Chapter 1848: A Joyful Reunion
The battle at the Eastern Domain Sacred City came to an end, concluding with the defeat and retreat of the saints from the Heavenly Realm Faction, led by Divine Cliff Master.
This battle greatly enhanced the reputations of Zhang Ruochen, Jiang Yunchong, Murong Yefeng, and others, establishing them as top-tier powerhouses in the eyes of Eastern Domain cultivators.
Because of their presence, cultivators from other major worlds realized that the Kunlun Realm was not a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will—there were some formidable figures here.
The fall of Xie Canghai and Jueyan Hu.
The capture of Tian Chen.
Divine Cliff Master fleeing with severe injuries.
…
…
Such astonishing battle achievements were enough to intimidate them.
The Eastern Domain Sacred City returned to calm.
During this sensitive period, the saint realm cultivators of various major worlds fell into collective silence, none daring to act rashly.
At the Eastern Domain Sacred Prince Manor.
Zhang Ruochen sat opposite "Eastern Domain Prince" Chen Yin.
This "Eastern Domain Prince" was a noble title conferred by Empress Chi Yao, representing an official position. Meanwhile, Zhang Ruochen, who held the Flame Order, was the true King of the Eastern Domain, the ruler of the region.
Zhang Ruochen recounted the entire process of encountering Chen Yuhua.
After hearing it, Chen Yin was unusually calm, merely sighing softly: "At the moment of death, Father found someone capable of continuing to wield the Flame Order. I believe he departed with peace of mind."
"Unfortunately, I am still unable to wield the Flame Order now," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen was still far from reaching the fifty-ninth rank of spiritual power.
A hint of worry appeared in Chen Yin's eyes.
The Zhou Tian Grand Formation had been severely damaged by Divine Cliff Master and the others. Without repair, it could not be activated to protect the Eastern Domain Sacred City.
The ninth-rank grand formation guarding the main city of the Eastern Domain Sacred Prince Manor had also been damaged.
Under such circumstances, if the ancient inscriptions could not be activated, the Eastern Domain Sacred City would be in grave danger. If cultivators from the Hell Realm came to wreak havoc here, it would be a catastrophic disaster.
Beyond the Hell Realm, cultivators from the Paradise Realm, Holy Zeal Realm, Black Demon Realm, and other major worlds also had to be guarded against.
They would not let the matter rest; they would surely retaliate.
Jiang Yunchong stood by the window with his hands behind his back, speaking leisurely: "Zhang Ruochen, if you trust me, I can temporarily wield the Flame Order on your behalf."
"Has your spiritual power reached the fifty-ninth rank, Pavilion Master?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Jiang Yunchong turned around and smiled: "My spiritual power is not that strong, but someone else’s has reached that level."
"Yinruo."
A dark-purple Dharma Soul Vial appeared in Jiang Yunchong’s hand.
A stunningly beautiful woman flew out from the vial, her body semi-transparent, bathed in a rain of light.
"Crackle."
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his spiritual power, grabbing a handful of lightning from the void and striking it toward Yinruo.
Yinruo smiled faintly, extending a slender jade finger to draw a circle in the air. The circle spun rapidly, forming a massive vortex that devoured the incoming lightning cleanly. Zhang Ruochen nodded, convinced she possessed the strength of the fifty-ninth rank of spiritual power, and asked: "Who is she?"
"Yinruo."
Jiang Yunchong gently held Yinruo’s semi-transparent, luminous hand, a trace of melancholy in his voice: "Back then, we entered a state of slumber together. Unfortunately, when I awoke, I found that Yinruo’s physical body had been stolen, and to this day, it has not been found. Perhaps it was destroyed tens of thousands of years ago."
It was worth noting that cultivators primarily stored their spiritual power in their sacred heart.
Yet Yinruo, merely a sacred soul, rivaled a fifty-ninth-rank spiritual power saint king. If her physical body still existed and her sacred heart awakened, how strong would her spiritual power be?
Zhang Ruochen knew too little about Jiang Yunchong to trust him fully.
However, based on the earlier battle, Zhang Ruochen could see that Jiang Yunchong had truly fought desperately to protect the Eastern Domain Sacred City. If he were an otherworldly cultivator, Zhang Ruochen would find it hard to believe.
Still, a doubt lingered in Zhang Ruochen’s mind, and he asked: "Who is the mysterious seller of the 'Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram'?"
"This person calls himself Xia Wenxin. As for his identity, I am not entirely sure."
Jiang Yunchong continued: "Two days ago, he brought the 'Heavenly Demon Blood Axe Diagram' to the Tianjue Pavilion, hoping to consign it for auction. At that time, I received news that Divine Cliff Master, Xie Canghai, and others planned to destroy the Eastern Domain Sacred Prince Manor and seize control of the Eastern Domain Sacred City."
"So I made a deal with him, using him to deal with Xie Canghai."
"He knew he was being used, but he accepted the terms I offered. This person cares about profit and results, not the process."
"What is certain is that he is not a cultivator from the Kunlun Realm."
Zhang Ruochen asked: "Why?"
"How could a cultivator from the Kunlun Realm take one of the six great strange books, the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription,' and put it up for auction? Wouldn’t they fear being cursed by all cultivators in the Kunlun Realm?" Jiang Yunchong said.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Didn’t you say he is a person who only cares about profit and results? Would he care about others cursing him?"
"Uh…"
Jiang Yunchong was momentarily stunned, then reached out to rub his chin.
Yinruo covered her mouth with a smile. She rarely saw Jiang Yunchong left speechless.
"However, I do believe your guess is correct. This person is likely not a cultivator from the Kunlun Realm," Zhang Ruochen said.
Jiang Yunchong asked: "How so?"
