Chapter 2130: Summoning Han Qiu
Outside the Holy Mountain, a wide river flowed around it, rushing endlessly. Dense sacred qi of heaven and earth rose up, forming white mist that stretched out in a vast expanse, dreamlike and illusory.
Within the Holy Academy, this river was called the Sacred River, as famous as the Holy Mountain. It was extremely mysterious. Since the revival of the Kunlun Realm, it had produced sacred medicines of great age almost every day, and had even given birth to ancient sacred medicines a hundred thousand years old.
A refined blue-robed scholar stood by the riverbank. His entire being seemed to perfectly harmonize with the river's rhythm, as if he were one with it.
Zhang Ruochen appeared out of thin air behind the blue-robed scholar, cupped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Academy Master Luo."
Zhang Ruochen had always felt immense gratitude and respect for Luo Xu. Even though he was now far more powerful than Luo Xu, that had never changed.
Seeing with his own eyes that Luo Xu was safe and sound, Zhang Ruochen finally felt relieved.
He could sense that Luo Xu was shrouded in a mysterious aura, one that even he could not see through.
Although he did not know where Luo Xu had gone after being severely injured by Prince Molo, Zhang Ruochen guessed that he had likely encountered an extraordinary opportunity, becoming increasingly unfathomable.
Luo Xu turned around, his gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen. "Thank you."
"Senior Chu showed me kindness. How could I stand by and do nothing about his affairs?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Luo Xu sighed. "Chu Siyuan was too stubborn. For the integrity of the Confucian Path, he gave his life to protect the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree. Unfortunately, my strength was insufficient, and I couldn't save him. I watched helplessly as Prince Molo sliced off all his flesh, his sacred blood staining the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree."
Even though a long time had passed, the bloody scene still lingered in his mind, as if it had happened yesterday.
"Academy Master Luo, you must not blame yourself. Senior Chu sacrificed himself for his path, a tale worthy of song and tears. What we need to do is fulfill his wish and take back the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree from the Rakshasa Clan," Zhang Ruochen said.
Luo Xu nodded. "The Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree holds immense significance for the Confucian Path. If we can reclaim it, the entire Confucian Path will owe you a great debt of gratitude."
To be honest, Luo Xu deeply admired Zhang Ruochen. Before this, he had never dared to think about reclaiming the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree.
After all, the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree was no ordinary treasure. Now that it had fallen into the hands of the Rakshasa Clan's gods, it was almost impossible to get it back.
Yet Zhang Ruochen had captured the Rakshasa Clan's highly revered princess, forcing the Rakshasa Clan to compromise.
Zhang Ruochen, however, didn't care about any debt of gratitude from the Confucian Path. He simply acted according to his own conscience, seeking to have no regrets.
Since he had already met with Luo Xu, Zhang Ruochen wasted no time. He immediately had Luo Sha send a message to the Rakshasa Clan, arranging the exchange as soon as possible.
It didn't take long for both sides to reach an agreement. They decided to meet three days later at Purple Cloud Mountain near the Eastern Region Sacred City, exchanging the person for the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Zhang Ruochen summoned Xiao Hei from Wangshan.
Zhang Ruochen was very powerful. In a one-on-one fight, he feared no one below the Great Saint realm. But this time, he was up against the Rakshasa Clan, not just a single individual.
The Ten Clans of Hell were divided into the Supreme Clan, the Upper Three Clans, the Middle Three Clans, and the Lower Three Clans. However, the higher the clan's rank, the fewer its members.
The lower the clan's rank, the more its members.
Thus, the overall strength of each clan was roughly equal. At least below the divine realm, there was no absolute superiority or absolute weakness.
Since even the Underworld Clan had many powerful figures, the Rakshasa Clan was no exception.
If it weren't for this, how could the Hell Realm simultaneously resist the Heavenly Court's myriad realms?
With the Rakshasa Princess and the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree involved, the Rakshasa Clan would undoubtedly take this very seriously. Who knew how many experts they would send?
While Zhang Ruochen and Luo Xu were preparing for the exchange of the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree, the news of Zhang Ruochen's decree spread like wildfire throughout the Eastern Region Sacred City, causing an uproar.
Naturally, the foreign cultivators were unwilling to abide by this decree, and conflicts were inevitable.
However, after the Azure Heaven Sacred Dragon intervened and suppressed more than a dozen top-tier Nine-Step Saint Kings, the various cultivators quieted down, no longer daring to challenge Zhang Ruochen's authority.
As a result, the number of cultivators entering the Eastern Region Sacred City each day dropped significantly. Many were concerned about their dignity and unwilling to pay the ten thousand sacred stones as an entry fee.
Meanwhile, any foreign cultivators already inside the Eastern Region Sacred City were reluctant to leave, afraid that if they returned, they would be barred from entering the city.
