Chapter 1074: A Stirring Upheaval
The sacred source spiritual spring within the black sacred flower totaled over thirty-four thousand small cups, divided into ten portions. Two realm sons, Chi Wansui and Beigong Lan, took seven portions, which they would bring back to the Yingsha City base to distribute among the various human forces.
Given their status as honored realm sons, there was no need to worry about them embezzling the sacred source spiritual spring.
Of the remaining three portions, Zhang Ruochen took half, and the other half was split equally among the Wan family, the Feng family, the Mysterious Sword Sect, and the Northern Domain Black Market First Class Hall.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen alone obtained roughly five thousand small cups of sacred source spiritual spring, the largest share by far.
It should be noted that one small cup of sacred source spiritual spring, combined with other auxiliary ingredients, could refine a single seventh-rank sacred yuan pill worth a fortune.
Five thousand small cups of seventh-rank sacred source spiritual spring represented an absolutely terrifying amount of wealth.
Many of the human cultivators present showed expressions of envy and jealousy, such as those from the Cai family and the Shangguan family.
Those two families each received only six hundred small cups of sacred source spiritual spring, and they had to distribute a portion to the clan members who had killed the most savage beasts on the battlefield.
In the end, the leading figures of the two families could only bring three hundred cups of sacred source spiritual spring back to their clans, not even a fraction of Zhang Ruochen’s share.
Since the black sacred flower had been seized by Zhang Ruochen himself, taking five thousand small cups was only natural, and no cultivator dared to complain.
After dividing the sacred source spiritual spring, all the cultivators’ gazes turned to the black sacred flower.
The black sacred flower also possessed extraordinary value, comparable to a ten-thousand-year sacred medicine. As for its medicinal properties, without careful study, it was difficult to judge.
Zhang Ruochen sent out a stream of sacred qi, rolling up the black sacred flower and holding it in his hand. “The black sacred flower belongs to me. No objections, I assume?”
Of course, everyone had objections.
The black sacred flower, born together with the sacred source spiritual spring, was a treasure of heaven and earth, surely possessing miraculous uses. Who wouldn’t want it?
However, Gu Linfeng’s combat strength was simply too formidable. First, he killed Wei Longxing, then he slew the Blue Eagle Beast King. Few present dared to challenge him.
The cultivators’ eyes turned to the two realm sons.
Only the two realm sons, it seemed, had the ability to suppress Gu Linfeng.
Chi Wansui’s Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor had a major conflict with Gu Linfeng. That day, in full view of everyone, the five Azure Dragon Army commanders had been forced to kneel by Gu Linfeng, causing the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor to lose all face. Later, those five experts had died as a result.
Many cultivators believed Chi Wansui would make a move against Gu Linfeng.
Chi Wansui was a young man in his twenties, extremely handsome, with thick black eyebrows, sharp features, and an air of nobility radiating from his entire being.
“Gu Linfeng, the black sacred flower is of great use to me. If you yield it to me, the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor’s grudge against you will be wiped clean from this point on.”
Chi Wansui’s tone was quite calm, neither overbearing nor unreasonable, like a conversation between friends, yet it carried an undeniable will.
Zhang Ruochen had no intention of giving up the black sacred flower. “This divine son does have some grievances with the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor, but it seems that was not my fault.”
“Indeed, the servants of the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor were in the wrong first, but your methods were still too excessive,” Chi Wansui said, still composed. “I examined the remains of the five Azure Dragon Army commanders. They were not killed by savage beasts but by human cultivators. You should understand what I mean.”
Clearly, Chi Wansui already knew that the five Azure Dragon Army commanders had died at Zhang Ruochen’s hands.
All five commanders were ninth-step half-saints, major figures in any context. Their brutal deaths were an enormous loss to the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor.
No matter how magnanimous Chi Wansui was, it was unlikely he would truly let Zhang Ruochen off.
Of course, given the current situation, even if Chi Wansui genuinely wanted to resolve the conflict, Zhang Ruochen could not hand over the black sacred flower.
Otherwise, the strong image Zhang Ruochen had painstakingly built would immediately collapse. Everyone would think he bullied the weak and feared the strong, caving in to Chi Wansui.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “The Supreme Year King values this sacred flower so much; it must indeed have great use. That only makes me less willing to give it to someone else.”
“Think carefully. In the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, forming a good connection always brings many benefits,” Chi Wansui said.
Zhang Ruochen said no more, his mind clearly made up.
For now, Zhang Ruochen was not entirely sure of the black sacred flower’s specific uses, so he planned to return immediately and consult Xiao Hei.
That fat cat, claiming to know the past hundred thousand years and the future hundred thousand years, should know why Chi Wansui valued the black sacred flower so much.
Just as he stepped out of the tent, Zhang Ruochen came face to face with Shangguan Xianyan.
All the important figures of the Blood God Sect had gathered, including the old sacred realm cultivator, Hai Lingyin, Ji Shui, and Lan Ye, all standing behind Shangguan Xianyan.
Shangguan Xianyan’s body was surrounded by nine rings of sacred light. Her white robes fluttered, and her eyes held a hint of a smile. She gently moved her jade-like fingers.
Then, Ji Shui stepped forward, holding a five-colored sacred armor, and presented it to Zhang Ruochen.
