Chapter 2207: The Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet
Within the territory of the Blood Absolute Clan.
Zhang Ruochen sat behind a jade table, holding a letter in his hand, reading it with serious attention.
The letter read:
"Upon hearing that you have arrived in the Hell Realm, my heart is filled with joy. Our three encounters on the Merit Battlefield were all unsatisfying, leaving me deeply regretful.
For Kong Le, you were willing to risk life and death, defy the will of heaven, and even flatten the Sea of Time in your fury—I deeply admire this.
But for Kunlun, can you also disregard everything and come to the No-Return Forest for a meeting?
On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Destiny Temple will hold the once-in-a-millennium Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet, where the elites of the ten clans will gather. I look forward to seeing your figure there.
At that time, you and I shall drink together, discuss the Dao of past and present, and surely fight even more satisfyingly. —Words from Wushen, written by Kunlun."
After reading the contents of the letter, Zhang Ruochen fell into deep thought.
The letter was sent by Yan Wushen through an envoy.
Just for Chi Kunlun's sake alone, Zhang Ruochen could not refuse Yan Wushen's invitation.
Zhang Ruochen resided in an extremely secluded and elegant pavilion, rarely disturbed by anyone.
Counting the time, he had been in the Blood Absolute Clan for half a month, spending almost all of it in this pavilion, seldom going out, let alone interacting with members of the Blood Absolute Clan.
One very important reason Zhang Ruochen had come here was that Chi Kongle's condition was not optimistic and required entering a secret realm of the Blood Absolute Clan for recuperation.
Although Chi Kongle's Sacred Soul still remained, it had been severely assimilated by Xiu Chen Heavenly God's divine soul, making recovery extremely difficult.
Moreover, Chi Kongle's physical body had been eroded by Shura Battle Qi, showing signs of mutation and transforming into a Shura body, making it easy to become tainted with malevolent energy.
Fortunately, Xue Hou possessed various secret arts and was confident in reversing all of this, though it would take some time.
For Chi Kongle, this was not entirely a bad thing. As long as she could endure it and refine the part of Xiu Chen Heavenly God's divine soul and divine thought, it would greatly benefit her future cultivation and might even lay the foundation for her to become a god.
In the past half month, the events in the Shura Star Pillar Realm had spread throughout the entire Hell Realm, causing a huge sensation.
As a result, Yan Wushen learned that Zhang Ruochen had arrived in the Hell Realm and sent the invitation letter.
In a sense, this was also a battle letter from Yan Wushen to Zhang Ruochen.
Yan Wushen dictated, and Chi Kunlun wrote the invitation letter, forcing Zhang Ruochen to attend the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet. It was hard to imagine what Chi Kunlun was feeling when he wrote this letter.
"Fifth day of the fifth month, Destiny Temple. No-Return Forest, battle at the Heaven Hunt."
Zhang Ruochen wrote a reply, stood up, and walked out of the pavilion.
Although he had not yet fully mastered his demigod body, he could at least walk normally without accidentally sinking the ground beneath him.
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the sky.
Unlike the Kunlun Realm, the sky here was blood-red, as if soaked in countless bloodstains.
The Sacred Qi between heaven and earth was extremely dense, and the Heavenly and Earthly Rules were highly active, far surpassing the current Kunlun Realm.
However, both the Sacred Qi and the rules were very different from those in the Kunlun Realm, making them much harder to mobilize.
Thus, if one was unfamiliar with the Sacred Qi and rules of the Hell Realm, entering it would severely impact their strength.
The world where the Blood Absolute Clan resided was enormous, spanning countless billions of miles in diameter, so vast that even a Great Saint could not set foot everywhere.
The Undying Blood Clan had ten such worlds, each occupied by one of the ten major tribes. They were connected to each other and hung above the Yellow Spring Star River, looking from afar like five pairs of enormous blood-red wings.
At the intersection of these five pairs of blood-red wings stood a magnificent and towering divine temple, shaped like a giant bat.
It gave the impression of a bat with five pairs of massive blood-red wings, as if it could soar through the starry universe at any moment.
