Chapter 2417: Twenty Years
Qingsheng Great Saint was slightly stunned, then shook his head straight away: "No... no... it will cause great chaos..."
"War God didn't directly give you the position of Family Head, but made you Acting Family Head. Most likely, he is testing your ability. The Blood Absolute Family is too large; it needs a decisive and forceful figure to hold it up. If Uncle continues to be this indecisive, I'm afraid it will disappoint War God. Uncle knows what kind of person War God likes, doesn't he?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint narrowed his eyes, already moved in his heart.
Zhang Ruochen delivered the final blow: "If Uncle is willing to grant me the territory and industries of Ice King Star, I am willing to offer one hundred King-grade Sacred Intent Pills and one thousand five hundred top-grade Heavenly-grade Sacred Intent Pills."
"Hiss!"
Qingsheng Great Saint inhaled sharply. This kid really had quite a stash of Sacred Intent Pills.
He certainly hadn't told the truth earlier.
"I am the Family Head; I don't accept bribes."
"It's selling to the family, how is that a bribe?"
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen poured out all two thousand Sacred Intent Pills, which, like radiant pearls, surrounded Qingsheng Great Saint.
Qingsheng Great Saint swept his sleeve, collecting all the Sacred Intent Pills, and said with a grave expression: "The interests on Ice King Star are astonishing. Even if I, as Family Head, grant you the industries on Ice King Star, it will be useless. The Yixuan Clan won't let go."
"If she won't let go, then we take it by force. All I need now is a legitimate reason." Zhang Ruochen said.
"Taking by force will inevitably lead to war, and war means bloodshed."
"Since ancient times, has there ever been a successful endeavor without bloodshed?"
Qingsheng Great Saint rubbed his chin, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was right. To truly become the Family Head of the Blood Absolute Family, he indeed needed to fight a tough battle.
Only by defeating the Yixuan Clan could the strong within the Blood Absolute Family truly submit to him.
Only then would the forces attached to the Blood Absolute Family truly regard him as the Family Head, instead of continuing to obey the Yixuan Clan.
Zhang Ruochen had just won first place in the Heaven Hunting Battle and was at the peak of his momentum. If he stepped forward to confront the Yixuan Clan head-on, no one within the family would dare to say anything.
Moreover, Qingsheng Great Saint was still pondering whether Zhang Ruochen's move against Ice King Star and the Yixuan Clan was instigated by Xue Hou and Underworld King.
Ice King Star was an eighth-level planet.
In the Heavenly Court, an eighth-level planet was the scale of a small great world.
Furthermore, Ice King Star's location was special. Taking it was equivalent to securing an independent passage between the fringe and central regions of the Hell Realm. At a critical moment, it could be of great use—an absolute strategic location.
Besides, Yu Huang wanted to go to Ice King Star to find someone; she needed a pretext, didn't she?
"Two thousand Sacred Intent Pills, three thousand five hundred Divine Stones."
Qingsheng Great Saint took out the Divine Stones from a Space Ring.
Blocks of Divine Stones emitted dazzling divine light, containing powerful energy fluctuations, like burning meteorites. Zhang Ruochen collected them all.
"I need a token that can represent the Blood Absolute Family." Zhang Ruochen said.
Qingsheng Great Saint asked thoughtfully: "What do you intend to do?"
"I plan to send a strong expert to Ice King Star ahead of time. Some preparations must be made in advance." As he said this, Zhang Ruochen glanced toward Yu Huang.
"Fine, it's just a token."
Qingsheng Great Saint didn't hold much hope for this struggle.
The Yixuan Clan's power was too great. Even if he and Zhang Ruochen joined forces, they were still far behind.
But this battle had to be fought.
War God disliked those who showed fear before battle the most.
Even if they lost, at least he dared to fight. Perhaps it would make War God look at him differently. Being punished was better than being ignored.
After Qingsheng Great Saint left, Zhang Ruochen activated the Sundial.
