Chapter 2450: Yuan Qianmo and Que
The news that Wuma Jiuxing had cultivated a divine technique blade art and defeated Zhuo Yunong with seven strikes was, after all, spread rapidly throughout the Heavenly Court and Hell under the manipulation of those with ulterior motives, causing a worldwide sensation.
The phrase "The Destiny Temple has been defeated" was uttered from the mouths of countless cultivators that very day.
Wuma Jiuxing's name, because of this battle, resounded across the universe, as if he had become the highest peak below the Divine Realm, inspiring awe in others and also stirring a restless desire to challenge him.
The universe is vast, with countless powerful beings. There were still cultivators who wished to challenge Wuma Jiuxing.
At the Death God Temple.
Yuan Shu Zhenhuang, one of the most powerful female cultivators of the Death Clan in the current era, met with Yuan Qianmo, who ranked first on the "Divine Reserve Scroll."
Before Wuma Jiuxing defeated Zhuo Yunong, Yuan Qianmo was undoubtedly the most famous Great Saint below the Divine Realm in Hell, with a profound and unparalleled cultivation base. A god had once commented that he could reach the Divine Realm with just a single thought, and even the Divine Tribulation could not hinder him.
The reason he remained below the Divine Realm was simply to accumulate deeper foundations.
Only then, after breaking through to the Divine Realm, could he condense more Divine Throne Planets.
Yuan Qianmo was an exceptionally talented man. He had once played the zither with Fengchen Sword God and painted alongside Yuqiu Divine Son.
At this moment, while washing plum blossoms, he listened to Yuan Shu Zhenhuang's account.
He pinched and washed each plum blossom petal until they were exceptionally crimson, as if dyed in divine blood.
For a cultivator who had reached his level, even taking a single small step forward was as difficult as ascending to heaven. Closed-door cultivation had almost become useless. It was precisely for this reason that he had the leisure to delve into various mundane matters that ordinary people found boring.
And this, in fact, was also a form of enlightenment.
Seeking the great perfection of the state of mind.
Having reached Yuan Qianmo's level, the people and things that could still interest him were few and far between. The battle between Wuma Jiuxing and Zhuo Yunong finally stirred ripples in his heart, which had been calm for a long time.
"Zhuo Yunong is no weakling, and he even used the Supreme Sacred Artifact, the Judgment Axe. Hmm, it seems Wuma Jiuxing has encountered great fortune in the past two hundred years. His blade art has likely already reached the Divine Realm. Though he himself has not entered the realm, his Dao has already entered it," Yuan Qianmo said calmly.
Standing beneath the plum blossoms, Yuan Shu Zhenhuang's perfect figure was outlined by the curves beneath her golden robe. She wore a crown and exuded a noble aura. "As far as I know, many false gods have not cultivated their Dao to the Divine Realm."
Yuan Qianmo said, "Let alone false gods, even some true gods who have just broken through to the Divine Realm need a considerable amount of time to cultivate their Dao to the Divine Realm. Generally speaking, cultivators first step into the Divine Realm and then transform the Dao they have cultivated into the Divine Dao."
"It seems the world's rumor that Wuma Jiuxing is invincible in the mortal world is not without reason," Yuan Shu Zhenhuang said.
After washing the last plum blossom, Yuan Qianmo took a silk cloth from a maid, dried his wet fingers, and said, "Beyond the mountains, there are other mountains. Beyond the heavens, there are other heavens. Whoever dares to claim invincibility in the mortal world will become a target for all."
Yuan Shu Zhenhuang lightly nodded her head, a smile appearing in her phoenix-like eyes. "Since Senior Brother has no intention of fighting Wuma Jiuxing, then let us sit back and watch the tigers fight. I believe the Destiny Temple will surely take action."
"No!"
Yuan Qianmo waved his hand, his gaze deep and solemn, and said, "I can sense that my opportunity to become a god has arrived. It is precisely the time to become a target for all. Before achieving a breakthrough, I must repeatedly temper myself. Wuma Jiuxing will be the first furnace fire before I become a god."
Yuan Shu Zhenhuang showed a surprised expression, finding it somewhat difficult to understand.
To temper oneself like refining a weapon.
To use Wuma Jiuxing as his furnace fire—if he were not careful, he would be destroyed along with the weapon.
For a proud son of heaven destined to become a god, wouldn't this be too risky?
"This trip to Ice King Star is imperative."
Yuan Qianmo raised his head, gazing at the horizon, with deeper thoughts in his heart.
How could Zhuo Yunong and Wuma Jiuxing have appeared on Ice King Star at the same time? This matter was very suspicious, and he had to go.
It would be both the final tempering before becoming a god and a way to resolve the doubts in his heart.
...
"The one from the Destiny Temple who defeated Wuma Jiuxing is in the Void God Palace."
Xu Rulai, the Minister of Works of the Fate Operations Department, transmitted this thought into the ears of the newly appointed Divine Maiden, Bore.
Bore walked out of the Divine Maiden Hall and headed to one of the Twelve God Palaces, the Void God Palace.
