Chapter 2528: The Holy Feast of the Earth Demon Clan
The group of Great Saints from the Death God Temple ultimately retreated in disgrace.
What choice did they have? Zhang Ruochen was unfathomable; with a single thought, he could curse Tian Shuzi. Without a Supreme Realm cultivator stepping forward, who could contend with him?
If they continued to challenge him, weren't they afraid of being captured and turned into monks as well?
Until they understood the foundation of Zhang Ruochen's power, they could only hold their positions.
"If you want to destroy a man, first make him arrogant! Let Zhang Ruochen have his moment of glory today—let's see how long he can keep it up!" Yuan Benji muttered indignantly.
A Death God Great Saint said, "In my judgment, Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power should be at the level of the sixty-seventh or sixty-eighth rank. Logically, Tian Shuzi shouldn't have been cursed instantly. Moreover, the Zhang Ruochen we saw today is clearly different from before. What do you think—could it be..."
Yuan Benji cut him off decisively, "No, this person is undoubtedly Zhang Ruochen. As for what hidden methods he possesses, that's not something we can easily probe. For now, it's best not to act rashly. I've already sent a message to Fourth Brother; he should make a decision."
Yuan Benji's fourth brother was Yuan Qianmo.
Hearing this, the cultivators of the Death God Temple felt greatly reassured.
Yuan Qianmo was the stabilizing pillar of the Death God Temple in the mortal world. There was nothing he couldn't handle. Zhang Ruochen was still only at the Hundred Shackles Realm; even if he could borrow external power, it was merely a devious trick, unworthy of the grand stage.
Yuan Benji said solemnly, "Now, let's get down to business. It's been confirmed that the three bursts of Origin Light in the Hundred Clans Royal City all emanated from the Night Yaksha Clan's holy land, Night Rain Sea."
"Eight hundred li of Night Rain Sea, ten trillion corpses buried beneath."
"The Hundred Clans Royal City is a convergence point of the heaven and earth meridians at the edge of the Hell Realm, and Night Rain Sea is the heaviest node of the underground divine veins beneath the city. Since the Origin Divine Temple is about to emerge, Night Rain Sea is worth investigating."
A Death Clan Great Saint, over ten thousand years old, said with some concern, "The Night Yaksha Clan is not a small clan that can be easily manipulated. Among the ten clans, they are considered a top-tier major clan. It is said that in the very ancient past, the Night Yaksha Clan was once one of the ten clans of Hell."
Another Great Saint added, "The Night Yaksha Clan has deep foundations, and the Night Rain Sea holy land has been cultivated for many years. Even a god would find it difficult to break in easily. The Hundred Clans Royal City is, after all, the Night Yaksha Clan's territory. The Death God Temple's influence here is still too weak."
A cold, deep, and resounding voice rang out, "If the Origin Divine Temple truly emerges, how could a mere Night Yaksha Clan monopolize it? None of the ten clans would be willing to see the Night Yaksha Clan grow strong again."
Yuan Benji rested his chin on his hand and said, "It's precisely because the Night Yaksha Clan was once glorious that I have sufficient reason to suspect the Origin Divine Temple is within their holy land."
"How did the Night Yaksha Clan respond?" a Great Saint asked.
A hint of anger flickered in Yuan Benji's eyes. "The Night Yaksha Clan's sovereign claims to have already explained the situation to the Destiny Temple and the leaders of the major powers. Once the matter at the Aoyun Asteroid Belt is resolved, they will provide an explanation."
The leader of the Death God Temple was naturally Yuan Qianmo, not Yuan Benji.
Clearly, the Night Yaksha Clan's sovereign didn't take Yuan Benji seriously at all, brushing him off with a casual remark.
The group fell silent for a moment.
"If we keep dragging this out, more and more factions will catch wind of it and flock here. The Hundred Clans Royal City will become a gathering point of conflict, and everyone will want a piece of the pie. Damn Ji Fanxin—she had to appear at this critical moment, tying up the leaders of all the major powers!" a hot-tempered Death Clan Great Saint said with resentment.
A deep look appeared in Yuan Benji's eyes. "Continue to closely monitor Zhang Ruochen and Night Rain Sea. Also, send a message back to the temple—we need a powerful holy army to secure the greatest benefits once the Origin Divine Temple emerges."
...
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen, invited by the Earth Demon Clan's sovereign, was accompanied by a group of Great Saints as he arrived at the Earth Demon Clan's holy land within the Hundred Clans Royal City.
The Earth Demon Clan's sovereign walked side by side with Zhang Ruochen at the front, introducing, "The Earth Demon Clan ranks twenty-ninth among the one hundred and thirty-seven clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City. Our clan produces many strong cultivators, with Great Saints standing in abundance. This holy land has been valued by successive generations of our clan's gods. Not only is it protected by a divine formation, but it is also inscribed with numerous divine patterns. Once fully activated, even an ordinary god would find it difficult to break in. As for Great Saints, they can be suppressed in an instant."