What angered the various cultivators the most was that the Azure Heaven Sacred Dragon not only guarded the eight major ferry crossings but also entered the Eastern Region Sacred City to seize opportunities, taking away two ancient sacred medicines a hundred thousand years old.
Furthermore, the powerful figures from the Hell Realm who had been hiding in the Eastern Region Sacred City all chose to lie low, no longer daring to show themselves.
With Zhang Ruochen, the terrifying Heir of Time and Space, around, they would be exposed the moment they revealed any trace of their presence.
Outside the Holy Academy, a tall, graceful figure slowly emerged from a patch of darkness. She wore tight black clothing that fully showcased her curvaceous figure.
She was none other than Han Qiu, who possessed the Dark Body.
Just then, a subtle ripple in space appeared, and Zhang Ruochen's figure materialized in front of Han Qiu.
"Your Highness, you've finally summoned me. I thought you had forgotten about me," Han Qiu said, a hint of resentment in her eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said seriously, "I summoned you because I have an important task for you."
"Who does Your Highness want to kill?" Han Qiu asked.
She was now a fringe assassin of the Death God Temple, constantly carrying out various assassination missions. This allowed her to devour the essence and sacred dao rules of many powerful beings, rapidly increasing her cultivation.
The Path of Darkness excelled at devouring and plundering, converting others' sacred dao rules into one's own. The speed of cultivation was unimaginable.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This time, it's not about killing. I want you to stay in the Eastern Region Sacred City and organize those cultivators who wish to pledge allegiance to me. I believe this task won't be difficult for you."
Ever since he arrived at the Eastern Region Sacred City, local Kunlun Realm cultivators had been approaching the Azure Heaven Sacred Dragon, wanting to join his ranks.
This wasn't surprising. In the current precarious state of the Kunlun Realm, many people lived in constant uncertainty and naturally wanted to find a powerful backer.
Zhang Ruochen had also come to realize that to fight against the Hell Realm, he couldn't rely on just one person. He needed to unite various forces.
Since some people wanted to pledge allegiance, Zhang Ruochen had the idea of cultivating powerful subordinates. He had obtained a large amount of cultivation resources on True Dragon Island, which he could now put to use.
However, he clearly didn't have the time to handle these matters himself, which was why he had summoned Han Qiu back.
Han Qiu had strength, methods, and ambition. She was the best choice.
Hearing this, Han Qiu's heart stirred. "Is Your Highness planning to build a force in the Eastern Region Sacred City? Heh, interesting. Leave this to me."
Clearly, Han Qiu was very interested in this task.
For her, this was a great opportunity. It might allow her to achieve her goal of becoming a member of the Sacred Bright Imperial Clan more quickly.
Zhang Ruochen flipped his hand and produced a space ring. "The cultivation resources inside are all very precious. You decide how to use them."
Han Qiu immediately reached out and took it. She had been about to say that building a force would require enormous resources, but Zhang Ruochen had already prepared everything.
Next, Zhang Ruochen took out an artifact—a black sacred bell the size of a fist. It was the divine relic ancient artifact imbued with dark divine power that he had taken from the Son of Darkness.
Seeing the Dark Sacred Bell, Han Qiu's eyes lit up. The dark force within her involuntarily surged forth.
"Your Highness, this..." Han Qiu looked at Zhang Ruochen with eager eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This item comes from the Darkness Temple. If you can refine it, I will grant it to you."
Hearing this, Han Qiu was overjoyed. She immediately mobilized the dark rules within her body, along with her dark force, to wrap around the Dark Sacred Bell.
Although Han Qiu possessed the Dark Body, she had never been able to enter the Darkness Temple and had to explore the Path of Darkness on her own. Achieving great success was extremely difficult.
Now, with a divine relic ancient artifact containing the Path of Darkness appearing before her, it was like a ray of hope for Han Qiu. She had to seize this opportunity no matter what.
It might even contain residual knowledge from a dark god.
"Buzz."
The Dark Sacred Bell vibrated slightly. Dark secret patterns clearly emerged, and it actively flew toward Han Qiu.
Seeing this, Zhang Ruochen nodded inwardly. As he had expected, Han Qiu, as a Dark Controller, could indeed gain the recognition of the Dark Sacred Bell.
Undoubtedly, the Darkness Temple titan who had forged the Dark Sacred Bell must have also been a Dark Controller, not just a dark cultivator.
It didn't take long for the Dark Sacred Bell to sink into Han Qiu's brow, completing the initial refinement.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Han Qiu said sincerely.
With a powerful divine relic ancient artifact, her strength would skyrocket, and her use of the Path of Darkness would become much more adept.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I told you, as long as you work well for me, you will get everything you desire."
Leaving these words behind, Zhang Ruochen used spatial displacement and vanished from the spot.
"Including becoming the Crown Princess? Or the Empress of the Sacred Bright Empire? Tch, he left too quickly."
