Chapter 2170: Destruction and Rebirth
The Heart of Truth rotated slowly, its one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred facets all refracting strange light. The patterns engraved upon it clearly emerged, as if possessing life, their forms constantly changing, elusive and unfathomable.
Even with Zhang Ruochen's current Sacred Dao realm, looking at these patterns still felt obscure and difficult to understand. Even when he pushed his Spiritual Power to the extreme, he could only decipher fragments of their mysteries.
As he saw it, even Great Saints, or even gods, would find it equally impossible to easily comprehend the profundities contained within the Heart of Truth.
Fortunately, refining the Heart of Truth did not require comprehending all its mysteries. One only needed some enlightenment; the key was to resonate with the Heart of Truth.
Zhang Ruochen had completely relaxed, showing no urgency at all, slowly communicating with the Heart of Truth. The hundred million Sacred Dao rules he had cultivated gently coiled around it.
Even so, Zhang Ruochen's river of rules was still shattered multiple times by the power of the Heart of Truth.
If the Sacred Dao rules he had cultivated were not extremely solid and resilient, a considerable number might have been ground away.
The Truth Hall Master stood nearby, occasionally offering guidance, allowing Zhang Ruochen to avoid many detours and dangers.
In this world, probably no one understood the Heart of Truth better than the Truth Hall Master.
No one knew how much time had passed before the river of rules Zhang Ruochen had released finally completely enveloped the Heart of Truth. A special connection seemed to have been established between them.
"This young man is teachable. To grasp the key so quickly—such comprehension is why Xumi Saint Monk chose him as his heir." The Truth Hall Master nodded inwardly.
Although she guided him on the side, whether he could comprehend it depended on Zhang Ruochen himself.
If Zhang Ruochen's comprehension was too poor, even if her guidance was clear and thorough, it would be a waste of breath.
"Buzz."
At some point, the void trembled, and the Heart of Truth was finally moved.
Though the Heart of Truth was only the size of a fist, it was incredibly heavy, like a vast world. If one could not resonate with it, even a Great Saint could not budge it in the slightest.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes suddenly brightened. He pressed his palms together, forming a hand seal. Vast Five Elements Chaos Qi surged endlessly from within his body.
At the same time, a million Truth Rules flew back, combining with the Five Elements Chaos Qi to rapidly construct a hazy Chaos World. Within it lay a vast sea of stars, as if it were about to evolve into another universe.
As soon as the Truth Realm Form condensed, the Truth Mountain resonated. Endless Truth Rules manifested, weaving a brilliant and vast starry sky in the sky, appearing exceptionally real.
"Absorb."
Zhang Ruochen shouted softly.
Instantly, ninety-nine million Sacred Dao Rules moved in unison, slowly dragging the Heart of Truth.
Zhang Ruochen's expression was extremely serious, not daring to relax in the slightest, exerting all his effort to mobilize his Sacred Dao Rules.
However, things did not go as smoothly as he had imagined. Before it had been dragged far, the Heart of Truth trembled slightly, and the Sacred Dao Rules could barely restrain it.
"Sacred Forms, emerge."
With a thought, Zhang Ruochen immediately released all six Sacred Forms.
The six Sacred Forms suppressed the six directions of heaven, earth, east, south, west, and north respectively. Their powers connected, forming a unified whole, firmly locking the Heart of Truth in place.
At this moment, the advantage of possessing six Sacred Forms was clearly revealed.
"Six Sacred Forms? Indeed, like Yan Wushen, he is an extraordinary person. Since the Primordial Ancient era, such beings have rarely been born, yet now two have appeared simultaneously. Does this portend something?" A strange light flashed in the Truth Hall Master's eyes.
Involuntarily, the Truth Hall Master fell into thought. With her status, the secrets she could access were unimaginable to ordinary people. She could usually detect what was about to happen in the world in advance.
With the suppression of the six Sacred Forms, the Heart of Truth finally stabilized again, and the speed of dragging it increased slightly.
Doing this consumed a great deal of mental energy.
Even with Zhang Ruochen's mental resilience, he could barely endure it.
When the Heart of Truth was dragged close, a black hole appeared on the Truth Realm Form, releasing a powerful devouring force that sucked the Heart of Truth in.
"Buzz."
At that moment, the Heart of Truth suddenly released a faint fluctuation.
Zhang Ruochen's gaze instantly sharpened. His Truth Realm Form was violently shaking, showing signs of collapse.
At the same time, a strange force transmitted into his body, instantly injuring his Five Elements Chaos Body. Many fine cracks appeared on his skin's surface, and Sacred Blood seeped out from his pores.
Fortunately, this force was not too strong and quickly dissipated, ultimately causing no major damage.
"What a terrifying Heart of Truth. Before I even began refining it, it nearly destroyed my physical body." Zhang Ruochen was secretly alarmed.
It seemed the Truth Hall Master was not lying. Refining the Heart of Truth was indeed extremely dangerous. With the slightest carelessness, he would be doomed.
