Chapter 2842: The True Conclusion
"Since those two demon clan gods were able to find this place, other gods might be able to as well. We cannot stay in this star domain any longer. We must return to the Kunlun Realm immediately," Chi Yao said.
"How do we break the current situation? One wrong move, and we might alert the enemy," Zhang Ruochen said.
It was indeed troublesome.
No one knew how those two demon clan gods had managed to find this place.
Were there other gods hidden in the shadows?
Zhang Ruochen said, "They probably don't know I'm inside the formation."
"Why?" Chi Yao asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "In all the world, how many people have spiritual power stronger than Qingtian Ancestor? Among the most powerful organizations for divination, which one can compare to the Destiny Temple? Even the gods from Tiannan and the Destiny Temple couldn't find this place. How could they possibly do so?"
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the divine power fluctuations created when you and Zangjin Baihu rushed here that were sensed by a spiritual power god in this star domain."
Chi Yao agreed with Zhang Ruochen's speculation and said, "How do you suggest we break the situation?"
"First, we need to determine if this is the Southern Universe. If it is, things will be easier. After all, the Kunlun Realm and the Heavenly Dragon Realm have a good relationship. As long as you reveal your identity, how would those two demon clan gods dare to act rashly?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Yao said, "That's true. Once a divine war breaks out, the divine realm titans of the Southern Universe will sense it very quickly."
"But this place doesn't seem like the Southern Universe."
Zhang Ruochen looked at the starry sky, observing the surroundings, and said, "The universe here is not filled with demonic qi. Look, in the eastern starry sky, the nebula is dense, purple-blue in color, like a huge flower cluster. Within the nebula, there are no stars flickering, but instead, many black dots are distributed."
"This really doesn't look like the starry sky scene of the Southern Universe! But why would demon clan gods appear on this planet?" Chi Yao was utterly puzzled.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Exactly. It's so strange that we must be extremely cautious. In my opinion, let's proceed with the power transfer first. After the transfer, your cultivation will surely advance greatly, and then we can turn passivity into initiative."
Chi Yao still had concerns in her heart.
"Other than doing this, there's no other way! I want to live too. I don't want to die at the hands of these greedy gods. You have to save me, you have to protect me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Yao's gaze shifted to Zangjin Baihu.
"It won't work. It's a prehistoric creature. Although it looks mighty and strong with considerable cultivation, it can't actually unleash much combat power, or else it would be counterattacked by the rules of heaven and earth."
After saying this, Zhang Ruochen secretly transmitted a message to Zangjin Baihu: "As long as I transfer my power to her, she will inherit the Extreme Dao Burial Gold Qi and the Burial Gold Rule Divine Patterns, becoming your guide. Don't undermine me; it won't do you any good."
Zangjin Baihu knew best about Zhang Ruochen's good intentions. It knew that Zhang Ruochen had no certainty at all about whether he could survive after the power transfer. But to make Chi Yao accept his power transfer, Zhang Ruochen had to pretend to be completely confident.
Zangjin Baihu sighed inwardly but said aloud, "The two outside are both powerful among true gods. Even if we ambush them, it would be extremely difficult to take them down instantly. If we can't subdue them in an instant and the shockwaves of the divine war spread out, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"If you have a better idea, we'll listen to you," Zhang Ruochen said, looking at Chi Yao with sincere eyes.
Chi Yao was not an indecisive person. She quickly made a decision and said, "If the power transfer threatens your life, I would rather give up this cultivation of mine to protect you."
"Knowing you feel that way gives me more confidence! Don't worry, the power transfer will go smoothly. I don't want to die inexplicably either. Besides, I think Kunlun and Kongle are too lonely. In the future, I need to give them ten or eight younger brothers and sisters," Zhang Ruochen joked.
Chi Yao's worry never dissipated, but she didn't expect Zhang Ruochen to still be able to smile at a time like this, showing a mouthful of white teeth. She shot him a glare before entering the "Sixth Patriarch's Zen Meditation Diagram" first.
