God Emperor

Hearing Huang Yanchen’s words, Zhang Ruochen froze momentarily. Had…the previous battle revealed something that made her start suspecting things?

Zhang Ruochen didn’t dare to continue looking at Huang Yanchen’s eyes. He turned immediately and gazed toward the scroll world as if he was indifferent.

Inside the scroll world, Bu Qianfan and Captain Rat’s battle was very intense. They couldn’t separate from each other.

“How come Bu Qianfan’s cultivation speed is so fast? He’s already at the Ninth Change of the Fish-Dragon Realm?”

This surprised Zhang Ruochen. He hadn’t expected that Bu Qianfan would cultivate faster than him.

Zhang Ruochen had focused most of his time on the Tao of Sword after coming to the Yin and Yang Sect, but he had the Qiankun Divine Map. Typical Monks couldn’t compare with his cultivation speed.

Mu Lingxi’s cultivation had surpassed him because she’d always been above him. She also had the Saint Source and had refined a drop of saintly blood. Even so, she was only in the Eighth Change. She was a level lower than Bu Qianfan.

Other than Bu Qianfan, it also surprised Zhang Ruochen that Huang Yanchen could reach the Seventh Change. He wondered how many hardships she’d gone through to accomplish this.

Boom!

Bu Qianfan’s aura was sharp. He grew more powerful as he fought. Soul apparitions flew from his every punch, making it seem like an army was fighting with him. The words in the scroll world were all pulverized.

It was no wonder that Captain Rat was an ancient thing either. He’d released his Laksana, which was as large as a mountain. Strands of demonic Qi flowed through it, clashing with Bu Qianfan’s fists.

They were equally powerful. It would be difficult to find a winner in a short time.

Finally, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes fell on Le in the near distance. A faint smile appeared on his face.

If Zhang Ruochen was only surprised that Bu Qianfan could reach the Ninth Change, then he was astonished that Le could reach the Ninth Change and stand before him.

Who would’ve thought that the practically-disabled youth from before would reach such great heights?

Zhang Ruochen really wanted to drink with him and hear about what he’d gone through. They could chat about swords and blood.

Earlier, Le had helped Huang Yanchen. This showed that the cold-blooded swordsman wasn’t so emotionless. His current cultivation didn’t make him forget how Zhang Ruochen had helped him before.

Back then, Le had entered Hades Department and became the most successful killer. Later, Hades Department had offended a young lord of the Black Market Excellence Hall. He’d been forced to turn to Duan Muya, the leader of the Sky Demon Mountain’s Demonic Sect and Mu Lingxi’s aunt.

If Zhang Ruochen guessed correctly, either Duan Muya or Mu Lingxi had recommended Le for the main sect of the Demonic Sect.

Le’s sword was known to “steal lives.” Even Ouyang Huan wouldn’t be fully confident in blocking his most powerful strike. And if one couldn’t block it, only death was an option.

Ouyang Huan had never fought with Le. Even if he was 99% sure, he still wouldn’t risk it.

Because he would be gambling with his life.

“If you wish to reach the peak, you must pass through me,” Le said emotionlessly.

“Okay!” Zhang Ruochen said.

“But your sword is already broken,” Le said.

Zhang Ruochen didn’t mind. “My sword has never been broken. The most important thing is that you need to have the ability to force me to use my sword.”

Le’s expression didn’t change. He was still as cold as ever. However, a sharp aura flared from his body.

A smile still remained on Zhang Ruochen’s face, though a powerful aura also gathered about him. It kept rising, battling Le’s aura.

Mu Lingxi knew that Zhang Ruochen was heavily injured. She also knew how terrifying Le’s sword was, so she was worried.

Wanting to prevent this battle, she quickly turned towards Le, saying, “Le—”

Zhang Ruochen and Le were very close together. One could behead the other as soon as he struck out with his sword. Thus, both were in their most sensitive states.

Mu Lingxi’s voice shattered the balance between them instantly.

Whoosh!

In an instant, Le flicked his wrist. He stabbed his sword so quickly that the sword had no shadow. The next moment, when the shadow appeared, the blade had already gone through Zhang Ruochen’s heart.

