Chapter 2527: Uncle Master
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "The outcome between us has already been decided. Why must we continue fighting?"
"..." Tian Shuzi was speechless.
Zhang Ruochen said, "We agreed to settle victory and defeat, so why are we now fighting to the death? Could it be that the Death God Temple truly consists of people who go back on their word?"
Seeing the Death God Temple's group of Great Saints glaring at him with murderous intent, Zhang Ruochen tried to calm their emotions, saying, "Everyone, I have no intention of verbally attacking the entire Death God Temple. I just think that doing this is not good and damages the temple's reputation. Where will the faces of the Death God Temple's gods be placed?"
Upon hearing this, those spectators who originally looked down on Zhang Ruochen now turned to gaze at the Death God Temple's experts with strange expressions.
The cultivators of the Death God Temple had indeed already made quite a few fools of themselves today.
Although the cultivators of the various clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City did not say anything out loud, they were deeply contemptuous in their hearts. So-called Upper Three Clans, so-called Death Clan Temple—the Great Saints they produced were nothing more than this.
In the end, the Death God Temple still cared about its reputation.
Tian Shuzi suppressed his raging emotions and snorted coldly, "I haven't been defeated yet. How can you say the outcome has been decided?"
Originally, experts like Yuan Benji of the Death God Temple had intended to persuade Tian Shuzi not to fight Zhang Ruochen alone and to attack together instead.
Sensing their thoughts, Tian Shuzi secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "You cannot make a move. Members of the Ten Clans are present in the Hundred Clans Royal City, and the Destiny Temple's Divine Maiden is also nearby. The Death God Temple cannot lose any more face. In this battle, even if I have to fight to the death, I must capture Zhang Ruochen."
The cultivators of the Death God Temple felt Tian Shuzi's resolve and all became solemn, realizing the severity of the situation.
At a critical moment, Tian Shuzi might even self-destruct his Sacred Source and take Zhang Ruochen down with him.
Tian Shuzi transmitted his voice again, "All of you, retreat far away. If I cannot suppress Zhang Ruochen and lose to him, do not make a move either. In the Hundred Clans Royal City, Zhang Ruochen indeed has a great advantage. Wait until he leaves the city before striking."
Standing atop the Kun Tower, Yan Huangtu watched the Death God Temple's Great Saints gradually retreat and his expression shifted slightly. "Tian Shuzi is really prepared to fight to the death. Xian'er, go to the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor."
"Why is Fifth Uncle so nervous? With the Kun Tower's defenses, unless Tian Shuzi self-destructs his Sacred Source... that can't be, right? It's just a conflict. Does he truly have the resolve to self-destruct his Sacred Source?" Yan Zhexian exclaimed in shock.
Yan Huangtu sneered coldly, "Tian Shuzi is indeed extremely talented, but he is too proud and arrogant. He cannot accept failure, let alone humiliation."
How could Zhang Ruochen, who could see the situation that Yan Huangtu had already discerned, not understand it?
Therefore, when Tian Shuzi stepped forward with his blade, Zhang Ruochen took out Fei Zhong's puppet body.
This puppet body had been refined by Fei Zhong using the skeleton of a Supreme Realm dwarf, combined with various precious materials. Its appearance and figure were identical to Fei Zhong's.
The puppet body's Sacred Soul had long been erased by Fei Zhong.
However, during the time Zhang Ruochen and Gong Nanfeng rushed to the Aoyun Asteroid Belt, Zhang Ruochen had re-refined it, making it usable.
"What trick is Zhang Ruochen playing now?"
"It looks like a puppet."
"Is he proficient in puppet sacred arts?"
"Perhaps it's a corpse-driving secret art! The Kunlun Realm had ancient gods who, to resist the Corpse Clan, developed corpse-driving secret arts, which once flourished. Zhang Ruochen was born in the Kunlun Realm, so it's not surprising that he is skilled in corpse-driving secret arts."
...
Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu's memories had been erased, so they showed no emotional fluctuation upon seeing Fei Zhong's puppet body.
