# Chapter 3277: Following Realm Lord Ruochen
The Black Sea Realm, a great world where ninety percent of its territory was covered by ocean, floated in the universe like a black sea, with a diameter exceeding thirty million li.
The number of living beings within the sea was countless, with abundant resources, giving birth to many rare minerals and uncommon sacred medicines.
Though called a realm, it was more like a treasure sea of this star region.
On the largest continent of the Black Sea Realm stood seven divine temples, which served as the hubs of the realm-protecting grand formation, originally guarded by seven gods of the Death Clan.
But at this moment, all seven gods had their legs broken and were kneeling outside the divine temples.
They could not rise, as powerful strands of rule divine patterns pressed down on them like a curtain of rain, rendering their bodies completely immobile.
Further away, a vast expanse of Death Clan saint realm cultivators knelt in dense, countless numbers, but they remained quiet. Because those who were not quiet had already been devoured by Xiu Chen Heavenly God, their saint souls consumed, leaving only discarded corpses.
Zhang Ruochen stood inside one of the divine temples, releasing his spiritual power thoughts outward, manifesting tens of thousands of thought avatars to analyze the inscriptions within the temple.
After completing the analysis, all spiritual power thoughts returned.
"Quite interesting, a formation arranged by a God Venerable indeed. Using divine soul to inscribe formation inscriptions without spiritual power is a unique approach," Zhang Ruochen said.
Cang Jue stood to the side, sneering contemptuously, "What does it matter if it's a formation arranged by a God Venerable? With a formation divine master like the Young Lord making a move, it can be analyzed in an instant. Divine soul formation is ultimately inferior to spiritual power!"
Zhang Ruochen did not bother with false modesty and asked, "How is your injury recovery?"
Cang Jue's ghost body had been shattered, leaving him severely injured. Though it was not visible on the surface, his aura intensity had noticeably declined.
Cang Jue said, "With the Sundial's help, this old servant has refined a large amount of Zhao Wu's divine soul and divine source. My soul body has recovered more than half. In another few days, after completely refining it, my injuries will surely heal, and my cultivation should reach a higher level."
Under the Sundial, a few days meant several years.
"I'm afraid we don't have that much time."
Zhang Ruochen stepped out of the divine temple, a contemplative look in his eyes.
Chi Hun Monarch and Yuan Tian Monarch, kneeling on the ground, looked at the spirited Zhang Ruochen, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
The young man who had once only been worthy of competing with their youngest sons had now become a towering giant in the universe, capable of deciding life and death with a single word.
They had watched Zhang Ruochen grow step by step, becoming a realm lord, becoming a hegemon.
"Realm Lord!"
A broad-shouldered, sturdy figure rushed over and knelt on one knee before Zhang Ruochen, speaking sincerely, "Realm Lord, do you still remember me?"
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Xiu Chen Heavenly God before looking at the kneeling man, "Great Sen Luo Emperor, where have you been all these years?"
"Before the Realm Lord, I dare not call myself emperor."
Great Sen Luo Emperor's expression was somewhat awkward, "In recent years, this humble one returned to the Death God Temple to cultivate."
"It seems your memory has recovered," Zhang Ruochen said.
Great Sen Luo Emperor said, "But my reverence for the Realm Lord has only deepened!"
"Speak, why have you come to see me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Great Sen Luo Emperor glanced at Chi Hun Monarch, one of the seven gods kneeling below the divine temple, and said, "I wish to continue serving the Realm Lord, even as a slave if necessary."
"You're not asking me to spare your father god?" Zhang Ruochen smiled.
Great Sen Luo Emperor shook his head, "This humble one knows his own worth and would not dare to make such an extravagant request. The Realm Lord is the most outstanding hero in ten eons. For me to even have the honor of serving the Realm Lord as a slave is already a privilege."
Great Sen Luo Emperor had once been arrogant, once looked down upon the heroes of the world, but now, with such a vast gap in cultivation between him and Zhang Ruochen, how could he still dare to be presumptuous?
The reason he wanted to follow Zhang Ruochen was entirely to preserve the faction under Chi Hun Monarch's banner, or at least to save some of his clansmen.
Otherwise, Chi Hun Monarch's lineage would be completely finished.
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then shook his head, "No. With your current cultivation, even being a slave is not enough. You can try to persuade your father god—he is qualified. An upper god great perfection is still useful no matter where they are placed."
Great Sen Luo Emperor's face showed a look of disappointment, realizing that he had ultimately missed his opportunity. If he had submitted back when Zhang Ruochen was still a Great Saint, he could at least have saved many of his clansmen today.
