Chapter 1401: The Sixth Day
On the fifth day, the rain fell heavily.
Within the Central Imperial City, at the Yuanshi Sacred Hall.
Shengshu Cainü received a message light talisman, holding it in her delicate, jade-white hand. After reading its contents, her expression grew somewhat complicated.
"Hua—"
Huang Yanchen's sacred light dispersed layer by layer, revealing her true form. She asked, "Who sent the message?"
Shengshu Cainü did not hide it, saying, "Zhang Ruochen."
Canglan Wusheng, standing opposite Shengshu Cainü, let out a cold snort. "He's torn a hole in the heavens themselves, and who knows how many Heavenly Kings in the imperial court want him dead. Yet he dares to contact you on his own initiative. Your bond is truly extraordinary."
Shengshu Cainü merely smiled faintly, not arguing with Canglan Wusheng, and said frankly, "He asked me for a favor."
"He actually asked someone for help?"
Huang Yanchen and Canglan Wusheng spoke almost simultaneously, but after saying it, they both fell silent, neither taking the initiative to ask what Zhang Ruochen had requested of Shengshu Cainü.
The atmosphere in the Yuanshi Sacred Hall grew somewhat strange.
Various guesses surfaced in the minds of Huang Yanchen and Canglan Wusheng, but in the end, they all dismissed them one by one.
Shengshu Cainü said, "He said that in the great struggle of the era, the common people should not be harmed. The Kunlun Realm belongs to billions of common people, not to the First Central Empire's Kunlun Realm."
Canglan Wusheng gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Your views and ideals are quite similar. No wonder he asked you, and not me."
Huang Yanchen's expression remained unchanged. "The saints of the Kunlun Realm should have all gone to Wuding Mountain. We should set out as well."
...
On the sixth day.
At the Demon Sect's main altar, on Shengmu Peak.
Mu Lingxi was imprisoned in a black-iron-forged hall atop Shengmu Peak, forbidden from contacting the outside world, and no one was allowed to approach the black-iron hall.
Accompanied by the Mu Family Saint Lord and Yun Zheng, Huang Yanchen arrived outside the black-iron hall.
"Tomorrow is the seventh day, also the day the Fire Clan comes to fetch the bride. An outsider certainly couldn't visit Lingxi. But the Realm Son is Lingxi's senior sister, so an exception can be made," Yun Zheng said.
Huang Yanchen nodded, gazing at the airtight, strange building before her, feeling an indescribable bitterness in her heart.
"Creak."
Huang Yanchen pushed open the heavy iron door, leaving a long shadow on the ground.
As she walked into the black-iron hall, Huang Yanchen finally saw Mu Lingxi's figure. She sat on the ground with a vacant expression, her hair disheveled, her body covered in mud and grime—a far cry from the lively and mischievous Duanmu junior sister she once knew.
"How could this happen? How could your father and the Mu family treat you like this?"
Huang Yanchen was deeply grieved and hurried forward.
"Don't come near me."
Mu Lingxi immediately moved away, putting distance between herself and Huang Yanchen.
Tears streamed from Huang Yanchen's eyes. "Lingxi, it's me, your Chen Jie."
"I know you're Huang Yanchen. You... why, why did you treat him that way? Do people always change? And what do you plan to do to me?" Mu Lingxi said warily.
Huang Yanchen only shook her head, unable to utter a single word.
Mu Lingxi's eyes were hollow. "Do you know what I regret most? That year in the Western Courtyard, when Zhang Ruochen stepped into the Longwu Hall, I shouldn't have swapped the plaques for Huangzi Number One and Dizi Number One. If I hadn't, your bond wouldn't have been so deep, and you wouldn't have had the chance to hurt him so badly."
Mu Lingxi continued, "You know he would never hurt you. No matter how much I love him, how impulsive I am, how much I want to be with him, he can always restrain himself."
Huang Yanchen closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "He and I have gone in two different directions in this life. What the future holds can only be decided by the heavens. But I know that he holds you in extremely high regard. Otherwise, he wouldn't have revealed his identity as the Sacred Ming Crown Prince just for you, just to ascend Wuding Mountain and take you away."
"Sacred Ming Crown Prince? What do you mean?"
Mu Lingxi's eyes flickered with confusion.
Huang Yanchen said, "You didn't know he was the crown prince of the Sacred Ming Central Empire from eight hundred years ago?"
Mu Lingxi looked dazed and shook her head.
Huang Yanchen sighed softly, realizing that Mu Lingxi, imprisoned here, likely knew nothing of the upheaval in the outside world.
So, Huang Yanchen recounted how Zhang Ruochen had issued the Crown Prince Edict and captured the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor, then added, "Tomorrow, Zhang Ruochen will surely come to Wuding Mountain, but this journey is fraught with danger. Wuding Mountain is not the Lingxiao Heavenly King Manor; there are Great Saints stationed there. Moreover, as far as I know, the Fire Clan also has a Great Saint. Beyond that, the imperial court will certainly send a large number of strong warriors to Wuding Mountain. Once Zhang Ruochen appears, he'll likely be trapped in a perilous situation, surrounded by enemies on all sides."
Mu Lingxi laughed. "What are you trying to say with all this?"
Huang Yanchen said, "Even with the support of the Sacred Ming remnants, Zhang Ruochen cannot simultaneously oppose the Moon-Worshipping Cult, the Fire Clan, and the imperial court. Besides, many other forces are allied with Qiu Yu and may also act. In this world, only one person can persuade him and save his life."
Mu Lingxi said, "You want me to step in and persuade him not to come to Wuding Mountain?"
"That's right."
Huang Yanchen paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Do you think he's a fool? That a single word from me would stop him from coming to Wuding Mountain? Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it."
