Chapter 3336: Wen Tianjun's Hidden Cache
One hundred thousand years ago, Wen Tianjun had indeed left some things behind in the Absolute Cold Desert Star Domain. Princess Shenba had clearly informed Zhang Ruochen of this earlier.
As for how she came to know, Zhang Ruochen had some guesses but did not press further.
On the road.
Xiuchen Heavenly God repeatedly urged Zhang Ruochen to use the Earth Cauldron to refine the ancient gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction, claiming that improving strength was the most important matter at hand.
Zhang Ruochen naturally remained wary of Xiuchen Heavenly God.
She had lived for an extremely long time. Once she surpassed his own strength by too much, who knew if she possessed some secret technique to break free from Zhang Ruochen's control?
Don't be fooled by Xiuchen Heavenly God's current compliance—acting as an artifact spirit, a hired fighter, even willing to transform into a woman. Who could say whether she was burying all the humiliation deep in her heart, waiting to retaliate against Zhang Ruochen as she had once struck down Famous Sword God?
"How many times must I tell you? Address me as Young Lord. Do not speak my realm master's name directly." Zhang Ruochen's aura shifted, becoming much sharper.
Xiuchen Heavenly God was furious but dared not speak. She fell silent, her pretty face cold, retreating to the very back of the group.
Xu Wenzhi and Li Mo Master exchanged glances, then smiled meaningfully.
The once fearsome Xiuchen Heavenly God, before Zhang Ruochen, had completely become a woman who could only swallow her anger. They both felt their earlier concerns were excessive. No matter how formidable Xiuchen Heavenly God was, it would be difficult for her to escape the palm of this Son of the Era.
With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation and reputation, he could fully be called the Son of the Era, the most brilliant star of this age.
A fragrant breeze swept by. Yu Ling Shen floated to Zhang Ruochen's side, her former cold pride and transcendent ancient god aura gone. She said softly, "Realm Master, how do you plan to deal with these ancient gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction? Not one of them is a simple character. If they all fall, the Heavenly Court will surely declare war on Xinghuantian and Hundred Clans Royal City. And right now, the Hell Realm has not yet withdrawn its armies."
Clearly, Yu Ling Shen was worried that the Heavenly Court and Hell Realm might join forces, first destroying Xinghuantian and Hundred Clans Royal City.
"I, the Realm Master, have my own methods of handling this."
After a pause, Zhang Ruochen continued, "A great change has occurred in Lihentian. Those Boundless old monsters who did not join the Northern Expedition should all be heading there. This is the perfect opportunity to move the great worlds of the Hundred Clans Royal City's various races to the Sword Realm!"
A hard-to-conceal brilliance flickered in Yu Ling Shen's spiritual eyes. "Finally, we can go to the Sword Realm. This is destined to be a major event that will shake the entire universe."
"The Yecha Clan is a large clan. I wonder if we can obtain more territory and resources in the Sword Realm?"
She had many concerns and quickly added, "Yu Ling and the Yecha Clan, because of a promise from the Realm Master, have already made enemies of the entire Hell Realm. Now, only the Realm Master can protect us!"
This was a pledge of loyalty, and also a promise.
It hinted that she and the Yecha Clan were utterly devoted to Zhang Ruochen and would continue to rely on him in the future.
Zhang Ruochen had now reached a level that Yu Ling Shen could only look up to, whether in cultivation or background.
With one more step in his cultivation, Zhang Ruochen would become a God Venerable of the present age, and not a weak one.
Given Zhang Ruochen's cultivation speed, that day would not be far off!
By then, even the Yecha Clan's ancestor would likely have to bow his head three points before Zhang Ruochen.
This was not a disgrace to the Yecha Clan, but rather a hope for their resurgence. However, there was still a prerequisite: so far, the relationship between the Yecha Clan and Zhang Ruochen was not close enough.
Yu Ling Shen understood clearly that the future master of the Yecha Clan must possess Zhang Ruochen's bloodline.
Only then would the Yecha Clan have a chance to rise again!
Another long stretch of travel.
"It should be nearby!"
Princess Shenba stopped, looked around, then descended onto a frozen planet tens of thousands of miles in diameter.
Xu Wenzhi, Li Mo Master, Xiuchen Heavenly God, and Yu Ling Shen all had flickering eyes. This was Wen Tianjun's hidden cache. Even just getting a look would be something worth anticipating.
"Hua!"
Princess Shenba's spiritual power stirred, and immediately a fierce wind swept across the frozen planet.
When the wind subsided, a faint smell of blood hung in the air.
Everyone looked and saw a tattered blood-colored war robe beneath the ice layer. Powerful energy fluctuations emanated from around the war robe, with blood qi spreading for hundreds of miles.
Xiuchen Heavenly God couldn't help but rush closer.
A stream of blood qi flew out from the ice and struck her.
"Boom!"
Xiuchen Heavenly God was knocked back, and the spot on her soul-body where she was hit became semi-transparent.
This power was far stronger than what Beixi had left in the black feathered robe!
Deep within the ice, the blood qi became violent and frenzied, emitting a roaring, ear-splitting sound, as if it would all burst forth.
Everyone present was greatly alarmed. Yu Ling Shen took out the Yecha Ancestral God Hall, ready to activate it at any moment.
This was the blood qi and battle intent left by Wen Tianjun back then. Even just a blood-soaked war robe contained unparalleled killing might.
Princess Shenba walked over slowly, tears in her eyes. She knelt on the ice, her fingers touching the ice layer, whispering something.
Gradually, the blood qi around the blood-colored war robe calmed down.
