Chapter 2260: Que
When Blood Cry Great Saint drove the Nine Dragon Chariot back to the Vast Sea Estate, Gu Chenzi, Yi Xuan Great Saint, and Yu Huang were already waiting outside the estate.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen step down from the chariot couch, as if welcoming a hero’s return, Yi Xuan Great Saint let out a loud laugh: “With that battle on Mo Street, you’ve truly become famous across the world. I doubt anyone at the Hunting Heaven Banquet will dare to underestimate our Blood Heaven Tribe again.”
Many cultivators had been watching the clash between Zhang Ruochen, Xu, and Yan Hong Great Saint on Mo Street, and the news spread like wildfire through the major powers of the Han Ye City Domain.
The Blood Heaven Tribe cultivators gathered around looked at Zhang Ruochen with a changed gaze.
It had become one of respect, tinged with fear.
That was the look reserved for a strong one.
Yet Zhang Ruochen’s face showed no trace of joy. Instead, his expression was heavy, his mind burdened. “Let’s talk inside,” he said.
Gu Chenzi, Yu Huang, and Yi Xuan Great Saint noticed something amiss and immediately dropped their smiles, following Zhang Ruochen into the Vast Sea Estate, and then into the Seven Star Imperial Palace.
The journey was silent, the atmosphere oppressive.
Once inside the great hall, Zhang Ruochen sat at the highest seat like an emperor, still silent, as if lost in thought.
Gu Chenzi asked, “What exactly happened? Could Xu and Yan Hong Great Saint be far more powerful than they appear on the surface?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head gently and finally spoke: “Xu and Yan Hong Great Saint didn’t use their true bodies or unleash their real power. We only had a probing exchange, so it’s hard to gauge their depths. However, I can roughly deduce that their combat strength is at least on par with Yu Huang, if not higher.”
“Xu hasn’t even condensed a third-rank Sacred Intent. How could he be stronger than me? Did you not see me sever Yue Tinghai’s arm with my bare hands? Want to try it yourself?”
Yu Huang snorted, clearly unconvinced.
Zhang Ruochen, as if ignoring Yu Huang’s fighting spirit, said, “Xu possesses the Immortal Chaos Ghost Emperor Body, capable of absorbing countless ghost souls into one. Although he only showed a fraction of his power on Mo Street, I could infer from traces that the ghost souls he has absorbed into his Chaos Ghost Emperor Body number over ten million.”
“Based on my analysis, those ghost souls don’t belong to ordinary mortals; they were at least cultivators in life.”
“Every million ghost souls can condense into a Thousand Questions-level Ghost Emperor Soul Body. If the power of ten such soul bodies is combined with a Thousand Questions-level high-rank Sacred Art, even your third-rank Sacred Intent might not withstand it, right?”
“I’ve thoroughly reviewed Xu’s records. The Emperor Mirror Heavenly Eye he cultivates is precisely a Thousand Questions-level high-rank Sacred Art. With it, he once severely wounded a Thousand Questions-level Great Saint from the Cha Realm on the Merit Battlefield.”
A flicker of surprise passed through Yu Huang’s eyes. She hadn’t expected Xu’s Immortal Chaos Ghost Emperor Body to be so formidable.
Gu Chenzi said, “Yu Huang has only just broken through to the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm and hasn’t yet had time to cultivate a Thousand Questions-level high-rank Sacred Art. Her foundation is indeed somewhat lacking compared to Xu’s. But if Xu can’t fuse a third-rank Sacred Intent, being surpassed by Yu Huang is only a matter of time.”
Yi Xuan Great Saint said regretfully, “It’s all my fault. If he hadn’t taken the Chaos Spring from me back then, how could he have grown this strong?”
Gu Chenzi’s brow still furrowed with confusion. Since Zhang Ruochen had managed to escape the combined siege of Xu and Yan Hong Great Saint, even if they were stronger than Yu Huang, it shouldn’t be by much.
With the combined strength of the Blood Heaven Trio, they should be able to put up a fight.
So why was Zhang Ruochen’s mood so volatile?
Zhang Ruochen said, “After breaking through the encirclement of Xu and Yan Hong Great Saint, I encountered another cultivator, far more powerful than the two of them.”
“Who? Wu Jiang?” Gu Chenzi asked.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. “No. Wu Jiang is far inferior to him. Even if the three of you joined me, we might not be his match.”
Yu Huang, Yi Xuan Great Saint, and Gu Chenzi were all stunned.
They knew Zhang Ruochen wasn’t one to joke lightly. Since he said it with such gravity, it must have been the result of careful analysis and calculation.
Gu Chenzi analyzed as he spoke: “How is that possible? Wu Jiang ranks fifth in the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm. Those stronger than him are only Luo Sheng Tian, Yan Huang Tu, and Lan Ying.”
