Chapter 1080: The Eve of Battle
Wan Huayu had come together with Shangguan Xianyan, Cai Jinglun, and Shangguan Yi, each representing a medieval aristocratic clan with deep backgrounds. In the Kunlun Realm, any one of them was a figure of great renown.
Their expressions were grim. Clearly, at noon, they had all gone near Yingsha City and witnessed the scene of savage beasts devouring humans.
That scene would be unforgettable for the rest of their lives.
The positions of humans and savage beasts had been reversed. Humans had become like livestock, serving as food for the beasts. No human cultivator could accept this reality.
Wan Huayu got straight to the point, stating the purpose of her visit: she hoped to join forces with him to rescue the remaining human cultivators.
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, facing the four of them, and spoke very directly. "Let's set aside the disparity in strength between the various savage beast clans and humanity for now. Even if both sides were evenly matched, what makes you think I would go save those human cultivators?"
Wan Huayu's eyes narrowed, and a sharp aura emanated from her. "We are all human cultivators. We must unite if we are to stand against the savage beasts. If everyone only thinks of their own interests, humanity will be like scattered sand and will eventually head toward extinction."
Zhang Ruochen remained unmoved, his demeanor calm.
Shangguan Xianyan stepped forward as well. Her aura was not seductive but rather somber. "Divine Son, the savage beasts led by the Devouring Demon Dragon are wantonly humiliating our human race, treating humans as food, as playthings."
"Right now, whether righteous or demonic, all human cultivators should unite and fight them. It would be best if we could save some human cultivators. Even if we can't, we must make those savage beasts pay a heavy price."
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly, fixing his gaze on Shangguan Xianyan across from him. "I recall that you shouldn't be a woman who acts recklessly without strategy. Who gave you the confidence to think you can make dozens of savage beast clans pay a heavy price? Since you've become the leading figure of the Blood God Sect, you should be responsible for the lives of its disciples, not lead them to their deaths."
From start to finish, Zhang Ruochen did not approve of their plan.
Currently, nearly thirty savage beast clans had gathered outside Yingsha City, with over twenty powerful beast kings.
Each clan also had a large number of savage beasts with combat power at the Half-Saint level.
The total number of beasts was more than ten times that of the human cultivators in the Yingsha City base.
A direct confrontation between humans and the savage beast clans—what difference was there from seeking death?
Cai Jinglun shot Zhang Ruochen a cold glare, snorted, and said to Shangguan Xianyan and Wan Huayu, "Those beast kings were right. He's a turtle hiding in his shell. And you still hoped he would act?"
Zhang Ruochen remained perfectly composed, his distant gaze fixed on the drifting yellow sand, as if he couldn't hear Cai Jinglun's mockery, or as if he were waiting for something.
Wan Huayu and Shangguan Xianyan both sighed, shaking their heads in disappointment at Zhang Ruochen. Without another word, they left first.
Among the four, Shangguan Yi, the top expert of the Shangguan Clan, had spoken very little.
But as he left, he said to Zhang Ruochen, "To fight the savage beast clans, cultivators from the demonic path, the evil path, and the imperial court are all willing to cooperate and strike together. But you fear death and won't face the challenge. Someone like you is destined to achieve nothing."
With that, Shangguan Yi also left.
The cultivators who had been following Zhang Ruochen all fell silent.
Their eyes would occasionally turn to Zhang Ruochen, filled with anticipation.
Because they knew Zhang Ruochen was not a cold-hearted person. He was surely thinking of a foolproof plan, not truly afraid to fight the savage beast clans.
Sun Dadi had already woken up and was sitting on the ground in silence.
Suddenly, he shook his neck, grabbed his iron staff, slung it over his shoulder, and walked in the direction Wan Huayu, Cai Jinglun, and the others had gone.
"Where are you going?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Sun Dadi didn't look back, his voice cold. "Different paths, no common goals. I don't want to keep following someone who is timid and hesitant. I believe there are still human heroes who don't fear challenges or death. I'm going to fight alongside them."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Fighting alongside them will only mean nine chances of death and one of survival."
"So what if it's nine deaths and one life? If it weren't for the successive sages of humanity who fought and died against the savage beasts, paying with their blood and lives, how could humanity have carved out a place to survive in the Kunlun Realm? Even if I die, I'll take a bunch of them down with me." Sun Dadi's stance was resolute.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze remained fixed on the distant yellow sand. Suddenly, his ears twitched. He had finally received a message from tens of thousands of miles away.
At that moment, the corner of his mouth curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. "Stay. Fighting alongside them won't save anyone; it will only cause more human cultivators to die. If you want to save people, there is actually another way."
Sun Dadi immediately stopped, turned around, and looked at Zhang Ruochen in the distance, a puzzled expression on his face. "You really have a way?"
The other human cultivators all stood up, their faces eager, their eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen.
