Chapter 2284: Release the Celestial Captives, Open the Hunting Ground
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
When Zhang Ruochen was in seclusion in Sevenstar Imperial Palace, he spent a lot of time studying the fifth level technique of Incarceration of Divine Demon. He even took out Demonic Incarceration Portrait to comprehend it.
However, it was a high-level Thousand-Koan Saint Technique that even a Thousand-Koan Realm Supreme Saint would need a long time to master.
Probably due to the great difference in cultivation levels, even with the help of the Heart of Truth, Zhang Ruochen still felt that the fifth level technique was abstruse. There were still many aspects that he failed to understand.
Zhang Ruochen had asked Divine Sky-connecting Tree for advice. Divine Sky-connecting Tree had told him that when a cultivator executed a high-level Saint Technique, not only the person’s power was activated. The technique would also activate or affect the surrounding energy.
It was like when a mortal was waving his palm, it would bring a slight wind.
The wind was the surrounding energy.
The more advanced a high-level Saint Technique was, the higher its compatibility with Heaven and Earth, and the more surrounding energy would get triggered.
That was why it was difficult for a cultivator to comprehend a high-level Saint Technique if his realm was not high enough.
Theoretical speaking, a Neverwilt Realm Supreme Saint should not be able to master a high-level Hundred-Shackle Realm Saint Technique; a Hundred-Shackle Realm Supreme Saint could not master a high-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique.
In other words, it was highly unlikely for Zhang Ruochen, a Neverwilt Realm Supreme Saint, to master a high-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique.
Even for Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm Strike, which Zhang Ruochen had practiced since young, he could only fuse three Thousand-Koan Realm dragon souls and elephant souls. His achievement could only be considered as Minor Completion. If he wanted to achieve the Grand Completion, he would need to fuse two more Thousand-Koan Realm dragon souls and elephant souls. He also needed to develop a deeper understanding of Palm techniques.
With the help of rare treasures, including an Ampliofruit and Divine Jade Dew, Zhang Ruochen’s head was clear. He closed his eyes and could feel the various Precepts and inscriptions around his body.
The Precepts in his body became clearer.
Demonic Incarceration Portrait automatically appeared in his mind.
The runes of the Incarceration of Divine Demon floated around the portrait. He could finally understood the previously obscure parts quickly. It was as if they were enlightened.
After a long while, Lord Sinluo, who was sitting across from Destiny’s Creek, realized that Zhang Ruochen unleashed massive demonic Qi.
The demonic Qi gathering behind Zhang Ruochen turned into a dark cloud. It evolved into different forms. Sometimes it was a demonic ancient mountain; sometimes it turned into a black tree; and sometimes it was an army of demonic ghosts…
“He is practicing a high-level Demonic Saint Technique with the help of the Ampliofruit and Divine Jade Dew.”
Lord Sinluo widened his eyes and gritted his teeth. If he hadn’t lost the duel against Zhang Ruochen, he could have used an Ampliofruit to advance the Deathkin’s Mindspell that he had practiced for a hundred years to Great Perfection.
Lady Wind, who was sitting not far away, fixed her gaze and thought, ‘What a powerful demonic aura. It has triggered the surrounding Precepts. Is Zhang Ruochen practicing a high-level Hundred-Shackle Saint Technique?’
There were many Supreme Saints practicing high-level Saint Techniques with the help of the Ampliofruits. However, there were only a few whose power fluctuations were comparable to Zhang Ruochen’s.
It was indeed amazing for a Neverwilt Realm cultivator to be able to practice a high-level Hundred-Shackle Realm Saint technique.
The Supreme Saints who were qualified to attend the Celestial-Hunting Festival were all peerless talents. However, when they saw that Zhang Ruochen was about to succeed in practicing a high-level Hundred-Shackle Realm Saint Technique, they all sighed in admiration.
“This energy waves…”
With a thoughful look on his face, Yan Wushen was staring at Zhang Ruochen, who was sitting cross-legged.
Boom!
All of a sudden, more demonic Qi condensed with Zhang Ruochen as the center. It emerged out of thin air, turning Destiny’s Creek Valley into a Demonic Sea of Qi that extends further.
Behind Zhang Ruochen, strands of demonic Qi intertwined with each other and rose up.
Puurple thunderous lightnings accompanied with the demonic Qi.
Demonic Qi and lightning interweaved and condensed into a huge phantom of a God and Demon. To be exact, it was a twin. The phantom’s front was a demon’s appearance, and its back was a god’s appearance. The phantom was like an indomitable statue looking down on the cultivators in Destiny Creek.
“High-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique,” Yan Wushen muttered to himself.
The cultivators of Destiny Creek could feel the terrifying pressure of the Phantom of God and Demon. How could they not know that Zhang Ruochen had practiced the high-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique?
They were even more shocked. They instinctively felt that it should have been impossible.
