Chapter 2485: The Weak Palace Minister Gong Nanfeng
Shang Yue glared coldly at him and said, "Don't think you can get anything out of me."
Although she didn't want to die and feared death, having cultivated to the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, how could she be intimidated by Zhang Ruochen's mere words?
"Don't refuse so quickly. My questions are all very simple."
Zhang Ruochen looked her over from head to toe and asked, "How old are you?"
Shang Yue clenched her teeth tightly and thought carefully. This was a question she could answer, so she softened her stubbornness a bit and said, "Counting from when I first gained sentience, seventy thousand years. Counting from when I cultivated a physical body, one thousand three hundred years."
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "Why cultivate a physical body?"
"Is that any of your business?" Shang Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Answer me."
Shang Yue turned her face away and said, "Any plant, spirit monster, or even Stone Clan cultivator who has a technique for cultivating a physical body would do so. Without a physical body, the difficulty of becoming a Saint or a God increases tenfold or more."
Zhang Ruochen knew that Stone Clan cultivators cultivated physical bodies.
In the "Stone Realm" of the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms, those Stone Clan cultivators pursued and explored life, all cultivating their own physical bodies.
The Hell Realm Stone Clan was the exact opposite. They didn't cultivate physical bodies; they cultivated the Path of Death, seeking to destroy all things and turn them into stone. Even if they had blood, it was called stone fluid, the essence of their stone bodies condensed and flowing within their stone meridians.
Because they lacked physical bodies, the Hell Realm Stone Clan, like the Ghost Clan, Corpse Clan, and Bone Clan, were mostly incapable of reproduction. Even if they did produce offspring, the methods were very special.
Of course, cultivating a physical body was extremely difficult for Stone Clan cultivators.
Moreover, successive generations of Stone Clan sages believed that Stone Clan members who cultivated physical bodies were no longer pure Stone Clan, but heretics who had lost their origin and had their thoughts enslaved by flesh-and-blood beings. Therefore, the vast majority of divine techniques and sacred scriptures of the Stone Clan were in the hands of the Hell Realm Stone Clan.
The number and strength of the Hell Realm Stone Clan far surpassed the Heavenly Court Stone Realm.
Zhang Ruochen said, "How old is your master, Bai Qinger? Is she a Stone Clan member? Did she cultivate a physical body?"
"I don't know anything about my master's affairs," Shang Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes showed regret, and he shook his head, saying, "If you're unwilling to reveal even such a small piece of information, what meaning is there in keeping you alive?"
As he spoke, he reached out his right hand and touched Shang Yue's delicate cheek.
"Chi!"
The Purifying Divine Flame appeared at his fingertip.
Shang Yue quickly said, "My master rarely tells us her secrets. I only know that her age doesn't exceed three thousand years. I'm not sure if she's a Stone Clan member. But she definitely doesn't have a stone body, because she also bleeds, not the stone fluid of the Stone Clan."
"Very good."
Zhang Ruochen withdrew his finger, clapped his hands, and laughed, "Then let me ask you one last question. Did Bai Qinger capture a cultivator from the Kunlun Realm?"
"If I answer this question, will you let me go?" Shang Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "If I said I would let you go, would you believe me?"
"You absolutely won't let me go, because you won't let anyone know that the Celestial Pivot Needle has fallen into your hands," Shang Yue said.
From the fact that Zhang Ruochen hadn't returned to Ice King Star but had gone to the Aoyun Asteroid Belt, she could tell that Zhang Ruochen had no intention of returning the Celestial Pivot Needle to the Destiny Temple and wanted to keep it for himself.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I won't let you go, but I can promise not to kill you."
"Like the relationship between my junior sister and His Highness the Divine Prince?" Shang Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen was momentarily stunned, never expecting to accidentally learn such an important piece of information.
Zhang Ruochen became interested and said, "What is the relationship between your junior sister and Luo Shengtian?"
"What else could it be between a man and a woman?" Shang Yue retorted.
