# Chapter 1351: Stepping Into the Central Royal City
Zhao Qilin knew that Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power was extremely formidable, so he did not dare conceal anything and said, "Two of the three major branches of the Ten Thousand Buddha Path—the Temple of Life and Death and the Black Market—both fanned the flames."
"However, the most detestable are the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan. Using our sect's name as a pretext, they actually directed the spearhead toward Consort Lin, who resides in the Central Royal City. Their hearts deserve death."
A cold aura emanated from Zhang Ruochen's body. "Using the Demon Sect's name as a pretext?"
Zhao Qilin, afraid that Zhang Ruochen might misunderstand, quickly explained the reason.
It turned out that both the Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and the Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan had moles lurking within the Moon Worship Demon Sect, attempting to exploit the hatred between the Demon Sect's Divine Son Ouyang Huan and Zhang Ruochen to stir up trouble.
"Rest assured, Young Master Zhang. The chief saintess of our sect personally rushed to the Central Royal City to deal with them. Consort Lin will certainly be safe."
As the Night Shadow Palace was responsible for intelligence gathering, Zhao Qilin, as one of its leaders, naturally knew a great deal of information.
"Ghost-Raising Ancient Clan and Corpse-Driving Ancient Clan."
Zhang Ruochen did his utmost to control his emotions and then asked, "Is the chief saintess of the Demon Sect still in the Central Royal City?"
"She should still be there," Zhao Qilin said.
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes, trying to remain calm, and said, "Alright, you may leave."
"You're really letting me go?"
"Why so much nonsense? I told you to leave, so leave. Don't believe I'll break every bone in your body with one claw and then toss you out?"
Guo Guo extended a furry fist, speaking quite violently.
Zhao Qilin was genuinely afraid of this barbarian beast—whether it was a dragon or a rabbit, he couldn't tell. Without any further hesitation, he immediately stood up, burst forth at his fastest speed, and flew into the distance.
A faint fragrance drifted to Zhang Ruochen's side.
Baili Princess steadied herself, staring in the direction Zhao Qilin had fled, and said, "You're really letting him go?"
"Although this man has become a saint, he is not made of tough stuff. Spare his life; perhaps he will prove useful in the future," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen disliked people who feared death, but if such a person was in an enemy faction, that was actually a good thing.
"The year's end is approaching. Perhaps it is time to go to the Central Royal City."
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the gray, overcast sky, his eyes somewhat distant. In his mind, the figure of Consort Lin appeared.
He was not only the Crown Prince of the Saintly Bright Central Empire but also the Ninth Prince of the Yunwu Commandery. With Consort Lin, Zhang Ruochen had experienced maternal love for the first time and had long regarded her as his own birth mother.
Over the years, mother and son had not gathered for a long time—had not spent the New Year together, had not shared a New Year's Eve dinner together.
While everyone else was reuniting, they remained alone.
Zhang Ruochen had always been evading the court's arrests and pursuits, hiding either in the Liangyi Sect or the Blood God Sect. To seize cultivation resources and improve his cultivation, he had endured countless life-and-death crises.
Consort Lin was merely a mortal. Her heart was not as strong as Zhang Ruochen's. Perhaps, in her world, Zhang Ruochen was her everything.
Every time news spread of Zhang Ruochen being in danger, she would surely worry, surely shed tears, and surely grieve and be heartbroken like any mother.
It was not that Zhang Ruochen was unwilling to see her, but that he dared not.
Zhang Ruochen had too many enemies. If he allowed those enemies' attention to focus on Consort Lin, it would only harm her.
But now it was different. Those enemies were already targeting Consort Lin. How could Zhang Ruochen not go?
The Qiankun Realm had already been born, evolving into a stable and secure world. It was time to bring Consort Lin inside.
Zhang Ruochen left the Celestial Mechanism Mountain and set out on the road to the Central Royal City.
The Central Royal City had once been the capital of the Qingchi Central Empire. After Qing Emperor and Chi Yao unified the world, it naturally became the capital of the First Central Empire.
After Chi Yao ascended as Empress, she led the saints and used heaven-defying methods to alter the spiritual vein trends of the entire Kunlun Realm.
All the spiritual veins of the world converged at the Central Royal City.
Thus, the Central Royal City became the place with the richest spiritual energy in the entire Kunlun Realm. Cultivators from all directions gathered here continuously. The city was expanded again and again, its prosperity surpassing the old Qingchi capital by countless times.
It could be said that the Central Royal City was the symbol of humanity's most flourishing prosperity. Its birth was a great miracle.
For Zhang Ruochen, the Central Royal City was naturally a dragon's pool and tiger's den. However, the Undying Blood Clan, the Death Zen Sect, and the Fengdu Ghost City had all caused considerable turmoil. Most of the court's saints should not be in the Central Royal City.
Now was the best time to go to the Central Royal City.
In the Northern Domain's Hongchuan Prefecture, there was a Space Wormhole that could directly reach the Central Royal City.
Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen had both cultivated the Thirty-Six Transformations of Formlessness and Invisibility. The two changed their figures, appearances, and auras, transforming into an old man and an old woman with wrinkled faces, and arrived at the location of the Space Wormhole.
Huang Yanchen's head was full of white hair, her figure hunched, and her voice hoarse as she said, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hidden it from you. But at that time, your three meridians were severed, and you were at your weakest. I was afraid that if you learned the news, you would..."
"Don't explain to me. I understand."
