Chapter 2543: Accompanying an Immortal on a Mountain Tour
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's troubled expression, the Earth Demon Clan's clan emperor was tactful enough not to press further.
After all, with matters of marriage alliance, it would naturally be good if it succeeded, but it was fine if it didn't. Once Xuan Qingying broke through to the Supreme Realm, she would have every opportunity to marry a god as a divine consort, which was also a path of advancement.
The reason Zhang Ruochen was troubled was not because he was particularly upright, nor because he had no interest in beauty, but simply because he did not want to leave too many vulnerabilities for himself.
Consider this: once he agreed to the Earth Demon Clan's clan emperor, it would mean he would have to take responsibility for Xuan Qingying, a woman he had no feelings for, in the future.
Zhang Ruochen had so many enemies in the Heavenly Court and Hell. If those enemies seized on this vulnerability, captured Xuan Qingying, and used her to threaten him, would he have to go and rescue her?
On the other hand, Luo Sha and Yan Zhexian did not cause him such concern.
Even if a god captured them, they would have to risk the annihilation of their entire clan.
Not long after Fulu Grand Priest left, Xuan Qingying, acting on the clan emperor's orders, delivered the Star Soul of a god preserved in a divine crystal to Zhang Ruochen.
After exchanging a few pleasantries and expressing his thanks, Zhang Ruochen saw Xuan Qingying leave.
She seemed completely unaware of the other meaning behind the clan emperor's sending her here.
The Star Soul of a god sent by the Earth Demon Clan was even more than what Xue Jue War God had left in the Seven Stars Divine Palace. After Zhang Ruochen refined it, his Saint Soul increased significantly, and even his Spiritual Power showed clear enhancement.
Yet, it was still far from enough.
He had to elevate his Saint Soul to a level stronger than Lan Ying's, which would require a vast amount of resources.
This was not only for cultivating the Heavenly Sword Soul and the Third-Rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent but also to pave the way for the future, allowing Zhang Ruochen's path to godhood to proceed more quickly and smoothly.
It would be best if he could elevate his Saint Soul to a level comparable to a Divine Soul.
However, Fulu Grand Priest needed time to gather resources, and Zhang Ruochen's time was extremely precious. He could not simply wait idly.
He had to take action.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's mind jolted. "I understand. I fell into a misconception myself. How could there be no cultivation resources of the level of Divine Sword Refining Liquid or Nether Soul Pill in the Hundred Clans Royal City? It's just that these resources are not sold in saint shops or merchant guilds but are treasured within the sacred grounds of each clan."
"But it's impossible for these small clans to sell their treasured cultivation resources to me. What should I do?"
Not long after, Zhang Ruochen came up with a plan and went to find Yan Zhexian.
Yan Zhexian did not expect Zhang Ruochen to seek her out on his own initiative, and even invite her to tour the famous historical sites of the Hundred Clans Royal City. She initially wanted to refuse, but thinking that Zhang Ruochen had saved her life, she found herself in a bit of a dilemma.
Recently, Yan Yu had been speaking highly of Zhang Ruochen in her presence.
She had specifically looked up detailed information about Zhang Ruochen and now knew that he had joined Hell not as a traitor or a cold-blooded killer, as she had initially thought, but to save his son and daughter, forced by circumstances.
Yan Yu had also analyzed the delicacy of Zhang Ruochen's situation for her, explaining that many of the extreme things he had done upon arriving in Hell were actually acts of allegiance; otherwise, he would not have been able to establish himself and survive in Hell.
Yan Zhexian could disbelieve any cultivator, but she trusted her second uncle implicitly.
After careful thought, she felt that Zhang Ruochen seemed rather pitiable and no longer found him as annoying as before, so she agreed.
After Yan Yu returned to the Earth Demon Clan's sacred ground, he first went to see Yan Huangtu, who was recuperating from his injuries, and asked him seriously whether he had actually said anything insulting to Zhang Ruochen.
Yan Huangtu felt like crying but had no tears. How could even his second brother not believe him? Was he, Yan Huangtu, really such a loose-tongued person?
After a while, Yan Yu walked out of the courtyard where Yan Huangtu was recovering, his expression turning quite cold.
