Chapter 3106: Creating Momentum
Perhaps in the eyes of others, the Death God Venerable was recruiting Zhang Ruochen, offering him many benefits. It was a tremendous honor, the attention of a Heavenly Lord. Any single promise made by the Death God Venerable would be enough to make any Great God of the Hell Realm feel deeply grateful, immediately kowtow, and swear eternal loyalty to the Death God Palace.
But in Zhang Ruochen's view, this was the Death God Venerable forcing him to choose between life and death. Choosing to join the Death God Palace meant survival. Otherwise, it meant death.
Did the Death God Venerable truly not care about the backlash that killing Xumi Saint Monk would bring upon herself? If she didn't care, why would she keep it in mind? Why would she deliberately mention it? Why would she say something like, "What if this Heavenly Lord dies by your hand?"
This showed that she had calculated this matter and estimated various future possibilities.
Regardless, Zhang Ruochen had already reached a level that warranted her attention. If she didn't value him, she wouldn't have summoned him on her own initiative. The reason she wanted Zhang Ruochen to join the Death God Palace might be because she was confident enough to make him submit, like taming a wild beast or training a fierce hawk. In the future, he would revere her as his true Heavenly Lord and regard her as his true master.
But wasn't this also a way to keep Zhang Ruochen caged? Only by keeping him by her side could she fully control him. If she kept him outside, no one knew when he might grow to a point where she could no longer handle him.
It was like when Qingtian only crippled Zhang Ruochen's cultivation back then but didn't kill him. Because Qingtian was confident that no matter how high Zhang Ruochen's spiritual power talent was, in the field of spiritual power, he could never escape his grasp.
If one thought deeper, wasn't the Death God Venerable's approach also a way to dismantle the massive forces behind Zhang Ruochen that might form alliances? Killing Zhang Ruochen would cost her a considerable price. But subduing Zhang Ruochen would be a bloodless victory.
Regardless of the reason, if Zhang Ruochen now refused to join the Death God Palace, it would be equivalent to revealing his true intentions, inevitably provoking a fatal strike from the Death God Venerable.
But could Zhang Ruochen join the Death God Palace?
No, he couldn't.
Leaving aside the fact that it would bring him a flood of infamy and cause his allies to abandon him, the Death God Venerable would also force Zhang Ruochen to do many things that went against his will and conscience as a token of allegiance, making him completely sever his past. For example, making Zhang Ruochen lead the Hell Realm army to attack the Hundred Clans Royal City, Xinghuantian, and Kunlun Realm.
Joining the Death God Palace was equivalent to handing over his future destiny to the Death God Venerable.
At this moment, the Death God Venerable seemed to be reasoning with him, appearing to value Zhang Ruochen as a talent. In reality, Zhang Ruochen was in immense danger, hanging by a thread. One wrong word, and he would die today.
Under the gaze of the Death God Palace, cold sweat was already trickling down Zhang Ruochen's back. He bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Feng Tian, for your favor. I am deeply grateful. I hold no resentment toward the Death God Palace or the Destiny Temple."
"I treat Blood Butcher, Bore, and Gong Nanfeng like close brothers and sisters. My interactions with Qing Feiwei, Que, and Xu Rulai are also like friendships between gentlemen. I regard Feng Tian, Fulu Divine Venerable, and Void Heaven as my elders."
"If Feng Tian has heard any rumors, they must have come from malicious villains trying to use your blade to kill. I have offended too many cultivators in the Hell Realm."
"As for the Saint Monk, I did meet him across time and space, but he never asked me to avenge him. He spent his life pursuing the ideal that until hell is empty, he would not become a Buddha. Isn't hatred also a hell within the human heart?"
"If the Saint Monk were alive, he would never want me to cultivate with the goal of revenge. He would rather hope that I could resolve the conflict between the Heavenly Court and Hell, stop the war, and stop the killing."
"With the vision of 'embracing all rivers and encompassing all things,' I am carrying on the Saint Monk's will, tolerating what others cannot, treating all living beings as equal."
"Nothing in this world is simply black or white, right or wrong. Existence itself is its own principle. I do not like killing or destruction, but aren't killing and destruction also means to protect the peace of more people?"
"Moreover, the Calamity of Quantities is approaching, and everything in the world will cease to exist. If we can't even survive, yet keep staring at past hatreds and immediate gains and losses, we are nothing but mediocre people with narrow vision, utterly ridiculous."
"I cannot promise much, but when the Calamity of Quantities arrives, no matter what my cultivation level is, I will draw my sword against the heavens and will not be a coward who clings to life."
The Death God Venerable said, "So, you are rejecting this Heavenly Lord's goodwill and refusing to join the Death God Palace?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling, but that I cannot."
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were sincere, and he immediately added, "Now that the situation on the edge starry sky of the Hell Realm is turbulent, if I were to join the Death God Palace at this time, how would Senior Jiu Tian and the Star Heaven Cliff think? They would surely believe that Feng Tian threatened me, leading to many misunderstandings. If the Star Heaven Cliff and Xinghuantian were to form an alliance with the Heavenly Court, that would definitely not be good for the Hell Realm!"
"Furthermore, although the misunderstanding between Void Heaven Senior and me is not a major issue, if Feng Tian protects me like this, wouldn't he harbor resentment?"
"Would the various forces of the Hell Realm, upon learning that the two Heavenly Lords of the Destiny Temple are at odds, develop other thoughts?"
