God Emperor

Gu Chenzi's eyes darkened. He formed an extraordinary palm seal. Immediately, bright Saint light bloomed from his body, covering his limbs and bones. They were connected like a Saint river flowing. They released terrifying energy.

At this point, Gu Chenzi no longer held back. He released all the power of the shackles in his body and poured it into the Saint Aspect.

He had broken 80 shackles in total. The power contained in his body was eight times that of Neverwither physique, not just any Neverwither physique but a powerful one.

The Saint Aspect of Immortality condensed a blood-colored demonic blade hundreds of miles long in the blink of an eye. It was full of evil and murderous intent.

It was Blade of Bloodslay, a secret technique of Fane of Immortality. To practice it successfully, one needed to collect the blood and resentment of ten thousand life beings. It could destroy the opponent's cultivation foundation and Saint Soul. It was a very sinister blade technique.

At the same time, Lord Xia Yu appeared on the other side of Zhang Ruochen. Using a flute as a pen, she drew in the air. Hundreds of profound runes that glowed with red light emerged in an instant. The power of each rune combined. Together, they formed a terrifying runic array that exuded a destructive aura.

Lord Xia Yu's spiritual power was very powerful. She studied runes and array techniques. She had reached the level of High-Saint Master for both skills. She could also combine runes and array techniques skillfully, doubling their power.

With a shake of her hand, Lord Xia Yu placed an extremely ancient jade amulet into the runic array.

The jade amulet released a soft and faint divine light that seeped into the rules that formed the runic array. Instantly, all the runes combined even more closely, as if they had become a single entity. They looked they were living things.

Following that, ninety-nine streaks of Saint light shot out from Lord Xia Yu's body. They spread out from all parts of her body and released a boundless power that seeped into the runic array.

"Lord Xia Yu is only one step away from reaching the Great Perfection stage of Hundred-Shackle Realm. After a hundred years of cultivation, she is finally ahead of Gu Chenzi and me." Supreme Saint Yi Xuan was stunned.

Perhaps, it would not be long before Lord Xia Yu could take the final step and reach the stage of Great Perfection. No one at Hundred-Shackle Realm could rival her. She might even be able to contend against a Thousand-Koan Realm elite.

Breaking 99 shackles meant that Lord Xia Yu had nearly ten times the power of Neverwither physique. Now, she had completely unleashed her energy and used the profound runic array. It was hard to imagine how powerful the effect would be.

Gu Chenzi and Lord Xia Yu finally chose to join hands and did as Zhang Ruochen wished.

In the end, they did not want Zhang Ruochen to be the leader.

There was no doubt that this attack would determine the victor. If Zhang Ruochen could not withstand it, not only would he not be the leader, he might even suffer a great loss.

Zhang Ruochen took back the Saint Aspect of the Immovable Wisdom King and exhaled lightly. The Blood Qi in his body surged violently, making the sound of a river rushing.

CRASH!

Vigorous Blood Qi gushed out from Zhang Ruochen's back. Ten huge golden wings appeared. They were fully unfolded, trying to absorb the surrounding energy.

Seeing Gu Chenzi and Lord Xia Yu attacking from both sides, Zhang Ruochen stretched out his hands and released the power of Demigod-level physique to his heart's content.

Boom

Zhang Ruochen's palms burst with extremely powerful force. Divine clouds rose, and Qi of Chaos filled the air. It was as if heaven and earth were being split apart.

Crack

Gu Chenzi's Blade of Bloodslay and Lord Xia Yu's runic array exploded at the same time.

This time, Gu Chenzi's Saint Aspect of Immortality finally exploded. It could not withstand the power of Zhang Ruochen's palm strike.

The jade amulet that Lord Xia Yu had placed in the runic array already had cracks. Now, it had several more cracks. Large amounts of divine power spilled out.

Ptui

Gu Chenzi and Lord Xia Yu spat out large mouthfuls of blood at the same time and fell back.

