Chapter 1679: Burning Bridges
The Wu Shen Heavenly Son possessed an extraordinary bearing, standing there like a black hole that could absorb all light and heat, making him impossible to see through.
"Whoosh—"
With a flick of his sleeve, two sacred fruits flew out and hovered in front of Zhang Ruochen.
"Brother Lin, these two sacred fruits were both picked within this hall. I, Shen, have already examined them. Consuming them can increase a cultivator's sacred dao rules by nearly ten thousand."
Wu Shen Heavenly Son wore a smile and did not mention asking Zhang Ruochen to trade sacred medicines or sacred fruits in return.
He had been observing Zhang Ruochen for a long time and noticed that Zhang Ruochen had traded for many sacred fruits and medicines that enhanced cultivation. He likely had no treasures left to offer in exchange.
Zhang Ruochen was naturally very interested in those two sacred fruits.
However, how could a powerhouse like Wu Shen Heavenly Son take the initiative to meet an unknown nobody like him just for a trade of two sacred fruits?
Ten thousand sacred dao rules were indeed remarkable for a low-realm Saint King. But for high-realm Saint Kings who had already cultivated hundreds of thousands or even millions of sacred dao rules, it was nothing.
What was Wu Shen Heavenly Son's true purpose?
Wu Shen Heavenly Son saw that Zhang Ruochen desired the two sacred fruits but restrained himself from reaching for them. So he said, "Brother Lin, if you are interested in these two sacred fruits, feel free to take them and consume them. There is no need to rush into offering equivalent treasures in exchange. Consider it a gesture of friendship."
Zhang Ruochen was well aware of the principle, "Taking gifts makes one's hands short, and eating gifts makes one's mouth soft." So he quickly shook his head and said, "How can that be? Since it's a trade, it should be fair."
"Does this person still have treasures that can enhance cultivation?" Wu Shen Heavenly Son was somewhat surprised.
Zhang Ruochen took out a True Marvel Sacred Fruit and handed it to Wu Shen Heavenly Son.
The seductive woman took it on behalf of Wu Shen Heavenly Son. After receiving the True Marvel Sacred Fruit, she used her spiritual power to probe into the fruit and examined it. Then, a look of shock appeared in her almond-shaped eyes.
She transmitted a strand of spiritual power to inform Wu Shen Heavenly Son.
A flicker of emotion appeared in Wu Shen Heavenly Son's eyes. "Brother Lin truly keeps his talents hidden. I, Shen, admire that. However, the value of this sacred fruit of yours exceeds that of those two fruits. Wouldn't it be too much of a loss for you to trade it?"
"Consider it a gesture of friendship!" Zhang Ruochen said with a smile, putting away the two sacred fruits hovering in the air, and turned to leave.
"Brother Lin, wait a moment."
Wu Shen Heavenly Son called out to Zhang Ruochen and then transmitted a message using spiritual power: "Actually, we can make a bigger deal."
"A bigger deal?" Zhang Ruochen stopped in his tracks.
So Wu Shen Heavenly Son had another purpose in seeking him out after all.
Wu Shen Heavenly Son got straight to the point: "The Divine Spring is of great use to me. If Brother Lin will lend me a hand, whatever price the Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter offered you, I will double it."
"It's related to the Divine Spring."
Zhang Ruochen did not want to offend Wu Shen Heavenly Son, so he smiled and said, "Hasn't the Heavenly Son invited Master Pushan? My spatial attainments may not be much stronger than Master Pushan's. I'm afraid I won't be of much help."
"Brother Lin is too modest. That technique of yours, retrieving objects from a distance just now, is something Pushan could never do," Wu Shen Heavenly Son said.
Agreeing to Wu Shen Heavenly Son was clearly not an option.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was thinking about how to refuse Wu Shen Heavenly Son without offending him, Li Miaohan, the disciple of Heavenly Beginning Fairy, walked over.
Li Miaohan first bowed slightly to Wu Shen Heavenly Son, then said to Zhang Ruochen, "Brother Lin, my master also wishes to do business with you and hopes to meet you."
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly to himself. He didn't need to guess—Heavenly Beginning Fairy must also want to ask him to help seize the Divine Spring.
Suddenly, he had become a hot commodity, with all sides wanting to recruit him.
This was not a good thing, as he couldn't afford to offend any of them.
Zhang Ruochen planned to use this opportunity to first get away from Wu Shen Heavenly Son. "Heavenly Son, Heavenly Beginning Fairy has always been someone I greatly admire. How about I go see her first, and then we can discuss the earlier matter?"
