Chapter 2048: The Storm Has Not Yet Settled
Feeling the icy killing intent radiating from Zhang Ruochen, Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng exchanged a glance, then gritted their teeth and said in unison, "Fine, we'll bet with you."
They were both extremely confident in their own strength and certainly wouldn't fear Zhang Ruochen.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen restrained his killing intent, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Very good, a wise choice. To ensure you abide by the agreement, I hope you will swear an oath in the name of the gods. Rest assured, I will do the same."
Involving the Truth Esoterica, no one could guarantee whether Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng would try any tricks, so it was better to be thorough in advance.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. No matter how unwilling Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng were, they had to do as Zhang Ruochen said at this moment.
But to be honest, they weren't really at a disadvantage. If they won, they could escape; if they lost, they would voluntarily hand over the Truth Esoterica. Fair and reasonable.
"Zhang Ruochen, are you sure you want to gamble with them? What if you lose? You'll have to let them go. What about Yue Shen?" Xiao Hei transmitted his voice.
Since it was a gamble, there was bound to be some risk. They had to think about the worst outcome in advance.
Zhang Ruochen transmitted back, "Although I said that if they win, I'll release them, I never specified when."
"I see. So no matter the outcome, the Heavenly Realm Faction will have to pay a heavy price." Xiao Hei suddenly understood, barely holding back a laugh.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen, along with Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng, swore a divine oath, incorporating the rules of the bet into it.
In this bet, they would only compete in physical strength. They couldn't use Sacred Dao Rules, sacred artifacts, or sacred arts. It was purely about whose body was tempered more powerfully.
In fact, this bet was extremely disadvantageous for Zhang Ruochen. After all, his cultivation level was two minor realms lower than Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng, and both of those minor realms involved physical tempering.
The Jietian and Lindao realms both involved drawing the power of heaven and earth into the body to temper it, even allowing parts of the body to become immortal.
Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng were no ordinary Lindao realm experts. They were surely aiming to forge the strongest immortal sacred body, so they must have already tempered their bodies to an extremely powerful degree.
At the same level, there should be few people whose bodies were stronger than theirs.
Yet Zhang Ruochen insisted on competing with them in physical strength. This was a challenge to himself, using Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng to hone himself and prepare for stepping into the Jietian realm.
"Which of you will go first?" Zhang Ruochen asked calmly.
A sharp light flashed in Mo Sheng's eyes. "I'll go first."
Zhang Ruochen flipped his hand, and a Space Exquisite Ball appeared in his palm. He directly absorbed Mo Sheng into it.
Then, Zhang Ruochen himself entered the Space Exquisite Ball.
"Zhang Ruochen, die!"
Mo Sheng roared like a humanoid tyrannosaur, charging at Zhang Ruochen.
His arms clearly emitted an immortal aura, already immortalized. Even top-tier Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifacts might not be able to withstand them.
Zhang Ruochen's expression was calm. He didn't dodge but directly met the attack.
"Looking for death!"
Seeing Zhang Ruochen neither dodge nor evade, a cold smile appeared in Mo Sheng's eyes.
"Boom!"
Their palms collided, causing intense ripples in the space.
Neither of them used sacred qi or Sacred Dao Rules; they relied purely on physical strength.
If this had happened outside, such a collision might have directly shattered a star.
"Hmm? He can actually fight head-on with my immortalized arms." Mo Sheng was inwardly shocked.
In his estimation, such a head-on clash should have broken Zhang Ruochen's bones and tendons, leaving him crippled. There was no reason for him to be unharmed.
Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred. "The immortalized arms are indeed strong. If not for the immortal-level dragon and elephant souls fused into my arms, along with the tempering from the Life-and-Death Bronze Furnace, I might not have been able to withstand this."
While thinking, Zhang Ruochen launched an attack, each move vicious and leaving no room for mercy.
He wanted to use this battle to find his own flaws and then fix them.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen's body shook, and the vast blood qi within him surged violently, emitting the sound of a surging river, causing the space around him to tremble.
