Chapter: 3233 - Death and Resurrection
"Absolute Wonder Zen Master has profound cultivation, where would she need your help? Don't be too arrogant. Spiritual power experts often carry divine talismans, divine formations, and other treasures far surpassing their own strength. Once used, even a Grand Void Great God might not withstand them and could be refined to death," said Haishang Youruo.
Zhang Ruochen smiled. "Can I take this as you caring about my safety? Has the charm of the Carefree Sword God already conquered you, the noble Life Master God of the Destiny Temple?"
Haishang Youruo rolled her eyes. "I think you're really getting carried away."
Zhang Ruochen's smile faded, and he turned serious. "Let's talk business. I think you're right—surrounding and killing a spiritual power expert at the eighty-fourth rank is no easy task. If the opponent chooses to self-destruct their divine heart, no one can stop them. So, where is Feng Tian? For such a tricky matter, we need her, the elder, to step in."
Haishang Youruo said, "Feng Tian has gone to pursue Huang'e Divine Lord. It's very possible she has already left Fengdu Ghost City and entered the deep void of the universe."
Zhang Ruochen took a strand of Mu Lingxi's hair from his bosom and grabbed a clump of corpse energy with his other hand. He closed his eyes to deduce and sense.
That clump of corpse energy was collected from the Divine Mountain after killing the Yin Shang Corpse Queen, who had slain Huang'e Divine Lord.
After a long moment, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes, sensing a general direction. But it was too far away, already beyond the Wugui Forest. Moreover, the connection was intermittent.
"How is it?" Haishang Youruo asked.
"Too far away. If I go to find them, even if I succeed, I'll lose my perception of Absolute Wonder Zen Master's side. However, there is an unexpected gain." Zhang Ruochen smiled meaningfully.
"What unexpected gain?"
"You're a Master God who has cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years and is proficient in the Path of Fate. Can't you deduce it yourself? You ask me everything—do you have no opinion of your own?"
Zhang Ruochen suppressed his aura and flew off in a certain direction.
Haishang Youruo was stunned. Couldn't she even ask a single question?
To deduce Feng Tian and Huang'e Divine Lord was no easy feat!
She felt Zhang Ruochen was doing this deliberately, retaliating for what had happened before.
Because Haishang Youruo hadn't told him that Feng Tian had come to Fengdu Ghost City. Instead, she had lied, claiming she had learned of his identity from Bore.
Haishang Youruo caught up and saw Zhang Ruochen holding a clump of ghostly energy in his hand.
The aura of the ghostly energy belonged to Xue Ying.
Haishang Youruo immediately used the Path of Fate to deduce. Soon, she discovered Xue Ying, who was moving stealthily with his aura concealed, a Divine Spirit Step away.
Xue Ying was very cautious. He didn't use the Divine Spirit Step, fearing that spatial fluctuations would alert powerful experts.
A strange look appeared in Haishang Youruo's eyes. "Xue Ying is acting suspiciously. Where is he going..."
She wanted to ask a question, but recalling Zhang Ruochen's attitude earlier, she shut her mouth and snorted.
"Follow him and see, won't we know?" Zhang Ruochen said.
He seemed to have guessed something, a deep light shining in his eyes.
He glanced at Haishang Youruo. Seeing her adorable expression, devoid of the majesty and rigidity of a top-tier Great God, she reminded him of his daughter, Hongchen.
Hongchen must have looked like this when she was little.
Having just obtained the Fist Path Esoterica, Zhang Ruochen was in a good mood. So, he felt like teasing her again. He said earnestly, "Don't be upset. You really rely on me too much. You need to learn to think independently. You're not a naive little girl who knows nothing of the world. You're a future ruler who will inherit the Life Divine Palace. Cultivation is important, but so are methods."
Haishang Youruo's state of mind was nearly pierced by his words. "Who relies on you? Can we talk properly? Don't act like an elder. In terms of age, I could be your grandmother and more!"
"How can you say that?"
"What did I say?"
"You said it yourself. Cultivators should have long abandoned the concept of age. Everything is determined by cultivation level—seniority and respect. I'm stronger than you now, so I count as your elder. Pointing out your shortcomings is for your own good. Why are you getting angry? Honest advice is hard to swallow." Zhang Ruochen shook his head and sighed, as if disappointed in her.
Haishang Youruo was so furious she was panting, her chest heaving. "What makes you think you're stronger than me? Haven't you been beaten enough in the Five Realms Heaven? Want to fight? How about we see right now who the elder really is?"
Haishang Youruo was starting to understand. It must be because she had taught Zhang Ruochen a lesson too many times in the Five Realms Heaven. Although he had won the final battle, he had left in a hurry soon after. He must still be holding a grudge.
Men, after gaining some strength, easily get cocky and think they're something again.
Having been humiliated before, he wanted to retaliate, trying to get the upper hand in everything. Clearly, he was provoking her into a fight.
Haishang Youruo said, "You're improving, but so am I. Don't be too arrogant. Be careful—if you lose, you'll have no face left."
