Chapter 2545: War Heaven Oath
"Zhang Ruochen of the Blood Absolute Clan pays respects to the Rot Clan Sacred Land."
Zhang Ruochen's sound waves, like divine thunder tidal waves, layered one upon another as they surged into the Mud Basin Marsh, causing the clouds and vapors to churn.
The Great Saints of the Death God Temple were both astonished and bewildered.
Hai Ke was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter: "Since he's delivering himself to our doorstep, it saves us a lot of trouble. Old Man Si Gui, go bring him in. I want to see what abilities this wet-behind-the-ears brat has, that he dares to capture Great Saints of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm."
The Rot Clan Patriarch, Si Gui, acknowledged the order and immediately led a group of cultivators, flying toward the mountain gate of the sacred land.
Outside the Mud Basin Marsh, a sea of people had gathered, with cultivators from various clans coming to watch.
Too shocking!
Hadn't the Death God Temple been looking for Zhang Ruochen's trouble? Could it be that Zhang Ruochen was instead taking the initiative to strike at their doorstep?
Zhang Ruochen had brought five Death God Temple Great Saints who had been turned into monks—this was undoubtedly a provocation and humiliation, as if trampling the Death God Temple's face into the ground.
"Zhang Ruochen and the Death God Temple are now locked in an irreconcilable conflict. I wonder how things will develop next?"
"Zhang Ruochen trying to challenge the entire Death God Temple with his own strength is still too reckless. If I were him, I would first unite the ten major tribes of the Undying Blood Clan and leverage the entire Undying Blood Clan's power to confront the Death God Temple."
"Other cultivators of the Undying Blood Clan have no deep enmity with the Death God Temple. Why would they heed his call? Besides, with Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he is far from having the strength to command the entire Undying Blood Clan."
...
...
Yan Zhexian stood within the Seven Star Divine Palace, not revealing herself for the moment, but she was shocked by the surrounding atmosphere. She hadn't expected things to develop to this point, as if it had ignited the entire Hundred Clans Royal City.
Suddenly, she regretted agreeing to Zhang Ruochen.
Even with her presence as the eldest daughter of the Yama Clan, she feared she might not be able to suppress the wrath of the Death God Temple cultivators.
"Hua!"
The mountain gate of the Rot Clan Sacred Land lit up with formation inscription light, and a three-zhang-wide gate split open from the center.
Led by the Rot Clan Patriarch, a dozen or so Great Saints walked out.
Their bodies were wrapped in black robes, their faces unclear, exuding a cold, decaying power.
Without any pleasantries, the Rot Clan Patriarch said, "Please enter, Ruochen Great Saint."
Zhang Ruochen stood outside the gate of the Seven Star Divine Palace, looking down from above, shaking his head. "Patriarch, you haven't even asked why I wish to visit the Rot Clan, yet you invite me in? Could there be an ambush inside?"
The Rot Clan Patriarch knew his own suffering well. He understood that once Zhang Ruochen entered the Mud Basin Marsh, he would surely die.
If Zhang Ruochen died in the Mud Basin Marsh, it would be a miracle if the Blood Absolute Clan didn't annihilate the Rot Clan.
But what could he do?
The Rot Clan was, after all, dependent on the Death God Temple and had to follow orders.
"What business brings Ruochen Great Saint here?" the Rot Clan Patriarch asked patiently.
"Naturally, to offer my apologies."
Zhang Ruochen snapped his fingers, and True Form, True Greed, True Anger, True Delusion, and True Slaughter walked out one by one, each carrying two large red bronze chests. Under the Grand Minister of Works' direction, they set them on the ground.
The ten chests opened, and dazzling divine light surged out.
They were filled to the brim with ten chests of divine stones, totaling three thousand.
A dignified Patriarch wouldn't be intimidated by three thousand divine stones.
The Rot Clan Patriarch merely glanced at them briefly before his gaze fell on the five monks opposite. He sneered inwardly, "You call this an apology? It looks more like you're here to stir up trouble."
After seeing the five Death God Temple Great Saints of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm turned into monks, the Death God Temple's Great Saints were all indignant, their anger flaring. Unable to remain seated in the sacred land, they flew out one after another.
Yuan Benji roared, "Zhang Ruochen, if you truly want to apologize, then hand over all your Supreme Sacred Artifacts first, then crawl into the Rot Clan Sacred Land kowtowing at every step. Perhaps the Death God Temple might spare your life."
The Death God Temple's Great Saints used their movement techniques to surround the Seven Star Divine Palace, releasing their sacred might, ready to strike and tear Zhang Ruochen to pieces.
The atmosphere instantly became tense and murderous.
Only a single spark was needed to trigger an unstoppable slaughter.
The cultivators of various clans watching were pressed so hard by the waves of sacred might that they could barely breathe, each one looking more nervous than Zhang Ruochen, who stood at the center of the storm.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, his eyes calm. "Brother Yuan misunderstands. I am not here to apologize to the Death God Temple, but to the Rot Clan."
As everyone was completely baffled, Zhang Ruochen continued, "I heard that when I entered the Hundred Clans Royal City, various clans sent cultivators to invite and pay respects to me. However, I was at a critical moment in my cultivation and inevitably neglected the envoys of the various clans. Feeling guilty, I planned to visit each one to apologize in person."
"As for the esteemed members of the Death God Temple, haven't we already agreed to settle our grievances with a single battle? Could it be that you have forgotten so soon?"
The Rot Clan Patriarch said, "Ruochen Great Saint may be mistaken. The Rot Clan sent no cultivators to visit you, nor did we invite you."
Hearing this, the Death God Temple's Great Saints revealed mocking smiles.
"Is that so?"
