Chapter 2730: Battle of the Sisters
"A defense line composed of hundreds of planets, compared to the Shura Star Pillar Realm, is completely like a facade, utterly meaningless."
Zhang Ruochen pointed his finger at the star map and said, "The Heavenly Court's true first line of defense should be established along the starry line of the Giant Spirit Civilization, Blazing Sun Civilization, and Hidden Ruins Civilization. Only by using these three ancient civilizations as fortresses, combined with the planets of the surrounding starry sky, can the Shura Star Pillar Realm be barely held back."
"If I were the Lord of the Heavenly Palace, I would never sacrifice the seven ancient civilizations in front of this defense line. Instead, I would have them retreat and jointly build this defense line of Giant Spirit, Blazing Sun, and Hidden Ruins, thoroughly consolidating it."
"Trust me, the Heavenly Palace will definitely do this."
Previously, the Heavenly Palace might not have cared at all about the fate of ancient civilizations like the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, pushing them out to take the brunt of the attack and thus deplete the forces of the Hell Realm.
However, Zhang Ruochen had already come to his senses. The conflicts during the Red Dust Assembly were, in fact, a show put on for the Heavenly Palace and Hao Tian, with the shadows of many divine realm giants behind them.
If the Heavenly Palace did not compromise, the Heavenly Court might very well descend into internal strife.
According to what Night Travel Master had said, on the first day of the war, both sides fought with extreme brutality. Clearly, the Heavenly Palace had already compromised and was determined to go all out to protect the ancient civilization faction.
It was based on these various signs that Zhang Ruochen made this judgment.
Night Travel Master said, "Whether the Heavenly Beginning Civilization retreats or is destroyed, the location of the cosmic secret realm where the Heavenly Beginning Civilization resides is a place that all major forces of the Hell Realm will inevitably fight over."
"The War God means to suggest that the Three-Life Realm could be moved to that location."
The Three-Life Realm was one of the ten realms Zhang Ruochen had won, located quite close to the starry sky where the Heavenly Beginning Civilization was situated.
Zhang Ruochen understood Blood Absolute War God's intention. After all, the location of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's secret realm was an excellent convergence point of cosmic veins.
Any major world that occupied that position would develop vigorously, nurturing a large number of sacred veins, even divine veins. Countless cultivation resources would grow forth from it.
Compared to the wealth within the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's secret realm, Blood Absolute War God clearly believed that such a convergence point of cosmic veins held greater value.
Rather than plundering limited resources, it was better to cultivate an endless supply of one's own resources.
It was like: some people value the pills, techniques, sacred stones, and cultivators within a sect. Others value the spiritual veins beneath the ground where the sect is established.
Blood Absolute War God's philosophy coincided with Zhang Ruochen's.
Destruction was by no means a long-term path.
Creation and cultivation were what allowed for endless growth.
The Heavenly Court's refusal to retreat was also because they did not want the Hell Realm to occupy these vein positions in the universe. Otherwise, the Hell Realm would only grow stronger, and the Heavenly Court weaker.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This position should be contested by many major forces in the Hell Realm, right?"
Night Travel Master chuckled, "For now, the war is still at the Saint realm level. If the gods don't step in personally, who can compete with the Blood Absolute Clan?"
"However, once the Three-Life Realm occupies the position of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's cosmic veins, it will inevitably become a war base in the rear of the Hell Realm. The War God wants you to consider this carefully."
Zhang Ruochen naturally understood the implications.
Once the Three-Life Realm became a war base for the Hell Realm, cultivators from the ten clans of Hell could enter the Three-Life Realm for trade, rest, healing, cargo transport, and so on.
This meant that Zhang Ruochen would still be the master of the Three-Life Realm, but the native beings of the Three-Life Realm would inevitably suffer, either being enslaved or killed at will.
These things were unavoidable.
Zhang Ruochen paced on the island, pondered for a moment, then his eyes sharpened, and he said, "A man who achieves great things does not worry about such small losses. Tell the War God, I want the position of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's cosmic veins!"
In the past, Zhang Ruochen would have worried about the oppression and slaughter of the native beings of the Three-Life Realm and given up the fight.
After all, the Three-Life Realm belonged to him.
But now, even if a billion or ten billion native beings of the Three-Life Realm were to die as a result, Zhang Ruochen had to fight for it. If he didn't, he would be handing over this important strategic position.
He wanted to be the master of ten realms and gradually gain his own voice. Therefore, these ten major worlds had to be placed in the most valuable positions.
Otherwise, even if he held the ten realms in his hands, they would be of little significance.
What Zhang Ruochen wanted to control was not ten weak realms, but ten strong realms.
Of course, as the master of a realm, Zhang Ruochen would not allow the native beings of the Three-Life Realm to be enslaved and oppressed. He would certainly issue strict realm laws. However, realm laws could only constrain what he could see, not what he could not.
Even if he was a mortal world myth, he could not govern an entire world.
To gain something, one must lose something.
Night Travel Master was overjoyed, having waited for Zhang Ruochen's words, and said, "Good! Master, your disciple is willing to sit in the Three-Life Realm for you."
"Don't think about reaping benefits just yet. First, send a message to Blood Butcher and ask if he has collected the Three-Life Realm," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Your disciple will do it right away."
Night Travel Master left the Blood Lake Small Island.
If the Three-Life Realm were truly moved to the current position of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, combined with the promotion of the war base for the entire major world, it would soon grow into a strong realm.
For the native beings of the Three-Life Realm, this was both a disaster and a great opportunity.
Zhang Ruochen had already stopped thinking about the Three-Life Realm issue. His gaze fell on a large dark area on the star map.
