Chapter 1333: The Current Ming Sect
Only two leaves remained on the Seven Star Divine Ling. One leaf was scorching hot like a blazing sun; the other was pure and cold like a bright moon.
It must be known that the periphery of the Divine Soil Medicine Garden was layered with formations to prevent outsiders from breaking in.
For this very reason, Zhang Ruochen had felt secure leaving the divine medicine and sacred medicines within the Kunlun Realm, hoping that after undergoing the baptism of the world's creation, their medicinal properties would become even stronger.
Who could have predicted that they would go to such lengths to break through the formations?
"A miscalculation!"
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down. "The medicinal power of a divine medicine is immense. How could they possibly withstand it with their cultivation and physical bodies?"
Previously, the biggest reason Zhang Ruochen had not consumed a divine medicine was precisely because he could not endure its overwhelming medicinal power.
At this moment, Bai Li Princess was also standing inside the medicine garden, a snow-white tail swaying beneath her hips. "When heaven and earth first split, chaos was born. The rules of heaven and earth undergo drastic changes. Any living being within the Kunlun Realm receives a baptism from the acquired to the innate. During this process, they can digest the divine medicine without fear of exploding from the energy."
"In other words, you were also involved?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Bai Li Princess pursed her lips but did not deny it. "I ate the White Tiger leaf."
Zhang Ruochen felt a headache coming on. "You're a cat. Why would you eat a White Tiger leaf?"
"The White Tiger leaf represents power. By consuming it, I have achieved more than just physical sanctification. With my current physique, I should rank among the top-tier of ancient bloodline descendants," Bai Li Princess said.
Continuing the conversation with Bai Li Princess, Zhang Ruochen learned that the Azure Dragon leaf had been eaten by Guo Guo, and the Black Tortoise leaf by the Demon Ape.
Fortunately, the two most important leaves of the Seven Star Divine Ling were still intact; otherwise, Zhang Ruochen might have truly been furious enough to spit blood.
Zhang Ruochen sent voice transmissions to Guo Guo and the Demon Ape, telling them to meet him beneath the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree.
Zhang Ruochen and Bai Li Princess arrived first and stood under the tree. They saw that the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree had grown thicker and more lush, its trunk soaring into the clouds, radiating an immensely powerful aura.
Every leaf seemed to breathe, exhaling Wood Spirit Sacred Qi.
It must be known that within the Kunlun Realm, the five elemental energies could transform into one another. Wood Spirit Sacred Qi could become Fire Spirit Sacred Qi, Fire Spirit Sacred Qi could become Earth Spirit Sacred Qi...
The five elements cycled endlessly, generating life without cease.
In other words, living beings cultivating in the Kunlun Realm could directly absorb Sacred Qi for cultivation, unlike those in the Kunlun Realm, who could only absorb natural spiritual energy.
In the Kunlun Realm, cultivators could only reach the Fish-Dragon Realm, but in the Kunlun Realm, they might be able to reach the Half-Saint realm.
In other words, the world rank of the Kunlun Realm was even higher than that of the Kunlun Realm.
Of course, the Kunlun Realm had once been incredibly glorious and prosperous, far surpassing the current Kunlun Realm. It had only declined after the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was severed.
Recently, the rules of heaven and earth in the Kunlun Realm had been changing, potentially giving birth to new world roots, new earth sacred veins, and even new gods... anything was possible.
To say now that the world rank of the Kunlun Realm was higher than the Kunlun Realm would be inaccurate.
The undeniable fact was that, at this stage, the cultivation environment of the Kunlun Realm far exceeded that of the Kunlun Realm.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "After becoming a saint, how much of your memory has recovered?"
"About half. Some memories are still very blurry," Bai Li Princess said.
Zhang Ruochen took out her Memory Source Pearl and tossed it over.
Bai Li Princess caught the Memory Source Pearl and gave Zhang Ruochen a deep, somewhat surprised look. "I stole and ate the divine medicine, yet instead of punishing me, you return the Memory Source Pearl?"
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands behind his back. "Stealing and eating the divine medicine is indeed a grave offense. However, the Ming Sect's reward and punishment system is still incomplete. So, I will not pursue this transgression for now. When you make another mistake, both punishments will be dealt together."
The divine medicine had already been consumed. Zhang Ruochen could hardly throw all three of them into a furnace and refine them. Even if he did, he might not be able to extract the divine medicine again.
But wrongdoing must be punished.
Because Zhang Ruochen was no longer alone; he was the Sect Leader of the Ming Sect. Without a system of rewards and punishments, the Ming Sect would fall into chaos and never rise.
Bai Li Princess had already joined the Ming Sect and sworn loyalty to Zhang Ruochen, making her a member. Zhang Ruochen chose not to punish her now because she had made significant contributions within the Kunlun Realm.
During Zhang Ruochen's absence, she had been managing the Ming Sect and the former Azure Dragon Dynasty's subjects, keeping everything in order.
Bai Li Princess swallowed the Memory Source Pearl, and her past memories surged back like a tidal wave, filling the gaps in her recollection.
She showed no major emotional fluctuation, but her gaze turned a few degrees colder. "So that's how it is."
"Having recalled everything from your past, do you still intend to stay in the Ming Sect?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Bai Li Princess's demeanor became quite aloof, her eyes deepening with wisdom. "You control a world and the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree, and you have inherited the legacies of time and space. You are destined to rise with overwhelming force. Joining the Ming Sect gives me the best cultivation environment and the most abundant resources. Why would I leave?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded and smiled. "After recovering your memory, you've finally become much smarter, like someone capable of great things... no, a cat."
