Chapter 3061: Heavenly Disciple
Zhang Ruochen, holding the God-Defying Stele which had shrunk to the size of a brick, ascended the steps one by one.
The upper-rank god of the demon clan bowed, performing a gesture of submission.
If the Eternal Heavenly God were a deity of virtue who would not indiscriminately kill the innocent, perhaps this upper-rank god of the demon clan would have fought to the death against Zhang Ruochen.
Moreover, he saw that although Zhang Ruochen had bulldozed his way through, he had not killed a single person.
Since there was no threat to his life, naturally, he had even less reason to resist.
Zhang Ruochen entered the divine temple and saw the dozens of withered divine corpses on the ground. His expression darkened slightly. "What is Xiu Chen doing? Without a divine source of her own, she dug out all the divine sources of these false gods? Is her mind twisted to such an extent?"
The upper-rank god of the demon clan replied, "Reporting to the great god, she did it to refine a divine source using the Eternal Heart."
"What Eternal Heart?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"The Eternal Heart is a heirloom treasure of the Eternal Divine Temple, only mastered by each successive Eternal Lord. It is the fundamental reason why the Lost Paradise can become a convergence point of spiritual energy belts. Once a heavenly god refines it into their own divine source and leaves the Lost Paradise, within a few tens of thousands of years, the spiritual energy here will dissipate, turning it into a dead land."
Zhang Ruochen began to understand why this old demon had not stopped him.
Clearly, he did not want Xiu Chen to successfully refine a divine source!
Zhang Ruochen said, "Where is the Eternal Heart?"
The upper-rank god of the demon clan replied, "A treasure of this level, the heavenly god naturally carries it on her person. However, great god, please look. The divine lake at the center of the temple is the essence refined from a large number of Time Flower petals over a thousand years. Now, it has also merged with the divine sources, divine blood, and divine souls of dozens of false gods. It has infinite uses for gods of the Way of Time."
"This should be what Xiu Chen uses to refine her divine source, right?" Zhang Ruochen said.
The upper-rank god of the demon clan said, "Exactly! Great god, be careful. That divine lake cannot be approached. The time flow is extremely fast and will devour lifespan..."
Who would not be tempted by such a divine lake?
Why did Xiu Chen Heavenly God feel at ease leaving the divine lake here?
Because the time power erupting from the divine lake could only be withstood by herself. For any other god to approach it would be nothing short of suicide.
Contrary to what the upper-rank god of the demon clan had imagined, Zhang Ruochen easily arrived at the shore of the divine lake. His body was enveloped in dense time imprint light points and time rules. Using the "Sixth Patriarch's Zen Meditation Diagram," he completely absorbed all the divine liquid in the lake.
Seeing this, the upper-rank god of the demon clan was shocked, delighted, and terrified all at once.
He dared not imagine how crazy the Eternal Heavenly God would become after returning to find the divine lake empty. Would she refine the entire Continent of Gods?
The Eternal Heavenly God was inherently a woman with a violent temper, cruel and bloodthirsty, and merciless.
The Continent of Gods could no longer be stayed in!
Leave. He must flee immediately.
"Where are the two gods captured by your heavenly god imprisoned?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
The upper-rank god of the demon clan said, "Great god, follow me."
Holding the God-Defying Stele, Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of any traps. He followed the upper-rank god of the demon clan through a space gate and down a stone staircase into the depths beneath the Eternal Divine Temple.
The Yecha Clan Chief and Yu Shi were chained to two dark matter copper pillars. Their cultivation and spiritual power were sealed, and their auras were extremely weak.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Old Six Divine Sword, severed the divine chains and divine patterns binding the Yecha Clan Chief, and then pointed at his heart, attempting to break the seal.
"Boom!"
A powerful divine force surged back, causing Zhang Ruochen's finger to ache and go numb.
Zhang Ruochen was fine, but the Yecha Clan Chief could not withstand such a powerful force. He spat out a mouthful of blood and said, "It's no use. Xiu Chen Heavenly God's cultivation is at the Grand Void Realm, and her sealing technique is ancient and bizarre. Even if you forcibly break the seal, this old man cannot withstand the backlash."
Zhang Ruochen thought about using the God-Defying Stele to try, but he knew time was pressing and could not afford to delay. "Alright, Yu Ling Shen should be able to help you break the seal. I'll take you out of here."
He put the Yecha Clan Chief into a bead, then glanced at Yu Shi. He was about to draw his sword and kill her.
Suddenly, he sensed something and his expression changed drastically.
He rushed back to the ground, but it was too late. A patch of bright time imprint light points surged down from above the passage, accompanied by a powerful and overwhelming divine might.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God's tall and enchanting figure emerged from the light points. Every strand of her hair burned with white flames. "You all are truly asking for death. Do you really think that reaching the great god level means you can act lawlessly and disregard me?"
The upper-rank god of the demon clan had already prostrated himself on the ground.
Wu Yue was captured and sealed by Xiu Chen Heavenly God, held in one arm. Her star-like beautiful eyes were open, seeming both pained and dazed. She wanted to speak but could not.
She really looked too much like the Moon God, completely different from the Wu Yue Zhang Ruochen had seen.
But she was too useless, getting captured by Xiu Chen!
Zhang Ruochen had already put away his divine sword and instead drew the Qingping Sword. Showing no fear, he said, "I am a subordinate of Void Heaven. Why should I regard a crippled god like you with any respect?"
"Void Heaven? Never heard of him."
Xiu Chen Heavenly God had little patience. Between the five fingers of her right hand, time imprint light points gathered, growing brighter.
