Chapter 2524: Good Intentions Washed Away by Wind and Rain
Two renowned Great Saints clashed, and although the heavens did not collapse nor the earth shatter, their battle startled one formidable figure after another from the Hundred Clans Royal City.
Holy lands of every clan were shaken.
The sacred building where Yan Huangtu, Yan Zhexian, and the Earth Demon Clan members were located was called the Kun Tower, a famous ancient scenic site in the Hundred Clans Royal City.
Legend has it that during the Middle Ages, after the Hell Realm declared war on the Heavenly Court, a God Venerable-level mighty being once hosted a banquet for the gods in this tower.
Thus, whenever cultivators came to the Hundred Clans Royal City, most would visit the Kun Tower to admire the historic site and recall the great abilities of the God Venerable.
Moreover, the Kun Tower had powerful defensive formations and was very close to where Zhang Ruochen and Que Shenzi were fighting. As a result, more and more Great Saints surged in, each with an immense background, creating an atmosphere of a Great Saint assembly.
To ordinary cultivators, a Great Saint was an emperor within the Saint Realm.
Yet even among Great Saints, there were distinctions of high and low.
Yan Huangtu sensed something and looked toward the staircase.
Footsteps grew denser.
After a moment, surrounded by a group of Great Saints, a man and a woman ascended the tower.
They were none other than the new Divine Maiden of the Destiny Temple, Bore, and Que, who had stepped into the Thousand Questions Realm.
Que stood as if within nothingness, and few could clearly see his face.
Bore was like a bright pearl in the sky, extraordinarily beautiful yet cold as frost, making the Great Saints of various clans who came to pay respects feel a sense of distance.
Yan Huangtu’s gaze fell on Que, and he laughed heartily: “You’ve come at just the right time. I think that Que Shenzi is probably no match for Zhang Ruochen. In the next round, will you make a move?”
Que walked to the window, his figure as straight as a sword, gazing at the chaotic rules and surging energy on the long street, and said: “Today is the Death God Temple’s stage.”
Yan Huangtu said: “Aren’t you afraid Zhang Ruochen won’t make it through?”
Que remained silent, like a sword hidden in its sheath.
Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying were considered top-tier figures on the fringes of the Hell Realm, and their cultivation far surpassed Que’s. Yet with Que’s arrival, the two felt somewhat constrained, an invisible pressure building on them.
Bore’s gaze swept imperceptibly over Yan Zhexian, especially at her abdomen.
The people in the tower each had their own peculiarities, observing one another.
After a moment of silence, Que said: “If it were elsewhere, I might really worry that he would fall into the Death God Temple’s hands. But here in the Hundred Clans Royal City, I’d be more concerned that he might go on a killing spree, chopping up Great Saints like firewood. However…”
“You find it strange?” Yan Huangtu smiled.
“Exactly.”
Both Que and Yan Huangtu had fought Zhang Ruochen more than once and knew him extremely well, so they naturally noticed some anomalies.
Que turned to Bore and said: “What does the Divine Maiden think?”
“Zhang Ruochen can almost fully mobilize the power of his demigod body. His palm can overturn the heavens, his fist can shatter the earth. Unless a Supreme Dharma Body is deployed, he is invincible in close combat.” Bore did not stint on praise, giving an extremely high evaluation.
Yan Huangtu’s eyes widened like copper bells, a hint of a smile in them: “Divine Maiden, did you not understand our meaning, or are you deliberately pretending not to?”
It was no wonder Yan Huangtu had such a question. After all, almost every Great Saint present could see that Zhang Ruochen relied on his demigod body and Yin-Yang Five Elements Sacred Intent to fight Que Shenzi.
With these two, Zhang Ruochen was indeed invincible in close combat, giving him a huge advantage in the Hundred Clans Royal City.
Since everyone could see that, why ask this wise Divine Maiden?
Bore walked over to Yan Zhexian’s side and also looked out the window, her figure as exquisite as a fairy in a mural, perfectly outlined, and said: “Zhang Ruochen’s conduct today is indeed different from usual.”
“Exactly! That’s what’s most puzzling!”
Yan Huangtu continued: “In the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen slaughtered in all directions. No matter what Divine Son or Divine Maiden, no matter how great their background, if they provoked him, he would kill them without mercy, chilling the cultivators of the ten clans of the Hell Realm to the bone.”
