Chapter 2431: The Choice
"You didn't know about the Jade Desolate Realm opening, which is actually quite normal. That's a major event in the divine realm world and has nothing to do with us Saint realm cultivators." Guyeshe Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I would like to know a bit about such secret news."
"It's not really a secret. You just need to ask Xue Hou and Xue Jue War God, and they will naturally tell you."
After thinking for a moment, Guyeshe Jing still spoke up, saying, "The Jade Desolate Realm is one of the five great prehistoric civilization ruins in the universe. There, you can find things that help gods survive the Eon Calamity. So, for the entire divine realm world of both the Heavenly Court and Hell, it's earth-shattering news."
"Any god who fears they cannot survive the Eon Calamity will definitely go."
"The older a god is, the more they must go. Although their cultivation is powerful, it is also harder for them to survive the Eon Calamity."
"Even gods who are confident they can survive the next Eon Calamity must go. Because the Jade Desolate Realm only opens once per eon, any god who has the chance to enter must seize it."
Zhang Ruochen drew in a sharp breath of cold air, finally understanding the significance of the Jade Desolate Realm's opening. He said, "Does that mean all the gods of the Heavenly Court and Hell will go to the Jade Desolate Realm?"
Guyeshe Jing shook her head and said, "In theory, indeed, every god would fight tooth and nail to go. But Hell and the Heavenly Court do not trust each other. How could they not leave some gods behind to deal with unpredictable variables?"
"How many gods to leave behind, and which gods to leave behind, all need careful consideration."
"Precisely because this matter is of great importance, during this critical period, the Heavenly Court and Hell are watching each other's gods closely, not allowing the slightest mistake."
"If the gods of Hell Realm were to mobilize on a large scale because of the Origin Divine Temple matter, how could the Heavenly Court Realm not notice?"
"Therefore, investigating and searching for the Origin Divine Temple can only be entrusted to Saint realm cultivators."
Zhang Ruochen thought to himself, the three gods of the Blood Absolute Family all seemed to have no trouble surviving the next Eon Calamity, so there was no rush for them to go to the Jade Desolate Realm.
However, Xue Jue War God had just become the Great Clan Leader of the Blood Heaven Tribe, so he would definitely lead the team to the Jade Desolate Realm.
Between his mother, Xue Hou, and Underworld King, one of them would likely stay behind to guard the family.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You should go find the other Origin Controllers, not me. Telling me all this, are you trying to force me to cooperate with you?"
"No, even if I didn't tell you, you would soon find out. The Blood Absolute Family is one of the forces that already knows about the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal." Guyeshe Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen narrowed his eyes.
The news of the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal came from Ice King Star.
Given the Blood Absolute Family's vast power on Ice King Star, it would be strange if they didn't know the news.
However, the power on Ice King Star was controlled by Xue Jue War God's legitimate wife, Ni Xuan Shi. It was very possible that Ni Xuan Shi had not informed Xue Jue War God of this matter.
Guyeshe Jing continued, "After Yan Wushen died, there are a total of six Origin Controllers in the Heavenly Court and Hell combined. Hell Realm has three..."
"Wait a moment. I remember you said earlier that in the last ten thousand years, the Heavenly Court and Hell have produced a total of nine Origin Controllers. Even if Yan Wushen is dead, there should still be eight, right?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Guyeshe Jing said, "If Yan Wushen can die, are the other Origin Controllers immortal? Geniuses have always been the primary targets of assassination between the Heavenly Court and Hell."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "What you say makes a lot of sense."
Guyeshe Jing said, "Of the Origin Controllers in Hell Realm, only three are still alive."
"Huan Zhen of the Death Clan is too young, having just reached the Half-Saint realm. With his cultivation, finding the Origin Divine Temple is too difficult."
"As for Bai Li Qian Ye of the Shura Divine Temple, his cultivation has reached the Supreme Realm, making him a top-tier expert among Saint realm cultivators. With the Shura Divine Temple's power, if I told him this news, what business would there be left for my Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm?"
"The last one belongs to the Yama Clan. Yan Huangtu has the advantage of being close to the water, so how could I possibly compete with him?"
"Actually, none of these three are the best candidates. Although they are Origin Controllers, how can their closeness to the Origin compare to the Ancient Divine Illumination Lotus?"
Zhang Ruochen knew that what Guyeshe Jing was really after was the Hundred Flowers Fairy, Ji Fanxin.
The Divine Illumination Lotus was born in the void of the universe, rootless and leafless. It was a condensation of the universe's original power into a single point, transforming into a lotus seed and blooming into a flower. It was a natural-born Origin Controller.
It could be said that Ji Fanxin was the spirit of the Origin, the incarnation of Origin power.
If she obtained a top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, it was very likely that, without any god needing to act, she herself could sense the location of the Origin Divine Temple using the crystal's aura.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since I am qualified to compete for the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, why should I cooperate with you?"
