Chapter 2358: Vision
"Hehe, Zhang Ruochen, how did your vigilance become so poor?"
A pleasant, silver-bell-like laugh sounded within the star mist, shifting left and right, unpredictable.
Luo Sha's tall figure, a full one meter eighty, walked out from the mist. Her two long, straight legs moved with a vibrant, youthful energy. Her slender waist swayed slightly, carrying a captivating charm.
She wore a green dress, her hands clasped behind her back. Her long, flowing hair was parted on both sides, casually tied into two braids. Her face, beautiful enough to topple kingdoms, was perpetually adorned with a pure, maiden-like smile.
With such a youthful, clear, and pure appearance, she was like a harmless lamb. Who could believe she harbored stratagems and endless schemes in her heart?
Zhang Ruochen said, "Where is Blade Prison Emperor?"
"He's a top ten expert on the Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Ranking. With my cultivation, could I possibly devour him? Besides, the Undying Blood Clan are also humanoid beings. I have no appetite for them at all."
Luo Sha lightly bit her red lips and touched her lower abdomen. "Speaking of which, I really am a bit hungry! Zhang Ruochen, do you have any food on you?"
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Where exactly is Blade Prison Emperor? Is Luo Sheng Tian also nearby?"
Among the ten clans, all were competitors.
Zhang Ruochen aimed for the number one spot among the ten clans and could not afford any mistakes.
"Blade Prison Emperor, Blade Prison Emperor, all you know is Blade Prison Emperor. Is Blade Prison Emperor your lover? If I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't have transformed into Blade Prison Emperor using a single strand of hair, but into my imperial brother. With my brother's cultivation, if he had ambushed you in that situation just now, even if you didn't die, you'd have lost a layer of skin, wouldn't you?"
Luo Sha crooked her finger. "If you want to know where Blade Prison Emperor is, follow me."
Luo Sha transformed into a streak of green light and soared away.
"Since Luo Sha transformed into Blade Prison Emperor to tease me and knows I destroyed the Death Altar, it's clear she has a thorough understanding of the star region near the Seventh Dark Star. There must be quite a few Rakshasa Great Saints scattered nearby," Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Blade Prison Emperor's cultivation was indeed formidable, but Luo Sha's Thousand Illusion Art was extremely difficult to guard against.
If they truly fought, Blade Prison Emperor would likely be no match for Luo Sha.
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts raced through a hundred possibilities in an instant. Then, he pursued Luo Sha, flying into the dark star region covered by the energy of the Seventh Dark Star.
He didn't go deep, only staying at the edge.
The two landed on a small planet orbiting the dark star.
The small planet was only a little over a thousand meters long, flat in shape, and occupied by dozens of Rakshasa women, all at the Great Saint realm, with graceful figures and skin as white as snow.
The Rakshasa clan was known for producing beauties, especially those who had cultivated to the Great Saint realm. Every one of them was as beautiful as a fairy, with figures like demons.
"Princess has returned!"
A group of Rakshasa women came forward to greet her.
They exuded a fragrant aura, their eyes shimmering. They lacked the dignified authority of Great Saints, instead possessing a soft, seductive charm.
Although many of them had higher cultivation than Luo Sha, they treated her with great respect, demonstrating Luo Sha's skill and capability.
Luo Sha smiled. "Look who I've brought back. Blood Absolute War God's grandson, Zhang Ruochen. He has talent, status, and good looks. You vixens are in for a treat!"
Then she added, "Han Ying, didn't you hunt a Great Saint-level dragon earlier? Hurry up and prepare it. I'm a bit hungry."
Except for the Rakshasa woman named Han Ying, all the other Rakshasa women turned their gazes to Zhang Ruochen.
Their beautiful eyes sparkled with intense, fiery light, as if they wanted to devour him.
Not every Rakshasa woman was as appearance-focused as Luo Sha, but they all admired the strong. A top-tier expert of an era like Zhang Ruochen was liked by every Rakshasa woman.
"Great Saint Ruochen, is it true you defeated Wu Jiang?"
"Did Great Saint Ruochen really condense a Second-Rank Sacred Intent? Five hundred years ago, I swore an oath to marry only a talented man who could condense a Second-Rank Sacred Intent."
"I am Yan Qing of the Yan Holy Clan of the Heavenly Rakshasa Divine Kingdom. I've long heard of Great Saint Ruochen's genius reputation. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary. I wonder if we could get to know each other?"
Some Rakshasa women introduced themselves, not hiding the admiration in their eyes.
If even Great Saints behaved like this, it showed that the women of the Rakshasa clan were indeed bold and unrestrained in character, daring to love and hate, with little pretentiousness.
Luo Sha stood to the side, quietly watching Zhang Ruochen surrounded in the center, a smile on her face. She waved her hand. "All of you, withdraw. If you want to get to know Great Saint Ruochen, there will be plenty of opportunities later. Right now, I need to discuss important matters with him."
