The human who stopped Shang Feng was Zhang Ruochen, naturally.
Shang Feng was very confused. He couldn’t help but look down at the hallucination flower in his hand and back up. “The hallucination flower’s mirage can fool a seventh step Saint King. How can you see me? How could you discover me?”
Zhang Ruochen held the Abyss Ancient Sword in one hand and the Emperor Yi Bone Staff in the other. “No matter how strong your hallucination is, you’re still in the space,” he said nonchalantly.
“Space…”
Shang Feng released his Spiritual Power to check around him. After confirming there were no other cultivators, he let out a laugh. “You really are Zhang Ruochen, ha. If you hide in Hundred Flower Palace, you might be able to live a few more days. Why did you come out to die?”
Kaboom!
Boundless and terrifying saintly might poured out of Shang Feng. His body was like a saintly mountain and his eyes were like the sun and moon. Beams of Holy Qi flowed through the space like rivers.
This was a fifth step Saint King’s might.
Zhang Ruochen’s hair and clothes all fluttered and his body was like a boat in the vast sea. He could get torn apart by Shang Feng’s saintly power at any time.
Demonic flames burned in Shang Feng’s eyes. “A mere half-step Saint King dares to come kill a fifth step Saint King. Don’t you know that no matter how injured a fifth step Saint King is, killing a half-step Saint King is still as easy as crushing an ant?”
“Unfortunately, I’m not an ant.”
Zhang Ruochen put up his spatial domain, enveloping hundreds of meters in radius. This area was now isolated from the outside world.
Seeing his abnormal action, Shang Feng grew cautious. He was worried that an accident would happen, so he took the initiative and attacked, striking with a demonic flame claw print.
Even though he was injured, Shang Feng was still very powerful. This claw print was able to kill a second step Saint King.
On the other hand, Zhang Ruochen circulated his Holy Qi. Over 10,000 runes appeared on his Abyss Ancient Sword and he dragged out a long black streak of light.
“Sword with No Regrets.”
Not only did he use his completed Sword Seven, he also added 93 Rules of Truth to double this strike’s power.
Boom, boom.
There was a string of explosions.
The mighty force crashed through the spatial domain, shattering the street under their feet. Dozens of shocking sword gashes were left behind.
The Abyss Ancient Sword shattered Shang Feng’s claw print, turning it into balls of demonic smoke that landed on the ground. They burned the ground into pits of lava.
However, Zhang Ruochen was also forced back a dozen meters by the claw print. He half knelt onto the ground to lower his core and steady himself.
A shocked expression appeared on Shang Feng’s face. Even though he’d casually struck out that claw, a half-step Saint King shouldn’t be able to take it.
“No wonder you can be number one on the Saints Merits Rank. You aren’t average.” Shang Feng grew serious.
Zhang Ruochen stood up slowly and looked at the injury on his right hand. Immense pain came from there.
“The difference in cultivation is still too large,” he muttered to himself. “With my physical strength, I still got hurt after facing your attack squarely.”
“At least you know that we have a large difference in cultivation.”
The saintly power that burst from Shang Feng multiplied countless times. Black demonic flames burned all over him, causing the temperature within the spatial domain to skyrocket. It was a dozen times hotter than boiling water.
Zhang Ruochen naturally wasn’t arrogant enough to think that he could fight with a fifth step Saint King.
Earlier, Shang Feng had underestimated Zhang Ruochen, wanting to suppress him with a casual strike. Zhang Ruochen had wanted to test his current strength, so he went squarely against Shang Feng.
Thud!
Zhang Ruochen raised the Emperor Yi Bone Staff and stabbed it into the ground. He held the skull at the top and added in a beam of Spiritual Power.
“Lava Nether Fire Palm.”
Shang Feng’s demonic flames rose in temperature again, melting the ground underfoot into golden liquid. He formed fist prints and struck powerfully.
Zhang Ruochen’s skin stung from the demonic flames. “Emperor Yi,” he uttered. “Awaken!”
Whoosh!
Icy Qi poured out of the Emperor Yi Bone Staff and it stood up, transforming into a huge black skeleton. There was a golden sarira embedded in the forehead, emanating with a divine aura.
Evil and divine forces were interwoven.
The black skeleton slapped forward, sending Shang Feng’s palm force flooding back.
Boom!
Shang Feng couldn’t block the black skeleton’s palm force and stumbled back a dozen steps. He was already hurt. After taking this hit, he couldn’t push down the injuries and coughed out blood.
“This… This is King Hun’s Emperor Yi Bone Staff…”
Shang Feng’s expression grew uncomfortable as he shook his head. “No, his staff isn’t so powerful.”
“Emperor Yi Bone Staff indeed isn’t this powerful, but I embedded a Buddha’s sarira, so now, it’s this powerful.”
Zhang Ruochen held the Abyss Ancient Sword and followed the black skeleton, activating the runes in his sword again.
The Emperor Yi Bone Staff was created from the skeleton and spine of a Supreme Saint. The skull also preserved a shred of the Supreme Saint’s soul, so it could unleash the power of a third step Saint King.
But after embedding the Buddha’s sarira, the staff was probably comparable to a peak fourth step Saint King now. It was far stronger than Zhang Ruochen.
The black skeleton attacked Shang Feng, striking with a black palm print. The print contained strings of golden Buddhist patterns that contained both just and evil strength.