If those cultivators from the Death God Temple really dared to scheme against his own younger brother, then he would have to deliver a severe warning to them.
A cultivator from the Yama Clan hurried over, knelt on one knee, and reported that Zhang Ruochen had taken Yan Zhexian away.
Upon hearing this, Yan Yu was slightly taken aback, then asked, "Was it Zhang Ruochen who initiated this?"
"Yes. It is said that Zhang Ruochen wanted to take the eldest young lady to tour the famous historical sites of the Hundred Clans Royal City. The eldest young lady hesitated for a moment, then agreed."
A smile appeared on Yan Yu's face. "This is good news! However..."
Yan Yu thought of one person: the number one assassin of the Heavenly Killing Organization, the Emperor of Assassins, Peach Blossom.
This woman was in the city but had not yet shown herself. What if she attacked Zhang Ruochen?
Zhang Ruochen was a shrewd person; he should not have overlooked this point. So why was he doing this? Was he deliberately trying to lure Peach Blossom out?
Yan Yu was not particularly worried about Yan Zhexian's safety. After the assassination attempt on Ice King Star, Xue Zhi Ancient God had flown into a rage and immediately sent a divine talisman robe.
That's right, only one.
Yan Zhexian had one, but Yan Huangtu, who had also faced a deadly ordeal, did not.
This was not because Yan Huangtu was undervalued, but because the gods of the Yama Clan believed that true strong individuals should endure more trials. Yan Zhexian was, after all, a woman, and her talent was more evident in the path of talismans, following a different path.
Zhang Ruochen was, of course, also afraid of Peach Blossom, so his first stop was straight to the Demon Wolf Clan.
"The Demon Wolf Clan's sacred ground, the Seven Peaks Linked Mountains, is known as one of the Ten Great Saint Sceneries of the Hundred Clans Royal City. It is magnificent and uniquely structured. Standing on the first peak, one can gaze upon the vast and spectacular sea of demonic qi clouds. The Wolf Ancestor once captured a shining saint star from beyond the heavens and fixed it above the sacred ground, turning it into a never-setting bright moon."
Zhang Ruochen and Yan Zhexian entered the Demon Wolf Clan's sacred ground, walking through the mountains while Zhang Ruochen narrated, giving off the air of a celestial couple.
Seven monks followed behind them.
Zhen Nu, Zhen Se, Zhen Sha, Zhen Tan, and Tan Wang each held a box in their hands.
Yan Zhexian asked, "You, Zhang Ruochen, are always in seclusion cultivating. How could you have the leisure to go sightseeing? Just say it directly—what is your real purpose in coming to the Demon Wolf Clan's sacred ground?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Sightseeing is genuine; after all, I promised Second Uncle. At the same time, I also want to take this opportunity to personally visit the various clans and offer my apologies. Miss Zhexian should know that during those first few days in the city, because I was in seclusion cultivating in the Seven Stars Divine Palace, I offended all the clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City. If I don't apologize, this enmity will be set, and I don't want to inexplicably gain a group of enemies."
Yan Zhexian snorted lightly, giving him a look that said, "I knew your motives weren't pure," and said, "If you want to apologize, what does bringing me along mean?"
"Who says the eldest young lady of the Yama Clan doesn't carry weight? Those small clans might not accept my apology, but seeing you with me, they might just give face," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhang Ruochen's words were so well-spoken that Yan Zhexian couldn't find a way to refute him.
Zhang Ruochen and Yan Zhexian were received by the Demon Wolf Clan's clan emperor.
Given Zhang Ruochen's relationship with the Demon Wolf Clan, the apology was merely a formality. Soon, both sides laughed off their grievances and began boasting to each other.
Yan Zhexian couldn't stand their act, so she left first to tour the sacred ground's scenic spots alone.
After she left, Zhang Ruochen and the Demon Wolf Clan's clan emperor began discussing serious matters.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Has the traitor's identity been uncovered?"
"It was the Nine-Headed White Wolf. He has already been executed by God Handa."