The dark area was triangular.
It was the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
The Dark Great Triangle Star Domain was located between the Hundred Clans Royal City, the ancient civilization faction, and the Shura Star Pillar Realm, occupying a star domain of countless trillions of miles.
The Shura Star Pillar Realm's movement trajectory ran along the edge of the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
He had promised Luo Ji to help the Heavenly Beginning Civilization.
He also knew that even if the Heavenly Beginning Civilization retreated behind the defense line of Giant Spirit, Blazing Sun, and Hidden Ruins, it could only delay its destruction. Because this defense line could only hold back the Shura Star Pillar Realm for a time.
The Dark Great Triangle Star Domain would be a place of hope.
Because there once existed the most prosperous and powerful civilized world in the universe—the Sword Realm.
In the Sword Mountain Ancient Well, Zhang Ruochen had not only obtained the sword soul of the Sword Ancestor but also seen many images of the former Sword Realm and fragments of the Sword Ancestor's memories.
The entire Dark Great Triangle Star Domain was merely the ruins left after the destruction of the Sword Realm.
What was found a thousand years ago was only a corner of the Sword Realm, "Sword South."
Zhang Ruochen decided to go to the Sword South Realm first.
Before he could leave the Blood Absolute Clan, Zhang Ruochen saw a familiar figure walking quickly towards him.
When that person saw Zhang Ruochen, he was even more delighted and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Greetings, Ruochen Great Saint." Arriving nearby, Blood Qi bowed to Zhang Ruochen.
Blood Qi could be considered a top-tier figure in the Blood Absolute Clan. A thousand years ago, with his Hundred Shackles Realm cultivation, he had participated in the Heaven Hunting Battle alongside Zhang Ruochen.
Now, his cultivation had reached the peak of the Ten Thousand Deaths One Life Realm, and he showed signs of succeeding Blood Qingsheng as the next clan leader of the Blood Absolute Clan. As for Zhang Ruochen, in the eyes of the cultivators of the Blood Absolute Clan, he was already a figure on par with the gods.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You are in such a hurry. Where are you going?"
"I was just looking for you, Great Saint!" Blood Qi said.
"Looking for me? What major event has happened again?"
Blood Qi showed a troubled expression on his face and said, "Indeed, a major event has occurred, and only Ruochen Great Saint can resolve it."
"Only I can resolve it? It seems it really is no small matter."
Blood Qi said, "Kong Le has started a fight with a Great Saint from the Yama Clan. Great Saint, please go and stop them immediately."
"On the territory of the Blood Absolute Clan, who dares to bully Kong Le? Even if the opponent is a Great Saint from the Yama Clan, that is far too arrogant. Why hasn't the clan leader suppressed them?" Zhang Ruochen's eyes turned slightly cold.
Blood Qi said helplessly, "Because that Yama Clan Great Saint has some connection with you. Moreover, she came to the Blood Heaven Tribe this time and forcibly entered the Blood Absolute Clan, all to find you."
Zhang Ruochen had already released his spiritual power to probe the world and sense the fluctuations of the battle.
"Shua!"
He transformed into a beam of light and soared away.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen landed on the top of a mountain range and looked towards the dark, oppressive sky in the distance.
Two powerful forces clashed against each other, the energy fierce and the momentum magnificent.
Cultivators of the Undying Blood Clan in the nearby area were all alarmed, but no one dared to approach. Even Blood Qingsheng, the clan leader of the Blood Absolute Clan, did not show himself.
Blood Qi caught up and landed beside Zhang Ruochen, saying, "The one fighting Kong Le is a Yama Clan member... Yan Ying'er. Today, this woman came to the Blood Absolute Clan, insulted you, Great Saint, and even wanted to force her way in to find you, which angered Kong Le."
"Yan Ying'er!"
Zhang Ruochen uttered the name, his expression quite complex.
Blood Qi said in a low voice, "Great Saint has been missing for a thousand years. Perhaps you do not know, but this woman is the daughter of Yan Zhexian."
As he spoke, he observed Zhang Ruochen's expression.
Given Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, Blood Qi naturally no longer dared to address Zhang Ruochen by his name as before, using "Great Saint" to show reverence.
Zhang Ruochen had actually already guessed the identity of the woman fighting Chi Kong Le, because he was surprised to find that this woman actually had bloodline fluctuations similar to his own.
If he were to announce to the world that Yan Ying'er was not his daughter, it would only invite criticism, and no one would believe him.
The appearance of Yan Ying'er truly gave Zhang Ruochen a headache.
Had Yan Zhexian also come?
"Stop!"
Zhang Ruochen let out a soft shout and used his powerful spiritual power to separate the two women fighting in the sky.
Chi Kong Le stood in mid-air, her eyes sharp and fierce, and said coldly, "Father, do not stop me. She insulted you first. I must teach her a harsh lesson."
Opposite Chi Kong Le, Yan Ying'er looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, graceful and slender, with an unparalleled appearance. She bore some resemblance to both Yan Zhexian and Zhang Ruochen, her temperament lively yet proud.
The purple divine robe she wore was a true divine robe capable of withstanding attacks from true gods, with divine talismans refined into the form of clothing. Even someone like Zhang Ruochen, a mortal world myth, was not qualified to possess such a thing.
"So you are Zhang Ruochen. You good-for-nothing Eon-level traitor! Today, I will capture you and take you to the Yama Clan, making you kneel before my mother and confess your wrongs."
Yan Ying'er snorted lightly, her figure blurring and disappearing from the sky.
...
There will be another chapter tonight.