Chapter 2553: Night Travel Master
“Whoosh——”
The Abyssal Ancient Sword, like a black streak of light, wove through the dense thicket of vines. With a series of metallic clashing sounds, the struggling Saint realm undead had their battle weapons devoured and refined one by one by the sword.
By the time Blood Butcher arrived, the battle was already over. Gazing at the sea of lightning-fire vines before him, a surge of heat rushed from his heart straight to his head.
No mistake!
Following Zhang Ruochen, one could indeed share in his fortune.
Back during the Heaven Hunting Battle, Shi Shenghua’s combat power was only at the Thousand Questions Realm Great Saint level. How much time had passed since then? Now, its combat power was even more terrifying than a peak Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm Great Saint! He wondered if it had reached the Supreme Realm level.
Ji Fanxin put away the sub-divine-level ship and flew down to the floating island where the Space Teleportation Array was built.
Around the teleportation array, the corpses and skeletal remains of black-robed undead lay scattered in all directions, all struck down by Zhang Ruochen. Only one black-robed Ghost Clan member was frozen in place by the Nether Light Curse, unable to move.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Sundial, slowing the flow of time across the entire floating island. Then, he carefully studied the Space Teleportation Array, nodding repeatedly. “Brilliant, truly brilliant. Your research into Space Teleportation Arrays is something even I cannot match.”
To set up a Space Teleportation Array spanning hundreds of millions of miles was more complex than even a ninth-rank formation.
The formation mastery had to be at least at the Earth Master level.
The Space mastery could not be weak.
Spiritual Power had to exceed the sixty-ninth rank.
Only by meeting all three conditions, along with a large quantity of precious Space materials, could one set up a teleportation array of this level.
He had to admit, this Ghost Clan Great Saint was an extraordinary talent.
Blood Butcher flew onto the floating island, letting out a loud laugh. “Senior brother, you may not know, but this Night Travel Master is a figure as famous as the Gambling God Seven Hand Elder, both listed among the twelve scattered cultivator oddities of the Hell Realm. It’s only because he ran into you, senior brother, with your profound Space mastery, that he couldn’t escape. Any other cultivator trying to detain him would find it harder than reaching the heavens. The Earth Fiend Ghost City must have paid a hefty price to invite him to set up this formation.”
In truth, Blood Butcher was deeply puzzled. As far as he knew, this Night Travel Master’s Spiritual Power had reached the sixty-ninth rank, and his cultivation seemed to be at the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm as well.
Even if Zhang Ruochen’s Space mastery surpassed Night Travel Master’s, allowing him to prevent his escape, how could he use a curse to immobilize him?
“Zhang Ruochen is truly unfathomable. Who knows what incredible trump cards he’s hiding? Night Travel Master has experience escaping from false gods, yet he couldn’t get away from him.” Blood Butcher was deeply shaken, feeling a genuine sense of awe and reverence from the bottom of his heart.
Both awe and fear.
Of course, Blood Butcher had no idea that the one who had actually restrained Night Travel Master was the combined effort of Zhang Ruochen and Seven Hand Elder.
It was Seven Hand Elder who had activated the Ten Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead and cast the Nether Light Curse.
Night Travel Master could never have imagined that within Zhang Ruochen’s inner world, there was an expert with Spiritual Power no weaker than his own. Caught off guard, he had fallen into the trap.
Zhang Ruochen’s Space mastery was certainly superior to Night Travel Master’s, but he had focused more on cultivating and researching offensive techniques rather than teleportation arrays.
“Zhang Ruochen, give me a quick death. This master will not yield. Kill me now, refine my soul, let me be utterly destroyed, body and soul.” Night Travel Master’s voice was hoarse, but his will was firm.
Ji Fanxin showed an expression of admiration. “Night Travel Master is indeed as resolute as the legends say, unafraid of death. A man like this, even if he belongs to the Hell Realm, can be considered a hero. If there’s no past enmity, perhaps we should let him go.”
Clearly, Ji Fanxin was different from most cultivators of the Paradise Realm. She did not believe that every Hell Realm cultivator must be killed on sight.
It was precisely because of this that she continued to regard Zhang Ruochen as a friend, rather than turning against him.
Night Travel Master’s gaze was sharp. “This master needs no one’s pity. I accepted Divine Stones from the Earth Fiend Ghost City to build their teleportation array, only to fall into the hands of their enemies. This is fate. What joy is there in life? What fear in death? It’s not as if I haven’t died before.”
Blood Butcher’s heart was shaken once more. He never thought he would witness a truly fearless individual, one who regarded life and death so lightly.
Beyond admiration, he could find no words to describe his feelings at that moment.
Seven Hand Elder laughed and transmitted a message to Zhang Ruochen: “Believe me, if you actually go to kill him, he’ll be more cowardly than anyone. Back when he claimed to have escaped from a false god, he actually knelt, begged for mercy, cried, called him ‘adopted father,’ and even offered up all the Divine Stones on him before the false god let him go. In truth, that false god ‘adopted father’ of his was younger than him.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression remained unchanged as he walked toward Night Travel Master. The Abyssal Ancient Sword flew into his hand. “Very well, I’ll grant your wish. I can use your soul power to feed my eighteen Six Calamity Ghost Kings.”
“Zhang Ruochen!”
Night Travel Master suddenly shouted this, then burst into tears, speaking with heartfelt sincerity: “This master has heard that humans are the most compassionate. Since you have human blood in your veins, I only ask that after you kill me, you protect one planet.”
“On that planet are humans I secretly rescued. Their worlds were destroyed, their nations lost, their families torn apart. Alas, if I die, the humans on that planet will surely be killed by Ghost Clan cultivators, their souls devoured. I beg you, protect that planet for me. Please!”
