In the middle of the stone door, Zhang Ruochen steadied himself and immediately operated his gong methods to suppress his injuries.
True Qi circulated and flowed in his body, forming a large circumference and beginning to heal his injuries.
After a long time, Zhang Ruochen exhaled a long breath of white air, opened his eyes, and said, “What a powerful Di Yi, no wonder he was able to defeat the number one of the Earth Ranking, Bu Qianfan, with three swords.”
“Wow!”
The armour that originally wrapped around Zhang Ruochen’s right arm gradually faded away, revealing a bloody arm.
Just now, under Zhang Ruochen’s true qi healing, the cracked skin on the arm had already formed a layer of bloody scabs, forming a hideous scar pattern.
Entering the stone door, there was no water in the passageway, making it seem rather dry.
The river water in the Dragon Palace seemed to be blocked by a strange force outside the stone door.
Chang Qi Qi hurriedly walked over and said, ”Senior Brother Zhang, you are already very impressive! You just exchanged more than three moves with Emperor Yi, so in that case, you are even more powerful than the first step of the Earth Ranking, Qianfan.”
It was only after hearing Chang Qi Qi say this that the crowd reacted, and their hearts couldn’t help but be shocked.
The battle between Zhang Ruochen and Emperor Yi was indeed a bit shocking to the world, the two of them exchanged more than ten moves in total, and although Zhang Ruochen had been at a disadvantage, he had actually blocked Emperor Yi.
This battle record, if it was spread out, would definitely be able to make Zhang Ruochen famous in the Eastern Region, once again appearing in the Eastern Region Wind and Cloud Newspaper.
When Zhang Ruochen entered the top 100 of the Earth Ranking, Chen Xi’er felt that she had underestimated Zhang Ruochen’s talent in the past, so later on, she paid quite a bit of attention to Zhang Ruochen and even wanted to snatch him away from Huang Yichen.
A heavenly pride in the top one hundred of the Earth Ranking was considered a first-class heavenly pride even in Chen Xi’er’s clan.
But now, she realised how wrong she was before, with Zhang Ruochen’s strength, it wasn’t as simple as being in the top one hundred of the 《Earth Ranking》.
In her heart, she was even more jealous of Huang Yicun.
Zhang Ruochen glanced towards Chang Qiqi, gently shook his head, and laughed, ”You guys are underestimating Emperor Yi too much, in the very beginning of the battle, Emperor Yi didn’t use his full strength at all. It wasn’t until that final strike that Di Yi brought out his hidden power, completely. As you all saw, with just one move, I was seriously injured. For Bu Qianfan to be able to block two of Emperor’s moves and lose in the third is already quite remarkable. If we were to really fight, with my current strength, I might not be a match for Bu Qianfan.”
Zhang Ruochen’s physical base was too poor, and the time he had spent cultivating martial arts was too short; fortunately, he had reached the Supreme Extremity Realm in both the Yellow Extremity Realm and Xuan Extremity Realm, so he was now able to compete with the top geniuses.
There was still some gap between him and Emperor Yi’s type of innate Saint Body. Only by using the power of space and the power of the martial soul would it be possible to make up for it.
Of course, at both the Yellow Extreme Realm and the Xuan Extreme Realm, he had reached the Supreme Extreme Realm, which meant that his martial foundation had been laid quite firmly, and as his cultivation deepened, his advantages would gradually reveal themselves.
It was like building a tower, only the more solid and broad the foundation was built, in the future, could the tower be built higher.
Di Yi’s foundation was his innate Saint Body, which was like the “tower centre pillar” of the tower, as long as the “tower centre pillar” didn’t fall down, the tower wouldn’t fall down, and could be built upwards all the time.
Zhang Ruochen’s foundation was to walk steadily in every realm, reaching the extreme of every realm, and when he built the first layer of the tower, he had already built the base of the tower to be the widest and broadest, reaching the extreme.
Si Xingkong said, “Di Yi’s last move exploded with the power of the Sacred Body, and the martial skill he struck was even the Ghost Grade Lower Grade ‘Human King’s Fist’, that level of power is terrifying to think about.”
“Luckily, he didn’t cultivate the ‘Human King Fist’ to its grand completion, otherwise, I might not have been able to block the power of that punch.”
Zhang Ruochen laughed and added, “Of course, if I had successfully cultivated the sixth palm of the Dragon Image Prajna Palm, the ‘Divine Dragon’s Tribulation’, I wouldn’t have been injured in that duel just now.”
Cultivating martial arts was not something that could be done overnight, Zhang Ruochen had only started cultivating at the age of sixteen, sixteen years later than Emperor Yi, and to be able to have the achievements he had now was already quite good.
“Cousin-in-law, your injuries haven’t healed yet! This is a healing elixir I found just now, the Insect Core Flower, it should help you recover from your injuries quickly.”
Chen Xier took out a white spirit flower and handed it to Zhang Ruochen, staring at him with affection, as if she was deliberately trying to please him.
Zhang Ruochen was not polite and took the Insect Core Flower, and with a gentle sniff, he could smell the medicinal fragrance coming from the flower.
This Bug Core Flower, which had probably grown for eight or nine hundred years ago, had snow-white crystalline leaves, petals, and rhizomes, as if there was a spiritual liquid flowing inside.
“It is indeed a healing treasure medicine.” Zhang Ruochen glanced towards Chen Xi’er and said, “Thank you.”
Chen Xi’er smiled lightly and said, “Cousin-in-law, we are family, why do we need to say thank you? Besides, if you hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have been able to pick the Insect Core Herb.”
