Chapter 2255: The Grand Banquet Approaches
The Hanhai Manor returned to calm. Apart from Zhang Ruochen and the Yu Emperor, the other cultivators once again entered a state of cultivation.
The Yu Emperor's gaze was fixed on Zhang Ruochen.
It was strange.
Like... a she-wolf that had been starving for many days, spotting delicious prey, baring its fangs, eyes gleaming, ready to pounce and devour him.
Zhang Ruochen grew wary and said, "I need to continue refining my Sacred Will."
He had just turned around, not yet stepping onto the stairs of the Seven Star Divine Palace, when the Yu Emperor blocked his way.
The Yu Emperor was unusually gentle in her demeanor, saying, "Ruochen the Great Saint, you are the leader of our Blood Heaven Tribe. Do you want us to achieve the best ranking?"
"Of course."
"What do you think of my combat strength?"
"Very strong. Among all the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection cultivators attending the banquet, you could rank in the top thirty, perhaps even higher."
The Yu Emperor stepped closer, shaking her head. "That's not enough. I want to elevate my combat strength to another level. Strive to reach the top ten of the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection ranking, or at least close to it. What direction do you think I should improve in?"
She had already entered within three steps of him, her fragrant scent wafting over, but it was not alluring—it carried a sense of pressure.
Zhang Ruochen said, "What exactly did my uncle tell you? Don't stare at me with that look like you want to devour me. It makes me think you have other intentions toward me."
A cold, sharp glint flashed in the Yu Emperor's eyes. "Fine, I'll be direct. I want to borrow your Purple Gold Gourd to help me fuse my Sacred Wills. If the fusion succeeds, consider it a great favor I owe you. In the future, if you encounter trouble, just send word. Even if you want me to kill someone in the Heavenly Court Realm, I won't refuse."
"So he told you the secret of the Purple Gold Gourd," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Yu Emperor said, "Are you agreeing or not? Be quick, give me a straight answer."
"Of course I agree. A favor from you, Yu Emperor, is quite valuable. However, the Purple Gold Gourd is my greatest trump card. I plan to use it at the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet to deal with the most formidable enemies. You must not reveal this secret," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Rest assured, your trump card is the Blood Heaven Tribe's trump card."
Then the Yu Emperor added, "But you need to understand that the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet is divided into two parts: the banquet and the Heaven Hunt. During the Heaven Hunt, aside from Divine Mark seals, all external forces of cultivators will be sealed. You can only use your own power."
Zhang Ruochen was hearing about such strict rules for the Heaven Hunt for the first time. "Does that mean even war tools, talismans, formations, and pills cannot be carried?"
"Talismans, formations, and pills cannot be carried. However, you can bring the raw materials needed to refine them. Once inside the Heaven Hunt battlefield, talismans, formations, and pills refined on the spot can be used."
"As for war tools, there are also very strict rules."
"Each cultivator can only carry one war tool, and that war tool must belong to you. In other words, even if a deity wants their subordinate Great Saint to bring a Supreme Sacred Artifact into the Heaven Hunt battlefield, it cannot be borrowed—it must be bestowed."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and shook his head. "Most deities only have one Supreme Sacred Artifact. If they bestow it on their subordinate Great Saint, what would they use themselves?"
The Yu Emperor continued, "Even if a deity could bestow a Supreme Sacred Artifact on their subordinate Great Saint, the Destiny Temple has another rule: among the ten clans of the Hell Realm, each clan can only bring one Supreme Sacred Artifact into the Heaven Hunt battlefield."
Zhang Ruochen said, "A complete Supreme Sacred Artifact in the hands of a Great Saint unleashes too much power, capable of sweeping through a wide area. If the Destiny Temple didn't regulate it, the Heaven Hunt Grand Banquet would no longer be a contest of strength but a competition of Supreme Sacred Artifact power."
Saint Kings cannot fully unleash the power of a Supreme Sacred Artifact; only Great Saints can. At the Great Saint realm, a Supreme Sacred Artifact's boost to combat power reaches a terrifying level.
Zhang Ruochen added, "Who will wield the Supreme Sacred Artifact for the Undying Blood Clan? The Blade Prison Emperor, or the Wind Empress?"
"It hasn't been decided yet, but it will most likely be one of them," the Yu Emperor said.
The Blade Prison Emperor was the number one powerhouse of the Undying Blood Clan. The Wind Empress was the second strongest, but she also held the status of a Divine Maiden candidate, representing the interests of the Lower Three Clans.
Whoever wielded the Supreme Sacred Artifact would have the greatest say on the Heaven Hunt battlefield.