The Void God Palace was one of the most mysterious places in the Destiny Temple. It was not built on the Fate Divine Mountain but in the Void Space, accessible only through a teleportation formation in the temple.
"Hua"
Bore walked out of the teleportation formation and arrived outside the Void God Palace, just in time to see a sword light fly out from the ancient and majestic hall ahead.
This sword light was extremely dazzling, cutting a slave who was in the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm into two halves.
This slave's spiritual power was not sealed, and he even held the Supreme Sacred Artifact, the Five-Colored Stone Sword. His combat power was far stronger than that of the Chi Emperor on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield.
Unfortunately, his opponent was even stronger.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The two halves of the broken body fell to the ground, difficult to reconnect.
Moreover, the flesh at the wounds was rapidly becoming void-like, gradually disappearing.
Bore glanced at the slave lying on the ground and recognized his identity. He was once a Great Saint of the Destiny Temple, with a cultivation base at the later stage of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, which was quite formidable.
Unfortunately, he was discovered to be a spy arranged by the Pangu Realm in Hell, and thus he became a slave, subjected to all kinds of torture.
Who could cut him, who was holding a Supreme Sacred Artifact, into two halves with a single sword strike?
Could it be a Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Void God Palace?
Bore soon saw the figure of the swordsman.
That person walked out from the gate of the divine palace, holding the thin-as-a-cicada-wing Shadow Dan Sword, and stepped down the stairs step by step, arriving beside the slave.
It was Que.
This was not the first time Bore had seen Que, but the Que before her now was completely different from the one on the Heaven Hunting Battlefield, as if he had changed into a different person.
His aura was so strong that it made it difficult for her to breathe.
His sword intent was so sharp that it seemed as if he were the incarnation of the very foundation of the Sword Dao.
"I said that if you could withstand three sword strikes, I would spare your life. Unfortunately, you couldn't even withstand the first."
Que's gaze was indifferent. With a wave of the Shadow Dan Sword, the immortal sacred body of that Great Saint in the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm turned to dust, flying up like ashes.
In the end, even the ashes dissipated into the void, leaving nothing behind, including the sacred source.
Bore activated the Nether River, surrounding her body, to alleviate the immense pressure Que brought her, and said, "Your current cultivation level doesn't seem like the early stage of the Thousand Questions Realm."
The Shadow Dan Sword in Que's hand disappeared, and he picked up the Five-Colored Stone Sword from the ground, saying, "My state of mind is flawless, my Dao heart is firm. There is nothing to question. The Thousand Questions Realm is not a barrier to my cultivation. After breaking through to the Thousand Questions Realm, I took the fifth step and reached the middle stage of the Thousand Questions Realm. After taking the fifteenth step, I reached the later stage of the Thousand Questions Realm."
Fifteen steps, breaking through two realms.
Bore was amazed. No wonder the Fate Operations Department had deduced that the one who defeated Wuma Jiuxing was in the Void God Palace. Only a figure as extraordinarily talented as Que could possibly reach the pinnacle of the mortal world and restore the Destiny Temple's honor.
In terms of state of mind alone, Que, who was wholeheartedly cultivating the Void Sword Dao without any distractions, had indeed reached an unparalleled level.
One person, one sword, needing nothing else.
Other so-called geniuses or seeds of true gods all seemed mediocre before him.
Que continued, "I thought I could reach the peak of the Thousand Questions Realm in one go, so I kept walking forward. But when I reached the ninety-ninth step, just as my realm was about to break through, the figure of Zhang Ruochen appeared in my mind, along with two questions."
"What questions?" Bore asked.
Que said, "In the same realm, can I defeat an Eon-level genius? If I hadn't lost the Emperor-grade Sacred Intent Pill, could I have condensed a tenth type of Sacred Intent? Both of these questions are tied to Zhang Ruochen."
"So, to break through your realm, you must go find Zhang Ruochen?" Bore said.
Que nodded deeply and said, "Zhang Ruochen is the heir of Xumi Saint Monk. He and I are destined to have a battle. The Five-Colored Stone Sword was obtained from the Heaven Hunting Battlefield. I give it to you."
"This is a Supreme Sacred Artifact!"
Bore was astonished, unable to remain calm in the face of this matter.
Que said, "What does a Supreme Sacred Artifact matter? To me, it would only be an obstacle, a hindrance to my cultivation. Besides, Zhang Ruochen can casually give away a Supreme Sacred Artifact. Why can't I?"
"You are trying to surpass him in state of mind as well. But in truth, his state of mind is not as good as yours."
Bore took the Five-Colored Stone Sword, and her two snow-white, jade-like fingers slid across the blade. Instantly, a five-colored radiance blazed forth, and the sword's roar shook the heavens and earth. It was indeed a peerless, extraordinary sword.
Que shook his head and said, "I don't want to surpass him in everything. I just want to learn from my opponent, to do what my opponent has done, to understand his psychology. Only by understanding my opponent well enough can I have a greater chance of defeating him. Zhang Ruochen is the final obstacle before I break through to the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, and also my greatest challenge ever."