These Rakshasa women, having cultivated to the Great Saint realm within a thousand years, naturally had very high standards. Only a talent like Zhang Ruochen, with his family background and genius, was worth their active pursuit.
If a female cultivator's talent was too high, many ended up alone for life.
High talent meant high standards.
By the time they reached the Great Saint realm or even became gods, they looked down on the weak even more, and their interest in romantic relationships gradually faded, focusing more on exploring the Heavenly Dao.
After the Rakshasa women dispersed, Zhang Ruochen and Luo Sha sat down in a seven-cornered palace. Cooked dragon meat, dragon liver, and dragon ears were indeed served, their fragrance wafting through the air.
Just a sniff made saliva flow.
The seven-cornered palace was a Rule Imperial Artifact.
Inside the hall, dense Sacred Dao rules flowed continuously, allowing one to savor the delicacies while cultivating.
Luo Sha was very gluttonous.
Zhang Ruochen had known this since their first encounter in the Ancestral Spirit Realm.
Luo Sha ate with extreme elegance. Without utensils, she used two jade-like fingers to pick up thin slices of fragrant dragon meat, placing them in her mouth and chewing gently, her cheeks slightly greasy.
Her lively, big eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen. "Try some. In the entire Heaven Hunting Battlefield, there are only a few Great Saint-level dragons. The ingredients are precious! However, Han Ying's cooking skills are far inferior to Qing Mo's. Back in the Kunlun Realm, I really wanted to bring Qing Mo back to the Hell Realm, but that girl is too stubborn. She refused to come with me no matter what."
Zhang Ruochen remained cautious of Luo Sha and didn't touch the food on the jade plate. "When I encountered Source Demon Prince and Qi Yang, you were watching from the shadows, weren't you? Your spiritual power is very strong. I didn't even sense it."
Even before breaking through to the Great Saint realm, Luo Sha could control a Supreme Realm Great Saint's corpse using her Yin Spirit Lotus, showing her formidable spiritual power.
Now, it had grown even more, not much weaker than Zhang Ruochen's.
Luo Sha nodded. "My spiritual power is strong because I laid the foundation by reading extensively since childhood and traveled through various realms, broadening my horizons. Finally, in the Kunlun Realm, I obtained the Divine Star Soul of the Divine Python Corpse, which allowed me to advance by leaps and bounds."
Zhang Ruochen naturally knew about the Divine Python Corpse.
Back then, Zhang Ruochen had seized the Divine Python Corpse, allowing the evil spirit to merge with it. Luo Sha, on the other hand, had taken the more precious Divine Source and Divine Star Soul.
The rapid growth of Luo Sha's Sacred Dao cultivation and spiritual power was certainly related to that.
"Where is Blade Prison Emperor?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Luo Sha rolled her eyes. "Blade Prison Emperor again? Don't worry, I didn't make a move on him. Besides, Blade Prison Emperor is a tough character. He's not so easy to deal with."
"State your purpose."
Zhang Ruochen was very direct, not wanting to waste time.
Luo Sha licked her lips and wiped her fingers on a silk cloth. "Since Great Saint Ruochen doesn't like foreplay, let's get straight to the point. I want to cooperate with you—specifically, with the Undying Blood Clan—to take down the Seventh Dark Star together."
Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised, then smiled. "I like to monopolize things. I don't like cooperation."
"No, you do," Luo Sha said.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Why?"
"Because on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, the Undying Blood Clan has enemies everywhere. Only the Rakshasa clan can be your friend."
Luo Sha placed the jade plate of dragon meat in the center of the table. "The Seventh Dark Star is too big a piece of meat for the Undying Blood Clan to swallow alone. Besides, the Upper Three Clans have been operating here for days. You don't have any advantage over them."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Continue."
"The Rakshasa clan has been arranging and deploying around the Seventh Dark Star. Our information is far superior to the dozen or so Heavenly Slaves you temporarily sent out."
Luo Sha said, "The dark space of the Seventh Dark Star is a hundred times more vast than other dark stars. Without detailed, accurate information, even if I gave you a few years instead of a few days, you wouldn't be able to clear out all the Heavenly Slaves hiding everywhere."
Zhang Ruochen said, "From what you're saying, it seems we have a basis for cooperation. But how do I know you won't betray the Undying Blood Clan at a critical moment?"
Luo Sha picked up another piece of dragon meat and ate it, laughing. "What benefit would betraying the Undying Blood Clan bring the Rakshasa clan? Making an enemy like you, Zhang Ruochen, for no reason—the Rakshasa clan doesn't want to follow in the footsteps of the Ghost Clan and the Yama Clan."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Where is Luo Sheng Tian? I want him to come out and speak with me personally."
Luo Sha straightened her back, her chest becoming fuller and more prominent, sitting upright with an air of authority. "I can make decisions for the Rakshasa clan."
