Chapter 2539: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole
The clan emperor of the Demon Wolf Clan, Jessie, was a Supreme Realm powerhouse. Although over twenty thousand years old, his body remained robust, his legs as thick as basins, standing before Zhang Ruochen like a steel mountain.
Zhang Ruochen, transformed into Yan Huangtu’s appearance, was discussing a secret matter with the Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor.
In the stone chamber, besides the two of them, only three Demon Wolf Clan Great Saints were present.
The three Demon Wolf Clan Great Saints were:
The clan emperor’s younger brother, Great Saint Kuntong.
The commander of the Demon Wolf Clan’s sacred land guard, Mu Huang.
The grand steward of the Demon Wolf Clan’s sacred land, Nine-Headed White Wolf.
The Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor laughed heartily: “This place is protected by divine inscriptions left by gods, and those in this chamber are all trustworthy cultivators. Fifth Prince, if you have any secret matters to discuss, feel free to speak openly.”
Zhang Ruochen, mimicking Yan Huangtu’s gaze, swept his eyes over those present and said in a deep, somber tone: “This time, I represent the Yama Clan in negotiating cooperation with the Demon Wolf Clan, intending to accomplish a great deed.”
Without further ado, Zhang Ruochen directly took out the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and placed it on the table.
The four Great Saints present were all top-tier experts with rich experience. They merely released their spiritual power to probe slightly, and exclamations of surprise rang out.
“How is this a top-grade Origin Divine Crystal?”
“Heavens! Only gods among the Origin Controllers can condense top-grade Origin Divine Crystals. Could it be… could it really be that the Origin Divine Temple is about to appear?”
…
After they calmed their shock, Zhang Ruochen spoke solemnly and seriously: “The appearance of the Origin Light in the Hundred Clans Royal City is no coincidence. In truth, it is because the Origin Divine Temple is about to emerge. Our Yama Clan has already investigated this thoroughly.”
“However, as everyone knows, the Origin Divine Temple is located in the Night Rain Sea of the Yecha Clan’s sacred land, and outsiders cannot enter. To obtain the Origin Divine Temple, one must seize it by force.”
Great Saint Kuntong and Mu Huang both showed looks of temptation, their eyes burning as they stared at the clan emperor seated above.
This was the Origin Divine Temple! Even if they obtained just ten or twenty percent of its benefits, it would allow the Demon Wolf Clan’s strength to skyrocket. And they themselves might even seize this opportunity to break into the divine realm.
Nine-Headed White Wolf’s eyes flickered with a deep thought, and he shook his head, saying: “The Yecha Clan is the number one clan in the Hundred Clans Royal City, several times stronger than the Demon Wolf Clan. Seizing it by force is no easy task.”
Zhang Ruochen looked over and said: “With the support of my Yama Clan, do you lack even this much courage?”
Nine-Headed White Wolf said: “If the Yama Clan could dispatch a large army of saints to the Hundred Clans Royal City and could easily devour the Yecha Clan, why would they need to ally with the Demon Wolf Clan? In the end, your Yama Clan just wants us to be cannon fodder, to take the lead for you.”
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly: “How powerful is my Yama Clan? Dealing with a Yecha Clan is nothing at all. If it weren’t for the sake of legitimacy, why would we need to cooperate with the Demon Wolf Clan?”
The Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor quickly tried to appease “Yan Huangtu’s” emotions, saying: “Fifth Prince, there’s no need to be so agitated. Being able to cooperate with the Yama Clan is the Demon Wolf Clan’s fortune.”
Great Saint Kuntong followed up: “Fifth Prince, to be honest, the Yama Clan is indeed powerful. Even the nine major clans like the Ghost Clan and the Undying Blood Clan wouldn’t dare to easily make enemies of you, let alone small clans like ours. However, the combined forces of the various clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City are immensely powerful. Fifth Prince must be aware of this.”
