Chapter 2422: Divine Maiden Palace, Reception Hall
"To be opened personally by Young Master Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen opened the invitation and quickly scanned through its contents.
Finally, his gaze fell upon the name at the end of the letter, and his eyes sharpened with a cold edge.
Closing the invitation, Zhang Ruochen let out a faint, icy laugh. "They've taken the initiative to seek me out."
"Who?" Blood Butcher asked curiously.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Ghost Lord's fifth son, Ling."
Blood Butcher was startled. "The Blood Absolute Family and the Earth Fiend Ghost City are sworn enemies. Whether it's the War God and the Ghost Lord, or the cultivators beneath them, there's no end to their open and secret struggles. Why would Ling invite you? I get it now—it must be about the Sword South Realm. From what I know, the cultivator who bought the Sword South Realm from the Death Black Robe High Priest was Ling."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "How much do you know about Ling?"
"Not much."
Blood Butcher shook his head lightly. "Anyway, all nine sons of the Ghost Lord are top-tier talents, with the potential to become gods. Ling is said to have crossed the eighth Ghost Tribulation a thousand years ago. In the past few centuries, there's been no news of him—I don't know if he's crossed the ninth Ghost Tribulation."
For a ghost cultivator, crossing the ninth Ghost Tribulation meant entering the ranks of the top-tier experts below the divine realm, comparable to a Supreme Realm Great Saint.
Blood Butcher chuckled. "I bet Ling wants to use the Sword South Realm to threaten you, Senior Brother. But he's miscalculated—the Blood Absolute Family is vast and powerful; why would they care about a single Sword South Realm? You shouldn't go to tonight's meeting, Senior Brother. Someone like Ling—we can't afford to provoke him right now."
"Go? Why wouldn't I go?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher was taken aback. "Senior Brother, this isn't the time for impulsive decisions. Why not activate the Sundial, cultivate for a thousand years, and then go out and dominate?"
"Blindly secluded cultivation only slows progress—it just consumes your lifespan," Zhang Ruochen said.
In the hundred days of the Heaven Hunting Battle, Zhang Ruochen's cultivation had advanced far more than if he had spent centuries in the Sundial.
The path of cultivation required tempering and opportunities.
The Sword South Realm held little weight in Zhang Ruochen's heart. But the promises he made were as heavy as mountains, and no matter how difficult, he had to try his best to fulfill them.
The Earth Fiend Ghost City, the Hidden Bone Sea, and the Longevity Hall had joined forces to buy the Sword South Realm, perhaps partly to target Zhang Ruochen. But a great world contained countless living beings and buried billions of bones.
If these beings were killed, they could produce countless corpse cultivators and ghost souls. The white bones buried underground could nurture a large number of bone cultivators.
If Zhang Ruochen didn't show up, Ling could order the Sword South Realm to be slaughtered, turning it into a netherworld ghost domain to strengthen the three major forces.
At that point, Zhang Ruochen's failure to save them and fulfill his promise would inevitably affect his state of mind.
Ling would naturally achieve his goal.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the sky. "Let's go. We're heading to the Divine Maiden Tower now. Blood Butcher, lead the way."
"Senior Brother, I have urgent matters to attend to. I won't be going to the Divine Maiden Tower."
If it were any other time, Blood Butcher would have been more than willing to go to the Divine Maiden Tower for some fun. But having suffered a major loss and humiliation there two days ago, he was too embarrassed to go again.
Besides, Ling was such a powerful existence. His invitation to Zhang Ruochen was definitely ill-intentioned.
As an Immortal Realm Great Saint, how could he dare to get involved?
"Really not going?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"It's not that I don't want to—it's that my father has passed down a divine decree, and I have to rush back to the Blood Heaven Tribe Wing World." Blood Butcher had no choice but to make up an excuse, pinning it on the gods.
Zhang Ruochen said casually, "I heard you've stored quite a bit of divine stones in the Star Sea World."
Blood Butcher's face instantly turned as pale as paper.
The Great Senluo Emperor had already returned to the Vast Sea Manor, standing at the gate. It was he who had transmitted Blood Butcher's secret to Zhang Ruochen.