Zhang Ruochen said, "It seems I must compete for the right to wield the Supreme Sacred Artifact—and I must win it."
The Yu Emperor looked surprised, thinking Zhang Ruochen must be insane.
The right to wield a Supreme Sacred Artifact was a very serious matter, discussed even by the deities of the Undying Blood Clan and the Undying Divine Temple. Only Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection powerhouses were qualified to obtain it.
How could he, an Immortal Realm Great Saint, compete with the Blade Prison Emperor or the Wind Empress, even if his combat power was strong?
Why would the deities choose him?
Zhang Ruochen discussed more details about the Heaven Hunt Grand Banquet with the Yu Emperor before taking out the Purple Gold Gourd and lending it to her temporarily.
Currently, the Yu Emperor had cultivated two types of Sacred Will. Her main cultivation, the Blood Sea Heavenly Dao, had reached the Fourth Rank. The other Sacred Will was only Sixth Rank.
If she used the Purple Gold Gourd to fuse the two Sacred Wills, there was a high probability of forming a Third Rank Sacred Artifact. However, fusing Sacred Wills was extremely difficult; otherwise, she wouldn't have waited until the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection to attempt it. The Purple Gold Gourd only gave her a bit more hope.
Success or failure depended on her.
"Since entering the Heaven Hunt battlefield means I can't borrow external forces, and I might not even be able to bring a Supreme Sacred Artifact, I need to be absolutely certain. I must strengthen my own power. I need to prepare on two fronts."
"Increasing my Spiritual Power is imperative. Otherwise, if my Spiritual Power can't even match the Yu Emperor's, it will be hard to resist her 'Funeral Soul Elegy.'"
Previously, Zhang Ruochen could resist it, but after breaking through to the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection, the Yu Emperor's cultivation and Spiritual Power had greatly increased. When she played the "Funeral Soul Elegy," even the Thousand Questions Realm Shen Nansheng had fallen victim.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't absolutely sure he could remain unaffected by the "Funeral Soul Elegy."
At the Heaven Hunt Grand Banquet, there would definitely be Spiritual Power Great Saints stronger than the Yu Emperor, such as those from the Underworld Clan, the Death Clan, and the female cultivators of the Rakshasa Clan, all of whom had extraordinary Spiritual Power talents. He had to be on guard.
Moreover, the stronger his Spiritual Power, the greater the help in condensing Sacred Wills.
Since Zhang Ruochen wanted to cultivate the "Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Will," the higher his Spiritual Power, the better—ideally surpassing all cultivators at the same realm.
A clone of Zhang Ruochen entered the Qiankun Realm and sought guidance from the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree on how to cultivate after reaching the sixty-first rank of Spiritual Power.
He finally understood one thing: swallowing Sacred Pills could indeed cultivate Spiritual Power.
However, the essence of Spiritual Power lay in the degree of brain development, as well as the accumulation of knowledge, contemplation of all things in heaven and earth, reading ten thousand books, traveling ten thousand miles, and experiencing the trials of the mortal world.
Of course, there were shortcuts.
Swallowing Sacred Pills was just one shortcut.
Other methods included plundering the knowledge and insights of other cultivators, comprehending the Divine Intent Diagrams of deities, or entering illusionary realms for training.
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, relying solely on swallowing pills isn't enough. I need to accumulate extensive knowledge and train myself. Is it really this difficult to improve Spiritual Power after reaching the sixty-first rank?"
"For you, it's not that hard," the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree said.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands and said, "Please enlighten me, senior."
"You hold the Divine Wood Heart in your hands. The Divine Wood Heart only condenses once per Eon. It not only contains abundant life energy but also holds 129,600 years of the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree's knowledge. Absorbing all the knowledge from one Divine Wood Heart would be enough to support you in cultivating your Spiritual Power to the seventieth rank," the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree said.
Zhang Ruochen looked delighted. "I see."
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree continued, "Of course, the knowledge contained in the Sky-Connecting Divine Tree is still incomplete. It can only help you partially. You still need to read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles yourself."
Zhang Ruochen asked curiously, "Senior, what level did your Spiritual Power reach back then?"
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree was silent for a moment, its branches swaying gently, rustling. "It should have been quite high, but high Spiritual Power doesn't necessarily mean strong combat power. Every Spiritual Power cultivator uses it differently."
"Some use Spiritual Power only for cruel slaughter, some only for healing and saving lives, and some only for calculating the past and future."
"Zhang Ruochen, when you reach a point where your Spiritual Power can no longer improve, you must understand one truth: Spiritual Power is not just for battle. It has broader and more wonderful uses. You should try everything."
