Chapter 3122: Saving Father
Of the seven Sword Ancestor Soul Swords, Bore ultimately accepted only one.
The Love Sword.
Perhaps she was unwilling to completely sever her attachment to love and affection, choosing instead to guard it with the Love Sword.
Using Zhang Ruochen's sword to protect the feelings in her heart.
After parting with Bore, Zhang Ruochen went to see Pu Chuanqi, who was imprisoned in the Nutian Divine Palace. Pu Chuanqi's divine blood was continuously extracted to refine Blood Pills.
His divine soul was constantly drawn out to refine Soul Pills.
These Blood Pills and Soul Pills were to be used to heal Bore's injuries.
Once a peak-level Grand Void existence, with the potential to even challenge the Infinite Realm in the future, he had fallen to such a miserable state—truly pitiable.
However, Zhang Ruochen did not believe Pu Chuanqi would be imprisoned here forever. After all, he was a top-tier powerhouse, and his crimes had not yet reached the level of a capital offense.
Once someone like this escaped, he would surely seek frenzied revenge.
...
The Bright Emperor, Zhang Ling, cultivated the Black and White Dual Body. After being tempered by the Shura War Soul Sea, he took the alias "Abandoned Heaven," completely transformed into a member of the Shura Clan, and later joined the Heavenly Fate Department of the Destiny Temple.
Since he was a god of the Heavenly Fate Department, no matter how great his transgression, he would ultimately be brought back to the department for punishment.
Imprisoned in the Destiny Temple's divine prison, Zhang Ling was suffering the "Ghost Mill Torture."
A hundred ghosts pulled a millstone the size of a palace, grinding Zhang Ling's divine body into a pulp. After being crushed, his divine body would reform.
The next day, it would be crushed again.
What was crushed was not just flesh and blood, but also his divine soul.
Day after day, year after year.
Yet they would never completely kill him, leaving him time to recover.
"Abandoned Heaven, do you know how many times you've been crushed?" Luo Cunzhen stood beside the stone mill, sneering.
Zhang Ling was bound by divine chains, suspended above the millstone, his hair disheveled. He no longer had the vigor of a thousand years ago, appearing like a decrepit old man. He whispered, "Fourteen thousand and seven times."
"Remembering so clearly? Your mental will is strong indeed. Hmph, increase the punishment!" Luo Cunzhen's eyes were filled with malice as he barked.
Back then, when the Lord of the Fallen God Island was imprisoned in the deepest level of the Destiny Temple's divine prison, Luo Cunzhen was one of the top three powerhouses under the Heavenly Fate Venerable.
The Heavenly Fate Venerable had gone to the Jade Desolate Realm, leaving Luo Cunzhen in charge of the Heavenly Fate Department.
It was because of the traitor Abandoned Heaven, who led the Dragon Lord into the Fate Divine Mountain, reaching the deepest prison to rescue the Lord of the Fallen God Island, that Luo Cunzhen was demoted from his glorious position as the Grand Divine Punisher of the Heavenly Fate Department to this sunless place.
How could he not harbor hatred?
If not for the orders of the Death God Venerable and the Venerable to spare Abandoned Heaven's life, he would have devoured him long ago.
"Stop!"
A cold shout rang in Luo Cunzhen's ears.
"Bang! Bang!"
Blood Butcher led the way, knocking down a group of Heavenly Fate Sacred Guards, and charged before Luo Cunzhen.
Luo Cunzhen, clad in iron armor, stood suspended in the air. He glanced coldly at Blood Butcher and snorted, "Are the gods of the Death God Palace so arrogant as to dare storm my Heavenly Fate Department's divine prison? Today, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of Feng Tian."
A tangible shadow flew out from Luo Cunzhen's body, swift as lightning, and struck a palm toward Blood Butcher.
Even as a mere avatar, Luo Cunzhen's divine power was immense. As the palm struck, Blood Butcher felt the world spin, his body frozen, as if an invisible force was about to tear him apart.
"Boom!"
