Chapter 2868: The Struggles of All Sides
The Yama clan deity Zhang Ruochen wanted to see was, naturally, Yan Zhe Xian.
Last time, because he had to go to the Abyss of Darkness for a secret meeting with Yan Wushen, Zhang Ruochen used various excuses to reject Yan Zhe Xian's goodwill, appearing extremely heartless. He felt deeply guilty and wanted to explain himself face-to-face before dying, to settle this lingering matter.
Yan Zhe Xian had a pure heart. When she learned Zhang Ruochen had been struck by the Dao-Cutting Curse, she did not kick him while he was down. Instead, she offered timely help, wanting to take him to the Yama clan to ask Tai Shang to break the curse.
Zhang Ruochen had deliberately hurt her feelings.
Later, Zhang Ruochen also heard that Yan Zhe Xian had been captured by Wen Tong Great God of the Nether Hall, which filled him with even more guilt.
But since Yan Zhe Xian had not come to Xinghuantian, Zhang Ruochen did not say more. He said, "This old man is merely puzzled. Bai Qinger is an Eon-level genius and a disciple of the Star Sea Angler. In the future, she might become a God Venerable. How could the Yama clan's deities not want to marry her?"
Yan Yu, like a refined scholar, smiled faintly. "Since you, sir, have spoken plainly, I, Yan, will not deceive you with empty words. The Yama clan is not only interested in Bai Qinger, this seed of a God Venerable, but also has great interest in the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, and even the entire Xinghuantian."
"Oh?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Yu said, "The world only sees Bai Huanghou, the city lord of Divine Maiden First City, and the twelve pavilion masters. They do not know that among the proud daughters of heaven married off from the Goddess Twelve Pavilions, some have also cultivated to the Divine Realm. Moreover, these proud daughters of heaven have all married outstanding talents of their era, some even being regional overlords."
"The power of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions has long spread across the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court Myriad Realms. No one knows how many eyes and ears they have. Their influence is far greater than just one Xinghuantian and one hundred and eighty Divine Maiden Towers. These are only the surface!"
"In terms of intelligence gathering and probing the hidden secrets of the world, in some aspects, the Goddess Twelve Pavilions even surpass the Red Dust Peerless Tower under the Heavenly Palace and the Divine Mountain Jingyun Pavilion under the Destiny Temple."
"If you, sir, regard them as a group of weak women, you would be greatly mistaken."
Clearly, Yan Yu had heard Zhang Ruochen's earlier conversation with Ming Hua Fang Zhu.
Zhang Ruochen, of course, understood the power of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. Not to mention other eras, just in this one, they could arrange for a woman to fall in love with Luo Sheng Tian, the Divine Prince of the Rakshasa clan's Tian Luo Divine Kingdom. In the Fate Divine Domain, they could even influence the Death High Priest of the Destiny Temple, mobilizing the temple's power to achieve their goals.
Yan Yu said, "Now that war has begun, the universe is in chaos. This is not just a war between the Heavenly Court and Hell. It could very well escalate into even greater conflicts, where anything beyond our imagination might happen. In such times, all sides naturally want to control a force like the Goddess Twelve Pavilions."
"Controlling them means controlling the eyes and ears of the world."
"Controlling Xinghuantian means controlling the throat of Hai Shi Xing Wu, and controlling the initiative in the next phase of the war between the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court's Southern Universe. This is why, even though the Starry Sky Battlefield is in turmoil, deities from the Heavenly Court and Hell have gathered at Xinghuantian."
Although Zhang Ruochen's expression remained unchanged, his heart was in turmoil.
It was not because he was shocked by Yan Yu's words—he had already thought of these things.
What shocked him was that Yan Yu would speak so bluntly to him, a decrepit old man. Was Yan Yu not afraid that these words would reach Yu Yao Shen Shi and Bai Huanghou?
Or perhaps, he was deliberately letting Yu Yao Shen Shi and Bai Huanghou hear them, to convey the Yama clan's will.
Yan Yu smiled slightly and continued, "Everyone knows that Bai Qinger's mother is Bai Huanghou, and her father is the renowned Huang Tian Da Shen. She will inevitably become the master of the Goddess Twelve Pavilions. Marrying her means controlling the entire Goddess Twelve Pavilions and Xinghuantian, a world of extraordinary strategic significance. Moreover, it means marrying a future God Venerable."
