Chapter 2554: The Resonance of the Wordless Sword Manual
“You can teach me the Way of Space?”
“I can.”
“You can help me become a god?”
“I can only assist you; whether you become a god depends on your own ability.”
“How long can you extend my life?”
Zhang Ruochen took out a divine wood jar and tossed it to him.
Night Traveler Master opened the jar and saw the Life Spring inside. His eyes burned with fervor, and he tilted his head back to drink greedily.
Xue Butcher stopped him, saying, “Senior Brother hasn’t agreed yet. How dare you start drinking?”
Night Traveler Master had already finished, patting the empty jar with a clang and laughing with a sigh: “This Life Spring is of extremely high grade, extending my life by at least ten years. Ah! This jar is also a fine treasure—I’ll keep it!”
“Since you’ve drunk the Life Spring, it means you agree to be my nominal disciple. If you dare betray the sect, you know the consequences, don’t you?” Zhang Ruochen said.
Night Traveler Master said, “I know, I know—divine form annihilation, soul scattering to the winds. Would I, this master, fear that... ahem, Master, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was, this bit of Life Spring is still too little.”
“If you behave obediently, there will be plenty of Life Spring to fill you up,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Night Traveler Master spread his wrinkled hands and said, “This... this is just empty talk...”
From Zhang Ruochen’s brow, a stream of Life Spring flew out, flowing around his body with a pleasant “gurgling” sound.
Night Traveler Master’s body involuntarily knelt down, saying, “Master above, accept this disciple’s bow.”
Ji Fanxin felt her understanding completely shattered. A true old monster who had lived for over twenty thousand years had actually knelt to Zhang Ruochen as a teacher, calling him “Master” with great alacrity.
But thinking about how he could even call him “Foster Father,” she felt relieved.
Night Traveler Master didn’t have Ji Fanxin’s many mental constraints. What was wrong with becoming a disciple? Becoming a disciple didn’t shorten one’s life, nor break bones or sever souls; instead, it allowed one to gain benefits for free.
Where in the world could one encounter such a good thing?
Only Zhang Ruochen, this second-generation heir of the Blood Absolute Family, would be so wasteful.
However, to Night Traveler Master’s disappointment, the stream of Life Spring flew back into Zhang Ruochen’s brow.
Although Life Spring could extend his life, drinking too much would rapidly diminish its effectiveness. Clearly, Zhang Ruochen intended to use the Life Spring as bait to keep him hooked.
Night Traveler Master’s eyes rolled around, and he said, “I heard that Master inherited the legacy of Grandmaster and has a book called the Space-Time Secret Scripture. Could the disciple be allowed to peruse it?”
“No rush. First, come with me to finish setting up this Space Teleportation Array.”
Zhang Ruochen took out the Ten-Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead and removed the Nether Light Curse he had placed on Night Traveler Master.
Night Traveler Master’s body relaxed, and he was momentarily stunned. He thought to himself, “Zhang Ruochen is so careless, restoring my cultivation just like that? Isn’t he afraid I’ll kill him and take his treasures? No, I can’t act rashly. He must be testing me. If I make a move, I’ll surely be killed.”
Night Traveler Master always felt that, given Zhang Ruochen’s spiritual power, even with the supreme sacred artifact Ten-Thousand Curse Heavenly Bead, he couldn’t have cursed him. There must be some unknown power hidden on him.
“Forget it, I won’t take the risk. Zhang Ruochen has too many big shots backing him—I can’t afford to provoke them. I’d better get out of here immediately.”
Suddenly, Night Traveler Master fell into hesitation again, his feet unable to move.
He believed he could escape if he wanted to.
But what about the Life Spring on Zhang Ruochen? Was he going to give that up?
What about the space inscriptions, space sacred arts, and space formations from the Space-Time Secret Scripture? Was he not going to learn them?
Was Zhang Ruochen’s claim that he could help him become a god just bragging, or did he really have that ability?
Given Night Traveler Master’s age and his fear of death, what he craved most now was to break through to the divine realm. Once he reached the divine realm, he would have an eon’s lifespan of 129,600 years.
If he hadn’t still been hoping to become a god, he wouldn’t have cultivated three trillion sacred dao rules while still suppressing his realm at the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm.
In the end, Night Traveler Master didn’t leave. Together with Zhang Ruochen, he continued building the Space Teleportation Array.
Combining their efforts, it took them three months to inscribe all the inscriptions needed for the Space Teleportation Array.
Of course, with the Sundial, only three hours had passed in the outside world.
Ji Fanxin, Xue Butcher, and Mo Yin, whose cultivation had greatly improved, entered the array one after another.
