Chapter 2630: A Parting of a Thousand Years
Michael was enraged, his gaze fixed on another female demigod from the Blade God Realm, signaling her to make a move.
Shi Huang was not at the demigod peak. Since that was the case, they only needed to send a few more Supreme Realm Great Saints to challenge him, wearing him down through attrition. He refused to believe there was truly a cultivator in this world who could withstand a continuous onslaught.
"Hold on."
Shang Zihong called back the female demigod from the Blade God Realm, shaking his head. "Let's stop here for today! First, find out exactly who these two are, then it won't be too late to make a move."
"What is Zihong wary of?" Michael asked.
Shang Zihong said, "The Kunlun Realm has three demigods present, with Sword Emperor and Shi Huang being close to demigod peak. A war of attrition is useless against them."
"If we retreat like this, won't we become a laughingstock?" Michael added, "There are quite a few cultivators from other major worlds watching nearby."
"Being laughed at is better than losing another demigod. This matter must be carefully considered," Shang Zihong said.
The female demigod from the Blade God Realm was a woman who looked to be in her forties, about two meters tall. She said, "If Yu Ze hadn't gone into seclusion, he would be enough to suppress these two."
"Then we'll wait for Yu Ze to emerge from seclusion before launching the second wave of attacks. By the way, if I remember correctly, Master Yun Zhen of the Talisman Spirit Realm is ranked fourth on the *Red Dust Peerless List*, right?" Shang Zihong said.
The Paradise Realm was not one of the nine major worlds of the Wuji Heaven Domain, so it had no right to act.
But the Talisman Spirit Realm was.
The Talisman Spirit Realm ranked twentieth in the Western Universe, also a transcendent and powerful realm.
The female demigod said, "That's correct."
Shang Zihong took out a piece of white paper and, with his finger, wrote out colorful divine runes one by one.
After finishing, he handed it to the female demigod. "Send someone to deliver this letter to Master Yun Zhen. Tell him I wish to meet with him."
The female demigod looked at the colorful divine runes on the white paper, a look of shock in her eyes, and nodded solemnly.
It must be known that only gods, through their understanding of the divine path, could write unique divine runes.
Shang Zihong was not a god, yet he could write his own divine runes. This meant that one of the sacred paths he cultivated was likely close to reaching the level of divine enlightenment. It might even have already reached it.
Divine enlightenment in the Dao was the realm all demigods pursued.
But even among peak demigod-level experts, those who could achieve divine enlightenment in the Dao were extremely rare, almost unheard of.
Next, Shang Zihong summoned another Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Blade God Realm to his side and instructed, "Next, the Kunlun Realm will inevitably launch a counterattack. Summon all the demigod-level experts from the Blade God Realm to the Wuji Heaven Domain. If they want to challenge us, let them be stretched thin. After all, the number of top-tier experts in the Kunlun Realm is still too few."
The Blade God Realm, as a first-rate powerful realm, naturally had more than three or four demigods.
Some were in seclusion in the Blade God Realm, some on the Merit Battlefield, some training in the cosmos, and some cultivating in secret places like the Heavenly Palace or the Truth Divine Temple.
That Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Blade God Realm showed a troubled expression. "Summoning all demigods is impossible, not even a god could do it. Every demigod has their own important matters. How could they get caught up in this conflict?"
The most important thing for a demigod was still to find the opportunity to break through and become a god. They were not particularly willing to participate in mundane struggles.
Shang Zihong smiled. "The Red Dust Assembly is approaching. Quite a few demigods should be coming to the Heavenly Court. Just invite them over."
"I will do my best."
That Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Blade God Realm withdrew, sending out one sacred realm cultivator after another to deliver messages, inviting demigod-level experts from various major forces within their realm.
Next, Shang Zihong sent a voice transmission to a Great Saint from the Paradise Realm: "Do two things! First, place an order with the Tian Sha Organization to assassinate three demigods: Huo Shanhai, Sword Emperor, and Shi Huang of the Kunlun Realm. Provide them with detailed information on the strength of these three."
"To kill these three, only the top three among the Emperor-level assassins could possibly do it. It will likely cost a huge amount of divine stones," that Paradise Realm Great Saint exclaimed in shock.
"What are mere divine stones? As long as we can eliminate these three, paying an even greater price is worth it. The second thing..."
Shang Zihong's gaze fell on Zhang Ruochen. "Go and investigate this person's information. I want the most detailed intelligence. If it's hard to investigate, look into that Divine Demon Rat."
Shang Zihong had noticed that the mysterious cultivator was very close to the Divine Demon Rat, and the rat's expression had also been somewhat strange.
Michael, sitting nearby, laughed in surprise. "Is it necessary to mobilize such a strong force? Sword Emperor and Shi Huang are strong, but they don't pose that great a threat."
"When a lion hunts a rabbit, it uses all its strength. Since we've already drawn our blade, this strike must cut off all hope for the Kunlun Realm. We cannot give the Kunlun Realm another thousand years."
Shang Zihong stood up and strode away.
Moments later, the group of cultivators from the Blade God Realm retreated with him.
"Don't leave! This emperor wants to challenge the lord of the Golden Sand Sacred Domain. Who among the Blade God Realm cultivators dares to answer the challenge?"
Shi Huang had cultivated in the Qiankun Realm for a thousand years, only able to spar with Sword Emperor, Shang Xia, Shang Yue, and Shi Shenghua. He had never been fully satisfied. Today, his battle intent was high, and he wanted to fight dozens of demigods to feel truly exhilarated.
A Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Blade God Realm stepped forward to fight, but even after using all his means, he was defeated in an instant.
After reclaiming the Golden Sand Sacred Domain, Shi Huang continued to act, challenging the lord of the Baiting Sacred Domain.
Shi Huang advanced with his spear, winning battle after battle.
The sacred realm cultivators of the Kunlun Realm who followed were overjoyed, shouting Shi Huang's name, regarding him as the number one hero of the Kunlun Realm—fierce and domineering, sweeping away the oppression and humiliation of the past month.
Zhang Ruochen followed Ling Feiyu and Ling Xiu back to the domain mansion of the Golden Tree Sacred Domain.
Except for a few Great Saints, the others were all excited. Some took the initiative to talk with Zhang Ruochen, asking about the origins of Sword Emperor and Shi Huang in relation to the Kunlun Realm.
Zhang Ruochen naturally brushed them off casually.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen asked, "Senior Ling seems troubled. What are you worried about?"
Ling Xiu had a good impression of this great benefactor of the Kunlun Realm. "I'm thinking about how many sacred domains Shi Huang can reclaim."
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Senior should be thinking about how many sacred domains the Kunlun Realm can hold onto, right?"
Ling Xiu smiled wryly and nodded solemnly. "The Wuji Heaven Domain is a high-level heaven domain, with a total of nine hundred and seventy-four sacred domains, contested by nine major worlds. Among them, the Blade God Realm is the strongest, occupying five hundred and twenty sacred domains. The Great Saints guarding these domains are at least at the Thousand Questions Realm, including three demigods."
"Before, the Great Saints stationed in the twenty-one sacred domains of the Wuji Heaven Domain were all the top experts of the Kunlun Realm. Although the other eight major worlds occasionally provoked us, with Wen Di, Xue Wuye, Yu Shan Dragon Emperor, Shu Daizi, and Bai Chi helping each other out, we managed to cope."
"But now, the Blade God Realm has launched a full-scale suppression campaign. Although Sword Emperor, Shi Huang, and Huo Shanhai are all demigod-level experts, they can only hold three domains at most. Trying to hold twenty-one domains at once will likely leave them stretched thin."
"Moreover, among the other seven major worlds in the Wuji Heaven Domain, four belong to the Paradise Realm faction. If they join in, the Kunlun Realm's situation will become even more difficult."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you can't hold them, then don't hold them. Just launch attacks."
Ling Xiu quickly grasped Zhang Ruochen's meaning, a look of surprise appearing on his face. "You mean... seize resources?"
"Exactly. Capture a domain, plunder as many cultivation resources from it as possible, then give the domain back to them. Then, move on to attack the next domain," Zhang Ruochen said.
This bandit-style tactic proposed by Zhang Ruochen was not something no one had thought of before. It was just too shameless and could easily provoke a full-scale war between two major worlds, making them irreconcilable enemies.
But the Kunlun Realm and the Blade God Realm were already locked in a blood feud. Was there any possibility of reconciliation?
If so, even the most shameless methods could be used.
Ling Feiyu said, "This tactic of yours is indeed suitable for the current Kunlun Realm. What the Kunlun Realm needs is cultivation resources, not vast tracts of cultivation territory."
"However, there is a prerequisite. The Kunlun Realm must have at least two top-tier experts who can completely defeat the Great Saints of the Blade God Realm. One stays behind to guard a domain, while the other attacks domains one by one."
"Although Sword Emperor and Shi Huang are very strong, the Blade God Realm does not lack experts who can overpower them. Yu Ze is ranked thirteenth on the *Red Dust Peerless List*. Given their current cultivation levels, Sword Emperor and Shi Huang are probably no match for him."
Zhang Ruochen nodded slightly. "Yu Ze, right? Will he participate in the Red Dust Assembly?"
"He should," Ling Feiyu said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "After the Red Dust Assembly, that name won't be on the *Red Dust Peerless List* anymore."
Ling Feiyu naturally caught the implication in his words. "You plan to make a move?"
She believed this person had the ability to do so. After all, how could someone who was friends with Shi Huang and Sword Emperor be weak?
"It might not require me to act personally," Zhang Ruochen said.
Ling Feiyu said, "You are not a cultivator of the Kunlun Realm, so why are you helping it so much?"
"I'm not helping the Kunlun Realm. I'm helping the people I care about most. For example, you."
Ling Feiyu felt he was flirting with her. A cold gleam appeared in her eyes, and she was about to flick her sleeves and leave.
Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh. "Feiyu, it's been a thousand years. Since our parting at Wuding Mountain, a thousand years have passed. Do you still remember the person in the *Seven Lives Seven Deaths Diagram* by the Tongming River?"
Ling Feiyu's sharp eyes trembled slightly. She stared fixedly at the man standing across from her, her face full of disbelief.
She stood there as if turned to stone, unable to leave.
The Divine Demon Rat following behind let out a long breath. It had been holding it in for too long, and now its stomach had shrunk considerably.
Ling Xiu observed Zhang Ruochen for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then, he grabbed the Divine Demon Rat by the ear and returned to the domain mansion first. On the way, he erased part of the rat's memory.
Of course, even if Ling Xiu hadn't acted, Zhang Ruochen would have. But Zhang Ruochen would have modified the Divine Demon Rat's memory rather than directly erasing it.
Shang Zihong was a formidable opponent. He would definitely investigate Zhang Ruochen, and since the Divine Demon Rat had appeared with him, it would naturally be treated as a breakthrough point, receiving special attention.
If false information could be fed to Shang Zihong through the Divine Demon Rat, it could serve to mislead him.