Chapter 2998: All Heroes Under Heaven Bow Their Heads
Shang Hong stood proudly and aloof, fixing his gaze on Qiu Yu Divine Lord and the other deities of the demon clan. "A mere bunch of petty scoundrels from the Hell Realm—what great waves could they possibly stir? Only you would panic and lose your composure, not realizing that as long as Doushuai City is held steady, the sky will not fall!"
The cultivators of the Paradise Realm followed Shang Hong, entering the City Lord's Mansion first.
After that, Zhang Ruochen saw Yu Taizhen, Yu Chenjing, and the cultivators of various ancient civilizations gathering together, walking up the steps while discussing something along the way.
Yiman, eager to prove herself before Zhang Ruochen, said, "Looking at the current situation, it seems every major world wants to vie for the fire seed of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, but in reality, very few are truly capable of competing. The conditions offered by weaker realms cannot compare to those of stronger ones, and their cultivation environments are far inferior."
"As for these cultivators from ancient civilizations, according to the intelligence I've received, they not only want to fight for the fire seed but also intend to unite to seek greater benefits."
"What benefits?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Yiman replied, "To fight for a way of survival for the ordinary mortals and living beings of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization."
The ordinary mortals and living beings of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's great world played an almost negligible role in the outcome of the battlefield. If they remained, they would only face death as the world perished.
If the ancient civilizations now fought for a way of survival for the mortals and living beings of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, then in the future, the mortals and living beings of their own civilizations would naturally have a path to survival as well.
Zhang Ruochen said, "If they truly do this, it would undoubtedly be too naive. In the end, they won't even be able to keep the fire seed."
If a great world accepted a hundred million living beings, it would be welcoming the fire seed, able to coexist peacefully. It could even protect them and help them grow.
But if a great world accepted all the living beings of another great world, it would only invite slaughter, oppression, and enslavement. Who would willingly have their resources plundered?
If a realm was weak, even if it had countless living beings and possessed the vast treasures and resources left behind by the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, that alone would be a crime inviting death.
Zhang Ruochen continued, "The intelligence you received is likely just the goal of a few radical deities. Among the ancient civilizations, there are plenty of brilliant minds—they cannot fail to see through this."
Yiman's expression turned somewhat unnatural. "The City Lord's Mansion has nine gates. Shall we enter through the Green Lotus Gate?"
"No, we'll enter through the main gate."
Zhang Ruochen stepped down from the carriage, having already transformed into a different appearance. He still wore a Daoist robe, but his figure and face were very ordinary.
He wanted to enter the Fire Seed Assembly to investigate. If he found Luo Sha or any deities of the Rakshasa Clan, he could persuade them to withdraw early. Only then could he act without restraint.
Zhang Ruochen and Yiman split up. He ascended the steps, took out the token given to him by Luo Jinshu, showed it to Yuetong Zhenjun, and then walked through the gate on his own.
Yuetong Zhenjun knew that Luo Jinshu had a wide circle of friends, so he didn't suspect anything.
Besides, with all the deities gathered at the Fire Seed Assembly, no one would dare to cause trouble.
Entering the City Lord's Mansion, Zhang Ruochen observed his surroundings and then nodded to himself. "Seven killing divine formations, two sealing divine formations, three defensive divine formations—worthy of the City Lord's Mansion of the Eternal Ancient City. With twelve divine formations reinforcing it, even if a Great God from the Hell Realm came, they would have to retreat in defeat. Am I overthinking this?"
The Fire Seed Assembly had not yet officially begun, but many deities had already gathered. Some released their Divine Realm Worlds to have private discussions with friends. Others seemed to have grudges, exchanging harsh words but not coming to blows.
Zhang Ruochen walked around but did not sense Luo Ji's presence, nor did he find Luo Sha or any deities of the Rakshasa Clan.
"It seems the deities of the Rakshasa Clan are likely hidden within the Divine Realm World of some Heavenly Court deity, which is why they can evade my perception. Who could it be?"