Blood Butcher was drenched in sweat, trembling all over, and said with a mournful face, "Senior Brother, how… how did you know?"
"How much have you stored?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Blood Butcher was on the verge of tears. "Those divine stones were all earned with my life. It wasn't easy! Senior Brother, I'll definitely pay back the divine stones I owe you. But the path of cultivation is so costly—I can't be left with no savings at all, can I?"
"Did I say I wanted your divine stones? Why are you so nervous?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Hearing this, Blood Butcher let out a long sigh of relief.
Zhang Ruochen asked again, "So, will you take me to the Divine Maiden Tower?"
"No problem. I'm familiar with the place."
"Aren't you in a hurry to get back to the Wing World?"
"Not at all. What could be more urgent than Senior Brother's affairs?"
"Alright. Tonight's expenses at the Divine Maiden Tower will be covered by Divine Son Blood Butcher."
Blood Butcher's face, which had just recovered, turned pale again. He stood there, frozen like a stone statue.
…
The Divine Maiden Tower was built in the Huasheng City Domain, reachable from the Hanye City Domain with just one space teleportation.
Zhang Ruochen, still unable to fully control the power of the Blazing God Leg, wore the Flame God Armor. Alongside the utterly dejected Blood Butcher, he stood by the Heavenly God Lake, gazing at the brilliantly lit Divine Maiden Tower in the center of the lake.
The Divine Maiden Tower wasn't a single tower but a magnificent complex of waterborne palaces.
The palaces were resplendent, with sacred trees rising from the layers of jade tiles, emitting purple light. Purple leaves drifted down like countless lanterns dancing in the air. The faint sounds of singing and dancing drifted out, sparking endless imagination.
Boats and ships shuttled endlessly across the lake. Most of the cultivators on board had considerable cultivation, and the aura of Great Saints could often be sensed.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed a familiar energy fluctuation. His gaze fell on a cyan-colored sacred ship. The ship seemed to be forged from sacred jade, engraved with Great Saint inscriptions that blocked spiritual power detection.
Using his Truth Eye, Zhang Ruochen vaguely saw inside the ship.
There, Divine Prince Luo Shengtian sat cross-legged, radiating light like a blazing sun. His aura was like a dragon or roc, carrying a faint divine might, as if it could overturn heaven and earth.
"It's him."
A strange expression appeared on Zhang Ruochen's face.
Encountering Luo Sha's imperial brother in a place like the Divine Maiden Tower was completely unexpected.
Zhang Ruochen could tell that Luo Shengtian had already broken through to the Thousand Questions Realm. His cultivation and combat power had multiplied several times over. With his current strength, facing the Hundred Shackles Realm Que and Lanying, he could probably severely injure them with a single move.
That Luo Shengtian had advanced ahead of the others and broken through to the Thousand Questions Realm was within Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
After all, Que, Lanying, Yan Huangtu, and Wujiang had all suffered severe injuries in the Heaven Hunting Battle and needed time to heal. Luo Shengtian, having accumulated years of experience and being only a step away from the Thousand Questions Realm, had broken through easily without injuries.
What puzzled Zhang Ruochen was that Luo Shengtian was usually very serious and didn't seem like someone who indulged in wine and women. Why, right after breaking through and still unable to perfectly control his surging power, would he secretly sneak off to the Divine Maiden Tower?
The cyan sacred ship docked.
Luo Shengtian put on a special sacred robe, making him appear shorter and thinner. He wore a golden mask and, accompanied by a sixty-year-old elder, stepped onto the white jade stairs.
The Divine Maiden Tower clearly knew the Divine Prince's extraordinary identity and had sent a Rakshasa clan woman in green to wait by the shore.
As soon as Luo Shengtian disembarked, the woman in green bowed respectfully and led the two into the Divine Maiden Tower.
None of this escaped Zhang Ruochen's observation.
Zhang Ruochen was curious. What was Luo Shengtian up to, acting so secretively and hiding his identity?
Zhang Ruochen asked Blood Butcher, "Can you hide your identity when entering the Divine Maiden Tower?"
Blood Butcher quickly shook his head. "Of course not. The Divine Maiden Tower must clearly know every cultivator's identity. The destructive power of Saint Realm cultivators is too terrifying. If a madman with no regard for his life causes trouble, the Divine Maiden Tower could be destroyed."
