# Chapter 1790: Luo River Cataclysm
Early morning, the air was cold and crisp, the mist like bridges of clouds.
Luo Shuihan had not slept all night, coordinating various arrangements to prepare all the materials on that list, packed into dozens of copper-skinned large chests.
Zhang Ruochen inspected them one by one, then nodded with satisfaction.
On the list, some materials were extremely rare, materials Zhang Ruochen had never even heard of. He thought the Kunlun Realm simply did not have them, and silently admired: "The Martial Market Bank truly has remarkable capabilities."
No wonder it was a force that had survived the great upheaval of one hundred thousand years ago without being destroyed. Its foundation far exceeded Zhang Ruochen's estimates.
During the Medieval period, the Martial Market Bank was a colossal top-tier force in the Kunlun Realm, with no less than one god.
After paying a large sum of sacred stones, Zhang Ruochen asked Luo Shuihan: "Does the Martial Market Bank have Cosmic Void Tears?"
Helping the Abyssal Ancient Sword's sword spirit condense a physical body was the next matter Zhang Ruochen intended to pursue.
All other materials were already prepared, only the Cosmic Void Tears were still somewhat lacking. Zhang Ruochen did not really expect the Martial Market Bank to actually have Cosmic Void Tears; he was just asking on the off chance.
Luo Shuihan frowned and said: "That is a legendary rarity. I have only seen it mentioned in ancient texts, and I am not sure if the bank has it. Of course, I can ask for you."
"Good, then I'll trouble you, Senior Sister. Notify me immediately if there is news, and the sacred stone price can be negotiated."
Zhang Ruochen stored the dozens of copper-skinned large chests into his space ring, then went to bid farewell to Lei Jing, and subsequently left Thousand Water King City.
Mo Yin drove the Golden Step Dragon Carriage, speeding towards the Luo River.
Having accepted a commission, one must fulfill the matter.
Since the Nether God Temple probably could not break into King Mountain for now, time was ample. At the same time, Zhang Ruochen was quite curious about the Luo River, not just because of the opportunities of Luo Xu and Luo Shuihan, but even more so because of the God-Defying Stele.
The power of the God-Defying Stele was the most bizarre power Zhang Ruochen had ever seen, and it absolutely had a great origin.
And that half of the God-Defying Stele had been fished out from the Luo River.
Half an hour later, Zhang Ruochen arrived at the banks of the Luo River.
A few years ago, Zhang Ruochen had stayed here for a time to cultivate the Luo Water Fist Art and unravel the secrets of the Luo River. Now, returning to the Luo River, he almost did not recognize it, thinking he had come to the wrong place.
Was this still the Luo River?
Before him stretched an endless expanse of blue waves, like a primeval ocean.
The Luo River of the past was definitely not this wide.
Moreover, faint mist drifted on the water's surface, flowing with mysterious power, blocking Zhang Ruochen's vision and spiritual power, allowing him to see only the waters within a hundred li. Beyond that was nothing but confusion.
Zhang Ruochen spread a pair of dragon wings, flying like a human-shaped wild goose, landing on the water's surface and heading towards the depths of the waters.
Walking atop the waves, he traveled about a hundred li.
Zhang Ruochen smelled a faint fragrance, like the scent of tulips.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen saw, several li away, an actual tulip, as tall as a tower. Each petal seemed carved from red gemstones, crystal clear and dripping, appearing exceptionally gorgeous under the morning sun's glow.
"That is a one hundred thousand year ancient sacred medicine."
Zhang Ruochen was extremely astonished, his emotions uncontrollable, becoming unusually excited.
Not only was the Luo River filled with heaven and earth sacred qi, with heaven and earth rules active, but how could such a rarity as a one hundred thousand year ancient sacred medicine have emerged?
It was too abnormal.
What kind of change had the Luo River undergone? Was it also a place of awakening, like King Mountain?
"Master, be careful. That is not a simple tulip; it should be a ferocious plant, the Tulip Demon Incense. The fragrance it emits has extremely strong stimulating and seductive properties, capable of affecting the emotions and minds of blood-and-flesh cultivators." Mo Yin said.
Zhang Ruochen immediately stopped in his tracks, held his breath, and mobilized the Purifying Divine Flame to refine the fragrance he had inhaled.
There was indeed a problem.
With his profound state of mind, how could he not control his own emotions?
After refining that fragrance within his body, Zhang Ruochen's mind became completely clear. He sensed a dangerous aura and immediately retreated backward.
The Tulip Demon Incense, among ferocious plants, was not much weaker than the Sacred Flower of Food. It excelled in spiritual power attacks. Even at ten thousand years of age, it could use its fragrance and spiritual power to affect living beings within ten thousand li. Of course, that referred to mortals and creatures like snakes, insects, rats, and ants.
But the one before him was one hundred thousand years old.
Even if Zhang Ruochen was a Saint King, once he approached, he would likely face great danger.
"Not good."
Zhang Ruochen discovered that the petals of the Tulip Demon Incense were emitting a blood-red radiance.
"Whoosh"
The blood light spread in all directions, instantly dyeing the sky and waters red. Even more terrifying, the blood light carried an extremely powerful spiritual power.
Zhang Ruochen looked forward and saw tens of thousands of blood-red divine demon knights surging towards him. The heavens and earth resounded with deafening roars and killing sounds, shaking his sacred soul as if it would leave his body.
"It's a spiritual power attack."
Zhang Ruochen quickly took out the Illusion Pearl, holding it in his palm.
The sacred qi within his body furiously circulated, continuously converging towards the Illusion Pearl.
