Chapter 3294: Heavenly Court Envoy Delegation
Zhang Ruochen took a seat near Chi Yao and said, "Feng Tian cut off half of Lei Zu’s divine body. That battle must have frightened him badly. Fleeing deep into the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain and getting lost there is only natural. However, Lei Zu’s cultivation is extraordinary—only an Indestructible Infinite could have beaten him so badly. I’m very worried he might find the Sword Realm!"
Qiangu Nüdi said, "Rest assured, the news has already been sent back to the Sword Realm. With Taiqing Shenzun and Yu Shenwang there, plus the defensive and offensive divine formations that the two Shenzun have been setting up for years, blocking Lei Zu won’t be difficult. Even in the worst-case scenario, self-preservation is not an issue."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "Has Yuqing Patriarch come to Xinghuantian?"
"No," Qiangu Nüdi replied.
Zhang Ruochen said gravely, "Send word to him—try not to leave the Dark Great Triangle Star Domain. If Feng Tian senses him, I might not even be able to save him."
The several great gods present exchanged strange glances.
A great god saving a Shenzun?
Qiangu Nüdi looked thoughtful, and a sword message flew from her fingertip, already sent out.
Chi Yao said, "So, Feng Tian abandoned the attack on the second Starry Sky Defense Line just to save you?"
The four Tai Xu old Daoists all raised their heads to look at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen laughed self-deprecatingly, "Do I really carry that much weight? It was the emergence of the Lei Clan’s Shide Shenwang and Lei Zu that alarmed Feng Tian."
"Now, among the Watchers, aside from Bian Zhuang War God, the others have likely all gone to the Lei Clan. The Heavenly Court and Hell may be locked in a life-and-death struggle, but they will never allow a third faction to grow strong. Once such a faction appears, both sides will join forces to wipe it out."
By the end, Zhang Ruochen’s smile had completely faded.
Seeing everyone’s heavy expressions, Zhang Ruochen immediately relaxed his posture and laughed, "Everyone, don’t worry so much! The emergence of the Ancient Chaos Demon Gods, the Lei Clan, and even the Quantity Organization will surely give the Heavenly Court and Hell plenty of headaches. The rise of a third faction, even a fourth, is inevitable."
"Besides, compared to the Ancient Chaos Demon Gods, the Lei Clan, and the Quantity Organization, we have one huge advantage."
An old Daoist asked, "What advantage?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Personal connections! The Heavenly Court owes a great debt to the Heavenly Beginning Civilization, doesn’t it? The Starry Sea Angler and Grandmaster have friends everywhere, and Senior Nine Heavens has countless ties to the Hell Realm. As for me, I believe I have some influence in both the Heavenly Court and Hell—enough to sway the decisions of a major figure."
"Personal connections might be worthless sometimes, but other times, they’re priceless. If we skillfully use the situation and offer substantial benefits, it can go a long way."
"As long as opinions within the Heavenly Court and Hell are divided, the Sword Realm will have room to survive."
That the Sword Realm would stand independently outside the Heavenly Court and Hell, becoming a third faction, was now something that could be openly discussed without further evasion.
This was the Divine Maiden’s palace, a small space. Zhang Ruochen had already checked it multiple times and released the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram to ensure no one had followed them in, so they could speak freely.
After explaining why Xinghuantian and the Hundred Clans Royal City couldn’t yet be moved into the Sword Realm, Zhang Ruochen began receiving the second batch of distinguished guests.
These were the Heavenly Court’s envoys, led by Chi Chaluo and Qing Yusheng, the Valley Master of the Chixia Feixian Valley. Accompanying them were the Mandala Flower God of the Thousand Pistil Realm, Feng Yan of the Wind Clan, and Xiang Chunan of the Truth Divine Temple.
Zhang Ruochen had caused chaos in the Black Sea Realm, the Great Heart Ape Ancestral Realm, and the Cold Stone Ancestral Realm, then returned to Xinghuantian in a high-profile manner. Naturally, various factions came calling.
Now, Zhang Ruochen was at the peak of his fame, having shaken the entire universe with absolute power and firmly established himself as a regional overlord.
Zhang Ruochen knew that Xuan Yuan Lian was planning to use a beauty trap and play the emotional card, so he kept the cold-faced Empress Chi Yao by his side. Qiangu Nüdi and the four Tai Xu ancient gods of the Heavenly Beginning Civilization all withdrew.
In terms of beauty, Chi Yao could easily crush Xuan Yuan Lian’s beauty trap, rendering it useless.
In terms of temperament, Chi Yao would show no one any favor.
Zhang Ruochen changed his seat, moving to the highest position in the Divine Maiden’s palace. Adopting the posture of a realm lord, he looked at the Heavenly Court gods entering.
But he restrained his divine might, deliberately keeping a low profile, and smiled, "All are honored guests. You’ve traveled far and must be weary—please, take your seats quickly."
At the same time, his divine voice transmitted out of the palace, ordering the maids to serve tea.
The Mandala Flower God said coldly, "Tea is unnecessary. Realm Lord Ruochen is one of the sharpest minds in the world today. You must know how important the matter we’ve come for is. The opportunity is fleeting—not a moment can be wasted."
