Chapter 2665: In the Name of Righteousness
Xiang Chunan looked at the eight cultivators from the Book Realm, then gritted his teeth and let out a loud laugh toward the sky. "If I, Xiang Chunan, were to leave now, wouldn't that make me a coward who fears death?"
"Brother Shu is right. In the eyes of the Hall Master, this matter might be insignificant. But to me, this battle today is the greatest thing. Shu Yong cannot die in vain; the righteousness in my heart must endure forever, and the promises I made must be defended unto death."
"I once said that the affairs of the Book Realm are mine to handle! I said it before, and I say it again now."
Xiang Chunan soared into the air, hovering as he let out a long roar: "You grandsons of the Heavenly Realm, if you want to flatten Green Pear Garden, you'll have to step over my corpse first!"
"Fight!"
"Fight to the death!"
"Fight to the death until the end!"
His voice grew louder with each shout, like thunderclaps spreading across the Red Dust Archipelago.
The cultivators of the Book Realm were deeply moved, feeling that there were still more good people in the world, and that the word "righteousness" resided in the hearts of most cultivators.
The cultivators of the Heavenly Dragon Realm were infected by Xiang Chunan's fearless battle intent. Their eyes sharpened, and blood surged within them.
A Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Heavenly Dragon Realm gritted his teeth and said, "At worst, we die. But if we die, let it be with a blaze of glory."
Ao Xukong said, "That's right. If we die in battle at Green Pear Garden today, even ten thousand years from now, cultivators will know that we once fought against the Great Saints of the entire Heavenly Realm Faction. If we slink away in disgrace, we'll never be able to hold our heads high again. Does our Dragon Clan lack the courage to fight to the death?"
"To die for the righteousness in one's heart is to die a worthy death," said Linglong Fairy, her gaze firm and her bearing proud, her almond eyes shining with a light that looked down upon the world.
Hua Chunqiu's blood boiled within him. "I have the first volume of my 'Red Dust Peerless Painting' now. Mere high cultivation cannot be called peerless in the mortal world. True peerlessness in the mortal world means fearing neither life nor death, singing war songs even when defying heaven. Let this first volume be called the 'Red Dust Life-and-Death Volume.' If I can complete this volume, even if I die here today, I will be fully satisfied."
Hua Chunqiu's inspiration surged, and he picked up his brush to sketch.
The first figure in the painting was Xiang Chunan, flying above Green Pear Garden, clad in a red robe, wearing a metal demon crown, his body tall and robust.
Above Xiang Chunan's head, dragons and Heavenly Camp Great Saints in armor flew past.
He was completely immersed in the painting, his mind focused, his brush strokes like a dragon swimming, like a swift march.
Lian Xi's cultivation was sealed. She sat on a stone stool, quietly watching everything, sighing deeply in her heart, feeling helpless and unable to understand.
How extraordinary was Zhang Ruochen? He could clearly leave, so why would he risk his life for a few cultivators from the Book Realm?
She couldn't understand.
Perhaps this was the real him.
He had never been the cold-blooded demon of the Hell Realm, but a hero with righteousness in his heart, a true hero with both emotion and duty.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Today, we may not necessarily die. There's no need for such pessimism."
Everyone's gaze turned to him.
Ao Xukong smiled bitterly. "I understand Brother Shu's intention."
"Oh? You understand?" Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised.
Ao Xukong said, "The entire island has been surrounded by Great Saints from the Heavenly Realm Faction, like a net spread from heaven to earth. Moreover, Heavenly Camp Great Saints are gathered above. We've already missed the best opportunity to break out. Now, even a false god would find it impossible to escape this island."
"You think my intention is to force a breakout?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Ao Xukong was slightly taken aback. "Under the current situation, if we don't break out, are we going to hold Green Pear Garden? It's impossible to hold. Even divine talismans can't withstand the attacks of so many Great Saints."
Linglong Fairy knew that Shu Qianchi's cultivation was unfathomable, but she still didn't believe there was any hope for survival today. "Staying in Green Pear Garden makes us sitting ducks right under the enemy's noses. Only by making Green Pear Garden move can we perhaps kill a few more to take with us before we die."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "Fighting head-on means death for all of us. So we must change our strategy. First, you need to understand that each of you here has a significant background. Without a compelling reason to kill you, the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm Faction won't act rashly."
"Right now, cultivators from all worlds are watching Green Pear Garden. The Heavenly Realm Faction is using the banner of seeking justice for the Confucian Realm, targeting the cultivators of the Book Realm."
Feng Yan pondered and said, "So, as long as we don't make a move, they can't do anything to us?"
"No, even if you don't make a move, they'll force you to..."
Before Zhang Ruochen could finish, a loud, deep voice came from outside Green Pear Garden: "I am Yun Zhong Sheng, the leader of the Heavenly Ritual Sect of the Confucian Realm, paying a visit to Green Pear Garden. Is the Elegant God of the Book Realm inside?"
"Here they come!"
Zhang Ruochen looked at a Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Book Realm. "Go. See what the leaders of the Confucian Realm have to say."
This Supreme Realm Great Saint from the Book Realm, named Wen Jue, pushed open the door and walked out.
The other seven cultivators from the Book Realm followed him out.
