Chapter 2335: Xi and the Eight Life-Death Sons
"Water nourishes all things, yet flows calmly, contending with nothing, seeking no reward. With such a state of mind, who can achieve it?"
Immediately after, Que added: "You say I am competitive and eager to win, but what about yourself? Are you not the same? Once one sets foot on the path of cultivation, if one does not contend, one will only sink into mediocrity."
"I am curious. How can someone like you, who contends with people, contends with gods, and contends with heaven, have cultivated the Way of Water to perfection at the Saint King Realm?"
Zhang Ruochen said: "You have curiosity in your heart, and I have curiosity in mine. How about we each ask the other two questions, to resolve the doubts in our hearts?"
"Fine!"
Que agreed.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Since you asked first, I will answer first. The Way of Water does not only represent non-contention, but also represents embracing all things."
"My Way of Water gives birth to a hundred forms, nurtures a hundred shapes, and merges with all things. The good and the bad, praise and insults, righteousness and evil—I can accept them all, because that is myself, and that is the world I live in. Mud and sand flow together, carried along side by side."
Que fell silent again, carefully pondering Zhang Ruochen's words.
Zhang Ruochen asked: "I am curious, why did you appear on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield? If I remember correctly, during the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet, you were not among the cultivators of the ten clans."
Que said: "Every cultivator who enters the Heaven Hunting Battlefield has their own mission. The mission of the weak is to hunt heavenly slaves. The strong, on the other hand, have other goals."
"Just like the three candidates for Goddess, all contending for the position of Goddess."
"Before you entered the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, the gods behind you must have assigned you a mission, right?"
"I entered the Heaven Hunting Battlefield with two goals."
"First, to kill the only Ten-Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, Chi Di."
"Second, to make up for the flaws in my Sacred Intent and cultivate a complete Second-Rank Sacred Intent."
"For me, the Heaven Hunting Battlefield is a cultivation, a tempering, and a trial."
Zhang Ruochen believed Que was not lying, but he did not fully trust him either. Who knew how much truth was in his words, and how much he had concealed?
Que asked: "Second question, the Sacred Intent you have now fused together should have nothing to do with your main cultivation path. Yet how can it reach the Second-Rank level?"
Without a doubt, what Que cared about most was still the Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
Although Zhang Ruochen had not guessed wrong—he had indeed cultivated a type of Second-Rank Sacred Intent—this Second-Rank Sacred Intent had a massive flaw.
In other words, he still could not be considered to have successfully cultivated a Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
The more one fused Sacred Intent to Que's level, the more one could feel the difficulty of cultivating a Second-Rank Sacred Intent. Cultivating a complete and perfect Second-Rank Sacred Intent was almost impossible.
Throughout history, only one or two Great Saints in an Eon could cultivate a perfect Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
Que considered himself to have surpassed the Fengchen Sword God from a thousand years ago in cultivation talent, yet he still could not make up for the flaw and take that final step.
The Heaven Hunting Battle was his last chance.
Now, Zhang Ruochen had walked ahead of him, making him feel pressure and urgency.
Zhang Ruochen said: "My Second-Rank Sacred Intent is also not perfect, but as long as the fused Sacred Intent is strong enough, it can naturally unleash the power of a Second-Rank Sacred Intent."
Zhang Ruochen's Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent had already incorporated five types of Sacred Intent, making it top-tier among Second-Rank Sacred Intents.
Even if incomplete, it could unleash the power of a mid-to-low Second-Rank Sacred Intent.
But the Second-Rank Sacred Intent Que had cultivated clearly could not reach that level; its power probably still remained at the Third-Rank Sacred Intent level.
Zhang Ruochen did not tell Que the whole truth either, at least not revealing that he was walking a path toward perfect Sacred Intent.
However, this path was too difficult. Although Zhang Ruochen was full of confidence, he was also well aware that the chance was slim. He needed to seize the fortune of heaven and earth to succeed.
Que sighed: "So your Second-Rank Sacred Intent also has flaws. The hardest part of a Second-Rank Sacred Intent is being flawless."
"Generally speaking, a Second-Rank Sacred Intent is formed by fusing four types of Sacred Intent, like placing a four-cornered balance on the ground, putting the four Sacred Intents on the four corners. To make the balance reach its most stable state, there are very high requirements for the selection of the four Sacred Intents, their strength, and their compatibility with the cultivator themselves. It is almost impossible."
"If it is a Second-Rank Sacred Intent formed by fusing five types of Sacred Intent, the difficulty increases tenfold."
"I wonder how Xue Jue War God and Desolate Heaven managed to cultivate two perfect Second-Rank Sacred Intents in the past. I thought Xue Jue War God had taught you the experience of fusing Sacred Intents, but it turns out you are also a failure."
