Chapter 3326: Entering the Starry Sky Defense Line
After refining the divine soul divine pill obtained from Pulbas, Zhang Ruochen handed all of them over to Xiu Chen.
As for the other divine pills, such as the divine blood pill and the spiritual power divine pill, he left them all in the Kunlun Realm, entrusting them to Ling Feiyu, Chi Kunlun, Nalan Danqing, and the others.
Given Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation level, he no longer needed such things.
To improve further, he could only rely on the slow accumulation of time—to comprehend, to contemplate, and to train.
A few days later.
Princess Shenba and Chi Xingtian returned!
Compared to when they had left, Princess Shenba's spiritual demeanor was completely renewed, as if she had encountered some joyful event. She was no longer so gloomy, stubborn, and overcast.
She seemed like an entirely different person, possessing the refined heart of a Confucian master and the mysterious nobility of a top-tier spiritual power expert.
Zhang Ruochen had a thorough understanding of the situation in the Kunlun Realm. He had sensed the powerful force of fate from the Western Region earlier and also knew that Princess Shenba had been in contact with Candeng.
Candeng had not deliberately concealed it.
Clearly, Princess Shenba was the recipient of the letter that Candeng had mentioned.
Zhang Ruochen was curious but did not ask, as it was Princess Shenba's private matter.
Zhang Ruochen informed them of the news about Master Fangcun.
"Master Fangcun's corpse must be retrieved and cannot be allowed to be used by the Hell Realm. I will handle this matter," Princess Shenba said calmly, already having a plan in mind. It was not a decision made on impulse.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and said, "Princess, would you be willing to hear a word from me?"
"Ruochen, please don't call me princess anymore. Just call me Shenba," she said.
Princess Shenba wore a purple robe with a wooden hairpin in her hair. Her Dao aura was profound, natural, and serene.
Zhang Ruochen nodded and said, "You must know something about the Sword Realm, right? It is inevitable that the Kunlun Realm will leave the Heavenly Court and move to the Sword Realm. This is a decision jointly made by Tai Shang, the Dragon Lord, Yujing Patriarch, Taiqing Patriarch, and the others."
"In the war a hundred thousand years ago, the Heavenly Court failed the Kunlun Realm. A thousand years ago, during the merit war of the Kunlun Realm, the Heavenly Court failed it again. For the Kunlun Realm to choose to leave rather than side with the Hell Realm is already a clean break," Princess Shenba said.
Chi Xingtian snorted coldly, "A hundred thousand years ago, it was because many people felt the Kunlun Realm was too strong and felt threatened, so they struck from the shadows. A thousand years ago, it was because all realms thought the Kunlun Realm had declined but still possessed countless resources, so everyone wanted a bite."
Zhang Ruochen said, "That's not entirely true. The Heavenly Court's myriad realms, the Heavenly Palace, the four dominant worlds, the Twenty Heavens, the ancient civilization factions... the various forces are too mixed. Conflicts of interest and infighting are inevitable."
"But whether it was a hundred thousand years ago or a thousand years ago, there were still many forces in the Heavenly Court that helped the Kunlun Realm. Some made great sacrifices, others provided timely aid. It was thanks to their help that the Kunlun Realm was able to survive the two great crises a hundred thousand years ago and a thousand years ago."
"Since you two seniors have broken free from your shackles and returned to the Kunlun Realm, shouldn't you go and visit these old friends?"
Princess Shenba and Chi Xingtian immediately understood the deeper intent behind Zhang Ruochen's words.
Princess Shenba said, "Ruochen, are you worried that the Paradise Realm will retaliate and unite the various realms of the Heavenly Court to launch a war against the Kunlun Realm or Xinghuantian?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, "They don't have the energy to do that for now. I'm worried that in the future, after the Kunlun Realm moves to the Sword Realm, the Heavenly Court will use this as an excuse to attack the Sword Realm."
"Alright, I will go and contact my old friends!"
As the daughter of Wen Tianjun, Princess Shenba had associated with extraordinary cultivators since childhood. Those who were still alive were all overlords in their own right.
