Chapter 2548: The Gods of Paradise Realm Have Arrived
Zhang Ruochen visited the Decay Clan and the Immortal Source Clan one after another, handling matters in completely different ways. Immediately, the various clans that had been anxious and unsettled finally understood and grasped his intentions.
Buying cultivation resources—why make it so frightening?
In the following days, whenever Zhang Ruochen visited a clan, that clan's emperor would have already prepared cultivation resources worth three thousand Divine Stones in advance. Both sides completed the challenge in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere.
Moreover, the Ruochen Divine Son and the eldest daughter of the Yama Clan toured one famous site after another, admired by cultivators from all clans. Truly, one could only envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals.
Later, some of the strongest Thousand Questions Realm cultivators from smaller clans took the initiative to bring cultivation resources and visit Zhang Ruochen first, saving him considerable time.
A storm that had shaken the Hundred Clans Royal City gradually subsided.
Zhang Ruochen spent Divine Stones like flowing water. In the end, he sold the imitation of the *Radiant Heavenly Scripture* to Yan Yu, obtaining a large sum of Divine Stones to fill the gap.
Although the *Radiant Heavenly Scripture* was an imitation, it had nurtured Supreme Inscription Runes within and held great research value. Yan Yu purchased it in his personal capacity for four hundred thousand Divine Stones.
Its value surpassed even the Seven-element Monarch Sacred Artifact, the Nether Sun Divine Wheel.
As for why Yan Yu, who cultivated the Path of Darkness, bought the *Radiant Heavenly Scripture*, Zhang Ruochen naturally did not ask further.
With the resources gathered, Zhang Ruochen stopped dealing with trivial worldly matters and once again activated the Sundial to enter seclusion for cultivation.
For some reason, the news that "Zhang Ruochen intends to condense a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent" spread like wildfire through the Hundred Clans Royal City, eventually causing an uproar known to all.
It wasn't a leak; initially, it was merely someone's speculation.
After all, Zhang Ruochen had spent so many Divine Stones and turned the Hundred Clans Royal City upside down, all to cultivate a Heavenly Sword Soul at the Hundred Shackles Realm—wasn't that making a mountain out of a molehill?
Couldn't he cultivate a Heavenly Sword Soul after reaching the Thousand Questions Realm or the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm?
Why pay such a heavy price to achieve it specifically at the Hundred Shackles Realm?
Then, linking this to Zhang Ruochen possessing a Divine-grade Sacred Intent Pill, the news that he intended to rewrite the history of cosmic cultivation by condensing a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent spread, fueled by some cultivators.
"Zhang Ruochen, hailed as an Eon-level genius and the third Space-Time Controller in history, is likely to break the shackles of Heaven and Earth Rules and become the first cultivator to raise a single Sacred Dao's Sacred Intent to the Third Rank."
"With Zhang Ruochen's unique advantages, condensing a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent is as certain as ironclad."
"In this Eon, Zhang Ruochen is the protagonist. All other so-called proud talents and heroes are unworthy to even polish his shoes."
...
More and more cultivators fanned the flames, like adding fuel to a blazing fire.
Of course, they didn't truly believe Zhang Ruochen could condense a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent; they just wanted to lift him high.
The higher he was lifted, the harder he would fall.
In the Decay Clan's sacred grounds, Yuan Benji sneered, "That's right, keep spreading the news. Let cultivators from both the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms and the Ten Clans of Hell know that Zhang Ruochen has sworn in the name of the Blood Absolute War God to condense a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent at the Hundred Shackles Realm. If he can't do it in a hundred years, he'll stay at the Hundred Shackles Realm for a hundred years. If he can't do it in ten thousand years, he'll stay for ten thousand years."
"Isn't invoking the War God's name a bit too much?" a Decay Clan cultivator kneeling on one knee below said with some concern.
Yuan Benji said, "What's there to fear? Do you think the Blood Absolute War God, with his lofty pride, would bother with a small fry like you?"
After the Decay Clan cultivator withdrew, a smug smile of a successful scheme appeared on Yuan Benji's face.
Even if it was just a rumor, as long as it spread widely enough, everyone would believe it was true.
When the time came, if Zhang Ruochen couldn't condense a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent, would he have the face to break through to the Thousand Questions Realm?
Hai Ke, having devoured eight hundred infants and wiped the blood from his mouth, grinned fiercely, "That's a vicious move of yours! Among those below the God Realm, those who can condense a Heavenly Sword Soul are few and far between. Zhang Ruochen might just be trying to cultivate a Heavenly Sword Soul without any real hope. With you forcing his hand like this, if he doesn't cultivate a Heavenly Sword Soul, how can he show his face again in the Hell Realm?"
Nan Sheng said, "Forcibly charging toward a Heavenly Sword Soul is extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong, at best he loses his cultivation, at worst his soul scatters. Are you trying to force Zhang Ruochen to his death?"
"Don't you think this is interesting?" Yuan Benji laughed.
"Haha!"
The Great Saint from the Death God Temple burst into laughter.
From start to finish, they never mentioned whether Zhang Ruochen could condense a Third-rank Sword Dao Sacred Intent.
Because there was no need.
It was absolutely impossible.
After all, cultivators who had cultivated a Heavenly Sword Soul at the Hundred Shackles Realm existed only in legends.
Zhang Ruochen primarily cultivated Time and Space; for him to cultivate a Heavenly Sword Soul and become a legend or myth of the Sword Dao was already highly unlikely.
...
Time passed, ten days went by.
Due to the Origin Light, more and more cultivators flocked to the Hundred Clans Royal City.
Zhang Ruochen ignored the outside world, focusing entirely on cultivation, improving every day.