One after another, Buddha shadows flew out from the Illusion Pearl, enveloping Zhang Ruochen, like dozens of golden-bodied Arhats and Bodhisattvas guarding him, chanting resonant Sanskrit sounds.
Relying on the spiritual power defense of the Illusion Pearl, Zhang Ruochen escaped back to the shore, retreating several hundred li before stopping.
"So terrifying. Even with my peak fifty-eighth level spiritual power intensity, I could barely withstand it." Zhang Ruochen's face was quite pale, his spiritual power having suffered a certain degree of damage.
Swallowing a sacred pill for healing spiritual power, it took over an hour before Zhang Ruochen fully recovered.
Arriving again at the banks of the Luo River, the Tulip Demon Incense had long since vanished without a trace.
This time, Zhang Ruochen was much more cautious, concealing his aura as he dove into the deeper waters of the Luo River. But upon reaching a hundred li out, he encountered great danger again.
His body uncontrollably sank into the water, as if a hand was pulling at his legs.
Zhang Ruochen looked down and saw that there were actually strange inscriptions in the water. Those inscriptions wrapped around his legs, pulling him downward, until his waist was submerged in the water.
"Whoosh"
Zhang Ruochen deployed spatial power, only then breaking free from the inscriptions in the water and escaping back to the shore.
Next, Zhang Ruochen probed several more times. Once he reached beyond a hundred li, he would encounter various inscriptions—some releasing lightning, some forming heavenly fire, some even tearing space apart.
Those inscriptions were too terrifying, definitely not methods arranged by Saint King realm beings. With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation level, he could not break through.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen also had some gains, picking over a dozen precious sacred medicines from the water's surface.
On one occasion, he broke into waters four hundred li out and saw, deep in the waters, several enormous black islands floating.
That was right.
They were indeed floating in the water, slowly moving.
Those few black islands were hemispherical, quite enormous, very much like star bodies that had fallen from the sky. Because the distance was too great, Zhang Ruochen could not see clearly what was on the islands, only able to sense a faint divine might.
Zhang Ruochen did not dare to continue venturing further and immediately retreated to the shore.
"No wonder Senior Sister Luo said I could not take away the Luo River. The Luo River is indeed extraordinary. What great secret is hidden here?"
"Previously, there must have been hidden spaces here that gradually revealed themselves as the Kunlun Realm revived. Forget it, I'll first take the commoners living by the waterside into the Qiankun Realm to settle them, fulfilling my promise to Senior Sister Luo."
The waters of the Luo River had all transformed into spiritual springs. Mortals drinking it could be immune to all diseases and prolong their lifespans.
Zhang Ruochen traveled downstream along the river channel.
Arriving at a fishing village by the Luo River, before Zhang Ruochen even entered, he had a premonition of misfortune.
The village was eerily quiet, with no sounds of people or dogs barking.
Zhang Ruochen walked into the fishing village and immediately drew in a cold breath. He saw that the fishermen in the village had all turned into dried corpses—or more precisely, stone corpses.
A young boy stood at the village entrance, his body withered to just bones and skin, and his body had petrified.
If not for the boy wearing clothes and having hair, Zhang Ruochen would have thought it was a stone statue.
Zhang Ruochen was not a cold-blooded and heartless person. Seeing this scene, he was filled with fury. He extended five fingers and pressed them against the boy's forehead, carefully sensing.
"This is... the aura of a Hell Realm Stone Clan cultivator..."
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen stomped heavily on the ground, sinking the earth for over ten li in all directions, burying the entire fishing village underground.
Continuing downstream, the fishing villages and small towns Zhang Ruochen passed all showed the same situation.
Not a single living soul could be seen; all had petrified.
Although Zhang Ruochen's heart was filled with rage, he still maintained his rationality and discovered a puzzling doubt that he could not understand.
Even if Stone Clan cultivators had slaughtered those fishermen, where had the blood inside those fishermen gone?
One must know, human blood was useless to Stone Clan cultivators.
Zhang Ruochen accelerated his pace and arrived at an ancient city by the Luo River.
This ancient city was called "Luo City," with a permanent population of around several hundred thousand.
Fortunately, the humans in Luo City had not yet suffered calamity.
Zhang Ruochen sensed the aura of Saint realm cultivators in Luo City, so he put on a mask, concealed his aura, and quietly slipped through the city gate.
Since those Stone Clan cultivators had killed all the fishermen around the Luo River, they certainly would not let the humans in Luo City go.
"Let me see what kind of demon or monster you really are." Zhang Ruochen developed killing intent, preparing to wait by the tree for the rabbit in Luo City.
The largest tavern in Luo City was called the Void Saint Tower, named because Luo Xu had once visited this tower.
Zhang Ruochen limped into the Void Saint Tower and immediately sensed over a dozen sharp gazes locking onto him. When they did not detect any sacred dao aura on him, those gazes withdrew.
"So many strong cultivators have gathered in Luo City. I wonder if any Hell Realm cultivators are hidden among them." Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
A steward of the Void Saint Tower, seeing that Zhang Ruochen was a cripple, showed a displeased expression and said: "This establishment is fully booked. There are no extra seats. Guest, you should go elsewhere."
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze across the tavern and saw a wine table in the corner with only two people sitting there. One carried a large cleaver on his back, looking like a butcher. The other was fair and plump, with a somewhat dull expression.
"Isn't that table available for seating?" Zhang Ruochen pointed at that wine table.
...
(These past few days, I've been sleeping at two or three in the morning, and I really can't hold on anymore. I'm planning to adjust. I won't write tonight; I'll write tomorrow morning instead. Sigh!)