If he wanted to give up, he still had a chance now.
But once the Heart of Truth was absorbed into the Truth Realm Form, there would be no turning back.
Looking at the Heart of Truth so close, Zhang Ruochen's eyes showed no hesitation, only unwavering determination. He never regretted the things he chose to do.
Readjusting his state, Zhang Ruochen fully activated the Truth Realm Form, firmly sucking the Heart of Truth in.
Even though the space here was extremely stable, it began to distort.
"Whoosh."
With a burst of effort, the Heart of Truth was finally absorbed into the Truth Realm Form.
Zhang Ruochen's expression became even more serious. He knew that the truly dangerous moment was yet to come.
He faced only two possible outcomes: either successfully refine the Heart of Truth, or explode and die.
"To refine the Heart of Truth, you must rely solely on your own power. Do not use external objects. Remember this." The Truth Hall Master earnestly reminded him.
She knew Zhang Ruochen had many treasures, but using them now would only have the opposite effect.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior."
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Ruochen sat down cross-legged. He did not rush to refine the Heart of Truth but instead repeatedly circulated the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture*, allowing his body and mind to fully relax.
When life and death were at stake, he could not afford the slightest carelessness.
After a long time, Zhang Ruochen's body and mind became ethereal. He cast aside all distracting thoughts, immersing his mind completely into the Truth Realm Form, and began refining the Heart of Truth.
What he needed to do was to fuse the Heart of Truth with the Truth Realm Form, making them one.
If successful, his Truth Realm Form would become even more powerful, gaining more mysteries and unimaginable benefits.
Under Zhang Ruochen's control, the Truth Realm Form began to vibrate rhythmically. The billions of stars within it slowly revolved around the Heart of Truth.
One of his greatest advantages was that his Truth Path had reached Great Perfection, greatly increasing the success rate of refining the Heart of Truth.
The Truth Hall Master stood quietly nearby. If Zhang Ruochen failed to refine the Heart of Truth, she would choose to intervene, doing her best to save his life.
After all, a peerless genius like Zhang Ruochen would be too great a pity to fall here.
However, even if she intervened, she could not guarantee she could save Zhang Ruochen.
Turning her gaze, the Truth Hall Master looked toward the shore of the Truth Sea. Even with the golden mist obscuring her view, she could still clearly see the scene on the shore.
"Moon God, Tian Peng, Mandala Flower God, Jia Tianxia... Quite a few gods have come. It seems they all care about my Truth Divine Temple's reward."
"If Zhang Ruochen successfully refines the Heart of Truth, he will likely face considerable trouble. Even the Moon God may not be able to protect him. However..."
The Truth Hall Master's gaze pierced through the void, locking onto the Weak Water Giant guarding the Heavenly River. A strange expression appeared in her eyes.
But in just an instant, the Truth Hall Master withdrew her gaze and refocused on Zhang Ruochen.
Even she did not know how long Zhang Ruochen would need to refine the Heart of Truth.
Because such a thing was impossible to predict. It might take a day, or a year. The key depended on the degree of resonance between Zhang Ruochen and the Heart of Truth.
"Boom."
Suddenly, the Truth Realm Form shook. A large number of stars near the Heart of Truth were instantly annihilated.
"Pfft."
Zhang Ruochen's body trembled, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood.
For a moment, his aura became extremely chaotic. Blood Qi surged within him, and the masculine energy, hundreds of thousands of times stronger than ordinary people, threatened to burst out of his body.
Zhang Ruochen did not panic. Instead, he became calmer. He immediately circulated the *Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture* to regulate his power.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen deployed the Space True Domain, sealing himself, as if trying to make the space around him completely still, achieving eternity.
Once he began refining the Heart of Truth, he could not stop midway. No matter how great the problem, he had to persevere.
A large number of stars approached the Heart of Truth again, releasing unique fluctuations, carefully infiltrating it.
The Truth Realm Form Zhang Ruochen had condensed contained billions of stars, and their number was still increasing. They would not be easily annihilated.
Not long after, the Heart of Truth stirred again, annihilating a large number of stars and inflicting even heavier injuries on Zhang Ruochen.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen repeatedly adjusted his state, only to be repeatedly severely injured. Even though his physical body had extremely strong recovery power, it gradually began to fail. The speed of recovery grew slower and slower.
As time passed, more than half of the starry sky within the Truth Realm Form had been annihilated. As a result, the Truth Realm Form became very unstable, showing signs of collapse.
Condensing the Truth Realm Form was not easy. If it was destroyed, the difficulty of re-condensing it would increase tenfold or a hundredfold.
"Crack."
The first crack appeared on the Truth Realm Form. Correspondingly, a clear crack also appeared on Zhang Ruochen's physical body.
Worse still, cracks appeared on Zhang Ruochen's Sacred Soul.
Even using the essence of the Seven Star Divine Lotus Sun Leaf, he could not repair the cracks, nor could he stem the loss of his vitality.
