Chapter 1797: Qi Xiaotian
“What is this?”
The Black Phoenix took the wooden bottle and opened it.
Instantly, a rich life aura emanated from within the bottle.
The tavern was made of wood. At that moment, the yellowed tables, chairs, crossbeams, and pillars actually sprouted tender green branches and leaves. In the blink of an eye, the entire tavern became lush and vibrant, full of vitality.
Qi currents coiled around the beams; withered wood welcomed spring.
The Black Phoenix’s phoenix eyes shimmered with rippling light, realizing that the spring liquid in the bottle must be extremely rare.
Zhang Ruochen said, “This is a bit of Life Spring I obtained by chance. No matter how severe your injuries, drinking it will heal them quickly and help you return to your peak state.”
The Life Spring was produced by the new sapling of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree.
As the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree grew, a large pool of Life Spring had formed beneath it. Giving away a small bottle was a trivial matter.
The Black Phoenix, however, did not see it that way. After all, the mere aura emitted by the Life Spring could make withered wood bloom again. This showed that even a small bottle was comparable to a top-grade healing sacred pill, worth at least tens of millions of sacred stones.
The Black Phoenix felt a bit embarrassed to accept it and said solemnly, “The Life Spring is too precious—it’s like having an extra life. I can’t accept it. The ‘Ten Clans of Hell Myriad Evils Record’ can indeed be bought for just one sacred stone.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “No need to be so polite. Consider it making a friend.”
The Black Phoenix wanted to decline further, but the fool sitting beside her grew restless, lunging toward the small wooden bottle on the table. “I want it, I want it!”
The Black Phoenix flicked her sleeve, stowing the small bottle away, and shot a glare at the fool.
Then, she carefully tucked the small bottle away, her beautiful eyes sparkling. “Then I won’t be polite—I’ll take it! Cripple, your strength isn’t weak, and you’ve even cultivated the Way of Space. You can’t be an ordinary person. What’s your real name?”
Zhang Ruochen smiled. “A drifting duckweed has no roots; a wandering traveler, don’t ask. Butcher isn’t called Butcher, Fool isn’t called Fool, White Vermilion isn’t called White Vermilion, and Black Phoenix isn’t called Black Phoenix. Why ask so much? Isn’t ‘Cripple’ fine?”
“Heh.”
Without warning, the Black Phoenix moved with lightning speed, her snow-white, onion-like fingers reaching toward Zhang Ruochen, manifesting thousands of finger afterimages.
Threads of lightning coiled around her fingers.
The Black Phoenix’s fingers grasped empty air, failing to catch him. Zhang Ruochen vanished from his spot and reappeared several zhang away.
The Black Phoenix withdrew her hand, a bit deflated. “We’ve shared hardships together—why are you still so guarded against us? This fairy just wanted to take off your mask and see what you look like.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “If I weren’t cautious, I’d probably be dead and buried by now. How could I have survived this long? Isn’t it your lack of caution that allowed Shi Kai to succeed in his sneak attack?”
The Black Phoenix and White Vermilion fell silent.
Although their cultivation realms far surpassed Zhang Ruochen’s, in a life-or-death battle, they might actually end up dying at his hands.
Just one test had made the Black Phoenix realize that Cripple was not as simple as he appeared.
And Zhang Ruochen’s words struck them like a wake-up call.
The Black Phoenix and White Vermilion escorted Tian Mingzi and left Luo City.
As they left, the Black Phoenix told Zhang Ruochen that they would return, because the deep waters of the Luo River were definitely a land of awakening divine soil, hiding tremendous opportunities.
She also told Zhang Ruochen that the sacred medicines growing in the Luo River shared the same properties as those on the Sealing God Platform—they could increase the sacred dao rules within a Saint King realm cultivator’s body and elevate their cultivation realm.
Butcher and Fool also took their leave, saying they needed to return and report to Her Highness the Heavenly Maiden.
As for who that Heavenly Maiden was, Zhang Ruochen didn’t ask further. After all, there were many ancient civilizations cooperating with the Heavenly Court, and the number of Heavenly Maidens exceeded a hundred.
Zhang Ruochen took the commoners of Luo City into the Qiankun Realm, then spent a day and night visiting various fishing villages and small towns along the Luo River, rescuing the surviving fishermen before heading back to Yunwu Commandery.
…
…
The Luo River was a boundary.
On the western bank of the Luo River lived fishermen, bordering Qianwu Commandery and Yunwu Commandery.
The eastern bank of the Luo River, however, was an uninhabited primeval jungle. Legend had it that various ferocious barbarian beasts lived there, with miasma and swamps everywhere, full of danger. The mortals of Yunwu Commandery called it the “Mysterious Desolate Realm.”
Continuing east from the Mysterious Desolate Realm for who knew how many thousands of li, one would reach the end of the continent and enter the vast, boundless Eastern Sea.
On the edge of the Mysterious Ancient Realm, on the eastern bank of the Luo River, stood a great mountain perpetually shrouded in white mist.
The interior of the mountain had long been hollowed out and arranged with over a dozen grand formations. Even an ordinary Saint King realm cultivator approaching the area would find it difficult to detect the peculiarities within the mountain.
Beneath the mountain lay an underground palace.
