Chapter 2079: Intricate and Confusing
Even after traveling a great distance, hearing the cries coming from behind, Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei couldn't help but feel their scalps tingle. They dared not linger any longer and pushed themselves with all their might toward the depths of the Dragon God Temple ruins.
Although that eerie child had said that going further would lead them to encounter the indescribable Mu Zu, retreating from the Dragon God Temple ruins at this point was clearly impossible.
The appearance of these eerie children made Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei foresee that a massive upheaval was likely to occur. Whether it was the Hell Realm, the Ancient Civilization Faction, or the Heavenly Dragon Realm, they might all suffer a great loss.
Of course, this was actually a good thing. The more complicated the situation in the Dragon God Temple ruins, the better, as it would make it harder for anyone to seize the World Gate Key.
If they could force all parties to withdraw from True Dragon Island, that would be even better.
On a low hill far away, a streak of golden light shot over, transforming into an extraordinarily handsome man standing at the hill's peak. It was one of the Golden Sun Twin Kings.
After escaping from that hidden space, he had sprinted thousands of miles, confirming that no one was pursuing him.
Not long after, the space beside him rippled slightly, and his twin brother appeared out of thin air on the hill, as if he had mastered the art of spatial displacement.
The Golden Sun Twin Kings were gifted with extraordinary talents, possessing special abilities from birth. Otherwise, how could they have earned the full support of their father, the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son?
Among their talents, two were the most remarkable. The first was "Different Bodies, Same Fate." As the name implied, their lives were bound together. As long as one of them remained alive, the other could be resurrected even if killed. In other words, both had to be killed simultaneously.
The second was "Ten-Thousand-Mile Teleportation." The Twin Kings were like two fixed-point spatial teleportation arrays. Within ten thousand miles, they could instantly teleport to each other's side.
Earlier, the Golden Sun Twin Kings had feared being hunted down by Xiao Hei, so they chose to flee separately. If one of them lost their life, the other could resurrect them.
If both successfully escaped the pursuit, they could rely on the ten-thousand-mile teleportation to reunite.
With such two miraculous abilities, the Golden Sun Twin Kings' survival capabilities were undoubtedly formidable. They were almost immortal, making them a headache for any enemy.
"This time, the Heavenly Son was killed by Zhang Ruochen. We brothers cannot escape blame. The old Heavenly Lord and our master will surely be furious." The Golden Sun Twin Kings' Great Sun King said in a deep voice.
Hearing this, the Small Sun King fell silent. Such an outcome was something he had never anticipated.
The Blazing Sun Heavenly Son being killed right before their eyes was a tremendous disgrace to them.
The Small Sun King took a deep breath, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. "We must kill Zhang Ruochen to answer to the old Heavenly Lord and our master. But that owl sacred beast is a problem."
If not for the owl sacred beast's interference, they might have had a chance to save the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son, and the outcome would not have been what it was.
With a Great Saint present, killing Zhang Ruochen would clearly not be easy.
Thinking of the owl sacred beast's terrifying combat power, the Golden Sun Twin Kings felt a chill. The two Bone Clan venerables, who possessed Great Saint bones, had been shattered into pieces.
If they hadn't acted decisively and unleashed that ancient talisman in time, they might have shared the same fate as the two Bone Clan venerables.
The Great Sun King pondered for a moment and said, "I feel that owl sacred beast is problematic. It probably isn't a true Great Saint but used some method to temporarily boost its power. First, if it were truly a powerful Great Saint, it could have attacked us and the seven Bone Clan venerables from the start. Why did it hold back all along?"
"Second, when it saw us escape that hidden space, it didn't pursue us. That's clearly abnormal. It likely couldn't maintain its Great Saint combat power any longer and had to let us go."
Hearing this, the Small Sun King's mind stirred. He murmured, "If that's the case, then boosting its power must not be easy. It might even come at a significant cost. Whether it can use such a method again is uncertain. If so, we have a way to deal with them."
As long as Xiao Hei wasn't a true Great Saint, they had no reason to fear him based on their own strength.
"Great Saints aren't invincible. Since they dared to kill the Heavenly Son, they must pay a heavy price. Immediately summon all the strong warriors of the Blazing Sun Civilization. I won't just kill Zhang Ruochen and that owl sacred beast—I'll make them come to us willingly." The Golden Sun Twin Kings' Great Sun King said, his eyes gleaming coldly.
At this moment, nothing was more important than killing Zhang Ruochen.
Responding to the Golden Sun Twin Kings' summons, a large number of Blazing Sun Civilization's strong warriors gathered from all directions, creating a formidable display.