This temple was the supreme Undying Divine Temple of the Undying Blood Clan, holding the clan's most core inheritance.
The "Undying Clan Leader" of the Undying Blood Clan and the ten Great Clan Leaders of the ten major tribes all needed to be appointed by the Undying Divine Temple.
"Counting the time, there are only six months until the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet. If I cannot fully control this body and adapt to the Heavenly and Earthly Rules and Sacred Qi of the Hell Realm, how can I fight Yan Wushen?" Zhang Ruochen pondered.
Under normal circumstances, he could not accomplish these two things in six months, so he needed external help.
Use the Sundial.
The problem now was that he had exhausted all his Divine Stones and could not activate the Sundial.
Zhang Ruochen could ask Xue Hou for Divine Stones, and she would certainly give them, but he simply could not bring himself to ask.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was troubled by this, a blood light suddenly descended from the sky, transforming into a thin young man. His cultivation was not very high, only at the Three-Step Saint King level.
The young man appeared quite restrained, bowing and saying, "Greetings, Divine Son."
"What is it?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The young man quickly replied, "The Divine Son is requested to go to the Council Hall."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred. The Blood Absolute Clan's Council Hall was rarely opened, and ordinary people had no right to enter.
Since he was being summoned to the Council Hall, it was likely something very important.
Speaking of which, this was the first time he had been summoned since arriving at the Blood Absolute Clan.
With a thought, Zhang Ruochen used Space Displacement and vanished from the spot.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen leave, the Saint King who had been ordered to deliver the message wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The pressure of facing Zhang Ruochen was indeed considerable.
The Blood Absolute Clan was vast, occupying a magnificent mountain range spanning millions of miles. Beneath it converged one Divine Vein and fifty-four Saint Veins, making the cultivation conditions exceptionally favorable.
The Council Hall was located on the main peak. Zhang Ruochen had entered it once when he first arrived at the Blood Absolute Clan, and now he was familiar with the path.
When Zhang Ruochen arrived, many figures were already standing in the Council Hall. They were either top-tier Saint Kings or Great Saints, each exuding an extraordinary aura, all geniuses cultivated by the Blood Absolute Clan.
To Zhang Ruochen's slight surprise, he saw Xue Chen among this group.
Had he left the Kunlun Realm Merit Battlefield?
Seeing Zhang Ruochen arrive, including Xue Chen, all the Blood Absolute Clan geniuses turned their gazes toward him.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, walking step by step into the hall.
The person summoning him this time was not Xue Jue War God.
That made sense. Given Xue Jue War God's status, how could he casually summon clan disciples? He could not handle every matter personally.
At the front of the group of geniuses stood a heroic and extraordinary middle-aged man. He had blood-red hair and wore dark robes, bearing a resemblance to Xue Jue War God in both appearance and temperament.
On the middle-aged man's back were ten blood-red wings, spread out like ten blood clouds.
Although he had restrained his aura, an extremely terrifying Sacred Might naturally emanated from him, inspiring awe without anger.
At this moment, the middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Zhang Ruochen. His eyes were profound to the extreme, faintly revealing scenes of starry destruction.
Just a single glance made Zhang Ruochen's heart tremble: "So strong, not inferior to Jiemie Great Emperor."
Jiemie Great Emperor was one of the three most powerful Great Saints in the Guanghan Realm, with hope of becoming a god, and was among the top-tier existences among Great Saints.
A figure comparable to Jiemie Great Emperor—one could imagine his status in the Blood Absolute Clan.
This man was named Xue Qingsheng, titled "Qingsheng Great Saint," the third son of Xue Jue War God and the acting family head of the Blood Absolute Clan.
Qingsheng Great Saint had lived for nearly sixteen thousand years. Due to the long lifespan of the Undying Blood Clan, although he had not become a god, he remained in his prime without any decline in blood energy.
Qingsheng Great Saint's rise to acting family head was closely related to the return of Xue Hou and the Underworld King.
Originally, the Blood Absolute Clan was managed by Xue Jue War God's legitimate wife, the matriarch of the Blood Absolute Clan.