If they had not been strong enough to withstand the attack, their Neverwither physique might have been broken. Yes, the power Zhang Ruochen released was strong enough to destroy Neverwither physique.

Gu Chenzi and Lord Xia Yu stared at Zhang Ruochen with cold eyes. Even if they did not want to admit it, they had been defeated by Zhang Ruochen.

They had not used any techniques of Path of Destiny. Zhang Ruochen had not used any techniques of Path of Truth either.

The entire Vastsea Garden fell silent when all the attendees saw it. Many cultivators stared at Zhang Ruochen with their eyes wide open.

Not only the outcome had surprised them, the ten golden wings on Zhang Ruochen's back sent them shockwave. They were all feeling unbelievable.

Among the Immortal Vampires, golden wings were rarely seen in a thousand years.

No one had expected that Zhang Ruochen would have them. Moreover, he was only at the rank of Neverwilt Realm, but he had already grown ten. So one could tell how powerful was his Blood Qi.

There was reverence in their eyes.

The cultivators of the Xue Jue family were very excited. The result was clear. Bloodsky Clan would be led by the elite from Xue Jue family after all.

Zhang Ruochen stood proudly in the air and looked at Vastsea Garden. "I'll be the leader of Celestial-Hunting Festival this time! Any objections?" His tone was indifferent.

Even the Three Top Elites of Bloodskly Clan had been defeated. Who dared to ask for trouble?

If Zhang Ruochen was offended, the offender could lose the chance to join Celestial-Hunting Festival.

Hence, none of them spoke. The silence lasted for a while.

Zhang Ruochen moved and appeared on the floating island,

At this moment, the cultivators on the island looked at Zhang Ruochen differently than before. Some were in awe; some were eager; some were excited.

'Zhang Ruochen has just arrived in Infernal Court. He is unfamiliar with other cultivators and is even ostracized and isolated. 

'If I take this opportunity to make friends with him, express my goodwill, and even get him some gifts, I might be able to get a spot in Celestial-Hunting Festival. 

'After all, with my own strength, the chance of getting a spot is not high,' some cultivators with relatively weaker cultivation thought in their hearts.

The benefits of Celestial-Hunting Festival were too great for anyone to resist. Even if they had to pay the price, it was totally worth it.

Looking at Zhang Ruochen's outstanding figure, Xue Ningxiao could not calm down for a long time. Those three were the top elites, the most talented cultivators of Bloodsky Clan. Yet, all of them had been defeated by him.

Although she knew that Zhang Ruochen was outstanding, she did not expect him to be so powerful.

"If I can eat Altofruits and drink Divine Jade Dew at Celestial-Hunting Festival, I might be able to cultivate several Paths to the stage of Great Perfection. 

"It's worth it even if I sell all my treasures in exchange for a spot for such great benefits."

"Since cousin has become a leader, maybe I can take a shortcut."

"Oh right, cousin needs Godstones. I'll sell all my treasures and exchange them for Godstones."

The more Xue Ningxiao thought about it, the more she felt her strategy was feasible. She stared at Zhang Ruoche with shining eyes. She could not wait to do this right away.

Looking at everyone's eyes, how could Zhang Ruochen not guess what they were thinking?

Every spot for Celestial-Hunting Festival was extremely precious and represented huge benefits. Moreover, it was only once in a lifetime.

Who wouldn't be tempted?

Zhang Ruochen had just arrived. He had yet to get familiar with the cultivators of Bloodsky Clan. It was a headache for him to decide the candidates...

...even though the elites should be considered first.

However, the Supreme Saints gathered here did not have a big cultivation gap. The gap among strength of Saint Kings was even smaller.

It was hard to determine who was stronger and weaker just by cultivation alone.

However, if they had to go through the battle selection one by one, it would take a long time to decide on the candidates.

Zhang Ruochen walked to Xue Ningxiao's side and sat down.