Zhang Ruochen tightly grasped Huang Yanchen's hand and gave a gentle smile. "In this world, there are not many people who truly care for you with all their hearts. Every one of them is worth cherishing."
Huang Yanchen gently bit her lip, leaned her head against Zhang Ruochen's chest, and a look that was both sweet and bitter appeared in her eyes.
Zhang Ruochen sensed that her emotions were fluctuating greatly and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Huang Yanchen suppressed her emotions and lightly tapped Zhang Ruochen's chest, somewhat playfully saying, "I'm just very curious. Now that I'm so old and so ugly, do you feel disgusted looking at me?"
"How could that be?"
Zhang Ruochen let out a silent laugh, stroking Huang Yanchen's wrinkled face, and said, "You gave me your youngest and most beautiful years. In my heart, you will always be the youngest and most beautiful."
"What if I really become old and ugly in the future, while you remain very young? Then you probably wouldn't say such things," Huang Yanchen said softly.
"In the future, if you age one year, I will age one year with you. If you do not abandon me, I will be with you through life and death." Zhang Ruochen gripped her hand even tighter.
From a distance, a familiar voice came, somewhat emotional: "At such an advanced age, yet still so deeply in love—truly enviable."
Canglan Martial Saint arrived near the Space Wormhole with six female saints.
The one who had spoken was Saintess Liuli, who was following behind Canglan Martial Saint. She looked at Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen embracing each other, revealing a very envious expression.
Zhang Ruochen, afraid of being recognized by them, pulled Huang Yanchen and melted into the crowd.
About an hour later, the Space Wormhole opened. Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, along with Canglan Martial Saint and the six female saints, all stepped inside.
When they emerged from the Space Wormhole, everyone had already arrived at the Central Royal City, appearing on a wide white stone square.
"We pay our respects to the Martial Saint."
On the square, a squad of Imperial Golden Armor Guards was waiting there. Seeing Canglan Martial Saint appear, they all knelt on the ground.
Other cultivators nearby, upon learning Canglan Martial Saint's identity, were also extremely terrified. They knelt down in unison to pay their respects, not daring to raise their heads.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Canglan Martial Saint and thought to himself, No wonder she is so proud and aloof—she is indeed very imposing. In the Central Royal City, probably no one dares to offend her.
Just then, the corner of Zhang Ruochen's eye caught a strikingly beautiful figure, and he quickly lowered his head.
Shengshu Cainü was wearing a green Confucian robe, walking out from among the Imperial Golden Armor Guards. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she was dressed as a man, with red lips and white teeth, appearing exceptionally handsome.
However, her spiritual power was extremely profound. Almost no one present could see her true appearance clearly.
Shengshu Cainü smiled gracefully and said, "Congratulations, Sister Canglan, on breaking through to the Heaven-Connecting Realm and reclaiming the Sky-Burning Sword. Two joys at once—truly worthy of celebration."
Seeing Shengshu Cainü, Canglan Martial Saint's usually cold face finally showed a smile. "Nalan, why did you come personally?"
"I came to welcome you back to the palace and to be the first to congratulate you. What do you think—surprised?" Shengshu Cainü said.
Canglan Martial Saint felt that Shengshu Cainü was a bit unusual today, but her trip to the Northern Domain had been very fruitful, and she was in a good mood, so she didn't think much of it.
Surrounded by the Imperial Golden Armor Guards, Canglan Martial Saint and Shengshu Cainü left together, heading toward the Purple Micro Palace.
Just then, a strand of spiritual power entered Zhang Ruochen's mind: "Tonight, at the hour of Zi, at the Azure Rainbow Pavilion."
Zhang Ruochen gave a bitter smile and looked in the direction Shengshu Cainü had left. Just then, Shengshu Cainü also turned around and glanced back.
Their gazes briefly met before separating.
"She still recognized me. No... she wasn't waiting for Canglan Martial Saint, but for me. That means... she knew in advance that I was coming to the Central Royal City. Yan Chen and I have the Buddha Relic refined by the Buddha Emperor to conceal our aura—how did she know our whereabouts?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious.
Shengshu Cainü knew his whereabouts like the back of her hand. Could other great figures of the Confucian path also know his whereabouts?
Huang Yanchen noticed something and asked, "She discovered you?"
"Yes. She invited me to meet tonight," Zhang Ruochen said without hiding it.
Huang Yanchen said, "Go ahead."
"You don't mind?" Zhang Ruochen smiled.
"Given Shengshu Cainü's character and your principles, why should I mind? I think she invited you to meet because she has something very important to tell you," Huang Yanchen said.
Zhang Ruochen was already eager. "Let's go to the Realm Son Mansion first."
Each Realm Son had a Realm Son Mansion in the Central Royal City. Consort Lin was living in Huang Yanchen's Realm Son Mansion.
With Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yanchen's cultivation levels, they naturally moved without a trace, evading the guards watching over the Realm Son Mansion and entering the inner residence.
From a distance, Zhang Ruochen saw Consort Lin's somewhat haggard back. She was sitting on the high threshold, gazing at the sky beyond the mansion walls, looking somewhat dazed.
For some reason, Zhang Ruochen felt a pang in his heart. His eyes became moist, and his voice was dry as he softly said, "Mother..."
...
(The upcoming storyline in the Central Royal City will be one of the biggest turning points in this book. The plot is difficult to write, and the emotional expression is quite intense. Since emotional description is my weak point, I need to carefully conceive it. I hope everyone can understand if the updates are not on time.)
(End of chapter)