God Emperor

The Whitesun Arrow blasted out, and turned into a dazzling white beam of light, and caught up to the fleeing Baihuan Shenzi.     

Baihuan stopped and looked back. Upon recognizing the arrow clearly, he said to himself, "Why is Lord Whitesun's arrow in the hands of a human?"     

"All of the greatest mountains rise from the ground."     

Baihuan Shenzi formed a finger technique, and with the gemstone in his hand, pressed against the ground.     

Suddenly, the land in front of him shook violently, as one mountain rose one after another.     

The mountains were at least a kilometer high, formed out of rocks, and was as hard as iron.     

The sound of explosions rang out.     

The Whitesun Arrow shot through the mountains and closed in on Baihuan Shenzi, just inches away from striking him.     

Baihuan Shenzi's figure blurred and then disappeared.     

The Whitesun Arrow hit the ground, leaving a trench tens of miles long on the ground.     

Whoosh!!     

Baihuan Shenzi reappeared again and spread three pairs of silver wings. Holding a crimson grinding disc in his hand, he appeared above the Whitesun Arrow.     

"Come."     

A large number of inscriptions appeared on the crimson grinding disc, forming a powerful vortex that pulled the Whitesun Arrow.     

"Lord Whitesun was the number one God of War in the Azuresky Clan, and his Azuresky Bow and Whitesun Arrow are both treasures that surpass Sacred Artifacts of the tenth radiance. If I can get the arrow, I can command the Immortal Vampires of the Whitesun Star. Then, I will be the king of the Whitesun Star."     

Baihuan Shenzi knew very well the value of the Whitesun Arrow, and so he was very excited and tried to take it away with all his might.     

Zhang Ruochen noticed that Baihuan Shenzi was trying to take the Whitesun Arrow, so he mobilized all of his Saint Qi and infused it into the Azuresky Bow, using the connection between the Azuresky Bow and the Whitesun Arrow to retrieve the Whitesun Arrow. The two fought fiercely and one tried to seize it while another tried to retrieve it.     

"Big Brother, let me help you."     

Xiang Chunan took the metal demon crown and activated its supreme power. He then lifted his hand, and the demon crown flew out.     

A moment later, the metal demon crown flew to the sky above Baihuan Shenzi, and formed a thick demonic cloud and suppressing everything beneath it. The air in the area where Baihuan stood suddenly became denser and denser as the space seemed to freeze.     

At the same time, Murong Yue blasted out her Bluelight Blunt Crescent while Xie Chengzi unleashed its Bloodthirst Ring as the two attacked Baihuan Shenzi from two directions.     

Baihuan Shenzi looked up and muttered, "A Supreme Sacred Artifact."     

Immediately afterward, he saw the Bluelight Blunt Crescent, and his eyes sank again. "An Ancient Divine Relic. Who are these cultivators, why do they have so many top-tier combat artifacts with them?"     

Baihuan Shenzi gave up taking the Whitesun Arrow, and put his hands together.     

Immediately, his body shrank, and finally turned into a light spot, and disappeared.     

Boooommm!!!     

The metal demon crown, the Bluelight Blunt Crescent, the Bloodthirst Ring all bombarded the area one after another and shattered that piece of land. Dust was kicked up into the heavens as the entire area was filled with chaotic energies.     

Zhang Ruochen used the Domain of Space to protect him as he rushed to the periphery of the shattered earth. With a swipe of his sleeve and a rip in the air later, he retrieved the Whitesun Arrow.     

"Sure enough, he ran away again." Zhang Ruochen frowned.     

Baihuan Shenzi's combat power may have been weaker than the Blood Wasp Ashuran King's, but his skills in illusion conjuration were nothing trivial. It would be much more difficult to kill him than to kill the Blood Wasp Ashuran King.     

What was even more troublesome was that Baihuan Shenzi could transform his appearance and figure; he was unpredictable. If he deliberately planned to assassinate a cultivator, that cultivator would most likely end up dead.     

"Letting Baihuan Shenzi escape means there will be endless troubles later on. We need to be extremely careful after this," Murong Yue said worriedly.     

"He won't escape."     

