So it was that.”
…
Not only the gods present, but even the divinities watching this battle from the starry sky changed countenance.
Of course, some younger gods did not know what the Reverse God Stele was and asked the elders beside them. The elders ignored them completely, their eyes burning like fire, trembling with excitement.
Yu Yu gazed with complicated emotions, looking profoundly at Zhang Ruochen’s upright figure before the stele. “So… it was actually him who obtained the broken stele…”
Since Zhang Ruochen dared to reveal the Reverse God Stele, he was not afraid of being recognised. “Correct. This is the Reverse God Stele. That year, the Great Elder of the Reverse God Clan carried this stele and travelled the worlds. Only then was the Heavenly Court able to establish itself and withstand the onslaught from Hell Realm.”
“But the Great Elder could never have imagined that the Heavenly Court he wholeheartedly sought to protect, the Heavenly Court he personally founded, would ten thousand years later lead an army here, wishing to extinguish the last spark of the Reverse God Clan, wishing to slaughter them all. How tragic!”
“Lord of the Soul Realm, ten thousand years ago, did you leave your name upon this stele?”
The Lord of the Soul Realm gave a cold snort and did not answer.
Zhang Ruochen looked toward Famous Sword God. “You call yourself the Sword of Gentleman. Ten thousand years ago, did you represent the Sword God Realm and leave your name upon this stele?”
Famous Sword God replied, “The Great Elder founding the Heavenly Court was the inevitable result of the times. The annihilation of the Reverse God Clan was the inevitable result after the times changed. Zhang Ruochen, using today’s situation to mourn events of ten thousand years ago, do you not find yourself foolish?”
“Every person, every race, is merely spray in the great tide of the era. The era belonging to the Reverse God Clan has long passed!”
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze was resolute, yet carried a hint of mockery. “No matter how the era changes, people must still have a bottom line. Human emotions cannot be erased. Today, I will protect the Reverse God Clan. If you wish to enter the city, you will have to step over my corpse.”
“Good! I shall grant your wish!”
The Great Elder of Space smiled and took a step forward.
In the sky, a deep, domineering voice rang out. “Old dog Zhou, are you bullying my grandson because you think no one stands behind him? Today, I, Xue Jue, shall lead the gods of the Undying Blood Clan and feast upon your flesh and blood.”
In the heavens, blood-red blazing suns appeared one after another.
Each blazing sun was a god.
Xue Jue, the War God of Blood, spread twenty-eight blood wings that covered the firmament like layers of crimson worlds. His eyes shone brightly as he looked down.
Luo Yi wore a crystal crown. Her figure was tall and stunningly beautiful. Together with a god of the Rakshasa clan clad in black armour, she appeared among the clouds. Behind the two gods, more radiant divine suns blazed.
Luo Yi’s long hair cascaded like a waterfall, her skin white as snow. Her voice was clear, beautiful, and melodious as she laughed. “What a splendid show. So many illustrious Heavenly Court gods attacked, yet none are a match for my Brother Chen. This princess originally planned to lead the Rakshasa gods to annihilate you all, but it seems entirely unnecessary now. My Brother Chen alone can slaughter you like chickens and dogs.”
With the arrival of the gods of the Undying Blood Clan and the Rakshasa clan, the sky filled with blazing suns. The gods of the Heavenly Court grew restless and uneasy.
…
Sea Stone Star Dock is the place where the universe originated.
This is a fracture zone of space and time. Everywhere is chaotic and broken. From afar, it looks like a boundless, multicoloured ocean in constant expansion, yet also perfectly still.
Star Heaven Cliff is situated within Sea Stone Star Dock. From a distance, it resembles a gigantic cliff-shaped rock. Up close, however, it is astonishingly huge, taller than ordinary stars, reaching millions of miles in height.
At this moment, Zhao Gongming, the Second War God of the Heavenly Palace, stood upon the cliff, idly playing with a string of copper coins.
The coins sometimes formed a money sword, sometimes scattered across the ground with clear clinking sounds.
Not far away, an old woodcutter sat on his carrying pole. He wore a faded grey-green robe. His withered, wrinkled face looked exhausted. He held a heavily nicked wood-chopping knife and said weakly, “It’s just a string of coins. You’ve been playing with them all day! Are you going to make a move or not?”
Zhao Gongming raised his palm. The copper coins flew up and formed a money sword again. He shook his head. “I’m just bored! Besides, what’s the point of us fighting? Haven’t you noticed that those two playing Go are still perfectly calm?”
The old woodcutter looked toward the cliff edge. He saw a white-haired old man sitting there holding a fishing rod. Yet when gazing toward the opposite shore of the multicoloured ocean, he could not see the other player.
Zhao Gongming was the exact opposite.
When he turned and looked far into the distance, he could see that peerless figure seated on the opposite shore at the edge of the sea. Yet no matter what methods he used, he could not locate where the Star Sea Angler was sitting.
In truth, the Star Sea Angler was seated less than ten zhang away from him.