He looked at Chi Hun Monarch, uncertain whether his father god would set aside his pride and become a divine slave to a junior.
As a renowned monarch of the Death Clan, commanding a divine kingdom, being made a slave was worse than being killed outright.
Chi Hun Monarch closed his eyes tightly, not yet willing to compromise.
Beside him, Yuan Tian Monarch's eyes flickered, and he suddenly spoke, "Realm Lord Ruochen, this god is willing to submit. From now on, I swear to serve the Realm Lord and Xinghuantian with my life."
"A wise man knows when to adapt. Yuan Tian Monarch is the wise man among you."
Zhang Ruochen quickly walked over and helped Yuan Tian Monarch to his feet.
His broken legs restored themselves in divine light.
Yuan Tian Monarch had always been good at reading the situation. Back when Zhang Ruochen had killed one of his sons, he had instructed his other children not to seek revenge. At that time, Zhang Ruochen was merely a Great Saint, yet Yuan Tian Monarch had already seen his extraordinary potential and dared not forge a death feud.
Yuan Tian Monarch released half of his divine soul, voluntarily handing it over to Zhang Ruochen, and added, "Realm Lord, this god has a daughter who has stepped into the divine realm, cultivating a top-tier third-rank divine path with limitless future potential. If the Realm Lord could guide her a little..."
Zhang Ruochen accepted the divine soul, "Let's not discuss that for now. From now on, you will work alongside Cang Jue."
Yuan Tian Monarch's daughter, Yuan Shu, was indeed a first-rate proud daughter of heaven, ranking among the top of all women born in this eon. But she had become a card in Yuan Tian Monarch's hand, used to curry favor with his backing faction.
The other Death Clan gods still kneeling showed looks of contempt.
"Lord Kong Can and the gods of Hell Realm will surely arrive soon. Yuan Tian Monarch, your actions not only disgrace the Death Clan but will also cost you your life." Tai Yi Great God Chang Mei said coldly, his brows furrowed.
Yuan Tian Monarch felt no shame, "You fools, you completely fail to see the situation. Realm Lord Ruochen is a proud son of heaven blessed with great fortune. In the future, not just the position of All Heavens, but even Heavenly Venerable is within reach. Following an enlightened master and reforming oneself is the true path!"
"You're just afraid of death!"
"Pah!"
"How did the Death Clan produce such a coward? Kill me then—if you're going to kill, kill me first."
...
Xiu Chen Heavenly God showed a delighted expression and asked Zhang Ruochen, "Should we kill them all?"
The six kneeling gods immediately fell silent, though their backs remained straight.
Because they knew Xiu Chen Heavenly God truly wanted to kill them, to devour their divine souls.
Zhang Ruochen deliberately showed a thoughtful and hesitant expression, which made the Death Clan gods all tense up, as if a thick killing intent had appeared in the air.
Xiu Chen Heavenly God added, "Kill them, and it's best to kill all the saint realm cultivators under their command as well. We must eradicate the roots. I can handle this."
The Death Clan gods cursed inwardly, feeling Xiu Chen was too ruthless. If Xiu Chen were not born of heaven and earth, they would have cursed her ancestors for thousands of generations.
After thinking for a long while, Zhang Ruochen looked up and sensed waves of powerful divine energy fluctuations.
The Death Clan gods, who had been tense to the breaking point, exchanged glances, joy appearing on their faces.
The strong ones of Hell Realm had arrived!
Moreover, the divine energy fluctuations came one after another, some of them extremely powerful, clearly from Tai Xu Great Gods. They wanted to laugh heartily, feeling that Zhang Ruochen's doom had come, while also rejoicing that they had held firm under pressure.
But they dared not laugh, nor could they, for as dignified gods kneeling in neat rows, their prestige was utterly shattered.
"Zhang Ruochen, release all Death Clan gods and saint realm cultivators immediately, or I will suppress the realm lord now." A thunderous divine voice fell from the nine heavens, causing large swaths of the ocean to surge a hundred zhang high.
"Young Lord, Hell Realm seems to look down on you. None of the ones coming are particularly formidable. This old servant will go deal with them. Should I show some restraint?" Cang Jue asked in a sinister tone.
"Restraint? The various clans of Hundred Clans Royal City have been slaughtered like this, and the envoys Zhang Ruochen sent have been suppressed by them. This is unbearable. Cang Jue, don't go. This matter should be handled by me, a Shura clan cultivator of the killing path. If I don't make them tremble with fear, how can we establish our authority?" Xiu Chen Heavenly God said with a solemn expression, killing intent thick on his body.
(Chapter End)