"Guard the formation. Don't let them break in."
Zhang Ruochen's smile vanished instantly. He instructed Zangjin Baihu and then walked into the scroll world.
Under Zhang Ruochen's guidance, Chi Yao passed through the Sanskrit characters, arrived at the Bright Mirror Platform, and sat down cross-legged.
Her long black hair hung straight down, her mind empty and natural. The thirty-three divine throne planets on her body emitted dazzling light, and seven-colored divine light surrounded her delicate body, making her already stunningly beautiful face appear even more ethereal and refined.
Above her head, the phantom of thirty-three celestial realms emerged, its outline unclear, as if it would scatter with a single gust of wind.
Zhang Ruochen had already reshaped the ten celestial realms, but his spiritual power was still not strong enough to recondense the divine source, leaving the fragments of the divine source floating in the Tongtian River.
The divine source is formed from most of a cultivator's divine soul, divine qi, rule divine patterns, and so on.
And all these things were now integrated into the Tongtian River.
Zhang Ruochen forcibly swallowed the Tongtian River into his abdomen and sat down opposite Chi Yao.
Their palms joined together as they simultaneously activated their techniques.
Both of them cultivated the "Thirty-Three Celestial Realms," but the paths of divine qi within their bodies were completely opposite. Finally, they both surged toward their hands.
At that moment.
Zhang Ruochen suddenly stopped activating his technique.
Chi Yao naturally sensed this and a strong premonition of disaster arose in her heart. She wanted to stop.
But she couldn't stop.
The so-called "who completes whom" essentially came down to who stopped activating their technique first.
Whoever stopped first was completing the other.
"Whoosh!"
All of Zhang Ruochen's divine qi, rule divine patterns, divine soul, and everything else flowed through his palms into Chi Yao's body.
Inside him, the Tongtian River slowly collapsed, and the fragmented divine source rapidly shrank.
Chi Yao couldn't speak but transmitted her voice through spiritual power: "Why is your divine soul being absorbed as well? Stop immediately! If your soul power drains too severely, your lifespan will also drain."
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes and transmitted back: "Only by inheriting all my martial arts can you inherit the ten celestial realms. The divine soul is also part of martial arts. Don't get distracted. Quickly control the power within you. If the power transfer fails, we'll both die."
"Bang!"
The moment Chi Yao got distracted, the skin on her and Zhang Ruochen's backs burst open, and blood mist sprayed out.
"I knew you were a liar. Not a single word you say can be trusted."
Chi Yao bit her red lips tightly and quickly composed herself. Now that the power transfer couldn't be stopped, she had to accept it as quickly as possible and condense the celestial realms.
"Since I can no longer cultivate martial arts, take all the esoterica as well!"
The Truth Esoterica, Time Esoterica, Space Esoterica, Origin Esoterica, Darkness Esoterica, and Sword Dao Esoterica within Zhang Ruochen all flew out, along with the Five Elements Chaos Divine Qi, surging into Chi Yao's body.
As for the Sacred Will, because it was too profound and Zhang Ruochen still couldn't fully comprehend it, he didn't know how to pass it on to Chi Yao.
But he figured that as long as Chi Yao inherited his martial arts cultivation, she would definitely be able to control the ten celestial realms. She probably wouldn't need the Sacred Will.
The most important function of the Sacred Will was still related to esoterica and the mysteries of heaven and earth, not so much to cultivation.
Cultivating the ten celestial realms didn't rely on the Sacred Will at all.
"Take these divine marks as well. They should help you greatly when you reach the Infinite Realm."
The divine marks were originally integrated into the walls of Zhang Ruochen's Qi Sea. Logically, when Zhang Ruochen broke into the divine realm, the residual divine souls of the divine mark owners should have flown out of Lihentian and merged with Zhang Ruochen's divine soul.
But Zhang Ruochen encountered a calamity as soon as he became a god.
The residual divine souls of these divine mark owners were certainly still in Lihentian.