In a pile of rubble, a fierce battle was underway. One side was the strong warriors of the Thousand Star Civilization, and the other was the eerie children.
Leading the Thousand Star Civilization side was the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden, Yu Chenjing.
Beside her were six white-robed elders, each exuding extremely powerful auras that were interconnected and harmonious.
Opposite them stood eighteen eerie children, each only a meter tall, with blood-red eyes, sharp fangs, and dozens of black tentacles beneath them, making them appear extremely grotesque and terrifying.
"Trap them."
After a prolonged stalemate, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden issued the order in a deep voice.
The six elders immediately changed their formation, setting up a six-pointed star array that drew upon powerful star force to forcibly trap the eighteen eerie children.
"Waa, waa."
The eighteen children let out piercing cries, forming terrifying spiritual power shockwaves in an attempt to break the six-pointed star array.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden took out an emerald staff, releasing powerful spiritual power to create a mysterious illusion that enveloped all eighteen eerie children.
With the assistance of the six-pointed star array, the illusion she created was almost indistinguishable from reality.
"Let me see what kind of origins these inhuman, unghostly things have."
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden waved her emerald staff, executing an extremely advanced illusion technique to invade the brains of those eerie children.
Moments later, a look of gravity appeared in the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's eyes.
"Heavenly Maiden, what's the situation?"
One of the elders inquired.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden pondered for a moment and said, "These monsters were transformed from the strong warriors of various factions who entered True Dragon Island. The cause is a sinister entity called 'Mu Zu.'"
"Mu Zu? What kind of being is that?"
The six elders of the Thousand Star Civilization showed expressions of surprise.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden said, "Mu Zu didn't come from outside but was born on True Dragon Island. It uses spiritual power to erode. If one can't resist, they become enslaved and turned into these inhuman, unghostly monsters."
"These transformed monsters also possess similar abilities. They launch spiritual power attacks through their cries, and even ordinary spiritual power Saint Kings might not be able to withstand them. Judging by the current situation, many have likely already met with misfortune."
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden exhausted her methods but only managed to obtain a small amount of information. Her knowledge of Mu Zu was almost entirely blank.
Suddenly, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's expression changed drastically. She quickly waved her emerald staff, severing the spiritual power she had released, and involuntarily stumbled back a few steps.
"Six elders, destroy them."
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden issued the order urgently.
Although the six elders didn't know what had happened, they didn't hesitate. They immediately activated the six-pointed star formation, using the vast star power to crush the eighteen eerie children within the array.
"Boom."
The bodies of the eighteen eerie children shattered instantly, turning into a mass of dark red blood mist that quickly dissipated.
Afterward, the six elders immediately appeared beside the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden, their faces showing concern.
"Heavenly Maiden, are you alright?"
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's face was slightly pale. She flipped her hand and took out a sacred pill, swallowing it.
After adjusting her breathing for a moment, she said, "It was Mu Zu. I tried to probe it, but it could attack me spiritually through these monsters. I quickly abandoned part of my spiritual power, so there's no serious issue."
Though she said this, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden felt a lingering fear. If she hadn't reacted quickly enough and allowed Mu Zu's will to invade her sacred soul, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"Shua."
Just then, a sacred light flew in from beyond the sky and was caught by an elder.
After examining the content of the message light talisman, the elder's expression changed slightly.
Noticing this change, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden asked, "Elder Xu, what happened?"
"Heavenly Maiden, our people have sent word that the strong warriors of the Blazing Sun Civilization are gathering on a large scale." Elder Xu quickly replied.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden was slightly surprised. "What are the Blazing Sun Civilization up to? Have they discovered some great treasure?"
"It's said that the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son was killed by Zhang Ruochen, and the Golden Sun Twin Kings are furious." Elder Xu hesitated slightly.
Hearing this, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's expression immediately changed. "How could Zhang Ruochen kill the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son? Is the news reliable?"
Elder Xu shook his head. "The specifics are still unknown, but it seems the matter is true."
"Foolish! Doesn't he have enough trouble already?" The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's face showed a hint of anger.
In her view, regardless of the reason, Zhang Ruochen killing the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son was too reckless. The old Heavenly Lord of the Blazing Sun Civilization was extremely protective. If he learned that his most beloved grandson had died at Zhang Ruochen's hands, he would never let it go.
The consequences of killing the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son might be even more severe than killing Shang Zihong.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's expression shifted repeatedly. She instructed, "Have people monitor the Blazing Sun Civilization's movements and also search for Zhang Ruochen's whereabouts. Report any news to me immediately."
"Heavenly Maiden, this matter involves the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son. It might not be appropriate for us to intervene." Another elder frowned slightly.