Shang Feng was forced back again and he felt frustrated.
If the Fairy Extreme King and others hadn’t hurt him, his cultivation would be able to suppress the black skeleton and Zhang Ruochen.
Plus, to stop the Medicine King and Heaven Fire King’s last attack, Shang Feng had used all his defensive treasures. Now, his injuries would worsen with each hit he took from the black skeleton.
If I kill Zhang Ruochen, the Emperor Yi Bone Staff will just be a dead object.
Shang Feng stopped going up against the black skeleton. He used demonic steps and rushed out from between the skeleton’s legs, slapping toward Zhang Ruochen. This palm was at least three times stronger than his previous strike.
No matter how strong Zhang Ruochen was, he would either be injured greatly or killed by this strike.
But, much to Shang Feng’s annoyance, Zhang Ruochen didn’t face him squarely. Instead, he used the Spatial Move and appeared behind him, hacking down with his sword.
“You want to die?”
Shang Feng slapped backward and hit the Abyss Ancient Sword squarely.
Boom!
It was the sound of metal clashing. Zhang Ruochen flew backward, landing on the black skeleton’s head. His entire arm was numb with pain.
It couldn’t be helped. Shang Feng’s cultivation was too advanced. He could block the Abyss Ancient Sword with his bare hands. This power was indeed far above Zhang Ruochen.
But Shang Feng was even more frustrated. He was a fifth step Saint King, but he couldn’t even manage a half-step Saint King. This made him go crazy and he wanted to crush Zhang Ruochen.
Whatever. I must kill Zhang Ruochen even if it affects my injuries.
Earlier, Shang Feng had been worried that he would worsen his condition if he used too much force, leaving incurable injuries, so he restricted his cultivation to below a fifth step Saint King.
Now, he couldn’t care about that, because he couldn’t kill Zhang Ruochen without using a fifth step Saint King’s power.
If he killed Zhang Ruochen and made this great achievement, he would receive a high position in the Black Demon Field. Otherwise, his future would be extremely difficult because he’d infiltrated Thousand Pistil Field for so long and had no connections in the Black Demon Field.
Zhang Ruochen sensed Shang Feng’s aura strengthening and immediately moved the black skeleton to attack.
He also opened all 144 apertures. Holy Qi poured out, activating the fifth layer of power of the Hundred Saint Blood Armor.
Whoosh!
One hundred saintly projections flew out, standing all around the spatial domain. They guarded Zhang Ruochen like stars around the moon. Each projection had the power of an Absolute Land Saint.
The Hundred Saint Blood Armor had eight levels of power according to the respective realms: lower, middle, upper, Xuanhuang, Absolute Land, Heaven Pass, True, and Absolute Realm.
With Zhang Ruochen’s current cultivation, he could only unleash the sixth level. But if he did, it would be like 100 Heaven Pass Saints on him. It would push him down until he was immobile.
But if he unleashed the fifth level and had 100 Absolute Land Saints on him, he could still be very fast.
Boom!
Shang Feng used the power of a fifth step Saint King and stepped forward. An energy wave spread from the ground, making the black skeleton and Zhang Ruochen lose balance.
Boom!
Shang Feng punched the black skeleton in the chest, sending it flying.
Zhang Ruochen took this opportunity to condense the power of the 100 Saints. Like a war god in blood armor, he lifted the Abyss Ancient Sword and cut down on Shang Feng’s waist.
“This sword’s power isn’t bad, but you’re still not a third step Saint King. You’re nothing more than an ant to me.”
Shang Feng pressed down on the blade and actually grabbed the Abyss Ancient Sword, resolving all the power in that strike. Then he waved his arm, slamming the Abyss Ancient Sword and Zhang Ruochen onto the ground.
But before Zhang Ruochen could land, he vanished.
“The Spatial Move again.”
Shang Feng sensed small spatial ripples behind him.
His eyes hardened immediately. He took a step forward, stepping on the Abyss Ancient Sword’s blade. His overwhelming power crushed down like a mountain.
“Die!”
Shang Feng formed a palm print as fast as lightning and slapped Zhang Ruochen’s head.
Whoosh!
Zhang Ruochen vanished again, dodging Shang Feng’s fatal attack.
The next moment, he reappeared around 30 feet from Shang Feng. He knelt on the ground, panting for breath. The previous attacks had been extremely dangerous. If he’d been half an instant slower, he would’ve gotten killed.
Even with his precise calculations and escaping with the Spatial Move after each attack, he still got injured internally from Shang Feng’s palm force.
The black skeleton climbed up and returned to Zhang Ruochen’s side. His ghostly eyes stared at Shang Feng across from him.
Right now, Shang Feng felt his body turning extremely weak, as if he’d aged 200 years. This weakness felt even worse than his injuries.
“How can this be?”
Terror filled Shang Feng’s eyes. His body trembled and he couldn’t steady himself.
Different from him, Zhang Ruochen was filled with vibrant battle intent. He raised his Abyss Ancient Sword. Staring at the time print on it, he said smoothly, “It’s the power of time.”
His earlier strikes hadn’t meant to kill Shang Feng. Instead, he put many time prints onto Shang Feng to cut down his lifespan and weaken him.
The end was imminent, so Zhang Ruochen revealed this secret.
“Emperor Yi, go. Kill him,” Zhang Ruochen said indifferently.
