Chapter 2993: Speculation
Beneath the wide spatial rift, a small asteroid floated in the water.
This asteroid, as hard as iron, was a sacred artifact battle weapon refined by a god of the Thousand Star Civilization.
The gods of the Wind Clan and the Thousand Star Civilization gathered on this asteroid to rest and recuperate, absorbing the life energy emitted by the Divine Toon Tree. On the surface, their injuries were no longer visible.
Feng Qi sighed, "A cornered beast's struggle is indeed terrifying. Fortunately, Senior Tianhu arrived in time. With our cultivation, being struck by the Divine King Talisman would have been unthinkable."
The other gods nodded and stepped forward to thank Grandmother Tianhu.
Grandmother Tianhu's temperament was truly eccentric. Facing the gods, she should have spoken a few polite words, but instead she left them aside, focusing solely on examining the spatial rift hanging above.
It was Nine-Tailed Heart Fox who was extremely adept at social graces, mingling easily with the gods.
"Seventh Uncle, this is Fellow Daoist Huang Niu!"
Feng Xi led a powerful Wind Clan god before Zhang Ruochen.
This Wind Clan god wore a Daoist robe, appeared to be in his forties, with a gentle face and a scholarly demeanor. He smiled and said, "I've heard Xi'er mention you before, praising your Daoist cultivation to the skies. It's a pity I arrived too late to witness your heroic feat of slaying the Death Clan Lord."
Zhang Ruochen humbly replied, "With my meager Daoist skills, how dare I show off before a Wind Clan god?"
"You're too modest, Fellow Daoist!"
Feng Xi was somewhat displeased and reminded him, "Seventh Uncle! Fellow Daoist Huang Niu still doesn't know your name!"
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands, "Who in the world doesn't know the name of Feng Qi, Seventh Master Feng Xuan?"
Huang Niu Daoren's cultivation was unfathomably deep, so such words were clearly not mere flattery. When Feng Xuan heard this, though his face remained calm, his goodwill toward Zhang Ruochen greatly increased.
Feng Xuan's cultivation had reached the Upper God Great Perfection, just one step away from the Taizhen Realm.
Such a figure was naturally renowned throughout the world. How could Zhang Ruochen not know him?
The gods of the Wind Clan stood tall, dominating Pangu Realm, and were a first-rate clan throughout the universe, one of the nine most top-tier family forces.
Zhang Ruochen understood that Feng Xi's purpose in introducing him to Feng Xuan was that the Wind Clan wanted to befriend him.
And Zhang Ruochen, in turn, was not unwilling to build good relations with a behemoth like the Wind Clan.
The cohesion of family clans far surpassed that of the various divine temples.
Looking at the Yan Clan, ranked first among the nine top family forces, one could see a glimpse of this.
The Yama Clan was the Yan Clan's Yama Clan.
While Zhang Ruochen and Feng Xuan were exchanging pleasantries, Grandmother Tianhu coughed violently, her face sickly and pale, completely lacking the aura of a top-tier great god she had just displayed. Nine-Tailed Heart Fox quickly supported her.
"Grandmother was too severely injured by the Divine King Talisman. Should we return now to recuperate?" Nine-Tailed Heart Fox asked worriedly.
Grandmother Tianhu's gaze was sharp, "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
Feng Qi stepped forward, "Senior Tianhu must be suffering from the long-term erosion of the Three Calamities Corpse Poison. This is quite coincidental—I, a junior, have befriended a Daoist god who might be able to completely dissolve the poison for you."
Zhang Ruochen had a bad premonition.
Grandmother Tianhu was slightly moved and stared at Feng Qi, "Do you even understand the Three Calamities Corpse Poison? It is condensed from the entire cultivation of the Three Calamities Emperor, capable of entwining with a god's divine soul, divine body, and divine qi, even invading spiritual will. Even the Buddhist Path and the Radiant Path cannot fully dissolve it. Can a Daoist god do it?"
Zhang Ruochen frowned. This Grandmother Tianhu really didn't fear offending people with her words.
Whatever Feng Qi's purpose, at least he was trying to help her, offering to resolve the corpse poison. Yet she showed him no face, scolding him and offending the Wind Clan's Daoist gods present.
The Three Calamities Corpse Poison was indeed extremely difficult to remove. The Buddhist Path and Radiant Path could only purify it bit by bit, but could not fully dissolve it.
Even if only a trace remained in the body, the Three Calamities Corpse Poison could absorb the Three Calamities power within the god's body and continuously grow.
Yin Shang, Yang Huo, and Huang E—these three calamities existed within every living being, but were heavier within the Corpse Clan.
Feng Qi showed no anger at all, smiling in response, "Senior Tianhu may not know, but I personally witnessed that Daoist god completely cleanse the Yin Shang Corpse Poison from a cultivator's body. The method was truly profound and marvelous."
This time, Grandmother Tianhu truly showed a flicker of interest.
After all, she knew better than anyone that if she couldn't clear the Three Calamities Corpse Poison, her cultivation and life blood qi would inevitably decline, and she wouldn't survive the next Eon Calamity.
If she fell, the Fox Clan's status among the Demon Clan would plummet.
In the demon world, where the strong prey on the weak, one could imagine how miserable the fate of her fox descendants would be.
"Who are you talking about?" Grandmother Tianhu asked.
Under the gaze of everyone, Feng Qi walked before Zhang Ruochen and bowed deeply, "Fellow Daoist Huang Niu is upright and just, possessing a righteous spirit. Please, help Senior Tianhu dissolve the remaining poison. I, Feng, will be eternally grateful."