“On the Merit Battlefield, he also killed until heads rolled. Whether it was the Ghost Lord’s offspring or former brothers and friends, all had their souls scattered.”
“Back then, on Ice King Star at the Divine Maiden Tower, Yuan Bensu merely said casually, ‘You’re like a turtle hiding its head,’ and it angered Zhang Ruochen, who claimed he had been insulted and would kill him.”
“Although Zhang Ruochen might have had other motives, it also shows that he cannot tolerate a grain of sand in his eyes. Any cultivator who provokes him must be prepared to bear his boundless wrath.”
“But now…”
Now, although the battle on the street was fierce, Zhang Ruochen could be heard repeatedly urging Que Shenzi to stop.
Was this still Zhang Ruochen?
“Harmony is most precious; fighting solves nothing.”
“Divine Son, please stop. There’s no need for us to fight to the death like this. Why not come into the tower and drink some sacred wine, drowning our grievances in drink?”
“It’s really a misunderstanding. I didn’t kill Shanqiu. One day, the truth will come to light.”
…
Listening to Zhang Ruochen’s incessant muttering, and with Que Shenzi unable to gain the upper hand for a long time, he grew irritable, gnashing his teeth in hatred, and roared: “Shut up!”
“Won’t you even consider it? Enemies should be reconciled rather than nurtured. I can swear by the Blood Absolute War God that I absolutely did not kill Shanqiu.” Zhang Ruochen’s words were firm, his tone resolute.
The cultivators present felt a chill, realizing that Shanqiu might really not have been killed by Zhang Ruochen.
But did the Death God Temple really care whether Shanqiu was killed by Zhang Ruochen?
The answer was clearly no.
The Death God Temple’s goal was to use this as a pretext to humiliate Zhang Ruochen, or even kill him and take everything he had. Of course, finding the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal was also an important objective.
The major powers stood by, partly to let the Death God Temple act as the spearhead and see if the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal was on Zhang Ruochen.
Bore had never been so unable to understand Zhang Ruochen as she was at this moment. Her beautiful eyes were full of confusion.
“Swish!”
Que Shenzi retreated far away, glaring coldly at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen showed joy, appearing refined and gentle, smiling warmly: “See? I said it was a misunderstanding. We should shake hands and make peace.”
Then, he looked toward Yuan Bensu on the distant sacred building and said: “Brother Yuan, I won’t hold the matter at the Divine Maiden Tower against you either!”
Yuan Bensu’s face turned ashen. He wanted to curse loudly, thinking bitterly, “At the Divine Maiden Tower, I was almost burned to death by that undying bird beside you, alright? If you won’t hold it against me, I’ll make sure you die a miserable death.”
Yuan Bensu said coldly: “Que Shenzi, Zhang Ruochen only relies on his powerful body to contend with you. Don’t fight him in close combat. With your cultivation, you can crush him with a flip of your hand.”
Que Shenzi was no fool. How could he not see Zhang Ruochen’s strengths and weaknesses?
But this was the Hundred Clans Royal City, where all cultivators’ cultivation was severely suppressed, forcing close combat. It wasn’t like in the starry sky, where one could instantly open a distance of hundreds of miles and release trillions of Sacred Dao Rules to crush Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said: “Brother Yuan, why be so cruel? How have I, Zhang Ruochen, offended you? Tell me clearly, and maybe we can resolve our conflict!”
Yuan Bensu laughed coldly: “Zhang Ruochen, you brat, even if you grovel now, you won’t escape today.”
In everyone’s eyes, Zhang Ruochen’s actions were indeed a sign of weakness under pressure.
The more he did this, the wider the smiles of the Death God Temple’s Great Saints grew. They wished they could press Zhang Ruochen’s head to the ground and trample him for greater satisfaction.
“Fight! Don’t waste any more words. Even if you kneel and beg for mercy today, it’s useless.”
Que Shenzi released all 1.7 trillion Sacred Dao Rules from his body, filling the space of several dozen zhang in radius, destroying all Dao Locks, Great Saint Inscriptions, and Divine Patterns in the area, forming a deathly Dao Domain.
Thirty-six billion Divine Patterns, like thirty-six billion divine rivers, flowed within the ocean of rules.
The 1.7 trillion Sacred Dao Rules were like 1.7 trillion boulders. The thirty-six billion Divine Patterns were like thirty-six billion mountains. Both pressed down on Zhang Ruochen.