Fusing Sacred Intent was not about fusing the highest grade possible, but about achieving perfection and stability. Moreover, the higher the grade of fusion, the greater the difficulty, which was not a good thing.
Top-tier Great Saints, when fusing the third and fourth types of Sacred Intent, generally chose Sacred Intents no higher than the Seventh Rank.
The lower the grade, the greater the probability of successful fusion.
Only when Que and Zhang Ruochen discussed the Dao would they mention fusing four or five types of Sacred Intent.
For other Great Saints, being able to fuse two types of Sacred Intent into one was already a remarkable achievement.
Zhang Ruochen said: "It is my turn to ask the second question. You do not belong to the camp of the ten clans, yet you appear on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. This is very abnormal. I think you should not have the right to interfere in the struggles of the ten clans, or rather, there is some kind of constraint on you. What is this constraint?"
"Why do you think there is a constraint on me?" Que asked back.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Because... I discovered that you dare not kill people. Or rather, you dare not kill the Hell Realm cultivators participating in the Heaven Hunting Battle. When contending for the Sacred Intent Pill, you held back everywhere, not daring to use your full strength."
Que laughed loudly: "So, you think I dare not kill people, and that is why you recklessly delivered yourself to me?"
Without any warning, Que flew out from the carriage, crossed the great river, and appeared before Zhang Ruochen.
Almost without using any time, he was already close at hand. The index and middle fingers of his right hand were pressed together, pointing out like a sword, straight at Zhang Ruochen's brow.
In the past, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation was too low, and he had never seen Que's true face clearly, only a shadow.
This time, Zhang Ruochen finally saw his face and form. His face was very thin, and his gaze was extremely sharp. These were the only two impressions; everything else was nothingness.
Facing an opponent like Que, Zhang Ruochen naturally maintained a high level of vigilance at all times.
"Whoosh!"
The Space True Domain, the Virtual Time Domain, the Truth Realm Form, and the Spiritual Power Domain were all released in an instant. At the same time, Zhang Ruochen spread the ten golden wings on his back and rapidly retreated backward.
Zhang Ruochen had long witnessed Que's speed. Not only was he invincible at the same realm, but even among Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints, very few could catch up to him.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen's speed was not slow now either.
"Rumble."
Zhang Ruochen instantly retreated twelve miles, knocking down a long row of buildings.
Que's fingertip slowly approached his brow. Even though Zhang Ruochen used Space power to block and Time power to suppress, it was still useless.
"Even going all out, my speed is still a step behind his."
Zhang Ruochen was prepared. The two fingers of his right hand also formed a sword seal, releasing a dazzling and brilliant divine light, stabbing out like a golden rainbow.
"Sword Eleven."
During the ten years inside the Dark Star, Zhang Ruochen had swallowed the Yandao Sacred Fruit and cultivated Sword Eleven to the top level, only one step away from Great Perfection.
With this sword thrust, a beam of light streaked across the sky of the entire Yama Clan home star.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen's finger collided with Que's fingertip, directly shattering Que's finger, arm, and body. Que's body, like one made of sand and mud, scattered into smoke.
"Bang!"
This sword strike from Zhang Ruochen only shattered Que's clothes, turning them into cloth butterflies that fluttered down to the ground.
"Sure enough, it was a trap."
Although he had anticipated it, Zhang Ruochen still felt a bit frustrated when it actually happened.
The one sitting in the carriage had been Que's robe doppelganger all along, while his true body was hidden somewhere in the city, unknown.
Such a huge commotion naturally alarmed the Yama Clan cultivators in the entire city.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
...
Eight beams of light descended in an instant, condensing into eight Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saints, surrounding Zhang Ruochen in the center.
At the same time, the seventeen-story tower in the city center lit up with dense array inscriptions, sending up a thick pillar of light. The pillar of light rose ten thousand zhang high, then split into eight, falling down and crashing into eight directions of the city district where Zhang Ruochen was located.
In this short time, the city district was sealed off. Eight pillars of light supported an inverted light bowl, turning this place into a cage.
The Yama Clan's swift reaction and thorough preparation surprised Zhang Ruochen.
But he was not panicked.
Zhang Ruochen swept his gaze over the eight Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saints standing in eight directions and said calmly: "Are Yan Huangtu and Yan Wushen not coming out in person? The eight of you alone probably cannot keep me here."
"If Ruochen Great Saint underestimates them, you might suffer a great loss, and might even lose your life here."
Xi, wearing a wide black robe and holding a dark wooden staff, with a young and handsome face, crossed the light wall of the formation bowl and walked a hundred zhang at a time to stand opposite Zhang Ruochen.