“Luo Sheng Tian’s ranking is higher than Wu Jiang’s, but they’ve never fought. Based on past records, even if Luo Sheng Tian is stronger than Wu Jiang, it wouldn’t be by much. Besides, if he wanted to test you, he would have done so on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform back then, not now.”
“Yan Huang Tu, ranked third, rarely fights publicly. His last recorded battle was a hundred and twenty years ago. It’s hard to judge his current strength.”
“However, since you went to the Jia Yin District and must have clashed with Yan Wushen, testing each other’s strength, logically, Yan Huang Tu has no reason to act. He can be ruled out.”
“The most likely candidate is the Cosmic Divine Fetus, Lan Ying.”
“There are too many legends about Lan Ying. At the same cultivation level, any cultivator would feel a sense of dread toward him. He’s an almost unbeatable opponent.”
“I once met Lan Ying when we were both at the Saint King realm, on the verge of breaking through to Great Saint. I considered myself a top-tier prodigy, quite arrogant, and never believed anyone at the same level could defeat me.”
“But that time, Lan Ying left a deep impression on me. With a single sword strike, he killed a Great Saint who had fought me to a draw. Clean and ruthless, as if he were the incarnation of slaughter itself.”
“Back then, I thought that even if six of me joined forces, I probably couldn’t block the six swords on his back.”
“If there really is an opponent that we, the Blood Heaven Trio, can’t defeat, it can only be Yan Huang Tu or Lan Ying. Lan Ying is the more likely one.”
Yu Huang’s expression turned cold and sharp. “Back then, Lan Ying must have used external power. At the Hunting Heaven Banquet, external power isn’t allowed, and only one battle weapon is permitted. Lan Ying’s advantage will be greatly weakened. I refuse to believe that with your current cultivation, he could kill you in one strike.”
Yi Xuan Great Saint said, “Exactly. With our current cultivation, no being below the Thousand Questions realm can defeat the three of us alone. Only Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen might be able to do so in the future.”
“I suspect the one Zhang Ruochen encountered might be a Thousand Questions-level banquet participant.”
Zhang Ruochen had reviewed Lan Ying’s records and was certain he hadn’t cultivated the Way of Nothingness. That person couldn’t possibly be him.
As for a Thousand Questions-level banquet participant…
Zhang Ruochen had considered that possibility but dismissed it.
A Thousand Questions-level banquet participant couldn’t join the Hunting Heaven Hunt and had no reason to test his strength. Moreover, that black figure had said before leaving, “So-called Eon-level geniuses are nothing more than this.”
From this, he could infer the person’s character:
Extremely self-confident, competitive, valuing fame and fortune, and harboring jealousy and disdain toward the “Eon-level” geniuses Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen.
If he were truly a Thousand Questions-level Great Saint, cutting off a strand of Zhang Ruochen’s hair wouldn’t be something to boast about.
After all, the gap in cultivation was too great, and many Thousand Questions-level Great Saints had such strength.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Have you forgotten the mysterious existence ranked first in the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm?”
Gu Chenzi frowned. “The Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking was compiled by the Star Sea World. Initially, it only included forty-seven Great Saints. As some hidden strong ones were exposed, it has now expanded to fifty-eight.”
“Yet the top ten rankings have never changed. This shows their strength far surpasses that of other Great Perfection Hundred Shackles Great Saints.”
“The most puzzling is the one ranked first. On the list, it’s written with only one character, ‘Que.’”
“At first, everyone thought his name was Que. But when gods tried to deduce him, they couldn’t. So people believe the Star Sea World deliberately left the first spot empty, reserved for you or Yan Wushen. After all, you two are too dominant; once you reach the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm, you’ll surely top the list.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Even gods couldn’t deduce him?”
“That’s absolutely true,” Gu Chenzi said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “What if he’s a Void Controller, able to perfectly manipulate the power of nothingness? Could gods deduce him then?”
“This…” Gu Chenzi didn’t know how to answer.
All cultivators held an attitude of reverence toward the power of nothingness.
Because beings who cultivated nothingness were too rare and too uncommon. It was this rarity and unknown that made all cultivators feel awe, unsure how to deal with it.
For example:
If cultivators of time appeared only once per Eon, and no one knew how to counter the power of time or had any means of defense, then they would also be filled with awe toward a Time Controller.
But in reality, though time cultivators were few, they weren’t that rare.
Even Time Controllers emerged one or two per era.
With more research into the Way of Time, knowing how to resist and counter it, the awe diminished.
Yu Huang said, “If he’s a Void Controller, and even gods can’t deduce him, then how does the Star Sea World know about him?”
“What if he’s a cultivator trained by the Star Sea World or the Destiny Temple?” Zhang Ruochen said.
“That’s not impossible.”
Gu Chenzi’s expression also turned grave. He added, “The power of nothingness might not always be able to block a god’s deduction, but if the Destiny Temple wants to conceal a cultivator’s heavenly secrets, no god, no matter how powerful, can deduce him.”