However, the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then nodded with a smile.
On Ice King Star, after the four Earth Demon Clan Great Saints responsible for protecting Yan Zhexian and Yan Huangtu died, the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor personally went to investigate. At the site of their deaths, he discovered traces of an enemy's aura.
That aura was identical to the aura of Fei Zhong's puppet body.
Zhang Ruochen separated one hundred thousand strands of mental power and sent them into the puppet body's interior.
The puppet body's eyes suddenly snapped open, shooting out dazzling sacred light. Tens of trillions of Sacred Dao Rules surged from within its body. Holding a battle axe, it summoned dense lightning and struck toward Tian Shuzi.
"Boom, rumble."
The battle erupted instantly, shattering the long street inch by inch as blade light and axe shadows crisscrossed.
Although Tian Shuzi had cultivated fifty trillion Sacred Dao Rules—more than some Supreme Realm Great Saints—he was still stuck in the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm and had not yet condensed a Supreme Dharma Body.
Fei Zhong's puppet body, however, had once developed independent thoughts and had also condensed a Supreme Dharma Body. Although its combat power was still slightly inferior to a true Supreme Realm Great Saint, it could still fight Tian Shuzi to a standstill.
In the blink of an eye, the two figures on the long street had already clashed hundreds of times.
Tian Shuzi fought with great frustration. If he were facing Zhang Ruochen's true body, he would naturally be willing to pay any price, even burning his lifespan and sacred blood.
But now, he was being blocked by one of Zhang Ruochen's puppet bodies, unable to advance even a single step.
Was he supposed to burn thousands of years of his lifespan just to destroy one of Zhang Ruochen's puppets?
Great Saints like Yuan Benji of the Death God Temple saw Tian Shuzi's awkward predicament but were helpless.
Yuan Benji pondered for a moment and transmitted his voice, "From the very beginning, our decision was wrong. We should not have challenged Zhang Ruochen to a one-on-one fight. In the end, we underestimated him. Now it's too late to remedy the situation. Since Tian Shuzi has told us not to make a move, for the sake of the Death God Temple's reputation, I believe we should follow his instructions."
Another Great Saint nodded in agreement, saying, "If Tian Shuzi truly intends to fight to the death, a mere puppet body will absolutely not be able to stop him."
A Great Saint with a pessimistic attitude sighed, "Let's find another opportunity to deal with Zhang Ruochen. In the Hundred Clans Royal City, we are too restricted. On the other hand, Zhang Ruochen has many trump cards up his sleeve."
"How about persuading Tian Shuzi to stop... well, forget I said that."
The Death God Temple's Great Saints quickly finished their discussion and reached a unanimous decision: regardless of whether Tian Shuzi won or lost, they would not make a move. They would only act after leaving the Hundred Clans Royal City.
However, if they came with such fanfare and then retreated in disgrace, it would certainly damage the Death God Temple's prestige even more.
For this reason, they all hoped that Tian Shuzi would display his divine might and suppress Zhang Ruochen. If Tian Shuzi self-destructed his Sacred Source and took Zhang Ruochen down with him, that would naturally be an excellent outcome.
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor stroked his beard and smiled, "The Death God Temple and Tian Shuzi are now caught in a dilemma. It's time for me to step in and give them a way out."
"Shua!"
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor appeared above the battle circle between the puppet body and Tian Shuzi. He released a powerful mental power, and with a sweep of his two sleeves, an overwhelming invisible force separated them like two leaves being blown away.
The puppet body retreated to Zhang Ruochen's side, while Tian Shuzi flew back ten zhang.
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor landed on the ground and said with a smile, "This is the Hundred Clans Royal City, where conflicts among Great Saints are forbidden. Both of you are top-tier proud sons of heaven in the Hell Realm. Can you give this old man some face and restore peace to the Hundred Clans Royal City?"
Zhang Ruochen had long sensed the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor's aura and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Ruochen also does not wish to disrupt the order of the Hundred Clans Royal City. It's just that the cultivators of the Death God Temple are too unreasonable. We agreed to settle our grievances with one battle, but they couldn't accept defeat and fought round after round."