Zhang Ruochen found a stone table laden with sacred fruits, divine brews, jade cups, and bronze flasks. He sat alone beneath a fiery red Eon Sacred Tree, focusing his attention primarily on Qiu Yu Divine Lord.
After all, Qiu Yu Divine Lord, Feng Qi, and Jiuwei Xinhu were close, and they had done the utterly unscrupulous act of plundering war supplies.
Given Qiu Yu Divine Lord's status and talent, he had a bright future ahead, with Boundless Realm within reach. Under normal circumstances, he should have had no connection to the Hell Realm.
But a person, no matter how talented, if they have no bottom line, will do anything for profit.
Qiu Yu Divine Lord was in discussion with several deities of the demon clan when he suddenly sensed something and immediately looked around. But the sensation vanished without a trace.
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew heated.
"Rumble!"
At the direction of the City Lord's Mansion's main gate, golden light blazed, and divine qi surged. Pulled by nine deities of the Bone Clan, a resplendent golden carriage drove through the gate and entered the venue of the Fire Seed Assembly.
All the pavilions, beams, and pillars trembled.
It was worth noting that even proud figures like Qiu Yu Divine Lord and Shang Hong had dismounted from their carriages outside the City Lord's Mansion and walked into the venue on foot.
This was the first person bold enough to ride a carriage in.
Yet no one showed any displeasure; instead, they all stepped forward to pay their respects.
"Qiu Yu of the Demon God Realm pays respects to Young Master Lian."
Qiu Yu Divine Lord stepped forward with a cupped fist salute, his posture very humble, completely lacking his earlier arrogance.
The golden carriage distorted time and space, golden light spreading everywhere, and the soil beneath the wheels turned into a golden lake.
From within the carriage came a calm voice: "Divine Lord Qiu Yu has just slain a divine general of the Ghost Clan—a great achievement, truly a heroic figure of the Heavenly Court's divine realm. There's no need for such formality."
"Just a false god. I could have killed a true god of the Ghost Clan, but at the last moment, he burned his soul and used a forbidden technique to escape the Heavenly Beginning Civilization's great world," Qiu Yu Divine Lord said.
Shang Hong stepped forward, not bowing but still being polite, and said with a smile, "Young Master Lian, long time no see. Do you still remember Shang Hong of the Paradise Realm?"
"How could I forget? Young Master Shang is one of the most outstanding cultivators of this eon. Soon, you should be able to break through to the Taizhen Realm, right? Once you step into Taizhen, you can inherit the throne of the Divine Emperor of the Great Shang Divine Dynasty—congratulations and joy."
...
No matter how noble their status or how powerful their cultivation, at this moment, they all had to step forward and pay their respects. There was no resentment or dissatisfaction; instead, they seemed proud to have the chance to meet Xuan Yuan Lian in person.
This was true nobility—sitting in a carriage, able to make all the heroes under heaven bow their heads.
This was an era of rising talents, with geniuses like clouds and strong ones contending, each shining as brightly as stars in the sky. But when they encountered Xuan Yuan Lian, they all dimmed in comparison.
Stars cannot compete with the bright moon.
Yet Xuan Yuan Lian showed no arrogance at all. He spoke calmly and praised every cultivator who came to pay respects, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
"Truly impressive—not domineering, yet surpassing domineering," Zhang Ruochen remarked.
"Daoist, you might misunderstand. You think Young Master Lian driving his carriage directly into the City Lord's Mansion is too arrogant, and then deliberately acting approachable is just putting on a show."
A young man in a green Confucian robe sat down beside Zhang Ruochen without a sound.
The young man looked youthful, with a fair face and no beard, like a scholar still studying. But his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of time, deep enough to be frightening.
Zhang Ruochen was inwardly startled. Even if his attention had been on the golden carriage, he should not have been unaware of someone approaching.