Xue Ningxiao looked very reserved and nervous, just like the first time she met Zhang Ruochen. Her lips moved, and she wanted to say something but stopped.

"If you were to decide the candidates, what would you do?" Zhang Ruochen suddenly asked.

Xue Ningxiao was stunned and did not respond for a long time. She said, "Y-Y-You're asking me?"

"Yes." Zhang Ruochen nodded.

After thinking for a long time, she said in a low voice, "If it were me... it's actually very simple. Our Xue Jue family has collected information about these cultivators."

"For example, there are 78 Supreme Saint elites. 15 of them have reached the Hundred-Shackle Realm, and 23 have reached the peak of Neverwilt Realm. Their strength is unquestionable. They can be directly selected. 

"The remaining 12 spots will be contested by other Neverwilt Realm Supreme Saints."

"What about the 50 spots for the Saint Kings?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

Xue Ningxiao said, "Of course, it's the same screening method."

"Okay, I'll leave this to you!" Zhang Ruochen said.

"Huh?"

Xue Ningxiao was stunned. She thought it was her imagination.

The selection of the candidates for Celestial-Hunting Festival was very important yet he assigned her the task?

In fact, Zhang Ruochen was very relieved to leave this matter to Xue Ningxiao. That was because Xue Ningxiao's father was Supreme Saint Qingsheng, the acting head of the Xue Jue family.

Supreme Saint Qingsheng would certainly intervene in such an important matter. He would not let Xue Ningxiao do whatever she wanted.

Therefore, Zhang Ruochen seemed to be handing it over to Xue Ningxiao, but in fact, he was handing it over to Supreme Saint Qingsheng. Presumably, other cultivators could understand what he meant.

After a moment, Xue Ningxiao came back to her senses. She asked quietly, "Cousin, are you really handing this task over to me?"

"Do I look like I'm joking with You?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

Xue Ningxiao nodded quickly and smiled with joy. "Don't worry, cousin. I won't let you down!"

Immediately, Xue Ningxiao started her mission. She carefully sorted out all the cultivators' information and even went to visit Supreme Saint Qingsheng in person. She was very serious.

Not long after, Xue Ningxiao stood up, she said nervously, "Next, we will determine who will be participating in Celestial-Hunting Festival. We go through Supreme Saints first. The names I have read out are selected. 

"Cough cough, Supreme Saint Yi Xuan, Lord Xia Yu, Gu Chenzi... Supreme Saint Mo Xun."

Xue Ningxiao read thirty-eight names in one go. All of them were with cultivation rank at least at the peak of Neverwilt Realm.

"There are 12 spots left. Whoever thinks they can participate can come forward. Whoever comes forward first will get the spots.

"However, if anyone doesn't agree, they can challenge the person, and the spot will be the victor's."

As soon as she finished speaking.

"I want to participate."

"I want to participate too."

...

The rules had been set. The battles among the Supreme Saints soon began.

With Xue Ningxiao doing this, Zhang Ruochen felt at ease. He sat in his seat and drank alone.

Seeing that the battle selection had already begun, Zhang Ruochen could not help but sigh in his heart. It turned out that it was the same for the creatures of Infernal Court and the Celestial Court. No one would be modest for the sake of benefits. Even if they were from the same clan, they would fight each other for their own interest.

In order to participate in Celestial-Hunting Festival, no one would show mercy. They would do everything they could.

"Seven days later, we have to go to the Forest of No Return. You let a little girl to carry out the task. Will she be able to do it well?" At this moment, Supreme Saint Yi Xuan suddenly walked over.

Zhang Ruochen glanced at Supreme Saint Yi Xuan and said, "Those with strong cultivation might not be able to carry out the task well. One can not judge a book by its cover. There are some things that she could do better than us."

"That makes sense. Maybe one day, she will become stronger than us."

After a pause, Supreme Saint Yi Xuan continued, "By the way, I almost forgot the important matter. There are a few lucky fellows who want to meet you."

"Lucky fellows?" Zhang Ruochen was surprised.