Those cultivating within the Sundial's range included, besides Zhang Ruochen and Yu Huang, Lian Xi, Zhou Zhen, Hong, Shen Tu Yun Kong, and also the Sword Emperor, Stone Emperor, and Mo Yin who had always followed Zhang Ruochen.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, the fourth fruit of the Devouring Saint Flower had already matured.
The fourth fruit was its "Dharma Body."
Mo Yin had swallowed and absorbed it, causing her cultivation to increase significantly again. That was why she had separated from Zhang Ruochen's body to cultivate independently.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, those like Wu Wuji, who had been subdued and suppressed by Zhang Ruochen, were released and sent away after the battle ended.
Only the Great Senluo Emperor refused to leave no matter what, shamelessly staying at the Hanhai Manor. Seeing Zhang Ruochen activate the Sundial, he also ran out, plopped down beside Zhang Ruochen, and began cultivating.
What annoyed Zhang Ruochen the most was that the Great Senluo Emperor's Divine Father showed no sign of coming to take him back. Whether it was because he found him too embarrassing and had given up on him, or for some other purpose, Zhang Ruochen didn't know.
Zhang Ruochen did not enter the Seven Star Imperial Palace to cultivate.
During the battle with Xiu Chen Heavenly God, the Sundial had shown signs of awakening. Although its coverage seemed to be only two hundred zhang, the Seven Star Imperial Palace, whose internal space far exceeded two hundred zhang, could also be fully covered by the Sundial.
However, the broader the space covered, the more Divine Stones the Sundial consumed.
Zhang Ruochen had experimented. When he entered the Seven Star Imperial Palace, the Sundial's consumption of Divine Stones doubled. When he entered the Purple Gold Gourd, the consumption rate increased fifteen-fold.
If he did not enter the Seven Star Imperial Palace or the Purple Gold Gourd, even if these vessels with internal space were placed within the Sundial's two-hundred-zhang range, the Sundial's consumption of Divine Stones would not change.
The time flow inside the Seven Star Imperial Palace and the Purple Gold Gourd remained normal.
Zhang Ruochen's understanding of the Sundial was still limited. He didn't know why this happened and could only guess that it was due to some special connection between him and the Sundial. So, when he entered a special space, the Time Imprint generated by the Sundial would penetrate the spatial barrier and enter that space.
...
Spending half a year within the Sundial, Zhang Ruochen finally refined the Dark Force that had invaded his body, and his injuries healed.
The power contained in the Dark Star was terrifying. This was the longest time Zhang Ruochen had ever spent healing.
After his injuries healed, Zhang Ruochen didn't rush to the Destiny Temple. Instead, he continued cultivating, planning to fully refine the Flame Divine Patterns contained in the Blazing God Leg.
He had only refined over twenty million Flame Divine Patterns so far, yet the power of the Blazing God Leg could already clash head-on with a Supreme Sacred Artifact.
If he could refine and master all one hundred million Flame Divine Patterns, how powerful would a single leg strike be?
Moreover, not refining and mastering all the Flame Divine Patterns would ultimately be a hidden danger.
...
Time flew by, and twenty years passed.
Zhang Ruochen had refined and mastered eighty million Flame Divine Patterns from the Blazing God Leg. The strength of his left leg had once again reached an uncontrollable level. Even without deliberately activating it, divine fire burned in his leg.
With a slight stomp, his entire leg sank into the ground.
Once again, he became a cripple.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't discouraged by this; instead, he was extremely excited. He could sense the terrifying power contained in his left leg. A single stomp seemed capable of shattering a mountain range.
Over the past twenty years, the number of Sacred Dao Rules in Zhang Ruochen's body had increased to thirteen billion, and the number of shackles he had broken reached seventy-six.
His Spiritual Power remained at the sixty-fifth rank, seemingly hitting a bottleneck. Even after consuming many Sacred Pills, there was no significant improvement.