Chi Xingtian grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, and said, "I'll go and contact the ancient gods I once fought alongside..."
"Great God Xingtian, you'd better not go. The Kunlun Realm needs a strong guardian," Zhang Ruochen said.
Chi Xingtian showed a dissatisfied expression.
Zhang Ruochen added, "You are still severely injured and very weak. If those ancient gods you once fought alongside get an itch to spar with you, and you lose, how embarrassing would that be?"
"I'll stay in the Kunlun Realm to heal my injuries!"
Chi Xingtian had truly been losing too much lately. In the past, below the Infinite Realm, when had he ever been defeated?
...
Zhang Ruochen did not want to show himself. Together with Xiao Hei, he hid in Princess Shenba's divine realm world and headed to the second Starry Sky Defense Line.
"Whoosh!"
On a planet below the Truth Divine Gate, the light of the Space Teleportation Array gradually faded, revealing Princess Shenba's elegant figure.
The false god divine general guarding the teleportation array recognized her extraordinary presence. After careful confirmation, he immediately knelt on one knee and said, "Greetings, Princess Shenba!"
The news spread across the planet, causing a stir.
Message light talismans flew out like raindrops.
The commotion caused by the Paradise Realm earlier had already made the gods of various factions aware that Princess Shenba had escaped. But no one expected her to arrive at the second Starry Sky Defense Line so openly.
Leaving the teleportation array, Princess Shenba went directly to the Beidou Civilization.
Among the ancient civilization factions, the Kunlun Realm had deep ties with two of the four strongest ancient civilizations: the Thousand Star Civilization and the Beidou Civilization.
Wen Tianjun and the old Heavenly Master of the Beidou Civilization had a friendship spanning over a million years.
It was not surprising to anyone that Princess Shenba chose the Beidou Civilization as her first stop.
After entering the Starry Sky Defense Line, Zhang Ruochen parted ways with Princess Shenba. He transformed into the appearance of Master Yuanchen and deliberately used his spiritual power to conceal his aura, heading to the Wu Shen Civilization.
Zhang Ruochen had his own purpose for coming to the Starry Sky Defense Line.
Legend had it that the Wu Shen Civilization was the inheritor of the ancient Wu Dao, descendants of one of the Wu ancestors.
To this day, they still cultivated the Wu Dao and studied Wu arts, but it was no longer the same as the ancient Wu Dao, now more in tune with the heaven and earth rules of this era.
Although the Wu Dao had declined, it had left behind countless inheritances that influenced later generations.
Clans like the Holy Clan, the Wu Shen Civilization, and the Yama Clan all bore traces of Wu, all traceable back to a certain Wu ancestor.
The Wu Shen Civilization, alongside the Blazing Sun Civilization, the Thousand Star Civilization, and the Beidou Civilization, was one of the four great ancient civilizations. It not only had a Heavenly Venerable but also numerous gods, with profound foundations.
This was precisely why, even though Xuan Yuan Lian knew Jia Tianxia had issues, he still used him as bait to lure the Quantity Organization into the trap.
Unfortunately, human calculations could not match the heavens' plans.
The defense line of the Wu Shen Civilization had been breached due to Jia Tianxia.
Many days had passed, and the breach in the defense line had been repaired. However, Zhang Ruochen could still see the scars left by the war on the great world of the Wu Shen Civilization.
Ruined cities, endless tombstones, scorched earth stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles...
No matter how strong a great world was, once a chaotic battle among gods erupted within it, it would inevitably be left in ruins, with the number of dead creatures numbering in the billions.
Hundreds of thousands of top-tier formation masters from the entire Heavenly Court had gathered in this great world, still repairing the formation inscriptions in the outer space.
The Wu Shen Temple was built in imitation of the Wu Hall described in the *Ancient Wu Complete Book*. It sat on a plain but was dozens of times higher than all the plateaus in the great world of the Wu Shen Civilization.
The temple was majestic and massive, capable of holding a planet within.
