Chapter 3272: Gazing Across the Void
In the empty void, Feng Tian strolled forward, behind her an endless sea of divine flames and gray deathly aura. Such momentum was enough to force all cultivators of a great realm to kneel and prostrate themselves.
"Xiu Chen, with your current cultivation, you dare to casually evaluate a Heavenly One behind their back? If I, this Heavenly One, were not mindful of past ties, you would already be scattered soul and dissipated form."
The voice was cold, each word piercing.
"Shua!"
Without a word, Xiu Chen Heavenly God flew into the sundial and vanished.
With insufficient cultivation, one naturally could not be too assertive. No matter how unwilling to accept defeat, one had to endure.
Feng Tian, whether speaking to herself or to Zhang Ruochen, said: "Xiu Chen is too sharp-edged, extreme in temperament, and looks down on everyone. Her current circumstances instead temper her nature. Perhaps this is a good thing."
Zhang Ruochen did not respond, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
Sharp-edged, extreme in temperament, looking down on everyone—wasn't that describing yourself?
Feng Tian perceived Zhang Ruochen's expression and knew what he was thinking. Too lazy to say more, she spoke in an unyielding tone: "Come with me!"
Strands of death divine qi descended upon Zhang Ruochen.
With a flicker of form, when he landed again, Zhang Ruochen found himself in a patch of darkness. Feng Tian stood a few steps ahead, having completely restrained her divine power, no longer possessing that heaven-overshadowing momentum.
They stood atop the body of the algae creature.
Feng Tian's back was like a painting, her long hair hanging naturally, like a bright light in the endless darkness.
At a certain moment, Zhang Ruochen sensed her life.
Not a true life fluctuation, but a feeling of life. This signified that she was not a true incarnation of death, but a woman of flesh and blood.
Perhaps, she was a phoenix.
In truth, Feng Tian and Xiu Chen Heavenly God were still different. During her weak period, Feng Tian was nothing like Xiu Chen's arrogance and pride. She would flee when needed, hide when needed, use schemes when needed, and would never stubbornly fight head-on.
Her looking down on everyone stemmed entirely from her powerful cultivation. Why should she bother to regard cultivators weaker than herself?
Her sharp edge was the momentum she used to overcome enemies. Just like the same blade—used to kill, or hidden in its sheath unused—the deterrent power formed was as different as heaven and earth.
If Feng Tian restrained her edge, how could she still intimidate the world?
Just as even though Zhang Ruochen was the divine envoy of Heavenly Mother, countless enemies still dared to attack him. This was because Heavenly Mother, this blade, had long been hidden in its sheath, having not killed for many years, lacking sufficient deterrent power.
The two of them stood atop the algae creature's body. Before long, they flew out of the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain. Above their heads, a colorful starry sky appeared.
From beginning to end, Feng Tian remained silent, and Zhang Ruochen did not take the initiative to ask about the battle's outcome.
"Hua!"
Feng Tian waved her long sleeve. Heaven and earth rules rapidly condensed, space-time drew close, as if billions of stars were compressed and then flew away.
Zhang Ruochen looked over and found the Starry Sky Defense Line appearing as close as if within arm's reach.
"Hong long!"
Bian Zhuang War God, as if incarnating as a world-covering divine demon, crushed space and punched away seven divine artifacts. The Hell Realm deities on the parasol tree all flew out, some divine bodies exploding into yin clouds.
"Hmph!"
Feng Tian's eyes turned slightly cold, her jet-black long hair flying up.
This humph sound pierced through time and space, reaching the space where the Starry Sky Defense Line was located.
Bian Zhuang War God turned back to look, meeting Feng Tian's gaze.
Zhang Ruochen's heart trembled, feeling as if Bian Zhuang War God was looking this way. Was this the visual range of an Infinite Realm existence?
Separated by billions of miles, they could still gaze at each other across space.
"A pity, still a step too late."
Feng Tian's voice was flat, but Zhang Ruochen clearly saw her hands hidden in her sleeves, ten fingers clenched tightly. Clearly, her inner state was not as calm as her surface.
Bian Zhuang War God and Feng Tian gazed at each other for a long while before retreating into the Starry Sky Defense Line.
He was too heavily injured. If not for the fact that earlier, Feng Tian's divine power had suddenly weakened by a large margin, he probably would not have been able to timely break free from the suppression of the seven divine artifacts.
The heaven and earth rules dispersed, and the space above returned to normal, no longer able to see the Starry Sky Defense Line.
"If you want to ask something, ask. If you don't ask, I, this Heavenly One, will ask you first. Where is the Sword Realm?" Feng Tian's cold eyes fixed on his, wanting to see through his true heart.
Too cold, too sharp.
Zhang Ruochen averted his gaze and said: "The Sword Realm was destroyed long ago and no longer exists in the world."
