Chapter 2420: Abandoned Heaven
The Relic Ancient Realm was one of the many secret realms within Fate Divine Mountain. Legend said it stored a vast number of fate treasures, each one priceless. Even many core disciples of the Destiny Temple did not have the qualifications to enter the Relic Ancient Realm.
Zhang Ruochen, in his Source Lake Cave Dwelling, activated the Sundial and comprehended Fate Esoterica for a full six months.
After emerging from seclusion, he came to the Relic Ancient Realm to search for fate treasures.
"Crack."
Zhang Ruochen crushed a piece of green tile underfoot, producing a shattering sound.
The Relic Ancient Realm was completely different from what he had imagined.
The sky within the secret realm was very dim, with only a faint green glow on the western side.
The vast land was filled with broken walls and collapsed buildings, withered trees and rubble, forming an immense ruin. As far as the eye could see, there was no boundary.
Through the broken walls, the massive stones lying about, and the sacrificial vessels buried deep underground, one could imagine the former glory of this place. It felt as if the Heavenly Palace had collapsed.
Such a vast ruin immediately reminded Zhang Ruochen of the Dragon God Temple from before.
"Could there have once been another magnificent temple here, also destroyed?"
Zhang Ruochen was inwardly shaken. Even though the entire world was in ruins, the stone pillars, rusted cauldrons, and altars still exuded a sacred and solemn aura.
"This place was once the Destiny Temple."
A deep voice sounded beside him, carrying a tone of reminiscence.
Zhang Ruochen's expression changed slightly. He turned his head to look. Not far away, a black figure had somehow appeared, standing there.
He wore a black robe, with not a trace of aura fluctuation, like an ordinary mortal. Yet, Zhang Ruochen could not clearly see his face or form at all. Even when he activated his Truth Eye, he only saw three blurry overlapping images.
With Zhang Ruochen's state of mind, he steadied his heart in an instant and said calmly, "Who are you, sir? How did you come to be here?"
"Although the Destiny Temple has collapsed, some ancient cultivation treasures still remain. I have been comprehending the Dao in the Relic Ancient Realm for a hundred years. Today, I just emerged from seclusion and happened to pass by this place," the black-robed man said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is it such a coincidence?"
Who could just enter the Relic Ancient Realm?
To be able to cultivate in the Relic Ancient Realm for a hundred years, this person was definitely not simple.
The black-robed man walked forward slowly, passing through broken walls and crossing ravines.
For some reason, Zhang Ruochen chose to follow him.
After walking for an unknown distance, the black-robed man said, "Aren't you curious about how the Destiny Temple collapsed? When it collapsed? And who built the new temple?"
Zhang Ruochen was indeed curious, but he did not ask.
The black-robed man said, "No empire, clan, or temple in this world can remain eternally powerful and indestructible. When the great destruction arrives, the entire world must collapse. The reason the Destiny Temple was destroyed was that it was not strong enough. But as long as the inheritance is not broken, and more outstanding successors emerge, the temple can be rebuilt, even more magnificent than before."
"The setback of the temple's destruction is only a brief darkness. As long as faith is not shattered, and there are still cultivators who persist in their beliefs, the light will eventually come. Look now, how powerful is the reborn Destiny Temple?"
Zhang Ruochen said coldly, "Who exactly are you?"
He simply did not believe that a passerby would speak such words to him.
"My name is Abandoned Heaven. I am a person who has abandoned everything, including myself. Now, I only have the sky above my head left. Perhaps one day, even the sky will collapse."
The black-robed man turned and walked away.
Zhang Ruochen quickly pursued him, but no matter how fast he moved, he could not catch up to the black-robed man's slow pace. He could only watch helplessly as the black-robed man disappeared at the horizon.
Zhang Ruochen panted heavily, gritting his teeth, and shouted, "Who exactly are you?"
The appearance of the black-robed man made Zhang Ruochen restless.
Unknowingly, he walked back to the place where the black-robed man had taken him earlier. What met his eyes were dense graves. Some had tombstones, some only a cross, all incredibly desolate.
On the tombstones and crosses were written names, all cultivators of the Destiny Temple.
One area was entirely new graves.
It seemed that all fallen cultivators of the Destiny Temple were buried here.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and adjusted his state of mind.
After his mood had completely stabilized, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes again, no longer thinking about the black-robed man's words, and prepared to focus on finding fate treasures.
After half a year of comprehending Fate Esoterica, Zhang Ruochen had gained a deep understanding of the Path of Fate.
The Destiny Temple had twelve palaces: Life, Death, Calamity, Fortune, Misfortune, Auspiciousness, Joy, Anger, Void, Reality, Past, and Future, corresponding to twelve types of power.
However, Zhang Ruochen had reclassified them.