Zhang Ruochen said, "There’s no rush. Flower God, why didn’t Xin’er come along?"
Hearing the term "Xin’er," the Mandala Flower God’s eyes turned cold. She vaguely knew that Ji Fanxin had been bullied by Zhang Ruochen in the Heavenly Beginning Civilization and had been in seclusion since returning to the Heavenly Court.
Clearly, she had suffered a broken heart.
Because of this, the Mandala Flower God had lost all goodwill toward Zhang Ruochen. If Xuan Yuan Lian hadn’t personally come to request her presence, she wouldn’t have made this trip at all.
Controlling her emotions, the Mandala Flower God sat down and said, "Fanxin has her own path. That seems to have nothing to do with Realm Lord Ruochen."
Chi Chaluo, worried that the Mandala Flower God would sour relations with Zhang Ruochen, got straight to the point, "Realm Lord Ruochen’s recent feats have spread across all realms of the Heavenly Court, astonishing countless gods. Now is the perfect time to press the advantage. The Heavenly Court is willing to help you retake the Hundred Clans Royal City and kill all Hell Realm troops in this star region, including gods."
Qing Yusheng spoke, her voice soft and smooth, "Realm Lord Ruochen commands a host of powerful subordinates, and with the help of the Ancient God Nest, it’s like adding wings to a tiger."
"The Heavenly Court also has two killing moves. First, a large number of Heavenly Court gods are already gathering and can secretly move in at any time—they are your strongest allies."
"Second, the four Great Heavenly Kings of the Heavenly Palace have been lying low in the Hundred Clans Royal City for years, secretly helping the Hundred Clans repel wave after wave of Hell Realm attacks. If these four experts join forces with the gods in the Hundred Clans Royal City, they can catch the Hell Realm army completely off guard."
The four Great Heavenly Kings were the successors of four of the nine War Gods of the Heavenly Palace.
The four Heavenly Kings who had dealt with Yan Wushen back in the Kunlun Realm were the disciples of these four Great Heavenly Kings.
Zhang Ruochen quickly stood up and bowed, "On behalf of the billions of people of the Hundred Clans, I thank the Heavenly Court for all these years of help. Without it, the Hundred Clans Royal City could not have held out this long."
Chi Yao rolled her eyes. She didn’t believe Zhang Ruochen was genuinely moved.
Was the Heavenly Court’s help in defending the city not for its own benefit?
Since it was help born of self-interest, what was there to be moved about?
Qing Yusheng said, "Realm Lord, there’s no need to be so polite. The Heavenly Court, the Hundred Clans Royal City, and Xinghuantian have always been allies. Fighting the Hell Realm together is our duty!"
Chi Chaluo said, "If we join forces, all the Hell Realm troops in Xinghuantian will surely be annihilated. The Hell Realm gods on the second Starry Sky Defense Line and the gods of the Yellow Spring Star River will certainly come to rescue them, and we can set a trap to wipe them all out."
"After that, Prince Lian will launch a counterattack on the second Starry Sky Defense Line, dealing a heavy blow to the Hell Realm that will leave them unable to recover for a hundred thousand years."
"This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Miss it, and it will never come again."
Qing Yusheng observed Zhang Ruochen’s expression and said, "Is Realm Lord Ruochen worried about Hell Realm’s retaliation? Afraid of bloody revenge? There’s no need to worry. As an ally, the Heavenly Court will not stand idly by. In fact, you could even lead Xinghuantian and the Hundred Clans Royal City to relocate behind the second Starry Sky Defense Line, with no concerns about the future."
Zhang Ruochen showed a contemplative expression.
Chi Chaluo said indignantly, "The Hell Realm is too cruel. They’ve slaughtered dozens of clans in the Hundred Clans Royal City, and countless cultivators have been reduced to slaves, blood food, and soul food. This is a blood feud. And the tragedy of the Kunlun Realm a hundred thousand years ago is still heartbreaking."
Qing Yusheng said, "The Hell Realm’s way is to bring destruction and slaughter to the world. If they aren’t dealt a heavy blow, Xinghuantian and the Hundred Clans Royal City will never know lasting peace."
Then she looked at Chi Yao, "Empress Chi Yao is a god of the Heavenly Court. Surely you share our righteous indignation?"
Chi Yao could clearly see what these Heavenly Court envoys were trying to do, and she understood Zhang Ruochen’s intentions. Sigh, she had to be the villain. Coldly, she said, "The cultivators of the Hell Realm indeed all deserve death. But this Empress believes the Heavenly Court can afford to offend the Hell Realm—Zhang Ruochen cannot. If he truly annihilates the Hell Realm army, his death will not be far off."
"Empress Chi Yao, are you trying to scare us?"
Zhang Ruochen glared at Chi Yao and snorted coldly, "Why would this Realm Lord fear the Hell Realm? Moreover, Xinghuantian has the Heavenly Court as an ally. We stand together, helping each other—enough to handle any crisis."
"But... this matter is of great importance, involving the lives of countless commoners and Saint realm cultivators. This Realm Lord must consider it carefully and consult with the various gods. I cannot decide rashly on my own. Everyone, please rest for now. Tomorrow, I will surely give you a satisfactory answer. At the very least, I personally fully support this."