Chapter 1153: One by One

“This is impossible.” The crowd instinctively recoiled, their eyes wide with disbelief. “We didn't see your Du Jie Yi Xiang; how could you have advanced to Sheng Ren?”

“Who said advancing to Sheng Ren requires a Yi Xiang?” Ruo Tian Zhuque offered a sweet smile, but to the nine individuals, that enchanting smile was like the god of death beckoning, opening the gates to their demise.

“How did you do it?” Tian Long Wang’s eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Ruo Tian Zhuque.

“Curious?” Ruo Tian Zhuque glanced at Tian Long Wang with a smile. “Cripple your Zhun Sheng cultivation, and I’ll tell you.”

“You…” Tian Long Wang’s blood surged, but he didn’t dare to step forward. Ruo Tian Zhuque was now a Sheng Ren, and while the gap between Zhun Sheng and Sheng Ren was only half a step, it was a vast chasm in terms of levels. Di Long Wang’s earlier defeat was a stark and bloody lesson—utterly crushed in a single move by a Sheng Ren.

The others were no different; none dared to advance.

A grave miscalculation, a serious blunder.

They, nine Zhun Sheng, had come together, confident they could collectively handle a formidable foe. Instead, they found themselves in this unforeseen predicament. What an irony—they had arrived with such bravado, only to face a Sheng Ren. Even more absurdly, they had foolishly waited for a Du Jie Yi Xiang, which now seemed like a cruel twist of fate.

“Xuan Gong, while I was away, who was making the most noise?” Ruo Tian Zhuque spoke up, holding a small mirror in one hand and adjusting her hair with the other, casually addressing Mu Xuan Gong.

“That would be Di Long Dao You,” Mu Xuan Gong stroked his beard and smiled. “Di Long Dao You said he missed you greatly after not seeing you for days.”

“Oh?” Ruo Tian Zhuque raised an elegant brow and smiled at Di Long Wang. “I had no idea Di Long Dao You held such affection. In that case, why not stay today and share a drink under the moon with me?”

“No need.” Di Long Wang’s face turned pale as he instinctively retreated, eventually turning and fleeing the grand hall.

“You’ve come this far; why the rush to leave?” Ruo Tian Zhuque raised her hand slightly, and a chain of Dao Ze shot from her palm. In the next instant, Di Long Wang, who had just escaped the hall, was dragged back.

“Break for me!” Di Long Wang roared, frantically thrashing against his restraints.

“Even if you break free, can you truly escape?” Ruo Tian Zhuque chuckled lightly.

“Zhuque, do you intend to fight to the death?” Tian Long Wang’s expression changed dramatically, and the other Zhun Sheng quickly gathered, each summoning their Ben Ming Fa Qi as they stared coldly at Ruo Tian Zhuque.

“No rush. One by one.” Ruo Tian Zhuque’s smile blossomed like a flower, and in an instant, she vanished without a trace.

Boom! Clang! Bang! Clatter!

The grand hall erupted with a cacophony of metallic clashes.

Outside, the experts of You Du stared in stunned silence. Di Long Wang had fled moments ago, only to be captured and dragged back. Now, the hall was filled with such commotion, leaving everyone bewildered.

Incredible!

Among the crowd, Ye Chen clicked his tongue in amazement, having subtly activated his Xian Lun Eye to see clearly. The Ruo Tian Zhuque who had advanced to Sheng Ren was overwhelmingly powerful; the nine Zhun Sheng were beaten so badly they couldn't even lift their heads.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Under the watchful eyes of all, nine figures were hurled out of the hall one after another, each drenched in blood.

The You Du experts collectively gasped in shock. Those were nine Zhun Sheng, each on par with their own ancestors. How had they been crippled so quickly?

Little did they know, the ancestor of You Du had already surpassed that bottleneck, no longer a Zhun Sheng but a true Sheng Ren, transcending the mortal realm in a metamorphosis of rebirth to reach the ultimate peak.