Zhang Ruochen showed no embarrassment at all. "Very well, then let's move on to the next matter. I wish to cultivate the Heavenly Sword Soul in the Hundred Shackles Realm, but I know this is difficult, mainly due to a lack of cultivation resources. Does the Rot Clan possess treasures that can help a cultivator strengthen their sacred soul or refine their Sword Dao rules? I would like to purchase some."
"No."
The Rot Clan Patriarch refused outright.
What a joke. The Rot Clan was dependent on the Death God Temple. For Zhang Ruochen to come seeking cultivation resources from the Rot Clan was nothing but asking for trouble.
It was practically delivering himself to be humiliated.
The Death God Temple's Great Saints were amused to see Zhang Ruochen acting like a fool, so they didn't rush to attack.
Zhang Ruochen asked again, "Really nothing? For example, Divine Star Souls, Nether Soul Pills, Sacred Soul Pills, Divine Sword Elixir..."
"No, nothing at all. Anything Zhang Ruochen wants, the Rot Clan doesn't have a single one," the Rot Clan Patriarch said, his confidence growing, his tone arrogant. "However, if Ruochen Great Saint wishes to leave these ten chests of divine stones, the Rot Clan wouldn't mind accepting them."
Laughter erupted all around.
Zhang Ruochen nodded seriously. "Fine. I never planned to take these ten chests of divine stones back anyway. Now, let's talk about the third matter."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's body erupted with blood light.
A sea of blood and divine clouds manifested around him, and a pair of enormous blood-red light wings burst from his back.
"It's... it's the War God Belt."
"Indeed, it is the Undying Blood Clan's War God Belt. Only the thirteen War Gods of the Undying Blood Clan are qualified to wear it, symbolizing supreme honor."
"Wearing the War God Belt is like the War God himself arriving. When members of the Undying Blood Clan see it, they must kneel and worship, obeying commands without daring to disobey."
...
The Undying Blood Clan cultivators present hesitated, unsure whether to kneel and kowtow.
If it were truly one of the thirteen War Gods arriving, they wouldn't hesitate. But now, the one wearing the War God Belt was Zhang Ruochen, a mere Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint.
Yuan Benji sneered inwardly at the reactions of the Undying Blood Clan cultivators. Zhang Ruochen, relying solely on the War God Belt, thought he could command the Undying Blood Clan's cultivators—how laughable.
Whether in prestige or strength, he was far too lacking.
Zhang Ruochen summoned the Abyssal Ancient Sword, pointing it at the Rot Clan Patriarch. "Today, in the name of the Undying Blood Clan's future War God, I challenge the Rot Clan. At the same cultivation level, I am invincible. Across one level, I am still invincible. Who under heaven can defeat me? Does the Rot Clan's strongest Hundred Shackles Realm or strongest Thousand Questions Realm dare to accept the challenge? If you lack the courage, then from now on, every Rot Clan cultivator who sees me must retreat thirty thousand miles."
Silence fell all around.
No cultivator knew what Zhang Ruochen was trying to do. Some even thought he might have gone mad from cultivation issues, turning into a demon.
"His words just now... they feel somewhat familiar," muttered an Undying Blood Clan cultivator to himself.
Beside him, a more senior Undying Blood Clan Great Saint exclaimed, "I remember! This is what Blood Absolute War God said when he challenged the cultivators of the Heavenly Court's myriad realms back then."
"The original words were: 'Today, in the name of the Undying Blood Clan's future War God, I challenge the Heavenly Court's myriad realms. At the same cultivation level, I am invincible. Across one level, I am still invincible. Who in the Heavenly Court can defeat me?'"
"These words have been engraved on the divine pillar of the War God Hall in the Undying Divine Temple, known as the War Heaven Oath."
The clamor grew louder and louder.
Even after more than a hundred thousand years, cultivators still remembered Blood Absolute War God's feat back then—challenging cultivators from myriad realms single-handedly.
"It is said that back then, the Undying Divine Temple's Hall Master and a very senior War God personally brought Blood Absolute War God, who was then at the Hundred Shackles Realm, to the most famous Godfall Battlefield by the Wuding Divine Sea. Facing the Heavenly Court's myriad realms coalition army across the sea, he shouted these words."
"On the first day, the Heavenly Court sent fifty-seven Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saints to battle, but they all suffered a crushing defeat, slaughtered cleanly by Blood Absolute War God."
"On the second day, the Heavenly Court finally accepted that Blood Absolute War God was unmatched at the same level, so they sent cultivators one realm higher to fight. Top-tier Thousand Questions Realm experts from various Heavenly Court realms stepped forward one after another."
"Unfortunately, they lost for three consecutive days."
"Even among the Thousand Questions Realm, no one could contend with Blood Absolute War God, and not a single one escaped alive."
"Keep in mind, these Hundred Shackles and Thousand Questions Realm prodigies were all divine seeds of the Heavenly Court. With Blood Absolute War God killing so many of them alone, the Heavenly Court suffered a heavy loss."
"The morale of the Heavenly Court's myriad realms was crushed to a miserable state. Many gods on the Heavenly Court side were furious. They issued a bounty across the myriad realms: whoever among the Thousand Questions Realm could defeat Blood Absolute War God would receive rewards from all the gods."
"Finally, on the fifth day, Desolate Heaven appeared. At the Hundred Shackles Realm, he fought Blood Absolute War God to a standstill. After nine days and nine battles with no clear victor, he helped restore the morale of the Heavenly Court army."
"But Blood Absolute War God's deeds back then ultimately became a legend, a goal that young cultivators of the Hell Realm dreamed of achieving."
Now, Zhang Ruochen was shouting the same words. Could he be trying to walk the path Blood Absolute War God once walked?
Using the War Heaven Oath to force the Rot Clan to accept the battle.