Why did Yuan Bensu think that if they kept their distance, Que Shenzi could suppress Zhang Ruochen with a flip of his hand?
It was precisely because of the gap in Sacred Dao Rules.
Many cultivators believed Zhang Ruochen was doomed. After all, a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint could at most cultivate over ten billion Sacred Dao Rules.
A hundredfold gap was simply insurmountable.
However, Zhang Ruochen was not as simple as they imagined. A strange spatial structure appeared around his body, preventing the 1.7 trillion Sacred Dao Rules from directly pressing on him.
Compared to when he fought Yunhuan Iron Blood King, Zhang Ruochen had more ways to deal with peak Ten Thousand Death One Life Realm experts.
Zhang Ruochen’s expression darkened, and he sighed in disappointment: “Since I cannot persuade you to let go of your resentment, I’ll have to solve this problem in another way. Come, Brother Que, I’ll fight with you.”
Hearing “Brother Que,” Que Shenzi’s mouth twitched.
Unable to bear it any longer, Que Shenzi growled: “Ming Jue Seal Technique.”
He formed hand seals, mobilizing divine power and Sacred Dao Rules. Immediately, the phantom of the Ming Jue Divine River appeared around him, accompanied by deafening waves.
This Sacred Art was one of the seventy-two supreme Sacred Arts of the Death God Temple.
Que Shenzi had cultivated the Ming Jue Seal Technique to the ninth layer, reaching the level of a Ten Thousand Death One Life-rank high-level Sacred Art.
As the palm seal struck, the power was overwhelming.
The thirty-six billion Rule Divine Patterns turned into thirty-six divine rivers, complementing the palm seal.
“Swish!”
Space trembled, and Zhang Ruochen’s figure vanished.
“Space Teleportation! How is that possible? In the Hundred Clans Royal City, under the suppression of my Dao Domain, he can still perform Space Teleportation?”
Que Shenzi was greatly alarmed. He never expected Zhang Ruochen to be so bizarre. But this palm strike was unstoppable, and he couldn’t redirect its power elsewhere.
Zhang Ruochen reappeared beside Que Shenzi.
If he struck now, even if Que Shenzi could save his life, he would be severely injured.
But to everyone’s astonishment, Zhang Ruochen did not attack.
That’s right. He simply did not attack.
Instead, Zhang Ruochen asked again: “Is there really no room for negotiation?”
“Boom!”
Que Shenzi’s palm strike hit the spot where Zhang Ruochen had been standing, destroying a stretch of ancient buildings protected by Great Saint Inscriptions and formations, reducing them to rubble.
“Swish!”
Que Shenzi turned his head and looked at Zhang Ruochen, who was right beside him. He recoiled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately teleporting away to put distance between them again, both shocked and furious.
Shocked that Zhang Ruochen had just posed a serious threat to his life.
Furious that he felt Zhang Ruochen was mocking and humiliating him.
“Jinyu Divine Flame.”
Que Shenzi turned into a golden figure, and golden divine fire rivers surged from his pores, turning the area into a sea of flames.
Another of the seventy-two supreme Sacred Arts.
But this time, Que Shenzi had cultivated the Jinyu Divine Flame to the tenth layer, reaching the level of a Supreme-rank high-level Sacred Art.
For a Ten Thousand Death One Life Realm Great Saint to cultivate a Ten Thousand Death One Life-rank high-level Sacred Art was nothing special, but cultivating a Supreme-rank high-level Sacred Art was a remarkable achievement.
The Jinyu Divine Flame could both attack and defend.
Que Shenzi’s mind calmed, and his fear vanished.
He was now certain that the legends were true: Zhang Ruochen must have mastered Space Essence. Without Space Essence, how could he have performed Space Teleportation under those conditions?
Zhang Ruochen was too foolish not to have struck earlier.
Now that he was on guard, how could he give Zhang Ruochen another chance?
Excellent! As long as he killed Zhang Ruochen, the Space Essence, Fate Essence, and everything else would belong to him!
“Zhang Ruochen, you will be the first soul to fall under the tenth-layer Jinyu Divine Flame. Let me send you on your way.”
Que Shenzi had great confidence in this Sacred Art. After recalling the thirty-six billion Rule Divine Patterns to defend himself, he immediately mobilized the Jinyu Divine Flame to condense flaming strange birds.
