Chapter 2298: The Trial, Part 2
"Meaning?"
Zhang Ruochen immediately realized that a divine beast sleeping inside the Ghost Clan's home planet was no coincidence.
Zangjin Baihu said, "It seems you do not know."
"Please enlighten me, senior?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Zangjin Baihu said, "You have merged with the Ultimate Burial Gold Qi, which only grants you the qualification to come see me. As for me, I have a trial for you as well. If you can pass the trial, come back here to see me, and I will naturally tell you everything."
Zhang Ruochen frowned deeply, unable to guess the meaning behind Zangjin Baihu's words.
A trial?
What trial?
Zhang Ruochen was about to ask what benefits he would gain by passing the trial.
But Zangjin Baihu spoke first, "You should first ask what my trial is. Because if you cannot pass my trial, you are not even qualified to know what you can obtain."
Was his mind and thoughts being seen through?
After all, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power had reached the late stage of the sixty-fourth rank, granting him strong mental defense capabilities. Unless someone forcibly plundered his thoughts and memories, even a god could not see what he was thinking.
If someone could see through his heart, what secrets could he hide?
Zhang Ruochen felt a chill run down his spine. If the gods of the Hell Realm had long known his true thoughts...
He dared not continue that line of thought.
Zangjin Baihu said, "You are afraid. I can sense it. Actually, you need not be so afraid. Even gods are not omnipotent."
"Gods can plunder your memories and pry into your heart. But to read your thoughts at any time is not so easy. Only those with spiritual power reaching the eightieth rank could possibly do so."
"After all, your will is strong. Breaking your spiritual defense is easy, but breaking your willpower defense is very difficult."
"Spiritual gods with spiritual power reaching the seventieth rank are already extremely rare. Those who can reach the eightieth rank are all top-tier figures. In their eyes, you are no different from an insect in yours. Would you bother to read an insect's thoughts at any time?"
Zhang Ruochen sensed no hostility from Zangjin Baihu and calmed down, asking, "So, has your spiritual power reached above the eightieth rank?"
Zangjin Baihu said, "No! Although I am a divine-level being, I am not known for spiritual power. The reason I can pry into your thoughts is because you have absorbed my Ultimate Burial Gold Qi, which has merged into your body, spiritual power, sacred soul, and even the sacred dao rules you have cultivated."
Then it added, "Of course, my spiritual power is not far from the eightieth rank."
Among gods, there were countless whose spiritual power had not reached the seventieth rank.
Just as among Great Saints, the vast majority had not reached the sixtieth rank in spiritual power. Figures like Wujiang, Yu Huang, and Xu, who had cultivated their spiritual power to above the sixty-fourth rank in the Hundred Shackles Realm, were already rare exceptions in the entire Hell Realm over the past millennium, standing at the very peak.
Not only did they have the potential to become gods, but at the same age and cultivation level, they were even more outstanding and powerful than many gods.
Of course, this was only true at the present stage.
Whether one could become a god was closely related to talent, but not absolute.
Throughout history, countless cultivators with astonishing talent had failed to reach the divine realm. Some had flaws in their mental state; some had gone astray; some had died prematurely; some had been destroyed by inner demons; some had exhausted their potential and become mediocre.
Conversely, cultivators with average or above-average talent, due to their larger numbers, had actually produced more gods.
Zangjin Baihu claimed not to be known for spiritual power, yet said its spiritual power was not far from the eightieth rank. Zhang Ruochen was greatly shaken, thinking to himself that Zangjin Baihu was no ordinary divine beast.
Such a powerful divine beast did not call itself "I, the Venerable" or "I, the God," but simply "I," without that condescending disdain, which made Zhang Ruochen feel a hint of closeness.
Zhang Ruochen cleared his mind of distractions and asked, "What is the trial you have for me, senior?"
Zangjin Baihu said, "You are currently participating in the Heaven Hunting Battle of the Hell Realm, are you not? I want you to defeat the most powerful cultivator on this battlefield and bring at least one of his hands to see me. Then you will naturally understand what you can obtain. Go now!"
Zhang Ruochen wanted to ask more, but suddenly felt his body lighten, and the next moment, his feet landed on solid ground.
Where was Zangjin Baihu?
He was now standing on the bank of the golden river he had come from. Raising his hand, he found the Purple Gold Gourd in his palm. The gourd seemed to have also absorbed the Ultimate Burial Gold Qi, its golden glow even more intense than before.
"Defeat the most powerful cultivator on this battlefield... Who is the most powerful? Que? Or that Ten Thousand Deaths One Life realm Heavenly Slave Chi Di? Or is Zangjin Baihu referring to itself?"
Zhang Ruochen immediately shook his head, thinking it could not be that ridiculous.
"Never mind, I'll head back to the surface first."
...
Three days had passed since Zhang Ruochen entered the underground.
After a series of offensive and defensive battles, the Ghost Clan's home planet's protective grand formation had been breached. Eight of the nine continents had been shattered into pieces, some turned into seas of magma, others into vast yellow sands—a scene of utter desolation, devoid of any living or dead beings.
