Chapter 816: If You Wish to Take, You Must First Give

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

Buddha Xinshu wore a pure white robe. He seemed to be around 20 years old and his features were clean and abnormally handsome. Even if he didn’t have an extraordinary cultivation or talent, a monk like him could probably use his amazing looks to win over countless girls.

He formed a Buddhist print with his right hand and guided the Thousand Treasure Cassock to attack the Ghost King Formation.

Boom.

The Ghost King Formation couldn’t withstand the Thousand Treasure Cassock. More than half of it cracked. Countless tombstones were uprooted and tossed into the air. Many formation runes broke apart.

Buddha Xinshu didn’t immediately rush into the tunnel. He continued standing in the black river. Pulling his arm back, he collected the Thousand Treasure Cassock and put it back on.

His eyes were very bright. He seemed able to see through all the blasphemy in the world. “Sir Zhang, the Death Zen Sect had nothing against you. Why did you kill Jialuo Kong?”

Zhang Ruochen walked out of the destroyed Ghost King formation. Standing at the edge of the stone wall, he stared at Buddha Xinshu.

Even though he faced one of the most legendary figures of the century, he was still calm. “If I didn’t kill him, he would have killed me,” he said. “I had no choice.”

There was a circle of golden light behind Buddha Xinshu. It rotated slowly, making him look extremely sacred under the glow. He seemed no different from the legendary Arhat, Bodhisattva, and Buddha.

“In that case, I will give you a choice,” Buddha Xinshu said patiently. “You can choose to return Jialuo Kong to me and follow me to the Death Zen Sect. You can repay your sins. Of course, you can also choose to follow me to the Ghost God Valley and help me do something. After that, I can count it as repaying your sins. Which one would you choose?”

The Death Zen Sect wanted to go to Ghost God Valley too. What exactly were they planning?

Hearing Buddha Xinshu’s words, many questions appeared in Zhang Ruochen’s mind, but he didn’t ask them. He knew that he wouldn’t get answers even if he asked. There was no point.

Zhang Ruochen chuckled and said, “The two paths you gave both require me to give up, right?”

Buddha Xinshu nodded. “Actually, there’s a third path.”

“Oh?”

“Shouldn’t you pay with your life for killing someone?” Buddha Xinshu asked.

“So you’ll kill me and that’s my third path?” Zhang Ruochen smiled. “I’m curious about something. You must have killed many people too. Shouldn’t you pay with your life as well?”

“Of course I have to,” Buddha Xinshu said calmly without thinking. “But there aren’t many that can take my life. Do you have more questions?”

“Nope!” Zhang Ruochen shook his head.

“Then what is your choice?”

“The choices you offered are too demanding. I’m not going to choose.”

Zhang Ruochen moved to the left, making some space. Then a black cloud of ghostly fog surged out from the tunnel. It stopped on Zhang Ruochen’s right and solidified into Ghost King Bloodmoon.

Her injuries had mostly recovered. The aura radiating from her was extremely cold. Standing beside her, Zhang Ruochen felt that his Holy Qi was frozen. It couldn’t move at all.

A Ghost King’s abilities are honestly terrifying, Zhang Ruochen thought inwardly.

If he went against Ghost King Bloodmoon now, he would probably be defeated before he even had the chance to attack.

Seeing Ghost King Bloodmoon, Buddha Xinshu’s eyes sharpened. “Sir Zhang, you should be clear that Ghost King Bloodmoon can’t protect you. Why bother working with her?”

“You’re a bit too confident.”

The print of a blood moon appeared between the eyebrows of Ghost King Bloodmoon. Her long hair was floating up already. She charged forward and stood before Buddha Xinshu.

Boom!

Before Zhang Ruochen even processed what he saw, Ghost King Bloodmoon and Buddha Xinshu already clashed. A powerful shockwave rushed over. It flooded toward Zhang Ruochen with the sound of a tidal wave.

Even someone at the seventh level Half-Saint Realm or higher would be killed instantly if they were hit by the shockwave, let alone Zhang Ruochen.

Thankfully, he was prepared. He immediately used the Spatial Move to retreat into the broken Ghost King Formation.

Right now, Blackie had already activated the remnants. They were both shrouded inside the rune formation which blocked the shockwaves.

Kaboom!

A string of explosions echoed throughout the bottom of Blood River.

Buddha Xinshu clearly wanted to finish the battle quickly. He didn’t want to get tangled up with Ghost King Bloodmoon. Thus, he sent the Thousand Treasure Cassock out again.

More than ten thousand “stars” seemed to hang above the Blood River. The Holy Qi that radiated from the “stars” boiled the large river.

Every star was a Buddhist weapon.

Ghost King Bloodmoon’s expression was pained. She immediately retreated to the sky above the Ghost King Formation. She looked down and said, “Zhang Ruochen, where’s the Void Sword?”

Zhang Ruochen had borrowed the Void Sword from Han Xue long ago. He grasped it and hurled it.