Life, Death, Calamity, Fortune, Misfortune, and Auspiciousness actually represented "Light" and "Darkness."
Joy and Anger represented "Heart."
Void and Reality represented "Nothingness" and "Space."
Past and Future represented "Time."
The power of fate was all-encompassing.
A single "Joy" or "Anger" was not simply two emotions but contained more power. For example, when Bore mobilized the power of fate, she could restore a cultivator's erased memories, which was a manifestation of "Heart" power.
Wind Queen, wielding the Heavenly Fate Feather, could manipulate cultivators' emotions and disrupt their memories, also originating from "Heart" power.
The power contained in Life, Death, Calamity, Fortune, Misfortune, and Auspiciousness was even broader.
After careful thought, Zhang Ruochen decided to search for fate treasures related to time or space.
"Whoosh——"
He simultaneously released Space Rule, Time Rule, and Spiritual Power, spreading them outward inch by inch to probe the six directions of space.
If there was a fate treasure nearby that resonated with time or space, he would have a special reaction.
"Oh!"
In an instant, Zhang Ruochen sensed something. His gaze fixed on a mountain-sized grave ahead.
Although it was also a new grave, its scale far surpassed those of other cultivators, clearly indicating that the tomb owner was of great origin.
Zhang Ruochen's figure flickered, appearing at the base of the grave mound. He looked up at the text on the tombstone.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted.
"Tomb of Divine Son Yuqiu."
Zhang Ruochen had not expected that the previous Divine Son of the Destiny Temple had died.
Was being a Divine Son or Divine Daughter of the Destiny Temple so dangerous?
Reading the content on the tombstone carefully, Zhang Ruochen breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that this Divine Son had not been assassinated but had died while attempting to break through to the God Realm.
To become a Divine Son or Divine Daughter of the Destiny Temple, one must be the top prodigy of an era. Unfortunately, their pressure was also immense.
If they could not reach the God Realm within a thousand years, they would be removed from the position.
A Divine Son or Divine Daughter who was not a god had an awkward status and would inevitably be ridiculed. Countless cultivators would think they had wasted the massive resources provided by the Destiny Temple.
As the thousand-year mark approached, whenever there was a chance to break through to the God Realm, they would desperately take the risk.
Thus, with their shallow foundations, the probability of failing to break through to the God Realm increased significantly.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen struck the ground with one palm, sending out all the Time Rule and Fate Rule within his body to communicate with the fate treasure in the grave.
The fate treasure only trembled slightly.
It did not fly out on its own.
"What? Do I have to dig open the grave and take it from the coffin?"
Zhang Ruochen did not rashly do so. The grave of a Divine Son close to the God Realm was definitely not simple. Digging it up would be a great disrespect and would surely incur backlash.
"Right, Fate Esoterica."
Zhang Ruochen formed hand seals with his fingers, channeling the power of Fate Esoterica within his body.
"Clang!"
A white light broke through the soil of the grave mound and flew out, rushing straight toward Zhang Ruochen.
It circled Zhang Ruochen at an incredible speed.
Its speed was so fast that even Zhang Ruochen felt danger. If it hit him, he would likely be injured.
As it flew, the flow of time in the surrounding space became chaotic. Numerous Time Imprints actively appeared, gathering behind it into a tail of light points.
Zhang Ruochen simultaneously released his Space True Domain and Void Time Domain, suppressing it. At the same time, he extended his right palm, channeling the power of Fate Esoterica to his palm.
Its speed slowed, and it flew into Zhang Ruochen's palm.
It was a white bracelet, neither stone, metal, nor jade. It appeared crystalline but was not transparent.
"Whoosh——"
Zhang Ruochen channeled a strand of Blood Fiend Qi into it. The bracelet immediately emitted a faint glow, and three ancient characters appeared on its surface — Zhou Fan Bracelet.
Universe.
Yu represented the four directions and eight points, which was space.
Zhou represented past and present, which was time.
This bracelet was named after "Zhou," so it was indeed related to time. Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen possessed Fate Esoterica; otherwise, he might not have been able to subdue it.
"From now on, you are with me."
Zhang Ruochen put the Zhou Fan Bracelet on his wrist. He had no intention of continuing to search for fate treasures and directly left the Relic Ancient Realm.
A Divine Son's fate treasure was definitely not simple, especially one that resonated with the Way of Time.
Finding a better fate treasure than this would not be easy. Zhang Ruochen did not want to waste too much time in the Relic Ancient Realm.
As for the power of the Zhou Fan Bracelet, he planned to study it slowly after leaving.
Leaving the Relic Ancient Realm, Zhang Ruochen went to the Fortune and Emolument Hall to thank and bid farewell to the Fortune and Emolument Black Robe High Priest. As he left, he originally wanted to ask about "Abandoned Heaven," but the words reached his lips and he held back.