Zhang Ruochen recalled past events. It did seem that Luo Shengtian often secretly went to the Divine Maiden Tower. Was this mutual affection, or was it a scheme by Bai Qinger?
Either was possible.
After all, for Shang Xia, becoming the woman of the Heavenly Luo Divine Kingdom's Divine Prince was a much higher status than staying in the Goddess Twelve Pavilions.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but smile. From now on, if Luo Shengtian dared to accuse him with righteous indignation again, he would finally have a way to fight back. This was a small gain.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I said I won't kill you, and I mean it. First, answer my question."
Shang Yue gave a sly smile and said, "No."
"Hmm?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Yue said, "My master didn't capture any cultivator from the Kunlun Realm. At least, not before I entered the City Lord's Mansion. After entering the City Lord's Mansion, because I had to prepare the Black Tortoise Swallowing Heaven Formation, I didn't take a single step outside and knew nothing of the outside world."
Zhang Ruochen stared at her for a long time and said, "Fine! Let me ask you one last question."
"How is there still one last question?" Shang Yue was furious, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was toying with her.
Zhang Ruochen said in a low voice, "You need to understand one thing. Right now, you are my prisoner. I make all the rules. Since you've already said so much, what does one more question matter?"
Shang Yue refused to be fooled, knowing that Zhang Ruochen was gradually leading her on, trying to break down her psychological defenses.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you don't answer, you'll only die. After you die, I can ask your junior sister. After all, she and I might become family in the future, so she probably wouldn't refuse to tell me."
"Think about it carefully! Such close senior and junior sisters, with the senior sister dead and gone, while the junior sister becomes the Divine Prince's consort. In the future, she might even use the cultivation resources of the Heavenly Luo Divine Kingdom to break through to the Divine Realm, have a bunch of children, and roam freely between heaven and earth. But you, after death, who will remember you? What a huge difference between the two. Just thinking about it is sad and pitiful."
Shang Yue's thoughts were drawn into the imagination Zhang Ruochen had created, and her emotions became intense. "I don't believe Shang Xia has really fallen into your hands."
Zhang Ruochen took out the "Space-Time Secret Scripture" and opened a page.
On the page was a beautiful woman's portrait, exactly like Shang Xia, vivid and lifelike, as if she might step out of the paper at any moment.
Zhang Ruochen closed the "Space-Time Secret Scripture" and said, "My maternal grandfather is Xue Jue War God, and my mother is also a deity. Being the woman of an Eon-level genius is no worse than being the woman of a Divine Prince. You're so smart; you should know how to choose. You're so beautiful and so outstanding, a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm powerhouse, far surpassing Xia Yu. To win Xia Yu over, I gave away a Supreme Sacred Artifact. I've always been generous to beauties."
Shang Yue's eyes first showed doubt, then some struggle, and finally turned to contemplation. The coldness on her face melted away, and she lowered her head, speaking softly, "Go ahead and ask. As long as I know, I'll answer."
"Were the five top-grade Origin Divine Crystals stolen by Bai Qinger?"
After circling countless times and breaking through Shang Yue's psychological defenses, Zhang Ruochen finally got to the main point.
Shang Yue said, "That's right! But the five top-grade Origin Divine Crystals had already been swapped. What my master stole were just five ordinary Origin Divine Crystals."
"Who swapped them?" Zhang Ruochen pressed.
Shang Yue said, "My master suspects it was Seven Hands Old Man."
Zhang Ruochen kept his eyes fixed on Shang Yue's pupils and could confirm she was telling the truth.
He paced back and forth in the cave.
After a long while, Zhang Ruochen laughed out loud, "Bai Qinger is indeed exceptionally clever, but she underestimated the world's talents too much. It seems she lost this round of the game against Seven Hands Old Man."
Thinking carefully, the reason Bai Qinger lost was because of the variable that was Zhang Ruochen.
Otherwise, Seven Hands Old Man would likely have died at her hands, and she would have taken back the five top-grade Origin Divine Crystals.