With intense spatial fluctuations and dazzling light, the Space Teleportation Array activated. In an instant, they disappeared from the array, crossing hundreds of millions of miles to arrive in a pitch-black, cold, and vast cosmic space.
Zhang Ruochen had thought they would be teleported directly to Jiannan Realm, but they were clearly in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
Ji Fanxin immediately became alert, and beautiful sacred flowers bloomed beneath her feet in the void.
“Old fellow, are you playing tricks?” Xue Butcher said.
Night Traveler Master said, “What are you all nervous about? Jiannan Realm is right ahead. It’s just that the teleportation array can’t directly send us inside the realm. Master, follow me, and you’ll see.”
After flying only a few hundred miles, Zhang Ruochen saw a chaotic zone in the distance, like a wall of chaos. It stretched endlessly upward and downward, and left and right.
This chaotic zone was a spatial rupture zone filled with space rifts, space vortices, and space storms.
The reason they hadn’t seen this chaotic zone earlier was that in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, cultivators’ vision and perception were heavily affected by dark force. Even a Great Saint could only see a few hundred miles away.
Night Traveler Master said, “The entire Jiannan Realm is wrapped in this chaotic zone. At its thickest, it’s over three hundred miles. Even at its thinnest, it’s a hundred miles.”
“Even if the chaotic zone wraps around Jiannan Realm, the Space Teleportation Array shouldn’t be unable to pass through,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Night Traveler Master said, “Master doesn’t know this, but this chaotic zone is filled with a special force. Forced teleportation is extremely dangerous. If you don’t believe me, Master can try using Great Space Teleportation to see if you can directly move to Jiannan Realm.”
“Whoosh—”
Zhang Ruochen released sacred qi, wrapping around Night Traveler Master, Ji Fanxin, Xue Butcher, and Mo Yin. Ripples appeared around his body.
Together, they disappeared at the center of the ripples.
When they reappeared, they were standing above the clouds within Jiannan Realm.
Xue Butcher looked at Night Traveler Master and couldn’t help but laugh: “Senior Brother’s Great Space Teleportation can pass through directly, so why can’t the Space Teleportation Array?”
Night Traveler Master showed no embarrassment at all and involuntarily knelt again, saying, “Master’s Great Space Teleportation is profoundly exquisite. Teach me.”
All along, Night Traveler Master had prided himself on his spatial mastery.
But now he realized that the difference between his Space Teleportation and Zhang Ruochen’s Great Space Teleportation was like heaven and earth.
Not to mention anything else, just learning this technique would give him the ability to escape from a false god.
The methods passed down by Xumi Saint Monk were truly extraordinary.
Xue Butcher also showed interest, but he felt he still had some bottom line, not being as shameless as Night Traveler Master, who knelt at the drop of a hat, his knees as if made of tofu.
“I’ll teach you after this trip.”
Zhang Ruochen turned into a streak of light and dove into the sea of clouds.
Moments later, he landed on the ground, standing atop a protruding ring-shaped mountain range.
At the center of the mountain range was a giant pit nearly a kilometer in diameter. The soil in the pit was charred black, and the chaotic energy emanating from it was astonishing, affecting areas hundreds of miles away.
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
...
Night Traveler Master, Mo Yin, Ji Fanxin, and Xue Butcher flew down one after another, standing not far from Zhang Ruochen.
Night Traveler Master inhaled a breath of cold air, finding it hard to believe. “This place was the stronghold of the Earth Fiend Ghost City, the Eternal Life Hall, and the Hidden Bone Sea in Jiannan Realm. Dozens of Great Saints were gathered here. How was it razed to the ground? And they didn’t even have time to send out a message light talisman.”
Except for Zhang Ruochen, everyone present showed nervous expressions.
A powerful figure had arrived at Jiannan Realm before them.
Although Underworld King’s strike hadn’t used divine power and had almost completely hidden its aura, Zhang Ruochen’s Heart of Truth still sensed that faint, elusive presence. He was certain it was him.
That aura was growing fainter.
That was normal. Once Underworld King went to explore the Origin Divine Temple, some anomalies might appear. To prevent the news from leaking prematurely, it was natural to eliminate the cultivators of the three undead forces.
The environment of Jiannan Realm wasn’t as dark and lightless as Zhang Ruochen had imagined.
In fact, the plants growing on this great world emitted light at certain times, illuminating the heavens and earth, creating a dreamlike scene.
This was Jiannan Realm’s daytime.
When the plants all went dormant, the world was pitch black.
This was Jiannan Realm’s night.
