Chapter 2218: Master and Disciple Reunite
Zhang Ruochen's emotions became extremely complex and heavy, unsure of how to choose. Could he bring himself to hunt and kill cultivators from the Heavenly Court?
Among those Heavenly Court cultivators, there might very well be cultivators from the Kunlun Realm and the Guanghan Realm, with whom he had once fought side by side, yet now they would have to face each other in a life-and-death struggle.
"Still haven't made up your mind? Do you want me to help you formulate a strategy?" asked Emperor Xifang.
Zhiyuan Blood Emperor drank a cup of wine and said with overbearing confidence, "Why make it so complicated? In my opinion, as long as there's an opportunity, we can secretly strike from the shadows and snatch all their achievements. As long as we don't kill them, it won't be a violation of the rules."
"That makes sense. That's exactly what we should do. In the previous Hunting Heaven Feasts, the other clans didn't hesitate to target us, especially the Ghost Clan, which always went after our Blood Heaven Tribe. Otherwise, how could we have ended up at the bottom several times in a row?" said Yi Xuan Great Saint.
Zhiyuan Blood Emperor snorted coldly, "Isn't it because the Ghost Lord suffered a loss at the hands of the War God? Since he can't do anything to the War God, he targets us during the Hunting Heaven Feast. This time, the Ghost Lord's seventh son, Xu, should also be participating."
"You're all useless too. The Blood Heaven Tribe finally discovered an extraordinary cosmic secret realm and sent you in to explore it, but Xu got there first, snatched the greatest opportunity, and caused heavy losses to the Blood Heaven Tribe."
Whenever the Ghost Lord's seventh son was mentioned, Zhiyuan Blood Emperor became furious, wishing he could personally teach him a lesson.
"Don't mention that despicable and shameless bastard Xu in front of me. He ambushed me from behind, stole my opportunity, and damaged the reputation of the Blood Heaven Tribe. If I ever get the chance, I'll beat his ghostly body to a pulp," Yi Xuan Great Saint said angrily.
Ten years ago, being ambushed by Xu in the cosmic secret realm was a great humiliation for Yi Xuan Great Saint and many cultivators of the Blood Heaven Tribe.
That was a cosmic secret realm discovered by their Blood Heaven Tribe, yet it ended up benefiting Xu, who had severely tricked them.
This matter had been a source of ridicule from cultivators of the other nine tribes of the Undying Blood Clan.
Tu Yun Great Saint shook his head and said, "It won't be easy for you to beat his ghostly body to a pulp. Not long ago, Xu displayed the strength of a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection outside the Kunlun Realm, severely injuring a top-tier Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint from the Guanghan Realm, shattering his Sacred Source, and capturing him. He's currently riding a wave of momentum."
"Back then, his cultivation was still inferior to mine, yet he's already reached the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection so quickly. It must be because of the opportunity he gained in the cosmic secret realm. How infuriating," Yi Xuan Great Saint said, growing even more irritated.
If he had obtained the opportunity in the cosmic secret realm, he would have already reached the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection by now, and breaking through to the Thousand Questions Realm would have been easy.
Zhang Ruochen had been thinking about the Hunting Heaven Feast, but upon hearing Tu Yun Great Saint's words, his mind trembled.
He hadn't expected to hear news related to the Guanghan Realm so soon in the Hell Realm.
Unfortunately, it was very bad news.
The Guanghan Realm was one of the weakest among the Myriad Realms of the Heavenly Court, with a total of fewer than a hundred Great Saints. Having one of its Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints captured by the Hell Realm would undoubtedly be a huge blow.
This was war. No one could predict what would happen next.
Zhang Ruochen wanted to change all of this, but he felt powerless. Even though he had become a Great Saint, he still felt incredibly insignificant, able to do so little.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen's thoughts were pulled back to the Hunting Heaven Feast.
It was clearly a feast that occurred once every thousand years, yet he felt as if the Hell Realm was deliberately testing him, as if fate had already arranged everything.
Knowing the truth about the Hunting Heaven Feast, Zhang Ruochen's heart grew heavy, and he had no desire to listen to what Mu Yang Tianjun and the others were discussing.
