Chapter 1033: Meeting an Old Acquaintance in a Foreign Land
The rain had stopped.
The dark clouds had not yet dispersed, and the sky remained dim, carrying a hint of chill.
Zhang Ruochen's power rapidly dissipated, and the Buddha light gradually faded, quickly dropping back to the Fourth-Rank Half-Saint realm.
Not only that, but an intense wave of weakness swept through his entire body from the inside out. The sacred Qi in his Qi Sea and meridians vanished completely in an instant.
"Shua."
Unable to continue flying, Zhang Ruochen carried the Stone Beauty and slowly descended from midair, landing beside a wide, ancient river.
The ancient river was shrouded in misty waves, its current gentle. Looking out, he couldn't even see the opposite shore—it felt like standing by the sea.
Zhang Ruochen's legs trembled slightly, barely able to support him.
The feeling of exhaustion, combined with his injuries, nearly made him collapse to the ground.
At this moment, let alone a Saint-realm titan, even a Heavenly Extreme Realm martial artist could knock him down.
Fortunately, the evil Dao saints of the Black Market hadn't pursued him; otherwise, Zhang Ruochen would have had little chance of escaping today.
"No Saint-realm strong ones are chasing us. Put me down. Your condition is very poor. If you don't treat your injuries in time, you might leave behind chronic ailments that will never heal." The Stone Beauty's expression was focused, her voice gentle and soft, carrying a hint of concern.
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised. He set the Stone Beauty down and stared closely into her eyes.
Her eyes were no longer so dull and hollow; they had gained a bit of human warmth, making her seem like a living, beautiful woman rather than a human-shaped stone statue.
To be precise, even when they were escaping the Black Market, the Stone Beauty had undergone some subtle changes, no longer so lifeless.
However, Zhang Ruochen had been busy dealing with the Qi-surnamed Demon Sect elder and the evil Dao saints of the Black Market at the time, so he hadn't had a chance to ask.
"Have you regained your will?" Zhang Ruochen showed a joyful expression.
The Stone Beauty's eyes were like two pools of clear water. She stared straight at Zhang Ruochen, shook her head, and fell into silence, as if pondering something or sensing something. Her gaze gradually became somewhat wooden again.
Fearing she might turn back into a cold, silent stone beauty, Zhang Ruochen quickly said, "I feel like we haven't fully escaped the danger. We must keep moving, fleeing as far as possible."
The Stone Beauty looked at Zhang Ruochen, quite worried, and said, "Your injuries are very severe. It's best to stop and recuperate."
Zhang Ruochen's injuries were indeed serious. His face had no trace of color, like an ordinary person on the verge of death.
Moreover, because he had used the power of the third seal of the Sarira, his body had become exceptionally weak, barely able to hold on, and he began to fall forward.
But the Stone Beauty caught him, preventing him from hitting the ground.
Zhang Ruochen immediately took a Withered Wood Pill and swallowed it. Before he could even refine it, he suddenly looked up, gazing into the distant sky, his expression turning solemn. "That's... the Undying Blood Clan's army..."
At the edge of the sky, a flash of crimson appeared. A mass of blood clouds rolled in, carrying a terrifying aura.
There was definitely more than one Undying Blood Clan member—it had to be an army, likely coming for the Skyward Sword.
Zhang Ruochen had originally planned to summon the Devouring Rabbit from the Scroll World to take them away, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Among the Undying Blood Clan's army, there was more than one Saint-realm Blood King.
The Devouring Rabbit's speed was top-notch among Half-Saints, but compared to a Saint-realm Blood King, it was far inferior.
Even if they hid in the Scroll World, the Saint-realm Blood King could track Zhang Ruochen's residual aura and find the Cosmic Divine Wood Map.
If the Cosmic Divine Wood Map fell into the hands of the Undying Blood Clan, it would cause even greater disaster.
Zhang Ruochen felt he had never faced a true dead end. No matter how great the danger, he always found a way to resolve it. But now, he was truly trapped.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, showing a faint smile. He glanced at the Stone Beauty and said, "Today, no matter what, it's death. How about we do something big before we die?"
"What do you mean?" The Stone Beauty looked curious.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Although your cultivation is gone, your Saint Source is still inside your body. I can help you detonate the Saint Source and take those Undying Blood Clan members down with us. The power of a Sword Saint's self-detonating Saint Source... I'm really looking forward to it."
A warm light flickered in the Stone Beauty's eyes, and she actually nodded gently in agreement.
But just then, a clear female voice came from the riverbank not far away: "Junior Brother Zhang, would you care to come aboard for a talk?"
Zhang Ruochen looked toward the ancient river and saw a green wooden boat, over ten zhang long, docked at the shore.
Standing at the bow was a graceful, elegant woman in white, like a Lingbo Immortal, giving off a very otherworldly feeling.
Zhang Ruochen was both confused and surprised. "Senior Sister Luo, how did you come to the Central Domain?"
The woman on the boat was named Luo Shuihan. At the Martial Market Academy's Western Courtyard in Demon Ridge, she had been known alongside Huang Yanchen and Mu Lingxi as the "Three Demons of the Western Courtyard."
However, Zhang Ruochen had later left the Eastern Domain Saint Academy and embarked on a different path of sacred cultivation. He hadn't seen Luo Shuihan in a long time.