"This old man understands," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Yu said, "Does you, sir, truly understand?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Second Young Master wants the Heavenly Venerable Gauze, which is why you have told this old man so much."
"The Yama clan does not need to send more deities, because even if there are more powerful beings among the deities born in this Eon, none are as outstanding as Second Young Master, nor as noble in status. Bai Qinger is no ordinary woman; it is extremely difficult to catch her eye. Second Young Master is her best choice."
Yan Yu straightened his robes, looking solemn and dignified, and bowed to Zhang Ruochen. "If you, sir, can hand over the Heavenly Venerable Gauze to me, Yan, I will surely present you with a Life-Extending Divine Pill. I, Yan, am not speaking falsely like Shi Ying Shang Jun. With Tai Shang's alchemy skills, the Life-Extending Divine Pill he refines will be of the highest value."
"This old man can see Second Young Master's sincerity and believes in your character, but the Heavenly Venerable Gauze is truly not on me," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Yu only sighed, without doubting Zhang Ruochen's words.
After all, for a dying man, the value of a Life-Extending Divine Pill far exceeds that of the Heavenly Venerable Gauze. If the gauze were on him, he would have no reason not to trade.
Yan Yu said, "In truth, I have always suspected that the recently appeared Heavenly Venerable Gauze is nothing but a trap."
Zhang Ruochen became somewhat interested. "What do you mean by that?"
Yan Yu said, "The Heavenly Venerable Gauze is merely a legendary treasure. This legend began ten Eons ago, over a million years ago, and no one has ever truly seen it."
"But after Bai Qinger announced that whoever brings the Heavenly Venerable Gauze to the Linglong Assembly and gives it to her would marry her, this million-year-old legend suddenly became real, and the Heavenly Venerable Gauze appeared. Isn't that too coincidental?"
"In my estimation, there are only two possibilities."
"First, this is a deliberate setup by Bai Qinger."
"Her purpose is hard to guess. This woman is as cunning as a demon, acts without rules, and even dares to defy the world. Even the smartest person could fall into her schemes."
A thousand years ago, Bai Qinger single-handedly toyed with all the cultivators of the Hell Realm, stirring up chaos and creating turmoil, leaving a deep impression on Yan Yu.
"Second, some major clan in the Hell Realm, or some major realm in the Heavenly Court, is plotting this. They deliberately spread the news of the Heavenly Venerable Gauze to divert everyone's attention."
Zhang Ruochen said, "If the Heavenly Venerable Gauze is nothing but a phantom, then what meaning is there for Second Young Master, Shang Hong, Hai Shang Ming Gong, and others to come to Xinghuantian?"
Yan Yu laughed. "It is precisely because of thoughts like yours, sir, that the schemers can use this trap of thinking to stir up trouble. In reality, what Bai Qinger and the Goddess Twelve Pavilions want is not the Heavenly Venerable Gauze at all, but to refine Divine Maiden First City into a Divine City. Whoever can help them achieve that can marry Bai Qinger."
"If two or more forces can help them achieve it, then it becomes Bai Qinger's turn to make a reverse choice."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So Second Young Master came to Xinghuantian alone, because the Yama clan surely has a way to refine Divine Maiden First City into a Divine City."
"I have said enough for today. I, Yan, take my leave."
Since he was certain the Heavenly Venerable Gauze was not on Zhang Ruochen, Yan Yu naturally lost interest in him and did not wish to say more.
But just as he was about to leave, Yan Yu turned back and warned solemnly, "I believe the Heavenly Venerable Gauze is not with you, sir, but other cultivators will not."
"Moreover, the Blade Venerable has issued a divine decree: whoever kills you and takes your Divine Heart to the Blade God Realm will be granted the status of Divine Envoy."
"So, sir, it is best not to leave Weiming Villa. If you must leave, be especially wary of Shang Hong. This man is an unparalleled genius, only a step away from becoming a Great God. He is also one of the Truth Envoys who has passed through the tenth layer of the Truth Sea, mastering a great deal of Truth Esoterica. He is the strongest of this Eon. Wu Ma Jiu Xing, a new god of a thousand years, is far beneath him. Shang Hong could crush him with a single finger. I, Yan, have said all I can!"
Toward a powerhouse of Shang Hong's level, Yan Yu clearly harbored deep fear.