If Zhang Ruochen was so heaven-defying, then they, who had become the top elites among Saint Kings and Supreme Saints within a thousand years… No, they did not deserve to be called top elites. They were just a bunch of mediocre people.
How could they accept such an outcome?
“Zhang Ruochen must have hidden his cultivation rank. He must have attained Hundred-Shackle Realm long ago.”
“That’s right. It must be so. No wonder Lord Sinluo and Xu lost to Zhang Ruochen. Zhang Ruochen is so cunning. He has been hiding his real strength too well.”
“It’s said that regardless of one’s cultivation rank, as long as one practices a high-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique, one can use it against a Thousand-Koan Realm Supreme Saint. Does Zhang Ruochen already have the strength to fight against the Thousand-Koan Realm Supreme Saint?”
…
Zhang Ruochen had triggered heated discussion. He never failed to surprise others during the Celestial-Hunting Festival.
In the Divine Bone Pagoda hovering above, those Thousand-Koan Realm Supreme Saints couldn’t calm down either. They exclaimed. Among them, there were cultivators who hadn’t practiced the high-level Thousand-Koan Realm Saint Technique to grand completion.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the vast demonic Qi into his body. The Phantom of the God and Demon disappeared.
However, the domineering demonic temperament remained on him. His long hair fluttered in the wind, his eyes demonic.
The power of the Immortal Vampire blood in his body surpassed that of human blood.
His Demonic power grew even stronger.
The Kunlun cultivators watching the projection couldn’t relate the current Zhang Ruochen with the former him. It was as if he was a gentle and elegant scholar who had completely fallen and turned into an unrivaled demon king who could wield a massive amount of evil power.
Many of them who stood firmly on Zhang Ruochen’s side became silent at this moment.
They didn’t doubt Zhang Ruochen. However, they perceived that the Infernal Court deities must have forced Zhang Ruochen into such a state, bewitched him, refined his saint soul, or planted an evil seed in him.
On the other hand, Bloodsky Clan cultivators were overjoyed and became more confident in Zhang Ruochen.
With the leadership of Zhang Ruochen and Lord Xia Yu, this year’s Celestial-Hunting Festival would definitely change their fate. They would not get ranked bottom again.
Bloodsky Clan cultivators only worshipped the powerful ones. It didn’t matter whether Zhang Ruochen had changed or not.
So what if he had become a demon?
Good and evil, deity and demon, existed within every living being and dead spirit. No matter what a person had become, it was still the same person.
There was no absolute good or pure evil.
With just a thought, one could become good or evil.
“My Precepts have increased by 100 million, and my lifespan has increased by 3,000 years. No wonder it’s a rare fruit that can only be eaten once every 1,000 years.” Zhang Ruochen exclaimed after examining his condition carefully.
However, what made Zhang Ruochen most satisfied was the fact that the Ampliofruit had assisted him in practicing high-level Saint Techniques.
Therefore, he did not continue to consume the remaining eight Ampliofruits. He planned to save them for the time he needed them the most. Now, improving his Precepts and lifespan was not an urgent matter.
Zhang Ruochen’s number of Precepts — 1.6 billion — had already surpassed many Hundred-Shackle Realm Supreme Saints.
“Eh! The first shackle has loosened so much. Could it be the effect of the Ampliofruit?”
Zhang Ruochen found that the first shackle on his right arm was in plain sight. Moreover, he could shake it without consuming a Fugue pill.
If the Ampliofruit could help him break that shackle, then…
He had to reconsider his previous plan.
Nothing was more important than breaking through to Hundred-Shackle Realm.
During the time he was practicing Incarceration of Divine Demon, all duels at the feast had ended.
Most cultivators had eaten all the food, including Ampliofruits and Altofruits.
Altofruit could help a top Saint King practice one of the cultivation Paths to the Great Perfection.
Of course, the Great Perfection here referred to the state of a single Path. In other words, it meant a Saint King could attain one million Precepts of a single Path.
Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen had reached the Great Perfection in their Saint Kinghood, which was to practice the total Precepts of all Paths to 100 million. It was more than ten times more difficult than practicing a single Path to Great Perfection.
Of course, cultivating a single Path to Great Perfection was not easy either. Without valuable support items like Altofruits, in a thousand years, only a few in the entire Infernal Court could achieve it.
Cultivators like Xue Chen, Luo Sha, and Pan Ruo were waiting for Altofruits. Their cultivation rank stopped at Saint King realm and did not break through to the next realm.
Before entering Supreme Sainthood, cultivating their main Path to the Great Perfection was very important for them to form a higher grade Saintwill in the future.
Almost all of the Saint Kings present were at Path’s Anterior. Before they went to the festival, they had prepared some items that could help cultivate Neverwither physique. As long as they ate the Altofruits, they could immediately enter Supreme Sainthood.
Furthermore, most of the food they ate were ingredients that could help them form a Neverwither physique and resist tribulations.
That was why there were Saint Kings broke through to the Supreme Saint realm almost every second.
