Chapter 2715: Sacred Army Locks the Star
"Senior Brother's matters are my Blood Butcher's matters."
Immediately, Blood Butcher shifted his tone, saying, "But as for the Abandoned Heaven matter, I truly cannot help. He was imprisoned by our master. Anyone who dares to interfere will die an ugly death."
"It's not about that," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher's heart relaxed, and he straightened his back. "Since it's not that, then it's not just one matter—ten or a hundred matters, I'll handle them without hesitation."
Then, Zhang Ruochen explained the matter of collecting the Ten Realms.
"This... Senior Brother, the various realms of the Heavenly Court have already amassed armies in the starry sky of the Ancient Civilization Faction. The cultivators of the Hell Realm are also continuously rushing to the Shura Pillar Realm Star. War could break out at any moment."
"It's not that I, your junior brother, am making excuses, but given my status, I must represent the Death God Palace and hold the line at the Shura Pillar Realm Star. I can't get away." Blood Butcher showed a troubled expression.
Zhang Ruochen said, "More than half of the Ten Realms offered by the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm are located in the starry sky not far from the Ancient Civilization Faction. The two matters don't conflict."
Then he added, "Qi Linzi, Huo Xi, and Qing Xunyun have already agreed to dispatch the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp to assist me."
"But you, my dear junior brother, are making excuses and shirking."
"Doesn't this mean that if I give you face, you won't give me face?"
Blood Butcher's expression grew even more troubled. "Since the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp is stepping in, subduing the Ten Realms should be a piece of cake! Who would dare to stand against our Undying Blood Clan's strongest mortal army?"
Zhang Ruochen sighed lightly. "Think carefully."
"Could it be the Green Deer Divine Temple, the Earth Fiend Ghost City, or the Death God Temple? They wouldn't fight to the death with the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp over just ten realms, would they?" Blood Butcher asked.
"Think even more carefully."
Blood Butcher pondered for a long time, then shook his head. "Senior Brother, why don't you give me a hint?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "When collecting the Ten Realms, there will definitely be cultivators who obstruct us."
"That's inevitable!" Blood Butcher nodded.
Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice in a low tone: "In my view, Lan Ying, Nan Sheng, and Yuan might all make a move. Although the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp is powerful, Qi Linzi and the others might not dare to offend these people. In terms of courage and boldness, they are far inferior to you."
Blood Butcher hadn't expected Zhang Ruochen to hold him in such high regard. He immediately cast a cold, disdainful glance at Qi Linzi and the others, speaking with high spirits: "What are mere Lan Ying and Yuan? Nan Sheng is known as the heir of the Tiannan Life-Death Ruins, but he's just a disciple of the Seventh Master—a generation lower than me! The world's cultivators may fear the Tiannan Life-Death Ruins, but that doesn't include me, Blood Butcher."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Haven't you always wanted to seize a Supreme Sacred Artifact? This is a rare opportunity!"
Blood Butcher's spirits immediately lifted.
"In a one-on-one fight, you're certainly not afraid of Lan Ying. But subduing him would be as difficult as reaching the heavens, wouldn't it? However, with the help of the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp, how could a mere Lan Ying escape?"
Zhang Ruochen then added another sentence: "Lan Ying once said that the Asura Sword is more than just a Supreme Sacred Artifact."
Blood Butcher's blood boiled, his eyes burning with intensity. He couldn't help licking his lips and said excitedly, "Senior Brother, you're not planning to use me to seize the Asura Sword, are you?"
Zhang Ruochen said mockingly, "I didn't even take the Five-Colored Merit Divine Stele seriously, let alone an Asura Sword? If the Asura Sword were a complete divine artifact, I might still be interested."
"But it's not."
"Perhaps you, Blood Butcher, have great fortune and can one day reforge it into a divine artifact."
Blood Butcher laughed. "That's still up in the air. Who knows if we can subdue Lan Ying and refine him? I need to plan this carefully. It's best to first conceal the strength of the Blood Emperor Divine Demon Camp, feign weakness to lure the enemy out, and then catch them all in one net."
"Moreover, it would be best to frame Lan Ying with an assassination charge. That way, even if I refine him and seize the Asura Sword, the Green Deer Divine King can only swallow his bitterness and say nothing."
"The Asura Sword goes to me! As for Yuan, if Senior Brother is interested, I'll capture her and give her to you."
"Nan Sheng is a bit troublesome. I hope he doesn't come looking for me, or else I, Blood Butcher, will make sure he can't handle the consequences."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So, it's settled?"
"It's settled!"
"But you need to hold the line at the Shura Pillar Realm Star!"
"War won't break out so easily. The Hell Realm has plenty of strong cultivators; they won't miss me."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Actually, seizing the Ten Realms is just a secondary matter. There's another thing you need to know."
"Senior Brother, just say it," Blood Butcher said.
Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh and hesitated.
Seeing this, Blood Butcher's heart sank, feeling as if he had boarded a pirate ship.
Zhang Ruochen said, "As you know, I've just broken through to the Supreme Realm. I'll definitely need to spend considerable time in seclusion for cultivation. Otherwise, I wouldn't have handed over the beautiful task of collecting the Ten Realms to you. But there's one matter that has become a thorn in my heart."