Zhang Ruochen released his Spirit Flame True Qi and refined the Insect Core Grass in his palm.
The Cordyceps Core Grass gradually melted and turned into a milky white liquid that hovered in Zhang Ruochen’s palm.
Zhang Ruochen divided the liquid into three portions and gave them to Zixi and Huang Yichen respectively, before taking the last portion himself.
The Worm Core Grass was indeed a precious medicine for healing, and after half an hour of absorption, Zhang Ruochen, Zi Xi, and Huang Yichen’s injuries were healed.
The blood scabs on Zhang Ruochen’s arms fell off, revealing a layer of intact skin, not even a scar.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen felt that his Martial Soul seemed to have recovered a bit, and his brain was no longer as vaguely painful as before.
The group continued to move forward, passing through the long passageway and entering the hinterland of the hill.
The passageway became wider and wider, and a golden light appeared ahead as the group arrived at an underground proto-square.
The plaza, as big as two football fields, was surrounded by stone walls engraved with golden lines.
Above it, there was a golden fireball suspended, and there seemed to be a small golden dragon, flying in the fireball.
“I thought I would still encounter many more formations and dangers, but I was surprised to come to the hinterland of the hill so easily? I wonder where the golden dragon is buried?”
Chang Qi Qi rubbed her hands together, her eyes searching around.
Zhang Ruochen also found it quite strange, being the tomb of the Golden Dragon, how could it be so easy for them to break in?
Right at this moment, Zhang Ruochen suddenly found a hint of something wrong and looked towards Chang Qi Qi who was still talking just a moment ago, and realised that Chang Qi Qi had become motionless, a layer of golden light surfacing on the surface of his body, as if he had turned into a golden statue.
Not only Chang Qi Qi, but also Si Xingkong, Chen Xi’er, Huang Yichen, Duanmu Xingling, Zi Xi, and even that one rabbit, Pot Pot Pot, were all still.
There was not a single breath of life in their bodies.
“How could this happen? Senior Sister Huang.”
Zhang Ruochen’s face changed as he walked towards Huang Yichen and probed towards her hand.
However, only just after touching Huang Yichen’s hand, an electric shock came from Huang Yichen’s hand, bouncing Zhang Ruochen away.
“Young man, don’t be alarmed, they are only temporarily held by my Vajra Buddha Statute, they can’t die yet!” An old voice rang out.
That one voice was very hoarse, yet it gave off a sacred feeling, like a holy voice coming from above the Nine Heavens.
“Wow!”
A small golden dragon flew down from the fireball, transforming into an old man whose entire body emitted golden light and stood in front of Zhang Ruochen.
That one old man, very amiable, with a wrinkled face and long hair hanging to the ground, cupped a Buddhist staff in his hand, and a circular circle of Buddhist light hanging behind his head.
Seeing this old man, Zhang Ruochen’s emotions were incomparable, a tear escaped from his eye and he immediately bowed, his voice somewhat whimpering as he said, “Greetings to Senior Golden Dragon.”
A trace of doubt appeared in that one old man’s eyes as he said, “Young man, you know the old dragon?”
“Eight hundred years ago, senior was in the Ming Emperor Palace and had met senior once. At that time, senior also instructed senior in sword practice, and what senior said at that time, senior still remembers to this day.” Zhang Ruochen’s eyes were a little misty, revealing a smile.
It had been eight hundred years, the sea had changed, things were different, and almost all of his former friends and relatives had died.
Being able to still see his former elders, Zhang Ruochen’s mood was indescribably excited and sad.
For the Golden Dragon, more than eight hundred years had passed since the events of that year.
However, for Zhang Ruochen, only two or three years had passed.
It was like waking up from a dream, and the entire world had become different, making it difficult to accept.
The Golden Dragon in human form looked exactly the same as it did back then, which was why Zhang Ruochen instantly recognised him when he saw him. In these two years, Zhang Ruochen had been suppressing the emotions in his heart until this moment, when he finally let it out in a rush.
The Golden Dragon was a little surprised and said, “Young man, if the old dragon is not mistaken, you are not even twenty years old, right?”
Zhang Ruochen simply said, “Eight hundred years ago, when Emperor Buddha and Emperor Ming were discussing martial arts, Senior Golden Dragon visited Emperor Ming’s Palace along with Emperor Buddha. That year, I was only nine years old. On one of those days, Princess Chi Yao and I were cultivating the Yin-Yang Two-Yi Sword Formation in the garden, and Senior Golden Dragon passed by, watched for a long time, then came over and said, “Both of you juniors, you are both very talented in the Dao of the Sword, it’s just a pity that the Yin-Yang Two-Yi Sword Formation is unsuitable for you to cultivate at the moment.”
“Just then, Princess Chi Yao swung her sword at you and chanted, Old man with golden beard, if you have the ability, say it again?”
“Elder Golden Dragon smiled faintly and said, the so-called Yin and Yang, it must be two lovers who know and love each other in order for the power of the sword formation to be fully unleashed. You two brats, what do you know about love? What do you know about complementary yin and yang? The blending of water and milk? Therefore, you guys are just wasting your time cultivating this sword formation right now, at most you can only rehearse the moves, you can’t even reach the realm of the divine essence. Ten years from now, practice again!”
Hearing Zhang Ruochen repeat the words of that year word for word, a look of shock appeared on the Golden Dragon’s face, “You …… are the son of the …… Ming Emperor …… ”
When one reaches the twentieth rank of spiritual power, they can achieve unforgettable vision.
Therefore, even after eight hundred years had passed, the Golden Dragon was still able to recall the events of that day.