He had thought they might never cross paths again in their lifetimes, yet here they were, meeting again under such circumstances.
To Zhang Ruochen's surprise, Luo Shuihan's cultivation had already reached the Half-Saint realm, keeping pace.
Back in the Western Courtyard, Luo Shuihan had been the most outstanding student, her talent surpassing even Huang Yanchen and Mu Lingxi.
Moreover, like Zhang Ruochen, her physique had been continuously strengthening and improving, as if she had endless potential.
In recent years, the opportunities she had encountered might not have been inferior to those of Mu Lingxi and Huang Yanchen. Entering the Half-Saint realm at such a young age was the best proof.
Luo Shuihan still had a poetic and picturesque aura. She said, "I came specifically for the two of you. More precisely, there's someone else on the boat who wants to see you."
"The two of us?"
Zhang Ruochen was very curious. Who could have connections with both him and Ling Feiyu?
He wanted to tell Luo Shuihan that an Undying Blood Clan army was heading this way and that they should flee immediately.
But given his current state, he could see the Undying Blood Clan army approaching—couldn't Luo Shuihan see it too?
Why was she still so calm?
Could it be...
Zhang Ruochen glanced inside the green wooden boat, his heart stirring with a bold guess.
Could it be that person was on the boat?
Zhang Ruochen and the Stone Beauty boarded the green wooden boat. Under Luo Shuihan's guidance, they entered the cabin.
Inside the cabin sat a thirty-something-year-old green-robed scholar and an old man with half white and half black hair.
On the table before them lay a scroll painting, sketched with ink, its subject unclear.
The green-robed scholar's appearance was only average, but he gave off a clean and tidy impression, with every strand of hair neatly in place.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen and the Stone Beauty enter the cabin, the two stopped discussing the painting on the table and looked up at the same time.
However, the green-robed scholar's first glance was at Zhang Ruochen.
The old man with half white and half black hair, on the other hand, first looked at the Stone Beauty, showing a very curious expression.
The green-robed scholar smiled and said, "I've long heard Shuihan mention that Yunwu Commandery in Demon Ridge produced an extraordinary talent. Back at the Eastern Domain Saint Academy, I wanted to meet you, but I feared that Xuanji Academy Master might misunderstand that I was trying to steal his disciple, so I waited. I never expected so many things to happen, and it's only today that I truly meet you."
Zhang Ruochen had a guess about the green-robed scholar's identity. He clasped his hands and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Senior."
The old man also fixed his gaze on Zhang Ruochen and said, "No wonder even the Empress has ordered your capture. You, young man, are indeed audacious, daring to kill two Demon Sect saints in a row. If you keep causing trouble, the already turbulent Kunlun Realm might face even more unpredictable changes."
Only then did Zhang Ruochen begin to carefully examine the old man with half white and half black hair.
The old man was spirited, with sharp eyes, appearing to be around fifty years old, not particularly decrepit.
The key point was that he wore robes representing the Confucian path.
It was worth noting that the Confucian path had a very close relationship with the imperial court. Many outstanding Confucian students became civil officials. Great Confucians and Saint Confucians held high positions, even entering the Six Ministries and the Cabinet to formulate policies for the First Central Empire.
If this man was truly a high-ranking court official, Zhang Ruochen had to be wary of him.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's wary expression, the Confucian-robed old man was displeased. He blew his beard and glared, shouting, "Why are you on guard against me? I'm not a court official—just a painter who paints."
The green-robed scholar looked at Zhang Ruochen and said calmly, "He really isn't a court official. He won't harm you. Sit down first. Don't mind him."
Before Zhang Ruochen could sit, the Confucian-robed old man lifted his chin, quite smugly, and said, "Although I'm not a court official, one of my disciples is the governor of Tiantai Prefecture. One of my grand-disciples is this year's new Second-Rank Scholar."
Zhang Ruochen frowned, curious. How old was this old fellow, and why was he still showing off in front of a young man? What was the point?
Zhang Ruochen ignored him and sat down directly.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen sit across from him, the Confucian-robed old man started blowing his beard and glaring again, as if he felt Zhang Ruochen's status was too low to sit on equal footing with him.
It was a disgrace to scholarship, a breach of seniority, a lack of propriety...
If the green-robed scholar hadn't been sitting nearby, the Confucian-robed old man might have already flipped the table and left.
At that moment, the green-robed scholar's gaze was fixed on the Stone Beauty, a complex expression on his face. "Palace Master Ling, to be honest, I came specifically for you this time."
The Stone Beauty gave a bitter smile. "Are you here to settle old scores, just like her?"
Not far away, Zhang Ruochen looked curious, eager to know what kind of grudge existed between these two figures representing two eras of the Kunlun Realm.
The Confucian-robed old man also pricked up his ears, listening intently, very interested.
The green-robed scholar shook his head. "I know she has always held a grudge against you, venting all her resentment on you. Your battle with the Azure Heaven Blood Emperor had already severely wounded your state of mind. And she found you, likely using the past to attack your state of mind, trying to completely destroy your will, to take revenge and make you pay for what you did back then."
He continued, "I came to the Central Domain to stop her and also to tell you that I never blamed you for what happened back then. You did nothing wrong. Don't blame yourself too much."
Hearing these words, the Stone Beauty's eyes clearly changed.