“This ‘Que’ will become the biggest variable in this Hunting Heaven Banquet,” Zhang Ruochen said.
He had a clear perception that the black figure harbored deep hostility toward him.
In the following days, Zhang Ruochen activated the Sundial again, fully refining the effects of the “Twelve Flowers Blooming” wine, and attempted to break his first shackle.
Using the Way of Truth, he had detected that the first shackle was in his right arm.
Before drinking the Twelve Flowers Blooming, Zhang Ruochen had taken the Divine Travel Pill and tried dozens of times, but never succeeded.
After cultivating for about a year in the Sundial, he fully absorbed the wine’s effects.
He took the Divine Travel Pill again, but still couldn’t break the first shackle. The improvement was that the shackle trembled slightly, unlike before when it showed no reaction at all.
It was a good start!
“Next, I’ll have to grind it down slowly. Even an iron rod can be ground into a needle; I don’t believe I can’t break a single shackle,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Amid widespread anticipation, the fifth day of the fifth month finally arrived.
The grand event of the Hunting Heaven Banquet made all cultivators in the Hell Realm, no matter where they were, burst into celebration. The banquet participants from each clan became the subject of endless discussion, carrying their hopes and representing the honor of their major powers.
The Blood Heaven Tribe’s banquet representatives—fifty Great Saints and fifty Saint Kings—had gathered, fully prepared and brimming with spirit.
Some rode Great Saint-level savage beasts as mounts, followed by dozens of saintly servants clad in Monarch Sacred Artifact-level armor, their capes fluttering in the wind.
Others rode Monarch Sacred Artifact-level war chariots, with four beautiful female saint cultivators by their sides.
…
Every participant was quite ostentatious, displaying their most imposing, wealthiest, and strongest side, full of pride and ambition, trying to outshine the other powers.
At that moment, the Seven Star Imperial Palace shrank to the size of a normal palace and was carried out of the Vast Sea Estate by eighteen Sixth Calamity Ghost Kings.
Instantly, all the Blood Heaven Tribe cultivators were overshadowed.
“That’s… the Seven Star Imperial Palace, the hall where the Blood Absolute War God once lived. Do you see that figure sitting inside? It’s Zhang Ruochen!”
“Heavens! The War God actually passed the Seven Star Imperial Palace to Zhang Ruochen. Is he appointing him as the heir of the Blood Absolute Clan?”
…
The Blood Heaven Tribe cultivators erupted in excitement.
Few knew that Zhang Ruochen controlled the Seven Star Imperial Palace, and they hadn’t spread the news, which was why this caused such a huge stir.
Next, the subdued Shen Tu Yun Kong and Hong walked out of the Seven Star Imperial Palace one after another, standing on either side of the palace gate, clad in guard armor.
Zhou Zhen’s status was slightly higher, but he could only wear plain clothes and stand outside the hall.
Inside the hall, Lian Xi and Mo Yin stood like two maidservants on the left and right below Zhang Ruochen—one as beautiful as a celestial, the other as seductive as a demon consort.
“Carried by eighteen Sixth Calamity Ghost Kings, and then putting five Great Saints on display to intimidate—some as guards, some as maidservants—aren’t they afraid of being beaten to death by banquet participants from other powers?” Yi Xuan Great Saint said, both envious and jealous.
Though Zhang Ruochen’s body sat inside the Seven Star Imperial Palace, his consciousness entered the Divine Realm World of the Blood Absolute War God.
The Blood Absolute War God said, “The gods of the Undying Blood Clan have agreed to let you wield the Supreme Sacred Artifact. However, they have two conditions.”
“First, the Undying Blood Clan’s performance at the Hunting Heaven Banquet must rank in the top five.”
“Second, you must help Feng Hou secure the position of Goddess.”
“If neither is achieved, then the Blood Heaven Tribe will bear all the responsibility. Regardless of its performance at the Hunting Heaven Banquet, it will automatically rank last among the ten tribes and receive the fewest resources.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Their conditions are too harsh.”
“But I’ve already agreed,” the Blood Absolute War God said.
Zhang Ruochen’s gaze sharpened. After a brief moment of suffocation, he said with even greater determination, “I will definitely complete these two tasks. I won’t let the Blood Heaven Tribe bear the consequences.”
“You don’t need to complete both. Just one will meet the goal. Relatively speaking, the second condition they proposed is easier to fulfill,” the Blood Absolute War God said.
…
Some readers came to chat with me and asked about some things, leaving me quite confused. Later, I found out that someone had changed their avatar to match mine, impersonating my QQ account and randomly leaking spoilers, even revealing some inexplicable characters. This is why I don’t want to create QQ groups anymore—it always leads to unnecessary trouble.
Let me state here: all spoilers are based on the live streams and the public account.
If I remember correctly, “Que” is currently the only cultivator of nothingness mentioned, with no other cultivators brought up.