"Every time a crack appears on the Truth Realm Form, a corresponding crack will appear on your physical body and Sacred Soul. When the Truth Realm Form completely shatters, that will be the moment you explode and die." The Truth Hall Master's voice echoed in Zhang Ruochen's ears.
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart sank, and a strong sense of urgency arose.
But he understood that the more critical the moment, the less he could rush. He needed to be even calmer and think of a countermeasure.
However, the Heart of Truth was truly too domineering, causing the cracks on the Truth Realm Form to increase continuously.
And Zhang Ruochen's injuries grew heavier and heavier. His body was covered in cracks, like a porcelain bottle about to shatter.
"Hmm? Why has Zhang Ruochen's aura become so weak?"
The Moon God's gaze sharpened.
Using the Divine Envoy Wooden Staff, the Moon God vaguely sensed Zhang Ruochen's condition.
Unfortunately, her divine power and divine thoughts could not descend onto the Truth Mountain, so she could not determine Zhang Ruochen's exact situation.
Although the Moon God knew that the Truth Divine Temple's reward was not easy to obtain, she had not expected it to involve a life-and-death crisis.
Besides the Moon God, Empress Chi Yao also had a strange look in her eyes, as if she too sensed Zhang Ruochen's dire situation.
On the square, the Truth Hall Master's brow furrowed slightly. Before her, Zhang Ruochen had become a bloodied figure. The Sacred Blood within his body had nearly drained completely.
Behind Zhang Ruochen, the Truth Realm Form was covered in cracks, and they were still increasing. A large amount of Five Elements Chaos Qi was leaking out, and it was on the verge of collapse.
"Has he failed?"
Disappointment flickered in the Truth Hall Master's eyes.
If even someone with Zhang Ruochen's qualifications could not succeed, could any Saint King in the future be found to refine the Heart of Truth?
"I cannot fail. If I die, who will save Kunlun? Who will protect Kongle? Who will rebuild the Sacred Bright? I still have too many things left undone. How can I die here?"
An incredibly powerful will surged within Zhang Ruochen's heart—unyielding and indomitable.
Because on his shoulders rested heavy responsibilities.
He would not allow himself to fall like this. Absolutely not.
Driven by this will, his Truth Realm Form collapsed and contracted at an extreme speed, as if about to return to chaos.
The Truth Hall Master was about to reach out and extract the Heart of Truth from Zhang Ruochen's Truth Realm Form, but sensing this change, she stopped.
"What a powerful spiritual will. He still hasn't given up?" Surprise appeared on the Truth Hall Master's face.
Under normal circumstances, enduring such immense pain would inevitably cause the spiritual will to collapse, making it difficult to concentrate.
But Zhang Ruochen's spiritual will at this moment was highly condensed, as if undergoing some qualitative sublimation.
The Truth Realm Form collapsed extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, it had shrunk to no larger than a fist, merely wrapping around the Heart of Truth. No stars remained inside, only a patch of chaos, like the world before heaven and earth were separated.
As a result, the Heart of Truth fell completely silent, and the situation no longer worsened.
Zhang Ruochen himself also fell into silence. Wisps of Five Elements Chaos Qi gathered like threads, wrapping around his body, forming a huge cocoon.
In the Truth Hall Master's perception, Zhang Ruochen's life fluctuations became extremely faint, nearly nonexistent.
"The most critical moment has arrived. I hope he can survive it." The Truth Hall Master said.
At this point, she could no longer intervene. Life or death depended on Zhang Ruochen's own fortune.
At this moment, the Truth Mountain had become extremely quiet. The celestial phenomena in the sky had also completely disappeared, giving a suffocating sense of oppression.
Here, the concepts of time and space had become very blurred.
"Boom."
Suddenly, a powerful force erupted, like a volcano that had slumbered for billions of years.
The cocoon wrapping Zhang Ruochen shattered. Behind him, the miniature Truth Realm Form expanded rapidly, countless stars emerging, while the Heart of Truth had vanished without a trace.
To be precise, the Heart of Truth had fused with the Truth Realm Form.
The newly opened Truth Realm Form was vaster than before. Every star was dazzling and brilliant.
The vast celestial phenomena reappeared in the sky, far more magnificent than before.
"Thump, thump."
Powerful heartbeats sounded, and strong life force radiated from Zhang Ruochen's body.
His withered body, which had lost a great deal of blood Qi, visibly became full again.
Hundreds of millions of Truth Rules appeared in the world, all revolving around Zhang Ruochen, as if he had become the master of the Truth Path.
"Chaos returns to origin, destruction and rebirth. Truly an extraordinary person."
Seeing this series of changes, the Truth Hall Master laughed heartily and could not help but speak aloud.
This statement was naturally heard by the gods on the shore of the Truth Sea. Instantly, some gods showed smiles, while others' faces turned cold and gloomy.
...
Welcome everyone to follow *Eternal God Emperor*. I've set up two WeChat groups; everyone is welcome to join.
:.:
[IMPORTANT: Replace every Chinese term above with its English translation or pinyin transliteration. Output the full corrected text.]