"Everyone, I have important matters to attend to. I'll take my leave."
With a grave expression, Zhang Ruochen stood up from his seat and walked out.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, Mu Yang Tianjun and the others showed surprised expressions, puzzled by Zhang Ruochen's actions.
Zhiyuan Blood Emperor even frowned slightly, showing displeasure. They had kindly invited Zhang Ruochen, yet he left without saying a word, which seemed somewhat arrogant.
"Zhang..."
Zhiyuan Blood Emperor wanted to call out to stop Zhang Ruochen, but Mu Yang Tianjun stopped him.
Mu Yang Tianjun could tell that Zhang Ruochen had a heavy heart and was not in the mood to communicate with them. Keeping him there would be meaningless. It was understandable. After all, Zhang Ruochen had once been a cultivator of the Heavenly Court and probably still harbored old feelings.
Perhaps before this, he hadn't known that the Hunting Heaven Feast was about hunting prisoners from the various realms of the Heavenly Court.
The psychological impact on him must have been significant.
Whether he could bravely face all of this depended on whether Zhang Ruochen had that kind of resolve.
Walking out of the courtyard, Zhang Ruochen stood beneath a sacred tree that emitted a strange fragrance.
It was a Blood Cry Tree, grown by being watered with large amounts of blood. Although it had a strange fragrance, it also emitted a terrifying killing aura. Cultivators below the Saint Realm dared not approach it.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the tree trunk, silent for a long time, before asking in a low voice, "Mother, do I have to participate in the Hunting Heaven Feast?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a leaf fell from the Blood Cry Tree and landed in his hand.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the leaf in his palm and saw a blood-red character on it—
Yes.
The simplest answer.
Xue Hou didn't even bother to manifest a divine thought clone to meet him in person.
The more this was the case, the more Zhang Ruochen understood how significant this matter was.
"I understand."
Zhang Ruochen nodded silently, and the leaf in his palm turned into a ball of blood mist, dissipating.
Just as he was about to leave, strands of blood light descended from the Blood Cry Tree, condensing into a heroic and extraordinary figure.
It was Ming Wang.
Ming Wang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Zhang Ruochen, and said, "If you think you can't do it, you can choose not to go. But from now on, you'll find it difficult to move forward in the Hell Realm. Perhaps within the Blood Absolute Clan, your mother can protect you. But you'll never be able to step out of the Blood Absolute Clan. Do you understand what I mean?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruochen fell into deep thought.
He had already thought about what Ming Wang said and was even more aware of his own situation.
Whether he was willing to admit it or not, from the moment he decided to enter the Hell Realm, the Heavenly Court was no longer an option. If he couldn't establish himself in the Hell Realm, then perhaps, in this vast world, there would truly be no place for him.
In fact, before asking Xue Hou that question, Zhang Ruochen had already made a decision.
Regardless, he would participate in the Hunting Heaven Feast.
However, although the decision was made, Zhang Ruochen's heart still felt extremely oppressed, so much so that he could barely breathe.
Entering the Hell Realm and becoming a member of the Hell Realm were two completely different concepts.
"I know what to do," Zhang Ruochen replied calmly.
Hearing this answer, Ming Wang stepped forward, patted Zhang Ruochen on the shoulder, and smiled, "You're a smart person. Don't disappoint me. You've chosen the Sword Dao as your primary sacred path, right?"
Zhang Ruochen didn't know why Ming Wang suddenly asked such a question, but he still answered seriously, "It's one of my primary sacred paths."
"Good! Then take a look at this sword technique of your uncle's."
Ming Wang condensed a blood sword with Blood Fiend Divine Power, holding it in one hand, the blade level with the ground, and slowly moved it horizontally. The movement was slow, but the sword momentum became increasingly powerful and fierce, as if it could level mountains and horizontally slash through star rivers.
The sword technique had only one form, seemingly very simple, but it contained infinite variations, the mystery of which could not be described in words.
Ming Wang didn't use any rules or divine power; he simply demonstrated the sword technique. It seemed slow but was actually fast, completely capturing Zhang Ruochen's attention.
"This is the sword intent contained in the *Wordless Sword Manual*."