Threads of chaotic qi swirled around Zhang Ruochen, and a five-colored radiance burst from his body, as if about to open up a new world.
After all his cultivation, Zhang Ruochen's Five Elements Chaos Body had undoubtedly reached its peak. His body was like a vast starry universe, containing immense power.
A fierce light flashed in Mo Sheng's eyes. Behind him, a massive greedy wolf shadow faintly appeared, exuding overwhelming ferocity, as if about to break free from the void and become real.
"Kill!"
Mo Sheng howled, his true body seemingly transforming into a ferocious greedy wolf.
"Boom!"
The two engaged in a fierce collision, launching into a wild slaughter.
It had to be said, Mo Sheng was very strong. Demonic cultivators naturally focused on physical training, and Mo Sheng was one of the best among them. His body was tougher than a top-tier Ten-Thousand Pattern Sacred Artifact.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Ruochen and Mo Sheng had fought hundreds of rounds, evenly matched. Terrifying power erupted time and again, nearly shattering the Space Exquisite Ball.
After the fierce battle, both of them were covered in wounds, their clothes soaked in blood.
"Pfft!"
Mo Sheng's greedy wolf claws left several ferocious claw marks on Zhang Ruochen's chest, blood gushing out.
Since they were competing in physical strength, they naturally didn't wear armor.
Zhang Ruochen seemed unfazed. His right hand turned into a dragon claw, directly piercing through Mo Sheng's chest.
"You... pfft!" Mo Sheng spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes full of unwillingness.
Zhang Ruochen didn't withdraw his right hand. Coldly, he said, "Mo Sheng, you lost. Hand over the Truth Esoterica."
Hearing this, Mo Sheng spat out another mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with reluctance.
Though unwilling to admit it, he had indeed lost. His heart was in Zhang Ruochen's grasp.
A bet was a bet, and with the divine oath binding him, no matter how unwilling Mo Sheng was, he had to abide by the agreement.
Zhang Ruochen's mind stirred, feeling a strange thing being transmitted into his body.
"Nine ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica. As expected of the leader of the Black Demon Realm." Zhang Ruochen showed a satisfied smile.
With this, the Truth Esoterica he possessed reached twenty-nine ten-thousandths.
Obtaining the Truth Esoterica was extremely difficult. Below the Great Saint realm, very few could obtain more than ten ten-thousandths of the Truth Esoterica on their own in the Truth Sea, not even the top ten true disciples of the Truth Divine Temple.
Mo Sheng obtaining nine ten-thousandths, one ten-thousandth more than Shang Zihong, was already quite remarkable.
Of course, Mo Sheng's cultivation level was much higher than Shang Zihong's. If Shang Zihong were still alive and continued to cross the Truth Sea, he might have obtained more Truth Esoterica, possibly exceeding ten ten-thousandths.
Having successfully obtained the Truth Esoterica, Zhang Ruochen withdrew his right hand from Mo Sheng's chest, then lifted Mo Sheng and flew out of the Space Exquisite Ball, once again suppressing him on the Blood God Sacrificial Altar.
Activating the "Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture," the divine sun in his Divine Light Qi Sea rapidly rotated, releasing streams of essence that merged into Zhang Ruochen's limbs and bones.
Before starting the next round of the bet, Zhang Ruochen naturally had to adjust his own state to the best.
...
In the Heavenly Court Realm, on Yue Shen Mountain.
Yue Shen stood outside the Guanghan Divine Palace, calmly looking at the several divine shadows floating outside Yue Shen Mountain.
"Yue Shen, immediately have Zhang Ruochen release Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng, or don't blame us for being rude." A divine shadow said extremely forcefully.
"Not only must Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng be released, but Zhang Ruochen must also be severely punished. The Blood God Sect should no longer exist." Another cold voice said, equally domineering.
"Zhang Ruochen repeatedly violates the heavenly laws, acts recklessly, and kills many world leaders. According to the law, he should be executed." Another low voice sounded.
