Chapter 2428: The Beginning of the Nightmare
From the Corpse Clan’s Eternal Life Hall, Cang Baizi.
From the Demon Heaven Tribe, Huanxu Blood Emperor.
From the Rakshasa Clan’s Phil Family, Phil Tianding.
From the Underworld Clan’s Nine Edict Heavenly Palace, Yunheng Iron Blood King.
Any one of these four was a figure that made the Great Saints of the Heavenly Court’s various realms tremble with fear. In the Hell Realm, they were infamous for their ferocious reputations. Yet, at this moment, they were all simultaneously bowing to a woman.
“Miss Bai?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes were filled with shock and doubt. It was truly hard to believe that a woman from the Divine Maiden Palace possessed such astonishing influence. After all, these four experts all came from major powers with divine backgrounds; they shouldn’t be so easily controlled.
If they had willingly submitted to her, wouldn’t that be even more astonishing?
Even the master of the Divine Maiden Tower didn’t have such ability.
Who exactly was she?
The black-veiled cultivator called “Miss Bai” sat in the main hall. Her snow-white, flawless fingers held a vermilion brush as she leaned over a desk, copying scriptures.
A yellowed scripture scroll lay beside the desk.
A golden incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke.
She was clearly copying from the scripture, her gaze occasionally flicking toward it. Yet, the scripture had not a single word on it—strange indeed.
Even stranger, the words she wrote on the white paper moved like ink dragons and snakes; as soon as she finished writing the next character, the previous one had already vanished.
Cang Baizi and the other three stood outside the hall, their bodies bent in a bow, not daring to move.
They knew that tonight’s gamble against Seven-Handed Old Man had failed, and Miss Bai was bound to be furious.
No one spoke. The atmosphere was murderous and heavy.
Zhang Ruochen knew that everyone present was a powerful expert, and his gaze could easily be sensed by them. So, he only glanced once at the beginning, then pressed his back against a tree trunk, closed his eyes, and listened.
Silence stretched on.
In the night, only the sound of wind rustling the leaves could be heard.
After copying ten scriptures in a row, the black-veiled cultivator finally set down her brush and closed the yellowed scripture, tucking it into her sleeve. As if finally remembering the four outside the hall, she said, “Tonight’s game wasn’t a complete failure. You don’t need to be so afraid. All of you, withdraw.”
Her voice was extremely pleasant to hear.
Just hearing it, one could imagine the most beautiful woman in their mind, like a gentle and talented beauty.
The four let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Cang Baizi clasped his hands in a fist salute, bending so low his waist nearly touched the ground. His voice was cold and deep: “If it weren’t for that Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor, the undefeated gambling god, you would have surely won tonight. But now, all those divine stones were taken by some nameless woman who appeared out of nowhere, causing you and the Divine Maiden Tower heavy losses. I will go now and kill him, extract his soul, and offer it to you.”
The Goddess Twelve Pavilions had one hundred and eighty towers.
Even the most profitable Divine Maiden Tower, after a thousand years of operation, might not net a pure profit of five hundred thousand divine stones.
Tonight’s loss was indeed astonishing. Any other cultivator would not have been able to remain calm and indifferent.
Yet, the black-veiled cultivator’s voice remained calm, her tone elegant and soft: “You are wrong on three points.”
Cang Baizi was surprised and asked, “Which three points?”
The black-veiled cultivator said, “First, the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor is not that person’s true name.”
“Second, the nameless woman is not nameless at all; on the contrary, she is quite famous.”
“Third, I have already said that tonight’s game was not a complete defeat. So, whether the Divine Maiden Tower has suffered heavy losses depends on how things develop from here. For now, at least half of the plan has succeeded.”
Zhang Ruochen silently exclaimed in admiration. This Miss Bai dared to scheme against Seven-Handed Old Man and almost succeeded—she was indeed an extraordinary figure.
“Has she already seen through my true form and Yan Zhexian’s?”
“What does she mean by ‘at least half of the plan has succeeded’?”
Cang Baizi asked, “What are the true identities of the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor and the nameless woman?”
“If it’s a question you shouldn’t ask, then don’t ask,” the black-veiled cultivator said.