"Who said we couldn't accept defeat? We haven't decided the outcome yet!" Tian Shuzi said.
Zhang Ruochen retorted, "Oh? Then... shall we continue?"
"Fight if you want, do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Tian Shuzi's eyes were cold and dark as he raised his blade to step forward, but in the end, he did not take that step. After all, he was not stupid. When the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor appeared, he realized this was his chance to withdraw gracefully.
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor was an extremely shrewd figure. How could he not understand Tian Shuzi's mentality?
He quickly walked over, grabbed Tian Shuzi's hands, and, like a good-natured old man, earnestly advised him. First, he praised Tian Shuzi for having the potential to become an Eon-level figure in the future, then praised his broad-mindedness, and even praised the Death God Temple.
In short, he gave Tian Shuzi every possible way to save face.
Tian Shuzi stared intently at Zhang Ruochen, seemingly moved by the words. His expression softened slightly, and he said, "If it weren't for the Clan Emperor pleading on your behalf, I would have to settle victory and death with you today."
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor's heart trembled, and he wished he could cover Tian Shuzi's mouth. He had already given him a way out—why did he have to provoke Zhang Ruochen again?
Fortunately, Zhang Ruochen seemed to be truly broad-minded and genuinely wanted to resolve the enmity. He did not do anything excessive, which allowed the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor to breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, he held Zhang Ruochen in even higher regard.
It seemed that Zhang Ruochen had not deliberately toyed with the Death God Temple's cultivators earlier. He truly harbored good intentions and wanted to resolve the conflict between the two sides.
This was the magnanimity of repaying evil with good!
The heir of Xumi Saint Monk was indeed extraordinary. Even after coming to the Hell Realm, he remained unstained by the mud. The various unpleasant rumors he had heard about Zhang Ruochen were probably all false.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's gentle attitude, Tian Shuzi pressed his advantage, saying, "Release Que Shenzi and the three White-Clad Death Gods. From now on, the Death God Temple's grievances with you will be wiped clean."
The group of experts from the Death God Temple gathered around, releasing their sacred might to pressure Zhang Ruochen.
The Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor sensed that something was wrong. The cultivators of the Death God Temple did not know when to stop. They were so aggressive that they truly thought Zhang Ruochen was made of mud.
"Zhang Ruochen, didn't you want to resolve the conflict with the Death God Temple? Now we are giving you a chance. You should cherish it!" Yuan Benji said with a smile.
Zhang Ruochen naturally wanted to resolve the conflict and hatred, but he was not stupid. He knew very well that even if he released the four Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saints, it would not dispel the resentment in their hearts.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and sighed, "The Saint Monk once said that hell is not in the Hell Realm, but in people's hearts. All of you have hell in your hearts. How can this hatred be resolved?"
The two sides became confrontational again.
Just as the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor was about to mediate again, a loud Buddhist chant rang out from the crowd: "Amitabha! Uncle Master, we can lend you a hand to help them resolve the hell in their hearts."
"Uncle Master, count me in too."
A white monk and a black monk squeezed out from among the watching cultivators.
The white monk was stout, with a face as big as a basin and skin as white as jade.
The black monk was tall and thin, as black as the bottom of a pot, with only his eyes and teeth still white.
They were the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works.
Earlier, Zhang Ruochen's mental power had been locked onto the top experts present who could threaten him, so he had not noticed them. Seeing them suddenly appear, he was quite surprised.
Why had they come to the Hundred Clans Royal City?
Soon, Zhang Ruochen understood.
Because behind the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works, he saw Cang Jie. It was the Shura Clan Saint King he had encountered at the Divine Maiden Tower, whom he had sent to the Kunlun Realm to deliver a letter to Ji Fanxin.
Zhang Ruochen had told him that if Ji Fanxin was not in the Kunlun Realm, he should go to the Endless Abyss to find Kong Lanyou.
Could it be that Kong Lanyou had entrusted this task to the Grand Minister of Works and the Second Minister of Works?