Yue Shen's gaze swept lightly over the six divine shadows hanging in the sky, her voice cold. "You all know the ins and outs of the matter better than anyone. Why are you shouting at me like this? If you don't pay some price, you want to save Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng? Do you think I can be bullied?"
"Yue Shen, what do you want?" Heixin Mozhu asked in a deep voice.
Mo Sheng was his personal disciple, exceptionally talented, with great hope of becoming a god in the future. He was of immense significance to the Black Demon Realm and could not be allowed to go wrong.
Yue Shen's tone remained indifferent. "Five types of top-grade Five Elements divine materials, one hundred thousand divine stones. Also, I want to occupy a better heavenly domain."
The top-grade Five Elements divine materials were for Zhang Ruochen.
The one hundred thousand divine stones were for herself.
The Guanghan Realm needed a better cultivation environment, so naturally, it had to occupy a higher-level heavenly domain in the Heavenly Court.
"Yue Shen, you're really asking for the moon. We can't agree to such conditions." A divine shadow with eight pairs of snow-white wings said coldly.
This was a titan from the Radiant Divine Temple, Zhou Yu's master, here for Zhou Yu.
Although Five Elements divine materials were rare, even Saints and Great Saints would fight for them. But to gods, they weren't much.
However, one hundred thousand divine stones was truly a massive resource.
It was worth noting that divine stones could only be produced in extremely ancient large worlds. Even gods usually didn't hoard many.
Moreover, the Guanghan Realm wanted to move to a higher-level heavenly domain. This was something the Paradise Realm absolutely could not accept. After all, they had spent one hundred thousand years suppressing the Guanghan Realm to the Shatuo Heavenly Domain, the most barren place.
Yue Shen's gaze suddenly sharpened. "Since we can't negotiate, let Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng stay in the Blood God Sect. After all, they're just two Saint Kings, not worth this price. Right?"
"Yue Shen, are you trying to provoke another divine war?"
The titan from the Paradise Realm said.
Yue Shen's gaze shifted, looking at the Paradise Realm titan's divine shadow, and said coldly, "Divine war? If you want to fight, I'm willing to oblige."
As she spoke, Yue Shen's body emitted a vast, abyss-like divine might. The space around Yue Shen Mountain trembled, with many large black cracks appearing.
Feeling this vast divine might, the six divine shadows all shuddered, especially Yan Shen, who had fought Yue Shen before. His heart trembled violently.
"In such a short time, Yue Shen's divine power has recovered a lot."
Yue Shen was a powerful ancient god, once famous in the Heavenly Court Realm. During the great war between the Kunlun Realm and the Hell Realm one hundred thousand years ago, Yue Shen was severely injured and nearly fell. It took her one hundred thousand years to recover, but her divine power was nearly exhausted.
After obtaining the moon leaf of the Seven-Star Divine Ling, Yue Shen's divine power recovered a part. At that time, she could already defeat Yan Shen and Erjia Xuezu.
Now that her divine power had recovered even more, no one could determine just how strong Yue Shen was.
Just as the six divine shadows were deep in thought, an ancient cauldron appeared in Yue Shen's hand. The cauldron's body was engraved with many complex characters, containing mysterious and unpredictable power.
"Hiss!"
Seeing this ancient cauldron, Yan Shen couldn't help but inhale sharply.
Involuntarily, Yan Shen thought of the last divine war, where he was trapped by the power of this ancient cauldron and nearly refined.
The other five divine shadows also froze, recognizing the ancient cauldron and knowing its terrifying power.
Since Yue Shen had brought out this ancient cauldron, it showed she truly wasn't afraid of another divine war with them.
Heixin Mozhu frowned. "Yue Shen, your conditions are too excessive and unfair. Since it's a negotiation, the conditions should be reciprocal."
"Exactly. We can pay some price, but we absolutely cannot do as you say." The Radiant Divine Temple titan said.
Yue Shen looked at the spinning ancient cauldron in her hand. "Then what price can you pay?"