Saint Kings who could reach Path’s Anterior had already overcome countless obstacles. They were only one step away from the Supreme Sainthood. Although there were cultivators who failed to break through, the proportion was less than 10 percent.
It was just an event in Infernal Court, but thousands of Supreme Saints were born in an instant.
The morale of Celestial Court cultivators on the Battlefield of Merits was unprecedentedly low. Some were envious; some had lost their combat spirit, and some were secretly in despair.
Especially the cultivators from the inferior worlds, their feelings were even more complicated. Not only did they suffer a great blow, but they also felt unequal strength. Why did Infernal Court have so many top-notch cultivation resources? Didn’t Celestial Court have them?
The four dominant Macroworlds definitely had them, and the Celestial Palace definitely had them. Why didn’t they share them?
Were they eaten by those pampered Scions and Scionesses, or were they enjoyed by the deities themselves?
What they didn’t know was that the cultivators who could participate in the Celestial-Hunting Festival were mostly Scions and Scionesses. Some were descendants of deities, and some had huge backgrounds. It was very difficult for ordinary cultivators of Infernal Court to practice to the Supreme Saint realm within a thousand years.
The strong would always be strong.
In any case, Infernal Court’s goal of sending the projection to all the Macroworlds had been achieved.
Zhang Ruochen released his Saint Devourer. A large number of vines reached into Destiny’s Creek to absorb the water.
One couldn’t drink as much water from Destiny’s Creek as one wanted. If one’s physique wasn’t strong enough, it would soon reach saturation.
When Zhang Ruochen finished eating the food on the jade table, the Saint Devourer had just reached saturation.
“Master, with the help of the water of Destiny’s Creek, I should be able to produce a more powerful Dharmakāya Fruit. Once I have cultivated a Dharmakāya, I should be able to fight against an elite like Xu.”
The Saint Devourer did not dare to say too much. After all, Xu was not an ordinary cultivator. He had not used his full strength in the few times he fought against Zhang Ruochen.
The Dharmakāya Fruit was the fourth fruit of the Saint Devourer.
Once a Dharmakāya was cultivated, the Saint Devourer’s strength would be comparable to a Hundred-Shackle Realm Supreme Saint who had achieved Great Perfection.
Ever since the Saint Devourer followed Zhang Ruochen, it had absorbed many strong cultivators and treasures. The Dharmakāya it cultivated was, of course, extraordinary. Otherwise, it wouldn’t dare to claim that it could fight against Xu.
“How much longer will it take for your Dharmakāya Fruit to ripe?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
“During master’s seclusion, I absorbed a lot of divine blood from the god corpse. My Dharmakāya is close to maturity. If I can absorb two Ampliofruits, I should…” the Saint Devourer said.
Zhang Ruochen interrupted it. “Don’t even think about it.”
In order to cultivate the Saint Devourer, Zhang Ruochen had spent resources enough for 20 Supreme Saints. What was important was that it didn’t have the threshold of the realm. It could break through fast enough and had great potential in the future.
However, the Ampliofruit would never be given to it. That was Zhang Ruochen’s core interest.
“I can give you Godstones for you to cultivate a Dharmakāya as soon as possible,” Zhang Ruochen said.
If the Saint Devourer could cultivate a Dharmakāya, Zhang Ruochen would have four Hundred-Shackle Realm elites of the Great Perfection. It would be of great help to him to take first place in the Celestial-Hunting Festival.
At the peak of Mount Destiny, a figure tens of thousands of feet tall walked out of the towering Fane building. He wore a black robe and looked very old. Although he was huge, he looked as small as a bean before the Fane building.
“Greetings, High Priest.”
At the feast in Destiny’s Creek region, all cultivators sat upright and said in unison with cupped fists.
The feast had ended, and the Celestial-Hunting battlefield was about to open.
The twelve divisions of the Fane of Destiny: Life Palace, Death Palace, Disaster Palace, Fortune Palace, Joy Palace, Anger Palace, Luck Palace, Misfortune Palace, Past Palace, Future Palace, Illusion Palace, and Reality Palace, each controlling different kinds of power and authority.
The Celestial-Hunting Festival was hosted and organized by the Fortune Palace which played the most important role.
The Fortune Palace’s Black Robe High Priest was the manager chosen by Fukurokuju. A high priest was in charge of everything below Divine Realm.
The Fortune Palace’s Black Robe High Priest raised his voice and said, “Release the Celestial Captives and open the hunting ground.”
The space at the foot of the Fane of Destiny shook violently. Dimensional Gates appeared, connecting to different places.
Prisoners with their power sealed were chained. They walked out of the Dimensional Gates. They were all above Demi-Sainthood, and many of them had entered Supreme Sainthood.
There were humans, angels, and elves.
There were dragons and great rocs.
There were also plant-type creatures and stone clan cultivators.
There were monks and Daoist priests.
…
…
More and more prisoners walked out of the Dimensional Gates.