Zhang Ruochen and the others stayed inside, not showing themselves.
Feng Yan had already figured it out. "Is this the strategy the Heavenly Realm Faction is using to force us to act?"
"The Heavenly Realm Faction wants to kill people but also wants to occupy the moral high ground, so they're constrained. The strength of a ruling world is indeed unstoppable, but even a ruling world can't do whatever it wants. The Heavenly Laws still bind them. At least on the surface, they can't violate the Heavenly Laws and must find excuses to avoid them," Zhang Ruochen said.
Outside, the five leaders of the Confucian Realm had all arrived, standing outside the circle Zhang Ruochen had drawn, not daring to enter recklessly.
The two sides argued fiercely, debating for nearly an hour.
The Confucian Realm essentially demanded that the Book Realm produce the Elegant God, that the Elegant God confess to the crime, that Gongyang Mu could not die without explanation, and that the Heavenly Laws could not be rendered meaningless for gods... and so on.
The Book Realm cultivators, on the other hand, believed that the Elegant God had already been killed by the Confucian Realm and that Gongyang Mu's death was a play staged by the Confucian Realm itself.
Such arguments naturally led nowhere.
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from outside: "I see that you people of the Book Realm are relying on a strong backer to challenge the authority of the Heavenly Laws and bully the Confucian Realm. Tonight, if the Book Realm does not hand over the murderer, the Confucian Realm will raze Green Pear Garden to the ground!"
Another voice called out: "Elegant God! If you do not show yourself, do not blame us for showing no mercy to the cultivators of the Book Realm. We will use their blood to honor Gongyang Mu's spirit!"
The cultivators of the Book Realm grew tense, realizing that the five leaders of the Confucian Realm had shown their true colors.
Three of the five leaders were Supreme Realm Great Saints, while the other two were sixty-ninth-level initial-stage spiritual power Great Saints. They simultaneously released their power.
Around the three Supreme Realm Great Saints, countless sacred rules appeared, coalescing into a green light heavenly book, a thousand-character essay, and a white sacred light lake.
The two spiritual power Great Saints drew upon the sacred energy of heaven and earth, forming two dazzling vortexes.
Zhang Ruochen stepped out of the door and said, "You five old fools have lived so long without realizing you're being used by others. Today, you might end up dying as wronged ghosts."
"Shu Qianchi, we know your cultivation is profound, but you'd better not interfere in today's matter. This is a grudge between the Confucian Realm and the Book Realm. Anyone who interferes will pay the price," one of the leaders said coldly.
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly, pointing to the four characters on the ground. "Death to those who enter the boundary! I wrote this myself. Anyone who dares to step into this circle, I will kill."
How could the five leaders of the Confucian Realm not fear Shu Qianchi?
But now that the arrow was on the string, they had to shoot. Could they retreat?
If they dared to retreat, the big shots of the Heavenly Realm would surely make them die even more miserably in the future, even dragging their clansmen down with them. They too had their helplessness.
"Fight!"
"Avenge Gongyang Mu!"
"Kill all the cultivators of the Book Realm!"
...
The five leaders tried to charge into the circle but were blocked by the Great Saint inscriptions and formations that Zhang Ruochen and the others had set up in advance.
Using the circle as a boundary, dense light patterns emerged.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
They unleashed one attack after another, striking the light patterns.
Zhang Ruochen couldn't be bothered to play such boring games with the cultivators of the Heavenly Realm. He took out his war sword.
Feng Yan stepped out. "Brother Shu, how about I handle them?"
"My idea is to let them in and kill them all," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Why be so aggressive? They probably don't even know the truth about Gongyang Mu's death; they're just being used by the Heavenly Realm cultivators. Killing them would play right into the enemy's hands," Feng Yan said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you think that if we don't kill them, there's still a chance for tonight's matter to turn around?"
"Man proposes, heaven disposes. I want to try. Even if the Heavenly Realm Faction ultimately kills us all, at least I tried to save lives," Feng Yan said.
"Fine."
Zhang Ruochen knew that Feng Yan was doing this to fight for a sliver of hope for everyone, believing that as long as they didn't kill the Confucian Realm cultivators, the Heavenly Realm Faction would have no reason to act.
Feng Yan stepped out of the circle, and countless sacred rules surged from beneath his feet, forming a purple-blue chaotic sea domain that pulled all five Confucian Realm leaders inside.
The five leaders were secretly delighted. They had been afraid of Shu Qianchi and hadn't dared to step into the circle, but now Feng Yan had voluntarily come out.
If Feng Yan dared to kill them outside the circle, even with his powerful background, he would be punished by the Heavenly Laws.
Feng Yan's sacred light blazed brightly, and all three of his mouths spoke at once: "Withdraw. Today, the cultivators of the Book Realm are under my protection. Your talk of razing Green Pear Garden is nothing but a joke."
"Emperor Yan, you're throwing your weight around with the prestige of the Feng Clan of Pangu Realm? Do you think we Confucian Realm cultivators are cowards who fear trouble?"
"Fight! The Confucian Realm will never yield!"
One of the leaders, with a red mole between his eyebrows, had already mobilized the thousand-character essay suspended in the void, pressing it down toward Feng Yan.