Chapter 2486: They've Caught Up
The cosmic rock was enormous, flying rapidly toward the Oyun Asteroid Belt.
Gong Nanfeng extended his hand, his eyes filled with anticipation and expectation as he stared at Zhang Ruochen. He spoke again, "Thank you, Ruochen Great Saint, for helping the Destiny Temple retrieve the Celestial Pivot Needle. I will definitely report this to the Venerable of the Heavenly Fate Department. This favor is owed by me, as well as by the Heavenly Fate Department and the entire Destiny Temple."
"Is the Minister of Works using the Destiny Temple to pressure me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Gong Nanfeng was taken aback. "No! Ruochen Great Saint, how could such a misunderstanding arise?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "I cannot give you the Celestial Pivot Needle."
"Why? Could it be that Ruochen Great Saint intends to keep the Celestial Pivot Needle for himself?"
Gong Nanfeng's face showed great alarm, and he quickly stepped back, afraid that Zhang Ruochen might silence him.
The more he acted this way, the more wary Zhang Ruochen became.
Zhang Ruochen's expression remained calm and unruffled. "You are too suspicious."
"Suspicious of what? I am the Minister of Works of the Heavenly Fate Department, genuine and unmistakable." Seeing that Zhang Ruochen had no intention of killing him, Gong Nanfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have never met the Minister of Works of the Heavenly Fate Department. If you say you are, and I believe you, would that not make me a fool?"
"That makes sense."
Gong Nanfeng fumbled in his chest and pulled out a token, grinning. "This is the token of the Minister of Works of the Heavenly Fate Department. It bears the spiritual imprint of the Venerable of the Heavenly Fate Department. It cannot be forged."
Zhang Ruochen examined the token, felt a sense of disgust, and tossed it back to Gong Nanfeng, his face darkening. "A token is just a token. It might still be forged. You talk nonsense, claiming to be weak, yet you can unleash unparalleled speed. How am I supposed to trust you?"
Gong Nanfeng's face twisted as if he had a secret he couldn't reveal. "I..."
Before he could speak, Zhang Ruochen continued, "Third, when Duan Lingfeng and the others took the Celestial Pivot Needle and suppressed its artifact spirit, why didn't you act? I barely managed to retrieve the Celestial Pivot Needle for the Destiny Temple at the risk of my life, and then you show up. Hmph! Are you a spy for the Goddess Twelve Pavilions?"
"No, I am a Minister of Works of the Destiny Temple. How could I possibly be a spy for the Goddess Twelve Pavilions? Misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding!" Gong Nanfeng's face turned red with anxiety as he desperately explained. "I already told you, I was trying to cast a long line to catch a big fish."
Zhang Ruochen said sternly, "Do you think I would believe you? You are so weak, yet you dare to fish for big fish? Aren't you afraid of being eaten by the fish?"
"I could follow them secretly and then find an opportunity to send a message to the strong ones of the Destiny Temple," Gong Nanfeng said.
Zhang Ruochen's heart raced a few times. "Have you already sent the message back?"
Gong Nanfeng shook his head with a long sigh. "I am too weak! The message light talisman I sent couldn't reach Ice King Star."
Although Zhang Ruochen didn't know if he was telling the truth, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Nanfeng thought of something and said happily, "Why don't you send a message to the three High Priests of the Destiny Temple, as well as Zhuo Yunong, Wuyue Minghuang, and Xingluo Divine Son? When they arrive, they can verify my identity."
Zhang Ruochen was already struggling to control himself, wanting to kill him to silence him.
For a divine artifact, killing one person, or even slaughtering a star or a realm, was not a big deal.
But this Gong Nanfeng appeared harmless and friendly, making it hard for Zhang Ruochen to strike.
Of course, the biggest reason was that he had no confidence.
If he attacked and failed, where would he have a foothold in the Hell Realm?
Zhang Ruochen asked Zangjin Baihu, "What is this weirdo's background? Is he strong or weak?"
Zangjin Baihu did not respond.
Gong Nanfeng said, "Ruochen Great Saint, please send the message quickly. The strong ones of the Ten Dark Powers must be on their way. Without the protection of the Destiny Temple's strong ones, how can the two of us stand against them?"
Zhang Ruochen felt as if he were being pushed to the edge of a cliff. Pretending to be calm, he racked his brain for a countermeasure.
After a long while, he said, "Sending a message is definitely necessary, but how to send it, to whom, and who can be trusted, all need careful consideration. Not everyone in the Destiny Temple is trustworthy."
"Think about it. The strong ones of the Destiny Temple are far away, at least several days' journey. But Duan Lingfeng, Yunhuan Iron Blood King, Yuelin Blood Emperor, and the others are close to us."
"If we send a message to a strong one of the Destiny Temple, and that strong one immediately passes the message to Duan Lingfeng and the others, revealing our whereabouts, wouldn't we be digging our own graves?"