Cang Baizi said, “Are we just going to let them go?”
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed an extremely cold and dark force sweeping through the entire courtyard. Even though he was hiding far away, he could feel his skin stinging and his blood freezing.
His saint soul was almost pulled out of his body. Fortunately, his Qi Sea was stable and he had the Fire God Armor protecting him, so he managed to block that unknown power.
Cang Baizi’s screams rang out, making the night hair-raising.
Zhang Ruochen didn’t know what had happened and didn’t dare to look. He only heard Cang Baizi rolling on the ground, screaming and begging, as if in extreme agony.
“I won’t… won’t dare anymore… never dare… to ask more… what I shouldn’t know… I must never know… please… spare… spare me… ah!”
For a top-tier Great Saint to beg and wail, one could imagine how torturous the pain was.
“This Miss Bai is too unpredictable. Cang Baizi only asked one more question and suffered such torment.” Zhang Ruochen was secretly shocked and couldn’t help but reflect on whether he had been too soft-hearted with his subordinates.
Cang Baizi’s wails gradually faded. He struggled to get up from the ground, his green Daoist robe torn by his own hands, his body covered in blood. He knelt and kowtowed: “Thank you for your mercy, Miss. I will never dare to ask more questions again!”
The other three powerful experts trembled with fear, terrified to the core.
The black-veiled cultivator’s voice remained pleasant to the ear: “I heard that you, Ling, and Huo Xing have invited Zhang Ruochen to the Phoenix Cry Pavilion. Why haven’t you gone yet?”
“I’ll go now, right now.”
Cang Baizi stood up, took three steps back, and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
Phil Tianding and Yunheng Iron Blood King immediately followed, fleeing as if escaping.
Only Huanxu Blood Emperor remained standing outside the hall.
The black-veiled cultivator asked, “Why haven’t you left?”
Huanxu Blood Emperor quickly bowed and said, “In the past few days, I have been plagued by nightmares. Not only can I not enter meditation, but it has also affected my ability to serve you. Please, Miss, grant me the antidote.”
“Nightmares are the most fearful, most terrifying, and most vulnerable side of your heart. Why can’t you face them directly? Overcoming nightmares is overcoming yourself,” the black-veiled cultivator said.
Huanxu Blood Emperor gritted his teeth, his face pale, and said, “I… I am just a mediocre person.”
“Alright. Admitting that you are a mediocre person shows that you are quite clear-headed. I will grant you a beautiful dream to relieve you of ten years of nightmare torment. In ten years, if you remain obedient, the beautiful dream can continue indefinitely.”
Her voice was extremely pleasant, capable of making one’s imagination run wild and sink into it without being able to extricate themselves.
Zhang Ruochen was both surprised and curious.
Who exactly was this Miss Bai? Was she using dreams to control these top-tier Great Saints?
Zhang Ruochen was also afraid of nightmares.
Because he also had fears, terrors, and fragile things in his heart.
Nightmares undoubtedly magnified all of this, to the point where even Great Saints were trapped in fear and terror all day long, restless and uneasy.
At this moment, a bizarre scene occurred in the courtyard.
Huanxu Blood Emperor seemed to be in a dreamlike state, letting out cheerful laughter. His gaze was sometimes infatuated, as if he had obtained a treasure he had always dreamed of; sometimes greedy, as if he was holding the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms; sometimes contemptuous of all beings, as if he was a divine emperor, with all gods kneeling at his feet.
A beautiful dream, a life.
Who wouldn’t want to be the protagonist of a beautiful dream, smooth sailing all the way, getting everything they desired? This feeling was too wonderful, wonderful enough that once a Great Saint tasted it, they would become addicted and never be able to quit.
“Beautiful dreams make people addicted; nightmares make people fearful.”
Zhang Ruochen stood behind the tree, smiled, and shook his head lightly. He was about to leave when he suddenly heard the black-veiled woman call out: “Prince Turtle, have you found out the identity of the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor?”
A three-foot-tall stone turtle walked out from a corner.
Prince Turtle was entirely green, like a jade body, walking on two legs. Its head was only the size of a fist, its eyes sparkling. It held a scroll in its hands, looking simple and honest as it walked up to the black-veiled cultivator and stammered: “Fou… fou… found… found it!”