“Divine Son, this is your spoils of war.”
Shangguan Xianyan’s voice was soft and beautiful, carrying a sense of closeness.
The five-colored sacred armor was the Five Elements Sacred Armor worn by Wei Longxing, indeed a rare defensive treasure.
Zhang Ruochen did not stand on ceremony and accepted the Five Elements Sacred Armor.
Ji Shui’s voice came from within her wide blood robe. “Don’t leave. Stay.”
Zhang Ruochen stopped tensing his face and instead showed a light, teasing smile. “Uncle-Master Ji, it’s not that this disciple wants to leave you, but many here don’t welcome me.”
Shangguan Xianyan’s eyes emitted a beautiful light like stars. “Divine Son, may I have a word in private?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. Holy Maiden, if you have something to say, just say it,” Zhang Ruochen said, his gaze still fixed on Ji Shui with a hint of a smile.
Ji Shui was grinding her teeth in anger. This kid was getting bolder and bolder, even daring to tease his uncle-master. If her cultivation were strong enough, she would gouge out his eyes.
Shangguan Xianyan said, “You killed the Blue Eagle Beast King, which will surely provoke the other beast kings. They will use extreme measures against you. Stay. With the alliance of the Blood God Sect, the Shangguan family, and the Cai family, even if the Devouring Demon Dragon wants to kill you, it won’t be easy.”
“Please stay, Divine Son!”
“Please stay, Divine Son!”
...
The cultivators of the Blood God Sect all knelt on one knee, shouting.
After the recent battles, Zhang Ruochen’s dominant performance and brilliant achievements had won over all the Blood God Sect cultivators.
Many young disciples revered him like a god.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze shifted from Ji Shui to the Blood God Sect cultivators, and he said lightly, “The fury of the Devouring Demon Dragon—you cannot withstand it.”
With that, Zhang Ruochen strode away, leaving only a tall, slender silhouette.
Moments later, he had vanished beyond the horizon.
Chi Wansui, Wan Huayu, Beigong Lan, and other human elites emerged from the tent, watching the direction Zhang Ruochen had gone.
An old man in gold-threaded soft armor sighed with emotion. “Killing two beast kings in a row—how did he manage it?”
Beigong Lan carried a green ancient sword on her back, exuding an ethereal, transcendent immortal aura, like a peerless sword immortal.
She said, “The dying counterattack of a beast king is enough to kill some lower-realm saints. Could it be that the beast king didn’t even have time to self-destruct its qi sea before dying at his hands? Just how fast is his speed?”
“That kid must have a hidden trump card,” someone speculated.
Chi Wansui walked to the corpse of the Blue Eagle Beast King, reached out a hand, and pressed it against the blood-soaked blue feathers.
He closed his eyes, sensing carefully.
Chi Wansui possessed a mysterious innate ability to detect extremely subtle fluctuations of power. It could be said that few things could escape his perception. If any creature tried to ambush him, it would be courting death.
“The fatal wound on the Blue Eagle Beast King is a sword qi, with a trace of sword intent lingering in its blood. It is very powerful, comparable to Junior Sister Beigong’s sword intent,” Chi Wansui said.
Beigong Lan’s pupils contracted. “Among our generation, there are only three to five sword cultivators whose sword dao can match mine. If the Blue Eagle Beast King was indeed killed by Gu Linfeng, then he is a truly fearsome figure.”
Chi Wansui withdrew his hand and wiped the blood from his palm. “Actually, the Blue Eagle Beast King may not have died at Gu Linfeng’s hands. It could have been the heir of time and space who killed it. Don’t forget, Zhang Ruochen is near the Yingsha City base and is also a sword dao prodigy. Most importantly, according to military intelligence, Zhang Ruochen and Gu Linfeng have some connection.”
At Chi Wansui’s mention, everyone suddenly understood and found his analysis quite reasonable.
No matter how strong Gu Linfeng was, he was only a sixth-step half-saint. How could he have the power to kill a beast king?
It must have been the heir of time and space, Zhang Ruochen, using the power of time and space to catch the Blue Eagle Beast King off guard and kill it.
...
The news that the Blue Eagle Beast King had been killed by the Blood God Sect’s divine son spread back to the savage beast tribes, immediately causing a huge uproar.
All the beast kings were enraged.
That very day, over a dozen beast kings mobilized together, capturing more than half of the human cultivators who had fled the Yingsha City base—five to six thousand cultivators in total.
Not only the beast kings of the twelve savage beast tribes, but also other beast kings from the Half-Saint Ranking and the Half-Saint Outer Ranking appeared.
They had all answered the call of the Devouring Demon Dragon, rushing to the area near the Yingsha City base to deal a heavy blow to the human cultivators.
For a time, the human cultivators fell into an even more passive predicament.
Near Yingsha City, the true bodies of beast kings appeared from time to time, darkening the sky with black clouds and shaking the earth with their steps.
The Devouring Demon Dragon manifested its true form, flying across the sky, and called out to Zhang Ruochen from afar: “Within three days, the Blood God Sect’s divine son must come before me and kneel in apology. If the deadline passes, I will devour one thousand human cultivators each day.”
The Devouring Demon Dragon’s voice formed waves of sound, spreading for ten thousand miles.