In front of the temple stood nine cauldrons, also imitations, each at the level of a supreme sacred artifact.
A golden chariot was parked inside the Wu Shen Temple, which had become the center of power for the entire Heavenly Court. Cultivators came and went in an endless stream, and a large number of message light talismans flew in every moment.
Inside the chariot.
Xuan Yuan Lian sat beside a jade table.
On the table were piles of message divine talismans, all of which had been screened by the Red Dust Peerless Tower. Only important matters were sent here.
While reading a message divine talisman in her hand, Xuan Yuan Lian asked, "Has Ke Yangshan made any further moves?"
Zhuang Tai'a, sitting in the first seat to her lower right, stood up and said, "Ke Yangshan and the cultivators of the Paradise Realm have been purging the Ji Clan these days. His hostility toward the Ji Clan seems to exceed that toward the Kunlun Realm and Xinghuantian."
"Since Ji Donghuang was a quantity envoy, the Ji Clan does need a thorough cleansing," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
She then asked, "What about Meila and Kelsa?"
"No news for now. However..."
Zhuang Tai'a took out over a dozen message light talismans and said, "Chi Xingtian has appeared. He returned to the Kunlun Realm from the Wuding Divine Sea. It is likely that Princess Shenba is hidden in his divine realm world. As for whether Zhang Ruochen, Wu Yue, or the Moon God have arrived in the Heavenly Court Universe, it is impossible to analyze for now."
Xuan Yuan Lian put down the message divine talisman in her hand and pondered, "From the Paradise Realm to the Lihentian, yet appearing in the Wuding Divine Sea."
"Perhaps there is a passage from the Wuding Divine Sea to the Lihentian," Zhuang Tai'a said.
"Whoosh!"
Another message divine talisman flew in, landing in Xuan Yuan Lian's hand.
In fact, even without the message divine talisman, Xuan Yuan Lian had already sensed it the moment Princess Shenba appeared at the Starry Sky Defense Line.
After reading the message divine talisman, Zhuang Tai'a was visibly moved and said, "Princess Shenba has been slaughtering wildly in the Paradise Realm, inciting the fury of the entire Paradise Realm faction. Now, appearing so openly at the Starry Sky Defense Line and immediately heading to the Beidou Civilization is bound to stir up quite a storm."
"Leave things here to you. I need to go out," Xuan Yuan Lian said.
With a thought, Xuan Yuan Lian teleported everyone inside the golden chariot out.
Then, the golden chariot drove out of the Wu Shen Temple.
The light on the chariot gradually dimmed, and its form and size changed, transforming into an ordinary purple wooden ancient chariot pulled by a moonlight unicorn formed from divine light.
After traveling millions of miles, the chariot arrived at a human kingdom in the great world of the Wu Shen Civilization.
Even though a chaotic battle among gods had erupted in this same great world not long ago, the mortal realm and the cultivation world seemed like two different worlds.
In the small city of this human kingdom, the vast majority were mortals. The streets were bustling with traffic and lively, completely oblivious to the crisis of world destruction.
They knew nothing about the Starry Sky Defense Line or the Hell Realm.
Zhang Ruochen sat in a porridge stall by the street. After paying, he picked up a steaming bowl of rice porridge and took a sip.
It was thick and slightly sweet.
The old man running the stall, now free, asked, "Master, where are you off to? Going to perform a funeral for some cultivator again? I hear the cultivation world is in chaos, with many dying every day!"
Zhang Ruochen smiled without speaking and took another sip.
The old man's face was lined with wrinkles. He sighed, "What's the point of cultivation? All day long, it's nothing but fighting and killing, rarely ending well. They say the number one expert of the prestigious Saint-level Song family in the capital died out there, not even leaving a bone behind—all turned to ashes!"
"Ah! It's better to be an ordinary person. Life is more stable, and when you die, you can return to your roots."
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Someone has to do the work, or else where would our stable lives come from?"
The old man couldn't understand Zhang Ruochen's words and said no more.