"Remember the earlier auction? Xie Canghai brought out three hundred-thousand-year-old ancient sacred medicines and a piece of Taiyi Ancestral Stone capable of refining a supreme sacred artifact. Yet he chose the God-Destroying Cross Shield I offered."
"The God-Destroying Cross Shield is indeed a treasure, but even I don’t know its grade. Why did Xia Wenxin choose it directly?"
"Unless… he recognizes the God-Destroying Cross Shield and is quite familiar with it."
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed deeply.
The God-Destroying Cross Shield was a treasure of the Qitian Tribe, one of the ten great tribes of the Undying Blood Clan. Xia Wenxin’s high regard for it was indeed a matter of intrigue.
After careful consideration, Zhang Ruochen temporarily handed the Flame Order to Jiang Yunchong.
The Eastern Domain Sacred City now needed the protection of the ancient inscriptions, and Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to do so.
Murong Yefeng returned and met with Zhang Ruochen. The two looked at each other from a distance, then both smiled.
Eight hundred years had passed. Murong Yefeng was no longer the youthful "Little Leaf" of the past. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a robust build, shallow stubble on his chin and jaw, and had been tempered by countless battles of blood, transforming into a mature man.
The last time, at Wuding Mountain, they had seen each other from afar.
But because of Chi Yao’s appearance, Zhang Ruochen had to leave the Kunlun Realm with the Moon God and go to the Heavenly Court.
So this was their first true meeting in eight hundred years.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart was filled with myriad emotions, and even his eyes grew moist. He said: "Little Leaf, you truly haven’t disappointed me. Now, you not only have the bearing of a great general but could even be enfeoffed as a marquis or a prince!"
Murong Yefeng’s mind immediately recalled the bold words he had spoken eight hundred years ago: "One day, I will become the first war general of the Holy Bright Central Empire. On the day the great general sets out, you will come to see me off."
"Your Highness."
Murong Yefeng’s eyes were slightly red, but a laugh escaped his lips.
Zhang Ruochen noticed that Murong Yefeng’s arms had turned to white bones, and his sleeves were stained with sacred blood. He quickly took out a jar of Sacred Bright Spring and tossed it to him.
"I won’t stand on ceremony with Your Highness!"
Murong Yefeng caught the wooden jar, tilted his head back, and drank.
In an instant, he downed half the jar.
Zhang Ruochen was somewhat speechless and scolded with a laugh: "Do you think it’s wine? That’s the Spring of Life, how precious! A few drops could regenerate flesh from your bones, and you drank half a jar."
"No matter, I’ll just get more from Your Highness when it’s gone," Murong Yefeng said with a smile.
The Spring of Life was a rare healing treasure. The flesh on Murong Yefeng’s arms quickly grew back, restoring them to their original state.
"It’s a pity that Divine Cliff Master and the others escaped. The consequences will be endless," Murong Yefeng said, his expression turning serious.
Zhang Ruochen said: "A terrestrial master is not so easy to kill. Even a Great Saint might not be able to do it."
"That may be true, but Divine Cliff Master is severely injured. Now is the best time to eliminate him. Otherwise, once he recovers, he will surely retaliate fiercely. Then we will be on the defensive. Your Highness, why not ask Shengshu Cainü to use the World Chess Platform to locate Divine Cliff Master, and I will go kill him," Murong Yefeng said.
"How do you know I can persuade Shengshu Cainü?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Murong Yefeng laughed: "Your Highness’s deep bond with Shengshu Cainü is known throughout the world. Why hide it?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head helplessly. He had to admit Murong Yefeng was right—now was indeed the best time to eliminate Divine Cliff Master.
He had no choice but to swallow his pride, carve a message light talisman, and once again seek help from Shengshu Cainü.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen carved another light talisman to send to the True Marvel Little Daoist, who was far away in the Yunwu Commandery, asking him to come to the Eastern Domain Sacred City.
Although Divine Cliff Master had escaped, his nine formation flags and seven divine throne planets had been left behind in the Eastern Domain Sacred City, and Zhang Ruochen had collected them.
The True Marvel Little Daoist had a deep understanding of formations. If he could control the nine formation flags or the seven divine throne planets, his strength would greatly increase.
Murong Yefeng asked: "Your Highness, how do you plan to deal with Tian Chen?"
Tian Chen was the Scarlet Angel of the Blood War Divine Temple, with combat power surpassing ordinary Dao Domain realm cultivators. He was undoubtedly a top figure of the Paradise Realm in the Kunlun Realm.
Currently, Zhang Ruochen had him imprisoned in the Qiankun Realm.
"With a powerhouse like that captured by us, how could the Paradise Realm ignore it? Let’s wait. I believe someone will soon come to negotiate terms with me," Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
"Whoosh."
Shengshu Cainü’s light talisman flew into Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
"She replied so quickly to Your Highness. It seems your status in the talented woman’s heart is not low! Haha!" Murong Yefeng laughed.
Zhang Ruochen shot him a glare, then examined the content of the light talisman.
"What does she say? Will she help us?" Murong Yefeng asked.
Zhang Ruochen said: "The situation at the Central Imperial City is currently very tense. She is moving among various parties, trying to stabilize the cultivators from different major worlds. Even if she agrees to help, it will take at least a few days."
Murong Yefeng nodded, understanding Shengshu Cainü’s difficult position, and said: "Divine Cliff Master doesn’t have the Spring of Life. His injuries won’t heal overnight. We can afford to wait a few days."
"Exactly. I’ll take these few days to elevate my cultivation to the Eight-Step Saint King realm," Zhang Ruochen said.
Murong Yefeng was slightly startled, somewhat stunned: "Breaking through a realm in just a few days?"
It was worth noting that when Murong Yefeng had gone from the Seven-Step Saint King realm to the Eight-Step Saint King realm, it had taken him a full sixty years.