But then Zhang Ruochen’s body faded, transforming into white smoke.

In reality, when Le had moved his sword, Zhang Ruochen had already teleported away with extreme speed. Le’s sword had only pierced his shadow.

Le flicked his wrist and backhandedly stabbed behind him, piercing Zhang Ruochen’s heart again. This seemingly-average move was actually filled with mystery.

Only a Half-Saint could see clearly that Le’s sword had produced ten shadows that had formed a string and then overlapped. He was just too fast and regular people couldn’t catch this at all.

However, Le had missed again. He didn’t touch Zhang Ruochen’s body.

“He could dodge two of Le’s strikes in a row. How can Lin Yue be so fast?” Snake Two’s eyes widened in shock.

She knew that those who could dodge Le’s sword were all very powerful figures.

Ouyang Huan’s eyes were trained on Zhang Ruochen. “He’s not just fast,” he said. “More importantly, his judgement is shocking. He can always predict where Le will strike from and move beforehand.”

“Prophecy?” Snake Two asked. “But Lin Yue didn’t have this ability the last time we fought.”

Ouyang Huan shook his head. “It’s not Prophecy. It’s just that Lin Yue has rich battle experience, sight, and judgement, allowing him to accomplish this. It’s impossible without hundreds of years of experience, readings, and Tao of Sword knowledge. What kind of secret is Lin Yue keeping?”

Ouyang Huan obviously wouldn’t know that Zhang Ruochen had absorbed the knowledge and memory of a Half-Saint. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such precise judgement.

“Does this mean Le can’t beat Lin Yue?” Snake Two asked. “Should I go and help him?”

Ouyang Huan smiled thinly. “Lin Yue seems calm and hasn’t revealed any flaws, but Le has his ways to force Lin Yue to show a weakness. Don’t be impatient and wait. I’d like to see what other trump cards Lin Yue has.”

“Your sword hasn’t even touched the corner of my shirt,” Zhang Ruochen said.

Le stopped abruptly. He looked at Zhang Ruochen from the corner of his eye and then placed his sword horizontally. Closing his eyes, he started operating the Nine-Turn Life and Death Chant.

Life-Death Qi arose from his body instantly; there was the white Life Qi and black Death Qi. The two energies entangled with each other and rushed into the sword. The blade shook violently.

“Nothing Between Life and Death.”

A territory of deadly Sword Qi unfurled itself. Thousands of Sword Qi flew out of the territory, stabbing endlessly towards Zhang Ruochen.

Zhang Ruochen retreated, shock filling his eyes. He’s actually cultivated Life-Death Qi, he thought. Doesn’t this mean that he’s cultivated the Nine-Turn Life and Death Chant to the fifth turn?

The Nine-Turn Life and Death Chant that Le cultivated had been given to him by Zhang Ruochen. Naturally, Zhang Ruochen was clear about this technique’s characteristics.

Since he’d completed the fourth turn, Le hadn’t only gone through five lives and deaths. He might have gone through more than 50.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Sword Qi seemed to be a huge flood. It carried the strong Death Qi and flooded in all directions, wrapping around Zhang Ruochen. No matter how fast he was, he couldn’t dodge the Sword Qi.

At the same time, Le transformed into a beam of light. His sword stabbed forward, aiming at Zhang Ruochen’s heart for the third time.

Seeing this, both Mu Lingxi and Huang Yanchen clenched their fists, their hearts skipping a beat. They were both ready to rush up and stop Le.

Only Zhang Ruochen was still calm. “You are indeed strong,” he said. “You deserve my sword.”

Then he took his Void Sword. Gripping it, he cut downward. A powerful arc of Sword Qi flew out, shattering all the Sword Qis.

With a boom, the deadly Sword Qi territory shattered too.

Le’s eyes were filled with shock. He immediately parried with his sword. Colliding with that powerful Sword Qi, he flew backwards, not stopping until he fell down the mountain.

Dressed in the Shooting Star Invisibility Cloak and holding his Void Sword, Zhang Ruochen hovered above the steep steps. He looked down at Le. “Evidently, you can’t stop me.”