Xiang Chunan grunted, as he used his Eye of Clairvoyance and began to look for Baihuan Shenzi's tracks.     

On the other end, Ji Fanxin used a spiritual power technique to tame the Bloodhunch Netherbeast, and stood beautifully on its back, as both of them came to Zhang Ruochen.     

Shi Ren squeezed his hands tightly and rushed toward the Bloodhunch Netherbeast as he pulled out the Seven Tribulations Saint Suppressant Talisman, saying, "Fairy, this beast has devoured my clansmen, I want to kill it to avenge my people."     

Ji Fanxin wore a veil and gave off a mysterious, nebulous aura of beauty. "I've asked the Bloodhunch Netherbeast earlier, it did not devour your people. In fact, the cultivators of the Zhenyu Clan only fought Baihuan Shenzi for a moment before retreating into the black plains deep within the ancient clan holdings," she said in a melodious voice.     

Shi Ren was stunned for a moment before revealing joy on his face. "They must have retreated back to the Sword Vault."     

In the depths of the clan holding was a Black Wilderness that was shrouded by dark clouds all year round.     

That wilderness was extremely cold, and mortals would have frozen to death within an hour if they were there. However, for such a cold place, it had a lot of active volcanoes, and the areas near the volcanoes were extremely hot.     

In this land where fire and ice intertwined, there were countless swords and corpses of sword cultivators buried within it.     

Zhang Ruochen came to the outskirts of the Black Wilderness and stopped, not moving any farther.     

Xiang Chunan flew to the edge of one of the volcanoes and looked into the distance. "I'm pretty sure Baihuan Shenzi entered the Sword Vault from here. However, the Precepts of Heavens and Earth in the Sword Vault are somewhat special. A mysterious force is interfering with my Eye of Clairvoyance. I can only see the tracks left by Baihuan Shenzi but not his real body."     

Zhang Ruochen had been to the Sword Vault before and naturally, knew of the vault's special environment.     

"The Precepts of Heaven and Earth in the Sword Vault is different from other places. This place is filled with many Path of Sword precepts, while the others have all been pushed out. When a sword cultivator comes here, their strength will increase by many folds. Anyone who is not a sword cultivator will have their strength weakened by many folds," Zhang Ruochen said.     

Murong Yue said, "Your Highness is a sword cultivator, so killing Baihuan Shenzi in the Sword Vault will be easy. How about we pursue him, and get rid of this great foe first?"     

Zhang Ruochen shook his head gently and said, "If it was just Baihuan Shenzi alone, then he is nothing to be afraid of. I'm worried that there are much more powerful Immortal Vampires that have entered the Sword Vault."     

"Killing Baihuan Shenzi is a secondary matter, the most important thing is that they must not be allowed to release Lord Ming from the Nether Dungeon."     

"Let's meet with the cultivators of the Zhenyu Clan first. As long as we refine the Blood Suppressant Talismans, it will be much easier to deal with the Immortal Vampires."     

Shi Ren agreed with Zhang Ruochen's decision. He nodded and said, "I have a secret method to make contact with my clansmen."     

Shi Ren took out a piece of talisman, and cut his index finger, using his Saint Blood to draw a strange pattern on the talisman.     

He then lit the talisman up and burned it into ashes.     

"This is the secret method you mentioned?"     

Xiang Chunan scratched his head, somewhat puzzled.     

Shi Ren held his hands behind him as he smiled and nodded. "Yes, we just need to wait here. The elders of the Zhenyu Clan will come to meet us soon."     

After waiting for about the time an incense stick would burn out, two old men clad in mysterious garbs appeared from the ground not too far away from Zhang Ruochen.     

The two elders, upon seeing Shi Ren, were both overjoyed as they stepped forward to greet him. "Oh! Young chieftain, is it really you? You are finally back!"     

"Elder Xuanfeng, Elder Xuanhai."     

Shi Ren's cultivation had surpassed both elders, yet he still folded his fists and bowed to them.     

Elder Xuanfeng, who had a black mole at the center of his eyebrows, glanced at Xiang Chunan, as well as the others, warily and asked, "Young chieftain, who are these people?"     