Zhang Ruochen gave her a contemptuous look. "Xiu Chen, you are too ignorant. In the thousand years you have been hiding in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, the universe has undergone tremendous changes. The war between the Heavenly Court and Hell has erupted again. Both sides have each enfeoffed Twenty Heavens, laughing proudly over the world, looking down on all living beings, manipulating the great power of the universe. Each one is a chess player."
"My master, the former Void God Venerable of the Destiny Temple, has been ranked among the heavens, changing his title to Void Heaven."
Yu Shi, chained to the copper pillar, had already recognized Zhang Ruochen's identity when she saw him use the divine sword.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen borrow Void Heaven's authority to bluff, and doing so with such conviction, she found it amusing. It would be a miracle if Xiu Chen Heavenly God, a powerhouse like that, was intimidated by him.
But seeing Wu Yue captured by Xiu Chen Heavenly God, the shock in Yu Shi's heart reached an indescribable level. She had no idea what was happening.
How could this be?
How could her master be captured?
No one knew better than her how formidable Wu Yue was.
Even though her spiritual power had reached the seventy-eighth rank, comparable to a Taibai Realm great god, she still looked up to her master like a towering mountain, unattainable.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was momentarily stunned, then her eyes turned even colder. "That old bastard, Xu Fengjin, is worthy of being enfeoffed as a heaven? You use him to pressure me? Let me tell you, junior. If it were a hundred thousand years ago, even if Xu Fengjin's true body were here, I would not fear him."
"Xiu Chen, Xiu Chen. It's been a hundred thousand years. Why can't you face reality? Do you think you are still the same Xiu Chen Heavenly God as before? You don't even need my master's true body. One sword strike from him would be enough to kill you."
Zhang Ruochen raised the Qingping Sword, and instantly, the underground world was filled with crisscrossing sword qi.
The sound of sword humming was deafening.
Zhang Ruochen's long hair flew wildly, his eyes like lightning. "My master has already cultivated Sword Twenty-Three. The sword strike he bestowed upon me should be enough to kill you, right?"
Xiu Chen Heavenly God's phoenix eyes suddenly contracted. She could feel the terrifying sword intent in Zhang Ruochen's sword. "Xu Fengjin actually bestowed a sword strike upon you."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Not only that. My master has personally come to the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain and will arrive shortly. Xiu Chen, I am only refraining from using this sword strike because I see you as a fellow god of Hell. Don't be ungrateful."
How could Xiu Chen Heavenly God, with her immense pride, willingly submit to being controlled by others?
If the opponent only had this one sword strike, at such a close distance, Xiu Chen Heavenly God had actually considered snatching the sword away with lightning speed. It was risky, but there was a chance of success.
But was Xu Fengjin really coming?
Although Xiu Chen Heavenly God was stubborn and refused to admit defeat, she only had the strength of the Grand Void Realm now. How could she dare to challenge Xu Fengjin?
"Would Xu Fengjin dare to take the risk of coming to the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Don't you find it strange that so many gods suddenly came to the Lost Paradise? And the Wu Yue in your hands—if she hadn't offended my master, how could she have ended up like this?"
Xiu Chen Heavenly God was completely convinced. The coldness in her eyes receded, and she dispersed the time imprint light points in her palm. But she still maintained a proud posture. "Since you are Xu Fengjin's disciple, I will give him face and not pursue today's matter. But you must hand over the Time Divine Liquid you took. And that Yecha Clan Chief—you cannot take him away. I have great use for him."
Yu Shi felt as if she must be hallucinating or dreaming.
How could Zhang Ruochen have become Void Heaven's disciple?
That was absolutely impossible!
Zhang Ruochen sneered. "I am a heavenly disciple, wielding a heavenly sword strike. You are not even an Infinite Realm god. How dare you demand anything from me? Xiu Chen, let me tell you the truth. Today, you have only two options: hand over the Eternal Heart and submit to me, or die."
Zhang Ruochen kept pushing Xiu Chen Heavenly God's limits, fully embodying the arrogant and domineering heavenly disciple.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God's Shura killing aura surged outward, filling the underground world. Her eyes turned into blood pupils. "Junior, with your cultivation, you dare make me submit? Come on. Let's see if your sword strike kills me, or if I tear you limb from limb today."
Zhang Ruochen had not expected Xiu Chen Heavenly God to be so easily provoked, completely unafraid of death. Any god who knew how to read the situation would have already submitted!
It seemed she really was a woman and could not be judged by common sense.
If he had not planned to make Xiu Chen Heavenly God the artifact spirit of the Sundial, Zhang Ruochen would have already struck with this sword.
Seeing that Xiu Chen Heavenly God showed no sign of compromise and seemed ready to fight to the death, Zhang Ruochen found himself in an awkward position. "Fine. You are indeed a top-tier figure of the Shura Clan from the past. I underestimated you. Let's each take a step back. I won't make you submit, and you don't have to hand over the Eternal Heart. But you must give Wu Yue to me. She is the woman my master has set his sights on. She has already been enfeoffed as a Heavenly Consort and is the future mistress of the Great Calamity Palace."
A strange expression appeared on Xiu Chen Heavenly God's face. She sneered. "Has Xu Fengjin reverted to his old nature after all these hundreds of thousands of years? Does he not know Wu Yue's background? How dare he set his sights on her?"
"It seems that after being enfeoffed as a heaven, he has become so arrogant that he thinks he is above the law. No, wait. Your sword—how is it the Qingping Sword? If you are Xu Fengjin's disciple, you should be cultivating the Way of Nothingness. Why are you cultivating the Way of Time?"
The upper-rank god of the demon clan, prostrating in the corner, raised his head to look at Zhang Ruochen upon hearing the words "Qingping Sword." A strange glint flashed in his eyes.
...
It's the beginning of the month, so I still have to ask for monthly votes. See how hard your Fish has been working lately...
(Chapter End)