The cultivators of both the Upper Three Clans and the Middle Three Clans had all sustained considerable injuries.
Bore, Yuan Fei Great Saint, Huomo Yinji, Dasenluo Huang, and Baiyu Fengshi gathered together, hiding in a patch of star mist about a hundred thousand miles from the Ghost Clan's home planet.
"The Ghost Clan's Great Saints are gradually returning to guard their home planet. We can no longer continue our attacks. Bore, shouldn't we retreat?" Baiyu Fengshi's voice was filled with exhaustion.
Three days ago, Baiyu Fengshi had been attacked by Ye Changzai and Simu Guidi, suffering the most severe injuries. It was only thanks to his great escape skills that he had not died on the Ghost Clan's home planet.
Huomo Yinji had been injured by Yanhong Great Saint, losing her former charm and vitality. Her beautiful face was stained with blood, and her aura was far weaker than at her peak. The injuries within her body would not heal in a short time.
She somewhat regretted participating in this operation, saying, "Most of the soul spirits on the Ghost Clan's home planet have been destroyed. In this Heaven Hunting Battle, they have lost their competitiveness. Why must we destroy the soul spirits on the last continent? I agree with Baiyu Fengshi—let's retreat now."
Bore's gaze was cold, and she immediately shook her head, saying, "No, Zhang Ruochen has not been found yet!"
"Yanhong Great Saint said he died deep within the Ghost Clan's home planet. That should not be false," Huomo Yinji said.
She had fought Yanhong Great Saint and knew how terrifying she was. Even as a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection cultivator, she could not last more than a few rounds. Even if Zhang Ruochen had heaven-defying abilities, he would likely have perished.
Bore said, "Impossible! The Derivative Dao Sacred Fruit, Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill, and that gourd on Zhang Ruochen were not found on Yanhong Great Saint. This shows that Yanhong Great Saint never saw Zhang Ruochen's corpse; it was just her speculation."
"On this Heaven Hunting battlefield, besides the Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill in Que's hands, what is more precious than Zhang Ruochen's corpse?"
"Are you willing to return empty-handed?"
Yuan Fei Great Saint's face was somewhat pale, and he advised, "Bore, I understand your feelings. I also want to obtain the treasures on Zhang Ruochen and explore what is so extraordinary deep within the Ghost Clan's home planet. But we are all seriously injured now."
"On the last continent of the Ghost Clan's home planet, nearly a hundred Ghost Clan Great Saints have gathered, protected by two Supreme Sacred Artifacts. Even if we were at full strength, forcing our way in would not end well."
"This time, our achievements are considerable. Not only have we successfully eliminated Zhang Ruochen, but we have also severely wounded the Ghost Clan. There is no need to continue."
Bore's gaze was fixed on the Ghost Clan's home planet, her expression blank, but her ten fingers were tightly clenched. Everyone knew her emotions must be in turmoil.
In the distance, the originally dark and ghostly planet now had huge cracks in many places, emitting golden light.
"I still cannot accept it. The Derivative Dao Sacred Fruit and Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill on Zhang Ruochen are things that cannot be found again in heaven and earth. They would be of great use to me."
Bore turned to Yuan Fei Great Saint and bowed deeply.
"What are you doing?"
Yuan Fei Great Saint quickly helped her up.
Bore said, "I want to borrow the 'Virtual and Real Character Scroll' to sneak deep into the Ghost Clan's home planet and search for Zhang Ruochen's corpse."
"Impossible! The golden mist emanating from the depths is difficult even for me to withstand. Even if you wield a Supreme Sacred Artifact, it would be very dangerous," Yuan Fei Great Saint said.
Bore smiled and said, "As the saying goes, great wealth comes from great risk. The Quasi-Emperor Grade Sacred Intent Pill and Derivative Dao Sacred Fruit on Zhang Ruochen are worth the risk. Besides, I have cultivated the Gate of True Self, which can weaken the golden mist's effect on me. It is worth a try."
Yuan Fei Great Saint, Huomo Yinji, Dasenluo Huang, and Baiyu Fengshi all admired Bore's boldness, and they also understood why she was doing this.
If they were still in the Immortal Realm and had not yet begun to condense their Sacred Intent, they might also take the risk.
After all, if Bore in the Immortal Realm could find the Derivative Dao Sacred Fruit and Sacred Intent Pill on Zhang Ruochen, she would surely cultivate an even more powerful Sacred Intent, bringing endless benefits in the Immortal Realm and Hundred Shackles Realm.
Bore added, "Rest assured, if my luck is too poor and I die inside the Ghost Clan's home planet, losing the 'Virtual and Real Character Scroll,' the treasures I left outside will all be yours as compensation."
Yuan Fei Great Saint sighed softly and was about to hand over the "Virtual and Real Character Scroll" to Bore when suddenly, Baiyu Fengshi beside him shouted, "Heavens! Who did that? Look, the last continent on the Ghost Clan's home planet has been crushed and sunk by a golden handprint!"