Bai Li Princess said, "Now I'm curious about one thing. At the same cultivation level, can you still defeat me? If you can't, why should I submit to you?"
"You think that after undergoing the baptism of the world's creation and consuming a divine medicine, you are invincible at the same level?" Zhang Ruochen said with a smile, unafraid of her challenge.
Bai Li Princess was originally an ancient bloodline descendant, her physique far superior to the Demon Ape and Guo Guo.
Now that even the Demon Ape and Guo Guo had undergone such astonishing transformations, her improvement must be even more terrifying. It was only natural for her to want to challenge Zhang Ruochen.
Bai Li Princess said, "With my current physique and sacred path attainments, defeating the Devouring Demon Dragon at the same level would not be difficult. Is that not enough to challenge you?"
Back then, the Devouring Demon Dragon ranked second on the Half-Saint List and was hailed as invincible among ancient bloodline descendants. The former Bai Li Princess was far from its match.
Now, she had full confidence in defeating the Devouring Demon Dragon, showing just how terrifying her improvement was.
"There will be a chance. Once we leave the Kunlun Realm, I will definitely fight you and make you submit willingly," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen himself was the Kunlun Realm, so his true body could not descend there. He could only appear in the Kunlun Realm as an avatar, making it impossible to spar with Bai Li Princess.
Next, Bai Li Princess reported to Zhang Ruochen on the situation of the Kunlun Realm and the Ming Sect:
Currently, the Kunlun Realm housed over thirty million humans, most of whom were natives of the Azure Dragon Ruins Realm, with only a small number being cultivators from the Kunlun Realm.
Including Bai Li Princess, Guo Guo, and the Demon Ape, the Ming Sect had a total of thirteen saint-level beings, the most powerful of which was the Blood Moon Ghost King.
Back then, a large number of ninth-step Half-Saint-level barbarian beasts and ninth-step Half-Saint-level natives had been taken into the Kunlun Realm. After undergoing the baptism of the world's creation, it was only natural that some of them broke through to the saint realm.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Not bad. With the Ming Sect's current strength, it can already contend with some top-tier sects and medieval aristocratic clans. However, the Kunlun Realm is still too sparsely populated. We need to bring in more humans."
Zhang Ruochen pondered in his mind that after leaving Immortal Mechanism Mountain, he could gradually make contact with the former remnants of the Sacred Bright Central Dynasty. As long as they remained loyal to him, they could all be brought into the Kunlun Realm to cultivate.
Once the Kunlun Realm and the Ming Sect grew strong, they would become his capital to oppose Chi Yao and the First Central Empire.
The only regret was that after the Cosmic Divine Wood Map shattered, the time flow in the Kunlun Realm became the same as the Kunlun Realm, losing the tenfold time acceleration.
The Cosmic Divine Wood Map was, after all, a time-space treasure, not a true world. It had many limitations and could not compare to the Kunlun Realm.
In the Kunlun Realm, there were fewer than ten time-space treasures, each capable of altering time ratios like the Cosmic Divine Wood Map. Of course, they were all held by the most top-tier forces, and obtaining any one of them was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Among them, the Heavenly Wheel Seal was the most precious of all time-space treasures, far surpassing the Cosmic Divine Wood Map.
"I must find a way to seize the Heavenly Wheel Seal from the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain. With it, I can gain thirty times the cultivation time. Only by relying on the Heavenly Wheel Seal can I catch up to Chi Yao," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
As Zhang Ruochen was planning his next steps, Guo Guo and the Demon Ape shuffled forward hesitantly, pushing and shoving each other, clearly knowing why Zhang Ruochen had summoned them.
The Demon Ape looked very nervous, kneeling on one knee, trembling as he said, "Gre... greetings, Master."
Guo Guo's eyes darted around, then he pointed a claw at the Demon Ape. "It's all the Demon Ape's fault. He took the sacred medicine from the Divine Soil Medicine Garden and fed it to me. I didn't want to eat it, but he shoved it into my mouth, and when I refused, he beat me. Zhang Ruochen, you have no idea, while you were away, I got beaten ten times a day!"
"So, you ate ten sacred medicines every day?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Absolutely not! How would I dare? The Demon Ape forced them into my mouth, and I had no choice but to submit. I'm smaller than him, I can't fight him. Look at my arms, all fat. Look at his arms—every muscle is bigger than my whole body. How could I resist?"
Guo Guo pinched the soft flesh on his arm, tears and snot streaming down his face, looking utterly wronged.
"You... you shameless... it was clearly you who led the way... Mas... Master, don't believe him. He's shameless, utterly shameless..."
The Demon Ape was not good with words, repeating only the word "shameless," so angry that he stammered.
"I know very well who started it. Both of you stole and ate the divine medicine, so you must pay the price to compensate for my loss," Zhang Ruochen said.
Guo Guo's eyes widened, his teeth chattering, trembling so much that he collapsed to the ground. "I knew it! We're definitely going to be thrown into the furnace and refined into pills..."
"It's over... it's over... I said back then we absolutely shouldn't steal... Master will punish us... you've doomed me..."
Hearing Guo Guo's words, the Demon Ape was also terrified, his legs giving way as he sat down with a loud thud, shaking the ground.
Seeing their pathetic state, Zhang Ruochen grew even angrier. "When did I say I was going to throw you into the furnace? First, come out with me. Once we reach Immortal Mechanism Mountain, you'll understand how to make up for my loss."