"Rustle."
Zhang Ruochen activated the Flame God Armor, wrapping it around his entire body. Using the armor's power, he contained the divine fire constantly overflowing from his left leg within the armor. Then, he closed his eyes to sort out his somewhat numb, chaotic, and blurry consciousness.
If a person secludes themselves for too long, their thinking and consciousness will develop problems.
It's like an ordinary person locking themselves in a room for dozens or hundreds of days without any contact. Over time, they will inevitably break down or even become mentally disturbed.
Of course, given Zhang Ruochen's current Spiritual Power, a twenty-year seclusion wouldn't cause major problems.
Many cultivators, after secluding themselves for too long, might even lose the ability to distinguish between the real world and their inner world. Or they might forget the rules, forms, and emotions of the real world. They would have to force themselves to become an ordinary person, immerse themselves in the mortal world, and live a lifetime to recover.
This is called "washing the heart in the mortal world, seeking the true self."
Zhang Ruochen took out the bronze coffin containing the Divine Corpse and opened the lid to check the changes in the Devouring Spirit Insects.
Inside the coffin was half a Divine Corpse, which Zhang Ruochen had bought from the Star Sea World at the sky-high price of 180,000 Divine Stones.
Even half a Divine Corpse was over two thousand li long.
Back then, Zhang Ruochen had placed a large number of Devouring Spirit Insects on the Divine Corpse. Although most were killed by the Divine Poison contained in the corpse, some survived.
Zhang Ruochen had high hopes for these surviving Devouring Spirit Insects, planning to use them to deal with Ten Thousand Death One Life Realm, or even Supreme Realm Great Saints.
The Devouring Spirit Insects on the Divine Corpse were still sleeping, motionless.
But some subtle changes had occurred. A layer of green poisonous cocoons had formed on the surface of these insects.
The cocoons weren't thick; they were semi-transparent, like bubbles.
Zhang Ruochen frowned and muttered to himself: "If it really doesn't work, I could activate the Sundial's power. Perhaps I can wake them up in a short time."
Zhang Ruochen now had plenty of Divine Stones and wasn't afraid of consumption. He was eager to try.
Behind him, footsteps sounded.
A faint fragrance wafted over.
"This half Divine Corpse still contains residual Divine Soul mist. It can be used to refine Sub-Divine Soul Pills or to nurture the eighteen Six-Calamity Ghost Kings carrying your Seven Star Imperial Palace. If three or five of them can survive the Seventh Ghost Calamity, it would be a huge gain." Yu Huang said.
Ghost cultivators who survive the Seventh Ghost Calamity can be titled Ghost Lords, with cultivation comparable to Great Saints.
Zhang Ruochen asked: "Are your injuries fully healed?"
"Yeah." Yu Huang replied.
"How long until you break through to the Thousand Questions Realm?"
"Although I have Great Perfection Hundred Shackles Realm cultivation, my accumulation is still shallow. I'm far from being on par with Yan Huangtu and the others. I haven't even successfully cultivated a single Thousand Questions-level Sacred Art. I'm still a long way from the Thousand Questions Realm." Yu Huang's arrogance had diminished somewhat, and she boldly admitted her gap with the top talents.
Zhang Ruochen said: "With the help of the Sundial, how long do you think it would take to break through to the Thousand Questions Realm?"
"It's not that easy. To assault the Thousand Questions Realm, one must first derive their own Dao. This step is very critical. It's not just about having more time to cultivate. Among the Undying Blood Clan, any Hundred Shackles Great Perfection Great Saint with connections will go to the Undying Divine Temple before assaulting the Thousand Questions Realm. It is said that only by going to the Undying Divine Temple can an Undying Blood Clan Great Saint derive the most perfect Dao. But the number of Great Saints qualified to enter the Undying Divine Temple is very small." Yu Huang said.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said: "In this Heaven Hunting Battle, you have rendered outstanding service to the Undying Blood Clan. How could the Undying Divine Temple not give you a cultivation slot?"
