# Chapter 1994: Mysterious Man
Watching Zhang Ruochen continuously capture their side's experts, with any attacks they launched proving useless, even Feng Gudao, Zi Linglong, Chi, and Gu Tianyin could no longer remain calm.
"Zhang Ruochen, if you have any skill, fight me openly and honorably!" Chi roared loudly.
Watching their side's experts being turned into nutrients for the Sacred Flower one after another, Chi was nearly going mad. Even if he had to die, he absolutely did not want it to be this way.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head, his gaze falling on Chi, and said coldly, "What right do you have to speak to me about openness and honor?"
Feng Gudao's expression turned solemn. "Zhang Ruochen, don't you want to know where Shang Zi went? I'll tell you now—he went to Peacock Manor."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's expression immediately shifted slightly. How could he not know what Shang Zi intended to do?
Feng Gudao continued, "Furthermore, Shang Zi has captured Chi Kunlun."
Upon hearing these words, a blazing fury surged within Zhang Ruochen's chest. To lay hands on those close to him—Shang Zi was truly courting death.
"You've already wasted so much time in Saint Ming City. By now, Shang Zi may have already captured Kong Lanyou. Keeping us alive gives you leverage to negotiate with Shang Zi."
Zi Linglong added.
In their current situation, they were completely no match for Zhang Ruochen and couldn't escape either, so they could only try to find a way to preserve their lives first.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze grew even colder, a terrifying killing intent radiating from him.
Even from a great distance, Feng Gudao and the others felt their scalps go numb, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
They couldn't fathom what was going through Zhang Ruochen's mind. If Zhang Ruochen, in a fit of rage, killed them all, that would be far too tragic.
"Shua."
Zhang Ruochen struck with overwhelming force, grabbing all the remaining experts of the Heavenly Realm Faction and pulling them close, sealing their Saint Qi and spiritual power.
Except for Feng Gudao, Zi Linglong, Chi, and Gu Tianyin, he threw all the others to Mo Yin.
In Zhang Ruochen's view, only Feng Gudao, Zi Linglong, Chi, and Gu Tianyin had any value as bargaining chips to force Shang Zi into negotiations.
After sealing the four, Zhang Ruochen produced four Saint-Binding Cords, binding them all, then stored them inside a Space Exquisite Ball.
With a wave of his hand, Zhang Ruochen retrieved the Mountain-Hiding Demon Mirror, but the light curtain formed by Imperial Emperor Purple Qi still remained.
During the time he spent dealing with the Heavenly Realm Faction's experts, Zhang Ruochen had already healed his own injuries, restoring his strength to its peak state.
"Lan You, Kunlun, wait for me."
Without pausing for even a moment, Zhang Ruochen immediately activated the Flowing Light Merit Armor, unleashing a thousand times the speed of sound, rushing at full force toward Peacock Manor.
"Shang Zi has taken a large number of experts to Peacock Manor. Zhang Ruochen rushing over now is simply seeking death. After all, Peacock Manor is not Saint Ming City—he won't have the blessing of Imperial Emperor Qi."
"Zhang Ruochen has captured Feng Gudao, Zi Linglong, Chi, and Gu Tianyin. Maybe he can negotiate with Shang Zi."
"Relying on capturing just those four to make Shang Zi compromise? That's far too naive. Just watch—Zhang Ruochen's trip will not end well. Forget saving anyone—it'll be hard enough for him to escape unscathed."
"Want to know how it ends? Just go to Peacock Manor and see for yourself."
…………
Immediately, many cultivators who had been watching the battle outside Saint Ming City set off, following closely behind Zhang Ruochen as they headed toward Peacock Manor.
In their estimation, the situation at Peacock Manor would surely be even more exciting than what had happened at Saint Ming City.
There were also many who didn't go. They had already been frightened out of their wits by Zhang Ruochen's methods and didn't dare to join in such excitement.
"Peacock Manor... how interesting." Rakshasa Clan Princess Luo Sha revealed a sly smile, her figure vanishing from Kong Le Mountain without a trace.
From another direction, Heavenly Beginning Celestial Maiden, Thousand Star Celestial Maiden, Butcher, and Fool also set off, their destination Peacock Manor.
Peacock Manor was quite far from Saint Ming City. Shang Zi and the others had taken a war vessel and, after spending a considerable amount of time, had only just approached.
Shang Zi stood at the bow of the ship, his brow slightly furrowed. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable unease, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Zi, what's wrong?" Da Xi Wang stepped forward and asked.
Shang Zi clasped his hands behind his back and said in a low voice, "I feel uneasy. Something may have gone wrong at Saint Ming City."
"Zi, you're overthinking it. With Senior Brother Feng and the others holding down Saint Ming City, Zhang Ruochen can't possibly cause any trouble. Just wait peacefully for them to capture Zhang Ruochen and bring him here," Si Han laughed loudly.
Shang Zi said, "I hope so."
