The ancient corpse ghost’s body resembled a humanoid celestial body in the starry sky, ferocious and terrifying, its presence overwhelmingly powerful. Above its head stretched an endless ocean of grey death qi.
Every god in this star domain felt heavy oppression in their hearts, finding it hard to breathe.
…
Li Yuan Tian God stepped back rapidly using divine steps, retreating hundreds of thousands of li while releasing divine qi to manipulate rule divine patterns. He condensed divine abilities and struck at the ancient corpse ghost, attempting to rescue Xu Liao.
It was not that his bond with Xu Liao reached the point of life-and-death loyalty. Rather, this was the prosperous heartland of the hell realm universe.
What did that mean?
It meant that no matter the danger or the strength of the enemy, he would not fall. Since there was no risk of perishing, why not act to save Xu Liao and earn a favour?
For Zhang Ruochen, this was a battle of life and death.
For them, it was merely a game. Even if they lost, boundless realm experts would intervene to save them.
If Zhang Ruochen lost, only death awaited.
Unless Tian Mu appeared again, but that possibility was slim.
It was simply unfair.
Who told Zhang Ruochen to venture into the hell realm?
If they had entered the fringes of the hell realm, the rules of the game would naturally differ. Just like the earlier losses of Lord Huoze and Ancestor Xuanqi, both had paid with their lives.
Home field different, rules different.
Master Qianqian appeared pure as a young girl, her face pale as porcelain, expressionless throughout. Mental strength radiated from her like billions of light rays, condensing a vast great array in the void.
The array fell onto the forearm of the hand with which the ancient corpse ghost held Xu Liao, preventing it from swallowing him.
Grey death qi permeated the starry sky, thick with corrosiveness.
Li Yuan Tian God’s “Bone God Venerable Heaven Technique” dimmed in the grey death qi before even reaching the ancient corpse ghost.
Master Qianqian’s condensed divine array lasted only five breaths before collapsing into scattered formation inscriptions that exploded into orbs of light.
All gods witnessing this felt their scalps numb.
This divine corpse, sealed on the flaming light pillar, had appeared in Xing Huan Heaven, also controlled by Zhang Ruochen. Some had seen it firsthand, others heard tales, knowing its fearsome might.
At that time, the divine corpse had not revealed its full form, much of it buried underground.
Thus, most hell realm gods believed the divine corpse could not leave Xing Huan Heaven. It was likely a guardian war venerable forged by the Nine Heavens to protect Xing Huan Heaven.
In the battle for Xing Huan Heaven, Zhang Ruochen’s mental strength was only seventy-fourth order. Though he could control the ancient corpse ghost, it was strenuous. His mental strength drained rapidly, allowing only a few strikes.
One could say that in that battle, neither heavenly court nor hell realm gods had witnessed the ancient corpse ghost’s true combat strength.
Their understanding of it was minimal.
Only now did hell realm gods realise in terror that even Li Yuan Tian God and Master Qianqian’s methods could scarcely harm the divine corpse.
“This young man came prepared. No wonder his confidence is so strong.” An ancient god who had secluded himself in this star domain for cultivation was roused and appeared among the gods.
He had secluded himself for ten thousand years, knowing nothing of Zhang Ruochen or current worldly changes.
“An ancient god analysed it, believing this divine corpse is likely Yu Hun, third disciple of Xing Huan Heavenly Venerable, a諸天-level existence of an era.”
“Zhang Ruochen probably does not use corpse-refining secret arts. This god senses powerful resentment in the divine corpse, even a consciousness that seems capable of devouring starry skies.”
“Is it a corpse clan god?”
…
In distant starry sky, gods discussed heatedly.
Clearly, the ancient corpse ghost being a divine corpse, and a corpse god at that, meant vastly different things.
If the ancient corpse ghost truly was a corpse god, the entire Corpse God Palace would likely be stirred. It could draw out諸天-level figures.
A hoary Tai Bai realm great god arrived, appearing on a small planet. Watching Xu Liao pinched in the ancient corpse ghost’s hand, he frowned. “If Zhang Ruochen truly dares kill Xu Liao, it is far from wise. It proves he is merely reckless.”
Indeed, many great figures were surely watching this battle.
When Zhang Ruochen slew the ghost clan mid-rank god, no god king or god venerable appeared because his displayed strength was still weak. With the Ghost Lord present, no need for god king or god venerable to act.
But if a Tai Xu great god faced mortal peril, how could god kings and god venerables stand idly by?
This was the hell realm.
Swish.
Just as Xu Liao was about to be swallowed by the ancient corpse ghost, a deep bell toll rang through the star domain. It seemed to come from the universe’s depths, yet also close at hand.
A white bell rose from the Ghost Lord’s divine palace.
Four different ghost faces were carved on its sides. Each held profound origins, representing an ancient powerhouse of Di Sha Ghost City.
Ghost fire poured from the bell, warping space with heat.
The bell’s toll seemed to echo across the entire hell realm. Many distant star domains could hear it. Vast divine artefact might made every god present feel inner turmoil. Illusions appeared before their eyes. Their wills were affected.
“It is the divine artefact Di Sha Bell, the ancestral city-guarding artefact of Di Sha Ancient City.” Li Yuan Tian God’s voice was dry, but filled with joy.
He had not expected the Ghost Lord to be so thoroughly prepared.
Clearly, the Di Sha Bell was not meant for Zhang Ruochen, but for the possible appearance of Blood Jue War God. Only with this divine artefact could the Ghost Lord contend against Blood Jue War God.
