Chapter 2015: Shameless Betrayal
"That old bald donkey Xumi is really strange, choosing a young lad with Undying Blood Clan bloodline as his heir. I really don't know what he sees in you." Xiao Hei muttered from the side, curling his beak.
Zhang Ruochen turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Hei, his voice low. "Xiao Hei, it seems you've been hiding a lot from me. Shouldn't you come clean about everything now?"
"This... This Emperor suddenly remembers he has something to do. I'll take my leave first." Xiao Hei's eyes flickered, and he immediately flapped his wings, trying to slip away.
He now really wanted to slap himself a few times. Why did he have to run his mouth like that? It was nothing but asking for trouble.
Zhang Ruochen had been prepared. With a wave of his hand, a patch of space instantly froze. Xiao Hei was immobilized, trapped in mid-air.
"Don't give me that. If you don't explain things clearly, you're not going anywhere." Zhang Ruochen said sternly.
After the battle at Moon God Mountain ended, Zhang Ruochen had wanted to ask Xiao Hei many things. But Xiao Hei had slipped away beforehand, clearly trying to avoid his questions.
It was certain that Xiao Hei had been hiding quite a bit from him. He really didn't know how much of what he said before could be trusted.
Unable to move, Xiao Hei called out, "Let's talk this out. Tell me what you want to know, and This Emperor will tell you. But This Emperor really hasn't hidden anything from you!"
"If you don't tell the truth, I'll pluck every single feather off your body." Zhang Ruochen glared, threatening.
Hearing this, Xiao Hei immediately caved. "Zhang Ruochen, don't be rash. This Emperor will confess, alright? Just let This Emperor go first."
Zhang Ruochen shot Xiao Hei another fierce glare before releasing the space freeze, allowing Xiao Hei to regain his freedom.
This time, if Xiao Hei didn't make things clear, he had no intention of letting him leave.
Xiao Hei flickered behind Han Xue, looking at Zhang Ruochen with intense wariness, as if he really was afraid Zhang Ruochen would pluck his feathers.
"What do you want to know?" Xiao Hei poked his head out and asked.
Zhang Ruochen let out a light breath. "Why was your physical body in the Yin-Yang Sea? And why was your saint soul sealed by Xumi Saint Monk inside the Cosmic Divine Wood Map?"
"This question, This Emperor has already told you. It's because This Emperor committed a grave sin and was suppressed by that old bald donkey Xumi. My physical body was sealed in the Yin-Yang Sea, and my saint soul was refined into the artifact spirit of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map." Xiao Hei rolled his eyes.
Zhang Ruochen pressed on. "What exactly did you do? Something serious enough for Xumi Saint Monk to personally suppress you? And why did he make you the artifact spirit of the Cosmic Divine Wood Map?"
For Xumi Saint Monk to go to such lengths, separating Xiao Hei's physical body and saint soul for sealing, Zhang Ruochen refused to believe there wasn't a hidden story.
Xiao Hei rolled his eyes again. "This Emperor has already told you these things. Do you think This Emperor was joking? This Emperor is the Emperor who Slays Heaven and Earth. I committed too much slaughter. That old bald donkey Xumi loved meddling, so he stepped in and suppressed me."
"Back in the Yin-Yang Sea, you saw those prisons. Each one held a heinous criminal, all under the watch of the Dragon Clan. This Emperor was one of them."
"However, that old bald donkey Xumi was merciful. Even though my sins were grave, he gave me a chance to repent. He sealed my saint soul in the Cosmic Divine Wood Map to serve as a guide for the Heir of Time and Space. When my merits are fulfilled, I will naturally regain my freedom."
Having his saint soul sealed in the Cosmic Divine Wood Map for a hundred thousand years was already an extremely harsh punishment. Even if Xiao Hei's former temperament had been violent, it had been worn down to a calmer state.
Zhang Ruochen stared at Xiao Hei for a moment before asking, "Who was that person who awakened in the Yin-Yang Sea?"
The golden-haired young man who awakened in the Yin-Yang Sea had left an incredibly deep impression on Zhang Ruochen. He remembered that when he saw that golden-haired young man, it felt like facing a lofty Divine Emperor—truly terrifying beyond measure.