"Do you think I, this Heavenly One, truly dare not kill you? Your only use lies in the Nine Cauldrons. If I have a divine king or divine venerable seize your body, naturally I can use your First-Rank Divine Path to work for me, this Heavenly One." Feng Tian said.
Zhang Ruochen straightened his spine, resisting Feng Tian's divine soul pressure, and said: "If Feng Tian wants someone to seize my body, I naturally cannot resist. If Feng Tian wants to know where the Sword Realm is, just search my soul directly. Go ahead!"
Silence.
A long silence.
A trace of divine flame appeared in Feng Tian's eyes, a mix of icy intent and angry emotion.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God inside the sundial felt that Zhang Ruochen was courting death.
If he didn't die from this, it must be true love.
Zhang Ruochen was also somewhat worried, nervous inside, but he couldn't really take her to the Sword Realm, could he? He always kept one sentence in his heart: "Feng Tian's feathers must be stroked against the grain."
If he truly compromised and showed weakness, that would probably be when disaster struck.
"If not for Heavenly Mother's face, I, this Heavenly One, would have long had someone seize your body." Feng Tian said.
Seeing Feng Tian take a step back, Zhang Ruochen quickly bowed and performed a salute, giving her enough face to step down, and said: "Thank you, Feng Tian, for sparing my life! In truth, the reason Yuqing Ancestral Master and the Empress appeared in the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain truly has nothing to do with the Sword Realm. It is because of the Sword God Hall!"
Before leaving, Yuqing's hint to Zhang Ruochen was that, if absolutely necessary, he could take Feng Tian to the Sword God Hall.
After all, even if Zhang Ruochen was a Heavenly One's man, he couldn't go against a Heavenly One.
Yuqing's appearance needed a reasonable explanation.
Feng Tian's expression softened slightly, and she said: "Do you know where the Sword God Hall is?"
"I do." Zhang Ruochen said.
Feng Tian said: "You suddenly became so sensible?"
"Having witnessed Feng Tian's great divine power, I dare not hide anything in my heart. Moreover..." Zhang Ruochen paused, gathering his emotions, and said: "Moreover, Feng Tian gave up the vision of sweeping away the Heavenly Court and came to save Ruochen. Ruochen is deeply moved!"
"I, this Heavenly One, saved you for reasons you know well in your heart. If you truly understand gratitude, first refine this Thunder Clan divine king!"
Feng Tian did not become suspicious. After all, in her view, even if the Sword Realm truly existed, the most important thing would be the Sword God Hall.
Zhang Ruochen being able to reveal the secret of the Sword God Hall was already commendable.
Feng Tian spread open her right palm, using strands of rule chains to drag Shide Divine King out from inside the algae creature's body, floating above her palm.
Zhang Ruochen took out the Earth Cauldron, lifting it with divine qi.
"Pa!"
Feng Tian flipped her hand, slapping Shide Divine King into the Earth Cauldron, smashing his divine body into bloody mud.
"Oh, and this!"
Behind her, a gray Gate of Destiny appeared, from which flew half a piece of flesh and blood.
This half-piece of flesh and blood contained powerful divine nature, causing lightning to flash and thunder to rumble continuously in the surrounding starry sky. The electric light shattered stars millions of miles away.
The divine power fluctuation here was sensed by deities in the Hundred Clans Royal City far beyond the distant star domain, all panicking and uneasy.
Zhang Ruochen looked at that half-piece of flesh and blood, the corner of his mouth twitching, and said: "This is Lei Zu's divine body?"
"Lei Wanjue was the beloved son of the former Lei Fa Heavenly Venerable. His talent back then was so high, his cultivation so strong, no weaker than today's Xuanyuan Lian. Over the years, his cultivation has not been neglected. I wanted to slay him, but he sacrificed half his body and escaped!"
Feng Tian spoke lightly, but the cold intent in her heart was extremely strong.
Lei Zu was extremely shrewd. Knowing that Feng Tian wanted to suppress Bian Zhuang, he kept fleeing deep into the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain.
This caused Feng Tian's perception of the outside world to grow weaker and weaker. After cutting off half of Lei Zu's divine body, she sensed that Bian Zhuang was about to break free from the suppression of the seven divine artifacts, so she could only give up continuing the pursuit.
Zhang Ruochen asked curiously: "Has Feng Tian discerned where the Thunder Clan is hiding?"
Feng Tian's expression rarely became grave. Because when Lei Zu was fleeing, he claimed that if she went to the Thunder Clan, she would surely fall into eternal doom.
She did not believe the Thunder Clan had an existence more powerful than Lei Zu. She was more inclined to believe this was Lei Zu's desperate intimidation tactic to preserve the Thunder Clan from annihilation.
"Things you shouldn't know, don't ask."