“That’s right. The clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City are united in spirit, advancing and retreating together. If the Yama Clan attacks one clan, the others will not stand idly by,” Mu Huang said.
Zhang Ruochen tapped his fingers on the table and said: “This is precisely why the Yama Clan is willing to offer benefits to the Demon Wolf Clan and cooperate with you. As long as the Demon Wolf Clan and the small clans that follow you stand on our side, once the Yecha Clan is destroyed, you will become the number one clan in the Hundred Clans Royal City. Moreover, you can receive a tenth of the benefits from the Origin Divine Temple.”
A tenth might seem small, but this was the Origin Divine Temple. Even a tenth was enough to drive gods mad with greed.
If the Yama Clan had promised them three or five tenths, it would have seemed unrealistic.
While the Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor, Great Saint Kuntong, Mu Huang, and Nine-Headed White Wolf were discussing through telepathy, Zhang Ruochen spoke again: “The Yecha Clan knows that the secret of the Origin Divine Temple cannot be hidden, and they also know that with their strength, they cannot swallow the entire Origin Divine Temple. Therefore, they have secretly contacted the small clans that follow them and have also reached out to the Darkness Temple.”
“If your Demon Wolf Clan does not take action, you won’t even get a sip of soup from the Origin Divine Temple’s benefits.”
After a while, they reached a conclusion.
The Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor said: “Such a major matter cannot be decided immediately. We must first report it to the gods of our clan and let them make the decision.”
“Very well, I’ll give you time to consider. But you’d better give me an answer soon. The Yama Clan can choose your Demon Wolf Clan, or they can choose the Fire Ghost Clan, which is stronger than the Demon Wolf Clan.”
Zhang Ruochen put the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal back into his sleeve, sensing a pair of eyes fixed on his every move. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he walked out of the stone chamber.
…
Zhang Ruochen sat in a sacred chariot and left the Demon Wolf Clan’s sacred land, then waited quietly.
What had just happened was a play he had orchestrated after discussing with the Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson and the Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor.
The first goal was to drag the Yama Clan into this scheme and stir the waters even murkier.
The second goal was naturally to lure out Kailuo Dishi and Krafilin, who were hiding within the Demon Wolf Clan.
In fact, when Yan Yu first approached the Demon Wolf Clan’s clan emperor, the Demon Wolf Clan had already begun a secret internal investigation, locking onto three cultivators who might have defected to the Paradise Realm.
They were the three who participated in today’s secret meeting.
The cultivator driving the chariot for Zhang Ruochen was an old man in a long black robe, wearing a bamboo hat that covered most of his face. He was one of the three gods stationed in the Hundred Clans Royal City, the Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson.
To ensure Zhang Ruochen’s safety, a god had to personally escort him.
The Hundred Clans Royal City was vast, and some places were extremely remote, devoid of human presence.
At this moment, the sacred chariot reached the shore of a pitch-black demon lake. Strange trees lined the path, their branches and leaves lush, and it was eerily quiet, with only the sound of wheels rolling.
The Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson, wearing the bamboo hat, suddenly sensed something. He perceived that an extremely skilled cultivator had used a formation to envelop the surrounding space.
He transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen in the chariot: “They’re here.”
“Swish!”
From the forest on the left side of the road, a Heavenly Dao Arrow flew out.
The Heavenly Dao Arrow was as fast as flowing light. As it passed, the rules of heaven and earth seemed to be attracted, all drilling into the arrow, making its power grow stronger.
“Boom!” The Heavenly Dao Arrow shattered the defensive formation of the sacred chariot.
The chariot exploded into dozens of fragments.
“Yan Huangtu,” who was sitting inside, was pierced through the body by the Heavenly Dao Arrow and fell into the demon lake with a splash.
A swift, shadowy figure darted out of the forest, skimming across the water like a dragonfly. She reached into the lake, pulled out “Yan Huangtu’s” tattered body, and found the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal in his sleeve.
