God Emperor

Zhang Ruochen retracted the Abyss Ancient Sword and glanced at Blackie. He was so done. “What are you doing?”

Blackie placed the Sun-moon Crystal Coffin on the ground. Seeming composed, he chuckled. “I’m obviously taking some nice treasures. It’s hard to come to the netherworld. I can’t go back empty-handed, right?”

Zhang Ruochen was honestly speechless. The netherworld was so dangerous, but Blackie actually became greedy. Didn’t he know that a tiny mishap could kill them all?

But since Blackie had already stolen the Sun-moon Crystal Coffin, he couldn’t just give it back. Furthermore, even if Zhang Ruochen brought the coffin back, the three Wuchangs and evil monks definitely wouldn’t let them off.

Zhang Ruochen glanced at the Sun-moon Crystal Coffin. He could vaguely see the figure lying inside. However, the sides of the coffin were very thick. He couldn’t see the features clearly, but he could tell that it was a woman.

Jialuo Yuan’s eyes fell upon Zhang Ruochen and he let out a raspy laugh. “I finally see a living man after being in the netherworld for so long. Young man, I am Half-Saint Jialuo Yuan of the Death Zen Sect. If you give me the Sun-moon Crystal Coffin, we can have a good relationship. What do you think?”

Despite his words, Jialuo Yuan’s hands hidden in his cassock were quickly solidifying Buddhist Qi. He was ready to attack and kill Zhang Ruochen at any time.

Zhang Ruochen stood with his sword horizontal. He seemed upright and handsome. “I’m sorry,” he said nonchalantly. “I don’t need good relationships with evil monks of the Death Zen Sect. Speak! Why did the Death Zen Sect enter the netherworld?”

When Zhang Ruochen had first seen the evil monks, he thought that they’d also come for the pill of resurrection. However, the appearance of Buddha Xinshu changed his mind.

Someone like Buddha Xinshu would never come to the netherworld impulsively. Once he came, he must have an unusual motive.

Jialuo Yuan chuckled loudly. “Since you don’t know your place, I have no need to be nice to you.”

“Thousand-ghost Prajna Palm!”

Jialuo Yuan had already gathered his power. A frail hand shot out of his sleeve and attacked powerfully. Then a huge black handprint arrived before Zhang Ruochen, carrying icy Qi.

There were thousands of ghostly prints on the handprint. They wailed.

The Thousand-ghost Prajna Palm was a superior-class Ghost Level palm technique. It was evolved from the Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm of the Thousand Buddha Way.

Jialuo Yuan had also entered the netherworld and refined 1,000 evil spirits into his arm to cultivate the Thousand-ghost Prajna Palm completely. One strike contained the power of 1,000 spirits.

If he’d refined 3,000 evil spirits into his arm, then the palm technique would be even stronger. It could become a Consummate Skill.

Now, Jialuo Yuan’s right arm contained 1,748 evil spirits. As he sent the palm print forward, his entire arm turned black.

This evil monk’s cultivation has already reached the peak of the second level for Half-Saints.

Zhang Ruochen wasn’t intimidated though. After all, his cultivation had reached the Ninth Change of the Fish-Dragon Realm. It was possible to defeat Jialuo Yuan.

“Sword Two, Yin-Yang Infinition.”

Zhang Ruochen struck with the Abyss Ancient Sword. A gust of Sword Qi burst out, forming a huge ring of Sword Qi.

The Ancient Abyss Sword transformed into pillar of Sword Qi. It hit the black palm print, piercing it and stabbing powerfully towards Jialuo Yuan’s chest.

“Hmph! You’ve actually completed Sword Two at your young age. You do have some skills. No wonder you could get to this point.”

Jialuo Yuan put his hands together in prayer and chanted in Sanskrit. At once, the golden Sanskrit print appeared between the eyebrows of the dozens of Half-Saint puppets.

There were 34 puppets altogether. 34 rays of gold light surged from between their brows and converged on Jialuo Yuan’s body. With him as the center, it formed an eerie formation.

Every Half-Saint puppet was an eye of the battle formation. They poured their Holy Qi and Corpse Qi into Jialuo Yuan’s body.

Boom!

Jialuo Yuan’s aura rose continuously. The Buddhist Qi that he radiated grew stronger as well. Golden Buddhist light covered everything within a radius of several miles.

When the Abyss Ancient Sword was ten feet from Jialuo Gu, it was blocked by the powerful Buddhist Qi. It couldn’t continue stabbing.

Jialuo Yuan’s lips curled into a menacing smile as he struck the air with a palm.

Boom!

The Abyss Ancient Sword trembled. Then the tip turned over and it flew backwards. Both the sword and Zhang Ruochen were hurt. He stumbled 17 steps back, leaving 17 deep prints on the ground, before he steadied himself.

Such powerfully evil Buddhist techniques, Zhang Ruochen thought. He can actually extract power from dozens of Half-Saint corpses and put them into his own body. Jialuo Yuan must be a top figure amongst the second level Half-Saints.

Right now, Qi and blood rumbled within Zhang Ruochen. Blood even clotted in some of the joints in his meridians.

This wasn’t his first time going against a second level Half-Saint. Half-Saint Xuanlong of the Four Symbols Sect, Half-Saint Taixi of the Vampires, and Feng Han had all been in that level.