Along the way out of Fate Divine Mountain, Zhang Ruochen could sense cultivators tracking him. Their methods were very skillful. Even with his Heart of Truth, he could not determine their identity.
Zhang Ruochen ignored them, pretending not to notice, and went straight back to Han Ye City Domain.
Several months ago, the Heaven Hunting Battle had ended. Now, the participating cultivators from various clans had mostly left. The entire city domain had become quite desolate. Walking on the streets, one could see few figures, completely unlike the bustling scene before the Heaven Hunting Battle.
Prosperity fades, noise passes.
The tracker following behind finally left, seemingly only wanting to confirm Zhang Ruochen's movements.
As he neared the Hanhai Manor, Zhang Ruochen saw a familiar figure on the street.
It was none other than Blood Butcher.
Blood Butcher wore a gray-white cloth garment, with not a single valuable treasure on him. He was even barefoot, without shoes.
Standing outside the Hanhai Manor, he carefully checked himself from head to toe again, confirming that he was truly plain enough, before stepping toward the manor's gate.
In life, one should be low-key.
Although he was now terrified of Zhang Ruochen, Zhang Ruochen had the Sundial and a wealth of cultivation resources. Staying by Zhang Ruochen's side, even if he could not eat meat, being able to drink some soup would make other cultivators envious.
"After all, I am his junior disciple. With this relationship, he wouldn't kick me out, would he? As for repaying debts, don't even think about it. Given enough time, I'll just default on them."
Blood Butcher thought this, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
"Blood Butcher, are you looking for me?"
Zhang Ruochen's voice came from behind, startling Blood Butcher so much that his whole body trembled. He stiffly turned around.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen standing not far away, he forced out a smile uglier than crying and said, "Senior Brother, long time no see. Oh, I almost forgot to congratulate Senior Brother on your engagement to Princess Luo Sha. From now on, you are the consort of the Tian Luo Divine Kingdom."
"Why didn't you come to the engagement banquet?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Blood Butcher coughed dryly twice and said, "Too busy."
Blood Butcher had thought Zhang Ruochen and Yan Wushen would perish together in the Void Space, so of course he did not attend the engagement banquet at the Fortune and Emolument Divine Palace. Instead, he excitedly went to the Divine Maiden Tower, found two elf beauties, and drank happily all night.
Zhang Ruochen looked him up and down, smiled, and said, "For a Divine Son, you're surprisingly poor. Where are your shoes?"
Blood Butcher's eyes reddened, and he said tearfully, "I met a tough opponent at the Divine Maiden Tower and lost everything. I was almost sold off for my Great Saint blood. Look at this cloth garment on me; it's even conjured."
These words were half true, half false.
On the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, Blood Butcher's goal was clear: to get rich. So he used all sorts of sneak attacks and underhanded methods, robbing many Great Saints.
He had six Monarch Sacred Artifacts alone.
Not to mention various grades of Sacred Sources, Great Saint blood, Great Saint bones, Great Saint hearts...
After leaving the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, he immediately sold all the treasures for a large sum of Divine Stones, depositing them into the Star Sea World, afraid that Zhang Ruochen would see them.
At the Divine Maiden Tower, he did indeed meet a formidable figure, but what he lost was face, not Divine Stones.
Zhang Ruochen certainly did not believe Blood Butcher. He said, "I remember that every participating cultivator from the Undying Blood Clan could enter the Relic Ancient Realm to find one fate treasure. You've been there, right?"
"I have."
"And you lost that fate treasure too?"
"Exactly! Senior Brother, I'm too miserable! I am your junior disciple, the disciple of Lady Xue Hou. Being this miserable not only shames myself but also shames you, Senior Brother, and our master. Senior Brother, do you have any Sacred Artifact-level boots or armor? Give me a pair. I'm not picky; Monarch Sacred Artifact level will do."
Blood Butcher looked at Zhang Ruochen with pitiful eyes, full of expectation.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What is this Divine Maiden Tower place you mentioned?"
Blood Butcher said mysteriously, "It's a branch of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions set up in the Fate Divine Domain."
Zhang Ruochen had heard the name Goddess Twelve Pavilions from Qingsheng Great Saint. It was one of the ten major powers of the Dark World in the Hell Realm, on par with the Wujian Pavilion.
Zhang Ruochen showed a surprised expression and said, "The Goddess Twelve Pavilions dares to openly set up a branch in the Fate Divine Domain?"
"Senior Brother, you don't know. The Goddess Twelve Pavilions is different from other dark forces. Its roots in the Hell Realm are very deep. Especially the owner of this Divine Maiden Tower in the Destiny Temple, her relationship with the Black Robe High Priest of the Death Divine Palace of the Destiny Temple is extraordinary. Her background is huge!"