Krafilin didn’t even check whether Yan Huangtu was the real body. Instead, she immediately verified the authenticity of the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, then exclaimed in delight: “It’s not a trap. This is a real top-grade Origin Divine Crystal. It seems the Origin Divine Temple is truly about to appear!”
A long howl echoed from the lakeshore.
“How dare you harm our Fifth Prince! You’re asking for death.”
The Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson pressed his ancient, dragon-like claws into the ground. Instantly, the demon lake boiled, sending up pillars of water like flood dragons, attacking Krafilin, who was floating on the surface.
“Not good! This is a peak half-god expert.”
Krafilin’s face turned pale. She immediately used the Elf Clan’s exquisite divine ability movement technique to evade the attack, while “Yan Huangtu’s” remains had already been thrown into the water.
Kailuo Dishi, with snow-white hair and a white jade mask, appeared in the air above the demon lake and shouted: “The emergence of the Origin Divine Temple is a world-shaking event. You go first; I’ll hold them off. No matter what, you must bring the news back to the Paradise Realm and inform the gods.”
Kailuo Dishi raised his hand and pressed down, activating the formation’s power to condense a massive lightning hand, suppressing the Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson.
At the same time, he opened a gap in the formation.
Krafilin knew that a peak half-god expert was no easy opponent. If they delayed too long and alerted the gods in the nearby Demon Wolf Clan’s sacred land, both of them might be trapped here.
Their deaths were a small matter, but the news that the Origin Divine Temple was about to appear in the Hundred Clans Royal City had to be brought back to the Paradise Realm.
Krafilin didn’t hesitate. Holding the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, she rushed out of the formation, thinking to herself, “Kailuo Dishi’s formation skills are profound. Even a peak half-god expert, once trapped in his formation, won’t be able to cause much trouble. Escaping shouldn’t be difficult.”
However, no sooner had Krafilin escaped than Kailuo Dishi was suppressed by the Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson.
Kailuo Dishi lay on the ground, unable to move, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. Shocked and panicked, he asked: “Who are you?”
The Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson ignored him. He fished “Yan Huangtu” out of the water.
His aged hand pressed against the chest pierced by the Heavenly Dao Arrow, using divine power to extract the arrow dao rules from the wound.
“Yan Huangtu’s” chest gradually regenerated flesh and soon healed completely.
Zhang Ruochen stood up from the ground, rubbing his still-painful chest, and said: “Thank you, senior, for using divine power to protect my sacred soul and qi sea. Otherwise, Krafilin’s arrow might have sent my soul flying.”
“Ruochen, your courage is unmatched. When I was in the Hundred Shackles Realm, I wouldn’t have dared to let a Heavenly Dao Arrow shoot me.”
The Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson looked at Zhang Ruochen’s chest, marveling.
It was said that the Demon Wolf Clan had powerful physical recovery abilities, but Zhang Ruochen’s recovery ability surprised even him, a Demon Wolf Clan god.
“To make the act convincing, we have to go all out. Otherwise, how could we fool them?” Zhang Ruochen said.
The Wolf Ancestor’s Grandson asked cautiously: “Is it really okay to let Krafilin take the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal?”
“Senior, rest assured. It will take Krafilin some time to return to the Paradise Realm. Moreover, the Paradise Realm faction has no Origin Controllers. Even if they get the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal, they won’t be able to locate the Origin Divine Temple. They’ll still have to come to the Hundred Clans Royal City first. Once I lure them here, I can begin the next phase of my plan,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Kailuo Dishi, lying on the ground and unable to move, changed expression several times. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of gloom. He had never expected his trip to the Hell Realm to be so humiliating.
Having been a master of schemes in the past, he had been used and manipulated time and again in the Hell Realm.
Last time, it was Bai Qinger; this time, it was Zhang Ruochen.
There was no helping it—the bait they threw out was just too tempting.
…
There will be another chapter tonight.