The Void Sword quickly transformed into white light and shot into the air. Ghost King Bloodmoon grabbed at the air with her hand and clutched the Void Sword’s hilt.

Even with her cultivation, Ghost King Bloodmoon’s eyes flashed with excitement the moment she grabbed the Void Sword. According to legends, this was the weapon that the Thousand-bone Empress had used to kill gods.

Whoosh!

Afterward, Ghost Qi from Ghost King Bloodmoon’s body continuously flowed into the Void Sword. The various inscriptions on the sword body quickly emerged.

Soon after, powerful Sword Qi transformed into a beam of light. It broke through the surface of the river and shot straight into the sky. All the dead souls within ten thousand miles could clearly see a Sword Qi pillar rise up above Blood River. Frightened, they hid in their graves.

Boom!

The Void Sword clashed against the Thousand Treasure Cassock, forming a powerful energy wave. If that energy reached the damaged Ghost King Formation, the formation would be pulverized in an instant.

However, the Void Sword was clearly more powerful than the Thousand Treasure Cassock. It caused the power that surged from the battle to press toward one side.

This mere strike shattered more than 100 Buddhist weapons on the Thousand Treasure Cassock. They were turned into scrap metal and fell from the sky.

Buddha Xinshu let out a muffled grunt and flew backward.

“The Void Sword is so powerful. I finally experienced it today!”

Buddha Xinshu glanced at Ghost King Bloodmoon. Then he put the Thousand Treasure Cassock away. He transformed into a beam of golden light and rushed out of the Blood River, flying into the sky.

In the end, the Thousand Treasure Cassock was only a defensive saint object while the Void Sword was an offensive saint weapon. There was still a difference between the two.

Nothing could defeat the Void Sword except for a divine weapon.

Buddha Xinshu was shockingly fast. He’d disappeared in the blink of an eye. But it was Ghost King Bloodmoon’s first taste of the Void Sword’s power. She was feeling proud now. How could she let Buddha Xinshu off so easily?

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Ghost King Bloodmoon stood on the river and sent out the Void Sword.

The light that shot out from the sword lit up the dark netherworld as if it was day. It transformed into a beam of light. It pursued Buddha Xinshu and attacked.

Poof!

Even with the Thousand Treasure Cassock’s protection, Buddha Xinshu was still heavily injured. He spat out a mouthful of saintly blood. However, he endured the attack and still escaped. He didn’t die from the Void Sword attack.

At that moment, Zhang Ruochen and Blackie had already flown out of Blood River and stood on the riverbank.

Zhang Ruochen looked into the horizon and sighed softly. “No wonder it’s the Southern Heart Technique. Not even the Void Sword killed him.”

One of the reasons why Zhang Ruochen had given the Void Sword to Ghost King Bloodmoon was to kill Buddha Xinshu, a huge enemy, by her hand. Unfortunately, Buddha Xinshu’s cultivation was too advanced. He still survived.

“He actually escaped?”

Ghost King Bloodmoon was quite disappointed too. She huffed coldly.

Of course, it was okay even if Buddha Xinshu had escaped. At least she’d received the Void Sword. With the sword’s power, her status in the netherworld would shoot up.

She glanced at Zhang Ruochen, who was by the riverside. Derision appeared in her eyes as she mumbled to herself, “If I want the Void Sword, I need to take care of him first.”

She waved her arm. She manipulated Ghost Qi, wanting to call the Void Sword back from hundreds of miles away.

Just then, Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed. He took out the Universe Spiritual Map and activated its power. Opening a spatial door, he ordered Han Xue inside the scroll world, “Attack.”

Han Xue stood beside the spatial door and immediately communicated with the sword spirit of the Void Sword. She called the Void Sword back and held it in her right hand.

On the surface of Blood River, Ghost King Bloodmoon was surprised. The Void Sword had flown back, but it veered to the side and landed in a girl’s hand. How could this be?

“Let’s go.”

Zhang Ruochen, Blackie, and Han Xue rushed into the spatial door with their fastest speed.

“Damn human. Leave the Void Sword behind! Don’t think you can escape from me!”

Seeing that the spatial door was about to close, Ghost King Bloodmoon didn’t think further. She turned into a blur and chased after Zhang Ruochen. She rushed into the spatial door.

If she had been given some time, she could have definitely discovered that there was a scroll on the ground beside the river. However, that scroll was covered by the Shooting Star Invisibility Cloak, so it was hard to detect.

Unfortunately, Ghost King Bloodmoon really wanted the Void Sword. She feared that Zhang Ruochen and Han Xue would escape. This was why she’d immediately charged into the spatial door.

It could be said that Zhang Ruochen had set up a trap when he let her borrow the Void Sword. He’d also used her to force Buddha Xinshu away.

This was why people said that if you wanted to take from someone, you must first give. The Void Sword was the bait that got him the big fish that was Ghost King Bloodmoon. As long as she was lured into the scroll world, she would be defenseless against Zhang Ruochen.

Clearly, Zhang Ruochen had succeeded by taking this risk!