Chapter 2916: The Drunkard and Shang Tian
The three of them dared not venture deeper easily, worried that they truly were beneath the Rain Chen Temple. If they disturbed the sinister and evil old corpse ghost, it would be ten times more terrifying than facing the Black Heart Demon Lord, a great god.
Zhang Ruochen activated the Sundial, intending to help Chi Yao and Bai Qinger recover their divine qi and heal their injuries as quickly as possible.
But an unexpected event occurred.
The Sundial had not fully restored itself to its original state; it could only support one true god cultivating within its covered area.
If all three cultivated simultaneously, time within the area would become extremely chaotic.
Chi Yao glanced at Bai Qinger, whose face was pale, then gracefully stood up and walked out of the Sundial's coverage area. "She is the most injured. Let her cultivate first."
Bai Qinger's cultivation was only at the initial stage of a mid-rank god. She had been suppressed by one of the Black Heart Demon Lord's Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription divine steles and had only survived by burning her divine blood. She had also suffered spiritual backlash from the Black Heart Demon Lord's powerful divine soul when she used the "Seven Soul Horror Dream."
Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao had the power of the White Pale Blood Soil within them, so their injuries healed quickly.
The main issue was that activating divine artifacts had consumed a large amount of divine qi.
Thus, among the three, Bai Qinger was the weakest.
Chi Yao voluntarily giving up the Sundial to Bai Qinger surprised Zhang Ruochen. He knew that Chi Yao had a strong personality; she was always one to compete, never to yield.
Bai Qinger was also somewhat taken aback. It was unclear what emotions stirred within her, but she withdrew her gaze and said, "Thank you."
"Zhang Ruochen, let's first discuss our next course of action."
Chi Yao held the "Six Patriarchs Chan Diagram" as she spoke.
Zhang Ruochen understood that Chi Yao had private matters to discuss with him alone inside the Six Patriarchs Chan Diagram.
He wanted to say that Bai Qinger was not an outsider and there was no need to avoid her. But upon reflection, he knew that saying such a thing would only invite trouble.
The relationship between the two women had just eased slightly; there was no need to rekindle the conflict.
"Wait a moment."
Zhang Ruochen used the area ten miles before and after the passage as a boundary to inscribe concealment array inscriptions and divine patterns.
If any cultivator intruded, he could sense it immediately.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to send a spiritual power clone, he heard Chi Yao's voice: "Your true body must enter the scroll world."
"Why?" Zhang Ruochen asked, puzzled.
For discussing secrets, a clone would suffice.
Chi Yao's bright eyes shimmered with a strange light, and she blinked at him, looking somewhat cunning.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen did not ask further. Together with Chi Yao, they transformed into two beams of divine light, their true bodies entering the Six Patriarchs Chan Diagram.
Bai Qinger, sitting cross-legged beneath the Sundial, glanced at the Six Patriarchs Chan Diagram floating in midair. A glimmer of understanding crossed her mind, and she murmured to herself, "It seems Chi Yao has a faster way to recover her cultivation than the Sundial and doesn't want to share it with me, her rival in love. This woman really doesn't hide her pettiness at all. Good."
Although Chi Yao was petty, she was open about it, not malicious, and knew when to prioritize. At least she had voluntarily given up the Sundial.
In matters of the heart, who could truly be magnanimous?
Emotions, after all, are selfish.
As a former empress of the Kunlun Realm, Bai Qinger believed that Chi Yao was by no means a woman without depth, and she would never easily reveal her emotions.
The reason Chi Yao acted so directly in front of Zhang Ruochen was likely because she knew he preferred straightforwardness and disliked women playing tricks or pretending to be harmless little bunnies.
In the end, everything Chi Yao did was to win back Zhang Ruochen's heart.
Realizing this, Bai Qinger clearly understood how to face Chi Yao as an opponent. She did not want to engage in petty jealousy or fight to the death over a man, creating an ugly scene.
In her heart, the divine path was paramount.
But if Zhang Ruochen truly could not resist Chi Yao's offensive and left with her, Bai Qinger knew she would feel deeply lost.
...
The world within the Six Patriarchs Chan Diagram was both a fragment of the Sixth Patriarch's divine realm and integrated with the Qiankun Realm. It was vast, no different from a sacred great world.
The two walked to the Bodhi tree, gazing at the golden Buddha shadow of the Sixth Patriarch seated on the Bright Mirror Platform.
Kong Lanyou, with her white hair, elegant and dignified, had a splendid peacock wing on her back. She sat beneath the Bright Mirror Platform, eyes closed in cultivation. She did not sense or see Zhang Ruochen and Chi Yao, as the latter two were gods.
Zhang Ruochen did not disturb Kong Lanyou. "Why did you give up the Sundial?"
"With a great enemy before us, if I still compete with her, wouldn't she look down on me? But Bai Qinger is ultimately deep and calculating; she would do anything for cultivation. This place cannot be brought in."
Chi Yao took out the Time-Space Chaos Lotus and flew up, landing in the center of a golden lake, standing on the water's surface.
In the Sixth Patriarch's divine realm, every river was a Buddhist spring, every blade of grass a sacred medicine, and every inch of soil contained Buddhist nature far surpassing divine venerable matter.
Chi Yao planted the Time-Space Chaos Lotus in the lake.
The lotus trembled.
Dense white roots grew from the bottom of the lotus, gaseous in form, encompassing the entire Buddhist spring lake.
"Whoosh!"
The pure Buddhist qi in the lake, including the Buddhist power in the soil around the lake and the energy of various exotic flowers and herbs, was absorbed by the white roots and gathered into the Time-Space Chaos Lotus.