Gong Nanfeng showed a look of realization and said admiringly, "Ruochen Great Saint is indeed meticulous. No wonder... hehe."
He wanted to say "no wonder you've survived until now," but felt it was inappropriate, so he gave an awkward but friendly smile.
Gong Nanfeng humbly asked, "In Ruochen Great Saint's opinion, what should we do now?"
"The universe is vast and boundless, the best place for us to hide," Zhang Ruochen said.
Gong Nanfeng pinched his fingers. "Are we heading to the Oyun Asteroid Belt?"
"Exactly."
"The Oyun Asteroid Belt was once a seventh-level planet. There must be a space wormhole nearby."
"You know this?"
"I calculated it!"
Gong Nanfeng chuckled, quite pleased with himself. "To be honest, there are few things below the level of gods that I cannot calculate."
Zhang Ruochen stood behind him, his expression turning slightly grim, worried that his secrets had already been calculated by Gong Nanfeng.
Gong Nanfeng suddenly turned around.
Zhang Ruochen quickly composed himself and put on a smile.
Gong Nanfeng stared at him seriously. "You are very special. Aside from calculating your identity from the scent on the clothes you wore, I can't calculate anything else. Did Xue Jue War God or Fulu Divine Venerable cover up your heavenly secrets?"
Zhang Ruochen's smile became more genuine. "Let's not talk about that. I have some fine wine and sacred food in my space ring. Would you like to try some?"
Gong Nanfeng showed interest. "That might not be a good idea. The enemy behind us could catch up at any moment."
"Don't worry. Since I started cultivating, I've been chased. Even in more dangerous situations, I still eat and drink as usual."
Zhang Ruochen took out two jugs of wine, over a dozen ten-thousand-year sacred fruits, and two hundred jin of cooked sacred king beast meat. "Don't be polite with me. Eat as you like. After all, I am half a disciple of the Destiny Temple. We're family."
Gong Nanfeng's admiration deepened. No wonder he was an Eon-level genius valued by Fulu Divine Venerable. Even in a critical situation, chased by countless strong ones, he remained calm and composed, unaffected in his state of mind.
How many people in the world could do that?
Impressive!
Truly impressive!
Gong Nanfeng sat down cross-legged, picked up a ten-thousand-year sacred fruit, and laughed. "To be honest, I haven't eaten in days. I'm really starving. I can't compare to you Great Saints! Ruochen, you are my true brother. Those High Priests, Divine Maidens, and Minghuangs of the Destiny Temple only care about their own powerful cultivation and don't need to eat. They never consider a weakling like me."
"Say no more. All feelings are in this cup. Down it."
Zhang Ruochen had already filled Gong Nanfeng's cup and raised his own, drinking it all in one gulp.
Gong Nanfeng took a sip, and his face immediately changed. His body turned red, as if it were about to catch fire. "This wine... this wine is really... strong..."
With that, he fell to the ground.
Of course it was strong. This was Dragon Flame Wine.
For Saint Kings and Great Saints, it was fine. But if a truly weak cultivator drank it, one sip would be too much to handle.
Zhang Ruochen put down his cup and called out, "Brother Gong? Brother Gong? Is Brother Gong already drunk?"
Zhang Ruochen kept his eyes on Gong Nanfeng, using his Truth Heart to sense him. He poured another cup and drank it, his eyes filled with doubt and hesitation.
"Forget it. Killing him is too risky, and it might leave a knot in my heart."
Zhang Ruochen stood up, activated his Flowing Light Merit Armor, and shot away at ten thousand times the speed of sound, disappearing into the dark cosmic space.
On the cosmic rock, only Gong Nanfeng was left snoring.
Zhang Ruochen deliberately mobilized Truth Rules and his Truth Heart to sense. After flying over a million miles, he didn't detect Gong Nanfeng catching up. He thought to himself, "It seems he wasn't pretending to be drunk. What is this person's background? Is the Minister of Works of the Destiny Temple really a weakling?"
The more Zhang Ruochen thought about it, the more incredible it seemed, and he found it hard to believe.
Unfortunately, he hadn't taken the risk to probe his physical constitution earlier.
...
Two days later.
Zhang Ruochen was cultivating inside a cosmic rock when he suddenly became alert. He rolled up the Sundial with his sleeve, and his body turned into a pillar of light, breaking through the rock layer and flying out.
"Boom."
The cosmic rock, dozens of miles long, exploded. All the mud and stone melted and then vaporized.
The powerful energy wave sent Zhang Ruochen flying back a hundred miles.
Three thousand miles away, a black sacred ship slowly emerged from invisibility, revealing its massive hull. Dark banners fluttered on the ship, and various formation inscriptions flickered in and out of sight. The aura it emitted seemed capable of devouring heaven and earth.