Although Zhang Ruochen still wore the appearance of Wu Wuji, he had just used the powers of Time, Space, and Truth. How could the Yama Clan cultivators not guess his true identity?
Zhang Ruochen sized up the young man before him and said: "Who are you?"
"Xi," he said.
Zhang Ruochen said: "Xi, ranked thirteenth on the Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Ranking. I did not expect you to be so young. Xi is not your real name, is it? As far as I know, the character Xi originates from the Primordial Era."
"In the Primordial Era, the Way of Wu was prevalent, and many cultivators practiced it."
"Women were called Wu. Men were called Xi."
Xi shook his head with a smile and said: "Ruochen Great Saint has broad knowledge, and I admire you. I cultivate one of the Yama Clan's ten great Heavenly Daos, the Great Wu Heavenly Dao. The Great Wu Heavenly Dao was created by the Yama Clan's sages based on the Way of Wu."
Xi, ranked thirteenth, was no simple character. With eight Hundred Shackles Realm Great Perfection Great Saints and the formation assisting him, even with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he felt immense pressure.
Zhang Ruochen carefully examined the eight cultivators standing in the eight directions again.
During the struggle for the Sacred Intent Pill, all eight had appeared. However, at that time, their main focus was on suppressing the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill, and they were ambushed from behind by Lan Ying, instantly severely injured. So it was difficult to judge their strength.
After careful observation, Zhang Ruochen's expression grew increasingly grave.
The breathing of the eight was completely synchronized. The aura they emitted intertwined, weaving into a net, merging into one, as if they were indistinguishable from each other.
Xi said: "The eight of them, four cultivate the 'Book of Life' and four cultivate the 'Book of Death.' Within the Yama Clan, they are called the Eight Life-Death Sons. The Undying Indestructible Grand Formation formed by the eight of them once trapped Yan Huangtu for ten days and ten nights."
"Ruochen Great Saint should not have come to the Yama Clan home star. You have become Que's pawn."
Zhang Ruochen shrugged and smiled: "Will the Yama Clan let me leave?"
"Of course not."
Xi said very directly: "Ruochen Great Saint was able to defeat Wujiang and unify the Undying Blood Clan, clearly intending to challenge the Yama Clan's supreme status."
"I must say, the Undying Blood Clan has indeed become one of the few opponents of the Yama Clan. Since Ruochen Great Saint has come, even knowing we are being used by Que, we must kill you."
"As long as you die, the Undying Blood Clan will no longer threaten the Yama Clan."
...
Outside the city, on a ship.
Que looked toward the city, watching the formation activate and sacred light shine for a thousand miles, and let out a soft laugh: "Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen, you think you have seen through the weakness in my state of mind, but you do not know that I deliberately let you see it. Only by seeing the so-called weakness in me would you underestimate me, and thus fall into my scheme."
"I hope you are stronger than I imagine. If you die at the hands of the Yama Clan like this, how boring would that be?"
The ship set sail, gradually disappearing, leaving only a line of clear ripples on the water.
...
Yan Huangtu stood at the top of the seventeen-story tower in the city center. Behind him sat sixty-four Great Saint realm array masters, including six Array Earth Masters.
Yan Huangtu clasped his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance at that city district, and said coldly: "Find Xue Kai and Xue Ling for me. It is bad enough that Que and Lan Ying sneaked in, but how did Zhang Ruochen also manage to break in? Is the defense of the Yama Clan home star so weak?"
In every session of the Heaven Hunting Grand Banquet, even if the Yama Clan faced great challenges, they could always control the overall situation.
But this time, as the strongest of the Yama Clan, Yan Huangtu felt a sense of inadequacy. Even with all the experts recalled, he still felt unable to control the situation.
Que, Lan Ying, and Zhang Ruochen were not easy opponents. Each was more cunning than the last, with both strength and schemes, making them very difficult to deal with.
With the abilities of these three, they could turn heaven and earth upside down wherever they went.
A cultivator dressed in a wide black cloak stood behind Yan Huangtu. He had no head, only two balls of spirit fire flickering within the cloak.
A hoarse voice came from the cloak: "Que came to the home star to evade your and Lan Ying's pursuit, to peacefully comprehend the Dao and prepare to refine the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill. Lan Ying came to the home star to seize the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill. But Zhang Ruochen came to the home star, besides coveting the Imperial Grade Sacred Intent Pill, he should also have the intention of destroying our clansmen. This person is the most dangerous."
Yan Huangtu said: "Once battle erupts, there will inevitably be a large number of Yama Clan clansmen dying, whether from Que or Lan Ying. But for now, we can only eliminate them one by one."