The sea of people parted like a tide, creating space as the nine Zhun Sheng crashed down, sprawled in pools of blood.

At that moment, none of them were Zhun Sheng anymore; their cultivations had been stripped away, reducing them to utter wastes.

“Impossible! This is impossible!”

The nine Zhun Sheng howled in despair, unable to accept the reality. Even united, they had been utterly defeated, their cultivations completely eradicated. This was perhaps the darkest day in their path of cultivation.

Still under the gaze of all, Ruo Tian Zhuque emerged, her expression cold as she looked down upon the nine.

“As cultivators, you should understand karma and retribution. You sowed the cause, and today you reap the fruit. Yet, the heavens favor life; I will not kill you.”

“Kill me! Just kill me!” The nine roared, for without their cultivation, survival would be a miserable existence.

Ruo Tian Zhuque said nothing more, lightly waving her sleeve to summon an immortal sea that swept the nine out of You Du’s Ninefold Heavens, exiling them to the depths of the starry void. Each was cast onto a different ancient mortal star, left to their own fates.

Such was the might of a Sheng Ren!

Ye Chen sighed once again. Compared to Ruo Tian Zhuque, he was worlds apart.

The experts of You Du all looked up to the sky with reverence.

Now, everyone understood why their ancestor was so powerful—she must have advanced to Sheng Ren, that realm beyond the mundane, which seemed more elusive than a dream to them.

“Return to your posts!”

Ruo Tian Zhuque left those words behind and turned back into the hall, followed by a faint voice echoing: “Ye Chen, come in.”

At her words, the You Du experts dispersed, but not before glancing at Ye Chen. Among the hundreds of thousands in You Du’s various clans, only Ye Chen was summoned by the ancestor, a sign of immense favor—this was the highest honor.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ye Chen entered the hall.

Inside, Ruo Tian Zhuque stood quietly. Ye Chen cleared his throat awkwardly, unable to shake the memory of the scene in the space black hole, though he wasn’t sure if she minded.

“For this favor, Zhuque will never forget it.” Ruo Tian Zhuque spoke sincerely.

“Just saying it out loud? No rewards?”

“Rewards there are.” Ruo Tian Zhuque smiled and waved her hand, sending nine rays of immortal light that transformed into nine Fa Qi: a dragon seal, a Dao robe, a divine sword, a bronze furnace, a divine mirror, a war spear, a Bagua seal, a Luo Pan, and a war halberd.

“Wow!” Ye Chen exclaimed. All nine were Sheng Bing, clearly the Ben Ming Fa Qi of those nine Zhun Sheng.

“Pick one.”

“This is great.” Ye Chen grinned and, without hesitation, took the Qing Long Gu Yin—it was the inherited Sheng Bing of the Qing Long Second King, among the strongest of these nine sacred artifacts.

“You’re quite clever.” Ruo Tian Zhuque smiled and collected the remaining nine Sheng Bing.

“I’ve always had a good eye for treasures.” Ye Chen smirked, quickly stowing the Qing Long Gu Yin, afraid she might change her mind. A Sheng Qi as a reward was more than generous.

“You possess the Six Dao Xian Lun Eye.” Ruo Tian Zhuque spoke again, eyeing Ye Chen meaningfully.

“No, I don’t.” Ye Chen shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

“Don’t hide it from me.” Ruo Tian Zhuque smiled at him. “I’ve checked the ancient secrets of the Zhuque clan. The divine ability to freely enter space black holes—what kind of secret art is that? You must have the Xian Clan Xian Eye.”

“Well, you’ve seen through it.” Ye Chen chuckled and stopped concealing it.

“It’s truly surprising that the Sheng Ti bloodline carries the Xian Clan Xian Eye.” Ruo Tian Zhuque sighed. “You’re truly blessed by the heavens. Such opportunities even make me envious.”

“Envious is fine, but don’t think about robbing me.”

“I’d have to catch you first.”