"Because, with your current cultivation, you cannot protect Ji Fanxin. If she comes to Hell Realm to help you, she will only end up dead. But with me added, below the divine realm, I'm afraid no cultivator can harm her."
"Slap!"
Guyeshe Jing flicked her finger, and the space around them trembled.
The space around Zhang Ruochen shattered like broken glass, cracks appearing everywhere.
With a loud crash, he, along with the table in front of him and the chair beneath him, fell into the pitch-black, boundless Void Space, like a small, isolated island.
Although Zhang Ruochen appeared calm on the surface, he was deeply shocked inside.
Remember, this was the Fate Divine Domain.
Even with Qing Sheng Great Saint's cultivation, he could not cause such large-scale destruction of space and enter the Void Space.
Yet Guyeshe Jing could.
What did that mean?
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, spread his arms, and released his Space power.
Immediately, the space contracted, the shattered space restored itself to flatness, and he returned to the room, as if nothing had happened.
Although Zhang Ruochen was very tempted by the Origin Divine Temple, he also knew that if he asked to meet Ji Fanxin, she would very likely come. But he would never let her put herself in danger for this matter.
Zhang Ruochen sighed and said, "It's a pity. Ji Fanxin and I are only ordinary friends. She is pure and aloof, a fairy who doesn't eat the food of the mortal world. I am a great traitor who betrayed the Heavenly Court and joined Hell Realm. We are no longer from the same world. She probably already sees me as an enemy and wants to kill me. You've come to the wrong person by seeking me out."
Guyeshe Jing said, "I have collected a lot of information about you and her. I think you have a misunderstanding of the term 'ordinary friends.'"
"Why don't you believe me?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Guyeshe Jing said, "I trust more in the charm of an Eon-level genius. There should be very few women who can refuse a perfect man like you."
"Flattering me won't help." Zhang Ruochen said.
Guyeshe Jing said, "I know what you're worried about. Rest assured, the goal of me and Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm is the Origin Divine Temple. Although the Ancient Divine Illumination Lotus is precious, compared to the Origin Divine Temple, it falls far short."
"I can swear by the name of Luozu that I will never do anything to harm her."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and shook his head.
"The cultivators of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm will also never do anything to harm her."
Zhang Ruochen still shook his head.
"I and Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm will also not instruct other cultivators to do anything to harm her."
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen still showed no sign of relenting, Guyeshe Jing's tone turned a bit colder. She said, "Zhang Ruochen, you still haven't realized one thing. The moment the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal appeared, she was already drawn into this vortex. There is no way for her to stay out of it."
"Do you think that without you, Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm cannot capture her?"
"Using force, Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm would indeed pay a certain price, and it might even expose the news of the Origin Divine Temple's emergence. But you cannot deny that the probability of success is very high."
"Once she is captured, whether she lives or dies, whether she is honored or humiliated, will no longer be up to you, Zhang Ruochen."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes darkened slightly. He naturally understood that what Guyeshe Jing said was true.
Back then, Luo Sha, who was only at the Saint King realm, could freely enter and exit the core area of the Heavenly Court Realm, the Truth Heaven Domain. For the sake of the Origin Divine Temple, the probability of Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm successfully capturing someone from the Heavenly Court Realm was indeed not small.
Guyeshe Jing said, "It's not just Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm. There are over a dozen forces in Hell Realm that know about the Origin Divine Temple's emergence. How could they let Ji Fanxin go? Perhaps some forces have already started taking action."
"You think you are protecting her, but in reality, it is precisely your inaction that will harm her."
"Besides, the emergence of the Origin Divine Temple is also a great opportunity for her. If she knew this news, even with the risk of falling, she would definitely go. Why don't you give her the choice?"
Zhang Ruochen clapped his hands in admiration and sighed, "I have to say, not only is your cultivation formidable, but your eloquence is even more so. I was almost persuaded by you!"
"Do you think these reasons are not enough?" Guyeshe Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "No, they are enough. But your cultivation is too powerful. Cooperating with you, I have no sense of control. Ji Fanxin is the Ancient Divine Illumination Lotus, and you have identified that I possess the 'Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription.' The two of us traveling with you—how is that any different from lambs walking into a tiger's den?"
"So you don't trust me." Guyeshe Jing said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I can't trust you."
The entire room fell silent, and neither of them spoke another word.
Footsteps sounded outside the room.
Han Yun Ge's voice came from outside, saying, "Miss Guyeshe, it's starting over there!"
Guyeshe Jing's gaze fixed on Zhang Ruochen, and she said, "The competition for the five top-grade Origin Divine Crystals has already begun. Do you want to come along?"
"I have no interest in the Origin Divine Temple, so I won't go."