No wonder Bai Qinger hated him so much and wanted him dead.
Zhang Ruochen asked again, "Why did the Goddess Twelve Pavilions dare to so openly unite the cultivators of the Ten Dark Powers to seize the Celestial Pivot Needle? Weren't they afraid the Destiny Temple would find out?"
"Why be afraid of the Destiny Temple finding out? This was originally a cooperation between the Destiny Temple and the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, intended to lure out the strong ones of the Ten Dark Powers and wipe them all out in one fell swoop," Shang Yue said.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't surprised. He had already suspected this and was just seeking confirmation.
So, Bai Qinger's methods were indeed brilliant, manipulating all sides with ease. Her courage and intelligence were undeniable.
Zhang Ruochen said, "One last question."
Shang Yue shot him a glare.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The real last question. Who was the expert Bai Qinger arranged to guard the Aoyun Asteroid Belt?"
A look of surprise appeared on Shang Yue's face. She hesitated slightly and said, "You could even guess that?"
"It's not hard to guess. A divine artifact—who wouldn't be tempted? How could Bai Qinger not guard against Duan Lingfeng? If there really was a space wormhole in the Aoyun Asteroid Belt, there would definitely be a strong one guarding it, someone Bai Qinger absolutely trusted," Zhang Ruochen said.
Shang Yue said, "It's Turtle Lord and Pillar General."
Zhang Ruochen had some impression of them. "Just the two of them? Are they a match for Duan Lingfeng?"
"Don't underestimate them. They both received guidance from Desolate Heaven Great God and are extraordinary existences among the Stone Clan. Of course, my master is meticulous in her plans. There might be other arrangements, but she would never tell us."
A hint of tenderness appeared in Shang Yue's eyes as she said, "Young Master Ruochen, your servant has told you everything she knows. Am I being obedient and well-behaved?"
A Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint speaking in such a coquettish manner, looking like she was ready to be plucked, made Zhang Ruochen's heart stir. He felt he couldn't handle it!
Suppressing the evil thoughts in his mind, Zhang Ruochen walked over and said seriously, "Indeed, very obedient."
"Then..."
Zhang Ruochen said, "But too obedient. I don't like it."
Shang Yue, who was naturally fiery and bold, could no longer keep up the act. She said coldly, "Zhang Ruochen, have you been humiliating me this whole time?"
Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh and said, "You can betray your master and be so obedient to me. In the future, you could just as easily betray me and be obedient to someone else. How could I dare to want a woman like that? I like women with a stubborn streak. You're too easy to get. At most, you can only be... first, a maidservant. We'll see how you perform. Maybe there's a chance in the future."
Shang Yue was furious, feeling that Zhang Ruochen was nothing but a swindler. She roared, "I am a Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint, and you want me to be..."
Zhang Ruochen threw her into the "Space-Time Secret Scripture," turning her into a beautiful woman's portrait, sealed inside.
The yang energy within Zhang Ruochen's body was strong, and with Yan God's flame divine patterns, he had even condensed a fourth-rank Fire Path Sacred Intent. He had almost lost control just now.
Before the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent was perfected, how could he dare to cultivate the Purifying Divine Flame?
Having condensed the fourth-rank Fire Path Sacred Intent, Zhang Ruochen was already regretting it. He now realized that if he had condensed a sixth-rank or seventh-rank Fire Path Sacred Intent back then, it would have been much easier to integrate into the Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent and much easier to achieve balance.
Earlier, when he said he would use Shang Yue to cultivate the Purifying Divine Flame, he was just scaring her.
Zhang Ruochen didn't bother questioning Shang Xia. This woman was completely different from Shang Yue. She looked like someone with a firm will who would rather die than compromise. Asking her would be a waste of time.
With the Heart of Truth, Zhang Ruochen could tell that everything Shang Yue had said was true.
He activated the Sundial.