When Chi Yao later charged into the Infinite Realm and entered Lihentian, she would surely gain tremendous benefits from this.
Inside Zhang Ruochen, the Tongtian River completely shattered, and all the divine source fragments melted, all surging into Chi Yao's body.
The ten celestial realms that had been floating above Zhang Ruochen's head slowly moved toward Chi Yao, making contact with the phantom of thirty-three celestial realms above her head...
At that moment, Zhang Ruochen's body trembled violently. The blood within him turned into blood qi and flew toward Chi Yao.
His divine soul drained away at ten times the speed.
His lifespan also drained away.
Chi Yao's mind was thrown into chaos.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
...
Bursts of blood mist erupted from Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao's bodies. Their flesh became tattered and further shattered.
Chi Yao's eyes widened, her face full of struggle.
Unfortunately, she couldn't speak.
Just now, when she tried to stop accepting the power transfer, the two of them nearly had their bodies explode and their divine forms annihilated.
Now, all the cultivation power of both of them was gathered within her, intertwining and colliding. She couldn't afford a single moment of distraction.
"My blood has integrated the Heart of Truth and White Cang Blood Soil, which have infinite benefits. Don't get distracted, and don't stop. You need to merge with the ten celestial realms as quickly as possible, or I might really drain all my blood and lifespan and die."
Zhang Ruochen's body rapidly became withered and aged. Wrinkles appeared on his face, and his hair turned white.
Chi Yao wanted to cry but had no voice. She could only grit her teeth and desperately activate her technique, contemplating the ten celestial realms and merging them with the phantom of her thirty-three celestial realms.
An unknown amount of time passed.
The ten celestial realms and Chi Yao's phantom of thirty-three celestial realms were initially merged.
But Chi Yao still couldn't move. She needed to continue condensing them. If she got distracted even slightly, both the ten celestial realms and the phantom of thirty-three celestial realms would shatter.
Sitting opposite her, Zhang Ruochen was already white-haired and covered in wrinkles. Almost all the blood in his body had drained away. He looked like a layer of skin wrapped around bones.
Trembling, he withdrew his hands and stepped down from the Bright Mirror Platform.
Looking at his bony hands, then gently touching his face, he smiled bitterly and shook his head. He took out a bottle of Life Spring and a Eon Sacred Medicine to replenish blood qi and swallowed them.
His withered body slowly filled out, at least making him look like a normal person.
A normal white-haired old man!
His face was still covered with countless wrinkles, looking aged and decrepit.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Abyssal Ancient Sword, wiped it repeatedly, his eyes full of attachment. Finally, he placed it on the Bright Mirror Platform and said in an extremely old and hoarse voice: "Yaoyao, I have to go. The grudges of eighteen hundred years are truly settled today. I am really happy now, happier than I've been in the past thousand years combined. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, an unprecedented relief."
"From now on, you must cultivate well. Carry the will of both of us, and the expectations of the Sixth Patriarch, Saint Monk, Qing Emperor, and Father. You must cultivate to the thirty-three celestial realms, surpass the Great Venerable, and fight for a future for this world and this era. I believe you can do it. You won't let me down. It's just a pity..."
Zhang Ruochen touched his face, then coughed, and laughed: "It's a pity that I crave freedom and yearn for the unknown. A man remains a youth until death. I want to travel the universe and see different worlds. This has always been my wish. Don't worry about me. Maybe one day, I'll return to the Kunlun Realm to see you."
"I really have to go. Give the Abyssal Ancient Sword to Kunlun and tell him he must protect his little sister."
During the power transfer, although Zhang Ruochen hadn't passed his spiritual power to Chi Yao, his spiritual power had been consumed enormously, almost to the point of depletion.
Because of this, he was panting heavily after just a few steps. He quickly took out a wooden staff to support his aged and decrepit body and stumbled out of the scroll world.
Although Chi Yao couldn't move or speak, she was already in tears, hating Zhang Ruochen to the core. This damned liar.
Even at this point, he was still lying to her.
His lifespan was clearly already exhausted.