Chapter 1108: News from the Outside World
Baili Princess stayed by Zhang Ruochen's side precisely to reclaim the Memory Source Pearl.
This point was beyond doubt.
If her cultivation level far surpassed Zhang Ruochen's, she would certainly use forceful means to take back the Memory Source Pearl, rather than humbling herself like this now.
Regardless, keeping Baili Princess by his side was indeed like carrying a ticking time bomb, with too many uncertain factors.
Xiao Hei rushed over and dissuaded Zhang Ruochen, saying, "Leave her to me, this Emperor will keep an eye on her."
Second Minister of Works pressed his palms together and recited a Buddhist chant, "Amitabha! Uncle Master, please spare Lady Baili this once. This humble monk believes she is not a heinous demon. Just now, she indeed did not go all out; she was likely only testing the power level of the Half-Saint realm."
Baili Princess was somewhat annoyed, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was unreasonable, and said, "You have no human warmth at all. A man like you would never be liked by any woman."
Zhang Ruochen gave her a deep look, then withdrew the Abyssal Ancient Sword, saying coldly, "From now on, you'd better behave yourself, or my sword will not hesitate again."
With that, Zhang Ruochen turned and left.
In truth, it wasn't that Zhang Ruochen was overly sensitive; it was mainly because Baili Princess's strength was too great.
Now that she had reached the realm of a First Calamity Half-Saint, she had stepped into the ranks of top-tier experts. Even if Zhang Ruochen wanted to defeat her, it would not be an easy task.
If Baili Princess were to go on a killing spree in the Scroll World, the Bright Clan would suffer heavy losses.
Zhang Ruochen had to be cautious about this and could not afford any negligence.
Of course, at the core, it was because Zhang Ruochen had never considered Baili Princess as one of his own from the very beginning.
"What a cold-blooded creature."
Baili Princess stuck out her tongue and made a funny face at Zhang Ruochen's back.
Huang Yanchen finished her cultivation and walked down the mountain, saying, "Actually, Zhang Ruochen is not cold-blooded at all. He is actually quite easy to get close to. If you treat him well, he will treat you even better in return."
"Is that so?"
Baili Princess was somewhat skeptical of Huang Yanchen's words, as she had always felt that Zhang Ruochen was difficult to get along with, a rather peculiar person.
Huang Yanchen nodded lightly, then walked over to Zhang Ruochen.
Huang Yanchen's cultivation had reached the peak of the Ninth Order Half-Saint. Even if she continued to absorb the pill energy, it would be difficult to improve further. For the next period, she would need more accumulation and consolidation.
Huang Yanchen caught up to Zhang Ruochen and said, "Baili Princess holds a high position within the Nine Li Cat Clan, and her innate talent is extraordinary. If you can bring her into the Bright Clan, it would greatly strengthen the clan's power. At the same time, it would foster good relations with the Nine Li Cat Clan, which would be beneficial to you in every way."
"I understand that, but Baili Princess is only so innocent and carefree now because she has lost her memory. What happens when she regains it?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Huang Yanchen said, "As long as she develops a sense of belonging to the Bright Clan now, that sense of belonging will persist even after she regains her memory."
"Perhaps what you say has some merit," Zhang Ruochen said.
With at least two days remaining until the pills matured, Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen went to the city where the Bright Clan disciples were gathered and began giving lectures to everyone.
In fact, the six high-ranking Half-Saints of the Murong Family and Xiao Hei often explained cultivation doubts to the Bright Clan disciples, but Zhang Ruochen, as the clan leader, rarely appeared.
All the Bright Clan disciples came to attend the lecture.
In their hearts, Zhang Ruochen was now like a deity, and everyone regarded him with reverence.
Two days later, the six high-ranking Half-Saints of the Murong Family returned to the Scroll World and reported to Zhang Ruochen about the major events that had recently occurred in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.
"Personnel from the Undying Blood Clan hiding among the savage beasts spread a rumor about Your Highness and Baili Princess, which angered the Devouring Demon Dragon, causing it to redirect its spearhead towards Your Highness. The Azure Heaven Prince and the Undying Blood Clan of the Azure Heaven Tribe also fled, reportedly leaving the Yinggema Desert and entering the territory of the Azure Dragon Dynasty," Murong Chengfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly, "The Devouring Demon Dragon is not stupid; it would never fight to the death with the Azure Heaven Tribe. Setting aside whether it could destroy the Azure Heaven Tribe, even if it did, it would have offended the entire Undying Blood Clan."
"The Devouring Demon Dragon is already a mortal enemy of the human race. If it also becomes an enemy of the Undying Blood Clan, no matter how strong its combat power, it would likely come to no good end. Attacking me is merely an excuse. In my view, the Devouring Demon Dragon would rather see the humans attack the Azure Heaven Tribe, so it can reap the benefits."
Murong Chengfeng nodded, "Your analysis is very reasonable, Your Highness. I think so too."
Zhang Ruochen suddenly remembered something and asked, "What exactly is the rumor that's been spreading?"
Murong Chengfeng's expression turned somewhat awkward. He glanced at Huang Yanchen, who was standing not far away, and then used voice transmission to quietly tell Zhang Ruochen the rumor that had been spreading like wildfire.
