Chapter 3232: Seizing the Esoterica
“Clan Ancestor!”
Xue Ying cried out in anguish, filled with grief and fury, as he flew toward that rocky lake.
Any figure who could reach the level of a Great God had almost always cultivated a Third-Rank Sacred Intent, derived a Third-Rank Divine Path, and could wield Esoterica.
Xue Ying’s Third-Rank Divine Path included the Fist Path, making him a fist-path powerhouse capable of claiming Fist Path Esoterica.
Charging into the rocky lake, Xue Ying ignored the chaotic and scorching divine flames and energy currents. He did not search for Xue Changjin’s remains, Divine Source, or relics; instead, he directly began to seize the Fist Path Esoterica.
Other gods who cultivated the Fist Path were eager to act, but this was, after all, the territory of the Eastern Ghost Emperor’s Mansion, and no one dared to make a reckless move.
Xue Ying’s behavior did not strike them as strange. If they were in his place, they too would have hoped for Xue Changjin’s early death, allowing them to seize the Fist Path Esoterica, grow stronger, and use that momentum to become the new clan ancestor of the Xue Clan.
Among them, some ancient gods cast their gazes toward Zhang Ruochen, suspicion flickering in their eyes.
After all, he had previously insisted that Xue Changjin was a Quantifier. Now that Xue Changjin had fallen, there was no Quantifier Mark inside his body, nor anything related to the Quantity Organization left behind.
Seizing the Fist Path Esoterica was Zhang Ruochen’s primary goal in coming to Fengdu Ghost City—how could he let it slip through his fingers?
“Xue Ying, rushing over so urgently—are you trying to cover up the traces of Xue Changjin being a Quantifier?”
Zhang Ruochen shouted loudly, raising the Earth Cauldron as he flew toward that rocky lake.
“Gong Shang, what exactly do you want? Enough is enough! Otherwise, the Ghost Clan will be at war with you today, to the death.”
“Xue Changjin has fallen—today is a day of great sorrow for Fengdu Ghost City. Who dares to cause trouble?”
Several Ghost Clan Great Gods charged out to intercept Zhang Ruochen.
Each of them was an ancient god who had shaken the ages for several Eons. Some unleashed their Divine Realm Worlds, others manifested Ghost City Shadows, and still others released their Supreme Sacred Artifact war weapons.
They were genuinely enraged, deeply suspecting that Gong Shang had defected to the Heavenly Court and released Chi Chaluo, leading to Xue Changjin’s fall and nearly sparking a bloody war between the Ghost Clan and the Underworld Clan.
His intentions were utterly venomous.
One of the Ghost Clan Great Gods sneered coldly, “You claim Xue Changjin was a Quantifier, but the facts are right before us—what explanation do you have? Was there any inside story behind the death of Heavenly God Jin Jue?”
This Ghost Clan Great God, named Chao Ye, was the deputy city lord of Qingfeng Ghost City, ruling over six Yin realms, a true regional overlord.
“What status do you have? What status do I, the Heavenly Son, hold? You want an explanation—are you worthy?”
Zhang Ruochen let out a long roar, releasing his Dark Divine Qi as a Styx River materialized. The Styx surged violently, its roar shaking the void, coiling like a winding divine dragon as it lashed out at Chao Ye.
“Boom!”
The Ghost City Shadow that Chao Ye had raised was shattered by the Styx, and his divine body was sent flying.
The Styx crashed into another Ghost Clan Great God, charging into his Divine Realm World and clashing directly with his true form.
Moments later, the Styx pierced through the vast Divine Realm World, soaring into the sky and flying outward. That Ghost Clan Great God was suppressed within the Styx, constantly releasing purple lightning but unable to escape.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
...
The Styx rampaged wildly. In just three breaths, it had suppressed six or seven Ghost Clan Great Gods, then flung them away. Each was left in a sorry state, their dignity and heroic bearing as Great Gods utterly lost.
Zhang Ruochen was unstoppable, as if a sea of divine energy were contained within his body, his power inexhaustible. Every god who attacked him was sent flying.
As for attacks from gods below the Great God level, he simply ignored them—they couldn’t even reach him before being dissolved by the Origin Divine Light erupting from the Earth Cauldron, breaking down into energy particles.
This was the might of a top-tier Tai Xu Great God. As long as no Boundless-level being appeared, he could dominate the world.
“Xue Ying, has Xue Changjin truly fallen?”
Zhang Ruochen blew a breath from his mouth, condensing it into a phantom of a Nether Ancestor, dozens of feet tall. It threw a punch, sending Xue Ying, who was at the Tai Bai realm, flying through the air.
A cold gleam flashed in Xue Ying’s eyes as he quickly stabilized his form in the void. “Gong Shang, you’re far too reckless. This is Fengdu...”