“Alright, I agree.” Zhang Ruochen gripped the sword hilt with both hands, activating the Earth Sword Soul, adjusting his stance for a downward slash.
“Zhang Ruochen!”
Night Travel Master shouted again. “You… you haven’t asked me where that planet is.”
“No matter. With the strength of my Blood Absolute Clan, I can find out.”
Zhang Ruochen adjusted his slashing stance once more.
Ji Fanxin showed a look of reluctance, stepping forward to stop Zhang Ruochen. “Zhang Ruochen, can you do me a favor and spare his life?”
“No. Every cultivator holds grudges. Spare him, and there will be endless trouble.” Zhang Ruochen’s attitude was firm.
Ji Fanxin said, “I’ll trade it for the favor you owe me.”
“That favor is no small thing,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Ji Fanxin replied, “I know.”
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly. No wonder the Mandala Flower God had sealed her cultivation and Spiritual Power, making her cultivate slowly from the lowest realm.
She truly lacked experience.
If she were to face not just those cunning old foxes of the Divine realm, but even Blood Butcher, she might be outmaneuvered.
Of course, among her peers, Ji Fanxin was actually quite intelligent and perceptive. It was just that Night Travel Master was too shrewd and understood human weakness.
From the fact that Zhang Ruochen had only suppressed him without killing him, Night Travel Master knew that Zhang Ruochen would not kill him.
So, by pretending to be unafraid of death, he could earn Zhang Ruochen’s respect and increase his chances of survival.
When Zhang Ruochen moved to kill him, he immediately changed tactics, playing on emotions to both evoke Zhang Ruochen’s compassion and make him hesitate.
After all, if he killed him, the humans on that planet would all die.
If not for Seven Hand Elder, who knew Night Travel Master well, Zhang Ruochen—a cultivator with a Heart of Truth—might have been fooled and let him go. How much more so Ji Fanxin, who leaned toward life rather than death?
Seeing Zhang Ruochen seem to hesitate, Night Travel Master spoke with righteous indignation: “Miss, there’s no need to plead for me. I escaped from a false god’s hands, only to fall into the grasp of a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint. To have seen such an unparalleled genius in this life is enough. To be killed by a Eon-level talent, unmatched through the ages, is my honor.”
Then, his voice choked with emotion: “Zhang Ruochen, after you kill me, you must rush to that planet immediately. The humans there cannot be without me for even a moment. I beg you, I beg you! Kill me now, do it now!”
“You see, he’s the one begging for death.”
Zhang Ruochen said this to Ji Fanxin, then swung his sword downward.
Before the blade could fall, Night Travel Master had already knelt, extending one hand and shouting, “Adopted father, wait!”
Ji Fanxin and Blood Butcher stood frozen, staring in disbelief at Night Travel Master.
What was happening?
Zhang Ruochen was also slightly stunned, not because Night Travel Master had suddenly knelt—he had expected him to cave in soon—but because, in such a short time, Night Travel Master had managed to partially dispel the Nether Light Curse, regaining the ability to move freely, even if his Spiritual Power and cultivation were still sealed by the curse.
Truly an oddity.
Night Travel Master pressed both hands to the ground, kowtowing three times. Then, raising his head, he stared at Zhang Ruochen with tear-filled eyes. “I thought it over carefully. In the end, I still can’t rest easy about the humans on that planet. For their sake, I must live—even if it means kneeling, even if it means calling someone ‘father,’ I must endure and survive.”
“Adopted father, will you take me in as your son? From now on, I will do your bidding.”
Ji Fanxin and Blood Butcher finally understood. The legendary oddity, Night Travel Master, was not a man of unyielding resolve at all. His fear of death surpassed even that of ordinary mortals.
Ji Fanxin felt both shame and anger, a cold gleam appearing in her eyes.
She had thought she had experienced enough, seen all the world’s complexities, and could fathom the human heart. Now, it seemed she still lacked experience.
Soon, she regained her composure and calm, convincing herself that this incident would only help her grow, and she would not make the same mistake again.
Night Travel Master was at least twenty thousand years old. Being called “adopted father” by him made Zhang Ruochen want to actually strike him down with his sword.
Zhang Ruochen knew well that Night Travel Master was a true talent, like Seven Hand Elder—someone with value in certain specialized fields that even gods could not replace.
More importantly, he was a scattered cultivator.
If he could be recruited, he would be extremely useful.
Zhang Ruochen crouched down, bringing his eyes level with Night Travel Master’s. “To be honest, from the very beginning, I never intended to kill you.”
A sharp gleam flashed in Night Travel Master’s eyes.
Zhang Ruochen patted his shoulder. “I don’t want such an old adopted son. But I can make an exception and take you on as a registered disciple.”
Realizing he had been outmaneuvered, Night Travel Master seemed to let go of his pretense, a cold sneer appearing on his face.
To save his life, he could kneel, he could call someone “father.”
In extraordinary times, one does extraordinary things.
What was more important than staying alive?
But in his heart, he still looked down on a Hundred Shackles Realm Great Saint.
Zhang Ruochen said, “My cultivation is indeed still low. It seems I am unworthy to be your master. But have you considered another question? Becoming my disciple means becoming the disciple grandson of Xumi Saint Monk. Not just any cultivator in this world is qualified to be his disciple grandson. If you want to advance further in Space mastery, or if you want to become a god, think it over carefully. Your lifespan must be running low, isn’t that right?”
Having said this, Zhang Ruochen went back to studying the unfinished Space Teleportation Array.