His Sacred Soul strength grew stronger by the day.
The number of Sword Dao Rules painstakingly increased to two hundred and forty million. The strength of the Sword Dao Rules underwent earth-shattering changes.
If his former Sword Dao Rules were like threads that snapped at a single pull, now each rule was like an indestructible golden needle.
During this time, the Fortune Divine Venerable visited once, delivering a large quantity of cultivation resources.
In the room, Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged, his aura growing increasingly sharp. The mindset of "embracing all rivers and encompassing all things" was completely overtaken by a powerful Sword Dao will.
Every strand of hair that floated up was like a peerless divine sword, capable of slicing ripples into space.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen stopped and opened his eyes.
Within his pupils, countless sword shadows darted about, flying out with his gaze.
"Bang, bang."
A single glance was a sword.
The swords flew out, causing the protective formations in the room to tremble incessantly.
This was a sign that he could no longer control the Sword Dao power within him.
Zhang Ruochen quickly used his powerful Spiritual Power and Sacred Soul to suppress the Sword Dao Rules and Sword Intent within his body. The sword light in his eyes gradually faded, returning to clarity.
"The strength of my Sword Dao Rules has already surpassed Lan Ying. However, my Sacred Soul still falls slightly short compared to his. Although I've refined a large amount of Divine Star Souls and various Sacred Soul Pills, ten years of cultivation can't compare to his three Eons of gestation."
"From now on, improving even a single step will be incredibly difficult."
Zhang Ruochen thought of the Dragon Lord's Origin Divine Dragon Flame.
Since that flame could refine Spiritual Power, perhaps it could also refine Sword Dao Rules, making them even stronger.
Zhang Ruochen understood the principle of gradual progress and didn't immediately continue cultivating. Instead, he took out the stone sword form of the *Wordless Sword Manual* and the five volumes, including *Biluo's Random Notes*, and began studying them for the umpteenth time.
Days passed, and Zhang Ruochen immersed himself completely in the world of the Sword Dao, until A Le appeared again.
...
A Le waited in the courtyard.
With Lian Xi's assistance, Zhang Ruochen bathed, groomed, and changed into a spotless white robe. From start to finish, he held the Abyssal Ancient Sword in his hands, feeling the mysterious connection between man and sword.
As Lian Xi combed his hair, she gazed at the man's extraordinarily handsome face in the mirror.
It had to be said, at this moment, Zhang Ruochen looked like a white-robed Sword God, fitting the image of every woman's dream lover, stirring the heartstrings with irresistible charm.
After grooming, Zhang Ruochen suddenly said, "Haven't you always wanted to go back? Today, I'll send you away."
Lian Xi was momentarily stunned, then looked up at Zhang Ruochen from close range.
"If you don't want to leave, you can stay," Zhang Ruochen said.
Lian Xi asked, "How will you let me go?"
"I have my ways."
Zhang Ruochen took the twelve Judgment Swords from his Space Ring and suspended them in the room.
"Merge!"
The twelve swords combined into one, its sword light dazzlingly bright.
Zhang Ruochen handed the sword to her and said, "Whether you return to the Heavenly Court or the Soul Realm, you may not regain your former glory and brilliance. This set of Judgment Swords, when combined, is a Supreme Sacred Artifact belonging to the Radiant Divine Temple."
"If you find yourself at a dead end, you can take this set of Judgment Swords to the Radiant Divine Temple and say you stole it back from me. With a Supreme Sacred Artifact recovered, the Radiant Divine Temple will surely take you in and regard you as a hero. After all, no one would believe I gave you a Supreme Sacred Artifact."
"Before going to the Radiant Divine Temple, remember to cut away this memory."
Lian Xi stared at Zhang Ruochen for a long time with her moving almond-shaped eyes before finally taking the Judgment Swords and storing them away. She bit her lip, a subtle, indescribable feeling rising in her heart.
What was this feeling?
Gratitude... No, this was what he owed her, what he should do.
But why, after suffering so much grievance at his hands, when the time came to leave, she couldn't muster any hatred?
Zhang Ruochen ignored her and pushed open the door to walk out.
Lian Xi suddenly spoke, "Do you think this will make me grateful to you?"
"You still have a little time. Think carefully. If you don't want to leave, you can stay. I, Zhang Ruochen, will never treat you poorly."
Without looking back, Zhang Ruochen arrived in the courtyard and stood with A Le within a Space Domain, talking.
"The god of the Demon Wolf Clan told me that the gods of Paradise Realm have arrived," A Le said.
Zhang Ruochen had expected this; since A Le had come, something major must have happened, so he wasn't surprised. "What about the gods of the Hell Realm? Do they know this news?"
"Only two gods from Paradise Realm have come, both new gods, evading the surveillance of the Hell Realm's gods," A Le said.
It was normal for the gods of Paradise Realm to evade the surveillance of the Hell Realm's gods but not that of Kunlun Realm's gods. After all, the gods of Kunlun Realm knew that Paradise Realm was about to make a move.
It was very likely that the Dragon Lord or Qiangu Nüdi had personally followed Krafilin to Paradise Realm, keeping an eye on their every move.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Paradise Realm wouldn't send only two new gods."
"That's what the Nüdi judged as well. So, these two new gods are likely here to scout the exact location of the Origin Divine Temple. Once the location is confirmed, the gods of Paradise Realm will surely descend in force. For now, the gods of Paradise Realm don't dare to make too much noise."
A Le continued, "This matter is dangerous and of great importance. The Dragon Lord said that relying on you alone might be difficult. Therefore, a new god from Kunlun Realm will come to assist you in secret."
...
There will be another chapter tonight.