Chapter 2957: Star Heaven Cliff Cliff Master
Walking along the winding mountain path, the elderly man in Confucian robes, though aged, moved with steady steps. "Three hundred thousand years ago, the Twenty Heavens of the Heavenly Court were each earth-shattering figures, all with names and reputations that shook the four seas. If someone truly returned together with Hao Tian and the Sixth Patriarch, it would be impossible to hide them. Some wind would always leak out."
"Therefore, in this old man's view, the third person could only be one of the Four Heavens of the Hell Realm."
"The Four Heavens of the Hell Realm change every few thousand years due to challenges. The four positions shift back and forth, never fixed. But those fortunate enough to successfully challenge and enter the ranks of the Heavens number less than ten."
"Those who could go to battle alongside the Twenty Heavens of the Heavenly Court clearly shared a common enemy and a common vision. Thus, they would not be the instigators of the later war."
"The one who advocated for peace has the greatest likelihood."
After the elderly Confucian-robed man's analysis, Zhang Ruochen's mind suddenly cleared. He said, "Old sir believes the third person is the previous clan leader of the Yama Clan, Yan Huanyu?"
The elderly Confucian-robed man smiled. "When it comes to figures at the Heavenly level, every single one is a great secret of the world. Who can be completely certain without being the person involved? But Senior Yan Huanyu is at least seventy percent likely to be that third person."
"I wonder if this old man's answer satisfies Young Friend Ruochen?"
Zhang Ruochen was not at all surprised that the other party recognized him.
"Indeed, it was this junior who was being too difficult on the old sir."
Zhang Ruochen continued, "Since the old sir recognizes this junior, my second question is easier to ask. The old sir should know that beneath the Yuchen Temple lies an undying, immortal old corpse ghost. Dare I ask, who exactly is this old corpse ghost?"
Bai Qinger, standing nearby, revealed a peculiar expression in her eyes.
Why would Zhang Ruochen ask this question?
The old corpse ghost was Yu Hun; she was certain of that.
She had thought Zhang Ruochen would ask why the divine corpses beneath the Yuchen Temple had mutated.
The elderly Confucian-robed man said, "It seems you have also discovered it! The four great disciples of Star Heaven Heavenly Venerable were all extraordinary, each a standout of their era, each walking a different path."
"The eldest disciple, Yu Long, primarily cultivated spiritual power."
"The second disciple, Yu Chen, delved deeply into Daoist secret arts, and could be called the number one Daoist of that era."
"The fourth disciple, Yu Chan, created the 'Cloud Dream Thirteen Chapters,' which could enter the dreams of all living beings in the world and control their consciousness."
"The third disciple, Yu Hun, though the weakest in strength, specialized in various evil arts. In particular, a forbidden art called Corpse Refining Forbidden Technique was bizarre and unparalleled, allowing him to refine corpses into his body and continuously enhance his physical power."
"The old corpse ghost you speak of is Yu Hun. However, Yu Hun obtained the Heavenly Venerable's divine body and refined the corpse into himself, leaping to become the strongest among the four disciples."
"Thus, the old corpse ghost is both Yu Hun and half of Star Heaven Heavenly Venerable."
"Fortunately, Yu Hun did not obtain the Heavenly Venerable's divine gauze, Heavenly Venerable World, or Heavenly Venerable Divine Source. Otherwise, his cultivation might have reached a level not inferior to Star Heaven Heavenly Venerable, allowing him to slaughter an entire era."
Bai Qinger looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Did you discover the problem with the old corpse ghost long ago?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "I simply felt that a mere Yu Hun was not enough to warrant the attention of the Immovable Bright King Great Venerable. Moreover, when I used the Ming character token to control the old corpse ghost, I clearly sensed that its power had not fully erupted."
The cyan-clad girl's face was somewhat pale. "How can there be such a bizarre evil art in the world? Refining corpses into one's own body—isn't that disgusting?"
The elderly Confucian-robed man said, "Among the Corpse Clan, this is a very normal thing."
"Is Yu Chen a member of the Corpse Clan?" Bai Qinger asked.
"Of course not."
Bai Qinger continued, "If he is not of the Corpse Clan, yet can refine corpses into his body, is he not afraid of corpse poison backlash? To refine the corpse of a Heavenly Venerable into one's own body requires not only sufficient personal cultivation but also a forbidden art of extraordinary caliber. In this world, only one person possesses such a terrifying forbidden art."
The elderly Confucian-robed man smiled. "Yes, only that legendary being who has lived nine lives, the number one powerhouse of the Corpse Clan, Jiusi Yitianhuang. Only he could have survived from two to three million years ago until now in such an unimaginable way. Too much time has passed; no one knows if there is the shadow of some other powerhouse behind Yu Hun. And it no longer matters."
"Today, let us consider this merely idle talk."
"On this Star Heaven Cliff, we can speak freely without fear of being sensed by any powerhouse." Bai Qinger said.
The elderly Confucian-robed man nodded. "Young Friend Ruochen's third question has yet to be asked."
"My third question is very simple."
Zhang Ruochen fixed his gaze on him and said, "Old sir, who are you?"
"Me?"
The elderly Confucian-robed man stopped walking and looked toward a patch of fiery red dense forest not far away.
On the bare stone wall grew a kind of red tree, its trunk as thick as a millstone, its material resembling red copper. Growing on the trees were not leaves, but fruits shaped like crows.
They really did look like crows, and flames burned on the fruits.
The elderly Confucian-robed man sighed. "It has been a long time since I last saw this Red Crow Forest. Finally, I have returned."
Zhang Ruochen gazed around and found that the Red Crow Trees stretched endlessly, covering a vast area. In the distance, through layers of branches, white structures such as halls, caves, and strange pagodas could be seen.