"But only with Luo Sheng Tian's help can we be more certain of killing Chi Emperor," Zhang Ruochen said.
Although Chi Emperor had profound cultivation, his spiritual power was sealed, and his hands and feet were bound by divine chains, greatly reducing his combat power. Zhang Ruochen, wielding Dark Time-Space Matter, had some confidence in killing him.
However, if Chi Emperor tried to escape, Zhang Ruochen couldn't stop him.
Therefore, he needed a top-tier expert to help restrain him.
Luo Sha said, "I can help you kill Chi Emperor."
"You?"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were full of doubt.
Luo Sha smiled. "I will personally go with you to besiege Chi Emperor. Now do you believe me?"
"You're joking with your own life," Zhang Ruochen said solemnly.
With Chi Emperor's level of cultivation, even the residual shockwaves of battle could threaten Luo Sha's fragile life.
Luo Sha said, "I cherish my own life very much, so I'm not joking."
Zhang Ruochen couldn't guess what Luo Sha's trump card was, but this woman indeed had many extraordinary qualities, so he temporarily believed her.
Finally setting aside his guard, Zhang Ruochen raised his wine glass. "Then let's wish for a swift victory and a quick capture of the Seventh Dark Star."
After clinking glasses and drinking, Zhang Ruochen asked, "The Upper Three Clans must have already started moving. Princess, when do you think we should set out?"
Luo Sha's almond-shaped eyes stared straight at Zhang Ruochen's handsome, slightly wicked face. "No rush. Let the Upper Three Clans clear the way for us first, flattening all those formation patterns, talisman patterns, and Sacred Art traps. Then we'll set out. Or, we could chat a bit more."
"About what?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Luo Sha said, "About... feelings. I'm still curious—are you a passionate man or a promiscuous one?"
"Boring."
Zhang Ruochen stood up to leave but then stopped, thinking of something, and sat back down.
Luo Sha, pursing her red lips and chewing on the dragon liver in her mouth, asked, "Why aren't you leaving?"
"I have a few questions I want to discuss with you. I'd like to hear your thoughts," Zhang Ruochen said.
Luo Sha looked very interested. "Excellent! Great Saint Ruochen has already regarded me as a confidante. Please, go ahead. What troubles you? Let me help you sort it out."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Princess, do you have any grand, far-reaching goals or visions?"
A strange look flashed in Luo Sha's eyes, and she smiled. "This is a question that Blood Absolute War God, the elder, asked you to think about, isn't it?"
Zhang Ruochen remained silent.
Luo Sha said, "Actually, this is a question that Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints seriously consider and carefully decide upon. Blood Absolute War God asking you to think about it now is actually correct. Figuring it out early will save you some trouble when you reach the Thousand Questions Realm."
"Why the Thousand Questions Realm?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Luo Sha stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and spoke eloquently. "The most important thing for a Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint is to transform the Dao. So-called transforming the Dao means manifesting what is in the heart."
"Therefore, cultivators at this stage repeatedly question themselves about various issues—asking about gains and losses in life, about past rights and wrongs, about the direction of the path ahead—and then solve each problem one by one."
"Only when the state of mind is more complete can the manifested Dao be more complete."
"At this time, the most important question is the cultivator's vision. Every cultivator, at this stage, sets a vision that requires a lifetime of effort to achieve. This can also be called a dream or a goal."
"Thousand Questions Realm Great Saints call this: the higher the heart's ambition, the farther the future achievements."
"Of course, it's not that the grander the vow, the better. For example, some cultivators in the Thousand Questions Realm vow to become the clan leader of the Rakshasa clan in this lifetime. The vow takes root and becomes their obsession."
"But as their cultivation grows higher, they realize this vision is unattainable, which instead breeds inner demons. In the end, they are devoured by the inner demons and become a mad, deranged person."
"Therefore, every cultivator, when questioning their future goals and dreams in the Thousand Questions Realm, sets them based on their own strength and true inner thoughts. The more grandiose and empty, the worse the outcome. Just like..."
Zhang Ruochen snapped out of his contemplation and asked, "Just like what?"
"Promise you won't hit me if I say it," Luo Sha said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Speak freely. I definitely won't hit you."
Luo Sha said, "Just like Xumi Saint Monk, who made the great vow, 'If Hell is not empty, I will not become a Buddha,' but ultimately fell at the hands of the Hell Realm gods. Isn't that ironic? What are you doing, Zhang Ruochen? This is Rakshasa territory. You can't go back on your word..."
This was pure provocation!
Knowing full well that Zhang Ruochen was Xumi Saint Monk's heir, she still said such things. Wasn't she asking for a beating?
Based on his experience hitting her last time, Zhang Ruochen seriously suspected that Luo Sha was deliberately courting death, wanting to be hit by him. Women, after all, say no with their mouths, but their hearts are always the opposite.