"If I were to cause internal conflict within the Destiny Temple, I would truly be uneasy."
The Death God Venerable's tone was cold and merciless, "Playing clever tricks in front of this Heavenly Lord is foolish."
"Get lost!"
Although the Death God Venerable had a peerless mind and saw through some of Zhang Ruochen's intentions in his words, allowing him to leave alive clearly meant that Zhang Ruochen had narrowly escaped death from the greatest Death God in the universe.
Zhang Ruochen completely calmed down and took his leave.
Behind him came Bing Huang's voice: "Zhang Ruochen, take a message for this Emperor to the gods of the Undying Divine Temple. Tell them that this Emperor cannot stay on Ice King Star forever."
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen's heart trembled.
Was this a signal that Bing Huang was about to emerge?
Back then, Xiao Hei's mother, A Jiu, died at the hands of the Undying Divine Temple. Although Wubian Divine Venerable and Xiu Chen Heavenly God were also involved, the true culprit must be within the Undying Divine Temple.
If Bing Huang's words were spread, many gods in the Undying Divine Temple would likely be unable to sleep or eat in peace! This should also be helping Xue Jue War God resolve some crises within the clan.
After all, by having Zhang Ruochen spread this message, it was essentially announcing to the world that Bing Huang stood on Xue Jue War God's side.
Blood Butcher and Xiao Hei followed Zhang Ruochen as they left Ice King Star through the wormhole.
Blood Butcher dared to leave like this, undoubtedly with the Death God Venerable's approval.
This was somewhat intriguing!
Zhang Ruochen didn't think that his earlier words could make the Death God Venerable completely give up on killing him. Moreover, she hadn't even asked about the Sundial or the Sword Realm, which was very abnormal. Could it be that in the eyes of a Heavenly Lord-level powerhouse, the Sundial and the Sword Realm were insignificant?
There must be some interests and stakes that Zhang Ruochen couldn't yet see.
Forget about that for now. Getting through the immediate crisis was the top priority.
After passing through the wormhole and arriving at the Blood Heaven Tribe's Wing World, Zhang Ruochen immediately said to Blood Butcher and Xiao Hei, "You two need to help me do a few things, very important things."
Blood Butcher asked cautiously, "Senior Brother, is it dangerous? This Emperor still has injuries."
"No need to fight, just use your mouths. Arrange some secret personnel to spread a few pieces of information, preferably throughout the Hell Realm." Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher immediately relaxed and laughed, "In the Hell Realm, there's nothing this Emperor can't handle."
Zhang Ruochen said, "First piece of information: tell the world that Feng Tian received me on Ice King Star and wanted me to join the Death God Palace."
Hearing this, Blood Butcher's face instantly changed, and he couldn't laugh anymore.
Although this was the truth, Zhang Ruochen was clearly using Feng Tian's prestige to make those gods who didn't know the situation dare not act rashly.
Using a Heavenly Lord?
Zhang Ruochen dared, but he, Blood Butcher, did not.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Xiao Hei, you handle this. After all, it's the truth."
"Second piece of information: still handled by Xiao Hei. Tell the gods of the Undying Blood Clan that Bing Huang is about to emerge, and tell those enemies who killed your mother to calm down. No need to hide this; you can be arrogant."
"Third piece of information: Blood Butcher, you handle this. Announce to the outside that Void Heaven once gave me a sword and treated me like a nephew."
"Fourth piece of information: Heavenly Mother once appeared in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain, and I was traveling with her at the time."
...
Blood Butcher knew full well that Zhang Ruochen was creating momentum!
Behind each piece of information was a cosmic titan. Spreading these messages was like dancing on the edge of a blade. One wrong move, and the Heavenly Lord's wrath would descend, leading to divine form annihilation.
But there was no choice; he had to gamble this once!
If he won this gamble, he should be able to reap quite a few benefits this time.
Zhang Ruochen was well aware of the immense crisis he would face upon arriving in the Hell Realm. Not to mention the storm caused by Wu Yue, the forces behind the gods he killed in the Hundred Clans Royal City battle would never let him go.
Without borrowing power, he had no chance of reaching the Destiny Temple alive.
Even with borrowed power, this journey to the Destiny Temple would inevitably face countless difficulties and obstacles. Dying on the road was entirely possible.
After Blood Butcher and Xiao Hei left, Zhang Ruochen sensed streaks of divine thoughts and spiritual power sweeping over him. The seriousness on his face faded, replaced by a cold smile.
No matter how strong the storm, he would eventually have to face it.
Before he even reached the Blood Absolute Family, Xia Yu had already led a large group of soldiers to welcome him.
Xia Yu wore a Green Feather Heavenly Garment and a Purple Gold Phoenix Hairpin on her head. She was as beautiful as a painting, still not impacting the Divine Realm but accumulating at the Great Saint Supreme Realm, constantly tempering her foundation.
"Greetings, Ruochen Realm Lord."
Xia Yu bowed.
The soldiers of the Blood Absolute Family behind her all knelt down, their voices shaking the heavens.
"Let's go, return to the clan first."
Zhang Ruochen used divine qi to lift Xia Yu and took a Divine Spirit Step, crossing a hundred thousand mountains and rivers in a single step.
"Who injured you?" Zhang Ruochen asked with concern.
Xia Yu could feel the powerful prestige emanating from Zhang Ruochen, like a divine mountain or great peak. She remained relatively calm and said, "There's no need to trouble the Realm Lord with this matter. Just a mere false god; I will take his life myself in the future."