It was this matriarch who, without Xue Jue War God's knowledge, ordered Xue Hou and the Underworld King to be sent to the Kunlun Realm.
Now that Xue Hou and the Underworld King had both become gods and returned with force, a reckoning was inevitable. All involved were punished, regardless of their status, and were sent to the Merit Battlefield to fight.
Although the matriarch did not suffer such a fate, she lost all her power and influence.
Because of this, Xue Qingsheng got the opportunity to become the new acting family head.
Zhang Ruochen stood upright, slightly cupping his hands, and said, "Qingsheng Great Saint, may I ask why you have summoned me?"
Qingsheng Great Saint's expression was impassive, his tone firm, and he said, "On the fifth day of the fifth month, the Destiny Temple will hold the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet. The War God has personally named you to lead the Blood Absolute Clan's disciples to participate."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred.
He had not expected Qingsheng Great Saint to summon him for this matter.
He had just learned about the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet from Yan Wushen's invitation letter, and now Xue Jue War God had personally named him to attend. It seemed he had no choice but to go.
However, Zhang Ruochen was quite puzzled. What was so special about the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet that Xue Jue War God would attach such importance to it and make personal arrangements?
"What exactly is the Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Qingsheng Great Saint said, "You will know when you go. You only need to understand that this Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet is extremely important. You must do your utmost, preferably leading the Blood Heaven Tribe to surpass the other nine major tribes and bring glory to the Blood Absolute Clan."
Qingsheng Great Saint's expression was quite serious.
Whenever Xue Jue War God gave an order, it had to be carried out to the best of one's ability.
"Why should such an important matter be led by Zhang Ruochen?"
A questioning voice suddenly rang out.
The speaker was a man with a feminine appearance, sitting on a golden grand chair. He had a pair of phoenix-like eyes, a very pale face lacking color, giving a sickly impression.
His cultivation was powerful, his blood energy vast, and the power of a Great Saint surged within him, having reached the Hundred Shackles Realm. Moreover, his cultivation time was not long, less than a thousand years. He was a famous young powerhouse among the legitimate disciples, titled Xueqi Great Saint.
Qingsheng Great Saint turned his gaze to Xueqi and said, "Xueqi, are you questioning the War God's decision?"
Only a strong figure like Qingsheng Great Saint dared to address Xueqi Great Saint by his name directly.
"I dare not, but Zhang Ruochen has just arrived and has only recently cultivated to the Immortal Realm. How can he represent the Blood Absolute Clan?" Xueqi Great Saint said.
Qingsheng Great Saint said indifferently, "This matter was personally decided by the War God. You all just need to obey."
Hearing this, Xueqi Great Saint snorted coldly and said no more. In the Blood Absolute Clan, Xue Jue War God was the absolute ruler, and no one dared to defy his authority.
However, Xueqi Great Saint was clearly very dissatisfied. An outsider had so quickly risen above him. Moreover, this outsider with only half the Blood Absolute Clan's bloodline had only just reached the Great Saint Realm.
"Everyone, go make preparations. Do not disappoint the War God," Qingsheng Great Saint said.
"Yes."
Immediately, everyone in the hall responded in unison, then filed out of the Council Hall.
"Hmph."
Xueqi Great Saint's eyes flashed with blood light as he brushed past Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen paid it no mind, thinking to himself, "Is this a test from Xue Jue War God?"
After all, he came from the Heavenly Court Realm. Even because of Xue Hou, Xue Jue War God could not trust him immediately. He needed to prove himself through certain actions.
Whether to save Chi Kunlun or to satisfy Xue Jue War God, Zhang Ruochen undoubtedly needed to give his all at this Heaven-Hunting Grand Banquet.
Zhang Ruochen understood what Qingsheng Great Saint meant by surpassing the other nine major tribes of the Undying Blood Clan.
Since the divine war in the Middle Ages, the Blood Heaven Tribe had gradually declined, its ranking among the ten major tribes continuously dropping, and now it was at the bottom.