He knew in his heart that they had arrived at the top of Star Sea Cliff.
"Thump! Thump! Thump..."
The loud sound of woodcutting came from the forest.
One Red Crow Tree after another fell with a crash.
Bai Qinger revealed a smile and quickly walked into the forest.
Zhang Ruochen followed quickly. Surprisingly, the elderly Confucian-robed man and the cyan-clad girl also came this way.
Before long, Zhang Ruochen finally saw the woodcutter.
He was an old woodcutter wearing an old gray-green robe, as thin as a stick, with a wrinkled face. The hatchet in his hand was full of nicks. He was talking with Bai Qinger about something.
Given Bai Qinger's cold and proud nature, she appeared obedient and charming before the old woodcutter, without any trace of overbearing aloofness.
Bai Qinger introduced him to Zhang Ruochen. "This is my senior brother!"
Thunder seemed to explode in Zhang Ruochen's mind. He carefully looked the man up and down, finding it very difficult to imagine this honest-looking woodcutter as the renowned Star Heaven Cliff Cliff Master.
The Star Sea Angler had only taken two disciples.
Besides Bai Qinger, there was only the Star Heaven Cliff Cliff Master.
It was said that the Star Heaven Cliff Cliff Master had followed the Star Sea Angler since the latter's youth, an existence as ancient as the Star Sea Angler himself.
Zhang Ruochen was filled with respect and bowed. "Greetings, Cliff Master."
"Just call me senior brother, like Qinger does."
The old woodcutter smiled and said this, then looked toward the direction behind Zhang Ruochen. "Ke Zhi has also returned! Is this your granddaughter?"
The elderly Confucian-robed man stepped forward, bowed deeply, and performed a great salute. "Greetings, Master. Tingting, this is your grandmaster."
"Greetings, Grandmaster."
The cyan-clad girl said gracefully, somewhat nervous and shy.
Zhang Ruochen felt a bit strange and looked at Bai Qinger, his eyes carrying a questioning expression.
Bai Qinger was clearly also surprised and gently shook her head, indicating she did not know what was going on.
The old woodcutter saw the confusion in their hearts and said, "Ke Zhi, this is the new disciple your master has taken! She is your junior master."
"Greetings, Junior Master." The elderly Confucian-robed man bowed again.
Zhang Ruochen felt a strange sensation in his heart. That elderly Confucian-robed man clearly had unfathomable cultivation and was far older than them by who knows how many years. Yet now he had to bow to a woman only a few thousand years old, becoming a junior.
Bai Qinger's seniority was truly not ordinary.
The old woodcutter knew they were puzzled. "In my life, I have only taken one formal disciple, and that is Ke Zhi. Six Eons ago, after Ke Zhi stepped into the Divine Realm, he began to travel the world on behalf of Star Heaven Cliff, entering the mortal world. He returns once every ten thousand years. Sometimes, he might not return for tens of thousands of years."
Bai Qinger said, "So that's how it is."
The group walked toward the white structures on Star Heaven Cliff.
The old woodcutter carried a carrying pole, the two firewood baskets on it hazy and indistinct, no one knew how many pieces of wood they contained.
Faintly, the sound of crows came from the baskets.
On the way, Zhang Ruochen finally learned the full name of the elderly Confucian-robed man: Xu Kezhi.
Thus, the third question no longer needed an answer.
Bai Qinger saw that Zhang Ruochen kept glancing at the old woodcutter's two firewood baskets and said, "Do you know that the Red Crow Tree is known as the number one ferocious plant in the universe?"
Mentioned by Bai Qinger, Zhang Ruochen suddenly had an impression, and his expression could not help but change. Looking at the dense Red Crow Trees all around, he said, "Is it because Senior Brother's spiritual power suppresses them that they do not attack us?"
Bai Qinger said, "Actually, the most terrifying thing about the Red Crow Tree is not that a single tree is very strong. Rather, it is that their numbers are extremely large, and their reproductive ability is terrifying."
"Once the Red Crow fruits on the trees mature, the fruit skins split open, and a fire crow flies out from inside."
"Red Crow Trees once covered the entire Star Heaven Cliff. Senior Brother has been cutting them down every day for a million years, yet he still has not cut them all."
The elderly Confucian-robed man said, "If it were not for Master cutting them down every day, allowing the Red Crow Trees to reproduce freely and the Red Tree Fire Crows to fly into the universe and take root, it would not be long before the Red Crow Tree clan could become a major clan comparable to the Ten Clans of Hell. The living environment for living beings in the universe would become even more difficult."
Bai Qinger said, "Senior Brother's vision is that until he has cut down all the Red Crow Trees, he will not leave Star Heaven Cliff. Master said that if Senior Brother completes this vision, he can reach the level of Heavenly Round Without Flaw."
Zhang Ruochen felt even more respect in his heart.
Cutting trees was also a form of cultivation, a tempering of the mind and will.
Such monotonous cultivation was not something everyone could persist in day after day, year after year.
Arriving at Star Heaven Cliff, Bai Qinger explained their purpose, hoping the old woodcutter could help them repair the Sundial.
The old woodcutter was easy to talk to. Upon seeing the Sundial, he began to examine it carefully, conducting various inspections.
Bai Qinger whispered to Zhang Ruochen, "After the fall of Xumi Saint Monk, Senior Brother's attainments in the Way of Time can be considered the number one in the current world. Even the Hall Master of the Time Divine Temple may not surpass him."
"And in the Way of Artifact Refining, Senior Brother has gone even further. Calling him half a Dao Ancestor of the Artifact Path would not be an exaggeration."
"If there is anyone in the world who can repair the Sundial, it must be Senior Brother."