In an instant, the sacred ship had already arrived in front of Zhang Ruochen. The nether qi it emitted was like a surging ink sea.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King's burly figure stood at the bow of the ship, holding a bone spear. His aura was like that of someone swallowing a starry river. His voice echoed through the universe, shaking space. "You are already trapped by my ship's formation. Let's see where you can run this time."
"You caught up quickly."
Zhang Ruochen saw the extraordinary nature of Yunhuan Iron Blood King's sacred ship. He reached out his hand and pressed lightly. In front of his palm, countless formation inscriptions appeared, like spiderwebs and chains, sealing him in space.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you're the only one who caught up, I have nothing to fear."
Yunhuan Iron Blood King sneered. "That day, you only escaped by relying on your Flowing Light Merit Armor and your supreme sacred artifact. My sacred ship was forged with my life's wealth. After borrowing divine stones from Old Duan, it is now fully activated and at its peak. Do you think you can escape today?"
"Just a sacred ship. I'll smash it," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King said, "Try it."
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Dark Gold War Heaven Pillar, infused it with sacred qi, and turned it into a towering pillar hundreds of miles long. Its dark gold radiance could be seen tens of thousands of miles away. The ripples of supreme power it emitted shattered the surrounding formation inscriptions.
"Boom."
The Dark Gold War Heaven Pillar descended, energy exploding, and struck the top of the black sacred ship, colliding with its defensive formation.
The first layer of the defensive formation was instantly broken, and the ship's hull sank heavily.
The calm-faced Yunhuan Iron Blood King showed a hint of surprise. Only when the second layer of the defensive formation blocked the Dark Gold War Heaven Pillar did he breathe a sigh of relief.
He had deliberately provoked Zhang Ruochen to attack. How could he miss this perfect opportunity?
"How foolish. I told you to attack, and you actually did. With your supreme sacred artifact fully unleashed, your defense and power are at their weakest. Kill you, and this supreme sacred artifact will be mine."
Yunhuan Iron Blood King flew out from the sacred ship, thrusting his bone spear.
On the bone spear, divine patterns emerged, glowing brighter and brighter, about to pierce Zhang Ruochen's heart.
But at that moment, time slowed slightly.
Zhang Ruochen sidestepped.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King was shocked. "The power of time?"
Zhang Ruochen formed a fist with his left hand. The sound of a dragon's roar and flowing water rang out simultaneously, like a divine dragon roaring and a heavenly river falling. The momentum was overwhelming, capable of shaking an opponent's soul.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King was unafraid. He struck out with his palm, unleashing a thick deathly force.
Fist and palm collided.
At that moment, time seemed to slow even more.
"Boom."
Zhang Ruochen was sent flying backward like a cannonball, landing a hundred miles away. He steadied himself, thinking, "A peak Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint's palm strike is much stronger than I imagined."
But Zhang Ruochen was not discouraged. Instead, his fighting spirit grew stronger.
Back in Divine Maiden City, Yunhuan Iron Blood King had sealed ninety percent of his cultivation and still pushed Zhang Ruochen to the brink. In the end, Zhang Ruochen had to use various methods, relying on the Dark Prison Realm Talisman and the Truth Dao to unleash ten times the attack power, just to win by a trick.
Now, he could directly confront a fully powered Yunhuan Iron Blood King.
Such progress was more than a thousand miles a day.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King's body only shook slightly, dissipating Zhang Ruochen's fist force. He looked at the old man opposite him with a strange expression. After taking his palm strike and being sent flying so far, the old man was not injured.
Moreover, he felt a familiar aura in that fist force.
It was very similar to Zhang Ruochen.
But he couldn't believe that the person opposite him was Zhang Ruochen. Not long ago, he had only used one-tenth of his power to push Zhang Ruochen into danger. Zhang Ruochen's strength was far inferior to that of the old man.
Yunhuan Iron Blood King bluffed, "Zhang Ruochen, you took the Celestial Pivot Needle and didn't return to Ice King Star. Instead, you're heading to the Oyun Asteroid Belt. What are you trying to do? Keep the divine artifact for yourself?"
Zhang Ruochen knew that Yunhuan Iron Blood King was bluffing.
Now, admitting it or not was secondary.
Since he was already suspicious, he had to die.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Sundial, then pulled out two divine stones and placed them into the grooves. He sighed, "I didn't want to kill you, but you had to say my name. What a pity. Someone like you isn't even worth capturing alive."
Yunhuan Iron Blood King was shocked. "You really are Zhang Ruochen? Impossible, it's impossible."
"I've already revealed my identity, and you still say it's impossible. Are you deliberately messing with me? Do you think that will make me spare you?" Zhang Ruochen was in a bad mood. He felt that everyone he met recently was playing tricks on him.