Supreme Saint Yi Xuan said, "Yes, they are just happen to be lucky. And yet, they are known as the most talented elites born in the last thousand years of Bloodsky Clan."

Zhang Ruochen was struck by his words. He thought the top three elites should be the most talented cultivators of Bloodsky Clan. There was someone stronger than them?

''What realm have they reached? Are they already in Thousand-Koan Realm?'

Undoubtedly, the few highly talented elites that Supreme Saint Yi Xuan mentioned piqued Zhang Ruochen's curiosity. He could not help but be interested.

"Where are they?" Zhang Ruochen asked.

Supreme Saint Yi Xuan said, "They are at Vastsea Garden. I'll take you there."

Immediately, the two left the floating island and entered a courtyard in Vastsea Garden.

Compared to other places, this courtyard was particularly quiet. The environment was also very elegant. A large number of blood plum blossoms were planted. The fragrance of the flowers permeated the air.

Passing through the beautiful garden, Zhang Ruochen saw an ancient pavilion in the distance. There were five figures in the pavilion. Four men and a woman were sitting together. The men were drinking, while the woman was playing a zither. The zither sound was slow, melodious, and relaxing.

Zhang Ruochen's gaze swept over the four men and the woman. There was a subtle change in his expression. With his current cultivation, he could not see through them. He only sensed that they were covered in a layer of fog. Their strength were unfathomable.

"Since you're here, come and have a few drinks," a gentleman said with a smile.

There was no energy fluctuation coming from this person. He was like an ordinary literato.

The most special thing about the gentleman was that he had double pupils in each eye. They were deep and seemed to contain a strange magic power.

Zhang Ruochen did not hesitate. He walked towards the pavilion with Supreme Saint Yi Xuan.

Supreme Saint Yi Xuan extended a hand and said impolitely, "I have invited him here. Where's my good wine?"

"You will get to enjoy it."

The literato with double pupils flipped his hand and took out an exquisite wine gourd. He tossed it to Supreme Saint Yi Xuan.

The literato smiled and said, "Yi Xuan, this is Zhang Ruochen's first time in Infernal Court. He definitely doesn't know old people like us who have lived for almost a thousand years. Why are you only drinking? Why don't you introduce us to him?"

"Old people? Don't count me in," said the beautiful woman playing the zither.

The woman was extremely beautiful. She exuded an invisible charm that even a Supreme Saint could get affected.

Supreme Saint Yi Xuan glared. "Introduce all of you to him? What do you expect me to say? Tell him that you've reached Thousand-Koan Realm before the age of 1,000? And this is Lord Mu Yang who has reached Banshi Isshou Realm? Tsk, you are just luckly."

"If I was as lucky as you guys, I would have reached Paramount Realm long ago. And I didn't have to see you acting proud before me."

Seeing the reaction of Supreme Saint Yi Xuan, the literato shook his head. "Forget it, let me introduce them. This is Lord Zhiyuan, Supreme Saint Tu Yun, Lord of Spear and Empress Xiyan. As for me, my name is Mu Yang." He sounded dismayed.

Lord Zhiyuan was tall and sturdy. He wore blood-red armor and gave off an extremely cold aura.

Supreme Saint Tu Yun was very handsome. He had long silver hair and a red dot between his brows. It seemed like cinnabar paint, adding a different kind of beauty to him.

As for Lord of Spear, he gave off a fierce and domineering aura. He sat at the side and quietly wiped a silver spear filled with blood-red runes.

Empress Xiyan was the beautiful woman playing the zither.

Zhang Ruochen's gaze swept past the five powerful figures one by one. He was slightly shocked. Four Thousand-Koan Realm elites and one Banshi Isshou Realm elite had emerged within a thousand years. The foundation of Bloodsky Clan wasn't simple.

Judging from this, one could guess how powerful the foundation of the entire Immortal Vampires was.

"We came here to talk to you about Celestial-Hunting Festival. 