Zhang Ruochen swallowed sacred medicine and sacred pills, quickly recovering his expended sacred qi and the injuries to his Qi Sea.
At the same time, he spent time breaking the countless tiny shackles within his body.
Over three days, Zhang Ruochen activated the ten-thousand-fold sound speed of the Flowing Light Merit Armor and flew several times, covering nearly three hundred million miles. He thought he had shaken off all the cultivators chasing him.
But just as he landed on a cosmic rock and was about to dig a cave to rest, a shout came from behind him: "Great Saint Ruochen, wait, wait for me."
To avoid being recognized, he had already transformed into the old appearance of Xunmu Grandmaster. Who could recognize him? And who could catch up to him?
Zhang Ruochen immediately became alert and summoned the Black Gold Heaven-Suppressing Pillar.
A frail-looking young man flew down onto the cosmic rock. He didn't steady himself and stumbled forward two steps, almost falling flat on his face. He gave an awkward smile and said, "Don't be nervous. It's me, Destiny Temple Minister of Works, Gong Nanfeng."
Zhang Ruochen was shocked and somewhat dazed. He couldn't figure out how Gong Nanfeng had caught up to him.
Of course, Zhang Ruochen had seen Gong Nanfeng before. He was the one who had shot out the Celestial Pivot Needle.
Zhang Ruochen used his spiritual power to probe Gong Nanfeng, only to find that there was no power fluctuation on his body at all, no different from an ordinary mortal.
Gong Nanfeng smiled, allowing Zhang Ruochen to probe, and said, "I never expected that it was Great Saint Ruochen who helped the Destiny Temple recover the Celestial Pivot Needle. Truly worthy of the person favored by Fortune Divine Venerable, truly worthy of the holder of the Fate Divine Token. Great Saint Ruochen, Great Saint Ruochen, please return the Celestial Pivot Needle to me, alright?"
Return the Celestial Pivot Needle?
Zhang Ruochen said coldly, "I am not Zhang Ruochen. You've mistaken me for someone else."
"Great Saint Ruochen, we're on the same side. There's no need for such caution. I've already calculated your identity. I have a sacred robe you once wore, brought from the Blood Absolute Family. As long as the distance is close enough, I can calculate it accurately." Gong Nanfeng acted very familiar, smiling as he actively walked over.
Zhang Ruochen stepped back repeatedly, saying, "How do you know the Celestial Pivot Needle is in my hands? Did you calculate that too?"
"It wasn't calculated. But when you took the Celestial Pivot Needle from Duan Lingfeng, I was nearby," Gong Nanfeng said seriously.
Zhang Ruochen hadn't sensed any other cultivators nearby at the time and didn't believe him. "Then why didn't you act yourself?"
"I'm too weak. I can't beat them. Besides, I wanted to see who the mastermind behind seizing the Celestial Pivot Needle was. I was playing the long game, trying to catch a big fish. That mastermind—I couldn't even calculate them, so they must be someone extraordinary. But after waiting for several days, they still haven't shown up. I thought it would be safer to take the Celestial Pivot Needle back first," Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You're weak?"
"That's right. Any strong man could knock me over," Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "But you caught up to me? And you evaded my perception? And you can walk through the cosmos? Are you really weak?"
"Really weak. If you don't believe me, punch me. I'll fall to the ground and won't be able to get up."
Gong Nanfeng leaned his face in, letting Zhang Ruochen hit him.
Zhang Ruochen quickly retreated again. This man, who could become the Minister of Works of the Destiny Temple, control a divine artifact, evade his perception, and catch up to the Flowing Light Merit Armor—how could he really be weak?
Was he pretending to be crazy?
Or... did he see that Zhang Ruochen wanted to keep the Celestial Pivot Needle for himself and was deliberately baiting him?
Unable to see through this man's true nature and intentions, Zhang Ruochen felt extremely troubled.
Make a move?
But Zhang Ruochen suspected he was far from a match for him.
Hand over the Celestial Pivot Needle?
Even more impossible.