Regardless of what had happened in the Kunlun Realm, since Cang Jie, the Grand Minister of Works, and the Second Minister of Works had come to the Hundred Clans Royal City, it meant that Ji Fanxin had likely already arrived.
The Grand Minister of Works had already broken through to the Great Saint realm, which in Buddhist cultivation could be called a "Bodhisattva," but he did not have a single trace of a kind and compassionate appearance. Instead, he was all smiles, saying, "Uncle Master, let them cultivate Buddhism. Having them recite and copy the 'Mohe Sutra' a hundred times a day should have some effect."
The Second Minister of Works was like an angry Vajra, saying coldly, "The karmic obstacles in their hearts are extremely deep, their resentment is thick, and their killing intent has long been deeply rooted. The 'Mohe Sutra' won't work. They should recite and copy the 'Great Benevolence and Great Emptiness Mantra,' and each of them must personally build ten thousand temples and mold one hundred thousand Buddha statues. After copying the 'Great Benevolence and Great Emptiness Sutra' one hundred thousand times, they can then be taught the 'Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra,' the 'Wonderful Dharma Sutra,' the 'Amitabha Sutra'..."
The Second Minister of Works listed dozens of sutra names in one breath and then said, "This is only the first step—cultivating oneself. There is also a second step and a third step. The second step is to do good deeds and accumulate merit. The third step..."
As the Second Minister of Works spoke endlessly, Zhang Ruochen nodded along, clearly agreeing with his words.
Que Shenzi, however, listened with a changing expression. If he really ended up like that, would he still be considered a member of the Death Clan?
If a Great Saint of the Death Clan became a monk, he dared to bet that his Divine Mother would be the first to kill him—she couldn't afford the shame.
Yuan Benji roared, "Two Buddhist cultivators dare to swagger into the Hell Realm? Men, capture them and nail their golden bodies to the city gates of the Hundred Clans Royal City, letting their Buddhist blood drain dry until they die."
The Grand Minister of Works spoke with conviction, "Why can't Buddhist cultivators come to the Hell Realm? The Yama Clan also has Buddhist cultivators. All Buddhist cultivators in the world are one family. Those who cultivate Buddhism have no boundaries between nations, no boundaries between worlds, and no boundaries between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm. Uncle Master, am I right?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Very reasonable! Don't worry, two nephews. Since you have come to the Hell Realm, your uncle master will surely protect you."
"Zhang Ruochen, you can't even protect yourself!" Tian Shuzi said.
"Dark Light Curse!"
Tian Shuzi was struck by the curse, his entire body unable to move, and was thrown into the Seven Star Imperial Palace by Zhang Ruochen.
Too fast!
In just an instant, Tian Shuzi, who had been full of momentum just moments ago, fell at the feet of Lian Xi.
Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, Zhang Ruochen sighed, "Brother Tian Shu's resentment is too heavy, and his hatred for me has penetrated deep into his bones. Originally, with the Clan Emperor personally mediating, we could have temporarily set aside all of this and let time dilute the resentment and hatred in his heart."
"But now that my two nephews have arrived, their methods seem even better. I believe this is the fundamental strategy for turning hostility into friendship."
As for why the Dark Light Curse could instantly curse Tian Shuzi this time?
Of course, it was not Zhang Ruochen's own power. Instead, in the Qiankun Realm, the Seven-Handed Old Man used his mental power to activate the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Pearl.
The watching cultivators, unaware of this, were once again shocked, including the Earth Demon Clan's Clan Emperor.
The mental power fluctuation just now was even stronger than his.
As for the group of Great Saints from the Death God Temple, when they saw Zhang Ruochen's gaze turn toward them, their hearts all trembled, and they wished they could flee the place immediately. Was this Zhang Ruochen transformed from another cultivator? He was too monstrous!
...
Ah, in the last chapter, I said I wished everyone a new year of reading two chapters a day. It was just a heartfelt wish. Don't misunderstand! Of course, after the New Year, I really plan to try hard again to see how long I can last.