“Speak.”
“Acc… acc… according… to… to…”
The black-veiled cultivator shook her head and said, “Forget it. General, you read it.”
The stone pillar supporting the pavilion suddenly moved. Two long stone arms extended from the pillar, taking the scroll from Prince Turtle’s hands.
Prince Turtle was a bit angry and snorted at the stone pillar: “It… it… it was all… all… all me… me… me…”
“I know, it was all your credit.”
The Stone Pillar General read in a harsh, stone-grinding voice: “According to the roster of cultivators who came to the Divine Maiden Tower tonight, it can be determined that the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor must have changed his form. There are a total of thirteen cultivators who could be him.”
“What about those proficient in the Way of Space?” the black-veiled cultivator asked.
The Stone Pillar General said, “Only one…”
“No need to say more. I know who it is!” the black-veiled cultivator said.
The Stone Pillar General said, “We also found another relevant piece of information. A creature calling itself the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor recently appeared on Ice King Star, set fire to the slave market run by the Blood Absolute Family, left its name, and then escaped.”
The black-veiled cultivator’s tone was surprised: “Send a message to the Divine Maiden Tower on Ice King Star. Order them to capture that Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor alive.”
The Stone Pillar General closed the scroll and said in a low voice: “Should we deal with the Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor here in the Divine Maiden Tower?”
“We have more important things to do. Let him be for now. Don’t cause any trouble. Prince Turtle, keep a close eye on Seven-Handed Old Man. Don’t let him escape. If he escapes, tonight’s game will truly be lost,” the black-veiled cultivator said.
Zhang Ruochen breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that although Miss Bai was formidable, she hadn’t seen through his transformation technique. If everyone could see through the Thirty-Six Transformations, he would never use it again.
At the same time, he was filled with doubt.
Miss Bai had set up a trap to harm Seven-Handed Old Man, clearly not just for the sake of hundreds of thousands of divine stones, but for a larger scheme. What was she plotting? What secret did Seven-Handed Old Man hold?
And that Slayer of Heaven and Destroyer of Earth Emperor who appeared on Ice King Star—was it Xiao Hei?
Daring to set fire to the Blood Absolute Family’s slave market and leave his name—that was truly bird-brained audacity.
Zhang Ruochen silently withdrew from the Peacock Palace and returned to the lively Jade Mountain Palace, his mind unsettled for a long time.
The things he had just seen and heard contained too much information. He needed to calm down.
Just as he wanted to calm down, “Calm” appeared right in front of him.
Gu Shejing stood under a ghost fire lamp, beside a jade tree with silver flowers. She wore a layman’s robe, her long hair tied on top of her head with a wooden hairpin. She looked both male and female, androgynous.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen and said, “We meet again.”
Zhang Ruochen had changed his appearance again after leaving the Peacock Palace. To distinguish himself more from humans and the Undying Blood Clan, he had specifically transformed into a half-fat cat, complete with a tail and cat ears.
Perhaps because he had just thought of Xiao Hei, his form followed his mind, inspired by the moment.
Zhang Ruochen still had some confidence in his transformation technique. His eyes were vacant, and he waved his cat paw, speaking in a rough voice: “You’ve mistaken this cat. We’ve never met. Move aside. This emperor has no time for your nonsense.”
“You won’t get any information by sending Blood Butcher to ask around,” she said.
Zhang Ruochen had just walked past Gu Shejing when he heard this. He knew he couldn’t keep up the act. The flaw wasn’t in him but in Blood Butcher.
Zhang Ruochen stopped and said, “Where is Blood Butcher?”
Gu Shejing turned around and opened her tightly clenched right hand. In her snow-white palm appeared a figure the size of a mung bean—it was Blood Butcher, squeezed into a ball.
Blood Butcher had clearly struggled and resisted, but he couldn’t escape her palm.
Zhang Ruochen sighed: “Ah! Truly formidable. A Great Saint, easily caught by you like this.”
Blood Butcher carried a drop of Zhang Ruochen’s blood, which could be used to find him.