Knowing he was no match for Zhang Ruochen, he sought to stir up the xenophobic sentiments of the gods in Fengdu Ghost City, uniting all forces against this formidable enemy.
Zhang Ruochen hurled the Earth Cauldron at him. Xue Ying tried to flee but was horrified to find space itself locked down, as if countless invisible chains bound his body. Even moving a finger was excruciatingly difficult.
What kind of divine ability was this?
He naturally had no idea that he was already trapped within the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram of the Wuji Divine Dao.
Within eighteen zhang—such a close distance—this was Zhang Ruochen’s domain. Even an ordinary Tai Xu initial-stage Great God in Xue Ying’s position would fare little better.
“Boom!”
Xue Ying’s ghostly divine body exploded, turning into a dense ghost cloud hundreds of miles in diameter.
Zhang Ruochen did not kill him, fearing it would provoke the Ghost Clan’s collective wrath.
Xue Changjin’s Fist Path Esoterica amounted to about three percent, while Xue Ying’s was one percent. Zhang Ruochen took them all. He was tempted to use this opportunity to retrieve the Quantifier’s mask and robe from Liang Ji.
But in the end, he restrained himself.
For now, clearing his own name was secondary to eradicating the source of the Quantity Organization—the most important task.
Zhang Ruochen never considered himself a savior, but a person must have some pursuits in life. Cultivation was not merely about seeking power; the meaning of power lay in whether one’s convictions could be realized.
When weak, one cultivates oneself. When strong, one must benefit the world.
If the Quantity Organization was not destroyed, the universe would never know peace.
Ending the chaotic age and quelling conflicts might be overreaching. But destroying the Quantity Organization—eliminating these petty schemers who deliberately sowed turmoil, contradictions, and hatred—was something achievable, even at the cost of his life.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed danger. A powerful divine thought locked onto him.
He looked up and saw Hun Qi, who should have been outside the Ghost God Hall, hovering in midair with a war blade in hand, staring at him.
After just a moment’s gaze, Hun Qi’s eyes shifted toward the Eastern Ghost Emperor’s Mansion.
“Shua!”
A nearly formless shadow, moving at an extraordinary speed, shot out of the Ghost Emperor’s Mansion, piercing through layers of formation light barriers, and fled toward the outer universe.
Fewer than five gods present detected its aura, a testament to its terrifyingly high spiritual power.
“Shua!”
Absolute Zen Nun stepped out of the Ghost Emperor’s Mansion in a single stride, holding the Mani Pearl. Buddha light illuminated thousands of miles of the city, and the divine power fluctuations pushed many nearby gods away.
The next moment, under countless divine gazes, she vanished from her spot.
Again, fewer than five gods could see how she had left.
All the gods outside the Ghost Emperor’s Mansion were drawn by the overwhelming aura Absolute Zen Nun had unleashed, confusion spreading among them.
“So strong! Is Absolute Zen Nun pursuing some mysterious powerhouse?”
“She’s already left the Ghost Emperor’s Mansion, heading into the outer universe.”
“Let’s go! Follow her!”
...
Several Tai Xu realm Great Gods, confident in their profound cultivation, chased after her into the heavens.
Hun Qi was about to give chase when his gaze suddenly fell on another direction. A faint red light flickered there, rapidly receding. It was the direction Chi Chaluo had fled. If he didn’t pursue now, he would escape.
Before chasing Chi Chaluo, Hun Qi cast another glance at Zhang Ruochen, a threatening look in his eyes.
Zhang Ruochen, wearing his mask, met his gaze calmly.
As Hun Qi disappeared from view, Zhang Ruochen immediately used his Space-Time Secret Art to vanish into the dense ghost mist, fleeing toward the outer heavens.
He didn’t know if Hun Qi had seen through something, but it didn’t matter. This time, Fengdu Ghost City owed him a favor—he had done nothing to wrong them.
Besides, even if Hun Qi didn’t appreciate it, he couldn’t do anything to him.
The ghost mist quickly condensed back into Xue Ying’s form. Gnashing his teeth in fury, he roared, “Gong Shang has seized my Fist Path Esoterica! Activate the Killing Divine Formation and suppress him! Now!”
The gods of the Eastern Ghost Emperor’s Mansion exchanged glances, extending their divine senses outward. Where could Gong Shang still be found?
Few among them even knew how Gong Shang had disappeared.
Flying out of Fengdu Ghost City and into the starry sky, Zhang Ruochen sensed someone pursuing him. He stopped.
The next moment, Hai Shang Youyou appeared before him like a graceful young girl. “You’re just going to leave like that?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head gently. “It’s not over yet. There’s a terrifyingly powerful spiritual master among the Quantity Organization. Absolute Zen Nun has already gone after them—I need to go help her.”
(Chapter End)