The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden said, "I know what I'm doing. No need to say more."
Hearing this, that elder didn't press further. He knew the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's temperament well—once she decided something, no one could change her mind.
"Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen, you've already stirred up so much trouble, and now you've provoked the Blazing Sun Civilization. Why can't you learn to be patient?" The Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden sighed inwardly.
The unusual movements of the Blazing Sun Civilization's strong warriors quickly drew attention from all sides. Correspondingly, the news of Zhang Ruochen killing the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son spread rapidly. Such a thing couldn't be hidden.
The Hell Realm side was naturally pleased to see this happen, hoping that Zhang Ruochen and the Blazing Sun Civilization would fight each other as fiercely as possible.
Most of the Ancient Civilization Faction, however, was very dissatisfied with Zhang Ruochen. His killing of the Blazing Sun Heavenly Son seemed like a deliberate attack on the entire Ancient Civilization Faction.
The Heavenly Dragon Realm remained relatively calm, showing little reaction, as if it didn't care about the matter at all.
Soon after, the news of the two Bone Clan venerables' deaths also spread like wildfire, causing a huge uproar.
Moreover, this matter was vaguely linked to Zhang Ruochen—it was the owl sacred beast by his side that had done the deed—once again pushing Zhang Ruochen to the forefront of the storm.
Hearing this news, a strange look appeared in the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden's eyes. "That owl sacred beast is actually that powerful."
When she was at Peacock Manor, the Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden had seen Xiao Hei but couldn't discern how strong he was. At most, she thought his formation skills were impressive.
Now, it seemed she had misjudged him back then.
While all the various forces were in an uproar, Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei, the parties involved, knew nothing of it. They silently searched for treasures in the ruins.
"How strange. This area should have no other footsteps, yet why is there no treasure at all?" Xiao Hei's eyes were full of confusion.
To be honest, they had been in the Dragon God Temple ruins for quite some time and had visited many places. Yet, aside from that hidden space, they had never encountered any treasure, not even ordinary ones.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The great war that broke out back then was too brutal. Many deities participated, and even the Dragon God Temple was shattered. Most of the treasures stored in the Dragon God Temple were probably destroyed."
"Impossible. The Dragon God Temple had countless treasures. Even if many were destroyed, plenty must have survived. After all, those deities weren't specifically targeting the Dragon God Temple. The deities of the Hell Realm were still thinking of plundering on a large scale. I feel this might be related to that taboo figure." Xiao Hei mused.
If someone could trigger the forbidden formations and enter True Dragon Island to take away many treasures, only that taboo figure from the Dragon Clan could have done it.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then why were there treasures in that hidden space?"
If that taboo figure had acted, there should have been no treasures left behind.
"I'm just guessing. No one knows the specifics. Let's keep searching. Maybe we'll get lucky and find another hidden space. Of course, the most important thing is to find the World Gate Key." Xiao Hei said seriously.
Searching for treasures was important, but they must not forget their true purpose for this trip.
No amount of treasures could compare to the World Gate Key, which concerned the survival of the Kunlun Realm.
Just as Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei were about to continue forward, a message light talisman suddenly flew in from the horizon.
Zhang Ruochen extended two fingers and gently caught the message light talisman.
"A message from Dead Zen Ancestor?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Xiao Hei said, "Hurry up and see what that bald donkey wants from you."
Without delay, Zhang Ruochen released the message light talisman and carefully examined it.
Xiao Hei immediately leaned in, scanning the information recorded on the message light talisman.
"Oh? That bald donkey is pretty lucky. He actually found a treasure site. We can't miss this. Isn't it just a formation? With me here, no formation is a problem." Xiao Hei's eyes lit up.
Zhang Ruochen, however, frowned slightly, lost in thought, and remained silent for a long time.
"Zhang Ruochen, what are you thinking? We've finally found some treasure. If we don't hurry, others might beat us to it. Let's move." Xiao Hei urged impatiently.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "For some reason, I feel a bit uneasy, as if something bad is about to happen."
"You're not still thinking about that creepy thing from earlier, are you? Don't worry. With the two of us together, no matter how strange it is, what can it do?" Xiao Hei said confidently.
Hearing this, although Zhang Ruochen still felt uneasy, he nodded. "Let's go meet up with Dead Zen Ancestor first."
Since Dead Zen Ancestor had asked for his help, he couldn't refuse at a time like this.
Though their paths were different, at least on the matter of protecting the Kunlun Realm, he and Dead Zen Ancestor had reached a consensus. They were now on the same boat.
Immediately, Zhang Ruochen and Xiao Hei wasted no more time. Following the guidance of the message light talisman, they headed toward Dead Zen Ancestor's location.