"The greatest challenge ever? As far as I know, Zhang Ruochen hasn't even reached the Great Perfection of the Hundred Shackles Realm. He is far from being your match now," Bore said.
Que said, "No! He has been my greatest enemy since I began my cultivation. I can underestimate anyone, but I will never underestimate him. I know you came about the matter of Wuma Jiuxing, but you don't know that Wuma Jiuxing's weight in my heart is far less than Zhang Ruochen's."
"For other Great Saints, the cultivation of the Thousand Questions Realm is to perfect their state of mind, to challenge themselves. But for me, I have already overcome myself. My only goal is to defeat Zhang Ruochen in the same realm."
"And if you prepare thoroughly but still cannot defeat him?" Bore said.
Que said, "If I cannot defeat him, that is also an answer. What I want is an answer. For this answer, I will give everything and go all out."
Bore vaguely felt that Zhang Ruochen's greatest enemy in the Thousand Questions Realm had already appeared.
Zhuo Yunong's defeat had indeed dealt a severe blow to the prestige of the Destiny Temple.
The Death God Palace was the first to act. The Death Black Robe High Priest dispatched the ten strongest beings, the "Ten Nether Shuras," to Ice King Star, solely to kill Wuma Jiuxing and eliminate this source of impending turmoil in the mortal world.
To the gods, Wuma Jiuxing might not yet be worth their attention, but he had indeed stirred up a thousand waves with a single stone, causing the hearts of all top-tier cultivators below the Divine Realm in Hell to tremble, their gazes all turning toward Ice King Star.
...
The Divine Maiden Tower on Ice King Star was located within the Ice Emperor Domain, but it was not built in the Ice Emperor Sacred City.
The Divine Maiden Tower was about a thousand miles from the Ice Emperor Sacred City. Because of its existence, more and more cultivators gathered in the surrounding area, and eventually, it developed into a city.
Divine Maiden City.
Divine Maiden City could be considered the eighteenth sacred city of Ice King Star. It was also covered with Great Saint inscriptions, divine patterns, and Dao locks, but its scale was much smaller than that of a true sacred city.
To enter the city, one had to be at least at the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Zhang Ruochen ultimately could not go to the Tianluo Divine Kingdom. He was grabbed by Guye Jing, as if she were press-ganging him, and brought to Divine Maiden City.
Before entering the city, Zhang Ruochen told Guye Jing, "You have appeared in too many places in your current attire and appearance. Bai Qinger is far too clever; she will certainly guess your identity. The moment you enter the city, you will be discovered."
So, Guye Jing changed out of her green scholar's robe and donned a flowing red immortal dress.
She, who had been disguised as a man, untied the hair tie on her head, and her black hair cascaded down. At the same time, her face became enchanting and captivating, her chest swelled significantly, becoming extremely pert, and her entire body exuded an irresistible seductive aura at all times.
Guye Jing's seductive charm was full of emotion. She raised her snow-white chin, deliberately striking a seductive pose, and used her two jade-like hands to straighten Zhang Ruochen's lapels, smiling, "Young Master Ruochen, is this acceptable?"
Xiao Hei's eyes were fixed, and he couldn't help but say, "This emperor is amazed."
Let alone Xiao Hei, even Zhang Ruochen hadn't expected Guye Jing's transformation to be so drastic. Every smile and every frown could stir a man beyond control, igniting an overwhelming blaze of desire.
Before, no man would have dared to entertain a single improper thought upon seeing her.
But now, even a male hedgehog would be unable to resist her.
Zhang Ruochen remembered that at the engagement banquet, when Guye Jing was with Luo Sha and that group of close friends, she had indeed been this seductive and tender.
Zhang Ruochen smelled the fragrance emanating from her, looked closely at her fair and smooth face, and then his gaze shifted downward to a place he shouldn't have looked. But in his heart, he told himself to stay rational—this woman was very dangerous.
"Well, speak up. I'm still waiting for your answer. If you keep staring at me like this, could it be that you've fallen for me? And you still say you have no ulterior motives?" Guye Jing laughed softly, her chest heaving with the motion.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath and said, "Do you have two souls inside your body? How can a person change so drastically?"
"That's right. The one you saw before was my sister, Guye Jing. And my name is Guye Huanhuan," Guye Jing nodded seriously and said.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly understood, saying, "So that's how it is."
"And you believed that? You're too easy to fool! Little Luo Luo is so clever, how did she find such a foolish fiancé? And not only is he foolish, but she also treasures him like a treasure. Anyway, I can't see what's so good about you. Come on, what are you standing there for? If you say you're not foolish, you're not convinced, are you?"
Guye Jing flashed a radiant smile at Zhang Ruochen, then, with her hands behind her back, she laughed like silver bells. Hopping and skipping, she entered Divine Maiden City.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Xiao Hei and said, "Am I foolish?"
"No, you're not foolish. It's just that this woman is too monstrous. Even this emperor almost believed her just now! Fortunately, this emperor is a little smarter than you and didn't fully believe it." Xiao Hei said very seriously.