"I am willing to be the medicine for Senior Brother's heart," Blood Butcher said, knowing he couldn't escape.
Since that was the case, he might as well take the initiative.
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's excellent! I'll only tell this to you. Actually, I have a romantic relationship with Luo Ji, the Heavenly Maiden of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization."
"The world's cultivators all know you two are close," Blood Butcher said.
Zhang Ruochen added, "But they don't know that Luo Ji has long been my woman. How can the word 'close' describe it?"
Blood Butcher understood completely, but this time, he was truly troubled. "Senior Brother, I really can't help with this matter! In the war between the Heavenly Court and the Hell Realm, the Heavenly Beginning Civilization will inevitably bear the brunt. The destruction of their realm and clan is only a matter of time. Not even I, Blood Butcher, let alone a God Venerable, can stop this."
"I'm not asking you to stop it. I'm just telling you this so you know," Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher pondered the meaning behind Zhang Ruochen's words and said, "I understand! Now I truly understand! Senior Brother means that if the Heavenly Beginning Heavenly Maiden encounters a deadly situation on the battlefield, I should deliberately let her escape?"
"Or, if she is captured by the Hell Realm's army, I should help rescue her and deliver her to you?"
"Or perhaps, Senior Brother wants me to step forward and recruit the entire Heavenly Beginning Civilization... No, no. If it could be recruited, Senior Brother would have done it already. How could it fall to me?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I'm afraid that's all you can do. I'll handle the matter of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization myself."
"Senior Brother can actually resolve the matter of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization?" Blood Butcher asked skeptically.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Perhaps there is a way. Keep an eye on the Heavenly Beginning Civilization. If you can help in any way, I'll take you along for a great opportunity soon."
"Senior Brother, what great opportunity?" Blood Butcher asked excitedly and curiously.
Blood Butcher had surpassed many of his era's rebellious prodigies to achieve his current cultivation and status because of two great opportunities.
The first was obtaining the War God Mark of the Blood Flame War God.
The second was obtaining the opportunity of the Origin Divine Temple and becoming a disciple of the Death God Venerable.
Both of these great opportunities were more or less related to Zhang Ruochen.
Without a doubt, Zhang Ruochen was the Son of Fortune of this era.
Following him, even just drinking a sip of fortune's soup could lead to soaring success.
If he could seize a third great opportunity, Blood Butcher couldn't imagine how high he could rise.
Zhang Ruochen said, "It's no harm to tell you in advance. It's Yan Wushen who invited me to the Abyss of Darkness."
Blood Butcher's expression stiffened. "The Abyss of Darkness is very dangerous. Even gods entering it might fall."
"Indeed, it's dangerous. That's why, if your cultivation weren't strong enough, you wouldn't be qualified to accompany us. But think about it—why would Yan Wushen and I, with our cultivation levels, still risk venturing there?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Why?"
Zhang Ruochen smiled without speaking. After whetting Blood Butcher's appetite, he deliberately said something ambiguous: "Historically, many figures at the level of All Heavens went to the Abyss of Darkness in their later years, and many were buried there."
Although Zhang Ruochen hadn't said anything specific, Blood Butcher was already excited to the point of madness.
Zhang Ruochen was the Son of Fortune, and wasn't Yan Wushen the same?
Two figures with immense fortune were both entering the Abyss of Darkness. Clearly, this was a true great opportunity—a heaven-defying one.
"Senior Brother, say no more. I'll go collect the Ten Realms now. As for the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, rest assured. In the mortal world of the Hell Realm, my influence as the Great Butcher War God Emperor still holds weight. Who dares not to give me face?"
"Come, set out with me, the Emperor! Whoever dares to obstruct me from helping Senior Brother collect the Ten Realms, I'll make them suffer divine form annihilation."
Blood Butcher hurriedly left with Qi Linzi and the others.
After a moment, Blood Butcher returned alone and said solemnly, "Senior Brother, when you go to the Abyss of Darkness, you must take me. Really, I can do any dirty or hard work. You're not trying to send me away so you can go alone, are you?"
"Don't worry. How could I forget you for such a good thing? Go on!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher clasped his hands and soared into the air again.
Xia Yu had been standing by the side the whole time. "I want to go to the Abyss of Darkness too."
"No, it's too dangerous. You can't go," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xia Yu said, "Why can you take Blood Butcher but not me? My cultivation isn't weak either. If there's a great opportunity, I want to fight for it too!"
"This isn't a great opportunity..."
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen looked up toward the sky.
This rocky planet originally had no atmosphere.
But now, it was covered by thick, dark clouds, filled with deathly energy. The sky was gray and hazy, concealing infinite killing intent.
One by one, soldiers clad in Great Saint Bone Armor appeared from the clouds like heavenly soldiers and generals, surrounding the entire planet. There were over a hundred thousand of them.
It was a sacred army.
Xia Yu's eyes darkened as she released her blood fiend energy, surging through heaven and earth. "It's the Black Bone Sacred Army guarding the Wuding Divine Sea. They mean trouble."
The three great commanders of the Black Bone Sacred Army emerged from the clouds.
Their auras were powerful, their killing intent overwhelming.
The same formation inscriptions appeared on the Great Saint Bone Armor of the entire sacred army, connecting them together to form a star-locking grand formation.