Xiao Hei stood beside Zhang Ruochen, baring his teeth with a mocking grin. "Do you think Zhang Ruochen never thought about saving people? In the Scroll World, Zhang Ruochen and I discussed this matter in detail. In the end, we came up with a somewhat feasible plan."
"What plan?" Sun Dadi asked.
Xiao Hei spoke unhurriedly, "A head-on clash would certainly be a dead end, so we have to use our wits."
Sun Dadi grew impatient and asked again, "Using wits? How exactly?"
Xiao Hei extended a claw, signaling Sun Dadi not to rush. "First, I need to ask you a question. The savage beast clans were originally a scattered mess—how did they manage to unite and target humanity together?"
Sun Dadi scratched his scalp with his fingers, his eyes lighting up. "Because of the Devouring Demon Dragon. It used its immense power to intimidate the beast kings of each clan."
"Correct."
Xiao Hei nodded. "So, Zhang Ruochen believes that if we can find the weakness of the Devouring Demon Dragon, we can easily rescue those human cultivators."
"Even two Realm Sons together could only fight the Devouring Demon Dragon to a draw. Does such a powerful creature have a weakness?" Sun Dadi asked.
"As long as it's a living creature, it must have a weakness."
Xiao Hei chuckled again. "The Devouring Demon Dragon has a very close relationship with Princess Bai Li of the Jiuli Cat Clan. It's said that Princess Bai Li likes to take human form and possesses unparalleled beauty. Since the Devouring Demon Dragon has captured thousands of human cultivators, why don't we go capture Princess Bai Li instead?"
Sun Dadi's face immediately lit up with joy. He thought it over carefully, then clapped his hands and shouted, "Haha! You actually came up with this move—that's impressive, I have to admire it. Now let's see whether the Devouring Demon Dragon values the lives of those thousands of human cultivators more, or the life of Princess Bai Li."
Xiao Hei rolled his eyes. "Do you think Princess Bai Li is so easy to capture? Princess Bai Li is also a Primordial Beings, incredibly powerful, ranked seventy-eighth on the Half-Saint Ranking. With your cultivation, could you even withstand one of her fingers?"
Sun Dadi gasped and immediately shook his head.
Xiao Hei continued, "Moreover, the Bai Li Clan possesses a formidable innate sacred art called the Step of a Thousand Miles. Once this sacred art is unleashed, one step can take you a thousand miles away. Even a Saint-level being couldn't stop her. Capturing her—easier said than done?"
Xiao Hei had deep ties with the Jiuli Cat Clan, so he knew them very well.
Sun Dadi's eyes darted around, and he grinned slyly. "Other cultivators might not be able to stop her, but the boss definitely can. The boss is the Heir of Time and Space. No matter how fast Princess Bai Li is, she probably can't escape his grasp."
Xiao Hei smirked. "Didn't you just say 'different paths, no common goals'? Why are you calling him 'boss' now?"
Sun Dadi's face, already red, turned even redder.
He immediately clasped his hands and bowed slightly. "Boss, I misunderstood you earlier. Please forgive me."
"You did nothing wrong. There's no need to ask for my forgiveness."
Zhang Ruochen added, "Earlier, I didn't tell you the reason because I wasn't sure if we could find Princess Bai Li's trail. If we couldn't find her whereabouts, it would all be empty talk."
"Have you found Princess Bai Li's whereabouts now?" Sun Dadi asked.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Just now, the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works sent word. They have found traces of Princess Bai Li and are gradually narrowing the search range."
Only then did Sun Dadi realize that the two bald monks, the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works, were missing. They had already left to search for Princess Bai Li.
Now, Sun Dadi was utterly in awe of Zhang Ruochen. Not only was he meticulous in his thinking and calm in the face of change, but he was also far from cold-hearted. It was just that his way of thinking about and solving problems was different from others.
Such a person was worthy of his lifelong loyalty.
"Boss, I'll go with you to capture Princess Bai Li. More strength, more power," Sun Dadi said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head, took out a portion of White Tiger Divine Dew, and handed it to Sun Dadi. Then he patted him on the shoulder. "Take the time to refine it. With this, it should help you get through your first Quasi-Saint Tribulation."
Sun Dadi's current cultivation was only slightly weaker than a beast king.
Once he passed the first Quasi-Saint Tribulation, he would immediately gain the power to contend with a beast king.
Zhang Ruochen took Xiao Hei and headed toward the location reported by the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works, planning to combine the strength of the three men and one beast to capture Princess Bai Li.
Meanwhile, the human cultivators in Yingsha City were consolidating their forces, deciding to launch a third major assault on the savage beast clans that night.
Outside the city, Wan Huayu and the others had also assembled a human cultivator army, beginning to plan and strategize, intending to coordinate with the city's cultivators from within and without, hoping to inflict a heavy blow on the savage beast clans.
That night was destined to flow with rivers of blood.