"You should know that Celestial-Hunting Festival isn't just a festival. The most important thing is the hunt. Our cultivation rank have already surpassed Hundred-Shackle Realm, so we can't participate in the hunt."

"No matter what kind of trouble or provocation there is, we can take it for you. However, we can only rely on you to fight for Bloodsky Clan," Lord Mu Yang said.

In fact, he felt quite regretful that he could not attend Celestial-Hunting Festival.

The once-in-a-thousand-years festival was an opportunity to fight for the glory of Bloodsky Clan. No one was willing to miss it.

"Zhang Ruochen, since you are the son of Truegod Qingyin, then it doesn't matter if you were a cultivator from Kunlun or Guanghang, you are now a member of our Bloodsky Clan. I hope you can perform well at Celestial-Hunting Festival. Don't lose the prestige of Bloodsky Clan—" Supreme Saint Tu Yun said gently.

However, before Tu Yun could finish his sentence, Lord Zhiyuan snorted. "Zhang Ruochen, since you are the leader, you have to go all out and suppress the Ghosts, Bone Clan... All those bastards."

"Beat them up in Celestial Hunting Festival like you did at Battlefields of Merits. 

"Just beat those who refuse to submit. 

"What is the most important? The glory of Bloodsky Clan is the most important!"

"I agree with you. During Celestial-Hunting Festival, don't show any mercy to the other clans. Let them know how powerful our Bloodsky Clan is. Of course, first, you have to beat those powerful Immortal Vampires to the ground. Lord Bladehell from Qitian Clan, Supreme Saint Jin Kun from Azuresky Clan, and Lady Wind from Yellowsky Clan. 

"All three of them have achieved Great Perfection stage at the Hundred-Shackle Realm. If we can defeat them, our Bloodsky Clan can defeat the other nine clans," Supreme Saint Yi Xuan agreed.

Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen was in deep thought. Bloodsky Clan had powerful warriors in Thousand-Koan Realm and Banshi Isshou Realm. It was normal for other clans to have powerful warriors who had attained the stage of Great Perfection at Hundred-Shackle Realm.

The other nine clans in Infernal Court would definitely have warriors at the completion of the 100th shackle realm as well. They might even have more numbers than the Immortal Vampires.

After breaking 99 shackles and achieving the Great Perfection stage, although the 100th shackle would be the only shackle left, the difference was huge. There was an insurmountable gap in a shackle of difference.

Therefore, if he sent Lord Xia Yu to fight against Lord Bladehell, Supreme Saint Jin Kun, and Lady Wind, even if her methods were extraordinary and unpredictable, she probably wouldn't be able to win.

'But what did they mean by hunting?

'It looks like a good feast, but they said it is extremely dangerous.'

"Zhang Ruochen, during the hunt, don't be soft-hearted just because the prey is a captive from Celestial Court. You have to remember that you are now the leader of our Bloodsky Clan. You have to fight for the honor of the clan."

"What?"

Zhang Ruochen was shocked. So the so-called Celestial Hunting was actually hunting a cultivator of Celestial Court.

Before this, Zhang Ruochen had never expected such an outcome. It was ridiculous that he had even competed for the leader's position.

No wonder Blood Empress said that he could only gain a foothold in Infernal Court by winning Celestial-Hunting Festival with all his strength.

It was a cruel test that would make Zhang Ruochen Celestial Court's enemy and never return to Celestial Court.

Although Celestial-Hunting Festival was held in Infernal Court, news about such an extraordinary event would spread to many macroworlds. It was impossible to hide it.

"I really want to know what your plan is. How do you plan to let our Bloodsky Clan take the lead in the hunt?" Empress Xiyan asked with a faint smile.

Xue Qingyin is Blood Empress' name. She's a Truegod (a rank) now, so this Supreme Saint addressed her as Truegod Qingyin.One of the ten clans in Infernal Court.previously translated by Labrestudio as Huangtian Tribe.