Suddenly, Blood Butcher thought of something and said solemnly, "Senior Brother just got engaged to Princess Luo Sha. It's indeed inappropriate to show up in a place like this. If you don't want to reveal your identity, you can contact the Divine Maiden Tower's master first. With her permission, you can appear without showing your true face."
"No need to bother."
Zhang Ruochen's body shifted slightly, and the sound of flesh and bones moving came from within.
In a moment, he had changed his appearance, becoming Xue Qi. Even the Flame God Armor on him transformed, its divine light completely concealed, looking no different from ordinary sacred armor.
Xue Qi was also a genius of the Blood Absolute Family, less than a thousand years old, with cultivation at the Hundred Shackles Realm. Going in and out of the Divine Maiden Tower with Blood Butcher was perfectly reasonable.
Although both Blood Butcher and "Xue Qi" were Great Saints, there were quite a few Great Saints visiting the Divine Maiden Tower. They received no special treatment and had to take the Divine Maiden Tower's reception spirit boat, entering the tower alongside other cultivators.
Disembarking and arriving outside the Reception Hall, Zhang Ruochen finally truly sensed the luxury of the Divine Maiden Palace.
Just the Reception Hall alone was built from materials used to forge Monarch Sacred Artifacts. It stood a hundred zhang tall, majestic in scale, with two bronze doors wide enough for dozens of people to walk through side by side.
Every detail was meticulously crafted.
For example, the phoenix carvings on the golden pillars, the flower lanterns on either side of the main gate, the design of the window lattices, the bone carvings used for decoration, and the arrangement of sacred trees and spirit flowers… All these designs and layouts were master-level, enough to leave Saint Realm cultivators in awe.
It was completely different from the place of romance Zhang Ruochen had imagined. Instead, it resembled an art-filled cultural hall.
Every step revealed a new scene, dazzling and beautiful.
This was only what he saw in the Reception Hall. Who knew how many exquisite settings lay within the Divine Maiden Tower?
Compared to this, Zhang Ruochen's Vast Sea Manor was no different from a crude thatched hut.
"If it weren't for all this noise and clamor, the Divine Maiden Tower would be an excellent place for cultivation and self-cultivation," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher stood to Zhang Ruochen's right, gazing at the lights before him, and sighed. "Senior Brother, you don't know this, but the Divine Maiden Tower has nine clusters of palaces, including some places of ultimate tranquility and nature. To put it bluntly, any cultivator who comes here would probably become addicted, not leaving until they've spent all their treasures."
Zhang Ruochen chuckled lightly and shook his head, clearly not agreeing with Blood Butcher's words.
Great Saints had strong wills and could control themselves; they wouldn't easily become addicted. Of course, those with inner demons were an exception.
The Reception Hall was crowded with cultivators. Beautiful women in white robes moved among them, chatting and arranging their accommodations.
These women were alluring, pure in temperament, and came from various clans: the Undying Blood Clan, the Rakshasa clan, the Nether clan, the Yama clan, and so on. Some were humans, elves, dragon maidens, fox clan members… hailing from the Heavenly Court side.
They were at least at the Half-Saint realm and conversed calmly even with Great Saint-level experts.
Zhang Ruochen spotted two familiar figures: Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu.
Both had changed their appearances and physiques, wearing robes that concealed their auras. They were accompanied by over a dozen powerful guards, making quite a show and drawing the attention of many cultivators.
The master of the Reception Hall, a Great Saint, appeared to be a woman in her twenties. According to Blood Butcher, her name was Han Yunge, a human.
Though she looked young and had a somewhat naive demeanor, she was actually over three thousand years old and quite shrewd.
For a human woman to reach the level of hall master in the Hell Realm required no small amount of cunning.
Han Yunge actively approached Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu, bowing gracefully with a faint smile, communicating with them through spiritual power.
No one knew what they discussed.
After a moment, Yan Huangtu said, "Tonight, I'll still stay at the Snow Cherry Pavilion. You know how to arrange it."
"Understood."