Just as Shang Zi was lost in thought, space rippled violently. A figure streaked across the sky like a meteor, vanishing in an instant.
But the aura it released caused everyone on the war vessel to tremble in their hearts.
Before Shang Zi and the others could recover, four more meteors streaked across the sky.
To be precise, they were four people, heading in the same direction as the first, as if chasing after him.
The auras of these four were also terrifying, nearly crushing the sky itself.
"Who were those people?"
Almost everyone on the war vessel was filled with curiosity.
Shang Zi's expression shifted. His gaze followed the direction the five figures had gone, and many guesses began to form in his mind.
Whether it was experts from the Heavenly Court Realm or the Hell Realm, he was familiar with most of them. Those with such formidable auras could not be unknown figures.
"Look ahead."
An expert suddenly spoke up.
Hearing this, everyone on the battlefield couldn't help but raise their heads, their gazes fixed straight ahead.
Directly in front of the war vessel was a massive lake. At the center of the lake stood an extremely steep mountain peak, shaped like an unsheathed sword, piercing into the sky.
At this moment, atop that peak stood a man. He was tall and robust, clad in dark red battle armor. Traces of blood, still not yet dry, could faintly be seen on the armor, as if he had just experienced a fierce battle.
The man's face was resolute. Though he appeared weary, he was still leisurely drinking wine.
On the man's forehead was a strange mark, shaped like a deep starry sky, like a black hole, capable of devouring all light and heat in the world.
Any light that reached the man's side was absorbed by the strange mark on his forehead.
Perhaps it was for this reason that no one could clearly see the man's true appearance.
The war vessel immediately stopped, not daring to continue forward.
Anyone could see that the other party was intentionally blocking their path.
"May I ask who you are, sir? Why are you blocking our way?" Shang Zi cupped his hands and asked quite politely.
For now, not knowing the other party's identity or how strong they were, it was best not to provoke them.
The mysterious man did not acknowledge Shang Zi. Instead, he turned his gaze to Chi Kunlun, who was beside Shang Zi. He grinned widely, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth, and said, "A True God body, plus a Space Controller—now that's a good seedling."
Chi Kunlun also looked at the mysterious man, his gaze firm, without the slightest hint of timidity.
After his training on the Merit Battlefield, Chi Kunlun had grown a great deal. His will was strong, and compared to when he was in the Truth Heaven Domain, he could be said to have undergone a complete transformation.
"Good eyes. You suit my taste, kid. Come with me." The mysterious man chuckled.
Hearing this, Shang Zi's expression turned somewhat ugly. "Sir, forcibly taking someone away like this is a bit too overbearing."
The mysterious man took a step forward and instantly appeared on the war vessel.
His speed was so fast that no one on the ship had time to react.
The mysterious man turned his gaze to Shang Zi and said calmly, "Shang Zi, the leader of this generation of the Merit Divine Temple. I've heard of your name. You're a decent enough genius. If your cultivation could reach the Lin Dao Realm, I might give you a chance to challenge me."
"Unfortunately, you're still too weak now. You can't even pique my interest."
With that, the mysterious man turned around and looked at Chi Kunlun.
Clearly, compared to Shang Zi, he was still more interested in Chi Kunlun.
Hearing this and seeing the mysterious man's attitude, Shang Zi was filled with anger. Since he had begun his career, he had never been so belittled.
A cold gleam flashed in Shang Zi's eyes. A terrifying flame condensed in his palm, and he fiercely struck at the mysterious man.
The mysterious man didn't even look at him. He just tilted his head back to drink, some wine spilling out. One drop appeared at his fingertip, and he flicked it.
"Xiu."
That drop of wine shot out at an astonishing speed, nearly tearing space apart.
"Bang."
Shang Zi's body was pierced by the wine drop, leaving a blood hole that went straight through his chest. Shang Zi himself was sent flying backward.
"Pfft."
Shang Zi landed on the deck, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Immediately, Shang Zi summoned the Flowing Light Merit Armor and put it on, preparing to defend against another attack.
Seeing the Flowing Light Merit Armor Shang Zi was wearing, a strange look appeared in the mysterious man's eyes. "So it's the highest-grade Flowing Light Merit Armor. As the leader of the Merit Divine Temple, you really do have some good things on you. This Flowing Light Merit Armor is not bad—it'll come in handy. Dodging those four guys' pursuit is really exhausting."
As he spoke, the mysterious man reached out a hand. A stream of cyan-black gas flew out, enveloping Shang Zi, and instantly stripped the Flowing Light Merit Armor from his body.
The other experts on the war vessel wanted to help Shang Zi, but they were all suppressed by the mysterious man's terrifying aura and couldn't move at all.
Taking the Flowing Light Merit Armor into his hand, the mysterious man showed a satisfied smile. "Alright, I'd better get going, or those four annoying fellows will catch up again."
Immediately, the mysterious man grabbed Chi Kunlun, took a step, and vanished without a trace. No one knew which direction he had gone.
