Chapter 1767: The Empress Arrives
A hundred thousand years ago, the Moon God was hailed as the most beautiful female deity in the Heavenly Court. Countless gods had pursued her, viewing her as their next goal after achieving godhood.
Unfortunately, all the gods had failed.
The Moon God’s reputation for aloofness spread far and wide.
After refining the moon leaf of the Seven Star Divine Lingzhi, the Moon God’s divine power had recovered by more than half. Not only did the divine might she unconsciously radiate become more terrifying, but her temperament also grew more ethereal and otherworldly, untouched by mortal dust, drifting and agile, as if she had transcended the mundane world.
With her already peerless beauty, perfect immortal body, and such a temperament, even Zhang Ruochen and Manjian Dasheng—let alone true gods—would find it hard not to harbor feelings of admiration.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen and Manjian Dasheng also felt another emotion: inferiority.
This feeling, for some reason, suddenly surged within them.
It was as if all their arduous cultivation to reach the Saint King and Great Saint realms meant nothing in the presence of the Moon God. They were still mere mortals, still insignificant ants stumbling through life.
Fortunately, it was Zhang Ruochen and Manjian Dasheng. If it had been other cultivators, they would likely have willingly knelt on the ground.
In truth, the Moon God had not deliberately released her divine might or used any other power. She simply stood there, still as a statue.
“This is what it means to be a god. Even doing nothing, merely standing before sentient beings, they will automatically kneel.” Zhang Ruochen quickly adjusted his mindset, transforming the inferiority in his heart into motivation to strive upward.
One day, he too would cultivate to the divine realm, dominate the world, and stand on equal footing with the Moon God.
“Greetings, Moon God.”
Zhang Ruochen and Manjian Dasheng bowed simultaneously.
The Moon God’s tall, graceful immortal body stood upright at the highest position, her legs straight and long. She said coldly, “Manjian, you may withdraw first.”
Manjian Dasheng exited the Guanghan Divine Palace, and the terrifying oppressive force lessened somewhat.
He let out a long breath and thought to himself, “It seems the Moon God’s divine power has recovered by more than half. Even with my cultivation, standing before her makes me tremble with fear. This Zhang Ruochen is truly remarkable—at the Saint King realm, he actually held firm!”
Inside the Guanghan Divine Palace.
The Moon God descended the steps step by step, approaching Zhang Ruochen. She asked, “Do you know why I summoned you back to Moon God Mountain?”
“Is it related to the Kunlun Realm?”
Zhang Ruochen looked up, puzzled.
The Moon God did not answer him. After a pause, she asked, “What exactly happened in the battle at Xumi’s Dojo?”
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised. “God, you know all things under heaven. How could the Moon God not know what happened at Xumi’s Dojo?”
“The Truth Divine Temple sealed the heavenly secrets. Even gods cannot deduce what happened that day. However, the fact that the Flame God personally rushed to the Truth Heaven Domain shows that the battle at Xumi’s Dojo must have been earth-shattering and far-reaching in its impact,” the Moon God said.
Zhang Ruochen showed a look of realization and then recounted the full story of the battle at Xumi’s Dojo to the Moon God.
The Moon God listened calmly throughout. Only when she heard that a large number of Paradise Realm Saint Kings had been suppressed and Gongzi Yan killed did a slight ripple appear in her eyes.
The Moon God said, “Mobilizing over a thousand top-tier Saint Kings to ambush a mere few dozen Kunlun Realm cultivators, yet failing and suffering heavy losses. It seems Paradise Realm must be frightened, thinking that the Kunlun Realm has not declined and deliberately set a trap to annihilate them.”
“They might very well think that.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “I’m curious—when I left the Truth Heaven Domain with Manjian Dasheng, why didn’t Paradise Realm intercept us? Have they given up on the kings suppressed in the divine temple?”
“Give up? How could that be?”
“It seems you still don’t understand how significant this battle’s impact is.”
“If it were ordinary Saint Kings, even if ten or twenty thousand died, it wouldn’t alarm the gods. But those who could go to the Truth Heaven Domain to cultivate, reach the Saint King realm, and remain there—each of them has the potential to cultivate to the Great Saint realm, and perhaps even give birth to one or two gods. Thus, they represent Paradise Realm’s future.”
“Therefore, even for a deeply rooted realm like Paradise Realm, suffering such a loss counts as a serious injury.”
The Moon God fixed her gaze on Zhang Ruochen. “What do you plan to do with those Paradise Realm Saint Kings?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes darkened. “Our conflict with Paradise Realm is already one of life and death. Since we’ve suppressed them, why would we release a tiger back to the mountain?”
A cold gleam flashed in the Moon God’s eyes, clearly sharing Zhang Ruochen’s view. She said, “With your current cultivation, you’re not suited to handle such a major matter. Hand them over to me.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. “Even a god cannot slaughter wantonly within the Heavenly Court. Those Paradise Realm Saint Kings ambushed Kunlun Realm cultivators in the Truth Heaven Domain, committing a heinous crime. But if you, Moon God, act, it would break the rules. If they are to be judged, it should be done by the Kunlun Realm or the Truth Heaven Domain.”
“Whoosh—”
Dazzling seven-colored divine light flew in from beyond the heavens, dyeing the sky above Moon God Mountain entirely in rainbow hues.
A vast, surging divine might approached from afar, rolling toward Moon God Mountain.
This was divine might deliberately released, different from the Moon God’s restrained aura. It carried an extremely terrifying pressure, and in an instant, all saint-level beings within Moon God Mountain knelt to the ground.
Even Manjian Dasheng bent his proud body, as if nine layers of heaven pressed down on his head, his neck stiff and unable to lift it.