The ten major tribes of the Undying Blood Clan both cooperated and competed with each other.
The stronger a tribe's overall strength, the higher its tribal world could be positioned, the more cultivation resources it could obtain from the Undying Divine Temple, and the greater its voice.
Once, the Blood Heaven Tribe had also been glorious, with its tribal world at the very top.
Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages war, the Blood Heaven Tribe suffered heavy losses, and even the tribe's Great Clan Leader fell in the starry sky.
Even with Xue Jue War God's meteoric rise, it was difficult to reverse this decline.
Given Xue Jue War God's pride, how could he tolerate this situation continuing?
After all, the Blood Absolute Clan was one of the most ancient and powerful families in the Blood Heaven Tribe, having produced more than one Great Clan Leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe.
Thus, Xue Jue War God had always placed great importance on the glory of the tribe and the clan.
After leaving the Council Hall, Zhang Ruochen did not leave immediately. He stood with his arms crossed beside a blood-jade pillar carved with a dragon, as if waiting for someone.
A man and a woman walked out of the hall. They were Xue Chen and Xue Ningxiao, siblings who had just returned from the Merit Battlefield.
"A few words?"
Just as Xue Chen and Xue Ningxiao were about to leave, Zhang Ruochen's calm voice suddenly rang out.
Xue Chen and Xue Ningxiao stopped in their tracks, their gazes falling on Zhang Ruochen. Both were very surprised that Zhang Ruochen had specifically waited for them outside the hall and taken the initiative to speak to them.
After all, before this, there had been no interaction between them.
Even Xue Chen had only dealt with Zhang Ruochen at the Qinghong Pavilion, and even then, they had been on opposing sides.
The siblings exchanged a glance, and Xue Chen said, "Alright, I'll find a place."
Zhang Ruochen had no objection to this.
Immediately, the three of them set off, leaving the Blood Absolute Clan directly.
Before long, they arrived at the nearest blood clan city to the Blood Absolute Clan.
This city was called Tianlin Ancient City, located within the territory of the Blood Absolute Clan. It was very ancient, having existed for over a million years.
Legend had it that a Heavenly Fire Qilin had died here, its heavenly fire burning for ten thousand years without extinguishing, attracting many alchemists and artifact refiners who used the heavenly fire to refine pills and artifacts.
Over time, a city formed, and after long years of development, it had reached its current scale.
Tianlin Ancient City covered an area of ten thousand miles, even more magnificent than the Central Imperial City of the Kunlun Realm, and was incredibly prosperous.
Under Xue Chen's lead, Zhang Ruochen entered a very special restaurant called the Void Heaven Pavilion.
The Void Heaven Pavilion hung in the air, equipped with various spatial techniques. It was like a mirror flower and water moon—visible but untouchable—requiring a special method to enter.
Without a certain status, one could not even enter the Void Heaven Pavilion to spend money.
Inside the Void Heaven Pavilion, one could clearly see the Yellow Spring Star River in the sky above and overlook the entire Tianlin Ancient City below, taking in all the sights.
"What do you think? Isn't the civilization of our Undying Blood Clan inferior to your human race? Perhaps your human cultivators still think we only know killing, only drink blood, and live in mountain caves?" Xue Chen pointed out the window and said with a smile.
Zhang Ruochen remained silent. The civilization of the Undying Blood Clan was indeed different from what he had imagined, very close to human civilization.
It was completely different from the Underworld he had visited before.
After a long pause, Zhang Ruochen asked, "How is the situation on the Kunlun Realm Merit Battlefield?"
Hearing this, Xue Chen sighed inwardly. Zhang Ruochen's heart was still in the Kunlun Realm. Even though he had joined the Undying Blood Clan, he still cared about the Kunlun Realm.
Perhaps this was Zhang Ruochen's purpose in seeking him out.
It didn't matter. Once Zhang Ruochen had spent enough time in the Undying Blood Clan, he would naturally understand that the Undying Blood Clan was a hundred or a thousand times better than the Kunlun Realm. Here, he could live much more freely than in the Heavenly Court Realm, without so many constraints.