The lotus petals grew brighter and brighter.
The Time-Space Chaos Lotus was a treasure that Xumi Saint Monk had found deep within the Sea Stone Star Dock, the origin place of the universe. Zhang Ruochen knew it had this characteristic because he had used it before.
"Time is compressed, and all the essence of space is drawn in. This is the secret to how I cultivated to the upper-rank god in just a thousand years. Let's go."
Chi Yao looked at Zhang Ruochen.
The two flew into the Time-Space Chaos Lotus and began to cultivate.
...
In the starry sky, most areas were dark and boundless. No matter how strong one's cultivation, it was difficult to cross.
"One hundred thousand years ago, you were utterly defeated. If that old fisherman hadn't intervened, I would have killed you then. How could I tolerate you until now?" A tall and imposing old man with a red beard, wearing a yellow robe, stood atop the star river, looking down at the endless darkness below.
The Drunkard, dressed in rags with messy hair, stood in the darkness, laughing. "Shang the Bearded, stop boasting. One hundred thousand years ago, I might not have been your match, but killing me wouldn't have been easy either. Old Man Yu meddled and struck randomly. Do you really think you can kill whoever you want?"
Shang Tian frowned, clearly disgusted by the Drunkard's crude language. "Step aside. Don't bring misfortune upon yourself. That fisherman won't come to save you again; he might not even make it back himself."
The Drunkard put his hands on his hips and thrust his lower body forward. "After sealing the heavens, you've got quite the big mouth. Scary stuff. Come on, hit me. Beat me to death, cripple me."
Without further words, Shang Tian struck out with his palm.
The star river was vast, the universe boundless.
But Shang Tian's seemingly light palm strike crossed billions of miles and appeared around the Drunkard.
It was truly billions of miles away.
The Drunkard's eyes sharpened. "How many years has it been, and you still only have these few moves? So-called Eight Techniques of the Desolate Heavens—nothing but dog shit."
The Drunkard stood still, but the Great Desolate Heaven Seal that was closing in on him could not coalesce.
"Hmm?"
Shang Tian's eyes shone like two stars. "No wonder you dared to contend with the heavens. You've broken through to the ninetieth rank, reaching the level of Perfect Circle Without Flaw. You are now the eighth spiritual power master in the current universe. The Heavenly Court and Hell sealed the heavens but missed you. Where did you break through?"
"Scared?" the Drunkard said.
Shang Tian said, "You have only just achieved Perfect Circle Without Flaw. How could I fear you? Even if your master, Qingtian, came in person, he and I would be evenly matched."
The Drunkard drew upon the power of heaven and earth, attempting to break the Great Desolate Heaven Seal surrounding him.
But when his spiritual power erupted, Shang Tian's invisible hand remained motionless, unbroken, still imprisoning him.
The Drunkard was secretly shocked. In one hundred thousand years, Shang Tian's cultivation had risen to an even higher level. No wonder he dared to claim he could contend with Qingtian.
"Haha! I can't break your Great Desolate Heaven Seal, but you can only stay here, unable to move. Too bad your fourth son is probably dead meat!" the Drunkard laughed.
Shang Tian smiled. "You can still laugh? Do you think I would stoop to attacking a junior like Qingtian did? I disdain such actions. But neither Xue Jue nor Desolate Heaven are anything more than children. Below the Infinite Realm, there are still those who can deal with them."
"You mean him?"
The Drunkard finally stopped laughing, because he knew who Shang Tian was referring to.
...
Kunlun Realm, beneath the Peach Tree.
The tree was covered in fragrant peach blossoms, and spiritual mist formed bridges.
Mu Lingxi dragged Chi Xingtian through the peach grove, urging him, "Godfather, hurry up. You said yourself that no matter what, you would help me. Once we see Tai Shang, we'll go straight to Xinghuantian."
Chi Xingtian wore a demonic armor, his head square and his body four times more massive than Mu Lingxi's.
It was Xiao Hei who had taken the Xingtian Cauldron to the Luozu Cloud Mountain Realm and, together with Mu Lingxi, helped Chi Xingtian escape.
Not long ago, news of Zhang Ruochen's appearance in Xinghuantian had reached the Kunlun Realm.
Upon hearing it, Mu Lingxi immediately went to see Chi Xingtian, begging her godfather, who could boast until the heavens broke, to go with her to Xinghuantian to find Zhang Ruochen.
Although Chi Xingtian feared nothing, he knew the matter was significant. So, before going, he planned to seek advice from Tai Shang. In his eyes, Tai Shang was meticulous and far more reliable than himself.
Yunshen Daozhu stood beneath the Peach Tree, gazing at the starry sky. Beneath his feet was an ancient and mysterious formation.
"Greetings, Tai Shang." Mu Lingxi bowed respectfully.
Chi Xingtian walked straight over, curious, following Yunshen Daozhu's gaze to the sky. Seeing Yunshen Daozhu motionless, as if turned to stone, he shouted, "What are you looking at?"
Mu Lingxi rolled her eyes, feeling that her godfather was too presumptuous and lacked manners.
Fortunately, Tai Shang had a good temper; otherwise, he would have slapped this reckless man to the ground.
"The army has set out. Thirteen routes, from thirteen realms." Yunshen Daozhu said.
Chi Xingtian rubbed his eyes and looked up at the sky again. "What army? I can't see anything."
"The Heavenly Court's army is marching toward Xinghuantian. A new battlefield is about to emerge." Yunshen Daozhu sighed softly and shook his head.