Wu Shen Heavenly Son was not at all angry and smiled, "Everyone has a love for beauty. Go ahead, Brother Lin. But don't forget the terms I, Shen, offered earlier."
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to go with Li Miaohan to meet Heavenly Beginning Fairy, a cold voice rang out: "Lin Yue, where are you going?"
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter walked toward them, with the tall, blind man and the big-bearded man following closely behind her.
Li Miaohan stepped forward and said, "Greetings, Heavenly Daughter. My master wishes to trade sacred fruits and medicines for cultivation enhancement with Brother Lin and has specially sent me to invite him."
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter stood opposite them with her chest held high, a bright smile on her face. "Miaohan, why bother him for trading sacred fruits and medicines? Since Sister Luoji has sacred fruits and medicines for cultivation enhancement, she should trade with me instead. How could she let an outsider benefit? Come, take me to see Sister Luoji."
Then, Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter turned to Wu Shen Heavenly Son and smiled, "Brother Shen, Lin Yue is my man. Don't bully him!"
"How could that be? Brother Lin and I simply traded two sacred fruits and had a pleasant conversation," Wu Shen Heavenly Son said without changing his expression.
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter put away her smile and said to the big-bearded man, "Take Lin Yue back first."
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter went with Li Miaohan to see Heavenly Beginning Fairy, while Zhang Ruochen and the big-bearded man returned to the side of the Star Radiance Chariot.
This outcome relieved Zhang Ruochen a great deal, but it also left him with a slight sense of regret.
After all, Heavenly Beginning Fairy was a beauty renowned across the myriad realms, a celestial being descended to earth. What man wouldn't want to see her up close?
Before long, Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter returned gracefully, gave Zhang Ruochen a deep look, and said, "Get in the chariot."
Under the envious gazes of countless cultivators, Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter and Zhang Ruochen entered the Star Radiance Chariot one after the other.
"How can someone like Lin Yue be worthy of riding in the same chariot as the beautiful and ethereal Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter?" someone said with indignation, as if a piece of their heart had been bitten off.
"Who says his spatial attainments aren't high? Didn't you see Wu Shen Heavenly Son and Heavenly Beginning Fairy both vying to recruit him?"
"I envy him. If only I had cultivated the Way of Space, even gaining the favor of just one of them—Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter or Heavenly Beginning Fairy—my life would be complete."
...
Many cultivators were envious and jealous, while others gritted their teeth. Their minds wandered, imagining that something must be happening between Zhang Ruochen and Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter inside the chariot.
Inside the Star Radiance Chariot.
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's expression was stern, and her eyes were cold. "What terms did Wu Shen Heavenly Son offer you?"
"That's my own business. Why should I tell you?" Zhang Ruochen was somewhat annoyed by Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's domineering attitude, as if he really belonged to her.
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter said, "You need to understand one thing: only I know where Saint Monk Xumi fell. Moreover, they don't know you are Zhang Ruochen, nor do they know you possess the Truth Esoterica. Otherwise, their attitude toward you might not be as friendly as it is now. Remember one thing: here, you can only obey me."
"Are you threatening me?" Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened.
The aura around him instantly changed. No longer as gentle as before, he now resembled a fierce beast baring its fangs.
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter was momentarily startled by Zhang Ruochen's gaze, her heart trembling slightly.
Since childhood, there had been few beings who could meet her eyes at the same cultivation level. Just now, Zhang Ruochen's single glance had stunned her for a moment.
Always proud and aloof, Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter felt an inexplicable irritation. She straightened her chest and said arrogantly, "What if I am? If you dare to disobey my orders, your identity will immediately be... What are you doing?"
"Killing you."
Zhang Ruochen used the technique of Space Distortion, forming his five fingers into a claw. In the blink of an eye, his fingers touched Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's snow-white jade neck.
Zhang Ruochen could cooperate with Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter, but he would never be threatened by her.
Rather than being controlled by her, it was better to burn bridges and fight to the death.
"Sizzle, sizzle."
A faint divine light surged in Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's beautiful eyes. Then, divine patterns emerged on the skin of her neck, glowing with a jade-white luster.
The divine patterns, resembling jade petals, sank beneath her fair skin, blocking Zhang Ruochen's unexpected claw strike.
Then, with a "bang," Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's delicate body shattered into particles of starlight, filling the entire carriage room.
A vast, ethereal voice rang out: "I knew you wouldn't submit. Since that's the case, I, the Heavenly Daughter, will have to personally defeat you, beat you into submission, and make you kneel at my feet."