Han Yunge immediately called over a white-clad maiden to lead the Yama clan group through the Reception Hall and deeper into the palace complex.
"Who's that, speaking to Hall Master Han with such authority?"
"An ordinary divine son wouldn't have that kind of pull. Could it be a Thousand Questions Realm or a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm expert?"
"I don't think so. That person is definitely someone important."
…
Except for Zhang Ruochen, few cultivators saw through Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian's disguises. Everyone was discussing and guessing.
Zhang Ruochen's confusion grew. "What's going on? Why are Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian here too? Is something big happening at the Divine Maiden Tower?"
If it were just Yan Huangtu, it would be understandable. Men, after experiencing life-and-death battles on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, might want to indulge in romance to relax their tense nerves. But Yan Zhexian's presence made Zhang Ruochen suspect that the Yama clan's experts had another purpose for visiting the Divine Maiden Tower.
Soon, Zhang Ruochen detected several more powerful figures, all personally received by Han Yunge, clearly indicating their importance.
Even Blood Butcher sensed something was off. He lowered his voice. "Senior Brother, something's strange about the Divine Maiden Tower today. Normally, you hardly ever see Han Yunge. But today, the Reception Hall master showed up in person and personally received several groups of cultivators."
Blood Butcher's tone carried both envy and curiosity.
He added, "The identity of 'Xue Qi' is still a bit low. If you had shown your true face, Senior Brother, even if the Divine Maiden Tower were as aloof as they come, Han Yunge would have come to greet you proactively, instead of leaving you ignored like this."
Han Yunge wore silk robes, with immortal silk wrapped around her wrists. Her temperament was pure and elegant, like a fairy in the clouds, free from worldly dust.
A white-clad maid, holding a scroll, hurried to Han Yunge's side. Her lips moved as she whispered a message.
A flicker of surprise appeared in Han Yunge's eyes. She took the scroll, glanced at it, and couldn't help but look toward "Xue Qi" and Blood Butcher.
Han Yunge walked over, like a gentle and talented woman, her hands at her waist as she bowed slightly. "Yunge pays respects to Great Saint Xue Qi and Divine Son Blood Butcher."
Many cultivators in the Reception Hall turned to look.
Some were puzzled. Why was Han Yunge so respectful to Blood Butcher and Xue Qi? After all, Han Yunge was also a Great Saint.
Blood Butcher felt a surge of excitement. Finally, he was being taken seriously. He couldn't help but straighten his back, sharing in the glory.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, displaying extraordinary poise.
Han Yunge transmitted her voice with spiritual power, speaking only into Zhang Ruochen's ear. "Young Master Zhang Ruochen, why didn't you inform us in advance of your arrival? If Yunge has been remiss, please forgive me."
Zhang Ruochen transmitted back, "How did you know my true identity?"
"Young Master Zhang Ruochen's transformation technique is superb, and Yunge cannot see through it. But the Divine Maiden Tower knows that Xue Qi has already returned to the Blood Heaven Tribe Wing World and is not in the Fate Divine Domain."
A hint of charm appeared on Han Yunge's pure face, captivating many cultivators present.
Zhang Ruochen thought to himself, It seems the Goddess Twelve Pavilions' intelligence network is very powerful. They probably have the information and movements of most Great Saints in the Hell Realm under control.
Han Yunge stopped transmitting and spoke aloud. "Great Saint Xue Qi is a distinguished guest of the Divine Maiden Tower. Would you like to select a flower?"
"Select a flower?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Blood Butcher showed an envious and jealous expression, quickly transmitting to Zhang Ruochen. "Han Yunge is sharp—she's probably guessed your identity. At the Divine Maiden Tower, only those with outstanding status, cultivation talent, and background are qualified to select a flower."
"In other words, if you only had your current cultivation talent without being the Blood Heaven Tribe Grand Chieftain's grandson and Blood Queen's legitimate son, you wouldn't qualify."
"Even if you were the Grand Chieftain's grandson and a divine son, without your current talent, you still wouldn't qualify."
"Talent and background are both indispensable."
"Of course, if your cultivation reaches the Supreme Realm and you're ranked above Grade B on the Divine Reserve List, you'd also qualify."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Forget it. I'm not interested."