Glancing at the Confucian-robed man, Zhang Ruochen instantly discerned his identity and became even more cautious. "Master Zhuang, do you have some insight you wish to share with this poor Daoist?"
The Confucian-robed man said, "Insight is hardly the word. I just don't want you to misunderstand Young Master Lian. In truth, Young Master Lian is accustomed to staying in his carriage and dislikes interacting with people. It's not just the City Lord's Mansion of Doushuai City—even in the Heavenly Palace, he drives straight in. Does that mean Young Master Lian doesn't hold the Heavenly Venerable in high regard?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Young Master Lian's habit isn't very good. If he dislikes interacting with people, yet has to travel across all realms to resolve conflicts between various sides, isn't that quite contradictory and conflicted?"
The Confucian-robed man glanced at the golden carriage not far away and silently admired the boldness of this Daoist in front of him. He really dared to say anything. Did he think that by using spiritual power to block perception, Young Master Lian couldn't hear him?
The Confucian-robed man said, "Everyone has things they don't want to do but have to do anyway. Even if he is the son of the Heavenly Venerable, he is no exception."
"Master Zhuang means that the identity of the Heavenly Venerable's son has given Young Master Lian unparalleled wealth and status, but it has also bound him, forcing him to move forward under the control of this identity?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The Confucian-robed man's expression froze for a moment. "That is your insight, Daoist. Don't pin it on me."
He didn't want to continue this topic with Zhang Ruochen, afraid of being led into a trap. He immediately asked, "Daoist, you just killed a monarch of the Death Clan and a Spiritual God of the Darkness Temple, achieving a great merit. Why don't you show your true face at the Fire Seed Assembly? Why change into this appearance?"
"As expected of the master of the Red Dust Peerless Tower, as expected of Zhuang Tai'a—you truly know everything under heaven. Nothing escapes you," Zhang Ruochen said.
The Confucian-robed man said, "Just an empty reputation. Without the Heavenly Court's intelligence system, how could I possibly know everything under heaven?"
Zhuang Tai'a was also a Truth Envoy, a rare genius born in this eon. But he cultivated spiritual power and followed the Confucian path.
His spiritual power was so strong that even Zhang Ruochen, with his seventy-sixth-level spiritual power, couldn't see through him.
The fact that he could see through Zhang Ruochen's transformation technique, while fellow Truth Envoys like Shang Hong, Qiu Yu Zhenjun, and Yu Taizhen could not, already showed his skill.
Fortunately, he only saw through Zhang Ruochen's transformation technique.
Zhang Ruochen didn't hide it from him. "There might be a major upheaval at the Fire Seed Assembly."
Zhuang Tai'a showed no surprise, remaining very calm. "Does the Daoist think Qiu Yu Divine Lord is problematic?"
Zhang Ruochen's expression turned strange. Clearly, when he had been observing Qiu Yu Divine Lord earlier, Zhuang Tai'a had already been watching him. And Zhuang Tai'a had used some secret technique to conceal his aura, so Zhang Ruochen's Heart of Truth hadn't detected him at all.
Truly, one cannot underestimate the cultivators of the world. There are countless extraordinary talents.
"It seems Master Zhuang has some insight into the Hell Realm's actions. That puts my mind at ease. As for Qiu Yu Divine Lord, I simply admire his character and conduct."
Zhang Ruochen quickly stood up, preparing to take his leave.
People like Zhuang Tai'a were too sharp and too terrifying. It was best to minimize contact. Otherwise, the slightest slip would be caught by him.
Besides, it was time to go see Qing Shen. That matter was of great importance and couldn't be delayed.
But just then, exclamations rose and fell in the venue.
Zhang Ruochen looked closely and saw a woman in white, like snow, stepping down from Xuan Yuan Lian's golden carriage. She held a blood-dripping sword, drifting like a fairy over the waves, yet exuding a kingly aura that could seize one's soul.
Who else could it be but Chi Yao?