Zhang Ruochen, hands behind his back, teleported in front of Blood Butcher and directly shattered Luo Cunzhen's avatar with his body.
All divine power instantly dissipated into nothingness within the space.
Luo Cunzhen recognized Zhang Ruochen and sneered, "Abandoned Heaven, your son is here! I never thought that in just a hundred years, his cultivation would have grown so strong."
"Whoosh!"
Luo Cunzhen pointed a finger, and streams of corpse energy surged out, transforming into chains, axes, war swords, bone hammers... tens of thousands of weapons, all like divine arms, pressing down on Zhang Ruochen like a sky-covering storm.
Zhang Ruochen leaped into the air, throwing punch after punch, forming the phantom of a heavenly river, shattering the weapons and dispersing the corpse energy.
Finally, he struck a punch right before Luo Cunzhen.
Blood Butcher was startled and shouted, "Senior Brother!"
This was not the time when the Jade Desolate Realm was open, and the Heavenly Fate Venerable was right there in the Heavenly Fate Department. Beating those Sacred Guards was one thing, but if he injured a Grand God of the Heavenly Fate Department, it would not be easy to resolve.
The fist wind carried densely packed, bright runes, blowing against Luo Cunzhen, forcing his protective divine light to manifest.
Luo Cunzhen was greatly alarmed. He had never expected Zhang Ruochen to be this powerful, breaking through to him in an instant. Underestimating his opponent, he had nearly suffered a major loss.
But he quickly regained his composure and laughed, "Realm Lord Ruochen, you have quite the imposing manner. Do you think the Heavenly Fate Department is a place for you to run wild? I will stand right here without moving. If that punch of yours lands, I guarantee you will never leave the Heavenly Fate Department's divine prison in this lifetime... Ah... you..."
"Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen threw a heavy punch, shattering layer after layer of Luo Cunzhen's protective divine light, sending him crashing into the stone mill.
"Boom!" The stone mill shattered.
The hundred ghosts pulling the mill were all obliterated, their souls scattered.
Zhang Ruochen could not suppress the rage in his heart. He flew into the air, using his divine sword to sever the chains binding Zhang Ling. His eyes were filled with bitterness and sorrow. "Father, I... I came too late..."
Zhang Ling opened his wrinkled eyes, staring intently at Zhang Ruochen. A long-lost excitement stirred within him, but he restrained himself tightly. He sighed, "You shouldn't have come. This is all my fault, and I must bear it. Leave now!"
"Zhang Ruochen, do you think you can take him away? With such arrogance, you will only make him suffer more."
Luo Cunzhen's divine light blazed like a scorching star, his cold, fierce laughter echoing through the prison, causing the Sacred Guards to flee in terror.
Even Blood Butcher quickly retreated to the prison entrance.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Luo Cunzhen, then turned back to Zhang Ling. "Father, wait for me to return."
Zhang Ruochen crossed space, heading toward the prison exit.
"Where do you think you're going? I told you, you will never leave the Heavenly Fate Department's divine prison in this lifetime!"
Luo Cunzhen unleashed his Divine Realm World, enveloping the entire prison. Gray corpse energy coiled toward Zhang Ruochen, accompanied by countless rules and divine patterns.
"Rage Sword!"
The Sword Ancestor Soul Sword flew out from Zhang Ruochen's body, like a meteor in the night sky.
"Pfft!"
The sword pierced through Luo Cunzhen's Divine Realm World, piercing his body.
This ancient, top-tier powerhouse of the Destiny Temple instantly went limp, falling from midair, unable to rise from the ground for a long time.
Blood Butcher was stunned, worried sick.
This was the Heavenly Fate Department's territory. Luo Cunzhen was one of the top three Grand Gods under the Heavenly Fate Venerable. If Zhang Ruochen severely wounded him like this, how could the Heavenly Fate Venerable not be furious?
"Watch over this place. I'll be back soon."
Zhang Ruochen walked past Blood Butcher and headed straight for the Destiny Temple.
Void Heaven seemed to have anticipated his return, still seated on the divine throne. "Why are you back again? Who let him in? Do I, Void Heaven, have to see every junior who wants an audience?"