"Pa!"
The ice cracked.
The fissures widened, emitting a rumbling sound.
Princess Shenba was the first to fly down, followed closely by Zhang Ruochen and the others.
Flying into the blood qi, everyone held their breath, their hearts heavy.
Before them were broken corpses, their divine souls and consciousness completely extinguished.
Princess Shenba recognized a divine corpse that was only half a body left. She rushed over, brushed the corpse's face, and wept bitterly, murmuring the word "elder brother."
The corpses here were numerous, all once famous gods of the Kunlun Realm.
The bodies had been corroded by deathly energy, many shriveled and withered.
Some were just a single bone, a broken weapon, a fragment of armor, with a stone tablet erected beside them, inscribed with names.
Zhang Ruochen saw "Baili King," saw "Bright Heart Sword God," saw "Fallen God Divine Master"...
They had once followed Wen Tianjun in a charge into the Hell Realm, destroying the energy source of the Yellow Spring Star River, preventing the Kunlun Realm and the entire Heavenly Court Universe from being swallowed by it.
But the information was leaked. Although they succeeded in destroying the energy source and stopping the Yellow Spring Star River's movement, they fell into the Hell Realm's trap. Not one escaped.
All died in battle!
Or, like Chi Xingtian, they became war slaves.
In Zhang Ruochen's mind, the tragic scene involuntarily appeared: Wen Tianjun, alone, facing the ten clan leaders of the Hell Realm and countless gods. In that desperate situation, he still gathered the corpses and relics of the Kunlun Realm's gods, wrapping them in his tattered war robe.
Unable to bring them back to the Kunlun Realm, because he didn't know who had betrayed them, and didn't know if he would be intercepted by his own people on the way back to the Heavenly Court.
He could only flee into the Absolute Cold Desert Star Domain.
Unable to return to the Heavenly Court, he could only fight to the death against the Hell Realm, avenging his fallen subordinates, descendants, and comrades-in-arms.
He left only the corpses and relics of the Kunlun Realm's gods here.
A hidden cache?
No, this was Wen Tianjun's final battlefield, the burial ground of the Kunlun Realm's gods.
Of course, there were even more gods who left nothing behind, because they had self-detonated their divine sources.
Zhang Ruochen's heart was heavy, but his face remained calm. He walked step by step to the center of the many divine corpses, where a stone table was placed.
The stone table contained the divine power left by Wen Tianjun back then, and Zhang Ruochen could not approach it. On the stone table were carved characters and a crystal-clear blue pearl.
Zhang Ruochen could recognize the characters on the stone table.
"If a cultivator from a later age finds this place, and possesses a sincere and pure heart, they may absorb the war robe's blood qi and my divine power. Obtaining this opportunity makes you my successor. You must return these bones and relics to the Kunlun Realm. Within this pearl is inscribed the 'Heaven-Penetrating Record' and the formula for the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Pill, which will surely help you become a supreme powerhouse among gods."
Seeing the words on the stone table, Xiuchen Heavenly God immediately grew restless.
"I, the Emperor, feel that I possess a sincere and pure heart. Zhang Ruochen, quickly release me!" Xiao Hei's voice came from Zhang Ruochen's sleeve.
Then, he rushed out and began to absorb the surrounding blood qi.
But after absorbing just a wisp, his body swelled up, his belly turning into a round ball, and he collapsed directly to the ground.
"The blood qi and divine power here are too strong. Without hundreds or thousands of years, it's impossible to fully absorb them." Xiao Hei dared not speak loudly, afraid his stomach would burst.
"You are a god of the Kunlun Realm, so Wen Tianjun's power did not repel you. If it were another god who dared to absorb it so directly, they would probably be dead already," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Hurry and activate the Sundial. Wen Tianjun's opportunity must be meant for me, the Emperor."
Zhang Ruochen ignored Xiao Hei and also stopped Xiuchen Heavenly God, who was planning to absorb the divine power. Since Princess Shenba had come, everything here naturally belonged to her.
Princess Shenba approached the stone table and was not repelled by its power.
Her fingertips touched the characters on it, tears streaming endlessly from her eyes, her expression complex.
After an unknown amount of time, Princess Shenba completely calmed down. She picked up the blue pearl from the stone table and said, "Zhang Ruochen, activate the Sundial. Let everyone absorb the blood qi and divine power here together."
"We'll pass. We cultivate spiritual power; absorbing blood qi and divine power would be a pure waste."
After saying this, Xu Wenzhi and Li Mo Master withdrew from the blood mist area and went to guard the void.
Xiuchen Heavenly God, however, was not polite. She immediately activated the Sundial.
But Wen Tianjun's will repelled gods of the Hell Realm. Xiuchen Heavenly God could not absorb any of the blood qi or divine power here. This enraged her so much that she repeatedly tried secret techniques to forcibly absorb it, nearly causing her soul-body to explode.
In the end, she had to stop unwillingly and continued urging Zhang Ruochen to refine and kill the ancient gods of the Heavenly Realm Faction.
Princess Shenba gazed at Zhang Ruochen and said, "Zhang Ruochen, thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Zhang Ruochen smiled.
"Thank you for going to the Paradise Realm to rescue me. And thank you for accompanying me here to retrieve the bones and relics of the Kunlun Realm's gods."
Princess Shenba's heart stirred. She pinched the blue pearl between two fingers and said, "I can lend you the 'Heaven-Penetrating Record' to read!"
"Thank you for your trust." Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then said, "I'm actually more interested in the formula for the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Pill. How about letting me copy a copy? I promise I won't pass it on to a third person!"