A faint smile curled at the corner of Han Qiu's mouth, and a peculiar glint appeared in her eyes. She believed that in the end, the woman by Zhang Ruochen's side would be her.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Ruochen and Luo Xu quietly left the Eastern Region Sacred City without alerting anyone, heading straight for Purple Cloud Mountain.
Purple Cloud Mountain was perpetually shrouded in purple clouds, hence its name. It covered an area of several thousand miles and was home to many barbarian beasts.
"Zhang Ruochen, you've finally arrived."
A cold voice rang out, and a towering figure slowly emerged from the thick clouds.
He was over three zhang tall, with a standard Rakshasa form. What set him apart from ordinary Rakshasa was that his bone wings were a vivid red, as if stained with blood.
Blood-red currents swirled around this Rakshasa, causing the space around him to warp slightly.
"It's Bloodwing Grand Prince." Luo Xu's eyes narrowed slightly.
Bloodwing Grand Prince was born with a pair of extremely special blood-colored bone wings. They were incredibly hard and possessed astonishing sharpness, capable of cutting through sacred artifacts. He had slaughtered countless living beings.
Among the Rakshasa Clan, Bloodwing Grand Prince was one of the top experts below the Great Saint realm, even stronger than Prince Molo.
In terms of ferocity, Bloodwing Grand Prince was no less than Yan Wushen. He had massacred entire merit battlefields.
Zhang Ruochen also observed Bloodwing Grand Prince, feeling the overwhelming killing intent emanating from him. A strong sense of disgust arose in his heart.
Bloodwing Grand Prince stared at Zhang Ruochen, not hiding his murderous intent. "Hand over the princess."
"As soon as I see the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree, I'll release her," Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
Bloodwing Grand Prince's gaze grew even colder. The Rakshasa Clan had never been threatened like this before.
But he didn't act rashly. His orders were to bring Luo Sha back to the Hell Realm unharmed.
After staring at Zhang Ruochen for a moment, Bloodwing Grand Prince took out a bright yellow sacred box.
The sacred box was a space treasure. As it slowly opened, a tea tree ten thousand zhang tall, as if possessing intelligence and wisdom, actively flew out from within.
As soon as it landed on the ground of the Kunlun Realm, its roots, like twisting dragons, burrowed deep into the soil.
It had returned to its homeland and never wanted to leave again.
All the leaves on the tree had been plucked, leaving it bare. Yet it radiated a strong life force and a righteous spirit, like an incarnation of a Confucian sage.
This was the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree personally planted by the Confucian Ancestor. It had grown for millions of years, always maintaining vigorous vitality.
On the trunk and branches, mysterious characters had naturally formed, as if recording the greatest principles of the universe.
In the eyes of gods, the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree was invaluable. The myriad mysteries it had nurtured over millions of years could help them comprehend the supreme divine path.
Bloodwing Grand Prince said, "The Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree is here. Release the princess."
Zhang Ruochen didn't speak. He flipped his hand and took out a space crystal ball, then released Luo Sha, who had been trapped inside.
Luo Sha appeared to have no restraints, but all her power, including her spiritual power, had been completely sealed, making her no different from an ordinary person.
Seeing Bloodwing Grand Prince, a look of annoyance appeared in Luo Sha's eyes.
Luo Sha had always been proud, able to strategize and plan everything. She never expected to fall into Zhang Ruochen's hands this time, requiring her clan to send experts to exchange treasures for her. Naturally, she was very displeased.
Bloodwing Grand Prince looked at Luo Sha's peerlessly beautiful and noble figure, a fawning expression in his eyes. He urged, "Exchange immediately. I don't want to waste time here with you."
Zhang Ruochen didn't respond. Instead, he turned to look at Luo Xu.
Luo Xu understood immediately. He took out a long wooden box, retrieved a scroll painting from it, and slowly unrolled it.
The "Ten Thousand Lamps Picture" was extremely long. With Luo Xu's current cultivation, he could only open it to a length of ten meters.
In fact, even a top-tier Great Saint would find it difficult to fully unroll the entire "Ten Thousand Lamps Picture."
Although only ten meters were opened, an ancient aura that shook the heart still emanated from the scroll, making one feel as if they had returned to the primitive era of eating raw meat and drinking blood.
Like the "Seven Lives and Seven Deaths Picture," the "Ten Thousand Lamps Picture" was also a supreme treasure of the Painting Sect, fully capable of detecting whether the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree had any problems.
Driven by sacred qi, specks of light flew out from the scroll, transforming into countless lamps, as if to dispel all darkness.
Seeing Luo Xu's actions, Bloodwing Grand Prince frowned slightly but didn't stop him.
"Rustle."
Resonating with the "Ten Thousand Lamps Picture," the branches of the Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree swayed, scattering crystalline sacred radiance.
Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Luo Xu's face, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been genuinely worried that the Rakshasa Clan might tamper with the tree. Above all, he didn't want anything to go wrong with this last Sacred Dao Ancient Tea Tree.