"Really want to fight?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Haishang Youruo glanced sideways. Obviously, you're the one who wants to fight.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Alright, I accept your challenge. But if you lose, from now on, whenever you see me, you have to call me 'big brother' affectionately. And whatever 'big brother' orders, you have to do immediately—like massaging my back and shoulders, serving tea, and paying respects."
Haishang Youruo naturally wouldn't back down. "Fine! If you lose, from now on, whenever we meet, you have to call me 'big sister'—no, 'godmother'—no, that's still not right. Wouldn't that make me a generation younger than Xue Jue? Call me 'great-grandmother'! Yes, that's it."
"Isn't that going too far?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Haishang Youruo said, "Chen'er, this isn't going too far at all. Given my age, it wouldn't be excessive for you to call me 'ancestor.'"
"Eh!"
Zhang Ruochen stopped bickering with her and looked ahead. He found that Xue Ying had disappeared!
"How could he suddenly vanish?"
Haishang Youruo, afraid that Zhang Ruochen would find another excuse to lecture her, quickly said, "I understand!"
She extended her slender jade fingers, cutting through the void like a sword, and stepped into the Void World.
After flying in the Void World for a short while, she stopped and held her hands as if embracing something. Between her fair, creamy arms, a circular Fate Light Mirror appeared.
On the mirror, two figures appeared.
One was Xue Ying, and the other was Xue Changjin.
They were a thousand miles away. Xue Ying was reporting something to Xue Changjin.
Haishang Youruo's beautiful eyes widened in shock. A person who had already died had come back to life!
She looked at Zhang Ruochen and found him very calm, as if he had expected this all along.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Xue Changjin is an existence on the Divine Soul Ranking. How could he be so easily ground down by Chi Chaluo? If I'm not mistaken, the one killed was just Xue Changjin's doppelganger. His true body took this opportunity to move from the light to the shadows, completely hiding himself."
"This not only clears the world's suspicion of him but also solidifies my identity as the Liang Organization agent!"
Suddenly, Haishang Youruo said, "He's discovered us spying."
On the Fate Light Mirror, Xue Changjin's gaze turned toward them, extremely cold.
"Shua! Shua!"
In an instant, Xue Changjin and Xue Ying appeared before them. The divine qi and rules emanating from their bodies dispersed the void, as if opening up two worlds within it.
A flash of sword light, and an icy crystal cold sword appeared in Haishang Youruo's hand. "Xue Changjin, you really are a scheming old fox. You almost fooled all the gods of the Hell Realm!"
"What does Haishang Great God mean by that? The reason I survived from Chi Chaluo's hands is entirely because I left a backup plan, splitting my soul body in two. But even so, I still lost half my cultivation. I can only be considered a half-crippled man now. In the future, the Infinite Realm is hard to achieve." Xue Changjin sighed.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is that so? If that's the case, why did Xue Ying sneak over here? If I'm not mistaken, under normal circumstances, he should be bringing the Divine Source and Fist Path Esoterica to you right now."
"Unfortunately, both of those things have been taken by me, the Heavenly Son!"
Zhang Ruochen took out a Divine Source and held it in his hand.
"So you secretly took them away!" Xue Ying said angrily, divine flames burning in his eyes.
Xue Changjin remained very calm. "Since Gong Heavenly Son likes them, take them as a gift. After all, I've lived for seven hundred thousand years and am already a man on the verge of death. These things are useless to me."
Who would believe that?
Zhang Ruochen said, "Capturing Tang Lan and killing Tang Lan—was that all your plan? You used Chi Chaluo's hand to kill yourself, thereby clearing your own and Shen Tu Ghost Emperor's suspicion."
"Just that battle between you and Chi Chaluo caused heavy losses to Fengdu Ghost City. It can be predicted that in the future, the Eastern Ghost Emperor Mansion and the Western Ghost Emperor Mansion will be at odds for a long time, with hatred continuing among the younger generations."
"Moreover, Zhang Ruochen's identity as the Liang Organization agent will have no chance of being overturned, and he will be rejected by all cultivators under heaven."
"How many birds with one stone? What a brilliant scheme!"
Haishang Youruo picked up where Zhang Ruochen left off. "Unfortunately, it all fell apart at the last step. You underestimated the people of this world, thinking you could manipulate everyone. Now, will you surrender without a fight, or do you want to struggle a bit more?"
Xue Changjin no longer tried to deny it. He looked at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Actually, our plan has been in the works for decades. There's no way it should have failed so miserably."
"The biggest flaw is you. You are definitely not Gong Shang."
"Gong Shang might have some cunning schemes, but he absolutely doesn't have your courage, responsibility, or wisdom. He would never dare to openly oppose Huang'e Divine Lord, would never break into the Western Ghost Emperor Mansion without any benefit, and could never see through everything so thoroughly."
"You single-handedly dismantled our decades-long plan. You are a remarkable figure, old man, and I admire you. But who exactly are you?"
...
Only five thousand words again. It's over, it's over...
(Chapter End)