"What does this have to do with you?" Zhang Ruochen wanted to say.
Feng Qi's move put Zhang Ruochen in an extremely passive position.
Moreover, Zhang Ruochen was unclear about Feng Qi's purpose. Was it to win over Grandmother Tianhu? Or did he have something going on with Nine-Tailed Heart Fox?
Or perhaps Feng Qi was already suspicious and wanted to use Grandmother Tianhu to probe the secrets on Zhang Ruochen?
In any case, Zhang Ruochen absolutely could not dissolve the Three Calamities Corpse Poison.
Luo Jinshu said, "Senior Tianhu has shown great kindness to the Heavenly Beginning Civilization and is a top-tier great god of the Heavenly Court. If Fellow Daoist Huang Niu truly has a wondrous method to dissolve the Three Calamities Corpse Poison, please help with this favor."
"Father-in-law, what are you meddling for?" Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
Zhang Ruochen met the gazes of everyone and said, "Actually, Fellow Feng Qi overestimates me. I merely used minor means to help a Wind Clan Great Saint dissolve the Yin Shang Corpse Poison. It's nothing remarkable."
"Senior Tianhu's cultivation far surpasses mine by countless times, and she cannot refine the Three Calamities Corpse Poison herself. With my meager cultivation, how could I possibly do it? Besides, the Buddhist Path and the Radiant Path..."
Before Zhang Ruochen could finish, Grandmother Tianhu snorted coldly, soared into the air, and appeared beneath the spatial rift.
From her brow flew dense rule divine patterns, rushing into the spatial rift.
Gradually, the rift closed.
"Xin'er, let's go!"
Grandmother Tianhu wrapped Nine-Tailed Heart Fox in divine qi, and with a flash of divine light, vanished before everyone's eyes.
The world fell silent, only the sound of wind could be heard.
Feng Xuan comforted, "Grandmother Tianhu has always had this temper. She never likes to ask for favors and has offended many. Don't take it to heart, Fellow Daoist."
Zhang Ruochen hadn't expected Grandmother Tianhu to be so extreme and said awkwardly, "I only regret that my cultivation is too low. I truly am powerless."
None of the gods present felt Zhang Ruochen was in the wrong. After all, the Three Calamities Corpse Poison within Grandmother Tianhu was incomparable to the Yin Shang Corpse Poison within the Wind Clan Great Saint.
If one were to touch the Three Calamities and have it invade their own body, the risk would be enormous.
"Alright, the spatial rift has been sealed by Senior Tianhu's great divine power. Now that the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's world-protecting formation and the Nine Palaces Divine Seal have combined, space won't easily shatter again. It's safe here! Everyone, thank you!" Luo Jinshu said.
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the sky. The Star Gate was swallowed by a vast expanse of nothingness power. On the other side of the Starry Sky Battlefield, chaos reigned, nebulae churned, and the battle raged to an unknown degree.
He only regretted not having Infinite Realm cultivation, or he would have charged into the starry sky and fought to his heart's content.
Just then.
Yu Taizhen and Feng Xuan showed strange expressions and exchanged glances.
"Did you also receive the Divine King's divine thought?" Yu Taizhen asked.
Feng Xuan nodded, "King Yu has sent a divine thought: the Fire Seed Assembly is being convened early. Let's go. We need to head to Doulv City."
Feng Xuan led the Wind Clan gods and vanished into the air.
Yue Tong Zhenjun showed joy, "The Divine King can spare divine thought to notify everyone, clearly indicating that the situation in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's great world has stabilized. Let's go too."
He looked at Luo Jinshu, only to find no joy on his face.
The Fire Seed Assembly being convened early clearly meant that King Yu was very pessimistic about the current situation and had to send out the fire seeds first. As a member of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, how could he be happy?
"You go ahead. I'll continue to stay here," Luo Jinshu said.
Yu Taizhen and Yu Chenjing had come to the Heavenly Beginning Civilization with the intention of competing for the fire seeds. After taking their leave, they headed to Doulv City. Yue Tong Zhenjun and Feng Qi accompanied them.
On the vast sea, only Luo Jinshu and Zhang Ruochen remained.
Luo Jinshu asked, "Fellow Daoist Huang Niu, are you from the Five Elements Temple and not belonging to any great world, which is why you have no interest in the Fire Seed Assembly?"
Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice, "The reason I stayed is actually because the Heavenly God Priest has disappeared!"
Luo Jinshu's face showed shock, "Didn't he flee with the nine Death Clan Lords?"
Zhang Ruochen gently shook his head, "This person's spiritual power is extremely high, and he carries some secret treasure on him. Even with my cultivation, I cannot find him."
"Why didn't you say so earlier? Perhaps with Senior Tianhu's cultivation, she could have found him," Luo Jinshu said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If Senior Tianhu could sense him, what difference would it make whether I mentioned it or not?"
"That's true."
Luo Jinshu's eyes were filled with deep worry, "Even a top-tier great god can't sense his location. He can't just vanish into thin air, can he?"
"There's another possibility."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze was deep, his voice low, "He has hidden himself within the Divine Realm World of one of our gods!"
"This..."
Luo Jinshu was unwilling to accept this result, but upon careful thought, the possibility was too great!
Could it be that among the gods just now, there was a traitor?
Luo Jinshu's gaze gradually steadied, "Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist. I will immediately send a message to Father Yu. We must root out both the Heavenly God Priest and that traitor."
(Chapter End)