It was no surprise that Gu Shejing had appeared before him.
Blood Butcher said with a crying voice: “Brother, save me. I didn’t mean to reveal your secret to her. This female demon is too twisted. She’s proficient in a superior soul-stealing secret art. I couldn’t hold out.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Blood Butcher has two gods backing him. I think it’s better if you let him go.”
Gu Shejing casually tossed the “mung bean” away and said, “He has no value to me. I’m only interested in you. Don’t you want to know what major event is happening at the Divine Maiden Tower tonight? I can tell you.”
“Plop.”
Blood Butcher reverted to his true size and fell into the cold lake, splashing water everywhere.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, “I’d love to hear you continue, but unfortunately, I have another engagement. I’m in a hurry.”
“Ling’s engagement?” Gu Shejing said.
“It seems he told you everything.”
Zhang Ruochen really wanted to slap Blood Butcher, who had just climbed out of the water, back down.
Gu Shejing said, “Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing are not good people. Are you not afraid of dying if you go alone to meet them?”
“This is the Divine Maiden Tower!” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing said, “Exactly. Because this is the Divine Maiden Tower. Do you think this is really a place of pleasure? Don’t forget, the Divine Maiden Tower is one of the Ten Dark Powers. Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing might not dare to kill you personally, but the dark world is full of desperadoes.”
Hearing Gu Shejing’s words, Zhang Ruochen was jolted awake, realizing he had still been careless and underestimated the situation.
“Why are you telling me this?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing said, “Go to your engagement. We’ll talk slowly when you return.”
“Give me back that drop of blood,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing shook her head and said, “Your transformation technique is superior. I need to ensure I can find you anytime, anywhere.”
Blood Butcher, soaking wet, walked up to Zhang Ruochen. He was very wary of Gu Shejing and whispered, “Forget it, brother. This female demon has cultivation that reaches the heavens. We can’t afford to provoke her. When it’s time to admit defeat, we have to.”
“So, she didn’t use any soul-stealing secret art on you at all. You just admitted defeat?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher was stunned for a moment, then slapped his chest and said seriously, “How is that possible? I might admit defeat for my own matters, but when it comes to brother’s affairs, even if a knife is at my throat, I will never back down. Brother, believe me. Her soul-stealing secret art is really powerful. I couldn’t hold out. Really couldn’t hold out.”
Zhang Ruochen ignored him and turned to leave. After taking just one step, he stopped and said, “You can find me with that drop of blood, and I can find you with it anytime.”
On the surface, Gu Shejing was Luo Sha’s close friend, but she coveted the “Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription” on Zhang Ruochen. In Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, she was an enemy, not a friend.
This demoness made Zhang Ruochen unable to see through her.
Not just her cultivation, but her as a person. Every time she appeared, her temperament was different. At the engagement ceremony, Gu Shejing was stunningly beautiful, with a eccentric personality, calling Luo Sha “Little Sha Sha,” like an innocent and lively girl.
But the meeting just now was like a rigid and cold nun, capable of extinguishing any man’s desire for a woman.
With a Miss Bai suddenly appearing, and a Jingjing added to the mix, plus having to deal with the deadly trap set by Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing, Zhang Ruochen felt thunder in the silence, with crisis and death constantly surrounding him.
Unknowingly, he had crossed the water surface and curved bridge, arriving outside the Phoenix Cry Pavilion. His form and appearance had changed back to his original.
“Master Ruochen, Lord Ling has been waiting for you inside for a long time.”
A human female saint, looking about twenty years old, wearing a thin white gauze, stood outside the courtyard to welcome him.
A light breeze blew, and the female saint’s graceful figure was faintly visible. Her pretty face was shy and flushed, extremely charming.
Her eyes were full of admiration, and she said in a low voice: “This humble woman is Lian Rou. I watched the projection of the Ten Thousand Realms Divine Eye during the Heaven Hunting Battle. Seeing Master Ruochen in person tonight is like seeing a banished immortal from the mortal world. Truly, you are the war god of our human race.”
“Lead me in,” Zhang Ruochen said expressionlessly.
Ling had deliberately arranged for a human woman to accompany him—this was already a huge provocation.