The Di Sha Bell was renowned even in the Tai Bai Divine Artefacts Chapter.
Under the Ghost Lord’s urging, hundreds and thousands of stars in the star domain shook ceaselessly. Even primary stars like Hao Bai Star and Xin Jia Star swayed with the qi patterns radiating from the Di Sha Bell.
The Di Sha Bell struck out, piercing the grey death qi ocean and hitting the ancient corpse ghost.
Boom.
Space collapsed over vast areas. Countless cracks spread in the periphery.
The ancient corpse ghost, along with the Blood Radiance Divine Centipede Vessel flying below its palm, plunged into the void world.
The Ghost Lord seized the advantage. He immediately piloted his divine palace into the void world and declared loudly, “This divine corpse is controlled by Zhang Ruochen’s mental strength. Do not attack it. Target Zhang Ruochen’s mental strength and divine soul.”
What status did the Ghost Lord hold?
He had even deployed the city-guarding ancestral artefact. If he failed to capture Zhang Ruochen, he would lose all face and struggle to hold his head high in the hell realm.
Li Yuan Tian God and Master Qianqian understood instantly. They maintained hundreds of thousands of li distance from the ancient corpse ghost. One manifested his divine soul, the other released mental strength.
For Tai Xu great gods, this distance was negligible, crossable in a few steps.
Yet it was a safe range for attack and retreat.
Zhang Ruochen scattered the five gods from the Lost Paradise like sowing beans, having them assist Banya in controlling the divine vessel and Xiao Hei in sustaining the Yin Yang Eighteen Bureaus.
Xiu Chen had requested to fight earlier, but Zhang Ruochen refused.
Xiu Chen’s cultivation was strong, his methods superb. He could surely carry Zhang Ruochen to escape.
But doing so would reveal to all that he was the Sundial’s vessel spirit.
Though Zhang Ruochen and Xiu Chen had cooperated in the Dark Triangle Star Domain, gods would surely speculate about the Sundial. Yet they preferred to believe the cooperation was forced by circumstances, a temporary alliance.
They preferred to believe that with Xiu Chen’s pride, he would rather die than become a vessel spirit.
Swish.
After arranging matters on the Blood Radiance Divine Centipede Vessel, Zhang Ruochen crossed space and landed on the ancient corpse ghost’s shoulder. He glanced at Xu Liao pinched in its hand.
Xu Liao’s corpse body was nearly crushed to paste. Green corpse blood dripped ceaselessly.
The ancient corpse ghost had failed to swallow Xu Liao due to attacks from Li Yuan Tian God, Master Qianqian, and the Ghost Lord, as well as Zhang Ruochen’s own restraint.
If Xu Liao faced true mortal peril, boundless realm experts from Corpse God Palace would surely act, even if wary of Tian Mu.
Zhang Ruochen constantly reminded himself not to forget the purpose of this journey. It was not to fight or slay gods, merely to break free of encirclement and reach Fate Divine Domain.
Lingering in battle and forgetting the goal was dangerous.
The Ghost Lord was indeed a match for Blood Jue War God. With the Di Sha Bell, space grew fragile as paper. Rules ceased to exist. Fortunately, the strike hit the ancient corpse ghost. Any other Tai Xu great god would likely have been reduced to blood mud.
“Xue Tu, do you want fire dao profundities?”
Without waiting for Xue Tu’s reply, Zhang Ruochen erupted with mental strength, controlling the ancient corpse ghost to crush Xu Liao’s corpse body into a rain of blood and divine mist that sprinkled towards the Blood Radiance Divine Centipede Vessel.
“Fire dao profundities.”
Seated on the vessel, Xue Tu rejoiced. He sprang to life, soared up, rushed into the blood rain divine mist, and released all his fire dao rule divine patterns to plunder profundities.
Truly, fortune favours the bold.
He had bet right. Following his senior brother was dangerous, but great opportunities always came.
Such opportunities were rare in a lifetime.
Xu Liao majored in fire dao and was a Tai Xu great god. How many fire dao profundities did he possess?
“Fire dao profundities. This emperor wants some too.”
Xiao Hei’s blood boiled. His eyes burned.
He also majored in fire dao and coveted fire dao profundities. He controlled the Yin Yang Eighteen Bureaus, using array power to compete with Xue Tu for profundities.
After crushing Xu Liao, the ancient corpse ghost freed its hand and charged straight at the Ghost Lord.
The Di Sha Bell was no mere bell. Planet-sized, it spun, forming a divine power ring a hundred thousand li across, purple-red like a nebula.
The ring’s coverage matched the death mist around the ancient corpse ghost.
The ancient corpse ghost’s strikes clashed with the Di Sha Bell like two nebulae colliding.
This was utterly unlike a clash below boundless realm.
In such a level of combat, Li Yuan Tian God’s divine soul attacks and Master Qianqian’s mental strength means scattered before reaching Zhang Ruochen.
They were forced even farther back.
After the blood rain divine mist passed through the Blood Radiance Divine Centipede Vessel, Xu Liao reformed his body with powerful mental will, but he was utterly weakened.
He had lost not only fire dao profundities, but death dao and Corrupting World Heavenly Dao profundities.
Stripped by Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Liao could not comprehend how Zhang Ruochen, who did not major in death dao or Corrupting World Heavenly Dao, had forcibly seized those two profundities.
Losing profundities accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years, Xu Liao nearly went mad, roaring repeatedly.