After hearing it, Zhang Ruochen was momentarily stunned, then chuckled helplessly, "Such a rumor... and people actually believe it?"
Huang Yanchen's beautiful eyes swept over Zhang Ruochen and Murong Chengfeng, but in the end, she did not ask and simply stood there quietly.
Murong Chengfeng said, "This matter will ultimately affect Your Highness's reputation. Should Your Highness come forward to clarify?"
"Forget it. The more you explain something like this, the more it fuels speculation. The pure are self-purifying, the muddy are self-muddying. Let it be," Zhang Ruochen said with indifference, not caring how others saw him, just staying true to himself.
Murong Chengfeng added, "According to my information, the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm has been very unsettled in recent days. Several major battles have broken out in succession, and some previously unknown figures have risen during these battles, stepping into the ranks of top-tier experts."
At the very least, a being capable of killing a Beast King and not fearing its deathbed counterattack could be called a top-tier expert.
Such figures could be counted on one's fingers across the entire human race. Any top-tier expert making a name for themselves would cause a great stir.
Because, in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, top-tier experts were synonymous with invincibility. They could cause immense destruction, easily killing a group of Half-Saints single-handedly.
At the same time, killing a top-tier expert was as difficult as reaching the heavens, unless three or four top-tier experts joined forces to besiege them, only then would there be a chance of success.
A single top-tier expert was already extremely rare; gathering three or four was no easy feat.
Murong Chengfeng continued, "The main reason is that some legendary treasures have appeared in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, which has given rise to several new top-tier experts."
"It is said that in the sea east of the Azure Dragon Continent, a Sixth-Rank Upper savage beast dug up a dead giant clam from the seabed, and inside the clam, it found a five-colored pearl that had been settling for a hundred thousand years. After swallowing the five-colored pearl, that Sixth-Rank Upper savage beast directly stepped into the ranks of top-tier experts, fighting the sixth-ranked Kun Clan Prince for two days and nights without losing."
"A somewhat famous swordsman from the Moon Worship Demon Sect recently broke into the camp of the Yellow Heaven Tribe, one of the ten major tribes of the Undying Blood Clan, killing nearly a hundred Undying Blood Clan Half-Saints. In the end, the princess of the Yellow Heaven Tribe personally intervened to drive him back."
"Besides that, among the natives of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, the Undying Blood Clan, the undead ghosts, and the alien creatures, some unknown individuals have also become famous across the world through earth-shattering battles, becoming new top-tier experts."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and sighed, "It seems the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm has produced quite a few good things. We can't stay in the Scroll World any longer; we must go out and seek our fortunes."
Murong Chengfeng said, "There is another very important matter. Not long ago, the Devouring Demon Dragon successfully crossed its first Half-Saint tribulation."
"When it crossed the tribulation, the calamity clouds it summoned covered the sky for over fifty li, with devastating power that melted a large area of desert into a sea of magma. At the time, I was watching from a thousand li away, and even my Sacred Soul trembled."
Zhang Ruochen's brow furrowed, "The Devouring Demon Dragon only reached the peak of the Ninth Order Half-Saint not long ago. Without accumulation and settling, why would it be so eager to cross its first Half-Saint tribulation? Isn't it afraid of being struck dead by the thunder tribulation?"
Huang Yanchen also looked puzzled, as she too had reached the peak of the Ninth Order Half-Saint but had not dared to assault the Half-Saint realm, worried that her accumulation was insufficient and that an accident might occur during the tribulation.
Murong Chengfeng said, "It is said that the Devouring Demon Dragon was indeed severely injured during its first Half-Saint tribulation and nearly died under the tribulation lightning. Later, I continued to investigate and finally learned the reason."
"What reason?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Murong Chengfeng said, "The Devouring Demon Dragon did not actively summon the Half-Saint tribulation. Instead, it encountered a powerful enemy and was wounded by that enemy, forcing it to take the risk and assault the Half-Saint realm."
"Is there any being in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm capable of wounding the Devouring Demon Dragon?"
Zhang Ruochen found this news hard to believe, suspecting it might be a rumor.
After all, the Devouring Demon Dragon was ranked third. Even the second-ranked Lidi Monk would likely find it no easy task to defeat it.
Forcing the Devouring Demon Dragon to risk its life crossing the tribulation just to protect itself—did such a being truly exist?
Unless Lidi Monk and Xue Wuye joined forces, or several princes and princesses of the Undying Blood Clan besieged it together, could such a feat be accomplished.
Murong Chengfeng had only heard some rumors and did not know the truth, so naturally, he did not know who had wounded the Devouring Demon Dragon.
Regardless, the fact that the Devouring Demon Dragon had crossed its first Half-Saint tribulation was terrible news.
Before crossing the tribulation, the Devouring Demon Dragon was already a pinnacle existence in the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm.
Now, what terrifying level had it reached?
"Hiss—"
From the direction of the Flame Mountain, pill energy surged, and seven-colored rays of light shot into the sky, reaching a thousand li away.
A rich fragrance of pills spread out, causing all living beings on this land to breathe greedily.
"That furnace of Sacred Pills is about to form."
A look of joy appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face. Together with Huang Yanchen and the six high-ranking Half-Saints of the Murong Family, they transformed into eight beams of light and flew toward the location from which the seven-colored light was emanating.
...