Inevitably, the several divine shadows communicated with their spiritual power.
After all, involving one hundred thousand divine stones and the relocation of a heavenly domain, even gods had to be cautious. Whoever agreed to it would have to provide one hundred thousand divine stones. Even for a god, that would be a bloodletting.
After some discussion, the Paradise Realm titan said, "We can give you the five types of Five Elements divine materials, but the number of divine stones can only be sixty thousand, with each of us contributing ten thousand. However, the Guanghan Realm's relocation to a better cultivation heavenly domain must be reported to the Heavenly Palace, and the Heavenly Palace will decide."
"It seems you really don't care about Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng's lives. Then there's no need to continue talking." As she spoke, Yue Shen prepared to turn and return to the Guanghan Divine Palace.
Seeing this, the Radiant Divine Temple titan immediately said, "Yue Shen, please stay."
The faces of the several gods from the Paradise Realm faction were all unpleasant. Yue Shen was too strong-willed and refused to budge much. Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng had the potential to become gods, and they absolutely couldn't give up.
Most importantly, it was about face.
If the mighty Paradise Realm couldn't even protect two talents with god potential, countless people would laugh, and countless young cultivators from the Paradise Realm faction would feel disheartened. Who would want to follow the Paradise Realm in the future?
In the end, they reached an agreement: to pay five types of top-grade Five Elements divine materials, sixty thousand divine stones, and agree to let the Guanghan Realm move into the "Ziluo Heavenly Domain."
However, they also made Yue Shen agree to one thing: to send a patrol envoy into the Blood God Sect to investigate the situation. This was the result of the Heavenly Palace's intervention.
The Heavenly Palace had established the heavenly laws and had to enforce them. Yue Shen couldn't forcefully interfere.
Inside the Blood God Sect, Zhang Ruochen finished healing, first sealing Zhou Yu and Mo Sheng's five senses, then took out the Divine Envoy Wooden Staff.
Yue Shen's shadow appeared. "Zhang Ruochen, soon a patrol envoy from the Guanghan Realm will come to the Blood God Sect with five types of top-grade Five Elements divine materials and twenty divine stones. This is the ransom from the Paradise Realm gods."
"Mo Sheng and Zhou Yu are only worth twenty divine stones? Are the Paradise Realm gods so stingy?" Zhang Ruochen was speechless.
Yue Shen said, "That's all I could negotiate. But the Guanghan Realm can move to the Ziluo Heavenly Domain in the Heavenly Court Realm, with a better cultivation environment. That's your achievement."
"For just two Saint Kings to make the Paradise Realm yield to this extent is not easy." Although Zhang Ruochen said this, he was still very puzzled. Could the Paradise Realm gods really only offer twenty divine stones?
More importantly, how could Yue Shen even ask for only twenty divine stones?
Since they were gods, Zhang Ruochen didn't dare to question it. Having twenty divine stones was better than nothing.
With the Five Elements divine materials gathered, Zhang Ruochen could forge the Five Elements Chaos Immortal Sacred Body in the near future.
Yue Shen said, "There's one thing I must remind you. The appearance of Xue Lingxian has already attracted the attention of the Heavenly Palace. The Hell Realm side is also using this as a reason to demand an explanation from the Heavenly Palace. So, six envoys will soon descend on the Blood God Sect, representing the Heavenly Palace, the Guanghan Realm, the Kunlun Realm, the Paradise Realm, the Black Demon Realm, and the Hell Realm."
"These patrol envoys are all extraordinary experts. The Guanghan Realm is sending Jiemie Dadi, and the Kunlun Realm is sending Wen Di. The other four envoys are also figures who shake the myriad realms. So, you'd better not act recklessly. Don't think you can just throw out the patrol envoy's doppelganger like last time. Think carefully about how to handle this."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart shook violently. Things were indeed not that simple. Not only the Heavenly Palace but even the Hell Realm had gotten involved.
After a moment of thought, Zhang Ruochen said, "Thank you for the reminder, Yue Shen. I know how to handle it."