Not far behind the war vessel, a shuttle-shaped treasure was in stealth mode, following the ship unhurriedly.
On the shuttle-shaped treasure was a person—a charming woman, none other than the Inner Demon Qiu Yichi.
At this moment, Qiu Yichi also felt extremely uncomfortable, her eyes filled with shock.
Suddenly, Qiu Yichi's heart stirred, and she murmured, "Could it be him?"
Thinking of that person, Qiu Yichi couldn't help but shiver. That kind of existence was absolutely not someone she could afford to provoke.
On the Heavenly Realm Faction's war vessel, it took a while before the experts regained their ability to move.
Da Xi Wang and Si Han appeared beside Shang Zi, helping him up from the deck while feeding him a healing sacred pill.
"Zi, how are you?" Da Xi Wang asked with concern.
Shang Zi clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger. Not only had the other party seriously injured him, but they had also taken the Flowing Light Merit Armor gifted to him by the Blazing God, which could unleash ten thousand times the speed of sound, and taken Chi Kunlun away. This was utterly outrageous.
"Hell Yama Qi—it's someone from the Hell Realm's supreme clan, the Yama Clan." Shang Zi said in a deep voice.
When the mysterious man stripped the Flowing Light Merit Armor, he had used Hell Yama Qi, which only the Yama Clan could master.
"How terrifying. I've never encountered such a fearsome person before." A four-winged scarlet angel with a hideous scar on his face said in a low voice.
He was an old-school scarlet angel trained by the Blood War Divine Temple, named Chen Hu. He had already reached the Lin Dao Realm, with unfathomable strength, and was one of the top experts by Shang Zi's side.
For a top Lin Dao Realm expert to feel fear showed just how terrifying that person was.
Though Shang Zi was furious, he was helpless. That kind of existence was something he couldn't afford to provoke for now. Vaguely, he had already guessed the person's identity.
This time, he could only accept his bad luck.
On a cliff not too far from Peacock Manor, the mysterious man appeared silently with Chi Kunlun.
"After traveling so far, I'm a bit hungry! Kid, are you hungry?"
The mysterious man waved his hand, and a campfire appeared. He then took out a leg from some unknown sacred beast and placed it over the fire to start roasting.
"Who are you? Why did you save me?" Chi Kunlun asked boldly.
The mysterious man sat by the fire, drinking wine while looking at Chi Kunlun. "Do you think I saved you? If you want to think that, fine. Kid, you're Zhang Ruochen's son, aren't you?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Zhang Ruochen is my great enemy. Both my parents died at his hands." Chi Kunlun said angrily.
The mysterious man laughed heartily. "Great enemy? Kid, are you really that stupid, or are you pretending to be? You have a True God body and are a Space Controller. As far as I know, your sister has a Five Elements Chaos Body and is a Time Controller. In the Kunlun Realm, the only ones who could have given birth to the two of you are Empress Chi Yao and Zhang Ruochen."
Hearing this, Chi Kunlun's expression changed drastically. He shook his head violently. "Impossible. You're trying to deceive me. How could I possibly be the son of Master and Zhang Ruochen?"
In truth, Chi Kunlun had doubted his own origins before, especially when he saw Zhang Ruochen's face in the Truth Heaven Domain. His suspicions had only grown stronger.
But Empress Chi Yao had told him that his parents had both died at Zhang Ruochen's hands, forcing him to choose to believe.
"Kid, you're far too naive. Aside from Empress Chi Yao, the Chi family doesn't even have a single Great Saint. How could they produce a True God body and a Five Elements Chaos Body?" The mysterious man continued.
Chi Kunlun's mind roared. He remembered how, back in the Great Luo Dao Field, Zhang Ruochen had risked his life to save him and his sister. Would Zhang Ruochen do that for an enemy?
"No."
Chi Kunlun's face showed pain and struggle. His Qi and blood surged, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
The mysterious man reached out and patted Chi Kunlun's shoulder. "Kid, don't get so worked up. I'm still waiting for you to become my disciple."
Chi Kunlun looked up, dazed. "Why should I become your disciple?"
"Because I'm strong. Do you think Zhang Ruochen is powerful? Let me tell you, ten Zhang Ruochens wouldn't be a match for me."
"Never mind ten Zhang Ruochens—even if all ten Divine Transmission Disciples of the Truth Divine Temple attacked together, I could take them all down. Become my disciple, and I can make you even stronger than Zhang Ruochen and the Truth Divine Temple's ten Divine Transmission Disciples."
The mysterious man said with extreme arrogance.
Chi Kunlun said flatly, "I'm not interested."
Unexpectedly, the mysterious man wasn't angry. Instead, he laughed loudly. "Interesting. Since you don't want to become my disciple, I'll make you become my disciple. Kid, you can't escape."
Chi Kunlun remained very silent, ignoring the mysterious man. His mind was constantly occupied with what the mysterious man had just said. Could Zhang Ruochen really be his father?