Xue Butcher looked at Zhang Ruochen with eager eyes, already impatient. He only refrained from asking when they would find the Origin Divine Temple because Night Traveler Master was nearby.
Night Traveler Master flew toward the giant pit to study it carefully.
After a while, he returned with a very serious expression. “Master, I think we need to leave Jiannan Realm immediately. The powerful figure who wiped out the three forces’ cultivators is no ordinary being. Moreover, the three forces won’t let this go. With just us, we can’t hold Jiannan Realm.”
Xue Butcher said, “If you’re scared, leave quickly.”
“Master, can I really leave?” Night Traveler Master asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, “If you want to leave, I won’t stop you, but you will no longer be my disciple.”
“Survival is the priority. Who would want to be your disciple? I’d rather not learn your Great Space Teleportation.”
Night Traveler Master laughed inwardly, about to fly away, when his heart suddenly stirred violently.
Wait, why was Zhang Ruochen so calm? Did he know who killed the three forces’ cultivators?
Moreover, all the cultivators in the world had been drawn to the Hundred Clans Royal City because of the Origin Light. Zhang Ruochen had been fine in the Hundred Clans Royal City, so why had he suddenly come to Jiannan Realm?
Could he have another purpose?
Combined with Xue Butcher’s eagerness for him to leave, Night Traveler Master became even more suspicious. Perhaps, as he had guessed, this Jiannan Realm indeed had something extraordinary.
As a top-tier rogue cultivator, he was extremely shrewd. Upon learning that a great world had appeared in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, he felt it must be significant.
The reason Night Traveler Master had agreed to help the Earth Fiend Ghost City set up the Space Teleportation Array was that he intended to investigate. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been as lucky as Seven Hands Old Man and had found nothing.
In an instant, Night Traveler Master’s thoughts churned a hundred times. He let out a laugh and said, “Master is in need of me right now. How could I possibly leave? Master, just say the word. Whatever dirty or tiring work there is, feel free to assign it.”
“There is one thing I need you to do.”
Zhang Ruochen released Zhou Zhen, Shen Tu Yun Kong, and the Great Sen Luo Emperor from the Qiankun Realm, giving each of them a Space Exquisite Ball. Inside each Space Exquisite Ball was a planet suitable for human habitation.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Take these three with you and collect as many cultivators from Jiannan Realm as possible. You have a space treasure, don’t you?”
Night Traveler Master’s eyes showed a thoughtful expression, and he asked, “Why do this?”
“Why so many questions? Just do as you’re told,” Xue Butcher said, not knowing where he found the courage to speak to Night Traveler Master in such a tone.
Perhaps he really had started to see himself as an uncle master.
“Make sure to watch those two. Don’t let them escape,” Zhang Ruochen said, pointing at Zhou Zhen and Shen Tu Yun Kong.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on them.”
It wasn’t Night Traveler Master who said this, but the Great Sen Luo Emperor.
After Night Traveler Master, the Great Sen Luo Emperor, Zhou Zhen, and Shen Tu Yun Kong flew away, Ji Fanxin said, “Jiannan Realm is extremely vast. With just the four of them, before a large force arrives, they probably won’t be able to save even a ten-thousandth of the living beings.”
“Saving an entire world is beyond our current cultivation. We can only do our best. They should have a fair amount of time,” Zhang Ruochen said.
It would take a considerable amount of time for the cultivators of the Hell Realm to find out that Zhang Ruochen had come to Jiannan Realm.
The only concern was that Bai Qinger might break out too quickly, drawing all the experts from the Hell Realm here. She had a top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and was an Origin Controller, so she could sense the location of the Origin Divine Temple.
In either case, cultivators from the various major forces of the Hell Realm would eventually descend on this great world.
If nothing unexpected happened, the gods of the Paradise Realm and the Hell Realm would also arrive.
By then, Zhang Ruochen truly wasn’t sure if Jiannan Realm would be destroyed. All he could do now was save as many native beings as possible, preserving a spark for them.
“The sensation is even stronger!” Ji Fanxin said, holding the top-grade Origin Divine Crystal and looking in one direction.
“Wait.”
Zhang Ruochen suddenly sensed something. He took out the Wordless Sword Manual in its stone sword form and was astonished to find golden characters appearing on its surface, flickering.
The sword body trembled. If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t suppressed it, it would have flown away.
“What’s going on? Could the Wordless Sword Manual be connected to Jiannan Realm? Or to the Origin Divine Temple?”
Zhang Ruochen noticed that the direction the Wordless Sword Manual wanted to fly was exactly where Ji Fanxin was looking.
...
I want to sleep early today, so I’ll only post one chapter. This chapter is 4000 words.