# Chapter 3038: Senior Brother, Save Me
Lian Xi followed behind Jia Linnan, wearing a suit of Radiant Armor. Her aura no longer carried the coldness of the former "Shadowless Fairy," instead bearing a touch of holiness, heroism, and efficiency.
Unfortunately, she bore an indelible stain on her reputation. Even after becoming the Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Palace, few cultivators of the Radiant Divine Temple truly respected her.
She understood clearly that she would never be able to enter the core of the Radiant Divine Temple.
The Judgment Palace was merely a blade of the Radiant Divine Temple—a killing blade—tasked with doing things that offended others.
Jia Linnan was a True God of the Order Palace of the Radiant Divine Temple. In Lian Xi's eyes, he was an unattainable existence.
But what shook Lian Xi even more was that Jia Linnan told her the one who truly wished to see her was the Heavenly Grandson—that Great God who had already stepped into the Grand Void Realm.
"Lian Xi of the Judgment Palace pays respects to the Heavenly Grandson."
After Jia Linnan withdrew, Lian Xi bowed to Shang Hong.
Shang Hong carefully examined Lian Xi's peerless beauty. Even with his vast experience, having grown accustomed to the world's beauties, a flicker of admiration passed through his eyes. But he remained calm, saying, "Palace Master Lian Xi is the future overlord recognized by the World Spirit of the Soul Realm, possessing ten souls and ten spirits. You have also gained the appreciation of Lord Yao of the Judgment Palace. Your future is boundless; there is no need for such formality."
Lian Xi said, "The Heavenly Grandson flatters me too much. Lian Xi is merely a condemned person who has fallen into the filth of the mortal abyss. Fortunately, Lord Yao took pity and guided me a little, but I still cannot wash away the sins I once bore."
Shang Hong said, "I know something of your affairs. You cannot be blamed. That Zhang Ruochen, the Eon-level arch-fiend, was too reckless. The fact that you could escape back to the Heavenly Court carrying the Judgment Sword shows that your heart is turned toward the light. If the heart is light, what do past matters matter?"
Lian Xi remained silent, waiting for Shang Hong to continue.
How could someone like Shang Hong, who stood above the clouds, casually meet with a mere Saint-realm cultivator like her? Even if she was the Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Palace?
Although she had Lord Yao backing her, Lord Yao had only appeared as an avatar, saying a single sentence: "Let her stay." That was all.
But the weight of a single word from a God Venerable was too great. That one sentence had changed her circumstances, allowing her to rise steadily, step by step, to the position of Grand Palace Master.
Yet all of this was insignificant—not just before Shang Hong, but even before Jia Linnan, a mid-rank god.
Seeing her composure, Shang Hong nodded inwardly and got to the point. "If there were an opportunity to kill Zhang Ruochen, would you be willing to help me?"
Lian Xi knelt on one knee. "I would hate to eat his flesh and drink his blood."
Shang Hong said, "But the probability is only one in ten thousand, or even less. Rise quickly. You are the Grand Palace Master of the Judgment Palace, and I am not a god of the Radiant Divine Temple. There is no need for such a grand salute."
"I only wish to know how to kill that Eon-level arch-fiend."
Lian Xi rose, her tone filled with coldness and killing intent.
Shang Hong gazed into her eyes. "You should know Zhang Ruochen quite well, shouldn't you? Do you think... Qing Pingzi could possibly be him?"
A look of shock appeared in Lian Xi's icy, piercing eyes. Her tall, slender figure trembled involuntarily.
Shang Hong was satisfied with the expression she revealed when her defenses were down. It showed that Zhang Ruochen had no connection with her.
Or rather, if Qing Pingzi was indeed Zhang Ruochen, he had not contacted her.
This point was very important to Shang Hong.
"How could Qing Pingzi possibly be him?"
Lian Xi shook her head. "Absolutely impossible."
But in her heart, she was replaying every image of Qing Pingzi she had seen, searching for flaws, for Zhang Ruochen's habitual tone, movements, gaze, even the way he held his sword, similarities in divine techniques and methods...
And she actually found some traces.
Of course, this was because she had followed Zhang Ruochen for a long time and was familiar with his daily habits, his subtle expressions in joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. How could anyone else know him as well as she did?
Shang Hong said, "Actually, I am not certain either. But there are too many coincidences."
"But Zhang Ruochen's martial cultivation has already been crippled. Even if it hadn't been, there is absolutely no way he could have become as powerful as Qing Pingzi in such a short time. The Heavenly Grandson is already a peerless hero, yet it took you nearly a hundred thousand years of cultivation to reach your current level. Could Zhang Ruochen's cultivation speed surpass yours by ten times?" Lian Xi said.
Shang Hong was beginning to like this woman, but at the thought of Zhang Ruochen, his eyes darkened. He looked at Lian Xi and sighed, shaking his head. "What a pity."
Jia Linnan once again entered Shang Hong's Divine Realm World, a joyful expression on his face. "Qing Pingzi has gone to the Divine Prison."
"Oh?"
A gleam of light appeared in Shang Hong's eyes. He smiled. "Originally, the probability was less than one in ten thousand. Now it has increased by five or six tenths."
"Should we notify the Wind Clan and the Heavenly Venerable's daughter now?" Jia Linnan asked.
Shang Hong shook his head cautiously. "Would Qing Pingzi let you see him enter the Divine Prison?"
