Chapter 1804: Fourteenth Prince
"Pay a thousand sacred stones, and you can board the White Jade Sacred Ship? Such a good deal?" Zhang Ruochen said with a noncommittal smile.
Ji Fanxin said, "It might not necessarily be a good thing."
Zhang Ruochen naturally understood the strangeness of it all. Who wouldn't want to monopolize the sacred medicines growing in the Luo River and the supreme opportunities hidden deep within the waters?
Yet, the Imperial Ancestor Divine Dynasty was willing to share with everyone. It simply didn't add up.
Unless they had ulterior motives.
Zhang Ruochen said, "That White Jade Sacred Ship seems quite extraordinary."
The White Jade Sacred Ship appeared to be only a few dozen zhang long. In terms of volume and presence, it was far inferior even to the Half-Saint-class warships built by the First Central Empire of the Kunlun Realm.
However, on the deck, pillars, and hull of the White Jade Sacred Ship, faint formation plates could be seen emerging. Some of these formation patterns were incredibly complex, causing even Zhang Ruochen, who studied them closely, to feel a bit dizzy.
Ji Fanxin said, "The Divine Lord of the Imperial Ancestor Divine Dynasty has over a thousand children, but only twelve of them manifested extraordinary phenomena at birth."
"Therefore, the Imperial Ancestor Divine Lord ordered the use of Mysterious Gold Sacred Jade, combined with one of the ten top-tier materials—Divine Forging Substance—to create twelve White Jade Vessels that could continuously improve in grade. He let the twelve children choose their own and wear them. After a thousand years, the one whose White Jade Vessel had the highest grade and the greatest transformation would be determined."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Is the Imperial Ancestor Divine Lord selecting his future successor?"
"I don't know. There should be some connection."
Then, Ji Fanxin added, "The one who chose the White Jade Sacred Ship is the Fourteenth Prince, Zhuo Chi."
Zhang Ruochen said, "What cultivation level has that Fourteenth Prince reached?"
"He should be a Seven-Step Saint King," Ji Fanxin said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Only a Seven-Step Saint King?"
Ji Fanxin shook her head. "Don't underestimate him. His talent might not match someone like Shang Zi, a prodigy who appears only once in a century, but he's far from weak. Although he's at the Seven-Step Saint King realm, he already possesses the strength to contend with a Nine-Step Saint King."
Zhang Ruochen said, "What I mean is, with his Seven-Step Saint King cultivation, it's impossible for him to have raised the White Jade Sacred Ship to its current grade. I haven't tested it, but I'm certain that even a figure at the Rule Grand Heaven and Earth level couldn't break through the White Jade Sacred Ship's defenses."
Ji Fanxin said, "That's because you don't know the background of the Fourteenth Prince's mother. His mother was once a holy maiden of the Star Cloud Sect, one of the oldest sects in the Imperial Dao Great World. For the sake of future prosperity, how could the Star Cloud Sect not support the Fourteenth Prince from behind?"
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood.
It seemed that no matter where you were, you had to compete not only with your own strength but also with your background and resources.
"How about we board the White Jade Sacred Ship and see what kind of person this Fourteenth Prince really is?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Ji Fanxin said, "Aren't you afraid of being ambushed?"
"We're not easy targets. Ambushing us won't be an easy task," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin paid two thousand sacred stones and boarded the White Jade Sacred Ship.
On the ship, a large number of cultivators wearing various sacred robes gathered. Their gazes all locked onto Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin—or rather, onto Ji Fanxin.
As the Flower Fairy renowned across the myriad heavens, even with her appearance altered, her aura remained fresh and refined. She stood out like a crane among chickens wherever she went.
A young man with a noble bearing immediately stepped forward, smiling as he introduced himself: "I am Kong Yu from the Wind Realm. May I ask how the young lady is called?"
Kong Yu's cultivation had reached the Five-Step Saint King realm, making him a fairly skilled expert.
Soon, several others rushed over to introduce themselves.
"I am Kong Hongyi from the Wind Realm."
"I am Ka'er from the Cha Realm. Miss, would you be willing to get to know me?"
...
Clearly, they all wanted to befriend Ji Fanxin.
Little did they know that this Flower Fairy had extremely high standards and a cold personality. Apart from being quite talkative with Zhang Ruochen, she found it difficult to exchange even a single word with other cultivators.
The Flower Fairy never lacked suitors. Those who wished to win her favor could form a line stretching for dozens of miles.
Ji Fanxin ignored them entirely and said to Zhang Ruochen, "I knew I shouldn't have boarded this ship."
Zhang Ruochen stepped forward, releasing a powerful sacred might that forced back the surrounding cultivators. "Step back. Can't you see Miss Ji is already annoyed?"
"What formidable cultivation."
Kong Yu, Kong Hongyi, and the others realized they had underestimated the lame man and quickly retreated to the side.
The boy dressed as a book attendant, named Ling Tong, had a very sharp gaze. He gave Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin a deep look before quickly walking through a light door and disappearing from the deck.