Zhang Ruochen had cultivated the *Wordless Sword Manual* up to Sword Ten and was very familiar with the sword techniques in the manual.
He could tell that the technique Ming Wang demonstrated was more profound than the Sword Ten he had comprehended, yet there was some connection between them.
It should be an extension of Sword Ten.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was... Sword Eleven.
The *Wordless Sword Manual* was profound and extensive, left behind by Jian Zu. Apart from Jian Zu himself, no one had ever fully comprehended it, so no one knew what level of Sword Dao Jian Zu had reached.
After the Middle Ages, in the eyes of Kunlun Realm cultivators, Sword Ten was almost the pinnacle of cultivating the *Wordless Sword Manual*. Few cultivation insights had been passed down, and even fewer people could reach that level.
Ming Wang sheathed his sword and asked, "Did you see it clearly?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly.
The sword technique was very simple—just a horizontal slash. Any cultivator should have been able to see it clearly.
"Out of ten, how much did you comprehend?" Ming Wang asked again.
Zhang Ruochen said, "About half a point."
"Good! Just one demonstration, and you've comprehended half a point. That's really good. With this half a point, you've entered the threshold and have a direction for comprehension. Now, it depends on your own insight. Once you've mastered this technique, you can come find me again."
Leaving these words, Ming Wang's figure dissipated, as if he had never appeared.
Zhang Ruochen stood there for a long time, took a deep breath, and then turned to leave.
He didn't return to the Hanhai Bieyuan. He no longer had the mood to concern himself with matters there.
Returning to his own courtyard, Zhang Ruochen was about to enter when he suddenly noticed a strange mark on the ground in front of the door.
It was a sword mark.
Four feet long, three inches wide, with an irregular blade shape, like a ruler.
"The sword mark of the Sky-Soaring Sword. Who left this here?"
A hint of surprise appeared in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
In the Hell Realm, only cultivators from the Kunlun Realm could draw the Sky-Soaring Sword.
And the Kunlun Realm cultivators Zhang Ruochen knew to be in the Hell Realm could be counted on one hand. Was it Bore? Xuanji Sword Saint? Or someone else?
What did leaving the sword mark of the Sky-Soaring Sword mean?
"The Sky-Soaring Sword..."
Zhang Ruochen carefully examined the sword mark on the ground and soon discovered that the tip of the sword was neither perpendicular nor parallel to the courtyard gate but at an angle, as if intentionally done.
After some thought, Zhang Ruochen released a spiritual power thought, condensing it into a spiritual power clone, and flew in the direction the sword tip pointed.
Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power clone moved very quickly, flying out of the Blood Absolute Clan and arriving at Tianlin Ancient City.
The next moment, Zhang Ruochen appeared on a very wide street.
This street was aligned horizontally with the direction the sword tip pointed.
On both sides of the street, pavilions and towers stood in great numbers, bustling with activity. Hell Realm cultivators came and went in an endless stream.
Zhang Ruochen walked along the street, faintly sensing a very subtle feeling, as if he was being watched.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen looked up, and his gaze fell upon a seductive and enchanting woman. She was standing in the middle of the street, walking against the flow of people, moving gracefully toward him.
Before this, he hadn't noticed the enchanting woman's presence, as if she had appeared out of thin air.
In the blink of an eye, the enchanting woman walked up to Zhang Ruochen. Without speaking, she revealed a captivating smile that could topple nations. She flipped her hand and took out a bead faintly glowing with divine light, pinched it between two fingers, and placed it in his hand.
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen felt that the entire world had undergone a fundamental change. The cultivators on the street all disappeared, leaving only him.
Although he was still standing on the street, it felt as if he were in a void, unable to perceive the existence of heaven and earth's rules and sacred energy, and even the heavenly secrets were completely obscured.
Under these circumstances, the connection between him and his original body was completely severed.
Just then, Zhang Ruochen felt someone reach out and pat him on the shoulder.
Suddenly, the street beneath his feet disappeared, replaced by a pitch-black abyss. He completely lost control and fell straight down.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Ruochen managed to steady himself.
But now, he was no longer on the street. He was in a simply and elegantly arranged room.