A new customer entered the stall, and he went back to work.
The purple wooden ancient chariot stopped outside the porridge stall. From inside the chariot came Xuan Yuan Lian's voice: "Get in."
Zhang Ruochen bought another bowl of porridge, carried it into the chariot, and gradually transformed back into his true appearance.
Inside the chariot was a world of its own, filled with divine qi and drifting purple energy.
Xuan Yuan Qing, dressed in white and wearing a veil, stood by a purple divine spring. She said, "Mortals live and die in a single day, with a lifespan of mere decades. How could they understand what we do?"
"You have never been a mortal, so how do you know that mortals cannot understand? In this world, everyone has their place. The old man just wants to live peacefully, running a porridge stall to fill the stomachs of passersby. Among mortals, there are surely countless ambitious individuals who can bravely step onto the battlefield and sacrifice themselves."
Zhang Ruochen handed the earthenware bowl to Xuan Yuan Qing and said, "Want to try it? It's not bad."
Xuan Yuan Qing did not take it. Her eyes were full of rejection.
In her eyes, this bowl of porridge was no different from a bowl of mud and sand—impossible to swallow.
From the distance, by the purple divine spring, Xuan Yuan Lian's voice rang out: "Zhang Ruochen, I already promised you that I would help rescue Princess Shenba and Chi Xingtian. Why didn't you inform me before going to the Paradise Realm?"
"Your actions in the Paradise Realm have put me in a very passive position. Now, I can't even meet you openly."
Zhang Ruochen walked over, stood by the water, and looked at the green lotus in the distance.
Inside the lotus, a figure was faintly visible.
Zhang Ruochen said, "The situation was urgent, and there was no time to discuss it with you. However, I did have Feng Yan inform you about the matter of the Space Divine Temple's Grand Elder, fulfilling my duty as an ally."
"Speaking of which, this is your fault."
"My fault?"
Xuan Yuan Lian's tone turned slightly cold, clearly still very dissatisfied with Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You couldn't even handle a Jia Tianxia and let him escape—isn't that your responsibility?"
"As the current highest authority of the Heavenly Court, you failed to detect that the Space Divine Temple's Grand Elder was problematic. Instead, this news came from a god of the Fengdu Ghost City."
"If you had been able to eliminate these two major threats, why would I have risked my life to go to the Paradise Realm to rescue people?"
"Now you blame me for causing too much trouble. Have you considered that the root cause is your own incompetence?"
The lotus remained silent for a long time.
Xuan Yuan Qing walked over, looking at Zhang Ruochen with a complex expression, and said, "Don't blame my brother. The affairs of the Heavenly Court are all pressing down on him now. Many important matters, the gods are afraid to take responsibility, so my brother has to make the decisions."
"The Heavenly Court has ten thousand realms, and thus ten thousand voices. The four dominant worlds have four major voices. The various ancient civilization factions and the forces where the Heavenly Venerables reside also have their voices."
"To suppress all sides and unify opinions is enough to drain my brother's energy."
Zhang Ruochen said, "There's no need to make excuses. Not only should you not blame me, but you should also thank me. If I hadn't gone to the Paradise Realm to stop the Quantity Organization, the casualties in the Paradise Realm would have been even worse."
"What's done is done in the Paradise Realm. What's the use of discussing it further?" Xuan Yuan Lian said again, "Zhang Ruochen, I can roughly guess the purpose of your visit to the Starry Sky Defense Line. You're afraid of retaliation from the Paradise Realm, so you've come to seek my support, haven't you?"
Zhang Ruochen lowered his head and smiled, shaking it slightly. "Why should I fear retaliation from the Paradise Realm? Just because of Ke Yangshan? You should be the one afraid that the Paradise Realm will spiral out of control, launching an attack on the Kunlun Realm or declaring war on Xinghuantian."
"In that case, the Heavenly Court will either fall into internal strife or face a pincer attack from the Hell Realm and Xinghuantian!"
"Xuan Yuan Lian, the one who should be afraid is you!"