Moreover, that golden-haired young man had taken the Divine Dragon Sun-Moon Chaos Tower, sealing the entire Yin-Yang Sea, turning it into an absolute forbidden zone that no one could enter.
When Zhang Ruochen mentioned that person, Xiao Hei's eyes immediately filled with intense fear. His expression turned serious. "That is a taboo figure. The sole surviving and most powerful member of the Divine Dragon Clan. He is revered by all races in the Primordial Wasteland. Back then, when This Emperor slaughtered the Divine Dragon Clan and devoured their dragon gallbladders, if that old bald donkey Xumi hadn't intervened, I would have died without a burial place."
"Don't ask about this person anymore. This Emperor won't say more. Such a taboo figure cannot be casually discussed, even by a Great Saint."
It was clear that Xiao Hei was extremely wary of that figure in the Yin-Yang Sea, not even daring to speak much about him.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen furrowed his brow slightly, many thoughts racing through his mind. It was said that all the gods of the Kunlun Realm fell a hundred thousand years ago, leading to the realm's gradual decline.
Now, it seemed that wasn't entirely true. At least this taboo existence of the Divine Dragon Clan was still alive. Perhaps other titans were also hiding in the shadows.
What was the purpose of this taboo figure of the Divine Dragon Clan sealing himself in the Yin-Yang Sea for a hundred thousand years?
Connecting this to the awakened ones like Jiang Yunchong, Yan Ruo, Hong Xuanji, and the Soul Devouring King, as well as the returning artifact spirits of the Supreme Sacred Artifacts, Zhang Ruochen's doubts only grew. He could no longer see how deep the waters of the Kunlun Realm truly ran.
"Then what is your relationship with Qiangu Nüdi? And what about that Black Heart Demon Lord?" Zhang Ruochen continued.
Xiao Hei's emotions instantly became agitated. "Don't mention that treacherous, backstabbing scumbag in front of This Emperor! Back then, the Black Demon Realm was still weak, with no gods. The Kunlun Realm kindly supported the Black Demon Realm, allowing some of its prodigies to enter the Kunlun Realm for cultivation."
"The Black Heart Demon Lord was one of those prodigies from the Black Demon Realm. He had the highest talent and befriended Nüdi, who regarded him as a close friend. This gave that ungrateful wretch the chance to listen to the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree's teachings."
"At that time, the Black Heart Demon Lord was obsessed with pursuing Nüdi. But with Nüdi's standards, how could she possibly look at him? So, the Black Heart Demon Lord harbored resentment and secretly colluded with the enemy, leading a terrifying fierce person to cut down the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree. This caused the sacred energy of the Kunlun Realm to gradually dry up, cutting off the hope of Kunlun cultivators becoming gods."
"This Emperor was also framed by him, nearly falling into demonic cultivation, which led to great slaughter and sin. In the end, I ended up sealed."
Speaking of the Black Heart Demon Lord, Xiao Hei's words were filled with rage. Terrifying flames unconsciously radiated from his body, as if he wished he could personally grind the Black Heart Demon Lord's bones to dust.
At this moment, anger also surged within Zhang Ruochen. The Black Heart Demon Lord's betrayal of the Kunlun Realm, leading to the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree being cut down, was utterly detestable.
What he hated most in his life was betrayal. If he had enough strength, he would definitely kill the true body of the Black Heart Demon Lord, not just sever his divine thought body.
It seemed that the Black Heart Demon Lord's ability to cultivate into a god was likely related to his betrayal for personal gain. Selling out the Kunlun Realm had brought him immense benefits.
Human hearts were truly insatiable. The Kunlun Realm had done everything it could to help the Black Demon Realm, allowing it to grow stronger little by little. Yet, for selfish reasons, the Black Demon Realm had turned around and betrayed the Kunlun Realm. How ironic.
Only now did Zhang Ruochen understand why Xiao Hei hated the Black Heart Demon Lord so much. It turned out that Xiao Hei's sealing was also connected to him.
Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. If the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree hadn't been cut down, with Qiangu Nüdi's extraordinary talent, becoming a god should not have been difficult.
He wondered where Qiangu Nüdi was now and whether she was still alive.