"Elder Xuanfeng, long time no see." Zhang Ruochen stepped out.     

Elder Xuanfeng saw Zhang Ruochen and immediately recognized him as he exclaimed in surprise, "Zhang Ruochen!"     

Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "For one of the six great Swordbearers of the Zhenyu Clan to appear in the Sword Vault, I'm sure you don't have to be that surprised, Elder Xuanfeng?"     

Zhang Ruochen's cultivation base was unlike before, and even if Elder Xuanfeng had lived in seclusion within the Zhenyu Clan's holdings, he would have heard the news and dared not regard Zhang Ruochen as a mere junior.     

Standing before Zhang Ruochen, the two elders even felt a little nervous and a lot of pressure.     

Shi Ren said, "Please don't be suspicious, dear elders. They are all friends of mine and Zhang Ruochen. Naturally, they are also friends of the Zhenyu Clan."     

"Young chieftain, you may not know this, but the Immortal Vampires are proficient in the art of transformation, and they can hide among the cultivators we know. That is impossible to guard against. Not too long ago, a top-tier Immortal Vampire elite tried to sneak into the Zhenyu Clan, and if the patriarch had not seen through his guise in advance, the entire Zhenyu Clan would have been annihilated," Elder Xuanhai said with lingering fear.     

Shi Ren said, "We have repelled the top powerhouse of the Immortal Vampires."     

"How can that be?" Elder Xuanfeng and Elder Xuanhai exclaimed at the same time.     

Immediately after, Elder Xuanfeng said, "I have seen that Immortal Vampire's moves with my own eye. It is almost the level of unpredictable. Even when compared the Azuresky Blood Emperor of yore, he is not much weaker."     

"But he has indeed been defeated by Zhang Ruochen," Shi Ren said.     

Upon hearing this, Elder Xuanfeng and Elder Xuanhai looked at each other, with an ecstatic expression in their eyes.     

To them, Baihuan Shenzi's existence was like a nightmare. The entire Zhenyu Clan could not do anything to him, so they could only retreat back into the Sword Vault. Zhang Ruochen's ability to defeat him, was naturally a happy event, for them who were worried and fearful.     

Elder Xuanfeng and Elder Xuanhai looked at Zhang Ruochen again. Their eyes were filled with awe and respect as they both bowed to him. "We beseech you, Swordbearer, to protect the Zhenyu Clan."     

"Please, don't be so polite, elders, take us to meet the patriarch!"     

Zhang Ruochen raised his hand, and the two elders stood up straight again.     

The Sword Vault Palace was not just a palace, but also a very powerful sacred artifact.     

The patriarch of the Zhenyu Clan, Shi Qiankun, had used the Sword Vault Palace to take away all members of the Zhenyu Clan and fly into the Sword Vault to hide. That was how they avoided being annihilated by Baihuan Shenzi.     

The Sword Vault Palace.     

The cultivators of Zhenyu Clan stood on the right, headed by Shi Qiankun.     

Zhang Ruochen, Ji Fanxin, Xiang Chunan... and the others all were seated on the left side of the palace.     

Zhang Ruochen took out the imprint of the Saint-King Blood Suppressant Talisman and handed it to Shi Qiankun. "With this talisman, the Zhenyu Clan should be able to resolve this crisis."     

Zhang Ruochen had once asked Shi Qiankun to refine Demi Saint and Saint-level Blood Suppressant Talismans, so Shi Qiankun was no stranger to them.     

After receiving the pattern, Shi Qiankun studied it carefully and his eyes brightened.     

However, a moment later, Shi Qiankun frowned deeply and said, "The Saint-King Blood Suppressant Talisman would definitely work against an Immortal Vampire of the Seven-Step Saint King and below, however it will not be as effective against anyone that is above that."     

Xiang Chunan boldly said, "If one is not enough, then we'll throw ten, or dozens together."     

Shi Qiankun shook his head. "Even if dozens of Saint-King Blood Suppressant Talismans were to be deployed at the same time. It can only suppress an Eight-step Saint King Immortal Vampire, but against a Nine-step Saint King one, it will not have much effect unless there is a higher-level talisman."