“Empress Chi Yao pays a visit to Moon God Mountain.”
A resounding female voice echoed through heaven and earth.
Inside the Guanghan Divine Palace, the Moon God’s crystalline, translucent body emitted a soft glow that enveloped Zhang Ruochen. Instantly, the pressure on him lightened, and the divine might radiating from Chi Yao vanished without a trace.
“She came quickly,” Zhang Ruochen said coldly.
Moments later, a mass of seven-colored divine light, so bright it made Zhang Ruochen’s eyes ache, surged into the Guanghan Divine Palace.
Zhang Ruochen widened his eyes, staring straight at the seven-colored light. Gradually, he made out Chi Yao standing at its center.
She wore a splendid golden robe, surrounded by divine light, her long hair coiled high, exuding a sharp aura that gave off an overwhelming sense of oppression.
When Chi Yao passed by Manjian Dasheng, this peak-level, iron-willed Great Saint trembled and fell to his knees.
In terms of beauty, Chi Yao and the Moon God were evenly matched.
In terms of temperament, however, they were worlds apart—one ethereal and transcendent, the other majestic and domineering.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen’s gaze sharpened. Beside Chi Yao, he saw another stunning figure.
Her skin was fair, her eyes ethereal, and she radiated a heavy, profound Great Saint power. Yet her hair was pure white, and she carried another aura—one of melancholy.
Kong Lanyou.
Kong Lanyou harbored a deep hatred for Chi Yao. For eight hundred years, she had constantly opposed Chi Yao, and the two women had fought countless times. But today, why was she appearing alongside Chi Yao?
Zhang Ruochen was shocked, his emotions churning like a stormy sea.
“Zhang Ruochen, didn’t you want to see me? I’ve come. Why are you hiding behind a woman instead?” Chi Yao’s voice was extremely pleasant yet domineering, tinged with mockery and contempt.
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed deeply, and then he stepped forward.
The Moon God tried to stop him, but Zhang Ruochen shook his head and walked out of the divine light she had released. Instantly, a vast divine might pressed down upon him.
“Crack, crack.”
All the bones in Zhang Ruochen’s body groaned, as if they were about to be crushed.
Yet Zhang Ruochen stood upright, letting his skin split open and blood flow to the ground. His eyes met Chi Yao’s blazing divine gaze. “I wasn’t hiding. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen like this, a flicker of pain passed through Kong Lanyou’s eyes. She turned her face to look at Chi Yao.
But Chi Yao didn’t even glance at her. “At the mere Saint King realm, standing before me without kneeling—you have some backbone.”
With that, the divine might and seven-colored light receded like a tide back into Chi Yao’s body.
The pressure on Zhang Ruochen lifted. As sacred qi circulated through his body, the cracks on his skin healed rapidly.
Chi Yao clasped her hands behind her back, outlining graceful curves, and said with some pride, “Didn’t you say that if I came to see you in person, you’d hand over the Chaos Time-Space Lotus? I’m here. Hand it over.”
The Moon God stepped forward, appearing beside Zhang Ruochen. “This is Moon God Mountain, not your Yao Pool Golden Hall. Zhang Ruochen is now my divine envoy, no longer a being of your Kunlun Realm. You say hand it over—on what basis?”
Hearing this, Chi Yao’s star-like eyes blazed with dazzling light, sharp as two divine swords.
The Moon God said calmly, “Zhang Ruochen, the Chaos Time-Space Lotus is a supreme treasure that Xumi Saint Monk obtained from the depths of the Sea Stone Star Dock, the origin place of the universe. You are Xumi Saint Monk’s heir, so it naturally belongs to you. There’s no need to hand it over to Chi Yao.”
She continued, “Chi Yao, you have cultivated to godhood. Although your time as a god is short and your experience shallow, you must still have some dignity. If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t helped, the elites of the Kunlun Realm would have all perished in the battle at Xumi’s Dojo. They wouldn’t have had the chance to capture the dojo and obtain the Chaos Time-Space Lotus. The Chaos Time-Space Lotus rightfully belongs to Zhang Ruochen.”
Chi Yao let out a light laugh. “Though I’ve been a god for a short time, I’ve already slain a god from the Hell Realm. Since returning to the Heavenly Court Realm, Moon God, have you achieved such a feat?”
“Zhang Ruochen helped the Kunlun Realm, and I distinguish between kindness and enmity. I will reward him with some things. But the Chaos Time-Space Lotus is a treasure Xumi Saint Monk left for the Kunlun Realm. Those who are not cultivators of the Kunlun Realm naturally have no right to possess it.”
The Moon God replied, “I could also say that the Chaos Time-Space Lotus is a treasure Xumi Saint Monk left for Zhang Ruochen.”
“Whoosh—”
Chi Yao’s five slender fingers moved slightly, and a round jade seal flew out, hovering in midair within the Guanghan Divine Palace.
On the jade seal, an ancient Sanskrit inscription appeared: “The Chaos Time-Space Lotus is stored in Xumi’s Dojo in the Truth Heaven Domain. Bring a life-bearing lotus seed to revive it. This poor monk leaves this legacy to the Kunlun Realm, hoping it will help you resist the slaughter of the Hell Realm, and also hoping the Kunlun Realm can seize the opportunity amid the great calamity, struggle in desperate circumstances, break through barriers, and rise strong once more.”
Chi Yao’s beautiful, distinct phoenix eyes fixed on the Moon God and Zhang Ruochen. “This is a divine decree sent by Xumi Saint Monk across time and space from a hundred thousand years ago. Now, do you have anything more to say?”
…
(A divine war is about to break out. Are you all looking forward to it?)