It was indeed formidable. The temperature of Que Shenzi’s Jinyu Divine Flame was close to 100,000 degrees, and even Zhang Ruochen’s demigod body couldn’t withstand it.
Zhang Ruochen showed no fear at all. He just shook his head repeatedly, extremely disappointed, and said: “Why are you so stubborn?”
“Kill!”
Que Shenzi gritted his teeth and roared. The flaming strange birds, carrying a scorching aura that could burn the heavens and boil the seas, spread their wings and charged at Zhang Ruochen.
“Dark Light Curse.”
The Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Pearl flew above Zhang Ruochen’s head, hovering still, as Supreme Inscription Runes emerged.
All the flaming strange birds crashed into a spherical purple light membrane, turning into patches of flame.
That was the Dark Light.
The spherical Dark Light enveloped Que Shenzi.
Zhang Ruochen’s five fingers clenched, and he chanted: “Retract!”
The spherical Dark Light rapidly contracted, becoming only two meters in diameter, completely imprisoning Que Shenzi.
Que Shenzi roared within the Dark Light, unleashing astonishing divine power. He stretched out his arms, trying to break free.
“Retract again!” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Dark Light compressed Que Shenzi’s body, making it shrink continuously.
Murmurs of shock rose all around. Every cultivator was stunned, finding it hard to believe.
How could Zhang Ruochen be so strong?
A single Dark Light curse could suppress a top-tier combatant of the Ten Thousand Death One Life Realm.
Some Great Saints saw the trick, realizing that Zhang Ruochen was using his Spiritual Power to activate the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Pearl. The more they understood this, the more horrified they became.
Just how powerful had Zhang Ruochen’s Spiritual Power become?
The Dark Light Curse eventually broke through Que Shenzi’s defenses, turning into a purple curse mark that suppressed itself within his body. Que Shenzi felt as if he were bound by thousands of shackles. Not only could he not continue fighting, but even moving a finger was extremely difficult.
Que Shenzi watched Zhang Ruochen approach step by step and struggled to speak: “This… is… the power… of a Supreme Sacred Artifact?”
“That’s right. Didn’t you know? Don’t you even have a Supreme Sacred Artifact?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Que Shenzi’s expression was mournful. He cursed inwardly: If I had a Supreme Sacred Artifact, would I have been suppressed by a single Dark Light Curse?
Zhang Ruochen had already reached him.
Que Shenzi’s heart tightened, and he quickly said: “Enemies… should be… reconciled… rather than… nurtured… Why not… first undo the curse… and we can enter the sacred building… and laugh away… our grievances…”
Before he could finish, Zhang Ruochen said seriously: “No! You still harbor resentment toward me and want to kill me. I can’t just let you go like this. Unless we can first resolve the resentment in your heart and address the root of the conflict.”
Que Shenzi gently shook his head, indicating that he no longer had any resentment.
Zhang Ruochen patted his shoulder and also shook his head, saying: “I can see that you’re not without resentment; you’re just afraid I’ll kill you. Don’t worry. Am I, Zhang Ruochen, someone who loves killing? In my opinion, you should stay by my side for a while and let me educate you. Once your resentment has subsided, your aggression has dissipated, and you truly trust me, then I’ll let you go.”
Que Shenzi felt the greatest humiliation of his life. This Zhang Ruochen clearly wanted to take him as a slave but spoke so sanctimoniously. It was utterly hypocritical.
“Actually, there’s a faster way. I just need to cut away some of your memories and your seven emotions and six desires, and your resentment will naturally disappear. Just like those four!”
Zhang Ruochen pointed to the four expressionless White-clad Death Gods.
Que Shenzi’s face changed dramatically. If his seven emotions and six desires were severed, wouldn’t he never be able to enter the Divine Realm in this lifetime?
Zhang Ruochen was so ruthless that he wanted to destroy his Dao.
Que Shenzi’s body trembled slightly, and he looked with pleading eyes at Yuan Bensu and the other Death God Temple Great Saints in the distance.
Zhang Ruochen changed his tone and said sincerely: “But that’s only a superficial solution, not a fundamental one. I, Zhang Ruochen, disdain such methods. To change a person’s thoughts, making him cultivate Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism are all better approaches. Would you like to be a monk, a Daoist priest, or a scholar who reads ten thousand books?”
Que Shenzi struggled to open his mouth and said in a trembling voice: “Zhang Ruochen is extremely evil… save… me!”