Walking through the holy land, Zhang Ruochen saw towering sacred trees, ink-black waters, Great Saint-level guardian beasts, and countless unknown exotic flowers and plants covering the mountains and fields.
He said, "This place is more than just a holy land—I'd call it divine soil."
The Earth Demon Clan's sovereign smiled with satisfaction, not being modest. "The Hundred Clans Royal City is a special place, after all. It's better to call it a holy land."
Zhang Ruochen understood his thoughts.
The various clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City wanted to band together to resist the increasingly powerful dark forces at the edge of the Hell Realm, as well as the oppression of the ten clans, to gain more say and avoid being used as cannon fodder in the war between Hell and the Heavenly Court, unable to resist.
At the same time, they worried that the momentum of the Hundred Clans Royal City would provoke the jealousy of the ten clans.
Calling it a holy land instead of divine soil was an attempt to keep a low profile.
In Zhang Ruochen's view, this was unnecessary. The Destiny Temple and the ten clans weren't foolish. If the Hundred Clans Royal City truly grew strong enough to threaten their dominance, no amount of low profile would save them from suppression.
Although the Earth Demon Clan ranked only twenty-ninth in the Hundred Clans Royal City, they were a first-rate major clan at the edge of the Hell Realm.
It should be noted that at the edge of the Hell Realm, there were countless small clans. But only one hundred and thirty-seven clans were qualified to settle in the Hundred Clans Royal City, each with at least one god.
Everywhere was the same—only with a god could one have the most basic status and enter the circle.
In Zhang Ruochen's view, the Earth Demon Clan was far stronger than the Guanghan Realm without the Moon God. Of course, one Moon God was worth more than several Earth Demon Clans combined.
In the mortal world, the number of Saint Realm cultivators and Great Saints represented a faction's competitiveness and prosperity.
But across the entire universe, gods were the foundation of a faction, determining its status and dignity.
"We've arrived!"
The Earth Demon Clan's sovereign led Zhang Ruochen to a magnificent demon hall.
The demon hall was eight hundred zhang tall. Groups of ghost servants and corpse slaves, along with gorgeously dressed, seductive maids and enchanting beauties, moved through the halls and squares. Some carried delicacies, others bore wine cauldrons, and some played ceremonial music—they were preparing a holy feast.
Seeing such a scene, Zhang Ruochen was not surprised. He said, "I, Ruochen, am merely a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint, not a god. Sovereign, isn't this too grand?"
Behind them, Xuan Zehai and Xuan Qingying were also stunned by the scale of the banquet, unable to understand why the sovereign valued Zhang Ruochen so highly.
Even Yan Huangtu and Yan Zhexian hadn't received such treatment when they visited the holy land.
Was the grandson of the Blood Heaven Tribe's Grand Chieftain really that much more distinguished?
The Earth Demon Clan's sovereign laughed. "Great Saint Ruochen, you may not know this, but the Earth Demon Clan has more than one distinguished guest today. Another honored guest has been waiting in the hall for some time. Great Saint, please!"
Zhang Ruochen realized—of course. The person who had moved the Earth Demon Clan's sovereign to intervene and stop his conflict with the Death God Temple must be the true honored guest today.
Who could this person be, and why would they help him?
Zhang Ruochen was the first to enter the demon hall. In the front-left area, he saw a striking figure sitting cross-legged on the ground, a low table before him, drinking alone.
Zhang Ruochen's eyes froze, and he felt a bit awkward.
How could he not be awkward? Back then, to intimidate Fei Zhong, he had transformed into this person's likeness, scaring the renowned Supreme Realm Great Saint Fei Zhong into personally destroying his own puppet body.
Now, seeing the real person, he realized his transformation had only captured the surface appearance. Fortunately, Fei Zhong wasn't familiar with this person and was filled with fear, allowing him to get away with it.
This person was the Half-God of Gods, Yan Yu, known as the number one cultivator below the divine realm in the Yama Clan.
Before Zhang Ruochen could speak, Yan Yu smiled and waved at him. "Ruochen, come over here and drink with me. This is 'Red Dust' that the Earth Demon Clan bought from the Immortal Source Clan. You can't buy it anywhere else, no matter how many sacred stones you have."
Zhang Ruochen quickly walked over, his expression natural, and clasped his hands. "Greetings, Senior Yan Yu."
"That form of address is too distant. If Ruochen doesn't mind, call me Uncle Yu, or Second Uncle. You don't think I'm taking advantage of you, do you?" Yan Yu smiled, watching him.
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned strange, and he hesitated to answer.
Logically, Great Saints addressed each other as equals.
But someone like Yan Yu could no longer be called a mere Great Saint. Not only was his cultivation supreme, but he was also ranked as a Grade-A in the "Divine Reserve Scroll." With a single thought, he could break into the divine realm.
Once Yan Yu entered the divine realm, he would become an existence like the Underworld King or Xue Hou.