Moments later, Ling Tong appeared in a colorful, sealed space, as if standing beneath a starry sky. He slightly cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, two experts have arrived outside."
The Fourteenth Prince, Zhuo Chi, was drinking with a man carrying a broadsword and a woman wearing a starry cloud robe.
The Fourteenth Prince looked very young, with handsome features, and wore a purple sacred robe embroidered with seven flood dragons. "What kind of experts? Which realm are they from?"
The boy dressed as a book attendant said, "A man and a woman. The man wears a mask that blocks spiritual power, and the woman has changed her appearance and figure. I can't see their true forms."
The woman in the starry cloud robe, named Nie Qingli, was an outstanding disciple of the Star Cloud Sect in the Imperial Dao Great World.
She smiled and said, "Ling Tong, your eyesight is unmatched in the Imperial Dao Great World. Even you can't see through them. These two must have some real background."
"Junior Sister Nie, Senior Brother Bai, I'll go out and meet these two," the Fourteenth Prince said as he slowly stood up.
"Let's go together."
Nie Qingli and Bai Shang rose simultaneously and walked out of the light door with the Fourteenth Prince.
Above the White Jade Sacred Ship, a circular starry cloud condensed, shimmering with starlight, incredibly beautiful.
Driven by the starry cloud, the sacred ship broke through the water's surface and sailed forward.
Zhang Ruochen and Ji Fanxin stood on the deck, gazing at the sparkling water.
That night, there were stars but no moon.
The water's surface reflected countless points of starlight, like a colorful, beautiful river embedded in the Eastern Domain.
Ji Fanxin noticed something and said, "Entering the deeper waters of the Luo River must be related to the reflection of the stars on the water."
Zhang Ruochen extended his finger and traced in the air, then revealed a smile. "Indeed, there is a star path, and the White Jade Sacred Ship is following it. That Fourteenth Prince is quite a figure; he must have many talented people around him."
Not far away, a laugh rang out. "Thank you for the compliment, sir. I, Zhuo Chi, am truly unworthy."
Zhang Ruochen followed the sound and saw a young man in a seven-dragon purple robe walking toward him. His entire demeanor was incredibly noble.
Just in terms of presence, Kong Yu, the noble son of the Wind Realm, was worlds apart from him.
That nobility was cultivated from childhood—noble but not arrogant, and not off-putting. Without needing to guess, Zhang Ruochen knew this must be the Fourteenth Prince of the Imperial Ancestor Divine Dynasty.
Beside him, Ji Fanxin continued to gaze at the stars in the water, treating the Fourteenth Prince as if he were air. Zhang Ruochen smiled wryly and walked over. "I have a question. Why does the Fourteenth Prince want to bring everyone into the depths of the Luo River?"
The Fourteenth Prince laughed. "You're a straightforward person, asking so directly. Actually, I'm not as bad as you might think. I'm just doing something that benefits everyone."
"Oh?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The Fourteenth Prince clasped his hands behind his back and gazed into the depths of the Luo River. "In truth, the Luo River doesn't belong to the Kunlun Realm. It fell from beyond the universe. Deep within the Luo River lies a place where gods have fallen. Can you sense it?"
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and focused.
After the White Jade Sacred Ship entered the deeper waters of the Luo River, the rules of heaven and earth changed significantly. Many rules in various places became incomplete.
At the same time, a faint divine might emanated, pressing down on Zhang Ruochen, suppressing his cultivation.
Yes.
Only a place where gods had fallen would exhibit such a phenomenon.
When Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes again, the White Jade Sacred Ship had already passed through layers of thick fog. In the distance, black circular islands floated on the water's surface, looking like small black balls.
As they drew closer, the black balls grew enormous, exuding a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.
Compared to them, the White Jade Sacred Ship was like a speck of dust.
It was a breathtaking sight—several black planets floating in the water.
On these planets were mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Above some of the planets, rocky mountain ranges and small continents floated, orbiting around them.
"There are spatial fluctuations on the water. The spatial structure here is quite complex. It might seem like only a thousand li away, but if you don't follow the star path, you could easily get lost in these waters. The actual width of this water area is probably over ten million li."
Zhang Ruochen felt suffocated. What kind of place was the Luo River?
As they sailed, they encountered many sacred medicines, but the cultivators of the Imperial Ancestor Divine Dynasty didn't pick a single one. They left them all for the cultivators who had boarded the sacred ship.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were filled with confusion. He found the Fourteenth Prince even harder to understand.
The White Jade Sacred Ship sailed toward one of the planets floating in the water. That planet had a diameter of about four thousand three hundred li, with two-thirds submerged beneath the water.
At the top of the planet stood a towering stone pillar, millions of meters high, its thickness beyond description.
Coiled around the stone pillar was a strange creature, almost fused with it, its body even larger than the pillar. Hundreds of iron chains bound the pillar and the creature.
Although the creature was already dead, the aura it emitted made even Saint King-level cultivators feel their scalps tingle and their bodies go weak.
"Oh!"
On that planet, Zhang Ruochen saw some fast-moving figures. Other cultivators had already landed on the planet before them.