The Demon Wolf Clan's clan emperor's expression was quite cold. He turned his gaze to Zhang Ruochen, and a smile suddenly appeared on his face. "The five apology gifts you sent are all priceless. Your visit to the Demon Wolf Clan's sacred ground must have another purpose, right?"
Zhang Ruochen got straight to the point, explaining his intention to cultivate the Heavenly Sword Soul.
In other words, these five treasures were not apology gifts but resources for enhancing the Saint Soul and refining Sword Dao rules.
The Demon Wolf Clan's connection with the Kunlun Realm had never been severed, so of course, they would help Zhang Ruochen.
As the third-ranked major clan in the Hundred Clans Royal City, the Demon Wolf Clan's resources far surpassed those of the Earth Demon Clan, and Zhang Ruochen's gains were immense.
Zhang Ruochen had another purpose as well: he wanted to ask God Handa, the grandson of the Wolf Ancestor, to protect him secretly, to avoid being assassinated by Peach Blossom. However, to his surprise, A Le voluntarily appeared and claimed there was no need to ask a god for protection; he had a way to counter Peach Blossom.
Although Zhang Ruochen didn't know where A Le got such confidence, he chose to trust him and didn't insist on divine protection. After all, gods held noble status and couldn't be expected to protect a Great Saint indefinitely.
At the mountain gate of the Demon Wolf Clan's sacred ground, Zhang Ruochen communicated with A Le through voice transmission.
"Do you know Peach Blossom?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
A Le stood with his sword in hand, silent.
Zhang Ruochen understood. He patted A Le on the shoulder and said, "You must be careful. Falling in love with a woman stronger than yourself, and an assassin at that, is a dangerous thing. You volunteered for this because you're worried that if she comes to assassinate me, she might fall into a divine ambush, aren't you? You care about her?"
"Actually, it's she who has been pestering me. But I don't want her to die at the hands of a god. Don't worry. If she wants to kill you, she'll have to kill me first," A Le said.
Zhang Ruochen was stunned for a long moment, then showed an expression of admiration.
A number-one-ranked Emperor-level assassin was pestering A Le. Zhang Ruochen's fear diminished somewhat, and he instead looked forward to meeting this assassin lady.
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Where are those cultivators from the Death God Temple now?"
"At the Rot Clan's sacred ground. The Rot Clan is subordinate to the Death God Temple," A Le said.
Zhang Ruochen said thoughtfully, "The next stop will be the Rot Clan's sacred ground."
Yan Zhexian returned from her sightseeing, looking coldly at Zhang Ruochen with a very displeased expression.
Zhang Ruochen showed an apologetic look and walked over to her. "Sorry, the Demon Wolf Clan's clan emperor was too enthusiastic. I couldn't get away. I shouldn't have left you alone."
"Spare me the nonsense. If you want to continue apologizing to the other clans, go ahead. I'm not going to accompany you," Yan Zhexian said.
Yan Zhexian was well aware that Zhang Ruochen was using her. If Zhang Ruochen had been sincere enough, she wouldn't have minded helping him out, as a way to repay his favor.
But Zhang Ruochen was completely perfunctory with her. The so-called sightseeing had just been her standing alone on a mountaintop, blowing in the cold wind.
Zhang Ruochen certainly couldn't let Yan Zhexian leave. Going to the Rot Clan's sacred ground was the most important step.
With so many experts from the Death God Temple gathered at the Rot Clan's sacred ground, if Yan Zhexian didn't come along, Zhang Ruochen would be torn to pieces no matter how many trump cards he had. His subsequent plans would be impossible to execute.
Zhang Ruochen quickly chased after her. "Miss Zhexian, I'll be honest with you. This time, I really do need your help."
Then, Zhang Ruochen explained his plan in detail.
It turned out that the apology was also a pretense. Zhang Ruochen's real goal was to buy cultivation resources from the various clans.
"You want to condense the Heavenly Sword Soul at the Hundred Shackles Realm? And you also want to cultivate the Third-Rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent?" Yan Zhexian looked at Zhang Ruochen with an incredulous expression, feeling that what he was saying was pure fantasy.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I'm just going to try. What if I succeed? Miss Zhexian, would you be willing to lend me a hand?"
...
There will be another chapter tonight.