Hearing this, Blood Butcher was dumbfounded. No cultivator who had the chance to select a flower had ever refused.
He was more anxious than Zhang Ruochen and quickly transmitted, "Senior Brother, the flowers cultivated by the Divine Maiden Tower are not ordinary Saint Realm women. Each is talented, gentle, and affectionate. Some can even reach the level of a Spiritual Power Great Saint through their music and calligraphy, comparable to the great Confucians and Saint Confucians of the Kunlun Realm."
"More importantly, once you select a flower, she belongs to you alone for life and will never interact with other men again."
"Why is the Divine Maiden Tower so transcendent? Because they know that lust only attracts ordinary cultivators. Only love can resonate with top-tier geniuses and divine reserves."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen grew a bit curious. "You said such women are hard to find. Can the Goddess Twelve Pavilions cultivate a batch?"
Blood Butcher said, "Exactly. That's how powerful the Goddess Twelve Pavilions are. The flowers they cultivate are treated like their own daughters. Cultivators who fall in love with them are, in a sense, sons-in-law of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. It's said that the master of this Divine Maiden Tower in the Fate Divine Temple is the Death Black Robe High Priest's lover within the Goddess Twelve Pavilions."
"No wonder you said the Goddess Twelve Pavilions have deep roots in the Hell Realm. Their sons-in-law are everywhere, and each is an extraordinary figure," Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
Blood Butcher said, "So, Senior Brother, are you going to select a flower? Give it a try. I want to see what makes the Divine Maiden Palace's flowers so remarkable that so many powerful and talented people fall for them."
"No," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher was stunned again. "Why? Oh, I get it. Senior Brother is afraid Princess Luo Sha will find out, right?"
Zhang Ruochen ignored Blood Butcher and shook his head at Han Yunge with a smile. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll pass for now."
"Very well. The Divine Maiden Tower respects Young Master Zhang Ruochen's choice."
Even as she said this, Han Yunge knew that the Goddess Twelve Pavilions would never give up on investing in an Eon-level genius like Zhang Ruochen.
Once Zhang Ruochen became a god in the future, the Goddess Twelve Pavilions' position would be even more secure.
But Han Yunge understood that Zhang Ruochen had the Shadowless Fairy from the Nine Immortal Beauties Painting, the Blood Heaven Tribe's number one beauty Xia Yu, and the intelligent and beautiful Princess Luo Sha as his fiancée. His standards were sky-high. How could he be interested in ordinary flowers?
"Perhaps only Qinger could catch his eye. But Qinger's standards are equally high, seeing the world's talents as ants. She might not be moved by this Eon-level genius."
Han Yunge thought of Bai Qinger, who was in the Fate Divine Domain. But even the Divine Maiden Tower's master couldn't force her to do anything.
After all, Bai Qinger's father had an enormous background. In the previous eon, he was also an Eon-level genius, a figure on par with the Blood Absolute War God.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I came to the Divine Maiden Tower to meet Ling. Where is he?"
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen handed the invitation to Han Yunge.
After reading it, Han Yunge smiled. "I know about the enmity between the Blood Absolute Family and the Earth Fiend Ghost City. I hope Young Master Zhang Ruochen will respect the Divine Maiden Tower's rules and not start a fight. If you must fight, the Divine Maiden Tower has a martial stage inscribed with divine patterns. You can settle any disputes there."
"Don't worry. As long as they follow the rules, I won't make a move," Zhang Ruochen said.
Han Yunge said, "Ling Zun, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing—all three Great Saints are in the Phoenix Cry Pavilion."
"Don't tell them I'm here yet," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher, standing nearby, heard the name Cang Baizi and his expression turned strange—a mix of shame, anger, and fear. He stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"N-nothing. Senior Brother, I have to warn you. Cang Baizi is a master from the Longevity Hall, with unfathomable cultivation. Huo Xing is a big shot from the Hidden Bone Sea, no weaker than Ling. None of the three are easy to deal with."
"If you're scared, don't come. Go investigate something for me…"
Zhang Ruochen had only spoken halfway when he suddenly stopped. His gaze turned toward the entrance of the Reception Hall. A figure dressed as a man walked in.