Que stood at the temple entrance, eyes closed in meditation, thinking to himself, *It was you, old man, who ordered earlier that if Zhang Ruochen came again, he should not be stopped.*
Zhang Ruochen knelt on the spot.
"Why are you kneeling?" Void Heaven asked.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Ruochen kneels to heaven and earth above, and to his parents below. To save his parents, he would sacrifice his life, let alone kneel."
"Oh, so you want to save your father? That won't do. Your father's crime is unforgivable," Void Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen replied, "To the Destiny Temple, my father's crime is indeed unforgivable. But Void Heaven must have a way, otherwise you wouldn't have instructed the Heavenly Fate Venerable to let me go."
Void Heaven shook his head vigorously, frowning. "I could release your father with a single word. But if I do, the dignity and laws of the Destiny Temple will be shattered. From now on, wouldn't everyone dare to betray the temple? Wouldn't everyone dare to oppose the Destiny Temple?"
Zhang Ruochen understood. "What are Void Heaven's conditions? Name them."
"Three conditions!"
Void Heaven smiled. "First, you must stay in the Destiny Temple for a while. Yes, I intend to keep you by my side. Do you accept?"
"I accept."
Void Heaven said, "I will leave the Fate Divine Mountain for a time. You won't try to escape, will you?"
"Absolutely not."
Void Heaven nodded. "Second, you must go to the Kunlun Realm and retrieve the Sword Heart for me."
"Sword Heart?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"The Sword Ancestor's Eight Absolutes: Heart is supreme, Source is fundamental. To cultivate Sword Twenty-Four, since you haven't found the Sword Source, you must use the Sword Heart as a substitute," Void Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "But I don't know where the Sword Heart is."
"The Sword Grave!"
Void Heaven added, "I'm not asking you to retrieve it now. With your current cultivation, you couldn't. But you must promise. I trust you, Zhang Ruochen. I know that once you promise something, you will fulfill it."
"Alright, I promise."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "What is the third condition?"
Void Heaven thought for a moment. "Forget it. I'll think of it later."
"Why not think of it now, Senior Void Heaven?" Zhang Ruochen said.
An unstated condition was always the hardest to fulfill.
Void Heaven said, "I think it's fine to keep your father in the Heavenly Fate Department."
Zhang Ruochen had no choice but to compromise. "The third condition—Void Heaven can think of it later. How does Void Heaven plan to save my father?"
Void Heaven was very satisfied with Zhang Ruochen's attitude and laughed. "Releasing him is impossible. But I am about to forge a divine sword, and I happen to need a sword servant to watch the furnace."
"Thank you, Void Heaven."
Zhang Ruochen smiled bitterly inwardly. His lifeline was now truly in Void Heaven's hands.
This old man was too shrewd, calculating everything.
He appeared to be helping, but in reality, he was firmly binding Zhang Ruochen.
"May I ask when Ruochen can leave the Fate Divine Mountain? I mean, to go to the Kunlun Realm to retrieve the Sword Heart for Void Heaven," Zhang Ruochen said.
Void Heaven said, "Que will take you to the Future God Palace. He will tell you when you can leave."
The Past God Palace and the Future God Palace were two of the Destiny Temple's twelve god palaces.
After Zhang Ruochen and Que left, Ting Yunsheng returned to the Destiny Temple and reported, "Void Heaven, Moposha is dead!"
"Dead? Damn it! I said I wanted him alive, alive! Are you, Ting Yunsheng, so bold as to disregard my orders?" Void Heaven thundered in rage.
Ting Yunsheng immediately knelt on one knee. "It was all Xue Jue! News was sent back to the Blood Heaven Tribe in advance. When Xue Jue learned that Moposha was framing him, he rose up and killed him. Xue Jue's temper is known throughout the world—no one could stop him. Right now, he has made war banners from the skin of Moposha and Qingyuntai and is leading the gods to the Azure Heaven Tribe to seek justice for his fallen son."
(Chapter End)