"Of course."
A smile also appeared on Yu Huang's cold, icy face.
Zhang Ruochen waved his arm lightly, and the Seven Star Ghost Lotus flew out, hovering in front of Yu Huang, slowly rotating.
The smile on Yu Huang's face froze. Staring at the black lotus, which was more beautiful than any flower, she felt a strong sense of closeness. But in the end, she didn't reach out to take it.
She knew that Zhang Ruochen had entrusted the Seven Star Ghost Lotus to her on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield because he had no one else to use and had to do so.
But now, she could see that Mo Yin, Sword Emperor, and Stone Emperor were all very powerful Great Saints. Zhang Ruochen had many experts by his side.
Moreover, when she lost to Yan Huangtu, she had already lost the Seven Star Ghost Lotus. How could she still dare to hope to continue wielding this Supreme Sacred Artifact?
"What are you standing there for? Take it." Zhang Ruochen said.
Yu Huang didn't stand on ceremony. Facing a Supreme Sacred Artifact, there was even less reason to refuse. She immediately put away the Seven Star Ghost Lotus.
"I will go to the Destiny Temple to cultivate now. One hundred days later, we will set out for Ice King Star."
"I will go with you."
The opportunity to enter the Destiny Temple for cultivation was rare. Zhang Ruochen knew very little about the Path of Fate, so he naturally cherished this one hundred days of time.
...
Xue Hou walked into the Divine Realm World of Blood Jue War God, stepping on circles of water ripples. The void reflected her tall, graceful figure.
"Have you found the deity who killed Feng Hou?" Xue Hou asked.
Blood Jue War God shook his head and said: "The God Venerable speculates that the assassin must be a deity within the Destiny Temple itself. That's why they could kill and cover their tracks."
"There shouldn't be many deities stationed in the Destiny Temple. They should be able to identify them." Xue Hou said.
Blood Jue War God said: "The relationships between the three departments and twelve palaces within the Destiny Temple are delicate. Without evidence, even the God Venerable dares not act rashly. Moreover, this matter absolutely cannot be made public. Tell me, why have you come to see me?"
Xue Hou remained calm and composed, saying: "Yan Wushen is dead. I want to go and bring Kunlun back."
Blood Jue War God said: "Do you think it's necessary?"
"Is it not necessary? War God thinks that because he doesn't have the Blood Absolute Family's bloodline, there's no need to conflict with the Yama Clan over him?" Xue Hou said.
Blood Jue War God's voice deepened: "Is that how you speak to your father?"
Xue Hou turned sideways, not looking at Blood Jue War God's stern face, and said: "Chen'er came to the Hell Realm because of Kong Le and Kunlun. I don't want to hurt his feelings. With Yan Wushen dead, even if the Yama Clan doesn't take the opportunity to retaliate, they probably won't let Kunlun have an easy time. I'm here to tell you, whether you agree or not, I have to go."
"Stop."
Blood Jue War God stood up, his figure majestic and proud, and said: "Do you really think your father is so heartless? Zhang Ruochen came to see me, but he didn't mention this matter."
"That's because he found it hard to bring up." Xue Hou said with her back to him.
Blood Jue War God said: "I don't think so. I think he wants to handle it himself."
"Himself?"
Xue Hou raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of understanding.
Blood Jue War God said: "Deities should meddle as little as possible in worldly affairs. I trust Wu Qingzong; he is not a narrow-minded person. If I were him, with a young genius like Zhang Kunlun by my side, I would spend more effort cultivating him, not bullying him. Besides, Yan Wushen may not have truly fallen. In that battle, who knows who was using whom?"
"Isn't Yan Wushen already completely annihilated in form and spirit?" Xue Hou showed a surprised expression.
Blood Jue War God sat back down and said with an inscrutable smile: "Girl, you have only recently become a deity. There is still much for you to learn."