Qi Xiaotian sat on the highest carved-dragon stone throne, with silver fleshy wings on his back and a rather pale face.
At that moment, Qi Xiaotian was furious, roaring, “Investigate, immediately investigate who was opposing us last night! That dull-witted fat man’s strength even surpasses mine—he must be a top-tier expert in the Heavenly Court realm.”
Shi Kai sat to Qi Xiaotian’s lower right, feeling quite frustrated, and snorted, “If it weren’t for those useless Tianyuan Six Sons failing to deal with even a cripple, we could have captured the Black Phoenix and White Vermilion last night. But… that cripple’s identity shouldn’t be simple. He can actually use spatial power. Space cultivators are extremely rare.”
“Spatial power?”
Ying Huo murmured softly.
Qi Xiaotian glared at her. “What? Do you know who that cripple is?”
Ying Huo’s gaze shifted to Qi Sheng, who sat across from her.
Qi Sheng had once been the strongest among the younger generation of the Undying Blood Clan in the Kunlun Realm, the prince of the Qitian Tribe, and one of the few legendary prodigies who could rival Zhang Ruochen.
However, the Qitian Tribe in the Kunlun Realm was just a small branch.
Even though Qi Sheng had once been a prince, he now had to live under someone else’s roof. Qi Xiaotian not only far surpassed him in cultivation but was also an imperial son of the Undying Blood Clan in the Hell Realm, backed by a Great Saint.
Qi Sheng no longer carried the same arrogance as before; instead, he had a hint of biding his time. He stood up and respectfully bowed to Qi Xiaotian. “It is said that the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen, recently returned to Yunwu Commandery, and the Luo River borders Yunwu Commandery. Now, a space cultivator appears by the Luo River—isn’t that too much of a coincidence?”
Qi Xiaotian laughed. “As far as I know, this so-called Heir of Time and Space is just a brat whose hair hasn’t even grown in.”
Qi Sheng had clashed with Zhang Ruochen more than once and knew his strength well. “But the information I’ve gathered says that Zhang Ruochen has dealt with many powerful enemies in the Heavenly Court realm, including Gongzi Yan of the Space Divine Temple, the Blood Battle Divine Temple…”
Qi Xiaotian waved his hand. “I know you’ve suffered a great loss at Zhang Ruochen’s hands, so it’s natural for you to fear him. But in this Luo River region, I, Qi Xiaotian, am the true king. He’d better not provoke me, or he’ll die a miserable death.”
Qi Sheng felt Qi Xiaotian was too arrogant and frowned, wanting to speak again.
Qi Xiaotian cut him off. “Qi Sheng, I think you should immediately go collect more human blood and gather the sacred medicines from the Luo River to help me refine the Thousand-Year Blood Pill as soon as possible. That’s the top priority.”
“Yes.”
Qi Sheng said no more, turned, and walked out of the underground palace.
Qi Xiaotian stared at Qi Sheng’s retreating back, his eyes narrowing deeply. He thought to himself, “I wonder what’s so good about that coward that Ying Huo keeps resisting me for his sake. If he weren’t still useful, I’d have already refined him into a vat of blood and swallowed it.”
“Imperial Son, I’ll go collect human blood for you too.”
Ying Huo stood up, bowed to Qi Xiaotian, and was about to chase after Qi Sheng.
Qi Xiaotian laughed. “Ying Huo, a beauty like you is rare even among the Undying Blood Clan in the Hell Realm. There’s no need for you to do servant’s work. Stay in the palace. Tonight, I’ll teach you a profound mid-rank sacred art of the Undying Blood Clan.”
“Thank you, Imperial Son, but Ying Huo still wants to collect enough human blood as soon as possible to help you refine the Thousand-Year Blood Pill.”
With that, Ying Huo transformed into a graceful shadow and flew out of the underground palace.
“Bam.”
Qi Xiaotian’s palm slammed heavily onto the table, his eyes filled with cold intent.
Shi Kai laughed loudly. “Brother Qi, you’re a Nine-Step Saint King—how can you not even subdue a woman?”
“This woman is no simpleton. She possesses a treasure that has already acknowledged her as its master, so I can only win her over, not force her.” Qi Xiaotian’s gaze turned cold and deep.
Shi Kai said, “You sent word to me that there’s a mine left over from the Mysterious Ancient period here—you weren’t lying to me, were you?”
The gloom in Qi Xiaotian’s eyes dissipated, and he laughed. “With the bond between us brothers, how could I deceive you? Besides, I hope you can break through to the Nine-Step Saint King realm soon so we can join forces and dominate the Eastern Domain. Then, all the treasures and resources of the Eastern Domain will be ours!”
Unlike cultivators of other races, Stone Clan cultivators needed to absorb the special power from earth veins and mines to rapidly advance their cultivation.
The higher the grade of the ore in the mine, the faster their cultivation speed.
A mine left over from the Mysterious Ancient period was an irresistible temptation for Shi Kai. Not only could it help him break through to the Nine-Step Saint King realm, but it might even provide an opportunity to impact the Great Saint realm.
Shi Kai’s expression was quite excited as he asked, “Where is that mine?”
“Right in the Mysterious Desolate Realm. Follow me,” Qi Xiaotian said.