"I will remember this advice, senior," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree said, "In fact, at your current Spiritual Power level, swallowing Sacred Pills can still improve it. But before that, you must first cultivate the 12,302 Spiritual Power thoughts you have already condensed."
"Senior, do you mean that the Spiritual Power thoughts I cultivated by swallowing pills are not strong enough, which is why continuing to swallow pills has become ineffective?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"You can understand it that way."
The Sky-Connecting Divine Tree added, "When you can reach the peak of the sixty-first rank of Spiritual Power with just those 12,302 Spiritual Power thoughts, you can continue swallowing Sacred Pills."
Exiting the Qiankun Realm, Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself, "How do I cultivate Spiritual Power thoughts?"
"Come out."
Zhang Ruochen summoned all the Spiritual Power thoughts from his body. Some observed the various scriptures collected by the Blood Absolute War God in the Seven Star Divine Palace, some studied formations with Zhou Zhen, some sought guidance from Lian Xi on talisman techniques, some comprehended the "Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription"...
Not only did he need to accumulate knowledge, but his Spiritual Power thoughts also needed to strengthen themselves.
As for the Divine Wood Heart, Zhang Ruochen felt it wasn't needed yet. He would wait until his Spiritual Power reached the sixty-second rank.
Then, Zhang Ruochen sent a voice transmission to Blood Butcher, calling him over. First, he inquired about Shen Tu Yun Kong and Hong. Then, he took out the Purple Gold Token from the Star Sea World and handed it to him, instructing him to buy Star Cores and Secondary Soul Pills.
After making these arrangements, Zhang Ruochen continued to think.
"If I don't use a Supreme Sacred Artifact, dealing with the Yu Emperor with my current combat power is already difficult. How will I handle powerhouses like the Blade Prison Emperor, Wujiang, or Lan Ying?"
"I need to cultivate a trump card that belongs to my own combat power."
Zhang Ruochen's first thought was the Blazing God Leg and the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm.
If he could cultivate the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm to the level of a Thousand Questions Rank High-rank Sacred Art, combined with Sacred Will and Truth Rules, the power unleashed would be such that even a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saint might not be able to withstand a single palm strike.
"To cultivate the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm to the Thousand Questions Rank High-rank Sacred Art level, I need to refine five Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint Dragon Souls and Elephant Souls. I haven't even started breaking my shackles yet. Can my Demigod body withstand it?"
After much deliberation, Zhang Ruochen gritted his teeth and decided to first use the Sun-Moon Divine Dragon Spring to wash and refine the three Hundred Shackles Realm Dragon Souls and Elephant Souls he had already refined.
The Sun-Moon Divine Dragon Spring was precious, and he didn't have much of it.
But if he could wash and refine the three Dragon Souls and three Elephant Souls within him to the Thousand Questions Realm level, the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Palm would become a quasi-Thousand Questions Rank High-rank Sacred Art. Among Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saints, few would be able to withstand a single palm strike from him.
To ensure success, Zhang Ruochen specially opened the Bronze Coffin and collected a large amount of Soul Mist.
He used the Soul Mist to nourish the three Dragon Souls and Elephant Souls.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen risked unsealing the third seal that the Moon God had placed in the Blazing God Leg. Instantly, the Divine Rules contained in his left leg increased from one million to ten million.
Each Divine Rule was crimson red, like countless dense threads of flame burning, causing Zhang Ruochen to grit his teeth in pain.
His entire leg became so heavy that he couldn't move it, and the burning sensation nearly made him faint.
The Blazing God Leg was the trump card he could think of that would rapidly boost his combat power in the short term. So, no matter how painful it was, he had to endure it.
"The Blazing God Leg has already fused with my leg. It shouldn't count as borrowing external force," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Time passed imperceptibly as Zhang Ruochen devoted himself fully to closed-door cultivation.
The day of the Heaven Hunt Grand Banquet drew nearer. The Hanye City Domain was bustling with activity. Every day, new young Great Saints rose to prominence, making a name for themselves. New Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection powerhouses emerged, shaking all sides.
Geniuses gathered, heroes competed.
No, they could no longer be called geniuses. They were already Great Saints, each a overlord, each wielding significant influence, deciding the fate of countless beings.
But they were young enough, outstanding enough, and had illuminated this era.
Outside, passion burned like songs, beauties were like jade, pools of wine and forests of meat flowed, and fame and profit came and went. Yet Zhang Ruochen in the Hanhai Manor paid no heed, silently cultivating.
Amidst various provocations and insults, Zhang Ruochen pretended not to hear, unmoving like a rock.
Within the range covered by the Sundial, more than thirty years passed.
The day of the Heaven Hunt Grand Banquet was now imminent.
(End of this chapter)