Mu Lingxi said, "Actually, I think dying with Zhang Ruochen on Wuding Mountain would be a blissful thing, rather than bowing to fate and becoming its slave. Besides, I believe in him. He's someone who can create miracles; there's nothing he can't do. If he dies on Wuding Mountain tomorrow, I'll die with him. If he takes me away, I'll follow him for the rest of my life."
"Foolish. No one can fight against fate. From the moment we're born, we do things beyond our control..."
Huang Yanchen's voice grew softer and softer, and finally, she shook her head, said no more, turned around, and walked out of the black-iron hall with a desolate air.
At the foot of Shengmu Peak, Huang Yanchen met Shengshu Cainü.
"How did it go? Did she agree?" Shengshu Cainü asked.
Huang Yanchen shook her head.
Shengshu Cainü pressed further, "Then did you tell her your plan? Even if Zhang Ruochen doesn't come to Wuding Mountain tomorrow, you can still use the Empress's divine decree to forcibly take her away?"
"No... it doesn't matter anymore. Perhaps... perhaps Zhang Ruochen should have a woman who loves him wholeheartedly by his side. Otherwise, how lonely would he be?"
As she said this, Huang Yanchen seemed to summon the greatest courage of her life. Her eyes were hazy, and her lips trembled.
"Are you alright?" Shengshu Cainü asked.
Huang Yanchen shook her head. "Issue an order: anyone from the imperial court who acts tomorrow will be deemed in violation of the divine decree and bear the consequences."
"Doing this will undoubtedly offend the entire imperial court. Aren't you afraid the Empress will punish you when she returns?" Shengshu Cainü said.
"This is all I can do for them. The rest is up to fate."
Huang Yanchen said nothing more, her gaze vacant as she walked forward step by step.
Shengshu Cainü stared at her retreating figure, letting out a faint sigh, then murmured, "You try to stop him from crossing the river, yet he insists on crossing. He falls into the river and dies—what can be done about it?"
...
Yunwu Commandery.
"Mother, Fourth Brother, Ninth Sister, since you wish to stay in Yunwu Commandery, I won't force you. I hope we'll meet again."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the three family members before him, speaking with profound meaning.
"Ninth Brother, are you worried that this trip to Wuding Mountain will end in disaster, and you won't return?" Zhang Yuxi asked with concern.
Zhang Shaochu said, "Ninth Brother, I'm not one to shy away from trouble. Even if I can't help much, I at least have a worthless life to spare. I'll go with you to Wuding Mountain."
With the promise made by the Moon God, Zhang Ruochen wasn't worried about encountering danger on the way to Wuding Mountain.
Rather, he had agreed with the Moon God that after this matter was settled, he would follow her to the Heavenly Court Realm to help her with a task.
Where the Heavenly Court Realm was, how far it was from the Kunlun Realm, what dangers he might face helping a god, and whether he could survive—Zhang Ruochen knew nothing about any of it.
That was why Zhang Ruochen didn't know if he could ever return to the Kunlun Realm.
Just then, the Moon God's voice echoed in Zhang Ruochen's mind: "Bring those two old men who brew wine and refine pills."
This was the first time the Moon God had actively communicated with Zhang Ruochen, which surprised him greatly. What virtues did Gu Songzi and Jiu Fengzi possess that made a god value them so highly?
Zhang Ruochen voiced his doubts.
The Moon God's voice sounded again: "Do you want to know what kind of place the Heavenly Court Realm is?"
"Of course," Zhang Ruochen said.
"The Heavenly Court Realm is called the Saint Realm, established to resist the Hell Realm. At the very least, one must have reached the Half-Saint realm to cultivate there. However, even a Half-Saint entering the Heavenly Court Realm can only exert strength slightly above that of an ordinary person. Once there, the Six Saints Ascending Heaven Wine and the Saint-Transforming Pill can play a significant role," the Moon God said.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes narrowed. "One can go to the Heavenly Court Realm to cultivate upon reaching the Half-Saint realm? But there are so many Half-Saints in the Kunlun Realm—why can't they go there to cultivate?"
The Moon God said, "The universe is vast and boundless. There are no fewer than ten thousand worlds as powerful as the Kunlun Realm, perhaps eight thousand. Even gods don't know the edge of the universe. Only when a world gives birth to a god does it have the right to negotiate with the gods of the Heavenly Court Realm, becoming a subordinate mortal world of the Heavenly Court. Only then can a sacred path connecting the Heavenly Court and the mortal world be opened. The Half-Saints, Saints, Saint Kings, and Great Saints of that world can then enter the Heavenly Court Realm to cultivate."
"Only by becoming a subordinate mortal world of the Heavenly Court can that world, once invaded by the Hell Realm, receive help from the Heavenly Court to resist together. Of course, relying on the Heavenly Court is unreliable. The key is to become strong oneself; otherwise, death is still certain."
Zhang Ruochen was greatly shaken. "Ten thousand years ago, the Kunlun Realm had many gods standing side by side. Surely it was a subordinate mortal world of the Heavenly Court?"
"At that time, the Kunlun Realm was indeed very powerful and certainly a subordinate mortal world of the Heavenly Court. Moreover, the Kunlun Realm ranked very high on the Heavenly Court's 'Myriad Realms Merit Ranking.' Unfortunately, back then... never mind, there are some things it's better you don't know. In any case, after the gods of the Kunlun Realm fell, it was abandoned by the Heavenly Court and became a discarded pawn."
"As for your Empress, she has gone to the Heavenly Court Realm this time to negotiate with the gods. Who knows if she'll return alive? If she does, the sacred path between the Kunlun Realm and the Heavenly Court will reopen. The Kunlun Realm, which was destined for destruction, might then have a glimmer of hope."