Looking up, Zhang Ruochen saw a towering figure standing with hands behind his back, wearing a gentle smile.
"Master."
Zhang Ruochen was stunned, as if his heartbeat had stopped. Then, he showed an expression of excitement.
Not long ago, Zhang Ruochen had asked Xue Tu to search for Xuanji Sword Saint's whereabouts. He never expected to meet Xuanji Sword Saint so soon within the Blood Heaven Tribe World.
Xuanji Sword Saint smiled and said, "Ruochen, it's really not easy to meet you in the Hell Realm. With three true gods in one clan of the Blood Absolute Clan, I wouldn't have dared to come without some courage."
"But Master lacked courage back then and wouldn't have defied the world to save me from Wan Zhaozhao's hands."
Zhang Ruochen quickly stepped forward and bowed to Xuanji Sword Saint. "Disciple pays respects to Master."
No matter what level of cultivation he reached, Zhang Ruochen would never forget his master's kindness.
"There's no need for such formalities between master and disciple." Xuanji Sword Saint reached out and helped Zhang Ruochen up.
Zhang Ruochen straightened up and asked, "Master came to the Blood Heaven Tribe World specifically to see me?"
Xuanji Sword Saint nodded. "I learned that you had come to the Hell Realm and immediately rushed over, wanting to meet you. But I never found the right opportunity. Today, coinciding with the Blood Absolute Clan's Ascension God Banquet, I transformed into an Undying Blood Clan cultivator, entered the Blood Absolute Clan, and left the Sky-Soaring Sword mark outside your residence."
"Your identity is special now, so I didn't dare to rashly contact you within the Blood Absolute Clan. I had to lure you to Tianlin Ancient City to avoid being detected by the gods."
Zhang Ruochen understood that if Xuanji Sword Saint hadn't been so cautious, he would have been exposed long ago.
After all, Xuanji Sword Saint was different from him. Zhang Ruochen had the identity of an Undying Blood Clan member and could live openly in the Hell Realm.
But once Xuanji Sword Saint's identity was exposed, his situation would be very dangerous. The Hell Realm would never allow a Kunlun Realm cultivator to lurk within it.
"Master, have you been doing well in the Hell Realm all these years?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Xuanji Sword Saint was silent for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "What is 'well'? What is 'not well'? As long as I'm not dead, that's 'well.' Forget it, let's not talk about that. As for you, you've had a hard time these past years. I already know. It's been tough on you."
Although he was in the Hell Realm, Xuanji Sword Saint had been paying attention to news about Zhang Ruochen. From the Zuling Realm Merit Battlefield onward, Xuanji Sword Saint knew almost everything that had happened to Zhang Ruochen.
"Master, I'm sorry. I couldn't save Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Fifth Senior Sister. I watched helplessly as they died before my eyes."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen lowered his head, his eyes filled with boundless guilt. He had long let go of this matter, but seeing Xuanji Sword Saint, he couldn't help but think of it again.
Those scenes from back then seemed to be right before his eyes.
In that instant, Zhang Ruochen's heart became sour and bitter.
The deaths of Zhu Hongtao, Wan Ke, and the others were an eternal pain for him.
Xuanji Sword Saint sighed softly and patted his shoulder. "That wasn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself. I have never blamed you, and no one will blame you. Haven't you already avenged them?"
Counting Huang Yanchen, Xuanji Sword Saint had only accepted seven disciples in his life.
But now...
If he said he wasn't sad, that would be impossible.
Xuanji Sword Saint's eyes reddened, but he forced a smile and carefully examined Zhang Ruochen. "It's been years since we last met, and you've already cultivated to become a Great Saint. How things have changed. Back then, among all my disciples, I had the highest hopes for you, and you haven't disappointed me."
Xuanji Sword Saint had no children of his own. In his eyes, Zhang Ruochen was like his own child.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's current achievements, he felt only joy.
"Master, you took such a big risk to contact me. There must be something important, right?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Xuanji Sword Saint had stayed in the Hell Realm instead of returning to Kunlun with Hanxue, something that had always puzzled Zhang Ruochen. Why would he stay in such a dangerous place for so long?