Jia Linnan chuckled. "He must be afraid of Mr. Mo's perception, so he doesn't dare use any invisibility techniques or spiritual power. He only suppressed his aura. If he wants to enter the Divine Prison to rescue someone, he will inevitably be constrained and reveal flaws. Being discovered by me is just his bad luck."
Shang Hong was still uneasy, but after glancing at Lian Xi, he said, "Let's go to the Divine Prison together. If we can catch him in the act, that will be the best evidence."
...
Inside the Divine Prison, rows upon rows of cells were covered with divine patterns.
Although Xuan Yuan Qing had rescued Xiao Hei and the Realm Venerable of the Ancestral Realm, he had only broken the divine patterns of those two cells.
The cell holding Blood Butcher was eight hundred zhang tall. At its center stood a stone formation tower. All the chains were fixed to the flying eaves of the tower—seventy-two in total—piercing through Blood Butcher's divine body, locking him to the divine iron prison wall behind the formation tower.
The underground corridor was three to four hundred zhang away from the formation stone tower, quite dim, with iron walls blocking the view. Blood Butcher could not see who Feng Yan was rebuking. He only heard the other party say something about "this poor Daoist" and never thought of Zhang Ruochen.
After all, he had personally witnessed Zhang Ruochen being chased by Feng Yun Ba until he had no way to escape and no door to enter. He thought that senior brother had probably already turned to ashes and gone ahead of him.
Blood Butcher glanced at the Pure Yang Divine Sword hanging around his neck. The divine flame emanating from the sword blade had scorched his divine body black, causing excruciating pain.
Feeling the threat of death, Blood Butcher was frantic but had no solution. He roared, "Feng Yan, if you have the guts, release me and let us fight fair. I can fight you with one hand tied behind my back!"
"Shut up."
Feng Yan walked out from the dark shadows, revealing his heroic figure. Although he had three heads and six arms, it was not grotesque; instead, it added to his domineering aura.
Zhang Ruochen finally stopped. He knew clearly that he had revealed a flaw.
In truth, the flaw was already quite obvious.
It was too much of a coincidence that Zhang Ruochen would encounter Qing Pingzi while fleeing.
Moreover, after Qing Pingzi appeared, Zhang Ruochen vanished.
Because the Wind Clan owed Qing Pingzi a debt of gratitude, and because Feng Xuan and Feng Xi regarded Qing Pingzi as a Daoist friend, and because Qing Pingzi had indeed accomplished several remarkable feats in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization...
How could the Eon-level arch-fiend Zhang Ruochen possibly have done those things?
This was why Feng Yun Ba and the gods of the Wind Clan had not suspected his identity.
Zhang Ruochen walked toward Feng Yan. "When did you figure it out?"
That voice...
Blood Butcher's ears perked up like a rabbit's.
Feng Yan stared at him, his eyes reddening. "You have too many flaws. It's fine for deceiving those who have never seen you, but who am I? I suspected you long ago, but Seventh Uncle and Sister trusted you, so I had to trust them."
"But how many fools are there in this world who would sacrifice themselves to protect an unrelated person through a tribulation?"
Zhang Ruochen walked up to him and removed the face of "Qing Pingzi." "I was forced into it. I never intended to deceive you."
Blood Butcher was ecstatic, shouting, "Senior Brother, save me!"
The seventy-two chains rattled.
Feng Yan locked eyes with Zhang Ruochen, gritting his teeth.
Zhang Ruochen smiled faintly. "You really have changed. You've matured so much. In the past, you would have confronted me immediately, not blocked me here, forcing me to reveal my true appearance."
"Senior Brother, save me! Don't waste words with him—he's just a lower-rank god... ah..."
Blood Butcher only got half the words out before the Pure Yang Divine Sword sliced down, cutting halfway through his neck. He could no longer speak, his whole body convulsing in pain. The burnt smell of cooked meat filled the entire cell.
Zhang Ruochen said, "I have to take him away."
"On what grounds?" Feng Yan said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "On the grounds that you will not become my enemy."
"What makes you think I won't become your enemy? Because you helped me through my divine tribulation? Because the Wind Clan owes you a great debt of gratitude?" Feng Yan said in a deep voice.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "No. Not because of those things. It's because I have always regarded you as a brother—the kind who would give his life. You, Feng Yan, might not give your life for me. You might no longer see me as your big brother. But you will never treat me as an enemy."
"Bang!"
Feng Yan threw a punch, striking Zhang Ruochen hard in the chest, sending him stumbling back three steps. He roared, "Zhang Ruochen, no one has ever humiliated me like this. When we swore brotherhood, although Chu Nan initiated it on a whim and it seemed childish, we still said it—through fire and water, we would stab each other in the back for each other."
"I cannot give my life for you?"
"For you, I knelt. I knelt in front of everyone. Feng Yan's face is not a face, is it? You should know that I would rather die than kneel to anyone. And even more so, I knelt to..."
Zhang Ruochen knew who he was thinking of, and his heart was moved.
A man as proud as Feng Yun Ba, his hatred for Zhang Ruochen the traitor was no less than Huang Tian's hatred for the God-Seizing Divine Emperor.
If Zhang Ruochen had befriended the God-Seizing Divine Emperor and knelt to beg Huang Tian to spare his life, he would have been struck dead on the spot.
"Shua!"
Feng Yan reached out with his hand and withdrew the Pure Yang Divine Sword. "If you want to save him, I won't stop you. But you must agree to one condition!"