Even the Sword God Feng Chen treated Yan Yu and Yuan Qianmo as peers, not looking down on them because they were still in the Great Saint realm.
Yan Yu asking Zhang Ruochen to call him "Uncle" wasn't taking advantage—it was treating him as one of his own.
"Forget it, I won't pressure you. Sit down quickly—I've been waiting for you for a long time!" Yan Yu said with a smile, personally pouring a full cup of wine and sliding it toward Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen quickly sat down. "It's not that I'm being ungrateful, but I truly don't understand why Senior Yan Yu shows me such favor. I'm already deeply grateful that you had the sovereign intervene to stop the Death God Temple's unreasonable targeting."
Yan Yu chuckled. "You were the one who drove away the Death God Temple's cultivators. How did I help?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "The Death God Temple is full of experts. How could I have faced them alone? When the sovereign stepped in, the Death God Temple knew the Yama Clan was involved. That alone made them think twice before launching a siege. In any case, I will remember this debt of gratitude."
With that, he downed the cup in one gulp.
Outside the demon hall, a voice—extremely pleasant yet cold—rang out, "The Death God Temple's retreat may not be credited to the Yama Clan. But the fact that the Heavenly Killing Organization didn't act is due to Second Uncle's deterrence."
Yan Zhexian strode in briskly, a fragrant breeze trailing behind her. A hint of pride flickered in her clear, water-like eyes.
Yan Huangtu followed closely behind.
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned serious. "Assassins from the Heavenly Killing Organization have entered the Hundred Clans Royal City?"
"The number one assassin emperor of the Heavenly Killing Organization is in the city. When you were fighting the Death God Temple, it was the perfect opportunity for her to strike—but she didn't."
Yan Zhexian raised her snow-white chin, secretly glancing to see if Zhang Ruochen was frightened.
Zhang Ruochen refilled his cup and proactively toasted Yan Yu. "Thank you, Second Uncle, for saving my life."
A life-saving grace was worth a "Second Uncle."
Yan Zhexian frowned. "How dare you call him Second Uncle?"
Yan Yu raised a hand to stop Yan Zhexian from continuing. "It was my idea," he said with a smile.
"Second Uncle!"
Yan Zhexian showed a petulant, little-girl expression.
She knew full well why Yan Yu was doing this—he was clearly siding with her grandfather and great-grandfather, trying to set her up with Zhang Ruochen.
Yan Huangtu stood silently to the side, only casting an amused glance at Zhang Ruochen.
Yan Yu ignored Yan Zhexian and turned to Zhang Ruochen. "The Heavenly Killing Organization's number one assassin emperor has indeed come to the Hundred Clans Royal City. But she didn't act, and it wasn't because of me. Even I can't find her whereabouts."
"To be called the number one assassin emperor, her concealment skills must be unparalleled. Even a god would find it hard to locate her," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Yu said, "But she still has to fear the gods. There are currently three gods stationed in the Hundred Clans Royal City. That's probably why she didn't dare act rashly."
"There's another matter I want to clarify with you. That Heavenly Dao Arrow on Ice King Star wasn't the work of Fu Xiangnü, but of Krafilin from the Elf Clan of Paradise Realm."
Zhang Ruochen quickly said, "Second Uncle, there's no need to explain. If the Yama Clan wanted to kill me, why would they use a hidden arrow? And they certainly wouldn't have made it so obvious."
The Earth Demon Clan's Great Saints, including Xuan Zehai, Xuan Qingying, and those who had come with Zhang Ruochen—Grand Minister of Works, Second Minister of Works, and Cang Jie—took their seats one after another.
The five Death Realm Great Saints of the Death God Temple could only stand stiffly behind the two monks.
Everyone present was a major figure; only Cang Jie was a Saint King, feeling as if he were in a dream.
Even the Half-God of Gods was sitting up there—this was a legendary figure!
Zhang Ruochen remained beside Yan Yu, chatting and drinking with him like a long-lost uncle and nephew with endless things to say.
Yan Zhexian sat diagonally across from Zhang Ruochen, staring at them the whole time. Whenever Zhang Ruochen looked her way, she would widen her eyes and glare at him, as if she could stop him and Yan Yu from talking with just her gaze.
In front of Yan Zhexian, two seats were still empty.
Seeing that everyone had taken their seats, Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but ask, "Are we waiting for someone else?"
"Indeed, two outstanding young talents of your generation will be joining the feast."
Yan Yu didn't mention who they were. Suddenly, he took Zhang Ruochen's hand and asked in a low, complex tone, "Ruochen, what do you think of Xian'er as a person?"
"This..."
Zhang Ruochen couldn't help but glance at Yan Zhexian diagonally across from him.
Yan Zhexian must have heard Yan Yu's question. Facing Zhang Ruochen's gaze, she didn't glare back this time but looked down at the ground, adopting a listening posture.
In front of Yan Yu, she didn't dare act out.
She just wondered—how badly would Zhang Ruochen belittle her?