Though Jialuo Yuan was also a second level Half-Saint, his power was far above the others.

Just then, Jialuo Yuan had combined dozens of Half-Saint puppets. The power that had burst from it far surpassed Half-Saint Xuanlong and Taixi. Even Feng Han was a bit weaker than he was.

While Zhang Ruochen and Jialuo Yuan fought, the three Wuchangs also attacked Blackie to snatch the Sun-moon Crystal Coffin. Mu Lingxi and Han Xue rushed over at once. They were only in the Fish-Dragon Realm, but working together, they activated the Void Sword’s power and forced the three Wuchangs back.

Since the Void Sword was known as a supreme saint weapon, it naturally contained boundless power. Even a bit of the Sword Qi could kill a Half-Saint.

There weren’t many swords this incredible in all of Kunlun’s Field.

“Young man, what do you think about my palm’s power?” Jialuo Yuan asked, smiling.

Zhang Ruochen quickly dissolved the blood clots and recovered. He chuckled. “You’re quite powerful indeed, but you can’t stop me.”

“Ha! Unfortunately, these Half-Saints are only puppets instead of battle corpses,” Jialuo Yuan said. “Otherwise,my power would multiply five or six times. I’d be able to dismember you with one strike.”

“That is indeed unfortunate,” Zhang Ruochen said calmly.

“Young man, you’re quite brave. But sadly, you’re not skilled enough.”

“If we compare our cultivations or power, I am definitely far from you, senior. But in a true life-or-death fight, the one with higher cultivation isn’t always the one who survives in the end.”

Jialuo Yuan laughed loudly. He released his Saint Soul Territory. Combining it with the Half-Saint puppets, he moved at an unprecedented speed and clapped his hands.

Two golden five-fingered clouds hovered above Zhang Ruochen’s heads and plummeted. If Zhang Ruochen was hit by the palm prints, he would be close to death, if he didn’t die immediately.

At the most critical moment, Zhang Ruochen grasped a principle of the world. He dodged with an extraordinary technique. He actually passed through the lock of the two palm prints and escaped.

Kaboom!

The two palm prints hit the ground, creating two giant craters close to 100 meters wide. They shook the ground, sending all the tombstones flying.

Zhang Ruochen stood unharmed on the side of the two craters. Even he was amazed.

“I just…seemed to comprehend a principle of speed.”

The Way of Speed was only a small branch of 100,000 Minor Ways. Usually, speed was only auxiliary. Most Half-Saints would purposefully try comprehending it because knowing some speed principles could raise combat ability incredibly.

However, barely any Monks in the Fish-Dragon Realm could comprehend any principles of speed.

In the aspect of speed, there was the Way of Flying Sky and the Way of Fleeting Light.

The Way of Flying Sky was a Major Way. The Way of Fleeting Light was the Supreme Saintly Way. If one continued up, there was the Way of Time.

Basically, there were 72 Supreme Saintly Ways, 3,000 Major Ways, and 10,000 Minor Ways. They had all evolved from the Nine Ancient Taiheng Ways.

For example, the Way of Speed had evolved from the Way of Time. Without time, there was no speed.

On the other hand, Zhang Ruochen had comprehended a principle of speed. This could actually help him induce principles of time. Thus, this was a huge achievement.

Jialuo Yuan was a bit surprised too. Smiling, he said, “You have high abilities of understanding. I didn’t expect for that palm print to help you comprehend a speed principle instead of killing you. However, it’s only a Minor Way. It’s not the Way of Flying Sky or Way of Fleeting Light.”

“Since I’ve already comprehended the speed principle, Flying Sky and Fleeting Light won’t be too far off, will they?” Zhang Ruochen laughed in return.

Jialuo Yuan didn’t speak further. He manipulated the power of the 34 Half-Saint puppets again. With extreme speed, he appeared before Zhang Ruochen, pointing between his brows.

His ancient face was right before Zhang Ruochen’s eyes. It was menacing. His sharp and golden finger was about to stab through Zhang Ruochen’s skull.

“You’ve finally acted brashly. Good, I can send you on your way now.”

Zhang Ruochen had been purposefully angering Jialuo Yuan this entire time just for this moment. If Jialuo Yuan didn’t get close, how could Zhang Ruochen kill him?

“Instant Traceless.”

Zhang Ruochen’s arm twitched and the Abyss Ancient Sword transformed into shapeless and shadowless light. It beheaded Jialuo Yuan, sending his head flying 30 feet in the air. Like a bloody watermelon, it fell to the ground with a thud.

Jialuo Yuan’s last attack also hit the spot between Zhang Ruochen’s eyebrows.

Just as Jialuo Yuan’s finger drooped down, countless divine prints whooshed out from between his eyebrows. Transforming into various apparitions, they sent Jialuo Yuan’s corpse flying back.

Zhang Ruochen walked to his side and searched through his cassock. He wanted to find some clues and deduce the true reason why the powerful members of the Death Zen Sect came to the netherworld.

He searched for a while without finding any valuable clues. However, he received something unexpected. He’d actually found a drop of divine blood on Jialuo Yuan.

This was strange. Why did a Half-Saint of the Death Zen Sect carry divine blood with him?