Each word came from a different direction, giving a sense of elusiveness.
Zhang Ruochen immediately released his vast spiritual power and Space Domain. But to his surprise, he couldn't sense Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter inside the chariot at all.
Had she already left the Star Radiance Saint Chariot?
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen felt an extremely dangerous premonition. He quickly used Spatial Displacement and vanished from his spot.
"Whoosh—"
At the spot where he had just stood, tens of thousands of starlight particles condensed into a crystalline battle sword, slicing the shadow he left behind into two halves.
If Zhang Ruochen had been even a fraction of a second slower in his reaction, the battle sword would have severely wounded him.
"Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter is still inside the saint chariot, but why can't the Space Domain find her?"
Staring at the dense starlight particles in the carriage, Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred as he guessed something.
"Could it be that Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter has transformed into a state of Origin Particles?"
If so, it only meant that her cultivation of the Way of Origin was not yet profound enough.
Because true Origin Particles were almost invisible and formless, and even a Great Saint of spiritual power would find it hard to observe them with a Heavenly Eye.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "If you don't show yourself, I'll send all these starlight particles into the Void Space."
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter did not respond. Instead, the starlight particles in the carriage began to spin rapidly, preparing for the next attack.
A sharp light flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes. He flexed his ten fingers, ready to tear open a space rift and devour those starlight particles.
But something unexpected happened...
The space inside the carriage was extremely solid. Despite his full effort to mobilize spatial power, there was no reaction at all.
"Do you think my Star Radiance Saint Chariot is just a means of transportation? Inside the Star Radiance Saint Chariot, I am the invincible queen."
"Bang."
A cluster of starlight particles formed into a slender jade hand and struck Zhang Ruochen's chest. Zhang Ruochen activated the Hundred Saint Blood Armor and blocked with his arms, but he was still sent flying, crashing into the carriage wall.
Beneath the armor, sacred blood flowed from both his arms.
It was clear how terrifying the power of Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's strike was. Even a three-step Saint King, or even a six-step Saint King, might not have such strength.
"True Marvel, true marvel," the voice of True Marvel Little Daoist rang out.
"True Marvel, your uncle," Zhang Ruochen said in a bad mood.
True Marvel Little Daoist quickly changed his tone: "No, Zhang Ruochen, I meant to ask, do you need me to help you suppress that little girl?"
"No need."
Zhang Ruochen released a green Purifying Divine Flame to envelop his entire body. Then, the flame spread outward, attempting to refine those starlight particles.
"Sizzle."
Formation inscriptions emerged on the floor and walls of the carriage, and dozens of formations activated simultaneously.
Among them, a formation on the ground released a massive amount of Extreme Yin Nether Ice Qi, suppressing the Purifying Divine Flame and even counterattacking Zhang Ruochen.
"Zhang Ruochen, have you forgotten that I, the Heavenly Daughter, am a Formation Saint Master?"
Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's voice rang out again, and from the cluster of starlight particles, nine lightning-like chains flew out from different directions, wrapping around Zhang Ruochen.
Inside the carriage, the two fought fiercely, causing the Star Radiance Saint Chariot to shake continuously, and the shaking grew more and more intense.
The blind man and the big-bearded man wanted to rush into the chariot, but they seemed to receive a transmission from Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter, so they stopped and continued guarding beside the saint chariot.
"No way! This is a dangerous and deadly place, and they have the nerve to do that kind of thing? Too much, despicable," a being who admired Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter said through gritted teeth.
"Chariot shaking?"
"Can't you just not say it out loud?"
"It shouldn't be, right? With so many cultivators around, how could Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter be that open-minded... But then again, it's hard to explain a man and a woman sharing a chariot that's shaking so violently."
"To seize the Divine Spring, some people who are honored as Heavenly Daughters will stop at nothing."
...
Many cultivators were making malicious guesses. The thought of the scandalous scene inside the saint chariot made their blood boil or filled them with rage. They felt that bastard Lin Yue was too lucky, and it made them jealous.
Heavenly Beginning Fairy, Wu Shen Heavenly Son, and others also frowned, wondering what Lin Yue and Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter were doing in there?
First of all, they ruled out the possibility of a fight.
If they were fighting, the big-bearded man and the blind man would have already rushed into the chariot. How could they stand outside so calmly?
Besides, Lin Yue was originally Thousand Star Heavenly Daughter's man, so they couldn't be fighting.
"Clatter, clatter."
The saint chariot shook even more violently, without stopping.
As a result, the expressions of Wu Shen Heavenly Son and the other cultivators all turned strange.
(Chapter End)