Zhang Ruochen was very clear that for the next period of time, Guyeshe Jing would definitely stick close to him. And this moment was his only chance to arrange some things.
After Guyeshe Jing left with Han Yun Ge, Zhang Ruochen teleported out of the room, changed his appearance, and quickly left the Divine Maiden Tower.
Cang Jie was waiting on the shore of the lake outside the Divine Maiden Tower.
After the gambling match between Yan Zhexian, Qishou Old Man, and Bai Guniang ended, Zhang Ruochen had told Cang Jie to immediately leave the Divine Maiden Tower to avoid being retaliated against because of him.
"What exactly is the boss's identity? He said someone would harm me, and that must be true."
Cang Jie, with his huge Taotie head, paced back and forth while concealing his aura.
He wasn't worried about Zhang Ruochen's safety, but rather that Zhang Ruochen might have forgotten about him, his little brother. He was a cultivator who had ascended to Hell Realm, with no background, no sect, and no backing. He had finally met a senior, so what if he was abandoned?
In the dense forest.
Zhang Ruochen's body silently emerged from the space, and he called out, "Cang Jie!"
Cang Jie was overjoyed and immediately rushed over, laughing, "Boss, I thought you didn't want me anymore!"
"Boss?"
Zhang Ruochen was a bit puzzled. This guy was really forward.
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen seemed unwilling to accept him as a little brother, Cang Jie's eyes showed a look of disappointment, and he said dejectedly, "Yeah, I'm just a Saint King who ascended from a lower realm to Hell Realm, with nothing to my name. How could I be worthy of being a senior's little brother?"
Zhang Ruochen had long seen that he was an ascender. His aura was completely different from the native Shura clan cultivators of Shura Star Pillar Realm.
Zhang Ruochen patted him on the shoulder and said, "You don't need to sell yourself short. Anyone who can ascend from a lower realm to Shura Star Pillar Realm is an unparalleled genius. Just like Feng Chen Sword God a thousand years ago, he was an ascender."
"Senior knows Feng Chen Sword God?" Cang Jie couldn't help but show a look of admiration in his eyes.
Zhang Ruochen said, "No."
"Feng Chen Sword God ascended to Shura Star Pillar Realm less than a thousand years ago and already has the strength to kill gods. How can I compare to him?" Cang Jie said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you help me do one thing, I will not only accept you as my little brother but also give you enough cultivation resources to give you a chance to glimpse the supreme Dao."
"Really?"
Cang Jie was so excited he almost shouted, grabbing Zhang Ruochen's body with both claws and shaking it vigorously.
Zhang Ruochen stood firm as a rock, unmoving, and said, "If you shake me again, it won't be true anymore!"
Cang Jie quickly let go and smiled awkwardly.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I need you to go to the Kunlun Realm Merit Battlefield immediately. Your cultivation hasn't reached the Great Saint realm, so you can enter."
"To do what?" Cang Jie asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "To help me deliver a letter... no, to help me find someone and deliver a verbal message."
Delivering a letter was too dangerous. What if it was intercepted?
"That person is a cultivator of the Heavenly Court Realm?" Cang Jie asked.
Zhang Ruochen was surprised and said, "How did you guess?"
"If you were looking for a cultivator of Hell Realm, with the boss's cultivation, why would you need me, someone you've only met once, to do it? And the boss is willing to pay such a high price to cultivate me, a Saint King. Clearly, this matter is very important and also very dangerous." Cang Jie said.
Zhang Ruochen gave him a deep look and smiled, saying, "You are smarter than I thought."
"An ascender with no backing or background not only has to keep his tail between his legs like a Taotie but also has to be a bit smarter. Otherwise, he would have died long ago!" Cang Jie said with a mournful face.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This matter is indeed dangerous. You can choose not to go."
"I'll go! Why wouldn't I go? I, Cang Jie, am a gambler at heart. I'm honored that the boss thinks highly of me and entrusts me with such an important task. If I back down this time, I will never have another chance to glimpse the Great Dao. Boss, rest assured. If things really go wrong, I will self-destruct my Sacred Source rather than let any information leak."
Then, Cang Jie lowered his voice and asked, "Boss, can I ask a personal question?"
"Go ahead." Zhang Ruochen said.
Cang Jie's eyes showed some anticipation and some nervousness. He licked his lips and said, "Boss, are you the Heir of Time and Space, Zhang Ruochen?"
Zhang Ruochen's gaze shot toward him.
Cang Jie immediately shrank his head and said, "I... I... I just heard someone talking about Zhang Ruochen appearing at the Divine Maiden Tower and killing someone. Then I thought about how the boss is a Space Controller, and you're asking me to deliver a message to a Heavenly Court Realm cultivator, so I made that guess. If I'm wrong, you can't blame me, right?"
"No, you guessed correctly." Zhang Ruochen said.